The Kids Excuse is Demolished and Time to Prove What I've Got

I'm flying solo.

In the past when I've wrote those words, it usually meant it was just me and the kids for a few days or a week. Actually, a few weeks ago, Emily went on a canoe trip, and it was me rocking it with Everett and Danika for four days.

This time it is just me and the pets. Emily and the kids went up to Medeba on Sunday and will be there for the next two weeks. This means for the first time since I became a dad, I will have two entire weeks without the kids. I don't think I've ever had the kids on my own for two whole weeks, but there was at least two times that I was alone with them for bit over a week and there have been several weekends over the years. It is kind of odd having the reverse.

I love my kids and wife. But after almost 18 months where I've tried to grow my writing business during a pandemic filled with lockdowns and my kids being stuck at home fighting for my attention more than they've been away, both my career and mental health was screaming for them to be away for a bit.

The kids are enrolled in the day camp for the two weeks, so it isn't like Emily will need to entertain them every day, and she actually will be working up there. I'm sure they will have a legion of adventurous tales to share when they return. My hope is that my two weeks are low on adventure and surprise, and rocket soaring high on productivity and creating exciting articles on this site.

I've often been baffled how I didn't build a kingdom and rule the world before I had kids. I look now at all the things that I need to accomplish and get done during the day on top of looking after kids, I keep wondering how I didn't get so much more done pre-kids compared to now. These weeks will be my chance to see what energy this 40 plus year old writer has left in the tank, and how much more I can create in a home absent of kids.

My brain is still trying to grasp the lack of war cries and screams for a snack. At least the renovations in our house means there will still be some noise to bring some normalcy to my day.

At this point, I am excited for all the sea of uninterrupted time that I have in front of me, even though I know that will wear off and I'll start missing the delightful chaos of my kids. Right now, I am geared to take on more client work, deliver the best to my current clients and really make the site a rocking place again. My hope is that two weeks is enough to really build some momentum and hit a creative groove where I can continue to deliver even after my family's glorious return.

You should expect a lot of articles and reviews and other prose on here over the next two weeks. If you don't then the only answer is that I've been eaten by a sandworm. 

What should you expect on here?

There should be lots and lots of movie reviews; both 2021 release and some movies from the past will be analyzed and written about. I've got so many tributes to major pop culture figures that I've promised and will now have the time to deliver.  While this won't become a full-on movie news site, I'll probably weigh-in on some of the bigger announcements and events. Since I should have the time, you can expect some more creative and odder projects, and while I may not post it during these two weeks, I will start writing the story for the serialized fiction that I've hyped.

I have never hidden the fact that I want to grow this site and The Movie Breakdown podcast. I want to earn a large and loyal audience. My hope is to turn both into major parts of my career and business. I want to expand on both and grow their influence and impact. The only way to be able to monetize these ventures is to get the readers and listeners. I also am well-aware that these two weeks are probably my best chance that I have at winning back older readers and attracting new readers.

The success of this site and podcast are things that I think and worry about often. I deeply want it, but right now, I only have so much time to dedicate to it because it makes me no money, so I need to do projects for other clients and publishers. These are the two weeks that I need to get out of my head and shut out the negative voices that spread self-doubt. There are no distractions. There are no excuses. There is just opportunity to prove that this site can be something special.

Thank you so much for sticking with me though this tough year. Thank you for the years of support and kind words. I am humbled to know that I have readers and listeners who like my stuff. It means so much to me. I want to reward it with creating great articles and stories and podcasts that bring value and joy and entertainment to your life.

Get ready for a great two weeks and beyond!