Well, the year has ended, and new year begins... you know, it happens every year about this time! Not sure what the year will hold, but it isn't boding well on a personal level. Household angst is reaching a boiling point. But I'll leave that be for now...

My commitment to blog every day for 2009 ended successfully. The whole year's worth is archived here on the site - I just imported the whole thing from eBlogger. What that means is now I'll have more time to dedicate to other things, like this website here. Plenty still on tap. I also have 2 novels in the works. 

But as usual, the way I handle stress and angst isn't the most productive. Instead of diving into productive avenues of release, I turtle up and find solace and safety in frittering away time playing games or browsing funny videos online... this can consume hours, and I have nothing to show for it, like I would if I spent the time revamping this site, or writing. But maybe something will happen and it will change, who knows. We'll see.

In the meanwhile, all I can do is try once again to commit to spending time doing productive, encouraging, beneficial things with my time. Grow up, in other words. It's rather exquisitely difficult, considering, shall we say, certain details of my marital situation.

All that to say, Hi, I'm Dave, it's a new year, and with your permission, I'm going to hope for the best.

Dave

The year is winding down. I'm actually enjoying the Christmas build-up for the first time in many years. Not sure why, exactly.

I hit my 50K word count goal for November, for the Fantasy novel I'm writing. It was/is a lot of fun. I hope to post samples up here pretty soon (meaning, in December some time).

The year coming to an end also means the end of my commitment to blog every day for 2009. Once that's over, I'm not sure what I'll do, as far as blogging. I may just use the daily blog time to work on this site. I'll archive the whole year's blog here for safe keeping - you know, in case I'm long dead and my grandkids all want to know what I was like, lol. By that time, all the video links will be broken, no doubt...

Work is going well - plenty to do this December, as opposed to last. The rug shop has some great opportunities ahead of it for 2010. Let's hope the economy doesn't implode any time soon. When it does, it will be ugly. And I'm not sure what the good ol' USA will look like when it's over...

Well, until then, I'll keep plug, plug, pluggin' along.

- Dave

Hey, I bet you're surprised I updated here, ain't ya? Well, it's not like you don't have a hundred better things to do than to check this site... I mean, once you've seen all the funny videos, and taken a quick peek at the devotional and the scripts (without reading any of them, mind you) and skimmed the blog archive (which I haven't updated either), what's the point?

I may have grand plans for this site, but unless I actually do something about it, what good does that do you, O Random Lurker? I need to find a way to trick myself into working on the site more... perhaps hold out a reward or something, or maybe actually pay myself to work on it somehow... otherwise the site will slip into that netherworld inside my mind where worthwhile projects go to die of neglect.

I need inspiration!  I need a muse! I have *no clue* where to find it/her! I leave unfinished projects in my wake at an alarming rate! Dear Lord, please don't let this site be one of them!

Speaking of unfinished projects, I also hope the fantasy novel I'm writing doesn't become one of them. Again, a worthwhile, enjoyable project. Again, I'm going great guns on it, like I normally do. Right now, the fire is there, and I'm running with it. I must must MUST find the self control, discipline, honor, resolve, whatever, to see it through.

IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT!

I hate to sound all negative, but it's a very disappointing, distasteful, distressing aspect of my personality, and I don't know how to change it. How do you deal with the parts of you that you don't like? Is everything about us changeable, or are some things set in stone, and we just have to deal with them?

I'm an inquiring mind, and I want to know...

- Dave

 Greetings! I need to throw an update in here...slow going on updating the site lately. Added a new video or two, added a new book review (A Shadow In Summer, by Daniel Abraham), and I'm gathering some work samples so I can get the work section up and running...

I've joined up for the NaNoWriMo challenge this year, and I'm working on an outline for the Fantasy novel I plan on writing for it. The challenge is to write a 50K+ word novel between November 1 and November 30, regardless of quality or polish. I've had an idea for a fantasy book/series for a year or so now, I figured it would be a good time to take a stab at it, even if it ends up just being a lengthy prologue. I'm stoked about it - I hope it lasts...

Also on my plate are the Christmas play (which I have no ideas for yet) and the camp slideshow, which should have been done in August. I know, I'm lame.

Well, onward and upward.

- Dave

Greetings, random traveler! I've made some changes and additions to Wagnervana here lately, including the following:

I added a Book Review page, to collect the Book Reviews I've written this year so far. Stop by and check them out, if you are so inclined. More to come.

I overhauled the Videos section, adding a bunch more clips, as well as dividing them into groups, based on general theme (Sports, Humorous, Animal, Music and Just Plain Awesome). Good for wasting some time with relatively mindless entertainment.

I started the upgrade to the Links page. Gone is the generic list of links, and in it's place is something a little more palatable, with art, banners, links to related content, etc.

I added another Cool Photos gallery. These are awesome photos I've collected over the last year or two, not pictures that I've taken myself. Well, I guess you can say I've taken them... I've taken them from Photosig!

Next up, I'm going to add the movie I made back in '04 up here, called Pursuing Peace. It was my first attempt at film-making, and not bad for a debut effort with a camcorder and some lame Windows editing software. I hope to do another film sometime soon. Anyway, look for Pursuing Peace soon, but make sure your expectation level is appropriately moderate...

I'm also going to start collecting Work samples for the Work section, so I can begin driving prospective clients here.

All in all, things are moving along! Thanks for showing a modicum of interest!

- Dave