Hi everyone. I don't have much to say tonight. I'm dead tired from work.

Thankyou, Christi. I'm glad to be aboard.

What's with the strange colors? It does weird things to my eyes.I wanted to mention that I've loved the Muppets too. My favorite sketch was Veterinarian's Hospital. The jokes were so bad, worse than my husband's jokes.

The cat's yowling about something. I think he wants some attention. I'd better go attend to his needs. Now you know who wears the pants in our family.

Well, it's more purple than pink, but it's still good.



Lets try blue

Sat Mar 31 14:35:40 PST 2001

Lets try PINK!!

One more try...it should be white

Try this on for size. Ow! My eye!!

HOWARD: Ok hon, enough is enough. It's all fun and games 'til somebody loses an eye. I know it's April Fool's day coming up and all, but really! Green, bold italics? Crikies!

Hey, hey, hey,
Bold italics. Now we're getting places.

Thought tomorrow was April Fools Day.

I think it's gonna be a loooong weekend -- that bold text wasn't me!!!

APRIL FOOL!

Oooops! :-(

Does conversion to italics count as an April Fool's prank?

Didn't think so.

Embarrassed again...

mea culpa

'snif !

Morning all,

TINA, JERRY, MARY,
I love horse stories. Glad Tina's question brought out some. I know we're not the only one, but San Antonio uses police on horseback in certain areas. I'm not sure, but I think the policemen have to own and care for the horses themselves. We have had a number of search possies on horseback, especially when a child is missing. Local horse owners volunteer.

OWHARD,
Hoo Hoooo, you almost blinded me with all those italics. Did you know the smiley face has a bit of a leer in italics?

JERRY,
Thought you might be interested in the police problems we have been having here. There have been five law enforcement deaths in the last year (one account said five in four months but I don't think that was right.) The last one was the day before yesterday. The husband in a family dispute killed his wife, wounded his brother-in-law and killed the policeman answering the family disturbance call.
A couple of weeks ago, a federal sting brought down eight members of the SAPD. They were filmed making arrangements to protect drug shipments get across town. My surprise is that the feds are releasing those tapes to the media. I would think that would compromise the trials. Everything happens at once.

Have a good weekend all,
Rosemary

Jerry:

By the way the police couldn't do anything for me because there was no law against that at the time.

No one has more respect for the men in blue than me.

They wanted to help me. They did what they could. Several times they would follow behind him when they saw he was tailing me. That's how I would lose him a lot of the time.

Debra

Christi:

Thanks. To this day I think I still remember hearing angels singing looking into his eyes for the first time when he came back in and asked me if I was all right.

Of course I had been without a man and all that goes with men for five years. I think after thirteen years of marriage and seventeen years of being together, I don't have to worry if I just fell for him for the wrong reasons. He was supposed to be mine.

It's weird knowing me and how much I love being in love, I would have long been with someone and wouldn't have been available to be with him if it hadn't been for that idiot chasing me. So!

Let's not forget all the beautiful babies he gave me.

beleive it or not for the rare occasins when people ask how we met, we just tell them he moved into my apartment building. I get really humiliated telling people I was a victim of stalking and violence.

All those years ago, no one even had a name for what that guy was doing. Now we know it is called stalking. The police couldn't do anything for me either.

Long time ago water under the bridge. It's not however for other women. That's why I wrote my manuscript. I hope it gets published.

Gotta go the water is back and Dan is getting tired of sucking it up. My turn.

Debra

Tina wrote:

"...they probably do have a totally ordinary name like 'fly nets'. I just hate getting technical terms wrong in my story."

Not to nit-pick or anything, but that brings up an important point in our writing.

(I am only using this as an example!!!)

Since there are new writers here, and since we're all here to learn, I think the following observation would be appropriate:

Accuracy in "technical terms" is very important in technical (instructional) writing. We must not leave out those jots and tittles lest we confuse the reader that we're trying to instruct. That audience demands and expects that level of accuracy.

Writing for entertainment, however, is different. Most of that audience is unprepared to deal with technical accuracy, and must be pampered with generics. In effect, we as story-tellers/writers are translating the technicalities for the reader, so that he doesn't have to stop and do it for himself.

The technical name for those fly nets may be very important in a saddle supply catalog, but remember the horse only needs his eyes protected, the rider only wants to protect them, and the reader only sees that when you tell him in his own terms. Or when you show him.

Does anyone here besides me see the pictures in this place? Oh sure, the puppies were cute, and all that, but I'm talking about the real pictures.
I could see the girl riding her horse on a winter's night. And the magazine-inspired dreams of a 12-year old about the horse she'll someday own. Or the picture of Black Jack's last birthday party. Or the one red shoe in the road.

And that was me (and you) on the floor by the couch in the picture of the kids sitting around the radio or tv,watching cartoons on a Saturday morning.

Even the darker pictures - the flooded basement, the kids lying awake late at night, afraid to go to sleep, the fear of being in an abusive relationship, the heartache that the viewer may never experience, but should know that others do.

Some of these bring back memories - good or bad - and some bring us experience that we might never have known but for the one who took the time to record it for us. All of them play an active role in the growing that we all must do.

Sasquatch talks about the "racial memory" that enables him to know what his ancestors saw and experienced. I think I know what he means. I think that we are recording a sort of racial memory in places like this, in the musings and writings that we share.

That's why I never tire of coming to this gallery.

Now I have to go and install a toilet.

Heather,
I like the muppets too. I think Beaker & his assistant are our favorites. The long thin assistant who makes "Oh no!" noises, looks and sounds just like my husband.

April Fools day is tomorrow. Already my daughter has carefully wrapped my car with tons of saran wrap. This should make opening the doors a treat tomorrow morning. I am planning on making a blue breakfast for dinner. I'm going to make blueberry pancakes with blue whipped cream for topping. How about the rest of you? What are you up to Teekay? What's your April Fools Day like? How about you Heather? Jerry, I'd like to hear a few of the tricks you've pulled. Howard???? What terrible things will you pull.

It's nice it's Sunday. We have an entire day for small "in family" comfortable little jokes. Well, off to bed. Viv

one more question people is there such thing as being too graphic in a book...
I got these character traits for the bad girl, but the behaviour may seem a little too extreme, dont know if I should post an example though

and now working on my new short story, in between novel writing times...
Dont like the title though, but it suits the story
called, 'Phsycotic Pets'
Gruesome tale of getting biological contaminents in DDT or something

I was having a break on writing and came up with my favourite movie and tv quotes that I could remember

*So what I told you was true, from a certain point of view*
Obi Wan to Luke in Return of the Jedi

*If Bob was real and we let him go, where is Bob now*
Sheriffe Truman in Twin Peaks

*The truth is out there, you just have to know where to look*
Agent Scully to Agent Mulder in X-files

*The difference between you and me, is that I make this look good*
Agent J to Agent K in Men In Black

*I wander what this thing does....(click)I wander what this thing does*
Roy in Men in White

Heather: It's okay. We have parties like that around here sometimes, but instead of handstands on the furniture, we have little fires--candles and such stuff. Drunks really shouldn't have candles burning, should they? And they shouldn't make their own candle holders out of wood! But hey, we're happy drunks over here. And yes Jerry, I just got home from work a while ago and wanted to have a glass of wine, so I did. Now I'm gonna have another. Drinking problem? Naw...I know where it is!

My favourite cartoon character: Marvin the Martian and his little dog. Love that guy!

Ben

Howdy!

I can't believe I forgot the Muppets! I love the Muppets! Sam the eagle and Pigs in Space and the two old men at the end and Kermit's little cousin... I love them all! The first toy I ever saved up my own money to buy was a Kermit stuffed animal with velcro on his feet and hands. I still have that Kermie. And the Smurfs. I always watched Smurfs. I even dressed up as Papa Smurf one Halloween. The difference is that I still love the Muppets, and I strongly dislike the Smurfs.
I can't believe I just admitted to liking the Smurfs, even if it was years ago!

Rosemary, they probably do have a totally ordinary name like 'fly nets'. I just hate getting technical terms wrong in my story. I'll keep looking. :-)
When I was 12 I bought a subscription to 'Horse and Rider' magazine. I didn't have a horse, or even a pony, but I bought that magazine for four years, and read it avidly. I'd go riding with friends who had horses, or rent time at a stable, and I dreamed of those late night rides like Mary took. Never did get my horse. One day, I still intend to. (sigh)

Christi, I almost cried when Watterson stopped doing Calvin and Hobbes. It's the best comic strip out there. Period. I don't have a reason to read the newspaper funnies anymore, cause I know Calvin isn't there and nothing else is as good. Far Side is pretty good too, but not as consistantly. My favourite poem (other than Jabberwocky) is 'Cow Poetry/Distant Hills' by Larson.

The distant hills call to me
Their rolling waves seduce my heart.
Oh, how I want to graze in the lush valleys
Oh, how I want to run down their green slopes.
Alas, I cannot.
Damn the electric fence!
Damn the electric fence!

Hey Christi, did you know that they're trying to make 'Elfquest, the movie'? Wendi Pini has been working on it for several years now. Who knows if it will ever happen, but I hope so.

Okay, I'm off to bed now. Pleasant dreams everyone!
T.J.

Not much about horses I don't like. Growing up, my best friend's horse was named Lucky's Disco Jo and he was the most barn sour animal I have ever seen. Just when you thought you had him a safe distance from the barn and were going to get a good ride out of him, he would pivot, toss his head back just enough to break your nose and then run full throttle right thru the side door of the barn and into his stall. He was so crazy over it that he wouldn't even slow down if the barn door was closed. Well, I can tell you THAT only happened to me once and I pulled splinters out of my shoulder for a week!

Right before I met my husband I was dating a man who raised pulling horses. He would enter them in contests and events and used them around his farm. I never got used to how he treated them though. I would ride them and brush them and hope that my kindness was at least some comfort to them, but I knew full well that what he was doing was wrong. I don't know why I stuck with him as long as I did.

Those horses wear special shoes with hooks on the front to dig into the dirt for more purchase when they take off pulling a load. You can't let the horses run with those shoes on because if they catch their front hooves with the hooks on the shoes of their back hooves, they can rip their front hooves clear off their legs. These horses were huge and not wonderfully saddle broke, but I had been riding for years and thought I could handle them well enough. One day a new horse, a Belgian, showed up in the barn. I got him out into the hemlock woods surrounding the farm and he took off on me and I couldn't slow him down. He was rubbing me against trees and the branches were slapping me so hard I had to bury my face in the side of his neck and pray that he didn't rip his own feet off. We made it back to the barn after he ran himself out, but that was the last ride on those horses for me. After that, I stuck to the Tenessee Walkers and the Quarter Horses that were taken to the local rodeos and horse shows.

Of all the bad things that have happened to me on the back of a horse, none of them can take away from those snowy midnight rides all by myself, when the only sound I could here was the breathing of the horse, the creak of the saddle and the muffled clop of his hooves. Nights so cold that the tops of my thighs would sting and my nose would go numb and I'd watch the whitetails nuzzle through the snow for limp grass and never raise their heads. Nope, there's not much about horses I don't like.

Yeah, everyone, what Christi said, except for the parts to me in it! (Where have you gotten your energy, Christi? Pass it on)

Could be I'm so lameoid... (that's an invented word, hereby sworn into all Dictionaries) ...because I've been reading Hemingway and his style makes me sleepwalk. Now sleepwalking can get interesting, especially if you were like me, and pretended to be asleep when Mom and Dad had those vicious, adult only parties where the laughter prevented any children in the vacinity from getting any h'or deuvres or sleep; nd one of the adults, by the end of the night, usually ended up doing head-stands in the livingroom on the gold shag carpet.

Whew, well, now you know my childhood. Wonder what happened to parties like that. I always wanted to have one but they mustn't make parties like those any longer. Shame, really.

Heather

Rosemary - We had horses when we lived on the farm, well they weren't ours but we kept them for some friends in town. I used to ride them, thought it great fun. On another horse note, I was stationed with The Old Guard out in Arlington VA back in 1976, and had the privilege of attending the last birthday party for Black Jack. Black Jack was the last quartermaster horse in the Army, and was the horse seen in the tape they always show of JFK's Funeral. He was the horse behind the Cession with the backwards boots in the stirrups. I also attended his quiet funeral ceremony a few weeks later. I still have the napkin that held the butter pecan cake, that some Senator's wife made for his birthday. The reason I was there was to run the sound system, but what the heck, I got to attend anyhow. The napkin has a picture of Black Jack on it, not a good one, but one made in probably a copy machine by the looks of it, but I held onto it as a keep sake anyhow. Funny how we keep such things.

Jerry

Debra, Your how-I-met-my-husband story was better than any I've heard. What a great thing ... and how could you NOT marry a guy that great? ;) Thanks for writing about it; if you ask me it more than qualifies as your shortie.

Howard, You've honored Klaus with your story. I'm sure he'd be darn proud that your story on patriotism was about him. I'm not ashamed to admit I shed a tear or two.

Barnabas, I'd say you've been around long enough to not be considered 'new' anymore. :)

Mark, Guess I've given away one of my main faults--laziness. Often I do trust Word to check my spelling because I'm pretty good with usage and I edit and re-edit fiercely. Once in a while a misspelling gets by me, but by and large I thank goodness for Word, the tool of the lazyman. And lazywoman.

Cartoons??? Zoiks! You guys have awesome taste! Love the muppets, Simpsons, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Tom and Jerry, and pretty much all the rest mentioned (Wonder Twin powers ... !!!!). I also loved comics---Superman comics, Elfquest, Peanuts, Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes, you name it. I think I like comics better than cartoons now--how weird.

Hey Susan, If I haven't said so before, welcome aboard!

Hey Banky, Daffy is indeed the king.
May I ask what Banky stands for? If not, no biggie. It's just that we refer to my little boy's fave blanket as his bankie. Are you a beautiful, soft yellow blanket with satin edging?

Taylor, Congrats ... and don't worry about it. You just reminded me that the last batch of stories I sent out were also without word count. Damn.

Hiya Bartlett. Any relation to the pear? haw haw. Gee, I'll bet you've NEVER heard that one. ;)

Hey Mary, I like the ground. I'm very fond of it actually and often wonder why anyone would want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. My Mom, however, wants to go skydiving and would most likely join you in a flash. I'd be there to take pictures.

Heather, Tweety-haters unite!!! Just once I'd like to see that little bird get chomped. I forgot about the Tic too; that's hilarious. They don't show it here anymore.
I hated Piggy too when I was a kid, but as an adult I can appreciate her. Cracks me right up.

As usual ... a post about mostly nothing. I really should be on Seinfeld ... if it was on still.

Christi

PS Teekay. I sure be missin' you. Come back soon, won't you? Please?

Evening,
TINA,
I knew it wasn't blinders. They are to keep the horse from being frightned by side things. My sister said she has seen the things you asked about in a catalog. They were called "fly nets" I don't know if she was right or not.

We usually have a short fly season and wipe their faces with fly repellent. Besides that, we spray the stall, and that usually carries us through the season. The lighter color the horse, the more flys and gnats bother it. At one time, I had a white mare. Her face would sunburn and there must have been damage to her eyelids because she grew tumors on the bottom lids. By the time she died, she was mostly blind. We vowed, no more white horses. Now we have a palomino a grey and a chestnut. The grey is almost white but he is Polish Arabian. The skin under all that white fur is almost black. He turns purple when we spray him down with the hose.

Enough horsey stuff.
Hope that helps, but if you could find a catalog of horse things, it might help you out. Call 1-800 information and ask for "Omaha Vaccine" Call them and ask for a catalog. Specify for horses, because they have other kinds.

Good luck,
Rosemary

Now, I remember Felix the Cat, and his bag of magic tricks, then there was the X-Rated cartoon movie, Fritz the Cat, I went and saw that shortly after I got back from Viet Nam, if I remember right, I was about three sheets in the wind at the time, but I thought it was a great movie, for what it was. Try doing a search for it, there is a site, I don't remember where exactly, but the guy has cuts from the movie. It is so funny.

Jerry

I loved the Muppets, too - especially Ralph the dog, the two old men in the balcony seats, Kermit of course, (though Miss Piggy could have gotten the boot) and Kermit's little cousin... let's see... the big Condor who did the news. Loved him. Or was he an eagle? Beaker was another fave, and the Swedish Chef. Used to try to do that little 'Isky Disky Doo Bork Bork Bork!" ditty the Chef would sing while tossing salad and live chickens. Never could quite get it right. I liked the blonde girl who was always in the dancing segments, and the sax player too. Just about all of them I can remember I liked, with few exceptions. Miss Piggy was the one, and Fozzy was the other.
Funny - the characters we don't like say as much about us as the ones we loved.

I've never liked extrememly pushy women, or people who don't know when to get off the podium!
Think of all the Muppet shows over the years, and the one I remember the most was when John Denver was the guest host. I just love that 'Grandma's Feather Bed' song, and I can remember all the chickens and every Muppet that could fit on this giant bed! And he sang a cute little song with Kermit and Kermit's cousin. Always forgetting that cute wee frog's name. I think I have a thing for frogs.

No cure, so they say.

How about mercy?

Heather

Oh Howard, I forgot: "Not bird nor plane nor even frog, it's just little old me Underdog!"

Jerry

Howard - Sweet Polly Purebread was Underdog's girl friend, I did like his show to, just forgot about him, been a long time.

How appropriate, Jeopardy just had the final Jeopardy question about Betty Boop.

Heather, I liked the pink panther too, but do you remember the origin of that cartoon?

He was born on the movie by the same name about a large diamond named the Pink Panther, with Inspector Cluso. A wonderful move, the whole series of the Pink Panther movies were great. At least that is where I remember first seeing the cartoon character, in the beginning of the movie, he worked the credits, also at the end. In fact I recall sitting through the end credits just to watch his antics. That was very rare for me, as I always sat way up front, in the front row of seats, and Loren, my best friend and I always tried to be among the first out of the theatre. This usually meant getting out of our seats and making for the exit long before the credits showed, and turning to look back at the screen for the closing moments of the show.

I never thought about that until two years ago, when I saw Loren for the first time since shortly after I married some thirty-some years ago. Funny, that was the first thing he mentioned, how way back then, he thought I was rich, because I got a dollar a week for doing my chores, I would take that dollar and split it with him, he never got an allowance, so I would take him to the movie, it cost us a quarter each, and we sometimes splurged and got a box of milk duds to share during the show. The movie was run by a little version of Hitler, or at least that was what we thought when he did his patrol of the isles. He would thunk you on the back of the head for talking during the movie. Taking a soft drink into the seating area was worth a quick walk to the front door, then a boot in the ass to propel you from the theatre. Two such violations would ban you from the theatre for a month, a fate worse then death for us. Well I ramble on again, I am beginning to remind myself of an old man. The Dentist I went to day-before yesterday gave me a load of crap because I turn 50 next month. He kept it up until I remembered he once told me he was a month older then I was. When he finally took his hand out of my mouth, I reminded him of that, and he quit. His nurse gave him crap then until I left. It took some of the pain out of the drill to listen to their banter anyhow.

Jerry

MARY -- Not the Underdog, just plain Underdog! There's a difference!
:-)

And I like Pooh too, and Piglet, Tigger, Owl, the Roos, but my favorite there is Eeyore.
Also collect Taz!

SUSANS - One writer I read about couldn't write unless he had a basket of rotting apples under his desk.

'nuff

HEATHER: I don't think there is anyone who doesn't love that singing frog. "Hello my baby...Hello my honey....Hello my ragtime gal...send me a kiss by wire...baby my hearts on fire..." hehe

All this cartoon talk is lifting me right out of my funk. Of all the things (rolling my eyes.) I used to love the Muppet Show. Especially the chickens and the two old guys that used to sit in the box seats.

I like Pinky and the Brain and Animaniacs. I especially like Yakko, Wakko and Dot. I don't watch cartoons a lot anymore. My husband likes Spaceghost Coast to Coast. I've seen it and its very strange. He does a great impression of Brak and my friend Logan does a great Zorak. They would do this in the car, so I got to ride around with Brak and Zorak. It was very bizarre. I also like Rocky and Bulwinkle. I used to work with someone who sounded like Bullwinkle. We all hated him, not because he sounded like Bullwinkle, but because he was a jerk.

I should go back to my writing. It's my day off, but I've been too tired to do a whole lot. This always happens. I look forward to having a day off so I can do a lot of writing, but then I'm too tired to do much. I've been laying on the couch for the last hour trying to do some writing, my notebook propped on my knee, the cat sleeping at my feet. I saw a program once that said Mark Twain's favorite place to write was in bed. I can see the benefits of writing in bed.

Favourite cartoon characters? Bugs Bunny. Pepe Le Pew (sp)
Wily Coyote, and the singing frog. I liked Sylvester a bit, but I hated Tweety. I loved this saturday morning cartoon called the Godzilla Power Hour, but I don't remember the cartoons they showed! I adored the Pink Panther - the original Pink Panther who didn't talk. And now-a-days I absolutely love The Tic. If you haven't seen it, please DO. Not only is it hilarious, it's well, uhhh, well, it's bloody funny anyway. The Tic is on Teletoon weekday evenings around 8 or 9 pm (EST) - this may only be a Canadian station, but I'm not sure. Some of you living in the northern U.S. might get Teletoon.

I wasn't online yesterday at all, and didn't compose a shortie this week.... too pooped.

Heather

Howard - Yakkey Doddle was the duck, how appropriate with Patriotism our subject for awhile anyhow.

Jerry

Mary, I'd *LOVE* to jump out of an airplane! It's been a dream and goal for several years now. I just have to come up with the cash.

Didn't do a shortie. Couldn't come up with anything. I thought about reposting a bit I put in last Rememberance Day, but decided against it.

Hallee, Rosemary, they're not blinders. I know that down around Vancouver there's a really nasty little fly that can cause blindness, so the horse's eyes are covered for protection. It's kind of a netted thing; that's the gizmo I'm looking for. Thanks though!

Barnabos, 'Pegasus in Space' is pre-hive. I think you're thinking of 'Tower and the Hive'. I haven't read that one yet. Your opinion of the 'Wheel of Time' books echoes mine. Think I'll skip the rest.

Favourite cartoon? As a movie, Lion King for sure, followed by Secret of Nymm (sp?). On TV, hmmmm, Goofy. I love Goofy. And Scooby Doo.

Must go do yardwork. My neighbour is lending me a BIG ladder so that I can prune my apple tree and some branches that hang over my fence from another neighbour's yard. We have a free chipping programme here, and they come around next week, so I'm running out of time!

TTFN
T.J.

HOWARD: I forgot all about the Underdog! And Hong Kong Phooey......and Captain Caveman......Grape Ape in the Laff-a-Lympics.

Wonder twin powers...Activate!

I was a big "Flipper" fan too! Flipper and Gilligan's Island, Brady Bunch, and those "After-School Specials".

Then I got older and was hooked on "General Hospital" when Luke and Laura were the big deal.

Last year I was stuck on "Survivor" which I can't stand this year. Mostly now I only watch "Everybody Loves Raymond", anything on Discovery, "Dharma and Greg" occasionally, and anything good on BBC. "NYPD Blue" used to be good, but I haven't watched that in a while. I watched "ER" until they started killing off kids every week for ratings.

Steve Irwin....."Crocodile Hunter"...love that guy!

I need to find some excitement. Anybody here jump out of airplanes? I would love to do that.

Posted the first part of my new novel to the Workbook; comments would be appreciated!

BANKY -- Welcome! Shortie night can be a bit confuzzeling. The "nice-lady-in-charge-of these-things" (Mary) specifies a topic, and we all try to write a short story/poem/essay/whatever based on that topic. This week's topic had been announced as "Patriotism," and I wrote on that. Imagine my embarrassment when I found that it had been changed. Chagrin, even!

Cartoons? Mighty Mouse! RoadRunner! The Yellow Kid! And who could forget my favorite - Underdog!

back on yer heads

Taylor - I understand - so close sitting in the mailbox, but gone. We've all done it - except with me it was the postage hike.

Now re: the Big Duck, Tom and Jerry and cartoons in general - you combine them all to get my favorite - who was the little duck-lett that Jerry was looking out for all the time. Now HE was my favorite - but I forget his name. Adorable but full of moxie - brains when it mattered - carfree when it didn't.

well my short story has been sent off to a magazine...
I didn't pause as I dropped in the mailbox, unfortunately after dropping it in I realised I had forgotten to put the number of words on the cover letter

Hey, and good-day.

BARNABAS : Yep, "toodles" is British. I get you with what you say about having to get it all down before it's forgotten. But why is it that so many of us seem to have conversations going on inside our heads? No wonder writers can seem strange to the normies.

Daffy Duck is the finest thing in animation. The Duck is a God. I can relate to Daffy, I tend to get compared to him a lot. I think it's a temper thing, and because I always end up getting beat by a darned rabbit.

I'm supposed to be getting my new computer soon, my old one died a while back and I never got around to replacing it. Hopefully I will be able to post a bit more regularly then.Right now I'm stuck to using the library machine every few days.

And could someone explain just what the heck shortie night is. Ok, so I'm new and stupid, but don't hate me for it.

Toodles.

Susan - Sounds like we have a lot in common. There were three of us children in my family. My oldest sister married her first husband when she was seventeen, I will always think she married just to leave home. Sadly her first husband was a lot like my father, he was a drunk, and a mean drunk at that. They had a wonderful little daughter, and I think more for her safety then my sister's, my sister left the SOB and came home again. Her divorce barely final, she married another drunk, this one was a soldier. Again she left him after being beaten. From that time on she dated many men, but never again married. Now she lives with her youngest daughter, who's father was also a drunk, but they never married. My sister no longer dates, but spends most of her time either working, or online with one of my old computers, that she bought from me when I upgraded. The next in line, was my second sister, who also married when she was just seventeen, but she was lucky, her husband quit drinking shortly after they married, and she has lived happily ever since. I spent most of my youth from about fifteen on, drinking. Getting alcohol was very easy, as dad never kept track of his booze, and they had parties at our home all the time. Those parties were huge binges by everyone present, almost always relatives, dads brothers or moms sister and their family. Many times they escalated into bloody fights, usually with dad involved as the aggressor. I continued to drink, sometimes heavily, until I got back from Nam, my wife told me that I was becoming my father, and I think that scared me half to death. I cut way back on drinking, only a few beers with my buddies, or while we were grilling hamburgers. When I went into law enforcement, I quit almost entirely. There were times after I became Chief of Police, that the pressure would get to me, and I would call my Assistant Chief over to the house, we would each take a fifth of Cutty and retire under one of my huge apple trees in the back yard, where we would drink and call each other names, hammer out all the problems in the department, then pass out. Those ended when I moved up north to a different job and I quit drinking completely. Now we have on drink a year, that on Christmas Eve, being eggnog with a shot of rum. I like life a lot more sober then I ever did drunk, but I always thought I was having fun when I was drinking.

Well There I go filling the notebook with my ramblings again.

Hi to everyone, hope your weather is better then ours, it is cold here again, but it did warm up to about 50 yesterday and melted all the new snow. Now they are saying either rain or snow tonight. Oh well I don't have anywhere I have to be until next week when I must again journey down to the VA for my 3 month check up.

Bye
Jerry

My favorite cartoon was daffy duck. I just love that guy.
He sometimes, not all the time,reminds me of my hubby.

Debra

The best cartoons ever: Tom and Jerry! No question.


Good shorties you guys. Hi Howard. :-)

Jerry - I like the Simpsons too. And I liked Family Man - especially Stewie. It's too bad they cancelled it. :( Have you seen "My Wife and Kids" - it premered this week on ABC and I was laughing through the whole thing. It's starring Damon Wayans - who is hiliarious.
*smiles*
Allein

Hello everyone!

It's late. I can't sleep even though I'm dead tired, and the cat's on a rampage and shows no signs of settling down. Presently he's laying on the floor, playing with my shoes and looking wild eyed.

Barnabas, go ahead and send me that info on DNA identification. I would like to have a better understanding of the process. And thankyou by the way.

Jerry, I also come from an alcoholic home and at age 37 still have to deal with the problems it created. My father was an alcoholic and a tyrant. He was mean and domineering when he was sober and he was even worse when he was drunk. I still have problems with self-esteem and anxiety which I believe are a result of living with an alcoholic. I fear change and am obsessed with stability because there was little stability in my childhood. My father has since quit drinking, but we still don't get along too well. To be honest, he's not really a very nice person at all.

I've been lucky though. I didn't marry someone like my Dad. My husband is a good man, who doesn't drink. I have problems, but I haven't become an alcoholic myself. I rarely drink. On those rare occasions when I do drink, my limit is one drink. Personally I don't understand binge drinking and I don't understand why so many young people do it when it can lead to alcoholism or worse.

Writing became an escape for me as a teenager, living with my Dad's problems. It helped me to forget at least for a little while the unpleasant world I lived in.

Who mentioned cartoons? Makes no difference I guess. My favorite are:

Popeye - used to watch that cartoon with my dad back when we first got a TV, brings back some good memories of him.

Sylvester and tweety, Droopy Dog, Bugs Bunny, Betty Boop, Elmer Fud, Tennessee Tuxedo, Underdog, Bullwinkel, Yogi Bear (sp?), Mighty Mouse, The Simpson, Family Man, Jetsons, Flintstones.

Well I could go on, I used to love cartoons, and even today, if I find myself bored, I will turn to channel 25 which is where we get the Cartoon Network, and watch, if the right ones are on. They usually are.

Jerry

Barnabas - I guess Psiforce could become a graphic novel. I'm not sure because I really don't know what it is but it seems they're making graphic novels about lots of stuff. And from the title I gather it's scifi which sells really well as graphic novels. My favorite GN is actually a Japanese comedy called Ranma 1/2 - all the guys are incredibly buff and cute (except the older guys - ewwww!!) and one turns into a girl, one into a pig, and the other into a duck. I could marry all three and then if I ran out of something for dinner - pork chops or Peking duck. Actually, both the pig and the duck almost ran into becoming entres in a couple episodes. This has also been turned into a TV series and movies and the people in Japan loved it so much that when it was finally discontinued in 1998 (that was only in Japan - here it'll keep going until 2004) many people mourned it's loss, but the animator felt it was time to move on. My parents think the show is stupid but what do they know?
I also enjoy Sailor Moon, Tenchi, Outlaw Star, and several other animes. Except the perverted or Hentai animes - those are sick.
WOW!! Look at my rambling! I'll shut up now.
*smiles*
Allein

Hop - no problem, it seems great minds run on the same channel, or something like that.

Speaking of abusive relationships, I grew up in such a home. I think that helped me a lot in dealing with such situations as a police officer. You see, I knew exactly what to say to an angry drunk, how to talk them down, how to stop them when they decided to end it all and had a gun to their heads, because I had to do it with my father many times. I knew what the children were going through, because I went through it myself. A couple of weeks ago, my son asked me when my father quit drinking. My son was only a couple of years old when dad died, so he had no idea. I told him the truth, dad quit drinking when he died. Things sure changed after that though, mom seemed like a whole different person, so did my sisters. Such a life has effects on children that sometimes only surface under stress. While in college I did a research paper on adult children of alcoholics. Before that time, I simply thought that such groups were simply people trying to make excuses for their own shortcomings. You know, "Officer I just had to steal that candy bar, because of the way my folks treated me when I was growing up." Funny though, the more research I did, the more I could see the dynamics that formed in my family as I grew up. I could see where each of us kids fit in, in the illness of alcoholism. I guess one learns more then readin' written' and rithmatic in college.

Jerry

HOP - Alexander Kent was Douglas Reeman's pen name for the Bolitho series of stories. I believe he's still writing. His books (most of them, anyway) are available at Amazon.com $10-$12 each.
-
Shortie on patriotism? Been thinking about this all day -- it's a true story too.

For Our Country

I first met Klaus Vogel in September of 1963, on an olive drab bus at Fort Dix, New Jersey. We were both trying to make some sense of the shouting and cursing that was to mark the brief eight weeks we were to spend together. And we were both trying our best to drag/carry those godawful duffel bags full of everything we'd need for that eight weeks. It was tough for me, even harder for him, because he didn't have much English yet. I thought he could speak it pretty well, but he tried to hide his German accent.

We were about the same age - a couple of years older than most of our basic training company. I had fooled around in a couple of jobs after high school, and had joined the Army for lack of something better to do. Klaus had spent that same time coming to America, to find a place to live, to live a dream. He was a hopeless romantic, convinced that America was his "promised land," a place where he could be anything he wanted to be. So he came and learned, and worked, and saved, and applied for citizenship.

And got drafted.

Drafted!

I had enlisted mostly because I was bored, and he had been drafted for applying to be a part of what I had taken for granted. It didn't seem fair, somehow, but he took it cheerfully, saying that it would give him a chance to learn more about our country. Already he was calling it "Our Country," with a note of pride in his voice every time he said it.

He was one of the most good-natured men I ever met. He had to be, what with all the flak he had to take for being also one of the slowest and clumsiest guys I ever met as well. Not so much slow, as deliberate. He wanted to get it right. He usually did.

We were about as evenly matched as anybody could be, and we got to spend a lot of time together. Push-ups, KP, gas mask training, hand-to-hand, bayonet drills, mud, dust, you name it, we ended up in the middle of it. I asked him why he put up with it - he could have quit it any time he wanted to, and still gone on for his citizenship. And he said "For our country. I want to do this."

I stood next to Klaus on the bayonet range the day we were told that John Kennedy had been assassinated. We stood together and the tears ran down his cheeks just as they did mine. We went to chapel that night - we spent a lot of our spare time there - and prayed for "Our country."

Something changed in him that day. Something changed in all of us, I think, but especially in him. He became quieter, more determined to do something good, to make up for the atrocity in Dallas.

We finished trainfire, the grenade range, and the infiltration course, and it was all I could do to keep up with him. And then it was time for graduation.

I had orders cut for signal school. Eight months of training lay ahead of me, then an easy assignment in Germany. He laughed at that - I was going to be stationed near where he had grown up! He, on the other hand, was slated for Advanced Infantry Training - another eight weeks of the same kind of hell we'd just completed. He just shrugged it off. "For our country" was the mantra we'd gotten used to hearing from him, and his acceptance didn't surprise us.

We said goodbye at the end of November, and promised to keep in touch. I told him he'd have to take leave and come see me in Germany, but he said no, he wanted to see more of America. He gave me a hug goodbye, and we noticed several of the other guys making their goodbyes in the same way. Then I got on the bus for Fort Monmouth, and he picked up his duffel bag and headed to his new barracks. I remember thinking that he carried that bag a lot easier than the first time I saw him.

The eight months went fast at signal school, and I got my orders to Germany, and headed back to Fort Dix to wait at the replacement station for the next troop ship. I had a few days there with not much to do, so I wandered back to the old Echo Company barracks to see if any of the cadre were stil there. Our platoon sergeant was gone, but the company clerk and a couple of the other NCOs were in the orderly room when I got there.

Wiggins, the clerk, remembered me from chapel. He used to sit with me and Klaus so we could sing together. We got to BS-ing about different events that had happened in my training cycle. We laughed over the rain and mud we got into on bivouac, and how Klaus and I ended up eating seconds and thirds of the liver and onions they brought out to us.

Wiggins stopped laughing at that, and I looked at him and saw tears in his eyes. I just looked at him, and I knew. "Oh God, don't let him say what I know he's gonna say..."

Klaus had finished AIT, and had shipped out to VietNam two days later. No muss, no fuss, just sayonara, sucker, and don't bother to write. Wiggins was sketchy on the details, but one of the other guys who got shipped out with Klaus had written to say that a week after they landed and were shipped up country, there had been a mortar attack on their compound.

Three guys bought it. Klaus was one of them.

"For our country," he'd have said with that gentle smile -- "for Our Country."

Sometimes I get pissed when I think about the guys who headed north of the border. I always get pissed when I think about how the guys who made it home got treated. But somehow I think that Klaus wouldn't have let it bother him. He wasn't so concerned about what other people did, as long as he could do something "for our country."

CHRISTI -- You trust Word to do your spell checking? Wow. Well, this time it was right. Mary had it spelled wrong. oops, and i went along with her single R spelling. Now I really sense impending doom.

There was one classroom at Lamar University where I had a few embarrassing moments. A small one happened when one student, an ill-equipped one at that, said she got 700 on her SAT. I said, "Hey, that's what I got." She asked what I got in the math part, I said 720. She looked at me blankly for a minute and we both realized that I meant I got 700 on the English part and she got 700 total. oops.

Not nearly as embarrassing as having a student in a remedial writing class walk up and hand me a note right while I was trying to make a point about essay structure. I let the note sit for a few minutes and got to it when I had a bit more time. She had written, "Your zipper is open."

I stepped up behind the lectern, so that I was narrowly hidden from about chest down, tugged at my pockets, could tell that they came out farther than usual and knew it was no joke.

I couldn't hide behind the lectern and zip up because it was too narrow (zipping up requires a bit of elbow spread). I didn't wish to walk through everybody to get to the back of the class, so I settled on getting their attention on something other than me. I prattled about some extraordinary idea they could practice, then announced "If you'll look at page 105," and every head in the room tilted down to find page 105. I was awestruck at how everyone followed my direction; that didnt keep me from getting properly zipped, though.

At the end of class I said a quiet "Thank you" to the note-writer.

Party? What party?

As for cartoons, one of my most favourite is the Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon. The version I'm talking about is the serious one where the good guys can be robotasised (turned into robots) not the kooky "funny" one. I have nothing but insults for the funny one.
Too bad there was no series 3 for the serious one.

I haven't had time to write a shorty.

Ramon
There you go again. I hope your new job allows you to surf the net and post stuff. Otherwise, we aren't seeing enough of you.

Katrina
Hello. I'm new too.

Banky
Hello. I'm new too.

People write for various reasons.
In my case, I write most of the time because my heads getting a bit too full of people chatting to one another and scenes playing themselves in my head and I want to record them before they get "deleted" from memory.

"Toodles" is a British dialect expression right?

Like you, I defected from drawing (which I was never even good at) to writing because I wrote better descriptions.

Taff
Hello. I'm new too.

I see the wise Kitty has told you rule number 1. Just to reinforce the idea.

Always back up. Always back up.

More specifically.
Write it in a book or on paper first (what I always do). On the computer, always back up your work on a disk every few pages. Distribute it to friends you trust and finally, (if you don't mind the idea) post it on the web, that way you have several backup copies.

Rhoda
I'm don't think the word "Ang Mo" even traces back that long. From what I've been told I think it's a South East Asian word actually.
What's the link by the way?

Taylor
Werewolf story huh? I've got an idea for a werewolf story about a teenage werewolf but problem is its already a movie.
That's good, trying new things.

Rachael
Oh no! A baby-eater!

Tina
I've read all the books of the wheel of time except for the last one. While the world is highly detailed I'm afraid even I, a frequent fantasy fanatic (an FFF) got lost in all the terminology and got really confused with what was happening.

Initially I forgot what Pegasus in Space was but after some thinking I finally remembered. It's okay and wraps the series up nicely with the solution to the Hive problem but nothing new.

Hallee
Well I see, you suffer from multiple character disorder as well.

Susan S
I know how DNA identification works, in fact I did a biology essay for it in high school/college. If you ever need something which tells you about it please e-mail me and I'll send you the essay and a few scanned pictures.

About history though. No matter how impartial we are, history will forever be biased or miss out certain things. Soap box is good by the way.

Andre Norton was confusing for me. I think her descriptions weren't lucid enough.

Jerry
I didn't realise my shorty about mercy was like yours, I just wrote and posted it without checking the current state of messages.

Trudy
Yahoo states that it can only use material for advertising purposes only and specifically to advertise for that particular type of material. I actually sat down and read it because I was posting some work on my website which is linked to yahoo although my work is on 50megs.com. I think Mary is right about first rights.

Cassandra
Do you think Psiforce has the ability to become a graphic novel? It's what I thought off but I can't draw.

Allein
What do you think about Psiforce becoming a graphic novel?

Mary
Thanks for the tip on publishing.

Christi
I like Twelve monkeys. That was intriguing although the ending was bad when the good guy got shot to bits and saw himself die. I'm old-fashioned in this sense because I prefer movies where everything turns out alright.

Howard
Who was Alexander Kent by the way? I loved Richard Bolitho stories but they were given to me and I have no idea where to find more.

Robert Shaw
Hello?

Okay, fine. Watching those commercials for the new movie coming on Memmorial Day, Pearl Harbor, gives chills all over my body.

How's that? Am I in?

Debra

Christi:

Speaking of wife beaters, I just sent a manuscript out today on that very subject to an agent who asked to see it. There is no sure thing that she will want it, but we'll see. It maps out the horrors of an abusive relationship, start to finish. It talks about why they seem so great all the way to how to escape. It's plain talk without the doctor lingo. So let's hope it gets published. I really think it could help girls. It's one book I can write.

I was in one of those relationships another lifetime ago. I went out with him for a few months. Once I realized he was a nut, I broke it off. He stalked me for five years. That was way back when no one knew what stalking was. I had a bad reputation in my area as a person who had a crazy man following her, so no one would date me for five years as well.

It came to a climax one night in my hallway. He didn't know where I lived for four of the five years. The first year he chased me out of my apartment so I moved, and made darn sure he didn't know where I lived. He found me though at work and out and about. That was the whole day. I was always careful not to have anyone following me at night when I went home. One night deep into the fourth year, I slipped. Shortly after I came home from my second job as a waitress, I heard a knock at my door and opened it like an idiot. It was him. He started pounding me hard. All of a sudden he ran down the stairs for some unknown reason. He had a view of the hallway I didn't. Within seconds I saw what he did,a hansom man chasing him with a bat. It was Dan, my future husband. He had moved into the apartment upstairs that had only been empty for 24 hours. I didn't even know he moved in there. That might be because he only had a paper bag full of clothes and a sleeping bag. We still have that sleeping bag. It's red, white and blue.

Well this coward never came back after that night. Imagine? I had been running scared alone for five years and all I needed was one person to chase him out. He had no idea that I had never seen Dan before and just figured that he would be beat every time he came back. He didn't bother me anywhere else after that either.

On top of all that, Dan had already killed the beast so he felt comfortable dating me. yiiiiiipppeee. I was good and lonely after that. Of course we have a ship full of kids now, as you know.


Does the red, white and blue sleeping bag make this count as my shortie?

Debra

No there isn't

Yuck. Is there anything worse than coming back and finding your own rotten post staring you in the face?

Jerry, I forgot to say that I liked how you addressed the protesters of the war in your story. :)

Hey guys, Happy Shortie-day!

Hi Ramon, Nice to see you back!

Jack, Many well-wishes for a quick healing.

Litter, You too! What's going on with your hand?

Mark, I believe I spelled embarrassment right. I questioned myself until I typed it into Word and it didn't correct it. *PFFFFFT!* (Tongue sticking out) HEE!

Mary, I KNOW I suggested embarrassment, but Jerry went and wrote about Patriotism, and then I starting thinking about it too. :) Oh well. I guess I have enough embarrassing moments in my life already.

Ben, I really did hate Pulp Fiction. I have no problem with violence in movies if it's for a reason (like Braveheart, Gladiator, etc.) or it's unrealistic (like Terminator, Jackie Chan, etc.) OR in slapstick fashion (the Three Stooges, Looney Tunes). Otherwise I feel it's a blight on the butt of society. Just my opinion. :)

All in all, I'd say you guys have great taste in movies. Most of my faves were in your lists. I also love Return of the King (animated). Can't wait to see the live-action movie.

My shortie, errrr. Yeah, I'll post it.

Battlefront
By Christine Ritchotte

Robert sat at the head of the table beaming. You’d have thought he’d won the lottery or something. “There’s no greater honor than serving your country … none!”

The kids squirmed in their seats. They didn’t understand what was going on. How could they?

“Do you understand what Daddy is saying?” Marie asked them.

Her eldest, Julian, eight now, refused to look up from his plate. Cindy, only four, was picking apart her pancakes with precision. She’d eaten about as much as she was going to.

“Sure they understand, don’t you kids? Daddy’s going to kick some camel-jockey ass.”

Marie clamped down on her urge to scream. Her eyes began to water, though she willed herself not to cry.

“Jezus, Marie, you’re not going to cry are you? What kind of an example are you? This country was founded on the backs of strong men and women who were willing to make sacrifices and fight for their freedom. The last thing you should be doing is crying.

Marie said nothing. Let him think what he wanted. She brought a shaking hand up to wipe away the wetness and winced at the pain it brought. Her eye had puffed out to twice its normal size, red and welted. She’d worn sunglasses to breakfast, telling the kids that her eyes hurt from the sunlight. It was an excuse they’d come to accept.

She stood to take Robert’s plate, which he was handing to her, impatiently and silently demanding a second serving. Her breath took in quickly, her stomach a mass of pain. It throbbed from the punching Robert had administered the night before. She guessed he’d wanted to get in a few licks for the road, seeing as he wouldn’t be around for some time.


Later, after watching Robert hug the kids goodbye, Marie stepped up to give her own farewell. The taxi driver waited, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

Robert strode over proudly and grabbed her by the waist thrusting his tongue into her mouth. Once again, he was laying claim to his property.

Marie choked back her disgust, then she tiptoed up, her mouth next to his ear. She breathed heavily, her excitement building. “I just want to do one thing for me while you’re in Saudi Arabia. I want you to catch a bullet for me. Catch one right between the eyes, you sorry son of a bitch.”

Robert shoved her away in surprise and stared at her.

She only smiled and motioned to the kids. “Come on Cindy and Julian, let’s go inside. Daddy’s going bye-bye.”

She imagined that his face was a mesh of disbelief and anger. She didn't care. He’d never see her or the kids again-her first stop was to be the police station, and then she’d go to her mother’s until she figured out how best to salvage what was left of her and her children’s lives.

“Thanks, Uncle Sam,” she said to herself, closing the front door behind her. She performed a mock-salute into the air and stifled a hysterical giggle. “Thanks.”


The End

PS Sorry about this. I really do LOVE men, it's just that I've been seeing a lot of stories on the news about wife-beating lately. Makes me so MAD!

Have a great day, all!

Christi

TINA: Blinders?

Im gonna get my short story sent off today without second guessing myself...
there will be enough time to second guess myself after I send it off
I'll keep you all posted see how it pans out

Thanks. Well it has become my habit to post my shorty a day early, since I rarely know what day it is to begin with. Anyhow, as I sat here thinking of youth, having children, all that, my muse tapped me on the sholder, and I whipped out this shorty. This is just of the top of my head, but I think I will post it anyhow. Oh by the way, the question of someone ripping off our shorties, I guess if I saw my story posted somewhere else with another's name attached, I would be proud that it was good enough to get published no matter whos name was on it. No, maybe not, maybe I would get fighting mad, but I doubt I would do anything about it, unless of course it won some sort of prize or something, then maybe I would file a law suit, which is a writters only recourse should your story be stolen anyhow.

Anyhow, here it is:

The Patriot
by Jerry Ericsson

“Come on dad, for God’s sake, it’s 1969, not 1939. I will not get my hair cut, hell it’s shorter then most of the guys in college, and have you ever seen a picture of the Beatles?”

“Not tonight Bob. No, I am not going to get into it with you tonight. Now pass the chicken will you, I still feel a bit hollow.”

“Oh did I mention, the brass at the plant said we got another order from the government. Yep, they ordered another twenty five thousand of those new M-16 rifles. We will be busy for two years getting that order out. Wonder what the hell they want that many for?”

“No Bill, nobody is interested in guns. You should let Al talk, after all he won’t be home with us again for supper for twelve long months.”

“Al, you will be careful over there won’t you dear? Don’t take any foolish chances, all we want is to have you home with us again. That war must be about over anyhow isn’t it, my God, that seems to be all they talk about in the news anymore. Why yesterday, Chet Huntley said that our troops killed seventeen hundred of those dirty communists over there already this year. With that many dead, you would think the war should end soon.”

“Don’t worry mom, dad, I’ll be careful. They trained us real good at Fort Leonardwood. We know how to live in the Jungle, how to hide and not get shot. Oh yes they sure did show us how not to get shot. And besides, I trained as a combat engineer, not Infantry.”

“Ah dad?” Bob said, passing the potatoes to his brother Al. “I ah got this letter, ah it is my draft notice.”

“Draft notice? Isn’t there some law that says if one son is drafted we don’t have to give up another?”

“I checked into that first off when I got the notice. Mr. Connelly at the Draft Board said that only works if the first son is killed in action, or missing in action. He says I gotta report next week.”

“What you going to do?” Al asked as he ladled gravy onto the mashed potatoes.

“Well you know how I protested this stupid war all when I was in college, I meant that. I think the war is wrong. I hate to see you go Al, but I know you think it is right to fight for your country, and I am proud of you for your beliefs. But you know how I feel. Well Stan Peterson got his notice today too, and he is going to make a run for Canada, I think I will go with him.”

Bob watched his father’s eyes as he said the last sentence. He could see the tear fun down his cheek.

“I’m sorry dad, that’s how I feel.”

“I know Bob, and I support both my son’s in their beliefs. I am proud of both of you. Bob if you need any money to get started just let me know. When you get settled in Canada, call me at work and let me know you are ok. Let me know if you need anything, money or anything else I can get for you.”

Al reached over and patted Bob on the shoulder. “It’s just as well you go north little brother, we all have to follow our own beliefs.”

With this Bernice cleared the table, and the men were off to bed. It would be a big day for all of them tomorrow.

Jerry

JERRY: Big hugs and congratulations!! Wow....a Grandpa again. That is great news, hon.

I feel for you about the dentist too. I am petrified of mine. It doesn't help that my mouth is so small that he has to use child-size tools on me. They are small but they are still scary! You would never guess I have a small mouth for as loud as I can run it! Ha!

Your news has even cheered me up a bit. :-)

Mary - just cheered up. Got a call from my son and his wife, just a few minutes ago, I am going to be a grandpa again, come October. I feel much better now.

My mouth is a bit sore yet from my meeting with the dentist. Over an hour in that torture chamber, and the instruments, many of which belong in torture chambers, not a dentist office. And the dentist, who shoves his whole hand in my mouth, then asks a stupid question, and expects an answer.

Someone wanted to know about riding habit. Those cloths worn by the social elite who wish to join with the common man, but riding an animal, yet look rich. Myself, when I go ridding horse, it is the old blue jeans, a western shirt, complete with the pearl snaps, a blue jean jacket, and cowboy boots, black cover my feet. Oh and the pants leg covers the uppers of the boot, not the other way.

The shorty story supposed to be about patriotism right?

Jon, so happy to see you checking in. You can tell Americo that I gave that Mac to my daughter, but found a Power PC on Ebay for $25.00 Plus Shipping. Couldn't resist. Boy is that thing fast compared to the other 6800 series. This one has OS 8.6 on it, adds some nice features. I played around with it for a few days, learned some of the ins and outs of the Mac world. Overall I can see why some folks like the little machines, although I am not yet ready to give up my PC.

Randall - Did I ever mention that I did live in Texas for several years in the early 70's, down in El Paso. We all loved that part of the US, we always talked about moving back, but I think that dream died with my career some 8 years ago.

Allien - loved the shorty.

Jerry

A clammy, cold evening to all,
TINA,
I've seen the horse attire you mentioned, but have no idea what it is called. Our horses get the basics. Saddle, saddle-blanket, bridle, halter, maybe a tie down. We don't use cover blankets, wraps, blinkers or other pampering expenses. HOWEVER, I will ask around and if anyone knows, I will let you know.

Later,
Rosemary

Litter:

By the way, I'm sorry to hear about your hands. I hope you find some way of getting the words down without having so much pain. They are really coming up with so much new stuff these days. I hope something happens there for you.

Debra

Good evening friends!

Hi Jon! Say hello to Americo for me and Pussy as well!

Sorry for the mistake on the cell phone thing Howard. I had skimmed through several days of posts and made a wrong call.

Jerry, I understand pal, I understand.

Cell phones, like all techno gizmos are only as good or bad as the folks who use them. And, there are a lot of persons in our world who don't give a hoot or hollar 'bout anyone else but old #1. Makes us "Old timers" reflect upon the future. Thank goodness my future life is based upon a 3 step program. Simplify, simplify, simplify.

Came across a couple of quotes last fall. So here goes:

"The individual, the great artist when he comes, uses everything that has been discovered or known about his art up to that point, being able to accept or reject in a time so short it seems that the knowledge was born with him, rather than that he takes instantly what it takes the ordinary man a lifetime to know, and then the great artist goes beyond what has been done or known and MAKES SOMETHING HIS OWN." (Caps are mine.)

Neat, huh?

The second and final:

"From things that have happened and from things as they exist and from all things that you know and all those you cannot know, you make something through your invention that is not a representation but a whole new thing truer than anything true and alive, and you make it alive, and if you make it well enough, you give it immortality. That is why you write and for no other reason that you know of. BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THE REASONS THAT NO ONE KNOWS?" (Caps are mine."

Eh? I've yet so see a better definition of a writer and the why of it.

Quotes are from Ernest Hemingway. Certaintly a writer who enjoyed a modest success.

Randall

I don't have a problem with cell phones. I have a problem with the way people use them. I hate it when people come through the drive thru at Arbys where I work with a cell phone on their ear, and won't put it down long enough to talk to me while I'm waiting on them. That is just rude and disrespectful. I want to slap the stupid cell phone out of their hands, but I can't because then I would lose my job, which I need until I can get a teaching job or get published.

I have problems with my hands if I type to much or do a lot of needlework. I think I'm getting carpal tunnels, because my fingers will get numb and tingly. Ironically however my right hand is worse then my left handed, which is strange because I'm left handed.

I should go write. I've been getting quite a bit done lately. I should enjoy it while it lasts. I hate Writer's block, but I seem to get it a lot. Maybe it's all in my head. I'll go for a while writing a lot and getting a lot done, then suddenly I won't be able to write, or won't want to. It's so irritating.

Hey everyone!

Moved in...well, the stuff is there, anyway - still unpacking. Work has been so busy and my phone didn't get transferred until today, so I haven't been able to check in.

I'm not going to even attempt to try to catch up. I saw Tina's well wish for my move (hug) and the mentions of favorite movies...Terminator (the first one), Aliens (the second one), Amadeaus, The Scarlett Pimpernell (was a TV miniseries then put on video - the Scarlett Pimpernell was played by Anthony Andrews - he could be my husband's twin), Starship Troopers, Matrix, Dirty Dancing (something about that movie calms me), Cassablanca, Indiana Jones (all 3), Star Wars (all 4), 60 Seconds to Gone (man, what a movie!). I could go on and on - I love movies.

Okay - I have to go get Kaylee then get her fed before church. Glad to be back, all - I've missed the interaction. OH!!!! I'm writing the last chapter. YAY!!

Hallee

Hi Jerry:
I'm with you on cell phones. I returned my Docomo to the shop the other day. I started tracking the bill and realized I was paying 50 dollars a month just to have the darned thing.
Mary- I know what you mean about getting down in spring. Happens to me too.
Viv

Litter:

That is curious, very very curious. I always felt that Scottish men were by nature more gentle than most. I have proof now. I wonder though, why the women are not. I would love to get to the bottom of that one. I thank you for answering. All of my questions are relevant to my story.

Anyone:

I am activly trying to find an agent. I bought the 2001 Guide to Literary Agents book. I just wrote a letter that I will be sending with a SASE. It is short to the point and says it all, or maybe one of you would like to be the judge of that. If anyone would like to see it and let me know, then let me know.

Debra

Hi All!

I have been plagued with almost unusable hands/fingers, which made typing a tad difficult of late.

DEBRA -- To answer a question from an eternity ago re Domestic Violence -- Unfortunately, Scotland is no different from most countries in the West and it seems that domestic violence here is on a par with most 'civilised' countries, no better, no worse. Strangely, though, recent research has shown that 'Husband beating' is MORE of a problem than 'Wife beating' in Scotland but the problem is more hidden as men seldom come forward and seldom hit back. Food for thought there ladies!

MARy -- Thanks for the URL, but did you really read all that Knox stuff? Heavy going huh? Things are not quite that puritanical and oppressive any more, thankfully :o)

Films and stuff --

HIGHLANDER -- The whole package. The music by Queen is both evocative and haunting, and quite how Bryan May can get electric guitar flourishes to sound like bagpipes is beyond me but sends a shiver down my spine, every time I hear it. There are a thousand stories (of the loneliness and curse of immortality) wrapped up in the song "Who wants to live forever?" My favourite ever film.

Braveheart -- Historically a howler, but I love it!
Ben Hur
Quo Vadis
Apocalypse Now (WOW!)
A Man For All Seasons
2001 -- A space Odyssey (Is somewhat optimistic date-wise)
The Name of The Rose
Labyrinth
Dr Strangelove
The Blues Brothers
Crocodile Dundee
Good Morning Vietnam
The Wild Geese
Mash
Terminator II -- I agree with Tina that it is better than 1

I agree with Jerry about:
The Deer Hunter
Psycho
The Silence of the Lambs
And 'The Mouse that Roared" is post-war British film comedy at its best!

Too many to mention. I like most with Mel Wallace/Gibson and big Clint (including the 'Any Which Way' films) and almost anything Science Fiction (even the really bad stuff that doesn't make the B-Grade…)

Fingers hurting again, but a BIG Hi! to all,

Litter

Submitted two pieces today. One of them was my latest story that is in the workbook now. The other is a shortie that I entered in an online flash-fiction contest. Christi like it way back when I wrote it, so I figured what the hell.

CHRISTI: It's the one about the homeless man and the shoes, in case you were wondering.

JERRY: You still blue too? I can't shake it.

Hi all-
Just a short little message cause I've been sick for the past 4-5 days, and I have to get running off to class.

Tina- I totally agree with the artistry comment, the best comics are some of the lesser known, small run pieces. Those are the people that actually have something to say, because usually they're risking bankruptsy to do so... But if anyone doubts the literary quality of comics I only have to mention Maus. Maus was a comic about the hollocaust (sp?) and won a Pulitzer.

cya
Cassandra

Shortie for the night and all Spring nights to come.

Embarrassment

That's what I feel now
Announcing my holidays from you
for one thousand and one nights
Be well
And write as well

Jon

PS. Kisses from A* and Pussy, who also say good-night.

PPS. The best movie ever? ARISTOCATS, obviously.

I got this through e-mail - it's for all the parents out there. The Call at Midnight

We all know what's it like to get that phone call in the middle of the night. This night's call was no different. Jerking up to the ringing summons, I focused on the red
illuminated numbers of my clock. Midnight. Panicky thoughts filled my sleep-dazed mind as I grabbed the receiver.
"Hello?"
My heart pounded, I gripped the phone tighter and eyed my husband, who was now turning to face my side of the bed.

"Mama?" I could hardly hear the whisper over the static. But my thoughts immediately went to my daughter. When the desperate sound of a young crying voice became clearer on the line, I grabbed for my husband and squeezed his wrist.
"Mama, I know it's late. But don't...don't say anything, until I finish. And before you ask, yes, I've been drinking. I nearly ran off the road a few miles back and..."
I drew in a sharp shallow breath, released my husband and pressed my hand against my forehead. Sleep still fogged my mind and I attempted to fight back the panic. Something wasn't right.
"And I got so scared. All I could think about was how it would hurt you if a policeman came to your door and said I'd been killed. I want...to come home. I know running away was wrong. I know you've been worried sick. I should have called
you days ago, but I was afraid...afraid..."
Sobs of deep-felt emotion flowed from the receiver and poured into my heart. Immediately I pictured my daughter's face in my mind and my fogged senses seemed to clear. "I think -"
"No! Please let me finish! Please!" She pleaded, not so much in anger, but in desperation.

I paused and tried to think what to say. Before I could go on, she continued. "I'm pregnant, Mama. I know I shouldn't be drinking now...especially now, but I'm scared, Mama. So scared!"
The voice broke again and I bit into my lip, feeling my own eyes fill with moisture. I looked at my husband who sat silently mouthing, "Who is it?"
I shook my head and when I didn't answer, he jumped up and left the room, returning seconds later with the portable phone held to his ear.
She must have heard the click in the line because she continued, "Are you still there? Please don't hang up on me! I need you. I feel so alone."
I clutched the phone and stared at my husband seeking guidance. "I'm here, I wouldn't hang up," I said.

"I should have told you, Mama. I know I should have told you. But when we talk, you just keep telling me what I should do. You read all those pamphlets on how to talk about sex and all, but all you do is talk. You don't listen to me. You never let me tell you how I feel. It is as if my feelings aren't important. Because you're my mother you think you have all the answers. But sometimes I don't need answers. I just want someone to listen."
I swallowed the lump in my throat and stared at the how-to-talk-to-your-kids pamphlets scattered on my nightstand. "I'm listening," I whispered.
"You know, back there on the road, after I got the car under control, I started thinking about the baby and taking care of it. Then I saw this phone booth and it was as if I could hear you preaching about how people shouldn't drink and drive.
So I called a taxi. I want to come home."

"That's good, honey," I said, relief filling my chest. My husband came closer, sat down beside me and laced his fingers through mine. I knew from his touch that he thought I was doing and saying the right thing.

"But you know, I think I can drive now."
"No!" I snapped. My muscles stiffened, and I tightened the clasp on my husband's hand. "Please, wait for the taxi. Don't hang up on me until the taxi gets there."
"I just want to come home, Mama."
"I know. But do this for your mama. Wait for the taxi, please."
I listened to the silence, fearing. When I didn't hear her answer I bit into my lip and closed my eyes. Somehow I had to stop her from driving.
"There's the taxi, now."
Only when I heard someone in the background asking about a Yellow Cab did I feel my tension easing.

"I'm coming home, Mama." There was a click, and the phone went silent.
Moving from the bed, tears forming in my eyes, I walked out into the hall and went to stand in my sixteen-year-old daughter's room. The dark silence hung thick. My husband came from behind, wrapped his arms around me, and rested his chin on
the top of my head.
I wiped the tears from my cheeks. "We have to learn to listen," I said to him.
He pulled me around to face him. "We'll learn. You'll see." Then he took me into his arms and I buried my head in his shoulder.
I let him hold me for several moments, then I pulled back and stared back at the bed. He studied me for a second, then asked, "Do you think she'll ever know she dialled the wrong number?"
I looked at our sleeping daughter, then back at him. "Maybe it wasn't such a wrong number."

"Mom, Dad, what are you doing?" The muffled young voice came from under the covers.
I walked over to my daughter, who now sat up staring into the darkness. "We're practicing," I answered.
"Practicing what?" she mumbled and laid back on the mattress, her eyes already closed in slumber.
"Listening," I whispered and brushed a hand over her cheek.

Heather - I'm sure Monty Python has been traslated into several languages by now. :) It's so funny. But, that was Latin - the quote.
*smiles*
Allein

JERRY -- to paraphrase a well-known statement:
Cell phones don't irritate people, people irritate people!
;-)

Viv: how about selling it too a nearly blind old lady as a lovely cat

Howard: I like the idea! That's great. Now I still need an inside joke but that with the bird seed makes it. Richard, I still need your input! I also need it from anyone else. I am out to make a list of things I can do with a bad wig!
(Plus you know, if you water bird seed it sprouts~!)

Heather- I told you something that wasn't quite true. I'm definitely out to publish. I have been being too calm about the whole thing because I didn't want the hurt of getting those rejection slips. Time to fill my nail as well. I really want to see the dragon fly. I like the way you set goals. Time for me to set one...this dragon will fly into the finish line on the close of August 12th. I will post on the rough parts and let you all help smooth those out starting about June. I want to be 3/4ths of the way finished before posting any of that to be critiqued. That way I don't get into any of this..."Awww, it's no good discouragement cycles."

I guess you aren't scared of anyone taking your ideas. I think you are probably right. Is this over rated? I know I have to be super careful with my teaching jobs. I have to not say who I teach, where I go, or what I make. It's very easy to have a "killer type" move in and take my job. I have a next door neighbor who likes to do the job-stealing routine. It's made me very defensive.

Ethical behavior is second nature to most people, but when you run into an unethical type, it's enough to take your breath away. I think though, perhaps posting it where we all can see it is a good defense. I think if work from the notebook were to suddenly appear under another name we'd notice and let the writer know it had happened. I also would back up a claim to work that was posted that I had read. Perhaps the idea of 5-15 people coming out and saying that it was in the notebook or workbook and that it had appeared first under the name of.... would pretty much stop that sort of person. I'm sure if we worked together a decision would be reached in favor of the author. I'm going to take the risk and put bits and pieces of the dragon in for editing. It's something I'm scared about but I think that without a few ideas, a first piece might founder. I want this dragon to FLY! It's important for more reasons than one!

Tina - I know they are good for some things, but when I see the idiot driving down the highway at 70 miles per hour with his cell phone glued to his ear, and the other hand reaching down to adjust the radio, I burn a bit. When I am in a movie, and some inconsiderate SOB is chatting with his wife, or buddy on the cell phone, I get a bit hotter under the collar.

I guess the way I see it, now that I don't have to be anywhere at any given time, I don't need one, and should we go camping, we go to get away from such things as telephones televisions, and any other telethings that come along. I do take along my laptop in case the urge to write takes hold, I know that's what they make notebook paper for, but I find it much easier writing on a PC.

I am sure they are good for such things as calling in accidents, however where we live, they are rare, because driving on our highways, one can drive for hours and never meet another vehicle, and better yet, one can drive for hours and never have to slow down for, or pass another vehicle. Also they tell me that cell phones aren't that well supported around here, I have a friend who has a cabin down at the local lake, he has one of those blasted things, but says it simply will not work in that area, no towers near by, and the hills must interfere too. I did want to get one for our daughter when she was driving back and forth to college, I think they would be good for that, and our son has one he takes with him when he travels, which is a good thing, since he has his wife and our grandchild in the car. I guess they have a place, but what gets me is that they seem to be everywhere at once. Maybe I am just to old fashioned.

Jerry

Randall, if you need someone to read your work and give you a downright honest critique, I am interested. Just email me chapter 1 and I can get started. And, by the way, I don't think your ideas are so outlandish, as your previous reader did.

Allein! You mean they've now translated Monty Python into Japanese? It's about time!

Debra: yes, do bleach the dag-nasties out of the basement. No water is perfectly clean or else Britta wouldn't sell. Ground water can be full of bacteria and spores; in fact rife with it. Remember - it's been soaking in whatever's under the cement in the basement (muck, gravel) for a while, and spores will 'keep' in freezing temps until warmth come along and they'll 'wake'. The water that rose in your basement probably contained the little unicellular titans. You could be surfin' in more than you bargained for. Make sure the basment has been dry for at least 48 hours (bacteria and viruses can't live/breed/move without moisture)and then give 'er a good splash of undiluted bleach. That's what we've had to do with every flood here. Only one of the floods was from rainwater, the others from plumbing and appliance leaks, but regardless, the bleach is a must.

Anyway, hats off to the typewriter. I just love the clack of the keys. I'm going to make further key music and write more tonight. I went into work early tonight so I could spend more time writing before I got too tired!

I'm mailing my short story tomorrow! My mom brought me american stamps to use for the SASE so I didn't have to buy the International Reply coupons - they're about $4 each! Crazy. I guess I shouldn't get my hopes up only to have them crash disasterously if I get a rejection slip. But I'm going to try using a spike to hold my slips too, and I might as well start filling it. Thanks to everyone who wished me luck. Luck to all of you with stories and books out there in circulation or slush piles.

They say the key to getting published is perserverance. I think it's more than that. Talent has a lot to do with it too. There's more talent here among us than you can point a pointy stick at.

Forbes came out with a list of the highest paid writers:
Stephen King makes 44 million a year!

Holy Shnikies.

Heather

RANDALL -- That would be me with the cell phone. One of the best investments we've ever made, I think. It's a tool -- that's all -- and used correctly it can be a real help. The one my wife carries is the one we use for 99% of our long distance calls. We pay a set rate that covers 450 minutes per month, of calls to anywhere, from anywhere, and with kids and other family in eight different states it really helps! My trac-fone is different. I pre-pay for my time, and use it for local calls. It's mounted right in my truck, and that's about the only place I use it. My mother lives alone, and needs to contact me sometimes, as well as folks from church who need occasional help. This way they can reach me.
Check out the Reeman/Kent books - they're a good read.

RHODA - Close -- it was Jean LaFitte.

SASQUATCH - you said:
"...when humans persons stop thinking we are we will not be."
Sounds like Tinkerbelle to me, my furry, pedally-enhanced friend! :-)
And are you talking about the crack in the Antarctic ice pack? That's a long way from Teekay. How did you know about that? You're in North America, aren't you?

HEATHER - Just got lucky on that hardcover "Midworld." Found it online. Almost got a hardcover copy of "The Anything Box" last week, but it got sold before he got my email.

MARY - Embarrassment? That should be easy for me! I'm used to that!

MARK -- Where'd you go?

gotta head for bed - meds starting to kick in, and I don't want to fall asleep between here and there.

zzzzz

Provincial parks, Love 'em. Honeymooned in parks in Ontario. Crossed the bridge at 1000 Islands, turned left, drove maybe 45 minutes, then headed North. Found 2 parks to enjoy and a third to think maybe we should practice for. Two crazy city kids out in a borrowed tent.

One evening we made sandwiches from the chicken I had cooked at lunch. Cate got out her red pepper (Edgar Cayce said it's better for the psyche than black pepper). We had a small squarish tin of pepper, she opened the wrong end and poured a huge glob of pepper onto the sandwich when all she wanted to do was sprinkle some on. It was inedible, she tried wiping the excess off, no avail.

We figured, "What the heck. It's all natural stuff, we can throw it into the woods and it will naturally decompose. Several hours later we were frightened by a loud screeching noise, some animal, we didn't know what. We located the noise, it seemed to rise in the trees. My flashlight revealed a raccoon well up a tree trunk. Uh oh. He bit the hot pepper sandwich.

Movies. Anything with Johnny Depp. Scissorhands got a lot of attention, Chocolat is gettin attention right now, I particularly enjoyed Mr Depp in Tim Burton's "Legend of Sleepy Hollow."

CHRISTI -- I sense impending doom. Edgar must surely have made note of your "EMBARRASSMENT" spelling. HAHAHAHAHAHA HOW EMBARASSING !!

Then again, try sitting in Spanish class and saying 'soy embarrassado' [don't remember the spelling]. OOPS. That means 'I'm pregnant.'

HEATHER -- glad to know 'Ender' arrived. "Madame Bovary"?? wow, what brought that on? There are pills for that condition, you know.

I've called a personal hiatus on classics. Really, I remember when the major authors seemed like the only sensible way to spend my time. Nice to know they still have appeal.

War of 1812:

English ships were impressing American sailors off American ships. England was still maintaining forts in the Great Lakes areas and arming Native Americans to fight against pioneers. Of interest to our resident Canukes was that there was an attempt by American forces to "free" Canada from the English. I believe we tried to forcibly take Canada. It was a total disaster and I think a great embarrassment. We should have known better, for most of those Tories we threw out of the colonies landed in Canada.

Oh, yes and who could forget the bloody battle of New Orleans, the song made famous by Johnny Horton. Then there as Jean La Foote who helped the Americans. Washington DC was burned by the British.

There is the extent of my knowledge of the War of 1812--just bits and pieces. It seemed a stupid little war, but necessary. The American hawks needed a dose of reality, and the British had to get it through their thick heads that their former colonies were really a country.

Actually British press gangs were operating everywhere if I remember correctly. They impressed British subjects as well.


Kitty,

I have sent THE RELUCTANT BARBARIAN to all the best publishing houses. Hopefully in its latest incarnation, it will be better received. Currently I have sent proposals to TOR/FORGE and Ballantine. I haven't heard anything back yet, but responses often take months, but I look at my phone messages everyday just hoping some interested soul will call me and ask for the rest of the manuscript. If only I could have an editor actually call me; would that not be the life? Hey, I would even settle for a personalized rejection--definitely a step up from what I received from VALERIE'S SONG.

Off to Missouri tomorrow to visit with my in-laws. The kids are excited, and I am tired from doing laundry and packing.

Take care, all,

Rhoda

JACK: When I mentioned about the archiving, I just meant that probably not a lot of general public are likely to see it, recognize it, or cause any problems over it. I too agree about the shorties being things that are off the cuff, or so short that they wouldn't be very tempting to someone other than the author to use as their own. I was just speaking that technically, it was cloudy to me, whether they would go under the same rules as what appears in the Workbook or as stories that would be considered drafts. I generally take the same attitude as Gary over the whole subject. If anyone thinks they can make any money off of something I have written, more power to 'em!

Work hard and carefully on that elbow....that really smarts.

Mary: I just noticed your comment about archiving of the Notebook. As it happens, I archive and place it in a separate directory, so if there is an issue about being posted on the internet in a public location it is still public. I really am not sure what the status of first publication or whatever is where there is no password protection. However, the issue of copyright is hard and fast. Whether on paper, the internet or wherever you retain the copyright to your own words. The existence of copyright notification is not even required, as I understand it. However, first serial rights and so forth might be in place for the shorties. However, I tend to concur with Ben in that the occasional shorty that I throw out are spur of the moment and not really meant as final pieces. They may inspire or become part of something larger, but then that is something entirely different. I know this will just muddy up the waters. But I am presently looking at a more secure means of password protecting areas of the site. Actually, I am playing hooky at the moment from preparing a presentation on tying web pages to databases using Dreamweaver UltraDev4. So, back to work. Take care everybody.

Also, if you get a chance, please direct healing energies in my direction. I am presently making frequent visits to the Physical Therapy department at my health system to try to get over tendinitis in my elbow, what is commonly known as tennish elbow. Partly the reason I am taking a break. I do not like pain. And, it is putting a bit of crimp in my possibilities of diving until I get it worked. Oh, well. This too will pass and get better :-).

Me again. Speaking of losing things, I can't find my book about all things horsey. Rosemary, (or other horse people) can you tell me the proper name for the piece that covers a horse's head against flies and other pests? I'm sure that 'eye cover thingy' isn't right.... hehehe.

Thanks
T.J.

EMBARASSMENT it is! :-).

Shortie night theme, that is.

c-ya

Jerry, I defend cell phones based on one priceless service. Mine has saved/helped save a life. My husband and I witnessed a horrendous car accident five years ago. I had 911 on the line before the cars stopped moving, and the ambulance was there in minutes. Every second counted in saving that little girl, because although my husband did artificial respiration and brought her back to life, she needed oxygen and medical intervention ASAP.
I've actually called in three car accidents and a forest fire with my cell phone, and a tow truck for myself in a bad situation. I abhor using it for everyday stuff, and heaven help the fool who brings one into a theatre or restaurant! But I won't be flushing mine down the toilet. :o}

TTFN
T.J.

Hello all!

Kitty, I'm in British Columbia. All of our provincial campgrounds are very reasonably priced. Some don't have as many services as my local one, but some have more. Everywhere we go, we try and find provincial campgrounds because they are spacious - we don't feel like we're breathing down anyones neck - and usually very beautiful. There's Goldstream P.P. (provincial park) on Vancouver Island which is basically a rain forest and is gorgeous. There's Sprout Lake P.P., also on Vancouver Island, and so is Greenpoint P.P. which is actually part of the Pacific Rim National Park. Wow! We spent our honeymoon there, whale watching and beachcombing and diving and eating crab almost every day. That was eight years ago, and it cost $12 a night. These days it's a good idea to book ahead, although it costs a bit more, because the sites fill up quickly. Some sites are first come first serve, the rest can be reserved.
Unserviced sites require a provincial camping pass, but that's pretty cheap. Just enough to provide toilet paper in the outhouses!
My hubby and I have a goal to visit every National Park in Canada, and as many Provincial Parks as possible. I think we've made a good start!

Heather, I'll be watching my box! I've finished Anne McCaffrey's 'Pegasus in Space', so the timing is perfect.

Hallee, hope the move proceeds well, and that you find everything! I always lose things during a move. Nothing major, but I can never figure out where things vanish to. :-)

If I had only known then what I know now... I wouldn't have bought a brand new truck when I was 19.

Dinner time.
T.J.

Cell phone? I wouldn't have one of those things if they were giving them away free! Why in God's name do people want those pesky things, I love being out of contact, it makes for such peace and tranquility. One should flush those cell phones that fit down the drain, those which are too large can be taken to the nearest primitive camp area and tossed down the pit toilets.

Jerry

Hey

Writing and inspiration. Hmmmmmmmmmm, well, I sent a portion of my novel to a gentleman as the segment dealt with a web site he operated. A scientific, holy land, somewhat SF, based on an old Russian scientist. I. Velikovsky theory. This guy sent back his thoughts, not of the tale, nothing of the linkage, but stated that I was telegraphing my thoughts (still pondering that one) needed an editor, and it wasn't a good idea to use the term witch as it was verbotten in the Bible. Huh?

So, I gathered that writing, formatting of the work, ideas are as in most areas, all in the beholders eye. I write as I speak, somewhat rural Texanese, which is a mixture of German, Polish, Negro, Anglo, Mexican immigrant, with a rural aspect and values not far above poor white trash in thought and action...and why is it a bad idea to use the term witch in a novel? But my question is retorical. My source was viewing through his eye, and could not, or would not raise or lower his standards to mine.

What? Well, to paraphrase Richard Burton in Where Eagles Dare. A tale is a tale is a tale. My story is not like yours, :-) possibily years of my loving labor would bring even the most wild eyed SF reader here to gales of laughter. But, like brains, it's all I have, imagination that is, a plot that streams forward like a river, charactors born of personel observation and reading. My reader could only see that my thoughts clashed with his and he never moved beyond that aspect. Annnnnnnnnnnnd that brings us to inspiration.

Inspiration comes from years of reading and observing and like gold, is where you find it...but then so does sex. Sex?! Uh, I digress..... I attempted a novel when I was 15, another when I was 22. Both are bad, bad, bad. So bad I caught the cat trying to cover them up one evening! It took 30 years of maturity and insight to begin a bio of a hunting trip to Utah. Utah? Uh, yeah, one of those guy things. In writing the book, a dusty file cabinet inside me opened and influences and observations spilled out that I never knew I had. Inspiration may not be visable at first. It may only become apparent years later. But you can only find it if you write. Who cares if someone does not approve of it? You did, or it would not have come to life...and that is what it's all about. Creation of a world, your world, perhaps a place where you feel more comfortable there than any where else?

Uh, Jerry, I guess your cell phone is smaller than mine! I still use a bag phone.

Howard, I'm big on WWI and WWII history and still have a Navy website you sent me 2 years ago.

Sorry if I misspelled any words Edgar. :-)

Randall

Kitty:

I will take that advice. My husband is still being stubborn. Of course, that's what men are famous for. He is a great guy. It's just he gets these ideas and they are made out of super glue.

I am praying that there isn't too much icky stuff in the water that came in. It came in through the floor of the basement. It didn't fall from above the ground. My dad assures me that water that flows through the ground is clean. I don't know. I'm taking bucket of bleach and water and washing the whole thing down.

Debra

Kitty - Glad you liked the Latin phrases. Here's another one you can add that I dug up:

Mater tua criceta fuit, et pater tuo redoluit bacarum sambucus.
Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.

Hee hee,
Allein

All you guys should read a book entitled "The Light Bearer" by Donna Gillespie. It dwarfs the story of Gladiator and, even better, its hero is a heroine! A beautiful, fierce, strong and noble woman.

All you guys should read a book entitled "The Light Bearer" by Donna Gillespie. It dwarfs the story of Gladiator and, even better, its hero is a heroine! A beautiful, fierce, strong and noble woman.

Hey, y'all! After a weekend filled with great amounts of heavy wet Spring snow which made my driveway an obstacle course (pot holes and fallen branches), ignited a tree branch which was weighed down by said snow and resting with lively sparking activity on the hydro line-subsequently the line finally broke with a series of loud pops and brilliant shower of sparks-and loss of power, the loss of the phone line again due to the weight of the snow AND a ravenous squirrel, and various other trying moments. Ted, the Northerner, was away this weekend in Europe, so of little help to me, the Southerner. I wish I could say I was stoic and handled all with grace under pressure, but Jackson kept a tally of all the "bad words" I uttered and I fear the atmosphere must have been pretty raw around me. Viv, I think I need one of those girls in the kitchen breaks.

Rosemary: I am not sure to whom you were supplicating for mercy in your shorty/post-- the publishers or me. I hope not me. I was not trying to be contrary, rather I was responding to an interesting thread of discussion. I grant you that the examples I cited were of older books, they were the first things that came to mind, but I don't think things have changed that much and you can find examples of serious issues in contemporary novels. Snow on Cedars, One Thousand Pieces of Gold, the Rei Shimura mystery series are some. In genre romance, there are all those love stories between the Native American warrior and the feisty pioneer woman or the loyalty torn Northern officer and the feisty Southern belle-I have heard and read editors moan and groan about these done-and-done-to-death stereotypes, but they keep publishing them. Why? Bottom line there is a market for it. Also, when you do have serious issues you create obstacles, internally and externally, for your lovers to overcome which gives the story more depth and complexity, conflict and tension (Kathleen Eagle's contemporary romances come to mind). And serious issues are not just about culture and race, how about the environmentalist falling for the industrialist? There is no reason why romances cannot show and teach the reader about something the writer holds dear. And publishers do take chances. The proof is on the bookstore shelves in the romance section.
What I find amazing today in genre fiction, especially romance, is how broad the parameters for what is acceptable are. In romance you can write historical, contemporary, sci-fi, time-travel, gothic, suspense, otherworldly (featuring the lover who is a ghost) romances-even romances that are overseen by guardian angels! It is a veritable feast of lovers. Whenever, I read or hear about an editor droning on how such and such can't be done I think of Diana Gabaldon and Connie Willis, both highly respected and successful, and neither of whom listened to such advice, much to our benefit.

About the War of 1812: It may have been brief, but it does count! It was the first time the U.S. was invaded by a foreign army. I don't recall when I first started studying American History in school, but I do remember that all through grammar school we were told stories from U.S.