Its the greatest adventure...

Some notebooks for the second wave of Paperback Adventure (formerly the Traveling Tablets) are ready to travel the world, places to go, people to meet.

I am hand-binding this current batch to save money, because I can make a large number of unique books with $20 worth of supplies, which would get me few store-bought notebooks. Last night, I made four of various quality in just a small amount of time. They ended up just as I wanted.

I cleaned up the instructions, but each one has a different wording, a new draft for every fresh notebook. I am pretty much using scrap paper and cardboard, with a simple, but durable, gorilla glue binding. I am now using my typewriter for all of the lettering and words in an effort to make these look as artsy and hip as possible.

A logo is the one thing missing. I am in the process of designing a small little mark that each adventuring notebook will feature. It will be small and simple but recognizable, i hope.

Visit the stand alone blog for the Paperback Adventures and check it out.

Anyone interested in donating anything to help this project of mine blossom, shoot me an email and let me know. Paper, glue, funds to enable me to make a book press would all be greatly appreciated.

Keep your socks dry readers.

The Prodigal Post

Oh it has been so long. The past few months gifted me much misfortune and stress. I often found myself opening up a new post to find my words just would not come. Much changed. Much did not.

I am a trooper though, and now here I return.

I am going to participate in the National Novel Writing Month. 31 days. 50,000 words. No worries. I am up for the challenge. Maybe that is the only push I need, an obligation or something. More soon to come.

Love and the driest socks,
Me


P. S.
It has been a while since I sent out the Traveling Tablets but still no sign of them here or anywhere. Hope they are having fun. Next batch is coming as soon as I can find cheap little blank notebooks. Help finding them would be appreciated.

A (belated) Mother's Day Poem

I dedicate this poem to my dear mother, who I forgot to call on mother's day. I love you Mom.

Mother of mine, you are so great.

I am sorry this poem has come so late.

I just want to make sure to let you know

that I miss you more than I like to show.

It's been long since we've searched for treasures with layers of dust,

another adventure like the last needs to happen, it must.

Make sure that you to visit in just a month and days time,

and we can end a day of fun with at a bar with corona and lime.

Now to the point of this poem, I just wanted to say

That I wish to you (belated) happy mother's day.

Side Project

     I am starting a little side project/daily blog attempt called Paperback Adventure. I want to be able to make daily posts. With creative writing being the central theme of The Blog Formerly Known as "Ramble on," posting daily would just be to much to read. Because pictures are worth quite a few words, Paperback Adventure is going to have at least one new picture post a day, with a few words if necessary. I have yet to post on it, but by the end of the day there will be a few. So check it out!

The inspiring smells of a bus

     I rode the bus to school today and happened to be inspired the its distinct "bus-y" smell. I am toying with an idea for a short story inspired by a bus smell. A young man traveling, via bus, train, and foot, through europe while taking a break from college. Starts out on a bus, and he writes in his travel journal and the first paragraph is an excerpt from the journal. Gonna start writing it today. I will post an update and a sample of it soon.

Art

I have been revisiting some creative outlets that I used to love. Painting with water color, drawing, other things like that. I used to paint all of the time in high school, and my freshman year at college. But I stopped. I felt embarrassed about painting, because I was in an environment were artists were art majors. Well anyway here is "Die Happy." A framed print I found a while ago dumped near my apartment became my canvas for this spur of the moment piece. Originally I had wanted to add something to the tacky image of a cottage on a lake. Maybe a giant octopus coming out of the water, or zombies. Something like that. It sat unused for three weeks until two nights ago. I was struck with a desire to make something fun, and this is the result. The title was inspired by the phrase "live hard and die young" and by switching one word it changes from a condescending remark into a goal. Isn't that what anyone would want? To be able to go out with a grin? Well, enjoy.

Post Script To Previous Post

Almost forgot. This is the briefcase. I sprayed the octo stencil on it to increase its inconspicuousness and enhance its inherent aesthetic wonder. Please excuse the angle and bad quality camera phone picture. I did not want to look like that guy, taking pictures of his gnarly stuff while he sits alone in the library.