To be a writer--right

 

To be a writer—right

 

While walking Stella this morning, I happened to think about what I might be able to do to spend a little time being productive.  Seems like I often end up watching the same old things on the tube and getting nothing at all done.  Could I write productively?   I wonder. 

 

Well, I did do that autobiography.  Of course, that was an attempt to do something while being forced away from my home during the repair time that was needed after the house fire.  And, while I have not exactly raked in a ton of money from the sales of that book (I’m not named Benjamin Franklin is one possible problem here) I have proven to myself, if to no one else, that I can write.  I guess my main topic might be:  What to write next?  But before that, I should remind you that that first book is on Amazon.  Got a few dollars you might be able to spare?  Check out:  https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-V.- Geddes/e/B07F64V892%3Fref=

 

(And, before I go any further, this program does not allow me to simply post a reference.  I do—above—and then I try to put a period for punctuation and it includes the period in the post.  Ergo, no period!) 

 

The first thing that comes to mind is to put on my tennis shoes and head for the woods—Hitchcock woods, at that.  I have told myself that would be a topic worthy of exploring and have begun several times to give it a start.  The problem is that is all I have done—give it a start, several times, at that.  So now what?

 

A good question, wouldn’t you say?  I know what I want to do, and I know what I have done so far, and nothing seems to be enough.  Well, perhaps what I need to do is write out a detailing of what I need to do to write that book. 

 

The first thing is the title: “Xxxxx xxxxxxxxx.”  (And I will fill in that name, as soon as it is done to the point where its confidentiality need not be protected.)  Easy, right?  Well, you might guess it would be easy if you had been thinking about it for several months.  Which is what I have done.  Now what?  Again, just a bit easy, but not anywhere as easy as I believe at this point.  Nothing to do but begin, I guess.

 

1)  Table of contents

 

So far so good, right?  Wrong—the work starts here.  Which is why I will continue this on another post. 

 

Work?  WORK!! Or so Gilligan would have said.

 

Hah!

 

 So, I’m done for the day.  You can continue on with the next post, though, in a few days, anyway, or so I hope!

 

Cousin John is gone

 My question is how and why, cousin?  Was it something in your past that we were not aware of?  The main problem with your leaving is your grandchildren will know nothing about the good man you were.  And your children will not have the benefit of your council from time to time (something we had for many years from our parents, thank God) something they will miss terribly, even if they don't know what it is that they are missing.   And, your cousins will miss having you on those occasions when we all might come together for whatever.  Well, I'd prefer not to get to hug my cousins, your sister, your brother, in the very near future.  Some things are better put off as long as possible, or so I think.  I will miss you.  Even though we did not correspond at all for many years.  My misfortune.  Sorry.  Will pass on to your siblings the fact that I am here if they have any reason to question an old relative.  Sometimes, though, we might be one anothers' best listeners, helpers, comisserateurs.  Sorry.  What else can I say?

Goodbye, cousin John.  Tell your mom and dad I miss them too!

My thoughts on a friend's column

Hope you had (or will have) a chance to read Jack DeVine's column in the AikenStandard this week.  He could use a few thoughts from the field, I think, and the AikenStandard would benefit by passing on those thoughts to its readership.  My add-on follows:

Good column.  I agree totally with the implication that our congress is not working properly for the American public when they fail to work together to agree or disagree and make changes to obtain a modicum of agreement on its legislation.  Everything in America is not top-notch, and that is a fact.  I have a very intelligent friend who lives in New Zealand and who is intent on staying there till he passes on.  Why not?  Good medical care, at reasonable prices, good food, good neighbors, and a beautiful environment.  We could do well to send a legislative delegation there, people who need to see how things could be changed here for the better, and people who  are disgusted with this two-sided standoff, failure to work reasonably together, that is our congress.  

If that congress cannot come up with reasonable ways to work together, I think they ALL need to be sent out to pasture and a new group returned to do the work we need them to do.  Republican, Democrat, or whatever be damned!

LIke I said, good column.  What we need, though, are thoughtful people in those positions of power who are dedicated to doing things RIGHT, not just in winning for one side or the other.  Hell, if that one side or another approach were what we took during WWII, we would be living under some sort of Hitler in Europe today.  And wouldn't that be something different?

Considered compromise is what those monkeys in congress have to learn how to do to give all of us a little bit of the benefit of our system of government.  Lacking that, we all are indeed going down the tube--one flush at a time!

Costs to mail today

 OK, so here I go again with something most of you already know, but old, retired me just noticed, thanks to a USPS delivery to me of a letter (one page at that,) for $0.58 for first class delivery.  Why is it that I am still thinking the rate should be in the high '30's?  Guess some of us are just not that cognizant of things like postage rates, and who knows what else.  Oh, well, so long as our postal service can get along with this increase in rates, I guess I will have to also.  (Shows how often I send something as opposed to what comes in the daily dispatch.  No problem, I hope!)

I wonder how long it's been since my rate remembrance might have been the norm.  There was a time when I mailed out letters fairly regularly, thanks to a little job I had that I felt needed a bit of advertising.  But that time has come and gone and here I am finding an issue that is probably at least ten years having been changed from my remembered costs.  Huh!   Wonder what Judge Judy would have to say about that, especially if one of her cases revolved around postal costs.  Whatever it might be, I'm sure her viewership would understand.  Now I'm wondering how much it costs to get one word of that ladies' daily dictates on the air.  God knows, it is just a bit more than it costs for me to write and publish this little document to the internet, and who knows who might read this and take exception (or find it so interesting that they immediately go to their organization to instruct someone to call and offer me an ungodly number of dollars to join them in their travails!)  Humh...I wonder, indeed!

Now, if I could only find one of those "smiley faces," I just might be able to say, "fini!"

Where to look?  That is the question!

Sydney Harbor, and then some

 

Memories, anyone?

Watching Ocean Trek with Jeff Corwin this morning gave me the opportunity to revive a memory or two from my time in the military—in particular, that time I found myself in Sydney, Australia.  (And a marvelous time that was, believe me!)

 

When Jeff and his crew climbed that bridge over the river feeding Sydney Harbor, it was as if I was transported back in time.  The view today isn’t quite what it was when I was there, but much of it was familiar.  Like that Sydney Opera House, for example.  Not exactly the same, it was still under construction when I was there, but quite recognizable.  And what a view there was from that top of what was then one of the most recognizable bridges in the world. 

 

Today there are quite a few more bridges resembling that notable one—and why not?  One good bridge deserves more than just one (or a few) copy (or copies,) that’s for sure.  Giving credit where it is due would require researching the annals of our engineering community, though, and that would be one job that I will pass on to someone else, anyone who has the time and energy such a job would require.  There always is something else to think about, that’s for sure.

But back to Sydney, something that could take up much more than one blog entry, that’s for sure.  Sydney was and is quite a marvelous place to visit.  Given its bridge, its Opera House, swimming in the summer in the South Pacific, getting to know some of the best cooking in the world, and some of the best beers, if that’s one of your pleasures, Sydney is one place to spend a week or a month, whatever time you might have and want to spend.  I would return there in a minute were I one of those financially well-endowed individuals like many of our Aikenites can claim to be.  But, lacking that, I guess memories are well worth spending some time with.

 

And, if you know anyone who you might think could use a memory or two like mine, why not point out how we still have a military who just might give them an opportunity to see the world.  Just like it did me.

GG time, for sure

 

 Morningbrain time again!

 Well, here we are, again, friends!  Interestingly enough, I am happy to be here this AM, writing this little piece for my current Blog, “Morningbrain-“Deux…”, and happy to be doing what I am doing.  You see, I think I’ve discovered something about my grey matter, something that bears mentioning.  It seems to work as good as ever, just not at the times it used to be top-notch, but at these times, which today is beginning at 3 AM. 

 

So, that being the case, I guess I know what I should do.  In the military, we would call it, “continue the march!”  Whatever the time might be so to do is not something I seem to have much control over, though—so, here goes (it seems the time is right!)

 

I awakened today about an hour ago.  The cause is a bit noteworthy, if a bit more down-to-earth than I would like, but whatever it takes is what it takes:  a drain the lizard break!  (Which is how an old ANG friend, "Bill" from Oconee County, would have put it!) 

 

And so, having done what was required, I spent about a half hour ruminating on my inability to return to la-la-land as quickly as I might have liked and finally realizing what was happening:  “Morningbrain strikes again!”  (Welcome back, old friend!)

 

So what’s so good about waking up and not being able to get back to sleep very easily?  Well, following the realization of what my old “grey ghost” seems to want (a good name for it, wouldn’t you say?), I guess the smart thing to do would be to acquiesce to his doings and do something useful—like write a bit, today about my dear old friend, now “named” my old “Grey Ghost!”  Hmmmm?  Maybe an abbreviation would be in order here?  “GG” okay?  (I like it—“GG” it is!) 

 

And, I don’t know about you, but I can only wonder what GG might come up with tomorrow.  As for today, having made this discovery, I only wish I hadn’t taken that melatonin about a half-hour ago.  Had I not, I would be beside myself and probably at the top of my game now.  Which I am not! 

 

Maybe the sleep will come.  GG will have to wait (and, hopefully will be happy to wait,) wait till tomorrow AM!

 

Bonn soir, guten nacht, good night!  AM night, at that!

English anyone

 

                                       English, anyone?

Reading today’s newspaper reminds me of something English teachers of mine, not sure which, (could have been more than one or two) reminded their classes from time to time.  The line in my AikenStandard read: “Aiken High School had 7 face-to-face student cases and less than 5 employee cases.”  Similar items were reported for all area schools with the same questionable wording (questionable to me and my English teachers, for sure!)

 

What would have been considered proper when I passed through Aiken High School would have been “Aiken High School had 7 face-to-face student cases and fewer than 5 employee cases.” 

 

The reason given by my English teachers was when you are discussing something that may be counted (in this case the number of employee cases) the correct wording would be greater than or fewer than.  If, though, your reference was to something that required a quantity designation, something that was not countable, like an amount of milk, the correct designation would be more than (amount) and less than (amount.)

 

Don’t ask me why the difference, I just remember there was a difference. 

 

I guess memories like this might explain why my College, Georgia Tech, allowed me to exempt all their English courses.  My thinking here is that they thought their courses would not add to my mastery of the subject, something that my English grades and my SAT numbers supported.  Fortunately, those exempted courses were added into my grade point ratio as “A’s,” something that allowed me to stay in the college a bit longer than I did, initially, since I seem to have majored in Wesley Foundation much more than the Chemical Engineering that was officially my designation, and my overall grade point ratio would have reflected this quite quickly with a note from the regents to me saying I needed to find something else to do with my time than attend their classes.

 

It took a stint in the Air Force, to include Vietnam (anyone remember TET of ’68?  I certainly do,) to bring me to my academic senses allowing me to do Deans List work on return to my Academic leanings.  11 years was a bit long to get that BS, most will admit, but that was what it took me.

 

Which says a good bit about my stick-to-itive inclinations if not much about my academic abilities.  The diploma is at the end of our hallway above a small bookcase.  Each to his own, I guess, or chaqun a son gout, as Mrs. Butler would have said.

 

(One day, hopefully, I will try to find an alphabet to use that includes those diacritical markings.  Just not today!)