Finally posted up another chapter of Semper Paratus- for those following, enjoy this next huge installment!

Chapter 5 link: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13239243/

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ycNs4qYLoak

Great song, and you can really sing with it!

"When nothing feels like home, because you're lost and alone- just screamin' at the sky."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84LSLk3hfD4

Such a powerful song, I can't help but turn it waaay up when I listen to it.

"When the words won't come and you don't know what to say..."

I finally managed to keep myself from all the little projects I have around the house to sit down and write some more on my FiM story "Semper Paratus".

I think a couple of the 'followers' on FiMFiction.net are getting antsy for the next chapter. To be honest, so am I. I've been sitting on this way too long and I need to get some thoughts typed out before I forget where they were going. The next chapter is about 75% complete so hopefully I can finish it, proof it and put it up this month for the readers.

While this has been a great exercise to keep my writing sharp, to what end will it be? I can't exactly showcase it to everyone I know as it requires at least an inkling of knowledge of MLP to thoroughly enjoy. We'll see how this turns out in the long run... who knows.

Aside from my sporadic writing and long days at work, I've stumbled across "Oklacon"- a convention for, well, furries.

Now, for those of you that know me best might be saying "Space, you aren't technically a furry.. are you?"

No, I don't proclaim that at all BUT that doesn't mean I haven't been extremely interested in seeing what these -CONs are all about. And Oklacon is small enough to get to know some folks (should I go) while still large enough to make it worth the trip. Someone told me there was like 300 to 350 people at the 2013 one. Hmm...

I have even been talking with one of the coordinators of the whole event and (he) is very enthusiastic about how awesome it is and that it would be a great CON for a first-timer.

There are many, many things to consider for a trip like this (even though it is months and months away). Lodging, food, spendable cash, etc and since I'll have to take vacation time to go, I REALLY want it to be worth the trip, ya know? So IF I did go, I'd stay the entire time, probably volunteer my @$$ off and camp out (since I love camping anyway). Will be interesting to see what transpires from this line of thinking.

Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond (and within) my control, the next chapter is delayed slightly. I have been writing it but I've found myself writing two chapters in tandem this time. Had I been focused on only one, it would have been done by now- but my outline has changed because of some reader input. I took the advice of a non-FiM reader to alter a part in a future chapter and it must be setup properly starting... well, now.

This has also produced some unexpected results in how long this story will be. Crud. If anyone is following the story, the plot line is centered around the seven day trip. The idea was to end the story shortly after so it wouldn't become a novel! *grumble* Looks like it will be longer than originally drawn to be which doesn't mean anything bad. I just don't want to leave any loose ends by the time "X" happens!

Chapter 4 is complete! -fist pump- yes! And I've pulled the prior chapters for edits (yes I STILL found some goofs!) and replaced them with nice and neat PDF's. Hope everyone enjoys the newest page-flipper!

cheers!

Semper Paratus is on the edge of another chapter complete but I'm having some difficultly ending the crazy thing! I went back over the first 4 chapters this weekend and made some minor fixed to grammar, tense, and a couple other things. Need to post up the fixed chapters here and then i'll get back to busy-ness on the next chapter ending. So far I've really enjoyed writing this story and while the "Discord" chapter wasn't as funny as I originally wanted it to be- it was still an accomplishment to get the character interactive in the story.

The next chapter will be a little more on the sad side I think. Just due to what will be discussed, I have a pretty good idea of how it will play out but -tsk- pesky humans! Always ruining my plans...

So I was kicking around some ideas for jokes to use in the Discord/awesomeness chapter of the story and came up with one but I can't use it! The characters wouldn't get the reference because its not implied...

*So a cow walks into a pony bar, and the bar tender asks "hey cow, why aren't you going to that cow bar down the street?"

The cow turns to the tender and says "no Moo friends, no Moo friends..."

See, it only works IF you know the song by Drake...

Anyhow, 1/3 of the way on the next chapter of Semper and it's shaping up to be a longer-than-usual posting. I don't want to get ambitious yet and say it might be done by the end of the month but... we'll see.

-PS- For whatever reason, I have the song "Lump" by The Presidents of the USA" stuck in my head today... hahah

I know I'm committed. But ponyfeathers... *facepalm* did I really just use that pony-pun?!

3 chapters of "Semper Paratus" are completed and Ch.4 is halfway done! I've got to get the main character away from Zecora's place. Why does she have to rhyme everything! I did manage to fit in some awkward shenanigans in a meeting so hopefully we'll be having fun with Discord next.

Oops! Did I spoil anything? Hahahha

...Or FiC for short. Yes, I'm still writing on my latest endeavor of "Semper Paratus" a FiM FanFic but jeez is it tough going!

I'm writing a spot where Zecora (a zebra) and the main character are building some trust. The rhyming meter of Zecora is so difficult to capture between the two characters it's maddening!

So for a few lines of her spoken dialogue, it turns into a hour of research and re-writes trying to find the right text that sounds natural. Ugh...

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, just youtube some MLP episodes with Zecora in them and you'll get the idea of what I'm up against.

But... I accepted this challenge and I will see it though! If nothing else, I'll be able to rhyme in my sleep when this is all done.

Are never really "days off". I decided to take a little break from work and use a couple of vacation days in conjunction with the weekend giving me 4 days off in a row. It's a good feeling to just turn off the cell phone, knowing that no one will be calling me anyway.

But sleep in as I might, writing is calling me! Lord willing I'll be working on a FanFic story over the next couple days and if I get along on it nicely "might" post some of it up here. It's odd for me to write anything FanFic since there are characters usually already well established and usually a fan-base that are more than willing to hack and slash said writing if you get off track!

Either way, I'm giving it a shot. And if anyone reads or has read my stories before know they are in for a treat! Go big or go home...

Let me start by saying that I'm an avid reader of fiction and to a slightly less degree, a writer of the same. One of my last vacations from work was 2 weeks off sitting at home and writing a chapter of a story I'd not touched in a while. It was a great feeling getting those pages upon pages worked out. And knowing what kind of hard work goes into a good story, when I find the proverbial "gold mine" of stories, I start digging.

Authors like Greg Howell, Jim Lane, and Ted Blasingame quickly come to mind as their hard copy books line my shelves. These are "anthro" themed story writers that are amazing to read. But what about those individuals that aren't published? Those that are content to post their work on a website and all they ask is honest feedback to make them better...

I've read some Fan Fiction before but wasn't really impressed. When I joined FA a few years back it was just a simple way to share some photos and post some of my own stories for others to enjoy. And there were stories to read on this site already! But I was disheartened but what I saw. So much trash that was not meant for the entertainment of the audience but rather the author who penned it. Surely someone else knows what I mean- those stories that derail your interest just a few paragraphs into it. Whether it is immature content, some fetish tangent or hate/spite/malice just poured onto a page... and in the middle of it is our beloved hobby of "furry".

This brings me to a point about FanFic where I must add this disclaimer for non-bias, I don't consider myself a furry nor a brony- although I found myself watching the FiM (friendship is magic) series for character backgrounds. *shudders*

The idyllic life of Equestria rivals Thomas More's "Utopia" in a sense and has everything our universe does not. Low to non-existent crime rate, perfect weather, no cavities and (no prizes for guessing) talking technicolor horses. The last time I saw anything close to this was the show "Mr Ed" re-runs on classic TV from the late 50's early 60's. Good show too. Move up a few years to the mid 80's to "My Little Pony" and the "Care Bears" era, and huh, seemed good then too but I watched more of the Care Bears than MLP back in the day, dunno why either, I was too young to remember.

Now let's move to the present day and the incredible following that is MLP FiM. I can't remember a time when I found such an outpouring of stories based on a fiction work that was worth reading- let alone based on a 6 year old's TV show. Really? Did I miss something? If you have time to visit the FiM FanFic website, give it a once over. There are over 4,500 stories in the "Human in Equestria" folder alone! Seriously?
So my first visit to this site I'm thinking- huh, so out of THAT many stories... surely a couple might be worth my time? They are anthro themed stories after all.

I began to browse with no real direction in mind until I happened across one particular work, "A Dark Knight in Equestria". Curious... The play on words was no mistake, this was a FanFic based on Batman in a gaggingly bright pastel world. This caught my attention since I've watched Batman since the TV series with Adam West.

Ok, I thought, 234 pages isn't THAT long. If it sucks I won't loose too much sleep over it.

I remember looking at my watch a few pages into the story and blinked in surprise... 4 hours later! What just happened? Was the story "that" good? You bet your sweet batarang it was. A day later I finished it and made it a point to write a review to the author. But it didn't stop there, something was drawing me to read more of these stories and I quickly found another... and another... and another.

The interactions were classic, fresh and slightly endearing. Although I could clearly see through the pages that the "Mane 6" would typically stick to their TV show characterizations, the extra human elements added in were at times humorous, sad, dark or plain wrong... Dropping a human into the Equestria world seemed to be the norm but with little qerks that made each reading worth the couple hours invested.

So I ask, is anyone else absorbed by these FanFics? Whether based on Marvel characters, past movies or classic books- when did FanFic become such a huge deal? Especially in the MLP FiM universe?
I'll be around, drinking coffee and no doubt reading yet another FanFic today, anyone have thoughts to share?

Something I really needed!

I've not had one in a while so when I decided to take 13 days and go to an island in the Caribbean, people looked at me like I had a wheel coming off.

Anyhow, the vacation was great overall and I posted up some photos of the trip in my gallery if anyone wants to take a peek. The scuba diving was awesome and I got my rescue diver cert out of it (the main reason I went), also wreck diver, oxygen provider and underwater photography.

I'd go back if I could afford it but I want to hit up other dive sites too... maybe the Cayman Islands next? Huh, that won't be for another 5 years though...

You know how you can tell when a sunburn is coming on sometimes? And then other times you're like- how tha heck did I get sunburned?! Well, I got a doosy the other day being an umpire for softball. Now here, I need to clarify a few things. I DID have the forethought to put sun block on prior to the games but after 3 hours of 95+ temps... ugh.

Even better, I've never ump'd a softball game in my life. I'm humble about it- I had to "youtube" softball and look at a few things- no big deal. But I don't think I'll ever be doing that again. Just like the old adage from the 30's and 40's "Nobody likes an ump..." that's so true.

I'm not a sports/team anything player- although I suppose I'm pretty good at volleyball. And even then, I'd rather be rock climbing...

Chapter 3 of CAYA is done and out for public viewing- please let me know if it sucks or not :)

Managed to commission an artist to illustrate CAYA, so I am really hopeful that it works out! I had an illustrator back around 2001 but she went back to college and had to give up freelance work- sad really.

Getting hot here with temps touching 90 and 95 at times. Managed to hurt my knees running a 5K a couple weeks ago, odd for me since I really like running- I hope this doesn't mean I'm getting old. I mean, I FEEL old already without my body reminding me.

Going to be up for promotion in coming months, not sure if I'm ready for it yet but we'll see. I have a certain number of points already for time in position, service life, etc. Would be nice to have the pay... but not the headache.

Anyhow, don't know if I'll get much writing done in the next few months. But I did get some rock climbing photos finally. I've got to remember to post them up this coming weekend.

So, so... a new country, small changes in work, a little writing done- what a way to bring in a New Year. The Lord has blessed me indeed these past months and I see no end in sight for adventure! As I write this entry, I am breathing air closer to South America and can only find one station on the FM radio that speaks any English. A real different way of life that has to be experienced! Don't just watch some documentary on another culture- live it!

Aside from where I'm at, I have a group of folks that are interested in rock climbing. A love of mine that I latched onto when in Italy in the Alps. Here, its a little more difficult to find good rock to climb on but I have hope for a couple of areas.

On the writing front- "Come As You Are" saw great activity the past week solid and I made a conscious effort to finish Chapter 3. Wow, I have not written anything meaningful on it in over a year and it was HARD just getting back into the swing of the story! The first 3 days was me staring at the screen re-reading notes and chapters thinking "why did I write a certain part THIS way??"

After I turned off the electronics, unplugged the phone and forced myself to focus- it slowly came back to me. People around thought there was something wrong with me- no, I just had to really focus and shut everything else out.

Whew, as of the posting of this journal, I have 2 pages remaining on Chapter 3 and I'll put it up here for viewing. Should be up by the 1st or 2nd. I will breathe easier knowing I can still form full sentences with meaning!

In a scant few days I will once again be a stranger in a strange land. Seeing first hand another culture, people, places- things you only read about or see pictures of on the net.

You see, I have been all over the world to different countries through my job and have gotten to know many of the locals, customs and laws of those places. I must say it has made me a better individual for those experiences but it taxes me. Not money-wise, mind you, but in strength/endurance... spiritually challenging in ways I could never imagine by sitting at home.

I must give thanks and praise to Jesus Christ who sustains me throughout my travels, who makes straight the crocked paths, and leads me to minister to those who would need encouragement and help in a desperate hour. I am no Billy Graham, Charles H. Spurgeon or Martin Luther- but perhaps I can reach those who need a gentle word at the right time, a kind gesture to renew hope or simple words that lead them to salvation in Christ Jesus.

After this trip that will last over a year, I will return close to home- a much needed break in travels. As much as I gain richness in character from being abroad, flying isn't as fun as it once was. International travel less so!
Oh I won't stop visiting other countries and sharing Jesus, but maybe, Deo Volente, I'll have a small place to call home in a few years. Somewhere I can have friends over, fellowship- a safe haven for the weary traveler.

One day...many steps from now.

Peter Furler's song is amazing, I hope I can convince the saints to sing this in the New Jerusalem... there will be a concert, get your tickets now by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWYZ3Zy1Ri8

I figured I'd post up a few words to go along with some photos I posted concerning camping here. Alaska has a lot to offer- more than most folks realize that come here, and one of the best things to take advantage of is camping! (weather permitting of course).

I've done a bit of cold weather camping and lots of warm weather camping. I'd have to say that the colder times were most challenging but I learned a lot about myself and needed skills and items to stay warm and alive during those times.

The warmer stuff was equally fun- moreso because I could start a fire outside and enjoy the activities more. Plus if you make mistakes you won't freeze to death. Har-har, not funny I don't think. People die from exposure up here every winter.

Anyhow, I hope everyone enjoys the outdoors as much as I do!

She told us she was ready to go, and we even prayed that God would make her way peaceful. Of course, you're never really prepared even though the entire family talks about it.

Grandma wrote her hurts in sand, and carved her blessing in stone. That sand she used in her garden to plant beautiful flowers-

Do not weep for those past beyond us, for they, being in Christ are in His presence and know only the Father's eternal love and peace. Rather, mourn for yourselves, for it is we that must still endure yet a little longer. We must not belittle the sacrifices they made to ensure that we are here today. Think about those times when they did without to make certain we had enough.

To remember times when disease or old age did not restrict our fellowship as a family. When we could clearly see our blessings but did not count them.

Until we meet again Grandma... yours truly.

We should all strive to be something more than we are- God bless our men and women in uniform.

SSGT Barry Sadler, 1966, "Ballad of the Green Beret"

Fighting soldiers from the sky
Fearless men who jump and die
Men who mean just what they say
The brave men of the Green Beret

Silver wings upon their chest
These are men, America's best
One hundred men will test today
But only three win the Green Beret

Trained to live off nature's land
Trained in combat, hand-to-hand
Men who fight by night and day
Courage peak from the Green Berets

Silver wings upon their chest
These are men, America's best
One hundred men will test today
But only three win the Green Beret

Back at home a young wife waits
Her Green Beret has met his fate
He has died for those oppressed
Leaving her his last request

Put silver wings on my son's chest
Make him one of America's best
He'll be a man they'll test one day
Have him win the Green Beret.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34CXcgJURbg

Its fitting that this first Jouranl entry lands squarely on Resurrection Sunday and it is by no small coincidence that a specific song come back to me- "Let me feel you shine" by David Crowder Band. I get lost in the words which speak as though directly to me. Let me feel you shine in this dark world, Jesus shine...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmzc0FdPuR4

Let him shine in your life, Jesus, the way... the truth... and the life.
John 14:6