Author Archives: Joe Hinojosa

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About Joe Hinojosa

Official account of a writer in potentia. Blogger, student, bibliophile and novice book reviewer.

End of term crunch time

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Birthday cake

Birthday cake (Photo credit: 3liz4)

It’s been a busy week here at Team Joe HQ, and there’s no sign of it slowing down in the next few weeks. Yes, it’s crunch time and I’m just trying to survive these last few weeks as the Spring semester comes to its end. Alleluia and amen!

This past Tuesday I attended my last Geology class of the term. The next class time has been set aside to allow for any make up tests that need to be taken, as well as to give some of us to retake a test we may have done poorly on. I aced mine so I’m good. I just have to return the following week for my final exam.

I celebrated my birthday on Wednesday and I celebrated in style, by attending class until almost nine that night. Nothing says birthday party like sitting in a class room with a bunch of young twenty-somethings. At least I sat with an amusing young woman. And the instructor’s fair to look at. I only wish I could understand what she’s saying, but I guess that’s my fault. I should learn to listen.

Thursday, I had a project due for psychology. I knew about it all semester so naturally I waited until the night before to start it. Five pages later, nearing four in the morning, I completed my project and submitted it via a drop box on the class’s webpage. I ended up not going to class since I was dead to the world until ten.

Going forward, I still have to finalize my portfolio of four essays for my Creative Writing – Nonfiction class. The portfolio is due at the end of the term. I have a few assignments yet to do for my grammar and I have to study for all my finals, but it’s almost over. And I’m glad. I feel like I’ve hit a brick wall, academically speaking. I’m exhausted.

I’m not complaining. I’m happy that I’m finishing my degree, I just forgot the amount of energy it requires to go to class and do homework. It’s not easy, but most things of worth demand sacrifices and this one is well worth the effort.

If I have time, I plan to post my monthly book review that I’m starting. My plan is to write one book review, usually a self-published author, as the first post of the month. So May’s review should be up on May 1st.

Now I think I’m going to soak in the tub for a bit. I stocked about 6 pallets of paint, with some assistance, in two hours and my body is protesting. The great part of this job is that it is a bit mind-numbing, no thinking required. The bad, my body aches, but I’m not planning on making a career of it. This is only something to do until the end of school, which if all goes according to plan, will be the first week of July, and I’ll graduate in August, nineteen years after I started.

But at least I will have come back and completed my studies. I only hope that it will be worth it.

They’re here…. I’m talking about my book order

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The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What a day! I went in to work for a few hours – I work in the paint department at a home improvement retailer – before leaving for class. Business is brisk at the moment so when I’m working I’m usually busting my butt trying to take care of everyone, but it feels good. I’m not a manager nor am I a supervisor, I’m just a worker and it feels nice not being in charge. It’s temporary but at least it gets me out into the workforce again.

So I worked four hours today before leaving for class. I was worn out from all the action so I was a bit zombified in class. Nothing to report there except for a dead brain. It’s coming back online as I type this.

Now I’m home. I spent a bit of time wondering what I was going to write about. My exhaustion? Okay, but that can be done in one sentence. I’m tired. See? A short sentence, a subject and an intransitive verb. Damn! Maybe I picked up something in class after all. Cool beans.

Still it’s nothing to write about, but then I got home and I saw that my books were in. I ordered a few books a few weeks ago, the Hunger Game Trilogy by Suzanne Collins, Council by Greg Tobin, and The Bridge by Allan Krummenacker. I received The Bridge last week and I’m half-way through it. The other two were waiting for me when I got home from work and school. Huzzah!

I’ve already read The Hunger Games, but I want a copy for myself so I can read it again. Council is a sequel to his novel Conclave, which I read years ago. All in all, I have a good deal of reading waiting for me. I love reading. It relaxes me, especially when I have to time actually read and relax. Preferably in a hot bath.

The next few weeks will be a bit on the hectic side, but it’ll be okay. I have a lot to do, but on the other side of this semester I will have a prize waiting for me. Come to think of it, I may not have enough books. Perhaps I should order a few more. I still have J. K. Rowling’s novel, The Casual Vacancy to read. While I’m at it, I may as well reread The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I enjoyed her book tremendously.

This is the good life.

Yeah, I call (expletive deleted)

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English: rose bunch, Rosa sp. cultivars, flowe...

English: rose bunch, (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I must confess to you that I am in love. I have finally found a woman who has piqued my interest. The way she looks, the way she moves, the way she is fascinates me in such a profound manner. To tell you the truth, I never believed I would feel this way again

But first a bit of an admission. I’ve been through this before so I know I’m not really in love. What I am is infatuated, hopelessly and secretly infatuated with her. There’s no point in actually committing myself to this, neither by telling her nor by writing about it, but I like to write, and this is something to write about it.

And so here we are.

So why her and why the infatuation?  I’m glad you asked! To make this easier, I will enumerate my reasons for you. I could do a graph, but I don’t know who and I’m too lazy to learn.

  1. Let’s start physical. She’s tall. Taller than me. At least two to three inches taller than me, and that’s kinda hot. 
  2. She’s thin, graceful, almost like a dancer, a ballerina perhaps. A lithe beauty that glides with purpose and ease.
  3. She beautiful. Her features are a bit angular, but there’s a studiousness there that’s hypnotic. Complete the picture with a pair of glasses that she wears and presto! a sexy librarian with a hint of the vixen in her smoldering eyes. (Note: I haven’t really seen her eyes “smolder”. Just being overly descriptive.)
  4. She’s intelligent. She reads, she writes, she’s speaks in complete sentences that actually makes sense. She’s someone with whom I know I can have carry a conversation and have it be about something.
  5. She’s actually real in a tangible way. What I mean is that she’s someone I know, and not some fantasy out of…, well…, let’s move on.

What I figured out is why I’m attracted to her, I mean other than the obvious reasons that I stated above. They do play into it, however. She’s completely unlike the woman I married, and later divorced. She’s the anti-ex, if you will. I don’t mean to sound as though I’m bashing anyone, but, if I do? Oh well!

So why not give it a try? There are several reasons, some which I will not divulge, but I’ll give you a few. One, right now it’s all about me. I’m working on me, improving me, for my own sake. I have no time to waste on others. Until I feel as though I have gotten to a point where I am comfortable about where I am and who I am, I don’t need to waste neither my time nor her’s.

I don’t want to stick around here. I’m hoping to move back to where I feel comfortable, and it’s not here. Why get involved with someone for merely a brief fling? I’m not that kind of guy. I’m the kind of sincere guy girls lie about wanting. Lying bitches.

I’m not entirely sure I even want to waste my time with another woman. At this point, I’m beginning to wonder if there’s a decent woman around anymore. It seems to me that the women that seem to interest me are only interested in the jackasses they spend all their time complaining about. I’m too old for that shit. I don’t want to be punished because some other guy treated her badly. I don’t want to be someone’s second/last choice. If I’m not good enough to be your first choice you’re not worth my time

Sorry, sorry. Kinda went off a bit. I have some issues.

I don’t want want to go out with someone just because they are the complete opposite of someone else. That’s not fair. I should want to go out with someone because I’m interested in them for them, not out of a sense of karmic vindictiveness. I’m pretty sure if i did it would end badly. For me. Again.

My last reason? Oh she’s totally out of my league. No seriously, there’s no way I could ever have a chance with her. This isn’t modesty or me being pessimistic, just realistic. Maybe once I settle down I’ll find someone I can actually have a real connection. It just ain’t this woman. Trust me, if you knew who, you’d be like, “Yeah, you have no chance buddy. Here have a…” Let’s move on again, shall we?

This being said, if the opportunity came up to date this woman, would I consider it? Um…yeah! Why wouldn’t I? (See list above.) But in all seriousness, I got to get me in order. Maybe when I turn 50 I’ll be ready, but with my luck I wouldn’t count on it.

In the home stretch

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sonoma coffee cafe

sonoma coffee cafe (Photo credit: justonlysteve)

I never got around to writing yesterday. Shame on me. To be honest, the next few weeks are going to be a bit hectic for me, so finding a free moment to share my wackiness may prove difficult. I many miss a few posts here and there.

I’m in the last weeks of the semester. I have two weeks of class and then finals the week after, and then I’ll be done. After that I’ll have three weeks off before the start of the summer, then I’ll really be done

At the same time, It looks as if my new temporary job is starting to finally give me some hours Not enough for me to afford anything, but enough for me to feel the pinch of time. So yeah, I’m probably going to feel exhausted as I lose all time to myself these next few weeks.

It’s only a short-term sacrifice. I have to keep reminding myself that this is short-term. It’s a little more than two months until I’ll be done. I can do this.In the mean time I’m still rewriting my novel, and it’s a significant rewrite with some major changes, project is due Thursday, and I have a portfolio to put together for my Creative Nonfiction.

What has me really worried is that I need to line up a permanent job. The job I have is not where I want to be. To be honest, it’s a bit of a regression for me, a step back into a career path that’s ill-suited for me, and frankly pays like crap. I know money isn’t everything but to deny its importance is stupid. Let me illustrate this concept in a manner I think will understand. I have bills to pay. I need a car. I want to have my own place again to do what I want. And I wouldn’t mind being able to afford to go out now and again.

So although my present state is short-term, I really need to focus on the long-term as well. If I don’t, I may be stuck here and likely will fall into my depression all over again. I really don’t want to start on that course again, especially now that I’m feeling a little better.

The one where I think about doing book reviews

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BOOKS ABOUT BOOKS

BOOKS ABOUT BOOKS (Photo credit: jm3)

Too much to do and so little time? Welcome to the end of the semester! I know I have nothing to complain about, and in contrast to the utter boredom I suffered mere months ago, this is a very welcome change.

I have a few projects staring me in the face, and although it’s crunch time, I’m not sweating it. Not yet at least. My lowest grade at the moment stands at 89.68%. I’m sure I can raise that to a 90. So unless I have a complete meltdown in the next few weeks, I am sure I can make the Dean’s List. I’m not counting on it, though. I still have work to do to make it happen.

In addition to my course load, the too few hours I’m spending at the place of my employment, and my writing, I’m thinking about starting another project. I am considering doing a monthly book review. My plan is to review only self-published novels. The next part is how to choose which books to review.

My goal is twofold. One, I want publicize unknown authors and get their works seen by people who might not otherwise have a chance to come across those works. Secondly, I want to improve my own abilities to critique other literary works, and in the process improve my own ability to write. I know, I know, it’s always about me isn’t it?

I’m still not entirely sure I’m going to do this. I have had many grand ideas that never came to fruition and this may be another one of those failed ideas. We’ll see. I already have a book in mind for my first review and if the tracker on Amazon is to be believed, it just left Hebron, KY. I should have it in a few days. What I don’t know is when I’ll do the review.

I have a few technicalities to work out, as in how I’ll post it. I’ll post it on here on my blog, but probably not on the blog feed. I’ll start a new page solely for book reviews with a link on the menu bar on the top. I’ll have to figure out the how later.

Right now I need to get back to work. I have Grammar class in less than an hour and we will have a quiz. Yay! Ugh….  At least the semester is almost over. I just don’t know if I’ve learned anything there. Oh well, education ho!