All I managed to do in terms of writing was tinker with a new idea, start the short story ideas for the first ‘Phi Beta Files’ book, and typing in one chapter worth of edits into Darwin & the Avenging Elf.  I’m sure next week will be slightly better, but the summer isn’t going to be the way I thought.  Plenty of reasons why and I should have seen them coming.

First, a bunch of appointments are scattered about the next two months.  I was hoping it wouldn’t be this clogged, but it happened.  So, I won’t always get time after work on the days I don’t have my son to type in edits.  I have my son next weekend and we have early birthday plans, so no editing then.  Guess I won’t be getting through Darwin & the Avenging Elf until the end of July or early August.  That means I’ll have the next book to edit when I go to Oswego.  On the fence about doing that or just going up with notebooks for a lower impact author weekend.  Going to be tired from the driving and trying to destress, so we’ll see what happens.

The second reason I didn’t get a lot of editing done was that summer school started.  I know this only takes up 5 hours of my day (6-6.5 if you can’t showing up early), but it’s rather draining.  We don’t lounge around the air conditioned room.  We have lessons, work sites, specials, field trips, cooking, and whatever random stuff turns up since you can’t predict everything.  Hopefully, this week was the toughest since we were all getting used to the a different location and schedule.  Things weren’t what I expected, so a few of us had to adjust our lunch plans.  I’ll be attempting wraps instead of rice bowls since I can eat the former on the move . . . Well, I will be able to do that once I figure out how to not overstuff the wrap.  Current recipe is vegetable medley slaw, grilled chicken, water chestnuts, Yum Yum sauce, and a honey wheat tortilla.  So far, so good.

The final reason I got no editing, writing, or much of anything done is that this is ‘Pokemon Go-Fest’ week.  I started playing 3 months ago to help my son with raids, which are when trainers can take on powerful Pokemon that they can try to catch after winning.  This current event is their big yearly thing, so every weeknight leading up to today had a special raid challenge from 6-7.  My son and I were in the park all that time, which included his mother who plays too.  Today and tomorrow are the big days with events happening from 10am-6pm.  Being a new player, this is my first chance at catching some rare Pokemon that only appear in other places around the world.  So, I’ll be out there until I catch everything I need.  Probably meet up with my son and his mother to increase all of our chances at catching the powerful ones.  Tomorrow won’t be as crazy as today, so I’ll get a chapter or two typed in when I need to get out of the heat.

All of that being said, I’m starting to wonder if I’ve become a washed up or failed author since I don’t do it every chance I get.  Pokemon Go helps me exercise outside when the weather is good, but it takes me away from writing longer than biking indoors did.  I still think up ideas and try to jot them down, but I don’t really know what I’m doing as an author any more.  Been sliding this way since I learned how many people didn’t really have faith in me back in the day.  Maybe Pokemon Go, Lego sets, and jigsaw puzzles fill that void where a sense of accomplishment used to be.  I claim clear victories when I finish or gain things there.  With writing, I’m no longer confident about my abilities and I’m back to what I was through my 20’s.  I tinkered and worked with my ideas, but I only dreamed about having them go any further than myself.  Not doing the latter these days, but I do plan on writing at least the whole Darwin series and Sin series before I get yoinked off this mortal coil.  I’d like to think this is just because I have so much on my plate with work, parenting, and struggling to improve my health.  Could change course again in another few years.  Though, I don’t know how I could do that since I no longer have any clue on how to get attention to my books.

So, I will continue getting my serotonin from catching fictional creatures and cursing at the ones that get away.  I’ll do the October posts when I have my son and he’s doing his own thing.  I’ll type in edits of Darwin & the Avenging Elf after today when I don’t have my son or appointments.  Tonight, I have a friend’s block party I plan on going to after Go-Fest.  No editing until the morning, which shouldn’t be too hard because I’m not in a drinking mood.  Life really doesn’t leave much space for hobbies whether they be relaxing or artistic.  Really sucks.

Goals of the week:

1. Enjoy Go-Fest and catch a bunch of shiny Pokemon.
2. Type in a few chapters of edits.
3. Time with son when I get it.
4. Work more on the ‘Phi Beta Files’ stories.
5. Continue building Lego Gotham City.
6. Remember sunscreen and hat since I’ll be outdoors a lot.
7. Sleep when I can.