Month: July 2022

Saturday Morning Posts and Updates!

Well, there was an hour of quiet in the house while I made ready to head to town and sling letters all day. I had hoped to get up early enough to get another page written down, but that was just wishful thinking.

But there’s progress! I’ve added 500 words to both the Sidewinder Story adventure and the novella project, so it’s growing, it slowly. I’ve been tempted to put in a time-off request to make a sort of writer’s retreat, but I know what first instincts would be. If I’m off from my day-job, I’m wanting to get a house project done, or whittle away at the ever-present chore list.

I’ll be adding a new page on the GM Notes section concerning character creation, as well. I’ve had players asking questions about my home-rules on the creation process, and if I get any more new players (another 2 have expressed interest!) I’d want them to be comfortable coming here for references.

With that, break time is about over and the mail is waiting. The morning is promising rain, which for a walking route is a mixed blessing when you deliver in Louisiana.

Old Man Casey is looking better (he’s fat!)

Old Casey had lost a LOT of weight in the past year. Between him wanting to stay outside most of the time and having a stupidly high metabolism, he kept looking like an escapee from a gulag, even when I doubled his feedings.

But we had a vet appointment and a talk about his habits. I followed her instructions and tripled his feedings, as well as making him a mandatory indoor dog. I think since he’s turned 11, he’s realized that staying inside is the best bet. Now, he’s chunky! So we’re scaling back the feedings and letting him get his play time outside instead of just in the living room.

Sporadic Postings and Site Maintenance

I haven’t been giving my blog site the attention it deserves. For everyone that keeps visiting the place, I apologize for not making my daily postings like I’ve wanted and promised.

I have to admit that I’ve been exhausted lately. My day job has me outdoors for 10-12 hours a day, sometimes 6 days a week, walking multiple miles. While that shouldn’t keep me from at least writing something during my breaks, I’ve been forgetting to write up a post with updated content.

(This post was started around 9PM when I fell asleep at my desk and woke up at 12:30AM, in continuation of my sleep pattern. I’ve worried that it was unhealthy to sleep the way I do, but I’ve also used it as a primary writing time. Apparently, it’s way more common than I thought, though it’s called ‘interrupted sleep’. I prefer my titles of ‘Big Sleep, Little Sleep’ or ‘Dammit Sleep’.)

But I have finally managed to get the layout I’ve been wanting for my posts set up. Or at least, I’ve started setting it up for that goal. Hopefully, it’ll be easier to navigate than what I’ve had in the past, so readers and players won’t get confused when they need to look something up.

With that, it’s time I got away from this desk and to the bed. Dawn will be here soon, and I’ll be slinging letters shortly after. Goodnight, readers.

-JB Swift

Tired postman is tired, but still making an effort!

It looks like my age is starting to catch up with me. 10 years ago, I bid on a walking route the day I became a career postman. I won the bid, so it’s been my route ever since.

This is a 12-mile walking route with heavy parcels. It’s also one of the nicest walking routes in my little town, with large shade trees and reasonable residents. But it’s still pretty heavy, and those 12 miles will wear you down. Naturally, no one challenged my bid.

After 10 years, I’m looking for a driving route so I can stay acquainted with my natural knees. Until a route comes up, I’ll be walking. Unfortunately, that means by the time I’m home and can write, I have a small window of consciousness before the exhaustion bonks me on the head.

But we’re making progress! Arc 1-Adventure 2, “Pickup Consequences” (gonna workshop that one) is nearly ready for writing out fully. It’s a debate with myself over if I focus on hammering that out or getting the novella written, since it’s outline is finished. The novella might win out, as I’ve promised a reviewer I’d get it to her soon (and that was 3 weeks ago; I’m disappointed in myself), so we’ll see on the story-writing.

We also have 2 new players coming in! They have some great ideas for their characters, so I’ll be looking forward to making their stories. This does remind me that I should clean up the RPG pages. I’ve made the attempt, but I also like to sleep occasionally.

Outside of writing and letter-slinging, it’s about as chaotic as being the parent of two kids under the age of 10 as you’d expect. It bothers me that I’m away from my family for most of the day; sometimes, the only time I get to spend with my children is when I walk into the house and check on them while they’re asleep. But when I do get home before bedtime, I try to spend as much as the remaining time I have with them.

I’ve told my wife before: if she ends up making more money than me, and we could still afford it, I’d be a house-spouse in a heartbeat. Cleaning the home and actually being there for my family? Absolutely.

(I mean, I’d also get to write more, true, but it’s the family aspect I’d enjoy most.)

With those notes, break time is over and I’m off on my daily 12 miles. Hopefully, I’ll be awake enough this evening to plunk away at the keyboard. Stay safe, readers.

-JB Swift

Large bird on the route!

I may be wary of birds, especially while out delivering mail, but sometimes they’re just too pretty or impressively deadly for me to ignore.

This big guy, either a large Louisiana brown hawk or a young golden eagle, swooped nearby and took over a shade tree. I promptly walked away, as it was staring at me as if considering (which has happened before, and why I’m good at the duck-and-roll bit), but I had to get a few shots of it.

My iPhone doesn’t do it justice. Gorgeous raptor. Keeping an eye on the trees, now.

Debating Site Clean-Up, Outlining Plots, and Returning to Day-Job

Well, it had been an interesting and personally exciting past couple days. I’m not one for the holidays, as they always end up more stressful than bringing the sentiment that they were made for, but I’ve finally gotten through a 4th of July with minimal stress.

This is to say: I got through this year without a firework mishap, such as a mortar round going off on the ground nearby, being shot at by a multi-launch mini-rocket, or lit on fire by a nearby drunk. These things have happened with a consistency that has made me paranoid about the holiday. It’s a wonder that I’m still alive.

Instead of dodging poorly-made incendiary devices, I had spent the majority of the weekend writing. It was with exhausted good cheer that I wrote my “Pages Updated” post, though I should mention that not every page is written out. I had a list of some 6 or 7 I wanted finished over the weekend. Over time, those pages will have more written out for them, and the never-ending cycle of story-updating will continue.

With that, I’ve been giving some thought to cleaning/organizing the RPG section a bit. I’ve noticed that it’s getting a little hectic for my players to find what they need, and I’m sure y’all readers are getting confused. I’ll look into how I can better streamline that section.

I also have plots to write! There are two sessions this week, and while I know what they’re going to go through, I need to fine-tune their challenges and choices/consequences.

Before that, however, I need to get my mail out of the satchel and into the awaiting mailboxes. Break time is over, so back into the Federal life for me.

Happy reading, folks! Stay safe out there.

-JB Swift

Pages are Updated!

Somehow, either by dedicated creativity or insomnia, I’ve managed to get every page planned out, with those posted as they were scheduled for.

I have a couple of the character pages posted, as well as finishing out a system that needed to have the basic details written out. With that, I can move on to the plotting of the next two sessions, maybe another before I get too tired, and if I’m even bolder, start writing out the novella I’ve been wanting to do. The outline for it was finished just last week and I can change its place in the priority list.

Now that my evening chores are finished, I’ll be plunking away at this keyboard until bedtime. The day job is not going to be kind tomorrow, so I’m doing what I can.

See you tomorrow, readers!

-JB Swift

4th of July, time to learn a new skill!

When I was learning how to drive, I started on an old truck that was a manual transmission. When I was learning, I was told that it was pretty much like driving a tractor.

Welp, it took about 20 years, but thanks to my father-in-law, I can make the comparison.

Gotta say, it’s a bit more difficult than driving a truck, but similar enough for muscle memory to kick in. Now, learning how to drive the tractor and work the bush hog at the same time? That was a challenge.