Matthew J. Olson's Blog, page 2
March 5, 2017
stoned
Jynxy is having some health issues. I won't get into too many details on the messes he is leaving, but suffice it to say that it hasn't been pretty. He has had one doctor visit and gotten some good pills. Now he has been one stoned cat.
He has been braver than ever around Milo. Even when Milo goes into attack mode, Jynx has been more likely to stand his ground. He just doesn't care.
Today I stepped on Jynx's tail by accident. Jynx mewed, but didn't even try to run away. Usually, Jynx would scream bloody murder and may even try to slice my leg. There was nothing like that today. He was quite out of it.
I've also been sick the last week and a half. I've been taking so many cold medications that half the time I don't know what I am doing. Programming has been an absolute joy. Not to mention writing.
Yesterday, I wrote a new chapter in one of my upcoming novels. I think it turned out pretty well considering I didn't have the clearest mind. I know it needs a little work, but even if it is total crap, crap is easier to edit than a blank page.
Soon, Jynx will have another doctor visit and I'll eventually get over my cold. When we are better, things will return to normal.
He has been braver than ever around Milo. Even when Milo goes into attack mode, Jynx has been more likely to stand his ground. He just doesn't care.
Today I stepped on Jynx's tail by accident. Jynx mewed, but didn't even try to run away. Usually, Jynx would scream bloody murder and may even try to slice my leg. There was nothing like that today. He was quite out of it.
I've also been sick the last week and a half. I've been taking so many cold medications that half the time I don't know what I am doing. Programming has been an absolute joy. Not to mention writing.
Yesterday, I wrote a new chapter in one of my upcoming novels. I think it turned out pretty well considering I didn't have the clearest mind. I know it needs a little work, but even if it is total crap, crap is easier to edit than a blank page.
Soon, Jynx will have another doctor visit and I'll eventually get over my cold. When we are better, things will return to normal.
February 22, 2017
face plant
Last night I was taking Milo and Zailey upstairs to put them to bed. They are always excited to go to bed because they get a treat when they kennel up. In Milo's excitement, he must have gone blind. When he went to climb the first step, he fell short and went face first into the stair.
It didn't end there. Milo hit so hard that his back legs came up off the ground. Somehow the little guy prevented himself from doing a full flip. Before I could ask if he was okay, he shook his head and ran up the stairs without missing a step this time.
Another time and another place, I would have laughed my ass off. Instead, I was genuinely concerned for the little guy. I blame the stress I am under for my lack of joviality. Besides being under the gun at work, I'm a little worried about the risk I am taking at the Little Apple Comic Expo (LACE) here in a few weeks. I ordered in some extra inventory just for this show. If it doesn't sell, I'm going to have a mountain of books that I won't know what to do with.
I guess I need to be prepared in case I do a face plant at LACE. I hope I can be like Milo by just shaking my head and moving forward the best that I can. Until then, I've got to relieve some stress the best way that I can.
Note: I think writing about my stress helps me out. Sorry if you don't like reading about it. Comment below if you have some tips to relieve stress.
It didn't end there. Milo hit so hard that his back legs came up off the ground. Somehow the little guy prevented himself from doing a full flip. Before I could ask if he was okay, he shook his head and ran up the stairs without missing a step this time.
Another time and another place, I would have laughed my ass off. Instead, I was genuinely concerned for the little guy. I blame the stress I am under for my lack of joviality. Besides being under the gun at work, I'm a little worried about the risk I am taking at the Little Apple Comic Expo (LACE) here in a few weeks. I ordered in some extra inventory just for this show. If it doesn't sell, I'm going to have a mountain of books that I won't know what to do with.
I guess I need to be prepared in case I do a face plant at LACE. I hope I can be like Milo by just shaking my head and moving forward the best that I can. Until then, I've got to relieve some stress the best way that I can.
Note: I think writing about my stress helps me out. Sorry if you don't like reading about it. Comment below if you have some tips to relieve stress.
February 17, 2017
tail chasing
The other day, I was playing with Zailey. At one point, Zailey became a bit bitey. She was just lightly mouthing my hands, but it still hurt a little. She twisted to where her tail was right there, so instead of my hand, I put her tail in her mouth. That's when the fun began.
Her tail became her own worst enemy. It was an enemy that she had to chase down and destroy. Now imagine a dog spinning in a circle as fast it could, convinced that it could catch its own tail and tear it to shreds. Seeing it in person, I was laughing my ass off.
My fun didn't stop there. Zailey heard my laughter and took it as encouragement. She kept spinning in circles without any sign that she would stop. It made me laugh even more. There would even be times that she would stop and then spin the other direction convinced that she could get her tail in the new direction.
Eventually, Zailey grew tired of the chase or maybe she was exhausted. My laughter died down so she was no longer encouraged to retry the chase.
Encouragement is a funny thing. I find that I'll do something even though it is irrational due to encouragement. I know better than to get my hopes up, but I can't help it. I know that I am being rather vague, but I hate talking about failure.
One of my undertakings was to begin selling coins part time. I put a lot of money into buying inventory and marketing myself. I then was putting more money into this hobby in order to chase a profit. Two years in, and all I've been doing is chasing my tail.
I've decided to quit chasing my tail and put more time into my writing. I'm having more success with writing and it isn't costing me near as much money. Besides Zailey, Milo, and Jynx will be able to have me home more.
Eventually, the fun ends in a tail chase. Zailey and I both got a bit banged up in our chases, but we got through them. Now onto funner things.
Her tail became her own worst enemy. It was an enemy that she had to chase down and destroy. Now imagine a dog spinning in a circle as fast it could, convinced that it could catch its own tail and tear it to shreds. Seeing it in person, I was laughing my ass off.
My fun didn't stop there. Zailey heard my laughter and took it as encouragement. She kept spinning in circles without any sign that she would stop. It made me laugh even more. There would even be times that she would stop and then spin the other direction convinced that she could get her tail in the new direction.
Eventually, Zailey grew tired of the chase or maybe she was exhausted. My laughter died down so she was no longer encouraged to retry the chase.
Encouragement is a funny thing. I find that I'll do something even though it is irrational due to encouragement. I know better than to get my hopes up, but I can't help it. I know that I am being rather vague, but I hate talking about failure.
One of my undertakings was to begin selling coins part time. I put a lot of money into buying inventory and marketing myself. I then was putting more money into this hobby in order to chase a profit. Two years in, and all I've been doing is chasing my tail.
I've decided to quit chasing my tail and put more time into my writing. I'm having more success with writing and it isn't costing me near as much money. Besides Zailey, Milo, and Jynx will be able to have me home more.
Eventually, the fun ends in a tail chase. Zailey and I both got a bit banged up in our chases, but we got through them. Now onto funner things.
February 5, 2017
stranger danger
It was well after midnight when I got home from Florida the other night. I walked in the door prepared to find my animals excited to see me. Instead, Milo was growling at me.
I'm not sure why Milo didn't recognize me. Heck, he is usually more curious about strangers than anything else, so I don't know why he thought he needed to growl. Even more, he was in his kennel, so there wasn't anything he could do if I was an actual threat to him.
I took off and hung my coat while he still didn't recognize me. Maybe it was the luggage I was bringing in that he didn't appreciate. It wasn't until I approached his kennel that he quit growling. I let him outside to go potty and by the time I let him in, he seemed to finally get excited about me being home.
Instincts like Milo's fear of me is quite irrational. Humans also have a tendency to have this irrational fear and will blindly act. This was the premise of the Fear Series.
But, there is a duality with fear of the unknown: not respecting that which you are afraid of. Pride is another irrational response in humanity as well. Pride and fear war with one another all the time. What will win out?
While I don't think that book one (Alien Fear) has a clear winner in this regard, I think that book two (Tech Fear) comes a bit closer to defining this. Book two will be available sometime this year, but book three is still in the concept phase. Who knows when it'll be ready.
The Fear Series could learn something from Milo; it is better to growl at the stranger danger than it is to bite it until more is known. Then again, if people growled at all strangers, would that really work?
I'm not sure why Milo didn't recognize me. Heck, he is usually more curious about strangers than anything else, so I don't know why he thought he needed to growl. Even more, he was in his kennel, so there wasn't anything he could do if I was an actual threat to him.
I took off and hung my coat while he still didn't recognize me. Maybe it was the luggage I was bringing in that he didn't appreciate. It wasn't until I approached his kennel that he quit growling. I let him outside to go potty and by the time I let him in, he seemed to finally get excited about me being home.
Instincts like Milo's fear of me is quite irrational. Humans also have a tendency to have this irrational fear and will blindly act. This was the premise of the Fear Series.
But, there is a duality with fear of the unknown: not respecting that which you are afraid of. Pride is another irrational response in humanity as well. Pride and fear war with one another all the time. What will win out?
While I don't think that book one (Alien Fear) has a clear winner in this regard, I think that book two (Tech Fear) comes a bit closer to defining this. Book two will be available sometime this year, but book three is still in the concept phase. Who knows when it'll be ready.
The Fear Series could learn something from Milo; it is better to growl at the stranger danger than it is to bite it until more is known. Then again, if people growled at all strangers, would that really work?
January 31, 2017
gator!
I always talk about animals in my blog. Usually it is Milo, Zailey, and/or Jynx as they are my current animals. I've also talked about fish, horses, and the departed Rosco. Today I saw something that was a little different.
Picture a Kansan driving through Florida's Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge after just leaving Kennedy Space Center (which was awesome, by the way). Since this is a wildlife refuge and the state is known for its gators, my head is on a swivel looking for one. Water stood on both sides of the highway, so it isn't inconceivable that one would be hanging out. Sure enough, there was one swimming through the water. Due to this highway's proximity to several awesome things (a refuge, scenic water, rockets, launch pads, some vehicle assembly building), the highway had signs saying "no stopping on shoulder except for emergencies." Stopping to take a picture of a gator wouldn't have constituted an emergency. Well at least not in the eyes of the law. Besides, my phone battery was dead from taking all of the pictures at the Space Center (did I mention it was awesome?).
As a writer, I appreciate it when someone offers encouragement. Today, I met an American hero, Astronaut John Herrington. When I mentioned that I was an author, he said that he was trying to write a memoir and it was a lot of hard work and he had new found respect for people that had accomplished it. I just shrugged and tried to down play the effort I put into my books (I didn't tell him that I wrote four).
Hard work. Writing a book is hard work, but if you have a story worth telling, the feeling of accomplishment is a reward that is worth all of the pain and suffering. I have a feeling that Herrington has a story worth telling.
Today I saw my first gator in the wild. I also got to talk to an astronaut about writing (and a few other things). Is it just me, or is that not just the coolest (geekiest) set of accomplishments to complete in a single day?
Picture a Kansan driving through Florida's Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge after just leaving Kennedy Space Center (which was awesome, by the way). Since this is a wildlife refuge and the state is known for its gators, my head is on a swivel looking for one. Water stood on both sides of the highway, so it isn't inconceivable that one would be hanging out. Sure enough, there was one swimming through the water. Due to this highway's proximity to several awesome things (a refuge, scenic water, rockets, launch pads, some vehicle assembly building), the highway had signs saying "no stopping on shoulder except for emergencies." Stopping to take a picture of a gator wouldn't have constituted an emergency. Well at least not in the eyes of the law. Besides, my phone battery was dead from taking all of the pictures at the Space Center (did I mention it was awesome?).
As a writer, I appreciate it when someone offers encouragement. Today, I met an American hero, Astronaut John Herrington. When I mentioned that I was an author, he said that he was trying to write a memoir and it was a lot of hard work and he had new found respect for people that had accomplished it. I just shrugged and tried to down play the effort I put into my books (I didn't tell him that I wrote four).
Hard work. Writing a book is hard work, but if you have a story worth telling, the feeling of accomplishment is a reward that is worth all of the pain and suffering. I have a feeling that Herrington has a story worth telling.
Today I saw my first gator in the wild. I also got to talk to an astronaut about writing (and a few other things). Is it just me, or is that not just the coolest (geekiest) set of accomplishments to complete in a single day?
January 22, 2017
can't move a single muscle
I have spent most of this weekend binge watching television shows on Netflix. Several times, I found myself thinking about doing something like a chore or editing Tech Fear, but I was unable to thanks to Milo. In fact, I couldn't move a single muscle for fear of waking him up. That's right, he kept falling asleep on me. This meant that I was left with no choice but to continue to watch television. In my defense, looking down at Milo's still form with those eyelids squozen shut, I couldn't help but have my heart melt just a little.
One particular time, I had Milo in the crook of my arm, upside down like a baby. He was looking up at me and enjoying the attention I gave him. He was so soothed, he fell asleep. He was so cute that I was just heartbroken when my cell phone chimed indicating a text message. I thought about ignoring the text, but I have my phone set to remind me every ten minutes. I would quickly get annoyed if I didn't check it. Worse, my phone was in the other room, so I had to get up to get my phone.
To minimize Milo's discomfort, I decided to carry him with me to get my phone. Of course he woke up and sounded his displeasure with a few grunts. I got my phone and returned to my chair to allow him to continue his nap. He wouldn't have it, though. He squirmed from my grasp and got down. He wanted to find somewhere more stable to continue the nap.
With writing, I feel like my back is against the wall. I have yet to find a narrator for Gun Smuggler's Tale. I know part of my problem is the lack of reviews. While I can't force people to review my book, I am getting impatient to see how my book is being received. I feel like if I make the wrong move, it will sabotage the future of this book.
So, for now, I can't move a single muscle. I just have to wait patiently and work on other things until everything comes together on their own. Milo agrees that I shouldn't move either, but he has his own selfish reasons.
One particular time, I had Milo in the crook of my arm, upside down like a baby. He was looking up at me and enjoying the attention I gave him. He was so soothed, he fell asleep. He was so cute that I was just heartbroken when my cell phone chimed indicating a text message. I thought about ignoring the text, but I have my phone set to remind me every ten minutes. I would quickly get annoyed if I didn't check it. Worse, my phone was in the other room, so I had to get up to get my phone.
To minimize Milo's discomfort, I decided to carry him with me to get my phone. Of course he woke up and sounded his displeasure with a few grunts. I got my phone and returned to my chair to allow him to continue his nap. He wouldn't have it, though. He squirmed from my grasp and got down. He wanted to find somewhere more stable to continue the nap.
With writing, I feel like my back is against the wall. I have yet to find a narrator for Gun Smuggler's Tale. I know part of my problem is the lack of reviews. While I can't force people to review my book, I am getting impatient to see how my book is being received. I feel like if I make the wrong move, it will sabotage the future of this book.
So, for now, I can't move a single muscle. I just have to wait patiently and work on other things until everything comes together on their own. Milo agrees that I shouldn't move either, but he has his own selfish reasons.
January 14, 2017
reluctant to go
Winter has hit Kansas. We've had some days in the negatives, especially with the wind chill. We've also had a snow storm that gave us about two inches of snow. Now we are preparing for winter storm Jupiter this weekend.
Through all of this, the dogs have not been all that excited to go outside and do their business. Even though they need to go out (as evidence by their stinky farts), they don't want to go out into the cold. Zailey even runs behind the couch even though I am offering a treat to go out.
Once upon a time, I had more time to write. As I publish more and more books, I keep finding that I have more things to do with them. For one thing, there are all of these marketing things to try. I am reluctant to do a lot of marketing as I am not sure if they will be successful or not. As I devote more time into one avenue and then find that it doesn't pan out, I tend to not want to try that avenue again. This leaves me with very few avenues. That means I need to retry some of the others again.
I'm still trying to find the treat being dangled for me to get over my reluctance. The dogs brave the cold eventually, so I'm sure I eventually will too.
Through all of this, the dogs have not been all that excited to go outside and do their business. Even though they need to go out (as evidence by their stinky farts), they don't want to go out into the cold. Zailey even runs behind the couch even though I am offering a treat to go out.
Once upon a time, I had more time to write. As I publish more and more books, I keep finding that I have more things to do with them. For one thing, there are all of these marketing things to try. I am reluctant to do a lot of marketing as I am not sure if they will be successful or not. As I devote more time into one avenue and then find that it doesn't pan out, I tend to not want to try that avenue again. This leaves me with very few avenues. That means I need to retry some of the others again.
I'm still trying to find the treat being dangled for me to get over my reluctance. The dogs brave the cold eventually, so I'm sure I eventually will too.
December 31, 2016
upside down
My wife and I came home to find the dog house out in the middle of the yard and upside down. This dog house was built by us and my brother-in-law about five years ago. We used a lot of wood in constructing this behemoth as it had to hold Rosco, our lab-char pea. I think it is well over 300 pounds. We did put it on wheels, but most of them were locked. So, the wind had to have been mighty strong to move the dog house about thirty feet and then topple it over.
The majority of the damage to the house is to the roof. One of the eaves was broken as the house rolled onto it and many of the shingles fell off. I'll need to replace the roof and reshingle it. (This will be the third time I'll be reshingling it as the wind had knocked the previous set off.)
This week I wanted to get a lot done with my writing. Unfortunately, I got my priorities upside down yesterday as I binge watched my current television obsession, Arrow. I also had a bunch of chores that needed done before I go back to work on Tuesday. I did get four chapters written this week, but I wanted to get a bunch of editing done on Tech Fear which has been done for over a month and I haven't even started editing. Well, I still have three more days to get some things done, but I also need to send my newsletter on Monday which will slow me down as well. I also wasn't feeling the greatest yesterday which is part of the reason I wanted to relax.
Things get turned upside down from time to time. You just have to pick them up and fix them the best that you can so that you can move forward.
The majority of the damage to the house is to the roof. One of the eaves was broken as the house rolled onto it and many of the shingles fell off. I'll need to replace the roof and reshingle it. (This will be the third time I'll be reshingling it as the wind had knocked the previous set off.)
This week I wanted to get a lot done with my writing. Unfortunately, I got my priorities upside down yesterday as I binge watched my current television obsession, Arrow. I also had a bunch of chores that needed done before I go back to work on Tuesday. I did get four chapters written this week, but I wanted to get a bunch of editing done on Tech Fear which has been done for over a month and I haven't even started editing. Well, I still have three more days to get some things done, but I also need to send my newsletter on Monday which will slow me down as well. I also wasn't feeling the greatest yesterday which is part of the reason I wanted to relax.
Things get turned upside down from time to time. You just have to pick them up and fix them the best that you can so that you can move forward.
December 28, 2016
cattle dog who is afraid of cattle
My mother's new place is across from a pasture. When I visited her last weekend for Christmas, there were about twenty-five or thirty head of cattle on the pasture. Zailey (the blue healer, aka Australian cattle dog) went nuts whenever she saw the cattle.
My mother's place has a dense forest on one side of her property and a creek with trees and shrubs making up two other boundaries. With such natural deterrents preventing the dogs from running away, we usually let them roam free when nature called. Unfortunately, the road was wide open and the pasture's fence wasn't much of an obstacle.
Several times, Zailey ran for the pasture. She would get out there and bark at the cattle, but not get too close. Apparently her herding instinct wasn't kicking in because several times the cattle decided to rush Zailey. Usually it was a group of about five or ten that would get together and make a run towards the dog. The dog was ten times faster, so would easily run away. But it went to show that the cattle dog was afraid of cattle.
Of course, if a few cattle ran after me, I'd be running away too. I'm also not as fast as Zailey, so that would add to my motivation to run. Milo, it seemed, would run out into the pasture after Zailey wondering what all of the commotion was. He didn't really care that there were a bunch of other animals around. He just excited by Zailey's excitement. He would run out to her, then run back to me. He would do this several times before giving into my calls to take the treat I offered so that I could snatch him up and take him inside. Zailey would ignore me and the treat in favor of the cattle, but when I snatched up Milo, she seemed more willing to leave the pasture.
Now we are all back home and I have yet to return to work. Well, I should say, I have yet to return to my real job. I've been working on getting the vehicles all serviced, some house work, and working on a few writing projects. I need some time to relax, but I've got too much stuff to do like making sure to blog!
Well now I know that if I ever become a rancher, Zailey and Milo won't be able to work the cattle. I'm sure the peaceful setting of said ranch would allow me to get a ton of work done like what I plan to get done this week. Wish me luck!
My mother's place has a dense forest on one side of her property and a creek with trees and shrubs making up two other boundaries. With such natural deterrents preventing the dogs from running away, we usually let them roam free when nature called. Unfortunately, the road was wide open and the pasture's fence wasn't much of an obstacle.
Several times, Zailey ran for the pasture. She would get out there and bark at the cattle, but not get too close. Apparently her herding instinct wasn't kicking in because several times the cattle decided to rush Zailey. Usually it was a group of about five or ten that would get together and make a run towards the dog. The dog was ten times faster, so would easily run away. But it went to show that the cattle dog was afraid of cattle.
Of course, if a few cattle ran after me, I'd be running away too. I'm also not as fast as Zailey, so that would add to my motivation to run. Milo, it seemed, would run out into the pasture after Zailey wondering what all of the commotion was. He didn't really care that there were a bunch of other animals around. He just excited by Zailey's excitement. He would run out to her, then run back to me. He would do this several times before giving into my calls to take the treat I offered so that I could snatch him up and take him inside. Zailey would ignore me and the treat in favor of the cattle, but when I snatched up Milo, she seemed more willing to leave the pasture.
Now we are all back home and I have yet to return to work. Well, I should say, I have yet to return to my real job. I've been working on getting the vehicles all serviced, some house work, and working on a few writing projects. I need some time to relax, but I've got too much stuff to do like making sure to blog!
Well now I know that if I ever become a rancher, Zailey and Milo won't be able to work the cattle. I'm sure the peaceful setting of said ranch would allow me to get a ton of work done like what I plan to get done this week. Wish me luck!
December 10, 2016
tree killer
I came home and was told by my wife that the tree that I had just planted in the back yard was dead. The dogs had taken it and the protective sleeve out of the ground and used them as chew toys. My wife said that the tree was broken just above the roots. I wasn't happy to hear this.
Why can't the dogs leave things alone? Don't they know that this tree was going to be their big break from the sun during summers? Sure, it was going to take a few years to get to where it would provide that shade, but still...
We've done so much for these dogs and they destroy things the first chance they get. For example, I don't know how many times we've bought a new toy for them and they destroy it on the first day. Plus, they tend to steal socks and destroy them. I just vacuumed the living room last weekend and it is currently covered in cotton stuffing from one of their toys. (Or is it from two toys?) The dogs can't have anything nice!
I am helping a fellow writer by critiquing his first novel. For some damn reason, I decided to print said novel rather than give the notes in an electronic format. The problem is that my printer sucks and decided to start feeding multiple pages at a time through when I was printing the second side. I had to throw a bunch of pages away and reprint them. This wasted a bunch of my paper and ink. I hope my comments are worth all of this.
My tree killing is for a good cause while the dogs have ended a good cause with theirs. Yet, I still love the damn brats while hating my decision to print this guy's book. Ugh, what is wrong with me?
Why can't the dogs leave things alone? Don't they know that this tree was going to be their big break from the sun during summers? Sure, it was going to take a few years to get to where it would provide that shade, but still...
We've done so much for these dogs and they destroy things the first chance they get. For example, I don't know how many times we've bought a new toy for them and they destroy it on the first day. Plus, they tend to steal socks and destroy them. I just vacuumed the living room last weekend and it is currently covered in cotton stuffing from one of their toys. (Or is it from two toys?) The dogs can't have anything nice!
I am helping a fellow writer by critiquing his first novel. For some damn reason, I decided to print said novel rather than give the notes in an electronic format. The problem is that my printer sucks and decided to start feeding multiple pages at a time through when I was printing the second side. I had to throw a bunch of pages away and reprint them. This wasted a bunch of my paper and ink. I hope my comments are worth all of this.
My tree killing is for a good cause while the dogs have ended a good cause with theirs. Yet, I still love the damn brats while hating my decision to print this guy's book. Ugh, what is wrong with me?
