Guns & Magic

 

Yeah. It’s been a non-violent, rather mundane world around here for a couple months now. Sorry about that.

 

I’ve continued reading, of course, but that’s because I can always find time to read. While eating breakfast, for example, or sitting in the john. Writing, though, requires a bit more … location-location-location. And time-time-time.

 

Excuses? Me? Never!

 

Or maybe just two.

 

1. Chapter 8 of the current project. Some self-doubt and some second-guessing and just generally thinking I needed to re-think how that chapter was going.

 

2. Buying a house. Which will soon morph into “selling a house” (since I now own 2 houses; what the hell was I thinking?).

 

Of the 2, though, #2 is the biggest culprit, making #1 easier to face.

 

However, #2 is also going to make it possible for me to get back to writing as I move into my new home-office–which will be mine. All mine! Buwahahahahaha. Ha. Ha. Ahem. Yes…

 

Currently, my “office” does double-duty as the “family computer room”. The room has my desk in it, yes. But also the computer my daughter uses. And most of the family library of books and board games, including home-schooling supplies. And “overflow” storage from my wife’s quilting. And … and …

 

Yes, we outgrew this house about 5 years ago. We couldn’t move, though, because of what I so flippantly refer to as “The Financial Implosion of 2002″. (It didn’t seem so flippant at the time, but humor is more often in retrospect than any other ‘spect.)

 

In fact, at the beginning of this year, 2007, we still didn’t think we’d be able to move to a new, more us-sized house until 2009. To our surprise, though, when–for no real reason that I can recall–we paused to really think about the house situation at the beginning of April. Doing so, we realized that our financial situation had changed. And we really could now afford to buy a new house. Within limits, of course.

 

So, not quite 2 months later, here we are. It was first a rush of looking at house after house. Then the sudden realization that, after only seeing about 11 or 12 houses, that we had found one that was perfect. Then the hurry-up-and-wait of making an offer, doing inspections, waiting on closing, et cetera. And, of course, shopping for new furniture and trying to puzzle out what will go where.

 

We move in next week.

 

Exciting stuff, if you’re in the middle of it. Much less so, I suppose, if you’re only hearing about it.

 

Anyway, both guns and magic will be back–in force, and likely with a good bit of pent of violence–before too much longer.

 

Promise.

 

-David

 

Rule #1 by Phil Town. My latest in my attempt get caught up on all the get-rich-quick books I seem to have missed in the past couple years.

 

Over the weekend, I finished Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist by Rojer Lowenstein. As a biography, it seems to be a rather devoted, maybe a bit doting, account of a man’s life. An extraordinary man, yes, but I could’ve done with a bit more objectivity. Overall, though, I enjoyed reading the book–even if Buffett’s accomplishments and obvious skills prove a bit daunting to consider. Though the book isn’t about finance and investing per se, I learned enough about those topics to want to pursue more.

 

-David

 

Use What You’ve Got by Barbar Corcoran.

 

Getting Things Done by David Allen was interesting. Though it contains only a pamphlet-sized amount of information, padded to book-length, it provides some solid information and techniques.

 

After Getting Things Done, I read The Millionaire Maker by Loral Langemeier. The Millionaire Maker is a lot like Rich Dad, Poor Dad. But with more nuts and bolts and no purple cover. I think I pulled some useful ideas from the book, but it’s more of a “Why you should go to Loral Langemeier’s seminars” tract than much else. She might be able to make you a millionaire, but for only $24.95 (or free, if you grab it at the local library like I did) she’s not going to put too much effort into it. Just kinda yell at you and strut her I’m-a-mogul-now stuff.

 

-David