A Look Out the Window

 This is Scout, my kitty pal.  He's on the porch side of our kitchen window.  He can climb anywhere.

Actually, he's not really a kitten anymore.  He'll be one a week from now. That's our best guess for his birthday, and we're sticking to it.

I'm not a cat person, but I am a Scout person.  I've never had a cat want to be with me so much.

Personal Health

At 70, health can be like a game of whack-a-mole.

Diabetes? Bam! Under control! Blood pressure? Bam!  Better, but not teenager-like.  Weight? Bam? Lost about 30 lbs! Prostate biopsy due to slow rise in PSA? Bam! No cancer or abnormalities!

Arthritic flare-ups in feet, knees, and legs?  Bam! Went to a Rheumatologist in Valdosta and was prescribed a better medicine that has greatly reduced pain!  Enough where I can sit at the computer a little bit longer and write more!

Writing

Now I can return to The Strait Line more (now with over a million views!) and pursue some of my other writing projects.

For the second time, I am a runner-up in the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine's Mysterious Photograph contest. Maybe I should expand and try some other contests.

Future topics for the Strait Line:

President Talarico

Top 100 Sci-Fi Films of the 20th Century continued

More stories from the Kingdom (near-future flash fictions that extrapolate into a darker future if we allow fascism to continue to grow and thrive)

More stories from the Stony Land (adaptations from my father's research into my family's history of the Straits in America, going back 13 generations)

Stop! In the Name of Democracy! How to fix the happenings with the Supremes!

More Scout, Pixie, Alison, Benjamin, and Retta! 

Television and Movies

I finished Season 3 of The Diplomat last night.  You would think that, given my personality and interests, I would love more political series, but I am often drawn away from them because of their lack of realism.  With THe Diplomat it's not so much that's not realistic, it's thast it's sometimes amoral.  Even the lead characters commit subtrefuge that I'm shocked thatthey're willing to do that. The acting sometimes is a little stiff or overreaching.  It had enough good moments though, thast I will watch Season 4 when it comes out.

Alsion and I started Season 2 of THe Pitt last night.  It's very, very good, but both of us are squeamish during some of the surgery scenes, and we turn to each other and ask, "Why are we eatching this?"  It's compleeing characters and important social commentary - that's what gets us through.

Not much to say about movies, other than i am really looking forward to Supergril.

Sports

I'll just list my favorites.

MLS: Atlanta United

NWSL: Portland Thorns

MLB: Detroit Tigers

NBA: Detroit Pistons (in the playoffs! Woot! Woot!)

NHL: Detroit Red Wings

NCAA any sport: Michigan Wolverines (my alma mater)

Can anyone tell by this I grew up in Michigan?

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

AOC '28

A Look Out the Window

 I let Scout have some screened-in porch time.

I drifted to other things and had forgotten I had let her out.

I came back to the kitchen to look out the window to see where she might be, and...oops, there he is!

Scout can climb up anywhere. And does. This morning he was on our fireplace mantel. There's not really much room for him there, what with all the knick-knacks. To make room, he knocked off a plastic cow figure.

We don't leave anything on the kitchen counter that he can get into anymore. Even food in a plastic bag - he will try to get at it, even if he doesn't like the food. The fun is in the destruction, not the food inside.

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I was going to post a story about the OHC Book Festival I attended. I was hoping to find some pictures online to head up the post, but alas, I could not find any.

So, how did it go?

Pretty darn good! There was a good-sized crowd, with vendors, activities, seminars, and costume contests.

I sold a few books. I was surprised that Crowley Stories was a bestseller. I love that book, but I've had a hard time promoting it. Even though fictional, it is set in the Okefenokee Swamp region. And although it was written almost a decade ago, some of the plot lines have proven prophetic. Things have become os much worse down here since the emergence of Trump and MAGA. I'm sorry if that upsets some of you, but it's the truth.

The experience has reenergized me and made me want to return to writing. I have a completed book that I have not published, The Extra Credit Club. I found a new Beta reader for it and potentially a book editor to review it. In the long run, I will probably still self-publish, mostly because at my age I don't want to wait the one to three years it would take to get it accepted and published.

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My health is pretty good. Most of my blood pressure readings are good (at least in my world). I monitor my blood glucose with a Dexcom monitor; most of the time, I am within the normal range. I've found some things that spike my numbers and others that have less of an effect. Dark chocolate, nuts, even some whole wheat and homemade sourdough bread don't cause much of a rise. Potatoes? Whoa, Katy, bar the door!

This morning, my weight was the lowest it's been this century!

I still have periodic bouts with arthritis pains, particularly in my legs (foot, knee, lower leg).

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I watched the Bad Bunny halftime show. It was fantastic! Did I understand what was being said? No, but I don't always catch what English-speaking singers say* (Dylan? Anyone? Anyone?). I did get the message loud and clear - a celebration of diversity and love. 

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Until next time,

T. M. Strait

AOC '28

* Maybe one of the reasons I like Johnny Cash so much is that I can understand what he says.

Your Presence Is Requested!

 

I am very excited to announce my participation in this groundbreaking event. I will have an aauthor'stable. I am trying to get back into promoting myself as a writer. I'm nervous, but I need to break through my introversion and get back into it.

As you can see from the flyer above, this is so much more than an author's presentation. There will be readings, contests, workshops, and so much more!

My good friend, Greg O'Driscoll, will be there, promoting his comic book. Both the Waycross/Ware County AND Pierce County Libraries will be there, with super information, giveaways, and contests!  

Fun for every reader of every age!

From Elizabeth Pond, Event Coordinator

We have a great chichildren'sea planned for the OHC We Love Literacy Book Festival on Saturday, February 7 from 10-4. Special thanks to the Waycross Ware County Library and the Pierce County Library!

Big Fun on the Big Front Porch

Join us on the porch for a full day of crafts, coloring, and free book giveaways!

DonDon'tss story time and visits with our favorite friends, Bluey and Pogo.

Story time: 10:15

Visit with Bluey: 10:30

Story time: 11:15

Book Character Costume Judging: 12:00

Visit with Pogo: 12:30

Story time: 1:15

Visit with Bluey: 1:30

Story time: 2:15

Visit with Pogo: 2:30

Story time: 3:15

Please come! You'll have a blast!

Return of the Wednesday Wanderings

 This may be for faithful followers only.

I used to do this type of post that would wander from topic to topic.

Well, as I re-anchor what my blog is for, I'll wander for a little while.  Some of these may be developed later.  Others may just sink into the ether.

HEALTH UPDATE

As some may know from prior posts, I am now struggling with type 2 diabetes. 

After they finally realized I couldn't swallow metformin, I started Rybelsus, which is the pill form of Ozempic.

Within a month, I lost 12 pounds.  Also, my first lab work shows a reduction in blood glucose from 133 to 86, and an A1C reduction from 6.7 to 6.1.  

They have changed my pill from 3mg to 7mg.  I thought maybe I would lose more weight, but instead it has stabilized.  I'd love to lose more, but the important thing is my numbers are way better.

A word about being on Ozemopic—it wasn't something I demanded.  I just needed a pill I could swallow.  It is a bit embarrassing to me now that MAGA idiots like Dr. Oz are promoting the drug so heavily, even just for weight loss.  I swear to you, my primary goal is not weight loss.  It's controlling diabetes.  

My blood pressure, on the other hand, has not made similar improvements. Weight loss, exercise, or diet will not get me down to teenage levels of blood pressure readings.  But I'm monitoring more closely, and time will tell.

POLITICAL UPDATE

The corporate Democrats caving on the shutdown and insisting that the ACA credits be preserved is heartbreaking, but, sadly, not unexpected.  You know they are gonna Lucy with the football that thing.  No surprise that any promise the Republicans make means s--t.

Things like this make me proud to call myself an Independent Progressive and not a Democrat.

By the way, you do realize that when the Republicans call it the Democrat Party instead of the Democratic Party, they are hurling an insult?  The press used to note this to Republicans who would slur this, but not anymore.  Now it flies unchecked so much that I think many of you don't know it's wrong.

ENTERTAINMENT UPDATE

I haven't given up on the Top 100 20th Century Science Fiction countdown.  It takes me a while to find and see them.  I'm using a dozen or more sources, including premium and free streaming services (I make no apologies for being a streamaholic).  I also use the library, and if it comes to worst, I am renting them.  It all takes time.

I'm also thinking of a list of my top ten favorite movies.  There will be individual selections, as well as categories.  I would name Blazing Saddles as a favorite, but I would also highlight all my other Mel Brooks favorites.

I may post about what I am streaming and my recommendations.  Right now, I am watching the third season of Invasion on Apple+ TV.  It's not bad, but some episodes move slowly, and the storyline sometimes diverges into things that make you want to go - Could you please just get back to the story?

RELIGION UPDATE

Yep. I'm still at Grace Episcopal. Yep, I still work part-time for the church.  It gets frustrating around budget time, but I'm hanging in there.

The image above is designed to draw in unsuspecting readers. It kinda speaks for itself.  There's some uproar about a woman who called religious entities with a plea for food and formula for her young child.  Of course, the mosques and Hindu temples were all in.  Of course, the Christian Right churches were declining to help. Of course.

The Christian Reich is a heretical embarrassment, and I just pray that genuine Christianity survives it.  We are making a very, very bad impression, folks.

WRITING UPDATE

It's frustrating, but I'll try to do better.  I need to re-establish a writing routine, but it has been fairly elusive.  Wish me luck.

I am not getting my Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine subscription in time to compete in the Mysterius Photograph contest.  That is deeply frustrating to me. I may need to find other flash fiction contests to compete in.

FAMILY UPDATE

Alison and I celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary with a stay on St. Simons.  It was brief but good to get away.

Benjamin has survived the shutdown, and his job is going well.  He likes the work and the people he is working with.

I've enjoyed soccer conversations with my two older boys, and get video messages from my Granddaughter, Retta.  I would love to show you pictures of her, but there is an understandable ban on any pictures on Social Media.

PET UPDATE

I love Scout and Pixie.  Scout and Pixie love me. Especially around meal time.

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

AOC '28

Surender

 I don't want to quit.

But it's getting very frustrating.

I know I'm flawed. I love to get feedback. By nature, I'm a storyteller. I love to get applause and attention.

When I was working, the theatre and creative arts were the only way I could survive. I was in a profession where I was competent but not a star, where there was little attention or positive reinforcement. But I could go onstage and get the confirmation I craved— that I wasn't a complete loser, that there was something I could do well, and that people appreciated it.

I even had a period where I was writing entire books and self-publishing them. The first, History of the Trap, garnered some local attention and sold a few copies, with ebook sales of around 300.

But then...it slowly went away. I wrote another book and a couple of collections that immediately sank into obscurity.  

I have an entire book, The Extra Credit Club, that I've never published. The initial advanced readers were mixed, and I lost heart. I didn't know how to fix it, and I can't afford an editor.

Since retirement, I haven't written any long-form stories. No novels. You would think I would have more time, but I haven't organized myself that way. Partly, it is a long time to spend on something that will never make any impact.

At one time, I was making an entry every day on The Strait Line. Since then, it has gradually diminished. I may end the year with about 50 entries.  

I recently wrote my Halloween story, Halloween On ICE, and although it has some views, there has been no reaction —positive or negative. I finally got Alison to read it by posting it directly on her Facebook feed. Even then, it took her a day or two to find it.

So, yes, part of the problem is the social media feeds. Facebook doesn't post my blog posts to many people. Why? Because they think of my blog as a MONEY_MAKING enterprise, and that I should pay them to post it more widely. No, I'm not making any money off my blog. I'm even lifetime-banned from having advertising on it.

People who post directly on Facebook get more notice than my blog stories do. That is true...EVEN FOR ME.  

It's also crushing to keep posting about the Orange Conman and not see any improvement in this area. People are not waking up in my Trumpian county, no matter what he does. No matter how rotten things get. Even when he symbolically dumps crap on them.

So, yes, not to sound like a teenage wannabe influencer, but the lack of feedback does get frustrating.

But there is another reason. One that I was not expecting.

I love being retired. I love being out of the rat race. I love not having to worry about tax season, or which loophole I have to find.

I like being with my pets. I love the time with Alison. Yes, I love reading and catching up on TV series and classic movies. I love my church, and I love being a lector, an intercessor, giving time and money to those in need, and even occasionally preaching. I love being more of a help in cleaning and taking care of the house. I love my library and reading at Story Time. I love seeing my granddaughter, even in FaceTime. I love my sons, sharing soccer games with my two older boys, and visiting the youngest, BenJerMan.  

The drive to be famous, the drive to prove my worth, has diminished. I don't have to worry about a job that constantly crushes my soul.

So, part of the problem is the lack of feedback.

But it's also because I'm no longer haunted by my sense of inferiority. 

I'll get in a better mood. Sometimes, I might write more, or do a play again.

But it'll be because I want to,  Not because I have to.

Sincerely, 

T.M. Strait

AOC '28

It's a Mystery Man

 Here I am, in Books-A-Million, holding a treasured prize!

What's special about this issue of Alfred's Mystery Magazine?

Why, my name is in it!

Sounds impressive, don't it?

Well, there are some caveats. 

First, it's just my name. I am an honorable mention in a story contest. Only the winning entry is published.

So, this is part of my big dream, but not all of it.

I have not yet had a story published in a pulp fiction magazine (currently, the big four are Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, and Analog Science Fiction). That part of the dream has not yet been realized.

Also, please note that I am hardly the only honorable mention. There are ten; for all I know, that may be everybody who entered.  

To further dampen things, they release the magazine's circulation figures on the next page. Many numbers are listed, but the bottom line is that the total circulation is around 10,000 (about 40% being mail subscriptions). With a US population of around 335 million, about .003%* of the population gets this magazine.

Well, ok. Nevertheless, I am proud. It's a big step for me in the right direction.

I am writing a story for the next contest.

I am editing a story I wrote a decade or two ago.

And I am creating a new story centered on an 1880s gothic girl!

As my pal Superman says, "Never give up! Never Surrender!"

Something like that. That could be Winston Churchill.

Nevertheless, the sentiment stands!

*math could change depending on if I did it wrong

Welcome to the New Year

 

Welcome to the New Year.

Do I have resolutions?

Not many. Love my family. Love being a Christian Progressive. Embrace and support those who are daring to stand up to the political morass we have descended into, and defend those who are going to be prosecuted by the Christian Reich who are in control.

Strive to prioritize my health so that I can stay active and contribute.

Make this the year that I am a published author. Yes, I have some self-published books and this blog, but nothing where someone has paid me for a story or book.  

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He's not President yet, and it's already horrifying. Much worse than I even imagined, and that's hard to do, believe me.

He's told you he was lying about lowering grocery prices. He likes the type of visa that brings foreigners over to do skilled jobs, such as computer programming, and do it at lower pay than Americans. He is not going to stop the desire of Republicans to slash and even eliminate Social Security. Medicare and other programs to help the indigent and working poor. 

He's mouthing off about taking over Greenland, the Panama Canal, and even Canada. He's mumbled about a "soft invasion" of Mexico. And all of y'all Orangeteers are okay with that?  

You know who else started his leadership with talks of taking over neighboring countries? Hitler. I don't give a damn whether you think the comparison is offensive or not. If the jackboots fit...

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It's getting harder and harder to find social media (and mainstream media) that hasn't been subsumed by billionaire supporters of the Orange conman. Twitter/X has been taken over by an egomaniac who is walking proof of why wealth consolidation is evil. Jeff Bezos is ruining Amazon and The Washington Post trying to make come to life the Post's slogan - Democracy Dies in Darkness - as he slowly turns out the lights. Mark Zuckerberg is eliminating fact checkers, ready to let the MAGATs run roughshod over Facebook, Threads, and Instagram. TikTok is set to be shuttered in about 10 days unless it is saved by being purchased by yet another Trump-loving billionaire.

The same thing is happening on our broadcasters and streamers. One by one, they are showing fealty to the one true moron.  

The biggest lunacy I hear is when my reich-wing friends talk about the liberal media.

HA!

On social media, we are left with Bluesky. On cable, MSNBC has a few liberal hosts, particularly in primetime, but they may soon change. Streamers comprise of Media Touch and a few other smaller organizations.

Liberal media domination, my sweet petunia!

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I hope to post when I can in 2025. Most of my writing efforts will be off-blog as I try to tempt the markets with my incredible prose.

For those who want light and fluffy, who don't want to see political rants - too bad, so sad.  

I have no intent on staying silent in the face of fascism.

Until next time, if I'm permitted to still speak out,

T. M. Strait

September Wednesday Wanderings

I've been absent from the blog for a while. I would apologize, but I just think that's the way it will be now. Rest assured, I'm not abandoning my blog, even if I can't get to it every day.

PERSONAL HEALTH UPDATE

I'm doing pretty good. I have blood pressure problems and am prediabetic, but I'm doing my best to mitigate those with exercise and diet and shutting out MAGA world when I can.  

I am affected by rheumatoid arthritis, which primarily affects my knees, feet, and legs. It is difficult to sit at the computer for significant stretches when I am in a flareup, like I was until recently. Consequently, during those periods, I write less.

I have received help from my physician's assistant and am on the mend. This is good. I will visit my granddaughter soon and wanted to be as mobile as possible.

WORK SITUATION

I have acquired a part-time job. Yes, it's in accounting and bookkeeping, which is not my favorite, but it's for good people and is only about 10 hours a week. It should help family resources so we can maybe travel more.

UPDATE ON BLOG SERIES

I still want to write the final installment of Getting Off in All the Wrong Places. It's difficult because current events keep overtaking what I want to say. But rest assured, it's still fulminating in the back of my mind.

I also will work towards another installment about the 100 best science fiction movies of the 20th century. I'm going in reverse order, starting with #100. I stalled out at Cocoon; it's not available to stream anywhere. They have also not made a new DVD in many a year. But, thanks to the great resources of our public library, I was able to borrow a DVD of Cocoon! Only to find out my DVD player no longer worked! Not to be deterred, I purchased a new DVD player via Amazon. It came in yesterday. It is installed, and I hope to watch Cocoon as soon as today!

I will post fiction as it comes to me. Currently, I am entering a flash fiction contest in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine - wish me luck!

I will also post about other things—politics, public library support, and family stuff, both current and nostalgic—as time and inspiration allow.

HARRIS/WALZ 2024!

The debate last night was incredible. She was personable, communicated effective plans, and she just wound him up. She stayed calm but strong, while he was loud and angry and incoherent and lying nonstop.

Has anyone else noticed, and I don't mean this in any negative way, that Kamala's voice style and tone are similar to Judy Garland's? 

This remenided me of what the debate was like. It was like Dorothy scolding the Wizard of Oz for being a fraud, with a symbolic Toto ripping back the curtain to show what a manipulative, empty suit Trump really is.

There is no there there. And now the American people know it for sure.

Will this move enough Trumpeteers that I don't have to stay awake at night worried about the outcome of this election?

Probably not. But one can dream.

I'm ready for Harris to click her heels and bring us back home.

Dreaming about Waffles

 Poor girl.

Her parents posted a video about her obsession with waffles, and now it's gone viral.

The dudes above even set to song.

And now here I am, posting it as the main picture to my blog story, where another, I don't know, ten or twelve people will see it.

I don't know how the little girl feels about it, but I'm guessing the parents are pretty pleased. It's the apex of our society now to have something go "viral."

I'm not immune to this. My blog has been up since 2009, and I just passed 500,000 views. Or, the number of views that Instagram gets in about 1/13th of a second.

Would I like to have a big hit? Sure. It wouldn't hurt. What would be real nice is if I could make a tiny bit of ad money, but I received the death penalty on that years ago.

I do have one post that has over 112,000 views. That's Authentic Frontier Gibberish, a title borrowed from Blazing Saddles. I think that it just happens to hit higher in the search engines than the others.

It drops way down for my second-place blog story - I Built This Business! Me! Myself! I! has 12,600 views.

My third place is my highest-ranking fiction story - The Vigil at the Honey Dew, with 8,840 views. Vigil is part of the story collection, Crowley Stories, which features interrelated short stories set in a town near the Okefenokee Swamp.

Crowley Stories is my biggest writing disappointment. It should have caught on, at least in the area where I live, and it did not. Bad writing? Maybe. Bad promotion? Definitely.

As I change my schedule, I hope to return to more fiction writing. Does it garner many views? Nah, of course not.

Nevertheless...

Like the little girl above, I can't stop dreaming about waffles.

But, in my case, writing is my dream, and to break through where I make a tiny bit of money.  

Can't stop dreaming about it.

New Year's Commitment

 Once again, I'm trying to change my day structure to....

    1) write more

    2) exercise more

    3) eat better

The writing is to get back into the habit of something I love and to feel a better sense of accomplishment each day. Maybe it will turn into money. Most likely it won't. But I can live with that if I can figure out another way to bring in a small amount of money each year, enough to allow us to travel.

That's the biggest thing  - to be able to travel more. Some of it may be sightseeing, but mostly, it's to get together with family.

Exercise and eating better are to control blood pressure and blood glucose better. If I'm going to travel more, I just don't need the finances. I also need the health to do so.

In that effort, my mornings have changed. I will get my coffee and start writing after a brisk walk (super brisk on these chilly early mornings). At first, it will be like putting a monkey on a typewriter and letting the gibberish come out. But hopefully, in time, I will improve.

I also have a series of exercises that I go through that will help with my sciatica. Some aspects have similarities to yoga, but it's mostly stretching. It helps.  

Later, in the early evening, I have a treadmill. I can watch parts of silent movies while on it. I must be careful not to overdo it because it can cause foot pains. Yes, I must balance exercise while avoiding the onset of arthritis flare-ups.

I'm returning to a spreadsheet that helps me better track what I eat to balance out different categories. It's about the same except for adding potassium, which I watch now. It's more of a check and balance system than super-restrictive. I keep a good ratio of carbs to fiber, and now I will watch the ratio of potassium to sodium.  

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There's a closet in my house that has boxes and boxes of stuff I have not looked at in ages. It was blocked off while Benjamin had the room as his study, but now it's opened up. Some are junk, but others are like taking a trip through time, with memories going back decades.

It has given me many story ideas I hope to share with you.  

New Year's commitments are difficult. I have a lot of church treasury work in the next two months that will require much time and concentration. I lost a lot of sleep last night trying to solve one particular problem, and many spreadsheets were floating through my head. I thought I had left that behind when I retired from accounting, but it's hard to tell my church no.

Best wishes for the New Year, my faithful friends and readers! Hope to be writing to you again very soon!

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

Sporadic Re-Entry: Wednesday Wanderings

 

These are many evenings after Alison and the little dogs go to bed, Cocoa Bear stares at me. She knows if she keeps it up, I might give her snacks.

Ok, there's no maybe to it. I give her snacks. She has her cognitive treats, a joint health treat, and some soft chew dog treats. Look, she's fifteen. I'll feed her whatever she wants.

She had a rough go about a month ago - barely able to walk, very disoriented. But she is much better now with the vet's help and our love and care. Yes, she's old. Yes, she gets confused. Yes, she moves slowly and takes long naps. But she's a good dog, likes to be with me, and eats well.

UPDATE ON BOOK SALES:

I got my check! After OHC's commission, I took home a whopping $39.75! Don't laugh. That's $39.75 more than I made last year!

I need to reorder more copies of my books so I can do it again. If you are interested in my books, please check Amazon. Most are available for no charge if you use Amazon Kindle Unlimited. I know I will never get rich doing it, but it is fun to have readers.

Wish me luck in reorganizing my life to write more.

UPDATE ON BENJAMIN

Benjamin is in the 6th week of his 6-week internship with Warner Robins Air Force base. He has garnered a full-time position after the internship is over. He'll have to transition from dorm housing to an apartment by July 28th. We helped him look some last weekend, but he still needs to secure a place. Sometimes, as parents of a young adult, you have to learn to step back and let them find their own way. It ain't easy.

UPDATE ON THE LIBRARY

Alison and I have grown to love our local libraries very much! We participate in two book clubs, the Mystery Book Club and the True Crime Book Club. It's a great joy to be discussing books with fellow readers. And we often go off-topic! Some people read the hard copy, some use e-readers, some use audio, some watch a related program, and some just bluff. It's all good!

Alison goes up to a knitting/crochet group once a week. I read children's stories at the Pierce County Library. I love reading aloud to people, especially children.  I do female-voiced characters sometimes. I guess I can get away with it because I'm not in drag. Drag StoryTime may not be my thang as a performer, but believe me, I got no problem with it.

Another new great thing about the Library is that they have added access to the Kanopy streaming service. I'll post a blog soon about how absolutely awesome that is!

UPDATE ON GRACE EPISCOPAL

We have a priest in charge now, contracted for the next seven months (or six - I'm not sure). He is Father Donald Holland, who is a friend and a Waycross resident.

My favorite thing to do in church is read the Lector's reading and/or Prayers of the People. Reading aloud - it's what I enjoy most.

My desire to be involved with the church ebbs and flows. Right now, I am more at an ebb. I have less enthusiasm about it right now. Maybe soon, the feeling will come back.

UPDATE ON THE TRUMPOCALYPSE

One of the things that I've learned in the True Crime Book Club is how long even the most obvious killers take to come to trial. The most recent we read took six years for an arrest and another three years to go to trial.

What does that mean? My hope is that Trump would have completed trials and verdicts before the Presidential Campaign got into swing.  

Those hopes are dashed. It has been so slow to get indictments, and then you find out it will be months or even years before the trial, even under the best circumstances. Right now, all we're seeing is why wealth and privilege rule all in our society. Trump's major tactic is to obfuscate, lie, draw attention to others, and most of all - delay, delay, delay! And his plan is working.

If only conservatives would turn on him instead of trying to shuffle the last deck chairs on the Titanic.

But I've hoped for that for almost eight years now. I guess it's not gonna happen. I guess they'll just turn a federal (or state) prison into a White House.

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

Return to Book Signing

 After at least two years, I finally returned to a book signing at Author's 
Night at the Okefenokee Heritage Center on June 22nd, 2023.

I meant to have a picture, but I couldn't find one, at least one that included me.  

It was fairly successful.  I sold a couple of History of the Traps, and I sold out of Crowley Stories - not as dramatic as it sounds, as I only had 3 or 4 to begin with.

I hope to get out there again soon, but I'll have to get more copies of my books.

And I have to write more.

T. M. Strait! Local Author Emerges From His Hidey Hole!

 T. M. Strait

Local Author

                                       

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History of the Trap:  YA science fiction/fantasy in the vein of Harry Potter. The Hunger Games 
                                     and Stranger Things.

Crowley Stories: Swamp's Edge - slice of life stories spinning around characters in a small                                                                   Southeastern Georgia town bordering on the Okefenokee                                                                 Swamp.

Here Comes Tommy:  funny, sentimental, and nostalgic autobiographical stories about growing up.

Adventures in Time and Space: a compilation of exciting short stories, perfect for late elementary and middle school readers!

Others are ebooks only, including Eric Reid & the Time Team, and Through the Closet and Into the Woods.

Coming Soon:  The Extra Credit Club, and Vol. 2 of History of the Trap!

Check out The Strait Line (http://thestraitline-tmstrait.blogspot.com) for new blog entries every week!


Books available from the author, at the Okefenokee Heritage Center, or online from Amazon and other online vendors.

Return to the Writing Life

 

I am ready to resume the writing life. As you can see from the picture above, my support staff is preparing to assist me*.

I have had great struggles getting a routine that would help me write. I need to have a designated time every day when I set everything else aside and I can write.

I'm not going to give a litany of excuses. The only one I give, which is only a partial explanation, is that we spent two weeks in the Catskills getting to know my one and only grandchild.

I can't show pictures of her, but trust me, she is a beautiful and amazing child. We spent several hours caring for her every day. At first, she was somewhat wary of us, but we were all best pals after a few days. I will do everything I can to adjust our schedules so we can see as much as possible.

My biggest obstacles to a morning writing routine are my habit of scheduling appointments and church work in the mornings, my preferred writing time. I am making efforts to shift those events to the afternoon.

One thing I cannot shift is the lawn. I have to mow that every two weeks or so. I use an electric push mower, so it takes some time. The battery lasts about an hour, which is also about my limit. I must do it as early as possible because our weather is too damn hot to do otherwise.

Anyway, I must mow tomorrow and Friday, weather permitting. I plan to use the rest of the morning to organize my writing work area and refresh myself with the story I am determined to finish - the second volume of History of the Trap. I also need to figure out what I will do with my finished book, The Extra Credit Club. One of the considerations for this and other projects is the Amazon site Kindle Vella, which allows people to buy your story part by part.

It won't mean posting a lot to The Strait Line. I'm sorry, but I need to concentrate on projects that will bring me a small amount of money. And I was banned from paid advertising on my blog a decade ago.

But I will do my best to keep you informed of my progress. So expect more short fiction and book promotions/updates.

Wish me luck, my faithful few! Love you all!

T. M. Strait

*this picture was taken just before we left for our two-week trip, hence the puppy pads surrounding the table.Yeah. They really weren't gathered to help me write.  Just in case you were wondering.

Tuesday Twitter Questions 020722

 Look, I'm just trying to get back into the swing of writing, ok? That may mean using a few prompts and kickstarters here and there.

Social media is an abyss. Facebook has developed into a cesspool of right-wing extremism - it's possible, but not easy to carve out an oasis for yourself, but it's difficult to ignore how base nasty much of it is. Twitter has been taken over by a billionaire narcissist with right-wing and authoritarian tendencies - it's getting positively musky. TikTok is fun, but it's hard to forget that it's owned by China, and it's like flying a billion Luftwaffe balloons over our interwebs. Instagram is superficial and selfie driven, particularly harmful to young people, presenting them with unacheivable ideals. Snapchat, I don't get at all - oh, look! Uncle Wally has whiskers!

Nevertheless, I plunge into my strange little Twitter feed to answer the first five questions I see (not including the most obnoxious and/or sexually explicit).

Do you think Lauren Boebert is really that dumb, or is just an act?

I have no idea. Yes, she most likely has adopted a certain persona that she feels will best propel her career forward. How much of it is put on, I can't tell. The most important thing to realize is that she is a great danger to democracy. Her beliefs are authoritarian, particularly when it comes to the promotion of Christain Nationalism.

Does anyone else read Twitter bios before they interact with someone or am I a weirdo?

Not very often. Sometimes if I think they're a writer, I might check out to see what genre they write in, or the names of some of their books.

If someone wants to be my friend, I will check out the basics to make sure they are not a Trumper, or someone angling to make a profit off me somehow.

Do you actually thrive under pressure, or are you just so used to being burnt out that the only way you can overcome your mental exhaustion is by chasing the bump of feel-good brain chemicals you get when you're productive?

Wow. I may thrive under pressure sometimes, but I don't really like it. That's why I retired. On the other hand, I always feel more productive when I achieve writing goals. That's something I need to get back to.

Our FLOTUS, Dr. Biden is hands down a better First Lady than Melania Trump ever was, agree?

Well, yeah. I agree. But you could have put Melania against any first lady in the last 100-plus years, and Melania would be on the short end - bigly!

What has made you most proud of the Biden administration since 2020?

The way that he has led the world to support Ukraine and challenge Putin. Trump would have rolled over like a cocker spaniel and wet himself in subservience to Putin.

Also that he has restored a positive direction to mitigating climate change. Sure, it's not enough, but at least we're trying to make it better instead of worse.

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Wow! That was exciting! Yes, three of the questions were political, but that is a reflection of my Twitter feed.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

Wandering Wednesday Wrap-up

 

Ellie has the right idea of what retirement should be like.

Unfortunately, I can't quite take on her attitude.  I feel driven to accomplish more than that.

It's been almost a full year since I retired from accounting.  I spent the first few months organizing and then selling a large chunk of my comic collection.  In doing so, I earned more than I would have working the whole year as a part-time CPA.

I've written some, read a lot, participated more at the library, doing my only accounting holdout as Treasurer for our church, slow-binged a number of TV shows, taken more walks, and increased the lever of house and yard work that I do.  We took a trip to see my new grand-daughter in New York, and also spent time with Benjamin and his roommate Eddie, a student from Sweden.

If you can read the magazine in Ellie's picture, you can see that it's a schedule for Turner Classic Movies.  So, yes, I am trying to watch more classics, particularly silent films.  I am trying to start with the oldest films and move my way forward.  Righrt now, I've started a Harold Lloyd classic, Hot Water, from 1924, an episodic comedic look at married life.  I watch about fifteen to thirty minutes a day.

I just finished up being in a play, Harvey, a comedy about a man who sees a six-foot rabbit.  I had been in it as a Freshman in high school and reprised the same part, an elderly judge.  Same part, less makeup. We had small but enthusiastic crowds.  I had fun, and the people I was acting with were a joy to perform with, but I think, at my age, about one play a year is all I care to do.  It's fun, but it takes a lot.

Being home, I could watch a lot of the 1/6 hearings.  It's scary and unprecedented to pursue criminal charges against a former President, for this and for his other myriad crimes, but the true danger to the republic is to let him get away with it.  No one should be above the law.

Alison and I have been able to take some day trips together.  Monday (Indigenous People's Day) we were able to spend the day in Brunswick.  I don 't often take pictures of meals, but this was an important discovery, Wee Pub, that had one of the best shepherd's pie I ever done et. If half the Shepherd's Pie looks different than the other half, that's because I was stirring and sampling before I took the picture.  Yeah, I'm not really adept at the art of culinary photography.

Beginning soon this second year of retirement from accounting, I hope to refocus slightly.  This should mean more writing, but it may mean less blogging.  I really need to focus on something that may at least theoretically bring in money.  I don't know if I can make much.  It would be awesome if I can make at least enough to cover our streaming services, and some of my book/comic purchases.  That may not happen, but it would be super cool if it did.

For fun, I'd like to go back to learning how to draw.  It's just something I've always wanted to do.  Maybe I'll even share some of my art on this blog.

👇

Be afraid.  Be very afraid.

It's Another Manic-less Monday!

 

This view greeted me as I left the carport for my early morning roundabout.

My legs and knees feel much better, thank you very much. They're not perfect, but I am mobile, which feels good!

I just saw my health profile results from a recent testing. Blood pressure? My best reading in years! Blood glucose and A1C? For me, they were much better than I expected! They are still prediabetic readings, and I need to use caution. But I don't think there is a good case for medication. If I'm smart and continue to improve my diet and exercise, I can manage it independently.

Yes, my health situation is pretty good, given my age. My boys are scattered, but they are great people, and I love seeing them when I can. And I am one proud Grandpa!

The following are musings, which some consider negative or whining, so please bail if you don't want to read this stuff. Sometimes I kvetch. Fact of life.

Now that I've sold a large portion of my comic collection and have had some time to relax and enjoy life, I'm thinking about what to focus on next.

I hear about it and also sometimes meet seniors who still work - some out of necessity and some because their personalities drive them to it. For example, the two partners in my old firm may never quit - they wouldn't know how to fill the time if they did.

I don't have a problem with filling time, and Alison assures me that there is no necessity to me working,

Nevertheless, it would be nice to help build up our resources so we could do more traveling. And to provide whatever support we can to help Benjamin in his last year in college and his transition to a career,

Because travel is crucial to what I want to do, tying me to a regular employer and reporting to a workplace on a full or part-time basis doesn't seem very desirable.  

I don't want to do any accounting. I got my fill of that. I served my time in it and don't want to return to it.

If I had to grade my accounting ability, I would give it a gentleman's C. I did enough to contribute and keep a job, but there was no way I was ever going to shine. My natural abilities weren't great, and I would never put in the 12 to 16-hour days that some do in that profession.

I once told my employer that I was probably the lowest-paid full-time CPA in Georgia. He did not disagree. He also did nothing to change it. So, if anyone wonders where my sense of inferiority comes from - waalaa! That's a good chunk of it.

Even though I have given up accounting, I have grandfathered in the Treasurer's position at church. Recently, I have made some mistakes that made me aware of my limited abilities and have left me embarrassed and humiliated. It reminds me of why I no longer want to be an accountant.

I love writing. Most of the time. I would give my writing grade a B+.

But, so what? Many A-grade writers have trouble getting published.

I have shown no ability to market my books. My salesman grade would be a D-. That includes the ability to sell me and a book to a literary agent or publisher.

I have had a few things happen recently that have caused me to question my writing ability, which has shaken my confidence.

Nevertheless, because I love to write, I will continue to do it, and maybe I will stumble on a way to make a little bit of money off it.

I love acting. I would give myself an A grade unless dancing is involved.

Currently, I will be starting rehearsals for Harvey. I am playing the same part I did in 9th grade, that of an 80-year-old Judge. The significant change is, this time, I will need less makeup.

I have never figured out how to make money off of acting. Again, that requires a level of self-promotion I do not possess. There is a TV and movie industry in Georgia. Unfortunately, most of it is farther north of where I am, and the commuting costs would negate whatever meager money I might make.

I can't rule out being an Extra in something someday, but the odds are relatively low.

The one thing I can do at an A+ level is read aloud. Having a podcast, reading for audiobooks, posting children's stories - all that would be the balm. Besides my inadequacies in self-promotion, the only thing that stands in my way is technological issues. Can I, within my own home, create a studio with the right equipment and soundproofing to do what is needed for a quality reading?

There are considerable obstacles to making it work, but if I had my choice, it is what I would love to do.

--------------------

I may not achieve a moneymaking level with any of my creative solutions. But I'm going to try. And that's half the battle.

Or maybe 35%. Who knows? My math/accounting ability is quickly fading.

Anyhoo, y'all have a great day!

Thanks for reading.

I'll keep the blog on for ya!

Strait Line Book of Proverbs: Chaptereth 1

 Chaptereth One

1

A stitch in pine...requires special equipment.

2

An unwalked monkey...won't play the accordion.

3

Verily, I say unto thee - you cannot collect your justly earned inheritance...without a lawyer.

4

Love is the foundation...bricks and mortar will keep it sealed. Be sure to wait for the banging to stop before you invite anyone else over.

5

If at first you don't succeed...try doing it louder.

6

Fool me once...shame on me.  Fool me twice...I must be George Bush Jr.  Fool me three times...I must be a Trump voter.

7

You cannot win if you don't...have a good lawyer.  What can I say?  Lawyers are important.

8

Spare the Rod...and spoil The Twilight Zone.

9

Give a man a fish, and it will fill him up.  Teach a man to fish...on a lake you own so can charge him fees.  Have a lawyer set it up.  They're important.

10

Watch the skies.

11

Seriously.  Watch the skies.  You never know what's going to come out of them.  Probing by aliens is no fun. And even if you get a good lawyer, aliens are really hard to sue.

12

A penny saved...is hardly worth the effort.  Who knows?  Like the Canadians, we might get smart, and just round amounts up or down and not even use pennies. But, wait.  This is America,  Scratch that.  Keep the penny.  At least use them for scratch-off lottery tickets.  Don't use pennies to pay your lawyer.  They will just laugh at you.

The first chapter of The Strait Line Book of Proverbs is brought to you by the law firm of...

Dewey, Cheatham & Howe

666 Mordor Parkway

Mar-A-Lago, Fl 33480

Suitsrus@lost.com

561-555-5555