STRATFORD...the Next Book.

 It's really funny how things take a turn.  Seventeen years ago, I visited Stratford, Oklahoma, to look at a horse my daughter wanted to buy. We were abiding by the law, minding our own business, when a very corrupt cop decided to stop me and lie about my insurance not being up to date. He wanted me to pay him $100 to forget the matter, and I wouldn't do it. He wanted my home phone number, but I wouldn't give it to him. He threatened me, and he forced me to let Laura drive us home because he claimed my insurance was out of compliance. If my insurance was out of compliance, then so was hers!! She didn't even have a driver's license!

    Long story short, I drove the 90 miles home and called the courts the next day to complain about the man and his inappropriate behavior. I was told I didn't have to show up for court; it would be dropped; no worries. I wish I had known what I know now! I didn't get the court clerk's name, and she has left the county offices, and so has the judge. The old coot that stopped me has been retired or fired, but he's not with the force anymore.

    I received a call about the citation and a bench warrant that was apparently out on me and stemmed from this event. It had been 16 years since the event, but they decided to drag it out of the dusty storage room and try and collect on it. I'm not the only one this happened to. Stratford and other courts have been backdating citations for decades.  If someone really wanted to make a noise about it, they could count me in on a class-action case. I'll wait for the judgment. I'm a very patient person. I have over 1M viewers who may be interested in my next novel -- it's #5 in the Posh series. 

    After about another solid year of being asked to pay the fines or face possible license suspension, I asked the courts to dismiss the charges. They won't. They turned it over to a law firm, which informed me they were not a collection agency as the money owed was not a debt. It doesn't fall under the Fair Credit Act either; these are fines and court costs that I owed, and they have no statute of limitation. They don't, however, show up on any national or even state records for warrants; they are only municipal, and they are only in Stratford.  As if I would ever step foot in that town again. 

    Well, after finding out today that the city will not reduce or dismiss the blatantly illegal and erroneous charges, I have decided to pay the $718 fine and court costs, but I will NOT go quietly into the shadows with this one. NO, I WILL NOT.  I've put my next two books on hold, and I'm writing an insert book titled "Stratford." It will be the 5th installment of the Nick Posh Thriller Series, and let's just say names will be spelled correctly for the most part -- it will be fun to change someone's name to PIGLEY, and people will die!! Oh, people are going to die very openly, very slowly, quite tumultuously, and there will be no mystery as to who, in fact, did the deeds. 

    I spoke with the two law attendants at the firm working out the fee payments, and they agreed. They read my notes and listened to me tell my side of what happened. Both Richard and Kim from Aberdeen Enterprises II were good to me. They were sympathetic and understood that I was not given the citation rightfully, but they were, unfortunately, not in a position to reduce or dismiss the fines or costs. They think the book is a great way to vent and release my steam about how I feel - and both said I could use their names as "heroes" when I write the thing - - and that started already. I am making all the notes I need, and by Saturday, I'll have the thing fleshed out on my computer with an outline.

    "Stratford" will be very descriptive, it will be very direct, and I will take the time to find any and every bit of illegal activity I can about that little town because I don't want good, law-abiding folks like myself going into it to buy anything or to think about buying anything -- they do not treat guests with respect, and in our neck of the woods that makes you a skank! If you can't show people their due respect, you deserve to end up with your scalped head on a pike in the middle of the Chickasaw Nation and that is exactly what will happen to the sleazy bag piece of trash that stopped me 17 years ago and lied about me - causing me not only to pay 3x the amount of court costs that were originally assessed, but he put me through undue stress and anxiety - - for which he will pay!

    The keyboard - or the pen - is so much more mightier than the sword - - and he and the court clerk Amy Pigley will find this to be true. (Oh, I changed her name...it's not Pigley; I don't need her coming back on me and saying I singled her out.) She's been really nasty and unnecessarily rude to me. She wasn't here 17 years ago, so she has NO IDEA what happened, but she's taken it upon herself to deny me the fair track - so she will live the dream in the new novel! She'll be described as slightly obese, with thinning hair and a specific body odor that keeps her single.  She'll have an incestuous relationship with her father and likely end up throwing herself off the newly built bridge that her brothers and other kinfolk fish off of. 

    I won't pull any punches with "Stratford".  They've had 17 years to do the right thing. I can honestly say that I've never stepped foot in their little town since that day, and I have no intention of doing so now. If it flooded and everyone left it to be used for pig farming, they'd be better off.  I'm sure, 100% sure, there are good folks in the town, but there are enough trashy asshats who run their courts to warrant the book -- it'll be fiction. No sense in beating around that bush -- the entire book will be made up, but I will not spare them my opinions, and I will not show leniency when it comes to their fictional murders - - nope, it will be ugly...and a lot of fun to write.

    Eoghan MacRae comes to Oklahoma for this one. He'll end up staying for a year, getting his private investigator's license, and divorcing his wife -- but not because he doesn't love her. No, quite the opposite. You'll have to read it to find out, but it will be Eoghan who discovers the body of the cop, and he's the one who has to sit through an interview with Miss Pigley -- God help him. 

Photo Credit: OklahomaHistory.net

The Next 90 Days. (Weight Loss and Strength Training)

 Many years ago—maybe 14 or 15 years now, let me think about it—it was around 2007, I think. I tried this thing where I was going to lose 30 pounds in 90 days, and I had a plan. It was a great plan, too. The whole thing was from the internet, and it seemed to work miracles for some—so why not me? Right?

    Turns out that shocking my body the way I did was not only unhealthy, but it ended up causing or at least significantly contributing to a gallbladder attack that may or may not have been an underlying problem - - but it was a BIG problem. Right in the middle of my first two weeks of the 90-day program, I had what I thought was a full-blown heart attack! It wasn't; it was my gallbladder, but you couldn't convince me; it was painfully devastating, and to make matters so much worse, the doctors sent me home for a week to let it relax before they took it out! Can you imagine? It really wasn't the most fun I've ever experienced. I'll say that.

    Well, I gave up the 90-day thing that time and picked up another sort of thing years later in 2020 when I woke up on August 3 and decided to lose 30 pounds before my birthday, November 22. I did it, too. I lost 38 pounds as a matter of fact, and I went on to lose another 10-12 pounds before Christmas. All in all, between August 3, 2020 and February 14, 2021, I had lost 58 pounds. THAT was an amazing time for me. I need that time back.

    As we get older and start making many mistakes and even more excuses, we figure out that we're not nearly as strong and confident as we thought we were -- at least, that happened to me. I lost jobs, I struggled financially, and all of it had a huge physical and mental effect on me. I gained most (not all) of the weight back, and I didn't give a flip if I could not fit in my jeans because I had given up wearing real clothes anyway. I work from home! I wake up, put on my jammies and that's how I stay unless and until I go out to the store or something. Then,  I pull on a pair of sweats or loose-fit joggers, and I go! I haven't worn real clothes in quite some time.  I don't have to; I don't need to. 

    Well, today, September 28, 2024, I put the 90-day thing back into effect. In 90 days, by December 27, 2024, I want to be at least 30 pounds lighter and much stronger. I have a plan, and I really hope it works. I'm older than I was in 2007, and I'm older than I was just 4 years ago. I'm OK with the age, but my body has decided to balk at some of what it used to want to do. For instance, I walked 4-6 miles a day for most of the weeks that I was losing all that weight -- and now my freaking right hip has decided to show its age (a little). I'm working on it as best I can with pain relievers, stretching, and all that, but now I have found another source of exercise that may replace all that walking.

    Last week I bought myself a 40" indoor Bcan trampoline with a handle to hold onto because I'm not stupid. I know people can fall; even the balanced ones, I'm not about to do all that bouncing without something to steady myself.  Laura helped me put it together after I hurt myself of course, she lets me try, but she usually ends up saving the day. I cussed too! yes, I did. I let out really bad words! It's not the bouncing that gets me, it's the assembly!  The point is that I now have a good indoor trampoline to bounce on while watching my shows. I thought I could do the mini-walking treadmill -- that was the latest and the greatest, but it wasn't. 

    My hips needed more space to move, and the walker forced me to put my feet too close together, which was not good. The pain was immediate! After three minutes, my joints screamed at me. Laura now has a new mini-treadmill walker - - and I have a new bouncy trampoline in my office to use while I watch my shows.  I worked up a sweat in just a few minutes and jumped 4180 steps in 15 minutes. I'm going rather slowly, too. I have more room to roam and get all the support I need. It's fun, and it's good for me.  I think I'll be able to use it for a while; I don't have to have my shoes on, which I did when I used the mini-treadmill.

    It will take me a few days to get the routine down, but let me just say that this trampoline and the new carrot juice I found at Sam's today will be a game changer. You don't know this about me, but I'm the biggest carrot juice fan. I juiced it with an amazing machine, but now I can buy it at Sam's and for the same cost! Yeah...and now that I know this, I'm already making plans to stock up on the stuff to the tune of two or three quarts a week - - I may be addicted. I put cinnamon in mine; if you haven't tried it, you really should.

    OK...so I'll keep you posted on the weight loss and the strength training. We have a really cool torture device in the dining room - we put the table and chairs away. We have a full gym now in the house - and I think we're happy about it. In 90 days, I'll be able to do 50-60 leg lifts on that chair thing, and I'll be able to say I could fit into my jeans if I wore them; at least I can put on a pair for a picture maybe -- or maybe, I'll just donate them all and keep to the jammies. We'll see.   Christmas is coming! I will be happy and fit -- hopefully, Santa will bring me a new hip...ha!

Photo Credit:  Pinterest.com 

Freedom of Information Act - - Let's Do This.

 Back in 2006, Laura and I were going to Stratford, Oklahoma, a sleepy little town in Garvin County. We were going to look at a paint quarter horse that she thought was worth the money. We went to the farm and saw the horse, but the owners weren't home like they said they would be, so we had to leave. A storm was coming, and we thought it would be best not to be 80 miles from home when it hit.

    As I drove over a bridge to turn back toward I-35, a police officer on the other side of the bridge caught my eye. We nodded at each other, and I crossed the bridge, stopping at the stop sign before turning left onto the road that led to the highway. The cop turned on his lights and pulled me over. I knew I wasn't speeding; I hadn't gotten up to 15 mph, even; there was no reason to pull me over. 

   

    In my head, I went over the usual reasons a person is stopped. I had brake lights. My license was current. There really was no reason to stop me. When he approached my car, he asked me to give him my license and insurance card, which I did. He came back with my license but said my insurance had lapsed. It had not. I was fully insured. His holding onto the card made it difficult for me to prove it, but I had full coverage on my car, and I knew it. It was a Sunday, and the insurance company was closed.

    

    The cop then tried to get me to give him my telephone number, which I refused. I gave him my work number instead, and he said it didn't matter; he had my address!! The man said, "I know where you live," as if threatening me.  He refused to let me drive the car, stating I wasn't insured, but he let Laura drive! She didn't even have a license or a permit! He didn't know that, but he didn't ask either. He gave me a ticket, telling me I had to appear in court to defend myself. That didn't happen.

    

    The next day, I called Garvin County and spoke with the court clerk. The judge was a rotation judge, roving from one city in the county to the next, and due to the weather, he hadn't come into the office yet. When he did (and no, I didn't get his name), he told me not to worry about showing up for court and that I didn't have to pay for the fine either because that cop had a history of harassment and he usually threw out more cases than not; or just charged people for court costs if they really had missed the stop sign, which is what the cop tried to say on the ticket.

    In hindsight, OF COURSE, I should have gotten the man's name. OF COURSE, I should have done more, but nothing came of it  - not for sixteen long years. SIXTEEN YEARS went by, and I got a phone call from the City of Stratford, asking me to pay the debt that took place in 2006 - and it wasn't $138, it was $718! Those corrupt pieces of crap added fines, fees, and who knows what else, and they were saying there was a warrant out for me! ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME? Sixteen years? Not one word, not a single attempt to reach me, not a letter, a text, a call, nothing!  

    Since the time of the ticket and the apparent warrant, I've bought houses, bought cars, renewed my various insurance licenses, and I was stopped by the police at a routine traffic stop and subjected to having my license run. No one came back and said I had a warrant out - Stratford is just a tiny little no-nothing town with hopes of making money stealing from people who don't come through their streets very often. THAT IS MY OPINION, and I will reiterate the story as often and as loudly as possible if I am forced to pay a penny of this trumped-up charge!

    They've turned the matter over to a collection agency now. Maybe I'll call them and give a settlement offer so I can get out from under the mess - - but when I do, I will take a full-page ad out in the Stratford Times. I'll blast the city, the history of the office, the records, and anything the FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT can supply me because I will NOT let this rest. I will expose them to every corrupt antic they ever did - and hopefully, we'll gather enough folks to put a class-action suit against the city and bankrupt them to the point that they have to change their ways. If not, they'll know they've been put on notice.

    I hope NO ONE goes to Stratford, Oklahoma, to do business. I hope they have fired that asshat, and if they have, I hope they don't continue to do the type of things they are known to have done, at least to me - - because it happened to me, it happened to a lot more folks. I wonder how many I can find!  I wonder if my next novel will take place in Stratford, Oklahoma and if the murder isn't a little....detailed. There has to be a murder, I'm a murder author -- there will be a murder, and she just may get away with it, too. After all, the judge didn't like the guy much anyway -- look at me, I'm already writing this thing!

    Damn, good thing I'm a fiction writer -- hate for anyone to think I meant anything by it - the man is probably retired by now - - or maybe someone beat me to the punch! My keyboard hasn't done its damage yet.  They picked the wrong woman to railroad -- the pen is mighty when it needs to be, and Scorpio women...well, we're exactly what you think we can be.

Photo Credit: PatchGallery.com 

Poor Puppy!! Kiah got Spayed.

 On July 4, while everyone was thinking about what they wanted to do for the holiday, where they wanted to eat, and where they'd watch fireworks, I was out getting a dog. We knew we'd be moving to our new house in a couple of weeks, so it wasn't a hard decision for me to make, but it was somewhat difficult to find the right dog. I had to be pretty picky, and I almost changed my mind twice when it happened.

    The thing is, I wanted a smaller dog—something around 10-15 pounds when fully grown. I wanted someone to play with and be friends with Roseleigh, Laura's dog. I also wanted her to learn from Ginger and be my side-of-the-couch buddy when Ginger decided to leave me for Laura, which she's been doing lately. Don't ask me why; I have treated that dog very well for nearly 10 years!

    I answered the ad, and I picked up the dog. She wasn't small. From the moment I saw her, I knew her owners were either ignorant or they had played me. She was obviously part or mostly Schnauzer, and it wasn't a Mini-Schnauzer either, which would mean, when fully grown, she would be at least 25-30 pounds, a medium-sized dog. OK, I can handle that. What the other part of her was anyone's guess - until we nailed it by looking up various mixes and found a "breeder," if you will, in the area she came from. She's a designer dog; a "Schnollie" and what makes me laugh, is that she's not just part rough or regular collie, she's part Border Collie; of course she is. She's a terror on four legs! That girl can run!

    Laura didn't really like Kiah; she (Laura) wanted a dog with better manners, one that could catch on to commands and be trained to sit, stay, roll over, you know - dog stuff.  Kiah would rather run around you, bark, jump up, and play tag after she steals your socks.  She's learning. We're working on the politeness, but I don't think she'll ever be a candidate for Miss Emily's Perfect Pooch - - not going to happen. She's too spirited for that. We decided if we could find her a good home with a good family, and a large backyard, we'd let her be rehomed -- that didn't happen either. She snarled at anyone who thought about taking her -- she never snarled at either of us, just anyone trying to take her from us. Guess I'm keeping her... It looks a lot like I am keeping Kiah.

    Because we're good pet people, I called my favorite veterinarian, Dr. Sam Crosby, Sr., and scheduled her shots, spay, and all the bells and whistles for today. She turned seven months old somewhere in the middle of the month. I wanted her to have her first cycle before doing it.  She and I talked about it, and though I know she wasn't paying close attention, she can't say I didn't tell her exactly what to expect. That's why I was so shocked when I picked her up from Dr. Crosby's this afternoon!

    Don't get me wrong, when I took her water away from her last night and didn't give her anything this morning, she was inquisitive. Then, I took her on a long car ride before going to work, and she was excited but curious. After we reached the vet's office, a place she had personally never visited, she couldn't figure it out - - but again, I told her exactly what was going to happen - it wasn't as if I held it back or surprised her. I told her everything, even the gross parts. She didn't seem to give a care! Not once!

    When I left, I did notice she was confused, and I guess maybe I should have stayed because when I got the call telling me I could pick her up after she'd rested three or four hours, I was informed that she didn't go so easily into the great white room! She's apparently a biter! Who knew? I certainly didn't know. I told the doctor and the staff that she was new to me, that she had not wanted to be adopted by anyone, that she was a snarler -- but I had no idea she was a snapper -- she's pretty good at it too, from what they said.

    I went to the back where she was caged - caged!! They caged my dog! (It's OK; we won't freak about it, but she had never been in one before.) She was on the groomer's side, and she was the ONLY dog in the place that wasn't a Standard Poodle. I had to laugh. Monday must be Poodle Day. There were 5 giant dogs in the room all being so proper and pristine, then there was my little demon dog -- snarling away -- until she saw me. Then she was putty...just pure liquified putty - melting all over the place, trying to get to me. What a sweetie.

    I brought her home, but she was still pretty much feeling the drugs. Her tongue hung to the side, and she stared at me with crossed eyes. She fell asleep and has been next to me the entire evening - she did have a moment of upset belly and I called to verify that vomiting after surgery was normal; I knew it was, I can't help myself after I'm under the knife - - gross, but true. She's going to be out of it for the night and part of tomorrow for sure, and the drugs will last about a week, both painkillers and antibiotics. She's probably never going to trust me again when I take her for a joy ride, but the good news is, she won't be making any rowdy biting brats either -- nope, she's the last of her kind....sort of.

    Poor baby Kiah -- she'll be OK, but it's not easy being a puppy, obeying all the rules, and then having someone take your guts out when you expect to get an ice cream.  She's still staring at me, but I think it's because she wants me to give up my sock. I may have to do that. 

Doc Crosby said Kiah weighed 28.5 pounds and came out of the surgery like a champ—and she was not happy about it.

Photo Credit: Me (Kiah) 

Home Gym - - No Steroids!

 So, Laura and I were members of the YMCA right across the street from our apartment, but they closed. Since then, I have told myself that I'll walk the hood, the parking lots, etc., but then summer hit, and yeah, those 100+ temps (even the 90+ temps) kept me from doing that. I've grown a bit stiff, to say the least. I realized how bad it was recently, and though I know myself and know I won't drive to a gym and work out, I can go to Sam's and walk. I've done that a number of times. Laura and I got a little more serious about the situation, and here's what we did.

    First of all, we moved to a place that had more room. We each have our own bedrooms, but we also have another room for our individual offices. We bought gym equipment and stored it in various places around the house - it is truly a home gym! In my office, I have the mini-treadmill and the mini-vibration plate, but I also just bought a 40" round indoor trampoline with the "U" handle, so I don't accidentally fall over when I'm bouncing - - that wouldn't be too pretty; not at all. 

    Laura bought a workout bench, weights, and a power tower! We have those set up in what would have been the dining room, but neither of us really wanted to sit at the table and chat while we ate, so yeah, the table and chairs were given away, and we invited the power tower and the bench to take their place. She has the larger vibration plate in that room as well.  She also has a workout mat with smaller weights in her room; I have a smaller set, but I'm old, and she's bulking. I'm trying to stay fit and toned.

    I have a really cool thing that you use to strengthen your core and arms. It's a stick with a heavy-duty spring; we also have battle ropes outside. The entire thing, all of it, was about the same cost as our one-year membership at the YMCA! I'm not kidding. And we can keep these things here—we don't have the use of their other equipment, which we miss, but we can make due. When the weather cools down, which it's beginning to do, we'll walk more, use the ropes more, and find ourselves walking the hood to say hi to our old friends who live so very very far away - about a city block - - nearly a city block.

    We're both pretty excited about the new equipment. I have to be honest and say that I'm not good at it yet, but when I pass by the power tower, I get up on it, do a few leg lifts, and consider myself in training for the next time I try to outdo what I just did. Soon, maybe not too far down the road, I'll do 10-15 in a row instead of 3. I'll get there. I'll get there!! It will happen, and I'm sure I'll do the dance when it does happen.  I'll do another type of dance when the trampoline comes in this week. I will be honest; I'm much more of a mover than a lifter. I'd rather bounce and walk than lift - but I do see the benefits of both.

    We're not fancy - but we have fun, and we reward ourselves with compliments and encouragement. Like I said, she's bulking and going for a different body shape than I am. I want healthy, strong, good bones and a fit frame with the right amount of flesh to keep me healthy, and yeah, I want to feel like I've done something for myself. None of what we are trying to achieve is for anyone other than ourselves. We're not trying to compete or show off -- just be happy, fit, have fun, and know that our investment has paid off.  I think we've achieved all that.

Photo Credit: me

Meet Mervin! (The Perfect Pet)

 My daughter Laura had just returned her newest bearded dragon to PetCo because it wasn't doing well. She had adopted it about three weeks ago, and over that time, we took the little thing back twice for an obvious respiratory issue.  I told her, and others have, too, that pet store chains such as PetSmart and PetCo don't usually have better animals; there are rumors about some of their vendors. I know I've had a couple of leopard geckos I've had to take back, and recently I returned a ball python, but not for illness. I just realized I wouldn't give her the attention she needed.

    When Laura took the dragon back, I knew she'd want to go to the more respectable pet and reptile store here in Oklahoma City with an excellent reputation; Exotic Pets on May Ave. They have a better track record of knowing exactly where their animals come from, and though it's not perfect, they try harder, and they have better-looking, healthier, and usually more vibrant animals to choose from. We went there - - Laura went through about ten different bearded dragons before choosing the leather-back lighter colored one; I was hoping she'd go for the brighter yellow and orange one that gave me the eye the entire time we were in the store.

    So, there I was, in the middle of the reptile store, a place I could stay in for a very long time. Something caught my eye and I immediately grabbed it -- I took it into my hands and decided right then, and right there, that no matter what it cost (I knew it wouldn't be too expensive)  I was going to take that puppy home with me - - it wasn't a puppy. I just call things puppies when they aren't actually puppies.  I saw a green, fully-grown Komodo dragon! MINE! That's right....I picked it up with one hand, knowing he would go home with me.

    I even had a name picked out for the guy—Mervin. I named him after the very patient and helpful (U.S. Army soldier) who helped us with Laura's bearded dragon decision. He told me that the Komodo dragon I held in my hands was the perfect pet—and he is. He was also only $10.99, and though he is 100% hard rubber-plastic, he is exactly what I need to sit on my mousepad to keep me and the wireless mouse company. He is amazing! 

    While I waited for Laura to pull out her credit card and buy Mervin for me, I found my right hand unoccupied. I decided to stick it wrist deep into a big bowl of blue-horned worms at the front of the store to entertain folks and give them something to look at and talk about. I asked permission before I picked them up, but you haven't lived until you let fifty to sixty big fat sticky-footed worms crawl all over your hand while you wait for someone you love to pay for the Komodo dragon in your other hand. That was my day.

    Mervin came home with me, He's now sitting on the mouse pad just giving me the eye like the live lizard did. He's not really hungry, but to make sure, I did offer him a french fry. He declined. He's very quiet, too; in fact, he's not made a sound since I brought him home. I guess he will be one of the best things I've ever let someone else spend money on. Don't think I'm all that bad, OK? I bought Laura's lunch in return for her generosity. It was the least I could do. 

    I wanted to take home a handful of blue-horned worms, but Laura wouldn't let me - - who raised her? I still can't figure out her problem; she's never been interested in millipedes or spiders, either. At least I managed to get her to wrap her mind around reptiles - I have that going for me.

Photo Credit: Me.

Memories: Eighteen Years Ago Today

 On any given day, you could ask me what I was doing 18 years ago, and I would not be able to tell you -- but today, I can.  It was 18 years ago today that my son Reuben called me to ask me to meet him at the MAPS station in OKC to watch him swear into the United States Army. He was 20 years old.  The day is not without another story behind it, and I'll relate it as best I can, but I have also written it down, published it in my first blog book, and when it was happening (the first event) I wrote it in my son's baby book. It was that important.

    On September 21, 1985 - I found myself pregnant with a baby whose sex was not known publicly, but I knew.  I knew I was going to have a boy.  God revealed not only the sex of my child to me on September 21, 1985, but He also told me exactly what my son would become; I just didn't realize it.  It was a miracle in one way because it was a revelation of things to come. Time proved it to be true; so very true.

    I slept, and in my dream, I saw myself at the Oklahoma State Fair, held at this time of year. I was not alone.  I walked through the horse barns and saw where they were keeping the military animals - the word "Cavalry" was written in green on a barn door. I entered the room and called for my son, I used his name, "Reuben".  I found him; he was a grown man, not a baby. He wore jeans, a red flannel shirt, boots, and a baseball cap. He was kneeling in a stall, and he was praying.

    I told him, "Reuben, we have to go," his reply was, "In a second, Mom, I'm praying."  Standing up, he was over six feet tall, strong, and handsome. He stood behind me and guarded me.  When I looked up I saw my son, when others saw him they saw an amazing thing; they saw a black hooded knight with a swinging sword over his head - he was terrifying and they gathered themselves and ran away. I couldn't understand. I said, "Reuben, why are they doing that?" and he replied that his name was "Laurence Gregory."  That's when I woke up.

    I immediately looked up the name in my baby book; I had one. Laurence means "victory" and Gregory means "the protector".  My son was saying he was a Victorious Protector.  I told him his name was Reuben! (Reuben is my father's name, my grandfather's name, and his father's. It means "Behold my son".  My son Reuben Andrew was born on March 22, 1986 -- and on September 21, 2006, he called me to meet him downtown to be with him when he swore into the United States Army to become a Victorious Protector.

    When I arrived at the MAPS station, I walked into a room with a white door with the word "CAVALRY" written in green - - my son was in the corner with his new commanding leaders; they were praying. My son, Reuben, was wearing jeans, a red flannel shirt, and boots, and he held his baseball cap in his hands.  This is the most memorable day of a mother's life - when her son becomes her warrior.  When I was pregnant with Reuben, I watched Reggie White play ball, and I asked God to make my son exactly like that big, boisterous, wonderfully spiritual man, and He did.

    When Reuben joined the military, he went to Ft. Knox to be trained to drive Strykers and other equipment. He spent nearly four years in Alaska, then was stationed in Iraq, where he went to different countries to protect us. He eventually came back and joined the Indiana and then the Oklahoma Army National Guard so he could deploy again, this time to Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, he met another American soldier, the woman he would marry.  Today, they have a home in Oklahoma and a baby girl, little Evie. In December, she'll turn one and receive a baby brother for her birthday. His name will be...wait for it...Reuben.

    Eighteen years ago today—39 years ago today—either way, September 21 is a big day in my life. As a side note, the United States Army is also known by its nickname, The Black Knights. Their mascot is exactly what the people saw when they saw my dream son.

Photo Credit: United States Army - 2006

THE Final Revision - Back on Track

 One of the hardest parts of being an author, and by that I could add being a self-service author, such as I am, is the revision work that you do to make your book as perfect as possible. When I do the writing, then the stuffing and the fluffing, the corrections, the once-and-twice overs, and subject the entire book to Grammarly, there's one more VERY important step that has to be done, and it's painful.

    I submit the book- it's up there with the publisher, and they put it all together and asked me to approve it. I have no choice but to do so because I can't read the same book on the computer monitor the way I have done at least 5 or 6 other times before sending it up to be published. It MUST be published in print format so I can order a copy and then review it again. I have to do it that way. If you go through a publishing house, they give you "galleys" to go through and make corrections, but if you're doing it on your own, this is the only way I know to do it; there may be another way. If there is another way, I don't know it yet.

    I sent it up, and it's published, I approved it, and I ordered a copy of it. It was printed and shipped, and I received it. Then, I spent the next two full days reviewing it page by page to find itty-bitty tiny or big fat ugly mistakes. I dog-ear the page, make the corrections in ink, and prepare to make them inside the computer when I finish. It took me a little extra time because the book cover was off- again, you can't see that online. It has to be in book form to see it - - and believe me, I saw it.

    The cover was literally 1/32 of an inch off, but that's too much. It had an odd fit that needed to be adjusted. I adjusted it. I fixed a gutter issue, but when you take part of the gutter out, you add space, which offsets your pages. You have to go back into the book and make changes again. I think the book may have an extra page or two at the end -- if it does, it does. People can use them to take notes! I hate this part because I am always unsure what I need to approve again and if I need to do yet another printout and revision.

    Of course, when it's done, I'll have one copy sent to myself so I can make adjustments if I need to. I may order two because if I don't need any further adjustments, I can send the book to Charlie Garrett, and he'll have one to hold and read; he's one of the stars in the book! I'll actually send him two of the books; that way he can give one to his wife. I just don't want there to have to be another round of revisions. I'm really hoping this is the only one I'll need.

    At the EXTREME end of the corrections, the computer decided to blip on me and opened up two pages instead of the one I was reading and going through. I wasn't sure if it had saved my corrections or not. Believe me when I say I didn't want to go through the whole thing again - I will if I have to, but I'm praying it's all fixed. I'll order two books, and if they're bad, they're bad, but if they're good, they go see Charlie! I'll then order myself a few more just to give out to friends and family, but Charlie is first.

    If I could change anything, it would be the age of the man on the front of the book's cover. It's a free photo, so I really can't complain, but Mat Conner is almost 50; and this guy is in his early 30s I think. Oh well -- I can't have everything! I guess if I wanted to I could redo the front - - but I'm not. Nope, it is what it is -- I like the cover, actually - I only changed the size of the spine - that was the part that was off by 1/32" of an inch. Can you believe it? Talk about details!! UGGGGHHH!

    Well, I'm 99% sure that by tomorrow they'll ask me to approve the book again, and I'll order two, and I'll even pay for them to put a rush on it - so I can get them in 1 week. If they're OK, I'll need to sign them and rush them off to Sarasota, Florida, to be with their new owners. It's worth it to see Charlie and Hideko smile - - both of them are just too precious. Let's pray it all works out - - it has to!!

Photo Credit: Me.

My New Christmas Tree.

     I am a member of Sam's Club, and I know I could buy a Christmas tree for less than what I could buy at most places, but when I checked, Sam's was more expensive than Amazon for virtually the same tree. I know you're saying to yourself, "So what, it's a stupid artificial tree; just get the cheap one and move forward," but that's not what I wanted to do. It's not what I did, either.

    I have this thing about blue spruce trees, and I really thought I would just get one of them and think it's a good thing - - and then I looked at the prices of the blue spruce artificial trees vs. the prices of a blue spruce real tree, and I decided that I'll get a real blue spruce and plant it here at my new house! I can do that, and then if I leave the house, It will have a really cool tree, but if I stay, I'll have a really cool tree for as long as I live here. Then, I remembered I was looking for artificial Christmas trees, and I didn't want to spend much money on a fake tree.

    Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Lowe's, and Home Depot all have 6-7 foot Christmas trees for under $100. That's when it hit me...I'm a member of Sam's Club! I'll see what they have - - the cheapest good-looking tree was well over $150.  I'm not going to do that. I'll do $100. I've decided on it, and there's no reason to go higher. I don't have it up all year (I did one year, but it was Reuben's tree, not mine), and I didn't have a good feeling about finding anything that looked good for that price, and I was right...there wasn't one.

    Home Depot rocked one for $150, same with Lowe's. I think the best I could find at any hobby store was closer to $129, but they weren't thick or sturdy looking. Where are the days of a cheap plastic tree? I could set up the 4-foot tree again - but NO.  I have a nice house, a nice dining area with a nice fat corner, and I'm setting up a nice tree...an inexpensive nice tree.  Amazon.  Yes, there were three or four to choose from, too! I bought one.

    The tree is 6.5 feet tall, so Brandon's height.  It's not a blue spruce, but a regular spruce. It's full, it's fat, it's fluffy, and it was literally $49!!  WHAT? Yes...it is undoubtedly the run-of-the-mill, average, basic, standard, no-thrills, no-bells, and no-whistles type of green tree, but it's sturdy and has great reviews.  I'll get a cute plaid blanket to go under it, and we'll make it as adorable as possible. We have a bunch of ornaments already and tons of little lights. It will be amazing. I bought a nice thick gold tone star to go on top - very standard.

    If I do anything right this year, I have purchased a good solid tree at a good solid price. I have no idea how many years we'll get to use it, but I fully intend to buy a good storage box to put it in so we can at least try to use it for a good 30 more years...that is if Jesus makes us wait 30 more years. It will be a good tree for our good home, and then again, every time I look at it I will say to myself, "You know, you're not a blue spruce, and I get that, but you were really a great value -- so yeah, you're in my house!" (You may not realize it, but I do actually speak to my trees -- it doesn't make them grow; they're plastic, but it makes me feel good.) 

Photo Credit:  Amazon.com

Office Chairs - - The Matrix.

         I am all but convinced that the office chair is the bane of my existence these days. I've gone through three in the past several weeks. It's not as if they disintegrated or anything, not at all. They simply did not work out for me. I moved to my new place in July, and my office chair could have been left in the dumpster, but no, I had to bring it -- don't ask me why. It was several years old, cracking (the seat edges), and it made a funny noise when I lifted or lowered the seat. That's a clear sign that the oil they put in the mechanism is gone! I should listen to my instincts. I should have just left it!

    I should also write down the make and model of the chair because if I like it, I could probably just order another one. I must have liked it; I kept it for four or five years. As time passed and chairs began to crack, this one also started to slope slightly in the front. I didn't notice it until I noticed it; I nearly fell out of it when I bent over to pick up something I had dropped.  That was the deciding factor to get rid of it. I'm not about to end up face-first on the hardwood floor in my office just because I wanted to pick up a Tootsie Pop stick! Nope! I refuse.

    The next day, after I nearly fell on my nose, I went straight to Amazon and bought a new chair. Bam! Done. It arrived, and it was not what I ordered. They had sent me the wrong chair. It was in the correct box; I can say that. The wheels were used as well. The chair was a "refurbished" model, but not the model I had ordered. I ordered another chair because that's how I am. I decided to get one that was armless and wider so I could sit cross-legged...that's exactly what I ordered, too! BUT....I didn't look at the picture well enough. I ordered a chair without wheels. Stupid me, I thought I could just buy a new base to go on it - - they cost as much as a new chair.

    I kept that chair; it is now what my friend sits in when she comes to visit. It is the "Jeannie chair".  I have a "Jeannie plate," too.  It's a big ceramic plate. I don't eat off larger plates, only smaller ones to control my portions. Jeannie likes bigger plates - I got her one. I'm that nice.  But as for the chairs...I had to order a new one. Amazon, again, to the rescue.

    The next chair I ordered was on sale and looked almost exactly like the chair I had kept for so long. When it arrived, I was super happy that it would be my new buddy for many waking hours of every day....until it wasn't. First, I had to put it together, and no, Laura did not help me much at all! She watched! She watched me struggle. I managed, and it was put together. After I turned it over and sat on it, I knew it, too, would be replaced. 

    The stiff plastic arms were not lower than the cushion on the side. My knees hit them when I crossed my legs. I always sit cross-legged on my chair - that won't stop, so yeah, the chair was a no-go. I even bought a 3" cushion to sit on, thinking it would raise me high enough to avoid the rubbing, but nope, it didn't help. I think it lasted a full week. I kept trying over and over again -- finally, I said no. It departed. I didn't have the original box to send it back, so I had to wait for my new chair to arrive so I could use that box.

    The new chair - the one I'm sitting in now, was (as you probably guessed) more expensive. Some things just need to cost more to be good for you, and cheating yourself in the world of office chairs is not the way to go. This one is for "Big and Tall" people because I cross my legs and need the 34" seat. This one has arms that raise and lower, independent of the chair's back. If I wanted to, I could go armless, but I'm good since I can raise my arm rests.  This one is a thick black, padded, mesh-backed chair, and I think it will work just fine.

    I'm keeping the 3" tush-cush thing to sit on; why not? It helps a little with the space for my legs, too; I like that. It's a good chair. It better be; it was not cheap. In the end, I should have just said to myself that I needed the best office chair in the first place and did what I did in the last place. I Googled "Best office chair" and got one with a 4.7 rating after 7,000+ reviews.  The chair I replaced had a 4.2 or 4.3 review but only 36 reviews. I should have seen that! At least I know now, and SO DO YOU!! If you go off and buy yourself anything, please check the number of reviews and their rating --it matters.  Comfort really matters.

    I think I'll name my chair. He's a big man - - he's a man because I wouldn't sit in a woman's lap all day....sorry if that offends, but it is the truth. The chair will be named GENTRY.   I like that name. He's rather ordinary in that he's square-backed but also very nice. He's sturdy, works hard, does his best to give me the comfort and security I need. I like Gentry, and I will keep his arms raised as high as they will go so I can use them to relax when I need to. He can keep them around me and make me feel that much more secure from having the feeling that I would or could end up toppled. Gentry is a good chair. I'm glad we met. 

Photo Credit: Amazon.com