A few weeks ago, I signed up for a night class to learn this new tool we’re using at work, which would have been totally fine. But I forgot that I had earlier agreed to teach a night class as well and it just so happens that they’re both during the same four weeks, starting this week.

Fortunately, they’re on different days of the week but … ach, work is also starting to get busy. This is yet another example of my past self screwing my present self with commitments that seemed like a good idea at the time. My only consolation is that I’m about to screw my future self with an even bigger — wait, I don’t think that works out…

Anyways, Chapter 6 of Tesla 2010 is coincidentally about putting yourself into a tricky situation.

Do you know what second person perspective is? Read Chapter 5 of Telsa 2010 to find out.

A friend at work recently had her second baby and I was asking her how she managed with two kids at once when I was struggling with just the one. She chuckled and said that it’s more that you don’t realize how easy you had it when you only have one kid.

I thought about it and yeah, I guess it is pretty easy. I mean, sure, we’re getting less sleep than usual and yes, I feel like I’m constantly washing dishes or changing diapers. On the other hand, Tracy and I can pass the baby back and forth between us and get other stuff done. So I’m trying to take a moment to appreciate that we have it pretty good. Especially compared to my other co-worker who just recently had triplets.

Also, here’s Chapter 4 of the theoretical novel that I don’t have enough time to actually write in a month, but do have enough time to write about writing.

Recently, I was fortunate enough to be involved in a Make a Wish Foundation event. It’s a wonderful organization dedicated to fulfilling the wishes of children with serious medical conditions. The kids get a lot out of having their dreams come true but it was also incredibly rewarding for me to be a part of bringing so much joy to one very special young person and her incredible family. Check out the organization, they do great work!

(Although, I have to say … if I were getting a wish, I think it’d be for a unicorn or something. Just sayin’.)

In other news, here’s Chapter 3 of Tesla 2010 wherein Nikola Tesla finally makes it to the year 2010.

So, on Friday morning, the phone rings. Tracy answers it and it’s for me. I’m about to head out the door when she stops me with the words, “It’s someone from Apple, and they want to talk to you.” I take the call.

Sadly, it was a woman from the app review process to tell me that even after resubmission and a note from me explaining why I wanted the app to be so simple, they were still rejecting Starfield 3D because they felt it didn’t have enough functionality. I was bummed about that, but it was nice that they actually called. I guess it’s back to the drawing board.

On a different note, here’s Chapter 2 of Tesla: 2010. If I were giving chapters names, this one would be called “Mysterious Stranger”.

Okay, there’s no way I’m going to be able to write a 50,000 word novel this month between a full time job and a new baby. I mean, my wife needs me to help take care of that baby and I can’t just bail out on that. Those diapers aren’t going to change themselves, you know. (Or are they? … Wait, what? No, that’s crazy … that’s the sleep deprivation talking.)

But then I was thinking, I could attempt to write 5,000 words about me writing a 50,000 word novel in a month. Think of it as a meta-NaNoWriMo, if you will — a fictionalized account of the totally awesome novel I would have written this month if only I had the time. So I present to you Chapter 1 from Tesla 2010.

It’s NaNoWriMo time again! Over a hundred thousand people around the world are attempting to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. I participated last year and it was a lot of fun. So, do I participate again this year?

On the one hand, I already have a basic idea that I think would be interesting. On the other … I have a baby. Where the heck am I going to find the time? I mean, I barely have time to finish this blog po–

So … I was at this party once and this woman came wandering over with a big tupperware container of something. Then she opened the container and said, “pot brownie?”

Now, I didn’t know what a pot brownie was but I figured it was something like pot roast or pot stickers and I love brownies … maybe they were brownies cooked in a pot? I don’t know. So I enthusiastically said, “Sure!”, grabbed one and shoved it in my mouth.

Now … okay, yeah, it did taste a little funny, kinda herby, but I figured that’s what happens when you make brownies in a pot. Or something. Then I heard the woman go to the next group and say, “marijuana brownie?” and I was like, “mari-whuaaah?”

So I discretely spit out the brownie into a napkin and eventually disposed of it. Not that I have anything against recreational drugs but they do tend to lower inhibitions and if there’s one thing I don’t need less of, it’s inhibitions. And that is the story of how I chewed but did not ingest marijuana.

Anyways, here in California, we’re about to vote on Proposition 19 which would legalize marijuana. Seeing as how the majority of my readers are in California (hi Mom and Tracy!) I just wanted to voice my support of it, even though I personally don’t use marijuana because I feel that the cost of prosecution and incarceration far outweighs and costs of legalization.

We have a family tradition of carving pumpkins for Halloween. I wasn’t planning on doing one this year because, hey, I have a baby. That’s pretty much my response to anything these days. (“Wanna go check out that movie?” “I’d love to, but I have a baby.”)

But then Tracy surprised me by getting me a cute little pumpkin. So I decided to try to carve something cute and a little terrifying at the same time. And yes, the thought of a crying baby can be terrifying … especially at 4am after a long week of sleep deprivation.

Over the past few months, I’ve noticed a number of similarities between babies and cats:

• both weigh about 18 pounds
• both cry piteously if not fed in time
• both get into things they really shouldn’t get into
• both are very cute

Babies, however, do not always land on their feet when you drop them.