Hot, Hot, Hot...

Minnesota is generally a rather temperate climate, although it is humid in the summers. But we don't often have days-on-end in the upper comfort zones without relief. We're in the middle of a heat wave right now and uncomfortable is such a poor description of how we are all feeling. Actually, I could take out my broad brush and paint the entire US with it. We are hot. We are uncomfortable. We are packing the swimming pools and backwoods ponds, we are crowded into venues offering air conditioning such as movie theatres and restaurants. We are turning on the fans and air conditioners in our homes. And we are blowing power out in massive numbers from all of this overuse of electric power in a heat wave.

It's so hot, but at least this is pretty ...

I don't have A/C at home, but our fan has been on in the bedroom just to help us breathe a bit. Sleep is elusive and sticky. Tempers are frayed. Road rage and random shootings are on the increase. And we will still keep our hot temps until later this week. Icky!

Herb Williams made these giant flames sheathed in crayons to demonstrate how heat can cause wildfires. They were designed to melt over several months and were on display from November 2011 through February 2012 in Lubbock, Texas.

On the happy front, however, Le Tour de France is underway and I'm watching (of course) as I do every year. Doing my happy dance - I just love watching the boys fly through the beautiful landscape. We have lots of shifting between the teams, and some riders who were expected to be there, aren't. Johan Brunyeel isn't at the helm for Radio Shack this year, he was pulled off because of investigations into doping. I'm sure that the team will do just fine without him. I'm not much of a Brunyeel fan, in case I'm not clear here :-)

This is the field of riders for the 2012 Le Tour de France. Yeah! I'm happy!

And tonight is the final night of the Olympic qualifying competitions in the US. We get the final night of swimming and probably some track and field. The teams are almost set and the focus will shift to London on the 27th. Since I love sports, I've been glued to the TV lately. But after tonight I'll just be watching Le Tour through the 22nd. So happy....even if I am wilting in the heat.

Farewell and More Books

Several years ago I was searching out a nice, neighborhood Italian restaurant that served true rigatoni noodles, not penne pasta. I remembered one that had catered my niece's wedding, one where she used to work when she still lived in the old neighborhood, dropped by to try a meal, and was hooked. So from that time, for the past several years, I have been dropping by on my way home from work on Saturday nights and ordering take-out for dinner. As is the case with many small businesses in today's economy, they were impacted. But not in a good way. Restaurants have had a tough go of it, and many have closed their doors, but Bascali's forged ahead. Unfortunately the economy finally caught up with them, and today is their final day of business. I'll pick up a final take-out order tonight, and we'll find another place for our weekly no-cook treat, but I always mourn a bit when a small, independent business ends. I think it leaves all of us a bit poorer and a bit more pushed into large, uncomfortable boxes of same-ness.

I'll miss you, Bascali's.

Three more books that influenced me as I was growing up - a bit different than yesterday's group.

I'll start out with The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame because it is a book that I cherish. I can't read the Piper at the Gates of Dawn without tears running down my cheeks. My vision is blurred just at the thought of that chapter and my copy is far from my current seat. I first read it when visiting my adoptive brother in Mexico when I was ten years old. I was enthralled, hooked, totally enamored. I still am.

I started reading science fiction in Middle School, so the middle to late 1960's. One book that I picked up and have read again and again is Robert A Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. Wow. An amazing book. I have read most of what he wrote, along with Arthur C Clarke, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, and many others. For over twenty years I buried myself in science fiction. It is still one of the genres of literature that I most love. And yes, I do consider it literature, not just telling stories or novelization.

The final book for today is Gone With the Wind. The only book by a rather radical and short Atlanta author who handed her typewritten novel to a publisher on a dare, this single novel has done more to bring the Old South through to the sensibilities of those who have never lived there than many more serious books. Lovingly crafted, beautifully characterized, and of course fabulously filmed, it quickly shot to the top of the bestseller's list and won the Pulitzer Prize three years after publication. I discovered GWTW when I was sidelined because of a broken arm. My Dad bought it for me, thinking that a book of that size would keep me quiet for a couple of weeks. It kept me quiet for four days. Not too bad, actually.

Books That Impact - The Little Prince

Today is the birthday of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (born in 1900), the author of The Little Prince. Seeing that in my Email this morning of course turned my mind to thinking about those books that influenced my years from childhood through age 20, many of which are still beloved friends which get re-read regularly.

The Little Prince - A classic tale.

In my youth, I was in love with Fairy Tales - all kinds and types. I loved Grimm's Tales, was not quite as fond of Hans Christian Anderson's tales but enjoyed them nonetheless, and the colored fairy tale books of Lang were dear friends for many years. I still love them to this day. I bought my first copy of Tolkien's The Hobbit in my youth, followed a few years later by The Fellowship of the Ring and in turn, the other two of the Lord of the Ring trilogy. Those books took over my life and still influence my daily thoughts and much of my own writing. But I must have read and enjoyed other books in my youth...yes, of course. Such as...

My copy is older than this, but I love the art deco style here

Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged was my reading material in late Middle School and I still consider it one of the most important books I've ever read. I re-read it on average every year or so, and it holds a place in all of my libraries as several copies of paper, an audio book, and an e-book.

This is an early copy, but mine is even earlier - before she was a "Best-selling Author

Looking through my bookshelf, I realized that I entered Anne McCaffrey's world of Pern very early since I have a first edition paperback of Dragonflight and also of Dragonquest. I remained a fan of Pern until Todd McCaffrey began co-writing her books, then fell off that world. Other vibrant and deep worlds that caught me were Darkover and Valdemar. I have read most if not all in both of those series and still pick them up to read now and again.

Oh, how I loved this series of books!

I'm sure I'm not putting books out there that haven't been picked up by many of you. And the few books I listed are a small scratch in a very large library that also includes 100's of science fiction loves and also standards such as Little Women and the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It amazes me what wonderful things were available to hold in my hands while I grew up. Their authors allowed my imagination to soar. So on this day when the Little Prince looks out into the heavens, so also do I with a heartfelt "Thank You" to each and every author whose books I picked up to read when I was young and still pick up to read today so many years later.

Heat Wave - Temper, Temper...

My goodness, what heat! The temperature is hot, people's tempers are equally hot, and I'm just one of many getting burned. It's unpleasant. As usual, I need to really understand that internet friends are just that - not real life friends, not friends with whom I have invested a lot of time and effort getting to know, not people that I always have a great deal in common with. It is unfortunate, however, when friendships crash and burn. I had one "friend" leave me in a huff yesterday and just had to shake my head. I was unfriended by her because I supported the privacy of another "friend". Ugh! It was ugly and so very unnecessary. But life goes on.

A broken friendship can become scattered pieces of your past.

I spent most of the day hunched over my keyboard trying to finish up my AinA piece. I feel good about it, but am looking forward to beginning the revision part. It really needs some serious trimming and a clear and serious look. I don't want it to be over the top, just reasonable and following sensible steps for a relationship. It's getting there, though, and I'm pleased.

I write at my keyboard. Are you a pen and paper person? If so, I envy you!

I started work on my fixed length fictlet also, but that one I'm not as happy with. Not that it isn't within the word length, but more because looking back at it with the harsh glare of (upcoming) sun, the topic I chose is really lame. Time to trash most of it and rewrite it. There might be one or two sentences and characters worth keeping for the re-do.

It's hot...hot...hot!

It's HOT! I had a wonderful breakfast with my friend Meaghan and her fantastic son Sebas yesterday morning, dropped her off at work, and then began working on my own things. But it's hard to think in this heat. I usually don't look forward to going to work, but I have A/C there, so today may not be as bad as it could be - LOL. Have a marvelous day!

Fires and Floods and Writing, Oh My!

My post today was going to be very mild, concentrating on the fact that I have the day off and four stories awaiting my attention. But my youth is under attack. OK, I know that sounds rather strange, but it almost seems as though Colorado is burning up. There are fires on the eastern slope near Fort Collins, where I went to school. There is one up the canyon near Boulder where my ex-fiancee, Seth, grew up and a city/town that holds many special memories for me throughout my youth. There is a huge blaze near Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs. That one has grown so quickly and become so dangerous that tens of thousands of people have been evacuated and the Air Force Academy has been closed and evacuated. It's frightening. The fire dangers are one major reason why I have stayed in Minnesota instead of moving back to Colorado or New Mexico. I don't recall them being this bad when I grew up in the area, so I'm wondering about what changed to cause wildfires to be such a major thing over the past ten years or so.

The background in this picture of the Air Force Academy chapel is sunset, but pictures taken now might show the deadly orange of flames on the horizon instead.

And, in the southeast we've got rain. A LOT of rain, the result of the passage of Debbie (hurricane or tropical storm depending on wind speed). More than 30 inches (76.2 cm)of rain in just a few days in some areas. That much rain in that short of a time means vast flooding and intense damage to life and property. My heart goes out to them.

Hurricane Debbie also spawned a number of tornadoes including this one.

So, that's our latest disasters in this country. Somehow having all of those things happening makes my computer issues seem so minor in comparison. I'll go to an early breakfast with Meghan and her delightful young son, and then a few errands ending up with as much writing as I can fit in. I want my AinA complete by the end of the day, and I also want a start on at least one of the four stories I have waiting in the wings. It's going to be hot today and I'll be sweating in the computer room, but I need to get in gear....

Warming Up the Oven & Thoughts on Age

Tomorrow and the remainder of the week are supposed to be miserable - very hot, very humid - the kind of days that will make me bemoan the fact that I don't have A/C at home. I don't do heat well. I used to have no problems with it, but that was more than 35 years younger and more than 50 pounds lighter. I think if I had less poundage things would be better, but the one thing that has aged with me is my metabolism. So even though I maximize my days by minimal sleep and maximal experience, I can't keep my weight at a reasonable level with minimal maintenance as I used to be able to when I was younger. AGING IS NOT FOR THE TIMID! Oh you readers of mine who are younger than my own tickling 60, take that to heart.



Nonetheless, I wouldn't give up my experiences and slightly (OK, more than slightly) warped mind and sense of humor for anything. So even though I would want to change my body over to a younger unit, I would want my mind to retain all of the experience and learning that I have accumulated over my years.



What was my best decade? My mother always claimed that her 40's were her best years. I had my doubts as I was growing up, but on hindsight, there is a lot to that. By the time forty came around I was established in my home, happily (most of the time) married, I had firm friends (waving to Sharon) and fond memories. I had enough money to not have to worry about every paycheck and bill, and I was able to allow myself to explore my personal creativity more. I think, in my own life, my best years started when I was about 35 and extended through my early 50's. But if I must sacrifice my "beauty" (always questionable at best) for the sake of living my life and experiencing it to the fullest, then so be it! I'll walk my path and be grateful for the opportunity to do so! Blessed Be!

Monday, Monday...Let's Talk About Sunday

So, it's Monday. 'Nuff said. Let's talk about Sunday instead. Our goal was to go to my friend Cindy's house and fix her wall. When her husband died suddenly in April (wow, time is really rolling around) he had been in the process of fixing leaking bathroom pipes. There wasn't any access panel, so he had ripped apart some of the wallboard in the hallway to be able to replace the leaking pipes, leaving a gloriously ugly hole in the wall of the hallway when he died. Cindy had asked us if we could repair this and it was well within our skills, so DH took measurements and we left it until I was back from Milwaukee.

This isn't exactly what we did, but pretty close. It looks GOOD!

We put together a luan panel with a nice frame around it, and packed the car with tools, a workbench, more tools, the panel and frame, and more tools. Off we went to save the day. We arrived shortly after Noon and started work. We roughed the wall to the dimensions we needed, added spacers for depth on the panel, mounted the framing to the panel, primed it a lovely white color (they will have to paint the hallway anyway, so now it's ready to be painted) and mounted it to the hole in the wall. Voila! No more hole in the wall! We also began patching some holes in the walls and some corners that had seen better times. We'll have to go back and work on those a couple more times as they are too deep to do in a single time. It was very successful, though.



Grumpy's Bar and Grill features a large, vaulted bar and more cozy eating areas. We're bar people, so we sit in this room.

When we got home and unpacked the car, we decided a beer was needed and went down the street to Grumpy's. Normally we would have walked there, but DH couldn't make up his mind about where to do until we were already driving. After he had two beers and I had two Guinness and we each had a fabulous burger with fries we were feeling more human and returned home to watch the second Sherlock Holmes movie (loved it). I finally relaxed with a strawberry lemonade and finished my beta for Lai. Chapter 24 is back at her for another look-over and more changes. All in all - a successful Sunday!