Arliss and the Alien

My short story about a stranded alien has been progressing like a snail on a frozen tin roof, but I expect it to pick up during today's session.

My Rules of Life

My rules of life.

1. Eat no dogs
2. When cooking give your mate the nicest portion
3. Do for others.
4. Don't expect others to do for you.
5. Take charge of your own health
6. Try to answer antagonists with logic and humor. In a pinch, anger and sarcasm will do
7. Vote even if you have to hold your nose
8. Stand against perpetual wars
9. Take time for yourself where you can relax and ignore the world
10. Love friends and family in adversity as well as good times

Almost threw a story away

Almost caught by Inkitt. I went so far as to put a story on their site, but then deleted it. I realized that for all their hype about making writers rich and/or famous, my work would be published for free and read for free, killing it for publishing companies. If anybody reading this knows better, I would be grateful.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I keep turning to that song, as vocalized by Bing Crosby, to be my anthem of the season. I appreciate Bing more these days than ever before. Chalk it up to nostalgia, a new appreciation of his talent - whatever. It fills me with warmth and sooths my troubled spirit. Last week, my sister and I had a divergence of opinion, which led to her disowning me, and ticking off all my bad traits and actions, ranging over the entirety of the past fifty years. I ended my last email to her by saying, "I am going to love you, whether you like it or not, and there is nothing you can do about it." It went to a seeming void, as she never replied. I possibly will not hear from her again, as she has written off other siblings in the same spirit.

Then, there is the action of today. It began innocently enough. My friend and co worker and I took a captured possum to the park for release. As we drove down the lane, a squirrel and then six deer crossed in front of us. The deer posed as we went by. I released the possum near the dumpsters, and the little guy made his dash to freedom. Our work got on track, and by lunch time I was thinking we would have a smooth time of it. As I stood by the microwave, awaiting my steaming roast chicken, a resident approached me. She was unable to get in touch with her uncle. I told the boss, and very shortly, we and the police went to his door. I was obliged to hop the patio wall, and then to break a window, so that I could crawl inside and unlock the door. Keys are useless when residents lock the upper, one sided dead bolts. He was on the bed, lifeless.

You might wonder that I was able to eat my lunch, but, I have always had to have my food, no matter the circumstances.

I began by writing about Christmas. I intend to have my joy this year, as every year. The human spirit needs holidays and aspirations for bettering life's circumstance. I compartmentalize disappointment and sorrow, separating them from my primary function of living for now in a positive way. And, so, I smile and wave, and sincerely wish one and all the best holiday possible.

Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee

I've just finished Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee. While I understand some people feel dismay to learn the original Atticus Finch was a racist, I have to say I was mesmerized by the whole story and will never regret reading it. She seems to consider the people of Maycomb a microcosm of the 50's south, overlooking lynchings and inflicting humiliations on the black folk as a matter of course, in other locales. Turns out, this book is most about Scout becoming her own person. It has been quite a few years since I last got so hooked on a book as to read nonstop until it was done.

New Computer

A glitch with my new computer. After writing on "EOC," I 'saved' the story and then shut down the document it was in, preparatory to a restart. Later, when I tried to open it up for the next writing episode, an information box informed me that document had been deleted by me. It was fortunate that I had it saved elsewhere, all but three pages, which I was obliged to write over again.