Tuesday, December 24, 2002  12:22 am  <|>
<169> Worry and winter: Apart from not updating this for almost a month as December (and winter) arrived and I (along with many of the people I know) went crazy with final exams, papers, and projects I have been hanging in best I can surrounded by everything that I am. All those finally ended last week and were quickly followed by packing and goodbyes for winter break, a months time apart (give or take) from the people I spend my daily life with. It all makes me look back to this precise time last year and the parallels that exist are haunting almost. Just where I was, who I was with, and what was going through my mind. Some things seem to repeat in a strange way and I wonder if I've learned anything? I guess I have, because I have certainly changed in the course of a year... so have the people around me, for better or worse I suppose, and now we all depart from one another (others repeating their own patterns without me present) and we wait for a time a few weeks to a month from now when we will all be together again. But, just like every new semester, things are never quite the way they were before, for many reasons and many good ones at that I suppose, so I don't expect any different when I start the next semester next month. Though that is a long way away right now... afterall, my winter break just started. We got out later than usual this year. It seemed like my last two weeks were nothing but a blur of sleep deprived work... so many papers to finish and projects looming over my head.. especially my major studio project which I gotta say turned out really well. At least I was happy with it. I didn't really get a chance to talk much about it here, but one of my goals for this winter break is getting this site updated with a lot of my more recent work and such, so I'm sure it'll be explained in better detail then.

Speaking of things I want to accomplish over this break... well, there is a lot. At least a lot I have PLANNED... but I know how plans can go so I'm not holding myself to these things too tightly. I'm just going to get as much completed as I can. One thing that is really number one on the list is getting caught up with things at work as I've mentioned this before I'm sure, but I've really fallen behind from where I wanted to be by now because of health and school reasons mostly. But I intend to step up and really get things moving from this point forward. I hope I can do it, because it really means a lot to me (and others I know) that I do. Of course this is the top item on a fair looking "to do" list. I want to revamp both my sites. I want to promote my book perhaps. I want to work on my own stuff. I want to write. I want to read. I want a chance to relax and breath because isn't that the point of a break? I don't think I remember anymore...

Yes, I mentioned my book and I have that little link up top asking you to "buy my book" or at least check it out. I put together a very simple site for it right now at http://www.balancedpoetry.com which links you to the publishers website where it can be purchased... it's also available (or will be soon) at most popular online book stores like Barnes and Noble. I'm really looking forward to seeing the results of how the first few weeks of sales went. I know of about 40 definite orders so far, most of those have been to me directly though, not even counting online sales which I'll find out about in another couple of weeks... I never expected to get such a response, especially not right off the bat. I had promotional business cards printed up for it that I plan to give out and I'm also putting a press kit of sorts together like my publisher suggested. A couple local library branches are also purchasing copies and there may be a couple other cool things in the works. If that stuff pans out that will be awesome, but for now I'm just psyched that anyone period would want to read what I've written - especially a collection of such personal poetry that was never really intended for anyone but me... so it really is an honest look into who I am and that's not an easy thing to put out on the line really. So when someone praises me for it I really know it comes from truth and that means more to me than I can express. I've been getting some nice emails and comments about it, and I've been trying to reply to everyone, so if I haven't replied to you yet, I will. Things just got a little crazy between the end of finals and the beginning of break - as I had to get things together to pack and come home for this week in honor of Christmas of course. I feel like this break is going to fly by and it probably will.... but I have so much I want to get done and I still want to have fun too. It's hard to work from home, but I have to because I have to get things moving. I also want to spend time with my friends at home, especially my best friend who I barely get to see during the semesters because we are both so busy, so I hope this break brings lots of time for that too even though there is very little to do around this home town of mine that is exciting. There are also a couple surprises, you might say, that could lay ahead for me this break before it's over... but for that, we will all just have to wait and see.