DAMN THEM!!!

Last night my wife, daughter and I all went out to get some ice cream at the new Baskin Robbins down the street from our house. We walked in and I started looking around for my usual… Daiquiri Ice. It's so delicious and is one of the few sweets I crave in this world. So there I am, wandering back and forth in front of freezer, with each passing second becoming more and more like a caged lion at the Hoogle Zoo who knows it only has 3 more months to live, because after all it is the Hoogle Zoo. Finally I turn to the teenage girl behind the counter and ask why I can't see the Daiquiri Ice anywhere, to which she replies, "They have discontinued it." Yes that's right they have discontinued my favorite ice cream. Damn them. Damn them all. (Picture me in a Charlton Heston/ Planet of the Apes pose) I'm telling you the Baskin Robbins executive who made this decision is going to Hell and the only way he can redeem himself is by putting it back on the shelf.

Sigh. I'm just depressing myself thinking about it. Last two posts haven't been about writing. I promise tomorrow will be!!

Also on the plate tomorrow… how the creator of Monster stole my idea for a really cool obituary web site… you think I am crazy, but I have proof that I came up with the idea several months ago.

Saying goodbye is never easy… but 5K sure makes it easier!

So some of you may know that may old Subaru died a week and half ago. I have been in the process of looking for a new car … either a Honda Element or Honda Civic (If any of you know of a good deal on either give me a ring) So I decided a week ago that I would sell some of my original art to help finance the car. I had a Sandman page from Issue #3 and thought I could get around a thousand for it. Well I started doing some research and found that I had undervalued it. So after all was said and done, after I held a bid for the page, I received $5,600.00 to put toward my new car. Most people in my family were a bit surprised to say the least.

I purchased the page from the artist around 12 years ago for $40.00. I have had it forever and even though I got a lot of money for it, I'm very sad to see it go. It was one of those things that reminded me of a piece of my past, a sign post of the time I spent working at Night Flight.

So on Saturday I said goodbye and shipped it off to its new owner. All I have to say is he better take care of it or he may have an angry man on his doorstep!

Imagined Moments

I thought I should come up with something to help my writing-fu and this is it. Imagined Moments. It just a writing exercise that is based on the idea of coming up with a small scene that tells a little a little story. Anyone who wants to add their own to the comments … feel free. I will probably post one ever couple of days.

Imagined Moments #1

He sat on a bench in the middle of the mall, people walking by him on each side, head down and tears streaming down his cheeks. He was in his sixties or seventies, his grey hair only thin wisps on top of his head. His skin was a leathery brown, freckled and spotted with age. He must have been a man who had spent most of his life out in the open, I thought to myself as I stood there with my two year old daughter in my arms, waiting for my wife to come out of the store. He wore plain brown slacks and a short sleeved faded canary yellow button shirt, clothes that I assumed he had been wearing for the last thirty years

The older man looked down at his hand, watching as the tears fell from his face to land on his palm, then slowly he looked up and our eyes caught each others. We looked at each other for only a few seconds.

I could feel his sadness, it was tangible, a thickness in the air as we stood staring at each other. Perhaps it was only my imagination but my daughter squirmed in my arms as if she could feel it as well.

I moved to go speak with him, but as I took a step, the older man stood up from the bench, turned and disappeared into the crowd of shoppers.

"Okay let's go," I heard my wife say as she walked up next to me.

I paused trying to see if I could find him and then said, "Okay."

Thank You !

Thank you to everyone who has sent me an e-mail about the blog and about the beginning of my novel. I will be throwing the first few chapters up here in the next few days and would appreciate any crits that you can send my way.

I had a great weekend...it being Father's Day and all. My wife and daughter gave me the 3rd season of Lost, a book, and some chocolate. I think my daughter was more excited about the chocolate then anything. She loves dark chocolate. What can I say, the girl has taste.

I did get to see Kung fu Panda with my daughter and wife over the weekend. I really enjoyed the movie -- nice simple story and it was fun. My daughter now thinks all Panda's say "HIIII YAAAAhhhhh"

One recommendation ... Robin Hood on the BBC is a really good fun show. You should all check it out.