My creative output this summer has been quite poor. No podcasts. Not much writing other than a few posts on this blog. No drawing. No music. No video.

Perhaps it’s the Texas heat that has gotten to me. Even in our nice air conditioned little house I feel like the oppression of the Texas summer heat  drives the will to create out of me. I’m starting to feel the need to be creative again, but man, it has been rough.

I’ve been reading a lot too, and I find that when I read a lot I don’t do very much. That’s alright sometimes, but not really a good plan in the long run. But really, when you work full time it is difficult. Once you are home, there are basic life functions that must be fulfilled. That leaves maybe 2.5 hours of useful time in the evenings. That’s not a lot.

Anyway, it looks like I will finish August having read 7 books this month.

However, I must admit that spending the evenings reading has been very nice. The wife has been mostly off from school this summer, and it has been great to spend more time with her, even when we’re just chilling out. It’s relaxing. Watching the Six Million Dollar Man reruns on TV while we read, or just listening to some music is really nice. Or to mimic what one of my English friends might say, “It’s quite lovely”. Englishmen use the word “lovely” a lot.

I’ve actually started and mostly completed a number of posts for this blog, but decided in each case they were really a lot more negative than I wanted to publish. I’m generally a pretty positive person, but my sense of humor tends toward sarcasm and meanness. Maybe I will rework some of those posts. Really, some of the stuff I’ve posted had gone a bit more in that direction than I’d really prefer, but fuck it, that stuff is there, so be it.

My back has been bothering me a lot for the last couple of months. It’s feeling better now, but it has forced me to take some time off from Aikido and skateboarding, which really has probably contributed to my creative lethargy. Those are my primary forms of exercise, and I love them, and not doing them makes me feel like I’m half asleep all the time. I’ll be returning to Aikido in September, however, at least once a week to start and just see how the back muscles do. And of course, in September I’ll be heading to a big skateboarding contest in Philly, for which I have not been able to practice at all.  No big deal. I will go, skate, and have a good time.

I suppose the back thing is a preview of old age for me, but it isn’t time to surrender yet. It will just force me to make my Aikido better — more efficient and smooth.