2024 has been a long year of ups, downs and all arounds, but I want to focus on the ups.There is still plenty of my New England Adventure I haven’t blogged about.This is due in part to a decrease in a desire to write, but that’s not what I want 2024 to be known for.Rather, as the title of this post suggests, this is the year I met a singer/actress I’ve admired for a long time.
Did Providence guide me to Providence or was it just Dave?
When Dave of My Gay Opinion, who invited me to the East Coast specifically for the Rhode Island Comic Con, and I were in line to meet Julie Brown, my hands started to sweat. There she was, only a few people away from me. My 16 year-old self was bouncing off the walls because he would’ve never imagined getting to meet the star of JUST SAY JULIE and the singer of THE HOMECOMING QUEEN’S GOT A GUN! Was this really happening? Did I hop on my first commercial flight and travel halfway across the country to meet Julie Brown? Yes, it was really happening and yes, I flew way out of my comfort zone just for this moment!
Masked for my protection against people!
Disappointing there was no gremlin on the wing!
During Dave’s turn, he broke the ice for me by mentioning to Miss Brown that I flew here from Nebraska, so it was easy to slip into a conversation with her as she autographed my CD of TRAPPED IN THE BODY OF A WHITE GIRL.
I hope you’re totally jealous!
I stayed relatively calm as I told Julie Brown how she has creatively inspired me and how I was probably the only teenager who watched MTV with a parent. As I told Miss Brown, my mom enjoyed JUST SAY JULIE and said Julie reminded her of Lucille Ball. Then I got my picture taken with Miss Brown and I look like the big fanboy who was totally geeking out. I’m sure if 100 pics could have been snapped, I would’ve looked unapologetically over the moon in all of them!
A freakboy and his idol!
After the photo, Julie Brown and I talked a bit more. She was truly surprised I came all the way from Nebraska. I told her how Dave and I were planning to hit New York City the next day and how amazing my trip had been already. Then Miss Brown said she had to give me a hug! I wasn’t gonna refuse, so we hugged! Yes, Julie Brown and I hugged!!! My 16 year-old self was less of a hugger than I am, but I knew he was freaking out in the best way possible. After that sweetly surreal moment, Miss Brown was then polite enough to give Dave a hug, but I’ll never let him forget Julie hugged me first!
My New England Adventure could’ve ended there and I would’ve been satisfied. However, meeting Julie Brown was really only the beginning and I’ll try to blog more about it in 2025. Thanks for reading my blog this year. I appreciate your support.
Freak Out,
JLH
P.S. click a pic ⤵️ for more about my New England Adventure…
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Click the pic ⤵️ to experience the most viewed tale of 2024…
I’ve been going through the “everything I write is 💩” phase again. This feeling comes and goes and will hopefully pass soon. Until then, here are 4 things I don’t totally hate from 2023…
(You know the drill…click the pics ⤵️ to read, watch or whatever…)
4…. I was interviewed by a local newspaper reporter about my books and chunk of vision loss. I still appreciate that the article appeared on the page opposite the obituaries.
Honestly, I think 2021 was worse than 2020. People, from every side of every issue, seemed louder and more annoying than ever.
That’s why I found refuge in blogging. An escape from so-called reality, which we all need every so often. So click the pics below ⤵️ to escape into some of my best creative stuff from 2021…
Before 2021 becomes history, I must make two announcements.
One…
I’m taking a break from The Collective Eye. Hopefully it will eventually reopen in some form or another. However, you can always explore the Archive for creative stuff from other creative minds…⤵️
Two…
Haunting Sturgeons will continue, and conclude, in 2022! You can catch-up here…⤵️
So, stay tuned and thank you for all of the support in 2021. I sincerely appreciate it. 🤓
December is drawing to a close in a winter yuck-land, which is why I'm posting this early. I don't want to chance the library being closed on the 31st due to weather. So, what have I done this month?
I blogged a lot about NOWHEREand added another piece of the supernatural jigsaw puzzle I started in 2014. NIGHT CALLING made me feel kind of proud. I also released a video about my small town life.
I don't want to officially say SMALL TOWN PERCEPTION is my final video for The FreakOptic Files, but I feel like stepping back a bit from my visual blog. Even though 2020 has been an artistically good year for my video creations, I'd rather focus more on writing in 2021. Yeah, I'll probably end up in an obsessive video creative jag next year just to make myself sound like a fool.
Where will my writing take me in 2021? I hope to continue my aforementioned supernatural jigsaw. I imagine at least two more short tales in the series. I will also be participating in a blogathon in January, which should be fun! There are other projects on my radar, so we shall see. All I can promise is to try to keep my freak light shining in the new year.
Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words this month and this year! I appreciate you more than I can say!
I got a haircut and it ended up being very short. The kind of short that would have sent me into tears in my younger days. Now that I'm a mature individual in total control of my emotions, I just wore a hat and refused to take new haircut selfies. Well, until now...
In other news, I've been getting around this month. I traveled from my small Nebraska town to 42ND STREET in NYC. Then, on the way home, I stopped off in EERIE, INDIANA. I'm obviously referring to this blog. Oh, and I also celebrated my birthday in video for The FreakOptic Files...
I guess November has been a somewhat uninspired month, creatively speaking. Maybe all the birthday pizza muddled my brain. I will hopefully find motivation or inspiration in December. At least I can look forward to my short hair growing out a bit.
Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.
Freak Out,
JLH
P.S. Here is one more glance through November's Collective Eye...
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...
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!"
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.
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.....
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. ❤️
