Tag: Life in Florida
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Falling Temperatures, (Modestly) Rising Earnings
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Winter in FloridaTuesday, January 27, 2026 — Orlando, Florida Today’s chapter opens on a brisk—fine, let’s be honest, downright arctic by Floridian standards—January morning. At the heroic hour of 6:45 A.M., I rolled out of bed to find the temperature sulking in the mid‑30s, barely edging out a popsicle’s comfort zone (32°F/0°C). The house is mercifully warm…
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All Aboard the Gratitude Express! Next Stop – Betsy Matteis
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Books, College Life, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in South Florida, Miami-Dade Community College, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami Senior High School, The Gratitude ExpressThe Gratitude Tour Continues – Stop #7: Betsy Matteis Hi, everyone, and welcome aboard the Gratitude Tour Express. Today, our train is rolling north to Woodstock, Georgia, where my longtime friend Elizabeth—Betsy—Matteis has made her home. Of the seven Gratitude Award recipients so far, Betsy is the one whose story with mine stretches back the…
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On Hope, Hustle, and the Jim Garraty Chronicles
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon UK, Audible, Book Reviews, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Stefan (Steve) Lee, Stephen King (Author), The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftShifting the Blog’s Focus Hey, there! If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been steering the blog more toward a “writer’s life” vibe instead of the old grab‑bag of “Here’s what’s on Alex’s mind today besides, you know, writing.”Yep — that’s intentional. I do miss mixing things up with personal updates, reviews of books, movies, and music,…
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A Small, Bright Victory to Start the Week
A Small, Bright Victory to Start the Week Monday, January 5, 2026 — Orlando, Florida “Writing fiction, especially a long work of fiction, can be a difficult, lonely job; it’s like crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a bathtub. There’s plenty of opportunity for self-doubt.”— Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft Florida winter—such…
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On Resolutions, Realism, and the Year That Surprised Me
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Audible, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Family History, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Stefan (Steve) Lee, The Jim Garraty ChroniclesWednesday, December 31, 2025 — Orlando, Florida I’ve never been much for New Year’s resolutions. That just wasn’t the kind of tradition our little, lopsided family—Mom, my older half‑sister, and Yours Truly—ever took seriously. Sure, one of us might toss out a hopeful line now and then: “This is the year I’ll finally hit the…
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Musings for the Shortest Day of the Year – 2025
Sunday, December 21, 2025, Orlando, Florida It’s a nice early winter day here in my home state of Florida. Although it’s the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year and traditionally the first day of winter – it’s not uncomfortably cold. The temperature outside is 76°F (25°C) under mostly sunny conditions – a…
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A Thanksgiving Musicale
Today is Thanksgiving 2025! It’s the first recurrence of the occasion since 2023 when I celebrate the holiday with other folks. Last year, I spent my first Thanksgiving back in Florida by myself; today, I’ll at least have the company of my current landlady in Orlando. I don’t have time to write a proper post,…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Leisure Time Activities (Even Writers Need Time Off!)
Sunday, November 16, 2025 — Orlando, Florida Hello, Constant Reader. Today is a day of relative rest. Aside from this post, I don’t plan to do much writing. Most of my energy lately has gone into the release of Comings and Goings’ audiobook. I don’t yet have a clear vision for “The Next Big Project,”…
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Chilly Tuesday, Audible Dreams
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Audiobooks, Autumn in Florida, Books, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in Madison (NH), Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaTuesday, November 11, 2025 – Orlando, Florida It’s a chilly late autumn day in Central Florida, courtesy of the season’s first strong cold front. As I write this, it’s 52°F (11°C) under sunny skies. Not quite New Hampshire cold—Madison, my former stomping grounds, is sitting at 32°F (0°C) with light rain—but still brisk by Florida…
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A Somewhat Stressful Monday in Orlando
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in the United States, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A StoryMonday, November 10, 2025, Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s Monday afternoon here in Central Florida, and I’ll be honest—it’s been a bit of a nerve-wracking day. Earlier, I had to complete a mandatory phone interview with Florida’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) to qualify for SNAP benefits—what most folks still call “food stamps.” I…
A Certain Point of View, Too 