Break time!

Tonight at seven o'clock I put the finishing touches on Chapter number 30 of my novel about a dog that rescues an alcoholic Army vet.
Only six more to rewrite and edit!

It will probably end up around 300 pages after the last edit by the "professional."

I expect to have my part done by around July the eighth. I would probably get it done next weekend, and I might, if it rains at the shore on the fourth, and I have nothing else to do.

I have been working on it since December and it has been a labor of love, based on a eulogy I wrote for a great dog back in May 2002. It has evolved into something so much more, and my editor and agent are eagerly awaiting the not quite finished project. My weekly meeting to report on my progress and go over the chapters I finished is tomorrow afternoon after work.
In late July I have a test group ready to read it and give input.

It is a work of fiction, but I drew from real life events to drive the story. I hope someday early next year it will be at the local bookstore. It is my dream, and I may not get it, but it will not be from lack of trying.

I will be back to regular three times a week blog posting sometime in July. After I finish this I will need a break. I still write daily in my journal, but between my full time job, my part time property management, and writing my novel, blogging regularly got put aside.

Marriage maintenance with Mrs. C!

My wife and I both work full time, and we also have separate interests that we like to indulge in.
For that reason, we keep Saturdays as OUR day.

Yesterday was one of the better ones. we left home about noon and headed over towards the Regal cinema on Route 378 on the south side of Bethlehem.
We had lunch at Starter's Pub, ($37.00 with tip) and then we went to the movies.

I purchased us tickets for "Night at the Museum 2" ($13.00) and up until the very moment the movie started, we were the only people in the theater. When the announcement played to please turn off all electronic devices, I stood up and announced to the empty theater: "You hear that? Don't make me come down there!" This made Mrs C laugh. The Regal Cinema has stadium seating, and Mrs C and I sat in th very back row, right in the middle.

It is always nice to be able to go to the theater and hold your sweetie against your shoulder during a movie. I hope I am never too old to do that.

The movie was very funny, and it is a great date movie. Ben Stiller is great at deadpan comedy, and delivering his lines as a straight man. The movie had a great message about doing the job that makes you happy, not the one that sucks your soul.

Hank Azaria was hilarious as the campy resurrected Egyptian King, but for my money, Amy Adams steals the movie in her role as Amelia Earnhart comes to life. I first saw her as the Princess in "Enchanted," and she also stole every scene in the movie "Doubt."
Amy Adams is HOT! Not as hot as Mrs C in my eyes, but close! LOL!

Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt and Owen Wilson as the leader of the miniatures reprise their roles. There contribute just the right amount to the story.
The Smithsonian blessed this movie, and I read about their cooperation in this month's edition of their magazine. One thing I learned in the mag was that film makers spent more than a month photographing the inside of the Smithsonian's facilities. For the movie, the stages were created to scale foe filming.
The action scenes in the Air and Space Museum are entertaining for their incredulity. Can you imagine the rocket in there actually blasting off? or the SR-71 blackbird hanging from the ceiling actually taking flight?

After the movie was over, I suggested that we start hitting the movies on Saturday more often. I have been far too busy with my work and my book, but now that Mrs C has her MBA and no more school work, I have no excuse for putting off these Saturday afternoon matinees.

That's my post for now. I worked on the book until after midnight Saturday, and decided I should write a journal entry and a blog post, so here you go. I will schdule it for 8 AM. Good morning then!

No Time to post!

I like getting emails from friendly people, especially folks who appreciate my look at life.

Some have noticed I barely post once a week lately.

What is going on is that I have been working on a book since January. I need to wrap it up in the next sixty days, so I am working on that more than blogging.

There is no money in blogging, but in a book, the possibilities are there. My editor and agent like what I have produced and are helping me get it right. So that's where I am at.

I hope to get back at blogging as a relaxing activity soon. Hopefully sometime in the future, I will be one of those lucky people who gets published. I'm not holding my breath, but it is definitely worth the effort!

In other news, all the dogs are getting groomed tomorrow. Mrs C is taking them while I am at work. We are trading cars so she can use mine. Pray for her. Three cocker spaniels and one Mrs C in a car. Think about it.

We have new fish!

Well, some fish, and lots of crabs.

That really sounds bad, doesn't it?

Yesterday we had lunch at Buca Di Beppo in Reading. I reserved the Kitchen Table for my sweetheart for her Birthday dinner. These are the things a good husband will do to ensure tranquility in the home.

Afterwards we ran several errands, including a visit to the Berkshire mall, but on the way home we had one final stop.

The Nursery with the really smart fish guy.

He sold us two Gobis (Now named "Go" and "Bee") a shrimp (Mr. Shy) and ten very small hemit crabs. (No names, yet)

I might get around to posting pictures eventually, but since Cranky the crab died, I'm not pushing my luck.

Today is Mrs C's Birthday!

Next to Christmas, this is a very important day for me, my wife's Birthday. In our 14 years together, I have never forgotten it. Though it isn't like I could, because she does sort of remind me all the time.

("Oh honey, are you going to celebrate D-day with any of your veteran friends? I'm just asking, you know, that is ONE DAY After my birthday!")

Anyway, my wife is an aficionado of fine shoes. We actually have a closet in our home full of shoes. JUST HER SHOES. If I have 5 pair, that would be overestimating it. So in honor of my lovely wife's appreciation of fine shoes, I purchased the following Birthday card

I think it is perfect, and inside it says this:

It made me laugh.

On Wednesday I hand delivered twelve hand cut roses to her office, so she could enjoy them more than one day.
Tomorrow I have reserved the kitchen table at Buca Di Beppo in Reading for our lunch, though I confess to having fifteen dollars worth of discounts I can use.

There may be a surprise or two in store yet, but I'm not giving away her age. I know better, though the fact that my 30th HS reunion is this year could get you pretty close, depending on whether you think she is older or younger, but we did graduate in different years.

I'll let you know what happened Sunday.

One more for the road:

Happy Birthday Honey!

Lehigh Valley Stupid People

So today I am driving home from work, it's a little after 4PM, and a young guy on a motorcycle starts to pass me on the Jaindl bypass. The Jaindl bypass, for you non Valley residents, is a 4 lane freeway with a posted speed limit of 45 MPH. The actual speed limit is warp 9.

Anyway, this guy was maybe 21 years old, wasn't wearing a helmet, and was going more than 65 MPH. (Remember, he was passing me)

We could argue that he was stupid for not wearing a helmet.

We could argue that he was stupid for steering the bike with only his right hand.

But wait until you read what he was doing with the other hand. He hand his right hand on the throttle, but his left hand? That he had his cell phone in, and when we got to the light and stopped I realized what he was doing.

He was TEXTING.

He roared off when the light changed, TEXTING away.

So I was thinking, am I out of line for thinking that he is a FUTURE ORGAN DONOR?

Discus among yourselves, Comments are welcome