A Splintered Mind

As summer draws to a close I offer my final distraction for you: A cage filled with four fat groundhog-gopher things . It features fully interactive camera motion, including auto panning, and one groundhog that is constantly trying to tunnel under the wheel. Worth a laugh or two, then get back to work. Of course, the webcam is in Japan so you'll have to take time differentials into consideration. I've tried to keep three things in mind when choosing distractions. As I've stated before, you're going to get distracted anyway, so you might as well make them good ones. That is why I felt comfortable sharing them with you, especially my AD/HD proned readers. 1) Is it constructive and mentally stimulating? Face it. There are plenty of things to do that don't require an ounce of thought. Years ago when I was Lord of the Pants I couldn't stand eating in the break room. The TV was always on and I could guarantee that it was always tuned in to something inane and ...

The problem with blogging one's journey through life is the vulnerability of it. I am not a noble man striving to forge my way against the elements. I'm more like a bumbling nincompoop stumbling about in the dark trying to find his way out of the bathroom. Not really different than most folks, but still very not like a hero. So when I declare that I have arrived at an important epiphany concerning my art, and then you learn that this epiphany is that I prefer using an HB pencil lead instead of fiddling around with a range of different pencil strengths, you're liable to scratch your head and wonder what all the fuss is about. I still haven't written my giant epiphany post yet over on The Splintered Mind , but in brief I can say that I've been doing a sort of Art Rehab to reforge some bridges that have been burned long ago. I began at the beginning - pencil rendering. As I've worked through the exercises over the summer I have discovered a few things. 1) I no...

I'm sitting on a bench waiting for my daughter to come out of the office of a local Country music radio station. This will be her first time promoting herself professionally. She's only 14. I've got my other three girls waiting out in the van, doors open, within ear shot so I can keep tabs on them. Otherwise, I'd be in the office with my oldest girl. My daughter's mission: To thank the local marketing director for letting her participate in the Colgate Country Music Showdown and to find the name of the gentleman who MC'd the showdown so she can pitch her single to him. When she performed at a County Fair she was the last act right before the State finals. Apparently, several people from the radio station booth poked their heads in to hear her sing and liked what they heard. These days the radio is filled with playlists picked in dark smokey rooms somewhere far from our livingroom. There is little chance that my daughter's low budget produced single is go...

Every have one of those days where you have too much to get done in too little time? What? Everyday is like that you say? What I find frustrating during some of those days is how my AD/HD mind freezes. So much to juggle. So much to prioritize. My mind becomes overwhelmed with paralysis. I'll work my way through it. I always do. But I wish that it wasn't such an effort to prioritize. The problem is emotion. I'm simply flooded with feelings when I should be coldly arranging events in order. Each event I need to organize has its own set of pressures, anxieties, and fears that washes over me. Distracts me. It's all so overwhelming on days like today. I didn't sleep well, which I believe is the real culprit here today. I had another episode of sleep paralysis last night. Haven't experienced that in a while. I know what it is now - simply part of my brain awaking while the other parts are still asleep. Last night I was aware when my vision turned on. I was blind...

Did you think I had blogfaded because I had stopped posting? Well, here's my second post in one day. Ha! That'll teach ya! Well, I'm not sure what lesson you can learn from that other than I'm suffering from chronic absentmindedism, and that I didn't post last Monday's ADHD Distraction because I was distracted, but let's change the subject. Having AD/HD means getting bored really quickly. Faster than a speeding bullet quick. Speed of light quick. In fact, I get bored so fast that I'm already bored with tomorrow's distractions before I even discover them. So webcams are passé, Sudoku causes yawns, and I'm desperate to find another constructive distraction that won't suck up my time like a cool raspberry Slurpee on a hot summer day. That's why I'm pleased to introduce today's distraction to you: Mahjong . Mahjong is a great brain teaser. I fell in love with a version of the game called Shanhai on my Sega Master System back in 1990....

Where have I been for the past week? For the past summer, really. Would you believe wonderfully scenic Distraction, USA ? It’s a quaint little town, but I wouldn’t recommend visiting it. Lots of activities there to pull at your attention. I guarantee you there’s something there for every member of your family. You’ll find yourself being pulled in one hundred and one directions simultaneously. The residents there have a very handy way of making you think you’re actually getting something done during the pandemonium. Definitely a place to avoid. Actually, I find myself lost in Distraction, USA an awful lot these days. It seems that every family member has had urgent business to attend to and I was their only way of getting it accomplished. Irish Step dancing competitions and performances every time I turn around. Gigs and auditions for my oldest daughter all over Northern Utah. Podcast production. MySpace band page maintenance. Resumés to write for everyone EXCEPT me. Finding new sc...

I just remembered that I promised somebody I'd blog about a certain topic for them and I completely forgot who I promised and what I promised to write about! I think it's been a few weeks, too. How embarrassing. It has to do with spouses I think. And depression. Anybody have any ideas? hooboy...I wish I had focus instead of fog.

Thanks to the exodus this summer of the group of readers I picked up during my heady Blogs of Note days I've been contemplating my blog, The Splintered Mind , and wondering what I'll do with it. You see, my goal was never to become rich and famous through my blog. I just wanted to learn how to talk about my disabilities with a cheeky sense of humor, hone my writing skills, and connect with people. I've accomplished all those goals but the blog feels lacking of late. The problem I'm having is that my disabilities are getting in the way of a regular publishing schedule. Since my readers are an absentminded bunch of loons (unlike me, of course), they've gotten out of the habit of visiting me. That's my theory anyway. What's that you say? Maybe they just don't like reading me anymore? Well, I am an annoying little git. "You can do it!" "Don't let your lame brain get you down!" "AD/HD is a positive thing! Just tell yourself ...