R.A. McCandless's Blog, page 33

Penguins and Podcasts

What could possibly go wrong?I’m really missing running.  Due to the surgery and whatnot, I haven’t been able to run for almost five weeks now.  It’s looking like January will be a complete bust as well.  Walking might be a thing, but right now I’m still having trouble walking any distance, and I do that looking more like an incompetent penguin that natural is about to select again.
Most of all, I’m missing listening to the stories from Beneath Ceaseless Skies audio story podcas...

Trump-naugaration

The best inauguration!Trump doesn’t care.
Without peering into a crystal ball or laying down cards, I can tell you right now Trump will declare victory where none exists.  He did it during the campaign.  He did it during the debates.  He did it after...

Down but Not Out

Somethings seems . . . wrong, and yet so right!At least that’s how I remember the story going.  Painkillers are a wonderful thing.  Don’t let anyone tell you differently—unless, of course, it’s your doctor and then she’s probably right.
2017 is off to a stunning start.  I signed a new contract with Zumaya Publications.  Updates about new covers for Tears of Heaven and Hell Becomes Her will follow.  Submissions of short sto...

PSA - Monday, December 19th

Surgery?  THANKS OBAMA!Wish me luck.  Today is the day I go in for a very minor surgery.
The doctor assured me that from the time they wheel me in to when they wheel me out, it will only be 60-90 minutes.  Recovery should be pretty fast as well—two to three weeks total.
In the meantime, I probably won’t be updating this blog much (if at all).
My tweets will still go out automatically, and they’ll post to Facebook the same way.
Other than that, I’m pretty much “off the grid” as far...

Burning EKG Daylight

I must break . . . out in SONG!Yesterday, as part of my pre-op checkboxes, my doctor had me do some lab work and then get an EKG.  I’ve never had an EKG, and I assumed I’d be on one of those treadmill things, strapped with a couple dozen electrode-thingies, forced to run on an increasing incline at faster rates much like Ivan Drago did in Rocky IV.
Kaiser’s lab opens at 7:30am, so I headed off from my house a little before 7:00am.  I was the third or fourth in, and took #6 from...

We're Fine, We're All Fine Here

Actual picture of my nurse!The nurse had told me twice in the past 45 minutes that the doctor would see me in "five minutes".
This morning, my Facebook page, which Twitter automatically posts to, was filled with comments...

Weekend Birthday Madness

When your three boys attack!We had a great opportunity this past weekend to celebrate a birthday.  It’s hard to believe that four years have gone by so fast!  Tara had a schedule, and despite all the jokes (and there were plenty, I can assure you) it worked.

Tara is truly brilliant.

The picture is what happens when you're the dad with three boys, and they're "working together".

Letter to My Son

Porter—2016The following was a letter written to my son and his third grade class for some kind of student recognition:
Dear Miss Mendez and Porter’s Third Grade Class:
You’re in the third grade, and that’s amazing!  What’s more amazing is that you’re in Porter’s class.  I wish I’d been in your class.  Porter comes home from school every day excited about what he’s learned, and anxious to tell me about his day.  From the lessons, to what he had for lunch, to what he played a...

Outlook Hazy—Try Again Later

. . . then the nurse said, "The doctor will be with you
in a moment!"You should not be concerned either.
If you are worried in any way, just stop, and then be awesome.
If that doesn’t work, I’ve pre-programmed...

The New Normal

"It's silly to appeal to people's moral sense."It was inevitable.  When we allowed Trump to continue as a viable candidate after his first round of lies, we established and validated a pattern that we'll continue to see for at least the next four years.  Trump is no longer accountable to anyone, and we made him that way.
The new normal is:
Trump lies.He gets caught in the lie.He lashes on whoever called him out for the lie.Trump doubles down on the lie.There are no consequences.
We cre...