Days 47 thru 51... Won in Overtime

"I look up to the sky

And now the World is mine

I've known it all my life

I made it, I made it"

-- "I Made It" by Kevin Rudolf

I guess I liked doing my Lent challenge so much, I decided to continue doing it until I finished Script Frenzy; which I just did about an hour ago.

To say the past seven and a half weeks didn't have it's ups and downs goes without saying. Some people thought I wouldn't be able to last 47 days without gambling. Others said there was no way I could write 13 TV scripts within 30 days. Now, here it is, the afternoon of April 28th, and I can proudly say that not only have I accomplished both feats, I've done them beyond the initial expectations: 51 days without buying a lotto product, and 312 pages of script written in just four weeks.

I'll admit, I've had my weaknesses; whether it be battling the temptation to cave and buy one instant lottery ticket, or getting up in the morning and not feeling like writing. And while there was a couple days where my muse decided to take a day off during those four weeks, I kept at it. Staying true to my word, putting my head down, and writing like the wind.

It didn't help matters when thanks to the Amazon Web Services outage last week that my muse thought it was a good time to make a run for it. Had it been successful in its escape, I probably would have a lot of time on my hands, and left myself open to a possible relapse. But I was able to corral it and reharness my will and drive to push forth on both my tasks.

So here it is, I now have a clearer conscience about myself, and a distinct glow of accomplishment. To celebrate my current milestone, I'm currently sipping on a pint of my favourite beer, Moosehead Lager -- which I'm hoping to finish and dispose the evidence before my roommate comes home. Next up on my agenda is the so-called "Wrap Party" taking place Sunday night at a bistro downtown. It'll be nice to see everyone again. I didn't get much of a chance to socialize; only attending two writing sessions during the month. But then again, when you're trying to write over 300 pages in 30 days, hanging out with friends isn't high on your list of priorities. Hmmm, maybe that's why some folks think I'm "creepy."

Anyway, thank you everyone for joining me on this crazy ride that's spanned nearly two months. Your support has been a blessing through every step of the way. You guys and gals are the best.

Until next time (whenever that is), the views may be from the outside, but now I'm going to enjoy this beer and totally relax.

Days 44, 45, 46, and part of 47... The Final Metres

If I was a horse at the Kentucky Derby right now, I'd be hearing the famous words, "And down the stretch they come!"

As I pen this, there is about 9 hours left on Easter Sunday. Day 47 is finally here, and I've taken a break from script writing and playoff hockey watching to reflect on the past few days.

I was in a near panic the past few days when the website for Script Frenzy went down; a victim of the Amazon Web Services Cloud outage this weekend. Now, most people would find that somewhat aggravating that they wouldn't be able to hop onto FourSquare or any other site that would be affected by the outage. However, for someone who has some OCD tendencies, like I apparently seem to experience, the inability to update my page count and see how I'm fairing against others was nerve-wracking.

It got so bad that I actually took all of Friday and a good chunk of Saturday off from writing; fearing that I had lost the will to scribe the final 72 pages I was hoping to pen before the end of the month. But fear not, blog follower. I actually hauled out my pen and notepad and started to jot away dialogue while watching Game 5 of the Boston vs. Montreal series; a game that ended up going into double overtime. By the time I finished my handscratches and typed them out onto the computer, I had written 7/12 of the 11th episode of my "season". I was getting back into the groove again. I just finished hammering out the balance of the episode earlier this afternoon. And now have just 2 more episodes, or 48 pages to pen within the next 6 days. To paraphrase Constable Benton Fraser, "I can do this. I am a Screnzy-ist."

I just have to learn to stay clear of watching televised poker during my downtimes. I found out once while watching it, my itch was starting to come back. But I held true to my word. I changed the channel, cracked open a 710 mL (25 oz.) bottle of Diet Coke, and plotted my next episode's course in my head. Sometimes a good writer needs to chart a better course while he has some basic idea of navigation.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but Game 6 of Philadelphia vs. Buffalo is about to come on. I don't want to miss that. Go Sabres!

Days 41, 42 & 43... Complaining About the Weather

If there's one thing I don't like about this time of year, it's the unpredicatability of the weather.

Now, I know that early spring in Toronto can get somewhat crazy weather-wise, but this past week has been off the charts on the ludicrous scale. I mean, dull and dreary days in mid-April go without saying, but that's usually attributed to a reasonable amount of rainfall. This is not the case this year.

For the past few days, it has been unseasonably cold, and I kid you not, there has been actual snow flurries at this time of the year. Snow, on April 17th.. I liked the sight of it at first, but when there were a few scattered flakes during the couple of days afterwards, I found it rather much.

The weather forecasting professionals attribute this to the La Nina effect that's going on in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ecuador. That's where the cool waters have an adverse reaction on the weather in my part of the world. I just find it rather unwelcome and wish for Mother Nature to bring Spring back to where it rightfully belongs.

They do say the temperatures are going to start heading back to normal over the next week, but I just wish they could put Old Man Winter to rest for good this year; at least until late November when it's time for the Santa Claus Parade. That'll be the optimal time for the cold and snow to return.

But for the time being, I'll just stay curled up in my apartment and drink a nice hot cup of tea; wishing for sunny days, green grass, and spending a Sunday afternoon watching a ball game at Christie Pits.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but only 4 more days til I've successfully completed my Lent challenge.

Days 39 & 40... Entering The Home Stretch

40 days... I can't believe it's been that long already.

I was checking the calendar earlier today and when I saw what today was, I was surprised to learn that I've been able to stick it out for this long.

It was on Wednesday, March 9th that I began this quest during Lent where I vowed to give up gambling, specifically lottery product purchases for the nearly 7 week duration. And now here it is, Monday, April 18th (well, its Monday when I'm writing this for Sunday) : forty days down, seven more to go.

To say I haven't had my ups and downs so far on this road is an understatement. It's not easy for someone who's addicted to something to quit cold turkey. There's always the occasional urge to relapse by saying, "I just need one more hit. One hit won't hurt me." But the fact of the matter is, if you do take that one hit, you run the risk of returning to your old ways. Fortunately for me, I have ignored those voices for almost six weeks now. Sure, there's been the odd call out, but I've stayed on the straight and narrow.

Now here it is, one more week; just one more week, and I can finally say I've stayed true to my word. Now, I'm not saying that when Easter is over and done with I'll revert back to my old ways. Lord knows I've thought about it. But I am hoping to do it in a more controlled manner than I did before; limiting myself to just one sports parlay lotto ticket a week, if I even feel like plunking down the four dollars or so that week.

One thing is for certain, I can say I've accomplished quite a bit in battling my demons so far. Now, it's up to me to finish the job for this one final week.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I've also set a personal best for script writing: 206 pages in 17 days. I think I've earned a day off today.

Day 38... New Venue Writing

While a change of scenery can be good for creative juices, trekking to where you've never been before can be more inspiring.

I've previously talked about writing at a different venue previously. However, today I did something different: I went out to write at a place I've never written before. Allow me to explain, I decided to venture out from my abode to write in a library tonight. But I didn't want to write at the ones I'm familiar with; whether it be the one a mile up the street, or the one four miles away.

No, this time I wanted to write at a library that I had never been to before. A library that was massively spacious, and ontop of all else, a library I don't recall ever venturing into before. Tonight, I found such a place. The only thing is, this place was thirteen and a half miles (21.7 km) northwest of my apartment.

The library I speak of is the North York Central Library, located beside the former North York Municipal Offices; just off of Yonge Street between Sheppard and Finch. The place is massive; sporting 6 floors of books and reference material -- one floor, its basement, entirely designated a study area. Upon seeing it I thought, "This would be a perfect place for some quiet, power writing." There was only one slight problem: trying to find a seat in this mammoth book depository.

Sure, I could have parked myself on the Study Area basement, but I thought it might be a smidge too noisy for my liking. So I decided to check all of the other floors, and check I did; climbing flights of stairs in the process. I was able to find an available desk up on the fifth floor. Upon arriving at my spot, I noticed a distinct silence around me. To me, it felt like pure serenity; the optimal environment to toil away on what's now the eighth episode of my sitcom.

I took my seat, pulled out my notepad and pen and started writing like the wind. Line after line of dialogue went from my brain onto the pages. By the time I was finished, I had amassed 1-1/2 sheets of handwritten script scratching; which I would type out in Celtx on my computer at home later. When typed out, it translated into seven formatted pages. Not bad work for an hour's time in the library, if I do say so myself.

I think I'll have to make a note of this venue in the future. This could rival the Toronto Reference Library at Yonge and Bloor for spacious serentity to accomplish some serious writing.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but now I gotta find a hiding place for my roommate's birthday gift. It's not for another week, but I got it while I was out tonight.

Days 35, 36, & 37... @#$% Microsoft!

Oh dear.. another 3 day lull in between posts. This is not good. I need to pick up the pace. Although, my posting lackness can be attributed to something.

About a week or so ago, I updated to the new Microsoft Internet Explorer 9. I know some people rag on Microsoft products, but I tend to have a certain level of familiarity to them. So when I found out the update was available to the general public, I downloaded and installed it. It had a different look and feel to it, but it still did the job at surfing the web and allowing me to post on all of my social feeds... all of them except one.

When I attempted to do my first blog entry in IE9, I ran into a slight problem: it wouldn't allow me to publish my posts. I could still type them out and save drafts of them, but every time I clicked on the "Publish Post" button, I would get no response. No refreshing of the screen to tell me that my entry had been successfully published. This was a problem that would begin to frustrate me.

I wracked my brain over ways to get around this glitch. Downloading and installing Firefox would be a solution most people would suggest, but I didn't want to fumble around with installing additional plug-ins for something I would only use sporadically. That's when it came to me: when I downloaded the latest version of iTunes, the people at Apple roped me into downloading their web browser, Safari 5 along with it.

So I fired it up, fumbled my way around to getting my blog hosting site into my Bookmarks on there, and attempted to write my first post using Apple's browser. To my luck, I was successful, and I've been using it to make my postings on here ever since. The only problem is, I usually forget that I have to fire Safari up to make my musings public, so I complete space and neglect writing them up in the first place. Maybe I should reorganize my desktop so I can have the shortcut to Safari more predominantly visible as a reminder of me to keep you guys up to date on me.

At least it's still keeping me away from the overall temptation of "you know what."

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but now I have the urge to sink my teeth into a nice crispy Ida Red.

Days 32, 33, & 34... Art Imitating Life

My apologies, dear readers, for the lack of an update the past three days. I've been occupied with working on my Script Frenzy project recently to the point where I've neglected to keep you all posted on my progress. My bad.

So, what's been going on with me this past weekend? Well, I've been taking a little time out for me where my roommate and I attended a hockey game on Saturday afternoon. We witnessed the Toronto Marlies, the minor league affiliate of the hometown pro squad, the Maple Leafs -- who missed the playoffs again for the seventh straight year (if you include the year of the lockout) -- defeat the Rochester Amercians, the farm club of the Florida Panthers, by a final score of 6-5. I had to laugh over the game because my roommate and I decided to be a couple of trolls and went to the match-up wearing the Americans' merchandise we picked up when we were in Rochester last February for a lacrosse game between the Toronto Rock and the Rochester Knighthawks. We were getting a few cat calls from the Marlies' fans and even had a bit of jovial rapport with the Marlies' mascot, "Duke" the Dog; even doing a bit where we were being escorted out of the arena with him. It was all in good fun, and we both enjoyed ourselves.

Otherwise, I've been logging the pages for my April writing challenge. I was going to work on the fifth episode where I hit a roadblock in my creative thinking. The episode involves one of the main character's trying to deal with the brother of the other main character. The brother does not get along with main character #2 and his dad, and main character #1 believes he couldn't be all that bad. You can pretty much surmise what happens next. However, as I was plugging away at the Teaser (the lead-in segment to the episode), I didn't know how I wanted it to progress. I was concerned about giving away too much too early and didn't know how to approach it. So instead, I decided to skip ahead and try my luck at writing the planned sixth episode.

Now, those who remember me saying in an entry earlier this past week, this was the episode that was the most personal and current to me. For those who need a quick refresher, in this episode, main character #1 was battling a gambling problem and was using it as an escape from other issues he had. As you all know, I'm currently (and still) in the midst of my Lent project where I'm abstaining from gambling for the 47-day "Holy Fasting" period. My mission in this episode is to spin my Lent challenge into a topic for this one character. The only differences being, the character's abstinence challenge would be for a 31-day period instead of 47, and if the character was successful, main character #2 would treat him to a weekend in Niagara Falls. For the record, I have not established any type of tangible reward for the successful completion of my Lent challenge; just a clearer conscience that I really don't need to use gambling as an emotional crutch. However, one of my friends has offered me a proposition once both my Lent and writing challenges are over, but that's for entirely different reasons. The purpose of this proposition, I'm not willing to divulge; however, I will do my best to provide pictures once all of this is said and done.

After all, I have to keep you guys and gals posted. :D

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I'm all out of frozen yogurt. *sad face* I'll need to top up my supplies tomorrow.

Days 30 & 31.. Finding Balance with Family

One of the most important support circles anyone can have when they are participating in a personal challenge is their own family. The love and support they provide can go a long way during the voyage across the rough seas one encounters during their trek.

I experience this myself this past Thursday night when I was invited down to my great aunt's place for dinner. My aunt from Peterborough came down for a couple of days and the three of us got together to help celebrate my great aunt's birthday.

As a gift, I bought her 100 grams (approx. 3.5 ounces) of a black tea that combined peppermint, chocolate, vanilla and peppercorns with it. Since it was a loose-leaf tea, I also bought her a mesh tea ball to help steep her new tea. I also loaned her the proof copy of the mini-memoir I wrote for National Novel Writing Month last November so she could read it. I did warn her that it was some of the most raw writing I had ever done; plus I wasn't really of sound mind when I scribed it. I told my aunts that I did it as a personal journal detailing my struggle overcoming some personal issues I was enduring at the time. While not discounting the battle I'm waging with my gambling addiction for Lent, the problems I was dealing with five months ago were more taxing on my psyche than I am now.

The dinner was lovely and they thoroughly enjoyed the tea; which we decided to make a pot of that night to try, as I had never sampled that particular blend before. I read the epilogue of my memoir for them and fielded some queries my great aunt had about my struggle. My aunts commended me for overcoming the hardships I endured then and the Lent challenge I'm partaking in currently.

As I enjoyed the evening away from my apartment, I came to realize that while I admit I don't spend much time with my family, as the majority of us are strewn miles apart, the times when we do get together are some of the most serene and rewarding times one could share. I should make an effort to spend more time with them; at least my great aunt who resides the closest to me of them all. I think I'll make an effort to do so once my script writing endeavours quiet down come the end of the month. Because without one's family, a spirit has no nurturing to gain over the long haul.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I need a breather from the writing storm I've experienced the past 8 days. Phew!

Day 29... Neutral Site Writing

Sometimes a writer is able to think and scribe more freely when they're away from home. While it may work for some, others prefer the commonness of their own home. I like to play on both sides of the fence in this quandary.

One of the things I like about the writing challenges that are National Novel Writing Month and Script Frenzy is that along the way, people organize write-in sessions that enable participants to get out of the stuffy confines of their abodes and type or scribble away in a social setting. While the notion of scribing away with others who have also taken on the similar challenge is a noble one, sometimes the sessions can be a bit of a distraction for those who know they need to write, but get sidetracked by social antics of conversation and checking out crazy websites others stumble upon when they're taking a break. Now, I'm not disrespecting the whole spirit of these social writing gatherings; they're community building and help build friendships. However, there are times when a person still wants to get out and write away from home, but wants to do so without social distractions. This is what I ended up doing today.

When I was mulling around my apartment, knowing that I had to forge ahead on my script writing, I felt a certain malaise. I felt like I could not concentrate by sitting by the computer and trying to hammer out numerous pages for yet another day. There had been a writing session originally slated for this evening, but due to unforseen circumstances, the organizer cancelled it. I still needed to get out and scribe. So, I stuffed my spiral notebook and pen into my knapsack and took off from the stuffy confines of my 12th floor residence for a place where I could sit and jot out lines of dialogue to help make progression that I would later type out for my scripts.

Most of you are wondering, "Dief, why are you taking a notebook and pen? Don't you own a laptop?" The truth of the matter is, I don't. The only computer I own.. well, actually co-own with my roommate.. is the desktop I'm typing this blog entry on as we speak. While it does serve its purpose, it's not really easy to lug around on the buses. Ideally, I would like to buy a netbook someday for writing away from home, but that's not really in the cards currently. Therefore, when I'm out and about, and I have the urge to scribe, the notebook -- which I admit is starting to fall apart from all of its wear and tear since last year -- and a supply of pens are my tools of the trade. It might be crude tools, but they help get the job done.

So I struck out from my apartment on a feasible venue to relax and jot away lines from the scenes I'm painting with my words. I was thinking of turning to a library for my refuge, but I was debating which one. The one closest to me, about a mile (1.6 km) up the road from where I live had reopened last December; however, it was also across the street from a high school, and with the time of day that it was, it would soon be invaded by students who had just gotten out of class for the day. It would've caused quite a bit of commotion that would end up being a distraction to my flow of thought. And since I wanted to get a fair bit done, disruptions would not be kosher.

I pondered other library locales that could possibly hold this impromptu private writing session, and I came with my solution: a different district library branch that was still easy to get to, but didn't have the potential of noisy secondary school students invading my safe haven. So, I headed out and made my way to the branch, roughly 4 miles (6.5 km) southwest of my residence, to find some creative inspiration. During my trek to and from the library, I had to change buses at the closest subway station, and there happens to be a lottery retailer on the bus concourse. Remembering my vow of abstinence, I ignored the call to give into temptation and make my transfer without any weakness.

I arrived at the library and staked out a desk so I could sit and write. There was a distraction from one of the adjacent learning rooms to where I was stationed, but they were mostly adults who were being educated on how to build a resume. A minor inconvenience, but at least it wasn't a bunch of unruly kids that were causing the ruckas. I took out my notebook and pen and started to write, and write I did. I quickly jotted down lines of dialogue and camera directions at a swift pace. By the time I had my fill, an hour had passed and I had scribbled down 1-1/2 sheets of paper with my notes; which I eventually typed out to entail 3 scenes totaling 7 pages worth of script when I got home. As a reward for my scribbling, I packed up my gear and walked over to a Tim Hortons not far from the library and treated myself to a muffin and a small fruit smoothie. It wasn't much, but I felt like I deserved it. Later in the evening, I formulated more ideas to fill out the balance of my script and by the time 10:15 p.m. rolled around, I had completed the 3rd episode of my sitcom.

It just goes to show you that sometimes getting out for some air and a change of scenery can do a creative mind good.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I'm still blazing a writing trail this month.

Day 27 & 28.. Four Weeks In and Still Strong

I'm not sure if it's because WrestleMania was this past weekend and seeing Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the ring cutting promos again is the reason I'm thinking this, but I have a sudden urge to channel my inner "Great One" and address the couples (and couples) of "The Dief"'s fans in a similar fashion. However, I realize that would result in me talking smack about someone, and that's not the intent of these progress journal entries. The goal is to inspire and provide insight to my personal journey; not bad mouth anyone or anything -- save for the foul tempter that I'm battling.

So here it is, 4 weeks since I started out on this quest to better myself by kicking a bad habit cold turkey and to be honest, I'm feeling great. I'm not as tense or always worrying about trying to find forms of sinful entertainment that would take a significant ding out of my bank account. Of course, the fact that I'm deeply entrenched in Script Frenzy can also take credit for keeping my mind off of the so-called "scratches that need itching." However, there is one episode (I'm attempting to write a 13-episode TV sitcom) that will be quite interesting to tackle.

In the episode -- slated to be the 6th of the 13 -- one of the main characters is having his divorce finalized and his co-worker/buddy/roommate will be helping him re-evaluate his financial habits so he can have more money in the long run. Sound familiar? Granted, it will be a more humourous look into a real-life storyline, but with some added elements thrown into the fray. I just hope that when I do start writing it, I don't start having withdrawal symptoms and end up having a relapse. I've worked so hard for this long, and I don't want this episode to be the start of me throwing my Lent progress all away. This will be a rather interesting script to pen. Given the pace I'm at now, that will start being written sometime next week. I'll keep everyone posted on how it goes.

Otherwise, I'm continuing to toil away on my 3rd and 4th episode scripts. What I've been doing to give it a more musical feel is giving the episodes titles of songs by Canadian artists. So, for the 3rd episode, I've branded it with the title of Alanis Morissette's most famous song, "You Oughta Know", and in it the main characters are representing the radio station they work for here in Toronto at a concert, but end up losing their ID badges en route to the show. In the fourth script, entitled "Sweet Surrender" -- a ditty by my favourite artist, Sarah McLachlan -- one of the two main characters is asked out on a date by one of the women who works at the coffee shop he and his co-worker frequent; which is alright, but this woman is a borderline stalker that's obsessed with him. These are just two of the episodes I plan on writing between now and the end of the month. So I'm hoping I can be entertaining as entertaining with them as I hope I've been entertaining with you, the reader, of these progress reports.

And to those who have been providing words of encouragement along the way on both endeavours, thank you all. Your words are inspirational to me and help me drive forth to be the best I can be in both projects.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but the writing is helping this crazy guy enjoy what he loves to do... "if you smelllllllllllllllllll what The Dief is cookin'."

Day 25 & 26.. *Put Title Here*

You know what's funny? I've noticed my writing quality tends to fluctuate depending on my focus and passion on a certain subject.

I think this is attributed to the fact that if I'm really into something, I want to tell everybody about it to show how much I think such and such a thing is really cool. However, if I don't feel like my heart is in it, my musings showcase my malaise about the matter. I guess that's why right now I'm so excited and really engrossed into Script Frenzy because it's still relatively fresh in my mind and I want to get as much done within in as possible. However, there is a flip side to being completely wrapped up in this; that being my status updates during Lent might begin to suffer.

They say males aren't as efficient multitaskers as women, and based on my personal experience, I am inclined to agree with that presumption. Granted, I try to juggle things and I do the best that I can, but usually something ends up faltering in the process. If I end up excelling in my script writing, these entries might end up being lackluster. If I try to keep my Lent progress postings strong, then the episodes I'm attempting to scribe could be subpar. It's a delicate balance to make sure both remain strong and not end up disappointing my audience; which currently is those people who reads them -- like you are right now.

I'll admit I'm probably not of the best writers out there, but I like to think I make a reasonable effort in my attempt. People read because they want to be informed (in the case of news or research) or entertained. I hope to accomplish both by doing these updates: informing everyone about my progress to better myself, yet doing it in a fun and occasionally humourous manner that is entertaining to you, the reader. I know my audience is limited, but if I'm the type of guy who has the mentality where if I can put a smile on someone's face by the things I do and/or say, then I find that as a "mission accomplished." I hope I'm able to that with this.

I don't know. I guess I have a self-image problem; I'm my own worst critic. I'm probably also tired right now and I'm rambling at a level of near incoherence, so the quality of this musing might be below average. If this is the case, please forgive me. But regardless of whatever the circumstances, I'm still doing the best that I can.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I think my brain's numb from watching a four-hour pay-per-view event currently.

Day 23 & 24... Let's Get Frenzied!

Note to self: While getting a jump on a month-long writing challenge, do not do so by consuming two different kinds of tea - one with coffee extracts, the other with peppermint.

Yes, it's one of my favourite times of the year. The time for me to truly ram the spigot into the sugar maple of my creativity and let the sap flow freely. As of about 15 hours ago here in Toronto, the April writing challenge known as "Script Frenzy" has commenced. It is a period where I can delve into the depths of my mind and let ideas come to live on the page. Sure, writing novels is pretty cool to do every November, but it is in April where an aspiring writer's thoughts and dreams of their work start to sprout in hopes that one day they will blossom in full foliage on the screen or the stage.

Like I do with every "Screnzy" and every "NaNoWriMo" I've partaken in so far, I eagerly anticipate the first few seconds of April or November so I can start pounding away at the keys so my vision takes the first step in coming to life. As soon as 12:00:01 am rolls around on the 1st of those months, I let my fingers do the talking as word after word emerges on my computer monitor and I begin to flourish in all of my creative glory. Granted, most of my works during these two months rarely see the light of day, save for a select few; however, knowing that I'm able to tap into that inner genius for those 30 days twice a year is a personal reward sweeter than any Reese's Peanut Butter Cup I've ever tasted -- and those who know me know how much I love my Reese's.

This year's start of frenzied script writing also marks another momentous occasion for myself along the path to personal growth. As of writing this entry, I have officially reached the halfway point of my quest to better myself by attempting to kick my gambling habit. I will admit the first 23 days have been a bit of a challenge at times. However, I now officially have a distraction to help carry me through the balance of my abstinance trial. Surely, I can focus my attention and efforts into penning some art that I can faintly dream of appearing on television screens somewhere. Of course I can, and don't call me "Shirley."

With a renewed spring in my step and a sense of initial accomplishment as I reached my first benchmark ahead of my intended pace for the month, at the present juncture, I feel there's nothing that will cause me to veer of my intended courses to true bliss both personally and creatively.

I just have to remember to get some sleep eventually. Combine my excitement with the double shot of tea last night and I haven't slept a wink in 29 hours. You just know I'm gonna come off of this high eventually, but for now, I'm riding the wave.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but this is one heck of an adrenaline rush I'm on currently.