Where's the DSoD Review?

Just wanted to give a short update on the progress of the movie post that hasn't shown up yet! I said in the second part of Transcend Game that it might be coming mid-August, and I've unfortunately had to put off the schedule a bit, as has no doubt been noticed. I've got everything that I need all set up, but the issue is TIME, because I didn't realize how much stuff would be popping up at the moment to take all my attention! 

This may even be the busiest I've ever been, and I'm still trying to figure out my time-management strategy. Between having more work than ever, trying to find a new job (because the one I have has begun to come up with all kinds of excuses not to PAY me), setting aside time for my personal writing projects, maintaining the garden at the height of harvest season, and getting in my regular home-cooked meals, fitness, other hobbies, etc., it's been getting difficult to juggle. I've had to spend far less time on the blog than before, which has resulted in only two new reviews for the whole month, unfortunately. A part of me hates slowing down on this project, considering I've been doing it pretty steadily for about eight years (!!!), but I know that it has to be one of my lower priorities in the hierarchy of responsibilities in my life, at least until I can figure out a way to rearrange and re-balance things in a way that can bring my activity on this blog back up to the norm. I'm sure this is perfectly understandable to all of my readers - I know you're all busy people too!

I'm shooting for mid-September now on the DSoD review, and I'll let everyone know if that too has to change. I'll work it out no matter what, though, make no mistake! No way I'm going to abandon my silly commentary on Yu-Gi-Oh right at the finish line!

It's About That Time Again...

If you've been following the blog lately, you might have noticed that I've posted roughly twice as many reviews than I usually do in a month over the course of August. I'm sure you didn't wonder why for very long, because it's been pretty obvious that another big move is coming up for me soon. During the first big move three years ago, I had a backlog of chapters built up to schedule for the days I wasn't writing anything new. This time, I was directly responsible for a lot more of the planning, and there was far too much to do over the last few months to work on the blog in a similar manner.

So I'm resolved to going on hiatus, this time for one, perhaps two, months. It's the longest hiatus I've had to take, which gives me a little twinge of sadness. This blog is the biggest, most ambitious project I have ever consistently worked on, and I've taken a lot of pride in being so regular with it. Even when I had to reduce the amount of posting I did, I still found moments here and there to accumulate at least five posts a month. When you work on something so regularly over a period of three years, it's a little odd breaking the habit abruptly and for so long.

Habit dictates that I won't be able to stay away for any longer than required, though, and I will be back by November at the latest. Just in case someone reading these analyses is concerned that I'll abandon the blog entirely, let me offer my assurances that I not only have every intention of returning to this project, but I'm somewhat compelled. There's too much left that I can't WAIT to make insipid comments on, and I'm a sucker for insipid commentary.

You're not getting rid of me THAT easily. ;)

It Was Inevitable

New jobs are always so bittersweet.

On the one hand, money is something everyone needs for various purposes, and my purposes are some rather expensive lessons. I also needed a social outlet that wasn't just talking to various loved-ones on the phone and staying cooped up in my new apartment otherwise. Lastly, this job is going to be so super cool and I'm really excited to work on this team. It's going to be a BLAST.

On the other hand, my other projects are inevitably going to get less attention because of it. I wanted to keep up my momentum, but honestly, that was an unrealistic desire, and I knew it from the beginning. Churning out a review EVERY DAY is exhausting, and as much as I've impressed some with how consistent and persistent I've been, it had to eventually end.

Of course, I definitely plan to keep this blog going, and the project WILL continue, if for no other reason than my own amusement, but I won't be posting every day anymore. Every two to three days will hopefully suffice, as my schedule changes and priorities shift. There's so much to do these days that the job is honestly only part of my cutting down on posting. Between flying out to see my family this week and getting ready for my husband's return to home port, my schedule is going to be booked almost solid, with only slivers of time left for messing around with reviews.

But, as the title proclaims, this was all inevitable. No matter how much I wanted to, I just couldn't keep up the momentum and have a life at the same time. Complete inactivity isn't in the stars for this project, though, so check in every few days for some new content.

I'll keep snarking, so feel free to keep reading!

Time for a Breather: Redux

Moving is a pain. How did I collect all this stuff? Where do I get rid of it all? How do I move the things I really need to keep with me? Most importantly, how do I keep my sanity during this process?

Well, one of the things that I did to help me with that last question was make the decision to put this review project on hiatus for a time. I had JUST ENOUGH buffer reviews to keep the blog updated while I drove across the country, got the keys to my new place, set up an internet connection, and got my husband to the base airport so he could fly out to his ship. Never mind that those buffer reviews weren't edited very well, or that I'll have to go back and add all the chapters posted to their respective master lists...

I am absolutely exhausted from all the happenings over the past couple of weeks. I moved three-quarters across the United States to a place I've never so much as visited, so some adjustment is definitely in order. One more day before I get back into the swing of things should suffice, I think, so I can just relax a bit. There are also places to visit and friends to make while I wait for the REST of my belongings to catch up with what little important articles I could manage to shove into my two-door Toyota.

I'll be back tomorrow with a new review, and hopefully a fresh outlook.

Time for a Breather

I've been reviewing a chapter of Yu-Gi-Oh every day for two months. I started this project partly because I heard about that new movie and wanted to be able to follow it on the level with its particular manga canon, but that's only PART of the reason.

The other part is that I'm killing time. My husband is in the Navy, set to be stationed SOMEWHERE on a coast SOMETIME. Due to a clerical issues, he didn't get stationed with his graduating class from A School, and now no one can tell us when they're going to let him get on a ship, let alone where. We've been waiting a long time to hear what's going to happen, and we're still in the dark.

I haven't been able to get a job, because even people hiring for seasonal jobs want to know that you're not going to just skip out on them in the middle of your promised stint. I haven't been able to apply for grad school, because I have no idea on which coast to apply, given my husband could be stationed on either side of the country. My only recourse was to sit and wait.

So, I've been keeping myself busy with this and an original writing project of my own. I figured it would be only mildly engaging; a hobby that wouldn't take more that an hour or two of my day. But the project has turned out to be MONUMENTAL, taking varying time and effort depending on the content and length of the chapter. On a good day, I'll shave my time on it down to two hours, but sometimes it takes three or four.

Yes, I know, much of what I write in this blog comes down to poking fun at the ridiculous crap I note in my recap. However, those bits at the end where I'm pissing and moaning about something or other? That's my attempt at legitimate critique. It takes lots of thought, analysis, and most of all, patience, which I've been running a little low on as of late.

I didn't want to take a break until my husband and I had to move to our new home port, but sometimes you need a day to just relax and not have to deal with wracking your brain for something to say about a comic book. A day is all I'll be taking - maybe grab a hike or a run, something outdoors where I can take in some fresh air for once.

Tomorrow I'll be back with some fresh snark, as well as a surprise.