Hope for the Species

Working in customer service, it can be very easy to find yourself having a crisis of faith when it comes to humanity. People behave like very immature, spoiled children when they don't get their way; they throw tantrums, call names, and run whining to whoever will listen over the simplest things. Like a certain bakery running out of their favorite donut. Or the fact that said bakery closes at the same time every night, or--gasp!--charges each customer the same amount for the same product.

Sometimes I feel as if I understand why the smelly guys in their great-grandfather's overcoats wander on the streets, sporting signs that explain to the rest of us crazy mortals that the world is at its end. Perhaps it's about time for another flood, the way some people behave!

But then something magical happens, most often involving my niece and nephew. For example: the two little imps are outside, playing on the trampoline. Suddenly, those inside hear the end of an altercation: My nephew storms off of the trampoline, his four-year-old brow furrowed with young anger, and hollers back at his equally upset six-year-old sister that she is "Kinda bumpy!"

One assumes, as he marches in and furiously crosses his arms and pouts, that she has made him bounce when he did not want to. The two have shouted at one another that their friendship is over; it is a done deal.

I try to explain to my nephew that all is not lost. I finally tell him that perhaps if he and his sister merely give one another a big hug, they may once again play and the Cold War may come to an end. With a final huff, he gives in and marches back outside. The two glower at one another (one on the trampoline, one on the grass) for about three seconds. Then my nephew makes a single spazzy jerk and a funny sound, and all of the sudden their giggling again, she helps him back onto the trampoline, and once more they are best friends.

I hope that ability to forgive, forget and spazz out a little never fades. And I would truly love it if we 'big kids' had the same method for solving out issues.

The Phil Innis Adventures

Hello lovely people! And even those less lovely! But not the beautiful ones...you don't need any greeting.

Life has been a whirlwind of limited but greatly occupysational activities as of late. Other than work at the bakery (it's so nice to be making money again, and seeing my pals on the workforce. The crotchety customers I could work without, though) I've been spending a lot of time writing, working on my big project.

Other than the first 'Lady Luck' (title now changed to something I haven't decided on yet) book continuing to roll around in the mill, I've been typing my little fingers to the nub working on, as you might have guessed, the Phil Innis Adventures.

I've made a lot of progress as far as actually getting the new baby on a roll. Plenty of writing, some editing, and an overall actual plan as to how it's going to work. I'll be releasing short stories and podcasts; the short stories probably at about $1 a pop for download and the podcasts for free. The plan at the moment is to have the short stories reflecting the time period before Phil becomes rooted in the city she lives in during the podcasts.

I've got synopses done for everything, so far. Now the actual writing of it all needs to happen.

Well, that's basically it. I've got the Phil Innis Adventures in the works, and if I can just discipline myself a little better it won't be five years from now that you hear about it again :)

Take care, folks!

Getting Acquainted with the Grindstone

Hello, readers!

It has been a while since I posted, which perhaps left some of you wondering whether I'd died happy in Europe.

I didn't.

Despite the best efforts of Mother Nature and mechanical errors, I made it back to Missoula in one piece and in a somewhat timely manner. I could perhaps go back and give you a few more journal entries from the trip, but I think for now I'll simply give you a summary:

(A) Paranoid people exist everywhere, so be careful about taking pictures into crowds.
(B) There are few things as fascinating as the unknown, and no better way to exercise your imagination than coming up with your own solutions to real-world mysteries.
(3) Lamb stew is yummy.
(IV) Everything has a story; if you're passionate enough about it, you can even make it interesting to others.
(Echo) I'm a lot more chill about being lost in foreign countries and not knowing entirely where I am or what I'm doing than I would have ever thought. Also, I'm a lot more brash than is perhaps conducive to a long life.
(F) Speaking a foreign language is fabulous! It means that when you're in the middle of the other side's camp, you never run out of people who want to hang out with you! Until you get sick and completely lose your voice.
(Lucky#) There's nothing better to inspire you than to literally see the world that the past masters saw; as close to seeing through their eyes as you can get.

And that's what I've come away from the trip with! And a new host of magnets. I've got some really cool ones; buildings and sites, a pirate ship, a magnetic cook book...Now all I need is a fridge to put them on!

So, now I'm back in Missoula. I start working back at the bakery soon (or so I've been told), and need to get my final assignments in before July. I've got more work done on the first Phil Innis adventure, and have started work on a second. I want to get back to getting solid work done on 'First Time's a Charm,' too. As far as writing goes, I'm chomping at the bit.

Which means, as far as you lovely half-handful of folks goes, that I shall be here far more often.

Thank you, and goodnight!