Patrick Alan

This is usually a good sign. My head is swirling with thoughts. All sorts of thoughts. Ideas for posts I would like to write. Scenes for my Work Stalled in Progress. Ideas of how the Patriots are going to win the Super Bowl. Home improvement projects.

Oh yes! The machine is starting up again. Or at least it is close to starting up. It’s sort of like hearing the engine want to turn over, but the starter hasn’t kicked it yet. It’s close, but it hasn’t kicked over yet.

The most important thing is how are the Patriots going to defeat the Ravens. It’s easy really. The Ravens will attack the Patriots the same way the Jets did. This means they have already prepared and tested what will and will not work against that defense. The Patriots will find their identity and rhythm soon enough. I’m really liking the defense. I don’t think a shut out is out of the question at some point this year. The offense will eventually hit its stride and when it does, watch out.

I think I am going to try writing some words before I go into work this morning. I am not usually a pre-work writer, but it can’t hurt to try.

Running Running Running

This is just a note to say I am not really all here. There’s no truth to being away from my computer, given my job and all that, but my brain is not here.

I’m trying to keep up with things, but not really contributing much. I am hoping this situation is resolved soon, but this may go on through January.

I’m seeing a lot going around about asking favors – with the Scalzi and Olsen posts out there.

I’ll raise my hand and say I have probably overstepped bounds at one time or another.(And by the way, if I did, sorry.) I have to say, it’s one of the big challenges. I mean, everyone wants the best feedback possible. Obviously, the published authors you know are the best. Right? Not always, but that’s a different topic.

Being an unpublished writer in a writers group is an odd experience. It’s like interning. You’re a peer/co-worker, but you aren’t. At least you feel like you aren’t.

At what point do you earn enough credibility to ask the published authors(in your loop) to read your stuff? Who likes you enough that they would do it? How do you know which ones absolutely hate giving feedback? It’s a skill. It’s different than writing. Not all writers are good at it.

I don’t know. Maybe it’s me. I have a hard time asking favors. I agonize over asking for help. I’m always concerned about following proper channels. This is even more true in my day job. Lots of this going on lately. It kills me when I feel my only choice is to bypass proper channels. I just don’t like asking people to do extra work because of me.

Writing is even weirder. I mean, is it appropriate to ask someone to read what they are working on? Can you offer feedback if they aren’t asking? If someone asks you for feedback, should you let them read something of yours? I can’t even fathom what the proper channels are outside of workshops or contests. Everything seems like a huge imposition to me. What’s the etiquette? If we’re both unpublished, is it ok? If published authors are within 5 books of each other?

At least in my day job there are official channels and I tell people when and why I am breaking them and give them the option of redirecting me. I don’t know what those are in writing.

So, yeah. I’m not asking you to read my stuff and I am not asking to read your stuff, if it isn’t published. I’m not saying I don’t want you to read my stuff and I don’t want to read your stuff. I’m just saying, I’m not asking. Freaks me out…

What a fun week in the market. I’m making money.

The weird thing about playing in the market is that you can make money and feel like you lost.

Yes, I do mean playing. I have play money. I categorize it in the same vein that I would blackjack money or poker money. If I make money, great. If I lose it, it was fun anyway.(No offense to real poker players who really know how to play.)

It’s not a lot of my money that I play with, just some.

Some of that being in, of all companies to gamble on, MGM.

I was just talking(email) with my brother about this.

MGM just went on a tear. It’s been a big gainer for several days straight and as near as I can tell it is all based on an analyst changing his position on WYNN.

Holding on to some shares of MGM that I like to sell options on, I tried to guess where the peak was. It’s all well past the point of making money for me, now it’s just a matter of how much. And so I guessed yesterday that it was close to the peak just before market close.

And then it just continued to rise today. See, I made money. 9%. Potentially 40% (I sold option contracts, so I got 9% now. If the stock stays under the option strike through Oct, I keep my shares. Over, I get the other 30%)

If I had held out until today, I would have made 18% up front.

And somehow I feel like I lost money even though in my worst case, I have the opportunity to sell the stock again in 30 days.

Yesterday, I was told that you aren’t supposed to wear the same shoes every day. Shoes need a day of rest. I believe this. I would like well-rested shoes. My new shoes need to rest.

I think the squeak from my old shoes was actually the gel insert. I’m going to wear those today.

Maybe it isn’t rest. Maybe it’s just time to not smell…