I finished a video game?...

Yes! I did!

Okay, I suppose a little context is in order here. You see, for many years I played World of Warcraft and pretty much nothing but World of Warcraft. And the thing about World of Warcraft is… you don’t finish it. You never finish it. Even if you finish it, you don’t finish it.

So, I quit WoW a while back and moved on with my life – first, I got a life. Eventually, I hankered for a new game for my PC and found a little thing called Just Cause 2.

I got there in a roundabout way. First, I decided to load my old GTA games – Vice City, San Andreas, you know – only to learn that they run like hell (when they run at all) on Windows 7. Dammit! Okay, lesson learned. I moved on from there to GTA IV, which ran fine… just fine… just… yawn… fine.

Ugh! There was just something missing from GTA IV. The game plays like a great mob movie but not like a great game, you know? I wanted something new and exciting, something that allowed me to spread havoc and chaos. I wanted Just Cause 2!

From the day I bought it – just over $10 on Steam – I couldn’t stop playing it. With the mods I installed, I could use my grappling hook to go anywhere I wanted with ease. I loved it!

And then, the moment came when I finished it… I mean FINISHED it! I hadn’t finished a video game in so long it actually took me by surprise! I found myself wondering, “Why doesn’t this cut scene end?”

But then, it was done.

What next?

Why, another game of Just Cause 2, of course! I think I’m going to have to play this at least a couple of more times – not because the story is so great but because the visceral thrill of it is such a blast!

I suppose you could say that’s a good review. Anyway, I have to go.

I have a game calling me…

A little time away…

Vicky is in San Francisco this week... the bitch.

As some of you may know, our wedding anniversary is coming up on September 24th and me being an out of work bum means I don’t have much I can give her by way of a present. That feels pretty shitty, to be honest. Our year hasn’t gone quite the way we had hoped, and that includes my book sales and my inability to find a job.

Fortunately, I just signed a contract on a new part-time job, just signed a contract with a new agent, and recently signed a distribution deal for my audio book – so things are turning around.

I guess I’ve been thinking about this so much today because, simply put, I miss her. Vicky and I talk on the phone every night and almost every morning and we text each other off and on during the day but I am just going crazy with how much I miss her. And did I mention our anniversary marks seven years of marriage? Seven years! And I’m crazier about her now than when we first met!

The funny thing is, I know what’ll happen when she gets back. She’ll be tired and busy and I’ll be busy, too. We’ll have a few moments here and there, a few kisses and hugs, and a little time to hold each other on the sofa – but mostly, we’ll be working.

I kinda hate that.

Still, I know that’s how we are. And maybe that’s why I’m so crazy about her, because I never have the opportunity to get bored.

In case you’re wondering, yes, I am leaving out what’ll happen just after she walks through the door. I think she better watch out, though, because I’m getting some ideas…

Off my ass…

As you probably know, I am an avid cycler. I enjoy taking my bike for rides of up to 50, 80, 100 miles…

… oh, wait. Not anymore. I used to be an avid cycler, but my bike has suffered some problems and I can’t quite afford to get things fixed.

Oh well. As you probably know, I’ve really gotten into jogging. I like to jog on the Santa Ana River over 10 miles…

… oh, wait. I used to be into jogging but I burned through my shoes and can’t afford new ones.

These problems could be solved once I find a job or if I sell some books… but no luck so far.

So, what I decided to do is take up a different form of exercise and I started doing this bodyweight workout. And the thing is, it is killing me! I’m not kidding. I am busting my ass doing the…

… wait, I should tell you I’m not exactly doing that workout. I’m actually doing just about 50% of it, and I’ve had to build to that. I am not exactly what you would call the picture of health… unless you’re talking about a very wide frame.

But, you know what? I’m doing it. And, yes, it is kicking my ass but it’s also getting me off my ass and for an hour every morning, give or take, I am outside working up a sweat. I have refused to let my financial situation get in the way of staying – or just getting – healthy.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to put my ass in a sling.

Remember 9/11?

Remember 9/11?

I’ll remember 9/11 the same way I remember the Gulf of Tonkin or “Remember the Maine!”, simply as reasons the United States used to go to war.

I wonder how the hundreds of thousands we killed in Iraq would remember 9/11. I wonder how the hundreds of thousands we killed in Afghanistan would remember 9/11. I wonder how the victims of drone strikes and those illegally detained and those held in secret prisons in our name would remember 9/11.

How do I remember 9/11? I remember it as a day in which America took the wrong path and just said “Fuck it. Let’s kill some brown people.” You know… just another day.

Life is change…

If you’ve been reading my blogs for some time, this may come as no surprise to you. And if you just started, it’ll give you some idea of what I’m about.

But I gotta tell you, one thought has stood out in my mind recently: All Life Is Change.

We see it all around us. Heck, just check Facebook or your Twitter feed. For that matter, consider how much has changed for there to be such a thing as Facebook or anything called Twitter.

In my own life, I’ve been seeing change all around me. Some of it is good, and you can read more about it over on the Ken La Salle blog. Some of it, well, ain’t so good. But, you know what? It’s my life and I have to kind of accept it.

… Begrudgingly…

Things have been tough in the old La Salle home. Vicky has been doing an amazing job, keeping things going while I try to make this writing career work. I’m not kidding. She’s wonderful. I wouldn’t be where I am without her. Every day, she impresses me with just how smart and creative and conscientious she is, and so much more. But, I know that’s not enough. She’s doing all she can but money is tight and somewhere, I need to come up with money.

I won’t lie. The books have not been selling well and things aren’t moving as fast as I’d like. Worse, some deals I thought would work out just haven’t. I’m so happy to announce any good news because so many times things I think will be good news just don’t work out. So, I’ve been looking for part-time work so I can continue this path but, as you can probably guess, the job market isn’t really there with the jobs. No matter how much I apply or many jobs I apply for, I can’t exactly say things are working out.

And that makes me sad because I don’t want Vicky to pull all the weight, no matter how great she’s been about it. I want to help out.

Now, as I said, there is good news coming down the line and mentioned over on the other blog but those are long-term deals and we need short-term fixes.

What’ll I do? I’ll keep on working on what I’ve been working on. I’ll look for work. I’ll keep writing. I’ll keep at the business of being a writer. I’ll do it all every day and hope for the best, which I figure is about all I can do at this point.

You know, the other day someone referred to me and my writing career as if I must be wealthy because I’m published. What they don’t realize is that I’m only taking the first steps in a long journey, a journey that can go wrong anywhere along the way. I laughed at the thought that someone thought I was wealthy, and then it occurred to me just how misunderstood I was for someone to think that. I can’t begrudge someone who doesn’t know me for making an assumption. But I can try to speak a little truth to it.

I won’t repost the links to the books here. You know where to find them. They’re on my website at www.kenlasalle.com. I’d love if you could pick up a copy of one of my books. Most of them are cheaper than lunch.

My goal in all of this is to make writing my career and to make a decent living at it. Vicky’s goals are a bit loftier and I hope she’s right. In the meantime, life keeps changing and I keep on changing with it.