Update–New 21 Pilots music; Hulu’s presentation of Castle Rock, based on the town created by Stephen King; Cincinnati Reds end season

I’ve spoken about the recent break and this next phase beginning, but I haven’t mentioned the nervousness that goes with it. It’s hard getting back. I really have been focusing on good quality life in the last five or six weeks; my running is the best that it has been in more than a year (I ran 82 miles last month, and I’m shooting for 108 this month.). I’ve begun reading books again. I’m getting to spend more time with the boys.

So, yeah, there’s that fear that there always is getting back to it.

And it’s the easiest thing, really; all I have to do is sit down in this chair and start pushing the keys. Still, sometimes that’s not as easy as others.

This isn’t writer’s block; I could write if I had an assignment–and I’ve written assignments during the little vacation–but it’s hard to switch gears back to this type of writing. That may be it; I’ve been focusing on the business analysis writing for so long, I don’t know how to deal with the slowdown (The seasonal downturn affects crypto and lending analysis just as it does most other business spaces.).

So, back to more culturally mainstream things.

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21 Pilots’ Trench, initial thoughts

Most, if not all, of the new 21 Pilots songs, from the album titled Trench, are available on YouTube. I’m not saying that anyone should just listen to the music and not support the band with a purchase, but if you want to check out some of the music to see if you like it, it’s available.

I’ve listened to most of it, and I’m digging it pretty well; their music often has to grow on me with repeated listening. It seems to have more ballads and softer music than previous offerings, and maybe too much for my liking, but I fully understand that I’m not their intended demographic.

Here are a couple songs that have interested me. These are unofficial videos, and I don’t lay claim to any of this.

Hulu’s Castle Rock, based on the town of Stephen King’s creation

I’ve watched all ten episodes of the first season of this series, and it would have been difficult for me to enjoy it any more than I did. I really dug it. Those of you who know just how important Stephen King’s works have always meant to me might take that with a grain of salt, thinking that I like everything Stephen writes and the derivatives. That isn’t true; I didn’t like Cell, Tommyknockers, or The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon all that much; nor did I care much for screen adaptations of Langloliers, Dreamcatcher, or Under the Dome. There are other things, but those are the main examples.

So, I just don’t blindly like everything that comes from Stephen’s world.

I liked this, however; I liked it a lot. JJ Abrams is the Executive Producer, and I’m just hoping that he and the creative team don’t try to do everything with this one, which seemed to be one of the problems Lost had. That was another Abrams vehicle that I was really fond of, and it wound up making me think I might have started taking acid again, and not in a good way.

I’ll be going more in depth into this soon.

Reds end rough season

My beloved Cincinnati Reds ended their 2018 campaign meekly at best, winning only ten of their final 30 games. More on this later as well, but suffice it to say that, if some of these young pitchers don’t gain greater consistency, 2019 might not end up much better than this year did.

This is just some of the stuff that is occupying me right now, or has occupied me since we last sat down to talk, which we’ll do again soon.

I look forward to seeing you then.