I’m tired today. But the reason I’m tired is that I stayed up a bit later than usual last night, and on purpose.

For the longest time I had a very set schedule. I would get home from work between 6 and 6:30, and then typically go to bed between 9 and 9:30. I didn’t real decide this for any reason, other than it’s what my body dictated. Because I’m up so early, I just run out of steam around 9.

But now that I’ve changed jobs, I now get home between 7 and 7:30, so my home time–my chiI’m tired today. But the reason I’m tired is that I stayed up a bit later than usual last night, and on purpose.

For the longest time I had a very set schedule. I would get home from work between 6 and 6:30, and then typically go to bed between 9 and 9:30. I didn’t real decide this for any reason, other than it’s what my body dictated. Because I’m up so early, I just run out of steam around 9.

But now that I’ve changed jobs, I now get home between 7 and 7:30, so my home time–my chill time–has diminished. And I don’t like that. So in order to get more out of my day, to get back what I had just three months ago, I’m trying to extend my nights. My short-term goal is set my bed time at 10 pm. That would give me 2 1/2 – 3 hours of chill time at home.

Longer term, I’m hoping to extend my bed time to 10:30. That’s probably the ideal time for me, anyway, because my sleep cycles seem to run quite regularly at 90-minute intervals. So if I can get to get into bed at 10:30 (figure be asleep by 10:45), and wake up at 4:45 am, that’s 6 hours (which hits my 90-minute increment x 4).

I’m pretty confident that I can make the transition within 4-6 weeks, if not sooner. I’ll try to add 10 minutes per week, until I’ve gotten myself to 10:30. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be able to do it cold turkey. And when I’m settled in to a regular 10:30 pm bed time, I’m sure I’ll be happy I did it.

But whether I get to that point fast or slow, one thing seems pretty certain:

It’s gonna hurt along the way.

So I’m on my way to the subway yesterday morning, it’s gorgeous out, and I’m fiddling with my glasses. They’re not quite fitting me right, for whatever reason, and I’m trying to adjust them. One arm is too high, the other is too low. And then it happened.

The right arm broke clean off.

Ugh.

I was late for a dentist appointment, so I headed along with my broken glasses, just hoping that I still had a spare someplace at home. Turns out they were in a bunch of junk at the bottom So I’m on my way to the subway yesterday morning, it’s gorgeous out, and I’m fiddling with my glasses. They’re not quite fitting me right, for whatever reason, and I’m trying to adjust them. One arm is too high, the other is too low. And then it happened.

The right arm broke clean off.

Ugh.

I was late for a dentist appointment, so I headed along with my broken glasses, just hoping that I still had a spare someplace at home. Turns out they were in a bunch of junk at the bottom of closet–where else would my spare glasses be?–but at least I have them. Of course, the prescription is just a little weaker than my regular glasses, so I’ve got that to contend with as well.

And I know it falls under the category of just one of those things, but it’s such a pain in the you know what to deal with. Either I try to get my glasses fixed, or I buy a whole new pair. But if I do that, I also need to get a new eye exam, because it’s possible my vision is slightly worse than it was, and it wouldn’t be just dandy if I pay $400 for new glasses only to find I have the wrong prescription?

Still not sure which way I’m headed. I’ve been wanting to get new glasses for a while now–I’ve had the same pair for about 6 years–so maybe this is a sign. Who knows? Anyway, just another one of those things that keeps the days and nights from getting–and in focus.

Word on the street is that the last book of Y: The Last Man is now available. Gotta run out and get my copy!Word on the street is that the last book of Y: The Last Man is now available. Gotta run out and get my copy!

I’m really psyched today. Know why? Because in exactly four weeks from today I will be on my way to San Diego for the 2008 Comic-Con!

Yeah, baby!

It’s just a great, great time all around. I get to hang out with they guys for four days, there’s comics and movie attractions everywhere. We eat and drink all week. I’ll be shopping [i]Finders Keepers[/i] to Hollywood producers (hope, hope). And it’s San Diego! Every day it’s between 75 and 80 degrees. And sunny. Oh, yeah ….

I’llI’m really psyched today. Know why? Because in exactly four weeks from today I will be on my way to San Diego for the 2008 Comic-Con!

Yeah, baby!

It’s just a great, great time all around. I get to hang out with they guys for four days, there’s comics and movie attractions everywhere. We eat and drink all week. I’ll be shopping [i]Finders Keepers[/i] to Hollywood producers (hope, hope). And it’s San Diego! Every day it’s between 75 and 80 degrees. And sunny. Oh, yeah ….

I’ll be heading out on a Wed. morning and flying back Sunday, so it’s four full days of fun, fun, fun. And this year we’re staying at the Hyatt, which is just a 5-minute walk from the convention center, so that’s great, and so much more convenient than last year, when we were a few miles away and had to cab it to the convention center or take the trolley system.

So … yeah. I’m psyched.

Expect a weekly I’M PSYCHED update, because, well, I’M FRIGGIN’ PSYCHED!

Woo Hoo!

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2008/06/29 11:01

Rough week on the icon side of things. Last week was Tim Russert, now George Carlin. He had a history of heart disease, and at 71, it finally caught up with him.

George Carlin has been a comedic hero of mine for more than 25 years. And as is the case with the best comics, George Carlin was more than funny. He was smart. Insightful.

He made us think.

Nothing was off limits for Carlin. Politics, the church or even the words we used to communicate. Or you can go back to his early dayRough week on the icon side of things. Last week was Tim Russert, now George Carlin. He had a history of heart disease, and at 71, it finally caught up with him.

George Carlin has been a comedic hero of mine for more than 25 years. And as is the case with the best comics, George Carlin was more than funny. He was smart. Insightful.

He made us think.

Nothing was off limits for Carlin. Politics, the church or even the words we used to communicate. Or you can go back to his early days with the Hippy Dippy Weatherman … man.

He could be goofy or raunchy. Biting or angry. But it was all George Carlin.

I have great memories laughing like a mad heyena at his bits, from Carlin at Carnegie, way back in the early 1980s, sitting in my living room, probably listening to bits at an early age that I shouldn’t be listening to. (Thanks HBO). How could you not laugh at a bit in which he describes sitting over a bowl of Rice Crispies and distinctly hearing one of them say "Snap, crackle f— him."

Another great voice has left us. I’ve watched his specials, listening to his albums and read his books. George Carlin was a hero of mine. His life may be over, but his insights–and his humor–will endure.

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2008/06/23 21:22

It’s 8:10 pm on Sunday night and I was just outside on my terrace, reading one of my all-time favorite comics–Hellblazer–and thinking that, sometimes life can be a little bit of all right.

There’s still a little dampness in the air from an afternoon storm to the north, but there was a nice breeze, and I had my feet up on the foot stool, and as I heard the whoosh of the Sunday night traffic going by and the rustle of the leaves, I was in deep, reading about the King of the Vampires gettinIt’s 8:10 pm on Sunday night and I was just outside on my terrace, reading one of my all-time favorite comics–Hellblazer–and thinking that, sometimes life can be a little bit of all right.

There’s still a little dampness in the air from an afternoon storm to the north, but there was a nice breeze, and I had my feet up on the foot stool, and as I heard the whoosh of the Sunday night traffic going by and the rustle of the leaves, I was in deep, reading about the King of the Vampires getting what he had coming to him.

Just some escapist fun on a Sunday night, without any thought of tomorrow, or even 10 minutes from then. I was totally in the moment–in that moment–and for that moment, it’s exactly where I wanted to be.

Which brings me to a larger point, which I’ve been kicking around lately, which is that, in total, I haven’t been making as much time for myself as I’d like. Spending too much spare time in front of the TV because, well, it’s easy. Just point and click.

I go through these phases now and again, when I need to remind myself to just sit and listen. To play some music. To call an old friend (which I did last week). To, like a kid, just let my mind wander and see where it takes me. Because it’s just so darn easy to get caught up in the churn of regular life that days and weeks and months can just go by and then I can’t believe the Spring is over and the Summer and then it’s Fall and …

So I’m just taking a moment to cherish a moment–and in it’s way, a type of moment–that I hold dear. Letting myself drift into the realm of somewhere else. Not [i]escaping[/i] life, but [i]enjoying[/i] it. Which isn’t to say I don’t enjoy my life, but I am reminded once again that the little moments are mostly what make up my life, and the more little moments I can enjoy in their own little ways, the more they add up. And if I string enough of those little moments together, well, that’s a life. A life filled with a heck of a lot more than just getting by.

And all it took to remind me was a comic book about a shadowy British bloke named John Constantine taking on the King of the Vampires.

Go figure.

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2008/07/04 18:41

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprise with the new HULK movie. [i]The Incredible Hulk[/i] was a darn good time. It had plenty of Hulk smash, and had some nice emotional moments, too. In fact, while I would say that [i]Iron Man[/i] is probably a better movie beginning to end, I think I enjoyed Hulk more.

There are some nice cameos, and, without giving anything way, I really liked how Bruce Banner (Ed Norton) is on the run, trying to keep his Hulk moments in check, while also tryingI have to say that I was pleasantly surprise with the new HULK movie. [i]The Incredible Hulk[/i] was a darn good time. It had plenty of Hulk smash, and had some nice emotional moments, too. In fact, while I would say that [i]Iron Man[/i] is probably a better movie beginning to end, I think I enjoyed Hulk more.

There are some nice cameos, and, without giving anything way, I really liked how Bruce Banner (Ed Norton) is on the run, trying to keep his Hulk moments in check, while also trying to find a cure. In that way, it was a lot more like the TV series, with some very literal translations from small screen to big screen.

I agree that the Hulk could have used a few more character-driven scenes–as the action keeps moving right along–but all in all I really did enjoy it. Supposedly, Ed Norton clashed with the studio over the final cut, complaining that some of the movie’s heart was ripped out. Recent media reports say that 70 minutes of footage was deleted, and that it will be included in some format on the DVD. I will be really interested in seeing that footage.

But the long and short of it is–at least from my eyes–[i]The Incredible Hulk[/i] is a good, fun summer movie with plenty of Hulk smash moments, some good excitement, and a movie that, naturally, is set up for a sequel, should there be one. And if there is, I’ll be there to see another round of Bruce Banner Hulking out.

Talk about mixed feelings. On the one hand, Willie Randolph is one of those iconic Yankees I grew up watching as a kid, and was a coach for the Yankee teams during that 1996-2001 dynasty. So he’ll always be a Yankee in my eyes.

And then he went to the manage the Mets! Ah, but good for him.

Now, I’m not saying his time wasn’t up as manager, because the Mets are clearly not working out as planned. So maybe he needed to go. You could make arguments either way. But stringing him along liTalk about mixed feelings. On the one hand, Willie Randolph is one of those iconic Yankees I grew up watching as a kid, and was a coach for the Yankee teams during that 1996-2001 dynasty. So he’ll always be a Yankee in my eyes.

And then he went to the manage the Mets! Ah, but good for him.

Now, I’m not saying his time wasn’t up as manager, because the Mets are clearly not working out as planned. So maybe he needed to go. You could make arguments either way. But stringing him along like that was outrageous. Really low class by the Mets. If they wanted him gone, so be it. It’s their right to do as they wish. But if they really did want him gone, they should have sat him down–before he flew across the country–and said, sorry Willie, it’s time to wrap this up.

Instead, they basically tortured the guy–and wound up looking horrendous in the process.

I’m not a Mets hater per se, but this mess sure makes it a lot easier to not care if they totally fall apart. Willie may or may not have deserved to keep his job, but he certainly deserved better–way better–than how the Mets treated him.

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2008/06/19 20:35

For the last several weeks I’ve been in research mode, doing my homework for something new I’m working on. Part of the plot is based on a series of stories I wrote–believe it or not–almost 20 years ago. There’s some decent plot in there, actually, but the prose …

Ouch. It’s painful to read.

Bad. Just so bad.

Ah, but what can I say? It’s filled with all the vague angst a teenager can muster, with calls about what "life" ought to be, without having the slightest clFor the last several weeks I’ve been in research mode, doing my homework for something new I’m working on. Part of the plot is based on a series of stories I wrote–believe it or not–almost 20 years ago. There’s some decent plot in there, actually, but the prose …

Ouch. It’s painful to read.

Bad. Just so bad.

Ah, but what can I say? It’s filled with all the vague angst a teenager can muster, with calls about what "life" ought to be, without having the slightest clue about what that really meant. And I say all this with laughter in my heart, because I can look back at my younger self–and my younger writer self–and see the passion even back then. I had very little technique to speak of, but there’s a story there. And a story worth telling.

The dialogue is awful. The descriptions are sloppy. And yet the overarching story–which I’m not going to share now–really works. There’s genuine conflict. There’s adventure. Intrigue. In fact, I’m kind of impressed with my younger self, all the truly horrible writing aside. (LOL!)

I’ll be sharing a bit more about this over the next few months, but I’m getting my first glimpse in a long, long time at my writerly beginnings, and it’s both amusing and cringe-inducing. The key, now, is take the best of what’s in there and turn those old ideas–which have been percolating in my mind all these years–and spin them into new gold.

As always, I’ll keep you posted.

As Finders Keepers makes its way through the realm of publishing, the question is: what’s next? Well, I’m not quite ready to share that yet–soon I promise!–but the truth is, I need to read more.

Most writers will tell you that (or at least most good writers, anyway) the more they read good writing, the more it helps them. Well, as I gear up for my upcoming projects, I’m trying to read a bit more than I have been lately. Part of it is time, part of it is energy. I spend so much time in fAs Finders Keepers makes its way through the realm of publishing, the question is: what’s next? Well, I’m not quite ready to share that yet–soon I promise!–but the truth is, I need to read more.

Most writers will tell you that (or at least most good writers, anyway) the more they read good writing, the more it helps them. Well, as I gear up for my upcoming projects, I’m trying to read a bit more than I have been lately. Part of it is time, part of it is energy. I spend so much time in front of a computer all day–including writing and blogging–that some days I just don’t want to read. I know it helps me if I do, but my brain needs a rest!

That said, I do have my nose in a few books–and a few comic books. My usual path is to read two books simultaneously. One for more deep research, one just for fun. I’m more than half way through on one book and not quite half-way through on the other. And when I can keep my eyes open long enough to focus, it’s been quality stuff. Of course, I can’t tell you what I’m [i]reading[/i] at the moment, because that would tip you off on what I’m [i]writing[/i], but I will say that it’s getting me–slowly–to where I want to be.