Pathfinder of the Seas

 I've started writing a new novel. What has never happened to me before is that when I started researching the subject of my novel I was wondering how to write the life of a exceptional human being as fictionalized history. 

On a Friday night as I was trying to go to sleep and it hit me. Make it his autobiography, like Robert Graves did with I Claudius and Margaret George did with the The Autobiography of Henry VIII.

Then I started writing the story in my head. I couldn't stop it. All night I was telling his story. Saturday night the same, Sunday night it was driving me nuts. Monday I finally got to the office and am ready to write down everything I've thought about for three nights.

Reality hit. As I started writing I found that I needed names, dates, and the little details. I went in thinking that I would just magically get it all down in one day. I would up buying four biographies of the man, in book form, only one was available as an e-book. Then I had to wait for them to come in.

I've written the first ten pages and have the man finally getting ready to leave to be a midshipman in the navy in 1825.

 

This is the statue on Matthew Fontaine Maury as it looked in Richmond, Virginia.

On July 2^nd of 2020, Levar Stoney, the mayor of Richmond, Virginia ordered the removal of the statue of Matthew Fontaine Maury. The statue names Maury as “The Pathfinder of the Seas.” It was erected in 1929 on Richmond’s Monument Avenue.  Governor Stoney used his emergency powers to bypass a state-mandated review process, calling the statue a “Severe, immediate, and growing threat to public safety.”

The statue had been vandalized with various colors of paint calling Maury a racist. When the Civil War broke out, he sided with Virginia, his home state and resigned his commission in the Navy as Commander of the U.S. Naval Observatory.

I understand the Black Lives Matters movement to remove statues of Confederate generals and statesmen. As an historian I regret the removal of any historical figure, but I understand why some would want this, but Maury was a scientist, not a general or politician. His contribution to the world is still felt today. It makes no sense to deem the memory of this man "an immediate threat." 

He became a midshipman at age 19 and never owned a slave. His entire life was devoted to the sea and making sailing faster, safer and understanding the world's oceans.

Judge for yourself if this man's statue should have been removed.

Here are the life’s works of a man today considered to be threat to public safety:

1.   The father of Oceanography.

2.   Father of meteorology.

3.   Father of Physical Geography.

4.   Compiled the first comprehensive study of the ocean currents, wind, weather, temperature, animal and plant life, depths; the Gulf Stream; the effects of currents on land weather.

5.   Created the first scientifically detailed charts of all the world’s oceans and wind currents used by all military and merchant shipping from their introduction in 1848.

6.   His study of the Atlantic Ocean’s depth made the telegraph cable connecting the United States with Europe possible.

7.   In the 1830’s his articles in magazines criticizing certain problems in the Navy led to Congress creating the Naval Academy.

8.   He published The Physical Geography of the Sea (1855). A textbook translated into numerous languages and used by most navies of the world in the 19^th century. It was used at Annapolis into the 1920’s.

9.   By 1858 Maury had over 137,540 vessels from most maritime countries gathering data to record the weather. This created the largest fleet to act in concert in history. It was the first time for the United States to lead in a branch of science.

10.      He revolutionized naval defenses by perfecting floating mines and electric torpedo.

In September 26, 1927 in a forward to the book Matthew Fontaine Maury: Pathfinder of the Seas by Charles Lee Lewis, Admiral Richard E. Byrd wrote: Because I am soon to start my own expedition to the South Pole I am particularly interested in a letter (Matthew Fontaine) Maury wrote under the date of August 20, 1860, in which he said, “I have reason to believe that there is about the South Pole, a comparatively mild climate. The unexplored regions there embrace an area equal in extent to about one-sixth of all known land on the surface of the earth. I am quietly seeking to create in the minds of some an interest upon the subject, hoping thereby to foster a desire in the right quarters for an Antarctic expedition.”

 

Sixty-seven years after Maury wrote that letter and fifty-four years after his death his dream came true. Admiral Byrd reached the South Pole. 

He wasn't infallible. You could hardly describe the climate of Antarctica mild, or that the continent was that large. He had no idea how much of the area was ice shelf.

The only scientist to have more impact on world knowledge in the 19th century was Charles Darwin.

Why have I decided to write his life story? I married a Maury.

The first time I met my soon to be Father-in-law and we were getting to know one another he mentioned MFM, and said "No one has heard of him because he was a rebel."

Shortly after Linda and I were married I found a biography of MFM at a used book store. I gave it to Ed and he enjoyed reading about his ancestor. He gave it back and I read it. What an eye opener and I felt at the time that his life would make a great novel. 

I started writing Optimus: Praetorian Guard and it took me ten years, then when I retired I started writing other stories. MFM was always on the back burner until they removed his statue. I feel his story needs to be told to the world now more than ever. He was a man of his time and sided with his native state when the country split apart, but that should not negate all that he did and what he learned still has impact today.

The USNS Maury launched in 2013. It's an oceanographic survey ship. There have been other naval ships that bore his name. 

Friday Five 040921

 Todays words are: hell, railroad, chief, abridge, past.

Shanika had to abridge her workouts. She could dribble with her right hand and throw two handed. She was very careful when catching it. She told me, “The slightest hit hurts like hell.”

I could sympathize. I suffered the same injury on my right hand while playing. The more she used the hand, the sooner it would heal.

Saturday, we had a home game against a junior college. They can be some of our toughest opponents or a cake walk. This team had two women that I was interested in recruiting. They were iffy academically in high school and I passed on them. I’m hoping they’re getting their grades up and I can have them to replace seniors on the team.

When they walked on the court, I recognized their new coach. He played for Texas Tech the last four years and was an outstanding power forward. He wasn’t quite good enough for the pros, and he most likely passed on junior high and high school wanting to coach at the college level.

From the tip off, Chief Lawson was yelling at his players. They scored the first point on a free throw and then the railroad hit them.

I didn’t play Shanika and when we were up thirty to one, I pulled first string. It was a massacre. He kept his first string in the whole game and yelled his head off the whole time. The more he yelled the worse they played. Final score 101-01.

I told the team to go over and hug every one of the other team and give them what encouragement they could. “Cry with them in sympathy, not pity.”

When Coach Lawson came to shake my hand, I refused and told him to follow me to my office. I’ve never been so angry in my life.

Behind my desk I could tell he was about to give me a piece of his mind about me running up the score. I beat him to the punch.

“I don’t care about how good a player you were in the past. You are an abomination as coach. I’m filing a complaint to the athletic director at your school. You are a bully, and have no business coaching a women’s team.”

I expected him to get angry and leave, even cuss me out. Instead, he hung his head in shame. That I could work with.

“You’re not married, are you?”

 “No,” he shook his head.

“Spent all your life with Mommy cleaning up after you and in the locker room.” He nodded his head. “You have no idea what women are like. Now either listen to my advice or quit. You are doing too much damage to good players. I was interested in Jolly James and Heather Smith, but after today I’ve a feeling they’ll drop out and go back to the inner city of Houston and wind up being single mothers working three jobs to put food on the table.”

Shaking his head, “This is the only way I know how to coach”

Listen up, Chief. “In a game even men and especially women need the coach to cheer them on. Everyone needs encouragement in competition.”

I took a breath, he nodded.

“The time for criticism is looking at the game tapes. Women need praise to keep them going. Negative reinforcement works for men. Women need positive reinforcement. Are you understanding what I’ve said?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said.

“Good. I’m calling every coach you’re playing for the next three weeks and if they tell me, you’re still yelling at your players, we’ll all write a letter to your athletic director.”

 Todays topic is books I've chosen based on cover or title.

The first of many James Clavell books. I'd seen the cover in bookstores and news stands and it looked interesting. When it was announced that there was a min-series of it I bought it and read it before the mini-series started. I've read everything by Clavell since then and loved all of his books.

Fellow member of Writers2writers here in Albuquerque wrote this special book after seven women's bodies and one fetus were discovered buried on the West Mesa of Albuquerque. It's a tribute to the families of those who lost their daughters.

The first book in this series has the most eye catching cover and I just had to read the book. I've read every book in the series to date and eagerly awaiting the next.

Tony Roberts has the franchise on the Casca series and I've read all of the 25+ that he's written. He came out with a elf fantasy series, Dark Blade, and the covers caught my eye. They're not the usual type of covers. They are painting done in expressionist style. I really like them. I've read and re-read these books three times. They are fantastic.

 

Todays words are: index, opposed, mark, suggest, depend

The game was well in hand. They were up by ten points against a worthy team with five minutes left. 

Coach Spain was happy with the team's performance and that they were pushed for the whole game. She called a time out and debated pulling Shanika out to see if the team could maintain the lead without her. If the score got under six points she'd send her back in.

Sure enough Delta State hit two three pointers and Shanika was back in the game. She posted up and the ball was passed to her. The defender deflected it and Shanika screamed. It hit full force on her index finger and bent it in half.

The ref called an injury time-out and the trainer took the injured player to the locker room.

Delta State inbounded and with another three pointer brought the score to within a point. Using her last time-out she told the team it was time to suck it up and win against adversity. "I depend on this team to win with or without Shanika. They're going to oppose the inbounds pass. Lisa break for the basket. Joyce throw it to her. I want a quick bucket and clamp down on number 4. Don't let her get the ball she's killing us. Now go get them."

Lisa caught the ball and was fouled on the lay-up. She took her mark for the free throw and it bounced off the rim. The ball bounced right back to her and was in her hand. She bounced it to Joyce who banked it in. Now they were up by four with twenty seconds left.

Delta State called a time-out. Karen told them to protect the three point line and let them get a two pointer. "Make them foul to stop the clock." She looked at Lisa, "I suggest you hit your shots, they're free after all."

Shanika was sitting on the bench with her finger in a brace and wrapped in tape.  They bumped her right hand before taking the floor.

The buzzer sounded to resume play.

WC: TV Shows I've binge watched.

 The shows I've binge watched.

When I get home from the office and do my writing the wife wants to watch TV. There's not much on the networks we watch anymore.

With HULU, IMDB, Amazon Prime, Stars, Showtime, HBO Max, Encore, Epix and others there's always something to watch.

From the most recent to as far as I can remember.

Just watched all of WandaVison last night also two episodes of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. 

Downton Abbey

Knight Rider (1980's)

JAG

Star Trek

Next Generation

Voyager

Enterprise

Discovery

Outlander

Black Sails

La Reina del Sur

Queen of the South

Billions

Ray Donovan

Spartacus

Game of Thrones

 Todays words are;  ego, pier, freight, pace, solo

Shanika was a needed boost to the team. In scrimmage she was hard to defend and on defense she was hard to shoot over or go around. 

There was a problem. She knew many of the teams they'd play against would be outmatched and they'd build a big lead quickly. If he sent in second string half way through the first half then varsity would lose conditioning when it would be needed against better opponents.

This led to the snide remark the there were three things that should be done in the dark: sex, kick the can, and women's basketball.

Their first game was a prize example. They were ahead thirty to five after seven minutes. She purposely made them slow the pace down, but kept the first team in for the rest of the half.

In the second half she put Shanika in with the second team and let her play solo offence for five minutes. The others only blocked and passed, Shanika scored. Then played only defense for the next five minutes. When the score was sixty to twenty and the other coached yelled, "Call the dogs off!" She pulled her and put the rest of the first team back in.

The next day she went out on the small pier on the lake in the middle of campus to think. She needed someone to challenge the team and the only solution bothered her. Making up her mind she went to the gym and cornered Coach Adams, the men's basketball coach.

"Tony," she asked would it bother you if your JV team would play a pick-up game with my girls once a week?"

Tony smiled, "That Shanika's like a freight train isn't she?" 

"Think you're guys are up to stopping her?"

"How's Wednesday sound?" Tony said.

"Meet you then," adding, "hope she doesn't beat up on George too badly. I'd hate to damage his ego."

 Todays words are: rebel, bank, salon, project, net

The tall dark complected girl walked onto the court and all eyes were on her. At six foot and one inch tall and a well formed one hundred and thirty pounds she was a giant compared to the other players who averaged five-ten.

Karen's first thought was that the gal had never been inside a hair salon. It was obvious with her wild hair that girl was a rebel. 

All the other members of the basketball team watched as the incoming freshman strolled over to the ball rack and grabbed one. She dribbled to the middle of the court did a half turn at the three point line and hit nothing but net. She ran to the ball, dribbled back to the three point line off to the left side and hit a perfect bank shot. She looked at the rest of the team with with a smirk that said, "I'm good."

A shrill whistle sounded and all eyes were on the coach standing at half court.  Coach could project her voice so that people in the next county could hear her. "Gather around," she said. They all formed a circle.

"Last year we lost in the title game because we lacked an inside game and poor rebounding. That's not going to happen this year."

She put her arm around the tall girl. "Meet Shanika,  our new post player."

WC My theme song

 

Today's topic: My theme song.

Secular: Memories from Cats and Do You Hear the People Sing from  Les Misérables. 

Religious theme songs: Christmas is O' Holy Night and What Child is this?

Easter is The Old Rugged Cross and He Lives.

You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.

Simple Writing

 

Berthold on his blog wrote a piece about the admonition that a writer should write as simply as possible. My response could not be condensed into a simple reply. I've had to think about it.

One of the greatest tools I used as a 7th-10th grade English teacher was this book. If You Can Talk, You Can Write. I was dealing with students reluctant to write their spelling words into a sentence. This book was a way to get students writing and overcome a reluctance to put pencil or pen to paper. It's baby food. It's a start and hopefully from there they will become capable of writing on their own. It's writing in it's simplest form. It should not be the norm!

Does that mean we should all still want to write like Shakespeare or Dickens? That would be silly and today's audience whose eyes and ears have been captivated by TV and movies wouldn't read it. This was a can of worms to me. How complex is too complex and how simple is too simple?

I equate the keep it simple tripe to "Dumb it down."

I think the wrong word here is simple. My definition would be to make your writing understandable. 

A lot of people bought Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time, but wouldn't or couldn't understand one word out of ten of what he's saying. It was a way to impress guests at a party by having it on table or bookcase. Isaac Asimov, on the other hand, was a brilliant scientist, but he was gifted with the ability to take the most complex scientific and technological concepts and make them understandable. In Beginnings, he took life from the modern age to the big bang and made most of it is understandable. That is what we should strive for as writers.

If you strive for simplicity you face the horror I did as a teacher with textbook adoptions. History texts expressly. The problem here is what they called readability. If students are only reading at 3rd grade level then a high school textbook should be written at the third grade level. Pure bullshit. You could not believe the garbage they tried to pass off for developmental students. No wonder they can't read, what they're offering is unreadable. Think Donald Trump trying to explain the Declaration of Independence.

When I first taught 7th grade English I found girls were reading Judy Blume, S.E. Hinton, Daniel Steel. Boys were looking at the pictures in Playboy and Penthouse. Not in my classroom, but you get the drift, If they had a National Geographic it was for naked Pygmies.

Growing up, in 7th grade we read Edgar Allen Poe, and I loved his stories. I got a classroom set of Poe's books and had to read it aloud and explain every other word. I tried Mickey Spillane's murder mysteries. The boys yawned. Then I had them read Barry Sadler's Casca books. They are simple, straight to the point, but the history was sound and they could identify with a soldier going through all the major battles of the world since the first century ACE. I found books for boys in their formative reading years that they were interested in and wanted to read. The vocabulary wasn't difficult, but it wasn't dumbed down. It was understandable.

Friday Five 031221

 

Today's words are: sit, portion, fiber, inflate, beef.

For the first time in a year, I sit to have a great steak dinner in Texas Roadhouse. They have succulent dinner rolls with honey butter. Their sirloin is to die for. One thing about Roadhouse is that have a generous portion of loaded mashed potatoes, and their beef is always cooked to perfection. I also order the house salad to add a little fiber in my diet. I was afraid that after the pandemic they'd inflate their prices to make up for lost revenue, but it was the same prices as before. I'm in heaven.

WC Best non-book gift for a friend.

 

This weeks challenge is: Best no-book gift for a friend.

1. An audio book, not the same as a book shelf book.

2. Book marks. Any types: paper ones, fancy ones, metal clips, etc. You can advertise your own books by printing up book marks and giving them away.

3. A desk top book shelf. They hold maybe four or five books without taking up too much space.

4. A costume of their favorite character.

5. A book themed birthday party.

6. Spending hours trying to out quote each other from favorite books, by memory.

7. Writing a comment after your friend writes a review and posts it.

8. Buying your friend's book.

9. Posting a review of your friend's book and posting it on Amazon.

10. Lending an ear when they're in writer's block or asking for advise.

Friday Five 030521

 Todays words are: bracket, teacher, import, maze, moral.

Johnny Lane opened the newspaper to the sports section. On the third page the high school boys basketball tournament's schedule was posted. He looked and found his team's bracket. He noticed that most of the teams they were scheduled to play they'd beaten over the season. They could play for the state championship. That would up his chance at a scholarship.

He left for school in his mother's SUV, a Japanese import. He parked in the teacher's lot. Jocks like him got away with stuff like that.

Going into his psychology class Mr. Williams was showing a film of rats in a maze. "Great, " he thought "I can snooze for half an hour."

In English class Mrs. Ewing was explaining the "Theme" of a book. They were reading this one for the last week. "Johnny," she called his name. "What's the moral of Animal Farm?"

"That power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." He smiled knowing she was expecting him to get it wrong. He was grateful for Wikipedia.

In the locker room getting dressed out for practice there was more hooping and hollering than normal. Out on the gym floor Coach Cooper tried to bring them down to earth. "One game at a time guys. This is sudden death, we lose we're out. Don't overlook anyone."

WC 030321 My greatest weakness

 

This weeks challenge is: My greatest weakness.

As a writer a couple of my weaknesses technology has helped me overcome. Namely spelling and grammar. The latest version of Microsoft Word has upped my proofreading game very much. It still doesn't help me with "Horses humping over the fence." It's much pickier about commas now.

That leaves my greatest weakness as a writer:

PROCRASTINATION!

I was the one that waited until the night before a term paper was due to start it. When I'm researching a story I spend months researching the setting (Wikipedia is great). Sometimes I keep at it as I'm reluctant to start the story or the section of the story I'm working on.

The greatest feature of procrastination is the blank screen. What do I put on it?

Half way through a story and I'm stuck on what next to say I'll edit and re-edit like crazy until I'm unstuck.

 Today's five words are: X-ray, fire, style, fate, wire.

The teletype in the office started to chatter. Getting out from behind my WWII era heavy grey steel desk I walked over to see what the wire was spitting out.

Five alarm fire at NE corner of Broadway and Central.

As fate would have it that's my high school alma mater. Albuquerque High School. It was the oldest high school in the city built in square brick style, but the insides were wood floors and paneling. It brought back memories of Mrs. Ewing writing the themes of Lord of the Flies, The Tell Tale Heart, and reading aloud Romeo and Juliet where I was Mercutio. She was also my journalism teacher senior year.

I grabbed my trusty fedora and put on my overcoat then left the office. I only needed to walk five blocks to the blaze. I saw the flames the minute I left. 

Coach Gentry is having a heart attack. The gym and basketball court are being destroyed. How many state champion basketball trophies are being melted down at this moment?

Standing across the street from the inferno at the side of First Baptist Church a crowd was gathering. It would've been much bigger during the day, but at 2:00am it was mostly bums warming up to the flames in the sub-freezing January temperatures.

I heard a crash and two cigarettes later a couple of the firemen brought one of their brothers out. I walked over as far as I could to take a look. They had the guy's helmet off and an oxygen mask on his face. Two of the firemen carried the injured one to the gurney by the ambulance. I heard one of the firemen tell the ambulance driver, "I think he broke his leg."

The driver said, "We'll find out when it's x-rayed."

I took the opportunity to grab one of the firemen's attention. "Brett Jones of the Albuquerque Journal, any idea what started the fire?"

When he turned I recognized him. Fellow AHS alum and quarterback on the football team 1952. "Hi Brett, long time no see, but I'm busy right now. Talk to the chief, I just put 'em out."

WC 022421 My Greatest Strength

 

Today's topic is: My Greatest Strength.

I've always had a near  photographic memory. The lens is a little foggy at times now, especially trying to remember if I ate a few hours ago and what I ate.

My memory has always been selective. I remember names and dates in history, memorize verses of scripture, poems, passages from books and movies, Shakespearean siliques ect.

Math is a different story. Algebra wasn't too bad, but geometry and having to memorize axioms and theorems was a real problem. I found memorizing things easy, if rather linear, but rules of an equation to get X, and working a proof was really difficult.

I've seen tv shows and movies that scoff at the importance of teaching these subjects will never be used as adults. I understand the importance of teaching these subjects now, but not at the time I was suffering trying to learn them. For the most part a hand held calculator has been all I've needed for over sixty years.

My second greatest strength is analysis. "The unexamined life is not worth living." --Socrates.

It didn't come natural, but as an avid reader and English teacher I found this the most important part of a our public school curriculum. Literature teaches students how to think. It's done by analyzing the stories.

Here's why these subjects are so important today:

Algebra teaches deductive logic. Without it people fall into the trap of inductive logic of bias and prejudice. Sherlock Holmes and most detective novels deal with this type of logic. It helps understand how a crime happened and perhaps who committed it, but doesn't provide proof. Why these books always use the trope of gathering all the suspects together and the culprit either confesses or tries to run. 

Geometry is all about proof. The different steps using axioms and theorems to prove the equation. It is the ability of using motive, method, means and opportunity, and applying this to the evidence that helps convict criminals. What makes this so important is that's what the jury needs to understand.

Literature teaches analysis. Reading and enjoying a book isn't enough. What was the plot? What was the theme (or moral) of the story. What motivated the villain, the hero, the heroine? Why is this also important to getting proof in a trial.

When I read Helter Skelter, by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry, that the third component of proof became apparent. How do you prove motive? The most important part of convicting a criminal.

Bugliosi used analysis on Charles Manson. After studying his life and criminal history he concluded that he liked it inside prison more than outside it. Steven King in Shawshank Redemption called it being institutionalized. Whenever Manson was released he committed another crime to get him back into prison. Always a federal prison as they are better that state prisons. This was the key to understanding the man and what motivated him to act as he did. Also the key to his conviction.

What's wrong with those caught in a cult or in thrall to Trump? They are absent these three abilities. It is deductive logic, the ability to separate fact from fiction (proof), and to analyze themselves and what they believe. That's blind faith that leads to drinking the Kool aide and dying a horrible death at the hands of a megalomaniac.  

 

Penelope's Pleasure vs Bridgerton

Berthold Gambrel wrote a review of Penelope's Pleasure. I found it intriguing and since it was unlimited and free to rent. I read it.

Wife and daughter decided that the next series to binge after L.A. Law would be Bridgerton on Stars.

Low and behold both were about the "Ton." Setting in early 19th century England where wealthy young women spend Summer or "The Season" going to balls and trolling for husbands.

My daughter has already read the first two Bridgerton books, so I bought the whole 9 books for a little over 70 bucks as e-books. Wife plans on reading them too. I read the first one that the Stars series is based on. Here's my comparison of the two books.

 

Penelope's Pleasure 

I enjoyed this one more than Bridgerton, it was a fun read. Penelope comes from a large family, her father is retired and her older brother has assumed head of household. The youngest brother is in financial trouble and Penelope tries to help him out as his debts are more that her older brother will pay for.

The Duke who decides to woo Penelope is also working for White Hall to catch smugglers near their land.

Penelope is an independent minded woman and in a few months will inherit a sizable sum of money and like her spinster aunt, she will be wealthy enough to not need a husband. So she resists all attempts at marriage.

The Duke and Penelope get caught in storm while racing horses and wind up in a cottage needing to get out of wet clothes. Her brothers find them in their underthings and insist they get married. Her reputation would be ruined.

You can guess the road to the alter is not easy. Penelope starts robbing people to raise money for her younger brother, the Duke tries to catch her family smuggling and she winds up being kidnapped by the real smuggler and taken to France. All in all quite a bit of conflict.

Weakness is that the strict conventions of the time are mentioned, but one event between Penelope and her brothers would never have happened. They get drunk together and go skinny dipping in the river. A little too libertine for the time period for the family of a Viscount. 

Bridgerton: The Duke and I

Much is the same here as the other book. A young lady spending the "Season" looking for a husband. There's a gossip paper that starts each chapter with details of the different courtships. This sets the stage for each chapter.

Daphne is of age to marry and is not happy with the suitors, who are mostly older men. The one man she meets and falls for has a problem, there's also problem for her older brother as head of the house. Simon a duke has taken an oath to never marry. He's also a friend of her brother and he knows Simon from their rakish days of gambling and bedding wenches.

Much happens, but Simon and Daphne are caught kissing and Simon refuses to marry her. A duel is then arranged. Daphne rides between the men to stop the duel as others had seen them too. 

Simon agrees to the wedding, but announces he can't have children, which was why he was never going to get married.

They get married and the main conflict is why Simon refuses to become a father.

This is overcome and they start a family.

Rather lame in the conflict department here compared to the other book.

Friday Five 021921

 

Today's words: Impound, partner, lip, knowledge, full.

It was my day to drive the tow truck and my partner was doing dispatch. The radio squelched, "You done with the delivery to Daniels Repair Shop?"

"Dropping it off now," I replied.

"Got an impound for you at the county courthouse. 4th Street and Lomas. A red Ford F-150." He read off the license plate.

Why do I always get the impounds? They're the most dangerous calls. Guys who drive pick-ups tend to get a little crazy seeing their ride on the hook. That's why on a job like this I pack a Glock 19 9mm with a ten round clip. Anyone gives me lip I put my hand on the grip. This gives them full knowledge I mean business.  If they make a move I fill them full of holes. So far I've had no takers.

 Today's topic is: How I take care of my health.

I'm a diabetic. I see my doctor two or three times a year and I monitor my blood sugar in the morning and before I go to bed. I take a handful of pills morning and evening. I also take insulin. I'm started on a non-insulin shot that lasts a week, but three weeks before my last visit the prescription expired and had to go back to insulin. I've gained back ten pounds waiting for my other medication to be approved and its coming in the mail. I'm hoping to lose more weight. This new medication helps me do that. I'll have a full year on this 'scipt so it shouldn't run out. It's expensive for three months at a time, but without Medicare and a supplemental plan I couldn't afford it, period. One month non-plan is over $3,000 a month. WE NEED MEDICARE FOR ALL!

 Before the pandemic I was going to a gym and doing water aerobics and exercising on a sit down elliptical, an arm exerciser and treadmill. I'm just now getting back to the gym three days a week and getting muscle tone back.

I am an addict. Not booze or drugs, I'm hooked on carbohydrates. They're killing me. The diabetic nerve damage in my feet and hands remind me of it constantly.

It's not just sugar, it's bagels and bread and pasta and crackers and mashed potatoes, French fries. No matter how hard I try I can't live on meat, vegetables and water. Did you know a can of green beans contains sugar? It can't be avoided no matter how hard I try. 

Friday Five 021221

 

First time on this challenge. The words today are: retired, bucket, sit, shout, version.

An empty bottle of Champaign was in a bucket of melted ice. The couple were entwined in an embrace, their lips locked and breathing heavily. Wordlessly Albert pulled away from Joyce and he looked towards the bedroom door. She nodded. 

He wanted to shout "Hurrah," but kept his cool. It only took him four months of dinners, movies, pic-nicks, hiking in the mountains, and finally a romantic cabin in the woods.

They retired to the bedroom and he helped her sit on the bed as he lifted her legs and took off her shoes. He kissed her toes and traveled up her legs. She ran her hands through his curly hair sending shivers up his spine.

She lifted up her blouse and let her perky, pointy breasts breathe. Hurriedly he pulled down his pants and underwear in one motion. He was ready. 

Every version of this scenario he played out over in his mind now was when he'd finally join with her in ecstacy. Pulling down her panties, lifting up her legs and taking them off, the fruit of his long labor was about to be fulfilled.

Rising up he gently kissed her lips and began to move his hips onto hers, but suddenly he was soft. For two hours he'd been hard as a rock and now a limp noodle.

NOOOOOOOOOO, he sat up alone in his bed. Albert had his worst nightmare.   

 Today's topic: Most Romantic book/movie ever.

Book and movie:

Gone With the Wind: This is really a stealth romance. There's not the usual meeting, misunderstanding, getting back together, blah blah blah. The romance in the love between Ashley and Melanie Wilkes. 

They are cousins and as is traditional they were expected to get married and keep the family wealth in the family.

Through thick and thin, wealth, war, poverty, after their son and Melanie can't have more children--loss of consortium, the scandal of Ashley and Scarlett found in an embrace... Their love endured to the end.

Rhett and Scarlett is not about love or romance! They are self absorbed. Scarlet is in love with the idea of Ashley Wilkes, but when he is finally available realizes he didn't love her and she was a fool. Rhett is in lust with Scarlet and wants to treat her like a child. When he finally gets her love he spurns it.

All the wealth in the world didn't make them happy or provide a basis for love. All they knew was how to take, not give. They had lust, not love.

Favorite Author: Mark Dawson

 

You're talking a prolific writer when he puts out a book with links to all his other books. I found it helped me keep track of the books I've read and which ones I haven't.

Dawson's books are in the spy thriller category, but more like the Bourne books than James Bond.

John Milton is his ex-special forces turned black ops for MI6 antihero. He is sent to kill someone by Control and after he kills his target the man's daughter comes out and sees him. His orders are no witnesses, but he balks at killing a child and leaves her alone. He knows that Control will put a hit out on him for compromising the op. Milton goes into hiding as John Smith and his trying to stay ahead of his group and also helping out people in distress has led to so far 18 books.

I've read a number of other authors with similar premises. John Milton is different in an interesting way. He's a recovering alcoholic. While he was killing people he used booze to make him forget. When he has to run he starts going the AA meetings and sobers up. One of the steps of AA is making restitution to those you've harmed. He can't do that for those he's killed so he pays it forward by helping those in need. It gives Milton a plausible explanation for getting involved.

Some of his trying to help goes bad. The ones he helping are hurt more by his interference than if he stayed out of it. This is also different from other heroes of this genre.

These books are a fast read most of them less than 100,000 words.

Beatrix Rose is another rogue operative that has a contract out on her by MI6. She's also dying of cancer and is trying to protect her daughter while on the run. There are currently nine books in this series.

Beatrix's daughter Isabella Rose is trained as an assassin and there are now four books in this series.

If your into a quick read, also a story that captures your imagination these books are for you.

WC 020321 A Few of My Favorite Things

 Today's topic: A few of my favorite things.

1. Restaurants. The pandemic has kept us from spending a lot of money at restaurants, but that is what makes life enjoyable. I miss a good steak at Texas Roadhouse, coconut shrimp at Red Lobster, breakfast and chicken fried chicken at Cracker Barrel, chicken teriyaki and sea food tempura at Japanese Kitchen, green chile chicken enchiladas or stuffed sopapillas at Monroe's and Tomasita's. 

2. A place to write. For the past two years with my wife retiring I couldn't write at home. I settled on writing at a newly opened public library by my  house, but the pandemic stopped that. I called my lawyer friend who closed his office due to health reasons. I worked for him for six years and wrote most of my novels and short stories in his office. He's working part time now and he's letting me use the office again. I'm back to writing in a quiet space.

3. Exercise. I used to walk my dog around the neighborhood. The pandemic let the dogs loose. Where I could walk her around the park by us and the mesa behind me pretty much alone, now everyone is out walking their pit bull. For some reason that's the only breed of dog my neighbors have. The last time one of them pulled out of the owners hand and came after my miniature Jack Russel Terrier. My walking stick wasn't of much use, but the owner retrieved the leash and pulled the dog away, but I'm not walking her anymore. I've seen footage of what one of them can do when they attack. Now I'm using a gym where I can use a sit down elliptical, treadmill and an arm exerciser. I'm not sure about doing water aerobics while the pandemic is still a problem.

Travel. We used to take a road trip in the summer. Usually it was to Nebraska, now Kansas to visit wife's brother and his family and then to Oklahoma to visit my brother and his family. 

Our eldest grandson lives in Tucson and we visit him at Christmas.

 

Our last non-family trip was to Ruidoso, NM where we visited White Sands National Monument, and the Very Large Array outside Socorro, NM. We were planning on taking a trip to the Grand Canyon, but that's been put on hold.

    

TTT 020221

 Todays topic is books I've read that were written before I was born.

The Bible

The Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer.

Trojan Women by Euripides.

Caesar's Gallic Wars by Gaius Julius Caesar.

Beowulf by Anonymous.

The Decameron by Boccaccio. 

Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.

Numerous plays and sonnets of William Shakespeare.

Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Don Quixote by Cervantes (in Spanish)

Inferno by Dante Alighieri. Didn't bother with the other two books.

The Three Musketeers, Man in the Iron Mask by Alexander Dumas.

The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe.

The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien.

The Narnia Chronicles, Screwtape Letters, Surprised by Joy, Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra by C.S. Lewis.

Foundation Trilogy and too many books to list by Isaac Asimov.

Cost of Discipleship, No Rusty Swords, Letters From Prison by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

WC012721: Book That Most Influenced My Life

This week's topic: The movie, TV show, book that most influenced my life.

The most influential book in my life is the Bible. 

My life long study of the scriptures has been influenced by numerous books. Just reading the Bible is not enough. I read it cover to cover at age 15, that didn't make me a biblical scholar. Memorizing scripture doesn't make one an understanding Christian. It's a lifelong journey of faith. Here are some books that helped me grow and understand the scriptures:

How to be a Christian Without Being Religious, by Fritz Ridenour. This is a commentary or study of the book of Romans in the New Testament. When the Moral Mafia says the Bible condemns homosexuality this is the book they reference. The only problem is they only mention the third and fourth chapters which list a number of sins. They omit Chapter 5 verse 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Also they forget Chapter 8 vs 1 There is therefore no condemnation... 

The message of the book is the power of forgiveness and our faith makes us one with Christ. He does not condemn us no matter what that sin is. 

This book opened my eyes the whole of Paul's message.

Premillennialism.
The Late Great Planet Earth, by Hal Lindsay.

An interpretation of the book of Revelation. The most prevalent during the 20th century and the most heretical. When I left for college I would have preached out of this book. The only problem was that according to Lindsay the world would be destroyed in 1988. I think his math was off. Later the same interpretation was  developed into the Left Behind series of books, movies, video games, etc. There's big money in doom and gloom about the future.

Amillennialism:

Worthy Is the Lamb by Ray Summers.

This is the book that broke me away from Fundamentalism. It's an interpretation of Revelation by understanding the time period it was written and the message presented to the people in that day.  How they understood the message. It's not about the total destruction of the world. It's about how to have hope and persevere during times of tyranny and religious persecution, which was what the Christians of that time were facing.

The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

This is a really hard book to read and then try to apply to your life. The cost to Bonhoeffer was his life during WWII. It helped me grow in my faith, and gave me the strength to leave the Southern Baptist Convention and find a different denomination that believes in inclusion instead or exclusion.

I have incorporated my beliefs and growth in my novels:

Optimus: Praetorian Guard and Stephanus.

Human Sacrifices