Just Sayin' I Kill People (in books)

 It probably wouldn't go over very well if, when I'm asked what I do for a living, I say I'm a murderer - and then, you know, add rather quickly, that I'm an author of thriller novels and find the need to whack a few people every three or four months. Honestly, I don't even do that, because I don't write for a living, I write for pleasure. I guess then, it could be said that I murder people for the thrill of it; for fun...and then add rather quickly, that's all in my head and through my keyboard. I'm really a pretty good person when all things are considered.

    For a living, I recover damages from people who break things so that our clients can be indemnified. I consider both sides of an equation and determine who the liable party is. It could be the person who put the shovel or excavator's bucket into the ground. It could be the local company that didn't do their job correctly, but we all know that our clients are always innocent in these matters and will be indemnified by someone. It's my job sometimes to figure out who that someone is.

    Murdering people is wrong. I need to state that fact flatly, and have you understand that I really do mean it. I can honestly say, with all my fingers uncrossed, that I would never murder anyone; not in reality. Murder isn't killing - there is a difference. I could end a life if I needed to, but it wouldn't be what I wanted to do, and it wouldn't be taken lightly either. There have been a few critics of my books stating that a Christian can't be a murder novelist, but hey, here I am...killin' it...Ha! Did you see what I did there? Sometimes I make myself laugh...don't be too offended; I'm not.

    Fiction books sell more than non-fiction books. Fantasy and science fiction sell more than any genre, but murder, mystery, mayhem, and recipe books are right up there, along with books that rest minutes on shelves before being picked up and carried home. My books are on print demand - they won't see a shelf unless I order them, wait for them to come in, and then not pick them up, so they have to be shelved! I may say my books are on the local Barnes and Noble shelves, but they aren't...not really. Actually, there was a day that I took six books into Barnes and Noble and put them on the shelf so I could take their picture. That was fun. Talk about being a dork! I win!

    I tease my bestie and say that if either of us is ever picked up by the police and they go through our phones to see what the two of us are texting to one another, we're both going to have to admit that I'm the one who started it. I won't let her take the blame. I'll say something so off the wall and random that anyone with a normal mind would have had me committed a long time ago; they would at least stop hanging out with me out of sheer fear that I could snap at any moment. 

    It will be a regular Tuesday afternoon, and I'll text Jeannie and say something like "You need to be naked when you stab someone or club them with a golf club a few times. It's gonna get really messy fast, and you can't have minute tiny drops of blood hiding in the fabric of your clothes. You can explain it if it's in your hair but not your clothes."  Things like that. Then she'll write back and remind me that there are cleaning additives you can add to your wash that remove blood completely, even leaving it smelling pretty fresh; as long as you don't wash them with other things it should be OK, but it's always best to incinerate the clothes if you can - "best options."

    Jeannie isn't a writer, but she's a detective. I mean, she could be. She could take the test and pass with all the hours, years even, of the shows that we've watched. She could pass. I'd lay money on it. She knows her modern murders for sure. I tend to creep around the old days, reading up on murders and victimology from yesteryear; it fascinates me how many of these people got away with it - a lot got away with it. Not today! Not with all the forensic medicine, research, testing, and whatnot. Nope, if the scientists don't find out what you did, the CCTV cameras sure will!

    Just for fun (and you know what I do for fun), I decided to go online and use a name generator to find a few good names for some upcoming characters. There's even a random method of murder generator designed to help writers think outside the box, or give them brighter, fresher, new ideas that maybe they hadn't thought about. (Who doesn't do this in their spare time?)

    You put in a few facts that you want to be sure and keep in the book, then hit the button to see what will happen to the next bloke that walks in the park after dark without a care in the world - BAM! Alligator! No one thinks of murder by alligator, but that's what the coroner finds in his body! Tiny microscopic bits of oiled and treated alligator leather; probably a woman's purse or a man's boot!

    Well, he could be on the swamp side of the park, near the 16th hole on a fancy golf course somewhere in the Sunshine State. The man reaches down to pick up a loose ball he thought no one needed, and Brutus nabs him before he can holler back for help! If you hit it in the rough out on the 16th, you take a loss -- everyone knew that but Carl...poor Carl. He just wanted to save a few bucks on balls; he already had a few extra tees in his pocket. One of them got stuck in Brutus's jaw - painful. 

    That's it. That's me. That's how I think, and what I think. I can't ever remember being bored - that's for sure. I don't need a lot of fancy gizmos and gadgets to keep my mind occupied. Just a pen and a little notebook will do. 

Photo Credit: Etsy.com

Espressing Myself.

 I did it. I wasn't going to do it because I told myself I really didn't need it, but I often lie to myself, and when I do, I usually ask myself to stop doing so.  I lied to myself so often, so many times, about not needing an espresso machine. I made excuses that didn't hold water. I made up stories about things that I thought could happen (again) if I got one -- you know, all the bad things like it'll be cheap and you'll hate it. It'll leak, and you'll hate it. It'll be in the way, and you'll hate it. Then I sat myself down and shook some sense into my head.

    I don't have to buy a cheap espresso machine, one that will leak or be too big for the already restricted cabinet space in the kitchen. I can buy a good machine that is smaller (they make them now) and one that won't break the bank. It's 2025 - I know I can check all the boxes and have the coffee I really want!

    When I get up in the morning, I'm not immediately thinking about coffee. I have chores; many furry faces staring at me, licking me in my eye socket, reminding me that they have been crossing their legs most of the night. I put the dogs out, turn on the shower, let it heat up, turn on the lizard lights, take my shower, let the dogs in, dress myself for the day, give the dogs and cats their treats, feed the dogs, water the dogs and cats, and then...only then, can I think about making myself a good cup of coffee.

    I know what you're thinking...you want to know why I don't feed the cats before I make my coffee, and if I did that, they wouldn't need Laura, would they? That's me, always thinking of someone else!  After I'm allowed to stop and breathe long enough to make myself a coffee, I sit and go through my social media, love on the dogs and one of the cats, as the other has gone back to Laura by this time because she's still in bed all nice and warm while I'm moving about and my lap is full with four dogs and the other cat.

    Well, none of that will change with the purchase of my new espresso machine; nope, not one thing will change. You see, I'll still use the Keurig drip machine to make that first cup, because I am still on auto-pilot until after I drink that first cup, then, and only then, can I think clearly enough to brew a good cappuccino with all its frothy goodness, added flavors, etc...etc...so, the 2nd cup will be the fun one.

    Around 7:15 a.m., just before going to work (and by going to work, I mean walking down the hall to my home office), I will make the 2nd cup for myself, using the new Casbrews 3700 Essential Espresso Machine.  One of the really cool things about it is the reviews online saying it doesn't leak, it isn't large, doesn't take up space, but still provides a good cup, and the frother gets higher ratings than most of the others. This one was recommended by a friend; she's had hers for over a year and says it works wonderfully -- that made me smile.

    The fact that it is semi-automatic and not 100% manual was, again, something that interested me. It shouldn't be a chore to play a barista in the early hours of the day - I am forever grateful for those who get to the shops before I arrived to be there to take and create my order back when I went to an actual shop to drink a cup -- that was so very long ago now; I remember it though -- but not like it was yesterday; more like it was a few years back. 

    Laura was a barista herself, and that was...geez...2008-2010. I never bought myself a single cup of coffee that entire time; that's a memory to hold onto! Now, she's going to get to hone up on her old skills because I fully expect to pull up to my sofa this weekend and order whatever the heck I want just to see if she can make it for me. I'm not above going out and buying all the flavors, creams, mixes, etc..etc.. just to make her look good! Again, always thinking of someone else; it's what I do!

    Well, that's it. I'm a happy camper, and you know I'll share with you the results, good or bad...or great and fantabulous because it's coffee! It's not only coffee; it's going to be GREAT coffee! 

PHOTO CREDIT:  Amazon.com  (Casabrews 3700 Essential Espresso Machine) 

Just a Bunch of Randomness.

     I was going to write on my book "Dion" today, but I was distracted from doing so. I hate it when I'm all set to write, but I must put it off to run errands or deal with something that can't wait. It usually means I won't fall back into the mood to write. Instead, today anyway, I decided to think about a dream I had a long time ago and then had a very similar one last night. These thoughts will eventually become a book, but I must hash out the details.

    Most of you know I've been married for around 36 years to a fantasy man named Craig Allan MacKenzie.  Craig was born sometime in the Middle Ages. I've written that it was the 17th Century even, but my Scots Gaelic isn't as good as it should or could be, so he could be much older. He may even predate the Bruce and William Wallace; after I learn more and fully understand the man, I'll figure it out.

    The new book won't call the man Craig because he's already in my first romantic novel "Of Kilted Pleasure." I'll have to call him something else - I'll think of something. I'll likely use his image in my head, though, and I'll also use many of the things he's told me about Scotland during his time; he talks a lot. I just can't make heads or tails out of what he's saying - I tend to just smile and look at him. He's really easy to look it.

    Another distraction we had today was going to the exotic pet store and seeing the uromastyx they have. I like them, but Laura loves them. She's really wanting to get one, but we'll have to wait and see. I'm thinking more along the lines of a Blue Tongued Skink, but I could be persuaded to buy a Kenyan Zebra Skink as well. They don't have blue tongues, but they are easy to care for, like being held, and are sweet - as sweet as a skink can be.  Google them! (They range in price but are about $100 ) 

    Due to the fact that I order my groceries online these days and tend to have them delivered on Sundays, I had that to distract me as well. In the future, I'll only have my food delivered during the week and probably after work. They were late, which also pushed me out of the writing mood.  I mean, I'm writing now, but it's not doing the book any favors. It won't write itself. AI is good, but I won't use it if that's the future of things.

    On top of all that, I didn't lose the 2 pounds I wanted to lose this week. It was close; it was 1.8 pounds, but the minimum that my mind accepts is 2.0 pounds, so yeah, I was a little bummed. I know what happened. I forgot to drink the tea as often this week, but as of yesterday, I'm putting MCT powder (1/2 dose) into my coffee, so that may help the quest a bit. One can hope, and of course, I'll keep you posted.

    That's me. That's my day. One distraction after the other, but nothing so bad that I can't find myself sitting on the sofa soon with a good book on my Kindle. That will happen. I know if everything else crumbles, I have books to read -- and yeah, if I don't, I have books to write. One way or the other, there will be books!  Oh, and I bought another tee shirt. I'll post it on Facebook; it's another English teacher thing. It reads, "You literally mean figuratively"

    I'm off! I have to cook something for dinner now that my kitchen cabinets are full of food. I fell for their flash-sale items and ended up with two-day-old donut holes that are now dog treats; don't judge me. The dogs aren't complaining, so you shouldn't either.

Photo Credit: ReptileAdvisor.com  (The Uromastyx) 

Because I Can.

     I went on Amazon today and bought a new keyboard. I did it not only because I needed one but because I could.  I am often surprised by the fact that I never have to ask anyone's permission to buy anything I want to buy. The keyboard I had was a good one still, but there were a few keys that seemed to stick, and though there were a limited amount of keys on the board itself, I didn't want to take the time to try and figure out which ones were sticking. All I knew was that I was forever making typing errors that caused me to use the backspace key repeatedly. It's annoying! I know; First-World problems!

    So, the new keyboard arrived two hours after I ordered it, which is faster than I would have expected. I'm not sure I really like it yet, but I'm almost sure I'll get used to it. I've taken a good hard look at it, and I think the keyboard is the same size as the old one, but the new one is smaller overall, without a bunch of extra keys and buttons on the sides that I never once used anyway. If I were hard-pressed to guess what all those buttons did, I think I could come up with one answer -- there was a "media" button that, though I never used it, I think I remember someone seeing it on my desk and telling me it was useful. I can't think of why I would use it, but apparently, enough people do, and the makers of the keyboards added them. 

    So, after I made the purchase, I decided to use it, and what better way than to look up something online that I love and write about it? That's right, that's what this is; it's an exercise for me to use my new keyboard, but before I could do that, I needed something to look at and write about - enter the chocolate donut! That's right, again...I love a good chocolate donut. It's not something new or innovative. The fact itself should not send shockwaves through you - if you know me, I am a huge fan of most chocolate things. Donuts were simply some of the first things I remember being smothered in it - and because I can, I went onto Pinterest and caused myself to smile.

    I like the way they look. I like the color, in fact, again, if you know me, you know my very favorite color in the whole big wide world is in fact, Hershey's chocolate brown - the candy, not the wrapper; but that color is rather nice as well.  Brown is earthy; it's rich, wholesome, and honest. Brown never decieves you, it is itself perfect. Dogs are often brown, you know, as well as coffee, trees, dirt, and therefore mud when you add the rain to the dirt -- except now those of you who do know me know I come from Oklahoma where the dirt and mud can be rather a dull brackish red....ignore that for now, and remember that brown is always a good color for donuts.

    Because I can, I think about making donuts. I think about mixing the dry ingredients together before mixing them with the wet ingredients I'll end up mixing after I do the dry. I think about preheating the oven and how I have to lower the temps in the one that I have now because if I don't, the indoor fire alarms will sound off.  Because I can, I think about spray coating the silicone donut baking pan and how the silicone pan I use makes a deeper donut than the old metal pan I bought over thirty years ago and just recently retired.

    Because I can, I think about pulling out the bitter-sweet chocolate (again brown) morsels and mixing them with a little heavy cream and butter to make a top glaze for the virtual donuts I'm thinking about -- I use a double boiler to do it, but I don't actually boil anything; I use a medium heat. Once the donuts are ready, I let them cool. They're not really there you know, they're in my mind, not the oven. I'm only thinking about baking them.

    Once I've fake-mixed, fake-cooked, fake-cooled, and fake-iced my fake donuts, I am ready to smile as I pretend it was real enough, and because I can -- I decide to really do it. If you want the truth, and I know you do, it takes longer to actually make real donuts than it does to make them in my mind -- and I have to clean up my mess when I'm done, something I don't have to do when I think about it. 

    OK, I think the keyboard will work out. That was good - It's a good purchase, I like it, and I'm hungry -- I know just what to do.

    

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com

Legacy - Book 18.

     If you know me, and you should by now, you know I'm an author. I auth. It's what I do. I am a writer and will write if I have nothing else to do, and I will write when I'm working, talking, thinking, walking, or just about any time really. I don't need a pen or keyboard to write. I create images and stories in my head. I am literally never alone. If I ever feel like I am becoming lonely, I simply start a conversation either with one of my characters or between a few of them so I can listen to them talk, and I take notes to put into future books.

    I am currently writing my 17th book. It is a dramatic novel, not a romance. It can't be considered a murder book or a romance because it's a dramatic fiction novel. There will be murder and romance, but the main focus isn't on either of those events but on the characters' suffering and survival. They win and fight, lose and wrestle with one another, and discover what friendship and kinship mean.

    My mind won't stall and think about one book at a time; it never has. While writing Book 17, I think of books 18, 19, and 20.  I am purposely writing notes into their respective notebooks or in their files on my computer. I'm fluffing them before I even start them. This way, I have an idea of what I want to say, where I want the book to start, and where I want it to end up eventually. Like a lot of writers,  I know the ending before I start the book itself. 

    Book 18, another dramatic fiction novel titled "Legacy," is being given special consideration because I'm about to hit the mid-point of Book 17 and will need Book 18 to be basically written in my head before I start outlining it and adding to its "bones." I have little tartan notebooks, one for each book; sometimes, they have to share a notebook, which is already being filled. It has killing and romance in it as well - I mean yeah, it's Scotland in the 13th Century. There will be bloodshed.

    To be honest, Books 19 and 20 have more notes than "Legacy," but that's because they are sequels to the other Nick Posh books, and I can easily add notes about them as they play off one another. "Legacy" is a period book, a historical fiction book that will take place in 13th-century Scotland's west coast and Ireland as the main character, Euan Tavish, makes his way across the Atlantic to find his father after many years of being separated.

    The storyline is not completely set, but basically, Euan's mother died in childbirth with him, and the baby was stolen by the midwife. She sold the child to a family that moved from Ayrshire, Scotland, to Ireland. At a young age, the boy was kidnapped by a man claiming to be his father, but he was not. He abused the lad for years, making him a slave aboard his merchant ship. The boy is told by the merchant that his father had given him up at birth. Though Tavish knows there is more to the story, he can't be certain about who he is until he returns to Scotland to find anyone who may know what happened.

    Along the way, he falls in love, but because he is not of any type of noble blood, her family refuses to allow him to marry the woman. He's convinced that he could have been of a good family and that his cruel beginnings should not stop him from becoming a good and honorable man. He faces incredible odds, both physical and mental, trying to understand his own limits, not knowing what he will say to his father if he is still living.  The journey is the story itself, the right of passage, the fight within the man, the internal struggle that he must either fight or put to rest and the reasons for the choice he must make.

    "Legacy" should be written during April and May and probably be available the first or second week of June. I'm hoping it will be fun to write and that I will not only learn a great deal but also have an entirely new set of friends to talk to when or if I find myself stranded without a book to read or the internet to keep me busy—I am never, and I do mean never, alone.

PHOTO CREDIT: Me

Gummie /Gummy Life!

     I am not even gonna lie about it; I am the biggest Gummie (or is it gummy)  fan. I know it, and I don't mind if everyone in the world knows it. I will tell anyone who wants to listen that I love gummies.  I have gummy vitamins, probiotics, cinnamon, and other supplements, and yes, I have gummy fiber. I started buying the gummy fiber only because I like fiber, and if I can get it in the form of a gummy, I will do that. You got me.

    Well, here's how this works. The doctors out there will tell you that they don't recommend gummy supplements to most of their patients, and that could be because very few major pharmaceutical companies make gummy antibiotics or pain relievers, but if they did -- you know, I would be a fan.  The only gummies I think I haven't tried are the cannabis gummies, and that's only because I don't do cannabis. I really don't. I used to say I would if it was legal, but it's legal, and I just don't do it. I should.

    My favorite gummies, of course, are the old-fashioned and very welcoming Haribos bears that you remember from when you were last at the grocery store and saw them. I, too, have a very hard time not buying them. Because I have such a hard time not buying them, I supplement my need (my fix) with gummy supplements instead. I tell myself they're good for me. That's really how it works, whether it's the best practice or not. It is the actual practice; by practice, I mean it is what happens in real life.

    I have what I call "poopy pills," but they are in regular capsule form; one a day is all you need. It's psyllium husk, and they work very well. I don't know if the extra fiber that  I take is helping or not, but I do feel better because I've at least lied to myself to the point that I believe I am healthier than I would have been had I not supplemented my supplement. 

    The fiber gummies are relatively inexpensive (more expensive than a couple of bags of Haribos) and I do have the satisfaction of telling myself that I'm not one of those people who puts fiber into their morning coffee - nope, I don't do that. (I do put collagen into my morning coffee and MCT oil powder, but never extra fiber. I don't want my coffee to get thick.)

    This morning, during a Teams meeting at work, a claims adjuster who I had just met thought I was her mother's age. Her mother is 44 , and her grandmother is literally 3 weeks younger than I am. I told her it was the gummies, I don't know if she believes me, but she said, "Well, I didn't want to say you looked older than my mom, but I thought you were about 44-46 or something like that." I wanted to hug her, but she was on the screen, and my boss was watching; it would have been awkward.

    The smile she put on my face stayed there all day, and when she called me later in the day to talk about my practices at work, I had another opportunity to thank her for her kind words earlier. She said she would have thought I would want to retire at my age, but I told her I did. I did retire, and it was really not fun being poor and not busy. I'd rather be earning, talking to people, filling up my day with challenges and new adventures. I hope she thinks differently about old people now...that's my goal, you know. 

    Well, here we are at the bottom of my blog. I could choose to read a book, watch another YouTube video, or play with the dogs. I could also take a bath if I wanted to. That's another thing about being single; you can do whatever you want when you want, and you don't need to ask permission or wonder if you're taking someone else's hot water -- I'd say I can run around naked if I want, but I do have a daughter as a roomie and she wouldn't really cotton to that sort of nonsense. 

    Have a good one—enjoy your life, and pop a gummy! (It's your choice; I don't care either way.) 

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com 

Still Working!! Still Losing Weight!

 I got up this morning, went through the morning rituals of putting the dogs out, doing my own business, and turning on the lizards' lights and then I stepped onto the scales. This is my new Sunday morning thing - I will do it for the next 24 weeks to see if the "thing" works - and so far, after two weeks, it is still working.

    The thing is just too simple. I'm drinking two or three cups of lemon and ginger water infused with honey and a little cinnamon. I drink it during the day and have one last cup at night, but it's only water with lemon heated up. It's not infused with ginger, honey, or anything.  

    Today, after standing on the scale for the second time in two weeks, I can tell you that I have lost 5.8 pounds. If I keep this up, I'll be at my goal weight in 22 weeks—but I'm doing the "thing" for a full 26 weeks as planned. You just never know; it could taper off after I lose enough weight to make my body think about using something other than fat to burn off for energy. 

    I'm not really working out, walking, or doing any lifting. I could and may start up again, but right now I'm trying to see if drinking the tea alone is enough. I've not changed my eating habits. I take in about 1600 calories a day, and that does and will always include some form of chocolate. You can take away my coffee, and I'll live, but I'm not sure I'd survive if the chocolate was ever in question - some things are worth dying for.

    I'm writing again, so that's another reason why I'm not working out, but I did walk a little today. I didn't walk much and could do with a better regiment. I will likely start it back up again soon, as the weather is beginning to cooperate, and I will need to get back into the swing. I used to walk 10,000 steps a day on the average; but gave it up when my hip started hurting - damn this getting old thing, it isn't worth it! Don't believe the brochures.

    Anyway, I'll start adding a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to the tea tomorrow, not a tablespoon, but a teaspoon. I mix it up first, then pour out some, add the vinegar, and water, heat it up, and drink it. I can handle a little ACV, but not a lot - believe it or not, it upsets my belly and if I'm trying to keep doing something I don't need the heartburn or any tummy issues. I need this "thing" to work so I can vouch for it when people see me and ask how I did it! Well, I'll tell them, I do this...and I'll explain that changing one's mind about how you take your tea can make a whole lot of difference if you want it to.

    I drink other teas as well. I don't just have these lemon and ginger teas. I love tea, and all this tea will eventually come out of my body - and with it, with any hope, the fat comes out too! That's the plan. If it continues to work, I'll stand by it. If it doesn't, I'll tell you the truth. Either way, you'll know. I won't pretend it's an asset if it isn't. Too many people care about knowing actual facts - without sponsorship or me having a hidden agenda.  Just me, my tea, and my hopes of losing 2.5+ pounds every week for 26 weeks! Let's see if I can.

Photo Credit: Flickr.com 

Power Down!

     Most of you know that I'm an author, but I have a "real" job, too. I don't know if you ever knew or if you thought that I had to in order to pay my bills; it's true. I am a working person! I have a real job. My job is that of a Claims Adjuster. I've been licensed for years, and I'm licensed in several states, my home state being Oklahoma. Why am I telling you all this? You'll see.

    My best friend Jeannie came over today, and we went places. I don't usually go anywhere, but when Jeannie came over I had errands to do, so we went together. While driving down one of the busier roads in my neighborhood, she pointed out all the downed tree limbs, leaning fences, and even a power pole literally cut in two! All this, we both knew, was caused by the damage caused by hurricane force winds from the day before. Oklahoma is quite known for its tornadoes, but this event was a "straight line squall" with sporadic wind speeds of up to 100 mph in some parts of the state. Oklahoma City had 50-90 mph winds for a large part of the day.

    My job as a Claims Adjuster deals primarily with underground property loss, not aerial and/or physical damage to the poles themselves, but with copper and fiber cables and strands beneath the ground. When someone (or a crew) digs and damages these lines (facilities), I step in and ask them to pay or indemnify the company who lost the line, loss of use to customers, and of course, we get the money back from these damages to cover all costs of labor and materials. We also try to get as much in the way of administrative costs as possible.

    When Jeannie pointed out the downed pole, I had to stop and take a few pictures of it. In a very strange and even odd way, it was considered a beautiful disaster. The potential for harm was extreme, and I hoped the authorities had been told. I decided to call to be sure, and I was happy to be told that it was reported. I knew it must have been, but you don't want to assume anything.

     I immediately took photos and sent them to my boss and another manager of my company as well as to two or three co-workers and other adjusters, who almost instantly all texted back wanting to know where it was! They wanted to go see it for themselves. This will be a keen loss; but it will also be considered an Act of God, therefore, no one will have to pay anyone back. The power company will simply file their own insurance claim.

    Before becoming a Claims Adjuster for an underground utility subrogation firm, I knew about powerlines, crossboxes, pedestals, and the like. Still, I had no true understanding of the "depth" (sorry) of just how deeply lines are to be buried, or how they are installed in the first place. It's all very fascinating actually - and there are in fact, many laws and regulations surrounding these installations as well as the methods used to maintain, repair, or replace power lines, gas lines, water lines, anything that will involve any sort of excavation including the installing of a private fence post or mailbox.

    You may or may not know all the rules, but know this; before you put a spade more than six inches into the ground, PLEASE call 811 to get a FREE locate telling you where the lines are, and what lines will be under the ground. You don't want to be the person banging around with your shovels and slicing into a working gas line! Communication lines are one thing, and power lines are too, but if you hit a gas line, it could mean much more than just loss of gas. Lives and property are at stake, and it is not a thing to gamble with. CALL 811....EVERY TIME.

    Now, when you call 811, and they have their 2 or 3 days to come out, locate (mark and flag) the area, it doesn't mean you can just plow your way through. You have to obey the standards of the industry as well as the safety laws; both state and federal. The good excavators know that. The same type of care is mandated for people trimming trees too; you can't just take your saws up into the trees and start hacking away! The winds (in this case) split the pole! Had it been an end pole it could have smashed into a roof!  CRAZY!

    Anyway, that's what I do. I call people, ask for their email address if I don't already have it, and I send them an invoice for the damage they caused for not being responsible; for not being law-abiding. Most of the time, thankfully, lives are not lost, and the only damage caused can be fixed by sending money into to pay for labor and materials, but sometimes it is my duty to inform them that they have broken the law(s) and could be charged. It's a great job - and I love it. Not many people do what I do, and I like that too. We talk to homeowners, professional people who own businesses, and to a lot of insurance adjusters. We find the people who did the damage and recover our clients' losses. Tis  a fair employment!

    I've been at this company for just a year now, and I wanted to announce where it is that I work after a year, but I've decided not to. I don't need to dox myself. I love it there....here...I work from home. I wake up, put on my pajamas, drink a hot cup of coffee after showering and playing with the dogs, and I work steadily from the moment I put my headset on at 7:30 til the moment I take them off at 4:00, but anytime I want a 10-15 minute break I can take it.  I can take two, three, four -- it's my time, as long as I get my job done.

    I never ask permission; if I don't work that day, I'm the only one hurting. My pay depends on how much I put into it. It's not self-paced, but it is. No one micromanages me - that's the part I really like. My co-workers are fun and outgoing, and I love their job as much as I do. I talk to some really crazy, messed up people who simply have no clue; that's the part of my day that I cherish. Those people make good fodder for the books I write. I will change their names; I promise.

Photo Credit: Me

Ten! Done!

     Chapter Ten of "Dion" is done. Done....done....in the can. It is such a good feeling when you pass the 10th chapter because you feel like you're 1/3 of the way finished with the book. You've done most of the important introductions of the main characters, and you've established their backgrounds so that whatever happens in the next twenty or so chapters will make a great deal of sense.

    Chapters 11-15 will be written next weekend, followed by 16-20 or 21 on March 22. This means that the book should be finished by April 10th or so. I'll read through it, send it up, and have it printed so I can have a copy in my hands by April 20th or so. Maybe by the 22nd (my dad's birthday), it can be published. If it's not ready by then, we will all survive. It's not a mandate.

    So far, I've introduced a couple of bad events in each of the two main characters' lives. I'll build on those, make things creepy and bring it all to a head. This will be fun and allow me to send one or both of them into a frenzied state of mind; pushing them over the proverbial edge even. I haven't decided if someone dies; someone usually does die in my books, but there's always a first for everything. Maybe no one dies in "Dion" even though it takes place basically in a cemetery. I just haven't decided. I will. I will get around to it.

    I did write out the plot and plans a while back. I'll skim through those plans tomorrow and throughout the week to see that I am still on track. I need to rustle up some gruesome and grotesque moments; trying to be as creepy as possible. It's really not easy going from hopeless romantic to creepy -- just so you know. It is a stretch for me. I find myself trying to censor myself, and then trying my hardest not to. I fight internally since I don't typically rely on the cruder things in life to create copy.

    Oh well, I am having fun, and I will continue to have fun. I'm determined to write a good creepy book - and that's exactly what I'm going to do. There, I said it. I will be creepy! I will no doubt rely on AI to help me...Since I can't do creep on my own, I will find a way; this, too, will happen.  After this book, I need to carry some of the creep with me to "Cask" and certainly onto the sequel "Shadow" and now...now that I think about it, I was pretty creepy in "Pinball" so yeah, I can do it on my own. I may not even need AI to nudge me...ha! So there! I am creepy when I want or need to be. Ha!

    You'd think I'd ooze creep after all the cop and murder shows I watch. It started with Perry Mason and Quincy, you know, and from there it has only blossomed. Though Midsomer Murders is an older series, I have just recently found it, and let me tell you, some of the methods they use to murder can cause my eyes to pop right out of my head -- which too, is creepy -- I think I'll write about what I see and hear from one or two of those shows. They've been doin' it for years and years.

PHOTO CREDIT: ObsidianUrbex.com

It Really Works!

     Today is Sunday. I have a new routine on Sundays. I wake up, shower, and do all the toilet-room things, and then I weigh myself to see if the other routine in my life is working! Last week I started drinking at least 2 full 8-10 oz cups of hot lemon and ginger tea with honey and cinnamon. No, I did not buy a box of Bigelow Lemon with Ginger tea. I have lemons, I squeeze them, and I have real ginger that gets cut up, smashed, and blended. I add water, heat it, honey, and cinnamon, then drink it.  Twice. I drink at least two full cups of it.

    Starting Thursday, which is four days into it, I began drinking another cup of warm to hot water with lemon before going to bed. I don't add ginger, honey, or cinnamon to the night drink; I just add hot water and lemon; another 8-10 oz, depending on the cup I choose.  The results are in, and I can now stand on my own two feet with my head held high, and proclaim, that I, Jude Stringfellow, after drinking the tea(s) for exactly one week, and truly not adding to my exercise rituals or changing my diet in any way, have lost 2.8 pounds.

    It may not seem like a lot, but losing 2.8 pounds is a great feat when you think about it. If all I did differently was to add the tea and evening hot water, that's truly saying something. I'm going to keep it up, do the same, and because I can, and feel that it may make a difference, I'll try even harder to keep the calories down to 1500 a day. I told myself I would do that last week, then I didn't think about it. I just ate normally. This week I will try to do it correctly to better my loss if possible.

    The one thing I will not do, is overdo it. I won't drink five or six cups of the tea. I won't work out two hours a day. I won't stress myself or try something crazy. My entire mindset at this point is that I can do better and I will. I may drink matcha tea instead of coffee starting tomorrow, but that's entirely for another reason. I want to see if the matcha tea will give me the energy boost I need to work the morning shift from 7:30 to 10:00 without feeling groggy or wishing I was back in bed. The early part of my day is challenging. I'm willing to help if I can.

    I only drink coffee during the very early part of my day. I drink it at 6:30 a.m. and maybe again at 8:00 a.m. I'm going to see if I can do without the coffee for a week, and if I can, and I feel good about myself and my head space, I'll try to eliminate one of the cups and do coffee then matcha -- then the teas. I drink the teas at around 10, 12, 2, 4, 6, and 10 -- but it's not always the lemon ginger mix, I also have regular green tea. The lemon ginger thing is very strong, and I don't want to overdo it; it's too much of a good thing.

    So, there you have it. If I am down another 2.8 next week, and I can keep this up, I can be where I want to be by mid-summer, which is not to be confused with Midsomer. If you know, you know. One can lose a lot more than weight in Midsomer!

Photo Credit: Amazon.com