Wow, that is really a long blog title, but it is really to the point. I guess this blog is horribly overdue.
I guess in a nutshell, there is always something to be learned from stories that just don't hit the age of maturity known as completion. And, usually, if you set aside the story for a while (a long while), and then reread it, the lesson usually jumps out at you like an alien chest burster.
So, obviously this last nanowrimo attempt was an abject failure, and as these things tend to be, was indeed chock full of lessons. Yeah. Giant chest burster lessons. Mmmhmm.
Lesson one: actually figure out what you want your story to say. Not that it needs to have a moral, but it really needs to have a path, and goals. How do we do this? I hear you ask. I think the answer is outline outline outline. Unfortunately I hate outlining, but it's something I need to get into to improve my writings. I think I'm always afraid that setting a stiffer set of story goals will limit my creativity, but I'm starting to come to the conclusion that it'll help focus my energy instead of having it fly over all willy nilly.
So. That's where I think I am at for now. I may elaborate on it later. Bedtime now :) back later
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Showing posts with label NaNoWrimo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NaNoWrimo. Show all posts
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Chapter 10...
Chapter 10
The old man woke and stretched. They were still in the car, but from the look of it, they were further down the road. "So, where are we?" he said mid yawn.
"Good Morning, Sleeping Beauty," started Sukie. "We're just outside of New Paltz. I figured we could stop here for lunch, then its another ninety or so more minutes till we get to the city."
"Oh, great, I think I could qualify as positively famished." said the old man, who continued to stretch a bit, as he has stiffened up in the car. "I also request a stop at someplace where I can buy a small pillow. My goodness am I stiff." he said, and groaned a bit as he stretched some more.
"There's a Walmart in town, if I'm not mistaken, and there's a really great sandwich shop here too. We're running a little ahead of schedule anyway."
"Yep," Mikes sleepy voice piped up in the back. "Maria Andretti. Good thing I don't have a camera on your speedo, you know? Sukie? How long till we're in town?"
"Tops, twenty minutes, we'll be inside the sandwich shop." True to her word, nearly exactly twenty minutes later, they were inside the sandwich shop, enjoying their heroes and sipping their drinks.
"You were right, this is a good sandwich" said the old man with a nearly full mouth. They sat and ate for another few minutes, before driving a little further into town and pulling into the Walmart parking lot. The trio ran in, and found a few nice cushy neck pillows, as well as a small throw pillow. "Aha!" called the old man. "This is exactly what I wanted. It's so much easier to rest in the car when you have the proper cushioning." They made their way to the check out aisles, and stood on line. The old man eyed the candy rack, when his eyes lit up. "Ooh! Turtles! My favorite," he said, as he picked up a few packets of the candies, and set them on the conveyer belt. After they paid, they made their way back into the car and drove down the road up to the edge of town.
"Coffee Stop!" called Mike, as he pointed to the donut shop.
"Yep, that's our last stop in town, then its a straight shot into Manhattan." As she pulled into the parking lot, she assumed the demeanor of a Drill Sergeant. "So, if you gotta go, go now, because this is the last stop on this ride kids!" The men saluted her before standing and stretching their legs one last time. They all made their way into the restrooms, then headed up to buy some coffee. The old man bought a half dozen donuts as well to share for dessert. "You know, I've always liked something sweet with my afternoon coffee." he said as he settled into the car, and passed out the contents of his donut box.
As they continued on their way into the city, they ate their donuts and drank their coffee in relative silence. The old man felt his sense of excitement build as they neared the city. They made their way over the Tappen Zee Bridge about an hour or so after they left New Paltz. They continued along, and it wasn't long before they could see the iconic skyline of Manhattan fill their view. A bit later, they were in Manhattan proper. The old man looked around, his eyes as big as saucers. "New York, New York, the city so great they named it twice."
"Have you been here before?" asked Sukie
"Sure, passed through a few times, never really visited or anything that spectacular. I've been an upstate New Yorker all my life. No real need to come down, you know?"
They continued along the FDR drive, Mike repositioning his camera slightly. "You know, this place is a bear to photograph from this angle. All grey."
"No worries, Mike, we're actually making a little loop of the city right now, we've got to cut across to the West side, and I want to do it just above the park. You'll get some great color there."
"So, Where are we going?" asked the old man.
"We're heading off to the hotel first to unload most of this stuff. We'll freshen up a bit, then head back out." As they headed across 110th street, they turned down Columbus Avenue, and then turned again a short while later at 81st street. "I think you'll really like where we are, Jim." she said, as she saw his eyes bug out as he saw the giant glass structure of the Rose Center for Earth and Space.
"Oh man, we're across the street from the Rose Center. I'd love to go there."
Sukie smiled, "We're going there tonight. Seven o'clock tonight, its the SciCafe series. Neil DeGrasse Tyson is leading a debate on the planet earth. The topic, if I'm not mistaken is 'Is the Earth Unique'."
"Whoa! You mean the Neil Tyson?" said Mike. "We're going to meet Neil Tyson?" Sukie nodded her head yes as both men cheered and high fived.
After the two men settled down a for a second, she continued. "I figured, we'd go ahead and check out the museum beforehand a little bit, maybe after an early dinner, and I've already gotten clearance to take photographs, and use the video camera inside."
"Sukie, you rock." said Mike gratefully.
"Indeed, you do rock!" agreed the old man. Sukie smiled at the compliments.
"Hey, okay, gents, we're here!" she said as she pulled up in front of the Excelsior hotel. A bellhop came and helped them unload the car, followed by a valet, who pulled away in the car to park it. The trio made their way into the hotel, the men sitting back in the lobby while Sukie went to talk to the young lady behind the desk.
A few minutes later, she signed a paper, then recieved three room keys. The bellhop swiftly moved the bags upstairs while she walked back to the men.
"Okay guys, here are your key cards. We apparantly were given a room upgrade that was prompted by Mr. Wong." Sukie began to smile bigger than they had ever seen. "We have the largest suite for the next week, with a beautiful view, and wow. It's just going to be so nice." Mike and the old man stood and nodded their heads in appreciation.
"Wow, this sure is unexpected. I though you and me were sharing a room," said Mike to the old Man as they made their way to the elevator.
"Well, it sure will make a nice backdrop to your filming." said the old man. "What a good place to start our adventure!" he said as they stepped inside the elevator, and pushed the button for the top floor. They stood there, silently anticipating what they would find upstairs. They heard the elevator door bell ding once, then saw the door open to a rather plain hallway.
"The woman at the desk said it would be the last room on the left." Said Sukie as she took the lead walking down the hallway. The hall seemed impossibly long, but they arrived at the door. She held her breath as she inserted the key card, then pushed open the door. She gasped as she stepped inside, seeing the enormity of the sitting area. The three of them wandered around the room, looking through all the windows, and looking at all the paintings and shelves.
Their silent revelry was interrupted by the old man's phone beeping. He fumbled in his pocket and pushed the button to silence it. "That's a new beep for me" he said, walking over to Mike. "What's it mean?" he said as he handed it to him.
"You've gotten a text message- mind if I open it?" he asked, and the old man nodded the affirmative.
"Oh, wow," started Mike. "It says: Enjoy the upgrade. You have reservations at Ocean Grill at 9. Enjoy dinner on me."
"Nice! Thanks Mike, you'll have to show me how to do that." Mike and the old man sat at the table in the sitting area, and Mike showed the old man how to send and receive text messages. They heard a knock at the door. Sukie went to answer it, and was greeted by a young man with a trolley complete with a carafe of coffee, and enough pastries to feed a small army. They thanked the young man, and tipped him well. There was a card on the table addressed to the old man. Sukie passed it to him. He opened it and read: "Best regards, Ronin." They sat and enjoyed the coffee and pastry for a short time, while they were chatting about their good fortune. After a bit, they decided to clean themselves up a bit, and get ready for their night out.
They opened the other doors of the suite. Two bedrooms with huge beds stood before them. The first bedroom had a large king size bed, and french doors which looked out upon a balcony with a view of the Museum of Natural History and Central Park. The other room had two large double beds, with a matching balcony and view.
"Ok, for the sake of photography, Jim, you get the big room, Mike and I will share the other room."
"Are you sure Sukie? I can bunk up with him if you'd rather the big room"
"Nah, we can use the room to hold the equipment too, and you deserve a little privacy. It's not like Mike and I are sharing a bed here either. It'll be okay, I promise."
"Okay then Sukie, but if you change your mind, you let me know, and I'll bunk up with him, no problemo." replied the old man. They each took a few minutes and cleaned up, and changed into fresh clothes. The old man glanced at his watch, and saw that it was nearing 6pm. He was pretty much all ready to go, so he headed into the sitting room to wait for Mike and Sukie to finish up while he enjoyed another cup of coffee and another pastry as he didn't want to be hungry during the event later.
The old man woke and stretched. They were still in the car, but from the look of it, they were further down the road. "So, where are we?" he said mid yawn.
"Good Morning, Sleeping Beauty," started Sukie. "We're just outside of New Paltz. I figured we could stop here for lunch, then its another ninety or so more minutes till we get to the city."
"Oh, great, I think I could qualify as positively famished." said the old man, who continued to stretch a bit, as he has stiffened up in the car. "I also request a stop at someplace where I can buy a small pillow. My goodness am I stiff." he said, and groaned a bit as he stretched some more.
"There's a Walmart in town, if I'm not mistaken, and there's a really great sandwich shop here too. We're running a little ahead of schedule anyway."
"Yep," Mikes sleepy voice piped up in the back. "Maria Andretti. Good thing I don't have a camera on your speedo, you know? Sukie? How long till we're in town?"
"Tops, twenty minutes, we'll be inside the sandwich shop." True to her word, nearly exactly twenty minutes later, they were inside the sandwich shop, enjoying their heroes and sipping their drinks.
"You were right, this is a good sandwich" said the old man with a nearly full mouth. They sat and ate for another few minutes, before driving a little further into town and pulling into the Walmart parking lot. The trio ran in, and found a few nice cushy neck pillows, as well as a small throw pillow. "Aha!" called the old man. "This is exactly what I wanted. It's so much easier to rest in the car when you have the proper cushioning." They made their way to the check out aisles, and stood on line. The old man eyed the candy rack, when his eyes lit up. "Ooh! Turtles! My favorite," he said, as he picked up a few packets of the candies, and set them on the conveyer belt. After they paid, they made their way back into the car and drove down the road up to the edge of town.
"Coffee Stop!" called Mike, as he pointed to the donut shop.
"Yep, that's our last stop in town, then its a straight shot into Manhattan." As she pulled into the parking lot, she assumed the demeanor of a Drill Sergeant. "So, if you gotta go, go now, because this is the last stop on this ride kids!" The men saluted her before standing and stretching their legs one last time. They all made their way into the restrooms, then headed up to buy some coffee. The old man bought a half dozen donuts as well to share for dessert. "You know, I've always liked something sweet with my afternoon coffee." he said as he settled into the car, and passed out the contents of his donut box.
As they continued on their way into the city, they ate their donuts and drank their coffee in relative silence. The old man felt his sense of excitement build as they neared the city. They made their way over the Tappen Zee Bridge about an hour or so after they left New Paltz. They continued along, and it wasn't long before they could see the iconic skyline of Manhattan fill their view. A bit later, they were in Manhattan proper. The old man looked around, his eyes as big as saucers. "New York, New York, the city so great they named it twice."
"Have you been here before?" asked Sukie
"Sure, passed through a few times, never really visited or anything that spectacular. I've been an upstate New Yorker all my life. No real need to come down, you know?"
They continued along the FDR drive, Mike repositioning his camera slightly. "You know, this place is a bear to photograph from this angle. All grey."
"No worries, Mike, we're actually making a little loop of the city right now, we've got to cut across to the West side, and I want to do it just above the park. You'll get some great color there."
"So, Where are we going?" asked the old man.
"We're heading off to the hotel first to unload most of this stuff. We'll freshen up a bit, then head back out." As they headed across 110th street, they turned down Columbus Avenue, and then turned again a short while later at 81st street. "I think you'll really like where we are, Jim." she said, as she saw his eyes bug out as he saw the giant glass structure of the Rose Center for Earth and Space.
"Oh man, we're across the street from the Rose Center. I'd love to go there."
Sukie smiled, "We're going there tonight. Seven o'clock tonight, its the SciCafe series. Neil DeGrasse Tyson is leading a debate on the planet earth. The topic, if I'm not mistaken is 'Is the Earth Unique'."
"Whoa! You mean the Neil Tyson?" said Mike. "We're going to meet Neil Tyson?" Sukie nodded her head yes as both men cheered and high fived.
After the two men settled down a for a second, she continued. "I figured, we'd go ahead and check out the museum beforehand a little bit, maybe after an early dinner, and I've already gotten clearance to take photographs, and use the video camera inside."
"Sukie, you rock." said Mike gratefully.
"Indeed, you do rock!" agreed the old man. Sukie smiled at the compliments.
"Hey, okay, gents, we're here!" she said as she pulled up in front of the Excelsior hotel. A bellhop came and helped them unload the car, followed by a valet, who pulled away in the car to park it. The trio made their way into the hotel, the men sitting back in the lobby while Sukie went to talk to the young lady behind the desk.
A few minutes later, she signed a paper, then recieved three room keys. The bellhop swiftly moved the bags upstairs while she walked back to the men.
"Okay guys, here are your key cards. We apparantly were given a room upgrade that was prompted by Mr. Wong." Sukie began to smile bigger than they had ever seen. "We have the largest suite for the next week, with a beautiful view, and wow. It's just going to be so nice." Mike and the old man stood and nodded their heads in appreciation.
"Wow, this sure is unexpected. I though you and me were sharing a room," said Mike to the old Man as they made their way to the elevator.
"Well, it sure will make a nice backdrop to your filming." said the old man. "What a good place to start our adventure!" he said as they stepped inside the elevator, and pushed the button for the top floor. They stood there, silently anticipating what they would find upstairs. They heard the elevator door bell ding once, then saw the door open to a rather plain hallway.
"The woman at the desk said it would be the last room on the left." Said Sukie as she took the lead walking down the hallway. The hall seemed impossibly long, but they arrived at the door. She held her breath as she inserted the key card, then pushed open the door. She gasped as she stepped inside, seeing the enormity of the sitting area. The three of them wandered around the room, looking through all the windows, and looking at all the paintings and shelves.
Their silent revelry was interrupted by the old man's phone beeping. He fumbled in his pocket and pushed the button to silence it. "That's a new beep for me" he said, walking over to Mike. "What's it mean?" he said as he handed it to him.
"You've gotten a text message- mind if I open it?" he asked, and the old man nodded the affirmative.
"Oh, wow," started Mike. "It says: Enjoy the upgrade. You have reservations at Ocean Grill at 9. Enjoy dinner on me."
"Nice! Thanks Mike, you'll have to show me how to do that." Mike and the old man sat at the table in the sitting area, and Mike showed the old man how to send and receive text messages. They heard a knock at the door. Sukie went to answer it, and was greeted by a young man with a trolley complete with a carafe of coffee, and enough pastries to feed a small army. They thanked the young man, and tipped him well. There was a card on the table addressed to the old man. Sukie passed it to him. He opened it and read: "Best regards, Ronin." They sat and enjoyed the coffee and pastry for a short time, while they were chatting about their good fortune. After a bit, they decided to clean themselves up a bit, and get ready for their night out.
They opened the other doors of the suite. Two bedrooms with huge beds stood before them. The first bedroom had a large king size bed, and french doors which looked out upon a balcony with a view of the Museum of Natural History and Central Park. The other room had two large double beds, with a matching balcony and view.
"Ok, for the sake of photography, Jim, you get the big room, Mike and I will share the other room."
"Are you sure Sukie? I can bunk up with him if you'd rather the big room"
"Nah, we can use the room to hold the equipment too, and you deserve a little privacy. It's not like Mike and I are sharing a bed here either. It'll be okay, I promise."
"Okay then Sukie, but if you change your mind, you let me know, and I'll bunk up with him, no problemo." replied the old man. They each took a few minutes and cleaned up, and changed into fresh clothes. The old man glanced at his watch, and saw that it was nearing 6pm. He was pretty much all ready to go, so he headed into the sitting room to wait for Mike and Sukie to finish up while he enjoyed another cup of coffee and another pastry as he didn't want to be hungry during the event later.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Moving along nicely.
Well, I've gotten to the half way point thank god. Unfortunately, I'm nowhere near half done... But I'm going to have to speed through it. I'll put up chapter ten later today.
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Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Chapter 9, Sprint 3
He climbed into the car, Sukie pulled off slowly. "Um, Sukie, I know he's a little strange, but aren't we leaving someone behind?"
Sukie laughed for a second, as the old man turned around to watch Mike film their departure. He waved at him once again. "He's just filming us pulling off. We're going to turn the corner and wait for him. Thankfully he's fast, usually." She looked back, and pointed. "Look, here he comes." Rolling down here window, she called out, "Come on pokey, lets go!" Mike just shook his head as he made his way to the car.
"Ok, speedy, I'm coming, I'm coming! Hold your horses!" he said as he put the large camera into the trunk of the car, and pulled out a smaller more compact unit. Holding the small camera, he climbed into the back seat. "Alrighty then, I'm here, lets get going then." He clipped on his seat belt, the pointed to her. "See, Jim, we have two stops down the highway to make before we head into the city. So, technically, we should have a five hour trip. Watch. I bet she makes it in four, Maria Andretti here."
The old man laughed. "Her? Maria Andretti? I don't believe it."
"Believe it bud!" said Sukie as she pulled away from the curb. As they drove down through the town, on their way to the thruway, Mike busied himself connecting the small camera to the center console of the car. Carefully, he aimed it at the old man.
"Ok, Jim, so you know, we have three cameras in the car right now." he pointed at the unit he had just attached to the center console. "This one is a portable. It's small, but does a fine job of recording. If we happen to pull over and see something interesting, it can come out and with us." Mike then pointed to a small camera bolted to the head liner of the car. "This one here, it's trained on where your front should be. It gives us two angles of you, which is nice, especially if you're looking out the windows, which leads us to the next camera." Next, he pointed to what looked like an eyeball in the center of the dashboard. "This one here, is our forward view. It shows the road ahead, nothing too crazy.
Sukie laughed for a second, as the old man turned around to watch Mike film their departure. He waved at him once again. "He's just filming us pulling off. We're going to turn the corner and wait for him. Thankfully he's fast, usually." She looked back, and pointed. "Look, here he comes." Rolling down here window, she called out, "Come on pokey, lets go!" Mike just shook his head as he made his way to the car.
"Ok, speedy, I'm coming, I'm coming! Hold your horses!" he said as he put the large camera into the trunk of the car, and pulled out a smaller more compact unit. Holding the small camera, he climbed into the back seat. "Alrighty then, I'm here, lets get going then." He clipped on his seat belt, the pointed to her. "See, Jim, we have two stops down the highway to make before we head into the city. So, technically, we should have a five hour trip. Watch. I bet she makes it in four, Maria Andretti here."
The old man laughed. "Her? Maria Andretti? I don't believe it."
"Believe it bud!" said Sukie as she pulled away from the curb. As they drove down through the town, on their way to the thruway, Mike busied himself connecting the small camera to the center console of the car. Carefully, he aimed it at the old man.
"Ok, Jim, so you know, we have three cameras in the car right now." he pointed at the unit he had just attached to the center console. "This one is a portable. It's small, but does a fine job of recording. If we happen to pull over and see something interesting, it can come out and with us." Mike then pointed to a small camera bolted to the head liner of the car. "This one here, it's trained on where your front should be. It gives us two angles of you, which is nice, especially if you're looking out the windows, which leads us to the next camera." Next, he pointed to what looked like an eyeball in the center of the dashboard. "This one here, is our forward view. It shows the road ahead, nothing too crazy.
Chapter 9, Sprint 2.
Feeling rather impressed with himself, he headed upstairs to shower and shave. He whistled a happy tune as he shaved and dressed. He put on a new shirt and pair of slacks. No better way to start a new adventure than by dressing all fresh and new. He felt positively shiny as he combed his hair in the mirror. As he made his way back downstairs, he heard the doorbell ring. "Coming! Coming!" he called out, as he made his way to the front door.
Glancing through the side window, he saw Sukie and Mike standing there, camera in tow. He opened the door saying, "Hey guys, good morning, come on in, make yourselves at home!" as he waved them inside. Mike was filming their entrance. "Getting an early start, I see," said the old man as he pointed to the camera. Sukie laughed, and said, "We've got to start getting the footage now. Do you mind if Mike shoots some B Roll around the house?"
"B Roll?" asked the old man.
"Yeah, its those little bits of video you see as filler in scenes. Usually entails some voice over, sometimes not. It gives the audience a better idea of what they're looking at." The old man nodded and waved at Mike. "Go ahead, you want a grand tour? Not that the house's to huge."
"Actually," said Mike, "That'd be great! It'd work well in our intro episode.
The old man led Mike from room to room, showing him the house. Mike followed him and filmed him and all his descriptions and stories of what items were.
"Jim, you're doing great! You're a natural in front of the camera!" appreciatively said Mike, who gave the old man a thumbs up.
"Mike, I'm just talking to you, and you happen to be holding a camera. If I think about it that way, it weighs a ton less on my mind, you know?"
"Yeah, you know, I wish more people thought like you, it's making this a blast to film. Most, if not all of this so far is usuable. If you keep this up, we'll be golden." The old man beamed with pride, and continued onwards in showing off the house. A few minutes later, they were done. Sukie was downstairs at the table with a clip board with a yellow legal pad of paper in it. She was writing herself little notes.
"What you doin' there Sukie?" asked the old man.
"Working on our itinerary. I think if we get going soon, we can be in the city by around 3 or so, and that's including all our stops. I figure by the time we get there, we can go to the hotel, and freshen up before heading to our first city stop."
"Our first city stop?" asked the old man curiously.
"Yep!" was Sukie's enigmatic reply.
"Ooh, a mystery!" said Mike. "Well, I'm not entirely sure either where we're going, Jim, so we'll have to trust her."
"Ok, lady, I'm trusting you." laughed the old man. "You lead, I'll follow. It's got to be fun!"
Together, they cleaned up the coffee mugs and carefully dried them before putting them away. The old man rinsed out the sponge a little more thoroughly than usual then carefully placed it to dry on its own special dish. Mike headed out first with the suitcases, then stood on the sidewalk and filmed the old man leaving the house, and carefully locking the door as usual. He waved at the camera whistling the call to post, and said "And we're off."
Glancing through the side window, he saw Sukie and Mike standing there, camera in tow. He opened the door saying, "Hey guys, good morning, come on in, make yourselves at home!" as he waved them inside. Mike was filming their entrance. "Getting an early start, I see," said the old man as he pointed to the camera. Sukie laughed, and said, "We've got to start getting the footage now. Do you mind if Mike shoots some B Roll around the house?"
"B Roll?" asked the old man.
"Yeah, its those little bits of video you see as filler in scenes. Usually entails some voice over, sometimes not. It gives the audience a better idea of what they're looking at." The old man nodded and waved at Mike. "Go ahead, you want a grand tour? Not that the house's to huge."
"Actually," said Mike, "That'd be great! It'd work well in our intro episode.
The old man led Mike from room to room, showing him the house. Mike followed him and filmed him and all his descriptions and stories of what items were.
"Jim, you're doing great! You're a natural in front of the camera!" appreciatively said Mike, who gave the old man a thumbs up.
"Mike, I'm just talking to you, and you happen to be holding a camera. If I think about it that way, it weighs a ton less on my mind, you know?"
"Yeah, you know, I wish more people thought like you, it's making this a blast to film. Most, if not all of this so far is usuable. If you keep this up, we'll be golden." The old man beamed with pride, and continued onwards in showing off the house. A few minutes later, they were done. Sukie was downstairs at the table with a clip board with a yellow legal pad of paper in it. She was writing herself little notes.
"What you doin' there Sukie?" asked the old man.
"Working on our itinerary. I think if we get going soon, we can be in the city by around 3 or so, and that's including all our stops. I figure by the time we get there, we can go to the hotel, and freshen up before heading to our first city stop."
"Our first city stop?" asked the old man curiously.
"Yep!" was Sukie's enigmatic reply.
"Ooh, a mystery!" said Mike. "Well, I'm not entirely sure either where we're going, Jim, so we'll have to trust her."
"Ok, lady, I'm trusting you." laughed the old man. "You lead, I'll follow. It's got to be fun!"
Together, they cleaned up the coffee mugs and carefully dried them before putting them away. The old man rinsed out the sponge a little more thoroughly than usual then carefully placed it to dry on its own special dish. Mike headed out first with the suitcases, then stood on the sidewalk and filmed the old man leaving the house, and carefully locking the door as usual. He waved at the camera whistling the call to post, and said "And we're off."
Sprinting to make up for lost time....
Okay people... I have to make up WAY WAY WAY too many words tonight... so I'll be doing 15 minute word sprints... (which is you set the timer for 15 minutes then write as fast as you can... most of the writing is pure nonsense...)
But... I'll be posting the sprints here... I average between 500 and 800 words per 15 minutes... (which I know seems rather slow, at between 30ish and 50ish wpm... but, its getting made up as I think it up.. so it slows me down considerably.)
So, Chapter 9, Sprint 1.
The old man was sitting up awake on the bed as the alarm rang. He leaned over and turned it off, then stretched and yawned loudly. Rubbing his eyes, he was thinking that he couldn't remember the last time he had to have the alarm wake him, and he was surprised that he slept as well as he did. He was excited and nervous about the first leg of his trip. He walked to the small bathroom attached to his bedroom and washed his face. Next, he put on his robe and made his way downstairs.
He set up for a cup of coffee, then walked down to the front door. He opened the door and took in a great big breath of the morning air before he bent down and picked up the morning paper. Closing the door behind him as he walked back to the kitchen, he yawned again, not because he was tired, but instead out of habit. He dropped the paper on the kitchen table, and finished making his cup of coffee, a shake of creamer and a shake of sugar. Sitting down with the paper, he glanced over the headlines. "Never any good news in the front of the paper," he grumbled, flipping a few pages further back. "Ahh, here we go." he murmured as he got to the birth announcements. The old man always felt that it was best to start the day with good news, and progress past that point.
After he finished the page, he moved further back in the paper, and read the comics. He grew up on the older comics, but he really got a kick out of the newer ones. He felt that the newer ones were funny and were indeed new, with new ideas and jokes, instead of the tired old gags in the old strips. After the comics, he worked on the jumble and word search puzzles. His talent though, really was the crossword puzzle, which he always saved for last.
He pulled out the sheet containing the crossword puzzle, and then carefully folded up the rest of the paper. No bad news today, he thought, as he pushed it across the table. Next, he folded the sheet with the crossword paper, precisely into quarters, so that only the puzzle showed. He leaned over to a can on the counter that held assorted pens and pencils and grabbed one of each. His habit was to start the puzzle in pencil, but then to finish it with pen as he became more sure of the answers. He read over the clues, and started filling in the answers. His current record for finishing a puzzle was 36 minutes, start to finish, which was usually the same amount of time it took him to enjoy his breakfast. This morning though, it was him and the puzzle, he wanted to see how fast he could get it done. He glanced at the clock above the stove before he started.
Deftly, he filled in the little boxes, working from the top left straight through to the bottom right. He filled the top to bottom answers next in the same order. He paused here and there to think about the tougher clues, skipping some, and coming back once he had filled in more of the letters.
His cell phone on the table rang as he was filling in his last few clues. "Hello?" he answered after picking up the phone. It was Sukie calling to let him know she was up, and getting ready to go and get him. He filled in the last few letters then looked at the clock. "Yahoo! a new record! Thirty-four minutes!" he said, completely out of context to the conversation he was having with Sukie. He laughed when she asked what he was talking about, and told her he'd explain later. He looked at the screen of the phone for just a second before he pushed the spot on the screen to hang it up.
Feeling rather impressed with himself, he headed upstairs to shower and shave. He whistled a happy tune as he shaved.
But... I'll be posting the sprints here... I average between 500 and 800 words per 15 minutes... (which I know seems rather slow, at between 30ish and 50ish wpm... but, its getting made up as I think it up.. so it slows me down considerably.)
So, Chapter 9, Sprint 1.
The old man was sitting up awake on the bed as the alarm rang. He leaned over and turned it off, then stretched and yawned loudly. Rubbing his eyes, he was thinking that he couldn't remember the last time he had to have the alarm wake him, and he was surprised that he slept as well as he did. He was excited and nervous about the first leg of his trip. He walked to the small bathroom attached to his bedroom and washed his face. Next, he put on his robe and made his way downstairs.
He set up for a cup of coffee, then walked down to the front door. He opened the door and took in a great big breath of the morning air before he bent down and picked up the morning paper. Closing the door behind him as he walked back to the kitchen, he yawned again, not because he was tired, but instead out of habit. He dropped the paper on the kitchen table, and finished making his cup of coffee, a shake of creamer and a shake of sugar. Sitting down with the paper, he glanced over the headlines. "Never any good news in the front of the paper," he grumbled, flipping a few pages further back. "Ahh, here we go." he murmured as he got to the birth announcements. The old man always felt that it was best to start the day with good news, and progress past that point.
After he finished the page, he moved further back in the paper, and read the comics. He grew up on the older comics, but he really got a kick out of the newer ones. He felt that the newer ones were funny and were indeed new, with new ideas and jokes, instead of the tired old gags in the old strips. After the comics, he worked on the jumble and word search puzzles. His talent though, really was the crossword puzzle, which he always saved for last.
He pulled out the sheet containing the crossword puzzle, and then carefully folded up the rest of the paper. No bad news today, he thought, as he pushed it across the table. Next, he folded the sheet with the crossword paper, precisely into quarters, so that only the puzzle showed. He leaned over to a can on the counter that held assorted pens and pencils and grabbed one of each. His habit was to start the puzzle in pencil, but then to finish it with pen as he became more sure of the answers. He read over the clues, and started filling in the answers. His current record for finishing a puzzle was 36 minutes, start to finish, which was usually the same amount of time it took him to enjoy his breakfast. This morning though, it was him and the puzzle, he wanted to see how fast he could get it done. He glanced at the clock above the stove before he started.
Deftly, he filled in the little boxes, working from the top left straight through to the bottom right. He filled the top to bottom answers next in the same order. He paused here and there to think about the tougher clues, skipping some, and coming back once he had filled in more of the letters.
His cell phone on the table rang as he was filling in his last few clues. "Hello?" he answered after picking up the phone. It was Sukie calling to let him know she was up, and getting ready to go and get him. He filled in the last few letters then looked at the clock. "Yahoo! a new record! Thirty-four minutes!" he said, completely out of context to the conversation he was having with Sukie. He laughed when she asked what he was talking about, and told her he'd explain later. He looked at the screen of the phone for just a second before he pushed the spot on the screen to hang it up.
Feeling rather impressed with himself, he headed upstairs to shower and shave. He whistled a happy tune as he shaved.
Chapter 8.
Yep, and still, oh, 10k behind... but before I was nearly 13k, so I'm slowly but surely catching up. We're sitting pretty at 20404. We're nearly at the half way point... We've got this in the bag... I hope :)
And, I fully admit, most of this post is a cheat, and my full thanks is to the Axis of Awesome inspiring an amazing ukulele jam with the old man. Yay for 4 chord songs!
Chapter 8
The car ride home was filled with the chatter of three very excited people. They spoke about where they'd be off to in the morning. "So, what do we have left to do tonight before we get on our way tomorrow?" asked Sukie.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I need to pack yet. Thank goodness, I really don't have too much stuff to take." said the old man. "I figure my shaving kit and my clothes can really fit in one bag. I can wear my coat, and I'll carry the ukulele." he said, as he shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I've never really been one to travel with a ton of junk I really don't need. I'm a light traveler, nearly to a fault sometimes I guess." Sukie and Mike laughed, and Mike pointed to Sukie. "That girl there, she'd pack an entire school bus for an overnight trip. When we went to Pennsylvania to see Punxitony Phil, you know, that Groundhog?" The old man nodded. "Yeah, she brought a carry on, and a checked bag." Mike was laughing so hard, he could barely get the next sentance out, "For a one day trip!"
"What? I didn't know if it was going to snow, or rain." she said sheepishly, as she navigated the road. "I'm more like a boy scout, I guess. Always prepared."
"Well, I guess that's not a bad thing, but this time, I'm not lugging all your stuff too! See Jim, I carry a lot of crap, but its all the camera junk. I have my carry on, and usually a spare hat. Last time- I think she thought I was her Sherpa!"
"Fine, fine" she laughed. "Fine, okay, I got it! No Mike the Sherpa, geesh!" After a few more minutes of talking and joking, they pulled up in front of the old man's house. "
"Home sweet home, last stop, everyone out!" said the old man, as he stepped from the car. They made their way inside, setting the packages down on the table.
"Man, I'm famished, guys, want to order in some food while we get ourselves put together?" Sukie asked. Mike rubbed his stomach, and the old man nodded his head. "Great! Pizza okay?" she asked to the men, who both smiled and nodded.
"We'll make it a right party!" said Mike, who placed another ukulele case on the table. "I'm no Jake Shimabukuru, but, I bet it'll be a load of fun." Sukie called the local pizzeria from her cellphone, as the old man unloaded his bags, and carefully folded the clothes into separate piles. He excused himself to go upstairs and collect his suitcase from the closet in the bedroom.
He carefully pulled the suitcase from the bottom of the closet, not wanting to disturb anything too greatly. After he had extracted it, he unzipped the case, and made sure it was empty. Carefully, he took the picture of Martha from the dresser and gently touched the glass before he placed it into the inside zippered pocket of the suitcase. Once it was secure, he zipped up the compartment so that it would not shift around. Next, he tossed the duffel bag he took around town the day before up onto the bed, then dug through it, removing his shaving kit. He tossed it into the case then zipped up the suitcase and lugged it downstairs. Mike met him halfway up the stairs, taking the suitcase from him. "I really don't mind lugging this around for you- Sukie on the other hand, heh, well, I guess I really don't mind taking hers either."
They headed down the stairs, and Mike placed the suitcase up on the kitchen table. The old man unzipped it, and began placing the piles of the newly acquired clothing into the suitcase before restocking his shaving kit with his toiletries. In no time at all, the case was full, packed securely with not an inch to spare. "See, kids, this is how you pack! Its a full ten days of clothes in a carry on case." The old man pridefully raised his chin and puffed up his chest. "Sometimes, I even impress myself." Sukie laughed as Mike whistled his appreciation.
"Wow, even I can't pack that fast. It's like a land speed packing record!" said Mike, thoroughly amazed at the old mans handiwork. The two men were discussing suitcase packing techniques, (The right shoes are one of the most important things to thing of, followed only by your clothes folding technique." stressed the old man.) as the doorbell rang. "I've got it!" exclaimed Sukie, as she grabbed her pocketbook and jogged off to the door. She returned with an extremely fragrant box filled with an Everything Pizza, and a bag with a bottle of Cola. Mike cleared the suitcase and bags off the table, and the old man spread plates, cups, and napkins around the table. "I hope you guys don't mind paper plates, I figure it'll be less mess in the end."
The three each took a slice of pizza and sat back in their chairs, quietly relaxing for the next few minutes, savoring the pizza. After a few minutes of relaxing, the old man asked, "So, what's our itinerary this week?"
"Well, We're going to start down the eastern seaboard. Tomorrow, we're going to drive south to New York City, and we're going to spend a couple of days there, and I figure we can cross a couple of things off your list there. Then, from there, we're gonna road trip it down to Florida. We have a boat charter in about three and a half weeks, so that should be interesting. After that, it's a little of us playing it by ear. The goal is to be back in New York for New Years."
The old man beamed, his smile was going from ear to ear. "I'm so excited, I feel like a kid again!"
Mike raised his glass, "To being kids again!"
The old man raised his glass and toasted, "May we never grow old!"
Sukie raised her glass and said "Cheers!" The three clinked their soda glasses, and drank deeply, celebrating the start of their adventure.
They finished their pizza and started cleaning up the table. After everything was picked up, the old man set up a pot of coffee before he grabbed the ukulele cases from the table inside, and brought them in, handing Mike his case.
"Well, Mike, I only know about four chords, I'm really still a very new beginner." said the old man as he took his ornate ukulele out of its case.
"Truth be told, Jim, you only need about four chords to play any number of songs. Here, let me show you." Might showed the old man four chords, C, A minor, G seven, and F, making sure the old man had them down before continuing. "Ok, along with me, play the chords in that order, just four strokes down each." They practiced together as Sukie watched. "Oh, I wish I could join in, this looks so much fun!"
Mike laughed as he pointed to his coat. "Sukie, man, this is your lucky day. Go take the keys from my coat, and go in the trunk of the car, and open my suitcase. You'll see this tiny little case, it looks like a blanket- be gentle with it and take it on in."
"Blanket?" asked the old man incredulously as Sukie made her way to the car.
"Well, that's it's name, and its what its wrapped in. It follows a theme, you know, Michael Jackson's kid, his baby-- Blanket?" The old man laughed and shook his head.
"Yeah, I saw that on the news. Poor Michael though, don't get me wrong, he was out of his gourd, but I've always been a fan." Mike nodded his understanding as they heard Sukie close the front door.
"You found it?" he called out to her.
"Yep. Man, this thing is tiny! You sure it's playable?" She asked as she handed the tiny swaddled bundle to him.
"Oh yeah! This is my constant travel companion. Fits in my backpack, sounds like a dream." He handed his ukulele to Sukie, then pulled out a eency weency tiny little ukulele from the blanket bundle. "Guys, Meet Blanket, my sopranino ukulele!" The old man shook his head again. "Wow, that thing is tiny. How's it sound?" he asked as he watched Mike carefully tune the tiny instrument.
"Like a dream!" Mike replied, before playing a simple tune. "Okay kids," Mike started, while using one finger as an orchestral conductor would use a baton. "Lets practice our chords, and you'll get a kick out of this!" Together, they practiced their four chords for a few minutes until they all had the hang of it. "Alright then," said Mike, as he pulled a small notepad and pen from his pocket and wrote down the chords in order. "Just play these chords in this order, I'll sing." They had a round of playing the chords and after a beat, Mike started to sing:
"My life is brilliant, my love is pure. I saw an angel, of this I'm sure."
Sukie laughed, and said, "Oh, that's James Blunt's Beautiful." Mike laughed and nodded. "Ok lets keep going. Suke's if you want, fill in the names but you don't have to. I'm sure Jim knows at least a few of them."
"Forever Young, I want to be forever young,"
"Oh oh, I know it! Rod Stewart!" said the old man.
"I won't hesitate no more, no more, it cannot wait, I'm yours."
"That's I'm Yours!" laughed Sukie. Mike nodded
"This is the way you left me,I'm not pretending. No hope, no love, no glory. No Happy ending."
"Ooh!" said Sukie, mid strum. "Happy ending!"
"Cause you are amazing. We did amazing, things."
"Amazing! I heard this on the television" said Jim, shaking his head.
"If I could, then I would,I'll go wherever you will go."
"Can you feel, the love tonight?"
"Elton?" asked the old man, which was responded to with a vigorously nodding Mike."
"And she will, be loved. Yeah she will, be loved."
Sukie looked up in thought for a minute before blurting out "Maroon 5!"
"Pictures of you, pictures of me,up upon your wall for the world to see."
Sukie nodded her head along with the song, and said "Last goodnight!"
"Cause I cant live, with or without you."
"Bono!" exclaimed the old man. Mike and Sukie cocked their heads to the side and looked at him. "What? I happen to like U2. I have a couple of cassettes around somewhere. One of the kids left over here." Mike shook his head, in disbelief as he laughed, before continuing along with the song.
"And if I fall, at your feet. You'll let your tears;" "Crowded house I think," said Sukie, as Mike loudly interjected, "Am I not pretty enough, is my heart too broken." which set them all into a fit of the giggles.
"Ok guys, new rhythm. Just two down strokes for each chord. It gets better." said Mike, as he demonstrated. With the others following along, he started again.
"Double time! When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother mary, comes to me."
"The Beatles!"
"Sometimes I feel like I dont have a partner."
"Red Hot Chili Peppers!"
"That's the way it's gonna be, little darlin'. We'll be ridin' on the horses, yeah yeah."
"The Horses!"
"No woman, no cry,"
"Bob Marley!"
"Yeah, mama, it surely is a dream,"
"Sex and Candy!" Sukie looked at the old man who just blurted out the song title. He just shrugged, as the song continued.
"I come from the land down under."
"Men at work!"
"Take on me,(When I come around)"
"Green Day, and um, um," started Sukie
"Take Me On,(When I come around)"
"A Ha!" announced the old man victoriously.
"I'll be gone, in a day or, two." Mike hit a high note here that was spot on in pitch, and got some impressed nodding of Sukie and Jim's heads.
"Save tonight, Gonna take a lot to drag me away from you. Fight the break of dawn. Come tomorrow. There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do. Tomorrow I'll be gone."
"Eagle Eye Cherry," Started Sukie as she paused for a second. The old man, again surprising them, laughed and said, "Africa by Toto." Mike smiled broadly at the old man's knowledge of music.
"I know she's playing with me, but thats okay 'cause I've got no self-esteem."
"That's the Offspring," said Sukie, and the old man shrugged.
"With a thousand eyes and a good disguise, hit 'em right between the eyes, hit 'em right between the eyes."
"That's them again!" exclaimed Sukie.
"Cause I'm not here for your entertainment, you don't really wanna mess with me tonight."
The old man's eyes lit up, and he called out, "Pink!"
"Cant read my, cant read my, no he can't read my, poker face."
"Gaga!" called out the old man.
"Come on Barbie lets go party."
"Aqua!" he called out again. Mike and Sukie stopped, and just looked at him for a second. "What?" the old man said laughing. "I happen to have grand kids, and we've been known to dance around the house every now and then, Kinda hard to do the Charleston to them though, really." All three dissolved in piles of laughter before continuing in the song.
"Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me."
"The Fray, I think." said Sukie, which was met by more vigorous head nodding from Mike.
"She wants to touch me woo hoo, she wants to love me woo hoo, she'll never leave me woo hoo hoo ooh."
"That's Don't Trust Me!"
"Control yourself, take only what you need from it."
"I think that's a MGMT song,"
"Take your canvas bags, take your canvas bags. Take your canvas bags, to the supermarket. Take your canvas bags."
"That's Tim Minchin!"
"Nothings right I'm torn, I'm all out of faith, this is how I feel, I'm cold and I am shamed, lying naked on the floor. Illusion never changed, into something real,"
"Oh, that's Torn! Its by that Australian girl."
"I'm wide awake and I can see I'm more than a bird,I'm more than a plane, I'm a bird-plane, I'm a bird-plane, A crack a lackin' bird-plane."
"Doesn't that sound familiar,doesn't that sound too close to home, doesn't that make you shiver, the way things could have gone. And doesn't that seem peculiar, cause everyone wants a little more. There's something I do remember to never go this far, thats all it takes to be a star." Mike ended the song with an arpeggio. Sukie and the old man applauded heartily as Mike took a small bow.
"See, I told you guys, four chords, and that's only scratching the surface!" They sat around and played for a while longer, enjoying their coffee and each others company. Eventually, they took notice of the time, and packed up their ukuleles, so they could get going. They all knew that they had a long drive ahead of them, and would need to go to bed relatively early. Mike and Sukie helped the old man with the dishes, and straightening up the table before they started heading out to the door. The old man yawned and stretched broadly, before heading up to the shower and to bed. Just like the night before, he set his alarm, and he was sound asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
And, I fully admit, most of this post is a cheat, and my full thanks is to the Axis of Awesome inspiring an amazing ukulele jam with the old man. Yay for 4 chord songs!
Chapter 8
The car ride home was filled with the chatter of three very excited people. They spoke about where they'd be off to in the morning. "So, what do we have left to do tonight before we get on our way tomorrow?" asked Sukie.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I need to pack yet. Thank goodness, I really don't have too much stuff to take." said the old man. "I figure my shaving kit and my clothes can really fit in one bag. I can wear my coat, and I'll carry the ukulele." he said, as he shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I've never really been one to travel with a ton of junk I really don't need. I'm a light traveler, nearly to a fault sometimes I guess." Sukie and Mike laughed, and Mike pointed to Sukie. "That girl there, she'd pack an entire school bus for an overnight trip. When we went to Pennsylvania to see Punxitony Phil, you know, that Groundhog?" The old man nodded. "Yeah, she brought a carry on, and a checked bag." Mike was laughing so hard, he could barely get the next sentance out, "For a one day trip!"
"What? I didn't know if it was going to snow, or rain." she said sheepishly, as she navigated the road. "I'm more like a boy scout, I guess. Always prepared."
"Well, I guess that's not a bad thing, but this time, I'm not lugging all your stuff too! See Jim, I carry a lot of crap, but its all the camera junk. I have my carry on, and usually a spare hat. Last time- I think she thought I was her Sherpa!"
"Fine, fine" she laughed. "Fine, okay, I got it! No Mike the Sherpa, geesh!" After a few more minutes of talking and joking, they pulled up in front of the old man's house. "
"Home sweet home, last stop, everyone out!" said the old man, as he stepped from the car. They made their way inside, setting the packages down on the table.
"Man, I'm famished, guys, want to order in some food while we get ourselves put together?" Sukie asked. Mike rubbed his stomach, and the old man nodded his head. "Great! Pizza okay?" she asked to the men, who both smiled and nodded.
"We'll make it a right party!" said Mike, who placed another ukulele case on the table. "I'm no Jake Shimabukuru, but, I bet it'll be a load of fun." Sukie called the local pizzeria from her cellphone, as the old man unloaded his bags, and carefully folded the clothes into separate piles. He excused himself to go upstairs and collect his suitcase from the closet in the bedroom.
He carefully pulled the suitcase from the bottom of the closet, not wanting to disturb anything too greatly. After he had extracted it, he unzipped the case, and made sure it was empty. Carefully, he took the picture of Martha from the dresser and gently touched the glass before he placed it into the inside zippered pocket of the suitcase. Once it was secure, he zipped up the compartment so that it would not shift around. Next, he tossed the duffel bag he took around town the day before up onto the bed, then dug through it, removing his shaving kit. He tossed it into the case then zipped up the suitcase and lugged it downstairs. Mike met him halfway up the stairs, taking the suitcase from him. "I really don't mind lugging this around for you- Sukie on the other hand, heh, well, I guess I really don't mind taking hers either."
They headed down the stairs, and Mike placed the suitcase up on the kitchen table. The old man unzipped it, and began placing the piles of the newly acquired clothing into the suitcase before restocking his shaving kit with his toiletries. In no time at all, the case was full, packed securely with not an inch to spare. "See, kids, this is how you pack! Its a full ten days of clothes in a carry on case." The old man pridefully raised his chin and puffed up his chest. "Sometimes, I even impress myself." Sukie laughed as Mike whistled his appreciation.
"Wow, even I can't pack that fast. It's like a land speed packing record!" said Mike, thoroughly amazed at the old mans handiwork. The two men were discussing suitcase packing techniques, (The right shoes are one of the most important things to thing of, followed only by your clothes folding technique." stressed the old man.) as the doorbell rang. "I've got it!" exclaimed Sukie, as she grabbed her pocketbook and jogged off to the door. She returned with an extremely fragrant box filled with an Everything Pizza, and a bag with a bottle of Cola. Mike cleared the suitcase and bags off the table, and the old man spread plates, cups, and napkins around the table. "I hope you guys don't mind paper plates, I figure it'll be less mess in the end."
The three each took a slice of pizza and sat back in their chairs, quietly relaxing for the next few minutes, savoring the pizza. After a few minutes of relaxing, the old man asked, "So, what's our itinerary this week?"
"Well, We're going to start down the eastern seaboard. Tomorrow, we're going to drive south to New York City, and we're going to spend a couple of days there, and I figure we can cross a couple of things off your list there. Then, from there, we're gonna road trip it down to Florida. We have a boat charter in about three and a half weeks, so that should be interesting. After that, it's a little of us playing it by ear. The goal is to be back in New York for New Years."
The old man beamed, his smile was going from ear to ear. "I'm so excited, I feel like a kid again!"
Mike raised his glass, "To being kids again!"
The old man raised his glass and toasted, "May we never grow old!"
Sukie raised her glass and said "Cheers!" The three clinked their soda glasses, and drank deeply, celebrating the start of their adventure.
They finished their pizza and started cleaning up the table. After everything was picked up, the old man set up a pot of coffee before he grabbed the ukulele cases from the table inside, and brought them in, handing Mike his case.
"Well, Mike, I only know about four chords, I'm really still a very new beginner." said the old man as he took his ornate ukulele out of its case.
"Truth be told, Jim, you only need about four chords to play any number of songs. Here, let me show you." Might showed the old man four chords, C, A minor, G seven, and F, making sure the old man had them down before continuing. "Ok, along with me, play the chords in that order, just four strokes down each." They practiced together as Sukie watched. "Oh, I wish I could join in, this looks so much fun!"
Mike laughed as he pointed to his coat. "Sukie, man, this is your lucky day. Go take the keys from my coat, and go in the trunk of the car, and open my suitcase. You'll see this tiny little case, it looks like a blanket- be gentle with it and take it on in."
"Blanket?" asked the old man incredulously as Sukie made her way to the car.
"Well, that's it's name, and its what its wrapped in. It follows a theme, you know, Michael Jackson's kid, his baby-- Blanket?" The old man laughed and shook his head.
"Yeah, I saw that on the news. Poor Michael though, don't get me wrong, he was out of his gourd, but I've always been a fan." Mike nodded his understanding as they heard Sukie close the front door.
"You found it?" he called out to her.
"Yep. Man, this thing is tiny! You sure it's playable?" She asked as she handed the tiny swaddled bundle to him.
"Oh yeah! This is my constant travel companion. Fits in my backpack, sounds like a dream." He handed his ukulele to Sukie, then pulled out a eency weency tiny little ukulele from the blanket bundle. "Guys, Meet Blanket, my sopranino ukulele!" The old man shook his head again. "Wow, that thing is tiny. How's it sound?" he asked as he watched Mike carefully tune the tiny instrument.
"Like a dream!" Mike replied, before playing a simple tune. "Okay kids," Mike started, while using one finger as an orchestral conductor would use a baton. "Lets practice our chords, and you'll get a kick out of this!" Together, they practiced their four chords for a few minutes until they all had the hang of it. "Alright then," said Mike, as he pulled a small notepad and pen from his pocket and wrote down the chords in order. "Just play these chords in this order, I'll sing." They had a round of playing the chords and after a beat, Mike started to sing:
"My life is brilliant, my love is pure. I saw an angel, of this I'm sure."
Sukie laughed, and said, "Oh, that's James Blunt's Beautiful." Mike laughed and nodded. "Ok lets keep going. Suke's if you want, fill in the names but you don't have to. I'm sure Jim knows at least a few of them."
"Forever Young, I want to be forever young,"
"Oh oh, I know it! Rod Stewart!" said the old man.
"I won't hesitate no more, no more, it cannot wait, I'm yours."
"That's I'm Yours!" laughed Sukie. Mike nodded
"This is the way you left me,I'm not pretending. No hope, no love, no glory. No Happy ending."
"Ooh!" said Sukie, mid strum. "Happy ending!"
"Cause you are amazing. We did amazing, things."
"Amazing! I heard this on the television" said Jim, shaking his head.
"If I could, then I would,I'll go wherever you will go."
"Can you feel, the love tonight?"
"Elton?" asked the old man, which was responded to with a vigorously nodding Mike."
"And she will, be loved. Yeah she will, be loved."
Sukie looked up in thought for a minute before blurting out "Maroon 5!"
"Pictures of you, pictures of me,up upon your wall for the world to see."
Sukie nodded her head along with the song, and said "Last goodnight!"
"Cause I cant live, with or without you."
"Bono!" exclaimed the old man. Mike and Sukie cocked their heads to the side and looked at him. "What? I happen to like U2. I have a couple of cassettes around somewhere. One of the kids left over here." Mike shook his head, in disbelief as he laughed, before continuing along with the song.
"And if I fall, at your feet. You'll let your tears;" "Crowded house I think," said Sukie, as Mike loudly interjected, "Am I not pretty enough, is my heart too broken." which set them all into a fit of the giggles.
"Ok guys, new rhythm. Just two down strokes for each chord. It gets better." said Mike, as he demonstrated. With the others following along, he started again.
"Double time! When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother mary, comes to me."
"The Beatles!"
"Sometimes I feel like I dont have a partner."
"Red Hot Chili Peppers!"
"That's the way it's gonna be, little darlin'. We'll be ridin' on the horses, yeah yeah."
"The Horses!"
"No woman, no cry,"
"Bob Marley!"
"Yeah, mama, it surely is a dream,"
"Sex and Candy!" Sukie looked at the old man who just blurted out the song title. He just shrugged, as the song continued.
"I come from the land down under."
"Men at work!"
"Take on me,(When I come around)"
"Green Day, and um, um," started Sukie
"Take Me On,(When I come around)"
"A Ha!" announced the old man victoriously.
"I'll be gone, in a day or, two." Mike hit a high note here that was spot on in pitch, and got some impressed nodding of Sukie and Jim's heads.
"Save tonight, Gonna take a lot to drag me away from you. Fight the break of dawn. Come tomorrow. There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do. Tomorrow I'll be gone."
"Eagle Eye Cherry," Started Sukie as she paused for a second. The old man, again surprising them, laughed and said, "Africa by Toto." Mike smiled broadly at the old man's knowledge of music.
"I know she's playing with me, but thats okay 'cause I've got no self-esteem."
"That's the Offspring," said Sukie, and the old man shrugged.
"With a thousand eyes and a good disguise, hit 'em right between the eyes, hit 'em right between the eyes."
"That's them again!" exclaimed Sukie.
"Cause I'm not here for your entertainment, you don't really wanna mess with me tonight."
The old man's eyes lit up, and he called out, "Pink!"
"Cant read my, cant read my, no he can't read my, poker face."
"Gaga!" called out the old man.
"Come on Barbie lets go party."
"Aqua!" he called out again. Mike and Sukie stopped, and just looked at him for a second. "What?" the old man said laughing. "I happen to have grand kids, and we've been known to dance around the house every now and then, Kinda hard to do the Charleston to them though, really." All three dissolved in piles of laughter before continuing in the song.
"Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me."
"The Fray, I think." said Sukie, which was met by more vigorous head nodding from Mike.
"She wants to touch me woo hoo, she wants to love me woo hoo, she'll never leave me woo hoo hoo ooh."
"That's Don't Trust Me!"
"Control yourself, take only what you need from it."
"I think that's a MGMT song,"
"Take your canvas bags, take your canvas bags. Take your canvas bags, to the supermarket. Take your canvas bags."
"That's Tim Minchin!"
"Nothings right I'm torn, I'm all out of faith, this is how I feel, I'm cold and I am shamed, lying naked on the floor. Illusion never changed, into something real,"
"Oh, that's Torn! Its by that Australian girl."
"I'm wide awake and I can see I'm more than a bird,I'm more than a plane, I'm a bird-plane, I'm a bird-plane, A crack a lackin' bird-plane."
"Doesn't that sound familiar,doesn't that sound too close to home, doesn't that make you shiver, the way things could have gone. And doesn't that seem peculiar, cause everyone wants a little more. There's something I do remember to never go this far, thats all it takes to be a star." Mike ended the song with an arpeggio. Sukie and the old man applauded heartily as Mike took a small bow.
"See, I told you guys, four chords, and that's only scratching the surface!" They sat around and played for a while longer, enjoying their coffee and each others company. Eventually, they took notice of the time, and packed up their ukuleles, so they could get going. They all knew that they had a long drive ahead of them, and would need to go to bed relatively early. Mike and Sukie helped the old man with the dishes, and straightening up the table before they started heading out to the door. The old man yawned and stretched broadly, before heading up to the shower and to bed. Just like the night before, he set his alarm, and he was sound asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Falling behind
You know, I think falling behind several times is a nanowrimo necessity. Instead of writing, I washed the dishes and baked some GF chocolate chip cookies... and, I've come across one bit of knowledge...
The VERY EXPENSIVE egg replacer that is referenced in the GF Gourmet is essentially Baking Powder. At least in the cookies, you can sub it 1:1 with baking powder and they'll turn out ok. The flavor of the cookie is enough to mask the taste.... and the cookies turn out pretty good, if I do say so myself.
Tomorrow, we're gonna try another recipe. Right now though, I'm gonna pull those last cookies out of the oven and then, I'm going to sit and see if I can at least get a couple words on the page. I have a goal to hit-- and that's 3.5k words today. Very doable.
The VERY EXPENSIVE egg replacer that is referenced in the GF Gourmet is essentially Baking Powder. At least in the cookies, you can sub it 1:1 with baking powder and they'll turn out ok. The flavor of the cookie is enough to mask the taste.... and the cookies turn out pretty good, if I do say so myself.
Tomorrow, we're gonna try another recipe. Right now though, I'm gonna pull those last cookies out of the oven and then, I'm going to sit and see if I can at least get a couple words on the page. I have a goal to hit-- and that's 3.5k words today. Very doable.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
He woke up give minutes before the alarm, but he stayed in bed awake, contemplating the ceiling until the alarm. He silently planned his day. Get up, make toast, read contract, call chuck. Another nice full day, and a guarantee of that for the next 18 months. Not to mention the nice little chunk of change that he coils set aside for the kids.
The alarm rang, it's twin bells signaling the start to another morning. He sat up feeling a little stiff, but he imagined that was part for the course for anyone who had the day that he had. He walked on down to the shower and stuff under the hot steamy water until ha felt his muscles relax, before he dressed and made his way downstairs.
He followed his usual morning routine with a smile that before was such a rarity on his face. He knew that this might be one of the last times he'd get to sit with his coffee and toast before he was ready for a year and a half of adventure. He buttered his toast, and prepared the paper when he remembered about the contract he had to go over. He thought to himself "How much you want to bet there is fine print everywhere all over that thing." He felt lucky that he knew more than a little bit about contracts and the like, having dealt with that nonsense as he liked to call it for most of his adult life. He grabbed the contract, and a red pen from the counter, and sat at the table, toast at the ready for breakfast.
The contract was fairly straight forward, which really surprised the old man. He was expecting to wade through the muck and mire typically seen in contracts such as this, but Ronin was telling the truth, this contract was simply written, and was in his favor as to the benefits. The old man still couldn't believe what they wanted to give him as a stipend, but he would never say no to money that could go to a good cause- namely his children and his favorite charity. As he finished his toast, he read through the contract one last time to make sure he hadn't missed anything. The old man made his way to the desk in his study, contract in one hand, coffee in the other. He sat behind the massive desk that he had taken from his law office before he had closed up shop, and opened the side drawer, removing a small box. He opened the box, and removed a beautifully enameled pen who's colors swirled like the water on a tropical beach. With a flourish, he signed and dated the line with the x on it at the bottom of the form.
He sat back and finished his coffee, thinking about the things that would need to be finished this week before he could start on his bucket list adventures. Taking the pad that had gotten him all this adventure, he began drafting another, but smaller list. In bold writing, he headed the page: Things to Do. He listed who he needed to call, and what had to be done while he was gone. All in all it was a very short list of things. He shrugged as he realized that the act of him doing something to keep him from fading away was a very good thing indeed.
The phone rang, he reached for the receiver and picked it up. Susan was on the line asking what time she should come on by and pick him up. He glanced at the large grandfather clock in the corner, and saw that it was just coming up on eight thirty. "In an hour or so would be more than fine Susan." He practically heard her nodding her head through the wire. "Sir, you can stop calling me Susan, nobody but my mother calls me that, and then, only if she's mad. Call me Sukie, every one else does." The old man laughed at this. "Okay, fine then, but only on one condition," said the old man. "Stop calling me Sir. You're making me feel old, and I don't want to be old anymore. Call me Jim, like everyone else, ok?" It was Sukie's turn to laugh at this. "Okey dokey Jim, roger wilco, I've got it. See you in an hour!" He hung up the phone and stretched.
One hour, he thought to himself. One hour to make all the phone calls he needed. First he called his eldest son, Jim Junior. Briefly he explained the whole story. At the end of it, he son just whistled. "Well, Dad, Geez, you've really gone and done it." his son said, before laughing. They chatted for a few more minutes, his son estatic with his father's good fortune. "As long as you've read through everything thoroughly, I trust your judgement. This will be a very cool thing for the kids to see you doing." After a few more minutes of excited chatter, they said their goodbyes, with the old man promising his son that he'd call every few days to let him know what was going on, and Jim Junior promising to tell his sister the whole story, and that the old man would call her later to elaborate on it all. With a smile on his face, he hung up, and checked off that call on his list.
Next, he picked up the phone and the card Chuck had given him the night before. He called the number, hoping that it wouldn't be too early for him. After the second ring, the phone was answered by a slightly groggy sounding Chuck. "Moore Bettah! You'll find none better than us!" The old man laughed. "Wakey wakey eggs and bakey Chuck!" said the old man.
"Jim! I see you've probably slept in." Chuck started before yawning loudly. "So, tell me, what happened?" The old man told Chuck about the whole of the experience, including his forty-five dollar entree. Jim laughed riotously at the mention of the waiter and the truffles, and congratulated him on accomplishing another item from his bucket list. "What's on the list of things to do today?" He told Chuck about calling his kids, and the call from Sukie. "Sukie now? Wow, that's almost better than being on a first name basis. I love that name, just rolls off your tongue. Sukie. Soo. Kie. I loves it." The two men laughed like teenagers for a few minutes, gossiping like old women until the old man heard a car pull up front. "Hey, Chuck, I need a favor. If I drop by later with a set of my keys, do you mind just checking in on my house from time to time? With all this craziness, I don't know when I'll be in or out, so it'd be nice to know someone was keeping an eye on everything."
"Sure, of course! I don't mind. Drop by any time today, I'll be in the shop. I'll be in the workshop until about noon, so if the door's closed, ring the bell, and I'll come up front for you." As they said their farewells, the doorbell rang. "Coming! Coming!" called the old man as he hung up the phone. He made his way to the front door, checking his appearance in the mirror in the hallway on the way.
He checked out the side window before he opened the door. Sukie was standing there, holding a briefcase. "Hey there Sukie! Good morning! It's good to see you again!" said the old man as he let her in. "Good morning to you too!" she said as she walked into the house. "Wow, nice house you have here," she said as she walked into the living room. "Come into the kitchen, put your stuff down, I'll get you some coffee and we'll go on the grand tour." he said, leading her into the kitchen. As she put her bag and coat down on one of the kitchen table's chairs, he poured the piping hot coffee into a mug. "Cream? Sugar?" he said while waving a shaker of sugar and a container of Cremora at her. She smiled, and replied "One shake of each please," as she walked around the large kitchen.
The kitchen's tile walls and counter were gleaming white, and the floors black and white check were so clean you could invite the Pope over to eat off the floor. The old man met her at the window facing the back yard, and handed her the steaming mug of coffee. She had a sip. "Thank you," she said as she gazed into the garden. She looked at him and said, "Ok, Jim, time for the grand tour, lead the way." The old man chuckled, and waved at her to follow him. From the kitchen, he led her into the living room, pointing at the pictures, and showing her where they were taken. They then walked into the study, where she commented on how beautiful the furniture was, the big desk awing her in its magnificence. Back into the hallway, he led her up the stairs, and showed her the very tastefully decorated guest room, his master bedroom, and then, last, but not least, his den, which he explained was once his son's room, many many years ago, but since he'd moved out, it became a place to put an extra couch and a television. His son, for his last birthday installed surround sound, and a new television. The old man likened it to going to the movies without ever leaving the house, and told Sukie, that his favorite times lately were the Saturday afternoon westerns marathons on the old movies channel, where he'd make some popcorn in the microwave that his son installed on the shelf, and sit and watch movies all day, a lot like in the old days.
"Ok, Sukie, tour's over, time to talk about business," he said, as he motioned for her to follow him back into the kitchen, by way of the study. In the study he picked up the contract, and brought it with them into the kitchen. Once there, he pointed her to the seat next to him while he sat down. He carefully opened and smoothed the contract out on the table. "I've read it over thoroughly, and I was surprised by this contract in a few ways." Sukie tilted her head to the side, "Surprised?" she said.
"Yeah, it confused me because this was the most straight forward contract I've seen in the fifty years I've been involved in contract law. Usually these things are written with so many loopholes, you can sneeze funny and end up hanging yourself. This, instead, it is so straight forward, I'm having a hard time even wrapping my head around it." The old man shrugged.
"Mr. Wong, he's really one for his word. He's big on maintaining that degree of simplicity when he really wants to, and with you, he really wants to. If he didn't want anything to do with you, he'd tell you outright, but he really fell in love with your ideas." It was her turn to shrug, "I guess there is one truthful and honest person in business today, and I think he's it." She chuckled at the thought. "You signed it?" she asked.
"Yep, last page, bottom." He handed her the contract, and she slipped it into the briefcase before he continued, "So, what now?" he asked.
"Now, we figure out an itinerary. Mr. Wong basically set up our expense account to be nearly limitless, but, he's asked us to try not to spend it all in one place, as he's so fond of saying. What we should do, is to make sure your paperwork, including passport are up to date, and if they're not, we can get them up to spec today. Also, we can figure out what we will do, and where we will do it." The old man smiled and nodded as she continued, "I was thinking we'll make a list of some of the major states and cities you specify- New York City, Hawaii, Venice, Orlando, Alaska, so on and so forth and work with them, making a list radially outward, within driving distance of things we can do."
"Hey! I have an idea- I have a couple of globes that we can use to mark out where we're going, you know, with those push pins, and what we're doing or something. It'll help put it in perspective, and I bet it'll be a great TV prop."
"Great idea. First the lists, and then the globe." Together they went through the old mans travel paperwork. His passport was still valid, was one major weight off Sukie's shoulders. "You know, Sukie, I haven't looked at this thing in quite a while, I think the last time I used it was when me and Martha went to Niagara, maybe two years ago." At the thought of the memory, he smiled, "I bet Martha would get a kick out of this. I don't think she'd be happy watching me fester here like I've been doing." The old man cast his gaze down into his coffee, a look of sadness in his eyes.
"Jim, you're probably right." she said, as she put her hand on his shoulder. "I imagine she probably always wanted whats best for you, we women tend to do that for the men we love, and I know she must have loved you a whole lot!" Sukie affirmed, just before giving him a big hug. "Okay, back to business you big mush, or you'll have me crying in my coffee." They both laughed, and continued going over the list of things to do.
About an hour later, they had a very basic itinerary put together. They would start nearby and start working their way out and across the country, east coast to west coast, moving in that general direction around the world until they were back home. The old man's excitement was palpable as they went over the list. He crudely drew a map of the United States, and put little stars and a line showing their planned path across the country. While the old man was doodling on his paper, Sukie started a rough time line of where she thought they'd be and when they would be there. Her basic time line put them at just under a year, but she knew that with delays, periods of rest, and other things going on at once, fifteen months was a more reasonable estimate, with enough buffer to make her more comfortable. The planning phase was nearly over, and she looked up at the old man.
"So, when do you want to start?" she asked. He looked up from his map, with a blank look. "Oh, started." he shook his head to clear the cobwebs. "Okay, how does as soon as possible sound? What's good for you?" he asked.
"Well, looking at this, it'll take us a little more than a year, but less than a year and a half, going at a nice relaxed pace to hit all our objectives. It'll take me a day to secure our transportation and first flight out, and, I think tomorrow would be a great day to get going. We could get Mike in here early, shoot some video of us starting, and getting you on your way."
"Excellent, that will give me a little time today to pack, and provision, and tie up a few loose ends before we go." said the old man, who was thinking of the little list of things he had left to finish today.
"Great, oh, and I forgot to give you something earlier." Sukie said while digging through her briefcase. The old man looked at her quizzically. "Mr. Wong wanted to make sure you had everything you needed on this trip, so as per the part in the contract about traveling expenses, he wanted to make sure you got this." She found the small envelope she was looking for and passed it to the old man. He peeped inside, and pulled out a small credit card, to which a post-it note had been attached. It read: "Jim, for your personal expenses for this trip. Have a great time! --Ronin." The old man was taken aback. "I thought traveling expenses meant hotel, and tips." Sukie nodded, and said, "Yeah, it means that, and in a traditional business rider, that would be about right, except that this is a television production." She paused and pulled out a small pad from the briefcase, flipped it open, and cleared her throat. "We'd like you to have a means of communication with your family, ie. a newer cellular phone, any clothing and toiletries you may need, including ones necessary for hot and cold environments, Devices for entertainment, including books, games, iPod, et al."
"A black credit card?" he said, as he flipped it over in his hand a few times. There was no detail on the card, except for only the small hologram and bank logo on the front alongside the raised numbers."
"It's kinda like a platinum card but better. We joke around at work and call it the unobtainium card."
"So," the old man lingered on the word trying on his next sentence in his head. "So, basically, I get to go shopping, all expenses paid, to fill in my wardrobe, and buy toys?" Sukie smiled. "Yep. And, he wanted to make sure you were entertained the whole time, especially considering that travel can be rather boring at times. That's why he suggests the iPod, so on long trips, you have some movies to watch or music to listen to, or even." Sukie paused to build suspense.
"What? What is it?" asked the old man, who was very intrigued.
"Foreign language learning tapes."
"Whoa? I though I'd use my old Walkman, I'm sure it still works."
"It might still work, but you'd never find current educational materials. The newer ones are excellent, and are tons more enjoyable."
"Okay then, that might be justifiable. But why the new cell phone?" he asked, pulling his current model out of his pocket, and handed it to her.
"Wow, that thing still works?" she surveyed the older model phone as if she was evaluating a fossil.
"Well, it doesn't hold a charge real well, but I'm usually not anywhere of interest," he trailed off and paused. "Okay, I suppose an upgrade is in order. I suppose you want it to have a speaker so you can hear me gushing to my friends and family too, like on all the television shows now?" She nodded. "Fine, I'll upgrade. But, can you come with me for that, I have no idea what's what now a days." Sukie laughed and agreed. Together they made a shopping list, and she agreed to drive him to the mall. "It's not that I can't drive," started the old man, "but I got rid of the car after Martha passed, I have my groceries delivered, and I only take the bus to the diner once or twice a week, tops. The maintenance and gas cost were just too much, you know?" She nodded and replied, "Well, if you want to take a spin, let me know, and I'm sure we can arrange to get you a little runabout while we're getting you set up today." The old man laughed and shook his head no. "Nah. Today's going to be a fun day, why involve the stress of parking. I figure you let me go to main street, I'll get what I need there, it's where I usually do all my shopping, and later, we'll go to the phone store, and you get me set up with one of those new fangled tricorders they're passing off as phones now."
The old man got up and took the two empty coffee cups to the sink where he rinsed them out, and set them into the small dish drain. He glanced into the garden, then turned to Sukie. "Hmm, I need to find someone to pull those weeds, before it turns into a disaster out there." She stood and looked out the window on the back door. "Your garden is practically perfect, I think a weed would be afraid to even look in there, let alone grow." The old man laughed. "If only that were the truth." he said with a chuckle. "I bet I could get some of the kids Chuck at the music store teaches to pull those weeds." He shrugged, "At least, whats the worst he could say." He carefully dried the dishes and put them away in the cabinets. "Time to get down to business," he said, as he reached for his coat from the back of the kitchen chair. "Your chariot awaits," said Sukie as she pointed in the general direction of her car. Together, they walked down the hallway to the front door. The old man was careful to remember to take the spare set of house keys from the hook when he took his own down. As she went towards the car, he carefully locked the door, making sure everything was just so. When he got into the car, Sukie had it running, and ready to go. Once he got in and buckled up, she pulled away in the direction of the main street shops.
He woke up give minutes before the alarm, but he stayed in bed awake, contemplating the ceiling until the alarm. He silently planned his day. Get up, make toast, read contract, call chuck. Another nice full day, and a guarantee of that for the next 18 months. Not to mention the nice little chunk of change that he coils set aside for the kids.
The alarm rang, it's twin bells signaling the start to another morning. He sat up feeling a little stiff, but he imagined that was part for the course for anyone who had the day that he had. He walked on down to the shower and stuff under the hot steamy water until ha felt his muscles relax, before he dressed and made his way downstairs.
He followed his usual morning routine with a smile that before was such a rarity on his face. He knew that this might be one of the last times he'd get to sit with his coffee and toast before he was ready for a year and a half of adventure. He buttered his toast, and prepared the paper when he remembered about the contract he had to go over. He thought to himself "How much you want to bet there is fine print everywhere all over that thing." He felt lucky that he knew more than a little bit about contracts and the like, having dealt with that nonsense as he liked to call it for most of his adult life. He grabbed the contract, and a red pen from the counter, and sat at the table, toast at the ready for breakfast.
The contract was fairly straight forward, which really surprised the old man. He was expecting to wade through the muck and mire typically seen in contracts such as this, but Ronin was telling the truth, this contract was simply written, and was in his favor as to the benefits. The old man still couldn't believe what they wanted to give him as a stipend, but he would never say no to money that could go to a good cause- namely his children and his favorite charity. As he finished his toast, he read through the contract one last time to make sure he hadn't missed anything. The old man made his way to the desk in his study, contract in one hand, coffee in the other. He sat behind the massive desk that he had taken from his law office before he had closed up shop, and opened the side drawer, removing a small box. He opened the box, and removed a beautifully enameled pen who's colors swirled like the water on a tropical beach. With a flourish, he signed and dated the line with the x on it at the bottom of the form.
He sat back and finished his coffee, thinking about the things that would need to be finished this week before he could start on his bucket list adventures. Taking the pad that had gotten him all this adventure, he began drafting another, but smaller list. In bold writing, he headed the page: Things to Do. He listed who he needed to call, and what had to be done while he was gone. All in all it was a very short list of things. He shrugged as he realized that the act of him doing something to keep him from fading away was a very good thing indeed.
The phone rang, he reached for the receiver and picked it up. Susan was on the line asking what time she should come on by and pick him up. He glanced at the large grandfather clock in the corner, and saw that it was just coming up on eight thirty. "In an hour or so would be more than fine Susan." He practically heard her nodding her head through the wire. "Sir, you can stop calling me Susan, nobody but my mother calls me that, and then, only if she's mad. Call me Sukie, every one else does." The old man laughed at this. "Okay, fine then, but only on one condition," said the old man. "Stop calling me Sir. You're making me feel old, and I don't want to be old anymore. Call me Jim, like everyone else, ok?" It was Sukie's turn to laugh at this. "Okey dokey Jim, roger wilco, I've got it. See you in an hour!" He hung up the phone and stretched.
One hour, he thought to himself. One hour to make all the phone calls he needed. First he called his eldest son, Jim Junior. Briefly he explained the whole story. At the end of it, he son just whistled. "Well, Dad, Geez, you've really gone and done it." his son said, before laughing. They chatted for a few more minutes, his son estatic with his father's good fortune. "As long as you've read through everything thoroughly, I trust your judgement. This will be a very cool thing for the kids to see you doing." After a few more minutes of excited chatter, they said their goodbyes, with the old man promising his son that he'd call every few days to let him know what was going on, and Jim Junior promising to tell his sister the whole story, and that the old man would call her later to elaborate on it all. With a smile on his face, he hung up, and checked off that call on his list.
Next, he picked up the phone and the card Chuck had given him the night before. He called the number, hoping that it wouldn't be too early for him. After the second ring, the phone was answered by a slightly groggy sounding Chuck. "Moore Bettah! You'll find none better than us!" The old man laughed. "Wakey wakey eggs and bakey Chuck!" said the old man.
"Jim! I see you've probably slept in." Chuck started before yawning loudly. "So, tell me, what happened?" The old man told Chuck about the whole of the experience, including his forty-five dollar entree. Jim laughed riotously at the mention of the waiter and the truffles, and congratulated him on accomplishing another item from his bucket list. "What's on the list of things to do today?" He told Chuck about calling his kids, and the call from Sukie. "Sukie now? Wow, that's almost better than being on a first name basis. I love that name, just rolls off your tongue. Sukie. Soo. Kie. I loves it." The two men laughed like teenagers for a few minutes, gossiping like old women until the old man heard a car pull up front. "Hey, Chuck, I need a favor. If I drop by later with a set of my keys, do you mind just checking in on my house from time to time? With all this craziness, I don't know when I'll be in or out, so it'd be nice to know someone was keeping an eye on everything."
"Sure, of course! I don't mind. Drop by any time today, I'll be in the shop. I'll be in the workshop until about noon, so if the door's closed, ring the bell, and I'll come up front for you." As they said their farewells, the doorbell rang. "Coming! Coming!" called the old man as he hung up the phone. He made his way to the front door, checking his appearance in the mirror in the hallway on the way.
He checked out the side window before he opened the door. Sukie was standing there, holding a briefcase. "Hey there Sukie! Good morning! It's good to see you again!" said the old man as he let her in. "Good morning to you too!" she said as she walked into the house. "Wow, nice house you have here," she said as she walked into the living room. "Come into the kitchen, put your stuff down, I'll get you some coffee and we'll go on the grand tour." he said, leading her into the kitchen. As she put her bag and coat down on one of the kitchen table's chairs, he poured the piping hot coffee into a mug. "Cream? Sugar?" he said while waving a shaker of sugar and a container of Cremora at her. She smiled, and replied "One shake of each please," as she walked around the large kitchen.
The kitchen's tile walls and counter were gleaming white, and the floors black and white check were so clean you could invite the Pope over to eat off the floor. The old man met her at the window facing the back yard, and handed her the steaming mug of coffee. She had a sip. "Thank you," she said as she gazed into the garden. She looked at him and said, "Ok, Jim, time for the grand tour, lead the way." The old man chuckled, and waved at her to follow him. From the kitchen, he led her into the living room, pointing at the pictures, and showing her where they were taken. They then walked into the study, where she commented on how beautiful the furniture was, the big desk awing her in its magnificence. Back into the hallway, he led her up the stairs, and showed her the very tastefully decorated guest room, his master bedroom, and then, last, but not least, his den, which he explained was once his son's room, many many years ago, but since he'd moved out, it became a place to put an extra couch and a television. His son, for his last birthday installed surround sound, and a new television. The old man likened it to going to the movies without ever leaving the house, and told Sukie, that his favorite times lately were the Saturday afternoon westerns marathons on the old movies channel, where he'd make some popcorn in the microwave that his son installed on the shelf, and sit and watch movies all day, a lot like in the old days.
"Ok, Sukie, tour's over, time to talk about business," he said, as he motioned for her to follow him back into the kitchen, by way of the study. In the study he picked up the contract, and brought it with them into the kitchen. Once there, he pointed her to the seat next to him while he sat down. He carefully opened and smoothed the contract out on the table. "I've read it over thoroughly, and I was surprised by this contract in a few ways." Sukie tilted her head to the side, "Surprised?" she said.
"Yeah, it confused me because this was the most straight forward contract I've seen in the fifty years I've been involved in contract law. Usually these things are written with so many loopholes, you can sneeze funny and end up hanging yourself. This, instead, it is so straight forward, I'm having a hard time even wrapping my head around it." The old man shrugged.
"Mr. Wong, he's really one for his word. He's big on maintaining that degree of simplicity when he really wants to, and with you, he really wants to. If he didn't want anything to do with you, he'd tell you outright, but he really fell in love with your ideas." It was her turn to shrug, "I guess there is one truthful and honest person in business today, and I think he's it." She chuckled at the thought. "You signed it?" she asked.
"Yep, last page, bottom." He handed her the contract, and she slipped it into the briefcase before he continued, "So, what now?" he asked.
"Now, we figure out an itinerary. Mr. Wong basically set up our expense account to be nearly limitless, but, he's asked us to try not to spend it all in one place, as he's so fond of saying. What we should do, is to make sure your paperwork, including passport are up to date, and if they're not, we can get them up to spec today. Also, we can figure out what we will do, and where we will do it." The old man smiled and nodded as she continued, "I was thinking we'll make a list of some of the major states and cities you specify- New York City, Hawaii, Venice, Orlando, Alaska, so on and so forth and work with them, making a list radially outward, within driving distance of things we can do."
"Hey! I have an idea- I have a couple of globes that we can use to mark out where we're going, you know, with those push pins, and what we're doing or something. It'll help put it in perspective, and I bet it'll be a great TV prop."
"Great idea. First the lists, and then the globe." Together they went through the old mans travel paperwork. His passport was still valid, was one major weight off Sukie's shoulders. "You know, Sukie, I haven't looked at this thing in quite a while, I think the last time I used it was when me and Martha went to Niagara, maybe two years ago." At the thought of the memory, he smiled, "I bet Martha would get a kick out of this. I don't think she'd be happy watching me fester here like I've been doing." The old man cast his gaze down into his coffee, a look of sadness in his eyes.
"Jim, you're probably right." she said, as she put her hand on his shoulder. "I imagine she probably always wanted whats best for you, we women tend to do that for the men we love, and I know she must have loved you a whole lot!" Sukie affirmed, just before giving him a big hug. "Okay, back to business you big mush, or you'll have me crying in my coffee." They both laughed, and continued going over the list of things to do.
About an hour later, they had a very basic itinerary put together. They would start nearby and start working their way out and across the country, east coast to west coast, moving in that general direction around the world until they were back home. The old man's excitement was palpable as they went over the list. He crudely drew a map of the United States, and put little stars and a line showing their planned path across the country. While the old man was doodling on his paper, Sukie started a rough time line of where she thought they'd be and when they would be there. Her basic time line put them at just under a year, but she knew that with delays, periods of rest, and other things going on at once, fifteen months was a more reasonable estimate, with enough buffer to make her more comfortable. The planning phase was nearly over, and she looked up at the old man.
"So, when do you want to start?" she asked. He looked up from his map, with a blank look. "Oh, started." he shook his head to clear the cobwebs. "Okay, how does as soon as possible sound? What's good for you?" he asked.
"Well, looking at this, it'll take us a little more than a year, but less than a year and a half, going at a nice relaxed pace to hit all our objectives. It'll take me a day to secure our transportation and first flight out, and, I think tomorrow would be a great day to get going. We could get Mike in here early, shoot some video of us starting, and getting you on your way."
"Excellent, that will give me a little time today to pack, and provision, and tie up a few loose ends before we go." said the old man, who was thinking of the little list of things he had left to finish today.
"Great, oh, and I forgot to give you something earlier." Sukie said while digging through her briefcase. The old man looked at her quizzically. "Mr. Wong wanted to make sure you had everything you needed on this trip, so as per the part in the contract about traveling expenses, he wanted to make sure you got this." She found the small envelope she was looking for and passed it to the old man. He peeped inside, and pulled out a small credit card, to which a post-it note had been attached. It read: "Jim, for your personal expenses for this trip. Have a great time! --Ronin." The old man was taken aback. "I thought traveling expenses meant hotel, and tips." Sukie nodded, and said, "Yeah, it means that, and in a traditional business rider, that would be about right, except that this is a television production." She paused and pulled out a small pad from the briefcase, flipped it open, and cleared her throat. "We'd like you to have a means of communication with your family, ie. a newer cellular phone, any clothing and toiletries you may need, including ones necessary for hot and cold environments, Devices for entertainment, including books, games, iPod, et al."
"A black credit card?" he said, as he flipped it over in his hand a few times. There was no detail on the card, except for only the small hologram and bank logo on the front alongside the raised numbers."
"It's kinda like a platinum card but better. We joke around at work and call it the unobtainium card."
"So," the old man lingered on the word trying on his next sentence in his head. "So, basically, I get to go shopping, all expenses paid, to fill in my wardrobe, and buy toys?" Sukie smiled. "Yep. And, he wanted to make sure you were entertained the whole time, especially considering that travel can be rather boring at times. That's why he suggests the iPod, so on long trips, you have some movies to watch or music to listen to, or even." Sukie paused to build suspense.
"What? What is it?" asked the old man, who was very intrigued.
"Foreign language learning tapes."
"Whoa? I though I'd use my old Walkman, I'm sure it still works."
"It might still work, but you'd never find current educational materials. The newer ones are excellent, and are tons more enjoyable."
"Okay then, that might be justifiable. But why the new cell phone?" he asked, pulling his current model out of his pocket, and handed it to her.
"Wow, that thing still works?" she surveyed the older model phone as if she was evaluating a fossil.
"Well, it doesn't hold a charge real well, but I'm usually not anywhere of interest," he trailed off and paused. "Okay, I suppose an upgrade is in order. I suppose you want it to have a speaker so you can hear me gushing to my friends and family too, like on all the television shows now?" She nodded. "Fine, I'll upgrade. But, can you come with me for that, I have no idea what's what now a days." Sukie laughed and agreed. Together they made a shopping list, and she agreed to drive him to the mall. "It's not that I can't drive," started the old man, "but I got rid of the car after Martha passed, I have my groceries delivered, and I only take the bus to the diner once or twice a week, tops. The maintenance and gas cost were just too much, you know?" She nodded and replied, "Well, if you want to take a spin, let me know, and I'm sure we can arrange to get you a little runabout while we're getting you set up today." The old man laughed and shook his head no. "Nah. Today's going to be a fun day, why involve the stress of parking. I figure you let me go to main street, I'll get what I need there, it's where I usually do all my shopping, and later, we'll go to the phone store, and you get me set up with one of those new fangled tricorders they're passing off as phones now."
The old man got up and took the two empty coffee cups to the sink where he rinsed them out, and set them into the small dish drain. He glanced into the garden, then turned to Sukie. "Hmm, I need to find someone to pull those weeds, before it turns into a disaster out there." She stood and looked out the window on the back door. "Your garden is practically perfect, I think a weed would be afraid to even look in there, let alone grow." The old man laughed. "If only that were the truth." he said with a chuckle. "I bet I could get some of the kids Chuck at the music store teaches to pull those weeds." He shrugged, "At least, whats the worst he could say." He carefully dried the dishes and put them away in the cabinets. "Time to get down to business," he said, as he reached for his coat from the back of the kitchen chair. "Your chariot awaits," said Sukie as she pointed in the general direction of her car. Together, they walked down the hallway to the front door. The old man was careful to remember to take the spare set of house keys from the hook when he took his own down. As she went towards the car, he carefully locked the door, making sure everything was just so. When he got into the car, Sukie had it running, and ready to go. Once he got in and buckled up, she pulled away in the direction of the main street shops.
Friday, November 5, 2010
All of chapter 5.
Chapter 5
The old man walked into the restaurant with a smile on his face, and pep in his step. He walked inside and looked around. "Pretty Snazzy," he thought to himself. The waiters were all dressed in tuxedos, and everything was so prim and proper, he thought that if he leaned the wrong way on one of the napkin folds he'd cut himself right in two. He made his way to the hostess' podium and waited patiently to be greeted.
An extremely posh looking woman glided up to the podium, and politely asked, if she could assist the old man in any way. He smiled and told her the name of the television manager. She nodded, and asked him to follow her to his table. The old man felt somewhat under dressed, but rationalized it to himself by saying "The television people want to meet me, not some gussied up old fogie who doesn't know who he is. This morning I may have been that fogie, but tonight I'm me again!" The hostess ushered him to his seat without difficulty. The television manager and Susan stood at his arrival.
"Sir, it's a pleasure to see you again," started Susan as she shook the old man's hand. "And, sir, I'd like you to meet Mr. Wong, he's the national manager to our parent station." They shook hands and sat down. A tuxedo'd waiter came and took their drink orders. After their orders had been filled, Mr. Wong cleared his throat and raised his glass, Susan and the old man followed suit, "To our goals, and how we accomplish them." The old man nervously nodded and had a sip of his water.
"I was in town this week, and I've heard about your story from Susan's manager, who was as intrigued as I am over your story. I have to say, it is a very brave thing that you are doing."
"Thank you sir," stammered the old man. Mr. Wong smiled and replied, "Please, call me Ronin, we're friend's here, and I sincerely mean that."
"Thank you, Ronin, and I don't think I'm as brave as you think I am."
"Many people would have curled up and called it a day. You, though, you didn't. That's what got me. Hearing that you accomplished your goals, even on such a small level as you've done, filled me with pride and a desire to see what you can do, and we want to help you make your goals happen" Another waiter came by, and asked for their orders. "Please, sir, please feel free to order whatever you'd like, this is to be a celebration!"
Ronin and Susan placed their orders. The old man re-evaluated the menu, before showing a blinding smile. "I'll have the Costoletta di Vitello alla Giuseppe con i funghi trifolati, if you please." Ronin smiled and nodded. "You're a man of discerning tastes. Not bad."
"Actually," he replied, "It's number twenty-three on my list of things to do. I hope I haven't overstepped my bounds." Ronin laughed. "I have got to see this list." The old man carefully removed the list from his blazer's breast pocket. He unfolded it and handed it to Ronin who poured over it carefully for the next few minutes.
"Well. I do have to say, you certainly have a diverse list of things to do here. Some are simple, and others are incredibly complex. I think this will work out quite well. The plan is a reality show venture. Nothing scripted, just a camera following you as you accomplish your goals. Consider your budget effectively infinite, heh, you can go anywhere, and do anything legal. We'd televise you weekly, of you going to your destination, and meeting your goals. We think that the public would enjoy this moreso than over-privileged over-moneyed teenagers and young twenty year olds who know nothing but to get into trouble. You're someone the world can get behind, that they can cheer for, and we'd like to have you in our employ.
The old man's eyes lit up, he felt as if the heavens above were smiling on him. "Wow, Mr. Wong, er, Ronin, sir, this arrangement is extraordinary, but, it seems almost too good to be true. There has got to be a catch."
"Ronin looked at him and smiled. "Aside from being on television, we're going to want you to take one of my other employees with you, who's already comfortable on camera, and is exceptionally skilled, and knows how to get information into the right peoples hands in a very speedy and effective manner." With a tilt of his head, he pointed at Susan. "I'd like Sukie here to go with you, and be your field producer." Susan's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "Me? Go with? You mean it?" she stammered.
"Yes you," he said with a chuckle. "Without you, he'd be wandering around town, catching the bus from place to place, and nobody would know his story. I can't think of anyone better. I think your usual camera man, whats his name- Blunt, Grunt, Cu.." Susan interrupted, "Hunt, Mike Hunt!" "Yes, that's our man. You two do so well together, I saw the bit part from the guitar store. Very impressive, You will have to work together on this, and I think it will work splendidly."
At that moment, the food decided to come. An enormous steak was set in front of Ronin, A artfully decorated chicken breast sat in front of Susan. They needed a separate waiter to bring out the old man's food. A delicately seared lamb chop atop a mound of braised greens and onions, which were smothering a small mountain of roasted garlic mashed potatoes. The waiter set the enormous plate in front of the old man, and freshly shaved a small mountain of fresh black truffles on top. The scent was absolutely heavenly. The trio ate in silence for a few minutes before continuing discussions.
"We're offering you airfare and travel accommodations to all your destinations, room and board, full medical- including eyeglasses and dental if you need it, and a moderate stipend to cover your personal expenses." Ronin wrote a number on a small pad and passed it to the old man. His jaw dropped, and his mouth went dry. A small croak escaped from his lips.
"It's not enough? I'm sure I can convince the powers that be to make the stipend larger if you want."
"No, no, not that. This number, it's a comma here, not a decimal point?"
"Yes."
"My goodness, this is four times my pension and social security combined."
"Well, we want you to be able to participate comfortably, we want money to be no object for you when you're with us."
"Wow." The old man took a sip from his water. "Would I be able to give some, er, most of this to my kids? Could I donate some to a charity if I wanted?"
"Of course, it's your money- We don't advise using it to warm your house in the winter though, that's a bit much even for us." he laughed.
"Wow."
"The only other stipulation is that we'd like you to hit your 100th goal within the next 18 to 24 months. Mike and Susan will be with you from when you wake to when you sleep, but they'll aim to be fairly unobtrusive unless you ask for help. We really do want to see your dreams happen."
"I'm guessing but I bet you have the contract with you?"
"Of course, and it's waiting for your signature."
"Is it okay if I read it first? I just want to look at all the fine print."
"Yes, definitely-- if you want we can leave it with you overnight, and you can return it to Susan in the morning."
"That would be amazing, thank you so much for this opportunity Ronin, with this, you're helping many more people than just me." said the old man, a tear coming to his eye.
The trio sat and finished their meals with small talk, and chatter about the different locales he wanted to visit. For dessert they sipped at their espresso, and nibbled on biscotti until they were so stuffed, they all felt as if they needed to be rolled out. The left the table together, and the hostess thanked them for eating at this restaurant. Ronin's driver pulled up and whisked him away. The old man and Susan waved farewell to the limo that was driving away into the distance.
"Susan! Susan! You did it!" yelled the old man, who broke into another rendition of the jitterbug, so jovial, Susan couldn't help but to join in. They then hugged and hopped up and down like teenage girls. "We did it! We did it!" they cried.
"Oh, jeez, I forgot to call a cab from inside, Susan, I'll be but a minute," the old man said as he started to turn to go back inside.
Sue grabbed him gently by the shoulder. "I don't think so Old Man," she started. "I'm driving." He laughed at her demeanor. "Ok, lady, your wish is my command." Together they piled into Susan's old car, and they headed off in the darkness towards his house. He navigated as she drove, and they made it to his home in record time. She stayed until she saw him walk up into the house, and watched him wave goodbye to her from the nearby window.
The old man Whooped and cheered again before taking the stairs up to his room. He had not expected to return tonight. He thought he'd be on the last bus to nowhere. A hot shower, his own pajamas, and his own bed were eagerly anticipated. As he walked by the bureau, he picked up the framed photo of Martha.
"Mama, we did it. I was scared, but I saw you smile at me, I knew I could do it then. Thank you so much. I'm doing this for you, all the things we should have done together, but just didn't get to. It's all for you!. Tears streamed down the old mans face. Gingerly he kissed the glass of the frame before setting it down in its usual place. "I'm going to take you with me everywhere I go, I promise, I won't leave you behind."
The old man lay down on the bed, and set the alarm before he snuggled himself under the sheets. He drifted off to sleep the instant his head hit the pillow, and he had the best night's rest he had in the longest while.
The old man walked into the restaurant with a smile on his face, and pep in his step. He walked inside and looked around. "Pretty Snazzy," he thought to himself. The waiters were all dressed in tuxedos, and everything was so prim and proper, he thought that if he leaned the wrong way on one of the napkin folds he'd cut himself right in two. He made his way to the hostess' podium and waited patiently to be greeted.
An extremely posh looking woman glided up to the podium, and politely asked, if she could assist the old man in any way. He smiled and told her the name of the television manager. She nodded, and asked him to follow her to his table. The old man felt somewhat under dressed, but rationalized it to himself by saying "The television people want to meet me, not some gussied up old fogie who doesn't know who he is. This morning I may have been that fogie, but tonight I'm me again!" The hostess ushered him to his seat without difficulty. The television manager and Susan stood at his arrival.
"Sir, it's a pleasure to see you again," started Susan as she shook the old man's hand. "And, sir, I'd like you to meet Mr. Wong, he's the national manager to our parent station." They shook hands and sat down. A tuxedo'd waiter came and took their drink orders. After their orders had been filled, Mr. Wong cleared his throat and raised his glass, Susan and the old man followed suit, "To our goals, and how we accomplish them." The old man nervously nodded and had a sip of his water.
"I was in town this week, and I've heard about your story from Susan's manager, who was as intrigued as I am over your story. I have to say, it is a very brave thing that you are doing."
"Thank you sir," stammered the old man. Mr. Wong smiled and replied, "Please, call me Ronin, we're friend's here, and I sincerely mean that."
"Thank you, Ronin, and I don't think I'm as brave as you think I am."
"Many people would have curled up and called it a day. You, though, you didn't. That's what got me. Hearing that you accomplished your goals, even on such a small level as you've done, filled me with pride and a desire to see what you can do, and we want to help you make your goals happen" Another waiter came by, and asked for their orders. "Please, sir, please feel free to order whatever you'd like, this is to be a celebration!"
Ronin and Susan placed their orders. The old man re-evaluated the menu, before showing a blinding smile. "I'll have the Costoletta di Vitello alla Giuseppe con i funghi trifolati, if you please." Ronin smiled and nodded. "You're a man of discerning tastes. Not bad."
"Actually," he replied, "It's number twenty-three on my list of things to do. I hope I haven't overstepped my bounds." Ronin laughed. "I have got to see this list." The old man carefully removed the list from his blazer's breast pocket. He unfolded it and handed it to Ronin who poured over it carefully for the next few minutes.
"Well. I do have to say, you certainly have a diverse list of things to do here. Some are simple, and others are incredibly complex. I think this will work out quite well. The plan is a reality show venture. Nothing scripted, just a camera following you as you accomplish your goals. Consider your budget effectively infinite, heh, you can go anywhere, and do anything legal. We'd televise you weekly, of you going to your destination, and meeting your goals. We think that the public would enjoy this moreso than over-privileged over-moneyed teenagers and young twenty year olds who know nothing but to get into trouble. You're someone the world can get behind, that they can cheer for, and we'd like to have you in our employ.
The old man's eyes lit up, he felt as if the heavens above were smiling on him. "Wow, Mr. Wong, er, Ronin, sir, this arrangement is extraordinary, but, it seems almost too good to be true. There has got to be a catch."
"Ronin looked at him and smiled. "Aside from being on television, we're going to want you to take one of my other employees with you, who's already comfortable on camera, and is exceptionally skilled, and knows how to get information into the right peoples hands in a very speedy and effective manner." With a tilt of his head, he pointed at Susan. "I'd like Sukie here to go with you, and be your field producer." Susan's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "Me? Go with? You mean it?" she stammered.
"Yes you," he said with a chuckle. "Without you, he'd be wandering around town, catching the bus from place to place, and nobody would know his story. I can't think of anyone better. I think your usual camera man, whats his name- Blunt, Grunt, Cu.." Susan interrupted, "Hunt, Mike Hunt!" "Yes, that's our man. You two do so well together, I saw the bit part from the guitar store. Very impressive, You will have to work together on this, and I think it will work splendidly."
At that moment, the food decided to come. An enormous steak was set in front of Ronin, A artfully decorated chicken breast sat in front of Susan. They needed a separate waiter to bring out the old man's food. A delicately seared lamb chop atop a mound of braised greens and onions, which were smothering a small mountain of roasted garlic mashed potatoes. The waiter set the enormous plate in front of the old man, and freshly shaved a small mountain of fresh black truffles on top. The scent was absolutely heavenly. The trio ate in silence for a few minutes before continuing discussions.
"We're offering you airfare and travel accommodations to all your destinations, room and board, full medical- including eyeglasses and dental if you need it, and a moderate stipend to cover your personal expenses." Ronin wrote a number on a small pad and passed it to the old man. His jaw dropped, and his mouth went dry. A small croak escaped from his lips.
"It's not enough? I'm sure I can convince the powers that be to make the stipend larger if you want."
"No, no, not that. This number, it's a comma here, not a decimal point?"
"Yes."
"My goodness, this is four times my pension and social security combined."
"Well, we want you to be able to participate comfortably, we want money to be no object for you when you're with us."
"Wow." The old man took a sip from his water. "Would I be able to give some, er, most of this to my kids? Could I donate some to a charity if I wanted?"
"Of course, it's your money- We don't advise using it to warm your house in the winter though, that's a bit much even for us." he laughed.
"Wow."
"The only other stipulation is that we'd like you to hit your 100th goal within the next 18 to 24 months. Mike and Susan will be with you from when you wake to when you sleep, but they'll aim to be fairly unobtrusive unless you ask for help. We really do want to see your dreams happen."
"I'm guessing but I bet you have the contract with you?"
"Of course, and it's waiting for your signature."
"Is it okay if I read it first? I just want to look at all the fine print."
"Yes, definitely-- if you want we can leave it with you overnight, and you can return it to Susan in the morning."
"That would be amazing, thank you so much for this opportunity Ronin, with this, you're helping many more people than just me." said the old man, a tear coming to his eye.
The trio sat and finished their meals with small talk, and chatter about the different locales he wanted to visit. For dessert they sipped at their espresso, and nibbled on biscotti until they were so stuffed, they all felt as if they needed to be rolled out. The left the table together, and the hostess thanked them for eating at this restaurant. Ronin's driver pulled up and whisked him away. The old man and Susan waved farewell to the limo that was driving away into the distance.
"Susan! Susan! You did it!" yelled the old man, who broke into another rendition of the jitterbug, so jovial, Susan couldn't help but to join in. They then hugged and hopped up and down like teenage girls. "We did it! We did it!" they cried.
"Oh, jeez, I forgot to call a cab from inside, Susan, I'll be but a minute," the old man said as he started to turn to go back inside.
Sue grabbed him gently by the shoulder. "I don't think so Old Man," she started. "I'm driving." He laughed at her demeanor. "Ok, lady, your wish is my command." Together they piled into Susan's old car, and they headed off in the darkness towards his house. He navigated as she drove, and they made it to his home in record time. She stayed until she saw him walk up into the house, and watched him wave goodbye to her from the nearby window.
The old man Whooped and cheered again before taking the stairs up to his room. He had not expected to return tonight. He thought he'd be on the last bus to nowhere. A hot shower, his own pajamas, and his own bed were eagerly anticipated. As he walked by the bureau, he picked up the framed photo of Martha.
"Mama, we did it. I was scared, but I saw you smile at me, I knew I could do it then. Thank you so much. I'm doing this for you, all the things we should have done together, but just didn't get to. It's all for you!. Tears streamed down the old mans face. Gingerly he kissed the glass of the frame before setting it down in its usual place. "I'm going to take you with me everywhere I go, I promise, I won't leave you behind."
The old man lay down on the bed, and set the alarm before he snuggled himself under the sheets. He drifted off to sleep the instant his head hit the pillow, and he had the best night's rest he had in the longest while.
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Sure enough, the dance studio was directly next door. The old man thought that this was indeed going to be a great day he thought as he smiled and pushed open the door which chimed softly at his entrance. The dance studio was a large open room, with wooden floors, and a large mirror along the wall. The lights were dim, and the place seemed deserted. He walked slowly to a door in the back that was slightly ajar. A sign that read "Angela's office" hung just above the door.
The old man knocked gently at the door. "Excuse me, is anyone in?" he called out.
"Sure, I'm sorry, I didn't hear you!" A young woman's voice called from inside the office. "Come on in, its open!"
The old man pushed open the door. The office was small, and very pink. In the rear of the office, near a smaller mirror, a young woman wearing a black leotard and pink tights was practicing her ballet technique. Her iPod was attached to her arm, but she had taken out her headphones upon hearing the old man's arrival. She finished up her routine, and then turned and courtseyed at the old man.
"I do apologise for keeping you waiting. I was just practicing what I'm going to be teaching the girls tonight." He smiled at her and nodded. "So, What can I do for you sir?" she said with a smile.
"Your brother sent me, from next door-- he told me you teach a hula hoop class?"
"Ah, Hoopin' for life, its one of our newer programs, Monday, Wedensday, and Friday's at eight p.m. sharp. It's really a lot of fun. Are you interested in a gift certificate to one of my classes?"
"Oh no, I'm actually interested in attending maybe one day." The young woman looked at him in disbelief.
"Hula? You?" The old man nodded, and replied, "Learning to hula hoop is one of my goals-- its on my list, and your brother Bill helped me to do it! It was entirely too much fun, and I think he liked it as much as I did." A big smile stretched across his face.
"Billy... taught you to hoop? Wow! I knew it, he's such a bugger, talking about how girly it is. Don't tell him, but I saw him hooping in the back yard yesterday from my window. Boys, you know." They laughed and smiled. "Well, The classes are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at eight o'clock, they're very popular, so we advise folk to get here a few minutes early, if you want to come to tonight's class, I'll be very sure to hold a spot for you!"
"That would be lovely, but it might be a little late for me, I'm trying to recover from feeling very old. Hey, I was wondering, what other kinds of dance do you teach here?"
"I teach the ballet and fitness classes, my mom though, she teaches the Latin, and Ballroom classes in the early afternoons."
"Latin?" he said questioningly
"You know, the Tango, and the Cha-Cha, and the Rumba. She'll be in around about one if you want to talk to her, I've a feeling she'd really like you."
"Wow, dance lessons! I've always wanted to learn the Tango. Thank you miss! I'll certainly be back, it's pretty early yet, I can get some other things on my list done today."
"Please, Call me Angie, everyone else does, and I look forward to seeing you today.
"Thank's Angie, I'll see you later then!" The old man smiled and shook Angie's hand. She walked him to the door, and smiled as she held it open for him. She waved at him as he left, walking further down the block.
----------
The old man walked down a few more doors until he saw a small diner. The flashing neon sign blinked its familiar "Eat at Joes". The old man walked into the open door, and deeply inhaled the scent of bacon, hamburgers and freshly brewed coffee. The Hostess smiled as she saw him enter. "Sir! How great it is to see you again, we were thinking of you, we haven't seen you in so long!"
"Well, I thought today was as good as any for a change of pace," he said, smiling broadly.
"Let me get you to a table, and get you a cup of coffee, here, follow me." She grabbed a menu, and led him to a small booth up near the counter.
"Actually, do you mind if I sit at the counter today? It's only me, and I'm interested in watching Henry cook, I've always found it fascenating."
"Sure thing!" she said, as she placed the menu up on the counter by one of the red vinyl topped stools.
"Sitting here reminds me of when I was a young man, up at the soda fountain that used to be across the street. We'd sit and wile away the afternoons." The hostess nodded and smiled at him. Another few people had trickled in and were standing by the hostess stand. "Alrighty then young lady, I'll let you to your work."
The hostess smiled her thanks, and resumed her duties seating people. Moments later, Henry turned around from his hot plate and poured the old man a cup of coffee.
"Freshly brewed, just for you!" he said with a smile as he sat the cup down in front of him. "Milk, Cream? The sugar's right in the shaker container there," Henry pointed to a metal topped glass canister off to the side.
"Just some cream, if you please." Henry reached under the counter and rummaged around until he found a small pitcher of cream, and he placed it onto the counter in front of the old man before returning to tend his hot griddle.
The old man took his list out of his pocket and carefully unfolded it. With a pen, he checked off the first item, "Learn to hula hoop." He read down the rest of the list, and was thinking about how much was left to do. If the first item was that easy, the rest couldn't be that bad he thought. Henry turned and looked at the list on the counter, before asking "What's that?"
"It's one of those crazy bunch of stuff to do before you croak lists. I figured that I'd better get started because I have no idea how much time I have left."
"Hmm, I've always thought of making a bucket list too. I'm afraid though that once I get it all done, what else is there, you know?"
"At this point in my life, the 'what else is there' came before the list. I think sitting with nothing to do made me old." The old man looked wistfully into the distance, "You know me how long now, I was never an old man until Martha passed."
"So, Henry," started the old man, "how did you ever get into doing this?" The old man gestured at the stove.
"Well, you remember Joe, the man who used to run this place?" The old man nodded affirmative. "His son Little Joe wanted nothing to do with this. It nearly broke Big Joe's heart. Now, when I was younger, I was a dishwasher in the back, but whenever I wasn't washing dishes, I was watching the old man do his thing. Prepping all the food in the morning, cooking the food all day and afternoon. It was absolutely enchanting to me, watching him do all this amazing stuff. I thought it was an honor just to watch him do this thing. Then, one day, Big Joe, he said to me- 'Hey Henry, you wanna go ahead and peel me some potatoes? The whole bag now,' and that's how it started. First the potatoes, then carrots. It started with prepping the food all morning, and washing dishes all afternoon." Henry turned and flipped some pancakes before continuing.
"Then, one day, this new kid comes in and starts washing the dishes. I was all worried, I thought, 'What did I do wrong?' I mean, I seriously though I was in the process of losing my job. Big Joe just laughed at me and told me he was giving me a real promotion, raise and all. He was going to teach me how to manage the kitchen, and all that came with it. Turns out there's a lot more involved than just standing here and looking cute." The cook turned and put some food on a few plates. He placed the plates on a warm spot on the counter and rung a little bell. "Order up!"
"Anyway, so I learned real good, and I took over when Big Joe retired. Right now, Little Joe runs the Art Gallery, Big Joe's in Boca Raton, enjoying the warm weather, and I'm here doing what I love." The old man raised his cup in a toast and smiled.
"Life's good, ain't it?" said Henry, to which the old man replied "Yep. It's getting better every day." The old man finished the last of his coffee and placed the empty cup on the counter. He started to reach into his back pocket, when he was interrupted by the cook. "On the house, sir. Listening to my story is price enough for me." The old man laughed, and rummaged in his wallet for some money. "Thanks Henry, You don't take it then, you leave it for the pretty girl up in the front. Henry laughed, "Hey, she really is the prettiest girl in town! That's why she's my wife, and only the good lord knows why she puts up with me." The hostess turned around and blew a big kiss at him.
The old man smiled as he placed the money under his coffee cup. "You two go and have a nice day now. I'm off to see just how much trouble I can get into today." The old man giggled as he left.
Sure enough, the dance studio was directly next door. The old man thought that this was indeed going to be a great day he thought as he smiled and pushed open the door which chimed softly at his entrance. The dance studio was a large open room, with wooden floors, and a large mirror along the wall. The lights were dim, and the place seemed deserted. He walked slowly to a door in the back that was slightly ajar. A sign that read "Angela's office" hung just above the door.
The old man knocked gently at the door. "Excuse me, is anyone in?" he called out.
"Sure, I'm sorry, I didn't hear you!" A young woman's voice called from inside the office. "Come on in, its open!"
The old man pushed open the door. The office was small, and very pink. In the rear of the office, near a smaller mirror, a young woman wearing a black leotard and pink tights was practicing her ballet technique. Her iPod was attached to her arm, but she had taken out her headphones upon hearing the old man's arrival. She finished up her routine, and then turned and courtseyed at the old man.
"I do apologise for keeping you waiting. I was just practicing what I'm going to be teaching the girls tonight." He smiled at her and nodded. "So, What can I do for you sir?" she said with a smile.
"Your brother sent me, from next door-- he told me you teach a hula hoop class?"
"Ah, Hoopin' for life, its one of our newer programs, Monday, Wedensday, and Friday's at eight p.m. sharp. It's really a lot of fun. Are you interested in a gift certificate to one of my classes?"
"Oh no, I'm actually interested in attending maybe one day." The young woman looked at him in disbelief.
"Hula? You?" The old man nodded, and replied, "Learning to hula hoop is one of my goals-- its on my list, and your brother Bill helped me to do it! It was entirely too much fun, and I think he liked it as much as I did." A big smile stretched across his face.
"Billy... taught you to hoop? Wow! I knew it, he's such a bugger, talking about how girly it is. Don't tell him, but I saw him hooping in the back yard yesterday from my window. Boys, you know." They laughed and smiled. "Well, The classes are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at eight o'clock, they're very popular, so we advise folk to get here a few minutes early, if you want to come to tonight's class, I'll be very sure to hold a spot for you!"
"That would be lovely, but it might be a little late for me, I'm trying to recover from feeling very old. Hey, I was wondering, what other kinds of dance do you teach here?"
"I teach the ballet and fitness classes, my mom though, she teaches the Latin, and Ballroom classes in the early afternoons."
"Latin?" he said questioningly
"You know, the Tango, and the Cha-Cha, and the Rumba. She'll be in around about one if you want to talk to her, I've a feeling she'd really like you."
"Wow, dance lessons! I've always wanted to learn the Tango. Thank you miss! I'll certainly be back, it's pretty early yet, I can get some other things on my list done today."
"Please, Call me Angie, everyone else does, and I look forward to seeing you today.
"Thank's Angie, I'll see you later then!" The old man smiled and shook Angie's hand. She walked him to the door, and smiled as she held it open for him. She waved at him as he left, walking further down the block.
----------
The old man walked down a few more doors until he saw a small diner. The flashing neon sign blinked its familiar "Eat at Joes". The old man walked into the open door, and deeply inhaled the scent of bacon, hamburgers and freshly brewed coffee. The Hostess smiled as she saw him enter. "Sir! How great it is to see you again, we were thinking of you, we haven't seen you in so long!"
"Well, I thought today was as good as any for a change of pace," he said, smiling broadly.
"Let me get you to a table, and get you a cup of coffee, here, follow me." She grabbed a menu, and led him to a small booth up near the counter.
"Actually, do you mind if I sit at the counter today? It's only me, and I'm interested in watching Henry cook, I've always found it fascenating."
"Sure thing!" she said, as she placed the menu up on the counter by one of the red vinyl topped stools.
"Sitting here reminds me of when I was a young man, up at the soda fountain that used to be across the street. We'd sit and wile away the afternoons." The hostess nodded and smiled at him. Another few people had trickled in and were standing by the hostess stand. "Alrighty then young lady, I'll let you to your work."
The hostess smiled her thanks, and resumed her duties seating people. Moments later, Henry turned around from his hot plate and poured the old man a cup of coffee.
"Freshly brewed, just for you!" he said with a smile as he sat the cup down in front of him. "Milk, Cream? The sugar's right in the shaker container there," Henry pointed to a metal topped glass canister off to the side.
"Just some cream, if you please." Henry reached under the counter and rummaged around until he found a small pitcher of cream, and he placed it onto the counter in front of the old man before returning to tend his hot griddle.
The old man took his list out of his pocket and carefully unfolded it. With a pen, he checked off the first item, "Learn to hula hoop." He read down the rest of the list, and was thinking about how much was left to do. If the first item was that easy, the rest couldn't be that bad he thought. Henry turned and looked at the list on the counter, before asking "What's that?"
"It's one of those crazy bunch of stuff to do before you croak lists. I figured that I'd better get started because I have no idea how much time I have left."
"Hmm, I've always thought of making a bucket list too. I'm afraid though that once I get it all done, what else is there, you know?"
"At this point in my life, the 'what else is there' came before the list. I think sitting with nothing to do made me old." The old man looked wistfully into the distance, "You know me how long now, I was never an old man until Martha passed."
"So, Henry," started the old man, "how did you ever get into doing this?" The old man gestured at the stove.
"Well, you remember Joe, the man who used to run this place?" The old man nodded affirmative. "His son Little Joe wanted nothing to do with this. It nearly broke Big Joe's heart. Now, when I was younger, I was a dishwasher in the back, but whenever I wasn't washing dishes, I was watching the old man do his thing. Prepping all the food in the morning, cooking the food all day and afternoon. It was absolutely enchanting to me, watching him do all this amazing stuff. I thought it was an honor just to watch him do this thing. Then, one day, Big Joe, he said to me- 'Hey Henry, you wanna go ahead and peel me some potatoes? The whole bag now,' and that's how it started. First the potatoes, then carrots. It started with prepping the food all morning, and washing dishes all afternoon." Henry turned and flipped some pancakes before continuing.
"Then, one day, this new kid comes in and starts washing the dishes. I was all worried, I thought, 'What did I do wrong?' I mean, I seriously though I was in the process of losing my job. Big Joe just laughed at me and told me he was giving me a real promotion, raise and all. He was going to teach me how to manage the kitchen, and all that came with it. Turns out there's a lot more involved than just standing here and looking cute." The cook turned and put some food on a few plates. He placed the plates on a warm spot on the counter and rung a little bell. "Order up!"
"Anyway, so I learned real good, and I took over when Big Joe retired. Right now, Little Joe runs the Art Gallery, Big Joe's in Boca Raton, enjoying the warm weather, and I'm here doing what I love." The old man raised his cup in a toast and smiled.
"Life's good, ain't it?" said Henry, to which the old man replied "Yep. It's getting better every day." The old man finished the last of his coffee and placed the empty cup on the counter. He started to reach into his back pocket, when he was interrupted by the cook. "On the house, sir. Listening to my story is price enough for me." The old man laughed, and rummaged in his wallet for some money. "Thanks Henry, You don't take it then, you leave it for the pretty girl up in the front. Henry laughed, "Hey, she really is the prettiest girl in town! That's why she's my wife, and only the good lord knows why she puts up with me." The hostess turned around and blew a big kiss at him.
The old man smiled as he placed the money under his coffee cup. "You two go and have a nice day now. I'm off to see just how much trouble I can get into today." The old man giggled as he left.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Goals and the PoHos
Grr... the nano page just told me I'm 4 days behind schedule.. which means I must get my butt onto the writings, but thats ok... i'll catch up...
If I do another 2 to 2.5 k today, I'll be well on my way to catching up... (the trick is getting into the groove.... )
Off for a pedicure with Mom... of course the mobile posting device will be coming along.
If I do another 2 to 2.5 k today, I'll be well on my way to catching up... (the trick is getting into the groove.... )
Todays goal is 2k words... but it'd be nice if I went a little overboard, and got closer to 5k. The PoHos are an amazing source of inspiration-- Lets see how many people I know will sport cameo roles...
Off for a pedicure with Mom... of course the mobile posting device will be coming along.
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
He hadn't felt fear until he left the house. A distinct feeling of "what if I'm doing the wrong thing" flooded his mind. He shook his head, and reminded himself that the first step is always the hardest and that a journey of a thousand miles can only be started by taking the first step. With a shaky breath, he kept putting one foot in front of the other until he got to the bus stop.
He looked down the road and taped his foot impatiently as he waited for the bus to make an appearance. He felt the fear start to rise inside him again, but he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Hey mister!"called a young girl who walked up to him. "Are you okay?" She asked, with a look of concern on her face.
After another steadying breath, he nodded his head. "It's the start to what looks to be a very long day."he said in a soft voice. She smoked at him and replied "Good luck then, hopefully the day will go better then you think,"with a broad smile on her face.
"Your mouth to Gods ear." He said as the bus came to a stop in front of them. With a gentlemanly air, he waved her onth the bus ahead of him. Slowly, he followed her aboard, climbing the steps with creaky knees.
"Hello Mac!" Said the bus driver to the old man. "You're a little early today" he said as the old man slid his metro card into the reader, waiting for the beep. "Just a bit of a to_do list. I figured I'd go ahead and get an early start."
The bus driver grinned broadly at him. "Sounds like my honey-do list. It always seems no matter how early I start I can never get to the end of the darned thing." With his deep voice, the bus driver laughed, and a smile came to the old mans face as he walked to an open seat in the back of the nearly empty bus.
As he sat he felt the paper in his pocket crinkle. He pulled it out and smoothed it in his lap. He looked at the first item on the list, as he debated his first stop. Carefully, he folded the paper again, and placed it into the breast pocket of his courderoy blazer.
The bus pulled onto a street with stores lining both sides. He pulled the cord, and rang the bell to signal the driver to stop. As the bus slowed, the old man stood and walked back to the doors.
"You have a good day now, you hear!" Said the bus driver with a wave. The old man turned and waved from the side walk. "Thanks!"he called out as the doors closed and the bus pulled away.
With a slow but steady pace, he began his journey into the first store he came across. The large red and gold awning was printed with dinosaurs and clowns. The shop windows were lined with balls, teddy bears and dolls dressed in all their best finery. Pulling open the gaily painted door, the old man found himself inside a little family owned toy store.
"Hi sir, can I be of any special assistance to you today?" The young man behind the counter asked.
"I'd like a hula hoop please." He said, speaking more firmly than he'd intended. "For a boy or a girl sir?" Asked the clerk.
Casting his eyes to the floor he whispered, "For me please, I've always wanted to learn but never tried." The clerk smiled as he put his hand on the old mans shoulder. "Hey, don't be embarrassed. I only just learned this past summer myself. My girlfriend finally nagged me enough so I gave in and learned, and llooked the fol till I figured it out." The old man giggled with the clerk as he wiggled around in what was unmistakably poor hula hooping technique.
"Theres a trick to it though. I'll give you my own hoop to borrow. It's a little larger than these kiddy toys and it makes it worlds easier to figure out the motions." The young man ran into the back of the shop and brought back a blue and silver hoop nearly three feet in diameter. "I know it looks huge,.but it really does the trick."
The young man walked to the door and spun the out to lunch sign sound. "lets go into the back yard and give it a spin," he said gesturing for the olds man to follow him behind the counter and out the back door.
Dutifully the olds man followed the younger man to an enclosed patch of grass behind the shop. The young man took a stance in the middle of the yard and swung the hula hoop around himself and began rocking back and forth.
"The trick is to not contort yourself, and to let the hoop do the work. Here, you try! I know you can do it!" The old man took the hoop and imitated the clerks stance. Carefully, he pushed the hoop around his body, and tried to rock to keep it moving. The hoop passed around him three times before ungracefully clattering to the ground. He looked down at the hoop and a wave of depression threatened to wash over him. He stood there for a minute waiting for the young man to start laughing at him, but instead he heard him whoop and clap.
"Whoa! You did better than I did my first try! You've nearly got it. Keep trying! I know you've got it this time!"
Filed with a renewed sense of pride, he tried again. He took the position and gripped the hoop firmly. "One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and time to go!" He said as he pushed the hoop and felt it pass around him. He rocked back and forth feeling the rhythm of the hoop around him. The young man started to cheer loudly, the sound of his cheers and applause filing the old mans heart. Somehow, in that moment,he swore he heard his Martha for but an instant. This is when he realized he was on the right path, that he was doing the right thing for himself. As the hoop passed around him, he started cheering, and the cacophony of the two men could be heard up ange down the whole block.
He deftly caught the hoop as it passed in front of him, and carefully stepped out of it after several minutes of hooping.
"Wow! You really are a natural at this!" Said the young man who was still very much in shock. "If youre interested, my girlfriend teaches a hoop fitness class at the dance studio next door, shes a little more skilled than me, and if you could do that, you'd be a perfect fit there." The old man hanged the enormous hoop to the younger man and they started to walk back inside.
"That might be a possibility, young man. When is the next class?"
"She's between classes now, actually, if you want to go meet her, you can go over and tell her that Billy sent you.I'm sure she'll get a huge kick out of you."
Together they walked to the front door. "Thank you Billy, this has been one of the most interesting mornings I've had in what seems like at least a year."Billy walked the old man back to the door, and they shook hands. "No sir, thank you, you've really made my day!" The old man flipped the out to lunch sign over, then pushed open the door, and continues his journey with a new spring in his step.
He hadn't felt fear until he left the house. A distinct feeling of "what if I'm doing the wrong thing" flooded his mind. He shook his head, and reminded himself that the first step is always the hardest and that a journey of a thousand miles can only be started by taking the first step. With a shaky breath, he kept putting one foot in front of the other until he got to the bus stop.
He looked down the road and taped his foot impatiently as he waited for the bus to make an appearance. He felt the fear start to rise inside him again, but he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Hey mister!"called a young girl who walked up to him. "Are you okay?" She asked, with a look of concern on her face.
After another steadying breath, he nodded his head. "It's the start to what looks to be a very long day."he said in a soft voice. She smoked at him and replied "Good luck then, hopefully the day will go better then you think,"with a broad smile on her face.
"Your mouth to Gods ear." He said as the bus came to a stop in front of them. With a gentlemanly air, he waved her onth the bus ahead of him. Slowly, he followed her aboard, climbing the steps with creaky knees.
"Hello Mac!" Said the bus driver to the old man. "You're a little early today" he said as the old man slid his metro card into the reader, waiting for the beep. "Just a bit of a to_do list. I figured I'd go ahead and get an early start."
The bus driver grinned broadly at him. "Sounds like my honey-do list. It always seems no matter how early I start I can never get to the end of the darned thing." With his deep voice, the bus driver laughed, and a smile came to the old mans face as he walked to an open seat in the back of the nearly empty bus.
As he sat he felt the paper in his pocket crinkle. He pulled it out and smoothed it in his lap. He looked at the first item on the list, as he debated his first stop. Carefully, he folded the paper again, and placed it into the breast pocket of his courderoy blazer.
The bus pulled onto a street with stores lining both sides. He pulled the cord, and rang the bell to signal the driver to stop. As the bus slowed, the old man stood and walked back to the doors.
"You have a good day now, you hear!" Said the bus driver with a wave. The old man turned and waved from the side walk. "Thanks!"he called out as the doors closed and the bus pulled away.
With a slow but steady pace, he began his journey into the first store he came across. The large red and gold awning was printed with dinosaurs and clowns. The shop windows were lined with balls, teddy bears and dolls dressed in all their best finery. Pulling open the gaily painted door, the old man found himself inside a little family owned toy store.
"Hi sir, can I be of any special assistance to you today?" The young man behind the counter asked.
"I'd like a hula hoop please." He said, speaking more firmly than he'd intended. "For a boy or a girl sir?" Asked the clerk.
Casting his eyes to the floor he whispered, "For me please, I've always wanted to learn but never tried." The clerk smiled as he put his hand on the old mans shoulder. "Hey, don't be embarrassed. I only just learned this past summer myself. My girlfriend finally nagged me enough so I gave in and learned, and llooked the fol till I figured it out." The old man giggled with the clerk as he wiggled around in what was unmistakably poor hula hooping technique.
"Theres a trick to it though. I'll give you my own hoop to borrow. It's a little larger than these kiddy toys and it makes it worlds easier to figure out the motions." The young man ran into the back of the shop and brought back a blue and silver hoop nearly three feet in diameter. "I know it looks huge,.but it really does the trick."
The young man walked to the door and spun the out to lunch sign sound. "lets go into the back yard and give it a spin," he said gesturing for the olds man to follow him behind the counter and out the back door.
Dutifully the olds man followed the younger man to an enclosed patch of grass behind the shop. The young man took a stance in the middle of the yard and swung the hula hoop around himself and began rocking back and forth.
"The trick is to not contort yourself, and to let the hoop do the work. Here, you try! I know you can do it!" The old man took the hoop and imitated the clerks stance. Carefully, he pushed the hoop around his body, and tried to rock to keep it moving. The hoop passed around him three times before ungracefully clattering to the ground. He looked down at the hoop and a wave of depression threatened to wash over him. He stood there for a minute waiting for the young man to start laughing at him, but instead he heard him whoop and clap.
"Whoa! You did better than I did my first try! You've nearly got it. Keep trying! I know you've got it this time!"
Filed with a renewed sense of pride, he tried again. He took the position and gripped the hoop firmly. "One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and time to go!" He said as he pushed the hoop and felt it pass around him. He rocked back and forth feeling the rhythm of the hoop around him. The young man started to cheer loudly, the sound of his cheers and applause filing the old mans heart. Somehow, in that moment,he swore he heard his Martha for but an instant. This is when he realized he was on the right path, that he was doing the right thing for himself. As the hoop passed around him, he started cheering, and the cacophony of the two men could be heard up ange down the whole block.
He deftly caught the hoop as it passed in front of him, and carefully stepped out of it after several minutes of hooping.
"Wow! You really are a natural at this!" Said the young man who was still very much in shock. "If youre interested, my girlfriend teaches a hoop fitness class at the dance studio next door, shes a little more skilled than me, and if you could do that, you'd be a perfect fit there." The old man hanged the enormous hoop to the younger man and they started to walk back inside.
"That might be a possibility, young man. When is the next class?"
"She's between classes now, actually, if you want to go meet her, you can go over and tell her that Billy sent you.I'm sure she'll get a huge kick out of you."
Together they walked to the front door. "Thank you Billy, this has been one of the most interesting mornings I've had in what seems like at least a year."Billy walked the old man back to the door, and they shook hands. "No sir, thank you, you've really made my day!" The old man flipped the out to lunch sign over, then pushed open the door, and continues his journey with a new spring in his step.
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Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Prologue
He was a little old man, who lived in a little old house on a little old street, in a little old town; but that wasn't what, where or who he wanted to be. He knew that he was destined for far greater things, but what they were to be was just beyond his grasp. So, he lived his little old life day after day, each day resembling the past in an endless monotonous cycle.
Every day, he was up with the rising sun. Every morning he ate a small breakfast of toast and jam. He read the daily newspaper, making sure to save the crossword puzzle for last. He tended the small garden every day in the early afternoons, and always followed this by lunch on the back porch. Here he watched the day crawl past in its usual way, until get again it was time to prepare his small supper.
He did not ever seem to have an appetite after his Martha passed earlier last year, but he made sure to eat enough each day because its what she would have wanted, and it was his one true pleasure left in life to know that he was doing things that would have made her happy.
He forced himself to smile at her memory. It was hard without her, but he'd certainly proved they he could fend for himself. He hated to admit It, but he was bored.
This was not the type of boredom that resolved by doing the household chores (of which he'd had enough), or by doing the daily crossword puzzle (which he had been doing faithfully since he was a child). It was a boredom that was so all encompassing that the old man did not know what to do. He was truly at his wits end with himself, with life, and with the whole world all around him.
"Something's got to change" he thought to himself. Another day of this monotony would be the end of him, and he knew it.
"Today is the day," he thought as he smiled. "Today is the day everything changes." He suddenly frowned, realizing that he didn't quite know what to do, but it was as good a day as ever to start.
He quietly resumed his breakfast, but did not pick up the newspaper as usual. Instead, he had a yellow legal pad of paper, and quickly began writing, carefully numbering along the left side of the paper. The page was boldly headed: The hundred things I'd like to do before I die. Quickly, he began filling in the list, and had it almost complete before his coffee had gone cold.
The old man carefully assessed his list, before folding it neatly and placing it into his chest pocket. He finished his coffee, and carefully rinsed the cup, saucer, and spoon as always, and placed it gently into the dish rack. He went upstairs to his room, and carefully prepared himself for the day to come. Glancing at the picture of his wife, he shook his head sadly.
"Martha, I know that this is something you probably wouldn't like, but I just can't do it anymore." he whispered as he brushed his fingers against her smiling face. "We'll talk about it later, okay?" He imagined that his neighbors would think him crazy for talking to a photograph, but he made a point to say good morning and good night, and to talk his most important decisions over with her. "I promise honey, I'll be home soon, I could never leave you behind for that long."
Carefully, he packed a small bag of toiletries, and packed a small overnight bag. "It's time. Lets go and do it!" he said to the empty room as he turned and headed to the front door. Grabbing his keys, he carefully locked the door, and with a look of determination, he began the long walk to the corner to catch the bus.
Every day, he was up with the rising sun. Every morning he ate a small breakfast of toast and jam. He read the daily newspaper, making sure to save the crossword puzzle for last. He tended the small garden every day in the early afternoons, and always followed this by lunch on the back porch. Here he watched the day crawl past in its usual way, until get again it was time to prepare his small supper.
He did not ever seem to have an appetite after his Martha passed earlier last year, but he made sure to eat enough each day because its what she would have wanted, and it was his one true pleasure left in life to know that he was doing things that would have made her happy.
He forced himself to smile at her memory. It was hard without her, but he'd certainly proved they he could fend for himself. He hated to admit It, but he was bored.
This was not the type of boredom that resolved by doing the household chores (of which he'd had enough), or by doing the daily crossword puzzle (which he had been doing faithfully since he was a child). It was a boredom that was so all encompassing that the old man did not know what to do. He was truly at his wits end with himself, with life, and with the whole world all around him.
"Something's got to change" he thought to himself. Another day of this monotony would be the end of him, and he knew it.
"Today is the day," he thought as he smiled. "Today is the day everything changes." He suddenly frowned, realizing that he didn't quite know what to do, but it was as good a day as ever to start.
He quietly resumed his breakfast, but did not pick up the newspaper as usual. Instead, he had a yellow legal pad of paper, and quickly began writing, carefully numbering along the left side of the paper. The page was boldly headed: The hundred things I'd like to do before I die. Quickly, he began filling in the list, and had it almost complete before his coffee had gone cold.
The old man carefully assessed his list, before folding it neatly and placing it into his chest pocket. He finished his coffee, and carefully rinsed the cup, saucer, and spoon as always, and placed it gently into the dish rack. He went upstairs to his room, and carefully prepared himself for the day to come. Glancing at the picture of his wife, he shook his head sadly.
"Martha, I know that this is something you probably wouldn't like, but I just can't do it anymore." he whispered as he brushed his fingers against her smiling face. "We'll talk about it later, okay?" He imagined that his neighbors would think him crazy for talking to a photograph, but he made a point to say good morning and good night, and to talk his most important decisions over with her. "I promise honey, I'll be home soon, I could never leave you behind for that long."
Carefully, he packed a small bag of toiletries, and packed a small overnight bag. "It's time. Lets go and do it!" he said to the empty room as he turned and headed to the front door. Grabbing his keys, he carefully locked the door, and with a look of determination, he began the long walk to the corner to catch the bus.
Nanowrimo 2k10
We're gonna try it again folks!
Here's hoping that it goes as smoothly as '07 did, when I won with flying colors, and less like '09, when it beat me with a whoopin' stick.
What's NaNoWrimo, I hear you ask-- ok, in a nutshell, its to write a 50k word novella in the month of November. I've given myself a major hurdle by starting 3 days late, which basically makes my word count per day need to be 1800 instead of 1667. Its a big number, but it's doable.
To reach my goal, I've decided to use my home computer as a base station, and will use my iPod Touch and Samsung Galaxy S phones as mobile input devices. No need to be strapped down to the base like we were in '07. I have good feelings about this year.
I'll post my progress here, as well as whatever else is on my mind.
Good luck to anyone who wants to read this.. odds are it'll be a bit.. ugly before editing.
Love to all.
--Cashew
Here's hoping that it goes as smoothly as '07 did, when I won with flying colors, and less like '09, when it beat me with a whoopin' stick.
What's NaNoWrimo, I hear you ask-- ok, in a nutshell, its to write a 50k word novella in the month of November. I've given myself a major hurdle by starting 3 days late, which basically makes my word count per day need to be 1800 instead of 1667. Its a big number, but it's doable.
To reach my goal, I've decided to use my home computer as a base station, and will use my iPod Touch and Samsung Galaxy S phones as mobile input devices. No need to be strapped down to the base like we were in '07. I have good feelings about this year.
I'll post my progress here, as well as whatever else is on my mind.
Good luck to anyone who wants to read this.. odds are it'll be a bit.. ugly before editing.
Love to all.
--Cashew
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