Between the Lines

How I understand this crazy place.

Restaurant Name: Domino’s Pizza

Location: N Cunningham, Champaign

Type of Food Eaten: Pizza, chicken wings, chocolate dessert

Atmosphere: Tiny carry out/delivery room. Very clean.

Wait Staff (If applicable): N/A

Personal Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Time before food delivered: 40 Minutes

Review: I drove by Domino’s for carry out. Ordered the meal, waited 20 minutes for it to come, took the meal. It would be unremarkable if the 14 Chicken wings hadn’t been replaced by a single block of cheese bread (with chicken wing sauces on the side of it). They thought I wouldn’t check/notice until after I went home. I checked. Waited another 20 minutes for them to make what I ordered fresh. They threw in two little Molten Chocolate Crunch Cakes for my trouble. So in all, what should have taken 20 minutes ended up taking 2/3’s of an hour.

I ordered a cheese thin and a pepperoni hand-tossed (regular) (I haven’t had a normal Domino’s Pizza for a long while, so I figured why not?) The cheese thin was awesome. Cooked perfectly. The pepperoni tasted like crap; as if I were eating something that was mixed with a donkey’s feces. Their pepperonis must have been going bad. I could only eat one piece of this pizza before returning to the cheese. The chicken wings (a new thing with Domino’s) were alright; a little squishy, though cooked thoroughly. They didn’t have the crunch I was expecting. The Sweet Habañero sauce was delicious, and the hot sauce was alright too. The chocolate desserts were frankly delicious; they had a sugar-crusted crunch to them that I hadn’t expected, and the warm chocolate in the center was a great counter-effect.

 If this was my first time ordering from Domino’s, it would probably be my only time. Half of the food was disgusting and nearly inedible, and it took me twice as long as it should have to get it in my hands. If it were up to me, I’d go to a more consistent pizza place.

My book was once 92 pages. It has blossomed to 135 in only five short days. And I added nearly forty pages to my book over the course of a very short week (and that’s while working a full-time job and dating a full-time girlfriend. That shit always needs handling). I’ve added a pragmatic, sensual (NOT SEXUAL!) character that could possibly worse than what Soren’s currently facing. It’s tough writing shotgun, since when I’m nearing the end, the dialogue turns into mush. Words. Turn into mush. Everything just kind of squirts onto the page and I’m forced to strain it out when I’m more cohesive. That’s kinda what happened here. First day? Wrote lickety split. No shit. Second day? Went a little slower. Questioned my motives, how to get the mood right, etc. Third day? Rewrote one page–ONE PAGE–six times because damn it that stupid character was NOT playing by the fucking rules. Fourth day? Sentences didn’t even make sense. Random synonyms or stretch-of-the-imagination connective tissue (a la Project 1) splayed all over the page like week-old rot, and the characters were basically standing still with their mouths open with all sorts of basic philosophical bullshit flying all over the place.

Anyways, the inclusion of Olivia is the piece that fits all the books together (I had a bunch of crap going on without any reason for it to happen. Easily discarded, unconnected plotlines jumping everywhichway, no meaning to them beyond, “SOREN HELP!” and stuff). As initially intended, Wren will take a back seat. Autumn will be stalkery. Soren will be brooding and subsequently ecstatic. It’s nice. What’s cool about it is Lucas recommended I write in a “Cool girl” that wasn’t as “annoying” as “Wren.” I apparently struck a nerve with him. Anyway. Proofing will commence as soon as my body recovers from the new insulin pills and I have the interest and testicular fortitude to continue proofreading this book. Yay. I’m turning into a real writer. Yay.

I’ve spent the past year and a half or so trying to get settled down in an adulte lifestyle: paying bills, working 9-5, finding where the next meal is coming from, that kind of thing. It wasn’t easy: I started from, basically nothing. Less than nothing, if you look at the 40k in student loans and a maxed out CC. But I got an apartment, got a job, got rolling, and am now in a place to actually update consistently on a blog.

That being said, I’ll probably be doing cross-promotions with my [hai-s3r-3r]freelance site due to my need to get the freelance work flowing. I think a good way to start this out is to post an update on my writing career at current:

It Gave Me a Name – Fantasy/religious thriller that pits the protagonist Soren against the machinations of the complicated belief systems of the world. This book delves into the Christian belief of Demons, demonology, and the underhanded struggle of good vs. evil. Currently first draft finished. Large rewrite in progress.

I Trailed a Blood House – book two of Fantasy/religious thriller series concerning the same Soren. After declining to help a group of paranormal investigators, he realizes they are in very real trouble, and his decision could end up being wrong. Dead wrong. Goes into an ancient Mayan Code/Poe-esque catacomb system where Soren has to save a group of people that don’t have a clue what they’re doing. First draft finished. Pending proofing/editing/rewriting.

Worldtree – Modern Fantasy. My reaction to the HP epidemic; I’ve been puttering around off and on concerning the topics. Similar veins to the Soren series, only focused through a school of magic. Oh, and the world is home to five living Worldtrees, or giant trees that grow five miles into the sky. Hilarity ensues. Excerpts only written.

Gunslinger – Fiction piece focusing on the spiraling self-destruction of a man who lost it all and a woman who shot the rest. No magic. No demons. Straight up emo. First three chapters written.

Acorn King – High fantasy novel surrounding the coexistence of two brothers: one a military man and the other a scholar. Swords and uptight word-use prevails through fiefdom violence and a little royal intrigue. First and second drafts finished. Small rewrite to stabilize flow. Pending third draft and external editing/proofreading.

Worked on a freelance project that fell through; client stopped emailing/talking to me. Did not respond to emails/phone calls. Project unfinished but at a stopping point. Possible pickup in the future.

Will also provide book reviews/overviews in the near future, perhaps starting with Anathem by Neil Stephenson. I need to get my words out.

I’ve been having a wayward, yet enjoyable argument with my brother, of late, concerning the viewpoint of Don Quixote. I have read (most) of the book, while he looked up someone’s opinion on Wikipedia and regurgitated it as some kind of informed discussion. You obviously know where I put my jelly beans. Yes. In my own opinion.

That being said, he believes the Don is all about running away from his problems, making something larger than what it is to make it seem much more important, and being incredibly depressed to his lot in life when he’s in some of his more lucid states.

I believe the Don never runs away from his problems (albeit, he runs from what society wants him to be: heavy-handed, rich, proper, with his head out of the clouds), slowly and steadily gains a following of people who begin to understand his dream, and sees an overall boring, backward society (and world) as an incredible, powerful place to live.

I’m bringing this to light because I believe both sides are justifiable, arguable ones. Has anyone else read Don Quixote? I’m inclined to believe those who see society as a helpful, nurturing thing will tend to believe Don Quixote as delusional and in denial, while those who see society as a status quo and statistics will tend to believe Quixote is recreating the world in a much more meaningful way.

Now, my brother says that everything the Don sees is fantastical and delusional, and this frustrates me because he clearly didn’t read the book; the Don rarely turned something into a fantastical thing, and tended to refer more to the person’s personality more than the person’s ability. People who are there to run him out of his unpaid-for bed tend to be brigands, and women of impeccable look tend to be princesses.

To the contrary, he fought for his lady for a long while, even though he had never met her, and had no idea what she looked like. When they finally met, he found her the most beautiful thing in the world, even though she was worn by years of working in the field, wore rags, and was overall a negative thing to look at. He saw the inner beauty–not the fantastical, let’s-be-royalty-for-the-day beauty.

He would often do things like attack the captors of abused criminals in chains, usually being beaten to within an inch of his life. His actions would usually come back to haunt him, with the criminals returning to rob him blind at a later date. Did he run from his problems? No. Did he create many problems? Yes.

Quixote was a revolutionary without a revolution. He fought for a more organized society that disregarded caste and wealth, and he saw all people through the same lens. Furthermore, he slowly gained followers not because he turned everything into a fantasy, but because he began convincing them he saw a better life–and that Dulcinea would reward them. He had become the purveyor of fine romance, of masculine strength and humilty, a bard and a storyteller, all the while walking a road only he could see.

I do not believe he ever was in denial, in spite of what many of the characters–and the writer of that Wiki–said. I believe he cut through the outer shell, the physical. He was rarely safe, spoke out of turn often, and was confused quite often as well. He was usually enraged by his society’s lack of understanding, and their disbelief, and sometimes grew depressed and saddened by how simple everyone around him lived.

But this is my argument. I can’t speak on Brian’s behalf because I’m certain he’d pick my word choice apart, and create an anthill out of a mountain (read: I might put words in his mouth), so I won’t write of it.

I’m fairly certain most of you have never even picked up the complicated, convoluted book, much less read more than two chapters. And I understand that. Regardless, I’d like your opinions. ~x

Hello… Neverneverland.

Watched The Last Airbender last weekend with the brothers. All I can say is, I’ll keep the cartoon as my secret loveslave. Thank you. The only redeeming aspect of that whole movie was the casting of Aang. The little kid was perfect, and awesome, and believable. Everyone else was just kinda… Posey and odd-looking. Especially Sokka. He has crazyeyes like whoa and can’t portray emotion if it was to save his life. “This is my happy look.” ”This is my angry look.” ”This is my sad look.” Yep. All the same. Just blowout-your-face-with-intense-glare look. Yeah. Not good at all.

The cartoon, at least, was compelling.

Anyway. Moving on. I have acne on the back of my head. This means I’m eating greasy food. This means I ate some Cheetos yesterday. It’s amazing how easily thrown off my body is when I even touch bad food anymore. It’s like… Jesus. Stop being so emo, body. It’s just some happyfoods.

Who am I kidding? It coulda been the ice cream, the eighteen ounce AMAZING BOMBSHIT AWESOME steak, the popcorn, the gratuitous amounts of soda, etc. I’m not exactly a pinnacle of good eating. But, I’m getting better.

I’ve been reading a fantastic writer by the name of Robin Hobb. She’s got this incredible ability to simply write a character’s story without making the plot seem obvious. The first-person narration is perfect to flawless; he’s interesting, he’s unique, dynamic, and of course very flawed. Other than building up super emo world-falling-apart settings at the beginning of her books, she’s perfect as a writer. Now, the messages she has about society, the world, and particularly the United States is not too tasty to the greater population, and the fact that she made her character a fat-fat-fatty will of course lose that whole Harry Potter/Twilight/Eragon daydreaming crowd, but it’s so compelling. Anyway. My love life with the words is coming back. I would like to read more literary quality work, but this is certainly a book I can get into.

I believe my youngest brother Lucas is a walking example of Don Quixote. My other brother probably wouldn’t agree, but he’s just a fuddyduddy (and he reads this, so I’m going to be nice and not call him an asshole). He’s also an asshole. Lucas even has the beard and moustachio to prove it. His dream is a possible one. Hahaha.

Finally! *drumroll* one scene left until I’m finished with the rough rough of P1. This means, all the scenes are there, and the major story (and then some) is mapped out as well as I possibly can. There’s some bits and pieces here and there, but it’s nearly entirely finished. As I had written in the previous entry, the last scene is a sex scene between Melody and Darion, and I’m not sure if I can wrap my mind around writing it.

It has to be seductive, vulnerable, and mindmelting. It’s going to require a different kind of inspiration to handle it, I think.

Weekends are finally free. Cardinal’s Game on the 17th. I should check up on the old high school friends Martithin, Tommy, and Phil. Dude’s getting married and I haven’t even congratulated him yet.

Always serves to inspire me.

The fantasy bug is, I think, once more making a comeback to the mainstream. With the serialization of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, the marketing of the Harry Potter series, and even the (unwarranted) success of Paolini’s Eragon, American culture is beginning to embrace the power of the fantastic.

The latest fantastic explosion is of course Avatar, and its 3D syrup-covered pancake success. Most everyone that has seen it said the reason for seeing it was the 3D of it, and even the most avid fantasy reader has understood the storyline was crap. It’s not for movies to make good storylines, though. Movies are for visuals. Just like food is primarily for taste–you can make it look as nice as ever, but one bite sells or fails it. Books are primarily for characterization and plot. Movies are for scenery and extravagance, external characterization if warranted. I’m not talking about works of literary merit, or movies of literary merit, or foods of… literary merit. I’m talking about the pop culture need-as-it-may sensationalism.

Nuances are too nuanced. Anyway. I digress.

I’m incredibly inspired by the use of the universe as a staging ground for a resurgence of interest. As ever, fantasy is growing into a beautiful and incredibly developed niche – much as Noir and romance had its place, its turn, now so does fantasy.

I’m loving what I’m seeing.

Wrote around fifteen pages in P1 today. I’ll probably write around five more before I find my way to sleep. Finally, this story has the second layer being added: the real. Although it isn’t finished with its first layer, the second layer is coming along quite nicely. The two “cults,” one religious and one corporate (not at all different from each other) are finally in place, with champions from both. Okembe is finally doing something behind the scenes. I don’t know why it was impossible for me to write these aspects in the first place. I believe it’s because I was too anchored in the ethereal and metaphysical to be able to write of the real. The moment I began writing of it, it turned into something meta.

I have my lack of internet connection to thank for my recent writing splurge (currently running on “wireless broadband USB plugin power”). Landlord promises a phone jack by Monday noon. Which is cool. He also took a bit off my rent as recompense.

If Cygnus gets the job she has an interview for, we will finally both have weekends off. And an opportunity to go to Six Flags. And see family in StL. And perhaps even go camping.

My client for P2 hasn’t been in communication with me much; it’s been about a month since we talked about the project. I’ve been working on it, off and on, in the meantime, constantly laying out the groundwork for everything. But I do need direction. I hope he gets back with me soon. He had been hospitalized with a viral sickness of some kind, and was given military leave to the US for a few weeks.

Went to Taste of Champaign last weekend with coworker Whitney and her son Malcolm. He’s an incredibly intelligent boy. The Taste was pretty much a drag, given the humidity and the fact I didn’t bring any actual cash to the event. Vendors can’t make change with a credit card. Heh. It went well, although Whitney seemed awkward. She likes Bethany, and I hope she doesn’t get fired. It seems she’s got some serious challenges going on in her life. Eh. It’s nice to have friends around here; LIKE PAUL! hahaha Hopefully he still reads this.

Well. I’m back to writing. I might dedicate this book to Don Quixote. It seems fitting. “To Don Quixote, for his dream was a possible one.” hahaha

Oi.

Home sick.

NOT Homesick.

The past few days have been miserable for me. I’m not sure what brought it about, but I have a pretty solid feeling it was the leftover taco pizza I brought back from my parents. It was left out all night and morning at their house, in the garage, when it got 79 degrees outside. I brought it home, a 3 hour drive, and then put it in the fridge. I then took it to work with the intention of eating it, but it was too messy to do while driving so I didn’t. Left it out for another four or five hours. Then came home, heated it up in the oven, and ate it. Hilarity ensued. It wasn’t even all that awesome. Now, Chicken Alfredo pizza with French sauce is incredible (Hence the Uppercase)… but yeah. I was an idiot.

Now my throat is swelling up, I can barely swallow, and I cough up… nothing. Which means I’m having an allergy attack. RUN.

I haven’t written anything readable for a bit; I’ve been working on hanging out (Springtime makes me inspired like a crazyboy, but I’m always inspired around 10:30, where I’m driving like an idiot. Now, of course, I’m sick, so no inspiration here). As usual, I want to be published. I want to have my book out for all to see. I want to finish proofing AK again, finish P1, and get some kind of proofing finished on Mindgames, which will be incorporated into the Worldtree universe. Oi. And the gunslinger side-story. And the brothers zombie side-story.

Anyways, I’m frustrated at something. Perpetually, really, but I’ll find out what it is, exactly, and push through it. Perhaps it’s complacency. I’m at a place in my professional career that I’m happy with my job(s), and I’m going to be able to make a lot of headway with savings and the like. It’s just… yeah. Something.

Probably just the fact I haven’t written chapters in months. I wish I weren’t sick. I’ll try and write on Saturday while Cygnus is at work.

We’re talking about getting tattoos. Hahaha. Two shark’s teeth.

And. Just bought fuzzy seatcovers for Hobbes. Real FUR! hahaha

Sometimes I wonder if there’s even a pattern beneath the pattern when it comes to how people act and react. This is a vague sentence, I know. Mostly because the moment I started typing it whizzed right out of my head. Whatever I was going to say.

The more I want to write on my books, the more I don’t. I believe I’m starting to get writer’s block. I want to write all the time, while I’m at work, but the moment I get home my head goes empty. It’s so incredibly frustrating I can barely contain myself. Anyway…

(Politics rant incoming)

I’m reading random crap on Facebook about punching Pelosi in the face. I assume this has to do with you being a republican and not wanting to get our taxes lowered. I’ve watched the politicals. I’ve heard the arguments. I’ve read the propaganda. Now, all I’m looking for is someone to actually explain why the healthcare reform is bad. Or unconstitutional. Or unAmerican. While I understand the GOP rides on fear and Who Is This Other, I can’t help but BEG someone to explain to me why this is bad. I hear vague rhetoric about something Socialist and something Unconstitutional, and leave it at that. I’ve even heard some Murcan go, “It’s Socialist. You aren’t a Socialist, are you?” to which I replied, “What’s a Socialist?” “Damn N***** that steals our money and gives it to someone in his family.” Yes, this is an extreme example. But at least he gave what he thought was a well-educated answer. It’s more than I can say for my GOP friends.

And since being Socialist is basically being a Terrorist (same with Marxism, and Naziism, and being Muslim, and Middle Eastern… oh. A pattern. To be a Terrorist is to be the “Other.” Fear.), it’s no surprise every fundie and rightwing brainwasher (all extremes in themselves) are having a holocaust with this idea. (Holocaust means an offering to God, in case anyone ever wondered what that word came from) Yet, it’s not just the extremes that want to “Punch Pelosi in the face.” It’s the majority of the GOP. From what I’ve read, it makes a lot of sense to have this kind of healthcare system… Considering when we compare our system to most second-world countries, our is worse than theirs, I’m quite surprised over how upset everyone is getting.

Which leads perhaps to an explanation of my pattern within the pattern thought. If the GOP is throwing around “YOU SHOULD BE SCARED OF THIS PRESIDENT!” while backing a man that easily wasted fifty times the money Obama has, perhaps they themselves are afraid of change. I mean, that’s pretty obvious. Change is bad for the GOP. Change means standing up proudly and saying there’s something that needs fixing. Yet.

It’s just strange how this whole system works. I mean, everyone at the top is corrupt. You have to be to get the backing to get there. It’s mostly high school homecoming court, from a whole societal structure, and not trying to find the best man to run the country. But I read somewhere, too, “If you are too intelligent to bother with politics, you will be governed by those who aren’t.”

Yes. It makes sense to care. To bother. We have an incredible country. The value of life here is much higher than the majority of the rest of the world. I just don’t like how extremist this country is getting (Not that they weren’t before. Heh) over the simple selection of candidates.

This new healthcare thing won’t send this country under. The war(s)? Possibly. The lack of interest or involvement by more intelligent (?) people such as myself? Perhaps. It makes me grr.

And this entry had nothing to do with what I wanted to write about. Hahaha

Haven’t been around here as much as I’d like. I’ve been juggling, essentially, three jobs. As usual. Par for the course. I’ve been having the time of my life at my new job. Especially with this warm, 80 degree weather blowing through. It’s incredible. I love it. And I’m getting paid good money to do it. I don’t see moving on from this job for a while.

That being said, I just picked up my first freelance writing contract with a high school friend of mine. He’s just leaving the military and has asked me to jump on board with a project of his. Actually, it’s more of a dream of his. He’ll be settling into San Francisco after one final 5 month stint in Afghanistan, and I’ll be working with him (I’d assume) around fifteen hours a week on a secret project of his. I’m stoked. I’m getting paid. I am, once more, doing what I love doing. AND GETTING PAID.

So I’m all smiles from my side. I’ve got some good things coming down the pipe. I’m as happy as can be with my life’s direction.

(Now all I need to do is get published. Grr. Grr.)

Today’s my dad’s birthday. My brother got accepted into Rolla. His birthday’s on the 9th. We have lots of stuff to celebrate this weekend. That’s for sure. Now all I need to do is make it to StLouis with the 5:30 AM schedule I have. oi.

Unfortunately, you don’t get to know about this project. Know I’m writing fantasy. I can’t post anything, simply given the nature of it. And, I can’t talk about it. Sorry. More Worldtree in the near future, perhaps? Heh.