Notes from the Cave

I really hate Facebook.  I've been wanting to get off of Facebook for a long time, but simply don't have the balls to do it.  I'd hate to lose that platform for getting in contact with people when I want to get in contact with them.    

However, I have recently removed the shortcut to the app on my phone and it has made a big difference.  Now, if I want to get on Facebook, I have to open my application manager and get to it. That's typically way more work than I'm willing to do in passing, so I end up hardly ever getting on Facebook.  

If you're like me, and want to get away from Facebook, but don't want to disconnect completely, I highly recommend this option. 

If you're like me, Facebook has caused you to change your opinion about way too many people that you otherwise like because you've found out they have political and/or religious beliefs that piss you off

I'm coming up on the end of a nice little run of days off at work, due to some scheduling switches I made with a coworker.  I switched to 3rd shift a few months back, working three 12-hour shifts each week.  Because of Labor Day and the switches I made, I've had a string of only working 3 shifts in 15 days.  Unfortunately it all comes to an end on Friday.  I go back to work Friday night and I've got 5 shifts in 6 days.  That's 60 hours in 6 days.  So I'll have to pay for all my time off, but I think it's still been worth it. 

As many of you know, I love listening to classic country music.  I despise modern country - pretty much anything since the year 2000, and I'm picky about 80s and 90s country, but anything prior to 1980 I pretty much love.  As a result, my favorite SiriusXM station in Willie's Roadhouse and over the last couple of years I've become pretty familiar with all the country classics. 

Some of my favorites.  From top to bottom, left to right: Tennessee Ernie Ford, Lefty Frizzell, Marty Robbins, Waylon Jennings, Ray Price, Hank Williams, Hank Williams Jr., George Jones, Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, Willie Nelson

Anyway, one thing I've noticed about old country music lyrics is the way that the meaning of certain words has changed over time.  Take for instance the following sentence:

My daddy and I are swingers and we love to go out and get stoned.  

Here, in the 21st century, this sentence would be eye-opening at best, and cause for a phone call to the authorities at worst.  

But in the old days of country music, you would simply have been asserting that you and your boyfriend/husband like to party and drink.  

When I first started listening to classic country, I remember being surprised how often they talked about "getting stoned."  Then I came to the realization that they were referring to drinking, not doing drugs or smoking pot.  And "swinging" was a reference to partying.  A"daddy" was, obviously, a sugar daddy - a male romantic partner.  

A daddy's partner, by the way, is his baby, or, more creepily, his "little girl."  

For those of you who are curious, my novel Walkabout, which I spent the summer pitching to literary agents, is currently under consideration by two different agents who asked to see portions of the manuscript.  I am waiting to hear back from them.  If neither of these opportunities pans out, I will likely go ahead and self-publish the novel through Amazon.  If I do that, I intend to make the book available in both e-book and paperback formats. 

I'm currently working on another novel which, like Walkabout, is an old novel that I am cleaning up. I don't plan on pitching this one to agents; as soon as I'm finished with the overhaul, I'm going to self-publish it.  

Of course I'll let everyone know when these books are available.   

We just finished watching Under the Dome on Amazon Prime.  This was a CBS series that just ended last week after three seasons.  It was based on a Stephen King novel.  The first season was pretty good.  The second season was okay.  The third season got super weird and more or less jumped the shark, but we went ahead and finished it out anyway because each season was only 13 episodes and we knew it was probably going to be ending after this season anyway.  We're now starting a "new" old series called 4400 which originally aired on USA starting in 2004, but is now on Netflix.  We've watched the first episode and it seems decent.  We'll see how it pans out.

Of course, everything, by necessity, must always pale in comparison to Lost, the Greatest TV Show of All Time. 

For those of you who have been closely following my life for the past 25 years (so like, all of you, amiright?), you may be interested to know that my parents are retiring and moving back to Kentucky from Texas, where they've been living since the early 90s.  Dad has already retired, and Mom will be retiring at the end of the year.  They've already purchased a lot here in northern Kentucky and the builders should be breaking ground on the new house any day now.  It probably won't be finished until late winter/early spring, so it's still a few months before they move, but the plans are all in motion. 

For me, it's going to be very strange having my parents nearby (literally walking distance from us) for the first time in my entire adulthood.  I was 16 when Dad moved to Houston, and 18 when Mom joined him there after I finished high school.  So I have never had my parents close by in my adulthood.  I've actually lived more years since they left than I ever lived with them here.  It will be an adjustment having them so close, but I am looking forward to it.