Post Xmas fun

My wife and I are playing Minecraft together and this is one wall of our castle... and various screenshots around the place.

The back porch

pulling back just a bit might make it recognizable.

My godson named him with no help from me... honest

My wife added this to the throne room

New title

Amazon paid my royalties from Travelers Road, now I can buy two or three gallons of gas. I'm rich, I tell you. Seriously though, the whole reason for putting the book out there wasn't to make money, (okay, it was, but the odds of it making more than triple digits were long indeed.) The point was to get my name out there, and to a certain extent, it did. Not knowing anything about the writing industry, this was an exercise in learning the ropes. It also taught me about marketing.
To many aspiring writers who put their feet in the water, this would be discouraging, not me. This year I learned agents don't really know any more than you do. There is no big red button to push and a magic marketing machine springs to life. This is an organic process that grows with every book, each chapter. If words were snowflakes, then snowballs would be novels. Conditions have to be right for that snowball to be cohesive enough to roll down hill and become an avalanche.
With that in mind, I've finally come up with the title of Daniel and Charlotte's next adventure. Incidentally, that was the working title I used when saving my work. A picture forms in my mind of our two wild west detectives standing beside a phone booth, but I digress...
The title was going to be two words and would have some connection with the first book. The word 'Traveler' would refer to Daniel's journey, not only through time, but his wanderings through the desert and his current living arrangements.
The first adventure was basically land locked. In the second novel, the Brazos, Trinity and Colorado rivers figure into it, so I thought one of the words would be 'River', or have something to do with water. The trouble was, this amphibious adventure also held the paths between  the rivers, the trails alongside the banks. How to include them?
I narrowed it down to five or six choices. As circumstance would warrant, a second opinion helped me make the final choice. My good friend Mike Walters suggested the title of what would become Travelers Road.
Today my wife helped me pick from the finalists. The layers of suggestive context in the title appealed to my creative endeavor. Remember: The story is a growing narrative, I have the good fortune of chronicling these events. Flowing from my fingertips to the keyboard, the adventure unfolds.  The author doesn't say; 'go do this,' In this case, the tail wags the dog. I'm simply writing events down as they come.
The next book will be titled Crossing Paths. Not only is it suggestive of the friends and adversaries we meet, the descriptive nature alludes to the journey down the road of life as well.

Say what?

This is a great time to be alive. In the last couple of days I've read a several pages about a very interesting discovery. Since the Voyager and Galileo spacecrafts first photographed Jupiter's moon, Europa, scientists have wondered about liquid water underneath that icy moon. Sure, it's way too far away from the sun, but watch out, Jupiter's pull is nothing to sneeze about. Scientists have theorized the tidal forces under Europa's ice would be massive, but how to directly observe it? Using the Hubble telescope, they got lucky: Scientists observed liquid water erupting in the form of a geyser. Since we know Jupiter's moons are chock full of volcanic activity, the chance of finding life, even microbial life, skyrocketed. I would go so far as to say from possible to probable.
Right now there is debate about how thick the ice on Europa is, and that's just it: we really won't know until we get there. There is what scientists believe is a lake under the ice. 
Let's postulate on what we already know. Life does not require light to exist. Chemosynthesis, the process of obtaining nutrients from methane or hydrogen gas, is an established fact.
All the puzzle pieces are there. The only way we are going to be sure is by going out there.
The nonprofit Mars One already has 200,000 applicants for a proposed colonization of Mars. You read that right. They plan on putting an unmanned probe and satellite in geosynchronous orbit by 2018. This is all in preparation to send colonists on a one way ticket to the red planet. Oh, and they're going to make it a reality show. That's one reality show I'd watch. Take that, Jersey Shore. Wait... if they send that idiot, what's her name, Snookie? I'll still watch it. I might be on to something here. By sending morons out to colonize other planets, would we be raising the intellect level of Earth? Forget Costa Rica, Rush. We want to send you to Olympus Mons.

The checklist

All my Christmas shopping is done and the refrigerator is stocked with food the kids will eat (I hope). In a little while we're going to go out to our church for Christmas eve service.
We look for the positive things in our lives, so much so that we miss the chance to be grateful for what we have. Allow me to explain:
A few days ago, I was talking with a friend about the usual topics: the weather, bills, and what we can and cannot afford.
"Man, I wish I made as much as you," he said.
That made me pause. I don't think I make all that much to begin with. My paycheck is often spent within the first 48 hours of it appearing in the bank, but my friend only works part time, 16 hours a week. He's a fully trained chef, but works at Lowe's because it's a steady paycheck and they were hiring. Hmm... taking a lesser paying job not in your chosen vocation because you needed the cash. Where have I heard that before?
It was in that moment of clarity I realized my lot in life wasn't all that bad. Sure, we are all trying to better ourselves, but some of us have a longer and tougher climb up that hill.
Tonight I salute all those out there who are struggling with less, the single parent, the homeless.
I am truly fortunate to have a loving family and a roof over our heads. Like my friends, I will try to make things better for myself and my family. May good fortune find you all this year.
Merry Christmas everyone. 

A new twist on an old ditty

I wrote this about a year and a half ago before our 2012 gaming convention, Chimearacon. Don't ask what made me think of it, but I thought it could do with a re-post. Maybe it'll be worth a chuckle.

It's the night before the con, and all through the house,

No TV could be heard, we were all kinda doused.

The dog outside, and I on my laptop,was just settling in, for a last minute co-op.

The games were stored in the closet with care

in hope the ghost of Gygax would reappear.

Miniatures in cases, and books on the shelf,

I wondered where's that stupid little elf? 

Is the laundry all done? I asked my wife,

'Are you kidding?' she said. 'Not on your life.'

We get so rushed with last minute plans,

it's havoc when someone makes crazy demands.

But time will march, either fast or slow,

pretty soon it will be time to go.

As I get in my Dodge, I'll call out their names,

'On Jackson and Gygax, on Gandolf and Frodo, on Kirk and Spock, don't forget Mario andLuigi, you little dodo.

Daughters making signs and last minute plans,

'Will anyone dress up as the Doctor?' asks one of his fans.

As we scrubbed our pans and turned out the lights, I shouted, Good gaming for all, and to all a good fight. 

The power of family

In general, I ignore reality shows. Survivor, who cares? The Bachelor, I really don't care. I found Dog the Bounty Hunter interesting because there was a positive message and I got to see a different side of life. Don't get me started on Jersey Shore. Those people are a waste of oxygen.
So Duck Dynasty is about a Louisiana family who made a fortune with duck calls and hunting related items. Hmm... semi-interesting concept, let's sit down for an episode and see what it's about. I watched three episodes and couldn't fathom an excuse to watch another. Sorry, folks, I don't get it. Sure the Robertsons seemed nice and harmless, but that's as far as it went.
Then the Patriarch of the family says some pretty direct comments. 
My reaction? Who cares. For starters, the GLAAD people got offended. They live for this crap. If we all ignored it, this little shitstorm would never have happened. It's one old guy's opinion and he's entitled to it. Oh, look, the price of eggs hasn't changed.
One of my rules goes like this: My rights as a person end where yours begin.
So Phil Robertson doesn't understand gays. That's okay, he doesn't have to. In the same vein of I don't understand his show. I'm not required to like it, I have different tastes. That's what it boils down to. Of course the guy at A&E who suspended Phil just learned blood is thicker than water. Now the whole Robertson clan is not going to do the show without Phil. That puts A&E out of what appears to be a bit of money. Let's not even consider what the show did for the state tourism, that's gone away as well. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at that meeting.
"We just lost a top rated show and how much money?" I was betting an apology and a return to normal status for the show by the time I returned from work.
In my dream scenario, the guy who axed Phil should be given a choice: Voluntarily step down from his position as producer, apologize for suspending Phil and taking a lesser paying position as Phil's assistant. OR he can write an apology and get fired.
In reading the interview, I'm not seeing hatred or inflammatory speech, all I'm seeing is a redneck expressing his opinion. Consider the source people.
In the end, the Robertsons are going to stand by their family member, and that should be commended.
Their opinions and beliefs are exactly that- Theirs. It doesn't affect me one way or another.
He's not inciting people to riot. He's not feeding the wrong wolf.
He's just a man with a set of beliefs, let him be.
Oh, and that nameless producer at A&E? You're a spineless wimp. Grow a backbone.
 
 
 

An interview with God... no, really.

It seems God has over a million fans on Facebook. Funny, I thought he had more than that. Anyhoo, Alden Tan scored an interview with God. Is that cool or what?
Commercial space flights launching from NASA's launch sites? About damn time.
A man surprised his wife by giving her a dream wedding on their 10 year anniversary. It's a geek thing, you may not understand.
With Christmas right around the corner, we are getting into the final stages of baking season. My pie did so well during Thanksgiving, I'm going to have to double up for the Christmas parties. Thank you, Alton Brown.
I'm focusing on the good stuff right now. With all the stress and hectic pre-holiday last minute preparations, we need to take the time to unwind and remember the highlights of the past year. Let the petty bullshit stuff get tossed in the corner and forgotten. Choose to recall  all the good things that happened. I'll bet there's more good memories than you think.

Setting up

Friday, my family and I put up the Christmas tree. Today, I set up the house lights and decorations with the help of my lovely wife and tree climbing kids. There was a lot to be done this weekend and looking back, I can say we got a lot accomplished. Two cases of Scottish ale got bottled. We saw the second part of the Hobbit. Our high school football team barely lost to the Pearland Oilers. No shame there. We got farther than we did last year. The football season is officially over. Now we can resume our regular schedule.
Despite our best attempts, the tree has a decided bend to it. The stand is on perfectly, but about halfway up, the tree leans.

What's up with that?

So it's off kilter. Should fit right in around here. Usually, my wife and I unpack the ornaments and hand them to the children. They decide where they would look best. Right now my oldest is putting ornaments in the hallway. "It looks good there, Dad." Who am I to argue? There are three ornaments that I unpacked and had to hang up myself. My sister handmade them years ago. Bulbs decorated with ribbons and beads. She's a talented girl, my sister. Those three decorations represent something personal and dear to me. It's safe to say they will be on every tree I have for as long as I live.
We caught the matinée of the Hobbit. My middle child's only complaint was the third one wasn't out yet. Peter Jackson delivered the goods on this one. The scenes were great and there were a few instances where the plot holes were filled in. Right at the start of the movie, Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield were discussing the quest to reclaim the dwarven throne. While that did deviate from Tolkien's story, I was impressed with how it was being handled. Sadly, that is about all I can say about the movie. Not because I don't want to reveal spoilers, but because the open captions crapped out on me. So far Regal cinemas is only batting 50% with rolling out the open captions.
Let's run down the numbers:
My family saw Star Trek: Into Darkness and the captions worked perfectly. A few weeks later we saw that Superman flick, Man of Steel, with craptacular results.
The weekend after it opened, we viewed Thor, with error free viewing. Today, it was the Hobbit's turn to suck wind. The manager did all she could, but as I mentioned here before, she is in the unenviable position of dealing with me and backed by shoddy captioning equipment. All told, I was able to understand about half of what was being said. This was partially because I read the book, but when Jackson decided to deviate from Tolkien, I was lost. I should clarify something at this point: I liked what Jackson did to all of the Fellowship of the Rings movies and what he's doing with the Hobbit so far.
I don't think it's sacrilege to say Tolkien is a little dry in some areas. Nowhere do I remember Gandalf having a past relationship with Gladrielle. That would explain a few things, however. Overall, I noticed where scenes were juiced up and I heartily approved.
My wife and I may go back and see the movie, but right now I'm leaning toward waiting until the DVD comes out.
Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, Regal Cinemas. I'm praising the manager, Mary Malcolm, for her quick action in dealing with my problem. I'm pissed at Regal Cinemas for not getting the bugs ironed out in almost a year since the open captions have been introduced.
If another theater can do a better job, now is the time to speak up and get my money. More to the point: my deaf friends who read my posts will also spend their hard earned dollars at your business. Vote with your wallet people.
I'm going to close with a picture of the latest edition to the family of one of my close friends. I'd like you to introduce you to Deborah Walton, Born December 1st weighing 8.3 lbs and 19.5 inches long.

and her big brother protects her

Why am I not surprised?

With stuff going on like this, I'm never going to run out of topics.

Thamsanqa Jantjie, asshole

 This guy stood up next to the world leaders of 88 countries to serve as a sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela's funeral. There was one problem: he didn't know any sign language. As eulogies were given to honor a great man, this con artist was doing finger gibberish. He wasn't saying anything. It could have been the Macarena with a recipe for pecan pie. He was clearly making it up. Did he think no one would notice? Several people did. Bruno Druchen, the director of the Deaf Federation of South Africa tweeted during the ceremony, 'Get that clown off stage now.'
Jantjie claims he was having a schizophrenic episode at the time. The trouble with that is actual doctors who saw him disagree. It also appears he's had this problem before. Footage of him signing for President Jacob Zuma in 2012 shows him gesticulating gibberish. South African deaf organizations have complained about Jantjie before, but the government has no record of the complaints. They can't even find the business that he claims to work for as an independent contractor. There is no oversight or regulation for competent and qualified interpreters in South Africa. A person who perhaps learns 5 or 6 signs can call themselves an interpreter because no one does a background check to see if he's really qualified.
This doesn't pass the smell test. If it looks like bullshit and sounds like bullshit...
The demand for interpreters far outweigh the supply. So much so, that it is easy for a con artist to pose as something he's not. My question is; How did he get away with it for so long? The answer is:  Because he could.

 

Building your world

Have you ever played with Legos as a kid? A lot of grown-ups still do. Don't worry, I won't tell... There are collectors who amass Legos by the tens of thousands. Crate loads and chests full of those brightly colored blocks. One could make the argument that possessing such a large assortment of interlocking blocks is a form of mental illness. Hoarding at the very least. I admit never starting my Lego army as a kid or adult. I went over my friends house and played with his.
Fast forward to today. There is a game called Minecraft, where you can build and create your own world using blocks of materials in the game. I call it Digital Legos. No money to invest (other than buying the game.), you can create anything your imagination desires and most of all, you don't maim yourself by stepping on some stray block.
You're only limited by your imagination. There are websites out there featuring some of the most amazing creations. Roman coliseums, haunted houses, Giant race cars... the list goes on.  Here, take a look.
You can of course play in single player or multi-player. I strongly suggest you try an online server, this is one of those games that improve with friends to share your adventures with.
Now public servers are interesting in some respect, but there are a lot of trolls who exist to bully and destroy. These people are compensating for their real world shortcomings. Yes, those bullies have small penises.
One of the best playing experiences is a private server. If you find a friend who runs a private game, then consider yourself lucky.
I've taken some pictures of our designs and I thought I'd put them up here. They're not big or intricately detailed, but what they are is built from scratch in survival mode. (Which means they didn't cheat to build their creations.) Enjoy.

Eat at Buck's

Best food in the game

Yes, it's a racetrack

Complete with stands

and stables

No, not a new Keanu Reeve movie

Note: the lava encased in glass

Prime real estate?

Good night John Boy

We welcome you to the lighting of the Minecraft Olympic flame

Master of his domain

Now, this is prime real estate

These times are a changing

Some recent developments have come to my attention. You may have noticed them too, but I'd like to mention them here.
My last post featured a Facebook page with the auspicious title of God. Funny and thought provoking were the first two things that came mind when I saw it for the first time. Unlike a certain portion of the internet, I wasn't offended by the idea of somebody impersonating a supreme being. After giving it some thought, I came to the conclusion that whoever is doing it is honestly trying to help people improve their outlook on life.
Today I want to recognize a person who is single-handedly turning Catholicism on it's side: Pope Francis.
When a new Pope is appointed I give it as much attention as whoever wins the Miss America Pageant. Fluff, pomp, circumstance and no real bearing on the real world.
When Pope Francis uttered the words; 'Who am I to judge?' in response to homosexuals, I'm sure it turned a few heads. It sure caught my attention. Here's a link with some of his best quotes from the Huffington Post.
The next thing to come across my computer screen was the Pope embracing a severely disfigured man.
Wow. 
My respect for the man who practices what he preaches increased exponentially.
The Pope prefers to live in a simple apartment rather than the Apostolic Palace of his predecessors. 
As if I needed more evidence of what kind of man Pope Francis is: This is about the most adorable thing I've seen.
There is a video from CNN floating around and it basically shows the same thing featured in the link above. Pope Francis is treating the boy with love and compassion and the boy reciprocates the same to him. The meaning isn't lost on me. There is hope for humanity yet.
And finally, the piece of news that brought me to write this post: Rush Limbaugh and his teabaggers are condemning Pope Francis for denouncing market based capitalism.
I knew trickle down economics was bullshit when I first heard about it during the Reagan Administration, and it's bullshit now. Right wing windbags view the world in black and white. If you don't believe everything according to the gospel of Fox, and refuse to blindly follow conservative cronies, then you must be a commie atheist scumbag.
Sorry to burst your bubble, Mr. Grumpy Old Person, but the world isn't black and white. You should be rewarded for your hard work. But that reward shouldn't come at the suffering of others. Case in point: Wal-Mart is posting record profits while the employees go hungry. This is why I avoid shopping at Wal-Mart. Voting with my wallet is one way I voice my displeasure with them. Now I'm not saying all profits must go to the employees, (that's the black and white thinking again.) I'm saying a portion of the profits should go to the employees. If not in the form of a raise, then as a bonus for a successful year of business.
Cake anyone?

 

Finding God

A lot of my friends are going to raise an eyebrow about the title of this post. The internet is full of bad things such as trolls, twerks and online bullies. It can be a scary place. This is the story of one of the good things that can restore your faith in humanity. Recently I found a page on Facebook simply titled God. The top of the page lists God as a comedian. That makes sense. I long suspected the Almighty had a sense of humor ever since I saw a picture of a platypus.
One point one million people have liked this page so far. The photos and memes always bring a smile to my face. They make me laugh, think and shake my head... some times all at once.
It goes without saying there are a fair number of offended religious zealots who aren't afraid to spill their bile demanding the owners of the page to take it down. This has about as much effect as you would expect, with the exception that God not only responds to them, he forgives them for their sins.
This is one such example. Sorry if the text is too small to make out. Basically, this person started Heckling God and dared him to guess her middle name and first love. God answered her correctly. By the end of the post, she professes her love for God.












Then there's stuff like this:
 
But I'm going to get off of the offended jerks. Turning a spotlight on them only makes them want more attention.




 
That right there sums it up for me: No hate.
About once a week God holds smite day. We lowly mortals nominate a person who deserves to be smited. This week it was Rush Limbaugh who got smited.
The winner of SMITE DAY is Rush Limbaugh.

He's been attacking the Pope and called him a 'marxist.' NOBODY insults Pope Frank, not on My Watch!

I shall have Rush visited by 3 spirits in the night. They shall terrify and amaze him! He will quickly learn the true meaning of Christmas. When it's all over, Rush will do something he's never done before - give away food! To the poor. HAHA! This will make him a better person! 


The hate filled messages have tapered off in the last few months. Instead we are seeing a serious, caring side to God.

 
Personally, it's a wonderful thing that he responds to each post. What is more amazing is that the hate has been replaced by people telling their stories and reaching out to one another. Strangers helping one another through tough times.
God himself isn't immune to difficulties. A post a few weeks ago informed us there would be no posts or updates for a week owing to the fact his mom died. The outpouring of support that followed amazed me.
There is another blogger who should get mentioned here. He gave me the idea for this post and tells the story in a bit more detail than I do. Here's his link. 

Does this post mean I think God is real? Don't be silly, of course not. At risk of antagonizing people, let me rephrase that. I don't believe your God is real. The potential to be a good person, help another who can do nothing for you, perform great deeds for the benefit of others without thought for yourself... Does that make you God-like? Maybe, maybe not... but it does make you a better quality person. Instead of 'God', I should go with the term superior being. There is a potential inside of all of us to not be God-like or saintly, just a better human being. That alone is worth striving for.
 

At some point in time, it happened. In fact, I'm not sure when the transition occurred. There was a point in the annuls of history... perhaps the eighties, where I discovered the power of words.
I'm talking about the angry customer. The irate businessman. The apathetic student trainee.
By using certain words, listening and then doing the unexpected, I would turn a potentially hazardous situation into a positive experience.
Let's talk about the angry customer.
Often times this person comes out of left field nursing a grudge or a perceived insult.
The first thing you want to do it listen to them. Let them rant and get it out of their system.
Then agree with them.
'You know, if I was in your shoes I'd be mad too.'
'That's not right, let's take care of that right now.'
or my favorite: 'I will do everything in my power to help you.'
I go with a variant of one of those expressions depending on the situation.
In deciding which approach to use, I first listen and gauge the person. What's the body language saying? What does the person want to happen?
Tailor your response accordingly. Most importantly, get on their side. People who feel wronged want someone to rail against. Don't give it to them. Instead, sympathize and offer to help.
A customer came to the main desk one day and she was fuming! No one helped her. The cashier wouldn't help. This lady wanted blood. Another cashier flagged me down and asked for help in preventing a nuclear meltdown.
No sooner were the words 'Can I help you?' out of my mouth when she started spewing her rant. I let her get it out of her system, but let's put that in the 'listening' column.
She finished with the words; 'and there's no one to help.'
I replied, 'Now you have me.'
We walked over and got a few bags of mulch. Along the way I discovered she didn't want to lift the heavy bags because of her bad back.
Never mind the cashier couldn't leave her station even if she wanted to. Forget the fact that the persons working the area were helping other customers. I turned an irate customer into... well, a customer. She was grateful, but not enthused. Nobody got in trouble, and I managed to calm an angry person down.
When a customer returns... let's say a pizza, there's too many anchovies or something. The best response would be, 'Whoa, how did they get on there? I'll fix that for you right away.'
If I were to run a business, be it a deli or a shoe shop, my first rule would be to love all, serve all. It doesn't matter where you're from or what's the color of your skin, I am going to do my best to make you feel welcome.
One last word before I sign off. A customer approached me and asked; "Are you busy?"
The words came out of my mouth before I could ponder their meaning. "I'm never too busy for my customers."
I saw a lot more of that lady after that day. That's the way I run the shop.
 
 

The hare and the tortoise

A friend of mine sent me this article. In a nutshell, China is launching a robotic rover similar to the Mars reconnaissance probes the U.S. has sent over to the fourth planet from the sun. All well and good, you say. Well, I hate to break it to you, but this is the point where historians will look back and say, 'Yep, that's where China became the dominant country to colonize space.'
The tortoise has overtaken the hare. They are not stealing technology. They are not copying our technology. China has been building on each and every mission. Not every trip into space has been 100 % successful. Hey, with every great risk...
This is simply my two cents. When the U.S. does something right, (the Apollo missions.) We're great. When we have mishaps. (Challenger and Columbia.) We tend to shrink back from the opportunity to learn from our mistakes. This article sums it up better than I could. I tend to be more direct. They are catching up to America and will soon pass us in terms of space technology. China has already proven it is able to become a manufacturing economic powerhouse. Don't believe me? Pick up any object in your house and see where it was manufactured.
Still not convinced? 2016 and 2025 aren't that far off. Americans will eventually get back to the lunar surface. The Chinese will be there to greet us. Don't think for a second that they won't dictate terms to Americans who wish to travel, explore and colonize the system.
The Chinese are very adept at sticking to 5 year plans. Right now those plans include putting men on the moon and space freighters. Isn't that what the shuttles were described as? China will have gone from a 1960's technology base to a 1980's tech in five years. 
That terrifies me.
So let's play this one out. The Chinese put a man on the moon. Then a base on the moon. Followed by a manufacturing plant. It's just a short step from mining the moon to mining asteroids. All in 5 year steps.
By the time we put astronauts back on the moon, there will be a Chinese foundry/ research station/ manufacturing plant there. 
Think I'm making this up?
Whoever puts a base on the Moon and mines the Trojans will control the solar system. Mark my words.
We can learn and adapt to this or we can go extinct.
Sorry, I'm not being figurative here. 
In a related story: India launched a Mars recon probe.
Checkmate NASA. Your move Virgin Galactic.
 
 

Thanksgiving 2014

Lists and bullet points are a cop out, in my opinion. They are simple to make and take just as little thought into creating them. Several times in the past I've literally fallen asleep in my chair while the speaker drones on playing catch phrase bingo. Perhaps that is why I try to avoid anything resembling corporate meetings. Being surrounded by so much stupidity makes me feel it should be treated like an infectious disease.

But really, what am I thankful for?
First off, I'm alive. That's always a plus in my book.
My family. A loving wife of 23 years. My children, all healthy and growing. Friends who grow in value and esteem with  each year.

There are other things I'm grateful for that most people don't like to acknowledge. 
Getting beaten up and bullied in school made me appreciate the feelings of others. Experiencing the taunts and jeers of my classmates showed me cruelty, but it also taught me how to be kind to others. From them I learned empathy.
If I were to meet an ex-girlfriend on the street, I'm pretty certain I'd thank them. If the relationship hadn't turned out the way it did, I wouldn't have met my wife and kids. We have to swallow the bitter pill of past failed romances before getting to the good stuff.
Right now I'm thankful for my barrel grill, believe it or not. This half rusty contraption has been with the family for about 5 years. It has taught me a lot about outdoor cooking, the science behind convection, indirect heat and temperature. My old science teachers would smile and shake their heads. Seems I learned something from them after all. Yeah, we grill our turkey. I have to babysit and tend the coals nearly every other minute, but the results are worth it.
There are many things to be thankful for this year. I met some famous and admirable people this year. Of course, my definition of famous and admirable is different than yours. The Kardashian family? Not famous or admirable in my book. Not even noteworthy in my opinion.  
People that I see chasing their dreams? That puts them at the top of the list. 

  

Losing stuff

People lose things all the time. In the course of daily events, we're not even aware of the loss. Ten calories? Gone.  Facebook friends? Don't get me started...
For instance, I lose pens all the time. No biggie there, a pen will turn up when I need one. I make sure there's an extra one laying around in a pocket or desk drawer. Recently, I've put a concerted effort into cleaning the house. With the girls home from school this week, I asked them to take care of their chores and do some house cleaning. This is good, right? Teach them to take pride in their surroundings. Enjoy the comfort of walking across a clean swept floor.
Then the most embarrassing thing happened: 
I lost my glasses.
My youngest and I are making time to sit down and read together. This may seem a bit odd, but my eyes strain when I wear my glasses for reading. For instance, I can see the computer screen nice and clear right now. Reading a book by comparison is effortless when I have my glasses off.
Shortly after reading Harry Potter to my daughter, I set the glasses down, and now I can't find them. Tearing the house apart and triple checking all my usual drop-off points has failed to shake them loose.
My wife drove me to work, bless her heart. I managed to get through the entire day with only one person noticing. My job doesn't require me to see things far off- or aim, for that matter. Muddling through the day, I wondered would an optometrist visit be in my future? Truth be told, I wasn't that happy with my current pair of glasses. Last visit to the eye doc, I didn't spring for the auto polarization. The sun can be brutal down here in Texas. More so if you're not wearing sunglasses. Perhaps my subconscious lost them on purpose so I could get the tinted shades.
My youngest is hinting that it's family game night. The wife just put a slice of pecan pie next to me, and it's good... Oh, so good.

Homeless story

The warning light shined like a beacon in the darkness and couldn't be ignored. I was low on gas. Knowing it was going to be a busy day tomorrow, I pulled into the convenience store near my apartment. Better to get the gas now, I had to be on the road early.

Winter winds blew a hint of moisture through the air. The same bitter chill that froze my breath promised snow or sleet in the next few hours. Going inside to pay, I felt the relative warmth of the store unclogging my sinuses. Handing the clerk a twenty, I absently sniffed the air, noticing a faint stale odor. The clerk cast a worried look over my shoulder. I turned, following his gaze.

In the back corner of the store stood a man... at least it resembled a man. Dressed in tattered rags, I couldn't help but notice two things: he was as far as he could get from the front of the store and still be inside. The second thing was he held a broom close to his chest, almost protectively. I turned back to the clerk, who smiled apologetically.

“I let him sweep out the store sometimes. That way he's out of the cold.” the clerk whispered as he handed me my change. I nodded understandingly.

Knowing the neighborhood like I do, I've seen him around. When I take my dog for a walk, he's on the corner waiting for a bus. At least, that's what he appears to be doing. When I go grocery shopping, he's hanging around the parking lot. He's a kid in his twenties or thirties and truth be told, a lot of people don't give him a second glance. Turning back to the clerk, I leaned over the counter slightly.

“Is he dangerous?” I asked the clerk.

The clerk leaned toward me slightly. “He's not mentally unstable, if that's what you mean. He's just had a run of bad luck. He got kicked out of his apartment a couple of months ago. He's been living outdoors, sleeping out back in that grove of trees.” the clerk said, pointing to where I knew a small thicket was behind the store. My apartment was only three blocks away. When I looked out my back porch, I could sometimes see the main street through those same trees.

I handed the change back. “Two coffees.” was all I said.

I went to the coffee machine and poured the hot drinks, then set them down on a table nearby. Looking directly at the guy in the corner, I crooked a finger, motioning him to sit down. Eyes widened in surprise, he pointed at himself. When I nodded he came over and sat down.

“My name is Ron.” I stated simply as I slid a coffee over to him. “What's your name?”

“James.” his hands held the cup tenderly, warming his fingers on the heat coming from the coffee. James said nothing. I wasn't sure what I was going to say, heck, I wasn't sure what I was doing.

James broke the silence first. “Got any change?” I shook my head. “Spent it on what's in your hand.” James sat back. A sudden mental image came across my mind. James was giving me the same look my son would give me when I'm about to give him a lecture. He was almost resigned to it, I needed to make the first move.

“I'm not going to talk to you about religion.” I started. James seemed to relax slightly as I said this. “Not going to ask you for sex.” More relief crossed his face.

“How old are you?”

“I'm 29, sir.”

Looking out at the parking lot, I noticed tiny pellets of sleet were starting to come down. “Looks like it's going to be a cold one.”

James nodded, hands still clinging to his coffee. I had the chance to really take a look at him while he was staring out the window. He hadn't eaten in a while. I could tell because his cheeks were a bit thin. I didn't think he had a shower in sometime either. James reminded me of some friends who would come back from a weekend hunting trip. Except James didn't have a ten pointed antler to show off.

He had several layers of clothes on including a red snow cap and what appeared to be a bent piece of cardboard sticking out of his tattered army surplus jacket. James looked ragged, especially with the growth of whiskers on him.

James noticed I was staring at him. “So why did you ask me over here?”

The truth was, I didn't know the answer to that myself. “Let me see if I got the facts.” I began. “You've been kicked out of your apartment and you don't have a job or family.”

James nodded. “You've been living day to day and you don't see a way out of your situation.”

“Well, I got plans see...” James began.

“But nothing solid, right?” I interrupted.

“Well it's like this...” James tried again, but I held up my hand. “Your past isn't that important. Your plans I don't need to know right now. Are you a vet?”

“Did a tour a few years back.”

I nodded. “Get to veterans services. They have programs that will help you.”

“But that waiting list is too long.” James complained.

“And how long will they be if you don't go?”

James shot me a snarling grimace, but kept quiet for a moment before coming up with an excuse. “They need to see an address in order to process me anyway.”

“So it's not your fault, right?”

“Yeah, that's right.” James agreed.

“Wrong answer, kid.”

James looked at me with a mix of frustration and impatience. “But it's not like that. My girl didn't have to kick me outdoors.”

“I'll bet she had a reason.” Silence from James. “It was probably something you did or didn't do.” More silence. James looked like he was about to get up and leave, but he knew how cold it was outside. All my instincts said to back off. “Whatever the reason, you're here now. Wanna know how to get back?” James looked up. Maybe he was feigning interest. Maybe not.

“I know you hate the cold outside. Hate the way people look at you. Can't get a job. Can't get money. Can't get food.”

“Gotta point?” James replied.

“Do you want to get back your life?”

“I ain't going back to her, if that's what you mean.” James retorted. I shook my head. “Not your old life. You're going to build a new life for yourself.”

What the heck was I saying? Part of it sounded like a presentation I would give to a company. What was I doing, giving a consultation to the homeless?

“Okay, first obstacle: you need an address to get stuff sent to.” My mind was racing barely ten steps ahead of my mouth. “There's a church that runs a homeless shelter downtown.”

“Yeah, St. Matthew's. Been there.”

“Go again, but this time speak to the person in charge.” James straightened and gave me his full attention. When I talk to large groups I can tell when I have them by when they do what James just did.

“Tell them you want to do some work, in exchange for allowing you to receive mail there. You're going to give Veterans services the shelter's address for mailing you.”

“This is bull man...” James began but I stopped him.

“Bad things have happened to you, I won't argue with that, but here's where you start making good things happen to you.” James took a sip of coffee and thought about what I just said.

“See if you can get a place to crash while you're there. If I remember right, there's a Methodist house not too far from here. They might not have a place for you to stay, but you can at least shower and get cleaned up.

“While you're waiting for Veteran's services to catch up to you, go down and apply at McDonald's or Arby's, one of the fast food places on the main strip.”

“But what am I going to eat till then?” James sounded like he wanted to put a hole in what I was telling him, but I wasn't going to give him the chance.

“You'll be doing what you're doing now. Eating at the shelter or a food bank. I won't lie, it'll be touch and go the first two weeks. Your first paycheck, you're going to buy a bike or a bus pass.” The promise of money seemed to make James's face light up. “One more thing: No beer.”

James gave me a look like I just waved used toilet paper under his nose.

“That's the problem right there!” I smiled for the first time since I started talking. “I'm going to take a guess, you like beer?”

James nodded.

“Your old girlfriend thought you drank to much and threw you out, am I right?” James nodded again.

“I want a car. The bus is too slow and I don't need to be pedaling all over the place.” James muttered.

“EEEEEENNNGGG! Wrong answer again.” More light was shining on James' situation. “You think you're too good to ride the bus?”

“I didn't say that.” James said softly, but I could tell by the way he lowered his head that was the way he felt. “Besides bikes are expensive.” I nodded my head, but had my answer ready.

“A new bike can cost money. Look for your bike at a pawn shop.”

“You're one of those fellas who have an answer for everything.” James said as he shook his head.

Now I took a sip of coffee. “Not me. Let's just say I know where you're coming from.”

James stared hard at me. I could tell he was trying to make up his mind. “You telling me you were out on the streets one time?”

I shrugged. Let him take that any way he wanted. “I just didn't like feeling sorry for myself. So I forced myself to do what I'm telling you to do.”

James sat and stared at his coffee. He took a sip, but said nothing as he put it back down. “It's not going to happen overnight, but if you want a house, car, clothes, you've got to work for them. I rode the bus for a year after my bike got stolen.” James was looking at me in a whole new way. “What do you think I do for a living?” James shook his head. “It doesn't matter what I'm doing right now. All you need to know is I started as a busboy in a Chinese restaurant.”

“But what if I don't want to do fast food?”

I didn't really have an answer for that question. I took a sip of my coffee and thought about it.

“Then go to one of the construction sites around the edge of town. Ask around and see if you can talk to the site manager. Do what they tell you, or if they know of someone who's hiring, go where they tell you.”

“But that's hard work.” James sounded a little fearful.

“Think of it this way.” I wanted to keep this conversation positive. “You're young. It's not forever. It's for now. There's no such thing as an overnight sensation. Those stories are usually fifteen years in the making. Construction workers make pretty decent money for the work they do. Now if you visit any pawn shop you'll see there are a bunch of tools on the shelves. It's where I get a lot of my tools.”

James appeared to be seriously considering what I said. “But I gotta give up beer?”

“Not forever, just for now. Buy yourself a six pack when you move into your new apartment as a way to celebrate. If you drink too much, you're going to find yourself back where you started.” My coffee was gone and it was time for me to head home. I stood up, James remained seated, but looked up at me.

“Take that any way you want. I don't give hand outs, I give hand ups. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. A lot of things that happen to us are our own fault, good and bad. Work on those faults, don't be afraid to ask for help.”

“People don't help.” James countered.

“People aren't going to want to support you forever. If folks see you're trying to make something of yourself, watch the help pour in.”

I didn't want to hear James' rebuttals or denials, so I turned and headed out the door, not looking back. I never saw James on the street corner again.

Simpler than it looks?

A couple of years ago I wrote a story based on an actual event.
At the time, we knew a guy who was homeless. He'd hang out with the rest of the 'Disney gang', We'd feed him occasionally... let him crash on a couch sometimes, but our sympathy and finances only went so far. We could barely look after ourselves. This wasn't cruelty, in fact, we were trying to be compassionate, or as sympathetic as 20 somethings can be, anyway.
So here I sat in a booth across from Steve or Mike (20+ years and I forget his name.) at a Circle K, sipping cheap coffee, trying to warm up from the Florida cold snap. (Yes, they do happen occasionally.) On cold winter nights Steve would beg to sleep on a couch or in the back seat of one of our cars. He often cleaned out freezers in exchange for shelter from the wind and elements.
That night I bought him some crappy coffee, (for which he was grateful!) I'd been doing some thinking on his situation. Most notably what would I do in his shoes. So we sat and came up with a plan. A strategy to get him off the streets. To my knowledge it worked.
How do I know that? First: I don't recall seeing Steve after that night. Second: I received a phone call from Steve's sister a few days before I was going to move out of my apartment. She wanted to thank me for helping Steve get back on his feet.
Years later I wrote a story based on those events. That short missive is sitting on our family computer hard drive,which is on my workbench need of a new motherboard and CPU. There is also a thumb drive in which I back up all my writing on. If I really dug deep, I could find the story.
Several things brought those memories to the surface. We're experiencing a pre-Thanksgiving cold snap, we have a house guest who we are helping get back on his feet, and I read an article about how easily it is to become homeless.
While I don't agree with everything in the article, there were more things I found myself agreeing with.
For instance, things cost less when you're rich. Think about how much you pay in rent, then ask a home owner what their mortgage payment is.
Want further proof? Last year my family went on vacation. We rented a car. With a credit card, the vehicle would have cost 500.00. Unfortunately my card expired the week before we were to begin our vacation and the new one hadn't arrived. No card? The rental price nearly doubled, almost scuttling our vacation before it began. I still had to borrow money to get gas for the trip home.
So when I see a homeless person begging for change on the street, I have a little sympathy... but not that much. There is no cure all... no panacea. Each situation is different. Every person is different. In my experience a person can become homeless very easily through bad luck, say a tornado hits your house... to series of bad choices, a fight with your roommate gets you evicted. Things will happen... Life happens. The question is: how will you deal with it? Most people deal with it quickly. Friends and family to fall back on. Sure, you swallow a bit of ego and pride, but you work through it and move on. A percentage of homeless don't have friends or family to rely on, some of them simply give up. At it's core, that's what it boils down to: the willpower to go on and not give up the struggle for survival.
Long ago I made my choice never to give up. To go down fighting if necessary. There is a part of me that believes having to struggle is what makes life interesting.
If you have a home and can keep a roof over your head, then you are blessed. Wanna rack up some extra karma? Perhaps I should put it another way. Do you want to help your fellow man and get a warm fuzzy feeling inside? Volunteer at a homeless shelter. If circumstances permit, perhaps you should consider taking one person and give them a hand up. By that I mean if you trust them, let them bunk in the spare bedroom or on the couch. Make it clear this is not permanent, but to help them get back on their feet. That's different than giving them a hand out. Lay down the rules and make a plan to get them on their feet as quickly as possible. Above all else, they have to want to rejoin the race. No one can do that for them, not even you. If they don't want to change, then there is nothing you can do to change them.    

More like it

Last week, I took my family to the movies. The temperature got up to 89 degrees. Not in the movies, but outdoors. For the middle of November, that's a bit much. There's some good news coming up though: Seems there is a cold front coming in. This weekend our high will be in the mid-forties. Now that's more like it. I'm thinking of doing a little research into high and low temperatures. Surely we've been recording things for over a century, we could see where we're trending.
The reason I'm bringing this up is not to prove Global Warming is real, (it is, end of discussion.) but I want to see the rubber band effect... the extreme weather. I already predicted we will have to extend hurricane season. That's just the armchair weatherman talking. We don't even get snow here in this part of Texas, but that might change.
After some thought, I fully expect the world to run out of fossil fuels in my lifetime. There have been several speculative fiction works that describe such a world. 
The climate deniers can whine about things being cyclical, I'm not buying that. Some certainties I know of:
Riding a bike around in the summer is a lot harder/ a death wish, than we care to admit.
Mankind is due for a culling. Now whether or not it's due to a natural or man-made disaster remains to be seen.
If you think our resources are plentiful, think again.

Curious scientifics

NASA launched a space probe called MAVEN today. Bound for Mars to study the upper atmosphere. Don't take my word for it, here's the scoop.
Spent the evening baking two pies with my daughter. I'll turn her into a cook yet. I'm still wearing my Darth Vader cooking apron. Does that say anything about how I run a kitchen? Maybe...
The ISS has been in orbit for 13 years. Woo!
We just had the Leonid meteor showers a few days ago, I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to see them. I'll catch them the next time around.
I'm really excited about the holidays this year. I'm not sure why, but I'm really looking forward to them.

Over this last year, things have gone by too quickly. My wife and I sat down with our oldest and discussed colleges she should apply for. There have been a few places that turned up. For me, I'd like her far enough away so she can grow on her own, yet close enough to catch her if she falls. Is that being over-protective? I don't think so.
All the stuff I learned as a kid growing up served as a basis for my first venture into the big, bad world. There were triumphs and setbacks, but what I learned the most from were the mistakes. Fortunately, things turned out alright. I want my girl to be exposed to some harsh realities. Those bad times I went through made me stronger, and that's what I want for her.
Sure, working overtime or two jobs is tough. Few people do that because they want to. It is because they have to. It all boils down to responsibility.
That doesn't take away from good times, but it makes those good times extra special.
My family had a very trying year, perhaps that's why Christmas and the end of year celebrations mean so much more to us.
    

Simple?

This weekend I was Mr. Multitask. I wrote out several invites to our gaming con in the spring. Saturday, the staff of Chimearacon held a planning meeting to see where we all are on our respective projects. Let's put it this way: there are several more letters I have to write.
Then it was time to bottle my first brew creation. 38 bottles from my 5 gallon carbine. Not bad... Priming and bottling is definitely a two person job. All this while doing the regular chores.
The flu bug has made it's way through our family. Today, we all felt good enough to see Thor. If you haven't seen that movie yet, go see it. My kids and I had fun playing spot Stan Lee.
I put together a bourbon pecan pie while doing the laundry. Good thing I didn't mix those two up.
I've been following a few blogs lately. Some are funny while others more inspirational.
Questions were posed through the blogs and it got me thinking about what defines me.
Am I hearing?
Am I deaf?
The hearing world considers me deaf. Try as I might to 'mainstream' myself, I can't quite bring it home. That Thor movie? I had to wear a special set of goggles that put the words up on the screen. Which by the way was 90% effective. Characters moved their lips on screen and no digital letters appeared underneath them, so yeah... it didn't ruin the movie, but it certainly took me out of it. Nevertheless, I did enjoy spending time with my family.
To the deaf world, I'm considered a spy for the hearing world. Good natured ribbing from my deaf friends, but I get the impression they don't fully trust me simply because I wasn't born that way. I'm not 'one of them'.
Communication between the deaf is more one-on-one. One person speaks or signs while the others observe/ listen. Personally, I find that really polite. You can actually have a constructive discussion with someone.
Hearing people tend to talk over each other. Multiple voices coming from different directions is confusing to the deaf. Let me put it another way: Part of my pecan pie calls for spicy pecans. Cumin and cayenne pepper glazed on to the pecans.
I was trying to explain to my wife the final stages of cooking the pie. She wanted to tell me the spicy pecans smelled good. With our overlapping voices, I found myself interrupted twice. More than a bit annoyed, I asked her if she had something to say. Not sure if it is how my brain is rewired, but I have to stop and give a person my complete attention while they speak. Doing the rapid talk/ talk back simply doesn't work for me anymore. Sorry folks, if you want to say anything to me, I have to listen.
If there was a top five of questions or lines said to me about becoming deaf, one of them would be;
'Must be lucky being able to turn off your ears.'
To which I smile and nod while keeping my big mouth shut. While it might be nice to go silent when my youngest daughter has a temper tantrum, every night I say a little prayer that my family will wake me in case of a fire. Yeah, fire alarms are pretty much useless to deaf people... Go figure.
While I'm in the neighborhood, I want to tell you about the two most common things hearing people say when I tell people I'm deaf.
1.) I'm sorry.
2.) That's okay.

1A.) I'm not sorry. Actually, I'm glad I lost my hearing. I've learned so much since having it taken away. If a doctor came up to me and said they discovered a way to restore my hearing, I don't think I'd want it back.

2A.) Of the people who say that's alright, are the ones who start treating me like an imbecile. A dismissive stance like that means they've assumed a lot more than what I've just said. Two sentences spoken and I've lost 50 IQ points in their mind.

Got news for you folks:
I cook a damn fine dinner and dessert. I write stories people like to read. I make my own beer. Take that to the bank all you unbelievers.