Today begins year number twenty-eight for me here on earth. Some part inside feels a little shocked I’ve lasted this long. The flow of words to the blog and the journal have shifted as of late to the background, all in an attempt to keep up with the ever quickening pace of life and the supporting thereof. A sad fact to be sure. Considering the constraints on my time, maybe having a roadmap of some kind will help make sure I don’t waste too much of it. Here are the best guestimates of what the next year holds for your intrepid author:

• The amount of road trips this year will increase, but I still won’t get across the Mississippi at any point. At least three camping trips, one North Carolina jaunt and two festival appearances have been confirmed already. Still, the majority are just the same old places I’ve already been to. Plans to save for more extravagant travel locations are already under way.
• I’ll continue to struggle with my bank account as I try to establish myself as a quality freelancer. Creek Bed Industries (and the clients thereof) will drain my time and energy all in the pursuit of a noble cause. Time for my side projects will directly effect my income, so sacrifices will have to be made on both sides of the razor.
• The small community of friends I’ve started to build in the city will grow, slowly but surely. They are great so far: suportive, fun and ambitious as anything. I should pick up a few good habits along the way, and I hope to impart some of my bad ones upon them.
• More time and effort will be given to writing fiction and non-fictional fiction. It’s already begun somewhere in secret. I don’t know what form it will finally take, nor have I decided where this tale will go. The subject matter will draw upon all of my life experiences, including the darker, juicer and at time illegal things I’ve seen and done. For that reason alone all the names will be changed and the details may be fudged for effect. I’m still debating wether I’ll attach my real name to this or give myself a pen name.
• I will go out to one of the riverside parks in Hoboken with all those paints I had to buy for the School of Visual Arts and actually try to paint what I see. Might as well put that investment to some kind of use. Besides, I could use some more wall coverings for my apartment.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Is it the city that never sleeps, or just the people in and around it? Since moving to my lovely crash pad on the banks of the Hudson, I’ve noticed the number of late night work sessions have increased exponentially. About two hours ago I used some time I had on hand to catch up on emails. I don’t usually expect to get a response within minutes of the mailing. I mean, most of the people I know are either out enjoying their lives or resting up for the day ahead at that hour.

As of late thought, I’m catching a few more rapid responders who seem to be on the same slanted schedule as I am. Well, at least partially — I have never met anyone who actually takes the same kind of sick pleasure I get plowing through a 36-hour day. Maybe it’s the web industry in general. Maybe it’s the city. Who’s to say.

Well, break time is over. Back to salt mines.