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Showing posts from 2020

December 9, 2020 - Gaming History

Right now, I'm sitting on a precipice of video gaming history. I'm updating to the launch version of Cyberpunk 2077. For those who aren't aware, this game has been in production for about 7 years.  I have a new desk: A keyboard tray is en route to go with it. It is an adjustable standing desk because I want to reduce the damage sitting all day causes. I will be redecorating my office soon.  The bathroom is ongoing. My chaise is nearly complete. I have been making progress on Sparks and am targeting the new year to publish. That's all for now!

November 18, 2020

My DRAWING course is done. I was happy to be learning it, but I am looking forward to not having graded assignments. After this, I will continue another course I started, which is entirely self-paced. I'll continue sharing my drawings on my Instagram: @thewritebuttons   On the HOME front, I have made a lot of progress on my couch project. Really, it will be a loveseat. I finished the sewing portion of the seat section, the wood base, and have nearly finished the wood back for it. I've added wheels to it instead of legs because I want to be able to move it for easy cleaning. Today, I am working on the sewing of the back piece. I acquired all the hardware I needed for attaching everything. I will have a wood skirt to do, which will help everything stay in place. I also have the sofa cover for it, though I will still have to figure out the arms. I'm taking a break on the sewing until thimbles come later this week because I'm tired of pricking my fingers.  As far as MUSIC

Update - November 9, 2020

FITNESS We're having a second summer this week in Ottawa, which has been great for getting out to skate. I've mostly been hitting up a multi-use path and doing fitness skating.  One of the things that was holding me back from skating in the summer was that my bathroom was not functional. It's still not, but I now have access to a bathroom, so I don't mind getting sweaty.  I'm having some skating problems though. One is that my new skates are still tight in the toes. So I've taken the brake off my old set and I'm having fun with them while I figure out what to try next. It's probably heat gun plus a screwdriver in the big toe area. The other problem is that I still suck at transitions. I don't know why, but it has been my hardest skill to learn. I guess I'll hit up some YouTube videos to try and figure it out. And another is that my wheels grip the pavement a lot. This makes it hard to try things like hockey stops or anything that involves driftin

Cleaning Up - 2020 ROW80 R4 Oct 25 Check-In

I have made a lot of progress on my goals recently. And taken steps backwards too. As such, I'm a tad frustrated. BLOGGING I'm planning to make some tweaks. This update format is OK for goal check ins, but I'd like to do some more focused posts on singular topics soon. I'm not sure how soon that will be, but it's one of the ideas I have swimming around in my noggin. Given everything I have going on this year, it may be more of a 2021 effort. DRAWING I am taking a natural drawing course. I started late, so I'm currently playing catch up. I'm in module 2 and module 3 will be due on Wednesday. I handed in the module 2 work without having gone through the full material, so it's definitely not as good as it could be. You can follow my progress on my Instagram  @thewritebuttons . HOME I have finally gotten the last of the drywall down. Unfortunately, there is about 2 feet of base plate in the wall framing that is rotten. On the other side is the hallway, so I

ROW80 2020 R4 - GOALS

I've gotten zero writing done recently, however, I had other pressing things.  HOME As my new bed frame was due for arrival last Friday (more on this later), I hauled ass and purged a bunch more stuff from my home. I brought a full carload to donation and started loading up again. I also dealt with my old mattress, which I'm repurposing for a couch. Now, I didn't fully complete it as I haven't figured out all the pieces, but I did get it cut up appropriately and moved out of my bedroom. I'm currently sewing it back together. As for my bedroom, I was able to do a major declutter and access areas I haven't been able to in months. But that area now has bathroom stuff in it. There is more to do, but I'm really happy with my progress of late. I've cut myself numerous times on the couch project including my heel finding a tiny piece of glass, my palm finding a wayward staple, my knuckle finding who knows what, my one thumb having a run in with a box cutter, an

Catching My Breath - 2020 ROW80 R3-C6

 I've tried writing this post numerous times, but I needed a break. A long one. I've been mega stressed out and depressed, so I have been taking a little breather. I was feeling broken, but the experience has forced me to slow down and relax. I've gotten some help including medication for it and I am feeling much better. I'm feeling like myself more with each passing day. I'm sleeping better and have energy again.  I have been reducing my social media time. Especially Facebook. Actually, I enjoy Instagram much more. FITNESS I've been scooting and I'm getting back into skating. It's often hard to get out because of rain. Eventually, I want to do tricks on my skates. This skater may not be in derby anymore, but she's still a skater ;) I have a ton of plans for cross training once winter is here. I'll be hitting up outdoor rinks if they are available, but I'm also going to work on off skate skills that will help me get to doing tricks later on.

A Lot of Bullspit - 2020 ROW80 R3-W5

This week has had a lot of bullspit in it. Shortly after my last trip to buy reno supplies, I discovered mold in my bathroom. While that's not shocking, it's pretty much because they appear to have left wet drywall in the wall and covered the wall with another layer of drywall instead of properly repairing it after a leak. Geniuses. This is a mixed bag. It means I may have to do the tub area sooner than I expected. It is the same wall as the annoying peeling paint, so that's kind of good. I may just need to replace much of the wall, which is about 1.5 drywall boards because it's a small room. Cost wise, the wall repair isn't so bad. I'm not looking forward to having to deal with it, but I acquired the PPE gear for it and the mold removal supplies. Now, here's where the project may change substantially. I was originally planning to install a tub surround over the tile and then use the Rust Oleum tub restore stuff, but if there is mold in the wall, it's li

A SPARK - 2020 ROW80 R3-W4

It has been a fun week at work this week. I've been selected to lead the development of a video script. It has been really nice getting to use my education in this area and it has been fun working with people from other sections. We have a tight deadline as filming happens in a couple of weeks! I'll may get to act in it as well because there are only so many people who volunteered to be part of the project. It has been extra challenging to write with the pandemic. Due to the need to wear masks, we opted for going more visual instead of having lines, which was an interesting challenge. I hope the actors aren't too disappointed there aren't speaking roles. Working on that project has given me some motivation. I haven't been working on something like this in awhile as I've been really focused on decluttering and my job. I think it was the kick in the butt I needed. FITNESS Honestly, I've been letting my reno work count here because I'm using a lot of muscle

Chipping Away - 2020 ROW80 R3-W3

I've been chipping away at my bathroom reno this week and haven't made much progress on my writing. I've had to carefully scrape some adhesive off the tiles to prepare for grouting, which hasn't happened yet as I forgot to get the drill bit for mixing the grout. As I'm writing this now, it's Saturday and I had to wait to leave my house to get the drill bit because I was waiting on a delivery. It turns out that it's good I didn't go before as in order to put the new drain on my sink, I need a wrench bigger than all the others I currently have. After grouting and sealing the tile, I intend to install my sink and use it. During painting, I'll just cover it. Bad news for me though, I have to cut the old drain off to install the new one because it can't be pulled through the hole since it was modified. I feel like I've stepped backwards here. I've installed my light, though it will be taped for painting. It takes up vastly less wall space than

Staycation July - 2020 ROW80 R3 Week 2

I didn't do everything I planned on my vacation partly due to rain and because I've been working through some personal issues, which I tried to talk to some friends about and it didn't go the way I had hoped. In time, I may address this here, but I'm feeling quit hurt from the experience and I need time. For me, it was a major piece of a puzzle that has been troublesome for decades now. Anyway, moving on. I spent my staycation getting myself some amenities like a soundbar and a whiteboard on wheels. One fun thing and one writing tool. The whiteboard was left in the lobby by the delivery person, which was less than ideal. I used to have one on an easel, but I had no place for it when I moved cities, so it left my life. I almost replaced it with the same model, but I searched around and found a less expensive one that has an extra feature, which is a telescoping magnetic strip. My old one was also stationary and took up more floor space. And as far as the soundbar goes, I

Fun with Technology - ROW80 R3-1

I've been up to a lot in recent months. Sometimes I feel like I haven't actually done much, but if I look at these recent pictures, I can see what I've done. I've fought a wasp queen, attempted an all black puzzle, gotten a new bike, new utensils, installed an air conditioner (with the help of friends), built a coffee table, installed a shelf to expand my workspace, and I got a mini trumpet for practice. Not pictured are things like fixing my domain name. For a long time, I haven't wanted to use my original domain. Let's face it, my name is hard for most to spell, remember, and I even get tired writing it. So my plan is to publish as Rae Roy going forward and my domain is now www.thewritebuttons.ca . When I came up with that name, I fell in love with it. It's fun and easy to remember. It was a challenge to get it functioning, but both providers were helpful. Even if this is my only achievement this week, I will be happy. Things left t

ROW80 2020 - R3 Goals

I struggled with whether or not I wanted to participate this round. It didn't go so well for me in the last one. I mean, I perhaps got onto the right path with my novel, but I didn't get far into the edits. Not as far as I would've liked to have at any rate. But I realized I didn't really set proper goals to attain. They weren't manageable.  During the break, I took a look at the plan I made during school. It was the plan for spending my time as a writer once school was done. The problem with it is that I don't have the amount of time I thought I might. Maybe I will once my bathroom is done, but I'm living in the present. Anyway, the plan was useful in that it gave me an idea. I also looked at the schedule we used to use for how many pages to write for a screenplay each week to get a first draft done in a semester. We did 6-10 pages each week, but had other assignments. I wasn't working during school, so that amount is too much right now. But it helped m

ROW80 R2 - May 31, 2020

I'm not going to talk about my goals today. There is something more important than them to discuss. It is 2020. How are the police still killing unarmed individuals? How can we call ourselves first world nations made of civilized persons when this is still happening? The FBI draw up profiles on people who are likely to be terrorists, serial killers, etc. Why is there not a profile on racist a**holes who are likely to kill people for no reason? We have so much technology available, yet there hasn't been enough focus on capturing so-called bad guys instead of killing them. I see a lot of people lately doing challenges online. I've been doing the 10 Movies That Have Impacted Me one. What if we do a 10 Times I Thought I Might Die While Doing Something Ordinary Like Buying Diapers challenge? Here are mine: 1. When I was 5, a friend dared me to throw a rock over a car. I missed and hit the windshield. Then the man came at us. We ran. I hid. He was a spoiled lawyer's son. My

ROW80 R2 May 24, 2020 - Growing and Flowing

I've been pretty terrible at checking in for this round of ROW80. The past month or so, I didn't get much writing done, only fighting in my own head about my WIP. But sometimes one needs that in order to figure the story out. HOME My coffee table is plodding along. I have two finished crates (one that is currently drying), and two yet to start. My arms need a break from the sanding. It's worth noting that the wood used for these doesn't come completely smooth after sanding with multiple grits and that's a bit annoying. I need some more supplies to finish the remaining two. What else have I been doing? I have a young garden started on my ledge that will eventually move to my balcony. I plan to get some squirrel deterrents before I put anything out there.  I have 3 cherry tomato plants growing. Two are strong, the third is going really slow. To the point I'm wondering if it is even the same kind of tomatoes. The stalk looks like tomato, but why is it growing so mu

Hello Again

I've reached a curious point in my life. One where I feel like I know less than I ever have before. One where I've realized the best brother is Sam Winchester. What have I been up to lately? Well, I've been continuing my goals for decluttering. Part of this has me building a coffee table out of crates. There are some things I need that don't have a home and I couldn't find what I want at IKEA. Also, given the current state of things, I didn't really want to go there anyway. Also, a friend had trouble with a desk order for her little one's birthday, so I'm not in a hurry to have anything to do with them right now. I have one crate of four completed. There is a lot of work ahead, but I feel motivated. I've also been working on my current screenplay. I've found it helpful to go back to the planning stages and rework things as I made a major change to which character would be the main character and it is fundamentally changing the story. As it should

Feeling Broken - ROW80 R2-5

It's not a great day for me. My tablet PC fell and broke. The cracks in it have convinced it that it is constantly being touched. It's unusable. So I've had to replace it. I'm currently waiting on a new laptop to arrive. It's not something I was planning to purchase right now. I think I'm going to love it. I went midrange on the cost and performance and got something that should handle some gaming, video production, and all my writing needs. But I can't update on my writing as I can't access my software. That may cause me issues with final draft. I'll have to see if I have the licence code somewhere. I'm not worried about Scrivener as I can get help from them easily enough as I have in the past.  This wasn't something I needed right now. In other news, my desk being in my dining room is working for me. I can't believe I never thought of it before. I don't have anything else at this time. Just continuing to work on the house declutter.

ROW80 R2-2: Back At It!

For this round, I want to read more and write more. Those are two things I want to focus on. Unfortunately for some, it means I'm not going to be showing up to every event even if they stay online for the quarter. And they are certainly going to. Let's face it, I won't accomplish my goals if I keep sitting around on Facebook, Google Hangouts, or Zoom instead of working on my goals. During the downtime, I wrote a children's book. I want to learn to draw, so I can finish it and do more in the series. I found it rejuvenating to write something short. I've also found myself sucked into Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I have so many plans for my little island! I pretty much played it through the entire weekend, but it was good for the soul. I needed a break from work and everything else. Things got a bit disordered while I awaited the construction of the museum! DRAWING I bought access to a drawing course and I'm going to aim to practice 30 minutes a day.

Goals - ROW80 R2-0

I have a handful of things I want to focus on for this round. DRAWING - Complete the online drawing course. FINANCES - Pay off as much of my student loan as possible. HOME - Renovate the bathroom. - Tackle my paperwork. READING - Current: 4/20 books TRUMPET - Complete the Hal Leonard Lesson 1 book. - Learn one popular song. WRITING - Agent O: Write another book. - Sparks: 77,117/80,000 words - The Mockumentary: 14/120 pages Rae-Rae

Coping - ROW80 R1-21

I've struggled so much with figuring out what to say about this COVID-19 situation. First off, I think we can all agree that it's a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction scenario we're in. Who would predict one person would eat a bat across the world and cause all it has caused? But here's the thing, we're being asked to stay home and watch TV or read. Go for a walk away from other people. Play with our pets, play board games, dance in our living rooms, play video games, play instruments, etc This isn't like the holocaust. It's not like The Walking Dead. It could be a lot worse. So how am I getting through this? Well, I'm doing things like spring cleaning. I'm folding my clean laundry and putting it away. I'm reading books. I'm watching Netflix. I'm staying in touch with my friends and family via Facebook and my phone. I had a Netflix Party with friends on Wednesday. And I'm watching concert live-streams like the one the Dropkick Mur

Shiny - ROW80 R1-19

I meant to post this sometime last week, but life has been hectic. My work day today was filled with people constantly coming to me for things all while I tried to get 2 tasks done as part of year end prep. They shouldn't have taken me all day to do and normally wouldn't, but I was interrupted about once every 15 minutes. Anyway, without further ado here is the post planned for last Wednesday with some updates as of today: It is so hard to stick to the project you want to focus on. On Monday, I had no trouble. I edited Chapter 8. There's probably some way to make it better, but it's the best I can currently do, so I'm happy with it. My word count increased. Tuesday rolled around and all I could think about was another project. It is one I haven't really started per se. A project I've been more in research mode for. Well, my brain said it would be better if I cut most of it and expanded it in a different way. So I wrote some notes for it and did some wo

On Edge - ROW80 R1-16

This sounds superstitious, but the fact that this is Leap Year has me on edge. Why? The last two have been rather difficult for me. In 2012, my work place was being divested and I was working multiple job roles because of all the people who had left. My marriage also ended. This led to a major life change, which included moving to Ottawa. I love Ottawa, so at least that worked out. The rest was hard. In 2016, I was restructured out of my job. This led to me floating about for a while on EI as I tried to figure out my future, trying some things like Copywriting out, and going back to school for screenwriting. After school, it took time to find work and I almost lost my home and car in the process. Scary stuff. It's now 2020 and I have a full-time permanent job again, but I'm filling multiple job roles because we're short-handed. We're also so far into year end that it's hard to train the person who is learning to be me for one of those roles. I'm just hopin

Thrift - ROW80 2020 R1-15

I finally got around to a thrift store for a wardrobe change. I love those places. I grew up in them hiding in the racks, so it's partly nostalgia, but it's also that I think it's fantastic one can spend relatively little to change their whole wardrobe. Seriously. I got two new leather jackets, a pair of jeans, and 8 other items for a little over a hundred dollars. Shopping at thrift stores is also an environmentally friendly approach to the wardrobe. Items that are still in good shape find a new life in a new-to-them home. Decluttering hasn't been just about reducing, but about removing the items that are wrong for me, so I can have more of what is right in my life. I have been getting rid of items that either didn't fit me well or that I wasn't in love with and it was time to start replacing some of those items. And it's also making me want to get serious about fitness. This is partly to trim my tummy fat, but also to be healthy. FITNESS I walke

Staycation - 2020 ROW80 R1-12

I've been on a staycation. It started off roughly. The trains went down on the Friday and there was so much traffic that it took nearly 30 minutes to move from my station to the next by bus! In that time, the trains were back up. Mostly. They were still having some power hiccups along the way, which made for a bit of a scary ride home. The day after, I picked up my Click and Collect item at IKEA. I learned never to be in that area during noon. After I left IKEA, it wasn't long before there was an accident on the highway. It was in my lane ahead of me. I got stuck behind the accident as cars in my lane fled left and right. Some of them did so without doing proper checks and caused more accidents! I decided to stay put until it was really safe to get into another lane. There were around 8-10 all up that lane as I drove carefully past to go home. I live quite aways away from IKEA, so it was a bit scary and I felt really thankful to get home safely and in one piece. Getting my

Approaching a Rest - ROW80 2020 R1-9

Outside of work, today was focused on the future. I proposed some things, prepared others, and am looking forward to some plans. I'm on vacation next week and I'm looking forward to that break. I'll be off until the 18th and I plan to get some things done around the house.  Regarding the house, I've realized that if I ever move, I don't want an open concept place. Stuff migrates too easily in the absence of layout.  Anyway, I had a good financial appointment today and I'm looking forward to what comes next. We're supposed to have another snowstorm tomorrow. Hopefully it doesn't mess up all my plans! FITNESS I have a hurt knee right now, so I'm not doing a lot right now on that front, though I did some martial art theory yesterday. I think it's an alignment issue as new insoles seem to help a lot. More than I would have thought they ever could. HOME I've been planning out home things to do with my time off including start