Good morning, Readers!

I had an incredibly vivd dream last night. I was back in the house in which I grew up in in Australia, only it wasn't quite the same house. It was in the same spot. The yard was the same. But the house looked a little different. Also, despite it being in the same yard, and despite my going for a walk up to the Tower's Hill Lookout (which I often did), it wasn't quite Australia.

I know this because I first went to a market. It was essentially an open market, with a number of different shops that sort of bled into one another without defined walls or floor space, but was all under one roof. There was one shop I saw that specialised in selling Australian food. It was their gimmick, as it were. They had Vegemite, which made me very excited, but they did not have Chico Babies, which I found disappointing.

I also remember that the next store over, at the back of the market, was a workshop that sold all kinds of glass  and leather jewellery; semiprecious stones, and really beautiful hand-carved sculptures. I don't know why, but that store really stuck out to me.

Anyway, I was there, as was the Amazing Flatmate. We browsed the market, which was lovely, but empty, and then went to my home/not-home. Once there, we made lunch, and I saw one of my dogs; and absolute champ of a pup we unimaginatively had called WD. It stood for White Dog. He was white.

We were not especially inventive children, apparently.

It was a reunion. I had been away a long time, and WD was extremely happy to see me (and I him). After lunch, I decided that it would be a great idea to head up to the Tower's Hill Look Out, and take him with us. So, on went the leash, and off the Amazing Flatmate and I went, walking up the pink gravel road (that's a legit thing, by the by. Last time I went home, everything had started to be paved over with black, but growing up, the roads were all pink gravel).

There was no one around. It was deserted. My dreaming mind justified it. After all, we are experiencing a global pandemic. Why would it be any different in the dream world? It was quiet in dreamland, because of the pandemic. 

So, in the wee hours of this morning, I was able to visit my long-since-dead pupper and take him for a walk, all while showing the Amazing Flatmate my childhood home, which wasn't actually in Australia (even though it was in reality). All this while aware of the current global pandemic.

It has left me feeling a little sad. I can't say that I'm particularly fond of my time in the land of Oz. Depression really screwed me up.  But, I miss WD terribly. He was a great dog. And I miss being able to leave my backyard and immediately be in the scrub, running barefoot and half-wild along quartz-strewn goat tracks to my favourite place to be alone (it was at the bottom of Tower's Hill, actually. There was a tiny little creek made possible by a tiny little hole in the town's reservoir, which supported an impressively sized tree that I think might have been a Banyan Tree, judging from the roots that grew from the branches and then down into the ground. It was something of a sacred site for me, and was the sole witness to many tears and whispered wishes).

And I miss Vegemite.

Dreams always fascinate me. Not because I can ascribe any particular meaning to them, but because the brain is endlessly fascinating. Let me know your weirdest dreams, or the ones you most vividly remember in the comments. I'm always interested.

Good morning, Readers!

This weekend was the first that I had while also working from home. It was not as weird as I thought it was going to be. I've been pretty good at instituting and maintaining a routine that closely approximates my pre-plague schedule... Right down to teaching martial arts for four hours on a Saturday.

I have, for my women's martial arts students, taken to teaching online via Zoom. For those students who were registered in my Carleton University classes, it's free to join up. I am much more concerned that my students can continue, after having everything ripped from them this semester. I want to be able to check in on them and make sure their healthy and happy - or as healthy and happy as they can given their circumstances. It's important to me.

Happily, it went pretty well, though I have to say that I do not really have the space to teach properly, and I also cannot keep as close an eye on folks to make sure their techniques are up to scratch. It feels horribly impersonal, but it's far better than nothing, and I'm so glad I have the means to do it.

I'm particularly sad that it's nearly impossible to practice applications of techniques, and adequately convey them to my students. This is especially true for my beginner's kickboxing and my kung fu classes, as there's no point in learning the theory or the motions if you don't know how to apply them. Hopefully, though, these classes will at least give my newer students a solid foundation to build from once we can train together in the same room again.

This Saturday was the first time I taught online; via Zoom. It went alright, I think.

With the first lessons taught and recorded, my task today is to edit the classes and post them online so that my students can access them any time they choose. It will be good, I think, for them to revisit the techniques or workouts whenever they choose.

Right, I'm off to start editing the lessons.

I hope you're all healthy and well, and that you're looking after yourselves.

Sending you much love, and physically distant hugs.

​Ciao! 

Good morning, Readers!

A late start today. I had gotten up a little earlier today to try and speak with my mother in Australia, but Skype was having major issues, and so I didn't get a chance to chat. I'll try again tonight. But I am quite put out by ti.

That's not what this blog post is about. It's about a podcast!

Last year at Can*Con, I was interviewed for the podcast Just Joshing. It was a lovely chat. If you're looking for ways to kill time while you're stuck at home, have a listen!  You can do so here.

I hope you're all keeping well. Stay safe.

Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

I'm over at Black Gate today, talking about some things I do to help me keep on creating in this really awful thing we're all living through... with a GIANT caveat.

I am writing to you from isolation. Well, I say isolation. I share this house with a flatmate and two cats, so I’m not really all that isolated. I am, however, not at work. It seems my office has finally decided to start taking this pandemic seriously, and has requested that I stay home this week. I’m glad they’re at last taking it seriously. I am also fortunate, because I get to keep my job (thus far), and don’t have to worry too much about my next meal. I also live in Canada, where there is a promised safety net if I do happen to lose my job. It’s not as comprehensive as I would like (I rent ’cause I can’t afford a house, so the mortgage freeze doesn’t apply to me), it’s still a damned sight better than many other places. I’m extremely fortunate.

In fact, all I have to do is make a minor adjustment to my daily life.
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Yet, I find that minor adjustment has translated into some pretty major issues. Creation has become all but impossible, or it was last week. Here are some steps I’m taking to combat the anxiety-induced malaise that has overcome me since this pandemic got started. I’m sharing them here just in case someone else is similarly struggling. Perhaps this might help those folks get back on track, with a fairly large caveat.

Good morning, Readers!

Yesterday went actually really well. I'm cautious about saying that I've got this, since it's only been a day, but yesterday went so well I'm feeling like I've got this.

Not only did I write two blog posts (one for this site and one for Black Gate Magazine), but I also wrote 2K on The New Project. I was quite surprised how easy it was for me to write at home, even with the cats demanding attention, or laying on my keyboard. Even though my set up is not ideal - I do not have a home office, and no desk at all. I'm literally just typing on a keyboard that is resting on my lap - I still quite liked it. Perhaps one day my writing will bring in enough money that I can do this thing full time, instead of having to work (counts on fingers) four jobs to make ends meet. Okay, okay, only two of those jobs actually bring in any kind of real money (neither of them are writing), but that's kinda my point.

Oh well, big dreams for later days. Maybe.

Today will be much the same. I will stay at home with my enormous French press full of coffee and write. At home. It's genuinely lovely. If everything weren't so terrible, I'd be very pleased with this arrangement.

This evening, I will attempt a cardio workout, and then will try and remember all of my kung fu forms; weapons included. It didn't go well yesterday.

By it didn't go well yesterday, I mean I didn't even attempt it yesterday. I ended up watching four episodes of The Mandalorian instead. It's so much a space western, and it made me a little sad that Firefly was cancelled. I might go back and watch all of Firefly while I'm isolating.

It'a an oldie, but a goodie.

Right, I have some words to write before lunch, so I should go do that.

I hope everyone is keeping safe and is well.

​Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

So... I'm at home. Work finally came to their senses and asked that I not come in to the office, citing it being too dangerous in this pandemic for me to be commuting in. I got the email yesterday. So far, it's only for this week. I do hope things start to improve by next week, and I can return without a fuss.

I've never worked from home before. For starters, my day job is as a receptionist, and it's bloody hard to be a receptionist when you aren't there to receive anyone. I have, during my holidays (which are largely spent at home as I can't really afford to go anywhere), attempted to do some work. Writing work, I mean. Unfortunately, it's never worked out. I sleep in... or just sleep all day. I stare at lot at the wall, or out the window. I never do work from home.

Home is not where work is in my mind, and so I find it incredibly difficult to work while I'm here.

I'm giving it a go, however. You can tell, because.I'm writing this blog post. I don't really have a home office, so I'm writing it on my mac, which lives beside the television, on a side table, because there is not room for a proper desk. My chair is a wooden rocking chair, which wins points for novelty. I'm using my lap as the keyboard rest.

I'd much rather a proper desk or a laptop, so I can at least work in my bedroom. Still, this is better than nothing, and I'm glad my ancient mac is still running well enough for me to be able to write on.

I made an effort to start my day as I normally would if I were to be going in to work. It helps that I did have to pop in the office to collect my French press and coffee bean grinder so I can have my morning coffee. So I had to get up and get dressed.

My breakfast this morning was the same it always is when I'm at work. An omelette, some fruit, a glass of milk and a tonne of coffee. I noticed when I went shopping that Oikos is now finally offering plain yogurt in their single serving cups, so I also had some yogurt this morning. In all fairness, they might have been doing that for a while now, but it's the first time I've noticed it.

The coffee I'm drinking, incidentally, is from JenEric Coffee, a local roaster (who also happens to be a good friend), who makes the best flavoured coffees. I'm currently enjoying their apple pie flavour, which I was fortunately given a sample of with my last coffee order. If you're looking for small businesses to support, and you like coffee, you really can't go wrong here.

It's Monday, which means that usually at midday, I would head to the gym. I instead will be doing a home workout from YouTube. I did one last Monday night, and holy hell, I hurt for a week. This evening, I will be attempting to do some Kung Fu practice. I don't have a lot of space for my weapons training, and it's too cold and snowy outside yet to train outside, but I can do empty hand forms, and I have a short stick that I can pretend are my longer weapons... except for staff. that one is going to be a tricky one to pretend. Still, I'll give it a shot.

I must also write a blog post for Black Gate Magazine, as I believe I have an article due up tomorrow. I've been so thrown by the whole pandemic thing that I've not thought of a possible article... but one just popped into my head just now, so I think I'll be alright there.

If I manage to finish that article, I might write a bit before doing my Kung Fu practice.

This is pretty close to my regular schedule, though it's always usually interrupted by my receptionist duties (I grab moments to write between answering the phone, collecting faxes and mail, and looking after clients).

Maybe I can do this. Maybe I can work from home.

Let's hope this attempt at a routine holds the rest of the week!

How is everyone out there coping? I truly hope you're all safe and well, and not stressed about the state of the world. Remember to stay safe and be kind.

Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

I forgot what day it was yesterday, and so neglected to do my weekly livestream. I'll be doing a make up on Saturday morning, which is when I'll usually be teaching martial arts.  So, probably around 10:30am.  That seems like a good time to go wandering over a post-apocalyptic landscape, no?

I've been playing The Last of Us as a distraction, as you know if you've read my post about it.  Last night was the conclusion of Joel and Ellie's short-lived cooperation with Henry and Sam.  I had forgotten about Henry and Sam until I met them in game again.  It broke my heart all over again.

Anyway, I'm not just hitting Jackson County in game, and honestly, this game is so good, and the story is so brilliant, and the characters are so complex, that I can easily disappear into.  Weird that disappearing into a dystopian post-apocalyptic world is helping me cope with the anxiety of our current situation, but here we are.

So, sorry to anyone who was hoping to hang out with me last night, I was gaming... just not streaming.  I forgot it was Wednesday (honestly, my martial arts training schedule is really the only thing that helps me keep my days straight, and now that's gone, I've got nothing).  I will be streaming Saturday morning to make up for it.

Right, I'm off to stare blankly at things now.

​Ciao!