"All That I Know I Learned After I Was Thirty." -- Georges Clemenceau

You see, here's the problem. Yes, I know you're seriously bummed that I haven't updated in a while... but what's a man to do when he is both busy and has little to say? Well, apparently, a man waits until he can't take it anymore, and then makes a post anyway! Because, dangit, I have fans to please! If you all are unhappy, who will buy all that great Dave merchandise in the Dave Store? You know, the T-shirts, the coffee mugs, the custom Zippo lighters (for all you smokers out there), plus the autographed copies of all the novels and movies I've done...

Oh, wait, what year is it again? 2012? Oh, sorry. With all the time travel I've been doing lately, I sometimes lose track of where I am. No novels/movies just yet... but soon... and THEN I'll autograph them, and you can buy them. Since... you know... you love me so much...

So, where to begin when you have nothing to say?

The Easter program is evolving nicely, I think. We've got 3 skits and a short film in the works... but not the film script I wrote. We've shelved that for now, and Todd has written a new one - much lighter, mostly comedy with a dash of poignancy at the end. It's about Lazarus, should be a hoot. I hope that we'll film my script during the summer. It will be difficult - it's about a Christian guy dealing with the sudden death of his best friend. Normally I stick to humor, but in this case it's a strong, serious piece, and we decided we didn't want to condense it (to make it fit the arbitrary 5-7 minute run-time limit) or try to rush it through production. We'll take our time with it, and do it right, no matter the length it ends up being. Those that know me will understand why I'd write such a thing - there's some things I'd like to say, as you can imagine.

And now, crazy tornado footage...



There's apparently some dispute as to when/where this was filmed, but to me it matters little. It's crazy regardless. I can't imagine how terrifying that would be to experience firsthand.

Hmm... what else?

My Youngest (6 yrs) and Middle Daughter (16 yrs) share a room, and every night they play music on their ipod (hooked up to an iHome) to listen to as they sleep. Christian music, mostly (maybe entirely), the kind of songs they listen to on the local Christian radio station (KLOVE). Anyway, there's a song in the playlist called "Going Through the Motions" by Matthew West. The other night, mom went in their room to tuck the little one in for the night, and the song was playing, and I heard Youngest ask, "Mom, what are 'motions'?" It was fun trying to hear mom explain to a 6 year old the meaning of the phrase "going through the motions"... definitely one of those moments that are cool as they are happening, rather than in the re-telling.

I don't want to spend my whole life asking, "What if I had given everything instead of going through the motions"? -- Matthew West

It's a good song, actually, both musically and lyrically. Food for thought, for sure.

I initiated a discussion on my facebook status the other day that yielded some interesting input. The question was about the idea that "We aren't what we do". The idea being that who we are, as a person, has little-to-nothing to do with what we do each day. Also factored in are beliefs. I don't know... the more I've pondered it, the more I've come to think that "what we believe" can be more accurately identified by watching our actions each day, rather than by listening to what we say (or what we claim to believe). In a real sense, you can get a rather clear picture of who a person is, and what they believe, by what they do.

I balk a bit at people saying, "Well, yeah, I did/do that, but God knows my heart." I guess it's the whole Romans 7 thing (it's not me, it's the sin in me!), and I can certainly see that point. Still, it seems kind of schizophrenic to me. I suppose if it's couched in the idea that "I'm trying, and making progress, but I'm not there yet", rather than an excuse for sin, it seems more palatable to me. Still, I can't help but think that if I made a detailed list of everything I did throughout a day, without reference to what I was thinking at the time, I might be shocked at the type of person I'd see portrayed.

Throughout Old and New Testaments, there are verses that prove (to me, anyway) that God is VERY interested in "what we do" each day. It seems we should be as interested, if at all possible, in making sure "what we do" is either in line with what He'd want us to be doing, or at least inoffensive in the interim.

Bah, who knows.

A billboard for a fitness center overseas. Wonder if it yielded any new clients?

I'm thinking about paring down my involvement with Mark, my personal trainer. I've been training with him since last June, and I love it, but the costs are starting to become prohibitive. I think by this time, theoretically, I *should* have accumulated enough knowledge to be able to do more and more of the workout stuff at home, with the equipment I have here. My problem is the open nature of solo workout time... when I have a set appointment, I do it, no problem. It's set in stone, I've paid for it, it needs to be done. When I have to set my own schedule, it is sooooo easy for me to skip a day, two, three... etc., then a week would go by without me doing anything. Yeah, I'm flaky like that. If it costs me something, I'll do it, even if it's something I love and enjoy... if I had a "writing personal trainer" and I worked with him/her twice a week at $40/session, I'd be done with my novels by now - because it would have cost me to do it. But when I'm on my own... well... you know.

I could pay myself, I guess. If I set appointments 3 times a week (for example), and if I transferred a certain amount of $ into a account that I couldn't touch until certain writing goals were met, maybe that would give me the incentive to push past the resistence. Kinda pathetic, that I can't just do it, even though I love it. I need to pay myself? Really? My problem, with writing anyway, is that when it's easy, I tear through it. When I hit road blocks, I get frustrated and find something else to do. Lazy. I need to read Just Do The Work (S. Pressfield) again... I suppose that doesn't look very good on my Daily List Of Actions... "Yeah, but God knows my heart." Bleh.



Hey, a little Kieth Green never hurt...

OK, what else?

Still reading The Way of Kings (B. Sanderson), and having a hard time with all the names again... people and places - so much to keep track of! Grrrr! Drives me a little crazy. Yeah, I know, epic fantasy series, it needs a butt-load of characters. Still, it detracts from the enjoyment, having to spend so much brain power trying to remember who everyone is, instead of just enjoying the ride.

First World Problem, I know.

By the way, the HBO series Band of Brothers is amazing. Just in case you didn't know. Currently watching the episodes with The Wagner Women again, since getting the series on BluRay for Christmas.

OK, one more Funny Picture and then I'm out...

Oddly, that's the thought I always have when seeing signs in the audience of big events like that. "How annoying that must be for the people behind him!" At least that guy is self-aware. Oh, man, that reminds me of that crazy Nicks fan with the sign of his own face. Lemme go get that, BRB...

LOL, I love that! How cool, to be willing to do that... Classic.

OK, fine, I'm done. Hopefully, at least some of tonight's post came close enough to "interesting" to justify you reading through it.

Have a great week, dangit! That's an order!

Dave the Meanderer