Hi Guys, I’m back. Holy Carp, I have not been that sick in a long
time. I’m listening to Tom Petty sing ‘You Don’t Know How It Feels” and today I
say that’s a good thing. But anyway…Tom also says ’let’s get to the point…
It’s almost summer. The Summer Solstice is officially in two
days, so what are you doin’ to celebrate. Me, I haven’t decided yet, but
heading out to the ‘end of the world’ (Point Udall) to look for the ’Southern
Cross’ is high on my list.
This got me to thinking about Summer Holidays in some of the places
that I have lived. Here in the VI we celebrate Emancipation Day and Alexander
Hamilton Day (AH Day might not actually be in the summer, but what the heck it’s
always summer here). When I lived in Idaho we celebrated Pioneer Day and had a big
Atomic Days (don’t ask) Rodeo up in Arco. In Colorado (my favorite) we had the
Heeny Tick Festival in Heeny, Co up on Green Mountain Reservoir. Breckenrigde
had it’s “No Man’s Land Days’ to celebrate the time when it was left off the
map and not included in the US (Probably more rural myth than truth, but a great
celebration none the less). And my all time favorite the ‘Get Yer Ass up the Pass’
Fairplay to Leadville Pack Burro Rack. Back in Chicago, there was the Bud
Billikin Parade and Picnic in August. (Go ahead google this one)
Just goes to prove, you don’t have to dig very deep and you’ll
find just about every place on the globe has their own special reason to party.
So what is it where you live? Come on fess up to your particular obscure
holiday and don’t forget the Summer Solstice.
Three times I came by here today intending to tell you a story about my Uncle Tony. It just ain't gonna happen. I'v been sick again and suffering from too many sleepless nights and fuzzy days.
Back in April one of my reasons for almost quitting the A to Z Challenge was that this Strep A infection decided to kick itself up again in my arm. One serious round of antibiotics and whole lot of pain meds later and it's still not taken care of. I get better for awhile and then it's back. This weekend has been one of those weekends. So I've been suffering from fuzzy days and sleepless nights and in general I'm pretty cranky.
That said it's probably best if I take a few days off and come back later and tell you about Uncle Tony.
If you have been reading my last few
posts you cannot have helped but notice the ’blue funk’. What is with that? I’m
gonna have to look for a different color funk. I actually, truthfully, and
really used to own a pair of ‘rose colored glasses’. I wonder whatever happened
to them. Well, no matter. Onward and upward to better things.
Couldn’t sleep again, so I’m up early this
AM trolling the blogs. Due to the excess of ‘blue funk’ around here I try to hit
the ’funny’ sites first. First stop are two seriously funny guys. Today I would
like to talk a little bit about them and direct you over to their space.
BEFORE, anyone gets to excited about me ‘spotlighting’
(that’s a hunting term – where you shine a light in the face of your prey and they
are then paralyzed with fear and you can shoot them – sad isn’t it?) another
blog. Keep in mind, I have only done this once before and that particular
BLOGGER completely shut his site down and went out of business shortly
thereafter. Coincidence? Man, I hope so. I would hate to become known as the ‘kiss
of death’ blog spotlighter’ (reference back that definition).
Anyway my morning laugh came from two really
funny guys over at ‘A Beer for the Shower” here’s the link – hopefully – you know
me and technology.
Brandon and Bryan are incredible artists
and most days the visuals at their space will dazzle you into literary bliss.
Recently, they’ve begun a series, a heartfelt tale about a hapless man who is
the eternal sunshine of hope. Now I know many of you are little burnt by some
of the writers who serialize their current WIP to bore entertain you at
their space, BUT this is something special. Something that must be experienced
to be fully appreciated.
The ‘Beer Boyz’ are from Denver, maybe
that’s what makes me relate to them. I never lived in Denver, but my best
stories come from my time in Breckenridge and Alma, Colorado. Don’t strain
yourself trying to make that connection –some days, close enough is close
enough. OK, I’ll try to explain.
Alma, Colorado sits at the edge of ’South
Park’ – yeah that “South Park’ the place from the TV show –it’s real –I used to
live there –not surprised are you? The first time someone showed me that show,
I recognized every stinkin’ character (yeah, they are all real people). Anyway
the South Park Boys, the writers, are thought to be some real clever dudes. I
mean they even have the current number one Broadway musical running in New York
City. They have made irreverence a science. It’s probably now a course in ‘film
school’, but I digress. MY POINT IS…’the Beer Boyz’ are way more funny that the
’SP crowd’. I seriously expect one day to frame this blog bit and say’ I knew
them when’.
So what are you doin’ still hanging out here,
head on over and tell ‘em FAE sent you.
The Boyz always end their blog by telling
you what music they are listening to and what beer their drinking. So in
tribute….
Drinking: Caribbean Dreams Jamaican Old
Style Chocolate (hey - it’s morning and anyway, I don’t drink beer, but you know
those Jamaicans)
Music: Bob Dylan ‘Must be Santa’
(Christmas music reminds me of Colorado. It’s the only place I ever lived where
I saw it snow every stinkin’ month of the year – besides Dylan and this
particular Christmas song –hilarious)
Stay classy boys – Send me tickets for
your Broadway opening.
I forgot all about IWSG today, until I went to another bloggers site and 'whoopsie'
Anyway...I posted yesterdays post late last night. Currently, it's my biggest insecurity, so scroll down a little bit and read. Thanks in advance for all the nice things you will all say to try to make me feel better, but I know the truth. I can feel it.
The good news is that a lot of you will care and try to make me feel better. The bad news is I will live through this, I'll just have to learn to live with it.
You have probably figured out that I really like Van Morrison. Listen to him while you scroll back to yesterday for my IWSG post.
Here I am posting three days in a row. Do you know what that means? Me neither. But, I just might be winding up for a big finish. We'll see.
Advice Column
I have to admit that I get a bit
impatient with all the advice, particularly writing advice on the blogs. Why is
it we can’t help telling others what to do?
I heard some profound writerly advice in
a movie I watched a few weeks ago. The movie
~ Midnight in Paris ~ written and directed by Woody Allen. While there
are many things I take exception about with Mr. Allen and his life choices, I
do enjoy his movie making and think that on many occasions he has proved his
brilliance. Just my humble opinion.
Anyway…in this movie he portrays a famous
author giving some advice to an aspiring one.
Aspiring Author – Will you read my WIP?
Famous Author – Ok, I hate it.
AA – But, you haven’t even read it.
FA – I hate it anyway.
AA – How can you say that?
FA – Well, if it’s poorly written I’ll
hate if because I hate bad writing. If it’s well written I’ll hate it because
it might be better than my writing. Here comes the
profound advice – wait for it – wait for it – Never
ask another writer to read your work!
There you have it. Sage advice by none
other than Woody Allen, feel free to consider that advice worth exactly what
you paid for it.
NEXT, up some sage advice from none other
than ME. I promise it will not be writerly advice. I value integrity and try
diligently to act with it at all times, but most particularly when dealing with
my friends. I have recently promised a friend I would never hurt them and I
would always be honest. Therein lay the dilemma. There was something between us
that I felt a need to tell the truth about, but I knew it would hurt this
friend. If I told the truth, my integrity would remain intact and I would hope
my friend might respect that, but I had the potential to hurt my friend’s
feelings. If I lied, I would have to live with the fact that my integrity was
not intact and I was not exactly who I thought I was. So what do you do?
What did I do? I told the truth, and I
wish with everything that I am and will ever be that I had not. This friend
didn’t say a word, but I know I hurt them. I’m lucky like that, I have the
ability to make connections with people that I care about and feel their pain.
Today there isn’t a dark enough place in hell for my soul.
My advice, if you ever face this
particular situation. Lie through your teeth. My integrity will never be the
same and neither will my heart for what I have done.
Monday, June 4, 2012
This is 'that' song for me. Enjoy!
Today, June 4, 2012 is the two year
anniversary of my first setting foot on this rock that I call home. I live on
an island in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. When you look at a map it’s just
a speck, and yet it’s referred to as the ‘big island’ in the little country of
which it is a part. Twenty-six miles long and seven miles wide at the widest
part. I live on St.Croix in the US Virgin Islands. Don’t let that US Territory thing fool you, it’s a foreign
place. Beautiful, tropical and all that jazz, and although I now consider
myself Cruzan, it’s not really ‘home’.
Recently, I’ve started to feel like I
need to get off island and take a break. Feeling a little burned out I guess. I
have to work hard on a lot of levels to be here. Regardless, I know I’m where
I’m supposed to be at this particular time. I know some people think – oh yeah,
complain – you live in paradise. You must be some sort of ‘jet set funder’ or
have a fantastic job to be able to live in a place like that. Actually none of
that is true. You want to live someplace like this – all you have to do is ask.
But, be very sure about what you ask for, and be willing to pay the price.
Because in life you are always paying it forward or you’re sliding into the
muck.
OK, enough serious talk. It’s my
anniversary. Let’s party. Even on a bad day, I live at the beach. The weather
is mostly sunny with a chance of fun.
Today someone said to me,”promise me that
you will make it count.” My answer, “Every day.”
Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes, I
wonder what the heck am I doin’? Sometimes, I know for a fact, that I have no
idea whatsoever, what I’m doin’? BUT, I keep on doin’.
We’ve already established, here on my
blog, that I have no idea where the commas go. It’s kind of like that in life
for me, too. No hesitation, no breaks, just charge forth into the breach.
A few minutes ago I was reading someone
else’s blog and to my surprise they mentioned me. They said I was out doing
what I do best ‘making friends’. Well, that was kind, but I’m not so sure this
is something that ‘I do best’. Currently, I’m not sure about ‘what I do best’.
Not necessarily some big cosmic conundrum, more like a little introspective
peek into the mess that can be my mind.
Today, I find myself surrounded by books.
Books of the non-fiction variety, but none the less entertaining, informative
and totally mind blowing. I’ve been studying – everything. Looking for answers
and for the most part, finding more questions. But then, questions are good for
they lead to the answers. Maybe. Hopefully. I’m reading The Book, the one with
all the answers. If I find them, I’ll let you know.
Until then its head down and keep moving
forward. Complete the task or die trying.
