Easily Entertained

Last weekend I made a discovery. Watching the piano play itself is as much fun now as it was when I was a kid. Seeing how the tiny holes in a roll of paper translate into music is fascinating.

The cats however, didn’t share my opinion. When I play in fits and starts, picking out notes as I go, they’re fine. It’s been a very long time so my current musical abilities leave a lot to be desired. They tend to roll their half-opened eyes at me and promptly go back to sleep. Using rolls produced entire songs played loudly without stopping. It only took seconds for them to scatter.

They were peering around the top of the steps, trying to determine if that thing making all the racket was going to rumble across the floor at them or if was safe to venture back down when I came across a roll with the lyrics printed on it. As you can guess, the temptation was too much to resist. Oh yeah, the cats were very unappreciative. They didn’t seem to enjoy being serenaded one bit.

Even though I had a blast I somehow doubt karaoke is going to become a regular Saturday occurrence.

Too Hot!

You know it’s too hot when a chicken Caesar salad from Wawa sounds like a good idea. And you know there are too many strawberries when you get sunburned picking them. That about sums up my day.

Yesterday was more eventful. I went on a road trip. To Centralia. For those of you unfamiliar with Centralia, go here. For those of you who already know about the place the answer to the question rolling around your heads is “Exactly, to see nothing.”

It wasn’t quite nothing. There are four houses left. And the municipal building. I haven’t been to Centralia since the 80’s. It’s amazing how nature is reclaiming the area, fire or no fire. If you didn’t know there used to be a fair-sized town there you’d have no idea. Most of the strip mine pits are grown over too.

I’m not sure why but the area still holds a certain fascination for me. I think I’ll wait until the leaves have fallen and go back again.

Goodbye

Stay in the light

I’m trying

Stay in the light

It’s so hard

Don’t go near the shadows

I won’t

But I want to

Don’t go near the shadows

It looks so peaceful there

Step away from the dark

I will

But it seems so serene

Step away from the dark

It’s calling to me

Keep out of the blackness

I know I have to

But it hurts

Keep out of the blackness

It would be so much better there

Come back

I will

In a minute

Come back

I can’t

Don't Forget

This weekend is not about the unofficial beginning of summer. It is not a reason to break out the grill and through a picnic. It is not the opening of your local swimming pool. It is not an excuse to have a day off from work.

It is first and foremost a day to honor those who have given their lives so that you have the freedom to enjoy those things and so many more. Take a moment out of whatever you get up to this weekend and give thanks to those brave men and women. And while you’re at it, say thank you out loud to all the veterans and current members of our armed forces because they were and are willing to die for you.

Happy and safe weekend.

This...

...is ridiculous. It's not even the unofficial beginning of summer and it's already too hot for me to function. Back tomorrow.

Or maybe later if it storms. Yeah, that's the one good thing about summer. Storms. I like them. Maybe, if you all think on it hard enough with me we can conjure me one. C'mon. Let's give it a try.

And So It Begins

Strawberry season in my yard.

I picked the first pint Sunday. I picked a quart Monday. Today, it was half a gallon. It will multiply exponentially from here on out.

Monday and Tuesday, I took the berries to work and offered them to all who wandered by. There were too many for that tonight but fortunately for me, the neighbor poked her head out to say hello as I was picking. Yep, you guessed it. Her family is having strawberries for dessert tonight.

I don’t much like strawberries on any giving day. Sure, a nice plump juicy red berry is yummy as I’m outside picking them. Once I’ve had that however, I’ve pretty much had my fill.

It’s only day three. And I’ve already had more than enough.

Sigh.

Diagnosis

Day dawns, dripping with despair
Doom
Doom
Doom
The death knell drones
Discouragement defeats defiance in the dank dungeon where I dwell
Diseased by down and out desperation
Drowning in depression of dinosauric dividends
Dire deeds do naught to dispel the disasters that develop
Dependence on the dynamic dowsed, drying to dust
Deterioration to the degree of disgusting diffidence
Disparagement dispatched, dispersing disorder
Diabolical devices degrade, destroying determination
Devastation dominates for the duration without deterrence
During the deepening darkness, I,
Deemed disposable,
Die

Disturbing

Nice to see you’re all still with us and that your corner of the world didn’t end as predicted.

I went for a ramble over the weekend, as I do from time to time. I roamed the center of Reading and a bit of the south side though I didn't get quite as far as planned. For the first time in my wanderings I was honestly afraid, so much so I changed my mind about venturing somewhere alone.

Weird. I’d already walked the train tracks that cut through downtown and had to go around someone indulging in an illegal substance. His presence didn’t bother me. I strolled the center city bus terminal and chatted with various individuals that I suspect frequent the location. They were odd but felt harmless.

Then I intended to circle the former passenger train terminal. Only when I left the bus station and headed that way someone followed me. I stopped at the corner and he stopped a quarter block behind me. I turned to approach the station, got as far as the end of it and he turned the corner too. I could hear people in their yards but frankly, in most of Reading, screaming will not make anyone come racing to the rescue. So instead of walking all the way around the building I headed back to the center of town. With him staying a steady quarter-block behind me the entire three blocks until I got to the main street.

I was annoyed. Not only at him, for interrupting my walk but at myself too for giving in to my fear. But it felt very, very off and uncomfortable and I’m not about to ignore that sort of thing. Not with all the other places I’ve been and the people I’ve encountered without feeling that way at all.

I paused to do some people watching, and to wait for him to go away before setting off again, this time in the direction of Howie. I came across a wedding about to begin and stopped to watch the bride have her dress and veil fluffed so she was perfect. While standing there, I was joined by a guy who wanted to chat about his upcoming wedding and the things his son tries to pull. He wanted to see the inside of the church so after the bride started down the aisle we went and had a peek. Nope, not at all threatening.

I guess I’ll just have to enlist someone to go with me the next time I decide to head that direction. I’m sure we can find other interesting things in that part of town if we take the time to look. And then we can have hotdogs at the Crystal Palace. Anyone want to join me for a little adventure?

Alrighty Then

Apparently the world is ending this Saturday. I don’t know about you but I think that means we don’t have to go in to work on Friday. I mean, really, who wants to spend their last full day at work? There’s not a job in the universe that’s that good.

I read a few articles about this event and I must admit that I’m slightly confused. One version informed me that the graves would all open up and the dead would rise, Christ first. Um, rise to where? Earth? Heaven? Does that mean all the souls of everyone who has ever been buried since the beginning of eternity have been waiting in limbo all this time? Seems kind of cruel to those considered deserving, doesn’t it?

First there’s going to be a world-wide earthquake of unimaginable proportions. After that happens the universe will be consumed by fire. Ah. So the entire universe is ending, not just the world. Good to know. I guess that means those floating around out in space on the Endeavor won’t have to worry about finding an alternate location to land.

Then there’s the discussion of having all your bills paid up, not wanting to leave them to your godless friends and relatives. Does that mean the universe is only ending for believers? Everyone else will be untouched by the fire? Interesting. As far as I’m concerned, if the world is going poof the credit card company is out of luck when it comes to what I owe them.

I am however, concerned for my furry friends. The folks predicting all this doom and gloom say pets don’t have souls so they won’t be going anywhere. There’s a service provided by 45 atheists who, for the small fee of only $135, will care for your pets after you’re burned up. Ooh, perhaps I could get in on that one, start a care center in my area. And there’s that only-those-who-are-true-followers-are-suffering-the-apocalypse thing again.

Something else about the whole pet issue doesn’t make much sense to me. The date, May 21, 2011, was calculated using the date of Noah’s Great Flood. Um, if Noah was to save pairs of all animals in existence, then why would the pets of believers be left behind now?

Yeah, this whole thing seems a little bogus to me. But, in case it’s not, I think I’ll take tomorrow off. Happy weekend, whatever there is of it.

Short and Sweet

This is my blog. It was started with the intention of sharing news about my books. It expanded to include other things that are of interest. On occasion, I share my opinion. At times I posts links. I welcome your comments. You’re free to agree or disagree as the mood strikes.

The one thing however, that I will not tolerate is people posting links within comments. Call me whatever you like but do not advertise on my blog. If there’s something you feel I might wish to have on my blog, send me an email and ask. If I agree, I will post it. If I don’t, I will supply you personally with a reason as to why I feel it’s inappropriate.

I apologize to the 99.5% of you that haven’t attempted to take advantage of my blog. The other .5% of you have caused me to put my blogger comments on moderation and I do not appreciate it.