Ex-Pat's Pats 2014: Week 1 Pregame

Holy crap, have I let the dust build-up at this site in the off-season.

I'd like to take a moment and apologize to my loyal fan for being away so long. I haven't had a lot of opportunity to follow the Pats in the off-season and anything I've had to say/bitch about regarding everything else going on the world is being said a lot better by others.

So, that being said, let's see if we can get some of the dust knocked off the virtual furniture, kick-back, and enjoy the upcoming season!

Programming Note: Trying Something New on the Blog

I'm adding a new category: Anam Draig Scriveners. I've had odds and ends of manuscripts kicking around for a long time, as well as a self-published book. For kicks, I'm going to start out by serializing the self-published book with a new entry every Monday.

The book is Draigkhiun and started out as a series of narratives that I'd run through my head to keep myself entertained while walking rounds and feeding fish back in my fish culture days. It was something I started back in 1999 but didn't actually finish until early 2006. Here's one of my back cover blurbs:

“I looked out at the rising sun. It formed a beautiful, translucently violet horizon where the curve of Andowhan ended and space began. There must be some real meaning, out there, but I felt isolated and constrained from it…” And on a morning of fitful, waking dreams, Caleb Lonnergan found his life finally breaking beyond those constraints with the inevitability of the change of seasons at his family’s home.

The youngest of three sons, Caleb chafed at the well-intentioned sheltering and indulgence of his extended family as they sought to keep him in the role of a traditionally dutiful Shondrean son. Mostly they sought to keep him unexposed to the jeopardy of a civilization that had already claimed the life of his oldest brother. He was safe in a life of trepidation and self-commiseration.

The change came in a letter from his father’s twin brother, Malakai, fulfilling a promise made during a drunken visit. Malakai offers Caleb a job in a Colonial project which is scorned by many and feared by most. The battleground for a brutal war, it has been seen as a waste of resources in the decades of peace that followed. This project is the re-colonization of the home from which Caleb’s civilization once fled—Earth.

Caleb impulsively accepts his uncle’s offer, having always been fascinated by tales of the dangerous, ancient planet. He soon learns there is more to the offer and experiences the real dangers that lay everywhere but the devastated birthplace of humanity.

Perhaps, if there's enough interest, I'll dust off the drafts of the continuing saga of one Caleb Lonnergan?

Programming Note: Altering a Label

Yes, poetaster really is a word. And, I just used it to replace my seldom-used "aversive verse" label with it. Stay tuned for more wonderful verse from the Greater House of Cape Code Ex-pat's resident poet, Pádraig E' Muirgheasa (and maybe some others)...

Program Note: No, I Haven't Dropped Off the Face of the Earth

Been a busy weekend between watching Super Bowl (and, did I mention Guiness, lots of Guiness?) and working on stuff around the house with Tulip.

It'd been a couple of years since we've last had schedules where we both had weekends off together (and the house definitely shows it).

Early parts of the week may be light for the next 7 weeks as Winter Rimfire League kicks-off tomorrow evening.

Oh, yeah, and I'm still trying to get through Tarmon Gai'don...

Stick around and thanks for your interest!

Programming Note: The Wheel Weaves as the Wheel Wills

Sorry not more out there...

The Wheel of Time has been weaving me out of the blogging pattern the past several evenings as I try to regain A Memory of Light after 18 years.

More than 2 weeks in and I've only managed to read about half the damned thing due to other issues. Hope to change that this weekend. Been a good, satisfying read so far.

Programming Note 2: I'm Getting a Little on the Side

Got your attention, didn't it?!

Over the years that I've been perusing blogs and even more so, now that I'm blogging, myself, I've been noting the cases where armed civilians have protected themselves and others. I've also noticed the lack of coverage beyond occasional local press.

So, I've started a side project called If it Just Saves 1.... You can see some of my rational for this title here.

What I'm trying to do is set up a common place where we can go to locate such stories (and maybe a few contrasting examples of how madness, mayhem, and murder may occur without firearms). I see it more as a resource than a blog.

Please check it out and, should you happen to have stories of your own to pass along, let me know and I'll get them posted (I will respect confidentiality unless directed otherwise).

Thanks for stopping by!

Programming Note 1: Lack of Posts for Early Today

Quick note that I had LOTS of things to fling around regarding the Chief Executive Order Officer; however, other things took attention. Will try to get them out later. Hey, stale Twinkies are still better than no Twinkies...

A Quick Programming Note

My long-time reader may have noticed that I've gone from a profile username of simply "Expat" to "Cape Cod Ex-pat". I tweaked my profile name after seeing someone else commenting under the name "Expat" out and about at other blogs that I like to peruse.

I realized that it was a little too common a name and decided I didn't want folks confusing my claptrap with that of someone else. I like it when folks honor the individuality of each other's bullsh!t.

I also brought it back in line with the blog's title. Yes, there is a story behind the title and username and, no, it isn't based purely on trashing my natal region of our republic. I hope to tell you more of the story once I feel that the safety of our Second Amendment rights is better secured.

Thanks for your interest!