Tricky Treat Thoughts (October 2020 in Hindsight)

 I know October still has another day, but the library is closed on Saturdays because of the pandemic. 

 

I am pleased with my blogging this month.  Some spooky posts mixed with some personal stuff filled these digital pages.  I was excited to continue my supernatural short story series.  Click INTO THE FOLD if you want to jump in.

I actually released a video for The FreakOptic Files in October.  While it is not a Halloween video, it is all about a Halloween color.  Watch FREAK ORANGE A GO-GO below...⤵️

In book news, the year of Dinkel continues!  A reader from the UK sent me a photo of his copies of my two paperback books.  It always amazes me when someone takes a chance on my words.  I secretly hope he is enjoying DARK EXCURSIONS and VISION BENT while having tea.   

On a personal note, the mother of one of my best friends passed away this month.  I've known this friend (she inspired Dark Excursions) and her mom since 1996, the year I moved to Omaha.  My half-blind eyes prevent me from driving, but I was able to attend the funeral online.  It was initially weird to watch a live streaming funeral.  It felt like  I was intruding on something private.  However, I was ultimately thankful this option was available. 

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words this month.  As for November...all I can promise is I'll keep blogging as long as the library remains open during these turbulent times. 

Be well...

Stay safe...

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S.  It was 5 years ago this month when I released DARKENING STURGEONS as an e-book....

Ben Straker is dealing with abandonment issues, a potential romance and a town on the verge of chaos after a series of mysterious disappearances...

getBook.at/DSturgeons 

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The Collective Eye will open late in November, but here is one more look at October...

https://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-collective-eye-october-2020.html  

Backwards Blogging Tricks (September 2020 in Hindsight)

Well, I thought I was going to end this blog again.  Not directly because of my vision loss this time but because the crappy new Google Blogger interface finally took permanent hold. This update caused me intense frustration.

I literally can no longer blog on my iPad 2.  In fact, I can't even check stats or my reading list anymore.  When I go to Blogger, I am directed to a page shaming me for having such antiquated technology.  It tells me i need to download a new browser, which is hilarious because when I tried, none of the big browsers were compatible with my iPad 2.  The sketchy, unfamiliar names were downloadable but wouldn't let me blog either. 

What's a freakboy to do?

Well, wallow in self-pity for a bit and then use my wits.  I strapped on the mask, kept the hand sanitizer handy (which I hate using) and sat down at one of the library computers.  The good news is I could blog.  The bad news was that the preview of my post looked like crap.  I typed the post on my tablet and emailed everything to myself.  Then I copied and pasted my words onto my blog and there were suddenly no lines between paragraphs and no spaces between sentences. 

I wanted to give up because there was no way I would go back through and add lines and spaces  without losing what's left of my mind.  Yet, I didn't give up.  I fought my way back to this blog in 2017 and I couldn't just let it go.  After much crying and cursing, I finally located the compose button that set my post up just like I originally typed it.  So, I blogged about a book about the film VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, which seemed appropriate since I nearly ended up on my knees in an alleyway shouting into the air,  "Freakboy!  Freakboy!"

https://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2020/09/booking-freakboy-dolls-dolls-dolls-by.html  

Still, I hate being tethered to the library computers again, especially after the last several months.  I fully blogged via my tablet from mid-March until earlier in September.  It feels like I've taken a huge step backwards.  Then I worry about an increase of COVID-19 cases causeing a second lockdown, thus closing the library again.  Yes, I'm being selfish, but blogging really helped me from falling into complete despair this year.  However, I know I'll deal with that eventuality when it comes and sparkle, freakboy sparkle.  I could try blogging on my phone but that thought scares me more than a second wave. 

That's been my September.  I didn't create a video for The FreakOptic Files, but that's ok.  Quality over quantity, right?*

Be well.  

Stay safe.

Catch you in October, thankfully.

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.  

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. *I'll let you decide...

http://freakoptics.blogspot.com/ 

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There will be a Collective Eye in October, thanks to the library computers.  It may be late in opening, or maybe not.  We shall see.  Until then, here is one more glance at September.....

https://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-collective-eye-september-2020.html 

Sweltering Blurry Summer (August 2020 in Hindsight)

It's been a hot month.

Creatively, I can't complain.  I've spent the month writing something, anything, each day.  Some words may become part of this blog but most will be relegated to the digital paper archive.  This is my soul.

I've blogged a few times this month, but I expect each post will be my last.  So far Ive been able to use the old "Legacy" Blogger interface but irreversible change is looming.  I stopped practicing on the new interface when I inadvertently reverted a number of posts to drafts.  I managed to fix this potentially devastating mishap, but that was it.  I will wait and see if I can still blog when the new interface permanently takes its crappy, confusing hold.  This is my worry.

I also managed to release a video for The FreakOptic Files after a dry spell in July.  It's another installment in my riveting, never-ending Laundry Day series.  Creatively, I love my LD series.  Statistically, they are some of my least viewed videos.  Clearly, I don't give a crap what the mainstream public wants. This is my truth. 

Personally, I'm trying to remain calm as my country heads toward oblivion, no matter who wins the November U.S. Election.  The losing side, whichever side it is, will cry foul and unprecedented chaos will erupt.  This is my fear.

Throw in the continuing pandemic for added good-time fun.  The number of COVID-19 cases have been minimal in my county in Nebraska and are technically still low in comparison.  However those numbers have grown more rapidly in August.  From March to July there were only 43 cases.  This month has, as of this writing, added 30 more.  This is my paranoia. 

Thankfully, my cats convinced me to start a band (John and the Pussycats) to escape my worry, fear and paranoia for awhile.  This is my heart. 

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words. 

See you in September. 

Hopefully.

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. Another reader ordered a copy of DARK EXCURSIONS.  Maybe my 2020 will go down as the year of Dinkel. ❤️

http://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2018/03/dark-excursions.html 

Inside Library John (July 2020 in Hindsight)

I'll blame the oppressive heat ofJuly for my lack of creative output.  That way I won't have to dig too deep into my own mind and its shortcomings.  Truthfully, I keep hearing a very logical voice advising me to give up.  I haven't yet, but I wasn't inspired to do a video for The FreakOptic Files this month.  Hope that's just coinky-dink.

On a positive note, the library has reopened.  It was initially strange to once again be among the books I can no longer read, but it's beginning to feel natural again.  It's almost like the last 4 months never happened, with the exception of rearranged furniture and the front desk fish tank.  At any rate, downloading series & films from Netflix & Amazon to watch offline is so much more comfortable indoors.  Never mind there are now over 40 cases of COVID-19 in my county. 😬

In other good news, a copy of DARK EXCURSIONS exists in the Northwest!  I don't know if this copy is now a coffee addict on a search for Bigfoot, but I hope its readers find something to enjoy.  They tweeted me a very nice pic of my difficult-to-photo book.  Seriously, the glossy cover has given me hours of photographic frustration

Oh, and Laszlo is getting bigger and bigger. 

In conclusion, July has been a bit of a teeter-totter month.  I'll be fine as long as the person on the other end doesn't jump off while I'm up in the air. 

Catch me in August! 

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words. 

Freak Out, 

JLH

P.S. I wrote what might be one of the more important posts for this blog in July...

https://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2020/07/walking-after-sundown.html  

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My books & blogs...

http://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-collective.html  

Last Minute Ramblings (June 2020 in Hindsight)

It's the last day of June and I'm writing this on the fly.  Laundry is spinning but the words feel stagnant.

It has been a productive and satisfying month on my blogs.  From films to flowers, I celebrated outsiders.  My proudest moment arrived when someone was insulted by my poem ONE QUEER TOWN. 😎 

An interesting thing occurred with my words in June.  A friend read this entire blog, without being committed to an asylum, and compiled what he perceived as my best posts. It's a great little homemade book with some stuff I had forgotten about, which unearthed some buried emotions, good & bad.  Digging into my past was something I had planned to do back in 2018., but that plan fizzled out.  Maybe one day I will resurrect my revolution and put my own spin on a blog compilation. 🤔 

On the personal front, the kitten my sister and I found last month is now a part of our family.  Nobody wanted him, so Laszlo is making himself at home and driving Miss Kitty and Orange Baby crazy.  Laszlo is the most rambunctious kitten I've ever been around.  He likes to bite, making his vampire name perfect. 😁

I spent a day with my friend/Dark Excursions muse Jody and her sister.  I hadn't seen them since July 2019.   We had planned to get together in March but COVID-19 cancelled that event.  Businesses are opening up, so now was the right time for us.  Before you ask, social distancing be damned, we hugged each other and dined at the same table, without wearing masks.  It's not like we went to a crowded beach, pool, bar or stadium, so save your collective gasps of disapproval and tongue-clucking for others who commit far more egregious offenses. 

In conclusion, 2020 is half over, but I'm not done yet. 

Oh, the library is scheduled to open next month, but we shall see how that goes. 😏

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. One of the funniest things I've ever created...

https://freakoptics.blogspot.com/2020/06/sniffing-peonies.html 

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Hopefully The Collective Eye for July won't be late, but the Archive is open for examination...👁 

https://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-collective-eye-archive.html 

May Day Daze (May 2020 in Hindsight)

It's been a strange month. 

I haven't felt very creative but I managed to blog a few times and uploaded a couple of videos.  I wrote a short supernatural tale connected to what I had hoped to be a series of stories in 2014.  Then I was inspired to continue my Laundry Day series, which I thought I was done with.  Guess laundry is never-ending.

While filming the above video in my dad's backyard, I heard a cat meow.  I went in and told my sister and she went out to investigate.  My sister came back in with a little kitten. 

No mother or siblings could be found, so we decided to find it a home.  We couldn't leave him at our dad's because his cat Snoopy was ready to pounce on the little guy.  So, we took him home. (We think he's a boy, but we've been wrong before)

Miss Kitty and Orange Baby were not amused, but we felt they could deal with what we assumed would be a  temporary situation.  I called a local radio station show made for such events and posted some adorable pics on Facebook.  No takers.  

I guess we'll keep searching but it's beginning to look like the little guy is already home.  Orange Baby is tolerating him, mostly.  Miss Kitty hates the new intruder, but she at least has stopped growling at me every time I touch her.  That's a start.

On a personal note, one of the two newspapers my sister and I deliver has switched to mail delivery in our area.  I don't think this has anything to do with COVID-19, but it has got me thinking about my post-pandemic career.  The truck stop is on the outskirts of town, but I could walk there, which may lead to pop-up business opportunities.  I'm joking, I think.

Anyhoo...my hopes for June include continuing blogging and maybe visit the library, if it opens to inside foot traffic.  I also hope the violent tragedies in May 2020 will go down in history as the catalyst for a future where people see each other...first, foremost and forever...as human.

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S.  My short supernatural tale...

https://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2020/05/last-moments.html 

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My books & blogs... http://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-collective.html 

Backseat Social Hour (April 2020 in Hindsight)

The library has been closed for over a month, though you can borrow items via curbside pick-up, so I've been spending a lot of time in the backseat of a car.  No, I'm not practicing for my post-pandemic career.  The car is parked in front of the library so I can access their wi-fi on my tablet.  I can download shows from streaming services to watch offline and blog from the backseat.  Oh, and I can also virtually keep in touch with other humans.  Thankfully, I've learned how to siphon mobile data from my phone to my tablet, so I can blog from home now.  I'll still sit in the backseat to download stuff because my data isn't unlimited. 

Looking back at April, I've blogged way more than usual.  What I've discovered is that I prefer writing short subjects.  Whether it's stories or poems, I enjoy keeping my words concise.    Maybe I'm aiming my creative projects to those with short attention spans.  Well, at least I was in April.  Maybe I'll experience diarrhea of the mouth in May.

Another thing I've learned this month is how sometimes my half-blind eyes become so focused on one aspect that I fail to see the much bigger picture.  The moving image in the above video-poem was meant to represent one thing but it ended up looking like something completely different.  I didn't realize this until after I uploaded the video to You Tube.  I then laughed hysterically for a solid 5 minutes afterwards and now that something different is all I can see.

In conclusion, April has been a learning lesson, at least creatively speaking, but what about May?  My small town got its first official COVID-19 case near the end of April, (He Who Walks Behind The Rows failed us) and I don't know how this will alter my current version of normal.  All I do know is...

Whether I'm cramped up in the backseat or sprawled out at home, I'll try to keep my freak-light shining! 💡🤓

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. My favorite post from April 2020 because it's the darkest story I have written...so far.

https://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2020/04/whatever-happened-to-boy-next-door.html 

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A Twitter thread containing all 26 chapters of my LGBTQ, Sci-Fi, Horror, Romance blog serial...

https://twitter.com/john_l_harmon/status/1245317692405551104?s=21  

Persistent Resistant Fog (March 2020 in Hindsight)

What can I say about March? 

I'm not sure if it came in like a lion or a lamb and I'm even more confused by how it's going out.  I got some blogging in and one video out before COVID-19 had a direct effect on my life.  No, it still hasn't reached my town.  Yes, there are others with more reason to worry, complain and generally hate everything going on right now.   Yes, I'm thankful my state and town are not on lockdown...yet. 

🌽Praise be He Who Walks Behind the Rows!🌽 

The library closed its doors until further notice on the 17th.  This has altered the way I can stay in touch with my online life.  I've become a ghost online, with the exception of Twitter.  I also haven't been blogging since and I'm behind at listening to blogposts from others.

I was going to blog about my thoughts on the original DARK SHADOWS series, but didn't feel like it and putting a post together on my tablet is different than on the library computer.  Especially an elaborate post with lots of photos, captions and colors.  Plus, to post any blog , I will have to sit outside the library, so weather is a factor.  Don't even get me started on whether or not I'll be able to put together The Collective Eye for April.  

I will say this...

My sister and I finished 5 years of daytime television in 7 months.  It was exciting and fun and I recommend DARK SHADOWS now that we all have extra time on our hands. 

In conclusion, March hasn't been the worst month ever, but it has been full of confusion and uncertainty.  While I haven't blogged much during the last half of the month, I have been writing.  This has been more for myself than anyone else.  My words may eventually end up here or maybe not.  Right now writing is just a coping mechanism.  

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words and I'm going to try to keep on blogging in April.  Well, unless my town goes into lockdown. 

(Don't)

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. My latest video may be infectious...

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The Collective Eye Archive for books, blogs & so much more...

https://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-collective-eye-archive.html 

Waiting to go viral...

I kneeled at the edge of the field and prayed to He Who Walks Behind The Rows for the corn to protect my small town from the Coronavirus. 

No, I didn't really do that...yet! 

While COVID-19 has hit the state of Nebraska, it has yet to leave its calling card in my town.  I pretend we are safe because of being somewhat isolated from bigger cities while being keenly aware that my town will probably become the cruise ship of the Nebraska plains.  

Yeah, I'm worried, but no more or less than I'm worried about catching the flu.  I'm probably more concerned over the aftermath of this pandemic.   Will the corporations and the government (same difference) use the virus as an excuse to force us into a fully cashless society?  Will post-Corona paranoia permanently destroy print media?  If (and when) the latter occurs, what will become of my sister and me? 

We are some of the last in the dying breed of newspaper carriers.  Sure, subscriptions have dropped over the last 15 years and the remaining customers are probably either senior citizens or Jumble addicts, but this bug could expedite the demise of printed news. 

My sister could probably return to the food service industry, if dining out continues to be a thing.  I'm not sure surrounding my half-blind eyes with searing hot grease, boiling water and sharp knives would be ideal.  Though, kudus to the visually impaired thrill-seekers who love the dangers of restaurant work. 

I could rely on my books, but 7 years has taught me otherwise.  Maybe the local truck stop has an opening  for a daytime hooker, but I might be too old to enter the world's oldest profession.  Perhaps I could become a middle-aged, half-blind, orange underwear supermodel.  I could strut my stuff on the runways of Asia and Europe until becoming Patient Zero in the next pandemic.  Then the history books will finally fulfill my post-apocalyptic fantasy of being called Infectious John.

Putting aside my cavalier American attitude, these are some real concerns I've had in my head for longer than COVID-19 has existed, but I'm a Nebraskan.  Generally speaking, we aren't prone to mass hysteria, except in the case of drones, and we ultimately figure out what to do in the end. 

Stay safe out there and please wash your hands now and forever after, especially men.  I cannot tell you how many times I've heard a guy using the urinal in a public restroom and not wash his hands when done, but that's another post for another day.

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words. 

(Don't) Freak Out,

JLH 

P.S.  My dystopian future paranoia of a cashless society...

https://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2019/12/dystopian-future-paranoia-or-how.html

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😷Self-Quarentine😷 with an e-book or two...or six! 😉

viewAuthor.at/JohnLHarmon