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Post by papaof2 on Aug 7, 2019 21:10:16 GMT -6
It still needs some polishing, but the story at its current point does pass spellcheck ;-) Posting should start in a few days. I'm almost always in need-to-read-it-once-more mode - don't want the hero shooting someone you haven't yet had an opportunity to hate ;-)
For those who think I sometimes run off at the keyboard, you could be correct ;-) When the story in progress is posted, the total wordcount of posted stories will be over 1,000,000 since "Accidental Family" started on 23 Sep 2012.
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Post by papaof2 on Aug 10, 2019 15:04:10 GMT -6
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Post by willc453 on Aug 11, 2019 8:28:42 GMT -6
Wonder which category the tanker truck story comes under....Darwin at its best, hold my beer while I...or d*mn, dropped my cigarette.
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Post by papaof2 on Aug 11, 2019 12:16:15 GMT -6
Have you seen video of Thai drivers? And the entire families riding on a small motorbike? Maybe some of it was that "Don't care" or "It can't happen to me" outlook.
With the proper mix of air and gasoline, it doesn't take much of a spark to set off a fire/explosion. However, that doesn't include dropping a lit cigarette into a pan of gasoline - one of the best courtroom demonstrations ever when a man was on trial because it was claimed that his cigarette had started a fire at a gas station. The cigarette was doused and the man was acquitted. The article said the truck was in an accident, so anybody's guess on the level of damage and the possibility of people trying to get gas from the tanker while the cab/engine was on fire. And you know none of them were sufficiently concerned about the possibility of a spark or the fire 30 feet away setting off the other XX thousand gallons of gas.
These were the lines in that unfinished story: "John, Thomas rode out to see what the smoke up to the northeast was from and there's been a fire at the truck stop on the interstate." "And?" "Remember the fuel tanker we asked you about siphoning from? Apparently some other people tried that but didn't do the grounding and anti-static things you told us about. The 'Boom!' we heard earlier today was that tanker exploding. Thomas found some melted and burnt pieces of plastic hose so static electricity from fuel running through that hose may have been the source of the spark. Anyway, the pumps are also burnt out and while most of the trailers have some level of damage, there are two near the back of the lot - some of those the owner-operators dropped so they could go home - that were shielded by other trailers and look to be OK. If we provide fuel, could you drive your truck and pull a trailer? The undamaged trailers are from Walmart and Advance Auto. I'm guessing we all could use any toilet paper or food that might be in the Walmart trailer and anyone with solar power or a running vehicle might want more batteries - if there are any in the Advance trailer. Thomas couldn't break the lock on either one with a crowbar, so it's a pig in a poke but probably worth checking both of them. There's an IGA trailer but the side looks like it's been pretty hot so probably not good for whatever is inside."
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Post by papaof2 on Aug 25, 2019 22:09:12 GMT -6
I'm putting together chapters for a *possible* sequel to "The Waif". While researching a song that's mentioned in the story, I came across an interesting link. Many kids will ask for a coin to contribute to a street musician, This one is a bit different: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceX5jJ5fggs
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Post by papaof2 on Aug 29, 2019 22:23:39 GMT -6
I have several stories I'd like to put on Amazon but I'll not confuse my new and so far very productive muse by filling my head with the details of other stories until the current story is finished. This has been a good month on Amazon as I've had 7 buyers. Another month or so to finish the current tale and then see about re-reading, correcting and formatting "Homestead", "In the Dark", "Just Another Voicemail", "The Waif", a group of short stories and then see about splitting "Jack's War - Part 2" into two or three pieces of publishable size - don't think there will be many takers at 319,000 words.
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Post by willc453 on Sept 1, 2019 1:09:47 GMT -6
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Post by papaof2 on Sept 10, 2019 16:55:29 GMT -6
My relatively new and younger-than-expected muse (Lee Ann) has worked with me very well. "The Waif" is finished and we're well into Book 2 of the story - don't yet know how long it will be or when I'll start posting but we are making good progress. Will there be more than one followup? Don't know yet as I've had one flash of inspiration about a version of Lisa who's a few years older but not yet a full chapter.
Remember that I'm working with a new muse and one that I think was tossed out to fend for herself much too young so I don't think she'll be giving me "Lisa at 12" when (in my opinion) she's nowhere near 12. However, the sequel started much sooner than I thought possible and is moving right along. We'll see if anything further in the future appears.
Not sure if Lee Ann being mostly invisible the past week or so is from some high drama in the family (do upset humans scare her?) or is it something I'm not aware of. Whatever, I'm trying to let her know that I'm happy with her by keeping the bowl of dark chocolate M&Ms filled, plus orange sherbet and premium vanilla ice cream in the freezer, along with Hershey's Dark Syrup for toppings and a large jar of Nutella in the pantry. She's still delivering inspiration, I'm just not seeing her as often as before... Maybe she'll confide in me soon.
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Post by 9idrr on Sept 10, 2019 20:38:14 GMT -6
Damn, a guy could go broke tryin' to support habits like that.
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Post by papaof2 on Sept 10, 2019 20:46:26 GMT -6
But it's impossible to stop doing things that make a kid smile - especially a kid who's not had much to smile about...
And what is one of those spontaneous bullet hugs worth?
Bullet hug: kid sees you and runs to you with arms wide open, never slowing down and stopping only when they collide with you.
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Post by gipsy on Sept 10, 2019 21:55:38 GMT -6
Gotten a few of those from my grandsons, but they are getting to old for that anymore
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Post by papaof2 on Sept 11, 2019 21:25:55 GMT -6
Generally works OK if the kids are in single digit ages, although some of them are getting too big at 8 or 9. If around kids I'd seen do that before, I stood with my back to the wall - at least they wouldn't knock me over backwards ;-)
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 6, 2019 21:15:47 GMT -6
Not sure what's going on with my muse (maybe muses) as I've cranked out a 12000+ word short story in about 4 days - obviously most other writing has been pushed to the side to do that. It needs to be polished some before posting but this one you might get in one post - if my muse doesn't jump up with another chapter. In a few days.
Meanwhile, I'm recuperating from manhandling the ~100lb mower deck to remove and replace the mandrels (what holds the blades) and their pulleys. Getting the mandrel assemblies installed, the blades in place and the new pulleys secured required multiple flips of the deck and I don't wrestle steers much these days ;-) I'll get the deck back under the mower tomorrow and then things might be dry enough to collect leaves again. The trees that shade the house and reduce the electricity cost for central air in the summer do collect their pay in the fall when I collect and pile leaves from September/October until maybe February.
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Post by 9idrr on Nov 7, 2019 20:51:50 GMT -6
Well, sir, it sounds as though you've taken 2 out of 3 falls in your match with that thing. A day or 2 to rest and let your muse inspire you to add more chapters sounds like the perfect way for you to recover.
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Post by papaof2 on Jul 24, 2020 20:55:11 GMT -6
In the on-going saga of old and new mowers, I was out again today (temp is 84, feels like 89). Grass didn't look that high but cuttimg at the same height as last time still meant multiple bag dumps. However, I did finish sooner as the new mower steers easier and moves faster than the old one. The better half had been out trimming holly and azalea bushes so I did (limited) trimming with the walk-behind mower. Still tired four hours later ;-) I washed up and put the work clothes in to wash before supper - very dry and dusty out there and my arms wouldn't get that brown if I spent the summer roofing houses - but I'll need a shower before bedtime. Today is the last dry day as the next ten days have 30%-60% chance of thunderstorms.
Finally have a potential buyer for the old mower who is coming to look at it (Saturday afternoon). Not at the $200 I had in the ad but the $150 I was willing to negotiate down to. We'll see whether he wants the mower after he sees it. It still looks good for 17 years old - parking it inside (shed) the years I've had it makes a difference. Don't think it's worth a wash and paste wax, though ;-)
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Post by papaof2 on Jul 29, 2020 20:24:41 GMT -6
The $150 buyer didn't show so I went down the list and the next guy asked "When can I see it?" so I said "Tomorrow." and he was there with lawn equipment trailer behind his SUV and cash in hand. He's used a similar mower before (the engine caught fire from a gasoline leak and I can picture fuel dripping from the carb onto the frame rail and down on the muffler). He thought it was a good deal. I was happy with the $200 and that piece of equipment is history.
One of my muses gifted me with 1000 words today on the most recently started of three currently-in-progress-on-the-computer stories. Woke up from almost eight consecutive hours of sleep with the idea running through my head and put it together with some notes I'd made yesterday. Still not ready for posting as I don't know when (or even if) the next chapter will happen but I'll continue to add to each story as inspiration appears.
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