Vatican to protect Pope from Arrest in Retirement!

The College of Cardinals have updated their methods

 I go on vacation and slack off my blog, and what happens? The Pope resigns. Then this morning I get up thinking of what I'm going to write here, I look at the news, and I realize my plans have been dashed today. Headline from Reuters:

Pope will have security, immunity by remaining in the Vatican

Gaming Vacation

If only Hitler had Civilization 4

Normally, I play no games of any kind. With my Attention Deficit, I've got to draw the line somewhere, so I refuse to play them. I figured if I don't play them for the first time, I won't get sucked into them.

However, there was a game I got hooked on before I made that resolution: Sid Meier's Civilization. I've bought every version of it up to Civ 5.

But Civ 5 sucked, even though it had some great advances (hex rather than square tiles, limits on stacking units, elimination of transport ships.) It seems that 2k suffered layoffs like everyone in 2008.

Super Bowl and I don't Give a Shit

 For me, it's another workday.

I'm not utterly against sports. In fact, I like hockey the most. With all the other things I love from north of the border, maybe I'm a Canadian switched at birth. I can't explain it. The love of it isn't rational. In fact, hockey's about the most insane sport. I thought this last lock out would break me of the habit, but as soon as they began playing again, I was checking the scores.

Football, though, does nothing for me. Yes, I got into it when the Rams went to the Super Bowl. Yes, I watched it five years ago when invited by friends. No, I can't explain that.

But I'm sitting this one out.

About the Last Week

For the last several days, I've been preoccupied, mostly with non-writing, though I have posted around. I belatedly winterized my apartment hoping to bring my heating bills back into line; I organized my bookmarks and passwords, and I did my finances, closing out last month and budgeting this one. Last month, I broke even. Today, I did most my grocery shopping for the next two weeks today.

My writers' group suggested that I expedite things with the plot of my novel, and I've been stuck since. If this keeps up, I might not have anything to read at the meeting. Already it looks like I'll have very little.

That's probably better, because the meetings have been going long, beyond 10 pm. When you have over twenty people at meeting, and all but four of them read their allotted 2,400 words, and people critique at length, it runs long. For the group, I think I'll cut it back to 1,800 words.

The group doesn't like to turn people away, but one reason why I don't give their name is that meetings are now full. We can't afford the time for more people. 

I'm thinking of taking a "vacation" the week after this coming one. I don't mean I'm going anywhere. I can't afford to. I'll just spend a week without writing. I'll play Civilization IV (still the best one), and I'll read. Maybe not the healthiest vacation, but if the weather's not bad, I'll take walks around the neighborhood, too.