Last day of August, Dang.

   I always hate to see August end. Around here, it'll still be hot 'til November. But August is the end of summer to me. There are 2 things I like about Sept. One is my dear friend Cheryl Piazza's birthday. I'll let you know what the 2nd thing is, if I ever think of one.
   Today's one of those crazy days where I'm running in circles like a peg-legged man with one roller skate. I have like 78 things I have to do in the next hour. OY!

Aug. 30

   Wow ... just got of Facebook. Went from 96 to 113 friends in one day! Just got done thanking them all.
   Well, today wasn't as Perditionish as it's been. Still dang hot, though. Like 97 today. Sad when that seems cool.
   After a nifty day sweating outside, i gotta try to plant a lemon and a pomegranate (sp?) tree. That is, if I can clear out more of the roots from the stump from the Abyss.
   Such fun. Then I need to start my Bible study for the nursing home where I teach a Bible study. Probably won't get back to my story 'til Thurs. or so.

Aug. 29

   Well, back to work today after 3 months off. Was hot as heck, and a shock.
   What I hate the most is that you HAVE to be there, take breaks, eat lunch & leave when they tell you.  It's like they own you. I guess that's what having a job is all about. I want to be my own boss. If I want to work all day without a break, I will. If I want to go to the beach, I could. That's one reason why I SO want to be a published (and successful) author. I don't dislike my employers at all. In fact, they're all very nice. At my age, though, I want to be my own boss. That's all. I'd be a lot tougher on me than anybody else, probably.
   My son Mike and I (mostly Mike) FINALLY got the rest of that cursed stump out after work today. There are still roots that go to different countries. The whole yard is roots, it seems.
   Don't have time to work on my story tonight. It kills me. Writing is my drug, my escape. I could write for hours and not even realize how many hours have gone by.
   Well, it's late. Lots to do yet. Can we do summer over again?

Aug. 28: The end of the dream, the beginning of the nightmare.

   Well, the day had arrived and is over. The last day of summer. It's been tense, to say the least. Been jobless since June 3rd. But it's been relaxing at times. Been going to bed, getting up when I want. Worked more on my story then I've gotten done in months, at least. Spent lots of time with my family & parents. We didn't starve or lose the house yet. We've had hotter summers. The only places we went all summer were to the beach one day, and to a funeral. Could have been a lot better in that respect. Then again, we could live in Libya or Iraq or Afghanistan. No matter how lousy your life is, there's always somebody with a sadder story.
   I'm just not ready to go back. I'm not ready to stand all day out in the heat, and be told when to take a break, when to eat, when to be there, when to go home, do this, do that, blah blah blah. I want to be home with my family. I want to be a full-time writer.
   So, tomorrow, I'll be wondering if I'm at work, wishing I was home in bed, or if I'm at home, having a nightmare that I'm at work.
   By the way, as of yesterday (the last I worked on my story) I am now at 65,000 words. 10,000 to go.

Aug. 26

   Went to an all-day meeting for work today. Got rigor mortis of the butt.
   Hotter than the hinges of hades today. Like 107 or hotter.
   Still didn't get that stump out! Chopped more of it out, though. There's probably a guy in China on the other end, wondering what's going on with his tree.
   Typed again last nite. I forget the exact word count, but I'm at something like 64,000 words now! Only like 11,000 to go!

Aug. 25

   Jingle bells and a fa la la. 4 months 'til Christmas. That should give you plenty of time to find me a nice present.
   Hot as blazes again today. About to go out and wrestle with that fool tree stump for as long as I can stand the heat. Hopefully, I can get to my story again, too. I could SO be a full-time writer. Can't think of ANY other job I'd love as much.

Aug. 24.

   Well, it's 4 months 'til Christmas Eve. Let me be the first one to wish you a merry Christmas.
   Today it was like 105 degrees. My son Mike & I tried (in vain) to get the stump out again. It's the tree stump from the Abyss.
   I worked on my story a bit, when it got too hot outside. I'm up to like 61,000 words. At least 14,000 to go.
Tomorrow's essentially my last day of summer. Have an all day meeting Fri. The weekend, then back to pergatory.
   It's late at nite & I gotta Facebook & maybe tweet. Then, sack time.

Aug. 23

   Another day hot as blazes here.
   Well, worked on my story last nite. I'm up to 59,000 words. Just 16,000 to go. Oy.
   How do people say so much, yet say something? I could put in 100,000 words, but how much of it will mean anything?
   Well, gotta do Facebook & dig up a tree stump (or at least try to) out in the heat. Oh the joy.

Aug. 22

   Well, back to work for 5 hours today (registration at school). It was quite a shock. I had about as much fun as Pinocchio with a termite infestation.
   I hope to jump on my story and type some more. I've gone from 46,000 words to 56,000. Hopefully, it's meaningful stuff & not fluff. Long way to go yet.
   I have 3 days of freedom left, then it's a meeting, a weekend, then back to the old grind. At least, thank God, I have a job.

Aug. 21

   Well, it's been a busy one. Went to Palm Terrace to help with a Bible study that friends of mine and I teach there.
   Had to replace the connection for our front hose. It wouldn't turn off. Had a hard time turning the water off to replace it. Ran errands half the day. Re-tweeked my nose. Drying my face with a towel, my nose made a sickening crunch sound (again) that I could feel and hear. Not fun.
   Gotta go work registration at Poly High school tomorrow. Lots of fun out in the heat.
   My brain is sparking and sputtering. I gotta sleep.

Another Aug. 20 post

   See? Told you I'm slow! Here's my Twitter account, should you be interested. You're welcome.

Aug. 20

   Well, my son signed me up with Twitter today. I'm about to "tweet" my first tweet. Does that make me a twit?
   Not much to say today. Whipped like a stubborn donkey. My son Mike & I tried to dig a tree stump out for hours. We finally gave up. Nothing more fun than spending your Saturday digging out a stinking tree stump. The roots are everywhere, and they either go to China or hell.
   Well, I gotta check Facebook & Twitter. I'm trying hard to catch up with y'all with this technology stuff. I'm kinda slow. To say the least.

Aug. 19

   Well, today was Uncle Don's funeral. One of those real bittersweet things. Bitter to realize Don's not here any more. Sweet to realize he's with the Lord and his wife (Aunt Beverly) who went to be with the Lord in 1991.
   Was great to see family again. That was sweet, too. My family means the world to me. I love my family & they've always been everything to me. I'm very blessed to have such a great family.
 At the end of Don's service, a Steerman (sp?) flew over in his honor. Very cool. It made everybody cry. Don loved and built planes. His grandson & my cousin Jeff Josselyn had a buddy from Chino, CA fly it over. Jeff was a Navy pilot.
   I'm thrashed and it's late.

Aug. 18

   Well, another roasting day in Riverside. It's so hot, the souls of the unsaved have been sent to Riverside.
   Tomorrow's my uncle Don Josselyn's funeral. It's still hard to believe. It's not like he was a young man. Yet, it's so weird to have somebody gone that's been part of your life since you were born. He was a great man. Very much part of the old school, when men worked long & hard, and family was all-important. He was very much a family man. I really loved and admired my whole family. My uncles all knew so much. More than I ever will. I wish I could go back in time & listen to their stories at family gatherings. Being just a stupid kid, all I was interested in was stealing candy out of my grandma's candy dish, grabbing Craigmont rootbeer out of the fridge and shaking it several times before opening it. It always made great explosions. There usually wasn't much left to drink.
   Why is it that we seem to only MAKE time to see each other at funerals and the occasional weddings?
   Most of my relatives live nearby, but we never see each other. I don't get it. It's amazing how much time gets by just living life and working day to day. Next thing you know, you're old, your kids are grown & you're saying, "What the heck happened?"

Aug. 16

   Well, today's been busy. I didn't write in here yesterday. Busy one, too.
   Today, we finished ripping out plants & stumps, and cut down a tree. I was cutting a branch about the thickness of a baseball bat. It was cut almost all the way thru. I pulled on it, and it snapped off, hitting me square on the bridge of my nose. It broke my nose quite nicely. Again. I've busted it before. Well, I didn't PURPOSELY bust it. In fact, other people broke it for me.
   I better go work on my story. At least I hopefully won't hurt myself doing THAT!

Aug. 14

   Wow ... the middle of the month already!
   Tonite's the last nite of the Harvest Crusade in Anaheim, Ca. I wish I could go. Louis Zamperini's supposed to be there tonite. You need to read his life story in Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand.
   Been slowly adding to my story. Haven't typed much. Gets roasting in the house & poor computer can't keep cool enough. Afraid I'm gonna fry it.
   Talked with my dear friends Cheryl & Charlie Piazza today. They live in York, Maine. Thank God for friends and phones!
   Been moving tons (literally) of dirt in the backyard by wheelbarrow last several days. Whole family's been out there with shovels & rakes in the heat. Trying to get our wilderness backyard to look like civilization.

Aug. 12

   Well, today was the 22nd Harvest Crusade (1st day of it). Daughter Jenny went with friend Lauren and her family. I stayed home like a heathen and did yard work and have been working on my story.
   The publisher I investigated yesterday was only interested in little kid books. Oy.
   The search continues, as does my adding to my story.

August 11

   Well, as you may have noticed, I didn't write in here yesterday.
   Not much to say, really. Been busier than a mouse in a cheese factory, doing yard work. Me, that is, doing the yard work, not the mouse. You know. Anyhow, moving on.
   Tomorrow nite begins the Harvest Crusade in Anaheim. If you're anywhere near, I urge you to go. If not, you can see it at Harvest.org.
   I'm still adding to my story, little by little. I came across a Christian publisher today in Writer's Digest magazine. I want to check 'em out after I write this & check ol' Facebook.
   Well, I better go for now.

Official Rejection!

   Well, after only 15 days, I got my very first rejection notice. 15 days ago, I sent my first query to The Knight Agency. They said it could be 2 months. They REALLY must've hated it to respond so promptly!
   You know, the sad thing is, they never saw the real story. I wonder how many good stories never get a chance, because maybe the query isn't that great or whatever. I bet there are great stories out there. Many times, I bet the stories are great. They just never get a chance. Oh well. I printed my e-rejection and I'm gonna frame it. Hopefully, one day, they'll feel stupid for rejecting it.
   I often wondered how I'd react if & when my stories were rejected. Yeah, it was sad. I felt disappointed, and, well... rejected.  Am I crying? Am I giving up? Am I throwing my story in the trash? Of course! Not really. I'm more determined than ever to get it published now. I ain't givin' up!

Mundane

   Well, today was one of those stinking days I shoulda stayed asleep.
   We went to the Antiques Roadshow out of town. Packed up a bunch of stuff that my parents & us have had for years. Some going back to the 1800s. We thought some may actually worth something. You ever see that show? People have stuff like Cleopatra's nail file, Napoleon's toilet brush, or whatever. Some piece of junk can be worth tens of thousands of dollars. All of our stuff combined was probably worth enough to buy a burger combo at Carl's Jr. Really disappointing to save stuff all your life, just to find out it ain't worth any more than it was in 1832 or whatever.
   We got home, only to find out that my uncle, Don Josselyn, died this afternoon. He was a great man. I wish I knew him better. I wish I sat at his feet when I was a kid & drank in his knowledge. He fought the war from home, by building aircraft. He knew everything about planes. As a dumb little kid, I didn't pay attention. I could have learned a lot. Why do we appreciate people and things only when they're gone? I hope he's with the Lord. I look forward to having some great visits.

Another exciting post!

   Yeah, right. Anyhow, I spent quite a bit of time trying to throw anything meaningful into my story today. I'm now up to something like 53,800 words. If I only knew how to type! I have a long way to go to get to 75,000. Oy. What am I going to say that'll fill in about 22,100 words?  I have longer to go than I thought. Anybody out there a publisher or agent who wants a 46,000 word story? I wish.
   Today was the Celtic Music Festival up in Oak Glen, Ca. today. We couldn't go. I feel like crying. W3e went last year. Ken O'Malley & all kinds of grand singers/musicians. Today was the 2nd annual one. Killed me to miss it. I love going to the Irish Fair too. There are two good ones - one in March at LA County Fair, the other in June in Irvine, Ca. It's like Irish Heaven for me.
   Well, I'm done whining for now.

Friday again already.

   Wow. Friday again already. This week went by faster than a scalded rabbit.
   I didn't blog yesterday. So sorry. Probably nobody noticed, anyhow.
   I've been working in my spare minutes to lengthen my story. It's gone from 46,000 words to just under 53,000. My goal is 75,000. Ain't gonna be easy.
   Crazy busy week. You know, the busier I get, the less I seem to get done. Why is that? Or am I the only one that happens to?

Toos Day

   Another action-packed, happy kind of day.
   Well, I worked on my story a bit more today. The computer got too hot & had to shut it off. It was like 101 outside & felt as hot in here.
    No word, of course, on the story from the agency. No surprise there. Waiting's the worst part.
   I wish I was one of those doggone already-famous people who could write anything & it would be published. Trying to get published in the first place is the hardest part of all.

August First

   Dia duit! (Howdy!)
   Wow ... the first day of August already! Unbelievable!
   We spent all day running errands out in the miserable heat & humidity. It's been so hot, the souls of the damned are being sent here to Riverside.  Yesterday was incredible, though. It RAINED here, a good, cool rain, for hours. It was SO wonderful, and so needed.
   Also, I began adding to my story yesterday. I am keeping the story at its original length (on flashdrives) just in case an agent is interested in a story that length. But I'm adding as much to it as I can, trying to add meaningful things, but also, just trying to get it more to novel length. It's currently 46,000 words. It SHOULD be 75,000 to 100,000 words for a novel. We'll see what we end up with. Anyhow, it felt good to be writing again. I have the story saved on computer and flashdrives. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I don't want to chance anything happening to it. I've worked and sweated over it for 10 years.
   Got more friend acceptances on Facebook & have had a great time chatting with dear old friends. It's amazing how out of touch I became with my friends. It's shameful, really. It's so easy to get wrapped up in all the day-to-day stuff. Next thing you know, you're old, your kids are grown, you & your spouse look at each other and say, "Who in the blazes are YOU?"