State of the Author: January 2017 · 5:51am Jan 14th, 2017
Jesus, has it really been four months since my last post on this thing? Too long, I say! Far too long. To that end, let us dispense with 2016 and all its maleficence and discuss things going on in the new year.
First off, the negatives. I suffered second-degree burn on my left hand late in December, which really fucked me up going into 2017. Because of this, I'm starting off the year slightly less affluent than before. Combine this with the fact that my brother failed to properly submit the documents for our six-month review for the SNAP program (better known as Food Stamps), and now a significant amount of my income is now going towards my family. Or at least, more than what is usually needed. While I'm not against helping my family, I don't like how a single snafu cost me a good chunk of my earnings.
There's also the fact that my employers seem to wax and wane in terms of decency. Some days, I get off work right on time, and others, I'm stuck in a little corridor, trying to hold myself together while my ride throws up his arms wondering just what the hell's taking me so long. That's not to say I completely hate them, per se—I'm given quite a good deal of praise and admiration by my peers, even sometimes given surplus beverages like frappes on occasion. What I truly hate is their lack of contingency, their lack of accounting for the individual needs of the employees. I hate being treated like just another cog in the machine. But hey, that's retail, right?
On to the good, this job actually lasted long enough for me to get a new computer! It's faster, more powerful, and doesn't require a reboot every few hours due to a dead hard drive. Man, was it a bastard to set up, though. I spent the better half of an afternoon just putting it together and getting it up and running. But hey, I can play Witcher 3 in glorious 4:3. So that's something.
Unfortunately, this wonderful world of PC gaming combined with the rigors of retail has left me with the unfortunate side-effect of procrastinating like a motherfucker. Add to that my new Roku, which lets me watch YouTube and Amazon Video on my TV, and that just adds to it.
But, that's probably not what you're here for, so on with the story update!
Chapter 21 is nearing 4000 words. While I won't spoil too much, I can state that another G1 character is appearing, and that a character who made a brief appearance early on will be returning. The thunderbird will be of great import, and another interaction with you-know-who will be happening.
