Yep; i’m going to talk about myself, and attempt to sound positive. My morning has been lovely so far – i didn’t even lie in too much, which is a danger, given my predilection for laziness. And an INCREDIBLY comfy new duvet cover does not hasten my rising either. However, rise at a normal time i did. Enough time in the morning to consider my future (and act productively), also batter out another two or three paragraphs for an upcoming project – (wink wink say no more, as its confidential – but contains the line “…no one wants to be turned into a lizard,” AND i even managed to read a chapter of my current novel choice.
So let us use introspect incorrectly as a verb and introspect my mood.
Last year was a shit show; theres no denying it. A rocky personal start that began with a smashed rear window, continued into a lawsuit regarding an RTA in 2018, another deer impact on my front window, a secondment to another farm, and then the summer-autumn to end all summer-autumns as myself and my colleagues were put through something i can only describe, in my own inimitable way, as a FUCKING NIGHTMARE. Oh and there was also some global pandemic going on which meant i couldn’t really see my friends as often as i want. Oh and i then contracted Sepsis, which could have resulted in limb loss, or worse. And the new series of Dr Who was abysmal.
But i had Lauren, my saviour and work bee-eff-eff, to get me through it.
In the very tail end of the year, however, some wonderful person decided to include my short story in his anthology – available here:
So i’m liberally adding that to my bibliography alongside Forever Avon (my pride and joy from 2020, with thanks to Oliver Dallas!) :
I could exhaust you with the amount of short story projects i have ongoing at any one time, not to mention the two or three novel ideas that are swirling in the intangible mass i call my mind. Oh, and theres poetry going on in there too. Two subjects of that presently: “Thae Classy Lassies” is my 2022 Burns poem, and “The Highlan’ Coo in ’22” is in progress.
I’m reading The Handsmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, which is harrowing but shockingly well written. I don’t know if i should recommend it but its definitely worth a read.
I’m currently absorbing the final series of Line of Duty (to date), watching Castle (now on series 6, i think), and with my other TV priorities sitting with Book of Boba Fett, The Witcher, The Wheel of Time AND the odd crime drama with Lauren, when she visits… my tv slots are all full up. Believe it or not i don’t have time to watch everything. If i did i’d have swallowed The Expanse by now, but still only managed s1.
200 hours into Assassins Creed: Odyssey (i’m in the DLCs now, mind), so gaming is overwhelming too).
So i reserve the right to punch anyone that says “you should watch…” because I DON’T HAVE THE TIME.
Went out Galloway-way the other day and saw Maxwell’s Otter. There. I’ll leave that to your imagination. Had a chat with an unresponsive man. But his advice was powerful.
“What is this life, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.” This is a mantra i think more of us should live by.
Right. Done for the moment on my blog. I’m off to finish my actual handwritten (and far more expletive-ridden and less diplomatic) blog – although i’m old fashioned and call it my journal.
Be Seeing You, and catch you later, cop-dudes!
the FANGG of HORROR ROCK 