tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39977552011-07-08T04:44:18.241-04:00fstclssnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4701100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-28979623558313547742009-08-08T22:01:00.003-04:002009-08-08T22:11:59.443-04:00

My vacation is coming up next week and I will be spending it in New Jersey. Well, actually at a hotel by the airport for the Dark Shadows Festival. I am a member of the Collinsport Players and we put on skits poking fun at our favorite show. A couple of years ago we had the Golden Girls meet Barnabas Collins. This year we are having characters from Bewitched meet the witch from DS. Lara Parker

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-45908809545201275792009-07-25T19:12:00.003-04:002009-07-25T19:29:30.668-04:00

I saw Katie Holmes' "So You Think You Can Dance?" clip on YouTube. I thought she was channeling Michael Jackson more than Judy Garland. The outfit looked like something he would wear...all she needed was a sparkly glove. And the answer, Katie, is "No. You can't dance."

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-35260600857774888042009-07-19T19:51:00.001-04:002009-07-19T19:51:13.467-04:00

THE author, as you might have figured out, is an author. He'll always be THE author to me. I have been after him for sometime time now to start a blog around his latest book. He gives me all the excuses...I don't have the time...I can't commit to daily or weekly entries...I don't think it will sell books...how do people even find your blog? I have given him my advise, but I do think he would

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-3662298421487440862009-07-09T21:14:00.002-04:002009-07-09T21:58:09.620-04:00

THE author bought me an early birthday present...a free standing hammock. My brother-in-law had one at their lake house and I loved to lay there, read my book, and sway in the breeze. Well, we got it home and I thought a good place for it would be on the screened in deck off the kitchen. I didn't realize that we had picked up the LARGE hammock...the two-man hammock...and not like that is really

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-202059688069858252009-07-08T16:44:00.003-04:002009-07-08T16:57:55.408-04:00

Nice....A Philadelphia swim club, The Valley Club, reneged on a commitment to accept inner-city children once a week to use their pool. After just one trip by the children, the club returned the check saying the kids, "changed the complexion and the atmosphere of the club." Most of the children were black or Hispanic. Gee, I'm not so sure I would use the word complexion at the same time you're

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-3975366782527265322009-07-05T17:57:00.002-04:002009-07-05T18:00:27.096-04:00

Gawd, if I have to hear or see Sarah Palin one more time, I may just off myself. Her resignation speech made about as much sense as any of her interviews with the network news during the election. She should have stayed with being a weather girl or sports news reciter.

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-39486259085878919952009-03-15T19:23:00.001-04:002009-03-15T19:23:51.805-04:00

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-26067273190598659262009-02-27T13:49:00.004-05:002009-02-27T13:56:36.615-05:00

Here is THE author playing the music he will be performing at his recital next weekend.

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-67169504393853208542009-01-27T22:14:00.004-05:002009-01-27T23:02:16.661-05:00

Jason brought little Gavin over yesterday afternoon for a visit. Despite what it looks like, I am NOT nursing the baby! We're both just napping. When Jase started giving me crap about the nursing thing, I reminded him that he didn't bring Gavin over just to see me and THE author. He brought Gavin over so that I would babysit all afternoon while he played Xbox. It was a hardship, but I endured it.

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-65997458524005037102009-01-25T01:29:00.002-05:002009-01-25T01:37:57.203-05:00

I was feeling a bit scruffy today so I dropped into the local salon for a quick haircut. Since most of my hair left me in my late twenties, the actual haircut only takes about 6 minutes. I like it super short on the sides, (I'd go with a totally shaved head, but THE author said that all my belongings would be in tuperware tubs on the front porch if I ever came home with one.) and shave all the

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-5304381535765424572009-01-20T14:25:00.005-05:002009-01-20T14:29:08.504-05:00

It occurred to me as I watched the Inauguration of President Obama, and as they wheeled out the Dick, that he reminded me of Mr. Potter from It's a Wonderful Life.

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-84242846552336936112009-01-13T17:58:00.002-05:002009-01-13T18:01:00.339-05:00

Please God, No. Why can't this fool just go quietly into the night...George W. Bush will you please go now!The time has come.The time has come.The time is now.Just go.Go.Go!I don't care how.You can go by foot.You can go by cow.George W. Bush will you please go now!You can go on skates.You can go on skis.You can go in a hat.ButPlease go.Please!I don't care.You can goBy bike.You can goOn a

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-52093309186444839022008-12-24T10:40:00.001-05:002008-12-24T10:40:55.444-05:00

This is THE author playing the harp last night...

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-6816618538481613472008-12-22T20:31:00.002-05:002008-12-22T20:31:57.179-05:00

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-16422656877406205202008-12-19T11:54:00.004-05:002008-12-19T12:00:43.514-05:00

Dear Mr. Beliveau, The choice of Rick Warren to the deliver the invocation at the Inauguration is travesty. After eight miserable years under Bush, I was so looking forward to a change. But having Warren is like a kick to the stomach for us in the gay community after working so hard to help elect President-elect Obama. I've heard all the arguments on why Warren was selected and

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-92193001472023523682008-12-17T15:48:00.004-05:002008-12-17T16:04:01.366-05:00

I saw a bumpersticker this morning that made me chuckle...January 20, 2009...The End of and ErrorI also came across this quote today..."As democracy is perfected, the office of the presidents represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-61138900194702221402008-12-14T11:21:00.002-05:002008-12-14T11:25:57.693-05:00

Lucy the cockapoo and Missy the Maltese were groomed on Friday. THE author grabbed the camera and caught this pose of the poochies. They usually never just stand around in one place.

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-70420577565959413052008-12-13T14:38:00.011-05:002008-12-13T15:14:52.144-05:00

Cross stitching my brains out, trying to get this done to give a present for Christmas. Also THE author gave me Corel's Painter program and I have been goofing around with that software in my spare time.It's based on an old postcard. In the pattern his eyes were brown and I changed them to blue. I'm pleased with the way it turned out. THE author helped pick out the mat color and it looks almost

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-46363522926822256572008-12-02T16:26:00.003-05:002008-12-02T16:33:20.222-05:00

...to my favorite vampire...rather to the actor who portrayed him...Jonathan Frid.

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-82385071229577844002008-12-01T14:00:00.001-05:002008-12-01T14:01:46.838-05:00

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-44692647720889333602008-11-21T23:25:00.002-05:002008-11-21T23:42:07.822-05:00

Besides the news that the Nebraska State Legislature amended the Safe Haven law to only include infants up to 30 days old, it was also reported that the dreaded Valentine Nebraska Butt Bandit has been arrested. Since Spring of 2007 someone in the town of Valentine has been leaving greasy butt cheek impressions on store and church windows. Are buttprints like fingerprints... different for each

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-86828658856586878722008-11-13T14:37:00.003-05:002008-11-13T15:02:34.176-05:00

Last month was a blur, because it was royalty time. Time to pay the authors...numbering over a hundred now. Some good news is that our Spring books are finished and printed, and we are starting work on our titles for Fall.THE author and his fellow harpists played at convent yesterday afternoon for all the little old retired nuns. The harp group also will play Christmas carols in the lobby of the

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-6557225232620376762008-11-04T23:54:00.001-05:002008-11-05T03:15:29.793-05:00

Congratulations to President Barack Obama!

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-69679243414331036832008-10-31T21:33:00.007-05:002008-10-31T21:55:20.026-05:00

It's been a busy month...and I will be happy to whine about what's been going on in a later post. But for Halloween, I set my zombie crawling out of the ground, in front the house. Added some mini-strobe lights with sounds of thunder and wailing. Zombie is life-sized and his eyes are quite life-like. To the point that small children running up to the house would see him, stop dead in their

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-32105829324011416932008-10-29T22:27:00.000-05:002008-10-29T22:29:06.444-05:00

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-55726154724004363862008-10-16T14:02:00.002-04:002008-10-16T14:08:44.078-04:00

Very busy in the office working on the royalties this week, but took a few minutes this morning to snap a couple of pictures of the maple trees in the front yard. Looks like a beautiful, crisp day and I am stuck in the office....

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-5303952074489216712008-10-05T16:23:00.003-04:002008-10-05T16:29:34.159-04:00

Sarah Palin is speaking in town tonight. I'll skip that mess. I had to control my projectile vomiting during her debate last week. And what the hell was up with all the winking she was doing during the debate? I wanted to scream at the tv. That's not folksy, Sarah..that's Tourette's syndrome!

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-84020448194239198982008-09-30T18:01:00.002-04:002008-09-30T18:11:27.132-04:00

Well, THE author went under the knife again yesterday on his shoulder. This is his third surgery on his left shoulder that was injured three years ago in a bicycle accident. His surgery was done out-patient, and laproscopically. His new doc went in and took out scar tissue around the bone, cleaned out the bursa, removed the plate and six screws from his first surgery. Different this time, is that

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-65937637156680099932008-09-25T16:16:00.005-04:002008-09-25T16:29:53.604-04:00

Our state recently passed an new Safe Haven law, that allows caregivers to abandon children at any state-licensed hospital without fear of prosecution. It was initially intended to protect infants — like similar laws in other states — but was amended to include children and teenagers. So now what is happening? Parents and guardians are dumping their unruly children at local hospitals. Today a

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-2653792035761320642008-09-21T12:25:00.002-04:002008-09-21T13:40:43.944-04:00

Jace and the Moll were going to a wedding last night, and they asked me to babysit grandson,Gavin. Of course I was delighted. Walt has been calling me the couple of weeks and asking me to guess where she was. Of course she was being grandma and was babysitting each time. I brought a book to read, and some dvds to watch, but I was barely able to be able eat the dinner I brought along. Gavin wanted

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-6754941615600713222008-09-19T11:16:00.003-04:002008-09-19T11:18:51.183-04:00

Michael Chiklis and LA Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-39401122726674035462008-09-17T15:06:00.002-04:002008-09-17T15:20:48.207-04:00

I am fuming right now. I received a phone call and a fax from American Solutions and Newt Gingrich. In big bold letters across the fax was DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS. I took the call, listened to Newt outright lie about China drilling off the coast of Cuba, and how "Wah...," the poor oil companies couldn't drill off the coast of the U.S. or in the Rocky Mountains. (I assume he means ANWR)

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-67325547413487556872008-08-28T14:11:00.002-04:002008-08-28T14:44:14.299-04:00

Looks like it is John Travolta from his Staying Alive days...(click on the pic for a larger view...)

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-62533394118384469212008-08-26T00:11:00.002-04:002008-08-26T00:14:56.429-04:00

On the 15th of this month, my son Jace graduated from college. Since his wife, the Moll was due with their first child any day, they thought they would hold off on any celebrations for his graduation. THE author, and the ex-wife, Walt thought that once the baby came, they never would get around to celebrating his great achievement. My back has been out for nearly a month now, so I was basically

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-1338949312590404782008-08-11T23:20:00.003-04:002008-08-11T23:28:54.109-04:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan;

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-77670200504614749152008-07-16T00:09:00.005-04:002008-07-16T00:27:47.664-04:00

A year ago I blogged about going to the Dark Shadows Festival in Tarrytown, NY and that I hung out with the Collinsport Players. They are fans of the show who at every fest put on a comedy skit about the show acting as some of the characters of the show. I stood in for one of the actors during rehearsal and had such a fun time with the group that I expressed interest in being involved with the

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-72473075223906006702008-07-14T19:45:00.004-04:002008-07-14T19:50:17.363-04:00

Ricky MartinJerry Lewis

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-73114441063340566572008-07-10T22:13:00.003-04:002008-07-11T09:52:57.099-04:00

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fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-86299828340296125762008-06-30T21:50:00.004-04:002008-07-02T13:54:44.910-04:00

Sometimes I think my blog here is starting to sound like it's being written by my grandfather. All I seem to talk about is the weather. Next I suppose I will be regaling readers with aches and pains and trips to the doctor. Mmmm...too late. But seriously, the weather this spring and summer have been whack. The area has been in a drought for the last five years, with the temps starting to warm up

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-26747561843680426512008-06-22T14:22:00.006-04:002008-06-22T14:33:02.740-04:00

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fstclssnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-15934202708137915942008-06-12T09:56:00.001-04:002008-06-12T09:58:02.407-04:00

Did anyone really talk to Dale Earnhardt Jr before the NASCAR champ took money and allowed his face to be tacked on to a candybar called …well, just look for yourself. It’s dark — and it’s king size. I pray, oh how I pray he does TV commercials for this product:“I know I’m in the winner’s circle when I get a mouthful of that chocolaty goodness with a creamy caramel center.”(Courtesy of

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-65101508220145647562008-06-12T01:19:00.001-04:002008-06-12T01:20:29.155-04:00

Another evening of running for cover as tornadoes and storms blew through the area. The weather started getting bad about 6pm. So bad that THE author and I carried his harp down to the lower level and secured our computer back up drives for the business. The sirens went off about 6 times tonight. But the news that a tornado ran through a Boy Scout camp 40 miles to the north of us left us

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-45358349605484019292008-06-11T12:53:00.000-04:002008-06-11T12:54:47.266-04:00

THE author and I were eating our delicious dinner of poached chicken and roasted vegetables, when I noticed a disparity in the vegetables on our respective plates. I had more red, yellow, and green peppers and no carrots. He on the other hand was awash with carrots and no peppers. I did at that moment something I rarely do. I stole some carrots from his plate and gave him some of my peppers. You

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-3237177090763980722008-06-08T19:02:00.007-04:002008-06-10T23:06:02.181-04:00

I saw this life-size statue, lawn ornament in a catalog a couple of years ago. Every time a new catalog would arrive, there he would be staring up at me. I thought he would look scary in the courtyard in front of the house at Halloween. I finally broke down and bought him. I set him up in the corner of the living room. Both THE author and I have been startled by him walking through the room and

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-86012950713681098042008-05-30T00:23:00.003-04:002008-05-30T00:30:04.032-04:00

THE author is at the Book Expo in Los Angeles this weekend so it is me and the poochies minding the store. I'm doing most of the work as usual. Lazy dogs. I ran some errands today...the bank...the post office, and I stopped at Toys R Us to see if the new Batman movie action figures had come in yet. I followed a mom and her young son into the store, and as the little guy entered he told his

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-7244435284302021122008-05-15T10:32:00.005-04:002008-05-15T10:39:16.971-04:00

I awoke this morning, stumbled into the bathroom to take care of business and I’m standing there, watching what I am doing, making sure I’m not hitting the walls or the floor and I notice out of the corner of my eye, a grey hair on my chest. It’s not the first grey hair I’ve seen on my chest, mind you, but this one was sticking straight out and the end was split in two. Great…I’m not only old but

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-20392258694879474622008-05-03T10:54:00.010-04:002008-05-03T10:59:15.937-04:00

Regular readers of this blog, (that would be you, Homer, and I think, only you. Thank you, by the way.) know that I quit working for the airlines almost six years ago. Yesterday, I received an email from one of my passengers, J.J. He was checking in for a flight at least seven years ago, and I noticed a tattoo in progress on his right arm. What caught my eye was the subject he had chosen for his

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-23845682776064551502008-05-01T17:03:00.001-04:002008-05-01T17:05:32.444-04:00

Probably a Premature Ejaculator, too.

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-22654578831193200572008-04-10T13:32:00.004-04:002008-04-10T13:50:32.416-04:00

I am so freaking sick of the winter weather that I could scream. Today we have had wind, rain, thunder, and now it is snowing. What? No locusts or frogs? If you need me I will be out in the backyard building an ark. How big is a cubit?Today has been doggypoluza at the house. We've trained Lucy not to be a barker, but Missy loves to yip at anything. ANYTHING! We found a wonderful dog groomer that

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-51893700880317394432008-03-19T14:29:00.003-04:002008-03-19T14:52:52.219-04:00

About a month ago THE author and I found a cute Maltese at the Humane Society. We were thinking that maybe Lucy our cockapoo would like to have some company. The Maltese who we named Missy had been dropped off in the overnight drop at the Humane Society so they had no information on her. She was housebroken and they said she appeared to be about two years old. We're thinking she's closer to just

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-91424831839430613852008-03-13T09:22:00.001-05:002008-03-13T09:24:52.276-05:00

Geraldine Ferraro thinks she deserves an apology. Okay, here's my apology:Gerry, I'm sorry...that you are a bigot.(Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!)

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-88172618215016140222008-03-02T21:07:00.001-05:002008-03-02T21:56:36.032-05:00

The winter here as well as elsewhere in the world has been nasty. We have had snow on the ground every day since a week before Thanksgiving. An although there have been occasional days of thawing, we continue to have dirty gray icebergs of snow laying across curbsides and in yards. On Saturday it actually warmed up to the high 50s and without the wind it felt like Spring. The walkers, and

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-72834675850300102292008-02-11T22:03:00.000-05:002008-02-11T22:14:02.499-05:00

Den and I went to see The Pipes, Drums, and Highland Dancers of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the Band of the Coldstream Guards yesterday afternoon at the concert hall. Den and I couldn't decide which was more stirring...the sound of bagpipes or the cute Scots in kilts aplaying the bagpipes. We chatted one of them up in the lobby before the show. He was selling programs. Another came round

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-4690083986564955992008-02-07T12:30:00.000-05:002008-02-07T12:32:34.518-05:00

Culture week continues as THE author and I attended a musical concert with Mikey last Thursday night. We dined at a very nice Italian restaurant in the old market area of downtown. It had snowed the day before and we walked from the restaurant through the park to the concert hall. It was brisk but nice. The concert was very interesting because it was an orchestra without a conductor. I love

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-83459905591734092008-01-29T21:37:00.000-05:002008-01-29T21:38:37.497-05:00

I smoked for about ten years and quit with the use of a calculator. It wasn’t really a calculator, but was about the size of one. Actually, it was the size of a credit card, but about a quarter inch thick. For the first two weeks, every time you lit up, you pressed the button on the front of the calculator. After two weeks, the calculator would chime and tell you when you could smoke. The time

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-25909571111483334392008-01-29T12:06:00.000-05:002008-01-29T12:15:47.975-05:00

Jace sent me a picture of the Moll's ultrasound of the baby, my first grandchild. Herefore to be named, Pnut. I like the way they added the word baby to the picture, just to make sure you know what is what.

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-49402517970392469142008-01-24T18:44:00.000-05:002008-01-24T18:45:18.253-05:00

Find out Which Lost Character Are You at LiquidGeneration.com!

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-1412410727408581452008-01-21T00:25:00.000-05:002008-01-21T00:59:12.596-05:00

One book off to the printers...check. One book ready to index...check. 1099's sent to all the authors...check. Sent info on next Fall's books to distributor...check. Okay, actually I asked for an extension on the last one because I am waiting for a couple authors to actually sign and return their contracts. That was my week last week.Most of the books we publish are health books, and through the

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-59010398136107230222008-01-06T23:07:00.000-05:002008-01-06T23:15:56.480-05:00

Thursday night THE author and I headed downtown to meet Mikey at his apartment, then went to the old market area for dinner. It was cold, but thankfully, no wind. We had a delightful dinner at Em's pub, then visited a couple of shops. We then went back to Mikey's for dessert...mince pie and coffee. What a treat! Mikey also showed me his inversion table. A contraption that you lay on and you can

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-26388221436479692492008-01-03T00:25:00.000-05:002008-01-03T00:40:13.183-05:00

Jace and the Moll haven't decided on any baby names, so THE author and I were knocking around a few tonight. The one I came up with was my old boss's name. Vilus Eugene. He went by the name, Bud. He always signed his checks V.E. but wouldn't tell his employees what the V.E. stood for. I finally wheedled the truth out of one his daughters that worked with us. THE author had an Uncle named June.

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-90839112231332023042007-12-31T17:58:00.000-05:002007-12-31T18:48:17.529-05:00

Today, I wasn't in the best of moods. Small, insubstantial things happened this week and I kept dwelling on them, forcing me further into the grumps. A funeral to go to at 8am this morning didn't help matters, but I wanted to go to support my friend Linda. Her dad passed away after a quick illness at the age of 86. The funeral was out of town, and THE author and I arrived back home at 1pm. I

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-91201890146493650232007-12-27T14:40:00.000-05:002007-12-27T14:58:03.439-05:00

It's been a busy month and I haven't much time to post. Two books are in production and one of them is a month or so late. It should be ready to go the printers tomorrow.I did most of my Christmas shopping online this year so I didn't have to venture out into the crowds too much. Jason, Moll, and Liss came over on the Sunday before Christmas and we celebrated early. I scored the Simpson's dvd and

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-23208367713146796812007-12-08T17:17:00.000-05:002007-12-08T17:27:02.450-05:00

After a couple of days of non-stop local tv coverage of the Omaha shootings, things are returning to what passes for normal. Some of the funerals will begin on Monday. Today I was throwing out last weekend papers, and came across last Saturday's paper and it featured a half-page article on the Charley Starkweather murders from years ago. THE author and I were wondering if the Von Maur killer had

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-52995426821632367402007-12-06T11:46:00.000-05:002007-12-08T17:16:54.402-05:00

We’re all in shock around here. Yesterday afternoon my dad called and asked if we had heard about the shooting at a Mall here in Omaha. He said that CNN was reporting that an unknown shooter or shooters were firing on shoppers at Westroads Mall. I hung up and turned on the local channels. THE author and I sat dumbfounded at what was going on. Bits and pieces of information came out all

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-4682181245625295672007-12-05T20:20:00.001-05:002007-12-05T20:46:34.217-05:00

Dad called me today and was filling me in on the preparations for Evel Knievel's funeral service back in Butte. A tasteful affair featuring a public viewing at the Civic Center and fireworks. The ornate tombstone will also be on display. Speaking of the Civic Center, Dad reminded me of the story of Mom and Bobby Knievel. Dad called him Bobby, because he knew that Evel wanted everyone to to call

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-9500431277552216852007-12-05T00:42:00.000-05:002007-12-05T01:01:33.053-05:00

I think I'll pick up a lottery ticket tomorrow...I'm feeling lucky. I mentioned previously that I picked up tickets for Phantom of the Opera for THE author and I when the musical comes to town next month. Liss was awful whiny the last time the show came to town and she was the only one who hadn't seen it, so I bought her and I tickets to see it one night also. It'll be a late Christmas gift for

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-36420000427110416092007-12-01T22:57:00.000-05:002007-12-05T20:19:57.890-05:00

My dad was a racer...over the years he raced stock cars, motorcycles, go-carts, and snowmobiles. Growing up I spent many weekends with my family at his races. I mostly remember the go-cart races...it was real hot sport in those years. Dad a corner bookcase filled with hundreds of trophies, mostly from the the go-carts. He spent most of his free time working in the detached garage all year long,

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-11136892557090082112007-11-30T10:35:00.000-05:002007-11-30T10:54:47.931-05:00

According to the local newscast weather report it appears that the annual "Ice Capades of the Midwest" will be making its yearly visit to our fair city. Cars, trucks, minivans, and all other assorted vehicles will be doing double axles and triple jumps tomorrow morning.In my old neighborhood, we lived on a hilly, brick street. Our dining room was a converted front porch with Cape Cod windows that

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-41382932616176421122007-11-28T11:57:00.000-05:002007-11-28T12:32:27.107-05:00

Our neighborhood was rather small when I was a kid. It kinda jutted out on the side of a hilly area and encompassed about 6 by 2 blocks. On the three sides were hills of sage brush, wild flowers, and baby's breath. There were only three houses on my block, if you could call it a block. The street was paved, but there were no sidewalks, or curbs, and one lonely streetlight at the end of the street

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-22250760533572305542007-11-18T16:53:00.000-05:002007-11-23T14:59:38.328-05:00

Friday night we attended a commitment ceremony of the daughter of one of our editors. The ceremony was small with just close friends and family. The reception was held at a favorite Italian restaurant and it was a crush of people. Great food, wine, and friends. I took quite a few pictures for the newlyweds...I just need to take out the red eyes. I really need to invest in a new camera.I spent

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-72473078724197097172007-11-06T21:44:00.000-05:002007-11-06T21:59:19.703-05:00

A blissfully free weekend. THE author and I did go to a concert on Saturday at a small music hall at the college. His harp teacher is the harpist for the city's symphony and she was doing a harp solo. We went with a small group of her students and were late arriving due to parking problems. It was general seating but we ended up in the front row right in front of the orchestra and right in front

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-37442734394249345022007-10-31T21:46:00.000-05:002007-10-31T22:11:56.736-05:00

Well, the Trick-or-Treaters were few and far in between tonight...one little girl was afraid of my lightening and fog machine. I have bags of candy left over...there goes the diet. Next year I must buy candy that I don't like. Nah...It's all good. I set out my Barnabas Collins figures on the landing shelf for the Mad Hatter's Party. (Note to THE author...yes they are figures NOT dolls...figures,

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-4377757824374945462007-10-28T00:15:00.000-05:002007-10-30T19:47:40.980-05:00

I was a bit anxious about the Mad Hatter's Party on Saturday. The house was immaculate, the caterer exceeded our expectations, and the keyboardist was set up to play. I laid out Marcus the carcass in the front courtyard and set up the fog machine. It was a still night and the fog machine hung around the front door like smoke. I thought maybe the fire department would show up as some point during

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-28955046020251510922007-10-21T13:15:00.000-04:002007-10-21T14:16:07.449-04:00

Another fairly busy week went by. The weekend was quite interesting too. Once a year, a harp repairman comes to the area to work on harps. THE author volunteered the use of our house for musicians to drop off their harps to be regulated or repaired. The repairman started at 8am and finished about 5pm on both Friday and Saturday. We moved the bed from the guest bedroom for his use, and used the

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-6835347016436123892007-10-15T21:46:00.000-04:002007-10-15T22:06:11.351-04:00

I feel like Noah as the rain has been steadily pouring for the last four days. It smells like fish outdoors. I saw several worms crawling on to the side walk to dry out. I swear I saw one of them pounding his fist on the ground, screaming, "Enough with the rain, Bitch!" The lousy weather kept me in over the weekend, and I managed to finish a couple of indexes for two books for another publisher.

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-90490098268613733172007-10-11T10:49:00.000-04:002007-10-11T11:00:14.584-04:00

Things are piling up. I have to finish 6 illustrations by next Monday for a book that is finished except for the artwork. Another publisher asked me to do indexes for two of her books. She needs them by Monday. Royalties are due by the end of the month and I haven't even looked at them yet. Our second annual Mad Hatter's Party is coming up at the end of the month. We had to cancel last year's

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-55281185137788071762007-10-09T19:47:00.001-04:002007-10-09T20:25:19.390-04:00

THE author and I spent a four-day weekend in Montana visiting my parents. Whenever we go to his childhood home town, he takes me on a tour. It's a small town and I have the tour memorized. So it was payback time as I took him around Butte, Montana. I delighted in pointing out the empty lots saying, "And thats where my school used to be...my house used to be..." THE author thought it would still

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-55697287110801859802007-09-29T11:54:00.000-04:002007-09-29T12:08:42.142-04:00

So far it has been a quieter weekend than last. THE author and I flew to Chicago Friday for a one day trip to a harp manufacturer. He was checking out petal harps. He purchased a lever harp a few months ago and thought he wouldn't need a larger harp, but as his skills ( and wow, the guy can play!) have increased, so has his need for a petal harp. With a lever harp to make sharps and flats, you

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-36203571558702028742007-09-26T16:31:00.000-04:002007-09-26T16:36:19.708-04:00

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-84863334454239822122007-09-24T21:15:00.000-04:002007-09-24T21:33:13.203-04:00

THE author took an evening drive. Drug store and to Office Depot for some supplies. Coming home, we heard sirens and saw flashing lights up the street. There was fire engine next to a car in a store parking lot and the paramedics were working on someone on the passenger side. We kept our gawking to a minimum and continued down the street. We came over a hill and police were blocking the road and

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-12268216437726261062007-09-12T21:45:00.000-04:002007-09-12T23:05:42.062-04:00

I think everyone has a favorite movie they saw as child, seen later as an adult turns out not to be such a great movie. For me it was Irwin Allen's Five Weeks in a Balloon. Most of the movie I had seen a movie theater up until I saw this one, were Saturday kids matinées. The equivalent of a weekend babysitter. Get to the theater at noon and walk home about 5pm. It was 3 or 4 Three Stooges shorts,

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-79348420121511375812007-09-09T15:34:00.000-04:002007-09-09T15:50:19.715-04:00

It's been a working weekend. I just finished sending the book descriptions to the distributor for Spring. And like I've said before, describing the features of books that have yet to be written, and mostly pulling the information out of my ass. I sent the tif files of the cover artwork on Friday and sent the last book description this morning. Then off to the back room to send out review copies

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-7207053759788058152007-09-07T10:31:00.000-04:002007-09-07T10:37:30.926-04:00

The Ipod Touch....It's the Iphone without the phone. Drool... Internet and Itunes and WiFi. I might have to go look at this one.

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-89098025443625677332007-09-05T01:07:00.000-04:002007-09-05T01:33:54.302-04:00

While others celebrated the Labor holiday by taking in the last of the Summer festivities, I was having a liquid diet and chugging Go-Litely. Spent the latter of my holiday in the bathroom. It was all in preparation of my colonoscopy early this morning. I had one several years ago and they removed a couple of small polyps, so now I have to go back every three years. The prep the day before is

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-62146702826641058982007-08-27T22:14:00.000-04:002007-08-27T22:22:26.124-04:00

I have been having a problem with my left elbow. Some days it hurts to move it in any direction. I suppose I injured it when I shattered my right wrist in the dog/bike accident five years ago. I went back to work at the airport afterwards and favored my right arm and used my left arm to lift suitcases. My doctor prescribed a painkiller similar to Aleve but it wasn't working so he upped the dose.

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-78722233875457153462007-08-24T16:46:00.000-04:002007-08-24T17:10:31.957-04:00

Books have seasons...Spring and Fall. In order to get a book in the pipeline for catalogs, Internet sales, and promotion, you need to have: The manuscript, a fully designed front cover, author biographies, author photos, and a snazzy description of the book, at least six months in advance of its release. I am now having to come up with descriptions of books, that haven't even been entirely

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-57800602646699064512007-08-20T23:25:00.000-04:002007-08-20T23:37:39.232-04:00

My DS weekend came to an end and I was up at 5am to get to the White Plains airport. I was a bit nervous because the weather report from last night said to expect rain both at New York and Chicago. Whenever there is bad weather, there are delays. My flight boarded and left the gate ontime, however the plane stopped on the tarmac and I knew we were in trouble when they shut down one engine. The

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-21573309946066046832007-08-19T13:54:00.001-04:002007-08-20T23:24:06.025-04:00

It's Sunday afternoon and I am enjoying a quiet day after three fantastic days at the Dark Shadows Festival. I have been to several of the Fests over the years and I am usually quiet and shy but have good time. This Fest, I had a blast and met all sorts of interesting people...stars and fans. I was incredibly lucky the entire Fest.Friday afternoon after enjoying the bus trip to Lyndhurst I came

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-42096232002843686302007-08-17T11:58:00.000-04:002007-08-20T23:24:25.613-04:00

We'll my flights went without a hitch and I arrived in White Plains about 4pm. I checked in an took a nap until about 5:30. I went downstairs to find the ballroom to ge t my bearings for Friday's first day of the DarK Shadows Festival. There were already small groups of fans visiting. I found where most of the festivities were going to be held and I recognized someone I met at previous fests in

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-43156918103800316262007-08-14T00:49:00.000-04:002007-08-14T01:06:48.438-04:00

I spent most of last week getting material ready for our new catalog. We're in the process of signing some new authors so as I was doing the layout for the catalog, THE author would come by and add titles. I finally got the files off to the actual designer on Saturday. Then I spent the rest of the day working on an Index for another publisher. It was a business book and went fairly fast. I

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-14606096481346327642007-08-07T01:02:00.000-04:002007-08-07T01:23:42.570-04:00

Last week I was whoring around on eBay and won a bid for some Dark Shadows items. The small yet heavy box arrived in today's mail. I bought the collection because it had some things that I wanted to add to my collection. But I really enjoyed going through the box because it was like opening a time capsule. The items all belonged to one collector. A hardback edition of one of the first books

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-77005447324419863872007-08-06T01:10:00.000-04:002007-08-06T01:43:28.132-04:00

Tuesday was my birthday and I was awakened by THE author playing "Happy Birthday" on the harp. He had downloaded the sheet music for it the day before and had been up early Tuesday morning practicing it for me. On the kitchen table was a potted palm tree and some festive gift bags for me. He's a sweet, generous, wonderful man, my author!I planned to work in the office all day, but my son Jace

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-91835476343990743502007-08-01T15:53:00.000-04:002007-08-01T15:58:46.120-04:00

Whenever I hear either Gonzo or Rummy under oath and stating "I don't recall." to Congress, I want to have them shipped off to Guantanamo Bay to undergo some CIA approved waterboarding. Let's see how much they remember after almost drowning...

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-12673998495152821752007-07-27T12:21:00.000-04:002007-08-20T23:24:51.422-04:00

Variety is reporting that Johnny Depp's production company has signed a deal with Dan Curtis Productions to produce and star in a film based on Dark Shadows. Depp who has said in an interview years ago that while his friends wanted to be fireman when they grew up, he wanted to be Barnabas Collins. It could be several years before the film hits the theaters. I am hopin' that he cuts back on the

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-57236901119418689882007-07-25T00:33:00.001-04:002007-07-25T00:36:46.980-04:00

Jimbo posted a picture of himself and I just had to play with it. I always thought of him as the warrior type...

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-57858902952664013502007-07-24T14:58:00.000-04:002007-07-24T14:59:20.301-04:00

These things only happen to THE author. And he usually turns them into a classic Lucy and Ethel moment. He volunteered to pick up his former neighbor’s dog and take it to the pet store for kenneling while the neighbor went on vacation. The neighbor was leaving early in the morning before the pet store opened. THE author went over to the neighbor’s house and picked up the pooch, and securely

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-43345937056975263212007-07-20T15:44:00.000-04:002007-07-20T16:27:27.581-04:00

I've been tagged by Chas for eight random things meme. As per instructions here are the rules:THE RULES1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.3. People who are tagged write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-18202489364349880472007-07-01T13:29:00.000-04:002007-07-01T14:18:09.556-04:00

THE author went back under the knife this week. Actually his operation was laproscopic and he now sports three small holes in his shoulder. It was all done on an outpatient basis. He was in at ten in the morning and out by two p.m. He thought the word "outpatient" was quite correct. They zipped him in and out. He said it should be "OUT...patient!", "Get OUT."He's been having a lot of pain in his

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-16526672367943147772007-06-15T10:56:00.000-04:002007-06-15T11:04:47.578-04:00

Yesterday, Liss dropped by the house for a visit. I was just leaving the house to run errands and she came along. A quick stop at the bank, post office, and the grocery store. At the grocery store, I was there to buy, not shop, and I was whizzing my cart up and down the aisles. Liss was complaining that I was walking too fast. She said she couldn't keep up with my long strides. I lost her a

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3997755.post-2796436872005941752007-06-08T11:08:00.000-04:002007-06-08T11:09:41.563-04:00

Vista is pretty, but it sucks. One of our editor’s home computer was misbehaving and she ended up buying a new one. Her old one had some major problems—it was old, ran on Windows98, the cd rom was shot, and was displaying the “blue screen of death” on a regular basis. Since I spend most of my days on the computer, I am suddenly the resident computer expert, whether the title is deserved or not.

fstclssnoreply@blogger.com1