I really need to stop making promises about the podcast

Back in September I wrote something, maybe even recorded something, I don’t even remember, amounting to me saying I wanted to really commit to doing all of my old regular segments in the podcast again. I talked about making new music and bumpers and really revamping the show. And I really meant it. I really wanted to take everything a lot more seriously when it came to doing the podcast. I wanted to sit down and create my own theme song for the show, and really put a lot more time into crafting each episode’s topics and segments, and do a lot more writing on the website.

But when push came to shove, my laziness and constant procrastination just seems to get the best of me. At the same time, the additional time I thought that I had to work on these things disappeared when my boys’ school closed down on campus classes again and they all went back to full time distance learning. When I said I wanted to write more, I actually had time to write more. And I had time to sit down and work on music and bumpers and art and show notes and all of the things that would really help to improve the podcast. And just as soon as I voiced that desire, I no longer had the time to do it.

I never really asked what you wanted

I realized something as I was preparing to record the first new episode of the podcast this week. For all of my promising to commit to doing the news and podcast recommendations every show, I never asked if anybody really wanted me to. I just assumed that because some people had previously said they liked those segments, that I needed to have them. But in all honesty, I’m not sure how much anybody does or does not want me to do them. Now, I could be completely right, and I should totally put more effort into those parts of the show. Or, nobody really cares and I should just get better at telling stories in a funny way, and maybe get better at interviewing.

I mean, I should do that anyway, but should I just drop those other segments and focus on my stories and ramblings, or should I put more energy into the other stuff. I don’t know, and I probably wont really know unless someone comments on something. And even then, most people just give me the old, “you do you / do what you want”, answer. And it pisses me off for two reasons: First because it’s not giving me any information to help in making my decision. And second, because it’s exactly what I would tell someone.

Sooooo… New promise…

With a lack of information to go on, I am going to commit to making my stories better and funnier. And I will try to find a way to reincorporate interviews into the podcast in some way. I may or may not do more news in the show, but I will be sharing more of it on the social medias. Cuz why not? I really am going to try to write a new podcast review between episodes. I can’t guarantee I will always do it, but I really do want to try and do it. I need to get better about sitting down and working on things that don’t require me talking into a microphone. Talking is easy, writing is a royal pain.

That’s all I’ve got. If anyone wants me to do more of something in the show, they really need to tell me. I don’t need “yes” men. I really want to know what people want to hear from me. Beyond that, I don’t know what else to do.

Forgive the review ramblings

So I’ve started writing formal podcast reviews here. (The first of which will likely be posted just after this.) And in writing this first review, I realized that I’ve never written a real review for something before. I’ve technically reviewed over 50 podcasts over the years verbally, but I’ve never really written any of it down as a coherent blog post with positives and negatives and stuff.

As I was writing I did what, in writing for a podcast is great, but in blogging is troublesome, I wrote the way I talk. And as anyone who’s ever listened to the podcast can attest, I meander.

I know I need to get more practice writing in general. I haven’t done much of it at all since high school. And I need to set aside real time to write both the review blogs, and prep for episodes. After all, I promised to be more prepared. I really think I need to start writing blogs and turn those stories into the episodes. The problem is that I can never bring myself to write what I’m thinking before I talk. I just am able to think out loud better than I can write my thoughts. I realize that I’m writing my thoughts right now, but trust me this bit is tough.

I guess I just have to go back to what I just said. I need to get better at writing. I just have to pick up my laptop and start writing during the day. The problem is, I am really uncomfortable using a laptop or working anywhere besides my office. I can sit down at my desk for hours and just chug away and focus only on the task at hand, but put my laptop in front of me and my whole vibe changes. I just can’t focus when I’m using that thing and I don’t know why.

Maybe I need to, like the writing, just do it more. I’m sure if I spend more time using my laptop to write, and maybe do some editing work, it’ll feel less weird to me. And then maybe I’ll get better at writing. And then maybe I’ll get better at writing reviews…

Wow that’s a lot of maybes that I need to do.

Whatever. For now I’m gonna just try to write my reviews in a way that is maybe a little more coherent but is definitely me. All I can do is work on it and hope I get better at it. In the mean time, forgive me if my podcast reviews sound, well, like I wrote them.

Odd Dad Out is getting kind of a reset…

Time away to think

Being away from the podcast for these last few months has given me some time to think about what I want to do with things. Honestly, the way the world is right now made me seriously reconsider whether or not I should come back to the podcast at all. In the last year I have struggled a lot with, besides just getting content out, coming up with topics to cover on the show. I haven’t listened to a great number of new podcasts lately to offer many new recommendations.

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So I got tested for Covid

DR emoji

See, what had happened was…

I had a headache. Ok so it’s not that simple, but that’s the gist of it. I’m not normally one to really get headaches, especially like major migraine type headaches. But tuesday afternoon I got hit with a serious headache. It was like a, head spinning, can’t think clearly, all light hurting, think I’m gonna throw up kind of headache. And, like I said, I really don’t get headaches.

The thing is that, in the covid times, everything is a symptom of Corona. Coughing, sneezing, fever, body aches, but apparently especially a headache. At least from what I’ve heard, one of the most painful parts for, non-hospitalized, covid is the massive headache. So of course I got spooked. Part of my job is disinfecting and cleaning offices after possible exposure. So I’m theoretically at an elevated risk. So I did the responsible thing and got tested for Covid.

Nevermind that it is actually a little tough to find a place to get a covid test in my neck of the woods. (That has more to do with offices being booked more than anything.) I actually managed to find an urgent care clinic right near my house that took walk-ins for covid tests. More accurately, they take drive ups because it’s all done while you sit in your car. They bring you the paperwork and get your insurance information. They take your vitals through the window and even do the doctor questions/ exam via video chat on your phone.

Then the fun begins…

That has got to be the most uncomfortable thing I’ve had to deal with since my Army physical. Now it’s not painful, per se, but when they stick that swab up your nose… Well, have you ever seen a picture of a woodpecker’s tongue in it’s skull? It feels about that long. It’s like they have to swab the backside of your brain cavity. Oh yeah! They have to do it for both nostrils. The swabs smell something like a combination of pool chlorine and dirty celery. (Don’t ask.)

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it seriously feels like they shove that swab this far up your nose

And, since I was there anyway, I went ahead and got the antibody test done, just to see if I had actually had covid in the past. That one is a quick finger poke, which of course they had to do twice because my finger wouldn’t bleed. But it only takes about 15 minutes to get the results back. (That one was negative by the way.)

Now we wait

It can take anywhere from 3 to 14 days to get my results back. At this time it’s been 7 days. Some of the people at work have gotten tested and gotten results in 3 days, but I guess every testing site and lab has their own capacity and testing rate. In the mean time I can’t go to work. And I don’t have any editing clients to work on at home right now…

New Year, New Home

If you’ve been listening to the podcast or following me on any of the social medias, you would know that right around Christmastime we purchased our first, and hopefully only, new home. If you’ve ever purchased a home, you will know how much that whole process SUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKSSSSSSSSSS!!! That’s not even counting the whole packing up everything, moving, unpacking, and cleaning the old house out with the miniscule hope of getting back any part of your deposit. There’s just so many different verifications and meetings and reverifications and documents and reverifications and processes and reverifications followed by a marathon session of signing so many documents that you start forgetting how to actually spell your name. Have I mentioned it sucks? Just checking… But we did it, and in mid December we moved in to our brand new, never before lived in, home in a gorgeous neighborhood.

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