Wherever you go, there you are.

Well, it’s been a while since I had written anything here. Several years in fact, yikes. A lot of things have changed over the past couple of years. Got a new dog, went through two new jobs over in the Space Coast, finally found a good place to work closer to home and I’m now quite happy, and of course all this crap with COVID 19.

Yeah, lots of stuff.

For the most part, putting virusy stuff aside, things are going well with us and I am working slowly but surely on a new project. I think I’m going to be removing some of the pages on the site to better reflect what I am working on now. I’ll leave the old translation stuff up (as meh as it was, guess I wasn’t cut out for that it seemed) for posterity.

A little about what I am doing now: I’m working on a new book (well an idea at the moment) and this time around in order to resolve some of my output issues, I’m using voice dictation and Dragon Professional to transcribe the recording in order to create my draft. So far in my tests it’s worked well with an excellent Shure microphone and I think I’ve finally found a way to get around my output issues. Time will tell though.

I plan on posting more thoughts and updates here and eventually create a new page for the book that I am working on, finally giving this site the main reason for its existence. In the meantime though, I’ll be posting my random mutterings here and there.

Thanks for reading!

I wish it had started off with my finishing my PMP certification, but alas it turns out that I need a lot more studying in order to get through that bear of a test. So I had now pushed the test back to February 25th.

While it does suck that I wasn’t able to take it when I wanted, I would much rather pass it after extending my study time instead of taking it immediately and fail it.

Ah well, at least the rest of the new year seems to be progressing forward. Hope the hear some good news soon.

Figured I would at least do the last post of the year since I say I would be posting more often. Will see you all next year when I plan on doing the following items (loosely referred to as “resolutions”) :

1. Update stories on my site: Some of the stories I have are not current, so I plan on updating the stories that are posted with more recent work.
2. Serialize some short stories for monetary gain: Even though I will be posting things to my site, I would like to see if I can perhaps serialize something on Amazon Shorts.
3. Write and then submit a story for publication: Need to write more self-contained short stories.
4. Start working out again: Self-explanatory.
5. Continue my education: After I finish my PMP test (hopefully) I want to continue with learning some more project management techniques as well as pursue some more technical certifications (Linux would be one).
6. Learn a programming language: Thinking of Ruby on Rails but not 100% sure.
7. Do a little more traveling: Not even internationally, some road trips would be great.
8. Write more blog posts of substance. (unlike this one)
9. Do other things of note. (unlike writing this particular post)

Also wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Talk to you next week!

Not too much to say happened, but some of the major things I can point out:

1. I’m not a translator: Try as I might, it was just something that I ended up putting too much of my time into and finding little in return. The thoughts that people would also read some of my original works as well didn’t come through. Add to that my speed was no where near as fast as people would like and it all comes out to that my time was best spent elsewhere. Ah well, was interesting to try.
2. Server crash: As much fun as it is to maintain your own blog and server, it isn’t fun when you have hardware that likes to conk out on you and then you end up being offline for a while. Finally decided on giving up the ghost on maintain my own servers and went back to a NAS. At least the good thing is that the one I selected can run WordPress so I don’t have to worry about finding a host and what not, but still multi-month outage = Not fun.
3. Work Changes: Several changes happened at my job and not all for the better. Not going to go into it here but if you know me you know to what I refer to.
4. Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification: One of the bigger changes (and alluding to what is mentioned in the pic) that happened most recently. Decided to try and improve myself, but now I have to do something I haven’t done in years: Study and Taking a Test. Ugh, thought I left that behind after I finished my Master’s, but this will definitely help with my career. Hope to have it done before the end of the year, but we’ll see.
5. Writing Re-Start: One of the good things to come out recently. I found a new task manager, Habitica, which has helped me to pursue my goals more seriously (as well as incentivize completing them) and I actually find myself writing a lot more than I had previously. Surprising to say the least.

So, those were some of the things that happened this year. Hoping the next year will definitely move things forward. I’ve also made a goal to post some more on this blog so you’ll be hearing more from me in the coming weeks.

Anyways, time to get back to writing (and studying).

Unless, of course, there’s someone who’d be willing to help with the translation. If someone can help me with the translation then I can definitely take care of the editing. Of course, since I know there is another group out there who is translating the series I at least know there probably won’t be a great rush to help here, but I figured it was worth a shot mentioning it.

As far as my original works go, I’m continuing to write them but instead of posting 1K word segments, I’ve decided to go ahead and write longer, more traditional chapters. For example, 1-2 of Phantom Star has already been written, but I’ve decided to hold onto it until I finish the chapter and then post it in one shot. The same thing will go for all my other stories as well.

If anyone would rather see the shorter segments, feel free to drop me a line. If everything goes as planned, I should be posting the completed 1st chapter of Phantom Star some time this month.

Just as a side note, it’s only been recently I’ve been writing more prolifically again after a long dry spell so that’s the main reason for holding off translating. Maybe when things stabilize, or I can get someone to help with translations, I’ll come back to it. But that’s it for now. I’ll leave up what I have posted for the time being since the other group has not done the earlier chapters from what I can tell.

Thanks for reading!

So far the response has been great on the translated project. Not so much on the original projects, but I attribute that to my slow updates and the fact that most of the stories have just started.

As far as the slow updates are concerned: It won’t be changing anytime soon because of work/life/assassinations, etc. I bring this up as a reminder that I run this site in my free time and mostly as a way to put up my own works, and also because I do enjoy translating. I try to be as timely as possible but I also make no guarantees on where and when I will post an update.

I mention this since I know some other sites will post faster than I will, and you are more than welcome to go there for your fix. But, if you’re interested in a higher quality product (or at least I believe it to be) then feel free to stick around, I’m glad to have you here.

Thanks for reading!

Also, there was much goofing off at the time, but I’ll bet you didn’t think I would point that out, huh? ^_^

Suffice it to say during that time, I didn’t get much writing or translating done, but now I’m back in the thick of things and plan on posting the next translated installment this month as well as posting the next updates on my original works.

Either way, stay tuned for updates and thanks for your patience!

Enjoy!

One Person, Rising Up

Kurando felt the gentle caress of a breeze against his face.

He opened his eyes and realized he was inside of a cave because of the light coming in through the entrance.

The distant, shining, light exposed a world of blue and white beyond the cavern’s mouth..

Unsteady on his feet, Kurando was drawn to view outside and rushed toward the entrance of the cave.

The cold air bit into his skin and irritated the back of his nose, but it didn’t bother him.

What he saw were endless sky and white mountains.

Looking up, he also saw a not so big bird thing flying across the sky.

Also, on the opposite mountain slope, there was a strange looking, long, white, cat-like creature striding along a ridge.

He realized he was finally free from everything, released from all obligations.

Sure there would be inconveniences and troubles, but he felt such a deep emotion from throwing away both prejudice and pride. He was able to put the entire situation, appearances and lack of salary all behind him.

How long had it been like that?

Kurando felt a sudden chill. It’s understandable to feel this way when he only had a white towel wrapped around his neck and wore a long-sleeved, black V-neck, with grey overalls, a crappy analog watch and blue boots which seemed ok when working as a janitor but weren’t suited for a snow-covered mountain.

Kurando returned to the depths of the cave with the feeling it might be a lot more difficult to get out of this place.

In the back of the cave, Kurando found a large, moss-green rucksack enshrined in a nearby passage.

Kurando remembered this was what had been promised by the Goddess.

With the view outside, the interior of this cave, and having been in a white space with only a voice, he finally understood he really had been brought to some other world and time.

Kurando sat down right where he was.

He casually stuck his hand into the rucksack’s opening, but found nothing within.

There was supposed to be food and water for a year, a magic spellbook, and a knife, but there’s nothing inside the rucksack.

The thought came to Kurando that perhaps he only had to think about what he wanted.

Maybe if he thought of a specific food…

Like some rice or crackers? Or perhaps bread?

While he thought about it, something like a long stick touched his hand.

What he took out seemed like French bread. Looking at it carefully, and noticed it had an almost cookie-like consistency made into the shape of a small baguette. He guessed it was something like a handheld pastry.

“Guess I eat this…”

Kurando’s small, dejected voice carried throughout the interior of the cave.

He could make more of the pastry appear as many times as he wanted. Water would also appeared in a small cask. Lastly, he was able to pull out a largish knife and a magic spellbook without any issue.

Apparently, this rucksack seemed to hold a large quantity of things contrary to its appearance.

Everything except the knife was replaced into the rucksack. Kurando then stood up.

It was getting dark outside.

Before it became completely dark, he needed to find somewhere to sleep.

Sleeping in this wind-swept passage wouldn’t be possible.

Knife in his right hand, he advanced deeper into the cave.

The dusky cave was about two people wide, with a height of thirty centimeters over Kurando’s 170 centimeters. There was no moss on the walls of the cave and there were no other scents other than the smell of earth.

Kurando didn’t sense anyone’s presence ahead.

Still, as carefully as he could, he continued into the depths.

Fortunately, it seemed no one had ever reached the deepest part of this cave.

Ahead, there was an empty space of about six tatami mats.

When the light finally stopped coming through the entrance, he slept.

He might be defenseless, but it was a fact there wasn’t anything he could do about it. With that defiant attitude, Kurando slept.

Kurando awoke to a roaring sound within the dim light of the inside of the cave.

He had been able to sleep last night, even if it become a bit chilly. Although it didn’t get too much colder than it was now.

Wiping away the last signs of sleep, Kurando found himself invited back into the passageway by a faint light coming in.

The scenery he had seen yesterday was now obscured by a blizzard.

Nonetheless, the diffuse morning sunlight still managed to come into the cave.

The farther forward he advanced in the passage, the colder the temperature fell as well as inversely affecting Kurando’s state of wakefulness.

After about ten steps, Kurando felt as if he were going to freeze and turned back around.

A thought occurred to him as he quickly returned to the room.

A door and heating would be needed immediately, but something also needed to be done about light.

Just like around the same season in Japan, he’ll die if he didn’t take care of all those things.

Without it, he would die.

He could say it with certainty.

After all, Kurando had firsthand experience.

To survive one has to let death roll on by like a stone.

Also, it would be disappointing to die when there should be some magic (method) to avoid it.

Kurando trotted back to the small room in the cave, dug the magic spellbook from the rucksack and started to devour what was on its pages.

Fortunately, the paper was high quality and thick, so it didn’t have thin pages like some encyclopedias did.

It also looked like he could read the alphabet without problem.

Kurando began his studies in survival.

Yes, I must be insane, but I’m having fun while falling into the abyss. ^_^

Even though I know there isn’t much traffic on the comments (except for the translated works) I hope you’re enjoying them as much as I do writing them. If you do like them, please feel free to tell me in comments. Your feedback would be great! (and motivating ^_-)

On that note, I wanted to see if any of you might be interested in becoming beta readers for some of the next stories. Being a beta reader isn’t difficult. All I need is for someone to read through the new posts and tell me what they think; if something needs improvement, or they just didn’t like it, etc. I don’t need a copy editor (I’m actually pretty good at that myself) but I’m looking more for people to give the story a once over and tell me if it seems to be on target and not going off in a nasty direction.

If you’re interested, feel free to post a comment, or message me through the About Me page.