Places I've visited today: 

Susan Says  busy author and blogger, among other things. 
Omega Reflections It's her birthday today, but that's not the only reason to check out her blog.
Mary-andering Creatively relaxing, engaging poetry and pictures.
A Few Words inspiring, well thought out posts.  It's logical and Christian. Nothing offensive here, just challenging.

It's a short trek tonight, as I've suddenly become inspired to work on my novel, i.e. the mess I like to think of as a story.  I'll be doing this in between laundry loads and unloading dishes.  Stop the Insanity!

Be Postitive Day Eve

Intellectually, I know that America is no better than any other country; emotionally I know she is better than every other country.

Sinclair Lewis
US novelist (1885 - 1951)

A busy weekend, with two jobs, three if you count conference committee.  Our writing group is planning a conference for November.  I think it's the tenth annual?  Apparently I'm on the Door Prize committee and I've agreed to hold a key--I'm not sure what I'm to do with it.  It goes to a post office box.  I wonder what kind of mail it holds? 
Should I be concerned?  Do I dare go check it?  I mean, nobody wanted this key.  Should I have refused?
So, it would be easy to not blog today, but I'm learning discipline in writing.  Can't grow as a writer if you don't write, right?  (that's right, I meant to do that)
Tomorrow is  International Be Positive Day.  Go to Sharon K. Mayhew's site for more information on how to be involved.
With everything going on in Oklahoma today, I had to wonder, do I really want to be positive tomorrow?  But, then I realized, YES!  Not only do I want to, but I need to be.  It's more important now than ever.  We have to send positive encouragement, prayers, support--whatever is needed to wherever it is needed. So much tragedy happens everywhere in the world.  We need to be optimistic. Being positive doesn't mean being flippant or having a pie in the sky view.  It means choosing hope and believing I'm more than my circumstances.  I can't choose what happens but I can choose my response. 
I'm thankful for my family in Oklahoma being safe tonight.  I pray for them and for the families who didn't fare well and who've lost loved ones.  Not just Oklahoma, but all of the Midwest.
It's an opportunity once again for Americans to be united in support for our people.

Back on the Road stopping at some cool tourist traps...oops, I mean blog spots:
Some Dark Romantic  Awesome reflections post, but don't stop there on her blog.
From the Inkwell, From the Vein writers should be naked and strange.  Trust me, you want to read it.
Sue Ann Bowling  Check out her book, Homecoming. It's not what you think.
Tales of the Rock  Very cool, especially if you like ghosts.  I know I do!
Blogging on the Brink check out an ex-librarian turned rockin' numbers cruncher.  Good music, too.
A Faraway View  About dreams, good, bad, what they mean.  Read before you sleep...
Claire Gillian  a lot to see at this site. Some intriguing romance to be found
J.Lenni Dorner  Check out her A to Z story and campaign against CAPTCHA
Moments of Introspection  heartwarming dog tails--tales--but that's not all to see
Destination:  Fiction  Lovely photos, informative, entertaining posts
Emily Unraveled  don't get a tat until you read her May 20th post

What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them.

Henry Ford II
US automobile manufacturer (1917 - 1987)

 

Possible PhD

I'll never understand why people like to go and mess up something that was perfectly fine. 
Our nursing board has changed our entry level to DNP instead of MSN for nurse practitioners.  Which would be okay, except that I've been thinking about going back so I can say I have a PhD.  It sounds cool.   So, this is the kick I need.
I follow my new friend Boots and Bluestockings  who finished school recently.  Her accomplishment has inspired me as well.

Happy Spring Gnome!

But, Dissertation.  It sounds like something too close to dessert, which should be good, but....
Has anybody done one of these? 
What have you wanted to do but keep finding excuses not to do?  What kick do you need in order to start it?

On a lighter note:  Elementary and Hannibal?  My two favorite crime solvers in one night?  Thank goodness for two TVs!
Question:  Will Graham vs Sherlock Holmes--who would win solving a crime involving voodoo rituals?

Doreen McGettigan  Pop-Culture and marketing.  Two great topics. 
Lydia: not one, not two, but THREE blogs!
           Chalk Outlines the name is great, nice pictures. 
           ReVue  arts and entertainment reviews of a different nature
           Haiku 365  A haiku a day...interesting photos, too...worth a look, this site
Misha Gericke--another multiple blogger.
           My First Book  great information regarding craft and publishing.  Also features fellow bloggers.
          Taking Charge of My Life--like the name implies; check it out
Maggie at ExpatBrazil  I've been to Brazil.  Wish I knew this site first.
Silvia @ Silvia Writes   stories as life tells them. 
Phillipscom. Ariel's Jotting  informative and inspirational
KaTy Did   check out the sunglasses and crazy "roads"
Ice Girl  where fashion and ice collide in beautiful form

One thing I'm impressed with is how many bloggers can keep up with more than one site.  One only has to look at mine to see how I dream big, but can't quite keep up.  Reading other's thoughts is encouraging.

So, pulled out the driveway and took off again for another amazing adventure on the A to Z Highway.  I wanted to say something here uniquely profound, but got Bogged in Blogs.  My problem is that all the sites so far are interesting and I stay longer than planned, so I don't make my planned destination by nightfall. But, luckily I have set up extra time for extended visits. 
Todays visitations:
Jeanette S. Anderson --beautiful photos and I love this:  you can only read your own book so many times.  (you have to read her blog to know where that came from)
Sue  encouraging words regarding blogging
Kate @ Another Clean Slate  updating look, check out pictures on #piclove365
LyndaGrace  beautiful posts from a mother.  She's lived 24, 026 yesterdays..and counting
Stepheny Houghtlin    Need to know about gardening?  Here's the place, and so much more
Josie 2 Shoes   in Texas, I must add.  Cute cats, and impressive posts from challenges. 
Kat  card projects that are (mostly) easy.  I know.  I made one.  Eclectic, practical, fun information
The Sunday Visitor  short, informative posts on a variety of subjects
Arlee Bird   who doesn't know Arlee by now?  Those who did A to Z under a rock?  Great discussion if you have opinions on swearing.
A Ramble in the Blog  --says she doesn't like writing, but you can't tell from her posts. 

some flowers for those who don't
have spring yet due to crazy snow

Leslie @ Therapy and Function  Stop by to see the Adventures of Penelope. Find a fellow blogger trying to regain a schedule after the grueling A to Z marathon.

Mom's Day and then Back on the Road

Of course we spent time with Mom today.  We went to Olive Garden. Something happened and our orders got lost.  After sitting there for an hour watching other people eat, we got a free meal.   They were very nice about it, and certainly we'll be back. 
Happy Mom's Day from Olive Garden!

This is my Mom.  She's pretty awesome, but she'd say "don't put my picture on your blog" So, too late, Mom!  Yes, the card says sweet, and she is, but so is the Orange Leaf Yogurt she loves. 





After taking a break,  back on the A to Z Trip. Bringing Ben and Jerry with me: Chunky Monkey, to be exact.   Let me see what nice folks I can visit and offer some ice cream....
Anglers Rest --interesting places and books
Tasha's Thinkings --different and scary
Ida Chiavaro @ Reflex Reactions --encouraging, relaxing place
Tales of the Reborn Crafter  --conversational, fun posts
C.M. Brown  --an award winning site, paranormal romance and some good reflections
Debra Mauldin --energizing, inspiring posts
From This Side of the Pond --sweet, family oriented
Sue CollectIn Texas Gal --fellow Texan.  Follow her family through Texas and Georgia
Tina @ Life is Good --one of the A to Z hosts and fun, helpful person and site
Rob Z Tobor --eccentrically funny and clever

So, had time for ten stops today along the road.  Check out their places.  They'll be glad to hear from ya and you'll be glad you did.  But sorry. Ate all the ice cream!

To all who read this:  have a great week!

Celebrate Friday!

So today is the day to post things to celebrate about this week:

Good things this week:

• Unexpected Burritos--a pharm. rep. brought food to our office on Wednesday.
• A no plans Saturday. 
• Sunshine after tornadoes and hail.
• Roses finally blooming! 

Check out the link on the right to find out more on Celebrate Friday. 

Next 6 Stops on the A to Z Road Trip:
Sandy--be amused and amazed by Flat Stanley's adventures
Shannon Lawrence--she'll have you submitting, attending writing conferences and Seeing Ghosts
Suzanne Sapsed --need some scrapbooking ideas?  Want to know about Harry Potter in Orlando?  Suzanne's your girl.
Yvonne Lewis--beautiful photos and poems
Hilary Melton-Butcher--positive notes and things to think about
Ficticious Amo --great stories, especially Lizzy's story during April.

On The Road...trying not to speed through.

So, I'm On the Road tonight visiting spots.  I've started at the beginning of the list.  I'm going to attempt to post links to where I've visited. 

L.G.Keltner At: Two Blogs?  Are you serious?  How does she do it?  Honest Trailers is brilliant.
   Writing Off the Edge
   Warped Nerdiverity
Making the Write Connections --I could like Les Miz after reading here.
Planning with Printed Portal --Where do I begin with the organization skills?
DeeCoded--brings TV to life, especially How I Met  Your Mother
lizy-expat-writer--beautiful photos!
Ordinary Never Sleeps --I'd followed this one throughout.  Take a look at the old posts, especially Zenobia.


I would recommend all of them.  I've been tempted to just visit spots with topics I'm interested in.  But, I've realized, I can't judge a blog by it's title, and have been introduced to new things.  Will see how the method of going down the list works.
I'm finding it easier to visit since I'm not compelled to blog every day. 

Reflections on Insanity

"The patient's not breathing!" 
"Keep bagging! I'm almost done.  I've only got five minutes to post M before Midnight."
"Start CPR!"
"I've already done C.  P and R? Not sure what they'll be yet."
"Here's the patient's X-ray."
"X-ray?  I was thinking maybe Xanadu--the Rush version, Not ONJ"

May 1 has come, the challenge has been met, the patient saved, and congratulatory tankards of ale all around...or in my case, mugs of of double espresso. 
This was my second year to participate in the A to Z Challenge. Last year I did a theme--some nerdy professional thing. This year I had a theme--Random Variety.  A fancy way of saying I had no clue.  It was actually more fun this way.  I did manage to post all the days on time.  Whew!  Even with all those pesky sick kids demanding attention--what's with all this illness anyway?   However, as with last year I didn't get  to visit as many blogs as I'd hoped.  I don't know how to remedy this problem, unless I can in some way alter the time-space continuum.  But, I did learn more about comic books and Star Trek than I ever thought my brain could hold.
In one month I talked about Garden Gnomes, wrote some poems, discovered a deadly muse and  the Plague (which almost killed Sean Bean).  Told a story about a Ninja, Reviewed a Reading, Big Fish, and Travis.  I interviewed a baby twice, looked at serial killers and their victims.  After visiting Wahoo it got a little Queer, but in the end I realized Y I like Z the best of all letters.
I won an award along the way, but what really counts is all who participated and finished are winners in need of medication and a vacation.

So, on another note:  I found this other Challenge.  It's VikLit's Writing Blog. Basically each Friday you post celebrating little things you accomplished that week.  Such as I breathed air or I didn't strangle my boss. (those might be considered big.  I love air and my boss, by the way)

Three Celebrations for me:

• Finishing A to Z Challenge
• Exercising two freedoms:  speech and voting.
• Making my bed every day (trust me, it's an accomplishment!)

Celebrating anything this week? 

Zelda and a Zenith Moment

Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold.
―    Zelda Fitzgerald

I’m late to a very important date with Z.  It’s been difficult because I wanted to do something nice with Z.  It’s such an underrated letter, yet it endures its position at the end of the alphabet with a quite elegance, waiting, knowing it will be the last letter heard.  It will be the enigma of alphabet and word challenges.  Z knows it's not like the other letters.  It doesn't even try. 

I think one of the reasons I was having trouble with Z was I was relating too much to it.   This past weekend was Jazz Festival in New Orleans. All my friends seemed to be going but nobody asked me. In the past we always went, but as people get married, start dating, they want to go with spouses or significant others, or they have to stay home with kids. It's not their fault. It's just what it is. Not only did nobody ask me to go with them I had to work Saturday and Sunday, resulting in me going to work 12 days in a row. Then, a coworker asked me what was I waiting for when I said I wasn't worried about getting married, like something was wrong with me.  (I loathe that question!)

Feel sorry for me? Don't. I only felt sorry for as long as it took to think about it. My Zenith moment was this: I'm not waiting for anything.  And as I took in a play and dinner out, I realized people think wrong.  I'm not alone. People miss out getting to spend time with me. I felt sorry for them as I had a lot of fun talking to strangers, peeking in a Hot L in Baltimore, and enjoying a tuna steak presented to me by a really cute waiter. (young men serving me seem to be a weakness of mine.)

I don't want to live. I want to love first and live incidentally.--Zelda F.



I love this of ZSF.  She looks confident and ready.

Another Zenith with Z was finding—again—Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald. For those who don’t know she was a writer in the early 1900’s and wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald.  I know we’d read of her in class, but only in passing, a mention of the “crazy wife of F. Scott.  On now to The Great Gatsby and The Sun Also Rises.”
Wait, slow down! I want to know more.  I feel cheated.  So, I’ve found this new novel about Zelda.  It’s called Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald.   I’m excited to start it.  I’ve been scanning articles about her and wonder why in school we didn’t get to learn more about such an interesting woman who obviously influenced one who’s considered a significant author of the 20^th century.  I say obviously because how could she not?
Like the letter that begins her name, Zelda seems to have been delegated to the end, waiting with a quiet elegance…how horrible would she find this!  A woman who lived to love and loved to live. 

I hate a room without an open suitcase...it all seems so permanent.--Zelda F.

Others find Z to be useless, difficult, or elusive, but that's only because Z's a strong letter that intimidates others with it's confidence and uniqueness.   The letter Z for me has been a letter of discovery, of encouragement. Z came just when I needed it.  Z is my reward for being patient and hanging in to the end.  Z is meeting new people and rediscovering old.

She refused to be bored chiefly because she wasn't boring--Zelda F.

Z is at the end because it's the best saved for last and challenges me to make this not an ending but a new beginning...

Yersinia Pestis--ICD-9 078.2

“I know that man is capable of great deeds. But if he isn't capable of great emotion, well, he leaves me cold.”

― Albert Camus, The Plague

You have to be living under a rock not to have heard of Yersinia pestis but you probably know it by another name:  The Plague or the Black Death. 
Yersinia pestis is a bacterium found in rodents and their fleas.  According to the CDC, Y. pestis infects an average of 5 to 15 people in the United States a year.  The World Health Organization reports anywhere from 1000 to 3000 cases a year. 
There are three types:

• bubonic--characterized by painful, swollen lymph nodes
• pnuemonic--characterized by high fever, cough, bloody sputum, and difficulty breathing
• septicemic--characterized by fever and GI symptoms

Y. pestis is treatable by current antibiotics, but delay in seeking treatment and in diagnosing can be fatal.  In the U.S. 14% of Y. pestis cases result in death.  50-60 % of untreated bubonic plague and nearly 100% of untreated septicemic plague is fatal.
Plague is a word meaning any worldwide calamity, especially seen as divine retribution, as in the Egyptian plagues described in the Bible.  It also can mean any epidemic, usually fatal, disease. The Plague usually indicates the one believed to be caused by Y. pestis.  In the 1300's The Plague spread throughout Europe, killed anywhere from 50 to 250 million people.  This is the Black Death that most are familiar with.  There were actually three major pandemic episodes:

• The Justinian Plague beginning in 541 a.d. and spanning over 200 years, killing up to 100 million people in the Mediterranean basin, virtually all of the known world at that time.
• The Black Death--beginning in 1334 in China and spreading to Europe by traders and soldiers, killing over 60% of the European population.
• The Modern Plague--beginning in China in the 1860's. (what's with China and all these pests?)  In the 20 years it spread, scientists discovered the bacteria, where it came from, and how to stop the spread.  Go Science!

How about some Fun Facts about that wild and crazy Yersinia?

• Yersinia pestis is huge, measuring in at 1.2 microns in length. That's like 0.000047244 inches, for us Americans, or one millionth of a meter.
• The swollen node in bubonic plague is called a bubo, not to be confused with Bilbo, a character in the Hobbit, and LOTR (incidentally a movie in which Sean Bean dies)
• Cats are highly susceptible and are a common source of human transmission through bites, scratches, coughing, and of course, fleas.  Dogs aren't so susceptible, but still can get sick.  So the answer? Get a fish. 
• In the 1300's the Plague was thought to be punishment from God on sinners, or by the Jews to destroy Christians.  This quote from The Plague comes to mind:  “stupidity has a knack of getting its way; as we should see if we were not always so much wrapped up in ourselves”  ― Albert Camus, The Plague  (not that Christians haven't had their share of blame for things)  
• The nursery rhyme Ring Around the Rosy is thought by many to describe the progression of infection and death from the plague. Just what are we teaching our children?
• There is an upside to the pandemic.  Due to high labor shortages people had to get creative resulting in economic, social, and technological advances, helping to usher in the Renaissance.  Funny what happens when there's no FEMA or government interference.
• Cologne was first used in the 1300s to cover up the smells from not bathing or changing clothes, which was common practice because it was thought to be a sign of vanity inviting more wrath from God and opening pores so bad air could enter and exit the body and spread disease.  Brittany Spears or Justin Bieber would probably kill or scare it away. 
• Many TV shows and movies have used the Plague as a plot device, including NCIS, in which Agent Tony DiNozzo was infected with a letter laced with the Plague.  Everyone got to wear cool hazmat suits.  (SWAK, season 2, episode 22)
• In the 2010 movie Black Death, Sean Bean would've died from the Plague if he hadn't been ripped apart by horses first. Oh, what?  You can't possibly think I spoiled the movie for you.  I mean, it's not if he's going to die, but how.  I must say, I wouldn't have guessed quartered.
• Many doctors believed that bad smells could drive out the plague. As a result, some of the treatment for the disease included dung and urine, as well as other ingredients that were more likely to spread disease than to cure it. Once again, I refer back to Justin and Brittany. That acutally might have worked.
• The Plague, by Albert Camus, has some interesting quotes and really is an interesting novel.
• Yersinia is an interesting word.  I'm looking for someone naming their kid that.  I mean, people already call their kids pests, right? 

“What’s true of all the evils in the world is true of plague as well. It helps men to rise above themselves.”
― Albert Camus, The Plague

Liebster: an award, a responsibility, an excuse not to do housework

Like the elusive Flying Dutchman, so are the origins of the Liebster Award.  I've found that it's a German word meaning sweetheart or favorite.  But, beyond that? 
So, The Armchair Squid gave me this award. I am flattered and humbled and glad not to be mopping floors. But, as we all know, with great awards come great responsibility.  Like the Miss America award, the Liebster isn't just something you put on the mantel to hold ashes. You share it with others, you become a representative, you have to pay it forward. You just don't get a fancy tiara to wear, unless you go buy yourself one.
But, I am up to the challenge...I hope.  I did some strength training: research, first drafting, editing, re-editing, caffeine loading, napping in the  hammock, watching White Collar and Sean Bean death scenes.  Now, I think I'm ready. 
I'm never one to follow rules, but in researching this I found that the rule seems to be change the rules. So, I will follow the rules set out before me as in following the rules I am breaking them.
The rules of 11 are as follows:

• supply 11 fun facts about myself
• answer 11 questions asked by Armchair
• award 11 bloggers
• ask for 11 fun facts about them and 11 new questions

Eleven Fun Facts: 

1. I prefer hockey over golf, but I'm a big fan of golfers.
2. I'm especially fond of performing classical music, especially that rebel Mozart.
3. I love Pediatric medicine but undecided on having kids of my own. 
4. I don't know why certain men attract me as they most often go against my Christian upbringing. Maybe it's my Hosea complex.
5. I'm not a fan of any alcoholic beverage...especially beer. Yuck!
6. I'd rather be outside than in.
7. I used to be the tallest person in my class.  Now I'm the shortest.
8. I'm a true crime addict. One of my favorites is John Douglas.
9. Blue is my favorite color.
10. My two favorite patient types are psych and cardiac--pedi of course.
11. Facebook makes me crazy. 

Eleven answers to Eleven Questions
1. If you could live one year of your life again, which would you choose and why?
      My fifth year.  I got a birthday crown from my kindergarten teacher.  It set the tone for the whole year. Awesome!

 

2. If you could be good or better at one thing without putting in the time and work, what would it be?—playing guitar.

 

3. You've been invited to join a bowling league and you may choose any five people to be on your team. There's just one catch: you can only pick fictional characters. Whom would you choose?

       Death (of the Endless), Harry Dresden, Darth Vader, Spiderman, and Donna Paulsen (I'm pretty sure they're all fictional)

4. How do you really feel about pears?---Why, what have you heard? 

 

5. How do you feel about the metric system?---It was just a fling.  It didn't mean anything.  Inches and I really want to make it work.

6. The Doctor knocks on your door. He'll take you to visit any place on Earth at any point in history (he always seems to make the choices with interstellar travel). Where and when do you choose?  Back in the days of Queen Maeve of Ireland.  Don't say she's just a legend.  The Doctor can make her real.  He's got the Tardis.  They're all-powerful. 

7. If you could learn any new language, which would you choose?   Shiriiwook

 

8. You have one personal quality which eventually annoys everyone in your life including, on occasion, yourself. What is it and do you feel it's within your power to change it?  Precognitive mind reading. It works everyone's nerves.  I drink coffee--lots of coffee--- to slow it down, but it never really stops.  (PMR is knowing what someone's going to say or think before they do)

 

9. If you knew when you were younger what you'd be doing with your life now, how might you have planned things differently? Do you think your life would truly be better overall if you had?  Seriously, the only thing I'd change is maybe be married and figure out how to acquire magical powers, but I don't know that it could get better than this.  I'm pretty much doing what I planned.

 

10. If all went south and you had to turn to a life of crime (assuming you haven't already), what line of dirty work would you choose?  Professional thief hiding out as lead guitar in a rock band.

 

11. How do you get your geek on?   My geek is religious history, criminal psychology, and fantasy (as in wizards and elves).  Tech guys have their gadgets.  I have my supernatural aberrant behavior in the name of God.

 

Eleven Questions for Eleven Victims...I mean, Awardees

1. What did you do on your favorite birthday?
2. If you were held captive, what kind of Duck tape would you want to be taped up with?
3. What is your favorite city or town?  Why?
4. If it were possible, would you be taller or shorter than you are now?
5. Do you prefer tennis shoes or heels?
6. Which of Neil Gaimen's Endless do you most relate to?  see The Endless for details if needed.
7. If you could be a color which would it be?  Why?
8. Espresso or regular roast coffee?
9. You're a white collar criminal.  What is your crime?
10. What fictional character would be a good leader for your country?  Why?
11. In a spouse--whether you're married or not--what trait is most important to you? 

And the most important part:  The Award goes to
The Incurable Itch
The Coffe Lady
Gospel-Driven Disciples
Tales of the Rock
Boots and Blue Stockings
Fictitious Amo
A Creative Exercise
Have You Heard?
Rabbit Trails
DeeCoded
Ordinary Never Sleeps

These are just a few of the blogs I've found in the A to Z challenge.  Except The Incurable Itch. Linda's a writing group buddy.  Even if I haven't always commented, I've enjoyed visiting and revisiting their sites this month.  They are worth the effort of stopping by. 
For the nominees: there's no penalty for not answering the questions and sending the award on. Nobody will visit your home.  But as the A to Z is winding down maybe it will help the alphabet withdrawls? 
Either way, we're all winners! 
Thanks to Armchair for the nomination. 
Tag...you're it..

 

Xanadu Lost

 Rivers without names, oceans unchecked
rushing from under ground, wild, untamed purity
carrying to stand in Pleasure Dome,
drunk on milk of Paradise, sated on honey-dew.
It was once mine, inside of me. My home.
From beyond an echo stirs, ancestral voices crying out for war
I did not ask for, enemy I never wronged.
I'm not leader, singer, minstrel, poet. My words are poison to the soul.  Honey bitter, sour milk, my lost Xanadu haunting once pleasant dreams.
Nothing left to hold, shadows faking light. "No reality, nothing here to see"--words spoken without substance or form. Caves of ice melt into stone.  Trapped inside my mind, prisoner of Paradise.
How did poetry go so wrong? When did the tune leave the song?
What's it all about? Did we misplace our faith hoping for too much?
Drunk on the milk of Paradise, sated by honey-dew,
prisoner of dreams lost in Xanadu.


author's note:  see also Coleridge's poem Kubla Khan and Rush's song Xanadu

Wahoo!

Wahoo is one of my favorite words.  It's a happy sounding word I use to express excitment. 
Wahooo!!


But did you know:

• The name Wahoo is Native American, applied to any small bush or shrub?
•  Wahoo is a plant with medicinal properties, including cardiac and gastrointestinal effects.
• Wahoo is a city in Saunders County, Nebraska?
• Chief Wahoo is the logo of the Cleveland Indians baseball team?
• The Wahoo KICKR is a fitness training bike?
• Wahoo! is a grill in Decatur, Georgia?
• At University of Virginia, the mascot is often referred to as a Wahoo? 
• The USS Wahoo was a Naval submarine sunk in 1943 during WWII?
• Wahoo is a brand of boats?
• Wahoo is a fish found in tropical and subtropical areas?  (This means you can fish for it off the Louisiana coast. Have to do that sometime.)
• Wahoo McDaniel was an American footbal player and professional wrestler? 
• Who wouldn't want to go to the First Baptist Church of Wahoo in Florida?

Who knew Wahoo was so much more?
Do you know any more fun facts about this great word? 

Wahoo! only three more posts to go...X,Y,Z.

Victims Voices

You don’t remember me.

You remember Ted Bundy, Charles Whitman, John Wayne Gacy, Charles Manson, Timothy McVeigh. Tsarnaev has become a household photo on every news show and will soon join the list.   You analyze them.  You make them antiheros, celebrities, prison pen pals. You sell their movie rights.
Without me, you wouldn’t even care about their names.
Before I was Victim #5 I was Cynthia Hinds.  When you could still recognize me I was Gloria Davy.  I once had the face of Mary Ann Jordan.  I hadn’t even started high school as Samuel Stapleton.  As Josephine Otero I would never experience middle school. I am over two thousand in the Twin Towers.  I’m buried in Oklahoma and Boston.  I was at the UT-Austin Bell Tower.  I’m too numerous to name.
I’m the one who deserves recollection.  I’m the one who suffered, fought, prayed, and did not go quietly.   I’m the one who gave you evidence to find the one who killed me. I crashed the plane in a field in Pennsylvania.  I’m the face that keeps the fascination from becoming less than human.
They aren’t worthy of their notoriety. What they did is nothing compared to what I could’ve been: healer, lover, artist, scientist, mother, father, grandparent.  The world is a poorer place without me.

When you look at them with wonder, will you remember me? 

Two for T-Tuesday.

Table for One

"Is anyone using this chair?"  he asked, putting his hands on the back of it.
"No.  Take them all, I only need this one,"  she patted the chair she was sitting in. 
"Really?"  he sounded surprised. "Okay."  But he took just the one.  She watched the group he joined. They were laughing, talking, eating, enjoying being together. After a few moments he came back.
"You know, you could bring your chair to our table."
"Not now.  Maybe later?"
"Anytime."
She finished her firecracker shrimp, unconcerned. 




T is also for Travis, our Terrific Waiter at Nona Blue.  He Totally Rocked with his suggestions for Firecracker Shrimp and G-Mac and Cheese, Though he probably Thought Twice when the crazy girls started pouring beer on a bracelet in the salad bowl. (see S post) He didn't Tattle, though, and Tallied a good Tip. 

Queer

I hate to see you here
You choke behind a smile
A fake behind the fear
The queerest of the queer
                       Queer, Garbage

The word queer is a curious word with many implications.  I know, though, many of you read that and went "hey, Garbage!" 
Back in the late '90s I was watching MTV when it still played music videos and saw Shirley Manson singing Stupid Girl.  It was awesome.  I got the CD and loved every song on it. Saw them in concert not too long after and liked them even more.
I know they're a different kind of band with a different kind of attitude.  Here in Louisiana my friends often listen to the songs a say "Huh?"
However, I know I'm not alone in being a fan. 
You can watch the video--and some other great Garbage videos--here at youtube

Queer--Garbage



pict borrowed from www.theage.com.au

Orlando

This will be short since yesterdays was so long? 
I picked Orlando because that's where my PNP conference is.
Don't know much except Mickey Mouse and Graeme McDowell live here.  But then, isn't that all you really need to know? 

Planning on eating at Nona Blue.  Any thougths that don't involve theme parks? 

Ninja

      Dark brown eyes peered through binoculars from under a black silk hood and mask.  From his vantage point on the rooftop Tamoarichi could make out the outline of the Empire State Building but he wasn’t there for sightseeing.  His interest was the family in the apartment across from him. 
   How foolish, he thought, watching them prepare for bed. They didn’t bother to draw their curtains. The mother was in the master bedroom, at least closing the bathroom door.  The father carried the boy to his bed and leaned in for a goodnight hug.  Covers were tucked in.
     Tamoarichi gave his head a slight shake.  Those kinds of details were not important. The only thing that mattered was waiting for lights out.
      The boy’s room became dark.  Then he saw the father appear in the master bedroom, the mother in bed already.  The father turned out the light. Tamoarichi saw the silhouette of him climbing into bed next to the mother.
      Now was the time. 
      Tamoarichi stood on the ledge, judging the distance from his perch to the next rooftop. It was an easy jump. He was a dark shadow crossing silently from one roof to the other, not even visible if someone happened to look up at the right moment.
      This was what he had been trained for. He’d done it dozens of times. He was an assassin.  He was a Ninja.
      This time, though, he felt an unfamiliar anxiety as he attached the grappling hook and scaled down. Tamoarichi ignored it.  He couldn’t afford to give into emotions.
     He hung from the rope and tried the window to the boy’s room. Locked. He pulled out a glass cutter. Why this family? Why the mother and child? he wondered as he cut a hole with enough room to reach in his hand and open the latch.  
      He pushed his thoughts aside again. His was not to question.     
      The room was lit only by city lights. Tamoarichi could see the small form under the covers.  He crept towards the bed, unsheathing his katana.  A ghostly grey shown from the metal. Tamoarichi had honed it himself until the katana could split a small child without effort. Many of his counterparts had forgone the old weapons for modern poisons and firearms, but Tamoarichi favored the quiet elegance of the blade. He had followed in his master’s way.  
     His master.  The thought gave him pause. His master had recently died, a wrinkled old man ravaged by time. Tamoarichi had been at his side when the man passed. He’d heard his master’s last words spoken not in graceful wisdom, but choked out in fear and pain.
      Choose for yourself, Tamoarichi.
     His thoughts were broken by a scream. The boy had awakened and climbed out of the bed. Tamoarichi refocused on his mission, rushing towards the boy. He sliced through the air, barely grazing the child’s arm. The boy screamed again. Tamoarichi was angry with himself.
     The boy had run into the hallway. Tamoarichi followed, bringing the sword back around. He almost made it to his target when a flash distracted him.  It was followed instantly by a booming echo.  For a second he was disoriented, then realized he was on his back.  His chest was burning.  He tried to take a breath, but his lungs felt heavy. His vision was blurring.
     A shadow appeared above him.  The father was standing over him, a pistol pointed at his face. The muzzle flashed again.
     Tamoarichi’s last thoughts were this was why the Ninja did not question, for when the Ninja began to question, the Ninja died.

 

Big Fish



National Aquarium, Baltimore

My Daffodils bloomed this weekend making me want to watch Big Fish.   I like it because it's fun and Ewan McGregor getting the snot beat out of him in a field of daffodils is pretty sappy and sweet.  I guess I really am a romantic at heart.
In the movie the main character Edward Bloom talks about how fish grow to their environment.  I did some research and that's only partially true. Fish will continue to grow unless something stunts their growth.  Being confined in a small space will do this. Stunting actually hurts the fish and shortens its life.
The good thing is that, unlike fish, people have choices.  You can't change circumstances, but you have the power to control your actions and reactions.  I've seen people pack big lives in small spaces. In big areas, people will still live small, selfish lives.
 People think they have to leave home to grow, but it's more of how you choose to live.  You could have the normal story life--but where would the fun in that be?  I'd rather the story with a field of daffodils and  Big Fish. 

Colorful Fish Community

There's also the novel Big Fish: a Novel of Mythic Proportions, by Daniel Wallace.  It's a great read.

Oh, come on. I can't go back, I'm a human sacrifice. If I go back they'll think I'm a coward. I'd rather be dinner than a coward.~ Edward Bloom
 
Are you letting something stunt you?  What can you change about it?

A to Z Challenge #544

Is it March 31 already???
But it can't be.  That's just too gruesome!
This year my A to Z Challenge theme will be Random Variety--as in A Variety of Topics Not Necessarily Related.  One day may be a poem or song.  One day maybe a picture.  Maybe an essay or a flash fiction. 
I've had so many ideas and themes.  I may be political.  I may be religious.  I may be irreverent, serious,  and funny.  I'm sure I'll offend some along the way and hopefully inspire or encourage at least once or twice.  One night I sat down with a notebook and wrote out the alphabet letters and brainstormed. I loved how it was so weirdly eclectic.  I hope they're are as fun to read as they will be to post.
I know for some the challenge has already begun, but here in Southwest Louisiana we're still on Sunday night and I'm not late yet.  Just not as early as I'd like.  I'm glad for the challenge, though, as it makes me sit down and write.
Happy Reading.  I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone has to say. 

How about everyone else?  Are you intimidated by a challenge, or is this the accountability you need to get you going?

Wow!  1717 blogs?  I'd better get busy!