LJ Hackmeister...Gone Too Soon

 I first met LJ at FanX, our local comic con, several years ago. I was fortunate enough to work in a vendor floor booth with her selling books. I had one title to sell, she had many many more. I met several authors that weekend and I've kept in touch with them, at least through social media. I took an interest in LJ's post, mostly because of her health situation.

I felt bad such a young, talented author was having health issues.

I was rooting for her.

She passed away two days ago. 

I followed her posts and sometimes reacted to them. What interested me was the fact she was a nurse with access to knowledge about her condition. Every time she posted about a potential fix, she'd post an update with the the good and the bad results. I remember discussing the issue with my wife several months ago that even with a person in the medical field with access to the best information available, they couldn't fix the problems. All that knowledge and still all that pain.

Last week her posts talked about a procedure she hoped and prayed would work. The next post I saw was from another author friend saying how much he was going to miss her. He's not alone.

LJ's last project was an anthology called, Instinct: An Animal Rescuers Anthology. The proceeds go to an animal rescue in Colorado. The collection has some excellent authors and if you're interested in supporting this wonderful project, click: HERE.

As I followed LJ's progress the past couple of years, she was in so much pain...it didn't make sense, nor was it particularly fair. I'm sadden by the news as are many of us. Gone too soon.

I Guess They're Shutting Down The Fun...

 We moved to a small rural community six months into the covid dilemma. One of the first unofficial things we needed to do was find the best pizza place. 

And we did.

Not only did Pizza Plus have excellent food and (at the time...) reasonable prices, it looked like the local hang out, except because of covid, no one was hanging out. They had several video games--dated--but at least they were there. They had a couple of pool tables and an air hockey table...

But no people.

It was depressing, then again, depressing places were all over the place back then.

We've returned to Pizza Plus several times over the past months and years. I can count on one hand the times I've seen anyone actually taking advantage of the gaming entertainment inside, and when I did, they were playing pool.

Last month I went inside and saw "Out-Of-Order" signs on every game, every pool table/air hockey table, every claw game, even the change machine was "out-of-order." I asked the kid who processed my debit card why the change. He said the new owners had made an executive decision. They were shutting down the fun, at least the fun that once was.

It made me sad. I never got to see the place in its heyday. I can imagine if I had grown up in the town, me and my friends would have frequented the joint, enjoyed the pizza and camaraderie, and had good times. Who knows, maybe I would have asked out the cute girl after having a few caffeinated drinks. No, I missed the glory days of the ol' hangout. I'll bet it was great.

Everyone seems to be scrambling in the days of covid and post-covid. I hope the change works out of the Pizza Place. We'll most likely not enjoy the changes...we always get take out, but I wish them luck, even without all the "fun."

Time To Use The Stand-Up Desk More...

 A year or so before work sent me home (before everyone was sent home to work...), my employer got me a standing desk. I had tweaked my back and standing helped me to recover. I lifted and lowered the desk every time I worked...I tried standing at least a couple of hours each shift.

Then, I began to work from home.

And I stopped lifting and lowering the desk.

Such is life.

I don't know why I stopped. Maybe my back got better. Maybe I was able to be more mobile at home...I'm not sure, but I just didn't need to use the standing desk. That is, until today. Today I thought I need to get back on my feet, so I gave it a try for a few hours.

It's funny. When I think about being more mobile, or less sedentary, I have these grand plans. I used to walk around the neighborhood several times a week. This spring, the weather's put a damper on those plans. I thought about getting a little under-the-desk stair stepper or a little under-the-desk stationary bike. I keep thinking if I were active while taking calls and pushing digital papers, I'm sure it would be helpful for me in many ways.

In a few weeks, I'll need to don a nice suit and walk my daughter down the aisle. I'd like to fit into that suit...

Of course, I could just cut back on all the ice cream ;)

People...TAKE DOWN Your Signs!

 It was wishful thinking, really. I should have known it's not yet Yard Sale Season, especially since we're getting major winter storms blow through the valley. Still, I thought I'd drive by the Yard Sale Sign monument in town to see if anyone was brave enough to try and unload their unwantables.

I pulled up to the power box, located in the northern section of the Kent's Grocery Store/Zions Bank parking lot. The locals (us included...) know that power box is where people put up signs letting the world know where, and hopefully when, the yard sales are taking place. It's our "public square."

The weathered sign should have told me the sign had been there a while.

Nope...I decided to take a chance and see if the indoor yard sale was on. I drove the five or so miles to the address and there was no indoor yard sale or outdoor yard sale or no sale of any kind. The drive wasn't a total loss, however...

On my way, I passed a building, an old house long forgotten by time. I thought it might make a good picture so when the yard sale was a bust, I turned around and stopped by the house. It's a little hard to see, but the front room and porch are filled with wood. The former home is now just a place to store lumber. I took a few shots and I'd like to take more another time. I must say, the gray sky matched the desolate scene wonderfully.

People...take down your yard sale signs when the sale is over! Then again, if they had, I'd have missed out on a great photo.

Writers Cantina Presenter Spotlight: J.C. Chambers III...A Writer Of Fun Stories

 I've heard said that the hardest thing to pull off, is comedy. In theater, film, if you can nail the comedy, you've accomplished a lot. If an actor is successful in comedic roles, they can almost always succeed in dramatic roles. Robin Williams, Melissa McCarthy, Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Jim Carrey are but a few of highly successful dramatic actors who were once only known for their comedy.

The same can be said for authors.

Comedy is tough.

But, if you can make people laugh, you've reached them in a way that few others can. J.C. Chambers III is a writer who admits he, "decided to write fun stories. And much to the exasperation of literally everyone around him, he never stopped trying to write fun stories."

Take, for example, his Cocoon Chronicles series. As Book One (Begrenesh Initiate) on the book's Amazon page has been described as, "The Cocoon Chronicles are a high-flying, action-packed, and comedic romp through a completely new fantasy world filled with fantastic locations, original creatures, and secrets just waiting to be discovered." You can access the Amazon page by clicking: HERE.

In only 96 days from today, you can attend the Writers Cantina writers conference and hear from J.C. himself. Find out why comedy is so important and get tips on creating more humor in your own writing. Or just attend to hear some great stories. You can access the conference website by clicking: HERE, or learn more about J.C. by clicking his presenter page: HERE.

Register today.

Give Thanks...Conference Weekend

It's Sunday night. Conference weekend is almost over. For those members of the LDS religion, conference weekend occurs twice a year, in April and October. 

Going to get a little religious here...something I don't do very often.

It was the 193rd Annual General Conference of the church. I've been listening/watching/participating in conference weekends for as long as I can remember. As a child, it was the weekend we didn't go to church, but watched it on TV. Except for the two years I lived in Denmark, it was always something I could watch live. During the weekend, leaders of the church gather and give talks, instruction to the members, but not just to the members, to basically the whole world.

As I've gotten older, I seem to need conference weekend. Maybe it's because I'm a husband and father (soon to be grandfather...) that the messages given over the pulpit hold deeper meanings, have more weight, just mean more than they did when I was younger. I was especially looking forward to this particular conference because the world seems to be spinning out of control.

And because of this, I wondered what would be said in those speeches. Would the leaders call on the members to leave their homes and gather in a new place? Would they speak of the politics and culture wars happening today?

No, of course they didn't. 

With a calmness surrounding them, they gave their messages, offered insight and suggestions, and proclaimed their beliefs in such a way that showed me that if the are worried about the future, we only need to follow their instructions to obtain peace. I think it's how Christ himself would act, how he would speak if he were standing at the pulpit.

I'm grateful for conference weekend. I'm glad I could listen and watch. I'm glad for the leaders's example. They make me want to be better, to act better, to do more for others. One thing I'm particularly proud of is that I stayed awake for almost all the sessions. That hasn't happened in a long time.

The weekend's over. In six months we'll gather in churches, in homes, basically any place where we can hear the words of council. It's crazy what's happened to the world in the past six months. I expect the next six months to be the same.

 

Happy Birthday Son...To The Soon-To-Be Father

Almost three decades. You weren't supposed to be born on April Fools Day--we went into the hospital on March 30th to prevent that from happening--but you began your life on your own terms (that, and a big head...) and decided to arrived during the Final Four semi's two days later. 

All parents say their children are adorable, but we have photographic proof. You were happy and entertaining and you never NEVER wanted to go to sleep...just so much to see, to hear, to feel, to eat, and you wanted to do it all. I believe that's why it was too tough getting you to take a nap.

Now, you're an adult with a wonderful wife, responsibilities, and a baby on the way.

Everyone who has had children say the same thing, "Having a child changes your life." They say that because fewer things in life are as true as that statement. Before the child arrives, you're a couple, two people thinking you know what's going to happen--everyone's told you how it's going to be. You've prepped the house with a crib and the car with a carseat, baby clothes and toys, both bought and donated, await the new life.

You'll be a year younger than I was when you came along. I thought being in my upper twenties I'd be prepared, but you're never really ready. And that's a good thing, I believe. There are things you can learn no other way. It's the way it's supposed to be.

Today signals the beginning of not just another year, but the start of challenges and blessings and experiences that will mold you as a person, as a couple, as a family. I hope you have a wonderful birthday and an even better year that lies ahead.

Happy birthday, son, who will soon be a father.