Progress report, what's next, etc etc

Well, I had to take my monthly trip to visit the family this weekend. Just got back an hour or so ago. Finished unpacking, and doing all the post-trip stuff one does. Atari has settled back down into his routine, sleeping now on his new heating pad. Like me he doesn't dig traveling.

I'm scheduled for surgery next week and while it's minor surgery I will still be laid up a few days. Since I'm exactly half way through Cold Iron I think I'll wait until after the surgery to begin tracking the next song, "The Crawl." I won't be able to lift anything heavier than ten pounds for a few days after the surgery--which means no guitar--and I doubt I'll be able to sit or stand for very long while I recover, so that means no tracking. I'd hate to leave a song half done for that long and then come back to it--I know I'll just erase what I've done and start over. So I'm not going to bother.

I will be able to write, however, and I think I'll finish the lyrics for the remaining songs while I'm laid up.

I've also been thinking about the next musical project and I think I'll be doing some longer instrumental work. Maybe five or six really long, sort of symphonic pieces. Stuff like you'd hear on a movie soundtrack. Heavy synth work but with guitars and the like, too--symphonies for a modern ear, let's say. Though I'm sure the word symphonies sort of lends an air of dignity to what I'l be doing beyond what these songs will require.

I also want to do a drastic rewrite of my screenplay, Mythophobia. Unfortunately, what I want to do, the character and plot line I want to add, won't fit in with it as it exists now, but it'll make it much better, so the rewrite is necessary. It'll be fun. Once I dive in I usually find myself enjoying the process of writing--I can see it in my head as I write it down.

I'm also thinking about doing something drastic in my personal life, though at this point I don't think it's something that's actually possible. I'd love to go to college and get a degree in art history. Considering all the other crap I've got going on in my life right now that's probably just a pipe dream, and I wouldn't know where to start if I did decide to go through with it. I'd have to start from the very beginning, too--all the core curricula. It'd be years before I got into anything I found remotely interesting. I'd also have to sacrifice my limited time for my music and writing, which these days is all I look forward to. Unlike a lot of people I can't stay up until 1 a.m. or later doing homework or research or whatever. I needs my beauty sleep. So, while it'd be nice, it's one of those things that'll have to wait.

Anyways, that's the plan, such as it is. We'll see how well I can execute it!

Another Friday randomocity

It's finally Friday.

Been a long week. At work we take turns working until 5:00, so that the phones are covered. For me it's 45 minutes later than my usual end-time. You wouldn't think a mere 45 minutes would make much difference, but man! It does! Throws my entire evening schedule out of whack. Fortunately that's over for a while after today.

Speaking of out-of-whack, I'm going to have to take another whack at the story I'm writing based on my song, "Inside." It's just not coming together like I want. It's missing something. I don't know what. It'll come to me, though--hopefully sooner rather than later. When it does it won't take long for me to finish writing it. Maybe.

Screenplay is still rocking along, though. I'm just over half-way into it. I should be working on the last section by the end of this weekend. Still got some gory murders to perform, some post-mortem mutilations . . . I'm pretty happy with it so far. About to get into what I consider to be the really interesting part.

It just occurred to me that I seem to be developing this obsession with horror. I've always dug it but normally I incline towards science fiction. Interesting. Of course I slanted that way in my music for a while now . . .

In real life I've got to find myself a doctor. That's another project for the weekend. I won't go into details--you don't want to know--but it's a problem I've had for a while now that finally needs to be checked out. Hopefully it won't be too serious. In my research I've found that it's something that'll kill me in a few months, or it's something really trivial. I'm pulling for the latter.

So, my weekend will consist of the usual--writing, relaxing as much as I can, practicing my guitar, maybe tracking a new tune, giving Atari his weekly bath, that sort of thing. In addition to looking on my insurance website for an in-network doc who is taking new patients. No end of fun!

What are you doing? Got any plans?