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New mission, if you choose to accept

Posted on October 15, 2012
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Today, October 15th, I vow to write every day in my blog.  What I write may not be of any importance, but I will be going through the motions, and forming a habit.  The content will vary from work related mumblings, to aspirations of my writing projects.  They may also encompass the varied post about the family or, dare I say it, politics.  Most likely not politics, but why knows which way the wind might blow.  The whole purpose of this is to continue to write and to improve at it while the habit is formed.

As for the daily writing, I should also have certain targets to aim for.  Word count being one of them.  I should be shooting for somewhere around 300 to 500 words per entry.  The POTD posts I have done will not count for this exercise, as there are no words, but just a pretty picture.  No, to qualify, there has to be solid content for the word count.  See, as of right now, I am at 172 words.  More than half way to the 300 end of the limit.

Onto something with substance, I am going to give NaNoWriMo a go again this year.  This time, I hope to have something worth a crap in the end.  Or at the very least, something that can be saved from the 86 file in December.  I have a number of ideas that I might go with, or I might have a brainstorming session next week while I am between jobs.  Brainstorming something new sounds intriguing, so I might be leaning a bit in that direction.  First though, I will need to choose a genre.  Do I want to go sci-fi, or action/suspense?  I certainly do not think I can go with the romance angle, but I am sure I can include a bit if romance in the other genres.  Literary fiction is also a possibility, but who knows.  That is what the brainstorming session will take care off.  I might even hang a few large sheets of paper on the walls in the basement and go at it with a marker and jot down a number of things.  Going through the brainstorming with an additional person would certainly speed things up, but it has to be the right person.  I am not looking for a “yes man” to simply agree with everything I write on the board.  Someone that is involved would be great.  I wonder if there is something there for an inquiry for assistants?

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Down another path in life

Posted on October 13, 2012
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Isn’t it funny how when you think you have everything almost figured out, something comes along and pushes you into a new direction?  Well, that is sort of what happened to me this week.

For the last several months, I have been working on my Design By Kohler website (which I am almost done – I know, I keep saying that) and have had the long term plan of giving self employment another go.  Probably in the LONG-LONG term, that is still there, but on Thursday, I accepted a position with another local architect.  I start the week of the 29th, and it cannot get here soon enough!

I am only anxious to start the new job because I want off the current one sooner.  Honestly, the current job is OK.  It is an EASY job for the money, and there is relatively zero responsibility.  It’s just not challenging enough for me.  No design.  No creativity.  Zip – Zilch – Nada.  And there is no running water on site, and with winter coming on, taking a poo in the port-o-potty is something I was NOT looking forward to.

So, the new job is back in architecture.  Back to the stress, which I have grown to love.  Back to being creative.  Back to a flushing toilet in a heated room!  And it’s not like I have to learn a new office environment.  I have done work with these folks for many years while running DBK.  I know both of the gentlemen there fairly well, and it will be an easy transition.  I am not sure what the future there will bring, but I am going into this with an open mind for what I hope to be a bright future.

As for my up and coming blog, UrbanCastle.net, I still plan on running that out.  I have a lot of material worked through and have most of the graphics done.  I want to make sure I have at least 2 to 3 months worth of posts ready to go before I pull the trigger.  That way, if I get bogged down with my day job for an extended period of time, I can continue to post new material on the blog on a relatively regular basis.  I hope to build that blog up to around 50,000 subscribers, and I cannot do that if I post once or twice a month, if I remember that often.

Finally, I have a TON of photos I want to get posted, but they will have to wait just a bit longer to make their debut.  I promise to have new material posted here soon as well.

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How to survive a boring day

Posted on September 25, 2012
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I wish I had the profound answer to that questions, but unfortunately, I do not.  I suppose being on this site (or on the internet) in it’s self is a partial cure.  I know the internet is a bit of a remedy for my occasional boredom.

I have been wanting to recapture the creative spirit in blogging that I once had many years ago, and I seem to continually over-think every single idea that comes to mind.  I think about writing a movie review, and as I run through how I would word it, the other half of my mind was say “That’s already been done” and I drop the thought.  I think about posting a new recipe that I have developed, and again, the other half of my mind says “Don’t give up that recipe just yet.  Keep it to yourself a bit longer” and I drop the thought.  It seems like every single idea I come up with, and my minds other half dismisses it before I can ever make any ground on it.  Damn you, you stupid internal editor!

I am making a bit more headway on my new blog project, UrbanCastle.net.  I just need to get through a bit more “mapping” and I will be good to go.  I am shooting for a launch of October 1st, and I also plan on launching the new Design By Kohler website at the same time.  That site is 95% complete and I just need to get a bit more verbiage put in place first.

On the writing front, I am looking forward to getting into NaNoWriMo again this year.  I completed 50,000 words for the first time last year and I hope to do it again this year, but with much more direction.  Towards the end last year, I seriously crapped out, and just got words on the page to hit my goal.  This year, I plan on taking it a bit more seriously.  I think my daughter is also planning on giving it a go.  Kind of exciting for her!  This will be her 1st year, and my 10th.  I’m excited myself!

Speaking of writing, I submitted a story to a new website called JukePopSerials, but was unfortunately rejected.  I’m not beating myself up too much about it though, as I know they were bombarded with submissions as it is a new site.  I will submit another few stories that might woo them into an acceptance!  Let’s hope at least!

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Oh, Paul. Where have you been?

Posted on September 11, 2012
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OK, I really do not think anyone would be asking me that around here.  I do not get that many readers here.  At least I don’t think I do…

So, where have I been?  Working the 9 to 5, that’s where.  Well, it’s not exactly the “9 to 5″, but more like the 6:30 to 4:00 with a half hour lunch.  You may notice (or not if you are mathematically challenged) that my work hours are 9 hours a day.  I have worked 9 hours a day in the past, but I would leave after 4 on Friday.  I actually liked that schedule as I would put in the 40 hours required and still have time to get some errands ran while there was still business hours open elsewhere.  This current job however is not so forgiving.  It’s actually the opposite.  They want you to work 45 hours minimum, and sometimes on the weekend.  All that for the bonus pay of Zippo…  Ziltch…  Nada…  Honestly though, I am happy to be employed, but just not real thrilled with the way the current employer does things.  Something better is certainly on the horizon.  I just need to find that horizon…

I have also been working on a new blog of sorts.  No entries are posted yet, as I am still working out the details of what the platform and layout, but it should be huge!  I mean STELLAR!  OK, I am hoping it will be good.  With all my years in architecture and remodeling, I feel I have a ton of knowledge built up.  And I know that sharing this knowledge would be beneficial to a lot of people.   So, I am going to start a Home Improvement Blog. My only problem is, is that I know there are a number of other home improvement blogs out there, and how will I stand out from the crowd?  Hopefully with my sharp wit and creativity, that’s how.  I am nervous though, that I will come off sounding dry or boring with my posts.  I will certainly have to work on keeping it alive with excitement!

More posts to come later, I am sure.  I have a TON of photo’s I would like to post, and a number of new recipes that are pretty freakin’ awesome.  Add to that, general ‘life crap’ and I should be posting every hour, on the hour.  But for now, I am out!

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Current status

Posted on June 11, 2012
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I have not forgot about Paul-Kohler.net you so soon, although it might look that way.  I have still been updating the POTD entries, but as for writing content, I have been focusing on my fitness blog.

One day last week, I blogged about platforms and blog content, and realized that I might be better off with a few specific blogs after all, and not include everything into one “department store” variety blogs.  So, I worked the last few days of last week creating a Fitness blog and loading a number of entries into it for my current beginners running program.  That entry was pretty successful on Pinterest, that it prompted an entire blog.  I officially launched that blog on Friday at 6:00 p.m. mountain time, and the results have so far been pretty good.  From the launch, I have almost 2,500 hits to the site.  The hits here have been up as well, but nothing comparative.  Most of those here are still residual from the initial Pinterest pin from last week.  I am going to continue to post over there as well as over here.  No fitness updates here, and no writing updates over there.  there will be links back and forth between them, but just from the about me pages.

beyond that update, I am contemplating yet another blog.  The new one will be about our basement finish.  I think it can develop into more than just a recap of our basement finish, but more into a basement finish solutions blog.  I am not sure i will have time to get it complete before our vacation, but maybe once we get back it can go live.

So, yeah, we are going on vacation on Wednesday!  Flying off to Phoenix first, then driving down to Mexico the next day.  Four days down there, and then back to Phoenix for a few then flying home.  It will be nice getting some beach time in.

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What is in a Platform?

Posted on June 7, 2012
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From years past, I have struggled to get regular readers on my blog.  I think that is partly why I let it expire in 2005.  Nobody cared.  I certainly did, but that wasn’t enough to keep things going.  This time, I want to make things different.  I want to grow my blog, and to do so, I need subscribers or regular readers.

Google to the rescue!  I did a search and found a number of blog posts on building readership and subscribers, and  a number of them continue to mention to stay focused on your platform, and not veer from it that often.  I spent the rest of yesterday and last night contemplating what my platform is, and I came to the conclusion that i really do not have a “single” platform.  I have a ton of interests, and as you might have read from an earlier entry, I “had” blogs for half of them.  I consolidated, so that I could remain focused more on content than on multiple blog layouts.  I wonder if that needs to be rethought..

So, until I rethink my thinking on my platform (which currently is “Generalities”) I think I will keep on keepin’ on.  I know, a lot of thinking going on there, and nothing to show for it.  My problem is, I want to write.  I want to write about writing.  I like the fitness aspect, and I want to write about fitness.  I like to cook, and again, I like to write about it.  Photography?  Same same…  What is a guy to do?

Also, many of the blogs I read about this also said to limit your posts to one a day and not much more.  I “kind of” agree, but “kind of” not.  I hate getting a ton of emails saying ‘so-and-so just updated…’ but as it stands now (for this week at least) I have been posting 2 to 3 times a day.  I have the Photo Of The Day post.  I have had a recipe here and there.  I’ve had a fitness post, and I’ve had a few generalities themed posts, lightly linked to writing.  Perhaps I should keep everything separate.  I don’t know.  I really don’t.  Again, I think for now, I am going to keep on keepin’ on.

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Getting back in the saddle

Posted on June 4, 2012
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Yes, it has been a long time…  I have spent a ton of hours over the weekend, trying to get back into the mindset of blogging.  I used to have a ton of ideas floating around my head, enough for dozens of entries at any given time.  I just had to reach in and grab one to post.  Now, I still have those dozens (if not more) ideas floating around, but my internal editor dismisses them as garbage even before I can start to get them on the screen.  Damn my mind!

I did, however, log just about all my books into Goodreads.  I still have all the paper backs that reside on the top shelf of my bookcase, and because they are WAY up there, I will come back to them at another time.  Probably save that for a cleaning day, as there is most certainly a ton of dust up there too.  As it sits right now, I have a bit more than 600 books logged in that I own.  I am sure the paperback shelf has another 100 or so, and half of those are Cheryls.  And being a mildly obsessive/compulsive, I also tossed them into a number of bookshelves as I scanned them in.

On other thoughts, I have really been contemplating getting back into writing.  I have not written in many many months, and I feel I truly have stories to tell.  Plus, I have been reading a bit and some of the books I have read have been true garbage.  If THEY can get published with that drivel, I certainly can with a whole lot better stories.  The only thing holding me back is my mind.  Every time I start to think about writing, my mind says “You should have a job first!”  Being unemployed sucks!  Even though I actively look for work in my field, the market and economy still sucks.   So, in turn, I dismiss the writing dream, and focus on earning a living.

On that front – work, that is – I believe I am going to open up my own shop again.  I have seriously sent my resume off hundreds of times.  I have even began sending it into the same firms for the second time.  There are just so many unemployed architects out there, that my resume gets lost in the mess.  I know I have superior skills and work ethics, but just getting into the interview to express them is the biggest hurdle.  I can count on one hand, the number of interviews I have had since being unemployed.  I know the work is starting to return, as i still talk with other architects, and I know I can cut into some of that work.  I just need to really start marketing myself.

Now, if I can just balance looking for work ALONG with a bit of writing, I wont feel so horribly bad when I sit down to write something.  I just need to convince myself that my writing may in fact be worth something to a publisher and it could in fact be what brings home the bacon in the household…

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I’m back!

Posted on June 1, 2012
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It has been a number of years (about 7 to be semi-precise) since I have had my blog up.  The original blog was called paulkohler.net, without the dash, but somewhere along the way, I decided to let it expire and by the time I realized that I ought to get it renewed, for posterity’s sake if nothing more, the domain was picked up by some Japanese company selling prepaid phone cards or something.  I had no idea my name sake was so closely related to that business in Japan.  Seriously, who knew?

Anyway, I am back to blogging, albeit with a dash in my name.  Honestly though, I have a number of other “themed” blogs going, but I cannot seem to keep all of them up to date.  I have tried to, but i just seem overwhelmed at the work.  I know, I am unemployed, and I “should” have all the time in the world to keep them serviced, but there is always something else that sidetracks my mind.  Then, just the other day, I got one of those wild-hair-up-the-ass ideas and decided to try and consolidate things a bit.  So here we are.  It’s June 1st, and I am writing my inagural post on the new and improved Paul-Kohler.net!

Some of the things I will blog about are my thoughts on everything from the economy (grrr), politics (not so often, but it is so closely related to the economy), my writing (oh how I wish to be a writer), anything relating to the family (pics of kiddo, remodeling the house, vacation journal, yadda yadda) or fitness (hiking and working out).  I am sure there will be the random post about how tasty my peanut butter sandwich was next Tuesday, but who knows what this will bring.

As for the style and layout, I will most likely switch things up very frequently at first.  That is part of my problem with all my other blogs – I am never happy with any one of the themes on them, and i found myself not really posting anything, because I would get preoccupied with the look.  At least I can have that problem with just the one blog, and should be able to focus more on content.  It’s a theory at least…

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