Sorry non-tumblr users, I just posted a new blog over yonder but don't have the energy (follow the link and you'll get why) to post it here so my blogspot-stalkers have to follow the link.
Edit: Okay since I'm exhaus-tarded this early morning hour I can't get the link to work so just go to shadtyoung.tumblr.com and look at the 7th of March post and you'll understand.
28 February 2011
Since it was suggested in response to my last post
Since something was said about it in my last post about sharing my culinary efforts here in lieu of my writing I figured it wasn't a bad idea. To catch up on the already 8 weeks of work I'll just post a few images but from this point forth I'll definitely add more details as I go.
27 February 2011
Fast Update While I Have a Moment
Sorry but it looks like another month will pass with nothing new to post on the writing front.
I've enrolled in school at the start of the year and the last 8 weeks have been a non-stop bombardment of homework, reports, recipe writing, concepts and theories of culinary this and that.
I made this sidestep career wise after a rough year (which I kept mostly off radar since those that read this generally aren't within my personal circle)that turned my life on its head. During the months that followed and the turmoil that has become my life I discovered that my already intense love of cooking was also the only time when the storm clouds broke and I felt serenity. All hell can be breaking loose around me and when I step in front of the stove or plop that meat or veggie down on the cutting board its like I'm standing in the the eye of the storm. I feel more or less untouchable.
So I chase a B.S. in Culinary Management presently. As school becomes more second nature I'm hoping hobbies and then a social life can return, but for now my mind is not so much on the adventures of my favorite P.I. or the quest for revenge of my here-to-for unnamed cowboy but on the proper way to make a New England Style Apple Pie or to braise a roast.
Sooner or later though my mind will be back weaving those tales, its too ingrained in my blood to ignore it forever.
I've enrolled in school at the start of the year and the last 8 weeks have been a non-stop bombardment of homework, reports, recipe writing, concepts and theories of culinary this and that.
I made this sidestep career wise after a rough year (which I kept mostly off radar since those that read this generally aren't within my personal circle)that turned my life on its head. During the months that followed and the turmoil that has become my life I discovered that my already intense love of cooking was also the only time when the storm clouds broke and I felt serenity. All hell can be breaking loose around me and when I step in front of the stove or plop that meat or veggie down on the cutting board its like I'm standing in the the eye of the storm. I feel more or less untouchable.
So I chase a B.S. in Culinary Management presently. As school becomes more second nature I'm hoping hobbies and then a social life can return, but for now my mind is not so much on the adventures of my favorite P.I. or the quest for revenge of my here-to-for unnamed cowboy but on the proper way to make a New England Style Apple Pie or to braise a roast.
Sooner or later though my mind will be back weaving those tales, its too ingrained in my blood to ignore it forever.
14 December 2010
Facing Facts: Sometimes You Have to Pull the Plug
Tonight I have sad news to report.
I have decided to finally quit trying to squeeze blood from a rock and face the facts that a story I've tried for almost two full years to write just isn't going to work as I set out to write it.
Therefore its time to pull the plug on this tale. Now I wrote a handful of scenes and bits and pieces that I felt could be reworked into a new story but the plot and many elements, I see now, were never going to work out the way I had originally thought.
So at over 28 thousand words and after over 247 hours of work I regretfully am pulling the plug on this story in the hopes that a new, more engrossing and entertaining tale might rise from its ashes.
Goodbye old friend, your sacrifice will be remembered.
*Of course this is fairly tongue-in-cheek but I am a little bummed about how this turned out and a bit by feeling like I took to long to realize the deadend I had written myself into. Live and learn I guess.
I have decided to finally quit trying to squeeze blood from a rock and face the facts that a story I've tried for almost two full years to write just isn't going to work as I set out to write it.
Therefore its time to pull the plug on this tale. Now I wrote a handful of scenes and bits and pieces that I felt could be reworked into a new story but the plot and many elements, I see now, were never going to work out the way I had originally thought.
So at over 28 thousand words and after over 247 hours of work I regretfully am pulling the plug on this story in the hopes that a new, more engrossing and entertaining tale might rise from its ashes.
Goodbye old friend, your sacrifice will be remembered.
*Of course this is fairly tongue-in-cheek but I am a little bummed about how this turned out and a bit by feeling like I took to long to realize the deadend I had written myself into. Live and learn I guess.
09 December 2010
Favorite Movies from 2010
Feeling an abnormal sense of tranquility at the moment and feel like taking a break from things so I decided to treat those of you who read this to a non-sequential list of my favorite movies from this year. Mind you I'm a red-blooded American male and not an elitist snob so I don't care if the movie ruined the source material or if it had socially redeeming values as much as I do if I was able to sit down and forget about how stressing reality can be for more than an hour as I lose myself to the show (just like when I read, go figure). So here's the list:
The Expendables.
More or less a straight forward homage to the action movies my generation grew up with and with many of the staple actors from those same films. Mindless, enjoyable fun. Bonus points for the appearance of the ultimate shotgun, the AA-12.
Predators
The first real sequel to the original film, I was surprised by how well I enjoyed Adrian Brody in an action role. Also scores points for the AA-12.
Scott Pilgrim vs the World
Normally Michael Cera gets a tad under my skin but he works in this movie. The well written comedic dialogue and over the top martial arts with many video game overtones stole my inner geek's heart. Could have done without the mostly lame indy rock but it is what it is. Also scored major points for celeb-crush Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the female lead role. Bonus pic below because, its my friggin blog.
Toy Story 3
Yeah I'm a dad and any parent worth their salt has seen this film but I honestly would have watched this sans kiddos because I grew up with the originals and it would have been damn near blasphemous to not finish the trilogy.
Robin Hood
Just loved the film, Robin Hood being a favorite story of mine for most of my life.
From Paris With Love
First movie wherein Travolta played the badass he's capable of in nearly a decade. Great action film.
Kick-Ass
Great action film, although I do have to say as a father of two young girls it was unsettling to watch a young girl slaughter people without a care.
Jonah Hex
In spite of proving that place Megan Fox in any movie without the words "The" and "Transformers" in the title is a good way to insure a hit to your profits, I enjoyed this movie. I had hoped for a sequel but since it barely made a fourth of its cost back I don't see that happening ever. I love westerns, I enjoy supernatural elements and I have a love/hate relationship with steampunk and this film had all of the above.
The Expendables.
More or less a straight forward homage to the action movies my generation grew up with and with many of the staple actors from those same films. Mindless, enjoyable fun. Bonus points for the appearance of the ultimate shotgun, the AA-12.
Predators
The first real sequel to the original film, I was surprised by how well I enjoyed Adrian Brody in an action role. Also scores points for the AA-12.
Scott Pilgrim vs the World
Normally Michael Cera gets a tad under my skin but he works in this movie. The well written comedic dialogue and over the top martial arts with many video game overtones stole my inner geek's heart. Could have done without the mostly lame indy rock but it is what it is. Also scored major points for celeb-crush Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the female lead role. Bonus pic below because, its my friggin blog.
Toy Story 3
Yeah I'm a dad and any parent worth their salt has seen this film but I honestly would have watched this sans kiddos because I grew up with the originals and it would have been damn near blasphemous to not finish the trilogy.
Robin Hood
Just loved the film, Robin Hood being a favorite story of mine for most of my life.
From Paris With Love
First movie wherein Travolta played the badass he's capable of in nearly a decade. Great action film.
Kick-Ass
Great action film, although I do have to say as a father of two young girls it was unsettling to watch a young girl slaughter people without a care.
Jonah Hex
In spite of proving that place Megan Fox in any movie without the words "The" and "Transformers" in the title is a good way to insure a hit to your profits, I enjoyed this movie. I had hoped for a sequel but since it barely made a fourth of its cost back I don't see that happening ever. I love westerns, I enjoy supernatural elements and I have a love/hate relationship with steampunk and this film had all of the above.
07 December 2010
Long Delayed Update
My sincerest apologies to any whom actually read my musings for not updating in nearly five months.
Its been a busy and turmoil filled time for the last 3/4's of this year and as such I've not managed to write a whole lot.
Things are slowing down a bit now, enough that I'm going to try and hammer some stuff out soon so for those who might have been wanting more of what I've started here there may just be light at the end of the tunnel.
Hang in there, my brain is churning even as I write this so hopefully I'll have something for you relatively soon.
Thanks and again I apologize.
Its been a busy and turmoil filled time for the last 3/4's of this year and as such I've not managed to write a whole lot.
Things are slowing down a bit now, enough that I'm going to try and hammer some stuff out soon so for those who might have been wanting more of what I've started here there may just be light at the end of the tunnel.
Hang in there, my brain is churning even as I write this so hopefully I'll have something for you relatively soon.
Thanks and again I apologize.
15 July 2010
More work on my Western Short
Yet again I remind you of the rough draft nature of this story. This is one I just like to continually update the two or three of you that read this on. I hope you continue to enjoy it.
Once again I'll post the whole thing instead of just the new part.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The rider spurred his horse southward away from town, hooves thundering across the dusty earth. Stealing frantic glances over his shoulder he found that the massive cloud kicked up by his horse had blocked his vision of what lay behind. Sweat beading on his brow despite the cool air whipping around him, he spurred the horse harder to milk every bit of speed he could out of it. Better to kill the horse from exhaustion than to dawdle when he needed distance between him and town. Many amongst the townsfolk who witnessed his flight spoke of him fleeing like a man with the fear of God in him or like a man chased by demons thought long exercised. He was doing just that and with good reason. I was riding behind him; and the gap between us was closing fast.
“Why you runnin’ Ray?” I taunted over the din of our horses. “What’s the hurry?”
“Twasn’t nothing personal, it was just business.” He screamed back. A smile raised the corners of my mouth. He recognized me even after all these years and that recognition had brought fear. I heard it in the way his voice went up and saw it in his eyes. He knew who I was and more importantly knew why I was here.
“I’ve been looking for you for a long time Ray, don’t make this harder than it has to be.” I said.
“I swear, I didn’t even want to do it. I told ‘em all we shouldn’t.” His voice starting to shake.
I was just beginning to grow tired of the chase when Lady Luck smiled on me, maybe she frowned at him. In either case, his horse stepped in a hole and as its leg shattered he was thrown clear. I dropped from my horse as he tumbled a fair distance away. While he lay bloodied and dazed I ended his horse’s misery with a single shot to the head. I hated to do it but there was no other way to go about it. As I stalked across the arid ground I let the spent shell fall to the dirt and slipped a new one in. I may not have enjoyed putting down the stallion but without a doubt I’d enjoy what I was going to do next.
***
It was five years ago. Five long years since the day Ray and the rest of those bastards destroyed everything. I was hardly more than a boy at the time, working alongside my brothers and our parents on our family ranch. When we boys weren’t tending to the handful of cattle the family owned or working the field we were receiving lessons from our mother. She came from a well off east coast family and wanted to make sure her boys didn’t grow up to be more “ignorant farmhands”. Of all my brothers I took the deepest liking to the lessons and would often be found reading in the shade of a tree on the rare occasion when a lull came in our chores.
Our father was a good, decent, God fearing man by all appearances. In addition to the running of our homestead he was a skilled carpenter and made decent living selling cabinets, chairs and the like to merchants and nearby townsfolk. What none of us apart from our mother knew was that prior to his days as a husband and father he ran with a group of murderous, thieving hooligans. The lot of them terrorized many a town and homestead; robbing banks and trains, stealing cattle, murder, arson. If it was illegal chances are they had their fingers in it.
My father was in all likelihood just as bad as the rest of them but to my brothers and me he was a noble, kind and caring man. Always stern but never unfair, we knew him as nothing less than a gentle soul. I’ve thought a lot about it in the years since and I think something changed in him while rotting in an Illinois prison. The gang had attempted to rob a bank near the Missouri border and things went a wrong as wrong can be. The story as best as I can discern is that one of the patrons drew on Ray and the bank was turned into a charnel house as a result. My father took a round about his right knee and in the chaos that followed didn’t escape with the rest of the gang. The events that followed tend to be skewed depending on who you talk to, more upstanding folks say my father did the right thing, scum like my father was and Ray still is find them the actions of a coward. The short of it is my father, in exchange for his life and a reduced sentence fed the U.S. Marshalls information that directly led to the capture and incarceration of nearly the entire gang.
After doing his time my father came out a different man with a different life. He lived on the coast for a while, met my mother and after marrying her brought her as far west as he felt he safely could. From that day forth he led a good and honest life as a husband and father. That was until his old friends found themselves freemen and came looking for the man who helped put them away.
As the oldest I had been sent to town to pick up some necessities from the general store. I had been gone maybe two hours and was returning when I heard screams and gunshots from the direction of home. I dismounted and tied my horse to a nearby tree and crept to the top of the hill blocking my view of home. When I got to the top what was playing out before me turned my stomach in on itself. My mother was laying in the dirt, clothes ripped open with a pair of men assaulting her in ways no son should ever have to witness. My brothers where lined up along a fence, arms tied behind their backs watching the horrors up close. Several other men were alternating beating my father and forcing him to watch what they were doing to his wife. Behind it all our home was aflame, spewing coal black smoke into the sky.
Crouching atop the hill I was frozen by fear and shock. I had no idea why it was happening but I knew I was watching life as I knew it coming to an end. Time felt as if it at froze while I watched my family assaulted at the hands of these men. After what felt like a lifetime the men pulled my father to his feet and made him watch as they put two rounds into each of my brothers and then my mother. I sunk fully to my knees and swooned with each report collapsing to all fours by the time they fired on her. I pulled my head up in time to see the leader of the group lean inches from my father’s face and speak. As he spoke he drew a boot knife and with a quick slash ended my father’s life with a slash across the throat.
Finally my paralysis broke and I rose screaming at the sky and at the men gathered amongst the ruins of my family. At first they appeared to be startled by the sudden screams but it wasn’t a heartbeat before they recovered and opened fire on me. The distance was too much and the bullets sailed past. Even full of rage I knew I had no chance, if I were to survive I had to get to my horse and back to town. I turned and ran as hard and fast as my weary legs could carry me. I heard the thunder of horse hooves drawing close and I knew I wasn’t going to make it.
I barely had time to register the gunshot before I felt the round smash into my right shoulder and was spinning towards the earth. I tried to fight through the pain and get back to my feet but the men had all dismounted at a run and were already on top of me. The stomped, kicked, punched and pistol whipped me to a bloody pulp. By the time they finished I was a broken and bleeding mess and on the threshold between this life and the next. As I lay there bleeding out onto the dirt I remember looking up through my swollen eyes and marking each man’s face. If I survived I made an oath to myself and to my fallen family that each of the men looking down at me would fall by my hand. I resolved that I would not die until these men were cold and in the ground.
The pain and blood loss overtook me and I blacked out.
Once again I'll post the whole thing instead of just the new part.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The rider spurred his horse southward away from town, hooves thundering across the dusty earth. Stealing frantic glances over his shoulder he found that the massive cloud kicked up by his horse had blocked his vision of what lay behind. Sweat beading on his brow despite the cool air whipping around him, he spurred the horse harder to milk every bit of speed he could out of it. Better to kill the horse from exhaustion than to dawdle when he needed distance between him and town. Many amongst the townsfolk who witnessed his flight spoke of him fleeing like a man with the fear of God in him or like a man chased by demons thought long exercised. He was doing just that and with good reason. I was riding behind him; and the gap between us was closing fast.
“Why you runnin’ Ray?” I taunted over the din of our horses. “What’s the hurry?”
“Twasn’t nothing personal, it was just business.” He screamed back. A smile raised the corners of my mouth. He recognized me even after all these years and that recognition had brought fear. I heard it in the way his voice went up and saw it in his eyes. He knew who I was and more importantly knew why I was here.
“I’ve been looking for you for a long time Ray, don’t make this harder than it has to be.” I said.
“I swear, I didn’t even want to do it. I told ‘em all we shouldn’t.” His voice starting to shake.
I was just beginning to grow tired of the chase when Lady Luck smiled on me, maybe she frowned at him. In either case, his horse stepped in a hole and as its leg shattered he was thrown clear. I dropped from my horse as he tumbled a fair distance away. While he lay bloodied and dazed I ended his horse’s misery with a single shot to the head. I hated to do it but there was no other way to go about it. As I stalked across the arid ground I let the spent shell fall to the dirt and slipped a new one in. I may not have enjoyed putting down the stallion but without a doubt I’d enjoy what I was going to do next.
***
It was five years ago. Five long years since the day Ray and the rest of those bastards destroyed everything. I was hardly more than a boy at the time, working alongside my brothers and our parents on our family ranch. When we boys weren’t tending to the handful of cattle the family owned or working the field we were receiving lessons from our mother. She came from a well off east coast family and wanted to make sure her boys didn’t grow up to be more “ignorant farmhands”. Of all my brothers I took the deepest liking to the lessons and would often be found reading in the shade of a tree on the rare occasion when a lull came in our chores.
Our father was a good, decent, God fearing man by all appearances. In addition to the running of our homestead he was a skilled carpenter and made decent living selling cabinets, chairs and the like to merchants and nearby townsfolk. What none of us apart from our mother knew was that prior to his days as a husband and father he ran with a group of murderous, thieving hooligans. The lot of them terrorized many a town and homestead; robbing banks and trains, stealing cattle, murder, arson. If it was illegal chances are they had their fingers in it.
My father was in all likelihood just as bad as the rest of them but to my brothers and me he was a noble, kind and caring man. Always stern but never unfair, we knew him as nothing less than a gentle soul. I’ve thought a lot about it in the years since and I think something changed in him while rotting in an Illinois prison. The gang had attempted to rob a bank near the Missouri border and things went a wrong as wrong can be. The story as best as I can discern is that one of the patrons drew on Ray and the bank was turned into a charnel house as a result. My father took a round about his right knee and in the chaos that followed didn’t escape with the rest of the gang. The events that followed tend to be skewed depending on who you talk to, more upstanding folks say my father did the right thing, scum like my father was and Ray still is find them the actions of a coward. The short of it is my father, in exchange for his life and a reduced sentence fed the U.S. Marshalls information that directly led to the capture and incarceration of nearly the entire gang.
After doing his time my father came out a different man with a different life. He lived on the coast for a while, met my mother and after marrying her brought her as far west as he felt he safely could. From that day forth he led a good and honest life as a husband and father. That was until his old friends found themselves freemen and came looking for the man who helped put them away.
As the oldest I had been sent to town to pick up some necessities from the general store. I had been gone maybe two hours and was returning when I heard screams and gunshots from the direction of home. I dismounted and tied my horse to a nearby tree and crept to the top of the hill blocking my view of home. When I got to the top what was playing out before me turned my stomach in on itself. My mother was laying in the dirt, clothes ripped open with a pair of men assaulting her in ways no son should ever have to witness. My brothers where lined up along a fence, arms tied behind their backs watching the horrors up close. Several other men were alternating beating my father and forcing him to watch what they were doing to his wife. Behind it all our home was aflame, spewing coal black smoke into the sky.
Crouching atop the hill I was frozen by fear and shock. I had no idea why it was happening but I knew I was watching life as I knew it coming to an end. Time felt as if it at froze while I watched my family assaulted at the hands of these men. After what felt like a lifetime the men pulled my father to his feet and made him watch as they put two rounds into each of my brothers and then my mother. I sunk fully to my knees and swooned with each report collapsing to all fours by the time they fired on her. I pulled my head up in time to see the leader of the group lean inches from my father’s face and speak. As he spoke he drew a boot knife and with a quick slash ended my father’s life with a slash across the throat.
Finally my paralysis broke and I rose screaming at the sky and at the men gathered amongst the ruins of my family. At first they appeared to be startled by the sudden screams but it wasn’t a heartbeat before they recovered and opened fire on me. The distance was too much and the bullets sailed past. Even full of rage I knew I had no chance, if I were to survive I had to get to my horse and back to town. I turned and ran as hard and fast as my weary legs could carry me. I heard the thunder of horse hooves drawing close and I knew I wasn’t going to make it.
I barely had time to register the gunshot before I felt the round smash into my right shoulder and was spinning towards the earth. I tried to fight through the pain and get back to my feet but the men had all dismounted at a run and were already on top of me. The stomped, kicked, punched and pistol whipped me to a bloody pulp. By the time they finished I was a broken and bleeding mess and on the threshold between this life and the next. As I lay there bleeding out onto the dirt I remember looking up through my swollen eyes and marking each man’s face. If I survived I made an oath to myself and to my fallen family that each of the men looking down at me would fall by my hand. I resolved that I would not die until these men were cold and in the ground.
The pain and blood loss overtook me and I blacked out.
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