Long time no write

Stuff I've Made

I'd like to say that I've been busy, that life has gotten in the way of doing. It hasn't, and I've not been busy. Oh sure, I took a job that was so physically demanding exhaustion and I became the most intimate of buddies (thankfully I quit). But that was only for a couple of months. Reality? I'm at an impasse and don't know how to get to where I need to be.

I'm basically at a cliff  I need to get down from and can only see gravity as an option. In many ways I've taken that option without realizing it. I'm not currently bringing in any income (business is slow and I quit my job), I have bills I can't pay (damn you society for being what you are) and a mortgage that will soon be in foreclosure (yay me, I get to loose my house and still pay for it).

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to live in this house anymore. Not sure I ever did. But the trouble that comes with trying to get out of it, is a major ache in the head. I owe too much and it's worth far too less. No-one is going to want to buy it.

Oh, and because I screwed up on my income last year? I get to pay in big time this year because, taxes. So royally fucked. And yet, part of me doesn't care. Like I could end up living on the street due to my own bad choices, and I don't care.

Talk about disconnected from reality. I mean, I know I have mental issues but never did I think they would do me so wrong that I could not care less about it. There's a slew of bad things about to happen and I'm mostly like 'eh, whatever.' Mostly. The other part of me is fully aware that I've backed myself to the ledge and it's going to hurt if I don't find some other means beyond gravity to get down.

So while I look for another job and work on my jewelry business, all the while pretending that imminent doom is not so imminent, I've decided to do what I've always thought about doing but never really do, that is write. Oh sure it'll be horrible, opinionated and largely inaccurate plus dreadful to read. But at least I'll be doing something besides ignore my predicament altogether.

Things I learned from Star Trek the Original Series.

Star Trek is an endearing universe full of wonder and imagination. But, there are some things everyone needs to take into account should they find themselves aboard the starship Enterprise.



1. Unless you’re the chief engineer or the captain, wearing a red shirt is a bad omen. In fact, in might be best not to crawl out of bed in the first place. Generally wearing a red shirt is like forfeiting your life. If you want to live, wear a different color, unless your name is Scotty, or you’re female. Then you’re safe. I think.

2. Death happens in nearly every episode on some level. Dr. McCoy, AKA Bones, likes to announce a person’s lack of life by proudly exclaiming “He’s dead Jim!” You would think he’d get used to it.

3. Womanizing seems to be a captain’s privilege. Despite there being plenty of other men, Kirk will invariably get the girl. Providing they’re not part of his crew. He doesn’t seem to chase after them. Much. Though exceptions have been made.

4. No emotions mean a lack of interest in something. Spock would like everyone to believe he’s incapable of any and all emotions. His curiosity frequently gives him away, however. With phrases like “fascinating”, and “curious”. Poor suppressed guy.

5. Engineers are miracle workers. Chief engineer Montgomery Scott is often heard telling Captain Kirk, “It can’t be done”. He then goes on to prove himself wrong. Impossibilities are only mildly inconvenient.

6. Life is surprisingly diverse. The ship and crew of the Enterprise are always running into strange beings. Some pleasant. Some not so much. Best not to judge at first glance.

7. Men die more than women. Death visits in nearly every episode. For some reason, the women are largely exempt from that fate. Even if they’re wearing a red shirt.

8. The command crew should always go on scouting missions. Thereby leaving the ship in less capable hands. Besides, the action is wherever the command crew is.

9. Everything is made in Russia. I know this to be true because helmsman Pavel Chekov says so. Although Spock tends to correct him…

10. A captain shirts is made of poor quality. Captain James T. Kirk frequently has his shirt torn to rags or otherwise removed from his person. This wouldn’t happen if the craftsmanship was of better quality.

11. Not everyone is interested in sex. Despite constant exposure to members of the opposite sex, Spock almost never gets the girl (or boy). His suppressed sexual drive is only allowed to come out and play once in a while. That’s OK, Kirk more than makes up for it.

12. Peace is relative. Kirk is known to say “we come in peace”. He’s also known to say “shoot to kill”. Sometimes in the same episode.

13. The universe prefers a certain form. Nearly all aliens look alarmingly similar to humans. I guess our shape is awesome.

Dawn of a New Age

Morning

Most days I'm sleeping when the sun comes up. But the day I took this photo, I had gotten up to answer a call of nature.

Imagine my surprise when I looked outside and saw the burning skies of countless wars raging overhead as I stood in awe.

Fighter planes and alien ships vied for dominance in the otherwise beautiful morning. Their battle waged above where I could not see.

I might've been mistaken, but I'm sure I saw dragons too. Who else could turn the sky to flames? The whole of the world gripped by it's majesty and terror. There was naught I could do but stand and watch, waiting for the world to fall.

Ahh, the birds though. The birds did not seem to notice. Indeed they went about their morning chorus as though nothing was out of place. Perhaps the sky was only an illusion they could not see. Or perhaps they did and choose to ignore the significance.

As with all things, the war and flames came to an end. The sun had risen and washed away the battle that never was but could have been. The beauty that held me enraptured faded in the morning light. A New Age hidden once again with the beginning of the day.

Fighter planes, aliens and dragons would have to wait for sleep once more. For only there is it safe to fly.

Morning

What's in a Puzzle Box?

The Moment 

 Puzzle Box

So I was rewatching the Dr Who episode Day of the Doctor when it occurred to me that the device 'The Moment' bares a striking resemblance to the Hellraiser puzzle box...

Looks like the Time Lords created their own puzzle box and realized, to late, just what it opened. This would of course, be why they had it under lock and key...

Now that would be a fun episode to watch.

FYI, neither of these pictures are mine. In fact, I'm not even sure who took them.

Persistent Little Flower

Gutter Flower

Ever notice how people rarely, if ever, look up or around? People are either looking straight ahead, down at their feet, or at their phones.

It sometimes feels like looking around and seeing what's out there is a taboo.

Are we all subconsciously afraid of noticing something out of the ordinary?

Take this beautiful little sunflower (pictured left) for example. If I hadn't looked up, I wouldn't have noticed it. The flower was growing all along with or without my acknowledgement. In a place that can't be easy to grow.

These gutters are very high up and hard to reach much less clean. Year after year, I ignore them even though I know shouldn't. Various plant vegetation gets trapped, rots and becomes fuel for seeds to grow in. Most of those seeds sprout into trees that fail to live past winter. Every once in a while, however, a seed gets up there that is a complete surprise to me.

Not only does this sunflower have to survive in poor soil conditions, but it's also exposed to the elements like wind and rain. She's a lone target at the end of a field of shingles.

Outside of the oddity of growing in a gutter, the plant does have a useful lesson to teach. And that lesson is: Regardless of what you're dealt, persist and grow. 

Sun Flower

You will never know what you're capable of unless you try. It can be a scary daunting process but one worth the effort if you succeed.

Even if you don't succeed, all is not lost. Simply pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again.

Remember, failure only happens when you never try in the first place or give up at the first sign of trouble.

So look around and see what's out there. Instead of looking straight ahead, down at your feet or at your phone.   

Dead Rodent Plunder

Zoe's Rocking Chair

There's a certain level of tolerance one needs to live in the country due to the proximity of wildlife. Unless you go to great lengths to kill everything off, you're going to have to deal with woodland invaders from time to time.

I'm lucky my dog and cat do a fairly good job of patrolling the interior borders of my house for unwanted intruders.

Unfortunately, that patrolling does no good beyond the walls of my abode. So the invasive fuzzies keep attacking my castle, while my guard animals keep protecting it.

Of course, sometimes my dear Zoe (pictured in chair) goes above and beyond the call of duty and stops the invading army of rodents before they have a chance to infiltrate. Her enthusiasm for tracking down and eliminating any and all rodents is quite admirable, if not borderline fanatical.

Take, for example, earlier today. She came with me while I was out doing yard work. Normally I don't bring her with but today I wasn't doing much, just checking on some stuff. She made a bee line straight for the underside of the porch and refused to come out. No amount of calling, bribing or pulling on her lead (once I got it attached) would discourage her from the hunt.

She refused to budge until she caught her prey. The sneaky little bastard was an adult rat that was no doubt looking for a way past my defenses.

Zoe was so proud of herself too. She was even willing to dispose of the body by eating it. So it comes as no surprise how unhappy she was when I took the enemies body away for proper disposal.

She even refused her consolation prize of a tasty dog treat. I guess some things can't be replaced.

The Silence of Night

Northern Lights photographed by my friend Ellen

I have always liked the dead silence of night. though in truth it is not so silent as it is muted. The nocturnal denizens go about their business softly, either hunting or avoiding the hunt. Human activity also dwindles as those who choose these hours to be awake, are in fact, awake while everyone else rests.

The only major sounds are the insects, which never seem to sleep (unless it's cold) and the occasional coyote howl or dog bark. Some birds might announce their presence but even they do so quietly.

It is as if darkness invokes silence in most living creatures. But it is in this nocturnal time that I have always felt alive, felt I belonged.

The subtlety of life lurking in silence is a reassuring sound. Spoiled only by the cacophony of birdsong and human activity once the sun rises again.

:)