Tag: Year End

Wow, 2014 is just about in the books. And what a year it was! Here, without further ado or whatnot, is my annual Year’s End Quiz Thing!

Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I just keep my resolutions the same: read a lot, write a lot, do fun stuff. That’s all I need. In 2015, though, I will be doubling down on writing.

Resolutions always seem kind of vague to me. I prefer goals, and I set a big one for 2014:

Did anyone close to you give birth?

Nope. A few coworkers that I’m not terribly close to, but that’s about it.

Did anyone close to you die?

No, thankfully. Two brothers, though, who are among my best friends lost their father, though, so that was a tough period.

What countries did you visit?

Physically, I never left the United States this year. Mentally, though, I left it daily! In fact, I left Planet Earth on a nearly daily basis.

What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?

More people reading my book!

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Hmmmm…seems to me I got something pretty big done, now what was it…geez, what was that…oh yeah!

Sometimes I mentally undervalue getting Stardancer out, but…dammit, that was a real thing I did there, wasn’t it? The story that has been consuming my heart for four years now, and which continues to march onward, finally got out there for other people to read. It’s a hell of a thing.

I did it. I got the job done.

And you know you had a hell of a year when you have an accomplishment that actually outranks “moved into our first house” on the Awesome Scale.

What was your biggest failure?

Not finishing the draft of The Adventures of Lighthouse Boy, I suppose. And we’re still not completely moved in yet!

What was the best thing you bought?

The bookshelves for my personal library. At long last, I can see and access all of my books. It’s amazing!

Honorable mention? Scarves!

(Possible honorable mention: the dee-oh-gee, if you consider him to be a ‘purchase’. We adopted him, and there was an adoption fee, but I’m not sure we count that as a purchase.)

Whose behavior merited celebration?

As always, The Wife and The Daughter.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Let’s just say that as a person on the left side of the political fence, this was not a banner year for sane political action in the United States.

Where did most of your money go?

Well, we moved. There went a big chunk!

What did you get really excited about?

Releasing a book and moving!

Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?

Oh, take a wild guess!

Thinner or fatter?

Maybe fatter by a couple of pounds, as I write this. Not by much, though, and that’ll start to come off again as the holidays recede and I stop eating like every day is some kind of grand Bacchanalia.

Richer or poorer?

Richer. Not by much, but we’re doing OK, and I’m hopefully getting a foundation built for a future writing career.

What do you wish you’d done more of?

I always wish I’d written and read more. I never ever ever feel that I’ve done enough of those things.

What do you wish you’d done less of?

Wasting time on the Internet: it’s all your fault, people! Also, responding to people in comments who simply aren’t worth the time or effort.

How did you spend Christmas?

At home, with the family. The way it should be. (We never got our tree up this year, owing to a few logistical and scheduling issues that bit us, along with a short Christmas season and that big storm a few weeks back that threw everything into flux around these parts.)

Did you fall in love in 2014?

I fall in love on a daily basis. (Yes, that’s my stock answer!)

How many one-night stands?

Now, that’s not the kind of question a gentleman answers! (Another stock answer!)

What was your favorite TV program?

This year? Person of Interest and Castle. We’ve recently discovered Veronica Mars and Cutthroat Kitchen. Other than those, really, we haven’t made any major discoveries of late.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

I don’t hate. I just don’t. I did form several visceral dislikes, but that’s about it.

What was the best book you read?

Joyland by Stephen King; Where Nobody Knows Your Name by John Feinstein.

What was your greatest musical discovery?

It’s provisional, but I am thus far impressed greatly by the country music trio The Band Perry.

What did you want and get?

A house, a library of my own, and books with my name in the byline. Oh, and scarves.

What did you want and not get?

Somehow I managed to go the entire year without getting a pie in the face from The Wife! It just didn’t work out in terms of scheduling. Maybe next year, I hope! (My sole pieing this year was, as part of a ‘challenge’ thing, self-inflicted.)

What were your favorite films of this year?

Guardians of the Galaxy, followed by Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy, in that order. I did enjoy The Hobbit III, but I have a few reservations that I’ll flesh out in a blog post sometime.

What did you do on your birthday?

I worked! We rarely celebrate my birthday on my actual birthday, choosing instead to celebrate a week or so later with our annual trip to Ithaca. (That said, the annual trip to Ithaca might not happen in 2015 because of other potential ideas we’re kicking around for late-year travel. Stay tuned….)

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?

Does it ever change? All overalls, all the time. And scarves. I’m getting seriously into scarves. And fingerless gloves. Those are pretty cool.

What kept you sane?

Finally having enough space to live; finally getting a sense that I’m moving toward something; and after initial trepidation, having a dog helped.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, Kat Dennings, Martin Freeman, George Takei, Sarah Shahi, Lana Parrilla, Robert Carlyle…so many more!

What political issue stirred you the most?

They’re all angering, actually.

Who did you miss?

This was not a year for loss. A welcome thing, that – loss will come again. But this year, it held off.

Who was the best new person you met?

I couldn’t pick just one! So many amazing people, both online and off. What a fantastic world!

If you take selfies, post your six favorite ones:

This is a new question that I’m adding, since I saw it on Tumblr. Here I am, in various states from pie-faced to water-soaked to just plain happy about stuff.

(Yeah, that’s seven, not six. Oh well.)

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014:

There really is “no place like home!”

And the usual ones: Read a lot, write a lot. Go for walks and look at sunsets. Take all the pictures you want. Learn new things and try new stuff. If you have a dog, take him for walks. Buy books for your daughter, even when she complains that she likes to pick her own books (let her do that, too). Nothing fits your hand so well as your lover’s hand. Eating out is fine, but learn to cook things, too. Have a place to go where they know you and what you order. Don’t be afraid to revisit your childhood passions now and again; you weren’t always wrong back then. Overalls are awesome, it’s OK to wear double denim, and a pie in the face is a wonderful thing!

And as always: Make good art.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

Hmmm, what song to use? It seems pretty obvious to me, after its use in my favorite movie of the year:

(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga)
(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga)
(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga)
(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga)

(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga) I can’t stop this feeling
(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga)
(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga) Deep inside of me
(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga)

(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga) Girl, you just don’t realize
(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga)
(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga) What you do to me
(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga)

(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga) When you hold me
In your arms so tight (Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga)
(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga) You let me know
(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga) Everything’s alright

I’m hooked on a feeling
I’m high on believing
That you’re in love with me

Lips as sweet as candy
Its taste is on my mind
Girl, you got me thirsty
For another cup o’ wine

Got a bug from you, girl
But I don’t need no cure
I just stay a victim
If I can for sure

All the good love
When we’re all alone
Keep it up, girl
Yeah, you turn me on

I’m hooked on a feeling
I’m high on believing
That you’re in love with me

All the good love (Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga)
When we’re all alone (Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga)
(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga) Keep it up, girl
(Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga) Yeah, you turn me on

I’m hooked on a feeling
I’m high on believing
That you’re in love with me

I’m hooked on a feeling
And I’m high on believing
That you’re in love with me

I said, I’m hooked on a feeling
And I’m high on believing
That you’re in love with me
Hooked on a feeling!

Thanks for the memories, 2014! Hey 2015: BRING IT!!!

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It’s time to close out 2013 on Byzantium’s Shores. My other retrospective posts are below this one, so check them out as well. After this I won’t be posting here again until the second day of 2014! (That’s Thursday, folks. Don’t panic, now.)

I do this quiz at the end of each year, so here goes:

Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I only ever resolve to read more, write more, and eat healthier. These things, I did!

Did anyone close to you give birth?

My church’s former youth pastor did, so yay, her! She then promptly moved to Chicago, so…boo hiss! (But not really.)

Did anyone close to you die?

No.

What countries did you visit?

We never left the US this year, except for my journeys to fictional lands in my mind. But we did get in a trip to Cape May, NJ. It was a really busy year, though!

What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?

My usual answer: A book on my shelf, a real book, printed by a publisher and everything, that I wrote. As I’ve already noted, I’ll be self-publishing in 2014, so keep an eye on this space! It’s coming. Oh yes, it’s coming.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Writing, writing, writing!

Princesses In SPACE!!! (not the actual title): two rounds of edits based on beta-reader commentary. I will make one more pass through this book, with a fine-toothed comb, and then I want to have it available by the end of 2014. (Just in time for Christmas!)

Princesses In SPACE!!! Book II: Attack of the Cloned Princesses (not the actual title): I finished the first draft at the tail end of summer, and I am now making my first pass through the manuscript. My goal is to have to my squad of beta-readers by the Super Bowl. My current plan is to have this one available, via self-pub, at the end of 2014.

GhostCop (not the actual title): First draft is done. I’ll make a run through it at some point in 2014. Not sure when.

The Adventures of Lighthouse Boy (not the actual title): Currently writing the first draft. No idea, really, when it will be done — I’m giving myself license to write as long a book as I want for this one, as it’s intended as a stand-alone novel.

Princesses III: I only have a tiny idea of what happens in that book. I don’t expect to get around to starting it until sometime in summer 2014.

GhostCop II: No idea at all what will happen here. I’m envisioning this as a series, but this one’s so far out that I as yet haven’t the faintest idea what’s going to happen in it. Winter 2014 at the very earliest.

Second book set in the Lighthouse Boy universe: That’s so far out there’s no point even thinking about it yet. Which means, of course, that my Muse will torment me with ideas for it any day now.

And finally, there’s Deliverance, eh? (not the actual title), the book I started and cranked quite a bit of words on for NaNoWriMo 2012 before I bogged down completely. I still like the idea and I’d like to revisit it someday, but…who knows when.

You may be able to tell from all this that I’m all about planning my writing career out. I don’t have time for the luxury of lack-of-focus anymore.

What was your biggest failure?

Well, I didn’t get any nibbles on the agent or publisher front. But is that a “failure”? I’m not sure that it is.

What was the best thing you bought?

The Wife and I got smartphones. Suck it, LouisCK!

Whose behavior merited celebration?

The Wife, The Daughter, and generally lots of folks!

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

I’ve really found that burying myself into work as much as possible doesn’t leave me enough time to be appalled or depressed. I’m still not thrilled with the political right in this country, but…that’s about it, really.

Where did most of your money go?

Food, bills, books. Same as most years!

What did you get really excited about?

A wonderful vacation, and the sense that I’m moving forward as a writer even as I figure I’m doing it myself!

What song will always remind you of 2013?

OK, I really had to think about this one a while, but given recent decisions about the way I’m approaching things, I came up with one that may seem a little corny. But you know what? It fits!

Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?

Happier. I have a good run going now.

Thinner or fatter?

Thinner! Every time I go to the doctor I’m a few pounds lighter. Not a ton, but it’s coming off, slowly and surely. I love that.

Richer or poorer?

Richer. We’re not “rich”, obviously, but a lot of hard work seems to be turning the ship in the direction we want to go, at long long long last.

What do you wish you’d done more of?

Reading and writing, of course. Walking. I love walking, and didn’t do nearly enough of it this year.

What do you wish you’d done less of?

Wasting time online instead of writing.

How did you spend Christmas?

Quietly.

Did you fall in love in 2013?

As ever, I fall in love on a daily basis.

How many one-night stands?

Zero. I’m taken, as always!

What was your favorite TV program?

Person of Interest. I’m still working on a post in my head about how well-written that show is.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Hate doesn’t work for me, so I avoid it.

What was the best book you read?

River of Stars, by Guy Gavriel Kay. (Holy shit, I never reviewed it. I just now realized that. Oy….)

What was your greatest musical discovery?

Bartok, courtesy a concert I attended with The Wife a month or so ago.

What did you want and get?

Two more finished manuscripts. A smartphone. Clarity of purpose and a sense of direction!

What did you want and not get?

An agent or a publishing deal. But hey, I’ll just do it myself. There are some power tools I have my eye on that I haven’t picked up yet. And somehow, I was never able to get on the calendar for a pieing by The Wife. I’ll just have to try and get that done twice in 2014.

What were your favorite films of this year?

We liked Thor II: Thor Harder a lot.

What did you do on your birthday?

As usual, I worked, and then we took our annual trip to Ithaca, NY for the Apple Harvest Festival. This year’s Festival was odd because they are completely renovating the public commons area in which the Festival takes place, so this year it was shunted off into a couple of different spaces. Next year should be back to normal, though.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?

Yeesh, maybe I should just retire this question, as my answer never changes. I’m all about utilitarian clothes.

What kept you sane?

Same reply as last year: Laughing; reading; writing; discovering that even though we’ve been together in one way or another for almost twenty twenty-one years, I still have ways of getting to know The Wife; singing loudly in the car when I’m by myself; torturing The Daughter with awful puns (something my father did to me, coincidentally enough!); geeking out to Star Wars and Lord of the Rings; getting hit in the face with pies. It’s awfully hard to take yourself seriously when crust, custard, and whipped cream are dripping from your face.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

John Oliver’s stint as host of The Daily Show was brilliant from pillar to post. Really, really well done!

What political issue stirred you the most?

I continue to be confused by the “Free enterprise will fix every problem” crowd.

Who did you miss?

Sherlock Holmes. He’d better be back soon — oh. Excellent!

Who was the best new person you met?

I’ve connected with a bunch of fellow writers on Twitter and Instagram, which is always wonderful — the more fellow travelers one has, the easier the journey. Most notable is Natasha Head, a Canadian poet.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013:

Read and write every single day.

And keeping the ones from years past: We learn by screwing up, so embrace your inner FAIL! The Internet is made of people. Never, ever punt. (You know, I’m serious about that one. F*** punting. Always go for it. Even if it’s 4th and 30. From your own 2.) Democracy works wonders, but it works them eventually. Not all tears are an evil. Whipped cream is a miracle substance. So is ice cream.

Use your local library! Limiting your reading to only those books you can afford to buy is madness. OpenOffice rules. Buy good tools, take care of them, don’t lend them out, and they’ll last forever. Pie is wonderful stuff, whether on your plate or in your face. Screw fashion; if it’s comfy, wear it. We’re not meant to be alone. No object fits in your hand so perfectly as your wife’s hand, and no object fits so perfectly on your shoulder as your child’s head. Let it be, and all you need is love.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

See, I was trying to think up a song that abounds with cheery optimism. A song with lyrics about not being stopped, not letting the rules get in the way, and making dreams come true.

So, the Byzantium’s Shores 2013 anthem is…

…and yes, I am totally serious…

…the theme song from Laverne and Shirley!

Give us any chance, we’ll take it.
Give us any rule, we’ll break it.
We’re gonna make our dreams come true.
Doin’ it our way.

Nothin’s gonna turn us back now,
Straight ahead and on the track now.
We’re gonna make our dreams come true,
Doin’ it our way.

There is nothing we won’t try,
Never heard the word impossible.
This time there’s no stopping us.
We’re gonna do it.

On your mark, get set, and go now,
Got a dream and we just know now,
We’re gonna make our dream come true.
And we’ll do it our way, yes our way.
Make all our dreams come true,
And do it our way, yes our way,
Make all our dreams come true
For me and you!

No, I will not be starting each writing day with “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Schlemiel, Schlamazel, Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!”.

And as always, in a ‘last but most certainly not least’ vein, I’d like to thank all you fine, wonderful readers for dropping by this year, either regularly or ‘once-in-a-while’. May each and every one of you enjoy a healthy, happy, and ultimately heavenly 2014!

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Thanks to Instagram and the new Flickr app for Android devices, I did a lot more casual picture-taking this year, as well as a lot more posting to Byzantium’s Shores of pictorial content.

First, I did some pseudo-photoshopping involving everybody’s favorite annoying four-year-old: Caillou In Inappropriate Places, and Caillou In Inappropriate Places II. I also posted a lot of what I see as “potential cover art” here — this is stuff I’ve seen online that’s kinda-sorta the type of thing I wouldn’t mind seeing as possible cover art for volumes in the Princesses In SPACE!!! (not the actual title) series. Those posts are here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

And here is a selection of photos from the past year. More are available at my Flickr and Instagram sites.

Created with flickr slideshow.

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