I wasn't going to post today. I've gone over my quota of posts in a month but yesterday I got a great e-mail from my daughter-in-law, Selma. I could tell from the note how excited and special it was and I can't resist, as she said, paying it forward in any way, shape or form I can. That is what we are supposed to do, right? Isn't it these exciting, special and yet simple things we do that can make the difference in a day for someone? It did for her and then for me and hopefully for dear people wherever they might be.
So Sonny and Selma were on their way to work and made their usual drive-thru at Starbucks. They pulled up to the window and were handed a receipt saying the lady in the car ahead of them had paid for their order. They didn't know her, she was a stranger, and they were surprised but as Selma said, it really made her morning! She sent out her note and I responded to her about how cool that was and I would need to do that soon. Selma sent me another note and told me it reminded her of my penny flip.
My penny flip. Yes. You know the old saying, "See a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck?" I was told a good while back that if the penny is heads up you will have good luck, but what if it is tails up? You flip the penny over from tails to head and leave it for the next person to pick it up to get the good luck. Now I'm not sure about the luck factor but the entire idea of leaving something for someone else to experience that simple feeling of, it made my morning, is worth it. I have tried to flip every penny I've seen that is tails up to heads whenever I can since I was told this. I have seen people watch me bend down to turn a penny and walk away. I'm sure they have wondered what was wrong with me but it never mattered to me. I always get such a good feeling when I do it anymore that I can't stop. I seem to have become a penny flipping magnet. I wrote about it ages ago right here. It was during a race and I couldn't stop. I've seen more pennies as I've run and, yes, I will stop and turn them over if they are tails up.
I will pay for the person behind me the next time I drive-through somewhere. What an easy way to make someone's day. And pennies...I've been flipping those, well, since even before this particular race. Follow that link to read the true story.
TT
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Palm trees in NYC?
I had talked not too long ago about a stage play I had been in a million years ago. The reason I remembered it was because it is currently on Broadway and so I went out and re-read the script and wrote a piece here called Act Two talking about it. The reason I am bringing it up again is that a friend of mine was recently in New York. When he got back I asked about the trip. Was it great! What about the food! Did you see any shows? He gave me a quick run down of the good time he and his family had and said he wanted to send me a picture. Okay. He didn't tell me exactly what it was except that it was taken in New York.
I didn't get a picture right away but a few days later I received one. It was a shot of some beautiful water at a beach area with a palm tree. Hmmm. I sent a note back and said...I don't think this is NYC.
Sure enough. I got another picture saying no...sorry about that...different vacation.
Here is the picture I was orginally meant to receive.
I didn't get a picture right away but a few days later I received one. It was a shot of some beautiful water at a beach area with a palm tree. Hmmm. I sent a note back and said...I don't think this is NYC.
Sure enough. I got another picture saying no...sorry about that...different vacation.
Here is the picture I was orginally meant to receive.
 |
| Photo taken and courtesy of Alejandro Jorge |
Do you believe this? This is the show in NYC that is currently running that I was in a million years ago (except not in NY). He told me he was walking along in the city, looked up and saw the sign. He remembered me, pulled out his camera and took the shot. I wasn't the character in the photo but another, younger, Cecily Cardew and ...well... it was a million years ago. But not this photo! This was taken recently...like a week ago.
I have to thank my friend who took the picture. And for sending it to me...Thank you Alejandro!
And about that picture with the palm tree...you sure take some great vacations!
TT
No dip
I seemed to have straightened out my run. I'm not getting the roller coaster effect that I was before. Not that I won't get it back but look! No big dip and slow down just before the three mile marker! Yep. I plowed right through that horrendous incline this morning. It must be all that free livin' I've been doing lately. Right.Actually, it is more likely the fact that I went back and did my three mile route this morning after I had done two four milers the previous two days. You can see the two blue lines off to the right in the picture that are slightly longer than the third one (which represents today's run). But whatever the reason...it is slightly better. Feels good. Well, it will after I take my shower.
TT
Monday, June 27, 2011
Home Alone
"Don't you want to stay a few more days?"
I was on the phone with Jay this morning when I asked him that. He was out-of-town at a vendor's market and had pretty much wrapped up all the business he had expected he would do. He had done very well and would return the next day. But I had ulterior motives for asking if he wanted to stay away even longer.
I have been enjoying myself being home alone. I admit it. There is no doubt in my mind that this works for me. I could get used to it very easily. I went to bed last night and slept right through the night until the alarm went off. I can't say whether it was because Jay wasn't there to wake me with his snoring or not. I know - cheap shot - but he claims I actually bounce off the mattress when I toss and turn during sleep (there - that should make us even).
So I slept well and had no qualms about getting up at 4:30am to go out and have a run. It's not well received that I go out that early in pitch darkness but I didn't have to think about it. As I got out of bed I also realized I could turn on the light - I wouldn't be bothering anyone still sleeping! I usually leave it off and dress in the closet. And I could make the bed! I usually make it up after coming home from work. (And yes - why make it up so late in the day when I will getting back into it so soon? Because I can't seem to get into an unmade bed. It would be like me trying to cook before the kitchen was cleaned up. I can't seem to do that either). But then speaking of the kitchen, it was just as clean and tidy this morning as I had left it the night before! The whole house was just as I had left it the night before!
It sounds like I'm complaining about the ways things usually are around here but I'm really not. I am just enjoying the way things have gone the past few days. I really am! It's a positive thing, right? I am having no problem being home alone.
But I can only enjoy it one more day.
Jay didn't want to stay longer.
TT
I was on the phone with Jay this morning when I asked him that. He was out-of-town at a vendor's market and had pretty much wrapped up all the business he had expected he would do. He had done very well and would return the next day. But I had ulterior motives for asking if he wanted to stay away even longer.
I have been enjoying myself being home alone. I admit it. There is no doubt in my mind that this works for me. I could get used to it very easily. I went to bed last night and slept right through the night until the alarm went off. I can't say whether it was because Jay wasn't there to wake me with his snoring or not. I know - cheap shot - but he claims I actually bounce off the mattress when I toss and turn during sleep (there - that should make us even).
So I slept well and had no qualms about getting up at 4:30am to go out and have a run. It's not well received that I go out that early in pitch darkness but I didn't have to think about it. As I got out of bed I also realized I could turn on the light - I wouldn't be bothering anyone still sleeping! I usually leave it off and dress in the closet. And I could make the bed! I usually make it up after coming home from work. (And yes - why make it up so late in the day when I will getting back into it so soon? Because I can't seem to get into an unmade bed. It would be like me trying to cook before the kitchen was cleaned up. I can't seem to do that either). But then speaking of the kitchen, it was just as clean and tidy this morning as I had left it the night before! The whole house was just as I had left it the night before!
It sounds like I'm complaining about the ways things usually are around here but I'm really not. I am just enjoying the way things have gone the past few days. I really am! It's a positive thing, right? I am having no problem being home alone.
But I can only enjoy it one more day.
Jay didn't want to stay longer.
TT
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Pages revisited
I was randomly reading some old posts and came across one from over a year ago where I was talking about my book, my fiction. I had been researching word counts to see how many words translated into paperback pages. I had been thinking about the same thing not too long ago (really) and it seemed perfectly natural that I would (of course) find that particular post where I had done that already. It doesn't particularly make me feel good that I haven't completed this fiction book of mine but I will not go into the interrogation room about that with myself right now. (Aren't you relieved).
What I found interesting was that I actually went out and captured a visual of what page it would look like I was on with my writing back then. (The upper portions of the pages is the demonstration of how much I had written.) The first is the original photo from that post (with the old text on my header). But I also took another photo today (with that original picture in the background) of where I am today and what page that would look like.
It almost looks like I flipped the same book over (I didn't - by the same calculation from the original post - that is where I would be).
I had only just begun writing (or so it seems) in the first photo and the current photo below looks like I should hurry up and finish. Which I should.
The original post was called Pages from June 8, 2010.
Oh course, the visual just wouldn't be the same if this was on an eBook. Right.
Maybe it would be better if I stopped distracting myself with visuals and got down to writing instead.
Right.
TT
What I found interesting was that I actually went out and captured a visual of what page it would look like I was on with my writing back then. (The upper portions of the pages is the demonstration of how much I had written.) The first is the original photo from that post (with the old text on my header). But I also took another photo today (with that original picture in the background) of where I am today and what page that would look like.
It almost looks like I flipped the same book over (I didn't - by the same calculation from the original post - that is where I would be).
I had only just begun writing (or so it seems) in the first photo and the current photo below looks like I should hurry up and finish. Which I should.
The original post was called Pages from June 8, 2010.
Oh course, the visual just wouldn't be the same if this was on an eBook. Right.
Maybe it would be better if I stopped distracting myself with visuals and got down to writing instead.
Right.
TT
Calories and roller coasters
My run this morning looks like some kind of roller coaster. I knew I had slowed down right before mile three but it looks like I almost stopped and I know that wasn't the case today. If you look at yesterday you can see that same dip and I admit to slowing to a walk then...but not this morning. (Must have been going just as slow - yikes)! It's the last really steep incline before I turn the corner but still. The whole run was weirdly paced but ah well. I got it done just the same.I am also trying to see if I like my new iPod 6th generation or not. I have used it the last two times I've gone out to run and this new touch screen is taking some getting used to. Yesterday instead of giving me voice audio of what mile I was on it was giving me how many calories I burned. "Half way there. 200 calories left to go." it said. Maybe that is when I started to walk on that incline. I must have gotten a frown and scratched my head. "What?" 200 calories left to go where? I wasn't trying to figure out calories...I just wanted to get past the dang incline. Do I burn more for going up the incline? (I think if it knew me better it would have said, "Not if you're walking it, dumb a$$.")
That will be the day, won't it? When my electronic device gets to know me so well it can talk to me realistically? Like...you're coming up to that incline again...don't you DARE slow down.
Well, maybe that isn't such a good idea. Or maybe it is. I'm still trying to figure out how far I have gone by calories and how well or badly I've done by these graphs of roller coasters.
TT
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Get out there
Why aren't I outside? I should be, I think, instead of sitting upstairs hitting a keyboard while trying to steal glances outside the window I'm facing. I was stealing glances outside until I realized the light coming in is making an odd reflection of my fingers moving across the keys reflected in the screen of my laptop. It's acting like a mirror as words superimpose themselves across the page. No really. With the light coming in the way it is right at this moment I can actually see my fingers bouncing up and over and I am amusing myself by trying to keep going so I can type and watch all at the same time.
But really.. no matter how amusing this is there is some wonderful sunshine going on...so why am I inside? 6:07 pm
Certainly not my best effort but simply not my worst. Actually, the fact that I didn't remain glued to my chair in the air conditioned comfort and pulled myself away for this short jog outside can be counted as a good effort. Whew. I don't need to catch my breath as much as I need to cool down several degrees. It was splendid. The rain this morning cooled the afternoon down by more than 10 degrees and if you don't think that is much than think about going from 103 yesterday to 89 today. Not bad running weather this afternoon. And you wonder why I would consider getting up at 4:30 am to put in a run. Even at that early hour it's still averaging 76-79 degrees but hey! I can't really run in 103 degrees. That was awesome.
TT
But really.. no matter how amusing this is there is some wonderful sunshine going on...so why am I inside? 6:07 pm
Certainly not my best effort but simply not my worst. Actually, the fact that I didn't remain glued to my chair in the air conditioned comfort and pulled myself away for this short jog outside can be counted as a good effort. Whew. I don't need to catch my breath as much as I need to cool down several degrees. It was splendid. The rain this morning cooled the afternoon down by more than 10 degrees and if you don't think that is much than think about going from 103 yesterday to 89 today. Not bad running weather this afternoon. And you wonder why I would consider getting up at 4:30 am to put in a run. Even at that early hour it's still averaging 76-79 degrees but hey! I can't really run in 103 degrees. That was awesome.
Situation
I would be out running right now except at 3:00 am it started raining. Hard. I heard it and was happy. I thought this is great! We are currently in stage two draught condition since it hasn't rained in so long and we need it. There was only a 30% chance of rain and yet it was raining! I figured it would rain and be over by the time I got up this morning to run.
Alarm number #1 went off and it was still raining. I slowly got up, put on some coffee and opened the back door. I thought maybe it was possibly just dripping off the eaves of the roof but that wasn't it. It was still raining. Steadily. Thoughts of how I could wrap my cell phone and iPod (I was going to use my new one the first time)! and sensor in plastic to keep them dry. That is when alarm # 2 went off and those thought were dashed when I saw lightning. Ah good...but ah no. Good we are having this rain...so good, but no running in lightning. Not a good idea. So, guess what...I packed my gym bag and if I have to, I will hit the dread/treadmill at the gym after work today to get a few miles in. We need the rain. I have been needing to run. And it's so early this morning I can have another cup of coffee and write for a while.
Is this a win, win, win situation?
TT
Alarm number #1 went off and it was still raining. I slowly got up, put on some coffee and opened the back door. I thought maybe it was possibly just dripping off the eaves of the roof but that wasn't it. It was still raining. Steadily. Thoughts of how I could wrap my cell phone and iPod (I was going to use my new one the first time)! and sensor in plastic to keep them dry. That is when alarm # 2 went off and those thought were dashed when I saw lightning. Ah good...but ah no. Good we are having this rain...so good, but no running in lightning. Not a good idea. So, guess what...I packed my gym bag and if I have to, I will hit the dread/treadmill at the gym after work today to get a few miles in. We need the rain. I have been needing to run. And it's so early this morning I can have another cup of coffee and write for a while.
Is this a win, win, win situation?
TT
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Wasn't it magic beans?
It was more than a week ago. I can tell you it was Friday, June 10th at approximately 7:20am. I had arrived at my desk not twenty minutes before and was already reaching for my iPod nano 5th generation. I was reaching for my music. It had been a tough week, it was a Friday morning, and I was already reaching to escape with my tunes to get through this last day of the week.
That is when I realized it wasn't working. Okay, my iPod probably needed a charge and I knew someone at work that kept a charger at their desk. I went over and plugged it in. Nothing. I waited. Nothing. It wouldn't take a charge. No Apple logo appeared to let me know it was going to work. Nothing. It basically was displaying the blue screen of death except it's an Apple product and it doesn't go blue...it just doesn't. Nothing. Darkness all around.
Noooohoohooo!
Yes. I knew it. It wasn't going to work any longer. I tried to find out what might have caused the meltdown (not mine - the device). I searched some forums and found on a running site that moisture can certainly stop the music. I run with this in my pocket all the time. When I run I get drenched. I knew what I had done. I had killed it with my sweat.
Now what? I searched Apple products. I found a new version iPod nano 6th generation. It was tiny. It didn't have some of the options the model I owned had (like a video camera) but I never used that. I use it for...let me see...music and my Nike+ running application. I ordered it right after lunch on Friday. I figured I could wait the week for delivery and not pay the extra shipping. The estimated delivery date was Saturday, June 18th. It didn't arrive on Saturday.
On Sunday, we went to Sonny's house and he asked me if I had put my burned out iPod into a bag of rice like he told me. We had talked on the phone the day before and he had mentioned this idea. I knew my iPod 5th was gone but I thought I would keep his advise in mind as a preventative for the new that had yet to be delivered. I told him on Sunday I hadn't done as he said and he explained it wasn't a preventative - it was a remedy. He grabbed a baggy out of his pantry, put some uncooked rice in it and demanded by iPod 5th. I, of course, handed it over and he dropped it into the baggy of rice. I put it into my purse and didn't think about it until the next day. Then Monday morning at work I pulled it out of my purse. I had my charger with me and thought...why not...plug it in and give it a try. I was fully expecting it to stay as dead as it had been before.
But I was wrong! The rice seems to have worked on my iPod! It wasn't a minute before I got the Apple logo!!! One night in a bag of rice and instant iPod! It sucked out all the killer sweat from the device and brought it back to life.
Meanwhile, no delivery of the new iPod nano 6th generation. Until this afternoon. Estimated delivery date, Saturday, June 18th. Actual delivery date, Tuesday, June 21st. It was late, but I got it.
It had been stated to me...It's tiny, but is it waterproof? Ahhh, no.
But now I have a magic bag of rice. (And two iPods)!
TT
That is when I realized it wasn't working. Okay, my iPod probably needed a charge and I knew someone at work that kept a charger at their desk. I went over and plugged it in. Nothing. I waited. Nothing. It wouldn't take a charge. No Apple logo appeared to let me know it was going to work. Nothing. It basically was displaying the blue screen of death except it's an Apple product and it doesn't go blue...it just doesn't. Nothing. Darkness all around.
Noooohoohooo!
Yes. I knew it. It wasn't going to work any longer. I tried to find out what might have caused the meltdown (not mine - the device). I searched some forums and found on a running site that moisture can certainly stop the music. I run with this in my pocket all the time. When I run I get drenched. I knew what I had done. I had killed it with my sweat.
Now what? I searched Apple products. I found a new version iPod nano 6th generation. It was tiny. It didn't have some of the options the model I owned had (like a video camera) but I never used that. I use it for...let me see...music and my Nike+ running application. I ordered it right after lunch on Friday. I figured I could wait the week for delivery and not pay the extra shipping. The estimated delivery date was Saturday, June 18th. It didn't arrive on Saturday.
On Sunday, we went to Sonny's house and he asked me if I had put my burned out iPod into a bag of rice like he told me. We had talked on the phone the day before and he had mentioned this idea. I knew my iPod 5th was gone but I thought I would keep his advise in mind as a preventative for the new that had yet to be delivered. I told him on Sunday I hadn't done as he said and he explained it wasn't a preventative - it was a remedy. He grabbed a baggy out of his pantry, put some uncooked rice in it and demanded by iPod 5th. I, of course, handed it over and he dropped it into the baggy of rice. I put it into my purse and didn't think about it until the next day. Then Monday morning at work I pulled it out of my purse. I had my charger with me and thought...why not...plug it in and give it a try. I was fully expecting it to stay as dead as it had been before.
But I was wrong! The rice seems to have worked on my iPod! It wasn't a minute before I got the Apple logo!!! One night in a bag of rice and instant iPod! It sucked out all the killer sweat from the device and brought it back to life.
Meanwhile, no delivery of the new iPod nano 6th generation. Until this afternoon. Estimated delivery date, Saturday, June 18th. Actual delivery date, Tuesday, June 21st. It was late, but I got it.
It had been stated to me...It's tiny, but is it waterproof? Ahhh, no.
But now I have a magic bag of rice. (And two iPods)!
Good start
I finally got myself out for an early run this morning. I ran twice last week on Sunday and Monday and here it is Tuesday before I've run again. All in the past now, no going back.
I took my phone by any other name and set my alarm last night. I didn't just set my regular alarm but I set up a second alarm (on the same phone by any other name) for a half hour earlier. I figured this way I would get up on the first alarm and get out the door by the time the second alarm was going off. This would actually give me a good twenty minute head start for the past times I have gone out to run before work and I would hopefully not feel as rushed.
It seemed to work, except I dawdled quite a bit with that extra time. I wasn't quite out the door at the time the second alarm went off and I probably only saved 10 minutes instead of 20. But I have to say it's a start. Ten minutes this early in the morning is a bunch of time...(enough to run another mile or so).
So I am feeling pretty good. Short run done for the day. Ready to go to work and even a few minutes to spare to write. Sounds like a good start to the day!
TT
I took my phone by any other name and set my alarm last night. I didn't just set my regular alarm but I set up a second alarm (on the same phone by any other name) for a half hour earlier. I figured this way I would get up on the first alarm and get out the door by the time the second alarm was going off. This would actually give me a good twenty minute head start for the past times I have gone out to run before work and I would hopefully not feel as rushed.
It seemed to work, except I dawdled quite a bit with that extra time. I wasn't quite out the door at the time the second alarm went off and I probably only saved 10 minutes instead of 20. But I have to say it's a start. Ten minutes this early in the morning is a bunch of time...(enough to run another mile or so).
So I am feeling pretty good. Short run done for the day. Ready to go to work and even a few minutes to spare to write. Sounds like a good start to the day!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Officially
I have officially started Chapter 10 of my fiction. It doesn't sound like much but that means I am progressing. I realize most books have double and sometimes triple that amount of chapters but I also haven't really been able to figure out how many pages or words make a chapter. It was easier for me to try and hit somewhere around 5000 words for a chapter. I haven't always hit that amount for what I have so far but it sounded like a good round number at the time I was coming up with an idea of what made a chapter.
I'm sure when I am finished (I WILL finish) I will dissect these into different stopping and starting points which will change the number of chapters but that will be later. I can't stop to do that now.
If I had to give a run down of what I have in each chapter it would read something like this:
Chapter 1 5868 words
Chapter 2 5006
Chapter 3 5354
Chapter 4 4297
Chapter 5 3597
Chapter 6 2370
Chapter 7 4984
Chapter 8 5605
Chapter 9 5106
That makes a total of: 42187 words.
I am shooting for 65,000 - 70,000 words or so. That's just a guess too, so I will see how that goes.
So why all the concentration on word counts? I could probably give you as many different reasons as I have words in each chapter. It's just another measure of what I've done, I guess. It's another way to be able to say I only have a third of the way still to go...almost there.
It's best I focus on it this way. When I am finished and reached the end of my word counts - then I can think about the whole story. It isn't a whole story yet and if I try and think that way I might not go on and I can't, won't stop now. Everyone told me to write the whole story first...keep going...don't go back. Word counts help keep me going when I want to stop and fix and stall. They keep pushing me forward. Only 27813 words to go. That's only a little over 5 1/2 chapters left to finish.
So Chapter 10 has been officially started.
TT
I'm sure when I am finished (I WILL finish) I will dissect these into different stopping and starting points which will change the number of chapters but that will be later. I can't stop to do that now.
If I had to give a run down of what I have in each chapter it would read something like this:
Chapter 1 5868 words
Chapter 2 5006
Chapter 3 5354
Chapter 4 4297
Chapter 5 3597
Chapter 6 2370
Chapter 7 4984
Chapter 8 5605
Chapter 9 5106
That makes a total of: 42187 words.
I am shooting for 65,000 - 70,000 words or so. That's just a guess too, so I will see how that goes.
So why all the concentration on word counts? I could probably give you as many different reasons as I have words in each chapter. It's just another measure of what I've done, I guess. It's another way to be able to say I only have a third of the way still to go...almost there.
It's best I focus on it this way. When I am finished and reached the end of my word counts - then I can think about the whole story. It isn't a whole story yet and if I try and think that way I might not go on and I can't, won't stop now. Everyone told me to write the whole story first...keep going...don't go back. Word counts help keep me going when I want to stop and fix and stall. They keep pushing me forward. Only 27813 words to go. That's only a little over 5 1/2 chapters left to finish.
So Chapter 10 has been officially started.
TT
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Fitting it in
I have had some quiet time today to figure out where I left off on my fiction, my book. I had to go back and re-read my last chapter since I couldn't seem to get a good enough idea of where I was from my notes. Organization is a wonderful thing but it can be very stark. I also wasn't sure if I had actually covered certain things - I mean actually written them - or if I just had the idea go through my head and not actually written it yet. I can do that sometimes. I have a scene play in my head and then not remember if I got it down or not.
My notes also don't tell me exactly what state of mind I left my character in. I left the last few lines with the main character answering the phone. I think I know where I was going with that now but when I re-read it I realized I didn't know who was on the other end of the phone after she said hello.
That is nobody's fault but my own. I let too much time go in-between writing again. I was on such a good roll of keeping up with it and then I let it go (again). So my notes actually do give me an indication of who is on the line or who could be on the line that would move the story forward again.
It is good thing I had some quiet time to do that. The fiction is on again. I never meant to let it get away from me and I will steal more than moments if possible again. Frequently.
I'll do it while I fit in all the rest of the things going on. Like Fathers Day...today.
We are going over to Sonny and Selma's this afternoon. Dante will be there too, of course, and yes, Jay.
Fiction started again, life in the middle, then more fiction again soon.
TT
My notes also don't tell me exactly what state of mind I left my character in. I left the last few lines with the main character answering the phone. I think I know where I was going with that now but when I re-read it I realized I didn't know who was on the other end of the phone after she said hello.
That is nobody's fault but my own. I let too much time go in-between writing again. I was on such a good roll of keeping up with it and then I let it go (again). So my notes actually do give me an indication of who is on the line or who could be on the line that would move the story forward again.
It is good thing I had some quiet time to do that. The fiction is on again. I never meant to let it get away from me and I will steal more than moments if possible again. Frequently.
I'll do it while I fit in all the rest of the things going on. Like Fathers Day...today.
We are going over to Sonny and Selma's this afternoon. Dante will be there too, of course, and yes, Jay.
Fiction started again, life in the middle, then more fiction again soon.
TT
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Where's the bright side?
My package I was expecting didn't come in the mail today as estimated. I fully expected it to be in my mailbox today and it wasn't. I didn't realize how very disappointed I would truly be about it, but I was very disappointed. Shame on me for putting so much stock on an item. It bummed me out the rest of the day. Then my Internet went down for 3 hours right about 3:00pm this afternoon and just recently came back four hours later. I went to the grocery to get just a few items in order to make a good comforting pot roast for dinner and when I got back the beef I was going to use had been put into the freezer. I wouldn't have enough time to defrost it in order to prepare it tonight.
Now I have no package that I have been anticipating all week, I have not done the research I was hoping to do on-line and I have nothing prepared for dinner. Three strikes and you're out, right?
Bright side, bright side...give me a minute to think - what is the bright side?
I got to say hello to a friend? I almost finished another book? I've got a bottle of wine I was going to use for the roast? But there's no roast tonight and still a bottle of wine? And I always use wine good enough to drink in my cooking, so it might be time to uncork it and pour a glass?
That must be it or all of the above. Besides, my package will probably arrive Monday, my internet is now working fine and I have everything for a nice comforting meal of pot roast for another day. Well, I will have everything except a nice bottle of wine.
I'm pouring my bright side right now.
TT
Now I have no package that I have been anticipating all week, I have not done the research I was hoping to do on-line and I have nothing prepared for dinner. Three strikes and you're out, right?
Bright side, bright side...give me a minute to think - what is the bright side?
I got to say hello to a friend? I almost finished another book? I've got a bottle of wine I was going to use for the roast? But there's no roast tonight and still a bottle of wine? And I always use wine good enough to drink in my cooking, so it might be time to uncork it and pour a glass?
That must be it or all of the above. Besides, my package will probably arrive Monday, my internet is now working fine and I have everything for a nice comforting meal of pot roast for another day. Well, I will have everything except a nice bottle of wine.
I'm pouring my bright side right now.
TT
Friday, June 17, 2011
Need to go back soon
Isn't this a great shot? It's only about half a mile from the picture that I keep here permanently to the right...my own personal paradise. Of course, I don't mean the pictures are about a half mile apart...the actual locations are about a half mile or so away from each other. I took the one above the last time I was at my personal paradise at the end of April. I guess I've been thinking about it lately. How I should go back again soon.
That day it was very windy. I don't know what made me take my camera along for that run but I am glad I did. The spray was coming up over half the road at this point and it felt great. The waves were rolling in, the wind was blowing, I had days off and I was at my most perfect spot in the world.
Aren't photos great when you have some sort of memory behind them? They can take you back in an instant. They can make you hear and smell the things you did at the time they were taken. I know this place so well and with this picture I am instantly transported back to it every time I look at it. It works that way sometimes.
Isn't it a great shot? It is to me.
TT
Mail service
I checked the shipment for the item I had ordered last Friday after lunch. It looks like it will stay within their delivery schedule although they will take it to the very last day. When I went to check on it this morning this is what I saw:
Shipment 1 of 1
Shipped
Delivery Estimate: June 18, 2011
That means it will (or should) arrive tomorrow around noon. That is when my friendly mailman will deposit it in the official receptacle I have at the end of my driveway. Actually, I don't even know if my mailman (or woman) is friendly. I don't think I have ever seen or spoken to him (her). I would hope that would be the case - that they were friendly. I would think that would be the case since they are delivering items that have been ordered over a week ago, that are being anticipated and tracked and are finally arriving at their destinations.
Or maybe they aren't that friendly. I know it must not be the most pleasant or easiest way to spend your day. I can't even imagine what all the sorting of items must be like. I know a cross street in my neighborhood has the exact same house number as mine. And it's a 5 digit house number so there were plenty of other variations that could have been used and yet the only difference in the address is the actual street name. Who knows what mail they might be getting that belongs to me? It wouldn't make for a friendly situation. Especially if they were to receive my shipment tomorrow around noontime instead of me!
But let's not think they are going to do that. Or more accurately - I won't think that will happen. I should be getting my shipment tomorrow, without a hitch, and if at all possible I will wave and smile at my friendly mailman (or woman).
There - I feel better already.
TT
Shipment 1 of 1
Shipped
Delivery Estimate: June 18, 2011
That means it will (or should) arrive tomorrow around noon. That is when my friendly mailman will deposit it in the official receptacle I have at the end of my driveway. Actually, I don't even know if my mailman (or woman) is friendly. I don't think I have ever seen or spoken to him (her). I would hope that would be the case - that they were friendly. I would think that would be the case since they are delivering items that have been ordered over a week ago, that are being anticipated and tracked and are finally arriving at their destinations.
Or maybe they aren't that friendly. I know it must not be the most pleasant or easiest way to spend your day. I can't even imagine what all the sorting of items must be like. I know a cross street in my neighborhood has the exact same house number as mine. And it's a 5 digit house number so there were plenty of other variations that could have been used and yet the only difference in the address is the actual street name. Who knows what mail they might be getting that belongs to me? It wouldn't make for a friendly situation. Especially if they were to receive my shipment tomorrow around noontime instead of me!
But let's not think they are going to do that. Or more accurately - I won't think that will happen. I should be getting my shipment tomorrow, without a hitch, and if at all possible I will wave and smile at my friendly mailman (or woman).
There - I feel better already.
TT
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Break the rules?
I know, I know...I know my own rules. Once a post is published I cannot go back and edit again. It's my whole tool idea that I can't spend my life editing one piece or I will never move forward. That is the reason I started this silly ole' blog...to keep myself from spending months on one small piece.
But I am soooo itching to get my hands back on that last scenario! It is sooo a first draft! I left so many different paths open for possibilities, I left visuals so incomplete, I, I, I could tighten it up so much better, I....
I can't. I could but I'm not supposed to. What I posted in Scenario: The photo was a one time sitting, write it down, give it a quick check and done. That is the exercise. That is the whole idea of impromptu, I guess. Here...quick...this is the idea...what have you got? And that's what I had at the moment and wrote it up. Now I am wanting to go back...and now that I have that first draft I have something more to work on and build upon. I can see where I need to put things, build on things, even edit things, smooth things out, change wording, make clearer, flow better.
Tools are such wonderful things. I have to remember that when they are used consistently you come to learn when they need sharpening.
TT
But I am soooo itching to get my hands back on that last scenario! It is sooo a first draft! I left so many different paths open for possibilities, I left visuals so incomplete, I, I, I could tighten it up so much better, I....
I can't. I could but I'm not supposed to. What I posted in Scenario: The photo was a one time sitting, write it down, give it a quick check and done. That is the exercise. That is the whole idea of impromptu, I guess. Here...quick...this is the idea...what have you got? And that's what I had at the moment and wrote it up. Now I am wanting to go back...and now that I have that first draft I have something more to work on and build upon. I can see where I need to put things, build on things, even edit things, smooth things out, change wording, make clearer, flow better.
Tools are such wonderful things. I have to remember that when they are used consistently you come to learn when they need sharpening.
TT
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Scenario: The photo
I rambled on in Clearly Unfocused to finally have the light bulb of an idea appear over my head. Ding!
I am back again to write up that idea as another impromptu scenario and see how it goes...
----------------------------------------------------
She wouldn't have been able to tell you at the time what made her go into her closet and take down that old box. Maybe it was the accumulation of quiet evenings spent all alone. Maybe she was looking for something that could fill that particular end of the day without expending any energy. Maybe she thought it was a good way to escape from the permeating melancholy that had invaded her life recently by the moving out of her ex live-in boyfriend.
She didn't have more than a sigh left as far as feelings for that relationship. It was over and done, she thought, as she hefted the box up and carried it out of the closet and set it on her old worktable in the extra room. She stood over it and opened the flaps. She reached in and drew out a handful of snapshots. She held them in her hand and settled down into the chair she kept at the table. She was already looking at the picture on the top, moving it to her other hand and putting it down as she did the same with the next photo and the next. She placed each down on the table after she scanned it.
It had been ages since she had gone through the old photographs. They were thrown into the box with no rhyme or reason. There was no order to the chaotic assortment and as she finished looking through one handful, she would reach in and get another mix of pictures where she was 4 years old to ones when she was 15 and older. Her mother had shoved the box in her arms when she moved away from home. She had insisted she take them with her.
She had progressed through a good measure of pictures and had them randomly stacked on the table. She went in to get another handful and had to stop and stare at the one that appeared on the top. There were two people in the picture and she was one of them. She was 18 in the picture. She knew that immediately. She saw the simple county fair and remembered how she had spent the day riding the Ferris wheel and eating cotton candy with her best friend, Gail. They had planned it together for what they thought of as a childish escape for the now grown two young women. They had gone through the fairgrounds trying their luck at stuffed animals and alternating being silly and girlish, to serious and sophisticated when any good-looking boy happened along within their sight.
They had become friends and were inseparable from the time they had met freshman year of high school. They shared all their secrets and talked for hours on the phone in the evenings even though they would spend the entire day at school together. It had been that way with them the entire time. Always easy and fun and simple.
She kept thinking of Gail as she stared down at herself in the picture. It was so long ago yet at that moment didn't seem so. She wondered what might be going on with Gail now after so long a time. She knew she would need to find her old friend and see if they couldn't talk and catch up. They had been such good friends. They had done everything with each other.
She decided at that moment she would make that call and talk to Gail again. She knew it had been a long time but as close as they had been she knew they needed to re-connect. Somehow, something had made her take that box down at this particular time and find that snapshot.
She sat at her worktable and smiled as she stared at the picture. There she was all of 18 and grinning ear to ear alongside some boy she didn't even remember that she had met that day. Her only memories now were of the fun and easy times she had spent with her best friend, Gail, who wasn't even in the picture. Gail had just happened to have brought along her camera and had taken that photo so long ago.
TT
I am back again to write up that idea as another impromptu scenario and see how it goes...
----------------------------------------------------
She wouldn't have been able to tell you at the time what made her go into her closet and take down that old box. Maybe it was the accumulation of quiet evenings spent all alone. Maybe she was looking for something that could fill that particular end of the day without expending any energy. Maybe she thought it was a good way to escape from the permeating melancholy that had invaded her life recently by the moving out of her ex live-in boyfriend.
She didn't have more than a sigh left as far as feelings for that relationship. It was over and done, she thought, as she hefted the box up and carried it out of the closet and set it on her old worktable in the extra room. She stood over it and opened the flaps. She reached in and drew out a handful of snapshots. She held them in her hand and settled down into the chair she kept at the table. She was already looking at the picture on the top, moving it to her other hand and putting it down as she did the same with the next photo and the next. She placed each down on the table after she scanned it.
It had been ages since she had gone through the old photographs. They were thrown into the box with no rhyme or reason. There was no order to the chaotic assortment and as she finished looking through one handful, she would reach in and get another mix of pictures where she was 4 years old to ones when she was 15 and older. Her mother had shoved the box in her arms when she moved away from home. She had insisted she take them with her.
She had progressed through a good measure of pictures and had them randomly stacked on the table. She went in to get another handful and had to stop and stare at the one that appeared on the top. There were two people in the picture and she was one of them. She was 18 in the picture. She knew that immediately. She saw the simple county fair and remembered how she had spent the day riding the Ferris wheel and eating cotton candy with her best friend, Gail. They had planned it together for what they thought of as a childish escape for the now grown two young women. They had gone through the fairgrounds trying their luck at stuffed animals and alternating being silly and girlish, to serious and sophisticated when any good-looking boy happened along within their sight.
They had become friends and were inseparable from the time they had met freshman year of high school. They shared all their secrets and talked for hours on the phone in the evenings even though they would spend the entire day at school together. It had been that way with them the entire time. Always easy and fun and simple.
She kept thinking of Gail as she stared down at herself in the picture. It was so long ago yet at that moment didn't seem so. She wondered what might be going on with Gail now after so long a time. She knew she would need to find her old friend and see if they couldn't talk and catch up. They had been such good friends. They had done everything with each other.
She decided at that moment she would make that call and talk to Gail again. She knew it had been a long time but as close as they had been she knew they needed to re-connect. Somehow, something had made her take that box down at this particular time and find that snapshot.
She sat at her worktable and smiled as she stared at the picture. There she was all of 18 and grinning ear to ear alongside some boy she didn't even remember that she had met that day. Her only memories now were of the fun and easy times she had spent with her best friend, Gail, who wasn't even in the picture. Gail had just happened to have brought along her camera and had taken that photo so long ago.
TT
Robbed
Sleeping late can be a real bummer for me. I don't particularly like it when I am in one of those states that I turn off the alarm clock and sleep way past any reasonable time for me to get up and still get anything I am able, or need or want to do before starting my day. Before I have to go in to work and have to switch gears.
I slept way too late this morning. I skipped everything I would have hoped to do. No run, barely one cup of coffee, e-mails lie waiting, writing?...well...I'm stealing time right now.
I think I better stop now. I steal any more time at the moment and I am sure to get caught.
TT
I slept way too late this morning. I skipped everything I would have hoped to do. No run, barely one cup of coffee, e-mails lie waiting, writing?...well...I'm stealing time right now.
I think I better stop now. I steal any more time at the moment and I am sure to get caught.
TT
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Clearly unfocused
I am having one of those days when I can't seem to focus. I don't have anything good to say, not that I have anything bad to say, but I just can't seem to figure out what to say. I should probably not talk at all but I haven't particularly found anything interesting to take it's place. I thought about reading to keep me from talking but I haven't found anything interesting to read at the moment. I would go out for a walk but it has managed to get to 99 degrees right now and, although it might stop me from talking, I'm not sure I want to stop talking for that long. Or what might possibly be a long time if I were to go out in his extreme heat at this hour and suffer from some type of...of...well, some type of something that happens to people when they venture out in the heat. I think I've heard of things happening sometimes to people in the heat. I don't think it has ever happened to me but others. I should probably wait until 5:00am and go out for my regular run instead. But that won't take care of my problem now and I am pretty sure I won't even feel like talking tomorrow morning at 5:00am, but then I might. I just wouldn't have anyone to talk to. Not that I have anyone to talk to now but I'm not sure that is the point. Or is it?
Told you I was having a hard time trying to focus.
I could have told you about the picture I took but when I went to retrieve it from my camera it wasn't there. I guess I had let the battery go too low and it didn't capture the picture or lost the picture so now I don't have it to show and I don't think I can tell you about it at the moment. I'm sure if I tried right now it wouldn't be good. The telling...it would be confusing and sound weirder than I already do and that's saying a lot.
So, no Focus. No Picture. Hmmm....you see. There was an idea there. It only took 354 words of nonsense this time. Yes...I was typing as fast as I could think to see where it could lead, if anywhere.
Brainstorming works.
TT
Told you I was having a hard time trying to focus.
I could have told you about the picture I took but when I went to retrieve it from my camera it wasn't there. I guess I had let the battery go too low and it didn't capture the picture or lost the picture so now I don't have it to show and I don't think I can tell you about it at the moment. I'm sure if I tried right now it wouldn't be good. The telling...it would be confusing and sound weirder than I already do and that's saying a lot.
So, no Focus. No Picture. Hmmm....you see. There was an idea there. It only took 354 words of nonsense this time. Yes...I was typing as fast as I could think to see where it could lead, if anywhere.
Brainstorming works.
- Did someone find an old unfocused picture and what could it mean?
- Was someone surprised when they finally focused on something they hadn't seen before in a picture?
- Did the memory of something become clearly in focus when they found an old picture?
TT
Monday, June 13, 2011
Calendar numbers
I was paying too much attention to the numbers on my calendar. Or I had let my mind wander and I noticed insignificant data that was printed on it. I am not sure if anyone uses this information or not but it caught my eye and of course I applied it to myself. I mean what other reason could they have put that information there unless it was something I was supposed to use for one thing or another?
It said June 14, 2011 was the 165th day of this year and that there are 200 days left to 2011. That's not quite half a year gone. Half of the year would be 182.5 days left.. and that would put us somewhere about noon on 7/2/11 (noon because of the half, of course, or would that be midnight?).
Still...what was I to do with this information?
Stats, of course, and how they apply here.
Including this one, I will have 171 posts for this year so far. That means I am on track for one post each day of this year with a small cushion if I fail to write. Not too bad, I guess. It seems I have been averaging 32 posts a month and yes that is more days than is in the month but I only have 29 in April (slacker) but I have 32 in February which everyone knows has less days even if it was a leap year, which it wasn't - not this year anyway. It still gives me a small cushion - not that I was thinking about using it. But I might and I always like to have something in savings.
I also have a total of...okay hold on...it surprised me too...717 total posts since the time I started on 4/11/09. 09? Yes. That long ago. What a fiend. What am I doing...?
Like I said. I was paying too much attention to the numbers on my calendar.
Who looks at that stuff?
TT
It said June 14, 2011 was the 165th day of this year and that there are 200 days left to 2011. That's not quite half a year gone. Half of the year would be 182.5 days left.. and that would put us somewhere about noon on 7/2/11 (noon because of the half, of course, or would that be midnight?).
Still...what was I to do with this information?
Stats, of course, and how they apply here.
Including this one, I will have 171 posts for this year so far. That means I am on track for one post each day of this year with a small cushion if I fail to write. Not too bad, I guess. It seems I have been averaging 32 posts a month and yes that is more days than is in the month but I only have 29 in April (slacker) but I have 32 in February which everyone knows has less days even if it was a leap year, which it wasn't - not this year anyway. It still gives me a small cushion - not that I was thinking about using it. But I might and I always like to have something in savings.
I also have a total of...okay hold on...it surprised me too...717 total posts since the time I started on 4/11/09. 09? Yes. That long ago. What a fiend. What am I doing...?
Like I said. I was paying too much attention to the numbers on my calendar.
Who looks at that stuff?
TT
Box tops
There is nothing like ordering something on-line. It's like being a kid and sending off your cereal box tops to redeem the prize on the back of the box. It was always exciting. Saving the box tops themselves, then cutting out the order form and putting it into an envelope to mail. Then waiting 6-8 weeks for that item to arrive in your mail box. As a few weeks past you would become more anxious, checking the mail, asking everyone in the house if it had arrived yet. No, not yet...
I am having that kind of experience at the moment. I ordered something on-line on Friday after lunch. No problem. I knew it would take about a week to get here since I didn't opt for the super-duper pay through-the-nose shipping but went with the "I can wait a week" free offer. I didn't realize they wouldn't ship it at all that day. Nor would they ship it on the weekend. I just checked and the notice I got was this:
Shipment 1 of 1
Shipping Soon
I believe that means it is still sitting on whatever shelf they had it on when I ordered it on Friday after lunch. That's okay. I can wait it out. It isn't like I was expecting it before the end of the week. It is just that anxious moment like when we were kids. It's because we can go out and track exactly what is going on with our items that we ordered the way we do now-a-days in real time. It's just the newer version of waiting for the prize in the mail we used to do when we were kids.
I know it has to ship soon. I mean, not only can I track the shipment but I also know they already cashed in my box tops.
TT
I am having that kind of experience at the moment. I ordered something on-line on Friday after lunch. No problem. I knew it would take about a week to get here since I didn't opt for the super-duper pay through-the-nose shipping but went with the "I can wait a week" free offer. I didn't realize they wouldn't ship it at all that day. Nor would they ship it on the weekend. I just checked and the notice I got was this:
Shipment 1 of 1
Shipping Soon
I believe that means it is still sitting on whatever shelf they had it on when I ordered it on Friday after lunch. That's okay. I can wait it out. It isn't like I was expecting it before the end of the week. It is just that anxious moment like when we were kids. It's because we can go out and track exactly what is going on with our items that we ordered the way we do now-a-days in real time. It's just the newer version of waiting for the prize in the mail we used to do when we were kids.
I know it has to ship soon. I mean, not only can I track the shipment but I also know they already cashed in my box tops.
TT
Sunday, June 12, 2011
More fun
I had every intention to go out and to just walk this morning. I did. I had that intention. I piddled around most of the early morning not doing a thing. It's amazing how I can sometimes wile away an amount of time and look back to realize I hadn't accomplished anything. (Okay...maybe a load of laundry is something but the machine does the work). So I knew I wanted to get outdoors.
I started out walking. It was a good feeling. I didn't have my music or sensor, no peppermint between my cheek and gums; just chapstick on my lips and cell phone and house keys in my pocket. I walked my first mile stretching and feeling my leg muscles, hearing birds and cars and early morning lawn mowers. Then I started running. I thought, okay, I'll jog it out and go back to walking in a bit. I never went back to walking but ran the rest of the way. It felt good and I was happy. It was fun.
I realized I had been thinking about the things I do and feeling a little out of sorts because of how I set such high expectations on myself. Why can't I just do the things I want to do and not worry about it? When I think about my running or my writing or even baking cookies I realize how much more I seem to want to push myself. I don't just run, I want to do 10Ks, half or full marathons. I don't just write here but I'm working on a book. I don't just bake cookies but come up with crazy flavor profiles.
Something seems to happen to me while I'm walking. I realize I want to run. Or I want to write or bake. Then I want to do it more or differently and well or I might as well just be walking.
I guess I do it my way because it feels good and it makes me happy.
It's more fun.
TT
I started out walking. It was a good feeling. I didn't have my music or sensor, no peppermint between my cheek and gums; just chapstick on my lips and cell phone and house keys in my pocket. I walked my first mile stretching and feeling my leg muscles, hearing birds and cars and early morning lawn mowers. Then I started running. I thought, okay, I'll jog it out and go back to walking in a bit. I never went back to walking but ran the rest of the way. It felt good and I was happy. It was fun.
I realized I had been thinking about the things I do and feeling a little out of sorts because of how I set such high expectations on myself. Why can't I just do the things I want to do and not worry about it? When I think about my running or my writing or even baking cookies I realize how much more I seem to want to push myself. I don't just run, I want to do 10Ks, half or full marathons. I don't just write here but I'm working on a book. I don't just bake cookies but come up with crazy flavor profiles.
Something seems to happen to me while I'm walking. I realize I want to run. Or I want to write or bake. Then I want to do it more or differently and well or I might as well just be walking.
I guess I do it my way because it feels good and it makes me happy.
It's more fun.
TT
Friday, June 10, 2011
Appropriate time
Did you know that black clouds that hover over you on a Friday morning can dissipate right around quitting time? I am not sure why I was having such a rotten morning. It was the end of the week, it was Friday but I was strangely off my mark. Instead of being upbeat, positive, looking forward to the weekend after having accomplished so much during the past few days I was not. I was not positive and upbeat. I felt like I needed a drink. Not to get through the day. To heck with the day. I just wanted to sit and have a martini.
The problem with that feeling was that is was only 9:30 am. Not a good time to go and have a drink. So I hung in there and was prompted by e-mails that helped keep my mind away from the dark clouds. I went home for lunch to drive in my nifty car with the top down to improve my mood. I came back to work with only a minimal amount of time left on the clock and managed to get through it.
So now it is Friday evening and even if there are traces of what is left of a black cloud I can't be worried about it right now. It is now an appropriate time to go out and have that martini...6:18pm. Yes. I think so.
Dry Vodka Martini, please. Just a little dirty.
TT
The problem with that feeling was that is was only 9:30 am. Not a good time to go and have a drink. So I hung in there and was prompted by e-mails that helped keep my mind away from the dark clouds. I went home for lunch to drive in my nifty car with the top down to improve my mood. I came back to work with only a minimal amount of time left on the clock and managed to get through it.
So now it is Friday evening and even if there are traces of what is left of a black cloud I can't be worried about it right now. It is now an appropriate time to go out and have that martini...6:18pm. Yes. I think so.
Dry Vodka Martini, please. Just a little dirty.
TT
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Which one
I finished reading another book today during lunch. I have a few that I haven't read yet ready and downloaded so I am not caught without a book to read but it was almost time for me to go back to my desk so I didn't actually start a new one yet. I took the few minutes I had left at lunch and thought about what I wanted to read next.
I thought my first choice would be to re-connect with Kinsey Millhone. It seems like it's been a good while since I've caught up with her and have been wondering what has been going on. I'd also like to see what Jack Reacher might have in store. I even thought about Tessa Gray. I've only had the pleasure of one encounter with her but it's been a while since that happened.
They are all fictional characters from different books, you know. Sue Grafton created Kinsey Millhone in her alphabet series. Unfortunately, I will need to wait until 11/21/11 to read Kinsey's next adventure in V is for Vengeance. Drat! Lee Child is the author behind Jack Reacher. He usually has a while between novels but I will need to wait on The Affair until 9/27/11. Crud! Cassandra Clare came up with the Tessa Gray and it's the longest wait of 12/6/11 for Clockwork Prince. Just terrific!
I thought about Eve Dallas but I just read about her latest homicide case in February. There isn't a single glimpse for anything on the horizon for Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro or for Elvis Cole although I could catch up on Joe Pike since Robert Crais released The Sentry on 1/11/11. I'm not sure if Dennis Lehane has anything in store for Kenzie and Gennaro. I guess I could catch up where I have fallen behind on Lucas Davenport since John Sanford has had two updates come out recently on 5/26/10, Storm Prey and Buried Prey on 5/10/11.
So many options and yet what do I feel like reading?
I could always wait until tomorrow to see what Free Friday might offer. Nah! Why wait. Getting something now won't stop me if I see something tomorrow. There is no such thing as too many books. Only which one first?
TT
I thought my first choice would be to re-connect with Kinsey Millhone. It seems like it's been a good while since I've caught up with her and have been wondering what has been going on. I'd also like to see what Jack Reacher might have in store. I even thought about Tessa Gray. I've only had the pleasure of one encounter with her but it's been a while since that happened.
They are all fictional characters from different books, you know. Sue Grafton created Kinsey Millhone in her alphabet series. Unfortunately, I will need to wait until 11/21/11 to read Kinsey's next adventure in V is for Vengeance. Drat! Lee Child is the author behind Jack Reacher. He usually has a while between novels but I will need to wait on The Affair until 9/27/11. Crud! Cassandra Clare came up with the Tessa Gray and it's the longest wait of 12/6/11 for Clockwork Prince. Just terrific!
I thought about Eve Dallas but I just read about her latest homicide case in February. There isn't a single glimpse for anything on the horizon for Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro or for Elvis Cole although I could catch up on Joe Pike since Robert Crais released The Sentry on 1/11/11. I'm not sure if Dennis Lehane has anything in store for Kenzie and Gennaro. I guess I could catch up where I have fallen behind on Lucas Davenport since John Sanford has had two updates come out recently on 5/26/10, Storm Prey and Buried Prey on 5/10/11.
So many options and yet what do I feel like reading?
I could always wait until tomorrow to see what Free Friday might offer. Nah! Why wait. Getting something now won't stop me if I see something tomorrow. There is no such thing as too many books. Only which one first?
TT
How's it goin' Thursday
This morning I thought I would go out for another 5:00am run but it didn't happen. I still got up and out of bed, got dressed and proceeded to drink coffee and sit at my laptop and scan through e-mails and read other things and then, of course, landed here. I have been busy at work and I am still adjusting to running in the early am. It presents a certain amount of anxiety for me to hurry! throw on running gear, push outdoors in the dark, cool down, hurry! shower, dress, hit my desk and work all day feeling a little hazy from the early morning rush.
Or is that my excuse this morning? No, no. It's all true. But it does seem to be an excuse. Promise I won't beat myself up too badly about it today. Sure.
I am trying to get my development plan at work finished (started). It looks like I won't be able to worm my way out of it this time. I've been about as rebellious as I can about it so far but I can see that will be a losing battle. I've done my research on how they want us to put it together...everyone is going to have to do it...I am just not... No. I'm not. That's the problem. They have examples of every other job title in our entire department except mine. I wonder why that is? Hmmm. So, anyway, whatever. I guess I will get it done even though I am not really looking forward to it.
So, I know it's still early but how is your Thursday morning going so far?
TT
Or is that my excuse this morning? No, no. It's all true. But it does seem to be an excuse. Promise I won't beat myself up too badly about it today. Sure.
I am trying to get my development plan at work finished (started). It looks like I won't be able to worm my way out of it this time. I've been about as rebellious as I can about it so far but I can see that will be a losing battle. I've done my research on how they want us to put it together...everyone is going to have to do it...I am just not... No. I'm not. That's the problem. They have examples of every other job title in our entire department except mine. I wonder why that is? Hmmm. So, anyway, whatever. I guess I will get it done even though I am not really looking forward to it.
So, I know it's still early but how is your Thursday morning going so far?
TT
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Not little
I mentioned yesterday after finding the Oscar Wilde piece and how the word little can sometimes be a bad word to me. Being short isn't something I would rather be but something I am and will continue to live with. I make my compensations in my own way which include a variety of heels that I find not only fashionable but comfortable. Yes, they are. I'm a runner, do you really think I will wear a bad pair of shoes? And they are not only comfortable but comforting to me in that they usually add a good four inches to my height. That puts me in the about average area. Okay. Maybe in just barely gets me out of the short range but still. I have to work with what I've got.
Although, I know and have heard of others my height and shorter that do not have a problem with it (bless their foolish souls). I have always known it is a sticking point with me and even used it into the fiction I have been writing.
------------------
“And… Yes, and”…Pauli was rolling her hand impatiently trying to coax more information. She stopped moving her hand and leaned into the table. Her wavy brown hair had fallen forward and her eyes were questioning. “Yes, go on. Speak up now, what it is?” she finally demanded.
Cassie finally shook herself out of her cloud of thought and said, “What about using the label Little Bird for your ready-to-wear line with us?”
TT
Although, I know and have heard of others my height and shorter that do not have a problem with it (bless their foolish souls). I have always known it is a sticking point with me and even used it into the fiction I have been writing.
------------------
“And… Yes, and”…Pauli was rolling her hand impatiently trying to coax more information. She stopped moving her hand and leaned into the table. Her wavy brown hair had fallen forward and her eyes were questioning. “Yes, go on. Speak up now, what it is?” she finally demanded.
Cassie finally shook herself out of her cloud of thought and said, “What about using the label Little Bird for your ready-to-wear line with us?”
"Little Bird!?" Pauli frowned, leaned all the way back in her chair and crossed her arms.
This time Cassie leaned forward. “Yes!” Cassie pointed her index finger at Pauli, “you, Pauli Wren – Wren – bird. Get it?”
Pauli uncrossed her arms and the eyebrow came up, “little?!” She pointed her own index finger at her chest, “little?” she repeated loudly.
Cassie smiled and tilted her head to one side, “You don’t think every woman doesn’t want to fit into something little?"...Don’t you think?”Pauli squinted her eyes but asked with some skepticism. “So you are not referring to my height?”
“No! of course not", Cassie denied. "Why would you think that? You are all of, what 5’1?” Cassie kidded.Pauli face flushed and she sat straight in her chair. "I'm 5’2"," she demanded. Don’t be taking that extra inch away from me now. I need all the height I can get.”
-----------
I am so cruel. Pauli Wren is my fashion designer in the story and I have made her a whopping 5 feet 2" tall. I made her even shorter than me. So, yes, of course, she is going to think little is a bad word. I mean, why wouldn't she? She is even shorter than me and she isn't a foolish soul. Or maybe she is...but not about being little.-----------
TT
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Act Two
CECILY I keep a diary in order to enter the wonderful secrets of my life. If I didn't write them down, I should probably forget all about them.
MISS PRISM Memory, my dear Cecily, is the diary that we all carry about with us.
CECILY Yes, but it usually chronicles the things that have never happened, and couldn't possibly have happened. I believe that Memory is responsible for nearly all the three-volume novels that Mudie sends us.
MISS PRISM Do not speak slightingly of the three-volume novel, Cecily. I wrote one myself in earlier days.
CECILY Did you really, Miss Prism? How wonderfully clever you are! I hope it did not end happily? I don't like novels that end happily. They depress me so much.
------------
Cecily. I have never met any really wicked person before. I feel rather frightened. I am so afraid he will look just like every one else.
[Enter Algernon, very gay and debonnair.] He does!
Algernon. [Raising his hat.] You are my little cousin Cecily, I’m sure.
Cecily. You are under some strange mistake. I am not little. In fact, I believe I am more than usually tall for my age. [Algernon is rather taken aback.] But I am your cousin Cecily. You, I see from your card, are Uncle Jack’s brother, my cousin Ernest, my wicked cousin Ernest.
Algernon. Oh! I am not really wicked at all, cousin Cecily. You mustn’t think that I am wicked.
Cecily. If you are not, then you have certainly been deceiving us all in a very inexcusable manner. I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being really good all the time. That would be hypocrisy.
Algernon. [Looks at her in amazement.] Oh! Of course I have been rather reckless.
Cecily. I am glad to hear it.
The portion above is a part of Act Two from:
The Importance of Being Earnest
A Trivial Comedy for Serious People
by Oscar Wilde
I couldn't resist it once I re-read the script. I found out it is on Broadway and knowing I wouldn't get a chance to see it I decided to take another look down memory lane which according to Cecily are things that never happen or couldn't possibly have happened. (Or was that only when they were recorded in a diary)?
So the fact is...I played Cecily in a production one late spring many, many years ago. She was a bit of an air-head and yet she is strangely similar to me. I didn't remember the reference (or maybe I do sub-consciously) to being little. I have never been to keen on being short and little can be a bad word to me. I do remember her talking that way (or was it me talking her way?) I remember having to introduce myself..Cecily. [Advancing to meet her.] Pray let me introduce myself to you. My name is Cecily Cardew...I dragged out the last name...Carrduuuue. She goes on later...oh well, it's crazy and so was she (or was that me?)
What fun! What a long time ago. I hadn't even thought about it. Then after this show closed I was cast as the lead in the Summer Melodrama. I had been a saloon girl (in Act Two again!) for the past few summers and made Heroine that year. I gave the part up, though. I didn't like the fact that I kept playing her as Cecily so I went back to being a saloon girl and danced the can-can in the second act instead. I got to drink (real) beer left on the villians table and throw my garter out to someone interesting in the audience each performance after the dance. I had someone interesting actually come back and tell me how they had caught my garter which started a nice conversation and...
What a long time ago. I hadn't thought about that!
TT
MISS PRISM Memory, my dear Cecily, is the diary that we all carry about with us.
CECILY Yes, but it usually chronicles the things that have never happened, and couldn't possibly have happened. I believe that Memory is responsible for nearly all the three-volume novels that Mudie sends us.
MISS PRISM Do not speak slightingly of the three-volume novel, Cecily. I wrote one myself in earlier days.
CECILY Did you really, Miss Prism? How wonderfully clever you are! I hope it did not end happily? I don't like novels that end happily. They depress me so much.
------------
Cecily. I have never met any really wicked person before. I feel rather frightened. I am so afraid he will look just like every one else.
[Enter Algernon, very gay and debonnair.] He does!
Algernon. [Raising his hat.] You are my little cousin Cecily, I’m sure.
Cecily. You are under some strange mistake. I am not little. In fact, I believe I am more than usually tall for my age. [Algernon is rather taken aback.] But I am your cousin Cecily. You, I see from your card, are Uncle Jack’s brother, my cousin Ernest, my wicked cousin Ernest.
Algernon. Oh! I am not really wicked at all, cousin Cecily. You mustn’t think that I am wicked.
Cecily. If you are not, then you have certainly been deceiving us all in a very inexcusable manner. I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being really good all the time. That would be hypocrisy.
Algernon. [Looks at her in amazement.] Oh! Of course I have been rather reckless.
Cecily. I am glad to hear it.
The portion above is a part of Act Two from:
The Importance of Being Earnest
A Trivial Comedy for Serious People
by Oscar Wilde
I couldn't resist it once I re-read the script. I found out it is on Broadway and knowing I wouldn't get a chance to see it I decided to take another look down memory lane which according to Cecily are things that never happen or couldn't possibly have happened. (Or was that only when they were recorded in a diary)?
So the fact is...I played Cecily in a production one late spring many, many years ago. She was a bit of an air-head and yet she is strangely similar to me. I didn't remember the reference (or maybe I do sub-consciously) to being little. I have never been to keen on being short and little can be a bad word to me. I do remember her talking that way (or was it me talking her way?) I remember having to introduce myself..Cecily. [Advancing to meet her.] Pray let me introduce myself to you. My name is Cecily Cardew...I dragged out the last name...Carrduuuue. She goes on later...oh well, it's crazy and so was she (or was that me?)
What fun! What a long time ago. I hadn't even thought about it. Then after this show closed I was cast as the lead in the Summer Melodrama. I had been a saloon girl (in Act Two again!) for the past few summers and made Heroine that year. I gave the part up, though. I didn't like the fact that I kept playing her as Cecily so I went back to being a saloon girl and danced the can-can in the second act instead. I got to drink (real) beer left on the villians table and throw my garter out to someone interesting in the audience each performance after the dance. I had someone interesting actually come back and tell me how they had caught my garter which started a nice conversation and...
What a long time ago. I hadn't thought about that!
TT
Earlier Tuesday
How about I try this on a Tuesday morning? I have already gone out and ran another 3 miles this morning. I am trying really hard to cool down as I drip all over my laptop. I have a hand towel draped across the front of it like a wrist rest to catch it and wipe it up. Yuk, sorry but I can't help it.
I was feeling good this morning but not as good as yesterday. I am getting the feeling I might need to replace my running shoes. I think the arch in the right shoe is just plain worn down. I can feel that foot giving me a little trouble again. I don't want to go through the injury process I did last year. But it isn't that bad. I will take care of it and think about those new shoes.
I haven't been putting in a lot of miles but this is my fourth consecutive run. I did the same last week and then added a few more runs the end of the week. It seems to be working but I'm not going to say that because as soon as I do - I won't do it anymore.
Well, I've stopped dripping so I might be able to shower and not still be sweating afterward.
Happy Tuesday!
TT
I was feeling good this morning but not as good as yesterday. I am getting the feeling I might need to replace my running shoes. I think the arch in the right shoe is just plain worn down. I can feel that foot giving me a little trouble again. I don't want to go through the injury process I did last year. But it isn't that bad. I will take care of it and think about those new shoes.
I haven't been putting in a lot of miles but this is my fourth consecutive run. I did the same last week and then added a few more runs the end of the week. It seems to be working but I'm not going to say that because as soon as I do - I won't do it anymore.
Well, I've stopped dripping so I might be able to shower and not still be sweating afterward.
Happy Tuesday!
TT
Monday, June 6, 2011
Early Monday
I didn't have time at my usual early morning to sit and write before going to work today. I jotted these quick notes down longhand on an index card right as I was waiting for my laptop to boot up at work.
...Wow. Do I feel good on a Monday morning! I wouldn't have expected it but it's true. I got out of bed 10 minutes before my alarm went off and was able to get a 3 miles run done before 6:00 am.
I was flying. It felt good. A cooler 70 degree morning compared to the past few weeks of 79 at the same early morning time was wonderful. I didn't have enough time in the morning to check all my e-mails or write but it's an adjustment worth making. If it didn't take me so long to cool down after my run I could be dressed and ready for work faster. But it was great. If I want to go for a longer run I can always adjust the time I come in to work. What's a few 30 minutes when I am normally at my desk at 7:00am? So no big deal about 7:30am right?...
So it takes a while for my laptop at work to boot up. And I gave you exactly what was on the index card which isn't what I should be doing. But hey! I was feeling really good for a Monday morning!
TT
...Wow. Do I feel good on a Monday morning! I wouldn't have expected it but it's true. I got out of bed 10 minutes before my alarm went off and was able to get a 3 miles run done before 6:00 am.
I was flying. It felt good. A cooler 70 degree morning compared to the past few weeks of 79 at the same early morning time was wonderful. I didn't have enough time in the morning to check all my e-mails or write but it's an adjustment worth making. If it didn't take me so long to cool down after my run I could be dressed and ready for work faster. But it was great. If I want to go for a longer run I can always adjust the time I come in to work. What's a few 30 minutes when I am normally at my desk at 7:00am? So no big deal about 7:30am right?...
So it takes a while for my laptop at work to boot up. And I gave you exactly what was on the index card which isn't what I should be doing. But hey! I was feeling really good for a Monday morning!
TT
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Shaken, not stirred
Confidence shaken, not stirred.
I let myself get taken down a notch by my own devices. I wrote up some short fiction pieces, put them up to read and then tried to tear them apart instead of allowing them to be what they were. They were impromptu ideas, written quickly. I learned something from each of them even if they weren't all good and even if they were. I let the idea that they might not have been up to any standard bring me down.
I can't even tell you what that standard might have been, except that I didn't think I had met it.
The scenarios (as I have called them) were supposed to be just another tool, another exercise. If I had let them be just that none of the internal struggling would have thrown it's net over me. But I let it. I took a good few days trying to push my fingers through the holes between the net to escape instead of throwing it off over my head. Nothing was holding it over me except myself. I had stirred it all up.
So I am back to reality. I wrote a couple of short pieces. If you are going to read any of them, please read: http://tessatoday.blogspot.com/2011/05/scenario-man-in-bed.html, Man in Bed dated Friday, May 27th. Just because.
I could just as easily say this or that one. I could easily explain what I got out of each one from a more technical aspect and not about content. When I separated the possible reader reaction from what my take-away was from each piece I was able to throw off my net of doubt.
Reaction is subjective. One person that really likes my sugar cookies don't particularly like my chocolate cookies but there are feelings just as strong the other way around. I can't stop making both. It seems to be the same with my writing. I can't stop doing it one way or the other but I need to do both or all. I tried narrative over dialogue, show don't tell, three talking together instead of two, characters thinking, the reader knowing what is coming before the characters realize it and surprising the reader with a twist.
So it took a few days but I overcame my own stumbling block. I was a little shaken when I shouldn't have been stirred.
Now I think I have gotten my confidence back and it feels good to have it where it should be. Maybe I just needed a drink.
TT
I let myself get taken down a notch by my own devices. I wrote up some short fiction pieces, put them up to read and then tried to tear them apart instead of allowing them to be what they were. They were impromptu ideas, written quickly. I learned something from each of them even if they weren't all good and even if they were. I let the idea that they might not have been up to any standard bring me down.
I can't even tell you what that standard might have been, except that I didn't think I had met it.
The scenarios (as I have called them) were supposed to be just another tool, another exercise. If I had let them be just that none of the internal struggling would have thrown it's net over me. But I let it. I took a good few days trying to push my fingers through the holes between the net to escape instead of throwing it off over my head. Nothing was holding it over me except myself. I had stirred it all up.
So I am back to reality. I wrote a couple of short pieces. If you are going to read any of them, please read: http://tessatoday.blogspot.com/2011/05/scenario-man-in-bed.html, Man in Bed dated Friday, May 27th. Just because.
I could just as easily say this or that one. I could easily explain what I got out of each one from a more technical aspect and not about content. When I separated the possible reader reaction from what my take-away was from each piece I was able to throw off my net of doubt.
Reaction is subjective. One person that really likes my sugar cookies don't particularly like my chocolate cookies but there are feelings just as strong the other way around. I can't stop making both. It seems to be the same with my writing. I can't stop doing it one way or the other but I need to do both or all. I tried narrative over dialogue, show don't tell, three talking together instead of two, characters thinking, the reader knowing what is coming before the characters realize it and surprising the reader with a twist.
So it took a few days but I overcame my own stumbling block. I was a little shaken when I shouldn't have been stirred.
Now I think I have gotten my confidence back and it feels good to have it where it should be. Maybe I just needed a drink.
TT
Friday, June 3, 2011
5K by accident
I have a 5K to run tomorrow morning. I hadn't planned it and was, in fact, trying to avoid official organized runs for a while. I seemed to have failed as I am registered for the run tomorrow. It happened entirely by accident. No really. I was talking to a co-worker about an issue and the subject of this 5K came up. When asked I said, No, I hadn't registered. It just happened to be company sponsored.
My co-worker said she had seen a note that they were needing another runner to fill a spot when someone cancelled. Did I want to run? I didn't think anything of it. I shrugged.
Sure.
I was planning on running Saturday morning anyway on my own. I also thought someone would have already claimed the spot. My co-worker sent a note back that I was interested but someone had already filled that spot. Then I got a note from the person organizing the run for our company. Someone else had dropped out last minute and would I be interested? I shrugged.
Sure.
There it was. I was registered by accident. I didn't do anything except maybe talk about running and then say sure.
Sure.
Maybe I should stop shrugging.
TT
My co-worker said she had seen a note that they were needing another runner to fill a spot when someone cancelled. Did I want to run? I didn't think anything of it. I shrugged.
Sure.
I was planning on running Saturday morning anyway on my own. I also thought someone would have already claimed the spot. My co-worker sent a note back that I was interested but someone had already filled that spot. Then I got a note from the person organizing the run for our company. Someone else had dropped out last minute and would I be interested? I shrugged.
Sure.
There it was. I was registered by accident. I didn't do anything except maybe talk about running and then say sure.
Sure.
Maybe I should stop shrugging.
TT
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Ungraded
I've written a few different scenarios. It might be four or five by now in the past four or five days. These are basically short pieces of fiction I've written up impromtu that are driven by a single idea, thought or phrase that floats through my head. Like...Encounter with a stranger, 4 Horsemen, Train Station or Man in bed. It started when I wrote Corner store. I had these thoughts go through my head and then I said...okay, come up with something about that and write it up. I did and they have nothing to do with each other. I'm not sure you should even read all at the same time. It has turned into a great exercise for me. I discovered a few new things that I could do with my writing.
The problem is it created a bit of writers anxiety for me. I don't mean writers block. I had more than plenty to write about once I got the thoughts churned up. But I was writing these things up so quickly I didn't have any idea if I was on the right track or not. I was thinking all the negative things possible about them. It's tough completing an exercise and not ever knowing what your grade is. That is the way it felt. Good? or okay? or just plain bad? A, C-, F? And wait...if it's good I'd like to know why and if not how do I improve? It makes me anxious.
So, of couse, I looked up writers anxiety. It had some information about writers block. I knew that wasn't it. No block here...plenty of imagination here. So I continued to look and found one thing I hadn't ever read before. It said something to the effect that writers sometimes get anxiety if they care about doing something well.
That's where I was able to stop reading about the anxiety. That was it. I just care about doing it well. I'm anxious because I've written these scenarios and want them to be done well. Or at least I would like to understand what might be good, okay or just plain bad so I can work at it.
And I will. I'll keep working at it. A, C-, or F. I'll keep working at it.
TT
The problem is it created a bit of writers anxiety for me. I don't mean writers block. I had more than plenty to write about once I got the thoughts churned up. But I was writing these things up so quickly I didn't have any idea if I was on the right track or not. I was thinking all the negative things possible about them. It's tough completing an exercise and not ever knowing what your grade is. That is the way it felt. Good? or okay? or just plain bad? A, C-, F? And wait...if it's good I'd like to know why and if not how do I improve? It makes me anxious.
So, of couse, I looked up writers anxiety. It had some information about writers block. I knew that wasn't it. No block here...plenty of imagination here. So I continued to look and found one thing I hadn't ever read before. It said something to the effect that writers sometimes get anxiety if they care about doing something well.
That's where I was able to stop reading about the anxiety. That was it. I just care about doing it well. I'm anxious because I've written these scenarios and want them to be done well. Or at least I would like to understand what might be good, okay or just plain bad so I can work at it.
And I will. I'll keep working at it. A, C-, or F. I'll keep working at it.
TT
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Scenario: The four horsemen
"Dang," whispered Luke, as he swatted his palm with the black leather glove he had removed from his right hand. He watched as the doctor walked away and turned to face the two men behind him. Matt and Mark stood up as he turned and Luke saw twin looks of anticipation on their faces. He motioned them over to a corner in the emergency area waiting room. They were conspicuous enough in regular clothes but even more so while standing in the head-to-toe black garb from their recent rodeo performance. Each of the three were over six feet tall and in their mid thirties.
"Jake has a broken rib and fractured wrist," Luke said. "Doctor says he'll be laid up a good while."
Mark shook his head, "I knew he shouldn't have rode out today."
"When can we see him so we can get out of this smelly place," asked Matt. Matt looked around the hospital waiting room with a deep crease between his brows. "I ain't fond of hospitals."
Luke smirked at his friend. "Yeah, Matt, you've been here enough times. We know."
Luke waited for their attention again and said, "Doc says we can see him but I think we need to talk about something first. We need to talk seriously about a replacement for Jake."
The two other men looked down but nodded in agreement. Luke waited a moment and went on. "I think we ought to ask Tommie Brinks."
Both friends stared up at him in amazement. "What?" asked Mark. "Did you forget the name of our act is the Four HorseMEN. She doesn't exactly fit that bill."
Matt began to grin forgetting his displeasure of being at a hospital. "Dang, but she is hot. She's hot enough to light the fire tricks!" He grinned at his own joke.
Luke waved his palms to calm them down. He glanced over to the rest of the room to make sure they hadn’t disturbed anyone. Luke went on, "She's been riding most of the same rodeo circuits as us. She’s a demon on that black horse of hers. We could bring her up on some of our tricks before our next gig and we wouldn't have to cancel."
"Yeah, but", Mark straightened out to full height and moved his hands up and down, "she ain't exactly, well. She ain't exactly…"
Matt smiled nodding, "Whoa, exactly!"
Luke glanced at Matt but answered Mark. "We are all dressed the same, ride in real tight the way we do and it will be a while before the audience can distinguish her. By then the tricks will have their attention and if she doesn't work out it’ll buy us time to find someone else. If she does work out, we got ourselves a new buzz to market. People will come see."
Mark shook his head, "What if she can't do the tricks."
Luke squinted his eyes, "Have you seen her full throttle on that horse of hers while roping? Both hands on the rope with the reins in her mouth? Then off the horse like nothing!"
Matt's eyes were sparking now, "I'm sure she looks great with something in her mouth."
Luke gave his shoulder a shove. "Hey, quiet."
Mark held back a smirk, "What about Jake?"
"Jakes been wanting to stop for a while. He'd rather manage and this might be the time."
Mark said, "Okay,” nodding. “Have you asked her?"
"Nope", said Luke. "Not yet." He pulled out his cell phone and waited. After a moment he was explaining Jake getting hurt and the need to fill a place with the trick rodeo team, The Four Horsemen.
"Would you be interested?" Luke held the phone to his ear looking up at his two friends. There was pause at the end of the other line and then a dusky voice finally answered.
"Cool."
---
TT
"Jake has a broken rib and fractured wrist," Luke said. "Doctor says he'll be laid up a good while."
Mark shook his head, "I knew he shouldn't have rode out today."
"When can we see him so we can get out of this smelly place," asked Matt. Matt looked around the hospital waiting room with a deep crease between his brows. "I ain't fond of hospitals."
Luke smirked at his friend. "Yeah, Matt, you've been here enough times. We know."
Luke waited for their attention again and said, "Doc says we can see him but I think we need to talk about something first. We need to talk seriously about a replacement for Jake."
The two other men looked down but nodded in agreement. Luke waited a moment and went on. "I think we ought to ask Tommie Brinks."
Both friends stared up at him in amazement. "What?" asked Mark. "Did you forget the name of our act is the Four HorseMEN. She doesn't exactly fit that bill."
Matt began to grin forgetting his displeasure of being at a hospital. "Dang, but she is hot. She's hot enough to light the fire tricks!" He grinned at his own joke.
Luke waved his palms to calm them down. He glanced over to the rest of the room to make sure they hadn’t disturbed anyone. Luke went on, "She's been riding most of the same rodeo circuits as us. She’s a demon on that black horse of hers. We could bring her up on some of our tricks before our next gig and we wouldn't have to cancel."
"Yeah, but", Mark straightened out to full height and moved his hands up and down, "she ain't exactly, well. She ain't exactly…"
Matt smiled nodding, "Whoa, exactly!"
Luke glanced at Matt but answered Mark. "We are all dressed the same, ride in real tight the way we do and it will be a while before the audience can distinguish her. By then the tricks will have their attention and if she doesn't work out it’ll buy us time to find someone else. If she does work out, we got ourselves a new buzz to market. People will come see."
Mark shook his head, "What if she can't do the tricks."
Luke squinted his eyes, "Have you seen her full throttle on that horse of hers while roping? Both hands on the rope with the reins in her mouth? Then off the horse like nothing!"
Matt's eyes were sparking now, "I'm sure she looks great with something in her mouth."
Luke gave his shoulder a shove. "Hey, quiet."
Mark held back a smirk, "What about Jake?"
"Jakes been wanting to stop for a while. He'd rather manage and this might be the time."
Mark said, "Okay,” nodding. “Have you asked her?"
"Nope", said Luke. "Not yet." He pulled out his cell phone and waited. After a moment he was explaining Jake getting hurt and the need to fill a place with the trick rodeo team, The Four Horsemen.
"Would you be interested?" Luke held the phone to his ear looking up at his two friends. There was pause at the end of the other line and then a dusky voice finally answered.
"Cool."
---
TT
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