The Michael Swayne Story V: King of his Castle

Wow! A whole month has gone by since my last entry. I honestly haven't really wanted to write anything lately, so...

But now I do.

I guess I will start with how things are going here. It's pretty much the same as usual. I stay in my room as much as possible. I play video games to escape this world until Joey comes home. Then I help him with his homework. And after that's done, I go back to saving the hundreds of other worlds I have access to, because there's little I can do to save this one. When the kids barge in, I usher them out. I've actually gotten quite at that. If I am on my bed when they come in, I usually swing my leg out and catch the door before it opens too much. Then I shut it before they can run in. I urinate in used water bottles in my room, because I am tired of having the kids try and bust down the door to the bathroom. As if the two doors being closed, and the light being enough of an indication that someone is in there. Then I pour the bottles out in the snow. I shower when no one is home, or I'll stay up late or wake up extra early to shower while everyone else is sleeping. The same thing with bowel movements. And if I am not able to make it until an opportune time, I carry my Vita in with me and put the volume on full to give a sound warning that someone is in there.

Food is take what you can find, and there isn't much that hasn't been handled by grubby fingers. And when I am in the kitchen to get something to eat, there are also three pairs of hands trying to claim it as theirs. I tell them to get their mom to feed them, but still they reach. It's probably the most annoying thing I am dealing with at the moment. I'm going to do more than move their hands away if it keeps up. I bought some soda just this last Friday, and when I brought it home, the youngest two tried taking it as theirs.

Work has been rough lately. This is probably the worst winter I have dealt with. And I don't have the luxury of having someone with a vehicle to take me around this time. And it's always coldest on Thursdays it seems. I know I say that a lot but it's true. Take this coming week, for example.



*The top is Fahrenheit, bottom is Celsius.

Winds lately have been brutal. And two weeks ago in particular, there was really no point in delivering at all, because the papers that didn't get picked up were buried in snow. The people of Peebles will find out what happened two weeks ago in probably a month, when the snow melts. If it melts. Please, let it melt.

I was talking with the EO Skype chat about how all this snow would make some great shots for a video I want to make. It's a parody of "Let It Go" I wrote called "Where'd It Go (my warmth)". I let them listen to a bit of it, as well as my friends on Facebook. Here's the clip, so you can listen for yourself.

Where'd It Go (my warmth) - Michael Swayne

I got a pretty favorable response from it. The whole song is recorded, but I don't want to release any more of it until I get the video made. I would hate for my first crack at a music career to be ruined by leaking everything too soon. I'm not Madonna. Anyway, it's just a bit of fun really. I think if I do record anything else, it'll be a cover of a song that I translate into some foreign language I'm speaking at the time. Quite possibly the follow-up single of Conchita Wurst's "Rise Like a Phoenix" titled "Heroes". Here, have a listen...



I did a preliminary translation of the song already, and most of the Mandarin fits in with the English lyrics' flow. I will have to take out a few lines that don't fit in spots, but it should be a great version. Maybe if it gets seen by someone in Conchita's camp, I could see myself performing at Eurovision this year. That would be so awesome! I actually just had this thought. But my European friends, please watch just in case.

Speaking of Eurovision, Australia is getting the chance to compete this year. As much as I want to say that it's not fair, because the U.S. is an associate member of the EBU as much as Australia, I am glad that it's getting the chance to compete. It could be the start of what may become the Worldvision Song Contest.

Moving on...

The last time I saw Mom was at the end of January. She paid me the money for that part she asked me to order and then left again. We kept in touch through text message, but that's it. Just today, she sent me a message saying that her phone reloaded for the month. She also said that hopefully soon I won't have to pay for it or the storage unit, because her boyfriend will be working more when it gets warmer. That works for me.

But hopefully, there won't be need for a storage unit soon. You see, I have some big news that I can't tell many people for fear of it getting out and ticking several people off.

On Thursday while I was warming up from being out in the cold for so long, Misty was in the office. She and I started talking about a bunch of stuff that can't be talked about when other people are in the office. The only reason I was told these things is because I am from the old era of employees at the paper. I built a friendship and loyalty to Misty that Iris and the others will never get. Anyway, she first said that because of Wade getting a job at the other paper in the county, she can't talk about her work at the Messenger with him. It's so "secrets" don't get out and the Defender doesn't steal our ideas.

But they may be stealing something more precious. Me. Misty said that they were hiring, and were desperate for someone in their office. She's always been one to help me out if I needed it, and she knows how crazy my life is right now, and she wants me to finally break free from it. Well, when I saw the ad they posted in their paper yesterday, I updated my resume to fit it, as well as written a kick-butt cover letter to go with it. I emailed it to the person, and now I'm just waiting for a response. They'd be crazy not to hire me, what with my nearly 9 years in the newspaper industry. Misty told me that Wade working there would be a great in for me as well. He knows firsthand how I work and he'll put in a good word for me.

I really hope that I get this job. It's full-time, and pays well. It also comes with insurance, 401 K, paid vacation, and paid holidays. It is a great opportunity, and one that I can't pass up. Not with how my life is right now. There are some drawbacks, though. First is the fact that it is 20 miles away from here. I may have come up with a plan to counter this. I was thinking of asking my Aunt Becky if I could stay with her and her husband for a while. And it wouldn't be like how it is here. According to Misty, the pay is great enough to be able to afford a place of my own within weeks. Anyway, staying with my Aunt cuts the distance to the other paper in half, and keeps me at a capable distance of my current work at my paper.

Which brings me to issue #2: my pets. I wouldn't be able to take Luca, Itsy Bitsy, and Stri-P-Grr with me to my Aunt's, and possibly at the place in West Union (where the other paper is located). This is the one thing I haven't already come up with a plan for yet. I'm saving it for whenever I have to. I'm sure Mom or my sister would step in and help out by taking them for a while. If I am moving out of Carma's house, I'm not going to keep my pets here. That's not fair to them. And I can't be sure they'd be cared for here without me here to do it myself.

Issue #3 is the fact that I can't work at the Messenger any longer, possibly forever. If I get the job, I can't work at two papers, let alone two rivaling papers. Remember when I told you that Misty had asked to work in the office, but Iris said that there wasn't any room for her? And remember when I said that it was if Iris flat out didn't want Misty here for fear of possibly taking Iris' job? Well, that attitude hasn't really left. That's why Misty can't discuss anything work-related with Wade. It's a rule that was put in place when they found out Wade worked at the Defender.

Anyway, I will keep delivering at the Messenger as long as possible. But I have to tell them. It will make them mad, because it'll be like I'm defecting to Russia. I'm possibly leaving one paper for another. If I get the job, I will write my very first two-weeks notice letter, a letter I thought I would never have to write. I wanted to work there forever, possibly owning it one day. And maybe I still might, because I'll be able to afford things. Anyway (I'm saying that a lot), I'm almost positive that if I get this job, I will lose my friendships with the staff at the Messenger. And that is probably the worst thing. Yes, I'll be bettering myself, and making a life for myself, but It will feel like I'm throwing away my family. Eventually, they would see that it was a good thing, but that knife will still be in their backs.

I have told the EO Skype chat, my mother and sister, and now you all. No one here at the house knows yet. I'm leaving everything as quiet as possible, because I don't want them expecting anything. But if I get it, I will have to get everything together. Autumn will practically move me out herself so she'll have a bed to bring her men to. There seem to be a lot of them these days. It will be hard to leave Joey, because he's like a little brother now. And not being able to help him with his homework each day won't be the same.

Anyway...again...

If in the event that I don't get the job (please, let me get this job!) life will continue as normal. However, if what Autumn's been saying on the phone with people, she'll be moving to Louisiana sometime this month. It's too bad it wasn't today. But these walls are thin, and I have heard something else through them. I guess Carma is going to be making longer trips soon, and that would give Autumn the house for her evilness. I would be afraid that she might try to do something to me if Carma is not here. The fact that Carma comes back each morning doesn't give her much chance to do more than yell at me if I stand up to her. So yeah, here's hoping that job comes through.

It is the Year of the Sheep now! 新年快乐! Happy Chinese New Year! Here's hoping that each of us have a great year! Especially those of you who are turning 12, 24, 36, etc. It is your year, so make it the best year possible.

I finally finished Final Fantasy XIII-2! I did it this morning, and I didn't feel any sadness like I did in Final Fantasy XIII. I guess because I ruined the ending for myself, but that doesn't really mean anything, since I do that all the time. Maybe because I didn't find all the fragments or learn the entire story. Oh well. I finally did it, and that's all that matters. I just have to go back through and earn all the remaining trophies to truly finish it.

Season 6 of the Trophy Hunters League is underway. I'm currently in Match 7 of the season. So far, I am in 7th place in the Bronze League. Promotion doesn't seem likely at this point. So, I am just trying to finish the season as best I can. With things possibly changing, I may not have a lot of time for gaming. It could very well be my last season competing.

In other video game news, I played and earned every trophy of the Vita version of Jetpack Joyride. I've also bought some games, going a bit wild when those crazy sales occurred earlier in the month. I now have LittleBigPlanet 3, Hyperdimension Neptunia Rebirth 1, both Dangan Ronpa games, a couple fighting games, a tactics game, and probably some more. I can't remember at the moment. And then recently, I've gotten into playing the free-to-play games on the Vita. Like Deadman's Cross, My Singing Monsters, Wake-Up Club, and Get Off My Lawn!. There are others, but those are the ones I play most. And I'm ranked 35th in the world in Monopoly Deal. It's at a point where no one wants to play with me because of my playstyle. Normally, I play for the remaining trophies, but that is really difficult. I have to win without laying a card down, instead choosing to steal cards from other players or earn them as payment. And then the last trophy I have to get is to have a house and hotel card on the dark blue properties, and then play a Rent and Double the card at the same time on them. I've had it happen to me, but I haven't actually done it myself. It's rough, because you are trying to keep six cards , and you can only play three at a time.

And, I guess that's it. I'm going to make an effort and try to update this more often this month. I will need a sound board to help me not go crazy over the stress. Home stress, work stress, other stress. Stress, stress, stress. But I'm sure that in the end, it will all have been good stress. Anyway, I hope to see you around the forums, and until then...

Later!

Michael