Waring: Those of you who don’t like long posts are going to be sorely disappointed. My suggestion is to skip the words and look and the pretty pictures, like this one:

Creek near our camp site at the Jim Thorpe Camping Resort

Okay, now let’s start for real-real and not for play-play.

This may be the third post to show up tonight, but it’s the one I’m writing first. It’s probably a good chance that this is the first one you’ll read. Seems as though I’ve been lazier in my posting duties than normal, and for that I apologize. Reasons range from general apathy and laziness to business and a rich and fulfilling social schedule, which you can see the results of here and here.

Believe me, I’ve tried to write. I’ve even gotten about three paragraphs deep into something only to leave it unfinished, head out on the town and then come home to find what I’ve written at that moment in time is no longer relevant. Maybe it’s just far too much thought put into my hobby here instead of far too much effort. Some long, enjoyable, introspective and thoughtful conversation this evening has brought some focus back into this and just maybe has lit a fire under my ass — either way, I’m back here making my minimum monthly posting.

When I moved north in May of last year, I did so with equal parts of hope and fear. The fear is gone, replaced with quiet confidence (a word showing up for only the 11th time in the 5 plus years of writing here). I’ve gone from despair and the verge of a nervous breakdown back in January to feeling a unique sense of cosmic centering now. I don’t have time anymore to worry about things minor in scale, and I like it that way.

A hiking trail near our site

My first bit o’ work for Lime Group is live, thought it’s not much to speak of unless you’re a Comp Sci major looking for a great place to work. Still, it feels damn good to put something on the public web again and get paid for the honor. The print poster that goes with it was fun work too, though you’ll have to wait 11 years or so until I update my portfolio to see that one. I’m working like crazy to try and get projects two and three finished and posted, and only greater challenges wait ahead. Waking up is still a bitch, but I no longer dread seeing the office like I did when the year was new.

There’s even new life in the on-again, off-again music project. Over the years I never really saw myself as holding a truly equal share in some of the process, seeing as I was only holding down lyrical and vocalization duties with a minor in druming. I knew different, but perspective is everything. Well, perspective has shifted since I started scribing gold and the gang of rogues and I started having more recording sessions. Even if my podcasts are currently dying on the vine (something I want to also remedy this week), I say the whole experience has lit a new fire under that part of my creative psyche.

And now the push is on. Fall is here full swing and the holidays are upon us. I knew that after that weekend of camping in Jim Thorpe for No-Maam number six (where the above leafscapes was taken). Thanksgiving with the family in upstate NY approaches, to be followed by a brisk an expensive holiday season. Of course, I’ve never really worried much about the cost of the holidays — the giving’s the thing for me, and has been since I turned 18. I’m probably spending the same amount I did last year, but there are some new places to throw said joy and happiness in gift form. Of course, some of those will have to be in the hands of some parties before Christmas — the hazards of having Jewish friends I suppose. ^_^

Okay, even if you’re not sick of my writing now, I’m sick of the actually composition work now. We now return you to your long, unwavering silence.