The Pressing of Time...

Summer is slowly winding down and fall is quickly approaching. It may seem at times that I've fallen off the edge of the world, but I'm still going and keeping myself quite busy. Although this summer didn't hold the drastic changes I expected, it has been quite interesting and productive. August has been a bit chaotic and a bit harried, yet there is a lot of change looming on my horizon.

Once more, I am taking steps to quit that dreaded smoking habit of mine. I have learned that quitting "cold turkey" isn't an easy method, so I'm weening myself off slowly. I've cut down drastically, and I'm changing habits which give me the desire to smoke. Gone are the days of drinking two monstrous cups of coffee with plenty of cream in the morning. My habit of smoking while writing is being altered as well. I make my cigarettes not-so-easily accessible now, and I've been getting along fine on only a few a day. I will cut back once more to one or two a day before finally dropping them altogether. At least I'm allowing my body to adjust to low nicotine levels first so that I should spare everyone the grouchy, cranky withdrawal symptoms.

I also am working on a new web venture. Yes, my old website is now a thing of the past. I'm giving myself two months to set up a new site with a new focus. This past weekend was spent working on some new graphics, and I must say I'm quite pleased with how one of them has turned out. I'm not expert, but I have a decent grasp on the basics now. My aim is to keep things relatively simple yet visually appealing. It will change as time passes, but for now the rudimentary site should be up and running rather soon.

Otherwise, research is slowly progressing. I have hit a few snags here and there, but overall it is going smoothly. I have set a few goals for the end of this month, and hopefully I'll be able to meet or exceed those milestones. I have encountered some fascinating bits of history and tales of people long since dead. While I am often seeking out information over a great distance, I have only hit a few major roadblocks. A few small detours should bring me back onto the right course once again.