Okay, so I know I've been inundating you all with my fiction of late, and for those of you (which may be most of you) who don't like my stories, it's either been torture or you've tuned me out entirely. Hopefully, you're still here, though – if so, "Hi!" and "Thank you!"
There's a reason for all this story business – I'm hard at work editing and rewriting my old stories, and am actively mining for ideas for new stories in preparation for a short story collection I plan on putting together later this year. I need to have around 20 or so solid stories to make it worth the effort, and I'm not quite there yet. So bear with me as I test the waters by posting things I'm currently writing or rewriting. I won't put fiction posts up every day, I promise (although I likely will tomorrow).
So, to give you Readers a break from the torture of my fiction, I have come up with a short list of the things which I should probably be embarrassed to admit...but I'm not.
1) Leaving My House Wearing A Ratty Old T-Shirt, Battered Crocs, And Bright Green Christmas-Themed Peanuts Sleep Pants To Pick Up Breakfast At A Drive-Thru. Yeah, I did that this weekend. Last weekend, too. Ah, the poor folks at Hardee's and Bojangle's who had to be subjected to that hideous sight. But then again, they probably see a lot worse on a daily basis. At least I didn't go inside either establishment. After all, I have my pride. And my dignity. Sort of.
2) Liking And Listening To Cheesy Pop Music That's More Commonly Enjoyed By Teenage Girls. And I even sing along! Sure, music by artists like Taylor Swift, Colbie Caillat, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, and Paramore might be more geared toward the younger (predominantly female) set, but I can't help liking it. It's fun to listen to, and they're all very talented singers. (I've also been known to listen to Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and others of that ilk in my time, though not so much anymore.) I will, however, draw the line at Justin Bieber. I don't care for The Bieb or his music in the least, and I don't think I ever will.
3) Playing Music So Loud That The Windows In My Mini-Van Rattle. To clarify, I don't play the cheesy pop music that loud – I'm not that unembarrassed about it! This one more applies to whenever I'm listening to Christian rap music. If it's a song or an artist I like a lot, the louder the better! I know what you're thinking – I'm going to ruin my hearing. But it's too late for all that, as I'm sure my hearing's already half gone by now. I've been cranking my music up louder than is reasonable for as long as I can remember, and annoying tons of people along the way, I'm sure. So, if I pull up beside you at a stoplight and my bass is bumping too loud, and you roll your eyes or cut me a dirty look, I won't be offended – been there, done that.
4) Watching Paranormal/Ghost Hunting TV Shows And Enjoying Them. While I do believe in the supernatural – because God Himself is supernatural – I don't put a whole lot of stock in ghost-hunting or in spirits haunting people or locations. But it's sure entertaining to watch! There are a ton of these shows out there now, and I don't watch all of them. But I do like several of them for different reasons. There are the ones that intentionally try to scare you by adding jump cuts, erratic editing, creepy music, and sound effects. Those kinds of shows appeal to the horror movie aficionado in me. Then there are the ones where they take a more scientific approach to their ghost-hunting. Those are interesting to me, because the investigators are actively trying to debunk the paranormal phenomena as natural occurrences or human hoaxes. Sometimes they can, and sometimes they can't. There are other varieties of these shows that take a darker, more occultist tack toward their investigations, seemingly tracking down a new demon every week. I don't like those at all. For one thing, they're playing with fire, doing seances and fooling around with Ouija boards and the like. Demons are real – read your Bible – don't be stupid! For another, those shows seem to be more sensationally motivated than actually seeking any kind of truth about what they're investigating. I don't waste my time on those.
5) Being Slightly Obsessed With True Crime TV Shows And Books. I don't know why I have such a fascination for true crime. I just find real-life stories of horrible crimes terribly compelling. I'm especially captivated by books and shows that attempt to delve into the minds of serial killers. I've read books about all the major ones – Jack The Ripper, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, the Green River Killer, and etc. Ann Rule, a very famous true crime writer, is among my favorite authors to read. I'm not a criminal, nor do I ever aspire to be one. I'm not in law enforcement, nor have I ever seriously aspired to be in law enforcement. I can't explain the interest, but it's always been there. Even as a young teenager, I read these books and watched the shows. There's probably deep, twisted psychological reasons for it, though I've never been psychoanalyzed to find out for sure. (Probably not a bad idea.) It's probably why I also like horror movies/novels, and why some of my fiction is much darker than my actual personality. Who knows?
WAR AND PEACE UPDATE: I'm 19% of the way through this gargantuan novel, but still (surprisingly enough) enjoying it thoroughly. I don't read it every day, just mostly when I go to the gym – which is roughly four times a week. Speaking of which...
WEIGHT UPDATE: I'm now down 17 pounds for the year. It was 18 pounds the other day, but then came the fashion-challenged trip to Hardee's and another self-defeating trip to KFC yesterday, so the number is up just a little. Back to eating like a bird and working out today, I suppose.
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