http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:katarthis&section=today deviantART RSS for by:katarthis en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:40:37 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/28944745/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/28944745/ Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:26:12 PST
(See the new drop-box for features and trades below and to the left. Yes! They do exist.)

Hello from the land of retail! That magical place where dreams come true and the populace answers the call to spend spend spend! Yes, it’s the most wonderful time… sing it with me now… to drink beer… Where blow hards are blowing and rudeness is showing, stick it in your earrrrrrrr… It’s the most wonderful time, to drink beer!

Okay, so all kidding aside, those who know me know it’s the season where I disappear for a little while. There are just too many things to get done in too little hours that writing suffers, along with my mood and wallet. Having Wolfshine this year helps immensely, and it doesn’t hurt that I want to spread the good cheer with her too. The one thing to keep in mind in retail is that come January third it will all be over for another year.

For those wondering, we made it through Black Friday pretty easily, even though this year I had to be one of those on the sales floor at four in the morning. (No, the world did not end.) But let me be the first to tell you, I stand by my opinion that there is nothing in this world important enough to require pants before eleven in the morning. Nothing. Count on it.

Thanksgiving was a wonderful affair spent in the company of Wolfshine’s family. We ate, and ate well. Speaking of eating well, I baked my first pie ever, a buttermilk one, last weekend, and it was so well received by my love that she nominated me the official pie baker of the household. I’ll be trying my luck in the next two weeks by attempting to bake more. Such good stuff, and for those who have never heard of it, look it up. Buttermilk pie uses a cup of buttermilk, but it also uses a cup and a half of sugar. Sweetness overload, but so worth the diabetic coma. I have witnesses!

In further news from the land of retail, Walmart corporate is determined that we should meet our projected goals in sales numbers for the season. Because our competitors decided to remain open until eight pm on Christmas Eve this year, all of our company stores are following suit - and right now the push is on to get enough volunteers to stay till nine pmish, since the schedules for that week were already made before that decision to extend the hours was made. Yeah Bentonville… good luck with that.

Let me just say this: I would believe that most of America would like to be home with their families on Christmas Eve. The one day and a half that Walmart associates are guaranteed off a year being in jeopardy not withstanding, I can speak from experience knowing I’d like to be home too. Since I’m pretty sure Bentonville would like me fired for saying any of this, you didn’t hear it from me. But I would encourage all Americans to get home by 5 pm on Christmas Eve and stay there. Let these big chain stores understand by not showing up that it doesn’t pay to shackle their associates inside on such traditional days, and nip this kind of behavior in the bud. (Or we’ll be open on Christmas Day in two years, and if you think we’re snarly now… well, there is nothing you need so last minute that won’t be there in the stores on the day after, I promise.)

Finally, I’ll leave you with an amusing little story, also from the land of retail.

Having gotten off of work with my Wolfshine in tow late one recent night, we went off for our weekly grocery shopping plus our Christmas extras… Over two hundred dollars spent and simply the most I’ve ever spent in Walmart at one time. Having worked the whole day, and then shopped for over an hour, I was in no mood to spend a lengthy time at the checkout counter (one of three open at the hour) and we loaded up the belt behind a sweet little old lady in a mart-cart and a nice young gentleman with two bottles of wine.

Much to my annoyance I learned that said sweet little old lady was not entirely with it, for her reaction to being rung up for 25$ worth of purchases was a little like the kind of sticker shock one gets when looking at a new BMW. First it appeared she’d lost her wallet, then her checkbook, then checkbook was found, then cash was found and exchanged (15$ short) and the cash was re-exchanged. After a long and confused discourse between customer and cashier over the non-necessity of filling out the whole check, the whole check was in fact filled out and handed over, with the poor cashier staring at the document in question the way a bank official reads a draft request from a body in Kenya.

Finally the check was pushed protesting into the reader at the register, which then went into apoplexy and demanded an appropriate form of ID. ID not being a recognized term of usage in this little old lady’s world, she proceeded to rifle through her purse and offer up several questionable pieces of plastic, including but not limited to a... ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/28109969/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/28109969/ Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:10:39 PST
(See the new drop-box for features and trades below and to the left. Yes! They do exist.)

I picked this up over at ’s journal and decided that story tellers should have some sort of list like this. It just seems as though it ought to be part of the trade. To that end, here are the fifteen books that I remember as providing pivotal moments in my life and philosophical bent.

15 - 1491 New revelations of the Americas before Columbus - Charles C. Mann

As far as things go, I could have chosen any of the books I’ve recently read in the historical vein for the last position. I took this one simply for how it made me look at the things I thought I already knew.

14 - Mornings on Horseback - David McCullough

Include “John Adams” in this title. David is a wonderful historian who makes his chosen subjects come alive in a way I’ve never encountered before. Because of the last twelve years of politics, I’ve been increasingly disillusioned with the process and where our country is going. “Mornings on Horseback” has helped me to realize we haven’t really gone anywhere at all. Between this look at pre-presidential Teddy Roosevelt and the life of John Adams, I’ve run across some of my favorite political quotes.

13 - 1421 - The Year That China Discovered America - Gavin Menzies

In the world of historical what ifs, some stand out more than others. If religion is a matter of faith, I find science a similar matter, and what I choose to believe is what makes the most sense to me. 1421 is another eye opener, a fantastic journey into other civilizations and what they might have accomplished.

12 - Chobits - Clamp

Why this graphic novel/Anime? Why not? This beautiful story by a Japanese team of four women story writer artists got me back into the medium of Anime, a heavy influence on my current work.

11 - ElfQuest - Wendy and Richard Pini

As Chobits bumped my current stage of writing deeper into the visual mode, ElfQuest did the same to me many years ago. What Wendy was doing showed me many things about creating one’s own works - and about how others will respond to sharing your dreams. ElfQuest was the comic that first showed me that comic books are not necessarily for kids, and that was a powerful revelation.


10,9 - Watership Down, Traveller - Richard Adams

Both of these anthromorphic stories are some of my first recognized ones - rather, they were some of the first books I read at an age where I wasn’t just looking at the funny animal people. Along with Plague Dogs, Adams gave me serious stories - both totally fictional, and historical, where it was the animals that were the heroes, and the story tellers, and that was an influence I cannot deny. Adams and CJ Cherryh are writers that I want to write like.

8 - Shadowrun - FASA

An earlier influence on my writing is the Shadowrun series - a setting of high fantasy and high technology, mixed together seamlessly with a background taken from events that were current in the late Eighties. Written by different writers, it was a then to me unique approach to the tired formulas of science fiction and fantasy. It was fresh, new, and made a complete world that I could relate to - and it gave me the basic framework that I apply all my writing to. It isn’t about only what is possible, but also what is plausible, and I think I’m a better writer for it.

7 - Dragons of Pern - Anne McCaffrey

In an early world where the dragon was the enemy, the beast, McCaffrey’s works were an affirmation of one of my two spirit totems. They were one of the first three works of high fantasy that I had ever read, and gave to dragons a positive light that I have never forgotten. Again here was a world with people and things that I could see in the mind’s eye without trouble. Again, here is an influence that I want to mimic. I want to write books loved like McCaffrey’s.

6 - Dragon's Dawn - Anne McCaffrey

While Pern occupies a space on my list by itself, the Dragon's Dawn book takes a space higher because it moved me more than any other in the series. Not only did Dragon's Dawn get me to collect books that I had read and wanted to keep, it also taught me to look closer at the stories I wanted to tell. I now know that no matter where in a story I start, there is a dynamic to the world I’m writing in; that the past, present, and future all have an impact on what I’m writing about now. (Not to mention there’s a story in someone’s ancestors that deserves to be told.)

5 Lord of the Rings -... ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/27872870/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/27872870/ Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:16:52 PDT (See the new drop-box for features and trades below and to the left. Yes! They do exist.)

So I thought I would make a short entry to re-notify folks that the draft for the second book of the Techno series is done and posted. I can’t really decide if I want to rework the posted version of the two books because some things have been edited and can only come out better. (Janus/Shrike anybody?) But really, with the ever-present roster of deviations I’ve got to look through and feel the urge to comment upon, I know better than to promise that’s going to be done. It seems that DA continually has some bugs and issues that don’t make it easy on us writers, and, well duh, it IS an art site after all.

I don’t have any urge to go anywhere else though… I mean I would miss out on so much that comes across these pages. And no better than I keep track of web things, what with my WoW addiction, it seems silly to invest the time into yet another web page. So you can expect me to stick around here for a while to come.

I won’t bore you with the whine about the lack of comments on the close of Techno. It’s a busy time of year and though I might be the center of the universe I live in, I can’t expect to be the center of anyone else’s. It’s a pretty sure bet I’m living the classic example of giving to get, and being so behind in giving, well, you get the picture. And so if I haven’t said anything about your latest endeavors, don’t worry. I’ll be there eventually.

Techno 3 has gotten off to a start, and I plan to have it up today if possible. I’ve so much work to do around the house it’s not really funny, but I’ve been considering the merits of putting in more of it… a day around the house taken from the work week wouldn’t be worth the effort if I didn’t use it for something… and until I can say I’m making good use of my weekend, why on earth should I have an extra day? At least I still don’t mind doing the dishes and laundry, all because of Her.

Her. We aren’t married yet, and I haven’t quite yet agreed to a date. I would like to say we’re ready to set one, but the truth is I’m not ready to set one. I want to be more stable first, more secure, more… well, I want our minds made up about more details. lol. And I guess that’s my fault too, because I have yet to really think on all of them. How does a guy plan for a wedding anyway? Maybe I’ve just found the material for a new poll.

With all that said, is there anything you readers would like to know about? Ask away!

k

~~~~~

See that picture over there in my webcam space? I didn't draw it! If it's yours, and you want me to take it down, I will gladly do so, with proof of ownership and a polite request. (Signature in your gallery will do.)

*****
So - I’ll continue to continue - to pretend
My life - will never end
And flowers - never bend
With the rainfall

~ Flowers Never Bend With the Rainfall - Simon and Garfunkle ~

"The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense." Tom Clancy

"So you want to know the best way to address a dragon do you? Well, keep this at hand. Pencil and paper. You thought I was going to say "wit and wisdom" or such no? But you're wrong. For when dealing with dragons, if you're face to face with one, then you've already left wit and wisdom far behind you." ~ Taleron Kindrake

~ ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/27729805/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/27729805/ Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:09:03 PDT
One problem with storywriters is that they are too often busy writing stories to really read and comment on the works of others. It’s a specific problem at DA because in everyone’s busy lives an art site provides us with the time to look at a picture for a few minutes and come away satisfied - leave a comment and go on to the next, ready to take off when time for being a gallery spectator is over.

So when I ran across a call for a feature trade from one of the artist/writers I watch, I thought to myself “why not?” I normally have quite a time giving equal attention to anyone here, simply because my busy days keep me scattered with work and recreation - I don’t feel it fair to constantly ask for crits and views without making some effort to do the same. You must remember (especially our writers) that in DA, you do get more the more that you give. To that end, please give a look at Ladydove’s work if you have the time.

AC Enclave

A.S. asked for three favorites and while winding my way through her gallery I was able to narrow things down to four. This young woman has written on a variety of subjects, including works of short fiction, fan fiction, original novels, poetry and short essays on non-fictional subjects. She is not only a talented writer but a talented artist as well, and often self-illustrates her work.

This favorite is a fan-fiction work, according to her authors comments, but the world isn’t anything I myself know about. Suffice to say, this entry into a detective’s investigation of the modern day Atlanta Rave scene would make a great script for the variety of CSI shows out today. Without going deep into the realm of modernized gothic fantasy, A.S. still managed to keep me on the edge of my seat until the moment her literary fingers scraped down the chalkboard. Seeing this piece rewritten has only made it better, and still it made me curious enough about the original writer’s world to go and have a look.

The Pharoahs Wake

A.S. took a good look at the modern and ancient world’s intersection with this short piece about a modern day mummy. Not sure what to expect when the piece opened with first person musing, I raced through the little tale pleasantly sympathetic with the most unlikely of protagonists. It is indeed something to think on.

Hidden Wounds

This was the first thing I recall reading from LadyDove’s accounts, and while the original was the first thing I thought to feature from memory, the rewrite makes the story all the more captivating to me. One of life’s little theological mysteries is inspected from the viewpoint of the young woman going through it, and I can honestly say the character of Angelina felt very real to me. I rate this one excellent story telling, and it was very hard to choose between it and the following favorite -


Fields of Grass

If you’ve ever seen “Batteries Not Included” you’ll probably remember the masterful performance of Jessica Tandy, who may not have been scripted to have Alzheimer’s, but surely reminds me of laboring through life with the disease.

In “Fields of Grass”, there aren’t any such miracles as in the movie, but I cannot imagine a more telling look inside the mind of an Alzheimer’s patient. Having had the recent chance to have a second go at the book “flowers for Algernon”, I also recognize the excellent first person perspective of the story, and simply can’t imagine anyone not feeling an extreme sorrow for the main character, or indeed for the supporting cast.

A.S. has written several touching pieces in her time, but to me, Fields of Grass is the best.

This list isn’t to say that many of her other works aren’t worth a similar read through. For those that like the Vampi... ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/27576470/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/27576470/ Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:11:08 PDT
You already know how I went to Washington State to witness my mother’s marriage to Leroy Johnston, a dairy farmer we’ve known for some thirty years. Wolfshine and I were invited to the event and we spent an enjoyable week away from Walmart, keeping each other company. Mom and Leroy had planned to take us to a few places we’d wanted to see, and Mom had us out walking the trails around the farm and neighboring properties just to soak up the atmosphere.

One of the places we’d wanted to go was Mt. Saint Helens. The drive there, up through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, was an education in itself. I want to say that Weyhauser Lumber company grows lodge pole pines in great swaths of land for eventual harvesting; the only thing comparable that I’ve ever seen was along the interstates in Alabama and Georgia, where a similar logging company grows fast growing yellow pine for clear cut harvesting.

Weyhauser lots are everywhere out there, and you can see the land in various stages of growth, regrowth and management. When they clear cut a lot in the hundreds if not thousands of acres, they always leave a small section in the middle of the lot, letting the trees there grow up even taller. This we were told is for the Spotted Owl. The various lots are all different sizes, depending upon when they were seeded. Each lot has a sign telling what year the trees were planted, and the oldest we saw was a year before I was born. Tall trees! Unfortunately the only camera we had that day was my instant throwaway, so we didn’t get much in the way of pictures.

Driving along in the mountains heading for St. Helens, you pass these lots, one after another, climbing some 2000 feet in elevation in an hour’s drive. And then all at once you cross a bridge with a sign saying “Here marks the edge of the lateral blast zone.” The mountain has been giving you sneak peaks of it’s truncated top through much of the drive - but at that point she’s nowhere to be seen. The ridges hide her, she’s over ten miles away. But the trees are nowhere to be seen… not necessarily true, because there are trees, all less than ten feet tall. Weyhauser came in after the eruption and cut the dead timber, which that far out was still standing, but had been killed off by hot gas and ashfall. Since the 1980’s, what has grown is still in the shrubbery stage, pines still pushing upward as smaller growth reclaims the land.

The uphill drive twists and turns through the river valleys - the scenery is fantastic, full of life and the traces of upheaval. You’re encouraged to stay on the road, visit the observatory stations, and visit the monument building. I recognized the names of places we passed, many renamed for people that had died in the eruption, including the last stop, the Johnston observatory, with staffed museum and viewing platforms. St. Helens is five miles from the end of the road, and nature is nowhere near finished reclaiming the land it stripped bare in 81. And again, just to prove we really were there :

Making a visit out to Washington makes it easy to see why it’s one of our primary areas for tree grown produce. Plant life there enjoys the volcanic soil very much. It’s been commented upon several times across my pages already, how surprised everyone is to find out just how fast the trees grow. Most of the dairy farm was logged off during the early 1900’s, and Leroy told us of an interesting practice. Loggers would cut down a large pine or fir, and then plant a seedling in a crack atop the stump. As the new tree grew, the old stump would rot away, leaving the new tree with a kind of cavity or hole at the base. Mom sent me some pictures of these - where the cavities are big enough to hold all five of her dogs at once.

One of their neighbors is a gardener, with a green thumb to rival anyone I know; he’s got his whole property planted with every sort of vine and tree with an eye for what grows well and what isn’t normally found around the area. Rhododendrons were one of his wife’s favorites, and the bushes we encountered were well twice my height. In Missouri we have cane poles growing naturally in our river bottoms. A relative of grass, they don’t really do anything, though I think they might be where sorghum molasses comes from. It isn’t uncommon for them to grow to six feet in height, and... ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/26994095/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/26994095/ Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:45:03 PDT
Mom and Leroy had put some effort into planning the week out so that we wouldn’t just be sitting around on the farm. They asked us where we wanted to go, what we wanted to see before we left, and planned accordingly. But because it was their wedding, they also made a reservation to take a mini honeymoon. And wonder of wonders, we got to go along.

Normally something like that would give me a bit of the willies… I mean, what do you think honeymooners do? (In actuality, I have it on decent authority that they get to their hotel suite and go to sleep… But bless his heart, Leroy booked two rooms in a nice hotel in Long Beach, Washington. He also mentioned that we’d just gotten engaged, and they’d just gotten married. Since the staff didn’t know which room the married couple would be using, they put a bottle of champagne in both rooms.

From the outside, the place didn’t impress much. It looked like some of the old best westerns we used to bypass on our family vacations. The difference between vacation with my father and vacation with Leroy is night versus day. Not that I’m bugged; Dad always did the best he could. But for a couple used to motel six and super eight, the shock on opening up our room was total. King sized bed. Spa bathtub. Wide open bathroom. Balcony with a fantastic ocean view. (Which coincidentally was why the hotel didn’t need to look fancy - nobody pays attention.)

During the day we went to the beach and wandered through the town. (Their principle stop on trips to Long Beach is to get ice cream at the shop there - 100 flavors of hand dipped to choose from.) For those that don’t know it, Long Beach is touted as the world’s longest beach. (I don’t think it is.) It’s also apparently the last place that Lewis and Clark stopped on their “Voyage of Discovery”. The main street in town is not only all touristy (think Branson), it’s also got little parks filled with statues and commemorative items celebrating the history of the area. We got several pictures, but the most impressive one to me was the one of Lewis and Clark taking a break at an ocean side tree.

It is so neat to have pictures of me and my love on a trip. Just to prove we’ve actually been there together. (I always used to have pictures of places without me in them, and since have always tried to have someone take a photo of me and my companion just to prove to nay sayers that yes I was there.)

It was bright and sunny every day except for the days we went out to the beach. Doesn’t that figure? But despite that, we still had a lot of fun. Because Leroy still works on his farm, we didn’t spend the whole week away from home. He would work early in the mornings and then we’d go out to do whatever. When we stayed home we’d go out across the back of the farm and onto the neighbors properties. In that bowl, everyone has walking trails connected together, and the whole place is wild and natural and filled to the brim with berry bushes. Black berries, black raspberries, Marion berries, goose berries, salmon berries… You can tell what impressed me the most. And across all these paths, nature looks like this :

When we did go out, we found ourselves at Fort Clatsop state park. It’s an old military installation, and while I’ve been to my fair share of those places, everything I’ve seen before was built on the Great Plains for purposes of Indian control. The three forts in the Portland area are all remnants of our coastal defense system, and at Clatsop they still have the old gun battery emplacements as well as the standard old-fashioned army post. It was interesting, but because most of our party was tired, I got one picture that doesn’t show much.

We also took another day trip to various beaches and a place called Ilwaco. Ilwaco has a great dock filled with private fishing and pleasure boats. We got to see a little slice of that life, and besides the few pictures I have of the boats and us standing before a... ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/26819016/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/26819016/ Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:51:08 PDT
So speaking of moving, we did. Wolfshine and I came back from our vacation and after a week’s rest from that, we checked into possibilities and found a good apartment just down the road from where we were living. The twenty-minute brisk walk to work is now a ten-minute leisurely stroll. One bedroom is now two. We’re pretty much set up now, which is why I’m doing this. But you don’t want to know about all of that yet. What you want to know is:

Vacation!

As I’ve previously mentioned, my last few actual vacations were used to, in order, help my best friends get married in Canada ( ), bury my father, and say goodbye to my grandmother. With vacations like those, I’d rather stay working. Fortunately this time, I didn’t have those issues. While watching my mother get married was included in this trip, I didn’t have to help with all the details, which was my lot with my wonderful friends up north. Even so, like that trip that was paid for by my gracious hosts, Mom paid for the tickets that got us to and from the great Northwest.

I say “Great Northwest” honestly, because it really is a beautiful part of the country. Mom is now living on the dairy farm we used to live at when I was very young. Her husband Leroy has been a friend of the family for over thirty years and I can’t think of anyone, or anywhere better suited for Mom’s new life. The wedding was held outdoors at the farmhouse on a Sunday, during Leroy’s annual family reunion. The weather was perfect, and everyone there is just thrilled with my mother. You couldn’t have asked for a better day, or more down to earth couple.



There was a minor flaw that day. The store that was to make the cake misplaced the order for the week following the wedding, and there was a mad scramble to fix the problem. The managers there were very apologetic, and eager to please. (Perhaps it had something to do with the best man’s telling them that mom is from the Ozarks and packs a pistol wherever she goes?) They searched through all their area stores until they found a cake that fit the specifications, and then drove it themselves to the wedding, and set it up a mere half hour before the wedding was to begin. They even refunded the whole cost of the cake. It was important to mom to have one, since she hadn’t gotten a cake when she married my dad.

When all was said and done, two wonderful people were united in front of a group of supportive individuals. Mom got what she had always regretted not having, and neither of them had to go through much of the stress that bombards most of the couples I’ve known. If there’s anyway to begin a new life together, I’m thinking that’s it. After they’d been given the “you may kiss the bride”, I asked them for a repeat of the moment. They obliged and cameras were clicking everywhere.



After the wedding the new Mr. And Mrs. Johnston went right back into their old routines. They had, so they said, been on a honeymoon for the last two years. It’s such a great relief to me to know they feel that way and to see how they take care of each other. They took my Wolfshine and I on several trips over the next few days to see the sights and keep us occupied - it was our vacation as well after all.

Wolfshine had never seen the ocean before, or much in the way of mountains. Super tall hills, yes, but no mountains. She had never flown either, and took the flights quite well. For my part, I had always had a great interest in Mt. St. Helens after the 1980 eruption, and despite having lived on the doorstep of the Cascades, I’d never actually been near enough to see the peaks until my army tour where we took to the field in view of Mt. Rainier.

In the days after the wedding, we got to see both ocean and mountain, and several other places of interest as well. Stay tuned, and I’ll tell you about them.
... ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/25501327/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/25501327/ Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:39:04 PDT
It’s been a couple of weeks since anyone has seen me here, and there are going to be a few more before all is said and done. For the curious, no, I didn’t give up writing, I haven’t been pronounced dead, and I have yet to run off and elope with wolfshine, so no congratulations are yet in order.

Or maybe congratulations are very in order. After all, in less than a month my mother will become Mrs. Mary Johnston. I’m pretty sure the name will suit her better than Morris ever did, and I can be whatever about it, because she’ll still be my mother and I’m not the one who will be changing my name. As for my wolfshine, I’ve yet to ask the question but I have finally paid for the ring. I’ve plans to do the asking after Mom’s wedding, and yes there will be pictures of it - we don’t have it in hand yet because we had it specially made.

Walmart in typical fashion, is typical. Nothing’s come of the hours change yet, but something else has gone somewhere - mainly, our managers. It’s been decided that there were too many managers in not enough of the right places, and now we’re cutting one level of management, while rearranging the departmental structure, meaning in two weeks or so I get a new manager over twice as many departments, that will have to learn some responsibilities he didn’t want while I learn to work around another person I hardly ever see. Woe to us, inventory is only three weeks or so away.

If this were usual, I’d be dead by now. I believe I can say that with confidence because cheap products from China are still cheap. I ran into a round of what should have been excellent bicycles (Schwinns no less) that were not working properly, and we didn’t know because you couldn’t see the problem unless you tried to ride them. Hence in front of a customer I lost all sorts of face and had the most aggravating time of looking like a fool. Couldn’t sell him a bike, couldn’t fix him the bike he wanted us to sell, looked like a fool (or so I figured - I became one shortly after.)

In aggravated exasperation, so pissed at the world I couldn’t stand myself, I did the ultimate male oriented tension buster. I punched a wall. While I was able to go smile at the customer afterward, there were several things I couldn’t do so well for a couple of weeks following. One of which was write, another being type. I can do both again now obviously, but the week after I’d rearranged my knuckles against a steel wall, things turned hot out here. I’ve been mentally limp ever since. Each day I sit to write my nose touches the notebook more than the pen does. Techno is limping along, in the middle of rolling car chases even.

So we’ve been trying to keep getting on with getting things going. Wolfshine and I are putting in our hours at work, making her birthday last week a good weeklong time, and piddling at preparations for all the things we want to be doing in the coming months. The rest of it, we’ve been cruising, napping, or what have you. And there promises to be more of that while we take care of business. Between Walmart’s inventory bru-ha-ha and two week’s vacation coming right after that, chances are pretty good there’ll be a couple more weeks off in my future, if not a couple of months.

Until then, I’ll be along and posting as I can. This DA thing is too permanent for me to set aside forever. Blessings to everyone!

k

~~~~~

See that picture over there in my webcam space? I didn't draw it! If it's yours, and you want me to take it down, I will gladly do so, with proof of ownership and a polite request. (Signature in your gallery will do.)

*****
So - I’ll continue to continue - to pretend
My life - will never end
And flowers - never bend
With the rainfall

~ Flowers Never Bend With the Rainfall - Simon and Garfunkle ~

"The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense." Tom Clancy

"So you want to know the best way to address a dragon do you? Well, keep this at hand. Pencil and paper. You thought I was going to say "wit and wisdom" or such no? But you're wrong. For when dealing with dragons, if you're face to face with one, then you've already left wit and wisdom far behind you." ~ Taleron Kindrake

~ ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/24847874/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/24847874/ Tue, 19 May 2009 21:26:58 PDT
Somewhere along the way last week I turned 38 years old. Life with Wolfshine in my life being much more active and exciting than life without, I’ve really not had too much time to look back on that fact and ruminate. Nevertheless, I have been thinking about stuff, when the other stuff doesn’t have my attention.

Life at Walmart has taken its usual twists and turns. And I probably shouldn’t actually use the chain name when I talk about it, but what is done is done. I’ll spare you the heartache about management schemes, cheap product woes, and complain about a couple of company wide practices for this go-round.

First, I know you’ve heard the hype, how Walmart is destroying America, and sometimes it seems to be true and sometimes it doesn’t. I can tell you that it’s company policy to give the customer what they ask for, what they want, even if it means going the extra mile in a fashion that would have made a business a laughingstock twenty years ago.

You know the drill. Returns taken from other stores, things broken that you bought and abused and now you want your money back, and taking anything back without a receipt… Well, it’s all part and parcel of the icky side of Walmart. But here’s something I wondered of late. If we’re all prepared to have someone else at Walmart do everything we want for us, how far does it go? This isn’t just Walmart wide, but bigger… are we becoming slobs due to something so simple as automatic toilets? We don’t flush because we don’t have to; the automatic eye does that for us. We don’t have to turn the water on or off because we don’t have to; again we can thank the automatic eye.

I only say this because when I was growing up, everything had a little silver handle. You pushed it and the toilet flushed, the water turned on and off, doors stayed locked … Yep, that’s what brought this one on. Apparently a female customer made a visit to the restroom and someone else walked into her stall. Hey, it does happen. But apparently she made quite a fuss to everyone, and all because she apparently didn’t remember what the little silver handle on the door was for. I tell you, the automatic age is going to do Homo sapiens a number…

Anyway, on to thing number two. It’s recently come to our attention at work, that in order to get the hours for a full time position, some of us will need to tell the system that we’re available for work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I’ve heard the argument before that Walmart is a big reason for the destruction of good values relating to the Sunday work day, that broke the five-and-a-half day work cycle I used to see when I was younger and living in small town America.

Honestly though, I never had much of an issue with holiday work, Sunday work, and twenty-four hour work. But this kind of new regulation gets to me. It isn’t just that a computer across the country is now going to tell me when I should be at work, regardless of my situation and where my life might be heading. That does suck, especially since the chain is possibly trying to implement a new “only three changes to the schedule allowed per given time period”. The management team wasn’t too much better with scheduling, but at least you had someone human to talk to when things went awry.

No, what bothers me now, is the insistence that Walmart is to be the primary focus of my life. With a nine to five job, a worker could at least give his or her all to the company, and then have plans to have a life outside the workplace. But if we’re to be available to work whenever the heck the computer thinks it needs to fill a hole, and never have a set day off or even a time off, we’re no longer talking the logistics of a forty hour a week job. Sure, we may only be working forty or less, but our entire week now belongs to a computer in Bentonville. (And I won’t even discuss the 8-hour rule constantly being trashed.)

Certainly we have advanced warning - we know three weeks ahead of time what the computer is going to ask of us. But can we plan family get togethers, small weekend holidays, or what we’re going to be doing next month on a given date? No. We won’t even have a consistent sleep period left to us, and why? So Walmart can keep a few extra dollars per person by keeping a “eak time” schedule that has proven over the past year to be wildly inaccurate and impossible to predict. But we’re going to try it, because the convenience of twenty-four hour shopping is too good to miss, and the workers at the bottom cannot say “NO”.

* * *

We celebrated my birthday on the weekend, and Wolfshine baked me a two layer chocolate chocolate-frosted cake. I won’t answer for her - http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/24358545/ Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:00:26 PDT
When I was growing up Mom was in charge of the stereo. There was a radio in my room when I was old enough - I remember listening to a Denver station on my am radio alarm clock when I was eleven and feeling a touch of wonder at being able to hear a program from somewhere that seemed so very far away. And as I got older I got more options - FM, tape decks, CD’s… but while I was home under my parents roof, Mom was in charge of the stereo.

The real stereo had components. There weren’t many bookshelf units back then. We had the double tape deck, the radio, the unit with the multitude of slide buttons to change the tone and balance of every kind of sound you never knew existed … we even had an 8-track player. And we had a phonograph - a record player.

When I was growing up, Mom and Dad had a record collection. Dad was into country music, and his half of the records came from old country and gospel singers - people I’d never heard of and didn’t much care to listen to. But what Mom had gathered over the years … a far different story. I knew the newer stuff, partly from listening to it as I grew up with a mother that actually lived IN the house, and partly because those artists were still singing, and still being played on the radio.

I loved listening to Mom’s music. I learned names and voices, lyrics and melodies and made my own memories to singers who hadn’t been popular for more than twenty years. It’s funny to think about the staying power of those people in my life. Even the “one hit wonders” could never fade away. It was only later I learned how grand our record player was - you could place seven vinyl discs in the stack and play them all without trouble. You’d set your favorites on and fill the house with music for the afternoon. A few skips, a bunch of scratches… but there was no better way to play it.

It’s hard to imagine sometimes, now that I have a computer that plays music. My current collection of songs runs over 500 tunes, and will play for a full day and a half before anything repeats at all. The order is completely random, ever shifting, and every single song is one I love - after all I put them there - and if I Do happen to tire of something I can remove it from the play list with the touch of a button. Every song is special to me, and each one is named, numbered, timed and copy write dated in the computer, digitally recorded without a blemish.

What’s so hard to imagine? How far we’ve come, for good and ill. There was something in Mom’s collection I didn’t recognize back then. Though there was no random button, though every record was only six songs a side, and you were forced to take what you loved to hear with what you couldn’t stand, there was still something to be found in that infant stereo sound. Infant stereo, for those records had just begun to split their signals for two-speaker output - some few of Mom’s discs would still play without it.

It was only when I grew up, moved out and left such history behind me that I figured it out. Those records were a piece of the past - and not just any past. They were Mom and Dad’s past - a direct link to when They were young, living with their parents, or spending days together as a young couple, and I could see that when Mom put her records on. Such feeling - they always made her happy, and I remember her dancing as she remembered things I never knew.

Time marches on and the past gets left behind us. We got rid of our 8-tracks, tossed that over large stereo in favor of the bookshelf units, and have pitched most of our cassette collections. The music too has changed - the radio stations are no longer top 40, and everything that evolved into classifications I didn’t understand, is once more blending together - rock with rap, soul with blues, alternative with metal …

When my Father passed away and Mom parted with her old life, I was adamant that she not get rid of her records. And if she were to decide to do so, I demanded first pick at everything she would throw away. I took nearly her whole collection, and of Dad’s I picked and chose what few I cared for. But at the time they were only mementos of a life long gone. The only record player we had burned out one of two speakers, and was far too large for me to move from place to place. I had no stereo into which to plug a component piece, and no means to play those dics from that bygone age.

For the past several years that box of records has sat waiting but not forgotten on a shelf in my bedroom. There are bands in that box you hardly know; The Association, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Chad and Jeremy… There are others you know better, but not these records - the Rolling Stones first album, Simon and Garfunkle with a clip of a newscast during the Vietnam War. Even the stuff I wasn’t crazy about… the love songs and soul music; the country and blues -... ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/24237650/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/24237650/ Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:00:53 PDT
I’ve been thinking lately that if young men had the same worries as middle aged men there wouldn’t be any old men - we’d all take better care of ourselves and last a whole lot longer. But it isn’t that way. We seem to believe we’re indestructible in our youth, and by the time we figure out that we’re not, the damage we’ve done to ourselves is already mostly permanent. Or maybe it isn’t and I’m just being lazy. I’m pretty sure that’s true too.

Life has been pretty good for me lately. We seem to have gotten over our colds and what not here, though I think allergies still bother us pretty hard. Wolfshine and I are still moving forward, doing well and getting along quite fine. Her support of my dreams is growing - and lately we’ve been talking about our dreams. There is more to this life than dreams of course, so we’ve been discussing some of our fears as well. In short, it’s been a very long time since I’ve had a relationship this real, if ever. And that’s something worth every moment I spend building on it.

If you’ve noticed a slow down in writing, it’s probably got as much to do with that above, as anything else. Because I took a break from Techno, I’ve gone back and am currently doing some editing. My printer is probably still in shock from the amount of text I’ve printed, and I have bad news for it - there will be more. This trilogy makes me as proud yet, as Tilana did when she was written. Between all the household changes and what ifs going on, I will likely be revisiting her too.

Thinking, thinking, thinking… there are so many oddities in my head, compounded. Everywhere I turn I’ve things to think about - my wolfshine, my mother, my health, my job, my work (not the same!) and my ideas. It’s a wonder I’ve gotten anything done at all.
And for those of you that wait patiently for updates, thank you. I promise I’ll get around to more.

k

~~~~~

See that picture over there in my webcam space? I didn't draw it! If it's yours, and you want me to take it down, I will gladly do so, with proof of ownership and a polite request. (Signature in your gallery will do.)

*****
"The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense." Tom Clancy

"So you want to know the best way to address a dragon do you? Well, keep this at hand. Pencil and paper. You thought I was going to say "wit and wisdom" or such no? But you're wrong. For when dealing with dragons, if you're face to face with one, then you've already left wit and wisdom far behind you." ~ Taleron Kindrake

~

Letum Ad Machinum ~ Death, Destruction, etc to machines. Me, Myself, and I. (As far as the machines are concerned.)

~

"Do not save your loving speeches
For your friends till they are dead
Do not write them on their tombstones
Speak them rather now instead"

Anna Cummins ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/23567024/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/23567024/ Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:57:59 PST
I’m sitting here looking at the white screen and can’t figure out what to say that makes sense. In a world as loopy as this one the idea of coming up with something particularly deep and interesting enough to read ought to be easy enough to follow through. Yet here I sit and a month has gone by. It isn’t that nothing has happened to me in this last month. On the contrary, much has happened that has been important in my little circle. But beyond that, not so much.

I’d gotten a cold from work - I felt it come on during almost the worst time possible. It’s great to have that kind of warning; if we knew what was happening when we were younger wouldn’t we avoid getting ill a lot more? But of course, by the time you get that beginning symptom, it’s already too late. And I’m not ready to believe that any amount of positive thinking will keep you from becoming ill. My Wolfshine managed to catch my cold several days after I brought it home, where she promptly wrestled it to the ground and ate it, much to her current discomfort.

So she’s still sick and I’m getting better, and I worry for her because my little cold turned into another case of Bronchitis; the kind I used to have every year while working for the pallet mill. The doctors came out, threw more than the usual handful of pills, and when I commented on the extra, the one told me I should consider myself contagious. What a wonderful thing to hear when you know your significant other has already been on the receiving end. And yet, she still loves me, despite the fact that she’s been nightly trying to eject a lung from her esophagus. Ah, love…

We got tax returns, and good times, and a few dates of sorts, and have found a few things to do instead of sit apart while I pander to my WoW addiction. Do any of you recognize this song?

I was going to go to work today, but I got WoW
I was going work hard for pay, but I got WoW
Now my money’s all gone away, And I know how
Cause I got WoW, I got WoW, I got WoW

I was going to go out with my girl, but I got WoW
We were going to see a movie sure, but I got WoW
Now my girl’s pissed off at me, and I know how
Cause I got WoW, I got WoW, I got WoW

Now my social life is flat and dead, cause I got WoW
I’ve got Azeroth in my head, cause I got WoW
I never leave the house anymore, and I know how
But I got WoW, I got WoW, I got WoW
Yes I got WoW, I got WoW, I got WoW

Probably won’t be a commercial any time soon. And don’t worry, my Wolfshine isn’t mad at me for it and doesn’t stay miffed very long. I try to pay attention to her and she knows I don’t want to give up my fun time hobbies, and it’s so very … wow! … to have someone like that, and it makes me understand just how very lucky I am that she came into my life. It was something I realized after a bad day a few days ago. Coming home from work, I was happy again before we got halfway home. Once I realized it, I told her. It feels like here I am, and here is that full life that I always wondered about, always thinking of what I was missing, and we’ve finally intersected. And… forgive me, “wow!”

At the same time as all of the sickness, I also managed to finally fulfill my authorial duties and produce the last interlude chapter of Techno’s book two. And Lillith is a mean Bitch! For those of you that have kept her in your hearts, I hope you still enjoy the love/hate relationship. It has been one hell of an interesting ride. (Which isn’t over yet.)

Some other ideas have come down the pipeline of the old memory bank. I’m still avidly writing with my friends on my days off, and we might get my wolfshine to join us yet. I’ve not been all-inclusive with that, but haven’t been exclusive either; if she wants to she’ll put out a feeler and write with me some day. Already she really listens to me when I talk about my writing, encouraging and offering her opinions, and that’s something I’ve always wanted, and needed, since before my Mother went off on her new life. (Mom’s getting married to her Beau come June and I am, and am not so ready. Go Mom, but there’s so much I feel I want to do for it, and just don’t have the time effort and energy… what do you get for a present? Lol. We’ll be going, Wolfshine and I.)

Anyway, that’s what’s been going on. Instead of all the ranting and raving I could do about work, petty thieves and incompetent co-workers, I’ll just be thankful that in this day and economy, I still have a steady job. If I can be over the cold and over the sudden seasonal attack of “first of spring cedar pollen” I’ll be able to sleep without sitting upright and snuggle with my lovely Wolfshine again. And that’s really so... ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/22981655/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/22981655/ Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:11:24 PST
When I was much younger than I am today I had a tender heart. One might believe this to be truth, as though to look at me now you could see the damage done inside, from hardening arteries, over weight gains and years of heart pounding abuses. But wasn’t that the point? Love often, love well? I’d see the young and lovely girls go by and fall in love each time, only to be left on the curb, set out like so much trash and ready to cry. Who loves a crybaby? No one, more or less, than those who love the kind that do not cry at all. The need for balance is felt in all the things we do.

When I’d gotten a little older, enough to feel if not to show, I looked at women through glasses tinted by lust. Which goes to show that lust and love are not the same. I know this now, for through years I found that those tiny creatures, sprite-like childish bundles of porcelain flesh, still were children, on the inside at least, hidden from the eyes and hands of men. The flowers that unfolded in them were stunted, too long wrapped in buds too tiny, too tight not to pinch the beauty contained within.

But the heart is a tough organ. Hard working, it keeps going on where other muscles scream to stop. Rubbery, it bounces back from catastrophe - seems to ignore all the terrible things we put it through. Only when the heart stops feeling, do we suffer the greatest calamity of all, and even then, sometimes that noble organ picks back up where it left off, as though a few skipped beats do not really matter in the scheme of things. You may find this to be true.

I stopped looking for love, so I told myself, even as I lied. To quit looking for love is like looking for a place not to breathe: you can say you’re going to do it, but you’ll fight till the end for that last gasp of air. As humans we need to be loved, and love in return, a truth that any child knows from their beginning. It is learning to love properly that may take up our years, and I found myself in remedial class. Time… time well spent in learning what was true, and false; of worth, and what needed to be set aside.

Love found me lately, again and again. Offering what I thought I wanted, and again what I had always asked for, and I found those things to be hollow and contrived. Polished gems and golden coiffures lose their luster over time; the flawed heart of divine treasures bleed through the cracks and prove not so divine. What have we as individuals passed over, in our long search for something greater than ourselves? Was that stone we thought plain and worthless really so? Or did we miss a deeper heart, a gem to polish, a brilliant flower waiting to unfold?

What I wanted was always there; what I truly had to offer always waited, and all I needed was to see, both her and self, with clearer eyes. To not be blinded by girlish charm and defined beauty, but to open arms and heart and mind to what lay hidden inside … to give the quiet ordinary a chance… a real chance, and the eyes would follow, as the flower unfolded in all her glory, to show real beauty within. Did biology not teach that flowers are male and female? How long had I stunted myself?

Too long. And now I too unfold to reveal -

Self.

Not Selfishness.

This is the truth undeniable, that I have learned from you.

~

You learn to adjust living with another. What is important and what is not changes as you grow. From where to put the laundry to how often you must clean, your time management changes, and suddenly some old pursuits are cast aside in favor of things you felt to be work. And work they still are, but now they are done more willing, because being together is work with real reward.

One is forced to cast aside preconceived notions. Who does what and how, what you would and would not do; these things change as well. Some are so simple (who makes what mess where) as to be profound. You understand the other gender more (is it really possible?) and better understand yourself. It is a process of learning new things, making changes you never thought to attempt on your own.

How to know that you’re with the right person? Those changes that were so distasteful work before suddenly become wonderful. The worst things you can do willingly still leave you smiling when you’re done. The one thing you fear most is hurting the other, instead of yourself.

She will always be a puzzle to piece together, a riddle to unravel, a fuzzy ball of contradiction, and I the kitten tangled in the yarn.

Like the kitten, I have fun.

k

~~~~~

See that picture over there in my webcam space? I didn't draw it! If it's yours, and you want me to take it down, I will gladly do so, with proof of ownership and a polite request. (Signature in your gallery will do.)

*****
"The difference between... ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/22700252/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/22700252/ Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:57:17 PST
Let me ask you a question. It’s quite a change isn’t it? What? Well, domestication of course! What, you thought I meant… Oh, that other thing! Who cares about that! I’ve got all the change I need to believe in, right here at home.

Doubling the occupancy of my one room apartment has led to many changes of course. And so far there hasn’t been anything I can’t somehow live with. We’re pretty lucky … we’ve got the same work hours, at the same store, but different departments so we don’t see each other 24-7. She’s getting her hours transferred so we’ll have weekends together, which means we’ll be doing things. As long as I have at least a day to piddle on the computer I’ll be pretty content. We don’t necessarily have to spend the whole of our days off together but it will be nice to be able to do things… see a movie, go out to eat, etc. But that’s just one change, and it’s as much about changing me as her.

Again I emphasize that it isn’t her asking me to change. It’s me doing these things to make it easier for her… to be more welcoming, sharing duties, and being thoughtful. When you live alone, there is no need to put thought into daily living… you do as you become inspired and take care of what is necessary. Cooking, cleaning, tidying… all of these can be done as will demands.

And now, I do more, not only because I see more that needs to be done, but because I want to do more, because it makes both her and I happier. Just tonight I changed sheets and made the bed… It was easier for the changes I’d made to give us both more room. And I found myself laughing, because before when would I have ever wanted to ‘make the bed’?

There are other changes I’ve been contending with. Finally at work the powers that be have decided to put another assembler on the job, full time back up to me. Of course, they haven’t been bothered to place him under tutelage for a couple of weeks, but after his first ‘failure’ with a bike he decided he could use some and has promised to speak to our manager about getting to work my shift for a few weekends. I can’t believe my luck has turned so well all of a sudden, but I really think I’ve been blessed.

Home life, professional life… even in writing, I’m coming to the end of the latest phase in Techno. Soon I’ll be reworking a book already written, and that will hopefully teach me a lot of things about my craft. Has my creative side experienced an early upswing? We’ll just have to see. I feel so much more alert this year, and even though I loathe the cold weather and the way it cools the apartment now, I’m actually looking forward to the next few months. I thank my wolfshine for that experience.

Oh, and for those who were waiting for it…

No more Bush! May the next period of US history be brighter than the last. Oh, I’m not counting on it… I believe some of you are right about a good many things. But I am definitely not sorry to see King George go. May Obama be graced with a good term, and may his legacy of change be a good one, and something beyond mere skin color. Truly a day of change has come to our nation … I’d just like to see it mean as much to all people.

k

See that picture over there in my webcam space? I didn't draw it! If it's yours, and you want me to take it down, I will gladly do so, with proof of ownership and a polite request. (Signature in your gallery will do.)

*****
"So you want to know the best way to address a dragon do you? Well, keep this at hand. Pencil and paper. You thought I was going to say "wit and wisdom" or such no? But you're wrong. For when dealing with dragons, if you're face to face with one, then you've already left wit and wisdom far behind you." ~ Taleron Kindrake

~

Letum Ad Machinum ~ Death, Destruction, etc to machines. Me, Myself, and I. (As far as the machines are concerned.)

~

"Do not save your loving speeches
For your friends till they are dead
Do not write them on their tombstones
Speak them rather now instead"

Anna Cummins ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/22364796/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/22364796/ Fri, 02 Jan 2009 23:13:09 PST
"Now lately I’ve been flying to all kinds of places
That I never really wanted to go
‘Cause I’ll do anything just to spend a little time
With the cutest flight attendant I know"

Airline Amy - Weird Al Yankovic


12-31-08

I still feel as though I should have been here ten years ago. But now I also feel right on time. Like a train derailed, cleaned up and resettled upon the track, I am moving again, and though it is strange, it is also a thrilling ride. As was told in the political process, we’re both looking at “change” as a buzzword, and a good thing. Erf. I ramble. Edit later.

01-03-09

I am in a really good mood. No, really. Despite the usual shenanigans at work, I feel really good. Despite aches and pains, etc, and the general incompetence level of a great many people around me on a daily basis, I’ve got someone in my life now that is very special. She’s smart enough to have a serious conversation with, and odd enough to fall in line when I’m being a general comedic idiot. She understands when I’m being a goofball, and tolerates my various idiosyncrasies with a will that makes me understand how much of a joy it’s going to be to tolerate hers.

Oh, sure, we find things to bicker about. But on a scale of I don’t know to I don’t care, they’re little things at the moment. She cooks dinner, I wash dishes, and we both insist on doing that whether the other one says it is necessary or not. She feeds me breakfast; I sit on the comp and vegetate. I don’t have to wonder if this is considered quality time or not… we’re together. And that is a wonderful feeling.

That Weird Al thing up there? That’s exactly where I’m sitting. I, who once went two whole months without washing a single dish, who has let dust collect on surfaces I haven’t seen since I moved in, who has long labored under the pretenses of being an eternal bachelor, have washed dishes every night since she unofficially moved in. (Well, maybe not every night… I have moved the furniture in the bedroom to make room for her furniture and things, and even dusted and cleaned and tossed clutter along the way. I have gone so far as to actually get down close and personal with the toilet! Good God! Domestication has never been so willingly donned by someone not married. (Will it last? Er… Well, one can hope.)

And why am I doing this? Well, I asked her to move in. And I want her to feel welcome. And she hasn’t insisted I give up my books. Or my gaming. My role playing. My cluttered walls or any of the space I have since cleared out for her use. In fact she has for every step not asked me to change anything at all. I simply have. And because I have someone to change for, I am thoroughly enjoying the changes I’m making. (Oh, there’s a few things I have internal quibbles with, but then I see her smile at something, and I have no doubts that all is worth it.)

There are some things to do still. And I’ll get to them. Or not. Everything seems the same to me at the moment. Whatever was unimportant before is still so. Whatever was important still calls for my attention.

And yet…

Everything seems so much better now. And I am in a really good mood.

Thank you Wolf-shine. You seem to make me high.

*****
"So you want to know the best way to address a dragon do you? Well, keep this at hand. Pencil and paper. You thought I was going to say "wit and wisdom" or such no? But you're wrong. For when dealing with dragons, if you're face to face with one, then you've already left wit and wisdom far behind you." ~ Taleron Kindrake

~

Letum Ad Machinum ~ Death, Destruction, etc to machines. Me, Myself, and I. (As far as the machines are concerned.)

~

"Do not save your loving speeches
For your friends till they are dead
Do not write them on their tombstones
Speak them rather now instead"

Anna Cummins ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/22119311/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/22119311/ Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:25:13 PST
How do I spell relief? X-Mas is Over.

This weekend brought to you by Walmart, Pacific Cycle, and the letter aaRrrgh.

Well, I’m off to work today and tomorrow (My weekend on Monday and Tuesday has been preempted.) so I’ll be making this short.

A few notes for your amusement on the new poem.

First, the two support managers know who they are and what happened. Apparently a forgotten bowl of soup in the assistant’s office got dumped on Dan. He took it rather well, and the first night afterward, I mentioned sitting around trying to come up with something in the vein of “Green Eggs and Ham”. He thought it a capital idea and urged me rather strongly to continue. I had fun with it!

Secondly, I wonder just how much of a copy write infringement this would be considered? Dan’s eleven year old recognized the template immediately. And who wouldn’t?

Okay, with that, I think I’ve said all that needs be said. Anyone that didn’t get their Christmas cards from me… uh, most of you … I apologize. I’m not going to make any excuses. But WoW is still great fun and Walmart … well, we’re busy and I’m mostly in shut down mode. Techno is kind of blipping along. We’ll get there, I promise.

Merry Christmas! And I mean that.

k

*****
"So you want to know the best way to address a dragon do you? Well, keep this at hand. Pencil and paper. You thought I was going to say "wit and wisdom" or such no? But you're wrong. For when dealing with dragons, if you're face to face with one, then you've already left wit and wisdom far behind you." ~ Taleron Kindrake

~

Letum Ad Machinum ~ Death, Destruction, etc to machines. Me, Myself, and I. (As far as the machines are concerned.)

~

Do not save your words and flowery speeches for your friends when they are dead, share your feelings with the living, speak them now instead. ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/22018053/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/22018053/ Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:32:16 PST
Today the Runes read “Disruption”, and while I laugh, I also thought it fitting. After all, my subscription here ran out the first week of the month. And I just got it back on. I wish DA would note to remind you the thing was about to expire. They used to email you, I believe.

For the past two or three weeks it has looked like I’ve dropped off the face of the earth. And in some ways I suppose you could say that I have. I’ve been spending a lot of time in Azeroth (read: WoW) and a lot of time with Andi (read: love) and the rest is divided between sleep and Walmart.

It’s that season for Walmart, and that means it’s that season for me. My job, to build bikes, and we’re doing very well for being the smallest Walmart in Springfield now, and for having me as the only full time assembler, plus an old gent that works 18 hours a week. Going from trying to scramble to fill an 8-hour day to wondering when it is all going to stop takes a toll on the body and mind, and that along with Andi each evening, has slowed me down considerably. And yet, with all of that, I did finish the last chapter. I’m not happy with it, but I do feel it done.

It’s only the next chapter, the key and pivotal end game of the second book that had decided at present to completely elude me. Such is the way of life and all that jazz around here.

People that know me know not to expect cards and correspondence on time; I’m terribly lazy when it comes to such things and really have a hard time giving a rat’s ass about most dates. It isn’t that I don’t hop around looking for presents on the 25th like a deranged easter dragon, or at least for Christmas cards in the mail, because I kind of do, but this big lizard that lives in my head has always believed that ‘we have all the time in the world’ even though I know we don’t. It’s just hard to resist that lazy siren song. What is the definition of “rocrastinate”? I’ll tell you tomorrow.

This year I’ll be going with Andi to her mother’s. Mom wants us there a few hours early so we can chit-chat, and so that she can have some help making whatever preparations she needs. I’ve met one of Andi’s brothers and so far I like the sound of her people… goodness knows with my Mom in Washington there’s no one left for me to call my people here. All my people are you folks on the web… the extended family, and I’m grateful for all of you. I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas, happy holiday, Yule, whatever, and that you all have people to spend it with. Being alone this time of year isn’t the most fun feeling, but if you have to, I know folks like me will keep you in their hearts.

Anyway, I’m glad to know I’ve a place to go. The one holiday we get at Walmart is Christmas (and sometime after six pm on Christmas Eve) and a lot of folks begrudge us even that. Still, because we work both days on each side, we really don’t have the opportunities to go anywhere for the holiday, so vacation plans are all but out. (And even if we could, a 28 hour work week does bad things to the income, and the bills don’t stop coming in, so going out to spend is a bad thing anyway.) But, with all of that, (I nearly lost my own thread of thought) it’s super nice to know I don’t have to spend Christmas by my lonesome. Andi says I should tell her when I’m ready to leave, and I’m sure at some point I’ll want to, but bets might be who wants to go first… or who wants us to go. The important thing is the time we will be spending, and having each other for company.

What can I say for other news? Well, the first thing, and the most important, is repeating that my Mom is now engaged to her fellow in Washington. They’ve not set dates or anything like that yet, but the first (?) step has been taken and she’s a lot happier even than she was three months ago. Go Mom!

Other than that, I can’t think of anything that turns out to be important. I kind of let my other journal (UULOC) slide, because I’ve found that writing in anger doesn’t lead to anything productive. I might just drop that journal and go back to carefully throwing out opinions over here. I know I said I wouldn’t be political, but there are some times one has to throw out their thoughts or they’ll explode. (‘Islamic’ Cuddle and Coo dolls anybody?) But, again, if you let things go awhile, oft times they’ll pass. (Mattel has said they’ve already pulled the “defective” sound chip from production.) Many of the fears I had six years ago turned out to be groundless, and if we’re still paying the price for those years in some fashions, we’ve put some behind us and will undoubtedly continue to do so with others.

Despite the disruptions, life continues to go on, for the most part, for the bett... ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/21606630/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/21606630/ Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:30:01 PST
Today has been a good day. Today there was hard work that I accomplished and it felt good. Today I helped people. Today I spoke with Andi. Today I spoke with Mom. And today I had JOY.

Though I ached, though I sweat, though I tired, I managed to get home, to my space, my castle, and today I was not angry with anyone once I got home. Today I learned that my mother got engaged to her beau and that I was the first person she told. Today I learned without doubt (a reminder, because I already knew) how important I am to the as yet most important person in my life. As yet, because the other person that is becoming so important continues to reach out to me with acceptance for all that I am and can be.

Today I asked the spirit, my mother, my father, my earth, to allow me to grow and continue on this path that I am on. And for kicks, I asked the runes for no particular advice.

They told me: JOY.

I think that I love myself again. I think that I love myself still.

I know that I am.

All else will sort itself out in time. And it will no matter how I think of it. But for now, I look upon things with joy.

Thank you for coming along with me ~

k

*****
"So you want to know the best way to address a dragon do you? Well, keep this at hand. Pencil and paper. You thought I was going to say "wit and wisdom" or such no? But you're wrong. For when dealing with dragons, if you're face to face with one, then you've already left wit and wisdom far behind you." ~ Taleron Kindrake

~

Letum Ad Machinum ~ Death, Destruction, etc to machines. Me, Myself, and I. (As far as the machines are concerned.)

~

Do not save your words and flowery speeches for your friends when they are dead, share your feelings with the living, speak them now instead. ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/21480791/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/21480791/ Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:50:45 PST
Say goodbye to all of your friends and family that play WoW. Wrath of The Lich King came out Thursday!

k

(Who is still writing on Techno and will be posting more at a later date.)

*****
"So you want to know the best way to address a dragon do you? Well, keep this at hand. Pencil and paper. You thought I was going to say "wit and wisdom" or such no? But you're wrong. For when dealing with dragons, if you're face to face with one, then you've already left wit and wisdom far behind you." ~ Taleron Kindrake

~

Letum Ad Machinum ~ Death, Destruction, etc to machines. Me, Myself, and I. (As far as the machines are concerned.)

~

Do not save your words and flowery speeches for your friends when they are dead, share your feelings with the living, speak them now instead. ]]> *katarthis http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/15732998/ http://katarthis.deviantart.com/journal/15732998/ Fri, 30 Nov 2007 10:15:10 PST
Disclaimer: I sure aint perfect and I’m certainly guilty. Read the rave at your own risk, to see who I’ve been watching. But before you get offended at the contents, know this: I appreciate your time that you give to me via this website, and invite you to skip this one if there’s even a chance that you Could be offended. That said, let's get on with it.

I want to make a shout out to my selfish homies out there. I think our nation is suffering from this wave of selfishness. Charity? There’s some fine organizations doing great work out there, but who’s giving? People do that, but how many of those “charitable gifts” actually mean something to those that are giving them? Every little bit helps and the thought that counts is all well and good, but that ski jacket they’re giving to the Indonesian Relief Fund is worthless, and the spare change in the battered women’s shelter can ... well, did you really want to put it in there or did you just not want to carry the odds and ends in your pocket? Let’s not forget the folks who make those great donations to the food drives this time of year. We all know someone who cleans out their pantry. “I’m not going to eat this so surely they will...”

I hear the following all the time: “I’m not bending over to pick up a few pennies.” I have over fifty dollars in pennies on top of my pie safe; I can’t tell you how many I’ve picked up. It’s a lesson I learned from some great people, who weren’t too proud to pick up pennies and pop cans and work menial jobs to make a living. “Oh I wouldn’t do that... that’s demeaning work.” Well, I understand. I won’t get a job in fast food. I won’t run a cash register. (I have no business handling other people’s money.) But I’m not afraid to pick up a shovel or unload a truck or anything else, and I have never seriously thought I ought to get paid just to show up and stand around bull shitting with my ‘just out of high school’ friends.


Taking responsibility for what you do is apparently an outdated concept. It’s an old fashioned value along with saving for the future, working to earn your keep, paying your bills, being respectful to your fellows, and pitching in to do what you see and know needs doing. Putting yourself in the shoes of another is apparently a forgotten exercise, and more than ever before it looks to me that thinking beyond one’s own self is a skill forgotten by the majority.

Marriage? Hell! I can’t count the number of stories I’ve heard about the divorces caused by one or both partners taking care of “me” and not “us”. And who taught these people to treat others like they do? "Partner” is apparently an outdated word.

Children? I know it’s always been about “I want” and the like. But there is nothing holding these kids back now. I have seen so many kids tearing and cursing and fighting the bonds of parental authority, it blows my mind how many hit their parents, and cuss them out in the store, and do their own thing without listening to the rules, and it starts from grade school and only gets worse as it goes on.

It’s all selfishness. And so is this ramble.

Let’s talk trash.

If you have never tossed trash somewhere it shouldn’t go, then I thank you. Everyone else (me included) ought to consider themselves selfish. I think all schools ought to require kids get out two or three times a year to do a roadside cleanup, and a classroom cleanup, among other things. Here’s your gloves, line up, and everyone HAS to pick up something disgusting. Everyone HAS to carry a garbage bag and there better be something in it when you turn it in.

Anyone who has ever done Police Call in the military knows what I’m talking about. Kids grumble at picking up candy wrappers and loose leaf paper but don’t know shit. And speaking of that, pick that up too asshole. Cigarette butts, sucker sticks, spit cans, dirty diapers, used needles and razor blades... I’ve seen it all and had to pick it up too. I remember helping my aunt and uncle clean up a drive in theater lot when I was not yet a teen... my first exposure to condoms... used. If it’s too inconvenient to find a trashcan, put it in your pocket. Carry your damn junk, or think ahead and don’t get it in the first place. And stop leaving your sticky gooey wrappers, half drunk sodas and empty containers on the shelves of my store! We’ve got trashcans all over the place and you’ve got a shopping cart. Deal with it!

And that brings me to my next topic. Let’s talk shoplifters.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we lived in the world of Star Trek? No money necessary. No health care unprovided, nobody goes hungry, no one is without the latest entertainment. Well, as much as I’d like to just give you everything you want for free, I can’t.... ]]> *katarthis