the august update: second edition

My oh my, where did summer go?  Seems like I just packed up my sweaters and jackets a few days ago, and it's already getting to the point where you need to think about layering again.  Not that it was the warmest summer ever, of course.  Summer 2014 was pretty bullshit when it came to the weather in northeast Wisconsin.  But we do what we do and that's why we live here.

And why I want to move away from here, hey-o!

Right now though it's super humid outside (I believe I referred to it as "an armpit" yesterday) and I'm thankful for a light breeze and several fans in my apartment.  Oscillating fans, not "fan" fans.  Because I'm a published author now, you know, and stilllllll waiting for my Kathy Bates to come calling.  Hope ya'll get that reference!

I'm actually not going to talk about the book at all in this blog, mostly because I'm sick of it.  But should you like to know, you can read about the release of the book here and you can read about my publishing experience here.

This was a very emotional month for me.  Honestly and truly.  I cried a lot (said I wouldn't talk about the book and here I go) about publishing and what it ultimately meant.  I was emotional over that to an extent that shocked me and ranged in all sorts of ways.  But there were other things as well including but not limited to my future, @klreynol deciding she'd be moving away, and the death of Robin Williams that hit me a lot harder than I'd have ever thought a celebrity death would (recounted here).

But August wasn't all sad and there was actually a lot in it that I was able to enjoy to the fullest.  And like the quote above says, feelings are just visitors and you've got to let them come and go.  No use in holding on.

We had the great fortune of hot weather on a Saturday this month, and even better that it was for @caitcd's bachelorette party and we were spending it floating down the river.  It bums me out that as I've gotten older I've spent less time on the river each summer, but getting at least one trip in quiets the beast within me.  Especially with a fews bests like @caitcd and @markstyleme.

I think partly because it's such a drive (an hour and a half) is why I don't go as often, but another reason probably has to do with people are just too busy now.  And that's never a good thing because we should always make time for a little bit of fun.  Scheduling conflicts tend to rise at a consistent pace though, especially in the summer, and especially when you're friends primarily with creative types that have all kinds of projects and things going on.

But for one day we were all able to get together and go rolling down the river (cue Tina Turner reference) and it was fantastic.  @caitcd got a pretty gross cut on her foot right away, I ended the trip with a little cut as well, but in between there was a lot of drinking and snacking and jumping off trees and spotting turtles and anything else that comes with a hot day in the sun on the water.  You can just forget about your responsibilities for a few blissful hours and enjoy the company around you.

I was nominated by my sister to do the ALS ice-bucket challenge this month.  I had it in my head what I would do were someone to nominate me and I didn't think it was going to happen, but alas it did.  I'm not a big charity person.  I donate once a year to the Human Rights Campaign and that's about it.  But if I get challenged to do things then I will partake because I try to be a good sport, and this was a prime example.

They give you 24 hours to respond to the challenge and I knew I wouldn't be able to get my video together in time, so I donated and then filmed it the following weekend.  I was lucky enough to have my parents be more than willing to help out and I assume it's because they wanted to jump at the opportunity to douse their son in two buckets of water.  And the hose.  And then again with the water remaining in the buckets after I'd stopped recording.

I had Lane help me out a little bit too, which you can see below.

While we're on this topic, I've just got to state for the record that I am not schizophrenic.  Nor do I have multiple personality disorder.  I make these videos (and the pictures, I suppose) as a way to be creative and to give myself something to do when I'm bored.  It's an outlet that allows me to flex my artistic side and hopefully give people a chuckle in the process.  Any references to me being mentally unstable can go ahead and desist from here on out, because it kinda annoys me.  Thank you (c:

::eye starts twitching and I start speaking in tongues::

Aside from those two bigger things it was just a month to wind down summer, as it usually is.  The leaves start turning a lighter shade of green and you grow increasingly annoyed with the heat and for that ONE week of miserable humidity you think about the allure of a blustery fall day.  The countdown for school to resume begins, people like me who work retail start the countdown to holiday, and the world just keeps right on spinning.

So what else happened in August?  Had not one but TWO parties for my book, went to a bonfire that sported green fire, blocked out all of my second book and subsequently started re-editing it, and got myself a fancy author page on Amazon.com.  I reconnected with an old best, documented the frogs around my apartment, and reveled in the amount of people my book has made cry so far.  Celebrate your victories!

September will have three blogs (I have to plan ahead now because the fourth iteration is approaching quickly and that'll be a very special one) and I just noticed I've passed 9,000 views.  Think we can push it to 10,000 by the end of the year?  I think so!  Mostly because you're all so great (c:

Until then, toodles gang (c:

Like what you saw?  Follow me on Facebook!  I can always use another fan (c:

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