September 11th is the time to remember the horrible events of this day in 2001. It is a day to think about those in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania who lost their lives to terrorists. We should go on with our lives remembering those who lost theirs.
“I don’t get why we have no opposable thumbs. We could do this door ourselves.” “Mom’s coming, Little One Don’t let the 57 degrees get to you.”
It is Friday again. So we made it another week. There’s a lot of good news around here.
We’ve had almost four inches of rain and a cold front. Our overnight temps are in the 50s, which is a real blessing. The rain came down over enough time, so there was not a lot of flooding. Normally if that amount of rain fell in a couple of hours, Austin would be underwater. So good news, no one got swept away. The temps will be cool for the next two days, then back to the 90s.
New cases of COVID 19 and positive test results are both down in our area. Of course, the health authorities are concerned about the effects of Labor Day gatherings, and those results will start showing up in two weeks.
Sales of Eternal Road are holding steady. I’m glad I didn’t go for a preorder since the sales have been ongoing, so there hasn’t been an off the cliff drop. Thanks to everyone who has bought a copy. The tour continues, and I hope those who are following are enjoying the excerpts. Not to worry. You will not have the whole book in excerpts. There is still plenty of surprises.
The first review for Eternal Road is in. It is a five star, and you can see it here.
I am overseas with Keith Channing in the UK. You remember Keith from the Tuesday prompts. He is the one that comes up with the photos that defy typical interpretation.
I’m with him talking about Eternal Road – The final stop. I have a new excerpt that I think you will like.
A little bit about Keith since he is more than a guy doing prompts. He writes poetry, excellent novels, and is a photographer.
In Keith’s words. “As a writer of fiction, I make up and write lies for the sheer pleasure of doing it. These lies generally end up on my blog, as do a few of the photographs I take from time to time. With my wife Clare and our two dogs, I have recently relocated to South Yorkshire after living for thirteen years in a rural location in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. Oh yes, INTJ-T.”
Just a few of Keith’s books. Check out his site for the whole line up.
“Twiggy. What are you doing?” “Looking for Friday.” “You know you are on a stairway to nowhere, Right?” “Sorta like a Monday.”
It is Wednesday Story Day and last week we learned Lazar recorded calls from Cortez and Taggert without their knowledge. Larry was able to ask if the hits ordered on he and Andrew were Cortez directed. Lazar said they were. So now we are all working on the same stuff. We got drug charges and attempted murder charges. Lazar did ask for a glass of water. Somehow that made the dramatic music come up in the background. I think we better get back and see if there is anything sinister in that water.
“Here’s your water, Popović. Now let’s get to my question.”
“Thank you so much. Being a Stool Pidgeon is thirsty work. Give me a second.”
“Take your time.”
“Okay, I’m ready. What was the question?”
“I would like to talk about how deep Taggert and Cortez were in the drug trade around here.”
“When I said up to their eyebrows I meant it. These two have moved tons of cocaine and illegal street drugs.”
“Do you know how they are supplied.”
“Yeah. The cocaine comes up through Mexico and the illegal street drugs from New Jersey.”
“You have names?”
“Of course, it’s all in the phone conversations. You should be aware that the names are already on the most wanted lists around the world. There are the biggest and most well-organized cartels. Gives me the shivers just thinking about them.”
“You seem like a decent guy, Lazar. How did you get messed up with these guys?”
“I ran a legitimate warehouse and delivery service. Things got a little tight, so I started looking the other way when I suspected that some of the shipments I was handling were not on the up and up. One night I opened a container and found ten kilos of cocaine. I know it had to stop, so I gave Cortez a call.”
“Let me guess. He told you to keep accepting the orders.”
“Yeah, and on top of that, he had Taggert come visit me with some paperwork that indicated I was going to be charged with possession and transportation of illegal substances.”
“What was the message?”
“To keep my mouth shut, take the money, and stay in business with these thugs.”
“Did you refuse?”
“Are you kidding? I told them that their secret was safe with me. About two days later, I got a packet in the mail. Inside were photos of my daughter at college. There must have been a hundred. Some closeups, some in her classes, some in the dining room of the dorm. Whoever took them was near her. There was a note enclosed.”
“I can imagine what it said, but tell us.”
“It was handwritten and simply said, ‘ I love you, daddy.’ I totally freaked out. I called her, and she immediately asked if I got her present. I was speechless.”
“So, how did she know about the photos?”
“She didn’t. Apparently, she signed up for a program that sends parents little school-related mementos. In this case, it was supposed to be a sweatshirt with the school name on it. I checked the business, and it is legit. Somehow Cortez’s people waylaid the real gift and substituted the photos. I never questioned my involvement with Cortez again.”
“What about your daughter?”
“She is in school in England. Of course, she will need protection long term as well.”
“Yes, of course. What about now?”
“I don’t think Cortez will harm her as long as he believes I am keeping my mouth shut.”
“What would make him stop believing that?”
“If you were to arrest him.”
“But then how is he going to hurt your daughter?”
“His minions are everywhere. He’ll want to make sure I don’t testify. If he can’t kill me, then I’ll get word that he will hurt Carolyn.”
If you don’t know or haven’t visited Soooz (as she is known to her friends) you are missing a treat of seismic proportions. She is currently running a very successful prompt. She has engaged some of the best writers around and they are producing epic stories. Her site is aptly named the World of Suzanne Burke and her motto is
It’s a writers world, a world that seeks to explore and entertain
A little about Suzanne.
Suzanne Burke resides with her daughter and grandson in a small country town located hundreds of miles to the west of her previous home in Sydney Australia.
Suzanne had long wanted to write, life interrupted and she didn’t begin her journey into the world of writing until she was in her early fifties.
Suzanne has written her memoirs under the author name of Stacey Danson, both her non-fiction books have ranked in the top 100 paid in kindle on Amazon. “Empty Chairs” and “Faint Echoes of Laughter” continue to earn wonderful reviews.
Suzanne writes her powerful Thrillers “Acts Beyond Redemption” and “Acts of Betrayal” and her Paranormal anthology “Mind-Shaft” as S. Burke.
Yes, today I am with Pamela Read. She has graciously offered to help support the launch of Eternal Road-The final stop. Here is the link https://butterflysand.com/?p=7076
You will find another excerpt there.
Also, you will find some fantastic work. Pamela is a writer, artist, and photographer. Let me show you a couple of her pieces.
Art
Vista Mountain
Photography
Also, Pamela writes killer poems and stories.
My favorite piece from her “About Me” section
“Fifty is a number that has no power except that which we give it. I look forward to each and every day because every moment is a treasure to be thoroughly exploited. And I mean that in the nicest possible way. Cheers!”
“Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here.
Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.”
Happy Labor day to everyone and especially to those who work to keep our lives normal. To those out of work, a wish for this COVID mess to end.
James’ 1956 Oldsmobile from Eternal Road – The final stop
This week marks the 64th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1956. You know we all want to be there, so I would suggest we take James’ (from Eternal Road – The final stop) 1956 Oldsmobile and attend the performance. So that we won’t cause a tear in the time continuum, we need to take the list of things not to do. Trust me, it will keep us all out of trouble. So crank up the Olds, and let’s go.
Top Ten Things Not to Do at Elvis’ First Appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956.
10 If you go, do not ask the producer how pleased Ed is to have Elvis on his show. If you do, at best, he will be distracted. At worse, he will spare no words in describing Ed’s displeasure. (Here’s the thing, Maksimillian. Ed tried to keep Elvis off his show, but others were getting such good ratings that he had to relent. He is not a happy camper, and here come some massive men. I think they want to show you out.)
9 If you go, do not tell Tiny, the WWF champ, that you think Elvis is king. If you do, at best, Tiny will be doing curls using the associate producer as a weight. At worse, Tiny, who has skipped the court-mandated group sessions for self-esteem and anger management, will think you are trying to make him feel bad. (Don’t worry, Maleko that so-called “Deadman’s Drop,” is just a label that Tiny gave to that hold. Hey Maleko, can you hear me?)
8 If you go, do not ask Ed’s accountant what he paid to have Elvis appear on his show. If you do, at best, the accountant is late for his therapy session and won’t have time to talk. At worst, the full impact of the amount will finally set in, and the accountant will need to sit down. (Now you’ve done it, Malone. The accountant has been trying to disassociate himself from the responsibility of paying $50,000 for three appearances. That’s $476,289.00 in today’s dollars. I think he is now catatonic.)
7 If you go, do not tell the producer anything about the expected ratings. If you do, at best he won’t believe you. At worst, the magnitude of the number of viewers will cause the producer to pass out. (The number of viewers for the first show was about 60 million, Malvin. That was 82.6 % of all people capable of watching the broadcast. The ratings were the best in two years, and the show was one of the highest watched of the 1950s)
6 If you go, don’t question the fact that we are going to Los Angles instead of the Ed Sullivan theater in New York. If you do, at best, someone will tell you to be patient. At worst, you’ll be kicked out of the Olds before we start. (The situation is this, Manasseh. Elvis is filming “Love Me Tender” in LA. So his portion of the show will originate from the CBS studio in Los Angles. You still want to go see the show in New York? All you’ll get is a tap dance duo and a couple of tumblers)
5 If you go, do not keep asking the whereabouts of Ed Sullivan. If you do, at best, everyone will ignore you. At worst, someone will finally tell you to mind your own business. (Ed Sullivan was in a horrific car accident and is at home recovering, Mandeville. Charles Laughton is filling in for him tonight. If you don’t know who that is, Google it when you get back to 2020.)
4 If you go, do not ask the producer if Elvis is going to sing, “All Shook Up.” If you do, at best, he won’t know what you are talking about. At worst, he will wonder where you came up with that title. (All Shook up wasn’t released until 1957 a year later, Manfrit. On the first show, Elvis sang “Don’t Be Cruel,” Little Richard’s “Reddy Teddy,” “Hound Dog,” and “Love Me Tender.” I think you ought to go wait in the car.)
3 If you go, do not try to convince everyone that the song “Love Me Tender” is going to be a bust because it is a ballad. If you do, at best everyone will be interested in the show and will ignore you. At worst, everyone will listen to you and place bets you are wrong. (Sad to say, Manneville. You owe a lot of money. Love me Tender sold one million records after Elvis sang it on the show. This was before it was released. You just had to take those bets, didn’t you?)
2 If you go, do not ask the producer if he can keep the audience quiet. If you do, at best, the producer won’t hear you for the screaming fans. At worst, the producer will give you some sage advice. (The suggestion is right up there with “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” I see he is offering to let you out of the back door. Next time, Manning just go with. the hysteria.)
1 If you go, do not try to tell the reviewer from Time magazine that Elvis is a great performer. If you do, at best, the reviewer will walk away. At worst, the reviewer will think you are working for Elvis and will call security. ( Before the security guys get here, Mano you need to know this particular reviewer wrote, “When it was over, parents and critics, as usual, did a lot of futile grumbling at the vulgarity of this strange phenomenon that must somehow be reckoned with.” So it was not all bad. Look, the guards are here. Go along quietly.)
With nothing better to report in the neighborhood, I decided to go out and do a personal investigation of how restaurants, stores, and small eating places are handling the COVID situation. This is not a Pulitzer Prize-worthy post, but hey, beats a blank page.
Photo by Unsplash
So I got the bus. We have a keg of margaritas, salsa, chips, and a restroom. I think we are good to go. Hop on and keep your social distance.
Our first stop is the local food chain. They have curbside down to a science. You order on-line, you arrive, text the number on the sign, your groceries are delivered to your car.
A local pizza restaurant lets you order on-line then call a number when you arrive.
This shop has take out only.
These guys have take out, pick up, and delivery. I could see calling for a couple of cones delivered. Don’t ask the driver how he kept the ice-cream from running down the cone.
Pick up, take away, and delivery here as well.
The ubiquitous SubWay. Take out only.
Sushi to go.
Here is our vet. Pull in. Call the number, and they come to get your dog or cat or bird or whatever.
Our library has a curbside pick up too.
Here we are at the Papa Murphys. You order online, arrive, call the number, and out comes your ready to bake pizza.
Here is a pet food supplier that offers curbside or delivery. pay no attention to that idiot reflected in the glass. He obviously has a lot to learn about picture taking.
Well, it looks like the shops are doing the best they can during this challenging time. Thanks for going along. We still have some refreshments left, so if you want tho hang out for a while, you are welcome.
It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday, and this week’s prompt is “sharp.” Linda Hill is not here today but sent the message that we could use the word in any or all of its definitions. If you would like to join this happy band of word warriors, visit Linda’s blog and read how. Here is the link.
