Quiet Keystrokes and Midnight Ramblings

There are times, when handling the ups and downs of an extended family, that life mimics a real-time version of a game-show gone terribly wrong.  The contestants range in age across multiple generations; pressing their buzzers and shouting to be heard above everyone else on the panel with no regard to the rules or game format. The biggest problem with this game of Family Feud, is that everyone is hoping for a drastically different outcome.  Mom is hoping that behind door number one the entire family (children, second cousins, great-aunts twice removed included) will get along; sharing and caring together while putting aside clashes in opinion and personality.  Dad is sure that behind door number two is the key to getting everyone to see things from his point of view and agreeing that he is utterly right in his stance on all things big and small.  Cousin Sally has her fingers crossed that door number three will give her the house, platinum serving set, husband, dog ...

Normally, when I blog I have some insightful thought, fun event or fantastic gadget that I want to share with the masses.  But right now, as I type, I am watching one of my secret guilty pleasures: Ninja Warrior on G4TV. Now granted, Ninja Warrior will never replace MXC's hilarious entertainment value, but it does have the Japanese-engineered obstacle course from hell and a slew of over-the-top contestants.  The thing about Ninja Warrior that tops shows like MXC, American Gladiator, and dare I say it - even the Olympics, is that the contestants that are most famous are just regular guys.  They train in back-yards, city streets, garages and warehouses.  Sure, some of them have impressive athletic backgrounds or are well known celebrities, but it is one of the few shows where anyone can give the course a try and the only thing they are trying to beat is the clock. You can't help but cheer along with each new contestant's run through the 1st course, especially when ...

It's been a long time since I really sat down and thought about Easter, or any holiday for that matter.  This year I have a bit more time to ponder the meaning and impact of things on my life than I have in the past, and so while I'm sitting and gathering my thoughts I figured I might as well type them out for you all to read and add your perspective on. I am not overly zealous in my faith, but I'd like to think that I'm also not completely passive in my beliefs and thoughts on the the order of things.  I did take the opportunity to go to services on Palm Sunday and reflect on the goings on during Holy Week; the wrongful persecution of Jesus by the masses, the abandonment by his followers, his crucification and resurrection.  While many roll their eyes at the stories and shrug them off in favor of white rabbits and colored eggs, the story of the resurrection is really the core basis of every underdog tale ever spun.  It's a story about overcomin...

I am going to admit something once, that I will probably never admit again.  This weekend I discovered that I may have been wrong.  Now, I'm not admitting complete wrongness.  But there may have been a point or two that I didn't fully understand, comprehend or anticipate. Unfortunately the thing that I may have been less than right about is private to someone else, and so I won't divulge the details here.  But I will say that I have been humbled and reminded that it is impossible for anyone to really understand the motives and reasoning of someone else until you see things from their perspective.  Sadly, it becomes harder and harder for us to be able to see things from others' point of view. The disconnect that we all experience is discovered in the waitress who doesn't take the time to look at you when she hands you your change because she is too preoccupied with the buzzing timer ringing that someone else's order is ready. It's found in the moments whe...

Well, it has been done.  I have bridged the gap from my smartphone to my desktop.  I write now from my shiny new ASUS Eee PC netbook.  Now that I've owned this marvel of compact technology for 24 hours, I've formed a couple of opinions about the usefulness and hangups of these nifty, cheap and fashion forward devices. What I like: I love that it's tiny.  I love that it has a webcam, can access the internet and I can use it to write a novel of epic proportions.  It's easy to use, and even the smaller keyboard is comfortable to use. What I don't: I'm really disappointed by Windows 7 Starter.  I can't even change my desktop wallpaper.  And believe me, I tried.  For two hours.  I read blogs, tutorials and forums.  Starter has some major limitations when it comes to available services, which makes for a pretty disappointing out-of-the-box experience. What I miss: Since I purchased the Netbook soley for the ability...

It's amazing that February has come and gone, and we are already halfway through March!  Time flies when you're having fun, working hard and focused on continuing to have fun and work hard! Writing has been pushed once again to the back burner amidst the blissful confusion of vacations, GearheadzPaintball .com updates and my decision to scale back on my day-job and ponder the direction my novel is going to take. It has been a wonderful time for personal discovery and growth, and I look forward to progressing this year in both my writing and in my life.  I decided this morning that a part of my momentum will be through joining or creating a writing critique group so that I can get and give honest feedback as well as have more literary support as I wander further away from the predestined corporate path that has been laid out before me and begin to forge my own trail through the unknown and adventurous territory of becoming a published author. Currently Reading:

In doing some research for some writing on the Paintball industry in and around Portland, Oregon, I decided to take a field trip around the city to see what has been going on with the local Paintball businesses.  Not really knowing where to start, I picked up the latest copy of a leading Paintball magazine (The title will not be named here so as not to step on anyone's toes, but you may be able to find a copy of it yourself at your local Fred Meyer) and turned to the Field and Store directory at the back of the mag.  I also did a quick Google search for "Paintball, Portland, Oregon" and jotted down another couple of businesses names & addresses from businessfinder.oregonlive.com  and infosports.com .  I grabbed my Droid , my keys, my husband (I figured between the Droid and my husband I couldn't get lost) and off I went to explore. Unfortunately, what I found were a lot of locked doors, and buildings that had been converted for new uses (or demolished altogethe...