Are You Pondering What I’m Pondering? V.11.15.2009

AHHH, FALL – My favorite time of the year has finally arrived and I have taken the day off in honor.  Okay, well, actually I took the day off because I can’t talk myself into going into work today.  It’s too beautiful.  Many people get spring fever…I get fall fever.  Always have.

When I was a kid, fall meant that winter wasn’t far behind, and growing up in Michigan, that meant lots and lots of sledding.  We lived in a very rural area, and there were hilly woods that were perfect for creating mile long sled runs that blended danger (the tree! watch out for the tree!) with breathtaking fun.  I never remember being too cold to continue sledding – except for one time when my friends and me were sledding across a lake and we broke through the ice – and could easily spend eight hours doing endless exhilirating runs.

The pups come alive in the fall in winter, which is amazing to witness.  The cooler weather brings them out of their summer doldrums.  They play more, are friendlier, and tend to behave more because they’re wearing themselves out playing and are more complacent once it’s time to come inside and rest.

Many of my current friends are summer people (Ian excepted…you ski hound you) and love the heat and the blaring sun.

Not me.

Give me a foot of snow, frigid temperatures, and a day off, and I’m good to go.

HE JUST CAN’T LET IT GO – Received a letter from a certain veterinarian’s attorney on Friday (which I promptly returned unopened).  I was forewarned by many that this vet was incredibly egocentric and a bully.  However, I grew up with the biggest bully of them all, and learned not to be intimidated by such bluster and posturing.  Men who are as ego-driven as this guy typically get bored with their own antics and move on to something else.  There’s an online veterinarian rating site that includes these reviews:

*Vet Rob Landry failed to inform me that my cat had kidney disease. Ten months later, my cat died of kidney failure and possibly cancer. He tested her in Jan. and Nov., and both times explained to me that the tests revealed nothing. I found out what truly was wrong, only after having to put my cat to sleep and requesting all the tests run in the last year. I showed the test results to another vet. He pointed out the warning flags and what they meant. Rob Landry told me that the test results revealed nothing and further testing was necessary. I paid for further testing, but before the results were in, my cat died. When I confronted him with this information, he was rude, and said that the other vet had “lied” about the kidney disease and failure. When confronted about specific flags concerning cancer on the lab results, he said that he had seen those and suggested an ultrasound. But never once did he mention cancer to me. I’m sorry I entrusted my cat to this vet.

*This guy (Dr. Landry) has a MAJOR attitude problem. While he starts off as very fake- kind, he quickly devolves into God-complex nasty at the slighest question/concern. I was appalled at his rough handling of my dog and he didn’t seem a bit phased at his own (awful) behavior. I understand that now he is claiming to be a pain specialist. Appropriate since if yout pet sees him, there will be pain involved, on way or another.

*We were charged $95.00 for an x-ray without sedating the dog which means they got nothing usable. Never followed up as they said they would in 10 days except after 48 hours to see if our dog was vomiting as they gave him Rimyadl. When we requested the x-ray for a second opinion appointment, they denied our request unless we paid a rental fee for the x-ray. Stay away!!!!

*This establishment lacks integrity and professionalism. They misdiagnosed my animal’s condition several times, jeopardizing my pet’s life, and costing me so much more than it should’ve to get it corrected. Dr. Landry is condescending and sarcastic and obviously does not care about the well-being of the animals he treats as he does his bank account. Not recommended to anyone who truly cares for their pets.

Not that I needed validation for the drama he’s created in the past week – including contact with my personal vet in an effort to glean information and an attempt to discredit my claims,  and the president of the Great Dane Rescue for the same reasons – but it does help.  This guy is a real piece of work!  Glad we were able to find out before his staff could do any real damage.   We moved Yaz out of his clinic’s care as soon as was possible. He has obvious selective hearing when it comes to the general consensus of him in the area, including his vet colleagues and other professionals who have had to interact with him.  To quote a line from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: Sad, sad, sad…

NOVEL PROJECTS & EPIPHANIES – Put the finishing touches on my competition entry into the 2010 Pikes Peak Writers Fiction Contest and sent it off yesterday late afternoon. While working on Plummet over the past several weeks, I had yet another epiphany about one of my other novel projects, Throwing Rocks at God. I realized that one of the characters just wasn’t working in the story, and for a long time I wasn’t sure why.  And for reasons that were unclear previously, the story wasn’t gelling like I’d hoped it would.  It was missing a certain something that eluded me.

I was re-reading The Prince of Tides on my Kindle and the prologue is in first person and is incredibly poetic and poignant.  It was something the main character, Tom Wingo, said there that sparked an idea for me. My novel, while incredibly powerful in story, lacked a strong POV character, someone who could tell the story in an educated way (it’s a pre-Civil War story and told primarily from a slave’s POV currently), but who could see everything that went on.  The character in Throwing Rocks at God, Doctor Horace Mann, seemed extraneous because he didn’t have anything vital to add.  Yet, he was one of the first characters that came to mind when planning the project.  And while he continues to be a secondary character, he’s the only one with the education and wherewithal to tell the story and understand its implications.

So I’ve begun jotting notes on it as I continue to work on Plummet. I despise switching novels before the draft is finished.  But…this epiphany has reignited the original passion I had for the story and its characters.

THE BODY – The dead body of a 42-year-old local woman was found with a single gunshot wound to the head on the walking trail I take every morning with the pups.  The news reported scant details, but did say that it appeared that no “foul play” was involved, that it was a self-inflicted wound.  However, got a call from a neighbor yesterday saying that the police are actively investigating it as a potential homicide stemming from domestic violence. In spite of the fact that we live in a rural area, it appears that big city violence happens everywhere.  We’re avoiding the trail for awhile just in case.

THE NEW YAZ – Yaz’s accident has made her a different dog.  Where once she was all exuberance and wild energy, that’s been tempered by the severity of her injuries.  Now she’s incredibly cuddly and gentle, her exuberance showing in her eyes and the level of her curiosity that has returned like sun breaking out of a week of clouds.

Last night, while we lay together watching television, me rubbing her belly and massaging her legs and hips, I was compelled to say:

“It’s not your fault, Yaz.”

Her eyes opened and they smiled at me.  Her tail thumped the bed twice, as if to reply, Thank you.

Our lives will never be the same, but I suspect that our relationship will only continue to grow stronger, closer, deeper.

She was able to complete both of our morning walks without growing fatigued and returned home to gnaw on a bone…another favorite activity of hers that she has ignored since the accident.  I’m happy to see her maturing and growing into the beautiful girl she is.

DRACULA THE UN-DEAD – Been reading Bram Stoker’s great grand-nephew Dacre Stoker’s sequel to the classic Dracula story.  I’m about halfway through, and it’s a really great story!  Lots of action, reviving many of the original characters from the original, in a new light.  The writing is passable (lots of passive language and anachronistic phrases), and I’m quite impressed by it overall.  If you’re a fan of classic stories, I recommend this one. (you reading this, Greg?)

UNCERTAIN FUTURE – The government has announced a statewide pay cut for all its employees beginning next year, which the forced furlough days have already gouged many paychecks.  I’ve been sending out my resume to suitable private companies.  I mentioned awhile ago that my favorite boss EVER was retiring, which took place November 6th.  The interim boss is quite difficult to work with, as he wants everything done yesterday and with little or no forewarning.  He’s already double-booked hotel rooms and flights in spite of the fact that I provided him with the travel information with plenty of advance notice, costing our agency thousands of dollars in flight-change fees and associated costs.

He’s a very nice guy, but barrels through life like a ram in a china shoppe (he’s Aries), living up to his astrology.  He knows his stuff, though, and is a dynamo in negotiations.  But our previous boss was incredibly efficient, but laid back.  As long as the work got done, he was happy.  The stress level of the office has tripled with the interim boss’s step up the ladder.  I’m not sure how much longer I will be able to tolerate it and send out to the universe a request for assistance.

Are You Pondering What I’m Pondering? V.9.15.2009

I’VE GOT A FEELIN’ – What is optimism?  Dictionary.com defines it thusly:

noun – a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome.

I’ve always tended toward optimism.  Not in the Pollyanna-ish way of some…but in a real, dyed-in-the-wool way.  In spite of the overwhelming efforts of others to want to drag me down to their level, I remain oddly optimistic.  It’s what keeps me going each day…always knowing that there are a universe of opportunities just waiting to be discovered.

I don’t know where it comes from (and I don’t ever question it), but it seems an endless supply of optimism is available for me to own.  Not 365.25 days a year.  I have days which aren’t the best, just like anyone.  I do things I’m not proud of, certainly.  But I always bounce back eventually.  It’s one of the things I truly love about myself…and what I admire most in others.

“NOBODY PUTS BABY IN A CORNER!” – We lost a stellar actor and humanitarian this week.  Patrick Swayze was a gentleman and an enormous talent who’ll be missed on this planet. R.I.P. Mr. Swayze.

IT’S A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP – I love my boss.  Not so much the job I do for the government, but my boss makes it all worthwhile.  (yes, he’s an eternal optimist like me)  He’s retiring on November 6th.  Those who are aligning themselves to become my new boss are not people I would really like to work for.  The forerunner is my “other” boss…a gentleman who works in my section and for whom I answer to when my primary boss is out of the office.  However, “other boss,” or OB, is incredibly disorganized, flaky, and demanding.  He’s a very nice guy, but not the best boss material.  He overlooks details, which causes others a lot more work and headache trying to clean up after him.  He rushes on everything, like it all had to be done YESTERDAY.  That’s been very difficult to manage.  Now that he believes he’s next in line for the section boss position, he’s already treating me as if I’m at his beck and call.  So far, I’ve successfully avoided falling prey to his scattered energies, but it’s not always easy.  I have not yet told him that I’m actively looking for employment in a different environment…but I believe that I’ll have to soon, if only to get him off my back now.

Are You Pondering What I’m Pondering? V.7.2.2009

R.I.P. M.J. – Yes, it’s all we’ve heard about lately.  His death caught me completely by surprise, though not because it was unexpected.  Michael Jackson has always seemed like a tragic figure to me.  Not just tragic in the way that his life was so deeply scrutinized, his feelings and his privacy marginalized.  Because of talent.  Yes, he was a genius when it came to pop music.  He knew what worked, what didn’t.  I liken him to James Dean.  Marilyn Monroe.  Elvis Presley. Anyone who was deitized in their lives, therefore eliminating any privacy they might have once hoped for.  Being forced into the public eye is very difficult, as one is constantly judged and found wanting.

Jackson didn’t choose to be talented.  He was talented.  Perhaps talent chose him.  We may never know.  But we will always know that we the people are the ones who killed him.  We used him up and then spat on his image when certain true or untrue information was made public.  We dug beneath the surface of his public image and made a pariah of him.  How many of us could live through such an ordeal?  I couldn’t, I know.  Because when it came right down to it, we never liked him as a human, but as an idea we placed on the highest pedestal, demanding ever more of him, never satisfied with what we were given.  We have no one to blame but ourselves.

OZZIE SWIMS! – Ozzie has lived with me for just over six years.  In all that time, we’ve visited many rivers, creeks, lakes and ponds. He’s a wader. He’ll enter the water just up to mid-belly and walk along the shoreline like an ancient barge on the river Nile.  He’s very stately.  This year, he’s waded in until the water covers his back.  I used to think he didn’t like the feel of water on his back, but apparently I was mistaken.  Then yesterday, he waded in well past where I know his feet could touch bottom.  I called him, in shock.  He was swimming!!!  In six and a half years, he’s never shown that he even knew how, in spite of the fact that he has webbed feet that he took from his black Lab half of his genetics.

As if he’d been doing it every day for years, he took his time getting to shore, and once there, shook himself off and sauntered off as if nothing had happened.

I was as proud as a dad when his baby takes its first steps, or speaks its first word.  My respect for the Oz-monster grows every day.  He truly does things in his own way, in his own time.  There’s no hurrying him. What an awesome pup.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GREAT DANE RESCUE – So I’ve immersed myself in my new responsibilities with the Rescue as Event Coordinator.  The job suits me.  Of course, I worked as a live music promoter for twenty years as a younger man, so the details are second nature.  Setting up fundraisers and other events to gain exposure for such an awesome organization is deeply satisfying.  Now that I have a good grasp on it, it’s flowing well and I’m liking it immensely.  Yee haw!

HOLIDAY – Looking forward to the long weekend, even coming so closely on the heels of my stay-cation.  Since my boss announced his imminent retirement for November 6th, it’s like the joy has gone of of my job…even though it’s not just working for him that brings me joy.  What with the governor trying to fix the State’s budget shortfalls on the backs of his employees, it’s more like working in a coalmine than an enjoyable job.  So this weekend will be spent decompressing and hanging out with my pups…and writing, of course.  It’ll be a marathon!  And I’m starting right now with a warm cup of homegrown spearmint tea.  Mmmmmmmmm.

THE RAINS – It’s been extraordinarily wet this season here in Colorado.  So much so, that the flowers I planted back in May are going crazy.  My rosebush is so laden with blooms, it’s drooping.

Today’s task is to tie it up so the flowers aren’t forced to lay on the ground.  There must be easily 75 flowers on it currently, with many more buds unopened.

I didn’t even know I could grow roses!  Ironic that the season in which they’re most prolific is the same season I’m most allergic.  However, I suffer the sneezing attacks gladly for a chance to garden.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T – I have a whole new respect for President Obama, in spite of the fact that he has not followed through on all of the promises made during his lengthy campaign.  Why?  Because I believe that he made the promises out of a certain sense of ignorance about how the process actually works.  The same goes for those who are currently putting him down as a lame-horse president.

I work for the government, and have had my eyes opened to the astoundingly ponderous manner in which governments work.  Perhaps Obama believed that once he was named leader of the free world, he could do as he pleased, but once he got into office, realized that no single issue was as simple as it appeared on the surface.  Politicians know how to work the system, to slow down and kill bills and legislation that might make our lives better.  Not out of a sense of mean-spiritedness, necessarily, but often because in order for Obama to get what he wants, he must kowtow to others who may want an entirely different outcome.  So in order to get a bill through the Senate, he must first dress it up and make it attractive to special interest groups and senators who have a different agenda for their constituents.

It’s a matter of too many chefs.  Or chiefs. Or whatever word you want to use.  I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, for this system of checks and balances is necessary for our country to operate.  Otherwise it becomes a dictatorship.  There will never be a President who gets his way in every instance.  And perhaps that’s a good thing.  Look what happened to Germany in during the War.

KINDLE ME THIS – I’ve been watching the reviews on Amazon’s Kindle e-reader since it was released in 2007.  Even since Kindle 1 was released, I’ve been intrigued by it, as I’m a voracious reader.  There are nearly 3,000 reviews, many pro, many against.  I was reluctant to purchase the first-gen version of this product as I knew that it was more of a prototype than a long-lasting model.  Now there are two heavily updated versions, one at the original price of $359, the other more than 30% more expensive.

I’m tempted to buy the Kindle 2, but am not sure I want to give up the paper versions of books just yet.  Perhaps I could read them on paper and, if I like them enough, buy them for Kindle.  There are some I would like to have as an e-book rather than hardcopy to save space if nothing else.  “The Shining” comes to mind.  One big downside is that graphic novels are not yet included in e-book format.  And I wouldn’t want them to be, as they’re printed in full color, and Kindle can only be viewed in shades of gray.  There are a few, but I’m not sure how I feel about reading them in that format.

Okay, must consider this further before spending the money.

Are You Pondering What I’m Pondering? V.6.6.2009

DESK PROJECT COMPLETED! - I got the bug yesterday evening.  So, taking advantage of all the energy I had, and motivation, I finally got the desk completed.  Woo hoo!

BEFORE

In progress

AFTER

FRUSTRATION RISING - A month or so ago, I posted about a particular writer in my current writer’s group who had obviously “fallen off the writing wagon,” and had, over the course of several months, taken a very lackadaisical approach to not only working on his own project, but attending the group.  That situation ended with the member being removed from the roster permanently. Currently, there is another writer in that same group who has not brought any work in over a year.  When pressed on the issue, there is always a seemingly plausible reason why he hasn’t written or brought work in such a long time.

The group is not a big one.  We’re limited to eight writers, as that’s all that our intimate space allows. None of the other members seem to have this same issue.  I’ve attempted to broach the subject with him, but he squirms away from committing to bringing any work each time.  We, as a group, have tried gentle but pointed humor at his expense, to no effect.

His input on others’ work is decent.  Not great, but decent. If I had to rate his critiques, I’d give him 6 out of 10.  However, now some of the other members are beginning to grow frustrated with this writer’s seeming inability to commit to his craft.

As he is one of our long-time members, I’m not sure I want to force his hand.  At the same time, my strict philosophy is:

WRITERS WRITE.

I’m now getting the feeling that he is a person who wants to be able to claim he’s a writer without doing the actual work.   In spite of his claims to the contrary.

Unsure of how to address this, perhaps one of you, gentle readers and fellow writers, might have experienced a similar thing, and how was it resolved, if it was?  What would you do in this situation?  We’d rather have a working writer in that chair and not someone who only pretends to be a writer, or who is so totally and completely blocked, he cannot write.  While I want to be compassionate, his aversion to either admitting there’s a problem, or simply committing to bringing work is creating a roadblock.  Please comment, and help guide me in my next step?

1500 X 15 – If you haven’t donated to the cause I’m promoting for my upcoming birthday, there’s still time!  Many thanks and much gratitude to Catherine, Nikki, David, Derek, Pamela, Josef, and Dani for contributing so far. To add your contribution, please visit the Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue site and follow the links.  Even $5 helps….and it’s tax deductible as a non-profit donation!  Our goal is to raise $1500 by June 15th.

Yaz thanks you, too!

"Thanksh!" (photo by Ian Bevan)

HEADLINES I LOVE – Sometimes they’re hilarious, other times they’re so pathetically worded, one wonders if there’s anyone editing for the poor schmucks who wrote them?

• SCIENTISTS TRACK PENGUIN POOP FROM SPACE - now THERE’S  a good use of our tax dollars.
• INCLUDE YOUR CHILDREN WHEN BAKING COOKIES – Hmmm, and here I thought that Hansel and Gretel was only a fairy tale…
• SOMETHING WENT WRONG IN JET CRASH – Really?  It’s the new rocket science!
• SAFETY EXPERTS SAY SCHOOL BUS PASSENGERS SHOULD BE BELTED – I’ve been saying this for a long time!
• DRUNK GETS NINE MONTHS IN VIOLIN CASE – Swan song?
• SURVIVOR OF SIAMESE TWINS JOINS PARENTS – Ouch!
• IRAQI HEAD SEEKS ARMS – will beg for legs.
• FARMER BILL DIES IN HOUSE – ewww!
• PROSTITUTES APPEAL TO POPE – I always knew there was something under that robe!
• BRITISH LEFT WAFFLES ON FALKLAND ISLANDS – Breakfast!
• WAR DIMS HOPE FOR PEACE – You don’t say!
• RED TAPE HOLDS UP NEW BRIDGE – And we wonder why there’s a problem.

DOGGIE UPDATE – If you’re not on my friends’ list on Facebook, why the hell not?  If not, you probably haven’t seen these awesome pics taken by friend Ian Bevan:

Yaz Possessed, Freyja Scared

Ozzie...you know, the usual.

 

Freyja, The Beauty

 

NEXT ADDICTION, PLEASE – Now that the furor over Season 8 of American Idol has died down (and why is it that I vow each year NOT to get involved with that damned show yet still end up hooked?  Subliminal messages?), I’ve moved on to my newest reality show addiction:

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?

I like that even the title of the show is a challenge, which pretty much sums up the process the young and aspiring dancers must go through; a grueling days-long ordeal during which many of them reach the end of their emotional endurance.  Brutal!  But the end result is a group of truly and stunningly talented dancers who have the fire in their belly to succeed.

The show’s producers conveniently timed the beginning of that series with the end of AI. Coincidence?  I think not.

MILESTONE – This is the 666th post on this blog, which is why I thought it fitting to post it on June 6th.  (I’m not a believer in all that biblical hoo-hah)  Since beginning this version of my blog (earlier editions titled respectively God’s Undies, and Are You Pondering What I’m Pondering? 1.0), I’ve logged almost 5,000 comments and more than 300 views per day.  Awesome!  Thanks for everyone past, present, and future who have visited!  I would like to claim that I do it all for you, but that would be a lie.  I do it because otherwise all these voices in my head would win, and then where would I be?

Are You Pondering What I’m Pondering? V.5.20.2009

BLOGGIE DIGEST- Good friend and amazing author Catherine Ryan Hyde has redesigned her personal website, adding podcasts, a new blog, and many other great features.  Visit her and leave some comments!

Best-selling author John Connolly has an excellent post about writers and insecurity titled On Starting Again.

Friend and excellent fantasy author Carol Berg has an always-informative blog called Text Crumbs. I learn something new about the writing process every time I visit.

For you fellow dog-lovers, my UK blogger friends have a wonderful site called Out and About with Your Dog Blog. It’s always good for a smile!

Love love love Pat Rothfuss’s blog. Author of one of my recent favorite (and best-selling) books, The Name of the Wind, he is always hilarious, often informative, and never imitated (well, except for that one time I tried to imitate him in front of friends and they thought I was trying to imitate Samwise Gamgee).

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS – Recently, Yaz has decided that I’m spending too much time at the computer.  And why wouldn’t I?  I just purchased a second 24″ wide screen to add to the first one I bought several months ago, creating a wide screen vista across the surface of my desk to rival Imax.  Not that I really needed a reason to spend more time on the computer.  But I figure if I’m going to spend so much time there, it might as well be totally awesome.

Yes, my name is Christian and I’m a computer-holic.

<insert resounding chorus of “Hi Christian!”’s from like-minded individuals here>

So Yaz, in her infinite doggie wisdom, sneaks up to the back of my office chair, lays her snout on the head rest (yes, she’s that tall), and exhales loudly at the back of my head.  Usually I jump and yelp and spray tea out of my nose when she does that, but now I find it incredibly endearing. When I turn to look at her, she’s smiling and wagging her tail so hard she nearly falls over.

I love that about her.   She’s always ready to play, always ready to please, and incredibly CUTE.  How can I — or anyone — resist?

AGENTA UPDATA – Yes, Nathan Bransford did not feel my novel Throwing Rocks at God was something he could connect with, and therefore, represent.  When I tell my non-writer friends this, they console me as if my best friend just died in a horrible accident.  Really.

Their reaction is validation for how far I’ve come internally on the process of publishing.  Years ago, I might have been devastated by the rejection, depressed for weeks perhaps.  No longer.  His personal note on my manuscript was an exciting first step in a process I’m eager to begin.

Many current authors log numerous “rejection” letters on their journey to publication.  Why would I be any different?  It’s not about me.  It’s purely a business decision on the part of the potential agent.  Would I want Bransford to rep my novel if he didn’t truly feel a connection with it?

Hell no.

And thank goodness he had the huevos to say it straight out.  I’ve had other writer friends obtain agents only to have their work languish for years because the agent wasn’t sure how to sell it, or to whom. When I connect with the right agent for my work, I want him or her working their ass off to sell my novel or screenplay.  I also want a personal connection with my agent so that the work has the best possible opportunity to thrive.

And of course, I will do whatever I can to insure its – and my – success.

TIME FOR A NEW DESK – I didn’t know one could wear out a desk.  Apparently so.  I inherited the current one about eight years ago from one of my tenants when I was doing property management.  It’s really a beautiful piece, multi-level with plenty of storage.

Lately, though, the drawer facings have worked loose and no matter how much Liquid Nails I apply, they pop off every time I try to open them.  And now that I’ve recreated the Imax experience on my desktop, I need more surface space to operate.  Perhaps this would be a good way to break in all the new credit cards companies insist on giving to me now that I own a home.

Woo hoo!  Time to go shopping!

Are You Pondering What I’m Pondering? V.4.19.2009

SPRING SPRUNG? – We received a buttload of moisture this past week, many meteorologists calling it “the storm of the season.”  While down here on the plains we got mostly rain, it was much needed.  The water tables in the state were very undersaturated.  Many people think that any moisture is good moisture, but that’s simply not true.

When it snows in the winter, the temperatures keep the snow crystals from breaking down enough to soak into the ground, and most time, wind carries it away, leaving the ground as dry as before the snow came down.  When it’s a really wet snow mixed with rain, as this last storm was, the moisture gets soaked up. What doesn’t (for the ground can become oversaturated), the runoff goes downstream to others who may need it.

This was the perfect spring storm, in that it wasn’t so snow-heavy that plants and trees were damaged, but there was so much moisture that the ground got a good soaking, and so the root systems will surely benefit.  My tulips are happy because they weren’t buried, and the blooms are about ready to open.  I will begin planting flower seeds the first weekend in May, as the ground should be perfectly “seasoned.”

CONFERENCE COUNTDOWN – Friday’s the day!  I’ve been so incredibly excited about the upcoming Pikes Peak Writers Conference, this year more than any other so far.  I may have already mentioned it, but it bears repeating.

Something big is going to happen.

That’s not a wish, but a certainty.  Not only am I meeting with Nathan Bransford first thing Saturday morning and having lunch with him that same afternoon, but just found out that I’m also working directly with one of my all-time favorite authors, who also happens to be the keynote speaker for the conference:

Jeffrey Deaver.

So it portends to be a VERY busy weekend.  Not only that, but I will get to reconnect with many writer friends with whom, because of schedules, only get together once or twice a year.

The icing on the cake?  I got my hotel room for free for the weekend using my hotel  rewards points.  And while I’ll miss the doggies (they’re staying at my good friend Pamela’s house…and won’t they have a blast!), I’m sure I will be so busy, I won’t have much time to notice.

It’s fascinating to witness the internal changes that have become part of me since the restraints of West Nile Virus has released my mind and body.  Love it!

iTUNES RESTORATION PROJECT – For those of you who are also linked to me on Facebook (and if you’re not, why the hell not?), you’ve already learned of my minor mishap a couple weeks ago when I accidentally dumped my entire 11,000 song iTunes library from my computer.  It was a panic moment when it was discovered, but since then, I’ve managed to recoup more than half of the library.  In doing so, I realized that many of the songs in the library were songs that I only stashed in there because I wanted the most complete collection anywhere, and not because I was particularly fond of the songs themselves.  So I also took the opportunity to eliminate those items that I didn’t care for.

So now my library is a svelte 6,415 songs, and all songs that I really enjoy hearing.  Gone are the wasted playlists that I never listened to, the movies I didn’t watch, and the videos I’ve seen so many times, I could re-enact them in interpretive dance from memory.  Kind of like spring cleaning for my electronics.  And I’ve retrieved a whole bunch of gigabytes in memory!

LET IT GO – Had to let the tree go.

A few years ago, I rescued a ficus tree, abandoned in an empty apartment and set out at the dumpster.  It was a healthy and mature tree, nearly as tall as me.  It’s traveled with me for several residence changes, but for whatever reasons, didn’t take to the new place.  It began dropping leaves this past winter, and most recently, the entire top half had gone brown and brittle.  I could tell it wasn’t happy here, and tried everything in my knowledge base to assist it.  None of them worked.  And so today I let it go.

When I bought this place, the previous owner left a small, undernourished ficus behind in a too-small pot.  It reminded me of Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree; puny and frail.  I repotted it and it’s flourishing in its new surroundings.  So while one tree was put to rest, another thrives.

Sing “The Circle of Life” from The Lion King here.

UNEXPECTED BENEFITS – Already written about the writing competitions I was privileged to judge this year.  One of the competitors wrote a very nice, heartfelt “thank you” and sent it to me, which prompted me to respond.  We’ve created a very nice online acquaintance, which has now parlayed into a mutually beneficial mentor/mentor relationship.

While I don’t get financial benefits from judging these contests, the true rewards come in the unexpected relationships that form.  So now we begin emailing chapters from our respective manuscripts to one another for input and suggestions.  This will dovetail nicely with the two groups I already participate in.

Things are a-growing!

RANDOM SHOTS FROM AROUND TOWN –

Are You Pondering What I’m Pondering? V.3.22.2009

WATCH OUT! – Yeah, me and the clever headlines.  I know.  But this is a paragraph (or so) about watches.  Yes, wrist watches.

I love clocks.  And calendars.  There’s at least one clock in every room of my house.  Recently, I realized that I also own several watches.  Seven, to be exact.  I didn’t recall buying or owning these watches.  But in moving into the new place this past October, I came across them stashed in various places.Some of them are very, very nice. Expensive.  But I’m hard on timepieces.  These watches had been rode hard and put away wet.  Well, not literally, but the comparison is similar.  (which is kind of a pun, unintentional, of course)

So anyhoo…

In light of the upcoming award dinner for my novel, and the pending high school class reunion coming up in October, I decided yesterday to haul all the watches to a jewelers for cleaning and fixing.

Guess what?

Expensive watches are expensive to fix.  None of the watches worked any longer.  I’d let the batteries run dry years ago.  The crystal faces were badly dinged and scratched.  Those alone are like $100 a pop.  But the only watch I own that still runs is my dependable Timex, which I wear everywhere.  I have no so-called “dress” watches, except for the ones that don’t work.  Yeah, I used to be a real fashion-conscious guy.  Modeling will do that to ya.  Or maybe it’s the other way around.

Anyhoo…

So all the watches are being repaired as we speak, and in two weeks or so, I will have a plethora of watches, all of them working, all of them restored to their original beauty.  That excites me.  I also went out and bought a new suit, the first of which I’ve owned in over twenty years.  Basically, the last time I walked inside a church was the last time I wore a suit.  So it’s probably been more like thirty years.

I feel like such a grownup!

WHY, I ASK YOU, WHY? – Why do the cable companies require a four to five hour window in which to get to my house?  Are they that horrid at personal time management?  Could you imagine any other business doing a similar thing?

AUTO MECHANIC: Oh, we may show up for work tomorrow between 8 and noon, but we might also be here between noon and five.  No telling.  Either way, it will take us sixty hours to fix your flat tire.

DOCTOR: Put him under anesthesia somewhere between noon and four, and we’ll see what happens.

PRESIDENT: Yeah, schedule that world leader somewhere between two and six, and I’ll see if I can be there.  If not, we’ll have to reschedule.

What’s up with that?  So yesterday, when I called Dish Network because I inexplicably lost my satellite signal sometime Wednesday night, I told them I would be available between 8-9 a.m.

“We can’t schedule that closely, sir,” the “customer service rep” said over the phone.  And yes, those quotes are there on purpose.

“Why not?” I asked.  “I have things to do, too.”

“Well, this is how it works.  Would another day be better for you?”

“Sure, how about Wednesday between five and six?”

“Um, as I explained, sir…”

“Yeah, I heard you.  Unfortunately for you, I have a life and can only spare an hour on any given day.  Would it be easier to cancel the service and subscribe to cable?  Because I rarely lose signal with cable.  And it’s less expensive.  And I can get MTV on cable, which for some very odd reason, your company doesn’t carry.”

“I’m not responsible for the programming, sir…”

“No.  I imagine that no one is truly responsible for such an egregious oversight.  However, I am available during those very specific times. Which of those times would work best for you?”

“…”

“Well, then, I’ll see the tech here between eight and nine on Sunday.  Toodles!”

It’s eight a.m. on Sunday as I type this.  We’ll see if they actually show up or if I’ll be cancelling my service tomorrow.

ME AND MY ARROW – My neighbor and friend, Nancy, went with her grandsons up into the mountains this past week to enjoy the end of their spring break with them.  Because of where they were headed, she couldn’t take her pups.  Arrow is a Boston Terrier/Pug mix, and so ugly, she’s adorable.  For those of you who are old enough to remember Ernest Borgnine, she looks a lot like him.  With four legs.

Borgnine from "Marty"

I’m not typically a fan of smaller dogs.  I do think all dogs are awesome, but as for the size to live in the house with me, I prefer the big’uns.

Arrow’s tiny.  Like a meatloaf with legs.  With the best personality this side of the Mississippi.

And she fit into our household like she was meant to live with us.  It’s been nothing but hilarity for the past four days as she taunts Yaz, then Ozzie, then Malai with her antics.  She’s a bundle of energy, but so far, we’ve managed to wear her out by 7 p.m. so that she sleeps through the night.

I’ve got her retrained (she’s wicked smart!) to get up at 3 a.m. with us for our daily hike, and she’s adapted quite well.  Of course, I feel sorry for Nancy, for the first morning upon her return, Arrow will be awake and rambunctious at 3…and Nancy’s not typically an early riser.  I’m already laughing!

Arrow really looks up to Ozzie

At the dog park, she’s a holy terror to any dog that dares engage her in play.  She’s like a gremlin on steroids.  A muppet on crack.  A child’s toy with the wrong size batteries.

Her “person” comes home later today and I know we’ll miss that puggy little face.  And the bajillion kisses she insists on giving anytime there’s bare skin nearby.

THIS JUST IN! – Dish Network just phoned and said they’d be here by 8:45.  Ha!  Bastards!  I knew they could do it if I pushed them to.

SO COLORADO – Today’s weather will be in the mid-70s.  Tomorrow?  A blizzard.  Welcome to weather in Colorado in the springtime!  My poor tulips won’t know what hit ‘em.  Good thing I didn’t start my garden yesterday like I had originally intended.

I bought some very large containers to plant wildflowers in, which are my favorite.  I like the no-fuss, no-muss form of gardening in which I only have to remember to water every several days or so.  Vegetable gardens require way more attention than I have time for.  So say we all.

REALITY TELEVISION – I am so totally hooked on Randy Jackson Presents ‘America’s Best Dance Crew.’ It’s everything reality television should be.  Exciting, heartbreaking, and wonderful.  Season four doesn’t start for another eight months, but I’m ready now, dammit!

Are You Pondering What I’m Pondering? V.2.16.2009

CHA-CHING! Got my tax refund in record time this year and have wasted no time in restimulating America’s economy.  Of course, $3000 of it went to the vet for Malai’s surgery.  But this refund enabled me to finally buy some of the things that I never had money for before.  Not necessities like food, but things like replacing the chair that Yaz ate when she first moved in with us, and a bed frame (which I have never owned! Can you believe it?).  I also paid off several longstanding medical bills and bought new shoes, clothes, and a few very frivolous things.

It was a tremendous feeling to spend some of that money, but after a week of it, I awoke this morning with a “spending hangover.”  Of course it all balances out.  I had some other medical tests that were required and which cost an additional $3000.  This West Nile aftermath sure is expensive!  But it’s nice to be able to buy a few things outside of paying bills.

SWOOP! The pups and me got swooped by an enormous owl this morning.  We were on the moonlit trail that runs near the creek at about 4 a.m. when this thing skimmed Ozzie’s back and turned to land in a nearby tree.  Ozzie jumped and yelped, it startled him so.  Which of course startled me.  I shined my LED flashlight on the eerie face of a barn owl — perhaps the same that used to follow us on our early morning jaunts in our old neighborhood.  I can’t imagine that the owl mistook Ozzie for its dinner, as he’s nearly 100 pounds, though this bird easily had a wingspan of 4 1/2-5 feet across.  At least it seemed so in the moonlight with my heart pounding to beat the band.  When the owl realized we were not dinner, it flew off, silhouetted for one breathtaking moment across the half moon and a starlit sky.

Awesome.

Ozzie recovered quickly, and though Yaz did try to jump into the tree at first to catch it, we went on our way without further incident.  However, I’m still amazed at how such a large beast can move without a sound.  Nary a feather rustled to give it away.

Malai enjoying the couch post-surgery

MORE RECOVERY NEWS – Malai is recovering very quickly, though I’m still extremely cautious about letting her get too out of hand.  She’s already climbing on her own onto the couch and the bed, and can get in and out of the car fairly easily.  She puts gentle weight on her injured and reconstructed leg.

The vet said she might be in less pain after the surgery than she was before…but like many Labs, she masks her pain pretty well, so I really have to watch her to know for sure when she’s not feeling well.  She seems in good spirits, though, even when she has to sit out our morning walks or stay in the car at the dog park.

JUST STOP IT – Not surprisingly, members of the GOP have stated that Obama is off to a bad start in his barely a month-old presidency.  I would state with unequivocal certainty that trying to undo eight years of bad judgment on the part of the GOP will take some time.  Obama is NOT Mary Poppins, now is he?  So I say: just stop throwing around negative sound bites just because there’s a decent man in the Oval Office trying to do good for his country.  I certainly don’t see any members of the GOP doing anything other than trying to tear down the good deeds of others.  If an entire country isn’t tired of such juvenile antics by now, perhaps we really should just switch to a Dictatorship and save us all the hassle of fighting back or standing up for someone who believes in us, eh?

RANDOM DOGGIE PICS –

Yaz makes use of the new comfy chair.

Ozzie the Snowdog

Yaz knocking at the neighbor's door, wondering if her friends can come out and play.

Malai and her shaved leg.

Always handsome Ozzie.

Are You Pondering What I’m Pondering? – V.1.25.2009

GETTING ORGANIZED – This is the part of Mercury retrograde that I love: organizing.  For you who are astrologically illiterate (and those who aren’t!), when the planet of communication, Mercury, goes retrograde several times a year, it affects everything we do, from our cars, computers, any electronic device, and personal communications, as well.  The flip side of this event is that when Mercury (my ruling planet) seems to go in reverse across the sky, it turns us inward, wanting to burrow into our lives and souls, to analyze and reorganize.  Sometimes this manifests outwardly, and I get the urge to move everything around.  No area is safe.  This go-’round this time was the bedroom and the home office.  Total and complete rearrangement.  It always brings a feeling of deep satisfaction to stand back and see what I can create out of my immediate world.

The French Bleu Sanctuary

Today I will install a number of new wall art pieces I purchased recently, having bought the frames and mentally arranged them in my sanctuary.

“Sanctuary, on a personal level, is where we perform the job of taking care of our soul.”

~Christopher Forrest McDowell~

DOGGIE UPDATES – Yaz got her sutures out of her foot this morning, and the vet said it had healed beautifully.  Yaz was so excited!  She hasn’t seen that foot in twenty days.  And ewww, it was quite dirrrty under that bandage, in spite of the fact that I changed it every five days.

So our next event will be Malai’s very expensive surgery on the 12th of February.  From there it will be about 12 weeks of recovery for her, which will be much easier, as Malai is older and not as rambunctious as Yaz or Ozzie.

And today was “bath day” for Ozzie.  Because of the unseasonably warm weather we’ve had over the past couple weeks, he started “molting.”  Seriously, that’s what it looked like, some great big hairy bird losing its feathers at the rate of a bajillion a day.  So I shoved him into the shower and hosed him down.  Then poured a half gallon of Drano down the drain to chew up the hair that is surely lurking down there.  Ewww, again.

ECONOMIC IMPACT – The Colorado State government has revealed that they are short $600 million dollars for the next year.  This seems odd to me, because last month we were fiscally sound.  Where did that shortfall come from?  They’re trying to play it off as if it had been there all along, but now that other states and corporations are “jumping on the fiscal bandwagon,” so to speak, it appears that my lovely state has decided to do the same thing.  Now it’s trickling down to the government employees as well, as there are rumors now of layoffs and other severe cuts.  None of the employees are certain as to what this will actually end up meaning for them, but there’s a lot of nervousness in the ranks, with attitudes hitting the skids.  Guess it’s a wait-and-see game for now.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EARTH OXEN! - Tomorrow is the Chinese New Year, which moves us from the Year of the Rat, to the Year of the Ox.  This bodes very well for America, as our new president was born under the sign of the Ox: August 4, 1961.  In Chinese Astrology, Obama is considered a Metal Ox (same as yours truly).

Metal Ox people work harder and more scrupulously than most people, including all the other Oxen-born.  They always show a boldness and drive that will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.  Like all Oxen, they are completely trustworthy, but not ones to display their emotions freely or openly.  These Oxen have the strength of steel with a will to match.  Oxen-born are always willing to defend what they know to be true and won’t give up until they have proven what they know to be true.

What this means for the Year of the Ox is that Obama has taken office at a very fortuitous time, and that he will most certainly be successful in getting his programs and proposals through Congress, with the added approval of the public.  He will also do whatever it takes to keep the promises he made on the campaign trail, and woe be unto those who stand in his way!

The added combination of his Leo Sun Sign (Western Astrology) gives Obama the fire needed to succeed in office.  The combination of Lion and Ox produces leaders who are comfortable being in control.  They take themselves very seriously and throw themselves wholly into any project they undertake.  They are happiest with an adoring partner who loves them completely.

The fact that an Ox-born President leads us during the year of the Ox is a wonderful thing.  Watch and see!  The Ox symbolizes prosperity through fortitude and hard work.

Are You Pondering What I’m Pondering? – V.01.14.2009

THE WORK CONTINUES – Now that we’re settled in to our “new” home…well, it’s been four months anyway…I’ve begun considering the additions and changes I want to make to my surroundings.  I’ve contacted a local company to bid on redoing the patio this spring.  The previous owner started it, but it seems unfinished, and I would like to plant a nice flower garden out there for the summer.  It will be a container garden, as that’s what I prefer.  They’re easier to maintain, and I can rearrange the placement of the containers to suit my mood.

The patio currently is a concrete pad with some added stone tiles that the previous owner put in, but they’re not fixed in place and look kind of sloppy for my taste, especially since when the pups walk on them, they shift and I find myself forever rearranging them so my sense of order in my universe is not thrown asunder.

One of my favorite things is to design things.  I keep a sketchbook handy, though there are many electronic versions of this same medium that I enjoy using.  I can spend many hours lost in arranging and rearranging things to find the “perfect” symmetry.  So, depending on cost, I will be redesigning the back patio this spring and summer.

RECLAIMING THE GARAGE – On the topic of redesign, I received a call from the former owner of my home who has been forced to store all of her belongings in the garage until her new home is completed.  I officially moved into this place in September, but haven’t had any use of the garage since taking ownership.  After months of delay, her new place will be ready, and she’ll be claiming her belongings the weekend of the 23rd of January.

I immediately began designing the workshop I plan on building in one part of it, of course.

I’m hoping that my 2008 Tax Credit check comes through quickly so I can afford to do all of this stuff!

FACEBOOK RULES – I cannot believe how many people I’ve happily reconnected with on Facebook.  I was never very happy on MySpace, as I felt that it was quite a bit “shallower” than other sites, and designed more for young adults and teens and not so much adult-adults.  (and how many times have I used the word “design” in this damn blog post, anyway?)    I’ve already mentioned reconnecting with a favorite neice, but have also connected with “lost” friends, and people I’ve missed terribly over the years.

Some people I’ve mentioned Facebook to have scoffed, calling it a “time waster.”  I guess everyone gets to decide for themselves what is a waste of time and what isn’t.  I find any video game/Wii/Xbox-type thing a total waste of time.  I find stupid people a waste of time (not hatin, just statin). But any opportunity to reconnect with another human is far from a waste of my own time, and payment has been deliciously sweet.

YAZ UPDATE – Yaz sliced her foot open pretty badly recently, severing a number of blood vessels, and which bled like a geyser in Yellowstone.  It took nearly 20 hours to get the bleeding stanched, and only then by allowing Yaz to do it herself.  Apparently there’s something in a dog’s saliva that helps stop bleeding…that is, if you can somehow insure that the dead squirrel they were playing with earlier hasn’t given their mouth cooties.

My carpets were a mess by the time we (I mean she) got the bleeding to stop.  I thought it was going to entail a trip to the veterinary ER, because it was Sunday and my regular vet is closed.  We were able to wait until Monday morning to make that vet visit, and they stitched her up but good.  Of course, they cautioned against letting her be too active.

Yeah, right, I thought.  A one hundred pound puppy, inactive?  As if!

It’s been difficult, especially since she’s really interested in playing all the time, or running, or swimming.  I’ve had to keep her on-leash for most of the time (except at the dog park, which I decided was an okay place to allow her to run free and do as she pleases), but she’s been compliant for the most part.  Changed her bandages today, and the injury looks to be healing well.  We have to keep her bandaged up for another week.  I hope it passes quickly.

MALAI UPDATE – It’s official: Malai has a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in her right back knee and must have surgery to repair it, otherwise she’ll lose the use of that leg and be in great pain all the time.  The surgery will cost $2600 (a far cry from the $5000 per leg that I spent repairing Ozzie’s back legs in the early part of this decade), of which I’ve raised $1200 so far.  She’s scheduled for surgery on February 12th.  I’m not sure where the rest of the money will come from, but I’m checking into the options available.  A friend has stepped up and offered to provide some of the money as a loan, but I’m trying not to impose on friends for the funds.

“HONEY, PLEASE PASS THE KIDNEY STONE?” – Awoke after only having been asleep for an hour on Saturday night in excruciating pain.  I knew immediately what it was, as it has happened before.  Numerous times.  Well, 8 times before, to be exact.

Kidney stone.

I spent four hours on my hands and knees grunting like an animal into a muffling pillow, as that initial pain is unlike any I’ve ever experienced.  Burst appendix?  Doesn’t come close.  West Nile Virus?  Uh-uh.  Child birth?  Since I have no point of reference for that one, I’ll leave it up to the women to decide.  However, I’ve heard that the pain is much more severe than labor pains, and more intense.

After the nausea and vomiting passed, I began hydrating copiously.  That was nine hours ago.  I just had some toast, washed down with water, of course.  Since this is the ninth stone I’ve developed in my lifetime (when the pain is so great, one tends to remember the number of times it’s been inflicted on you), I know there’s not much that can be done about except to hope for its quick passage, and to drink plenty of water to facilitate that passing.

So, while I can still feel it in there (must be a big ‘un!), I’m not in such pain any longer.  Thank goodness.  Thought I’d be exhausted from lack of sleep, but I felt pretty good. Some people (like myself, apparently) have the propensity to form kidney stones more readily than others.  Bless my biology, eh?

SAY CHEESE! – Got the new digital camera I ordered, and have tried using it over the past several days.  However, I’m not yet very good with it. Yet.  Even though it’s considered a “point and shoot” camera — how hard can it be? — my subjects are almost always in motion and by the time the camera gets around to taking the photo, the subject has moved. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  Here are some samples of my first efforts:

Ozzie on the Picnic Table

Annabelle's Forehead

Um, I dunno.

Later tries were more successful as I figured out the lag time between pressing the shutter control and the subject.

Ozzie on Picnic Table II

Mr. Stoic

"Hurry the hell up, willya? I've got an appointment with a nap."

Extreme Napping

Yaz and her Hurt Foot

Yaz At Rest...for a change.

My personal space, view 1

My Personal Space View 2

BFF - Oz and Yaz

Sadie and Neka and their Famous Tug-of-War Stance