The past week has been a little hectic for me. After reviewing some of my finances, I realized that I was a little behind in them. At least for my comfort levels. So, I decided to take some overtime at work. And those 14 hour days are long. I plan on taking some more overtime over the course of the next few months, just so I can get a little ahead and make up for the past few months of recovery. 

	Unfortunately, this means that the amount of time I can dedicate to writing will most likely decrease. I’m doing what I think is right to mitigate the amount of time that will be stripped away - finding new workspaces that are closer, refocusing my efforts on projects that I feel will be more impactful and entertaining, rethinking my leisure time. That last one sounds like I’m giving up a lot to write. But, to be honest, it’s nothing too big. I’m just trying to get accustomed to writing at home with my cats crawling all over me for food and attention rather than going out to a cafe nearby. I write that mostly with playing less video games in mind. And it’s not as if I’m giving up games entirely - I’ve just again found that video games are more of a social device now rather than a purely entertainment hobby. Which means that I only really spend hours on them now if I’m playing with people I know. 

	But the biggest change that I think you all will see is the reduction of story posts. Though my new shift has a significantly lighter load than before, I still find it difficult to write. I think that there’s a block, because I’m constantly monitored by middle and upper management and when I’m at work, well, my brain is geared toward working on whatever the job is. And I’m still trying to work on being able to switch those gears back and forth so that I can at least get a little bit more done. It’ll be a process, but one that I’m looking forward to completing.

	Something I think that I’ll be posting more is poetry and prose. There’s been a lot on my mind in the past few weeks and it seems to me that I need a method other than fiction to express those thoughts. The way that I think of it is that when I write fiction, it has undertones of stuff that’s going on during the time around communities. Meanwhile, when I write poetry and prose it’s more about stuff that’s happening to me personally and in my head. Obviously, these aren’t hard rules or anything, but I think that’s what tends to usually happen. I guess I’ve just been trying to focus more on myself a bit recently, so poetry has been more on my mind.

	I’ve also been thinking of writing scripts and monologues that can make the worlds I have in mind a little more rich. Maybe a short broadcast from a Beautiful One in Memorial, a small checklist that a devout worshiper of Didis would need in the Gemlands, and maybe the notes from a meeting that a group of otherworldly animals in the still unnamed fantasy/reality world that Dennis Gomi resides in. It’s all very exciting to think about, but I know that I shouldn’t stretch myself too thin. I mean, it’s tough to even find time with what I have right now. So, this stuff may receive updates every once in a while, but nothing too regular. 

	Another thing that I’ve done recently is reach out to old acquaintances and friends to see how they’re doing. Maybe because I’m bad at meeting and maintaining new relationships, but still feel the need to have extended relationships and social circles. I don’t exactly know why I do it, but it’s a lot of fun. Partly because I’m finding out that I have fun catching up with people in big spurts over time. It’s sort of like meeting someone for the first time, except you get to use old talking points and history as fallback points to get to somewhere comfortable while trying to get new ground in your relationship. But another part I love about it is the awkwardness. It’s a lot of fun to feel that again, especially with someone who your mind knows is alright because it’s safe to revel in that awkwardness. 

	But there have been more than a few people who decide not to respond or quickly decline a chat. And that’s understandable too - people are busy, there’s probably a reason that you lost connection, the risk of getting roped into something like a multi level marketing scheme, the list of reasons not to talk to someone who sends you a message out of the blue is huge. But I’m glad that the people who do respond to me did, because it’s always a pleasure to hear from people and learn how their life has been going.

	Anyway, I hope that all is well with you all and that you eat some good food sooner rather than later.