Ending the Year in the Hoosegow and Other Monday Musings

It's the 31st.  Which means I have to go to prison today.  I have to report there at 10 AM.

Ending the year in such a way does give one reflection on the year that has passed.

We are in the midst of a complicated move.  We have sold our residence of seven years, only to move to a rental house while the house we purchased is being renovated. Our possessions seemed to be scattered throughout Pierce County. The renovation is mostly being managed by Alison and her father. I am trying hard not to feel too insecure as it goes on around me, knowing I have very little understanding or ability to participate in the process.  Even color selections seem to be beyond my capabilities to provide proper input.

I have watched Benjamin grow so much this year.  He is now just ever so slightly taller than his mother.  Sometimes when I catch him out of the corner of my eye, I no longer see a boy, but a young man.  He was confirmed in our church this year, and has moved from elementary to middle school.  He has joined the band, playing a baritone horn.  He is not perfect (it would actually scare me more if he was), but he has a good heart, is polite, has a good attention span and  is intellectually curious,

My father's health shows continual decline.  It is hard to watch such a strong man be able to do less and less for himself.  But he has been able to accommodate the changes with a quiet dignity that helps remind me what a great man he is. Alison's father has had some struggles this year too, and will need to go undergo additional treatment in January.  But we are hopeful that he can beat the medical problems he has, and come back stronger than ever.  Alison's mother has retired, and is helping more with Benjamin after school.  My middle son Doug got married this year, in two beautiful ceremonies, a traditional Hindu ceremony in Atlanta, and a gorgeous beach wedding at St. Simon's.

My career in accounting has dragged steadily on, but I was able to cut back a few hours.  I have watched this blog grow from a whim to something that I steadily contribute and has steadily grown the whole year.  I also co-wrote my first full-length play, Young Robin Hood.  And helped renew my commitment to children's theater and seeing it succeed.

I have developed some new close friendships this year, better than I've in decades.  That has been a great joy.  I have to control my insecurities, and achieve the right balance between trying too hard or not trying hard enough, but I'm doing my best.  This includes both friends whom I see in person every week, and friends I have become familiar with on the Facebook machine.  It has meant reconnecting with some high school friends, including the girl that was witch to my martian in fourth grade, Dona Bow.

All in all, a pretty good year.  If only I didn't have to end it in prison.

Oh, well.

No plan is perfect!

Until next time,

T.M. Strait

P.S. - For those of you concerned, every December 31st I have to do an inventory of a commissary  of a nearby prison facility.  I should be out in a few hours.

At least. that's the plan.

Glenwood Gets Ready For A New Year

The Glenwood remodeling continues apace!  We actually now have screen  on our screened-in back porch!

The cornrt of one of the bedrooms.  Or somewhere.  Heck, I've lost track.

Not much else might be ready there, but we might be able to start coming over and taking baths.

A view from our magnificent living room.

The dining room leading out to the deck.  It has French doors.  Or maybe they're Italian.  Or counrty.  Well, they're some kind of doors.

This is the kitchen.  Nothing to cook with yet.

The Political Year That Was Saturday Political Soap Box 49

It's almost over!  2012 has rolled through and left things....pretty close to the same!

We watched a parade of Republican candidates take the forefront of the Presidential race, only in the end for the bulk of Republicans say, "Well, great!  I guess it's gonna have to be Romney."  The hatred of President Obama was so great that even those who had a great distaste for Romney set it aside and convinced themselves that he would be an alternative to the President that Independents and marginal Democrats would accept.

The President himself, never really seemed to be in danger at anytime in the year, except for one really bad debate.  Yes, the economy was not recovering fast enough, but it was beginning to dawn on people that that was due as much to Republican obstructionism as it was anything else.

Obamacare survived it's greatest challenges.  The Supreme Court upheld it.  The voters returned the President and others who had voted for it.  The remaining challenge comes from foot-dragging Governors and legislatures coming form Republican dominated states.  And they are not eliminating Obamacare - just turning more setup responsibility of the exchanges to the federal government. Forgive me, but to me it represents an unprecedented level of stubborn stupidity.

Mitt Romney (yes, I have to say it one more time - the Mittbot) proved to be an incredibly inept candidate.  Every time it seemed like he could shake his image of being an out of touch plutocrat, he would say something mammothly stupid, like the 47% remark.  And then he picked probably the most dangerous selection for Vice President in American history (and given Cheney and Palin - that's saying a lot), Paul "Ayn Rand" Ryan.It confirmed in many voter's minds that yes indeed, Republicans wanted to shred the social safety net and eliminate Medicare and Social Security.

At the Senate level, in almost every election  the tea party extremist lost to the more moderate opposition.  You would think, by now, it will have sunk into Republicans that the outside of conservatively gerrymandered Congressional districts that Tea Party  don't hunt!  Ergo, there was less change at the House lever due to the brutal gerrymandering that has been done, but we did lose Allen West (thank God!) and regain Alan Grayson (huzzah!).

Republican dominated states continued to do insane things, like making Michigan a right-to-work state.  But the general trend has been for people to wake up, smell the extremism, and move away from it.

We stand at the edge of a tea-party driven, artificial fiscal cliff.  I pray that we find a way out of this lunacy.  But there again, I don't think the Republicans are doing themselves in favors by their extremism.

There has been shift in attitude towards sensible gun control, and there is some hopes of some hope that things will be done in this area in 2013.  It is just one of the things we need to do to help us back away from the violent precipice we teeter on.

What were your political highlights (or lowlights) of the year?

History of the Trap: May Shadows Part 4

SYNOPSIS:  After being visited in prison by Morgan LaDona Tigh, Lance Martin has agreed to Dr. Duncan's request to detail what happened in the time that Lance is calling "the Trap."  Lance begins his journal by describing the morning before the trap fell, where we learn his father was the Principal of Loren High, that Lance is a Junior, and has a sister named Diane who is a sophomore.  After a couple hours at school that morning, where we see how different is relationship with Morgan is, we also meet Lance's best friend, Artie Pentler, and their gang. Just as Lance is ready to ask Ginny Estill out, the Trap falls, and they witness the horrible death of two P. E. students as they are caught in some kind of electrical storm.  The students soon realize, as April marches on, that the so-called storm is something more, and that they may be trapped at the school and it's grounds for a very long time.  As May starts up, a grizzly murder is discovered.  Mr. Franks, the substitute math teacher is found dead in a janitorial closet. The murder remains unsolved, as Lance's father and staff struggle to come to grips with events.  They decide t oschedule more activities for the students to become involved, including a dance Friday.  Lance sees a golden opportunity to try to ask Ginny to go to the dance with him.

4

I saw Ginny many times each day, often at meals or at some of the night time activities with Artie's gang.  But my only real chance to see her without the rest was in Mr. Eurich's class.  His Social Studies class was part of the reduced daily schedule we had, Monday through Friday.  She sat in the desk next to me, and it would be our one occasion to have private conversations.  She was greatly stressed about how her sister, Mary, was doing.  She missed the rest of her family and worried about how her father was.  Apparently he was having some kind of problems that she was helping him try to get through.  She wasn't very specific about what it was.

Our classroom was pretty much composed of the same students that it was on the day the storm began.  Arnold Romer was missing...we didn't know if got fried or escaped, or had just wandered to another part of the school.  There were also a dozen or so new to the classroom, reassigned from other places.  The new students included Arletta Mierkey and Lisa Carlton, whom I think wanted to be nearer her friend Sue Boschman.

It was a brief study session, writing answers to questions about The Great War, and Mr. Eurich, normally an attentive teacher, was in a bit of a fog.  That happened more and more often.  The event had changed more than just the students.  We tended to forget that it wasn't just us that lost things.  Mr. Eurich had a wife and children of his own that he must have missed tremendously. 

"Ginny, I...ah..." I tried to begin.

"Yeah, Lance? What is it?  Are you feeling all right?"  She looked at me if I was ill or upset, and she was a nurse trying to diagnose what was wrong.

"No, I'm fine.  Really, I...ah...just wanted to...ask you something."  I was sweating, and at the same time, my mouth was so dry I could hardly speak. 

"Shoot!" she said.

Shoot?  Well, that was a word she used.  It reminded him briefly that there were no firearms at the school.  Not even among the staff.  That was a great relief...didn't need to worry about that.  "Well, you may know, if you've seen the scheduling, and the posters, or heard others talking, you know, that there is something coming up soon."

"What?"  She thought for a minute, her face scrunched up, her button nose wrinkling, her lip curled slightly.  "Do you mean the dance?  Is that what you're talking about?"

I was momentarily relieved.  At least I wouldn't have to get that part out.  "Yes!  That's right! The dance!  Are you thinking about going?  Would you like to go with...."

She interrupted.  "Oh, yeah, I'm going!  I mean, like, what else is there to do?  I mean, really!  And I heard that Lynne Sweeney is going with Randy Fitch!  What is that all about?  I mean, really!  Why make this thing a date?  Why not just go with your friends and have fun?  I certainly want to tie myself to one person!"

I slumped.  Not what I was hoping to hear.  Speaking of shoot, I was shot out of the door before I could even get the words out of mouth.  She looked at me slyly, as if she had just thought of a wonderful secret.  "You know what?  I do know somebody's whose going to be there that I'm dying to see on the dance floor!"

My heart skipped a beat.  The way she was looking at me, it had to be..."Artie!" she exclaimed. "He can't use his parents as an excuse to come!  He'll have to come!  Boy!  I can't wait to see him cut a rug!"

She put her hand gently on my arm.  "Oh, and you, my good buddy.  Can't forget me, please?  You HAVE to save a dance with me, okay?  Please?  Pretty please?  It would really hurt my feelings if you didn't dance with me at least once.  Please?"

I swallowed hard.  "Sure.  Of course.  I will might it a priority to fit you into my busy dance card."

She squeezed my arm, and then turned to her own thoughts.

It was beginning to slowly dawn on me that she might be more into Artie then she was me.  Damn.

Crossed Hearts By The Rastarian Seas

What is it that you want from me?

Where is it that you want me to go?

I see you sheer in the moon light

Your creamy skin reflecting back in a pale glow

Your golden hair down in restless flow

The Rastarian Seas

Waves crashing at your knees 

How do I understand what you're after?

Why is it me that stands and awaits?

You turn your head slightly to look my way

Your eyes aflame in smokey gray

Your glance pulls me in as if to say

Come to Tyvale

Trust in me; we will not fail

Who do you think that I am?

Is there anything that I can possibly mean to you?

I see your eyebrow raised

Your quizzical grin draws me in

The look that puts my heart to spin

Western Sonzobar dreams

Across the seas we go, it seems

Do you care how I feel?

Am I only a guide, a muse, a tool to your ends?

I see you move to me, eyes burning

I search carefully for any signs of love

I pray to all the gods above

Should I cross all the ocean blue?

Only to deliver you to a man less true?

Reversing the Family Spiral

A family lies in destitution.

The father has lost his job.  The mother attempts to take care of five children.  The car is in desperate need of repair, and there is no money to fix it.  There is no health insurance to cover their illnesses.

The solution?  Why, cut the family budget!

Of course, the father will not have the transportation to look for new work or get to a job if he should find one.  The children's illnesses will have to go untreated.  Food will be increasingly more difficult to obtain.  But as long as the family budget is balanced, who cares?

Could they get help from private charity?  Maybe, but they are a proud family.  And there is not enough private charity in the world to to take care of all the people in this situation. Receipts to private charities are declining, and you know, they have to balance their budget too.

What about the government?  How can they help?  We have decided that the primary thing that a government has to do is balance it's own budget.  As we spiral down to austerity, we have increasingly decided that we can't help people get in position to help themselves.

Without jobs programs and other assistance, the father cannot find work.  without the earned income credit, they do not have the resources to repair the car.  Without food stamps, they cannot feed their children.  Without health care, they cannot heal their sick.  If they do go, it is an emergency, and they will be seen (eventually), but at a much greater cost to the rest of us than would otherwise be the case.

Without this family being assisted and lifted out of poverty, the spiral downwards continues.  And they will not be spending money, increasing demand, helping to pull the country out of recession.  Which will reduce the money coming into the government.  Which will cause new budget shortfalls.  Which will cause more budget cuts.

And we will continue to spiral down, recession without end, amen.

Austerity doesn't work.

Community works.  Caring works.  Love works.

It's the End Of Christmas As We Know It

I'm beginning to do the most aggravating complaint provoking thing that I do on Facebook each year.  And what generates such wrath?  It's not my stance on sensible gun regulation.  It's not my devotion to true universal health care.  It's not my occasional RepubliCorp TeaParty Amerika bashing.  It's not even how I feel about a popular movie or TV series, or some food or restaurant that I trash.  It's Merry Christmas.

I insist on the traditional Anglican definition of Christmas as beginning December 25th and running until January 6th.  This means Merry Christmas greetings during that period.  Of course, in secular Christmas tradition  people are already even wrapping up Christmas and putting it behind them.  So many have little patience for somebody who expresses otherwise.

Should Merry Christmas be just reserved for Christmas Day?  I don't think so.  I've had people say Merry Christmas to me ever since the day after Thanksgiving!  So why can't we say it until Epiphany?  I know there is no commercial reason to say it - the Christmas shopping season is done.  But there is traditional religious reasons to say it, even if it's against the grain of more secular practices.

The reactions I get range from mild amusement (as if I'm being silly), to those who think I mean that every day should be Christmas (which, although not exactly what I'm trying to express, I wouldn't argue with), to letting me know that they've already packed up Christmas, to outright hostility (funny, Tom - now stop joking around!).

So, if you're on Facebook, and you have the pleasure or temerity to have me as a friend, be prepared to be Merry Christmased for the next twelve days!

Merry Christmas!  Ho! Ho! Ho!

A Merry Glenwood Christmas!

Sheets of dry wall or sheet rock or wall stuff or whatever it's called ready to go up  in the living room and kitchen.

This is like the sheet rock or dry wall or wall stuff or whatever it is going up in a bedroom.  It's color is white.  I guess that's what it comes in.

The back porch begins to take shape!


I wanted to be sure to shatter any illusions right away.  I personally are doing none of this work.  It is a traumatic enough event for me just to figure out how to hang a picture.

Christmas Time With the Witty

SILVER BELLS

An incredibly distorted parody

Silver Bells, Instant Wells

It's Christmas time with the witty

Ring-a-ling, ennui takes wing,

Soon it will be Christmas Day

Witty cakewalks

Bitsy ringhawks

Dressed in falconer style

In the error there's 

A fealty to Christmas

Nerds are laughing

Gas is passing

Meeting pile after pile

And on every

Open Mike night you'll hear

Silver Bells, Instant Wells

It's Christmas time with the witty

Ring-a-ling, ennui takes wing,

Soon it will be Christmas Day

Strings of street fights

Even  rem stipes

Blink a bright bread and cream

As the beatniks rush home

With their pleasures

Hear their bones crunch

See their knees bunch

This is Big Red Daddy-O's big scene

And above all 

This hustle you'll here

Silver Bells, Instant Wells

It's Christmas time with the witty

Ring-a-ling, ennui takes wing,

Soon it will be Christmas Day

Inventing Our Own Apocalypse Saturday Morning Soap Box 48

Well, surprise surprise!  The Mayans got it wrong!

Yes, the psychics and the religious cultists are wrong again.  The whole theory that the end can be predicted or revealed through religious divining is somewhat preposterous, but nevertheless a frequent human hobby.  We just can't help ourselves.

But that doesn't mean the end can't occur.  We are a part of a universe that may be more frail than we think. Solar eruptions, meteors, super-volcanoes  massive earthquakes - there are many ways that nature can grab us by the sack and show us who's boss.

There is another way, however.  That doesn't involve psychics or deities or nature.  We are perfectly capable of taking ourselves out, thank you very much.  There many situations that arise that man creates and theoretically has some control over, that could end the world altogether, or at least as we have come to know and understand it.

Although it's not discussed much anymore, we are sitting on a huge stockpile of nuclear weapons.  These could be launched intentionally or by accident.  They could fall into the hands of terrorists or others who are willing to start a global apocalypse to make their illogical point.  And we continue to do very little to prevent these weapon's proliferation nor cutback on the arsenals we already possess.  Mutually Assured Destruction is an insane proposition  constantly hoping no mistakes are made or that everyone will behave rationally.  This policy is insane whether talking about nuclear weapons or the massive number of guns in our country.  Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) is mad.

We have reached a level of population that is becoming difficult to sustain, as we strip the world of it's resources.  Think that isn't so?  Think about this.  What happens when over a billion Chines and a billion Indians decide that they want to live exactly like we do?  Think the earth's resources can handle that?  Or is it okay with you that over three quarters of the world's population live in massive poverty? Think that's workable?

We may have trouble in the future with pandemics, as we mess with antibiotics and genetically modify the food supply and inject the animals we eat with more hormones and spray our  food with more chemicals.  So how we cope with all that could how a pandemic may start, spread and whether or not we can stop it.

The worst threat to mankind right now, that is real and already under way, is man-made global warming.  The scientific community not only does not deny that this is happening, but are frightened that is picking up steam and accelerating faster than they anticipated.  So we need to get of the stick and do something about it NOW.  Yes, it may already be too late, but I hate to just quit on humanity.  We've already wasted too much time trying to argue with deniers.

So stop worrying about the Mayans.  Stop trying to read the tea leaves of  Revelations.  That's not what we need to worry about.

To quote Pogo - "We has met the enemy and he is us."

We're Still Here But Are We Fine?

Happy Mayan Day!

So far, so good, eh?

The Earth has not exploded.  Our dogs and cat have not tried to eat me (licking doesn't count).  I hear no screaming from Australia.

Whatever the Mayans were doing, they failed to consider Leap Year, so the world actually ended months ago.  In which case, we would be like one of those snakes who has been cut in half, but the brain hasn't gotten the message yet.  Also, when they talk about the end of the world, most cultures are really talking about their own demise.  The Mayans missed that one by a mile!

So the Mayans didn't really have a clue when the world was ending.  They were no more accurate than hundreds of cult groups or prognosticators.  Many of whom boldly state a date, the date passes, and rather than admit defeat, they boldly recalculate.  Everyone knows that the end of the world date won't be known until 2117, with the invention of time travel.

And of course, in Christian terms, via the Gospel of Matthew, only the Father knows.  And he's not telling.

Now the world could end by a number of natural events that we have no real control over.  The sun could flare and burn us up.  The sun could dim and freeze us all.  There are a number of comets and meteors, any number of which could have bumper stickers that say I DON"T BRAKE FOR PLANETS.

There are also a number of ways we could take out the planet ourselves.  We don't necessarily need God to come and take us out.  We're perfectly capable of doing that ourselves.  Man-Made global warming is already wreaking havoc with our planet.  We still could face nuclear Armageddon.  We could devour enough essential resources of one kind or another to descend the planet into savage chaos.

I tend to be a short-term pessimist and a long-term optimist.  I think things will eventually get better, but we might have to go through a lot to get there.  My Christian philosophy lends me to believe that the idea is to improve things here and create heaven on earth, or some reasonable facsimile thereof.  Love God.  Love your neighbor.  Work hard at making the world a better place.  That is my trilogy of hope.

So, take that, Mayans!  Here's to another bright and beautiful day on this shiny planet as we move slowly towards Paradise.

One way or another.

Leaving Starnit's Sight

Walking alone on a darkened road
The oaks and pines and uthers hanging like a bough
The only sound that of a croaking toad
Washboard grooves as if from a plow

It's been two days out from Starnit
I ran out of the graster bars and appleys at noon
Stomach is growling fiercely, darnit
I must find something to devour very, very soon

Night time fog plagues the path ahead
And shadowed razzards flit in and out
There is no comfort where I must tread
I must move forward even if a lout

Then I glimpse a swirling gown
The color of mesterleen mixed with green
Can't be more than twenty clicks down
Is where I think she will be seen

No one's ever lived to tell the tale
Just the rumors of the dream-spinning queen
Will I, despite my best, also fail?
Or will I stead be what I mean?

Ten clicks closer and she comes into sharper view
Her face is pale; her hair pearly white
Her eyes a lumescent blue
She is a mesmerizing sight

Five clicks closer she reaches out to me
I move closer, just a click away I know
I take her by her cold dead hands, see
And she will never, ever let me go

Ripping Good Yarns: Across A Streaming Universe

One of the great advantages of our move to the big city of Blackshear is that we have a much faster Internet, and we are paying less money for it!  Hello, civilization!  That means the streaming services that we have access to, Amazon Prime and Netflix, show programs with perfect picture and sound and without interruption.  It is awesome!  I have begun to catch up with the original Star Trek episodes.  Pictured above is Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock.  This is a great, groundbreaking show.  Some moments now appear unintentionally hilarious, but since I have not watched any episode in a couple of decades, it is a thrill to relive them.

A newer show that I have been able to catch up on is The Guild.  I think this is originally a web series.  It stars Felicia Day as Codex, part of the Knights for Good, a quirky team of individuals who participate as a guild/group in a computer role-playing game that has subsumed their lives.

Parks and Recreation is a very funny show that I somehow started watching only last spring.  This has enabled Alison and I to go back to the beginning and discover the roots of this Pawnee, Indiana crew.  It is one of those great character/ensemble comedies where with each episode you can see each character becoming more detailed, real and interesting.


And when we finish seeing these, there is a whole great streaming universe that we can go boldly go forth on!   Huzzah!

Now Can We Celebrate Christmas?

Well, actually, no.  Not quite yet.

The religious tradition that we are a part of, the Anglican/Episcopal tradition, is currently in a season called Advent.  It is a time of devotion, reflection and preparation.  It is not a time yet to start celebrating Christmas. We do not sing Christmas Carols at church until Christmas. Some more serious church members may not even put out Christmas trees and decorations until Christmas Eve.

The Christmas song The Twelve Days of Christmas is sung about Christmas Day and the twelve days thereafter, leading to Epiphany, the traditional day that the Wise Men arrive.  That date is January 6th.  So while many of our neighbors are packing it up, we are still celebrating.

Of course, in reality, even many Episcopalians have conceded to the dominant culture, and have begun to celebrate Christmas early, at least in a secular sense.  And of course, it is virtually impossible to not at least begin to prepare for Christmas by shopping for gifts and sending them out way before Christmas,  Even in our family, we have creeped forward.

But not this year.  Our move has set us way behind.  I have lost track of time and find myself way off schedule in getting gifts, particularly for those out of town.  The usual goodie baskets for friends and neighbors are just not coming together.  I feel awful but oops, there it is.

So there you have it, for better or worse.  And like it or not, there's only one real solution for us.

We're going to have to go full bore Episcopalian on your a--.  Everybody relax.  The Straits are going to be late by general cultural standards this year.  Many of you will get gifts or presents in a period where you think, "What's wrong with these people?  Don't they know Christmas is over?"  But technically we won't be late, as gift giving and celebration can actually continue until January 6th.

So when you get everything packed away be aware!  The Straits are coming to get the party started!

Huzzah!

Taste Bud Macarena

Oh, what a variety of food flavors we have in the great American melting pot!  And what an incredible array of reactions we have to that flavorful fare!  It's always surprising to watch the reaction of new guests and friends and watch to see where they fall on the taste bud spectrum.

No one is any one thing.  It's a bit like snowflakes - every one's palate is never completely identical.  But I do think you can fall generally into certain categories,  Here are few of the most common taste types I see:

Spicy Girl (Guy) - this is by far the most common type I run across.  People who like really spicy hot foods. This has exploded with the popularity of Tex Mex, and other spicy fare.  I can't hardly get a chicken sandwich anymore without worrying that they might give me the spicy version by mistake.  Often this type will have macho rhetoric about how hot they really like their foods.  This isn't all bad.  I have heard that spicy foods may actually help speed metabolism, or aid you somehow in hot weather.  Me?  It just burns the living heck out of my mouth and lips, makes it where it's all I can taste of what I eat, where I slug huge amounts of beverage trying to stop the burning.  Even my young son Benjamin likes to put a little hot sauce on his Quesadilla.

Saucy Guy (Girl) - I'm afraid I fall more into this category.  I have trouble eating food that has been not sauced up with something (except no spicy sauces, please).  I'm a huge fan of ketchup, but there are other condiments that I use depending on the food.  I use ketchup with Mexican food, which freaks everybody out, but makes infinite sense to me.  The sweetness in the ketchup combats the natural spiciness that is often in that kind of food.  But depending on the food, I also like mustard, BBQ sauces, Miracle Whip, salad dressings, etc.  I just find it hard eating dry food, which brings me to the next group -

Dry Chuckers - the polar opposite of the saucy guys 'n' gals.  These are people who find sauces a distraction and just like the flavor of food as is.  They may have spices/salts on foods, as long as the food remains relatively dry.  They prefer meats well done - the ones who send their meat back to be cooked some more.  When they get salads, they might have a tiny bit of dressing but not much.  One technique I've seen is to dip their fork in some dressing and then take a huge amount of salad, and that teeny, tiny bit of dressing is enough for them. Hamburgers, hot dogs and such will be eaten relatively plain, no condiments or very minimal, often without cheese, which brings me to....

Cheeseheads - these are people who love cheese on their cheese.  There is almost nothing that these people think wouldn't taste better without more cheese.  And yes, I am pretty much in their number.  Most people I meet are either passionately for or against cheese (and some are poor unfortunates who are lactose intolerant), but I've met very few that are nonchalant or neutralists about cheese.  Another similar group passionate about one type of food would be Bacon Lovers, wanting bacon in almost everything they have. There is even a fast food chain that has promoted a Bacon Sundae!

Rich People - This is a very rare group that I also tend to fall into.  I have often heard friends react to some sweets and desserts that, "Oh, that is too rich!"  I have no idea what they're talking about.  rich foods just taste good to me.  I seem to have no richness threshold that I can't go beyond.

Well, this is just cutting the surface of the types that I have seen.  And yes, we all vary and are mixture of these types, both in combination and degree.  I myself, am kind of a Saucy, Rich,  Cheesehead!

More food types and foodie talk to come!

It's Morning In Acosta and Other Monday Musings

It's a quiet Monday morning at our new rental house.  If we don't have our boxes eliminated, we at least have tamed them back.  Our kitchen is set up enough that we can at least begin to cook at home. The Internet and cable are operational.  We even had our first dinner guests last night!

Our dogs have no fenced-in back yard, so we have to walk them frequently, which really, is good for all of us. And it is a nice neighborhood.  We are right next to the city park, a great place to walk the dogs, and it has a playground, a shelter for picnics and parties, a tennis court, and a World War II memorial that is definitely from another time and era.  It lists all those from the area who served in World War II, but it separates them out into white men who served, and "colored men" who served.

The weather has been fairly nice, which makes it easier to walk the dogs,  The temps have been low enough that you are not bothered by gnats and flying insects, but not so cold as to feel shivery.  It would be nice if it could be these temperatures year round.

Right now, everything is filtered through the horror of the Connecticut school shooting tragedy.   The senseless brutality of it is shocking, and hopefully will lead many Americans to a deep reflection as to what we can do to reduce and eliminate such incidents in the future.  There is no one simple answer, which makes it very difficult to grasp, but I do pray that we are a caring enough people to at least put all potential solutions on the table.  For me, that has to include sensible gun control, including a renewal of the assault weapons ban. We also need improved public support for mental health care.  We need to stop kvetching about Obamacare and start concentrating on how we can better take care of each other.  

Increasing the number of guns in public places is not a good solution - it will just dramatically increase the already staggeringly high number of accidental gun deaths.  Forcing teacher led school prayer accomplishes nothing except to diminish our democracy and freedom.  Let's try to talk about things that will actually help.

I have not yet seen The Hobbit!  I hope to get out this weekend, but we shall see.  I very much look forward to it.  I just need to work out the time with family and friends who want to go with me.  Yes, despite all the changes with TVs and DVDs and computers bringing so much entertainment right to your home, I still love going to the movies, even if nowadays you almost feel like you've got to go the small loan department first just to pay for admission.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

First Post from Acosta

Alison standing in front of our new home.

Our Star Trek three dimensional chess move has reached a new phase.  We have removed, after great effort and energy, one of our chess pieces (6993 Clark Road) and are now in ensconced in another, the rental on Acosta Street.  It is a wonderful little house right near the city park of Blackshear.

We can only fit a small portion of our possessions at the rental, so we have a storage unit filled to the max with our stuff.  This was packed by a couple of Tetras masters, and when we start to move stuff, we will have to make sure it doesn't all fall apart like a wrong piece moved in Jenga.

I do have high-speed Internet up here at Acosta, and it is amazing.  I won't have that as an excuse not to blog anymore!

Meanwhile, where we are moving to when it is completely remodeled, Glenwood, has had it's interior gutted as we prepare it to be our own home.  Glenwood is a nice street, filled with homes with colorful outdoor Christmas displays.  Our new house?  It has a bathtub in the front yard, three toilets on the front porch, and a huge stack of debris in the carport.  Merry Christmas, everyone!

Last Blog From Clarksville

It's almost time for the train to leave the station.

The movers will be here about 8:30.  The Clark Road house is sold.  The Glenwood house is bought.  The Acosta house is rented.  The Chinese fire drill of a move begins.

Living in the boonies out here in the wild outskirts of Pierce County has not been all bad.  The dogs have had a good size yard to roam in.  The house we lived in here had a very good design and layout,  There are a lot of good memories here.  Benjamin grew up here from Kindergarten to 6th grade.

We have had a number of parties and celebrations here, including Alison's mother Rose's 60th birthday bash.We have had good friends over, like the Becks, the Powers and the Cooks.  Benjamin has had sleepovers with his friends here.

We enclosed the garage, which just got us used to a bigger house.  And found out that when you have the room for more stuff.....you get more stuff.

The Internet blows chunks out here, but direct TV has been good.  The DVR has been one of the greatest inventions of my lifetime (at least for me).

It is the last house that my mother and father will veer see us living in.  My mother is dead, and my father too frail to ever leave Michigan.  We have a number of loved pets buried in the back.

All in all, not a bad stay.  It's all good when you're with the ones you love.  And where we're going to, we get to maintain all our family and friends.  We will be closer to Alison's father and mother.  She will be walking distance from her work, and Benjamin will be within walking distance from the library and some great places to exercise.  All our good friends will be able to find us.  I will continue to work and do theater in Waycross, just slightly closer than I was before.

Soon the movers will be here, and I will have to take down the computer, not knowing when exactly it will be put back up and the new Internet provider up and running.  I will do what I can to maintain The Strait Line, but if it goes dark for a little while, it is not a permanent leaving.  It is just a brief pause as we take the last train from Clarksville (Clark Rd), and begin the process of rooting somewhere else.

Three Dimensional Chess House Move Begins!

The house move that is like Star Trek three dimensional chess begins today!  At least we hope it does. Our closing for our home that we're selling is scheduled for today at 1 PM.  This is at Walker & Sweat in Waycross.  Then at 2:30, at Dan Bennett's office in Blackshear, we close on the house that we are buying.  This is if all goes well.  And nowadays, what ever goes wrong at closings?  Ha!  Hence the nervous, agitated state that we find ourselves in.

Then after we close we commence the great move-a-thon.  We are borrowing Alison's father's pick-em-up truck and proceeding to load boxes, some to go to a rented storage unit, and some to go to a rental house.  The rental house we will be living in for an unknown amount of time because the new house we are moving to needs to be extensively remodeled before we can move in.

I am not a fixer-upper.  I don't watch HGTV.  The idea of the slightest home improvement project makes me feel queasy and inadequate.  But this house was too hard to pass up.  It is squarely in the neighborhood that Alison wants to move in to, and it has the perfect layout and yard size.  And although I despise fixer-uppers, Alison and her father do not feel the same.  The price we paid for it is so low that we can afford to fix it up like Alison wants, and still be within it's appraised value after fix up.

Tomorrow the hired movers come, who will be moving the big pieces either to the rented storage unit or the rental house.  I will be off to help direct pieces to the places Alison is telling me as to where they go.  What are the odds I'll get that wrong?

Wednesday and Thursday will be continuing to move the smaller stuff to the storage unit, the rental, and some to the new house (there is a storage area for outdoor stuff that will not be a part of the fix up).

At some point later in the week, the local cable/Internet provider will come to set that up.  I will not miss the satellites that we have had to have out here in the boonies.  The cable Internet should be greatly, multiple times faster.  And I won't have to be worried about being cut off every time a cloud passes over.  It could be that I am without Internet for a few days, which may inhibit my ability to keep up with this blog.  But rest assured, for better or worse, I am not going away.  I don't make much money out of this blogging enterprise, but it sure has been a lot of fun.  I'm not sure I could go back to just accounting again.  I need my writings, my theatre, my desire to create and imagine.

Until next time,

T.M. Strait

Cliff Diving Saturday Political Soap Box 47

All aboard this man-made disaster!

Prepare to jump up off a high and mighty cliff that is only there because of the "clinking, clanking, clattering pile of caliginous junk" (thank you, wizard of Oz) we piled there to make it!

TeaParty Ameika (a wholly owned subsidiary of RepubliCorp) and their willingness to hold the country hostage while it risked economic ruin while it ruined our credit rating has put us in this situation.  The raising of the debt ceiling, a perfunctory after the fact acknowledgement that the United States will live up to the debts that is already incurred, was turned into a threat to get things that they couldn't get under normal conditions.

As unpleasant as the sausage making in congress and the White House is to observe, I do think in the end a compromise will be reached.  It has to be.  The self-imposed fiscal cliff is Draconian and stupid and will hurtle us back into recession.

The compromise reached will please no one.  Tax rates, particularly for the wealthy, will go up.  some deductions may be capped.  Entitlements will be trimmed in some way.  Logically, defense spending should go down, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.

I pray that the medicare eligibility age is not raised.  That would be self-defeating, as the best means to lower costs is to include more, not less, people in Medicare and Medicaid.  There is some talk of means testing these programs to not include those who are wealthy enough to not need these programs, but good luck with that.  Try to telling a high income earner he can't participate in a program he paid into.  

So, close your eyes, divert your attention, and when you come back after Christmas, the deal should be done.  You still may want to close your nose to it's odor.

History of the Trap: May Shadows Part 3

SYNOPSIS:  After being visited in prison by Morgan LaDona Tigh, Lance Martin has agreed to Dr. Duncan's request to detail what happened in the time that Lance is calling "the Trap."  Lance begins his journal by describing the morning before the trap fell, where we learn his father was the Principal of Loren High, that Lance is a Junior, and has a sister named Diane who is a sophomore.  After a couple hours at school that morning, where we see how different is relationship with Morgan is, we also meet Lance's best friend, Artie Pentler, and their gang. Just as Lance is ready to ask Ginny Estill out, the Trap falls, and they witness the horrible death of two P. E. students as they are caught in some kind of electrical storm.  The students soon realize, as April marches on, that the so-called storm is something more, and that they may be trapped at the school and it's grounds for a very long time.  As May starts up, a grizzly murder is discovered.  Mr. Franks, the substitute math teacher is found dead in a janitorial closet. The murder remains unsolved five days after the event, as Lance's father and staff struggle to come to grips with events.

3

Four days later, the murder of Mr. Franks still reverberated throughout the school.  But nobody seemed any closer to finding out who the killer or killers might have been.  Kevin Gellar had been interrogated by Vice-Principal Tate, and was ruled out as his alibi held up.  Unless he was very sneaky, he spent the entire evening and morning in Mr. Clark's class, which was one of the places used for makeshift sleeping quarters. 

The other boy, Jess Marlin, was never found.  Mr. Tate tried to find and interview people who knew him, but he was having trouble finding anyone who had anything more than superficial knowledge of his existence.  The fear was that he had been murdered like Mr. Franks was, but his body was put somewhere that was not yet found.  But why be so clever hiding Jess when Mr. Franks was so easily discovered?

My Dad held daily meetings in which events and future plans were discussed.  Often, student council members would sit in on those meetings, on a rotating basis.  I went to about one meeting a week, usually matched up with Wilbur Jones.  We attended the meeting the morning of the murder.  That's where I learned of the interrogation of Kevin Gellar and the missing status of Jess Marlin.

The next meeting I went to was the following Tuesday.  There were no new leads on the Franks murder, and you could see the frustrating toll it was taking on the adults that were in on that meeting.  The total count had dropped again, very slightly.  We were now at 1,169, down from April's 1,181.  There were two fatalities, Mr. Franks and a girl, Debbie Shoemaker, who was found with her wrists slashed in the girl's whirlpool tub and was presumed a suicide.  But the other 10 were like Jess Marlin, simply disappeared from the count.

There was a decision made not to make the daily census just a count but an actual roll call.  That way the staff could at least better track the names of the missing.  But where were all these students disappearing to?  Was there a way out that only a handful knew about or stumbled across?

"What about the tunnels?" chimed in Wilbur Jones.

"What tunnels?" asked Vice-Principal Crowler.  He was the liaison to the student council and usually the first adult to respond to our queries.

"You know, the tunnels, downstairs, with the fallout shelter."

"Those aren't very extensive, Wilbur," answered Mr. Crowler. "And we've been down there quite a bit trying to take advantage of the food stock."

"Nevertheless, it might be a good idea," said my father.  Mr. Clive Martin, the school Principal.  "Why don't we organize a team to survey that entire area, everything below the school - fall-out shelter, food storage, mechanical equipment, everything?  Mr. Crowler, why don't you head it up, and take Mr. Bruchow and Mr. King with you." Oscar Crowler nodded his agreement.  Jerry Bruchow was the biology teacher and Terence King the shop teacher. Mr. Bruchow was at the meeting and also nodded. "Oh, and include that student that was so helpful in establishing the perimeter, I think his name is David."

That team, the "Tunnel Team", was established and then Mr. Bruchow brought some rather startling news of his own.  It seems that two students who had gone off on their own for some "alone" time, Donny Truman and Krissa Sellenraad, had stumbled across a patch of wild raspberries.  It wasn't even their season but there they were, in full bloom!  A group would be sent to harvest them, and see if a way could be found to encourage and extend their growth.  Out efforts at gardening were just beginning.

There also was discussion about making some more events in order to make the days more structured and give the students more to focus on, to distract from the feeling of being trapped and depressed.  Every student was assigned already to a chore team, and there were a few hours of a day of classroom schooling going on.  Some ad hoc things had come about, like the Branch's Jeopardy game, and some sports scrimmages, but my father felt like more was needed.  The Athletic department would be tasked with coming up with some more structured intramural sporting events, the Music Department was to organize a concert, the TV Studio should try to come up with a short night time telecast that make include something beyond just news, perhaps a variety show that might include some sketch comedy, and the dance that had been planned but canceled due to the onset of the storm would be rescheduled for this Friday.

A dance.  My heart beat a little faster.  One more chance to ask Ginny.  This time I promised myself I would not blow it.

Ripping Good Yarns: One Ring to Entertain Them All

I have a confession to make.

It took me years to read The Lord of the Rings books.  YEARS!  And it wasn't because I disliked them.  I'm not really sure why.  They were dense, and it was hard for me to read them fast.  I was savoring each page and situation.  The descriptions of Middle Earth blew me away and fired up my own imagination.  My own imaginative world of Pazoria owes a lot to Tolkien.

But I would read for awhile, and then other things would come up, and the series would get set aside.  Then I would come back to it months later, and absorb some more.  I did this over the course of several years, running from high school to the end of college.

Like many of the fans of the novels, I looked over their rich complexities, the demands that would be needed to present the characters and world properly, and dismissed the notion that Hollywood could ever do an adequate job of it.  There were some animated movies done that were, to be polite, were not my cup of tea. The idea seemed too big to work.

But Hollywood's technical skills improved, and through CGI and other techniques, would be able to show Middle Earth in all it's glory.  But this large story still had to be adapted into something that made sense.  Fortunately for everyone, the movies were put into the hands of the amazing Peter Jackson.

The movies swept me away.  They were every thing I hoped for and more.  We have re-viewing them in preparation for The Hobbit next week.  Benjamin is being introduced to them for the first time and is absolutely enthralled.  And I am grateful for the casting of Orlando Bloom as Legolas, as it further entices Alison into watching these great films.

We watched the first half of The Return of the King last week and will finish it this weekend.  The Return of the King is the movie that won the Academy Award for Best Picture, the first and only time a science fiction film has done that.

My favorite character is Samwise, the earnest determined friend of Frodo Baggins.  His loyalty and seeing through to what's important touch me deeply.  The one award that the movies should have won but did not, was a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Sean Astin and his brilliant portrayal of Samwise.

So we are ready, Waycross!  This better not be like Lincoln.  This better come to the theatre in full force, both 2D and 3D showings.  Even though we will be in the middle of a big move, our Star Trek 3 dimensional chess of a move, we will make the time to see this movie, this glorious Unexpected Journey.

More Pictures From Young Robin Hood!!!

The core of the Merry Band in the heart of Sherwood forest.  Blake Barnhill as Young Robin Hood, Noah Cook as Friar Tuck, and Benjamin Strait as Little John.

This is me with my middle son, Doug, who I was very pleased was able to see the show  - TWICE!!!

Big John Eli, played by Eli Cook, is ready to defend Sherwood Forest.

Our fantabulous troubador, name 'o' True B Door, played by the talented Aidan Jeffords.

Our pack of nerds, played by Eli Cook, Emma Jacobs, Benjamin Strait, Elizabeth Beck and Crystal Pheil.

Benjamin Strait, with his own idea of what a pack of nerds looks like.

Yes, this show ended it's great run almost three weeks ago, but some of these pictures were just posted  and I couldn't resist myself.  Thank you, Kimberly Elizabeth Beck, for letting me use these great pictures.  Keep supporting Flying Dragon, y'all!  Anne of Green Gables starts this weekend!

My WACT Picks

Waycross Area Community Theatre (WACT)  is a-fixing to have it's 40th season starting in the fall of next year.  That is an incredible record of endurance and success.  I'm not sure there is that many community theatres with that kind of longevity and positive contribution.

I had the pleasure of performing with WACT starting in 1997 in A Christmas Carol, where I had the privilege, thanks to the director Gus Darden, of playing Scrooge.  It was a great role and one of the highlights of my life.  Since then, I have been a couple dozen productions spanning the last fifteen years.  I have had the opportunity to play an incredible variety of roles, and even direct a time or two.

Currently I am not involved in WACT.  I have made a commitment to do everything I can to help children's theatre thrive in this area, particularly in assisting the Flying Dragon Arts Center.  But I do miss WACT and hope to get involved back with it sometime.

They have made suggestions of past shows, and as to what the patrons might prefer them do.  For whatever it's worth, here are my choices:

Comedy:  Harvey  This is a play fraught with meaning to me, as it is the first play I ever did, way back in high school.  I played, as a freshman, an extremely elderly judge in the play.  It was the beginning of what would almost inevitably me being cast as the oldest male character in a play.  Over the course of years, this remained true.  I just required less and less makeup to look old.  Harvey is an excellent play, very funny and charming, with a great theme.  I was surprised that many of my younger friends had no idea what this play is. I think it's time to reintroduce this area to Elwood P Dowd and his amazing friend. Others being considered (and highlighting those I've done before): The Odd Couple (although the one I did was the female version), No Sex Please - We're British, On Golden Pond and Kiss the Bride.

Musical: Music Man  I have no nostalgic connection to this.  I've just never seen it performed onstage before, and it sounds like it would be a lot of fun.  Good all age cast.  Great small town theme.  Others being considered (and highlighting those I've done before): Guys and Dolls, Wizard of Oz, Cinderella and You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Christmas: A Christmas Carol  Sorry.  My all time favorite.  The one show I could be in again and again and again.  What a great story.  What a great lesson for us all. Others being considered (and highlighting those I've done before): The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, It's A Wonderful Life. Miracle on 34th Street, A Child's Christmas in Wales.


Drama: A Streetcar Named Desire Another gem I haven't had the privilege of seeing onstage.  Although, not to go off list, the play I most want to be in and see done anywhere at anytime is Inherit the Wind.  There is no better play,no  more intense courtroom drama than this drama.  I am hoping that someday this incredible production graces the stage of WACT.  Others being considered (and highlighting those I've done before): Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, A Streetcar Named Desire, Driving Miss Daisy, Dracula, Dial M for Murder.

Congratulations, WACT!!!  To this season, to your 40th season, and many more seasons  to come!

Packing It Ip and Other Monday Musings

Yes, the ip in the title is a deliberate Malaprop.  I have no idea why.  Which is probably not a good thing.  But oops, there it is!

Our house closings, both the one we're selling and the one we're buying are scheduled to close December 10th.  We also already have our rental house arranged and could move into that anytime.  But of course we're waiting for the other two houses to close.

We've started to pack in greater earnest.  And discovered that we have accumulated a lot of ......stuff.  Some of it waves nostalgia over me as memories of what it means to me and recalling certain events or people come flooding back.  Other things I see and go, "Why the heck didn't we have a yard sale?" and "Why did we hang on to this?  What the heck were we thinking?"

Amazingly, we've gotten a lot of different boxes from generous, thoughtful and kind friends.  Even more amazingly, we've filled most of them up and need more!

Alison spent the weekend away with her mother, antiquing in North Georgia, and seeing the So You Think You Can Dance (for me, I already know the answer) concert.  They go pretty much every year, and this year it was a special treat for Alison's mom celebrating her official retirement.

Meanwhile Benjamin and I stayed back, doing a variety of things.  I packed and cleaned, of course.  We also saw half of The Return of The King (half was over two hours!).  We visited the spanking new library that will be within walking distance of our new house.  It was very, very nice!  I do fear it being kept up with as Pierce County is fiercely conservative, and doesn't have a great history with spending that supports this kind of thing.  But it holds great promise, and after packing away so many books this weekend, I may finally appreciate the idea of borrowing rather than keeping!

Benjamin and I also had a great outing in Brunswick with our good friends, the Cooks.  We went to Pet Smart, where Benjamin and the Cook boys were delighted to see all the animals there.  The guinea pigs were articularly playful.  We were able to pick up rat chow and bedding for Benjamin's dumbo rats, Pinky and the Brain.  Karissa Cook was busy outfitting their new pet turtle in grand style, getting reptile lights and getting fun things to put in Zilla's new terrarium.

We ate at Broomelli Boy's Pizzeria.  I love it because you can get huge individual slices topped just the way you like it.  You don't have to worry about getting one pizza that has to please a number of diverse tastes.

We also went bowling, with Benjamin winning thanks to bumper guards.  Without bumper guards or talent, my score was somewhat less impressive.  Then the boys spent almost an hour in a video arcade, running from game to game.  I would like to tell you it wore them out, but I don't think it was THEM that got wore out!

I am also happy to report that my blog had a record number of page views in November: 2,246!  There is some noise that makes me wonder if the ads will be taken away, but I'm not sure, so we will see.  If they do stop, today is supposed to be the day, but it hasn't happened yet if it's supposed to.

Busy weekend!  Which meant there was little time to stress about politics, which all of my Strait Line readers who are not political junkies are probably grateful for!  And you are one of my political people, rest assured that something soon will get up my craw and I'll write about it!

Until next time,

T.M. Strait

Choosy Voters Choose Choices Saturday Political Soap Box 46

I grew up during the Cold War, when Communist Russia was the big bugaboo.  They were an evil empire where hatred was mutual and both sides were loaded with enough firepower to knock the planet off its orbit.  It didn't even to be deliberate.  It could be from a series of mistakes that got out of control.

Besides the constant threat of nuclear holocaust, what was it about the Soviet Union that was actually disturbing?  Its' so-called godless atheistic quality?That they had such awful things as socialized medicine?  That their Olympic sports participants were actually professionals. Right or wrong, these were not the things that disturbed me most.

It was their lack of choice.  Waiting in Que to go to the store, waiting for hours to go buy peanut butter where your choice was between a brand called PEANUTSKI BUTTER and....that's it.  Just one brand.  No choice.

Then the Soviets would go to vote.  And their choice would be the Communist Party representative or...nothing.  That was it.  One person to vote for.  No choice.

Switch to present day America.  Go to the ballot in Pierce County of Georgia.  Over three fourths of the races in the General election are unopposed.  Just like in Communist Russia.  And it apparently doesn't bother anybody but me.

How can a democracy be considered healthy when their is no choice?  More and more sections of the country are growing to be that way.  And depending on where you live, it can be only Democrats or only Republicans.  How can anyone be happy with that?  To be out the soldier card, is that what our soldiers were fighting for?  So that we could go to the polls and have no choice?

I know that big money has corrupted our politics  and that no one wants to run unless they have a reasonable shot at winning.  But politics and democracy is more than just about winning   It's about presenting a whole marketplace of ideas.  And we're losing that, and it makes me very sad.

I actually think we'd be better off if we had multiple parties in this country, a democratic smorgasbord of choices.  Congress would function by each bill having to be passed by a shifting coalition of parties rather than one party dominating.  Many countries do have multiple parties.  It is just overwhelmingly sad to me that other countries are ahead of us in democratic choice.

I'm not asking anyone to do much.  It would be nice if some, on both the right and the left, would at least give a rip.  I have a feeling that if you went to Wal-Mart and found that the only brand of peanut butter was Great Value, it would at least make you pause.  I'm just asking you to do the same thing when you go to vote.

History of the Trap: May Shadows Part 2

SYNOPSIS:  After being visited in prison by Morgan LaDona Tigh, Lance Martin has agreed to Dr. Duncan's request to detail what happened in the time that Lance is calling "the Trap."  Lance begins his journal by describing the morning before the trap fell, where we learn his father was the Principal of Loren High, that Lance is a Junior, and has a sister named Diane who is a sophomore.  After a couple hours at school that morning, where we see how different is relationship with Morgan is, we also meet Lance's best friend, Artie Pentler, and their gang. Just as Lance is ready to ask Ginny Estill out, the Trap falls, and they witness the horrible death of two P. E. students as they are caught in some kind of electrical storm.  The students soon realize, as April marches on, that the so-called storm is something more, and that they may be trapped at the school and it's grounds for a very long time.  As May starts up, a grizzly murder is discovered.  Mr. Franks, the substitute math teacher is found dead in a janitorial closet. Lance and his friends gather for breakfast in the school cafetorium, within sight of the crime scene.  

2

It wasn't long before pretty much everybody knew about the murder.  I discovered it at breakfast, coming in to see the crime scene, an area around the janitorial closet nearest the kitchen serving entrance.  We had to detour around it just to get our scrambled eggs (made from powder) and our oatmeal.  Mr. Tate was there, along with several other teachers.  Mr. Tate was whispering something to Mr. Bruchow, the biology teacher.  Maybe they were discussing the evidence.  I'm not sure.  There seemed to be not much mystery as to whose blood it was, and that Mr. Franks was killed.  But we didn't really have any cops.  Mr. Tate, our vice-principal in charge of discipline, was as close as we had to a policeman, and Mr. Bruchow was probably best equipped as a crime scene investigator.

I sat down with Artie, Ginny and the whole gang.  Robert Bond asked me as I started to attack my powdered eggs, "So, Lance, what happened?  Your Dad got any ideas?"

Again with everyone thinking I was an insider because of my Dad being the school principal.  This time from my own friends.  "I haven't seen my Dad this morning, Robert.  I have no idea what they're thinking about this."

"I saw him this morning when I first came in," Jim Kurrash said.  He was our early riser.  He had already finished breakfast and was just hanging out with us.  "He was talking with Mr. Tate.  He looked like he was getting a little green around the gills."  Like most of us, the last couple of weeks had been the most violence my Dad had ever seen.  The only difference for him was, he felt responsible for every incident, and was trying to figure out a way to keep a lid on things, to keep us as positive as we could be given the horrible circumstances.  I felt for him, how heavy everything must be hanging on him.

"I feel sorry for the guy," added Tom Bodell.  "I mean, he was just a substitute teacher, for crying out loud.  It was just misfortune that he was even here that day."

Ginny, sitting next, looked sad and worried.  She was also still beautiful, in blue jeans and a red peasant blouse.  The girls were starting to run out of makeup, but it didn't affect Ginny that much.  She never did wear much makeup, and the natural beauty of her clear, creamy skin came shining through.  "It's hard to believe that someone would do something like that," she said.

Artie put his arm around her.  "I know.  It's surprise you what some people are capable of."  Was Ginny leaning into him?  No, I must be just seeing things.  "Hey, the Jeopardy contest last night...does anybody remember a disagreement so nasty that Mr. Franks was almost overwhelmed.  Where Mr. Bowtin had to step in?"

"Yeah, sure.  Why?" I asked.

"Well, I just wondered who they were he was arguing with." Artie said.

"You think they coulda done it?" asked Robert.

"I don't know.  But I think they're worth checking into," said Artie.

I thought for a minute.  "They were freshman, I think.  I...one of them was Kevin Geller, I'm pretty sure.  The other was....I don't know.  I can picture him but I can't remember his name.  Big red-headed kid, lots of freckles.  Anybody got any ideas?"

"Jess Marlin."  That was quietly spoken by Jerry Mack, whom we had kind of forgotten had been sitting with us.  Small and sickly, very shy, we were still happy to have him for a friend.  I hadn't thought he would be the one to know the boy's name, but maybe Jerry was more observant than we thought.  Sometimes the quiet ones see more than you think.

At that time Phil Irman, my friend from the TV studio came by with his tray of food.  "Yeah, I just heard.  They found Kevin and are talking to him, but nobody can find the other guy, what did you say his name was?"

What did Jerry just say?  "Hush," I tried to think.  "It was...what did you say, Jerry?"

"Jess Marlin," Jerry repeated.

"Yeah," Phil exclaimed.  "That's the one!  Well, if y'all see him, let a teacher know, okay?"

We all agreed that's what we'll do.  "And Lance," Phil continued, "got about ten minutes to finish up.  We're going on air in thirty!"

"OK, Phil.  Can do!"  I answered.  Rather just sit and stare at Ginny, but can't have everything you want, I guess.

Then came Mr. Mood Killer himself, Wilbur Jones, my illustrious fellow Student council member.  He leaned down to my ear and whispered, "Special called meeting today at 2.  Try to be there.  If you're Dad lets you know what's going on, be sure to tell me so I don't go into the meeting in the dark,"

Yeah, Wilbur.  If my Dad tells me something, you're the first on my list to blab to.  What a great start to the month of May.