tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88607563872861169542024-03-14T02:28:19.422-04:00My Blog Can Beat Up Your BlogTaking on my life, pop culture and the written word bare knuckled......with a soundtrack.Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.comBlogger219125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-31359660099826728042011-06-06T14:45:00.000-04:002011-06-06T14:45:00.500-04:00Follow The Blog!Hey boys and girls, I've moved the site over to here:<br />
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<a href="http://lancemyblogcanbeatupyourblog.wordpress.com/">http://lancemyblogcanbeatupyourblog.wordpress.com/</a><br />
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Please join me.Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-33430644832414404242011-05-27T07:56:00.001-04:002011-05-27T21:19:08.576-04:00The Agony and The IronyThere was something missing in his eyes. I couldn't make out the color or the shape. Lucas' might have been green, blue or gray, but they weren't vibrant. <br />
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"How long have you been fixed?<br />
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Lucas took two steps toward me. I saw his large hands clench his slender waist. <br />
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"Six years. I went through some personal issues. I became desperate so I tracked Anson Cluber and Connor Bulas down through my Air Force contacts. The technology is very advanced. I decided to upgrade everything, including my heart and nervous system. My quality of life is impressive."<br />
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Lucas' ooze of self satisfaction angered me. Pain shot through my shoulder, My knees buckled and I dropped the folder he had given me. The papers spilled over the asphalt. He didn't try to help me pick them up.<br />
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"Caleb, of the other five, you are the best candidate. I tried to get Bruce to get worked on last year. His habits and his stubborness have rendered him to a poor condition. We ceased contact last year."<br />
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I got the folder together and gritted my teeth in frustration. I spit my words at him.<br />
<br />
"Dude, their are five people involved. We are all worthy of being corrected!"<br />
<br />
Lucas didn't change expression as he dropped his hands and shook his head, disapprovingly.<br />
<br />
"Don't you think I checked on all of you before deciding who to contact? Lena has female problems stemming from childbirth. Clare is a twice institutionalized bi-polar, and Breann can't...."<br />
<br />
My eyes lasered towards his expressionless face.<br />
<br />
"Breann can't what?"<br />
<br />
Lucas stepped away from me, put his right hand over his mouth and tried to find different words to speak.<br />
<br />
"Discretion is important in this situation."<br />
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I couldn't tell if Lucas was an actual misogynist or good at pointing out my blind spots with women.<br />
<br />
"Breann is a reporter, Lucas. But she wants to live a good life. She deserves that chance."<br />
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Lucas turned his back toward me and began to walk away.<br />
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"Everything you need to find Cluber and Bulas is in that folder and that drive. My hands are clean now, Caleb. I have a family to get back to."<br />
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I suppressed my temper and took one last shot at getting Lucas to explain himself. <br />
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"So, you have a wife and kids, Lucas?"<br />
<br />
He stopped walking away and turned back to me slightly.<br />
<br />
"Yes, I've been married 14 years. My sons are 12 and 9. I called you because of them. Your family needs their leader for as long as they can have him."<br />
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It was a weak connection but I reached Lucas. I tried one more question.<br />
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"Is it worth it. Being what are you are?"<br />
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For the first time since talking to him, he smiled. It was slight, but definitely more than a smirk. <br />
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"It feels amazing. Knowing you are better than everyone else is relieving. Caleb, we were experiments. We weren't meant to live. If you go through the surgeries, you'll never get sick. You'll recover from injury quickly. Most of all, you'll be guarenteed to be around for your family for a very long time. The agony of sudden death is turned into the irony of almost eternal life."<br />
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Lucas' words were stunning, yet I didn't feel like talking to him anymore. I turned around and walked out of the dark parking deck into the sunshine.<br />
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*blogger's note* - This is another episode of the story I am writing. The other ones are here: <br />
1) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/synchronicity.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Synchronicity</span></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">2)<span style="color: #223344;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/personality-crisis.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Personality Crisis</span></a></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">3) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/serendipity-6.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Serendipity 6</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">4) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hot-dog-harbinger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hot Dog Harbinger</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">5) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/goodbye-stranger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Goodbye Stranger</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">6) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/house-of-irony.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The House of Irony</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">7) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/connection.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Connection</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">8) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/dead-mans-party.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Dead Man's Party</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">9) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hope-springs-turtle.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hope Springs A Turtle</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">10) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/drown.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Drown</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #223344;">11) <span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/toyed.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Toyed</span></a></span></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">12) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/fever.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Fever</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">13) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/girlfriend-experience.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The Girlfriend Experience</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">14) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/sympathy-for-devil.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Sympathy for the Devil</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">15) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/tomorrow-green-grass.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Tomorrow, The Green Grass</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">16) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/possession.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Possession</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">17) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/numb.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Numb</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">18) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/cage.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Cage</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">19) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/bullet-hits-bone.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Bullet Hits The Bone</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">20) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/shut-your-eyes_05.html">Shut Your Eyes</a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">21) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/lone-justice.html">Lone Justice</a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">22) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/threshold.html">Threshold</a></div><div style="margin: 0px;">23) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/just.html">Just</a><br />
24) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/called-out.html">Called Out</a><br />
25) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/everybody-here-comes-from-somewhere.html">Something Zen</a></div></div><br />
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Today's song reflects the title. The agont and the irony is a great phrase. Harvey Danger is another 1990s one hit wonder band with a kooky looking lead singer. The lyrics of Flagpole Sitta are like a theme song for me since I suffer from anxiety. The voices inside my head, I swear to God they're snoring...here's Flagpole Sitta<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tWnbUpkOiB0?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-65288879962363256872011-05-25T17:33:00.000-04:002011-05-25T17:33:04.167-04:00Something ZenA tall, thin man; Lucas Bonner looked younger than 40. His suit fit him perfectly. It was gray, conservative, devoid of personality with a gray tie knotted in the center of his neck. Lucas handed me a manila folder and a zip drive.<br />
<br />
"Caleb, this will be our only contact. I am neither hungry for answers nor starved for attention."<br />
<br />
I looked around the isolated parking deck, experienced a moment of zen, and asked my first question.<br />
<br />
"How long will you live?"<br />
<br />
Lucas smirked and replied.<br />
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"I am a hybrid. I will be well over 100 years when I expire."<br />
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*blogger's note* - This is another episode of the story I am writing. The other ones are here:<br />
1) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/synchronicity.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Synchronicity</span></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">2)<span style="color: #223344;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/personality-crisis.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Personality Crisis</span></a></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">3) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/serendipity-6.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Serendipity 6</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">4) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hot-dog-harbinger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hot Dog Harbinger</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">5) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/goodbye-stranger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Goodbye Stranger</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">6) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/house-of-irony.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The House of Irony</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">7) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/connection.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Connection</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">8) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/dead-mans-party.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Dead Man's Party</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">9) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hope-springs-turtle.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hope Springs A Turtle</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">10) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/drown.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Drown</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #223344;">11) <span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/toyed.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Toyed</span></a></span></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">12) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/fever.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Fever</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">13) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/girlfriend-experience.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The Girlfriend Experience</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">14) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/sympathy-for-devil.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Sympathy for the Devil</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">15) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/tomorrow-green-grass.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Tomorrow, The Green Grass</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">16) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/possession.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Possession</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">17) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/numb.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Numb</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">18) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/cage.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Cage</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">19) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/bullet-hits-bone.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Bullet Hits The Bone</span></a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">20) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/shut-your-eyes_05.html">Shut Your Eyes</a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">21) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/lone-justice.html">Lone Justice</a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;">22) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/threshold.html">Threshold</a></div><div style="margin: 0px;">23) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/just.html">Just</a><br />
24) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/called-out.html">Called Out</a><br />
25) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/everybody-here-comes-from-somewhere.html">Something Zen</a></div></div><br />
This is in the form of 100 words for the great 100 word challenge at @velvetverbosity 's <a href="http://www.velvetverbosity.com/">http://www.velvetverbosity.com/</a> The one word prompt is STARVED.<br />
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Today's song is what has been playing in my head all day. The first lines are awesome: "There must be something we can eat. Should find another lover? Should I fly to Los Angeles, find my asshole brother."<br />
Gavin Rossdale wrote this song about his new age philosophy spouting friend Perry Farrell (then of Jane's Addiction). To me, for this story entry, the song represents Caleb's exasperation with logical answers being hard to find and grasping the bigger truth. Here's Bush's Everything Zen...break out your best air grunge guitar.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uVmOIWiSxSM?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-61376112654407233242011-05-23T20:05:00.001-04:002011-05-23T21:39:25.507-04:00I Want To Play Lady GaGa in Scrabble"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what we share with someone else when we're uncool." - Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the late great Lester Bangs in Almost Famous - 2000.<br />
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The thing I like the most about personal blogging is I can be myself. This is the place where I can tell you how much I dig superheroes, music snobbery, and my anxiety disorder.<br />
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I have another aspect of my personality to reveal. My favorite board game is Scrabble. I really really really like Scrabble. A lot. I would watch people play it on television. I like it so much, that getting beat by my wife yesterday 238 points to 231 points didn't upset me because I spelled aqua and adorns . I was happy.<br />
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My word nerdom and Scrabble romance started young. My grandparents bought me a reference book set of encyclopedias, dictionary and thesaurus. I would go into my room and look words and subjects up just to entertain myself. This is the first time I telling anyone.<br />
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What I enjoy most about Scrabble isn't the accumulation of points, it's the moment(s) you come up with a word that requires thought and planning. Any numbskull add drop and S on skate and hit a triple word score and get 50 points. The best is pushing tiles on the board that spell quixotic. That geek time of the big smile and fist pump combined with the look the opposition give you indicating you belong in a dork asylum is priceless.<br />
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My favorite memory of scrabble is right now.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DbC-IKdFFNY/TdsMR4m3FTI/AAAAAAAAAi0/d0BV1q2dz8g/s1600/scrabble2222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DbC-IKdFFNY/TdsMR4m3FTI/AAAAAAAAAi0/d0BV1q2dz8g/s320/scrabble2222.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I'm playing my wife again. She's trying to trash talk to a second straight win while I'm working on spelling zephyr.<br />
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*blogger's note* This is my entry into The Red Dress Club's RemembeRED writing assignment. The prompt was this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RY1yIehajzE/Tdrzxkmb4HI/AAAAAAAAAiw/HFMBQCu8oXE/s1600/scrabble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RY1yIehajzE/Tdrzxkmb4HI/AAAAAAAAAiw/HFMBQCu8oXE/s1600/scrabble.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Today's song is the first repeat in the history of My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog. Last year, in writing about people listening to each other and being careful of the words they use, I referenced Missing Persons. As you can tell, this song is versatile. Also, Lady Gaga has NOTHING on the great Dale Bozzio. Dale looks like a piece of candy in this video. Here's Missing Persons Words....go die your hair blue.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IasCZL072fQ?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-52238849660976440002011-05-22T07:24:00.000-04:002011-05-22T07:24:12.105-04:00Everybody Here, Comes From Somewhere<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The breeze lessened, curiously. I didn't say anything immediately to Lucas. I thought about how to get in touch with Breann or Ava.<br />
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"Caleb, I know this call is a bit of an odd surprise. I didn't think I wanted to be involved with my past. The more I thought about the five other people who have went through what I have, I felt I owed you a conversation."<br />
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Owed me? That line seemed so arrogant. We're dying from expiring robot parts. I wondered why he and Bruce were so elusive. The closest I had gotten to either was an email exchange with Lucas' former Air Force Academy teammate. I kept my cool.<br />
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"Lucas, thank you for calling me. So, how are you, you know, physically?"<br />
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I turned my phone to find the mute button so I could record the call and text Breann and Ava. Then he turned hostile.<br />
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"Caleb, you and I are going to talk privately or not at all. Whatever you just did with your phone, undo it. This is non-negotiable."<br />
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I recoiled at the weirdness. How did he know what I was doing?<br />
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"Lucas, I apologize. I was just texting one of the others to let them know we'd found you. I am so excited to hear from you."<br />
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Then a glare from the building to my left caught me, causing my eyes to shut.<br />
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"You're notifying Breann Lucos, the New York Post reporter. That will not work for me. The information you two have gathered isn't accurate and some people do not want to be involved with it."<br />
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I was annoyed and angry. The lack of personality was forgivable. He obviously wasn't going to hang with Breann and I socially. But, Breann, Lena, and Clare had been open and honest and enthusiastic. Even Ava was willing to identify the players and problems.<br />
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"Lucas, let's meet in person. Sometimes a phone call doesn't do a subject justice. Your area code is Tacoma, right? I had a friend stationed there after college."<br />
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I tried to text Breann again. Lucas yelled into the phone.<br />
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"Stop what you are doing! Listen to what you need to know to keep yourself alive! I can see everything you're doing!"<br />
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I turned 360 degrees, staring into every window. There were video cameras on every rooftop including my building. I slowly put the phone to my ear.<br />
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"Caleb, you are depending on others for your future. I can tell you how to save yourself. Knowing who the real enemy is, technology, not death, will keep you alive for a long time."<br />
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Now, I was mad. Getting lectured by a dispassionate creep was making me paranoid.<br />
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"Who are you? Where are you? and why in the hell do you care so little for the others?"<br />
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There was silence.<br />
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"Answer me Lucas, or whoever you are!"<br />
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I looked at the glare coming from the building to my left. I remembered that high rise belonged to a private jet leasing company headquartered in Seattle. I put the phone to my left side and raised my right hand like a salute to my eyes, trying to make put the silouette in the window. I put the phone back to my face.<br />
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"Is that you, Lucas."<br />
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He sighed and started to speak.<br />
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"Yes, Caleb. I walked over to the window. I've been watching you on a closed circuit tv inside this office. I'm in town for business. Now, do you want to talk on better terms?"<br />
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I never wanted to be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound more in my life.<br />
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"Yeah, go. I'm dying to know what you've got, Lucas. Literally."<br />
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The silouette moved away from the window.<br />
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"There were six. Two doctors named Connor Bulas and Anson Cluber developed robotic hearts that sent synapses to the brain and nervous systems.We're not all the same. The parts, the operations, the effects, were done in twos. Bruce and I were the first. We are the most alike. Lena and Clare are likewise. Thus making you and Breann the most related. The surgery you need can do more that save your life. It can extend it beyond your normal life expectancy. You need to pursue your own care and needs."<br />
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I started thinking that Lucas knew all of this because he had had the surgery. he wasn't sick and thus didn't care about the rest of us.<br />
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"Meet me in person, Lucas. Let's do this face to face, like men."<br />
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After more than 20 seconds of dead air, he spoke.<br />
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"I'll do it on one condition. Nothing is recorded, photographed, or put in Breann's newspaper or the internet. I don't want to be involved with the others. You agree and I'll give you Anson Cluber and Bruce Nolans."<br />
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I was dumbfounded by his demands. I played along.<br />
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"Deal. Name a place and time. I want to know where I come from."<br />
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<br />
This is another episode of the story I am writing. The other ones are here:<br />
1) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/synchronicity.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Synchronicity</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">2)<span style="color: #223344;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/personality-crisis.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Personality Crisis</span></a></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">3) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/serendipity-6.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Serendipity 6</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">4) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hot-dog-harbinger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hot Dog Harbinger</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">5) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/goodbye-stranger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Goodbye Stranger</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">6) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/house-of-irony.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The House of Irony</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">7) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/connection.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Connection</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">8) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/dead-mans-party.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Dead Man's Party</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">9) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hope-springs-turtle.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hope Springs A Turtle</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">10) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/drown.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Drown</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #223344;">11) <span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/toyed.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Toyed</span></a></span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">12) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/fever.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Fever</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">13) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/girlfriend-experience.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The Girlfriend Experience</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">14) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/sympathy-for-devil.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Sympathy for the Devil</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">15) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/tomorrow-green-grass.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Tomorrow, The Green Grass</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">16) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/possession.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Possession</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">17) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/numb.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Numb</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">18) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/cage.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Cage</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">19) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/bullet-hits-bone.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Bullet Hits The Bone</span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">20) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/shut-your-eyes_05.html">Shut Your Eyes</a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">21) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/lone-justice.html">Lone Justice</a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">22) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/threshold.html">Threshold</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">23) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/just.html">Just</a><br />
24) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/called-out.html">Called Out</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Thank for reading.</div></div><br />
<br />
Today's song is mostly atmospheric with a slight lyrical nod to the story where Michael Stipe says "he's alive, he's alive" and the opening riff and line "everybody here, comes from somewhere". I was listening to R.E.M.'s Accelerate album earlier (it's good, you should own it) and thought the music matched the sudden turn of events. Plus, I wanted to include something relatively new, this song's only three years old. Dig the guitar and get into the feel. It's R.E.M.'s Supernatural Superserious.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_We6ubpUHZs?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-73938984579600086152011-05-20T23:35:00.000-04:002011-05-20T23:35:47.451-04:00Leaving TownPeople watching is an underrated pastime. Taking an inventory of your surroundings can bring you upon the most interesting types. While watching my daughter cheer for her high school football's scrimmage I kept seeing this girl who reminded me of someone. Her makeup was slight but sophisticated. She was completely distracted. She played with her iphone incessantly. I never saw her acknowledge her friends. Then, it struck me hard, this girl was kind of, sort of, like me, at age 17.<br />
<br />
Her insouciance was intriguing. I never caught her name but she looked like an Allison. Allison was convinced she was meant for bigger and better things. I was like that. At 17, all I thought about was journalism. I wanted to be in New York covering sports or news. While her friends were gossiping and being silly, Allison smiled occasionally and kept her face buried in the iphone. Every once in a while, she would daydream.<br />
<br />
I like my life right now. I never think about what might have been or what never happened, unless it makes a good blog post. Allison's dream gaze and her indifferent body language were so familiar that I wanted to sit down next to her, and say "dude, take in these simpler times. Life is a bout to get really friggin hard."<br />
<br />
I see some of this with my daughter. Tay wants to be an investigative journalist. She wants to college in Boston then take over the world, one byline at a time. Tay has 3 more years before she is in Allison's position. Allison looked so eager to fly the coop, she was clucking with anticipation.<br />
<br />
I doubt I'll ever see Allison again, unless she decides to grace her soon to be old high school with her bound for better glory self. I hope she takes in her good times, keeps a positive attitude, has humility, and plans for not making it, in case crap happens. When she was leaving I heard one of her friends mention New York. I assumed, for the sake of this blog post, that's where she was headed by the end of the summer.<br />
<br />
The entire time I people watched Allison, and thought about my Tay, I sang Dexter Freebish's Leaving Town to myself. The lyrics are ideal to how I was taking in Allison and my daughter, Tay.<br />
<br />
Today's song is from one of the best one hit wonder's ever. Dexter Freebish is from Austin, texas. They are named after a roller coaster. Their lead singer is just named Kyle. This song won the John Lennon songwriting award in 1999. It also fits every girl and/or guy we've known or we have been ourselves that has huge dreams, beyond their small town. I hope Allison hears this song and finds humility. It will help her find the success she dreams about. Here's Leaving Town.<br />
<br />
P.S. for us Christians, this song serves as a theme for tomorrow's unlikely occurrence that I am unable to mention for fear of offending the "enough about The Rapture" crowd.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sLw2ugNYrM8?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-42640095897564540072011-05-18T21:39:00.000-04:002011-05-18T21:39:53.942-04:00Called Out<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The damage I caused at home was extensive. The chasm between happiness and anger made communication between everyone tense.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I avoided Ava and endured Shane. Breann bravely acted as liason between my conflicted doctor and hurt wife.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The magnet's results were immediate. The lone side effect were hot flashes caused by fevers. I escaped to the cool breeze of my office's rooftop.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">While finding comfort in a sweet tea and a turkey sandwich, my phone vibrated. The number started with a 253 area code. I swallowed hard and answered, curiously.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Caleb Runson? This is Lucas Bonner. It's time we talked."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">*blogger's note* This is a another story episode in form of a 100 word challenge by @velvetverbosity aka http://www.velvetverbosity.com. The one word prompt is CHASM.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Blogger is giving me fits. Please go to the post before this one - Just - and see the other episodes.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Today's song is the one playing in my head as I wrote this. It's probably playing in Caleb's head as he east that sandwich. Here's Pink Floyd's underrated Learning to Fly.</div><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xb-Nacm-pKc?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-22718891895047178502011-05-17T06:39:00.002-04:002011-05-17T12:23:26.093-04:00JustHer breath against my skin was more overwhelming than the medication coursing through me. Ava opened her mouth and ran her lips over mine, grazing them as she spoke.<br />
<br />
"There's a reason why you haven't stopped calling me over the years. It's more than me being a doctor. You need, You always have. We're connected, just admit it and let's find a way to be together."<br />
<br />
I pulled away and closed my eyes. I hoped I was asleep and Ava was another bad dream. I reopened them and there she was, running her hands over my chest as she dropped her bags to the floor.<br />
<br />
"Av, we're married to people who deserve better. I'm sorry for leading you on. I'm scared. I'm dying. I'm a damn robot or something."<br />
<br />
I put my hands over my face, thinking about the phone call I should make and the fallout from the nuclear bomb that would be my life over the next few hours."<br />
<br />
Ava picked up her bags. She curled her lips and furrowed her thin blonde eyebrows. I knew the look. It was the same one she gave me when I rejected her years ago.<br />
<br />
"Caleb Runson, you're a coward. You live inside some box that you think is moral and good. It's a lie. It's a prison. I'm your ticket to freedom from the slow death inside of you. That heart isn't the only thing going bad. I'm across the hall. Two doors, that's it."<br />
<br />
She left, slamming the door to my room. I sat on the bed, and choked back tears. I dialed my phone and waited nervously for Shane's voice.<br />
<br />
I felt I was walking in slow motion when I got to the diner. It was the same spot where I met Breann days earlier for the first time.<br />
<br />
"Dude, you look awful. Did you sleep at all?"<br />
<br />
I hadn't. Hours on the phone being yelled at by my rightfully indignant wife then a few hours of worrying about how to talk to Breann and Ava the next morning left me with perhaps an hour of sleep.<br />
<br />
I wasn't speaking at first. Breann and I had developed a chemistry. It was as if we'd known each other all of our lives.<br />
<br />
"Look, Caleb, I know I've only known you for a 3 days, but we're dying together so we might as well do it with maximum effort. Did you sleep with Ava?"<br />
<br />
I looked at her with shock, then looked down at my eggs.<br />
<br />
"Caleb, we're related here. I mean, you know, like by parts inside of us and by some far out circumstances. I would never judge you. Ava is a snake. I've seen her kind all my life. I know women really well and I don't like most of them. So, just tell me where your head is and I'll be here."<br />
<br />
I felt nauseous from my guilt and anxiety.<br />
<br />
"No, I didn't sleep with her. I've been on the phone with Shane all night. I told her every minute of the last 24 hours. Three of those minutes included Ava and I kissing. her kissing me. Plus, her spending the night 50 feet away from me. I mean, I should be more concerned with finding the others, getting a new heart, and being with you. Instead, I'm worried about you hating me, my wife leaving me, and how to sit on a plane with Ava."<br />
<br />
Breann reached across the table grabbing both of my hands and looking at me in the eyes. Browns meeting browns. It was like looking in the mirror. It was the most comfortable I had been in days.<br />
<br />
"Dude, we will stay together as much as we can. I'll call Shane, introduce myself. I can't promise you that you won't be in the nastiest doghouse in Georgia for a while, but I'll help you and your wife understand that this is an impossible situation. Just stop going off and dealing with Ava alone. She owns you. I've had a person or three get over on me through the years."<br />
<br />
Breann and I talked in the cab ride to the airport. She walked me through the airport. When I left her I felt better physically and mentally. Then I saw Ava in the terminal. She held two cups of hot chocolate. Then looked at me sheepishly.<br />
<br />
"Hey. I didn't sleep much but coffee would just make me jittery right now. I got us a couple of these."<br />
<br />
Typical of her. Act like nothing happened to protect herself.<br />
<br />
"Ava, you're right. I need you. I don't trust anyone else with this crap inside of me. But I'm married and I love her. From now on we meet with my wife or Breann in the room. It's professional and it's with perspective. I know this is my fault. I take that on me."<br />
<br />
Ava took a drink of hot chocolate then sat her cup down next to her bags. She glared at me then composed her thoughts.<br />
<br />
"Years ago, when you got divorced and we had chinese at our old favorite place downtown. I gave you a similar speech because I was getting married the next week. You were flirting. It was ok, you were single but I wasn't. You were so screwed up because of your ex and the stress and your disorder. I went home that afternoon and told my fiance I couldn't marry him. Then the next morning you wouldn't answer your phone so I went back to him and made up some crap about cold feet. I told him to give me a do-over, like we were 10 years old playing in the backyard."<br />
<br />
She was crying. Huge tears streamed down her face. I believed they were real. I sat two chairs away but made peace.<br />
<br />
"That's what we have here Av. Let's call this whole thing, The Do-Over."<br />
<br />
She stopped crying quickly, looked at me and smiled suspiciously.<br />
<br />
*blogger's note* - This another episode in the story I am writing. This post is inspired by the good people at @Studio30plus aka http://www.studiothirtyplus.com by their writing prompt "THE DO-OVER".<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/synchronicity.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Synchronicity</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">2)<span style="color: #223344;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/personality-crisis.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Personality Crisis</span></a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">3) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/serendipity-6.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Serendipity 6</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">4) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hot-dog-harbinger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hot Dog Harbinger</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">5) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/goodbye-stranger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Goodbye Stranger</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">6) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/house-of-irony.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The House of Irony</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">7) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/connection.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Connection</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">8) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/dead-mans-party.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Dead Man's Party</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">9) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hope-springs-turtle.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hope Springs A Turtle</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">10) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/drown.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Drown</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #223344;">11) <span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/toyed.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Toyed</span></a></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">12) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/fever.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Fever</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">13) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/girlfriend-experience.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The Girlfriend Experience</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">14) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/sympathy-for-devil.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Sympathy for the Devil</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">15) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/tomorrow-green-grass.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Tomorrow, The Green Grass</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">16) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/possession.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Possession</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">17) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/numb.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Numb</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">18) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/cage.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Cage</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">19) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/bullet-hits-bone.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Bullet Hits The Bone</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">20) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/shut-your-eyes_05.html">Shut Your Eyes</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">21) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/lone-justice.html">Lone Justice</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">22) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/threshold.html">Threshold</a><br />
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Thank for reading. Things are about to get crazy.</div><br />
Today's song was way too easy to lay down. It played in my head and on my computer the entire time. It's from my second favorite band of all time, Radiohead. The words are Caleb. He does it to himself. Here's one of the most brilliant songs ever written....Just<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/-_qMagfZtv8/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-_qMagfZtv8&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-_qMagfZtv8&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-2234145089736584922011-05-15T16:59:00.005-04:002011-05-15T23:00:21.458-04:00My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog Birthday PartyA year ago I took some advice from my wife. <br />
<br />
"You should write. Do a blog. People should read what you put on paper."<br />
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I know, she's my best friend, my partner, she's supposed to stroke my ego. The thing is, Bobina is usually right.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3wnOhljRR0E/TdA6xxDYQ_I/AAAAAAAAAis/wm5_xL_ek6o/s1600/deanapictureeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3wnOhljRR0E/TdA6xxDYQ_I/AAAAAAAAAis/wm5_xL_ek6o/s1600/deanapictureeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.jpg" /></a></div><br />
My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog is a year old this weekend. My first post was something about music. I was about to attend the Butch Walker concert. Over 210 posts later, this site has evolved into my creative outlet for the book I'm writing, and connected me to some amazing human beings. There are actually folks kinda sorta, almost like me out there. I have discovered men and women with voices in their head, mental illness that drives them and scares them, who have talent that aren't appreciated enough.<br />
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I don't have a title or an ending to the story I am writing. There will be two to three fiction posts a week until we get to the end. Right now, the story is about 40 percent posted and 80 percent written. <br />
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The greatest thing about having a blog is the community, yes I mean to use that word, that I have become an excited part of. Last July I stumbled across <a href="http://www.velvetverbosity.com/">Velvet Verbosity</a>. Through Velvet's unique 100 Word Challenge I met <a href="http://thinspiralnotebook.wordpress.com/">Tara</a>, pronounced Tar Rah. She lives on the east Florida coast, has two almost grown kids, and writes and photographs amazingly. I also have gotten to know talented people like <a href="http://sluiternation.com/">The Sluiters - Katie & Cort</a> , <a href="http://tinfoilmagnolia.blogspot.com/">Marsha</a> and <a href="http://innocentsaccidentshints.blogspot.com/">Michael</a> and <a href="http://janasthinkingplace.com/">Jana</a> and <a href="http://thewalmartgourmet.blogspot.com/">Leah</a> and <a href="http://goddessinthemachine.blogspot.com/">Aimee</a> and <a href="http://katsidhe.blogspot.com/">Kat</a> and <a href="http://moveovermarypoppins.com/">CDG</a> and <a href="http://chopperpapa.com/">Chopper Papa</a> and <a href="http://www.alwaysjacked.com/">Alan</a> and many others. One of the fellow bloggers I have really enjoyed as much as the ones already mentioned is Lisa aka Randy from <a href="http://www.alwaysjacked.com/">Random Girl Blog</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3OBjPYBR8eE/TdA1fP4t3iI/AAAAAAAAAio/-3LvS3pKOns/s1600/good+bloggers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3OBjPYBR8eE/TdA1fP4t3iI/AAAAAAAAAio/-3LvS3pKOns/s1600/good+bloggers.jpg" /></a></div>She gave me a blog award called: <br />
<br />
<div>So here are the rules: </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Our fellow bloggers</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 50%; border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 0, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-style: normal !important; font-weight: bold !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;">present</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">us with a lot of opportunities for furthering our</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">blogs, and gaining followers. Here is a way to Pay It Forward to them. When you have been bestowed with the honor of the Pay It Forward Award., insert this award at</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 50%; border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 0, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-style: normal !important; font-weight: bold !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;">the top</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">of a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 50%; border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 0, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-style: normal !important; font-weight: bold !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;">blog</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">post along with these rules, and find FIVE fellow bloggers to bestow it upon. Thank the person who awarded you, mention them in your post, along with a link to your favorite post on their</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">blog, and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD12" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 50%; border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 0, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-style: normal !important; font-weight: bold !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;">a short</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">blurb about why you liked it. Next, comment on their</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">blog</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">to let them know you are bestowing the award on them, and that they should do the same. And remember: Good Bloggers Pay It Forward.</span></span></div><div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Here's the deal. Everyone on my blog roll is a must read. I'll follow the rules and name 5 but know this, if I'm taking time to read their stuff, they're awesome. </span></span></div><div></div><div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">1. Actually, I'm going to cheat. It's the internet. There are no rules. I have anxiety. I write about it often. Reading about mental illness is important. These 4 ladies write about what's in their heads with grace, dignity and honesty - <a href="http://maasiyatjaan.blogspot.com/">Maasiyat</a>, <a href="http://www.hedabovewater.com/">Hed</a>, <a href="http://downwardspiralintothevortex.blogspot.com/">Haven</a>, and Holly aka <a href="http://overcomingborderlinepersonality.blogspot.com/">Blackbird</a>. </span></span></div><div></div><div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">2. Canada is more than hockey and beer. It's about good bloggers. <a href="http://mytornadoalley.com/">JenO</a> and <a href="http://andiegoddessofpickles.blogspot.com/">Andie</a> not only talk funny, they are funny. You should read them and follow them on twitter. Your life will be more entertaining.</span></span></div><div></div><div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">3. I don't call myself a daddy blogger. Neither do <a href="http://chopperpapa.com/">Chopper Papa</a> and <a href="http://www.alwaysjacked.com/">Alan</a>. They are dads who blog. Their humor, realism, and advice are just straight badass. They are also fellow music and comic book nerds too, so go read them.</span></span></div><div></div><div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">4. Love rules my life. My beautiful wife and three gorgeous daughters give me all the l o v e I will ever need. If I ever need more, I know where to go. <a href="http://zebrasounds.net/">Judy</a>, aka J, writes positively every day. She has a running blog topic called The Love Project. It will brighten your day just by clicking on it. Go there now.</span></span></div><div></div><div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">5. I can't decide who to end this blogger's award deal with. <a href="http://karensomethingorother.blogspot.com/">Karen</a> is hilarious and a joy to read. <a href="http://thejourneytothirtytwo.blogspot.com/?zx=a462ca171dab82e3">Girlatrockshow</a> has great musical taste. <a href="http://mollieisokinuk.blogspot.com/">Mollie</a> is from Oklahomabut lives in the UK and likes all the same tunes I listen to. But <a href="http://moveovermarypoppins.com/">CDG</a> is a huge fan of my fiction and an aspiring novelist too. Her blog is excellent.</span></span></div><div></div><div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Thank you to anyone who reads this blog regularly. Everything put on this site is either part of the book I am writing or honest details of my unique, satisfying, but crazy life. </span></span></div><div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Happy One Year Anniversary to My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog. It's made my life better. </span></span></div><div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Today's song is a guilty pleasure. Since I am posting a happy, feely, lovey stuff today, Supertramp has always been outside of my music snobbery. I like their 1970s stuff a lot. Here's Give A Little Bit...</span></span></div><div></div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9Ks_Fv6jfY8?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-40104331883512864042011-05-14T16:03:00.002-04:002011-05-14T17:00:56.429-04:00THOR-oughly Good MovieI'm a comic book geek. I'm also a superhero dork. The glut of action films, specifically from Marvel Comics, is in my wheelhouse. <br />
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The disclaiming paragraph written, it's now imperative that I tell you non geeks and not so dorky why you should go see Thor, The Mighty God of Thunder, currently making an otherwordly amount of cash.<br />
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Kenneth Branugh, Emma Thompson's ex husband, the dude who was Hamlet, the arrogant teacher in Harry Potter, and the villain in Wild Wild West, directs the latest Marvel Comics property. He brings a lot of emotional heft and character depth to the project.<br />
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Thor is a comic book character taken from Germanic mythology. Wait, I'm losing you.<br />
Thor is played by this guy:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m1yiUq87vOo/Tc7bRslj-zI/AAAAAAAAAig/a5latFlyNSg/s1600/thorpicture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m1yiUq87vOo/Tc7bRslj-zI/AAAAAAAAAig/a5latFlyNSg/s1600/thorpicture.jpg" /></a></div>Chris Hemsworth, a 6'5" Australian who talks EXACTLY like Heath Ledger. His voice is uncanny to late actor. Hemsworth gives weight, both in physicality and acting ability. He is Thor. You get it.<br />
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Anthony Hopkins plays Thor's dad, King Odin. Natalie Portman, easily the worst character in the film, plays Thor's love interest, astrophysicist, Jane Foster. There's a lot of action, a good amount of humor, and plenty of story to set up sequels, and tie ins to the other Marvel properties, The Avengers, Iron Man, Hulk, and Captain America.<br />
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You won't need to be as versed in the comic books as I. There's plenty of exposition to lead you through the Gods, realms, villains, supporting characters - great work by the females Jaime Alexander as Sif,<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qXx_1i38xY8/Tc7fpaPRkrI/AAAAAAAAAik/2vAP-8BfVxw/s1600/jaimie-alexander-thor-interview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qXx_1i38xY8/Tc7fpaPRkrI/AAAAAAAAAik/2vAP-8BfVxw/s320/jaimie-alexander-thor-interview.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Thor's childhood female warrior pal, and Kat dennings, Jane Foster(Portman)'s wise cracking scientist friend.<br />
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I am was pleasantly surprised by how it all worked. I saw it in 3D and usually, anything that gives me a headache, I bash. This, I gave a pass to. It's that good. <br />
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Oh, comic book nerds, I have this to tell you. There's a cameo by a Marvel comics character. He's played by The Hurt Locker's Jeremy Renner. It's a bow (all pun intended) to a future film. Then, stay around for the post credits scene where Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury shows up. The plot twist will make you happy.<br />
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The last good piece of news is also today's song. Foo Fighters contributed their new song, Walk. When Thor can't get the hammer out of the desert, Stellan Skaargard's doctor character, Erik Silvig, takes Thor to a bar for boilermakers, and Foo Fighter's provide the sound.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EBur0L-qgYA?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-68852410764839645922011-05-13T22:19:00.002-04:002011-05-15T10:36:35.031-04:00Two Blondes In A Bar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I don't like the genre, but my fate is the stuff found in a country music song. There were two blondes, years of circumstance, and a story.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Over twenty years ago, while in college in Alabama, I came home for a weekend to visit friends in Georgia. We decided to go to a country music bar, despite my disdain for the style. I was sullen, ironic, and angst ridden years before it was cool. Playing the role of put upon friend, I sat at the old wooden pub, nursing a beer. A tall blonde with curly hair and a loud, twangy voice sat down next to me and asked "what the hell are you doing here?" Her candor made me smile. Being twenty years old and having a girl talk to me first; I ran with the moment. Minutes turned into more than an hour when a man's voice over a microphone called the tall blonde with curly hair to the stage. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TqNhhDvivuQ/Tc3OlfKJUbI/AAAAAAAAAic/K2Y87Ru7cPM/s1600/country.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TqNhhDvivuQ/Tc3OlfKJUbI/AAAAAAAAAic/K2Y87Ru7cPM/s1600/country.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Folks, let's give Trisha Yearwood a big hand!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of my friends walked over and leaned into my ear. "Dude what's with the big blonde chick? She's all yours." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I caught eyes looking at me. They were glaring with a shrewd intensity. It was another tall blonde, but very young. She was underage, early teens, so I assumed she was waiting for a babysitter. I looked away as much as I could. Younger girls weren't my thing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7fuBKx33ck8/Tc3N3HAnddI/AAAAAAAAAiY/ST4Z22aUwQo/s1600/cigarette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7fuBKx33ck8/Tc3N3HAnddI/AAAAAAAAAiY/ST4Z22aUwQo/s1600/cigarette.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Beer bottles lined the saloon. Cigarette smoke danced over my sight lines. Suddenly, I felt like I was in a situation that had control over me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After her set, which ended in thunderous applause, the singer rejoined me. By then, my friends were angling to hit another place. Since I didn't want to be there to begin with, my plea to stay fell on deaf ears. With her hands on mine and her blue eyes distracting me from the young girl in the corner, I blew off my chance, and left.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A year later, the tall blonde with curly hair and a big twangy voice became famous. Country music superstardom was hers. I had a cute story to tell my friends. What happened seventeen years after that was just incredible.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I met me wife 3 years ago, today, May 13th, at a Chili's restaurant at the Mall of Georgia. A few dates later she told me about her family members that ran a country music bar where many stars cut their teeth. One of those stars was the tall, curly haired blonde with the big twangy voice. Then my wife asked me this.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Did you go to the Buckboard with your friends many years ago? I swear I remember this guy who looked like you talking to this girl and I wanted him to stop. I was only thirteen so my family wouldn't let me near the bar, I had to sit in the back."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The girl in the corner glaring at me was my wife. Start the steel guitar and pick a fiddle. My life, whether I wanted it to be or not, is a country music song. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*blogger's note* - This is a writing exercise from my blogger friends at <a href="http://thereddressclub.blogspot.com/">The Red Dress Club</a>. The prompt is the picture of cigarettes located in the story. The story is true. My wife and I are weird. But we were meant to be together. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">E Blogger has been down lately. Please revisit my #100words piece, <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/threshold.html">Threshold</a>. Ava made her agenda known to Caleb. I will write more fiction This weekend, if Blogger behaves.</div><br />
Today's song is NOT country NOR from Trisha. It's back to the prompt and back to my taste. Here's Oasis' Cigarettes and Alcohol...great song<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SaeLKhRnkhQ?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-54520156296740326302011-05-11T19:33:00.000-04:002011-05-13T16:35:33.694-04:00ThresholdBreann and I were exhausted. We planned breakfast in the cab ride to my hotel. I took a call from Ava. Breann shook her head when I finished. <br />
"Be careful with her Caleb. A necessary evil is still evil."<br />
<br />
I smirked and waved goodbye, then turned to see Ava in the lobby. We rode the elevator together to the fourth floor in silence.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OVPmhsOLnXg/TcsdpgfejxI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/rAArVhQebjY/s1600/hallway-4th-floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OVPmhsOLnXg/TcsdpgfejxI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/rAArVhQebjY/s320/hallway-4th-floor.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
"Do you need anything?"<br />
<br />
I shook my head no and opened the room door. My phone vibrated. It was my wife. Ava approached, crossing the threshold.<br />
<br />
"You're forgetting something Caleb."<br />
<br />
She pressed her lips against mine.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
*blogger's note* - This is my entry for @velvetverbosity 's 100 Word Challenge located at her site <a href="http://www.velvetverbosity.com/">http://www.velvetverbosity.com/</a> . The one word prompt is FORGETTING. This is also a story episode of a book I am writing. The other eps are here:<br />
<br />
1) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/synchronicity.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Synchronicity</span></a><br />
2)<span style="color: #223344;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/personality-crisis.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Personality Crisis</span></a></span><br />
3) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/serendipity-6.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Serendipity 6</span></a><br />
4) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hot-dog-harbinger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hot Dog Harbinger</span></a><br />
5) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/goodbye-stranger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Goodbye Stranger</span></a><br />
6) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/house-of-irony.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The House of Irony</span></a><br />
7) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/connection.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Connection</span></a><br />
8) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/dead-mans-party.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Dead Man's Party</span></a><br />
9) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hope-springs-turtle.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hope Springs A Turtle</span></a><br />
10) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/drown.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Drown</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #223344;">11) <span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/toyed.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Toyed</span></a></span></span><br />
12) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/fever.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Fever</span></a><br />
13) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/girlfriend-experience.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The Girlfriend Experience</span></a><br />
14) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/sympathy-for-devil.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Sympathy for the Devil</span></a><br />
15) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/tomorrow-green-grass.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Tomorrow, The Green Grass</span></a><br />
16) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/possession.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Possession</span></a><br />
17) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/numb.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Numb</span></a><br />
18) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/cage.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Cage</span></a><br />
19) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/bullet-hits-bone.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Bullet Hits The Bone</span></a><br />
20) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/shut-your-eyes_05.html">Shut Your Eyes</a><br />
21) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/lone-justice.html">Lone Justice</a><br />
<br />
Thanks for reading.<br />
<br />
Today's song is something I heard on the radio on my way home. It seemed to fit Ava's agenda and the story's mood. Here's Chris Isaak's Wicked Game.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-oaHHrNQVrg?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-89281267486044039972011-05-10T08:05:00.003-04:002011-05-10T09:11:57.272-04:00Shimmer in the SandI ran away from home for the first and only time when I was 36 years old. It was Thanksgiving, and I didn't feel thankful. I felt lost, resigned, and alone.<br />
<br />
I packed two bags and wrote a goodbye letter. I left it on the kitchen counter of the house I rented from my family. I was hoping they would come by unexpectedly, without calling, find the note, and thus allow me to have an excuse for leaving my life.<br />
<br />
Two months earlier, I sat in a courtroom and watched who I was, die. When the judge rendered her verdict, I left that person and wandered aimlessly, disconnected, for weeks. <br />
<br />
Thanksgiving came quickly and I accepted an offer from a longtime friend, to meet in Key West and do as Ernest Hemingway did when he resided there; drink. <br />
<br />
The day I left, my friend called and said he couldn't make the trip. The person I left in the courtroom would have unpacked his bags, felt sorry for his loneliness, and sulked until something ridiculous came along to distract him. The purgatoried me got in my car, and drove 13 hours.<br />
<br />
I stopped at a gas station near the beach in Miami. While my car took fuel, I walked a hundred yards and stood in the middle of the shore and comtemplated staying there or even going back home. I realized what those choices would be a metaphor of and I kept going.<br />
<br />
I made it to the Keys. The motel shanty I chose, for price, was pathetic looking. It was dingy and unkept. The screen door was broken. There was a grill outside on the tiniest patio you could imagine. The beach, though, was just 30 feet away. <br />
<br />
Two days later, Thanksgiving came. I had grilled a steak medium rare, which was apropo for my zombie state. I ate while the waves rolled in and the sound calmed my anxiousness. By my third beer, I decided to walk the 30 feet and try the cold ocean water, despite the 55 degree temperature. Before I reached the tide, I noticed how warm the beach was, so I removed my shoes and socks. I sat down on the berm, and felt the texture of the tan grains. I had a beer in my left hand and I poured a tiny amount into the ground and then ran the pebbles over the wet spot. The symbolism made me smile for the first time in two months. I let go.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mzZM7D0qTjQ/TckoQ9Rpc6I/AAAAAAAAAiM/_3gFGoFwuMw/s1600/beachpicturesssssss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_uid_zc4duv="99" height="213" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mzZM7D0qTjQ/TckoQ9Rpc6I/AAAAAAAAAiM/_3gFGoFwuMw/s320/beachpicturesssssss.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
A little beer, a good steak, a cool breeze, and some warm sand changed me. I changed myself. I went home the next day and tore up that goodbye letter. I've never written another one.<br />
<br />
I'll never forget that Thanksgiving. I became thankful for who I was, and who I am. <br />
<br />
*blogger's note* - This is a writing exercise inspired by blogger friends at Sluiter Nation. The matriarch, Katie, has a writer's blog, called The Red Dress Club - <a href="http://thereddressclub.blogspot.com/">http://thereddressclub.blogspot.com/</a> I, nor my wife, have a red dress, but I do have a sand memory. She asked for me to write about it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Today's song is special to me. It was playing during when and on the day this memory occurred. The "she" in the song is what I call my conscience, my morality, my essence. She spoke to me a lot that day. Here's one of my favorite songs, Shimmer by Fuel...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sZFptFV5x4I?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-58600802524329110662011-05-08T22:08:00.000-04:002011-05-08T22:08:24.337-04:00Lone JusticePain spread throughout my chest and shoulders. I was so dizzy that I fell back in the chair when I tried to check on Breann. Ava's long, straight blonde hair fell around me as I was straddled while she checked my eyes with a pen light. Her smell was more sophisticated than when we were together. <br />
<br />
"Caleb, I need to lay you down on the exam table. You have 40 on me so hold my arms as tightly as you can. The dizziness will subside in a few minutes. Breann's already improving."<br />
<br />
The table was cold and hard. My vision cleared. Ava sat next to me and texted.<br />
<br />
"Oliver is looking over Breann in a room down the hall. You both kind of blacked out. Probably a reaction to the magnet. It's centralizing the metal poisoning and acting for or against the other metals parts inside of you. Once you get more balanced we'll go to the hotel and rest."<br />
<br />
I thought about Shane, the girls, my job. Tomorrow was Friday, I could get off, but Juliet had volleyball practice and Esme had something at school.<br />
<br />
"Ava, I have to get back home. I haven't even spoken to my wife today. She's probably furious."<br />
<br />
Ava looked away and stared at her phone. I looked down and caught the name "Gavin...something".<br />
<br />
"Who is that Ava, One of Anson Cluber's people?"<br />
<br />
She tossed her hair to the left and smiled. <br />
<br />
"Kind of, Caleb. It's the doctor in Dallas we've lined up for Lena Cosburn and Clare Bunsen. I'm telling him how to implant the magnet and what to expect from his patients. They'll be worked on tomorrow. <br />
<br />
I rolled my head back and the lights caught me, doubling my vision again. <br />
<br />
"What about the other two Ava; Lucas Bonner and Bruce Nolans. There were six of us? Are you taking care of them?"<br />
<br />
Ava finished her text, got up, ran her right head over my fore head and frowned.<br />
<br />
"Your fever is still high. We need to try and break it before you go back to Georgia. I don't know about those guys. I asked Oliver and Gavin Todd, the doctor in Dallas. They're clueless. I want to stay focused on you. If we can improve your condition, we can get you a new heart before any of the others."<br />
<br />
I rolled over onto my stomach. It seemed to help the dizziness. Ava moved her chair to the end of the table so she could see my face.<br />
<br />
"Why do you care so much, Ava? I mean, I don't believe Breann's conspiracy theory that you, Wicks and this other guy want to glom robot glory for medical fame. You aren't patient enough to wait for that to play out."<br />
<br />
Ava moved her face within a couple of inches on mine and ran her left hand over the three day scruff. She seemed resigned.<br />
<br />
"I care about you. I always have. You were the one..... Caleb, we're friends. You need a doctor you can trust. I know you trust me. It's why you always call when you need me. You're different and I know why. Most of all, I like why you are different. I know who and what you are. You let me know that. I feel like the least I can do is return that trust."<br />
<br />
The pain was starting to lose intensity. I sat up without losing balance. I knew I would regret engaging in nostalgia, but the song in my head was from a memory we shared and I had an idea<br />
<br />
"Remember that Maria McKee concert we went to right after we started dating?"<br />
<br />
Ava smiled and started murmring the lyrics to Sweet Sweet Baby. It was the Lone Justice song in my head. Maria McKee was their singer in the 1980s. <br />
<br />
"Yeah, well, I tried to convince you for two days before the concert that the song was from when Maria was in Lone Justice. You argued that it was a new song from Maria. We had a huge fight. At the end of the concert, she played Sweet Sweet Baby as an encore, introducing the song as 'something I wrote when I was with Lone Justice a few years ago'. You looked at me and said 'Justice. Forgiveness'. I gained a lot of respect for you because you dropped your always have to right personality and showed some vulnerability. I need for you to do that now."<br />
<br />
Ava smiled and mouthed the word "okay".<br />
<br />
"I'd like to see Breann, call home, then we can go to the hotel."<br />
<br />
Ava smiled, bit her lip and held my hands as I dropped to the ground and gained my bearings.<br />
<br />
'Av, what am I; really?"<br />
<br />
She didn't respond right away, We walked through the exam room area and took a right turn. Inside a small room with yellow walls and a bed in the middle, Breann stood on her own while Wicks looked at a laptop. Ava closed the door.<br />
<br />
"Caleb, Breann, you two are robotic. But when Oliver and I and hopefully Doctors Cluber and Bulas are through with you in a few months, you'll be full robot-human hybrids with long, beyond normal lives."<br />
<br />
*blogger's note* - This is another story episode from something I have been writing. The other ones are here:<br />
1) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/synchronicity.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Synchronicity</span></a><br />
2)<span style="color: #223344;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/personality-crisis.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Personality Crisis</span></a></span><br />
3) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/serendipity-6.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Serendipity 6</span></a><br />
4) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hot-dog-harbinger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hot Dog Harbinger</span></a><br />
5) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/goodbye-stranger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Goodbye Stranger</span></a><br />
6) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/house-of-irony.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The House of Irony</span></a><br />
7) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/connection.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Connection</span></a><br />
8) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/dead-mans-party.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Dead Man's Party</span></a><br />
9) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hope-springs-turtle.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hope Springs A Turtle</span></a><br />
10) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/drown.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Drown</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #223344;">11) <span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/toyed.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Toyed</span></a></span></span><br />
12) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/fever.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Fever</span></a><br />
13) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/girlfriend-experience.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The Girlfriend Experience</span></a><br />
14) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/sympathy-for-devil.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Sympathy for the Devil</span></a><br />
15) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/tomorrow-green-grass.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Tomorrow, The Green Grass</span></a><br />
16) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/possession.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Possession</span></a><br />
17) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/numb.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Numb</span></a><br />
18) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/cage.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Cage</span></a><br />
19) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/bullet-hits-bone.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Bullet Hits The Bone</span></a><br />
20) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/shut-your-eyes_05.html">Shut Your Eyes</a><br />
<br />
Today's episode is inspired by the prompt; Justice. Forgiveness. by @studio30plus aka <a href="http://www.studiothirtyplus.com/">http://www.studiothirtyplus.com/</a> . <br />
<br />
Thanks for reading.<br />
<br />
Today's song is the one references in the story by Caleb. I was a huge Lone Justice fan in college. They were very underrated. Maria McKee should be making records today. Here's Sweet Sweet Baby....<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nNf-1DJCrPc?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-24245207488752438112011-05-07T20:12:00.000-04:002011-05-07T20:12:31.170-04:00A Big BangI have three story episodes in my que. After back to back posts with story eps, I wanted to give you all a break. <br />
<br />
It's been a busy weekend at my house. <br />
<br />
Today was Woofstock, the dog park social event at the Suwanee Georgia square. Bobina works for an animal clinic so she took Tay, Tay's friend who is a boy and Goose. Later I joined them with Buddy the golden retriever. That took most of the day. Combined with yardwork, getting Bobina's car emissioned, and hitting the gym, I've had no time to throw together a non fiction post. So, here I am, reduced to pedestrian blog fare. I promise I'll be better.<br />
<br />
I have written the entire story. Of course I am rewriting all the time. I haven't come up with a title or an ending I like. The point is, the whole book is done, for the most part.<br />
<br />
A few things before I go write and rewrite .<br />
<br />
Time and my anxiety issues limit how much television I watch. I keep up with sports, but you can do 47 different things at one time and still watch a ballgame. For me to devote 30 or 60 minutes to something, it has to be good. Recently I started watching Chicago Code with Bobina. It's good, but it comes on at the same time as something Bobina watches with our teenager, Tay, so we DVR Chicago Code. We looked up yesterday and noticed we were three weeks behind. That's 3 hours. What part of three daughters, a real job, writing a book, and paying attention to Bobina does my DVR not understand? The Chicago Code is no longer being watched by me.<br />
<br />
Two shows I do catch each week are The Big Bang Theory and Law & Order SVU. SVU is in it's 11th season and it may be time to stop. This past week's show featured the great John Stamos, Lori Singer aka the preacher's whore daughter in the Devil red boots in Footloose, and an absurd storyline about Stamos' character being a "reproductive abuser". He played a Wall Street lawyer who poked holes in his condoms and impregnated dozens of women then sweet talked them into having the children. It was written and produced by someone called "Speed Weed". The character was killed with an exploding diver's knife. My six and seven year old daughters do better writing and acting on Thursday evenings when they perform for Bobina and I. This SVU was the worst I've ever seen. After 11 seasons and several Emmy wins, it may be time for Benson and Stabler to go away. <br />
<br />
The other television program I never miss is The Big Bang Theory. In it's 4th season, Sheldon, Leonard, Penny, Raj, and Howard have been joined by Bernadette and Amy Farrah Fowler (you have to say all three of her names or you aren't a real fan). The show has never been better. I laugh out loud throughout the 22 or so minutes. This week's episode, The Wildebeest Implementation was so good, I'm almost afraid to watch next week for fera of disappointment. It's consistently funny, and the acting, especially from Emmy winner Jim Parsons as Sheldon, is excellent.<br />
<br />
Earlier in the week, my blogger friend, @jana0926 aka Jana from <a href="http://janasthinkingplace.com/">http://janasthinkingplace.com/</a> tweeted that it was her goal to learn every word to the Big Bang Theory theme song. It's written and performed by the usually crappy Barenaked Ladies, but I make an exception because it's a television theme and it's about smart people.<br />
<br />
Today's song is by Jana's request. I need to learn it too. My kids are getting smarter than me. I need something that makes me competitive with them. Hope Mariska Hargitay watches The Big Bang Theory. She'll know what a good show looks like.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-a8MguIMmCI?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-80242150313118916142011-05-05T07:20:00.005-04:002011-05-05T21:28:34.327-04:00Shut Your EyesI looked straight ahead as Wicks clumsily removed the counter from my left side. Ava was inches from my face as her hands were ready cut my right shoulder.<br />
<br />
"I'll put this near the cut you got on my family farm's barbed wire fence. We had fun stitching that one."<br />
<br />
The irony of my scars was lost on Ava. I looked into her mischievious eyes and smiled. Breann stared at me, disapprovingly. The magnet's intense warmth sent pain through me. I shut my eyes.<br />
<br />
"Done, Caleb. Need to get you lying down."<br />
<br />
Ava's whisper reopened my eyes. We were alone.<br />
<br />
*blogger's note* - This is another episode of the story I'm writing. The one word prompt is FAMILY and the style is courtesy of @velvetverbosity aka http://www.velvetverbosity.com/ 's 100 word challenge.<br />
<br />
The other episodes are here:<br />
1) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/synchronicity.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Synchronicity</span></a><br />
2)<span style="color: #223344;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/personality-crisis.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Personality Crisis</span></a></span><br />
3) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/serendipity-6.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Serendipity 6</span></a><br />
4) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hot-dog-harbinger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hot Dog Harbinger</span></a><br />
5) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/goodbye-stranger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Goodbye Stranger</span></a><br />
6) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/house-of-irony.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The House of Irony</span></a><br />
7) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/connection.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Connection</span></a><br />
8) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/dead-mans-party.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Dead Man's Party</span></a><br />
9) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hope-springs-turtle.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hope Springs A Turtle</span></a><br />
10) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/drown.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Drown</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #223344;">11) <span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/toyed.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Toyed</span></a></span></span><br />
12) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/fever.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Fever</span></a><br />
13) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/girlfriend-experience.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The Girlfriend Experience</span></a><br />
14) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/sympathy-for-devil.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Sympathy for the Devil</span></a><br />
15) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/tomorrow-green-grass.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Tomorrow, The Green Grass</span></a><br />
16) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/possession.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Possession</span></a><br />
17) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/numb.html">Numb</a><br />
18) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/cage.html">Cage</a><br />
<br />
19) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/bullet-hits-bone.html">Bullet Hits The Bone</a><br />
<br />
Thanks for reading...<br />
<br />
Today's song is fromn Northern Ireland's Snow Patrol. Their song Open your eyes is probably more suited lyrically, but not musically. Shut Your Eyes has that haunting guitar and piano combination that suits this mood. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7X_QjrfFDXE?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-32134551100277204672011-05-04T05:40:00.002-04:002011-05-04T20:38:20.647-04:00The Bullet Hits The BoneBreann held my right hand with her left and leaned into me with most of her body weight.<br />
<br />
"This migraine is horrible, Caleb. I need to sit down."<br />
<br />
The exam room was brightly lit. Breann winced.<br />
<br />
"Ava, can we dim the lights and get her something to lay down on. Whatever you're going to do to us, do it to her first."<br />
<br />
Ava turned off the lights to the front part of the room and found a large, black, desk chair. I sat Breann down. I could feel her heart beating as I held her still.<br />
<br />
"Ava, tell us what's going on."<br />
<br />
From a hermetically sealed container that looked like fancy tupperware. Dr. Oliver Wicks, removed a small, oval grey object that looked like a bullet. Then turned toward us.<br />
<br />
"This is a magnet. Magnetic therapy is used on mostly on animals. There's been some success with humans that have joint problems like arthritis but never with something like metallic poisoning. In theory, this magnet will draw the metals from your heart area, central nervous system, and brain stem into one pool, thus reducing the radiation effects until we can, well, see, if a new heart can be transplanted."<br />
<br />
Ava was staring at Wicks, as if to telling him to shut up with her eyes, and get his stuff done. Wicks stopped talking. Ava had scrubbed her hands and arms and was putting on surgical gloves. Two scalpels were next to Wicks on the stainless steel table. Ava stood between Wicks and I and took over the conversation.<br />
<br />
"Breann, Caleb, I'm going to make an incision. As long as the magnet is placed away from your heart area and above your waist the metals sould find their way to the it. You can choose where we put the magnet, for scarring purposes. I suggest one of your shoulders. There's plenty of tissue and muscle to take a cut."<br />
<br />
Breann rubbed her temples and looked up at Ava intently. She mustering strength.<br />
<br />
"How do you know this will work? I mean, these things could cause infections or our bodies could reject them, right?"<br />
<br />
Ava hated being questioned. She picked up the first scalpel.<br />
<br />
"You have a choice, Breann. Take the magnet and buy yourself some time and health or have that headache and that heart palpatation that's slowly kill you. As I told, Caleb, I am your your only hope right now."<br />
<br />
Breann wasn't going to be controlled. She looked ready to fight until the magnet was put in her body.<br />
<br />
"I want to know that Dr. Anson Cluber is going to help me, Caleb, and the other four. Band aids are temporary. I want something permanent. I also want it in writing."<br />
<br />
I had seen the look on Ava's face before. We were 23 years old, at a wedding together, and my drunk cousin, Helena, told Ava what she really thought of her. Instead of slapping Breann, like she did to Helena, she looked at Wicks' and nodded to him. Wicks removed a zip drive from his sports coat and walked over to Breann.<br />
<br />
"Inside of there are emails and phone calls between Oliver, myself, and Anson Cluber setting up yours, Caleb's, and your friends Lena and Clare's heart surgeries for the first of the year. Of course that depends on how sick each of your hearts are in January or February. We'll need the three months or more to get these magnets to work, centralize the metals, and set up other logistics. The deal is, Oliver and I are yours and Caleb's doctors. Lena Cosburn and Clare Bunsen are being set up with a another doctor in Dallas."<br />
<br />
Breann wasn't through. She had found comfort in poking Ava with a stick.<br />
<br />
"You've been watching us, haven't you, you stalker. Lena told me she had some anonymous internet attention since I started talking to her. You and your boy Oliver Wicks want in on the guinea pig robot babies, don't you."<br />
<br />
The storm inside Ava was swirling. She gripped the scalpel forcefully, and sat down in front of Breann. <br />
<br />
"Show me where you want the magnet or I'll put somewhere where you won't ever be able to wear a bikini. Not that you should anyway."<br />
<br />
Breann smiled and leaned back in the chair.<br />
<br />
"Just tell me I'm right Dr. Ava. You looked up your ex boyfriend, got him to call you. Then tracked me and Lena and Clare over the computer. Now, you want your name in the New England Journal of Medicine or your own Dr. Blondie show on the E! channel."<br />
<br />
Ava breathed in and curled her dry, pinkish lips. The scalpel was making it's way toward Breann's throat. <br />
<br />
"If you shut up, I'll make a vertical incision in your unfortunate small B-Cup bra line. That should be really easy for you to cover."<br />
<br />
Breann smiled and nodded okay to Ava. Breann unbottoned her her purple blouse, and moved her white bra strap to the side.<br />
<br />
"Caleb called me. He always does when he needs me. Right, Caleb?"<br />
<br />
I ignored her and shrugged at Wicks, who was preparing to put the magnet inside Breann's shoulder.<br />
<br />
"Breann, you need a doctor, locally, that can keep a secret, have your best interests and his close to the vest. If it were up to me, you'd rot with your migraines and decaying heart. But, to Caleb, who really matters here, you're important. So I called Oliver. He's a very good physician. Don't worry, you don't have to say thank you."<br />
<br />
Wicks moved over to Breann and implanted the oval magnet inside her shoulder. I couldn't see much so I talked Breann through it.<br />
<br />
"It is good for you Breann? You're like the six hundred dollar woman now."<br />
<br />
She laughed then cringed in pain.<br />
<br />
"It's not bad. The magnet is really warm. It feels like it's absorbing through my skin down to my bones."<br />
<br />
Wicks and Ava looked concerned but said nothing as he moved away from Ava and Ava began stitching the incision.<br />
<br />
"You're next Caleb. We'll remove the counter from your side then give you the magnet."<br />
<br />
I took Wicks' chair from him. Then sat next to Breann as Wicks finished stitching her.<br />
<br />
Breann smiled at me and closed her eyes to handle her pain. <br />
<br />
"You can cut me anywhere, Ava. Chicks dig scars."<br />
<br />
*blogger's note* - This is another episode of a story I am writing. This one is based on a prompt THE STORM by @Studio30plus - http://www.studiothirtyplus.com. The other episodes are here:<br />
1) Synchronicity<br />
2) Personality Crisis<br />
3) Serendipity 6<br />
4) Hot Dog Harbinger<br />
5) Goodbye Stranger<br />
6) The House of Irony<br />
7) Connection<br />
8) Dead Man's Party<br />
9) Hope Springs A Turtle<br />
10) Drown<br />
11) Toyed<br />
12) Fever<br />
13) The Girlfriend Experience<br />
14) Sympathy for the Devil<br />
15) Tomorrow, The Green Grass<br />
16) Possession<br />
17) Numb<br />
18) http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/cage.html<br />
<br />
Today's song reflects the title, wneh The Bullet Hits The Bone. It's from Golden Earring's 1982 music noir song, The Twilight Zone. <br />
<br />
<iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/a1sf2CzEq0w?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-26565028558786273572011-05-02T20:25:00.003-04:002011-05-02T22:00:11.467-04:00So Into YouYou, <br />
<br />
There's not a lot of time until your niece gets picked up by your mother in law. After that happens you need to take your oldest daughter to cheerleading tumbling. There's nothing more important than that today.<br />
<br />
So let's quickly run over some things.<br />
<br />
You're kinda sorta almost awesome. I know you don't believe it, but you are, and I don't want to argue.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zSitLeb_sXg/Tb8iltzDD6I/AAAAAAAAAh0/pH07y9WctHE/s1600/lancehsfjkfdksd.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="242" width="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zSitLeb_sXg/Tb8iltzDD6I/AAAAAAAAAh0/pH07y9WctHE/s320/lancehsfjkfdksd.bmp" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
You've been through a lot and that overthinker, anxiety ridden part of you likes to dwell on it sometimes but you have come through it well. Look around, you are loved. Bobina is head over heels in love with you. Tay, Bug and Goose love you. You are an excellent husband and father to them. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jZ8d-kd3aP4/Tb8j22LJZ0I/AAAAAAAAAh8/yyba4FUzbRk/s1600/kids.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="206" width="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jZ8d-kd3aP4/Tb8j22LJZ0I/AAAAAAAAAh8/yyba4FUzbRk/s320/kids.bmp" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
Most of all you've learned to like me, you know, you. If you miss a day at the gym you don't freak out and not eat for two days. If you are too busy to write one day, you don't stay up all night the next banging out thousands of words. You've learned to relax, a little bit. You and I know that you can be a better person but right now, today, you're a really good person.<br />
<br />
Two raises, a promotion, and a bonus, all in what, 4 weeks? You are doing great at your job. You have a career at a time when a lot of people are struggling. You work hard. You do it for yourself as much as you do it for your women. You won't admit it, but you do. <br />
<br />
Your writing is getting better. It's surpassed the level it was at in college right before you gave up. You won't do that again. You like to too much. <br />
<br />
Don't worry about how people will read this. Judy gave you a writing assignment, you did it, and it's ok. Writing a "love letter" to yourself is good. The last time you did it was almost five years ago, in therapy. This time you're writing it for fun, not mental health reasons. <br />
<br />
You're passionate about the right things. Music, writing, your work, and those 4 gorgeous females in your house. You've put them first. No one is telling you how to be you. You are just getting it done. The right people know and care. You have a great best friend.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vp-s0_zruWA/Tb9L90dtSFI/AAAAAAAAAiE/4g1nnIl4W_U/s1600/lancepicture6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="127" width="170" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vp-s0_zruWA/Tb9L90dtSFI/AAAAAAAAAiE/4g1nnIl4W_U/s320/lancepicture6.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
Congratulations on where you're at in your life. At 40 years old, you're doing better than a lot of people. <br />
<br />
Your mother in law is in the driveway and she's going to want to talk to her son in law. Your wife probably needs another kiss or seven. You haven't gotten Tay to roll her 15 years old eyes at you once this afternoon, get to that. It makes you feel good.<br />
<br />
Good job, you. <br />
<br />
<br />
*blogger's note* - This is a writing assignment/challenge from my friend Judy aka @jclementwall from her runaway hit website http://zebrasounds.net/<br />
She wrote a post about self love, not the Dancing With Myself by Billy idol kind, but being confidnet in who you are and acknowledging it. Normally I don't do something like this, but i don;t give myself enough credit and it was a writing job. I encourage all of you to not only visit Judy on twitter or her site but to write a letter to yourself.<br />
<br />
Today's song is a break from the normal as is the post. The Atlanta Rhythm Section is a band from down the street from where I live. I used to listen to them with my mom and dad when we were in the car when I was a kid. Georgia Rhythm, my favorite ARS tune doesn't really fit the subject so here's some Georgia 1970s rock and roll, So Into You.... <br />
<br />
<br />
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<iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WpPdLb69-qk?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-65031581915356264102011-04-30T13:07:00.156-04:002011-05-01T09:57:30.274-04:00Worst Of MeAs I pulled on the sweater Ava bought for me I doubled over in pain. She stepped toward me, putting her right hand on neck, massaging my shoulder. <br />
<br />
"Caleb, sit down and take these."<br />
<br />
Ava leaned me against the parking ballard and put two pills in my right hand. <br />
<br />
"I think I've had enough today. I can barely see straight."<br />
<br />
Ava smiled and put her hands on my face, gently.<br />
<br />
"They're for nausea. You have sedatives and anxiety medication in your system. You are also suffering from metallic poisoning. Those pills will keep you from throwing up or feeling vertigo."<br />
<br />
The way she looked at me alternated from opportunity to passion. Until we got to New York I was going to have to humor her. I took the medicine.<br />
<br />
We didn't speak to each other as we hurried through ticket check, security and found our terminal. With ten minutes before the flight boarded, we sat by ourselves in the corner. Ava picked up her small, black handbag and pulled out a twenty dollar bill.<br />
<br />
"I've become a coffee addict over the past few years. Did you ever develop a taste for it?"<br />
<br />
Sourfaced, I shook my head no.<br />
<br />
"Caleb, I sedated you so I could put the counter on your side. The only other way to see how much metal you had coursing through your body was exploratory surgery. We didn't have time for that. I'm trying to help you but this attitude is getting us nowhere. In less than 24 hours, you will either feel a lot better, and have a lead on getting a new heart from Dr, Cluber, or you'll know how long you have to live. I swear to you I will do everything I can to see that either of those options happen. Plus we get to spend time together. Admit it, it's not so bad."<br />
<br />
I'd heard that a medical degree gives the person license to be an arrogant jerk. <br />
<br />
"Av, I have a wife I am in love with, three daughters who need me, and at least 5 other people in as bad of shape as I am. None of those people are being serviced right now. I'd rather get on a plane with an terrorist cell member than you. I'll take a diet Dr. Pepper."<br />
<br />
Ava's dark blue eyes grew black as she furrowed her brows and leaned into my face, just a couple of inches away. I thought she was going to spit in my face.<br />
<br />
"I've had it with your snobbiness. I am your only hope. It's time for you to get that! Any other doctor would deny that you had robotic parts inside your body and that you're dying. You're dying Caleb! Stop moping around like a little girl. That's I couldn't stand about you when we dated. You always held me to some impossible standard, then got snotty and mean when I disappointed you. Dr. Cluber and Dr. Bulas gave you life. Now, I'm going to save it. So stop being an ungrateful! I'm getting you a water. Having soda on your stomach with all the meds in you will made you sick."<br />
<br />
I slept through the plane flight. I needed some communication distance from Ava. I woke up once and saw her typing on her Iphone. I briefly wondered if the person on the other end of the message was Anson Cluber, Oliver Wicks, Breann, or my wife. <br />
<br />
Ava and I were inside the terminal before we spoke.<br />
<br />
"Av, I need to hit the restroom, then call home."<br />
<br />
She had relaxed and smiled.<br />
<br />
"Yeah, me too. I like it when you call me Av. It reminds me of things."<br />
<br />
I ignored her and dialed Shane. She didn't answer so I called my oldest daughter. <br />
<br />
"Hey are you okay? Mom's freaking out. How sick are you?"<br />
<br />
At 15, Juliet was smarter than I was at that age. I didn't even bother to tell her something sugar coated.<br />
<br />
"It's my heart sweetie. There's a doctor in New York who can help me. We're on our way to see him. Tell your mom I'll call her in a couple of hours. I love you."<br />
<br />
Ava walked over. <br />
<br />
"Caleb, Dr. Oliver Wicks is waiting for us at Lenox Hill Hospital. I assume you've checked in with Breann. He has everything set. Hopefully in about an hour or so you and her will be better."<br />
<br />
She tried to make small talk during the cab ride. I listened as she whined about her husband. He was in beverage sales to hotels and bars. My cynicism suspected infidelity. I'm the only fool who wouldn't cheat on Ava.<br />
<br />
I saw Breann waiting by the Emergency Room entrance as our cab arrived. A pale and shaken Breann spoke first.<br />
<br />
"Hey, you made it. You look like hell."<br />
<br />
I laughed.<br />
<br />
"Yeah, so do you. Hey, so, Breann, this is Dr. Ava Pennington. We used to know each other. Now she just sedates me, kidnaps me, and takes me on adventures."<br />
<br />
Breann squeezed her face tightly and reluctantly extended her hand. I chuckled to myself, thinking this was one blonde she wasn't going to be into in any way.<br />
<br />
"Hello, Breann. I'm guessing you've had a chance to experience Caleb's sarcastic personality in short time. It's nice to meet you. Hopefully I can help you feel better soon."<br />
<br />
We walked into the hospital and Breann leaned into me.<br />
<br />
"Wow. I hate her a lot. It's going to take a lot of work for me to keep your wife from having you sleep in the backyard."<br />
<br />
I smiled, felt loved by Breann's cattiness, and leaned toward her.<br />
<br />
"Ava's a necessary evil. She's the hip bone connected to the Anson Cluber thighbone."<br />
<br />
Breann rolled her eyes as Ava opened the door to an large exam room on the basement floor. A small man wearing round glasses and white surgical gloves was laying medical instruments on a stainless steel table. <br />
<br />
"Hi Oliver, we're ready."<br />
<br />
Breann and I looked at each other then at the the doctors suspiciously. <br />
<br />
This is another episode of a story I am writing. The other entries are here:<br />
<br />
1) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/synchronicity.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Synchronicity</span></a><br />
2)<span style="color: #223344;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/personality-crisis.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Personality Crisis</span></a></span><br />
3) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/serendipity-6.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Serendipity 6</span></a><br />
4) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hot-dog-harbinger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hot Dog Harbinger</span></a><br />
5) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/goodbye-stranger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Goodbye Stranger</span></a><br />
6) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/house-of-irony.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The House of Irony</span></a><br />
7) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/connection.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Connection</span></a><br />
8) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/dead-mans-party.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Dead Man's Party</span></a><br />
9) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hope-springs-turtle.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hope Springs A Turtle</span></a><br />
10) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/drown.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Drown</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #223344;">11) <span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/toyed.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Toyed</span></a></span></span><br />
12) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/fever.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Fever</span></a><br />
13) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/girlfriend-experience.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The Girlfriend Experience</span></a><br />
14) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/sympathy-for-devil.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Sympathy for the Devil</span></a><br />
15) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/tomorrow-green-grass.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Tomorrow, The Green Grass</span></a><br />
16) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/possession.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Possession</span></a><br />
17) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/numb.html">Numb</a><br />
18)<br />
http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/cage.html<br />
<br />
Thanks for keeping up with the story. <br />
<br />
<br />
Today's song is something that has played in my head on and off while writing this story. It was mentioned by a couple of readers as well. Here's Foo Fighter's Best of You...<br />
<br />
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<iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/h_L4Rixya64?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-13296542480404818742011-04-30T10:53:00.003-04:002011-04-30T13:17:55.371-04:00The Magna Carta of Music SnobberyTake a look around this site. You see a lot of youtube music videos, talk about music, and pop culture references involving music. After my family and maybe my writing, music is what matters to me the most.<br />
<br />
Along with my weirdness and robot-human hybrid inanity, I make everything harder than it should be. I can't just like music. I have to love it, own it, worship it, and organize it. As a kid, I would categorize my 45s (I'm old), albums and cassettes by genre, style, or mood. I haven't changed much. When I went to college I discovered punk music. It metamorphized me into what you peasants call a music snob. <br />
<br />
I was lied to as a kid. By the time I was 16, I was to believe that Van Halen was the greastest rock and roll band of all time. I was misguided. I found The Clash, The Ramones, The Damned, The Sex Pistols, The New York Dolls and suddenly I realized I had to be better at choosing my music.<br />
<br />
A few years ago, when I started becoming involved with Al Gore's internet, I had a music blog on myspace. Before that social media became the crack den of viral communication, I wrote music reviews, concert reviews, and conencted with other music fans/journalists. The tie that binded most of us was our snobbery. <br />
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I get asked quite often, "what do you think of this band or artist?" and "why do you hate this band and like this other band". The truth is I listen to the same stuff everyone listens too, I'm just weird about what I like and what I despise. What follows, are a set of rules or laws. I call it the Magna Carta of Music Snobbery.<br />
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1) Liking Van Halen is still ok. Liking anything Van Halen after Diamond David Lee Roth is not ok. Dave is Halen. This isn't arguable. Sammy Hagar is a nice man who writes decent songs of his own and makes a fine tequila. I don't acknowledge his time with the Vna Halen brothers.<br />
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2) Aerosmith ended after they kicked heroin. It's ok to dig Joe Perry solo. That band is a fraud after 1986.<br />
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3) Journey, Bon Jovi, The Eagles, Nickelback are the four horsemen of the musical apocalypse. They represent formulaic rock music made for crass comemrcial reasons with vaccous lyrics and no heart. We can argue other bad bands, but those four are the worst. Period.<br />
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4) The Red Hot Chili Peppers are overrated. Under the Bridge is not a great song, it's sap. <br />
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5) R.E.M. is really good but they're not great. At one point they were underrated - mid 80s/I.R.S. records era, then overrated - Monster album, then rated about right - where they are now. Husker Du, Let's Active, The Replacements, and The Alarm were all better symbols of the 1980s college music era. <br />
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6) Punk music is great because of it's point and approach. Stripping away the pretensions of rock and roll is a good thing. Outcasts starting punk bands in their garage is the spirit of music. This is why music snobs dig punk. <br />
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7) Nirvana is more important than good. I like their music more than the average music snob. I think Kurt Cobain was ahead of his time and possibly John Lennon-esque. Nirvana breaking the seal on grunge, the Northwest music scene, and helping hammer the death nail of hair metal are the reasons they should be celebrated. We can argue their artistic contributions.<br />
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8) Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville is NOT a song by song answer to the Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street. It is, however, the best low fi rock record of the 1990s. Liz shatters the myth that women can't write good anthems. Go listen to Never Said. Thank me later.<br />
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9) The Rolling Stones should be judged for their whole career, not just the late 60s and early 70s when they were the most awesome and dangerous band on the planet. Mick and Keith were great songwriters. They're not anymore. <br />
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10) Led Zepplin belongs in anyone's top five greatest band list. I don't care if they're 5 or 1 or in between those numbers, they belong. They created the Hard Rock/Metal genre along with Black Sabbath. They mastered the art of the concept album. They also changed the rules of the game as far as how rock bands are compensated for their live shows and thus how music is recorded. <br />
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11) Paul Westerberg is a genius. So is Elvis Costello. I don't have to explain either man to anyone. Just listen to their records.<br />
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12) Bob Dylan's voice is immaterial to his greatness. He made popular music literate, political, well meaning, and artful. He wins. Also, his version of All Along The Watchtower is better than Jimi Hendrix. It's Bob's song. Get over it.<br />
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13) After the Black album, Metallica doesn't exist. Some snobs will tell you this is the case after Master of Puppets, but I dig And Justice for All and some Black album songs. <br />
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14) Digital downloading is not only ok, it's in the spirit of how most reasonable artists view their creations. Artists make very little on teh sale of their Cds. They make the majority of their money on merchandise, licensing, live show take, and endorsements. There is no such thing as stealing their music. It's sampling their songs, then forming a fan relationship with said artist. <br />
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15) Reality shows featuring music are garbage. American idol goes against everything art is supposed to be. You can't "create" stars. Stars create themselves. <br />
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16) Pop music doesn't suck. Just most of it. <br />
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17) It's ok to sing anything you want at a kareoke bar. Unless you are accompanied by a live band, then, you better sing something awesome and music snob approved or you will burn in hell with Vanilla Ice and The Bay City Rollers.<br />
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18) If you are in Memphis, Savannah, downtown New York City, a coffee house in Seattle or anywhere with music in the streets and you don't stop and listen to musicians pouring their hearts out for spare change, you have no soul. Bar bands and itinerant musicans are the liveblood or good music. Listen to them and Tip them.<br />
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19) Motown music is awesome. But it belongs in the 1960s and 1970s. Current artists remaking those songs are lazy and second rate.<br />
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20) Thriller is very overrated. So is most of Michael Jackson's catalog. Off The Wall is a good record, after that, his stuff is mostly average. He was a better performer than songwriter and producer. <br />
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21) If you can't quote all of the dialogue from High Fidelity (the music snob's Citizen Kane), then you aren't a true music fan.<br />
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22) John Lennon is the only Beatle who made decent solo records. Away from The Beatles, most of Paul, george, and Ringo's stuff is lousy. Yoko Ono did not break up The Beatles. The Beatles broke up the Beatles because they all knew Paul was going to write Silly Little Love Songs. <br />
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23) Arguing about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is only permitted if an artist is not in. That institution is a Jann Wenner butt kissing fest and largely unimportant. <br />
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24) KISS belongs in the rock and roll Hall of Fame.<br />
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25) Country music before the year 1980 is probably ok. After that, you need help. Don't do it.<br />
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26) Your record collection is only as good as the new CD that no one else has heard yet. <br />
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These laws are fluid. I have a good music journalist friend, Chuck who doesn't like The Beatles. People's tastes are all over the place.I get asked about pop music a lot. I like Christina Aquilera, Rihanna, Matchbox Twenty, Counting Crows, Rob Thomas (solo), Katy Perry's Waking up in Vegas, Rick Springfield's Jessie's Girl, and certain 70s, 80s, and 90s pop songs like Duncan Sheik's Barely Breathing. <br />
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The two music sites I visit A LOT are<br />
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http://www.deadjournalist.com - I occasionally write there. Let me know and I'll direct you to my posts. The site owner, Chuck aka @_deadjournalist on teh twitterz is a good dude.<br />
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http://www.musicsnobbery.com - He does a great job. Dude sees a lot of shows, and keeps new music as the focus.<br />
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Bottom line is a love music and listen to a lot of it. Whether it's the new CDs by The Strokes, Foo Fighters, Smith Westerns, Yuck, MAKEOUT! or older stuff. I am listening to it all the time.<br />
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Today's song is from an album, Let It Be, and a band, The Replacements, that any music lover and/or snob should own and listen. Here's I Will Dare. Play it loud.<br />
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<iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RJcCzWcgPsY?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-81182265979723865062011-04-28T00:13:00.001-04:002011-04-28T00:20:45.067-04:00CageMy loopy state, lack of luggage, and blood stained shirt made me suspicious. I stayed outside in the parking deck while Ava went inside the airport and bought clothes and sundry items. I took the last 3 pain relievers, then texted Breann updates.<br />
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I took off my shirt and she bathed the wound from the geiger-muller counter with iodine solution while I cringed.<br />
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"Sorry about that. So we're in this thing together the right way, Caleb?"<br />
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I rolled my eyes and looked at a police car a hundred feet away.<br />
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"Ava, there's no right way to do this."<br />
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Another story episode featuring the one word prompt BATHED from <a href="http://www.velvetverbosity.com/">http://www.velvetverbosity.com/</a> 's 100 word challenge. Please visit velvet's site.She hosts some talented people. The other story episodes are here:<br />
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1) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/synchronicity.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Synchronicity</span></a><br />
2)<span style="color: #223344;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/personality-crisis.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Personality Crisis</span></a></span><br />
3) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/serendipity-6.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Serendipity 6</span></a><br />
4) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hot-dog-harbinger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hot Dog Harbinger</span></a><br />
5) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/goodbye-stranger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Goodbye Stranger</span></a><br />
6) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/house-of-irony.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The House of Irony</span></a><br />
7) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/connection.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Connection</span></a><br />
8) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/dead-mans-party.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Dead Man's Party</span></a><br />
9) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hope-springs-turtle.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hope Springs A Turtle</span></a><br />
10) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/drown.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Drown</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #223344;">11) <span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/toyed.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Toyed</span></a></span></span><br />
12) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/fever.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Fever</span></a><br />
13) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/girlfriend-experience.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The Girlfriend Experience</span></a><br />
14) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/sympathy-for-devil.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Sympathy for the Devil</span></a><br />
15) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/tomorrow-green-grass.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Tomorrow, The Green Grass</span></a><br />
16) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/possession.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Possession</span></a><br />
17) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/numb.html">Numb</a><br />
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Thanks for keeping up with the story. <br />
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Today's song seemed to fit the post lyrically and sonically. Soundgarden's Rusty Cage is about being in a doomed relationship. It also rocks hard. I'm in a mood. Get your flannel out and start banging your head. Here's Rusty Cage....<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pBZs_Py-1_0?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-58420450319925258682011-04-26T22:44:00.001-04:002011-04-26T22:45:47.833-04:00Malcolm, Marvin & Girls In Pretty DressesMy life revolves around girls in pretty dresses. Either my wife and daughters are attired for some event or their friends. Tonight I sat in a high school theatre watching Tay receive an award for her stellar work on the school yearbook. A few minutes later something caught my attention so profound, I was actually able to pay attention to someone and something other than my beautiful daughter's achievement.<br />
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My favorite book may surprise you. As much as I admire Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Jonathan Franzen, and F. Scott Fitzgerald an book written by a great man about himself in the turbulent 1960s is the only book to change the way I think. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9FO7zGpWFc/TbeBX7pssrI/AAAAAAAAAhk/jDAZ4HrFXRY/s1600/MalcolmX1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="208" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9FO7zGpWFc/TbeBX7pssrI/AAAAAAAAAhk/jDAZ4HrFXRY/s320/MalcolmX1.gif" /></a></div><br />
Tay's high school was honoring their academic stars tonight. The class salutorian was a cute girl in a dark dress who was headed to the University of Pennsylvania after graduation next month. When her turn came to receive her salutorian honor, the principal listed her accomplishments. As a senior she has built a heck of a resume. I'm sure my daughter will match or surpass her in 3 years but tonight I was taken back by this young lady's high school career. Her favorite book is The Autobiography of Malcom X. Just when you think this world is doomed, you hear something like this and suddenly, you realize, there are young people out there who get it.<br />
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I first read Brother Malcolm tale told to Alex Haley when I was 19, and a sophomore in college. An English class I was taking required me to read something nonfiction that was American History related. I was knee deep in being contrarian and thought rocking something controversial like Malcolm X would be so punk rock to my professor, I would either get an easy A, or kicked out of class. This girl was reading this in high school, for fun, and calling it her favorite. I was impressed.<br />
<br />
"I'm sure most everyone has either read this book or seen Spike Lee's excellent biopic, so we need not rehash the story too thoroughly. Anyway, what matters are the essentials. Malcolm Little was a street punk when he was exposed to the Nation of Islam in prison. This exposure, and the racial pride and anger that went with it, lead him to educate himself and get involved with the Nation, where he became one of the most effective spokesmen and organizers. A confrontational proponent of racial separatism and black self-reliance, during the Civil Rights struggle, he was yin to Martin Luther King's yang (or as I read somewhere, he was the Old Testament figure, King was a figure from the New)--the constant reminder to whites that if King's nonviolent methods failed to produce results, millions of righteously resentful young black men were waiting in the wings. But, when Malcolm X made a hadj to Mecca, he discovered that there were Moslems of all races, worshipping together peacefully, and that racism played no part in traditional Islam. And so, in the closing days of his life, he split from the Nation of Islam, adopting true Islamic beliefs and practices and earning the enmity of Nation leaders who had him assassinated. The arc of this story, from the gutter, to a redemptive anger, to a cleansing understanding, to violent death, is like something from Greek myth or Shakespeare, but it is a uniquely American tragedy."<br />
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The book changed my mind about prejudice (what a waste of time) and how I related to people who were not like me. If a man like Malcolm X could give his life for becoming enlightened, I could be open minded.<br />
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I hope Tay's high school salutorian (her name rhymes with Mistina) has great success with the next phase of her life. Most of all, I am proud that some kids, my daughter included, are ahead of the curve in their cultural education. <br />
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Tonight's ceremony made me more proud of my daughter. It also made me more comfortable with her future. We may be okay after all. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vKKK9fNyA6Y/TbeBtac-zQI/AAAAAAAAAhs/EnIsjsT8i_Q/s1600/family%2Bpicture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vKKK9fNyA6Y/TbeBtac-zQI/AAAAAAAAAhs/EnIsjsT8i_Q/s320/family%2Bpicture.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Today's song is a message filled one from the late great Marvin Gaye. The words mean as much today as they did when Marvin first sang this over 40 years ago. Here's What's Going On....<br />
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<iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4V70Fk_SDG4?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-80067114596163311442011-04-25T19:39:00.001-04:002011-04-26T09:27:40.902-04:00NumbMy eyes were bleary but I could make out the time on the round wooden clock over Ava's left shoulder. My kids would be home from school in less than thirty minutes. There was no i.v. in either of my arms and the oxygen tank wasn't being used. I felt dizzy, possibly drugged. Ava put my keys and cell phone in her jacket pocket and picked up her stethoscope. <br />
<br />
"Caleb, rest would do wonders for you right now. They'll call soon. Then I'll take great care of you."<br />
<br />
She seemed strange but comforting. I must have been drugged. I didn't feel like leaving the room even with her presence.<br />
<br />
"My kids will be home soon, Ava. I'm off from work, so they're expecting me."<br />
<br />
Ava patted the left pocket of her teal blazer, grimaced, then relaxed her broad shoulders and put her right hand on my chest. <br />
<br />
"I took care of that for you. I texted your teenage daughter. I told her you were working. She texted back that she'd tell your wife. I even called her sweetheart. I guessed right on that one. You still call every woman you know sweetheart. I got a smiley face for that."<br />
<br />
I was too dizzy and tired to be creeped out. Ava hadn't changed much; always in control. The song Bleed It Out by Linkin Park started playing. It stopped when Ava answered her cell phone. She walked toward the door and talked softy. I couldn't hear her conversation. Then I noticed a small, plastic contraption attached to my ribs. Pain shot through my waist and chest when I tried to get off the table. Ava saw me and walked toward me, then stiff armed me back where I was laying. She put up her left index finger and and scowled at me. I tried to remove the tiny machine attached to my side as the pain was unbearable. My skin began to rip and I screamed, <br />
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"Ava, what the hell is this thing?"<br />
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When I awoke, I was in Ava's car. I opened my eyes and saw the grey roof of a BMW. The seat belt was cutting into the side of my ribcage where the machine was and blood was staining my shirt. Ava reached over with her right hand and rubbed my chest.<br />
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"Please be okay, Caleb. I'm taking us to the airport. I can explain more once we get on the plane."<br />
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I was fuming with anger and reeling from the pain on my side, head, and chest.<br />
<br />
"You'll explain everything now or I'll put this car in a ditch and we'll both need a doctor!"<br />
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Ava breathed in deeply and pulled over to a shoulder in the road. I had found the seat adustment and was sitting straight. From what I could recognize, we were in downtown Atlanta, maybe 10 miles from the airport.<br />
<br />
"Caleb, that's a geiger-muller counter on your abdomen. It's measuring metalllics and other foreign objects in your body and thus diagnosing how much poison or radiation you have inside of you due to the side effects of the heart you have implanted. There's damage to your nervous system too. I don't know how much. We have to get to New York tonight. There's a doctor there, Oliver Wicks, that can buy you some time until we can get through to Dr. Cluber. We'll buy you a new shirt and overnight stuff when we get to the airport"<br />
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Stunned and still dizzy, I just want to get my bearings and try to figure out how to make the most of this situation. I look at the console and see it's 3:15pm. My kids are home.<br />
<br />
"I checked plane flights to New York earlier today. I know there's a 4:35pm. I assume that's the one we're taking. We need to get there, start driving. <br />
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We're silent for a few minutes and I feel my cell phone in her jacket pocket. I put my hand in and take it out. She doesn't stop me.<br />
<br />
"Text them, Caleb. If you call them, they'll know you're sedated and they'll worry. Tell them you're working or tell them something else. Breann Lucos called and texted. I answered her and she's meeting us at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York at 7:00pm tonight. I'll make sure she's taken care of too. You have my word. But we need to start getting smart about things. This is Anson Cluber and if he is still around, Connor Bulas' game. We have to play by their rules or I'll lose you and you'll lose Breann and others. Everything's riding on this trip to see Wicks. Watching your kids grow up, holidays with the family, seeing the Braves win a World Series; none of it is possible if you don't go along with me right now. I'll take care of you, okay, Caleb?"<br />
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She stares at me with her dark blue eyes. I know she's keeping something from me. She always was. <br />
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I sent a text to my wife that also went to Breann, accidently.<br />
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"I'm really sick. I'll explain more later. Trust me, I love you."<br />
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I dropped the phone in my lap in exhaustion. I looked at Ava and she gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles were white. At the same time, we seemed numb.<br />
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This is post 200 for My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog. It's another story episode. The other entries are here:<br />
<br />
1) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/synchronicity.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Synchronicity</span></a><br />
2)<span style="color: #223344;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/personality-crisis.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Personality Crisis</span></a></span><br />
3) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/serendipity-6.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Serendipity 6</span></a><br />
4) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hot-dog-harbinger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hot Dog Harbinger</span></a><br />
5) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/goodbye-stranger.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Goodbye Stranger</span></a><br />
6) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/house-of-irony.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The House of Irony</span></a><br />
7) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/connection.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Connection</span></a><br />
8) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/dead-mans-party.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Dead Man's Party</span></a><br />
9) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hope-springs-turtle.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hope Springs A Turtle</span></a><br />
10) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/drown.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Drown</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #223344;">11) <span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/toyed.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Toyed</span></a></span></span><br />
12) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/fever.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Fever</span></a><br />
13) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/girlfriend-experience.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The Girlfriend Experience</span></a><br />
14) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/sympathy-for-devil.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Sympathy for the Devil</span></a><br />
15) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/tomorrow-green-grass.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Tomorrow, The Green Grass</span></a><br />
16) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/possession.html">Possession</a><br />
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I hope you are digging the story. For those of you who have been around for most if not all of the 200 posts, thank you. This post is also associated with the good people at <a href="http://www.studiothirtyplus.com/">http://www.studiothirtyplus.com/</a> / @studio30plus from a prompt of HOLIDAYS WITH THE FAMILY.<br />
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Today's song is a guilty pleasure of mine. Most music snobs like me make fun of Linkin Park but I own Minutes To Midnight and Metora. The latter contains the song Numb. I was listening to it while I wrote this and it seemed to agree with Caleb's state of mind during this episode.Here's L Park's Numb;<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kXYiU_JCYtU?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-84463168641865227892011-04-23T15:29:00.001-04:002011-04-23T21:07:57.305-04:00I Am The Egg ManEaster is my second favorite Holiday. It's grossly underrated. Thanksgiving, Halloween (what a joke), and July 4th (I love my country but, come on) and get a lot of publicity but for my cash, Easter is a good runner up to Christmas.<br />
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Let's break down the attributes of Easter. The religious significance is pretty awesome, if you're Christian, as I am. Jesus was crucified late in the week, dies on Friday. Then three days later, on Easter Sunday, he rises, does his business and becomes deified. Not bad. <br />
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Now, the rest of the holiday measures like this. The candy intake and distribution is equal too if not greater than Halloween. Families gather for lunch or dinner, just like Thanksgiving. The myth master is a large Bunny, that leaves Easter basket for kids containing everything from eggs to ipods gift cards. When you throw in egg hunts and professional sports games like the NBA playoffs, the Stanley Cup hockey games and major league baseball. You have a holiday that only bows only to the King of them all, Christmas.<br />
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My family tradition is really interesting. My dad's parents have hosted an easter egg hunt since the sixties. It really took off after their kids - my dad, his brother and sister, started having kids in the seventies. There is a huge lunch, likely featuring the finest strawberry cake you've ever tasted, then the Egg Hunt which is hotly contested, and then some family fellowship.<br />
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Tomorrow, Bobina, Tay, Goose, and I (Bug is with her other family this year), will attend church services in the morning, then head over to my grandparents. Later in the afternoon, my mother in law, sister in law and niece will come over to our house for a small egg hunt, and some steaks on the grill.<br />
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My family really seems to come together at Christmas and Easter. The religious connotations may have something to do with it, but I have always appreciated those two holidays because it brings my big family, new and old, together. <br />
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My next post will be number 200. This blog will have it's 1 year birthday in about two and a half weeks. Had someone told me I would make 200 posts in a year I would have given them some of my anxiety meds. Post 200 will be another story episode, somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 words. Ava is about to rock Caleb's world, and not in the good way.<br />
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Until then, enjoy your family and eat your self silly. I will attempt to devour my weight in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and boiled eggs. Happy Easter. <br />
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Today's song was a battle of my own wits. I wanted to use Lose Yourself by Eminem. It features his character from 8 Mile, Rabbit, and it's about determination. Then I realized I had been into the Beatles again and they were ina tie with Radiohead and Led Zepplin for my second favorite band of all time. With Easter being my second favorite holiday, the Beatles should get a crack at the theme song. Here's John, Paul, George, and Ringo singing about something other than Easter but doing it in a way that little kids would think differently. I am the egg man, coo coo ca choo....I AM THE WALRUS<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Nnpil_pRUiw?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860756387286116954.post-81653212004153330902011-04-21T11:52:00.001-04:002011-04-21T14:43:49.086-04:00PossessionWeaving through traffic, I almost hit a dumptruck. I was sweating profusely. My image in my mirror was sickly. The distance from the courthouse to the hospital was 2 miles. I was halfway there. I texted her. <br />
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"Meet me in the emergency room, I need you". <br />
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I parked, jumped from my SUV, and tried to run to the entrance. <br />
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The next thing I saw was Ava standing over me. She had control of the room. <br />
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"Everyone thinks you're fluish and panic attacked, but I'm monitoring your heart. I'm waiting on a call from Dr. Cluber's office to proceed. You're mine for now."<br />
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The is another episode of a story I'm writing using <a href="http://www.velvetverbosity.com/2011/04/21/100-words-the-distance-between-lives/">Velvet Verbosity 's 100 word challenge</a> . My other stories entries are here:<br />
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1) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/synchronicity.html">Synchronicity</a><br />
2)<span style="color: #223344;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/personality-crisis.html">Personality Crisis</a></span><br />
3) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/serendipity-6.html">Serendipity 6</a><br />
4) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hot-dog-harbinger.html">Hot Dog Harbinger</a><br />
5) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/goodbye-stranger.html">Goodbye Stranger</a><br />
6) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/house-of-irony.html">The House of Irony</a><br />
7) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/connection.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Connection</span></a><br />
8) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/dead-mans-party.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Dead Man's Party</span></a><br />
9) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/hope-springs-turtle.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Hope Springs A Turtle</span></a><br />
10) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/drown.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Drown</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #223344;">11) <span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/toyed.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Toyed</span></a></span></span><br />
12) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/fever.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Fever</span></a><br />
13) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/girlfriend-experience.html"><span style="color: #223344;">The Girlfriend Experience</span></a><br />
14) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/sympathy-for-devil.html"><span style="color: #223344;">Sympathy for the Devil</span></a><br />
15) <a href="http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/tomorrow-green-grass.html">Tomorrow, The Green Grass</a><br />
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I've been on a mid 90s alternative chick rocker kick lately. Today's song is Sarah Maclachlan's Posession. It's what was playing in my head and on my computer last night when I imagined this 100 words. It seems to fit Ava's character. This should please my Canadian readers, eh?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/itydwcyywBc?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Lancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02421199592104616785noreply@blogger.com17