Friday, August 31, 2012

The Alphabet Game

Hiyas everyone,

I don't actually have a lot of time to write this afternoon, but I at least wanted to post something.  So, here's something. :P  I've been thinking for a couple of days now of what I'd like to post on my next few blogs and I thought I'd write something along the lines of the Alphabet Game.  A is for apple and so on...you get the idea, but instead of it being as simple as that each letter will have something to do with my writing or something out of my life.

So, the first two letters:

A is for animals.  The other day I was heading off for work and before I left the house, I saw four hawks hitting the wind currents.  They soared above the house and I rushed back into the house calling out for my parents to come witness this spectacle.  When we returned we could also hear the hawks crying out to their mates near them.  We watched for as long as we could and soon they had reached such height as to be barely visible to the naked eye.  It was an awesome sight to behold.  Seeing them grouped together like that is one thing around Tucson that can't be beat any time soon.  It did make me go into my world though and think about a possible scene to be played out in my writing.

B is for busy.  In my last post I had mentioned something about being in Colorado for vacation.  I have not had a day with my just being home the whole time since at least a couple of days before the trip and next Wednesday is probably the next time I'll have that chance in the future.  In few minutes in fact, I'll be heading up to Phoenix for a meeting.  I would love to have a moment of down time sooner than Wednesday, but t'ain't gonna happen.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Wacky Wednesday post

Well, here I am finally in Camp Kukamonga....Ok, ok, actually, just on vacation up in Estes Park, CO. and having a blast.  I use to live up here and have a huge connection to Rocky Mountain National Park and Grand Lake on the west side of the park. So, a lot of fond memories have been shared with my parents and I!!!  It's been busy here, but also before getting here with work.  Anyhow, tomorrow is going to be our easy going, no planned day and I'll probably write some.  There will be a couple of more days on this trip that I'll also have a chance to write.  When I have more of a chance I'll write another post on the topic of writing.  Not sure what it'll be yet and probably won't decide that until I get to writing it.  So, with that being said I am dedicating tonight's post to wacky stuff and trivia!!!

1. Reno, Nevada is west of Los Angeles, California!!!
2. This day in history, 1948 is the founding of the Republic of South Korea and is known as Gwangbokjeol day.
3. This day is also the day in 1969 when the Woodstock Music and Art Festival.
4. Napoleon was born in 1769, Julia Child in 1912 and Ben Affleck in 1972 on this day.

Joke of the day:  Men are like pillows.  Eventually, even the best ones get soft and lumpy.

Ok, here's one that's a true story, a bit funny and yet sad.  There are a ton of elk that live in Estes Park.  One of the male elk has a strand of Christmas lights dangling from his huge rack of horns.  We're not sure how long they have been wrapped around them, but he wanders the town with them.

Another fun(ny) thing that has come out of this trip.  This week is the week that one of my mom's ex-bosses is retiring from being the head of a private charter school and we've been up here to celebrate with him at the school.  One of the topics of conversation that has gone on is about my parents reconnecting.  My parents had been married for 20 years and then divorced for 25 years or so.  Now they have been back together for a year.  One of my mom's co-workers commented on the fact that it's kind of PC and said that their being a couple again is like recycling and thus has become a green relationship!!!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Strayer Blackhawk, the most unlucky thief

Well, a couple of days go by.  Busier than I thought I'd be.  So, here I am.  As promised, finally.

Strayer Blackhawk was a thief in the land of Perenia.  He left home with a partially filled backpack and two throwing axes.  He met up with a band of the most unlikely of characters, an amazon, a viking berserker type, a fastidiously clean elven poof and a healer.

One of the first things that happened was while trying to recover this locked treasure box he released a poison needle trap that nearly killed him.  If it weren't for the healer being nearby he'd have died.  That was the first time he'd trigger a trap, but it certainly wasn't his last.

Then at one point his party was running quite low on food.  Sustenance we need they said, so sustenance is what he sought for the group.  In traipsing through the forest he spotted a couple of squirrels nearby to each other.  He had his axes at the ready.  He squinted his eyes and took aim letting the axes fly.  Boy did the axes fly, they flew fast and right on target.  Would the axes hit blunt or blade that was the question?  Well, upon eyes wide open the blades hit them both and made mince meat out of the squirrels, rendering them inedible to say the least.

Lastly, they came upon this town that happened to be infested by ghouls that an evil mage had unleashed against it's citizens.  After a time of battling these monsters they discovered the source that controlled these undead creatures and it was through this ruby that was in the mages possession.  They steal the ruby but the fun keeps happening....er, the ghouls keeps coming.  It took awhile to figure out that the ruby must be destroyed, but by touching it bare-handed the ghouls find their way back to it.  Strayer actually is the one to discover this, but it's too late as the healer sets it off again.  Strayer isn't able to get to the healer or the ruby in time.

Does the case of the ruby fed ghouls spell the end of our intrepid heros?  Find out...sometime!!!

Thursday, August 2, 2012

What gets the juices flowing

Hiyas again,

Yesterday, I went up to Mount Lemmon in the Catalina Mountains, just outside of Tucson, Arizona, near where I live.  I have a couple of favorite places that I like to go up to if it's right to do so.  One is just past Summer Haven and a couple of places lower down towards the base that my best friend and I use to go to (if it's not too hot).  I found a new spot that is kind of in between.  It was nice and cool in the shade with plenty of trees and mountain side.  It's a picnic area and may have been created during the times of the CCC as a lot of places in the area have been built by them back in the 30's.  It has several rock walls that provide enclosures for picnic tables as well as retarding erosion.  It got me thinking about my book that I'm working on and the ruins that I'm going to be writing about.  It allowed me to describe how I saw the ruins in terms of terrain and what sort of animals lived there.  Are there any places that you go to to find inspiration?  Also what sorts of other things get your juices flowing to be able to sit down and write?  I know for me while I am at home I like to listen to certain music.  And depending on what I'm writing about, I'll watch certain movies or tv programs or I'll play certain games.  I'll do this especially if I am writing either fantasy or science fiction.

Well, guess that's all for now.  Tomorrow or sometime within the next couple of days I'll write about Strayer, the most unluckiest of theives.

P.s. In haste, I didn't do a very good job writing and editing this post...So, I'm actually going to do some editing this morning.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Much to do about....Blogging

Hiyas everyone,


Well, this is my first post.  I've never done one of these before, so, obviously this is a new one for me.  I can thank my best friend Mel, http://caledonialass.blogspot.com,for turning me onto this.  When I have time I'll write a little bit more about what my blogs will be about.  Suffice it to say that most of the blogs will have to do with my writing, but I also have various other interests beyond just writing.  In fact, I think I'll need the support of my friends and my readers to keep me on track with my writing.  Well, anyhow, we shall see where this all takes us.