perhaps the back cover is even more important than the insides

I am done with the first step of getting my novelette ready to publish. But I am having trouble with the back cover.

I remember in an English class, the one on theory, where my teacher said that we seldom read ANYTHING that we don’t know anything about.

We always have some idea of what to expect. It is packaged in some way, or has something on the cover that tells us how we are supposed to read it

poems are
written in separate lines
so that

We know to take them
seriously and soberly
as we read

and then there are all kinds of other conventions. A whole language before you even get to the language. Is it bound in cardboard or on a spiral coil? How does the paper feel/ Are there colors?

These are all things I am having to take into consideration. It’s pretty exciting.

downtown atlanta georgia

I am sitting in a hotel in Downtown Atlanta.

I’ve never been to Georgia before.

I’ve never been to the South before, since McLean, Virginia doesn’t really count.

This is supposed to be the time when it’s ‘nice’ around here. I am now aware of my zero tolerance of humidity.

I am also surprised that what I have seen so far is not historical at all. I would have thought there would be older buildings and things from over a hundred years ago. There are a few statues, which are interesting.

But not a lot of historicity.

The people are friendly, there does not seem to be any graffitti. But the humidity is a no go for me.

More things I am reading

Okay…I finished reading In Cold Blood and also Other Rooms,Other Voices, both by Truman Capote

I am listening to Cold Mountain on cassette, and to Crazy Horse on CD. I forget who wrote Cold Mountain, but Larry McMurtry wrote Crazy Horse.

I am dissatisfied with all of the above except for CM.

I once had a friend who reminded me that I am happier when I am reading a good book. I am not doing very wll at finding good books.

I’m finding disturbing ones that make me more feel uneasy.

eesh

I am unable to go without a book. I hav to have one, basically. But I regret it, when I go too fast between them. If I leap from one to the next without spending time contemplating the one i have finished. I guess that’s one of the reasons why I like to write reviews of them here.

But sometimes they are very complicated, and I can’t get my head around it enough to write the review.

And too much time goe sby and I’m in the middle of another one.

But they can pile up. I should make a point of getting SOMETHING down about each book.

I’ll try to.

The perfect strategy for picking up women

I am not very impressed with men who try to pick up women they don’t know in a public place. I mostly find such men annoying and a distraction from my fun on a night out.

HOWEVER:

I have recently discovered a few of my friends who confessed to a desire–nay, a requirement–that the male make the first move to begin a relationship.

They admit it’s irrational and that they perhaps should be independent women, able to ask a guy out. But they can’t get over the need to be swept off their feet.

This is asking–nay, begging–for trouble. Nice men who respect the equal footing of their prospective female partners expect these equal human specimens to give a clear green light of interest.

ONLY the men who think of women as chattel, as prizes to be won, will easily approach a woman with intent to romance. They are the ones with practice at it, and I just find that slimy.

Let’s be real…who doesn’t want to be approached by someone declaring your attractiveness? Males and Females both appreciate appreciation. Why do these ladies think only females deserve to get the prize, to lay back and recieve admiration while giving nothing?

It’s not fair, it’s not equal and it’s downright foolish to be at the mercy of the first comer.

But since these women are unable to be convinced otherwise, I write this formula. This is my advice to the nice, non-slimy, shy men of the world who can’t quite figure out how to approach females.

Spot a woman. Make sure she is not obviously attached. Wedding ring? not for you. Part of a couple? Leave her alone.
But if she is with a group of friends, that’s best.

Approach her and say:

“Hi. What’s your name?”

“What?!” you say. “That doesn’t make me stand out of the crowd. That’s so…normal.”

No shit, Sherlock. Normal is what you want. Start with Normal, and build from there.

Okay. So the female looks at you. Perhaps she answers with her name, perhaps she just looks at you stunned, because she is not used to normal guys talking to her out of nowhere. Tell her your name in the stunned pause.

“My name is Pete Normal.”

and then you say, “you have a wonderful smile.”

She will be flattered. She may get flustered. Remember, you don’t know this woman. She may have all kinds of feelings about that statement. If she wants to talk to you, you can talk for a little bit at this point. But here is the important part:

WALK AWAY

Say, “Hey, I’ll see you later.” Drift away. Don’t hang around like a pathetic loser. Even if she is being talkative, excuse yourself politely and walk away.

If she is interested, she will keep glancing your way. Or she may not. Either way, give it some time. Let your sweet normality simmer in her mind.

Then, before you leave, approach her again. Have your phone number/email address written down, and go talk to her. Say:

“It was great to meet you. I’d love to see more of your smile.” Give her that piece of paper with your contact information.

She may give you a hug goodbye. She may write down her number/email to give to you. These are all good things.

She may not do either of these things. But give her the number and then walk away. You will be a prince.

Guys, I do not promise that she will call you every time. But I can reasonably guarantee that if you do this repeatedly, you will find eventually find a lady who is receptive and be on your way to a fulfilling relationship.

reading and listening

I finished the LATW drama “The Cocktail Hour”

It was a good play. I adore all their recorded plays. This one was rather modern in that it ironically referred to itself a lot. Very funny.

I have started the Teaching company’s Churchill. I did not know that Winston Churchill was half American!

Maybe I’ll have more to stay about that as I finish it.

In praise of Laura Scott

I have foot issues, to be honest. I walk hard and fast, and I am not particularly physically aware. I don’t think about the pieces of my body, not without concentration.

So I am prone to twisting ankles. And those cute little slip-ons, ‘mules’ or even flip-flops…not gonna happen. I am prone to striding forward and kicking them completely off my foot, or even more painfully, kicking them slightly forward to bring the back edge of the shoed irectly into my soft heel when I step down again. OW!

I like cute shoes. I wish I could put my pretty feet into pretty shoes. But i have learned that they have to be tied to my foot, with laces or strapped around the ankle, or I just can wear them. Boots work too. They are very securely fastened to my body.

And to add insult to my disability, I have had to wear orthopedic inserts to keep from having painful throbbing muscles and bones in my legs. yuk.

My fashion sense suffers.

BUT! I have discovered a really really great shoe designer. I have two pairs of shoes from her, both extremely cute.

Laura Scott

These are her shoes I’m wearing today:
IMG_0274_1_1_1.JPG

Like how my hose already has a blown out toe? sigh…This is the problem us tall women have with hose. You can find a picture of my first pair from Laura Scott here
I find her shoes at Sears, and they are so comfy! Both pairs have a little heel, 2 or 3 inches, and are unique and interesting. But despite the heel, these are comfortable enough to walk around mall in two hours. Now that’s comfortable.

Ms. Scott deserves recognition. These are awesome little cute shoes. Check her out, you won’t be sorry.

Time flies

And I have a lot of goals that I need to get working on. I have been making progress, but there is still a ways to go.

For work, I managed to attain critical mass. I don’t know everything, but I know enough to trust my own judgment here. At last. Now I can get moving on THOSE goals.

And then there is my house. It is STILL a wreck after the ship show. Which was a huge success, and I hope we will have another. But 20+ ship nerds and all their toys took a complete re-org of the house. MY office was the one that became the storage room. Okay, it was pretty unpacked looking before, but now it’s wall to wall, I can barely move.

So, I need to get working on that.

And there are all kinds of other goals. My life is peaceful but very busy. And a little lonely. I would like to have more friends near me. I am very slow at making friends, there seems to be no way around it.

I do have excellent friends, but I have just moved, so I know no one close by. That will take some time.

And there is my writing. Can’t forget that.

Better not forget that!

I’m going to go work on it now, so I will close this post. I just wanted to put something up so as not to neglect my readers.

Sieze the Day…er..Month! This is a month of action

March First!

Maybe it is the only day of the year that is advice. Why not? It could be on a fortune cookie:

Confucius say: March first

Let us March, in any case. Let us march toward the goal, let us make strides to wherever we think is worth going.

Let us not drag and dally and dawdle. There are places to go and things to see and accomplish.

March!

(I’d like to dedicate this blog entry to my brother, who inspired and encouraged my interest in viewing words as verbs…who also inspired this blog entry, one that is always in my top three most popular posts..check it out)

The first fruits

I bought a lemon tree for my front yard. We had no fruits trees before that.

But today, the first lemon was ripe. It has been in the tree, ripening slowly, the whole time. And today, I plucked it.

It is juicy and sour.

I am pleased. I love my home.