Formlyns Storm the Castle

My armor was on.
I was ready for the surging hordes.
My weapon sharpened to a fine point.
My keyboard ready to direct our defenses.

I climbed the castle wall.
I looked out beyond the parapet.
Out at the forces amassing against us.
The hordes of Formlyns gathering below.

First there were the Double Ewe Tuohs.
They came unrelenting, slamming against the wall.
But we pushed them all back
Flinging them to those who would claim them.

Then came the One Thousand Ninety Nine
The Contrictors with huge muscles
Who belonged to no one but themselves
Their ladders slamming up to the wall

They were repelled
They were disbursed to even those who didn't want them
Leading to the next foul attack
The One Thousand and One Hundred and Twenty Slitherers

We dumped our hot cauldrons of inky oil
Straight onto the backs of this misshapen Formlyns
As their partners, the One Thousand and Sixty Five Bruthern
Came surging to the top of the ladders

We beat them senseless with our pointy graphites
Leaving not a shred of logic for them to stand behind
But it was not through
For right behind were the One Thousand and Forty Individykes

I could not help despair even as we began the upper hand
For next were the Nine Hundred and Ninety clergans
Followed by the Nine Hundred and Forty One Ficans
And finally in swooped the Fifty Five Hundred

Wave after wave they came
Unrelenting and horrifying
But after three and a half long months
And as the castle lay in almost ruins

We survivors could almost see the sun
The chirping of the birds
The joy in a quiet breeze
The hope in a brighter world

Then when we thought it was over
We saw them wander up, all matters of Formlyns
All muttering one terrifying word:
EXTENSIONS!!!

Last Rites for January 2013

And so the first month of tax season draws to a close.

This is the technical deadline to distribute W-2s and 1099s, so we should be through with those.  But we will still have people that bring them in.  Particularly the 1099s.  That is often a surprise to people that they have to do them, and we may not get them until individual tax information is brought in.  I will probably try my first corporate today.  I will mostly do corporates with a few individuals until mid-March.

The Glenwood Restoration project continues, with the most recent addition being cabinets.  New pictures coming this Sunday! A mid-February move-in is projected.

The blog will hit a new high in page views this month.  Revenues, however, will be their lowest since that part of it started.  You would think that more page views would equal more revenue, but that hasn't happened yet.  It has been interesting to try to sustain the Blog during Tax Season.  I did not start daily posts until after tax season last year, so this is a first.  The problem isn't so much the time, although that can be a challenge.  The problem is my brain is rapidly becoming more and more exhausted and harder to focus.

I am also turning a little bit more inward, as the curtain of shyness is once again descending.  It's sort of a cyclical problem, compounded by the relative isolation of tax season.  Fortunately, it effects my social interactions more than it does this blog.

I know very little of the political world right now.  Sensible gun control seems long overdue.  Taking the country hostage over the debt ceiling still seems extraordinarily stupid.  That's about all I've absorbed.

That's my ramblings as we close out January.  I look forward to April 16th...I MEAN FEBRUARY!  February first.  Jumping the gun there.  Sigh.

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

Happy Birthday!  Happy Happy Joy Joy!


Happy Birthday today to my co-worker, Chris Arney!  A very special birthday today, but I won't say which one (Lordy, Lordy!).

May today be enjoyable and your year a blast!

The Strait Family

Tom, Alison & Benjamin

Ripping Good Yarns: Final Vote Book Lover's Hall of Fame

PLEASE VOTE!

The nominations have been made and now I need your input as to this year's Hall of Fame winner.  

There were some people who were very helpful in offering nominations for this year's selection.  I am very, very grateful to them.  If your favorite is not in the mix, please be sure to be a part of the nominating process next year,.

Books that received nominations from multiple people were given strongest consideration. The nominating overall was somewhat limited so my hand is pretty heavy in it too, I'm afraid. Maeve Binchy was named by people but it was always a different book, so I will save her for consideration next year.  I also for this year eliminated series that were still ongoing, like George RR Martin's Song of Fire and Ice and Diana Gabaldon's The Outlander Series. 

So please vote for one of the following.  If you wish, you can divide your vote among one or more books, and I will apportion accordingly,  And yes, I know about apples and oranges.  Having done similar contests for several years on Facebook one cannot help but know about apples and oranges.  But that is the nature of the beast..

Please vote from the following nominees:: 

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee - even though my Dad was a school principal in the north and not a lawyer in the south, Atticus Finch is the character in literature most like my own father.  A great book that shows the virtues and flaws of a small southern town.

Cold, Sassy Tree by Olive Burns -  Another classic slice of Southern life, set in 1906.  A widower dares to marry a Yankee!

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - the entire trilogy.  Revolutionized the way I look at books and inspired a great deal of my own writing.  Samwise to me is one of the greatest characters in literature.

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery - a young orphan girl grows up on Prince Edward Island.  Despite my lack of affinity for these type of books, I grew to love this character and her adopted father, Matthew, when I did the play version at Flying Dragon.

The Stand by Stephen King - best post-apocalypse story ever.  A great journey that I have reread a few times, it swirls with well-defined characters, exciting events, and a surprisingly spiritual framework.  It's one of those rare books that I never tire of re-reading.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - we may never have had a better writer in America, and this is best book.  A great journey through Americana, the story of Huck and Jim is one for the ages..

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith - coming of age in the big city of New York...

The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells - the best work by the writer who began the genre of modern science fiction.

Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger - a more intense, personal coming of age book..

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - a fabulous story about wealth, class and privilege in the 1920s.

There you have it!  I know!  Many great books and authors missing!  All I can tell you is to be sure to nominate next year.  But this year, to make this work, I really, really, really need your vote.  Please vote here, on Facebook, or in private message.

I intend to keep this open for at least a week, and then on until I get at least ten votes.  You may see this repeated ad nauseum on Facebook, so be prepared! 

Let the voting begin!

U.M. Phone Home and other Monday Musings

I don't remember having a phone in college.

That doesn't seem logical, even for the mid-70s, but I just have no memory of it.  I lived in the college dorm all four years, so it's quite possible that they didn't provide one.  There may have been pay phones available - they certainly were a lot more common at one time.  I have no one to check or verify this with - I am friends with no one from my college days, and my sister went to a different school.

My mother loved the phone, but I don't remember having long conversations with her from college (and my mother simply didn't have short phone conversations).  I went home a good number of weekends, in which they came and picked me up, or I got rides with others (didn't have a car until my Senior year of college).  At least through my Sophomore year I had a girlfriend, Cindy,  back in Bridgeport, and I saw her on the weekends I came up, but I don't remember calling her from school just to talk, or even letting her know I was coming up to see her.  I don't remember a single phone conversation all four years I was at the University of Michigan.

Even when Cindy started at U-M my junior year, the phone was not a part of our relationship.  Even when when she broke up with me a few weeks after arriving, I don't remember the phone as being an option as a way to try to talk to her or plead to see her again.

Some phone contact of some kind must have existed.  But it wasn't easy or all-consuming like it is now.  Now not only is the phone everywhere, there is texting.  Breaking up must be completely different now. Texting goes from constant to occasional to next to nothing and finally to being defriended or cut off.  I wonder how many young people break up now via text rather than in person.  I'm not sure that's an improvement.

And now my son Doug has started us on Skype.  I'm not really thrilled with it.  It's okay to see Doug while I'm talking to him, I'm not sure that I would not anyone else to see me, or for me to see them.  They can clearly see how dis-shelved I am, and I can see how they might be disinterested or bored.  I'm not sure I'm all that excited about it.  But when I have one son in California and another possibly fixing to go out there, it might have some value.

This week starts Hell Week at my work.  W-2s to finish up, 1099s to get to, and an outside audit all at the same time,  You may see some posts this week that sound like somebody desperately banging against the jail cell bars.

It also should be a week of significant progress at the Glenwood house.  Flooring should be finished and cabinets installed.  There is an outside possibility that we may be able to move over some stuff by the weekend.  They key, however, to moving in, is toilets on the inside of the house and not on the front porch.

Until next time,

T.M. Strait

Glenwood January 26th

The shelves are in and the mantle has been better defined in the living room.  I have also been told that the shelves aren't solely for books but also for knick knacks and other displays.  So I have to try to share. Sigh.

The kitchen now has flooring. The vinyl pattern is a little too small to step on the squares without stepping in-between  but Alison does her best.

Benjamin dances in the den.  Maybe we should make it the ballroom!

Benjamin's ceiling fan, the blades of which he helped paint red.  In this picture, it looks like his arm might have gotten too close to the blades.

Berries of some kind on a bush in our front yard.  So we always have something to eat.   Unless they're poison and they kill you.  Or maybe they'll just give you the runs/  So it may be a good thing that we still have three toilets on the front porch.

Conservative Shadings Saturday Political Soap Box 53

Very few of us are any one thing.  Just like our physical features, our political as well as social and cultural beliefs can vary and not fit into a neatly categorized box.  It's one of the reasons why voting for any politician can seem like a difficult thing.  It's almost impossible to pick out someone who agrees with you on everything, so you have to prioritize what is most important to you.

Make no mistake about it. I shade very liberal, particularly for this area. But I am not a monolith.  I do have some conservative beliefs.

I believe that abortion is wrong, that life does indeed begin at conception.  The DNA is zipped together and a unique entity is formed.  I do differ dramatically with many religious conservatives as to what to do about it, but we do start with that premise in common.  I think trying to eliminate this through criminalization and intimidation is wrong and ineffective, and only makes the problem worse.  Pulling people out of poverty, supporting young mothers, greater and more available and knowledgeable use of birth control are better answers.  I want solutions that empower women, not criminalize them.

I am not a big advocate of legalizing drugs.  The casual attitude towards drugs in this culture makes me think we have stumbled into Brave New World.  I do think penalties need to be smoothed out.  It's absurd for one type of cocaine used by rich people to have significantly lighter penalties that that used in poorer environments.  I do wish we would all grow less dependent on these addictive substances.  Oh.  I need to get another cup of coffee before I go on.


Okay, I'm back.  Our tax system is a complete mess.  I would like to see it completely reformed. And in some ways that I think conservatives would appreciate.  If you want to see a detailed outline on this, please see the label at the bottom, tax policy, and pull it up.

I do think there are some functions that the government should not be running.  As big a fan of the arts as I am, I don't think government has a place in that.  I even kind of agree with Mitt Romney that is is time to cut the ties to public television.  In all programs we need to more effectively reduce waste, fraud and abuse.

Although I believe the takers at the top are a much more serious problem than those at the bottom, I am upset by those who try to filch the system, particularly disability.  Yes, there are many people legitimately and deservedly on disability.  I have friends who I am very grateful have this available to them. What I am upset with are those who get on it, and then work under the table, off the books, so that they are double dipping.  They are taking from the government and giving nothing back in return.  And I'm angry at every employer who knowingly goes along with stuff like this.

Conservatives should know that I am open to any reform that moves more people to work and taking responsibility for themselves.  You should just be aware that this would involve greater job support and training, more daycare subsidies, more public transportation and infrastructure improvements in general,  a commitment to green jobs and moving this country to the technological forefront in a variety of fields, and a substantial increase in the minimum wage. To do things my way might even cost more money than just handing out checks to people, but I think that in the long run will foster more independence.

I do believe in stronger school discipline, maybe even school uniforms.  I am completely, utterly and adamantly in favor of public schools.  It is the very bedrock foundation of democracy.  We weaken it at our own peril.

So, all in all, not too much of a conservative shading for me, I suppose.  But it is there, just a tiny bit of red in my sea of blue!

The Wonderful Children of Oz

I am indeed often a selfish git.  I sometimes, even at my age, just want to get on stage and let it rip.  Just act, no other responsibilities. And someday soon, I may do that.

But I keep coming back to children's theater.  Why?  It can be a very noisy, chaotic experience.  The theater itself is on a shoestring, so raising enough money to continue is a constant problem. And there is the chronic thing that seems to happen in all theater groups - people leave all the time.  Children grow up, families move, others get offended and walk away.  It takes a lot of energy and force of will to keep moving forward.

Then I see pictures like this, and all my qualms melt away.  This is the reason I do children's theater.  I now many of the kids in the picture above.  I have watched them grow and bloom.  They have learned not just to be a performer, but how to get along and work with others.  They learn in a diverse environment that is not base on creed or color.  They learn self-worth and dignity and achievement.

So although I may be making an occasional foray back to my own acting roots, I'm not going away from children's theater.  They're growing up, including my own Benjamin,  They're getting stronger and better.

I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Sins of a Posessionary Mensch

I don't want you.
I don't want you around here.
I don't want to be around you anymore.
I don't want the temptation.
I don't want the heartache.
So please
Just go away
And never come back.

Sooo...disregard the above paragraph.
I can handle it.
I can hold you at arm's length.
I don't have to be consumed with you.
I can have you near.
So  please
You can stay.
I am strong enough to keep you in proper place.

Welllll...just forget the first two paragraphs.
I do want you.
I must have you around here.
I give in to my desires.
I surrender to my heart.
So please
Let me hold you
And never let you go.

Forget the whole poem.
My pain is too great.
Whether you stay or come or go.
I will feel you deep to my soul.
My heart will always bleed.
So whatever
it's all the same
I am forever tainted by you

Prayer Trifecta

Prayers are very personal things.  I believe in the admonition that they are to be done privately, in quiet spaces.  I'm not against public prayer.  I just believe that private prayer can be more direct and powerful.

It is not my intent to reveal what I pray.  That, for the most part, is between me and God.  I did want to share how I end most of my verbal prayers (yes, meditative prayers with few or no words are also very important).

First, I pray that I increase my love of God.  That I love him and open my heart to be shown and led to greater love and understanding.  This spiritual connection to the force that created us all, that loves us, that binds us all, is very important.  And often difficult for us to stay grounded to in this hectic, often wicked world.  The Father, the Mother, the Parent.

Second, I pray that I will love my neighbor, that I can show love, understanding and tolerance to all of God's children.  It is so easy to harbor resentments against those that we feel do us harm, it is so easy to hold prejudice against the other, to bind only with our tribe.  So I ask to have my heart opened to all, to love everyone as I would want to be loved.  We are all God's children, and it is not our job to condemn or isolate each other.  The son, the daughter, the child.

Finally, I pray that I will do everything that I can to make this a better world.   To do what I can to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth, where it is meant to be, where it stands before us if we only are willing to see it and work for it.  God is not showing us the back of his hand, and telling us to just wait while he does the work.  He is saying to us, "Come, take my hand.  Remove the scales from your eyes and let me show you what we can do together."  Whether it is extending your hand personally to someone in need, or joining forces with others to make things better, it is putting caring into action that is the key.  The Holy Spirit, the breath of life, the power of love.

These are easy to say.  They seem simplistic and straightforward to put in place.  But they are much easier to say than to practice.  I constantly fall short.  But that does not stop me from trying. It does not stop me from praying.  Every night. Quietly.

And I am heard.

And I am not alone.

Pens at the Ready for The Writer's Guild!

• Starting a writer's guild to help socialize, exchange writings and ideas, get advice on writing and publishing, to promote fellow guild members, and to work towards a literary magazine, online and in print.

Okefenokee Heritage Center

1490 N Augusta Ave, Waycross, Georgia 31503

View Map · Get Directions

This is on February 12th (a Tuesday), and I'm very excited about it.  The response has been fairly enthusiastic and I can't wait to be a part of helping it get started.

I believe we are going to have a wide variety of writers there.  People who've self-published before, those who've written for newspapers, bloggers like myself,those who write lyrics, those looking for more opportunities to write, and maybe even professionally published authors!

We can learn from what each other has done to improve our writing and it's marketability.

We can share what we are writing.

We can work towards a literary magazine, our equivalent of the art displays that The Art Guild does.

I told Benjamin that we were forming a writer's guild, and his reaction was wild enthusiasm.  Of course, his idea of what a guild might be was different than my own.  He wondered what kind of sword and shield we might pick out.

I should tell him that our sword was the pen (mightier indeed), and that the shield was the power of our written words.  Yeah, he would probably think that might be kind of lame.

An intriguing image, nevertheless.  Into battle our guild charges, pen at the ready, a sheet of paper held up!

All glory to the Writer's Guild!

 

A Speech For the Ages

It was a speech for the ages, one that will be remembered and parts replayed for generations   Brief but powerful, it clarified the progress we could make as we head deeper into this new century.  I only got to hear the speech, having it surreptitiously on the radio, in a work environment that had no interest in either the holiday or the inauguration.

I'm sure many of my conservative colleagues, for those who bothered to hear it, or hear/read the interpretation of it through right wing media, thought it was a dangerous declaration of liberal values.  And, yes, in some ways it was the kind of progressive rhetoric I had long waited to hear.  But the speech was much more than that.  It was also probably the most religious and profoundly Christian Presidential address I had ever heard.

I'm not talking about the deliberate mention of God.  Yes, that was in there, but that's cheap and easy to do. I'm talking about it's celebration of human progress, the dignity of the individual and the collective support of the community, about the faith that, over time, that we can make life better.

We hit on these themes in our Sunday School class last week, about "living between the trees".  We don't wait passively for God and Jesus to come back and smite everybody we don't like.  We work actively to make things better here.  The Kingdom of heaven is all about us.  It is up to us to recognize it, and build a better world to let it shine through.  Even though it takes time to build that, generations, the path to it is what's important.

Quotes from the speech:

 "And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice – not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity; human dignity and justice."

"We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth."

"Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm."

"We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect. We must act, knowing that today’s victories will be only partial, and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years, and forty years, and four hundred years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall."

The speech mentions over and over again, our powers and responsibilities as individuals and as community.  This is not Ayn Rand's country.  This is not Karl Marx's country.  This is OUR country.

Blessed be the Kingdom of heaven.  All we have to do is recognize that it is there, and do everything we can to bring it about.

Revenge Is All I Live For Now and Other Monday Musings

Boy, that title is a lot more ominous than I mean!  Revenge is the name of a song form the musical It's A Bird,,,It's A Plane...It's Superman.  I performed it as a junior in high school, playing the part of the mad scientist.  I was able to perform it for the first time since high school at an open mike night that they had Saturday at the Flying Dragon.  As you can see from the pictures above, if nothing else, I didn't stay still.

Revenge is a song that I also adopted to use in the Wizard of Oz musical last year.  I wanted a song just for the witch to help show off her talents.  I was able to perform that version as well.  I was pleased when the Executive Director Chris Jeffords requested a copy as they may include it in this year's as well.

As explained in another post, this is not a holiday weekend for me.  I will not get to spend time with my family, participate in MLK events, or watch the inauguration   It's not even really possible to take a vacation day this time of year. I'm having more and more trouble with Sundays, knowing that the week is about to start up again.  It's even tougher when you know your family is home.

It's starting earlier than ever, too.  Where even in my sleep. I dream about accounting. I really hate that.  I'd rather almost dream about zombies, aliens, vampires or Republicans.

My father seems to be regaining some strength after a bout with the flu. His hospice care providers have been a blessing, and helped him quickly secure a new wheelchair when he needed one.

I see friends self-publishing books, and I feel like I'm running behind.  Although I don't yet have a completed novel, I have enough material to make collections.  I am just not yet adept enough at formatting the stuff to get it on the places that could sell it. I should be able to write these posts during tax season, but a push at something more will have to wait until late April.

And yes, the performance above made me realize how much I missed the stage.  It has been great to write and help the Children's theater   But I miss getting on the stage and just letting a good part rip out of me.  Sigh.  Maybe soon.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

Glenwood January 18th

The Glenwood living room has had built-in bookshelves added to each side of the fireplace.  Why?  Because I, unlike many others, like to decorate with books.  Books that I have either read or I am going to read.

In the Glenwood dining room, the sheves for the book cases are being prepared.  Book cases work so much better with them.

Our porch now has doors.  THese are going to be fairly important as the weather warms up, in order to help keep the bugs out.  Even on this January day where the temperature was slightly cool, I could see some gnats.

This is the foyer, such as it is.  Door and a closet.

A special bonis of this house is that it came with this wonderful Tonka truck in the yard.   I really think that a Tonka truck should be free with every home purchase.

Hope Floats to a Second Term Saturday Political Soap Box 52

Well, they said it couldn't be done.

In the highly conservative area that I live in, Barack Obama has been dismissed every step of the way.  My conservative friends scoffed at his ability to win the nomination in the first place, back in 2008.  All of a sudden people who had been bad-mouthing the Clintons for years were talking to me about how she would be the nominee, and how she would be so much better for us to run than Barack Obama. Even when Obama was being nominated, they talked about how well Hilary did, and how she would pick up the mantle and  be the Democratic nominee in 2012,  because this time we had picked a sure loser.

When the race for 2012 began, many around here thought it was a done deal.  No way would President Obama win again.  After all, the economy was still weak from the catastrophic collapse that occurred at the end of the Bushy Jr. administration. And the Republicans in Congress had done everything in the world that they could to block progress. Through Orwellian nonsense, they also had confused the positive impact of the Affordable Care Act.

Because the views in this area are so extreme to begin with, they didn't pick up on what a horrible, motley crew of fools the Republican contenders were.  Never has such an embarrassing group of people tried to compete to be President.  They picked the best of a very rotten lot, Mitt Romney, running on his record as a vulture capitalist. And then he selected an Ayn Rand follower to be his Vice-Presidential nominee.  Still, the people around here were shocked when Romney lost.

I know a bit how they feel.  I was stunned when Reagan won in 1980.  I couldn't believe someone that shallow and that far to the right could be elected President.  And I was surprised when the Supreme Court handed the Presidency to Bushy Jr., and even more taken back when he obtained a second term.

But President Obama is now in a very exclusive club, a two tern President of the United States.  And although it's diminished by the harsh glare of reality (and Eric Cantor's bitter face), I still hold great hope for this President and our country.

The economy was brought back from the brink of global destruction.

The American car industry was rescued.

The Iraq war was ended.

Osama Bin Laden was found and eliminated.

The Affordable Care Act shows a path forward to universal health care.

Civil rights and equality has been extended to our LGBT community.

And now, in the second term, we can see the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.  We mat finally have the political will to restore some sensible gun regulations.  We can continue to end our ground level involvement in Afghanistan.  We may get some true tax reform.  We might even finally look at education, research and infrastructure.  And my biggest hope, that we finally focus on addressing climate change.

So congratulations to President Obama and Vice-President Biden.  There may be crises to come, but I am as satisfied as I have ever been in my life that the country is in the best hands it could be in.

And for my ultra-conservative friends, do not despair.  Chris Christie casts a large shadow.  A very large shadow indeed.

History of the Trap: May Shadows Part 7

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 his relationship with Morgan is.  We 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 to schedule more activities for the students to become involved with, including a dance and a TV variety show. Lance slowly learns that Ginny is more interested in Artie than him.

7

My Dad's plan to keep us more occupied was working, in a way.  It was hard to keep the harsh reality of the situation away from us.  It was now May 29th, a full six weeks after the trap fell.  We knew whatever happened to us was more than a freak weather event that was going to dissipate.  We actually knew with less and less certainty, each day that passed, if we really knew what was going on.  There was still hope that it would one day end.  Much faith was placed in the hands of the Tunnel Team.

Two of our group had joined the Tunnel Team.  They were still in the planning stages, led by David Yankovich.  As arrogant as he was, his certainty that he could get us out of this was infectious.  Tom Bodell, our resident shop wizard, had volunteered, and was assisting David in bringing his fancier concepts to practical life.  Another of Artie's pals, Jim Kurrash, was ready to lend his stocky, sturdy physical help to the cause.

The evening meal became a major gathering point for our group.  Jim and Tom were telling us about the latest developments with the Tunnel.  "We're going to start off the end of the fallout shelter.  I think we'll have it organized enough to start digging the first week of June."

"They found the end of the fallout shelter?"  joked Artie.  The fallout shelter had been a great surprise, with many more supplies stocked down there than anyone anticipated.  Food was still not yet a problem, although my Dad was starting to get worried.  Thankfully, he and Mr. Bruschow were making progress on planting a larger garden.  Mr. Bruschow had found a large cache' of seeds, and gardening was well on its way.  Robert Bond and Lisa Carlton were part of the agricultural team.

"Yes, in a way.  They found an end at the Southside corridor.  The rest, no one's quite sure, but we think so.  Somebody will report they found an end, and then somebody will go down later and find that there's more," said Tom.

"That's not really possible, you know that?" asked Sue Boschman.  She still looked very proper and in place, her large glasses glaring.  She worked as a teacher's aide in the Math Department.  She was still sold on the idea that this was a government conspiracy.  As other more obvious reasons faded away, I was beginning to wonder if she was right,

"I know," replied Tom.  "But, nevertheless, that's what happens.  I guess people just think they've found the end and are mistaken.  It's easy to lose your bearings down there."

Sue just nodded skeptically.  She and Lisa had been hanging with our group more and more over time.  In Sue's case, she seemed to be around more when Tom was with us.  There was an interesting match.  Out resident pragmatic mechanic being crushed by the intelligent but slightly deranged Sue Boschman.  I don't know why Lisa was hanging out with our group more.  Maybe just because Sue was.

Lisa smiled at me as I looked around and saw her.  Lisa was also help with the agricultural effort, but more in the lab trying to figure out to make maximum use of the seeds and stuff that we had.  She also had maintained her appearance well, wearing jeans and a blue work shirt.  Her long, blonde hair looked clean, and we had had that dance a couple weeks ago, it sure smelled...nice.  Like Sue, she also wore glasses, but her were smaller framed, almost like granny glasses.

Ginny and her sister Mary were with us.  Ginny sat close to Artie.  I had not seen many explicit signs of affection, but they did seem to be around each other a lot.  They both worked in maintenance, although Ginny's job was more painting and brightening things up, and Artie's more about keeping the floors and walls clean.  Mary was in laundry and clothes repair, but she also was in the choir.  She had a very sweet soprano voice.

Jerry Mack was with us, but still looking very fragile.  He had not been assigned anything yet, and probably wouldn't be until his heath was more secure.  He didn't say much, but was very engrossed in what others had to say. His face lit up most when Artie spoke.  But didn't we all.

Me?  I had the goofiest job of all, I would think.  The Lookout Variety Hour of Power was looking for more material, and they had me try me hand at writing a skit, which I also played a small part in.  It was a soap opera spoof I called The Sands of Loren.  It seemed pretty silly, but it proved to be hugely popular.  So now I had been tasked with writing weekly segments to be featured on the Hour of Power.  So I had to figure out how to turn a one shot gimmick into a continuing series.  It sounded cushy, but it was actually a real pain.  It was in such demand that nobody really questioned the type of assignment that the principal's son drew. I assisted with enough other things, like latrine duty and some agricultural stuff with my Dad, that it balanced out.

Supper was wrapped up with everyone's favorite, diarrhea pudding, made in part with powdered milk, cocoa, and water.  What most of us wouldn't give for a Roscoe's Twinner Cake or Hollywood Milk Shake Candy Bar.  There was still food, but it was more repetitive and less appealing.  The garden, if it could get steaming along, was going to be true miracle.  Just the thought a fresh baked potato or a fresh, ripe strawberry set my mouth to water.

We started to get up to leave, and I looked over at Ginny.  She gave me a warm, friendly smile.  It should have made me feel good but it just pierced my heart.  It was so hard to have these strong feelings for her and realize that they may never be returned, that she actually probably favored another.  And it wasn't like she stomped my heart and was gone for good.  She was right there with us, most of the time.  I had to be nice and friendly when I was crying inside, when my soul was sinking.  Would have been easier if I didn't see her so much?  I don't know.  To think about that also made my heart ache.  Maybe love was just supposed to be hurt.

Lisa Carlton came up to me.  I could smell her hair.  It was an intoxicating, pleasant odor.  I wondered what she could be using that was so much different than everybody else.  "Hey, Lance," she said.  "Need any help with the script tonight?  I type with exceptional speed, and I'm a very good grammarian."

I looked at her blankly, my heart somewhere else.  "No, that's nice, but I think I just need to get away by myself and think about things for awhile.  But I'll keep your offer in mind.  Thanks."

And I walked away, caught in a foggy trap of my own design.

It'a a Holiday Weekend!!! OR IS IT?

For some people, here and there, this will be an extended weekend.  Not for me, and in the vision of most of the employers I've had in my working career.

I do consider Martin Luther King Day an important holiday.  It is, to me, the most quintessentially American of all the holidays. It is a celebration not just of Martin Luther King (which is reason enough), but also of the American quest for civil rights and equality of opportunity.  It is time to remember the very best impulses of American culture, the struggle to gain our rights, to vanquish the color of one's skin as a barrier to progress, to celebrate the power of non-violence as a form of civil disobedience and as a way to improve our society.  So, yeah, Martin Luther King is an important day to me.

Yet I have had only one employer who took the holiday, and that is when I worked at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  Some of my employers even had open disdain for the day, and would deride it's very existence.

Currently I'm in a profession that does not acknowledge it.  But then again, they don't really recognize any holidays from January 2nd through April 15th.  Not Martin Luther King Day, not President's Day, not nothing.  Easter is barely acknowledged.  If it wasn't tax season that it fell in, would they recognize it?  I don't know.  That's hard to say with certainty, but I suspect not.

Alison and Benjamin get both Monday and Tuesday off.  It seems like they just had a two week plus break, but what can I say?  It is an important holiday, and the second day is a furlough day.  Georgia state government refuses to properly fund public schools, so the school systems have to scramble to find ways to make up the shortfall.

As for myself, I will celebrate as I usually do.  Quietly, to myself, in between accounting assignments.

May the power of non-violent change continue to be a positive influence on the shape and progress of our great country!

Sonzobarian Shores

Where do I find you but underneath

and I leave my sword without it's sheath

set it down to hold your shaking shoulders

as fruit collides around like boulders

You retch again as the Lady Ezer rocks

The ship is buffeted by Rastarian Sea stocks

Large waves crash against the masted sailer

I do not think my maiden could turn any paler

Would he hold you as I am?

Would he wipe your mouth free of jam

and all the bile you've let come up?

Would he hold you all night and cup?

Cup his hand to catch your spew?

Hold you firm no matter what you do?

I don't think for this he would stay

I don't think for this he would give you the time of day

Into you my soul I would pour

And maybe you would forget about a Sonzobarian shore

Forget the quest towards the one you're looking for

Instead look up at the one whose heart does soar

Every time I look at you

Every time I think of you

Every time I pray to you

Every time I ache for you

Spell Me A River!

Spelling Bee fever hits Ware County!

I've had a number of friends this week with children competitive in their elementary school's spelling bee.  Although I did not get to see the bees, it has been a joy to read and hear about the excitement of the parents and children as they prepare and participate in these contests.

If Spelling Bee fever hit Pierce County (our home county), I don't know about it.  It may be because Benjamin is in middle school now, but I never heard much about in prior years.  Maybe Spelling Bees are less emphasized in Pierce County.

Oh, I think they exist.  It's just that Benjamin never made it out of his room.  To compete at the whole school level, you first have to qualify out of your home classroom.  And Benjamin never did that.  I think one year he qualified just a place below what he would need to go to the next level.

What was odd about that is that Benjamin almost always got a 100 on spelling tests, all through elementary school.  He is qualified into GATE, a special program for gifted and talented children.  His reading level has ranged from two to four grade levels above his current grade.  He is self-assured and an excellent performer, so he does not suffer from panic or stage fright.

He is prone to a little over-confidence, and sometimes not thinking things through.  He will go with the picture of the word in his head without any real thought.  So I can see how he could miss a word he might otherwise know.

I don't remember, in my own school years, ever winning or even being competitive in a spelling bee.  My spelling grades were not as good as Benjamin's.  I had a somewhat undeserved reputation for being intelligent, so I think it was a bit of surprise to other students when I didn't shine in these contests.

Anybody who has read my posts or facebook comments knows that I can slip through some whoppers, even with Spell-check.  To this day, I never get the i before e thing right no matter how carefully I think about it.  Believe is always beleive. Chief is cheif.  I just can't help it.  Something about my brain wiring, I guess.

I'm not overly critical of other people when I see mistakes of spelling or grammar.  We're all human.  It happens to all of us.  Nevertheless, the general downhill trend is discouraging.  We are tweeting and abbreviating ourselves into newspeak nonsense.

It does my heart good to see that some students still care enough about spelling to compete in these contests and do well.  And it speaks well of those parents as well when their children do well.  It often shows an academic tint and a caring of learning that is very important.

Spell on, my friends! Even with Spell-check  it is a vital and important skill to have, and I salute you, parents and students alike!

Now, if only somebody could do something about Auto-correct!

Ease On Down To The Flying Dragon This Saturday Evening!

This will be great fun, but let me please clarify.  Your tax deductible donation is VITAL at this time for the continued growth and support of this outstanding community children's theatre.  So I highly encourage you to come and to give as generously as you can.  

Here are the dates of the big show!  Plan to see as many showings as you can, because there are frequent cast changes and you;ll want to see as many combinations as you can.  This is one of the great strengths of this theatre, as so many children get a chance to shine.

Seating for this production is limited, so you want to reserve a whole pew for your family NOW!  If you haven't seen the "stadium seating" style arrangement yet, come on down and be amazed!

This is what it's all about!  A great place for young families, and introducing theatre to all our children, from birth to young adults.  Come out and participate in the next show!

Ripping Good Yarns: Revenge is a Dish Best Served With High Speed Internet

Revenge!  One of the benefits of our move is access to high speed Internet.  It has allowed us to utilize Netflix and other services to instantly watch a number of programs.  This gave me an opportunity to catch up on some great shows.  Revenge is one that a good friend has been urging us to try for quite awhile   So in the last month, Alison and I have been through all 22 episodes of the first season.   

Emily Van Camp lays Amanda Clark whose father was used as a scapegoat by  the Grayson to help cover up crimes that the Grayson's committed.  Her quest leads her to slowly destroy the lives of those who destroyed her father.  She is a beautiful and talented actress.  A bit on the tall side.  In heels she kind of hovers over her true love, Jack Porter.

There is much that helps this qualify as a Ripping Good Yarn.  There is  a great story filled with melodrama and intrigue.  It has complex characters that you care about.  The storyline continues and builds from week to week.It does have action, so there is something for those who like that.  Alison really, really likes this show.  I like it, but I'm still hoping some killer robots might show up.

Weekend's Demise and Other Monday Musings

Another weekend is in the history books.  Now I'm left with the impending week of work, which should be very intense, very involved.  Can't believe people actually expect their W-2s.  Unbelievable,  And we've added an audit to the schedule.  This may be a difficult week to keep up with the blog.

Which would be a shame, because the numbers continue to come up.  Even a segment of History of the Trap has been caught by some other site somewhere, and the page views for that have risen dramatically, far exceeding any of my other fiction posts.

But I'm going to do my darnedest to keep up, even if the posts are short and/or picturey. I'm struggling to accomplish something, and for better or worse, outside of family and work - this is what I've chosen.

Today the appliances for Glenwood may be selected.  The competitors are Sears and Lowe's.  We looked at some choices and narrowed down the list, and Alison is going to go late this afternoon after she drops of Benjamin the Cha Cha King to Cotillion, I think we're going with white, although she had some stainless steel back ups as well.   I'm happy with anything that makes ice or cooks pizza, as my color coordination and interior decorating skills are somewhat non-existent.

My father in Michigan worries me.  He is still recovering from a flu, and his voice is hard to understand, as he is coughing and gurgling.  My understanding is that parts of Michigan have been hit hard by the flu.  His retirement complex was on lock down for awhile, with everyone getting lunches in their rooms instead of at the dining area.  I'm looking forward to him feeling better soon.

The Golden Globes were on last night.  I'm a sucker for TV and movie award shows, so I watched it some, albeit recorded and I fast forwarded through healthy chunks of it.  Les Miserables, the film that has not and probably won't come to Waycross cleaned up, including winning for Best Picture - Comedy or Musical.    I've added the book to my Kindle, so maybe I'll get some background that way, because it may be months before I can see that movie.

Speaking of movie musicals, I had a friend comment on seeing Phantom of the Opera (the movie of the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical), and it made my realize that I had never seen it.  I had gotten it into my head years ago that I wanted to see it performed live at a theater before watching the movie.  I had heard that it was an unbelievably spectacular stage production, and it sounded like something that would be great to see.  But I've never gotten to see it, and now years have passed by, and I just don't know.

Well, with completion of this post the weekend has officially drawn to a close.  I must finish getting on my CPA disguise and see if I can bluff my way through another day,  My "performance" at Higginson & Paulk, at now 13 years, 7 months and 14 days, is starting to run longer than Cats!

Until next time,

T.M. Strait