For my upcoming flight to Europe, I’m making an easy listening playlist of songs. I’ve got nine hours to sit in a seat and just lean back and chill. I’ve bought some books for the occasion, too, but I can read them during downtime in the week I’m at my destination. For the trip, I’m gonna listen to music.

I don’t often get to listen to music for extended periods of time. Driving to work in my car lets me hear maybe three or four songs. But then I’m having to keep my eyes open and pay attention enough to not ram the car ahead of me or drift across the yellow line into oncoming traffic. At night I’ve got stuff & junk to do — fun stuff and unfun junk. I can’t remember the last time I was able to listen to a full album at one time.

So I’m looking forward to this trip, not just for the destination and stay, but for the actual flight. I’m gonna put on my headset, close my eyes, and just fall into the nostalgic memories induced by 1970s soft rock.

Ain’t Even Done With the Night – John Cougar
Dance With Me – Orleans
Steal Away – Robbie Dupree
Just Remember I Love You – Firefall
Right Down the Line – Gerry Rafferty
What a Fool Believes – The Doobie Brothers
Etc., etc., etc.

Nobody’s gonna bug me, no one’s gonna need my attention, I ain’t gonna care about nothin’ in the world other than chillin’.

I figure I’ll start missing the family, and the hecticism that goes along with being a dad and all, within a few hours of arriving in Sweden. But for the first few hours, while on the plane, I’m gonna enjoy the peace and calm.

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com

A 19″ monitor with a small spider sticker on the bottom left corner.

A cable modem, a wireless router, a receiver for my wireless mouse and keyboard, and a wireless mouse.

A cable for downloading pictures from our digital camera, and a cable for transferring files to and from my cell phone.

Speakers and two sets of headphones — one with a mic, one without.

Four medieval fantasy action figures.

A printer/copier/scanner, a thick package of printer paper, a thin package of photo-quality paper, and an extra print cartridge.

A tape dispenser, a stapler, an electric pencil sharpener, and an upright pen holder with about 15 pens and pencils and a pair of scissors.

A box of tissues — the flowery design on the box shows I didn’t pick it out..

A stack of writable CDs, a box of very old application and game CDs, and a loose CD from a PC Gamer magazine.

A couple notepads — one with writing on it, one blank.

What’s Under My Desk

A pull-out tray with my wireless keyboard.

A shelf of about 10 old (2+ years) computer games kept in their boxes.

A shelf of about 50 books.

My tower PC with an extra mouse and keyboard on top of it, and a couple manuals and a reference book beside it.

A box of mini figures for D&D gaming.

What’s Behind My Desk

A cardboard partition to hide the ridiculously tangled web of wires and cables and cords.

Probably enough dust to create a buffalo.

What’s In Front of My Desk

A hack leaning back in a comfortable desk chair trying to think of something worth writing about.

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com

There’ve been a few posts over the past coupla weeks where I tried to write more the way I talk. My Southern drawl is not real thick, but it is noticeable. I don’t say “thang” or “wont” [want] but I do say “y’all” and “fixin’.” I tend to drop the “g” from “-ing” — “waitin’,” “thinkin’,” “readin’.”

I’m actually a bit proud of my accent. A Southern accent sounds gentlemanly in a man’s voice, and a Southern accent is adorable in a woman’s voice. Although, to some outside the South, a Southern drawl makes the speaker sound ignorant and uncultured. Fortunately, though, the US and the world have become more mobile, and more people have been exposed to Southerners, either by the Southerners going to other parts of the country and world, or by others coming to the South. Most people have learned that just because we talk slow, don’t mean we think slow.

This blog is for me what a sketchbook is for an artist. It’s a place where I can practice writin’, play with words, test phrases, and just generally experiment. Also note, almost none of my posts here are polished pieces that I would consider publishable quality. They’re written in about 30 minutes, and then later proofread for about 5 minutes.

I want the tone of this blog to be conversational — like I was talkin’ to friends over a good meal. So I started writin’ like I talk. But it comes across weird in a written form. And it comes across as just half-assed if it’s not taken all the way into redneck-speak.

So I just don’t know which way to go with this. You may see me experimentin’ in later posts, or you may see me using perfectly standard prose. Just don’t thank ah’m losin’ my mind if ya see me wrattin’ in some strange way.

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com

We had a lot of trouble getting the boys to go to bed and to sleep last night. Neither of them would settle down and get quiet, and they kept playing off each other’s restlessness. In trying to get them still and silent in the dark, it got me so slowed down (and worn out from the aggravation) that I wanted to lay down and rest.

I laid down on the couch  to rest “for just a few minutes.” After resting, I was going to have a snack (I had a very early dinner), go for my evening walk, do some writing, and then set all the clocks ahead for Daylight Savings Time, but the “few minutes” on the couch ended up being several hours. I woke up in the middle of the night, looked over at the digital clock on the DVD player and saw it was 4:00. Crap. I just closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

It’s sweet that Cowgrit just let me sleep where and how I dozed off. It took a long time, but I finally got her to understand that if I’m sleeping, I’m comfortable and happy — no need to wake me up and ask if I want to get in bed. Our couch is pretty comfortable, and this is the second time in a year that I’ve fallen completely (for all night) asleep on it “accidentally.” And both boys slept until 6:00, for the first time in weeks. It was a good, all night sleep.

When we were all up for the day, I went around setting the clocks ahead. Then Cowgrit suggested I make pancakes for everyone. I usually make a cooked breakfast for everyone one day every weekend, but I think I missed last weekend. So the family was due one of my griddle meals.

Pancakes, bacon, cheesy hash browns, and banana. We would have had some strawberries too, but we need to go to the grocery store. I thought Cowgrit was going to go to the store last night, but I guess she fell asleep early too.

So, I’ve had a long, restful night’s sleep, and a hearty, full breakfast. It’s shaping up to be a good day. Although I wish I had taken pictures of the breakfast — this blog might be more interesting if it had images to go along with the stories.

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com