Once Upon a Time I Wrote a Book

Well, actually I've written 3 of them. The first two barely past chapter 2 or 3, though #2 is still up there in my head somewhere. The last I wrote is several hundred paperback-page equivalents, in about 20 long chapters. That last one had promise, but it includes a bit of a mystery and since I don't read mysteries I couldn't figure out who done it nor why, so I skipped that chapter and wrote the last 2 instead. A year or so later, I figured out who and why, but I never went back to write the prose. It suddenly occurred to me the other day that I had probably lost it when my hard drive crashed in January. Yes, BUT I'd saved it twice on 3.5" floppies. Those I still have. After a scare with having to convert from Word Perfect to Word, I got it copied to my new hard drive. In doing so I learned just how long ago I wrote it: 1991-1992. THAT long??

EIGHTEEN YEARS!

Yet I remembered every word as if it was just last night I typed thought on keyboard. Turns of phrases that still linger in my brain, little scenes and quirky characters of no importance that I wrote just to see if I could. A warm and soppy ending that no matter how many times I read it, I still get warm & tender tears.

EIGHTEEN YEARS!

I knew at once that it is a story I could not write today. That was almost 1/3 of a lifetime ago when I was at one of those cross-roads in life. My daughter had gone off to college a year or two before. I was ready for and looking forward to new experiences. That was back when I still had certain expectations and dreams that still had a chance of coming true. But, they never did. I am at a much different place in my life now. In some ways it was interesting going back and remembering what was going on at the time. In other ways depressing to realize all those years had passed with so little to actually show for them, dreams and expectations from 1992 that never materialized or came true. And never will. Somewhere along the way they simply disappeared into the mists of some alternate universe for some other Linda to achieve and enjoy. In this one they just disappeared. Many with torrents of tears. Others with resignation and the knowledge that most of us are not the masters of our universe, merely bits of star dust that drift aimlessly on the solar winds seemingly forever. Some are fortunate to land in fertile lands and flourish and experience fully. Some bounce from rocky outcrops to sterile soils, from no where to plant even a tentative toe to getting knocked about willy nilly. Somewhere along the way I simply quit dreaming. At times just getting through each day became the only goal I could hope for. Nowadays, it frequently seems my only goal and hope is to get through one major hurdle or crisis before the next one hits.

It was interesting to read my book again, but it's left me in such a out of time/out of place mood that I wish perhaps I had not. The inevitable next crisis hasn't helped.

Fathers Day, Patriotic Charts & General Stuff

Belatedly! There's a quick Father's Day chart in my Freebies, as well as several red/white/blue patriotic charts from last year.

Have not done any stitching at all in past couple of months. My hands & eyes just bother me too much at times. I have read a couple of books recently, something I rarely do any more because of serious eye issues that cause my eyes to tire and go blurry very quickly. But it was nice doing that once again - for a change.

The resident raccoons have produced their newest litters. I love seeing the still-nursing but rapidly growing and now solid-food eating kits the Mamas bring to my patio in search of handouts. In fact, one of the mamas will lay on the patio nursing them. It looks like one huge ball of fur! She has a den somewhere around the yard. Guess she's too lazy to gather the kits and go home to do it. While the kits wander a bit to nibble on kibble, she'll lay on her belly eating whatever is within her reach. It is sooo funny.

Photos: I have so far been unable to d/l promised photos to computer. Good thing I have a 4BG memory card. Eventually.

I accepted a custody case a couple of weeks ago. A fact situation completely in my client's favor has already turned south and the case is going to be several times more complicated (and thus far more expensive) than I originally could have anticipated. I swore after my last custody case 3 years ago (actually 2 at the same time), I would never do one ever again. I wish I had listened to myself.  I only took it on as a favor to a friend. I will never get paid for the time I've already put into it - and it's just getting started.

My brother called this evening on his way home from the airport. He'd been in NYC with an orchestra playing for some upscale anniversary party whose guests included The Donald & Michael Douglas. He's played so many of these types of affairs it's just all in a day's work for him. He was more interested in finding some well-known local eatery he and my DD ate in when they both happened to be in NYC at the same time a couple of years ago. He just found out he'll be playing back-up for Alicia Keys on the BET Music Awards  June 27th. Now that my VCR has completely died, I've got to figure out how to record on my DVD. Wait, I've now got a VCR/DVD combination (which I finally set up after about 18 months of just sitting in the box - until my solo DVD player died a few weeks ago - the separate VCR quit working at least a year ago.) Don't ask.

The Office of Emergency Management contacted me earlier this month offering to pay my registration fee and parking to  attend a 3-day State Citizens Corps Conference in Dallas next week, being sponsored by VOAD (Volunteer Disaster Assistance) and the Citizen Corps, among other emergency and disaster volunteer groups. Should be really interesting. See the agenda here: 2010 State Citizen Corps Conference

Now if I could only get the OEM to actually hire me.

I went storm spotting !!

Didn't need to chase. It came to me!!

Did  you notice in my previous blog that nothing had happened in North Texas despite predictions and I think I said nothing was on radar. Uhhhh.... Things change dramatically - almost instantly!

See my EMVolunteer Blog.

I have photos ... I really do ...

of a couple of recent stitch finishes (the stitching is finished anyway), and my absolutely beautiful orchid, which surprised me earlier this spring by sending up a bloom shoot then bursting out in the most beautiful display of orchid colored phaelanopsis I have ever had the privilege to witness in my own window. The photos are still in my camera ... but soon.  Knee is better. I haven't been back to doctor. After 4 or 5 weeks of staying off it I recently managed to get around the super Wal-Mart - slowly - and even for a while without favoring it - but it made itself known all to often and is still a problem. The only stitching I've done in the past month is on a small Kooler possum hanging from a branch. It says "playing possum." I'm going to replace that with "Hang in There," do a simple ornie finish then hang from the light above my bed. My thumbs continue to give me such a time that it's a few stitches and I'm asleep. Past couple of weeks I've spent a lot of time monitoring radar,  Weather Channel, Wunderground, local news, etc. So far DFW has just been dern lucky to have dodged the bullets that have been focused on the south and Oklahoma, with such devastating results. My best to all those affected by the recent outbreaks of severe weather and tornadoes! 

Oh, and I spent ANOTHER 2 hours on the phone with AT&T and Dell yesterday once again trying vainly to solve the problem with my DSL, which I've been paying for but haven't been able to use since January. It might be a software problem, like the ethernet driver. After 45 minutes the tech at AT&T said I'd have to call their ADVANCED Tech Support - at $115 minimum. Then sent me an email asking me to confirm my problem had been resolved. And while Dell has free driver downloads, apparently I'm going to have to PAY them to tell me which one is the one I need. Or it could be something else entirely, and even a new ethernet card might not work.

In the meantime, I finally learned that my house is cell phone dead zone. I've always had issues, but now it just won't work at all!  I SOMETIMES can get a network connection standing in the middle of the driveway - for a couple of minutes then it goes dead. Even the fancy new loaner from T-Mobile wouldn't connect.

A Volunteer of the Year

I do volunteer work with the Arlington Office of Emergency Management and am a member of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team.) I was invited to an appreciation luncheon on Monday. In the past these have been for all volunteers and after work, so I found a noon lunch sort of odd. I almost didn't go. I have been hobbling for the past month due to an apparent torn cartilage in my knee so I've been carefully staying off my feet as much as possible with the intent that it will heal without surgery, which for me is simply not an option. I even cancelled the MRI which would only confirm whether or not I needed surgery, and since that's not an option why waste that $334 up front payment.

Anyway, the walk from car to Office really wasn't something I really wanted to do.  However, I was fortunate to find a parking spot right in front of the building and was very surprised to find only 6 volunteers were invited. The head of the Office of Emergency Management then announced that rather than name one CERT Volunteer of the Year, because we all contribute in such different ways, we were all named Volunteers of the Year and received a Certificate of Appreciation. The entire staff was present, and the woman among them had cooked the enchilada type entres and the guys chipped in for rice, beans & chips. 

After lunch we were told we would each be featured in the City's online newsletter. Here is THE LINK to mine.


While staying off leg, and because my computer is still giving me problems, I took the opportunity to do a lot of stitching, finally finishing a Christmas gift from last year, doing a bit of work on the project for my new SIL, and in a 3 day marathon stitching session, stitched a Marjolein Bastin bit for myself (eventually I'll get a photo of it.) In fact, I did too much stitching and have aggravated the tendon in my thumb, which previously caused "trigger thumb" and required a steroid shot to eventually heal. OWWWWW!!!  Not doing THAT again, so I've had to quit stitching - again. Using the computer mouse aggravates thumb as well. So other than sit, watch TV and eat too often, I am totally BORED.

Updated My Other Blog

I've finally updated my Adventures of an Emergency Management Volunteer blog.

In Their Ducky Best

Something small and cute for whatever. Enjoy.

Also check out last year's Easter freebie "He Lives" .