Back to work!

Hello Everybody!

(audience replies with "Hello Dr Nick"

It's been a long time since I updated everyone, but I did say I would be taking some time off during the holidays for a vacation and for myself. What was I doing you may ask? Well, just before Thanksgiving we took a family road trip for the first time and probably the last time, for my mom's 70th. We left here and drove to Pigeon Forge. We arrived in the evening and the next day I took everyone to Dollywood. Me, my wife and kids have been there before but my mom and dad had not. 

They really liked it, sadly the next day we were on the road again, driving through the beautiful Smokey Mountains heading to Disneyworld, we would be in Florida for I believe 8 days if you count the day we arrived and the day we left. We have all been there before but it had been a few years and my mom really wanted to go. We went to each of the parks once, Disney Springs once and attended Mickeys Very Merry Christmas party for the first time.  Granted it was an extra cost, but at 7pm they clear the Magic Kingdom of everyone without tickets to the party and they have specific Christmas treats, drinks and parades. There are some characters that only come out once or twice a year and once is for this event. The best part, there are about half the people there normally is so the wait for rides is very short. 

After that we started home, this time stopping in Gatlinburg for the same amount of time we did in Pigeon Forge. So one full day then leave the next.  It's a nice town right in the mountains, very rustic. So rustic that bears are known to occasionally roam around the town and cabins. Oh! I forgot to mention that there was a black bear sleeping in the woods near our cabin in Pigeon Forge as well! Anyway for the full day in Gatlinburg we visited Anakeesta. Anakeesta is classified as a theme park, and I guess it is but its on top of a mountain. you either take a open gondola, think ski lift, up, an enclosed gondola or a truck. some of us (me, my oldest daughter and parents) took the enclosed gondola. Once you're at the the top it awesome. there's restaurant's, food "trucks", stores, a mountain rollercoaster, bird treehouses in the trees for the kids, zipline, treetop skywalk, a tall tower and a few other things. It was one of the most relaxing and beautiful places I had ever been. I did climb the tower, which gives spectacular views of the Smokey Mountains. 

Along the way we made multiple mandatory Buc' ees stops for gas, food, drinks and souvenirs. I hope they eventually build one of those up here! Also for those of you that don't know about them and are thinking "Well kwik trip is nice also" You're right they are, but Buc' ees is another level. fresh made brisket, pulled pork, and a jerky bar in every one of them is just the tip of it. There's like 10 different coffees and no gas station/rest stop has bathrooms cleaner. There is literally someone stationed in the bathrooms constantly keeping them clean. Back to the brisket for a moment. We had brisket at The Polite Pig in Disney Springs, which is known for its BBQ. It wasn't bad. Buc' ees was better. They also have a Philly Cheesesteak Burrito that I introduced my mom and dad to that I had before and we all agreed it was one of the most delicious things ever. Their beef jerky is fantastic as well. whether its fresh from the beef jerky bar or pre packaged. As always it was bitter sweet coming home, but I was off the whole last week of December and the first of January. During that time I started a gaming youtube channel, continued podcasting (links below) and then started to look over the the script for chapter 3 of The Dark, which is what I assume most of you are really here to find about.

Well, good news and bad news. Bad news, I re read the script for the next couple of chapters and no longer am happy with it. So I am currently re-writing chapter 3 and onward. The good news is that I have not forgotten or abandoned the project and plan on having Chapter 3 complete and posted by March 31, just in time for spring. I am going to try and get it done sooner, but I want to deliver a good story and not burn myself out on it as well. I'm feeling pretty good right now so fingers crossed I keep it up!

Thanks and I hope you all had a great holiday season and a great New Year!

JP

Youtube channel

https://www.youtube.com/@DrunkGh0st-80s

Podcast

https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/attack-of-the-b-movies--4790417