The Neil Blog: I’m not interesting

The fishing has been good.  Except for one day.   We had one dismal outing.   I can’t publish the Blog until it gets interesting enough.     Material has been tougher to come by.   I’ll wait until the time is right.  

A morning of TV:  Mel Gibson is an idiot.   Nicolas Cage:  Idiot.   Randy Quaid, not sure what word describes him but I’ll go ahead with idiot for now.     I am amused that people can be handed everything and still screw it up.

Changes;   Capmel.com forums, the main link taken down.   The forums aren’t gone but the forums button is.    I was going to delete the whole thing, but the spam disappeared.    The Viagra and Cialis spams were relentless.     I’d delete 30 of them and 20 new ones would pop up.   I kept at it all day, got sick of it and made an effort to delete the forums.     I wasn’t allowed to do the final step, or they would have been gone.    They are there in the background for now, but the future of the forums is limited.

Publishing books:  The reprint on the original book, delayed.   Proof for the new book SHOULD be ordered.    I’m going to call them and make sure it is all going through.   Nothing is easy anymore.   “I’ll order your book” but you never do.    There are a few of those people.   Not sure about that either.   Are they going to do it, they just haven’t gotten around to it?    People who have their picture in the book but don’t even buy it?   I guess it doesn’t matter to some people.   If I had my picture in a book, I might buy it twice.  

Publishing books has had its challenges.   Honestly, who makes the rules?    Ordering a simple proof.   Should that take three days?    It shouldn’t be this hard.   It’s not like it’s just me.   I brought John into it.   He threw his hands up in the air.      Don’t they want my business?     Because when it comes down to it, there will be more books and I don’t have to publish with them.    I’ve figured out other options..     It is just idiotic.     The whole world:   People who decide how things work that don’t have any clue on how to do it easier.  

Things have been good.   Book sales don’t really matter.    Reordered:  I’ll be sitting on a good amount of them.    I’d like to see sales get good enough again where I at least break even.   I break even and all books later in the future are profit:   That’s acceptable to me.   Sold five copies of Kayak Fishing today, first activity in a while.    I hope that sales improve.

The proof for book #2 here, not wild about how the front cover works but I think I’ll just roll with it.    I might see if they can make my name smaller on the cover, maybe even just remove it altogether.   I get the order in and I should have the book in hand in a week.    The reprint of the first book should go through this week as well.  

The yard is coming along.   My friend is doing things inside and out.   The bar was put in two weeks ago.    She put in carpeting and new drapes for the window next to the bar.   Growing season approaching she will plant seeds for vegetables in the planter that has NOTHING in it.    I’ve buried a hundred fish carcasses in there so that should be fertile ground.     Cold enough tonight, burning what’s in the firepit.   Things are getting put away a little at a time.   Everything gets better every day.  

The bar is 99% complete.    I went to town at the liquor store.    It is generally stocked very well.   It will grow some as I get other stuff people want here.     Bobbie bought me an ice maker which is set up next to the bar.    Need to plug that in to give it a test whirl.  

My mother is back in her hometown and getting ready to move in to her new place.   That’s a big move after 48 years in the Arizona house.    It is somewhat strange to realize she isn’t there anymore.    Change.     It has been one year and a week since Dad died.   His initials are at his favorite fishing spot as of a few days ago.   

Another house move:  I changed cable.  Moved to Dish.   So far so good.  Ultimately it saves me $20 a month.    I talked to WOW and they refused to change my rate.    I thought I was paying too much.    It will take six months for the move to pay off but moving forward after that things get cheaper.   Like the other cable: So many channels.   Nothing to watch.  

In a time of reflection, looking back on life:  I feel pretty good about the whole thing.    Regrets are for other people.    I made my choices, I stand by my choices.   The baseball years were good.    The fishing guide years have been good.   Coming with it, author and outdoor writer and speaker it has been an interesting time in my life.      Some things didn’t work how I wanted them to but nothing that really bothers me a great deal.   

Interviewed about “blogging”, I would say my whole input on thing was that the blog is a more informal kind of writing.   Almost where it doesn’t matter what you say or what you talk about.    If people like to read it, it’s successful.   The possible end of capmel.com forums would mean more blog posting.   

Hockey is still mostly good.   The lost one 3 to 0.    A rare loss.   It’s professional hockey.   If you don’t play great, you might lose.    They have already made the playoffs with 14 regular season games left.   They have a good chance this postseason.    Their biggest problem:   Boston.   If Boston plays like they did in their game last week, nobody is going to beat Boston.   No one.   The Lightning are good but are they good enough?  

A year later, Facebook asked for my opinion.   They got it.  It wasn’t’ nice.    My estimate, 300 people followed my example.   Facebook is dying.    Even the facebook founder says the future of facebook isn’t social media.    Wait until people find out.   All people want is the social media.    They had a good thing going and they blew it.   I had a following.   A few people were bummed.   But the world goes on.   No one seems to care too much anymore anyway.    I kind of laugh when I realize I had something good people would have liked.     Whatever.

I’ve gotta get out to scout the fish.   I have kind of lost them.   I could tell you where to go a month ago.   The last few trips have been tougher.   Good educational trips, especially for the one guy.   But the fishing hasn’t been as good.   I need to get out and find better fish.    I scratch my head.  Other guides writing about redfish.     Are they doing that for business?    I’m not seeing what they say they are seeing.     I’m not making any accusations.   I find certain things hard to swallow.   Hey, I hope they’re right.    Great schools of redfish in Tampa Bay?   Wouldn’t that be nice?

Alex Trebek, stage 4 pancreatic cancer.   That usually doesn’t end well.    The guy has been on TV forever.   Hopefully he has led an enjoyable life because his time might be short.   He seemed to enjoy his work.     Hopefully it was the same in his personal life.   I don’t know the man.   

The home improvements:   A nine year old painted my driveway today.    “Infield dirt” the color, home plate was repainted in front of the front door.     Considering batters boxes and foul lines.    It looks so much nicer with the paint on there.   That concrete just soaks up the paint.   

A boring blog.    Not too much interesting to talk about.   It is just life right now.    The upcoming future looks equally boring.