Indeed, the updates on both blogs have become only sporadic, and if you're a fan of the Draft Distro, it's been dry as of late. Even my Facebook and Twitter presence has been abbreviated, simply because... well, I'm busy! So, to try to shame myself into actually doing some of the projects I would like to undertake, I am going to publicly list them to see if that will kick in my “I should DO this” sense. I doubt it will help, but who knows?
Record an album- Ever since I got my Mac with Garage Band built in I have toyed with the idea of recording music. Sure, I'm thinking cover album, but it would be fun to interpret some songs. Periodically I write down music I want to play around with recording, after seeing if I can put a Dan-spin on it. Gnarles Barkley's “Crazy” is on that list, along with the old standard “Satisfied Mind.” The biggest roadblock (besides time, which is the main factor slowing progress on all of these things) is that I have NOT been playing enough guitar this last year, and may need to downright relearn the mandolin. Bad on me. Very bad.
Finish the Johnny Duncan novel- If you've been over to the DDO, you've seen my detective, Johnny Duncan, and even read his first chapter. The whole thing started as a story on the original Draft Distro, and those four short stories form the outline for the overall novel. I am about five chapters in, but damn it's not just time on that, but mindset. I am not always in the right mental place to channel my inner Raymond Chandler, and when I am, it's usually while I am driving somewhere. One day, Johnny, you and me...
Finish all the scratchbuilds I have started- Look, I'm a crappy model builder, but I love doing it, and I love cobbling together parts to make new things. I currently have two Star Trek models sitting there waiting to be finished: one is an original design incorporating the Vulcan style ring nacelle into a Starfleet saucer and linear nacelle configuration. The other is based on the images from Doug Drexler's blog, which upgrades the NX-01 from Star Trek: Enterprise to having a secondary hull. Additionally, I want to rebuild the 1:18th scale bridge I built for my Star Trek action figures, and hope to convert one of the new “Agent Helix” figures from the G.I. Joe line into a modern Lady Jaye. Time, time, time...
Write a comic book- several scripts lying around, need a good artist. Simple fact is though, then I FIND an artist who will deliver, I will fall behind on scripts, and then I'll be no better than Jim Lee or Grant Morrison. Some of these comics include “The Bulge,” which sets Battle of the Bulge-like tank warfare in outer space; “Paragon,” a superhero who is all back and white, no gray areas, and truly loves what he does; “S.T.E.L.L.A.R.,” which tells the story of two future rivals, one a space pirate in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the other an agent of a tyrannical Human empire who's job is to track down the pirate; “Anna and The Human Tank,” about two children turned into weapons of mass destruction who find each other, and decide to retire from all the killing...if they can escape. None of these are coming soon to a comic shop near you.
Start an anonymous Twitter/Blog- Can't tell you what it's about because then it wouldn't be anonymous. I am however all about making points through pseudonyms! Sometimes a message needs to be separated from the one who delivers it. Of course, with how rarely I update the named blogs, that one's a ways off.
Script and film a movie- if you look over on the DDO, you will find “Down With the Sickness” in the original stories, horror section. It's all in my head how that needs to be filmed into a 20 minute short film, with just a few actors and a single set. Quite an undertaking though. Time AND money on that one...
Make more G.I. Joe photo comics- done a few, they are lots of fun if you don't mind wandering around with a camera and a bag of toys to find the right place to shoot the pictures. And, I don't mind.
Read the complete Sherlock Holmes- read a few as a kid, and have the full collection. Recently saw the Guy Ritchie movie version and loved it. Think I now have the maturity to digest 19th Century writing and adventure, need to take these in like I did the ERB Tarzan a couple of years ago.
Train for a half marathon- should be easy right? I mean I already did the full one. The “Mount Lemmon” half-marathon is 13.1 miles uphill. That's going to take prep I am not sure I have the time (or lungs) to accomplish.
So, that's the short list of undone things lying in my head and on my work table and on my hard drive. There's a short gap between semesters coming up, so maybe I can get something done there. Otherwise, looks like I might have a pretty full retirement!
