Tinkering With Radio Imaging

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Internet Radio: My New Format Idea and Station

I have been tinkering around with Internet radio. For one thing, I don't like what I find up and down the dial. And the most important, a creative endeavor is always nice. But, unlike Pandora or some of the other services, where it's simply your own personal jukebox, I wanted a real Internet radio station. One that operates like a real radio station, but over the Internet.

I found a way to do it. I was so excited, I created four! However, one stands out to me the most. And perhaps it will give my age away, but that is fine for now.

Making Time to Write: My Way

John Grisham used to go in early to his law office and write. Andre Dubus III worked construction jobs, was a bartender, a housekeeper -- all jobs that allowed for that moment, like the first time, when he sat down at his kitchen table and put a pen to a note pad.

I came around by accident, without ever seeing it coming. The economy was tanking and the corporate real estate management world was sinking fast. The scenario was similar to what Raymond Chandler faced, when the Great Depression ended his oil and gas career. During my first week of sleeping late and climbing into sweat pants instead of a business suit, I began to sit at my little desk in the corner and put my thoughts on paper. Once the scrambled sentences had taken form in ink, I spent a good number of the remaining hours reading. I started doing this every day.

Eventually, I did return to the working world, both for obvious and not so obvious reasons. There is no need to explain the obvious, right? No trust fund or silver spoons around here! Beyond the financial aspects, however, is a much greater reason. It’s about relationships with others. It’s about continued dialogue and exchanging thoughts with other humans. Frankly, it’s also about getting the hell out of the house on occasion. There is nothing wrong with time alone, something I truly treasure, but too much time can work against you too.

I was very specific in selecting a new day job. I wanted a flexible schedule, no managerial responsibilities and no mental workload to carry home. In other words, I wanted to be a peon for a change. I first joined a company that allowed me to choose which days and hours I wanted to work. I am not going to lie and say that all of the projects were pleasant. However, when I left for the day, I was done. Also, I made a good number of friends and connections, which led me to a better position with another company. The hours were flexible and it involved sales, something that I happen to be good at. Best of all, I still have time to jump out of bed, turn on the laptop and get to work on my true passion.

Do you struggle with time for writing? Have you actually started? How far would you go in order to make the time?

'Along Came a Spider'

Of course, along came a spider wasn’t the first line that came to mind. That verse came later. My initial reaction was, “Oh,” preceding a random expletive or two after noticing my new friend repelling from the roof of my outdoor deck – the part of the roof just above my favorite reading spot.

In the moments to follow, I desperately wanted a broom, a shoe, a folded newspaper, or anything that would obliterate this deadly, brown beast. After all, down in the south, any brown spider must be a Brown Recluse, right? Just like every black spider must be a Black Widow.

After flying to my feet and checking myself for any stray kin crawling on me (funky, erratic movements I hope the neighbors didn’t see), logic set in. An open spot above my head probably wouldn’t be reclusive enough for a genuine Brown Recluse. What came next further supported my new theory. Weaving a web in an open spot, with a stranger gawking? This could only mean one thing. This was just an ordinary, brown spider.

In the calm aftermath, noticing that my new friend really wasn’t as concerned with me as I was for him, my eyes watched it finish the web and find a spot in the center to settle in for the night. This was roughly after 9:45 P.M.

The next morning, both the spider and the web were gone. However, around a quarter to ten at night, the same scenario unfolded. This time, I wasn’t sitting in my usual spot. It’s been four nights now and the scene is replayed over and over. I still visit the outdoor deck, but without concern. The spider has his/her own agenda I suppose, just as I have mine. No worries at all.

But I do sit on the other side.

Stumbled Upon a Writing Cottage

Over on my old blog, I left off with the story of how I stumbled upon a writing cottage that was right under my nose (or in my back yard). Actually, it was a studio apartment that sits behind my house.

Whenever I first moved in, a tenant came along with the apartment. At first, it was no big deal. Well, that was until many observations later and one problem too many. After the eviction dust settled, I realized that I was probably better off using the place for a guest house, or like most of us guys think about, "a place to store some stuff." I decided on the guest house idea. During the make-ready phase that followed, I discovered a unique form of "quiet," much different from the main house. Add a laptop and surprise...

Main Living Area (above)

Bathroom (Other Side of Saloon Doors)

Kitchen Area (Includes Refrigerator)

In those instances where the weather is bad, or I simply feel like writing in the main house, I still have my back-up plan.

Though I fought thoughts of hand-carved desks and more, I decided to keep it simple. Do you have a favorite personal space?

A Homecoming

Has it really been that long, since I furiously scribbled down my life’s thoughts? According to the date, over at the other place, so it has been.

Wait a minute. That’s not entirely true. My fingers have continued their daily dance on the keyboard, but in different ways. I am working on a couple of new ideas, while dusting off a few from an earlier time. Those were tucked away, earlier this year, because of a health crisis with one of my elderly parents. The coast seems clear now, as well as the mind. I am ready to get started again.

It’s good to be back.