The Autumn Leaves Have Fallen

A couple of decades back I was trying to blog often for the few who were interested. It was a thing. Then I stopped for awhile and came back here with far fewer and much farther between updates. I try to keep them relevant to writing which includes life things and consumption of various media that could be influential at some point later on (or maybe it’s just escapist). I wouldn’t expect a lot more updates like this one, but there’s stuff I want to get out into the world here.

Hi, I’m Jason and I write things I hope you’ll like. Glad you’re here.

SOME STRANGE KIND OF EUPHORIA

The way I’m seeing now is taking some time to actually adjust to. You’d think that it would be easy, right? I can see like never before in my life except for up close. Needing readers for computers and books/comics is kind of a pain. For instance, working on the tablet while watching TV requires me either looking over the lenses or taking the glasses off. I said it’s a pain, but it’s just a new paradigm. Takes adjustment. 

So does driving without glasses. I was at an event yesterday and kept feeling my glasses on my nose even though they weren’t there. Driving at night is a VERY different experience, too. There are some ‘lens flares’ from all the lights, but they are nothing like they were before.

Yeah, this is weird for me too.

Astigmatism is measured in diopters. Extreme astigmatism is 3 diopters or more. I had 7 diopters in my left eye with 5 diopters in my right. As of last week, I’m at 1.25 diopters in my left eye and .75 in my right. There’s still some healing going on and maybe a bit of adjustment but it’ll settle with 80 to 90% of my astigmatism GONE. It’s a dramatic change. I was seeing, for the first time in my life – literally – 20/25 at the optometrist three days ago. Maybe dramatic change doesn’t quite cover it, you know?

I’m anxious to get back to my writing routine, but I haven’t been spending too much time at the computer outside of work the last month and that’s going to continue the next couple of weeks while I heal. Headaches are less and farther between and I’m done with surgeries, so I’m looking at the end of November to be really productive. Stay tuned if you’re looking for updates on the follow-up to The Envoy.

RAY OF SUNLIGHT

If you haven’t started watching SCAVENGERS REIGN on HBOMax, you might consider doing so sooner than later. I am SO enamored with this science fiction piece that reminds me of Fantastic Planet, Moebius and 80s Heavy Metal magazine, Miyazaki, and all the best otherworldly, weird science fiction like China Mieville’s Perdido Street Station. If there is an opportunity to write a novelization of what I’ve seen so far of this series, I will put myself out there to try for it. There’s so much in the world building that I can’t get over it. I love that this show, like Genndy Tartakovsky’s PRIMAL, demand you actually watch and not just put it on in the background.

We’ve been revisiting the old Frasier series following the launch of the new Frasier series on Paramount+. There’s a lot of witty writing there and despite the inherent meanness of most of the humor, and the fact that it’s an awfully white show even for its time, we’re finding things to enjoy about it. It’s thirty years old (or so) and I haven’t seen much of the last six of its eleven seasons. There’s something about Frasier’s character, the fish out of water, that lets the show tell its man vs himself story both old and new. With the new series, finding that the character has grown only a little in the interim is less interesting than the characters around him. Overall, I’m enjoying both series, but the older out of a sense of comfort and familiarity and the latter to see how an update would be different. I do love the fact that the bar they hang out in is called Mahoney’s, though, because Fredrick isn’t quite the cold bucket of water Martin was.

RESTRUCTURE REALITY

I’m doing a meet and greet this week (and maybe a reading? I don’t know) in support of THE ENVOY. It’s my first time doing this sort of thing so it’s kind of exciting and a bit daunting. I’m a writer and so by nature a solitary, perhaps more inverted than I care to admit creature. I am able to be extroverted but I need to recharge after doing so. If you’re the same way, we are all in this together yeah?

It’s true.

All this to say, hang in there no matter what you’re going through. Give yourself room to breathe, time to think, and don’t worry about taking that space you need. Drink water. Lots. And know that you control more than you think in terms of what you do and don’t do. You are loved by people that matter to you, even if they don’t know how to show it. Get some sun, too. Stare off at the horizon and imagine something wonderful then do not apologize for it. You’re beautiful and have a lot to contribute. Keep doing that.

I’ll see you when I see you.