Garfield Park Conservatory

This past week I joined a local photography club suggested by one of my good friends.  Today they had an outing at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago to photograph the winter flowers.  It was such an amazing experience!  I thought I'd share just a few of the photos that I took today.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Rural Illinois

It is now week 2 of my last semester.  I have two classes in session A.  One is a communications class and the other is a Web application class (ASP.NET).  Both seem to have a high volume of homework. No surprise there.  I will be developing a web application during the next 7 weeks.  It will have to be something relatively simple.  What I want to do, and what I can accomplish in such a short time are two different things.

Anyway, recently I took a trip down to Urbana Illinois on business.  It's only about a 3 hour drive south of home, but I decided to take the rural route instead of the highways.  I should have taken a decent camera with me.  But I didn't, so I was stuck taking pictures with my cell phone camera.  It takes very poor quality pictures and I was surprised that a few pictures turned out interesting.  Mostly, I just enjoyed the process.

I took about 20 or so different shots during the round trip.  I made the mistake of driving past a few great views on the way down thinking I would stop and take them on the way back.  I did stop, but the change in the position of the sun changed the whole picture.  They didnt turn out nearly as cool as they would have earlier in the day.

            RURAL ILLINOIS

What I found most interesting about the pictures, particularly the poor quality, is that they almost look like paintings.  I'm going to print them in larger versions just to see what they look like.  I thought I'd share a few here.

I've decided to take a photography trip in the spring.  Just a weekend drive out to the middle of nowhere.  I'm thinking Galena, IL.  Though, I cant go alone because honestly taking pics while driving is not an easy thing to do.  Good views do not always come with a place to park.

CHAPTER ONE

This is the unedited version of Chapter One.  I'm looking for honest feedback so feel free to comment below.


MONDAY DECEMBER 23RD

It was the same argument every year. “Will you please come to midnight mass with me on Christmas Eve?” Julie Whitaker asked her brother. “Absolutely not” he replied. He heard her exhale in exasperation through the cell phone.

“I’m not asking you to go to church with me every Sunday, Jason.” Julie knew her brother would never agree to go, but she tried to convince him anyway.

“Would you please stop asking me? I am not going. I am never setting foot in that place again.” Jason said. It was 8am on Monday and Jason had no patience for the argument. Christmas was just two days away. Julie lost the fight every year, but she never gave up. She had faith that sooner or later her brother would come around.

“When will you be home?” he asked. “Tomorrow” She said. Julie regularly traveled on business and always took the time to explore the cities she visited. She loved looking at the architecture, and shopping for antiques. “I found this great salon and spent a few hours there yesterday afternoon.” She chattered on about her hair cut and color. “I had the stylist make me a crazy redhead again” Julie said, sounding quite happy with herself. Jason laughed thinking the color of her hair didn’t change her level of craziness.

Jason listened to Julie talk about her day for another 15 minutes, before she finally apologized for monopolizing his time, and hung up. He noticed she sounded exceptionally happy. He hadn’t heard that tone from her in a long time. She was having a hard time getting over the depression caused by her divorce. Maybe the holidays were helping her mood, he thought. She always loved Christmas.

Julie had moved into her brother’s house in March of that year, after losing her own during the divorce. She had been married for 10 years, but had no children. Her Ex-husband didn’t want them. She had ignored all the signs that something was wrong, and thought they were just going through a phase. Julie took her vows seriously and believed in “for better or worse”. Then, she was blindsided when she was served with the divorce papers at her office one afternoon. No one in her family had ever been divorced, or even separated, that she recalled. It shattered the imperfect world in which she lived.

The devastation caused by her Ex-husband had sent Julie into a slow decline into a severe depression that culminated into a week long hiatus from life. During that week she wouldn’t open the bedroom door, didn’t answer the phone, and didn’t get out of bed. She ignored Jason’s attempt to communicate with her, until he threatened to break the door down to make sure she was still alive. When she finally got out of bed and opened the door she looked like she actually had been dead for a few days.

The next morning Julie got up, showered, dressed, and went about her day as if nothing had happened. Jason sat at the kitchen table and ate his breakfast, while she walked back and forth in front of him fixing her own. She was talking the whole time. He thought she looked mechanical, like a robot programmed for a specific action and purpose.

Julie had been broken and was doing her best to mend. Most days, she continued to function in her robot mode, but with a little more color in her face. Over the summer, Julie slowly returned to something close to her old self, though still lacking in her usual happiness. She spent time at the gym and out in the sun, and occasionally went out with friends. She didn’t talk about the divorce.

Today was the first time in nearly nine months that Julie sounded like Julie. It was as if a switch had been flipped and the warmth of her personality was turned back on. Jason sat thinking about their conversation. The longer he thought about it, the more he realized that her mood had been improving over the past few weeks.

Jason spent the day cleaning house. Not exactly what he wanted to do during his vacation, but it was better than working. He dragged the task out as long as possible and procrastinated at every opportunity. He even spent an hour sorting his DVD’s into alphabetical order, not because he was obsessive, but because he did not want to tackle wrapping Christmas presents. That was Julie’s job. She was meticulous about wrapping, and he had no idea why she left it up to him this year.

After procrastinating all day, and having nothing else left to accomplish, Jason grabbed the wrapping paper and settled at the dining room table. He wrapped a few gifts more than once because his wrapping looked as if a five year old had done it. Two hours later, when his back began to ache from leaning over the table, he had finally finished wrapping the entire pile.

Jason made a quick dinner, and then relaxed in front of the TV for the rest of the evening. He flipped channels out of boredom, and then drifted off to sleep with his feet propped up on the coffee table. He had made a habit out of sleeping on the couch since Julie moved in. It made him feel like he was protecting her. He was the guard dog on duty at night.

At 4:30am Jason’s phone rang and jolted him out of his deep sleep. The TV was still on, though barely audible, and showing an old black and white movie. Blurry eyed, Jason looked at the phone, didn’t recognize the number, and debated about answering it. Probably a wrong number, he thought. He answered it anyway.

“Is this Jason Whitaker?” said a man’s voice on the other end. “Yes, this is Jason” he replied and sat up straight. Something in the tone of the man’s voice told him the call was important and that he had better pay attention. Jason cleared his throat before asking who was calling.

“Jason, this is the Lafayette Police Department. There has been an accident.” Jason heard the words but could not make sense out of them. “What? Who?” Jason was confused and tried to shake the sleep out of his head and listen. “There was an accident on I65, just outside of LaFayette, caused by the ice storm. Do you know Julie Whitaker?”

“Yes! She is my sister!” Jason screamed his answer into the phone as he jumped off the couch. “Is she ok?”

“I’m sorry sir. We believe we have Julie Whitaker at the Medical Examiner’s office. She was killed in the accident. We need you to come down to identify her body.” The words hit Jason like a ton of bricks. The room spun around him. “There must be a mistake” said Jason. Julie wasn’t in LaFayette.

Its Just Business

I’m giving in.

I have purposely avoided blogging about the thing I know best because people might actually read it. But, today I am sharing more important issues than just my random thoughts.

I have had business philosophy and strategies drilled into my head for many years by some of the brightest and successful business people I have ever known. I have experienced past economic downturn and recovery. Although, 2001 was not this bad. I have worked for both ‘highly aggressive’ growth businesses, and ‘status quo’ organizations, and I learned a lot, even when I wasn’t paying attention.

Today, despite the recession, I believe we have a rare opportunity to affect the most change in our organizations. Many companies are smaller than they have been in years, business is relatively slow, and we don’t have the money to throw at the old problems. Most likely, the people we have left in our organizations are the most knowledgeable, loyal, opinionated, and resistant to change. And they want to help.

So what do we do with this rare opportunity to affect change if we don’t have the resources to make it happen? We use our good business sense!

My Top Four low cost suggestions to kick-start your business into recovery:

1) Evaluate your corporate goals. Today, not tomorrow! Corporate goals should be reviewed, revised if necessary, and communicated to the entire organization. Those goals should be communicated loudly and repeatedly. Corporate silence causes employees to believe they care more than you do. It increases fear. It lowers morale. Employees are concerned about their future. They have watched their coworkers, family members, and neighbors lose their jobs. More than ever, they need to see, hear, and feel that you are forging ahead, that you have not lost sight on the big picture, and that you will lead them through this economic downturn successfully. Focus your employees on your corporate goals.

2) Evaluate your communication methods and plan. This is the most critical part of the business and significantly impacts efficiencies. The more you communicate and reiterate corporate goals, initiatives, and directives the better. If you have not included instruction on effective communication in your plan, then add it. Teach by example, as well as formal training. Teach your people how to communicate effectively.

3) Evaluate your core business philosophies. Do they work with this economy? Do they need to change temporarily or permanently? Either way, it is imperative that corporate philosophies are constantly being shared, explained, and taught to your employees. They cannot uphold corporate philosophies if they do not know them, or do not understand them. By the way, philosophies are not the same as procedures. Don’t confuse them.

4) Listen to your employees. They are the experts in their respective jobs. They know where the bottlenecks are, and they have ideas to fix them. If they are not talking, then ask. If you haven’t been asking all along, they may not feel safe sharing candid responses. Keep asking until you hear the truth. Respect their opinions, and understand that you may have caused those opinions by not listening in the first place. Opinions are hard to change. Perception is reality. Don’t be afraid to find out which reality your employees are working in.

That didn’t cost much, now did it?

Break Time

This past week I took a break from homework to read a book. Well, I didn’t actually take a break from homework considering I still did it, I just didn’t make it a priority. But, I've spent so much of my minimal spare time learning about writing and publishing, and following writer’s blogs and twitter, that I needed a break from information overload.

I havent read a novel since going back to school two years ago. Prior to that, I read constantly, primarily thriller suspense novels. If they happen to have a little romance in them, I liked them even better. I have written some short story romance, but never really read much of it. I would love to write thriller suspense, but the reality is I write better romance. As I am reaching the end of my school days, I am gearing up to seriously write and get published. In addition to taking a much needed break for my mind, I wanted to see where the romance industry has gone in the past several years.

So, I read Storm of Visions by Christina Dodd. She is one of the many interesting writers I follow on Twitter. I originally followed Christina because she is a romance novelist. I continue to follow her because she has an interesting personality. Storm of Visions is a great mix of romance, suspense, and thrill. It kept my attention and moved along at a good pace. While reading the book, I felt like I could envision the scene as if I was sitting in the same room. I loved the intensity of many parts of the story. And of course, there is an excerpt of the next book, Storm of Shadows, at the end. Now I cant wait to read that one too!

The only thing I noticed that slightly (and I do mean slightly) caught my attention was that the dialog was too perfect in some instances. It was so clear and concise that it read like it was written instead of spoken. I prefer characters to sound as human as possible. Just my personal preference and observation. Certainly not a negative about the book, and I wouldn't have a clue how to change it without ruining the flow.

It certainly hasn’t been easy to put aside my love of reading while I focus on homework. I'm glad I took the time to read Christina Dodd's book. She will definitely be on my list of authors to follow going forward, and I think I may get a little inspiration from her work as well.

Granted Wish

Thursday night I was on my way home from marketing class. The drive is about 30 minutes from the Devry campus to my house. It was nearly 10pm and I was tired. It had been a very long week, and I had been fighting off a cold and sinus infection. I drove in silence because sound of the radio hurt my pounding head. Needless to say my patience was minimal.

The majority of my drive was down Lake Street. Its a high traffic road with two lanes in each direction. There is a median between the east and westbound lanes.  As I was driving, about two blocks into the median, there was a break allowing the eastbound traffic to make a left turn onto a side street. The westbound side, the side I was driving, had a "No U Turn" sign. The car in front of me put on its left turnsignal, and slowed, at the break in the median. The continuous eastbound traffic prevented the car from making the illegal U turn, without coming to a complete stop.

The car stopped to wait. I stopped to wait. My impatience grew impatient. I yelled something obnoxious at the car, which I'm sure, was not heard through my closed windows. As I waited, I glanced in my rear view mirror and saw the headlights of several cars lined up behind me. All of them were probably just as annoyed as I was, at that moment. I made a quick wish that one of those cars was a police car. I wished that the police car would see the illegal U turn, pull the car over, and give them a ticket. They deserved it for making me stop and wait. After all, I was feeling tired, and sick, and I just wanted to go home.

The eastbound traffic cleared, and the car proceeded into its U turn. I continued on my way westbound. After passing the break in the median, I glanced into the rear view mirror and saw the red and blue lights begin flashing. I saw the police car that was two cars behind me make its U turn. My wish had been granted. It cheered me up and I drove the rest of the way home with the radio on.

That was the highlight of my week.

Its Like*

Just finished the second week of the new semester in school. Both of my classes are extremely interesting, but the homework is a bit overwhelming. I feel like I am unfocused and I think I’ve reached the point of information overload. My poor brain is being flooded with info from work, school, twitter, and all the really cool blogs that I am following. I could read for hours. Oh yes, and the 24hour PASS session that I attended was highly informative.

We have a team project in my Marketing class to develop a marketing plan for a new product. My team chose to create a new Pop-Tart cereal. Personally, I love Pop-Tarts. I would like them in milk. Any flavor would work for me. I’ve even eaten Pop-Tarts for dinner on occasion. So, basically it’s an exciting project for me. And by the way, Pop-Tarts is a hard word to type.

Anyway, I did accomplish quite a bit this week despite being unfocused. Yesterday I wrote over 3500 words of One Fine Day. That puts the total word count on that story at over 10,000. The story is evolving as I am writing. It’s going in a different direction than I had originally planned. The two main characters have become an interesting side story. A secondary character is taking over the lead role and turning into a shining star. I really like the direction it is going. But, I need to take a step back and let this new direction sink in and gel for a few days.

As I am going through this process of writing, I am finding out interesting things about myself. This week I realized that I am not very good at drawing comparisons. “Like” is not a term that I have used much in the past. Writing in a corporate environment does not lend itself to the use of “like” or “as if” very often. I know when I need a comparison, but seem to draw a blank. So, I’ve resorted to putting an asterisk after the word “like.” Then I type on without actually drawing the comparison. Now, I have to go wander around looking for comparisons just for practice. Maybe I’ll find a few that fit into the story.

I'm a Chicken

Assuming a bunch of SQL and BI people will be checking out my blog after the PASS event…I thought I’d post a quick introduction. Yes, my last name is Strangeway. Yes, I have heard all the jokes about my name, and I do blame my husband. Honestly, it has worked in my favor in business. People usually don't forget me!


I am a BIS major at Devry University and will be graduating at the end of February. I have 6 classes left to complete. Devry has been fantastic for the past 2 years, and while I am anxious to get it over with, I will miss it when I am done. Mostly, I will miss those letters they send out at the end of each semester…you know, the ones that congratulate you for being on the Dean’s List again. Love those!

As a General Manager for an electronic component distributor, I am in charge of all sales and operations. I have been in the industry for 25 years and advanced my career without my degree by being very good at what I do. However, to continue to advance my career to the next level, I needed to formalize my education. It is not easy being a full time student with a family and a career.

For fun, I coached an elementary school chess team until I went back to school. I read and collect books, mostly contemporary. I write short stories and am working on a novel (or two). And I play guitar and rarely sleep. During the day I am a professional, but after hours I'm goofy and tend to make people laugh.

Nice to meet all of you during PASS!
Karie

I’m open to chat about my career so if you have any questions please feel free to email me:
kstrangeway@comcast.net


Nothing beyond this post has anything to do with SQL or BI. The rest is about my writing hobby. But please feel free to browse further.

Zen Wisdom

“The barn burned down. Now I can see the moon.”

-Zen wisdom

OK, this is my fourth attempt at writing an update.  Finals week is over.  New semester starts on Monday.  Tomorrow I am meeting my good friend for coffee at 9am, then we are going to the farmers market.  I plan to buy something fresh and cook dinner.  I havent cooked in...(long pause)....I have no idea how long it has been. 

This week I managed to study for finals, and write 3000 words of One Fine Day.  (See previous posts for bits of the story.)  I would like to post some of my writing, but havent decided which parts are best saved for the suspense of the book yet.  You will have to wait a bit longer for more. 

As this story is developing, there is a religious aspect that is creating the character arc.  One character is questioning his faith, while another lost his long ago and both need to get it back by the end of the story.  So, I've been researching religion and religious faith all day.  Those that know me, know that I have an infinite amount of faith.  But my faith is internal and not driven by any religious factor.  I have no clue when it comes to religion.  Dont misunderstand me.  I am a believer, but I am not a follower. 

The quote at the top of the page is simply the best example of MY form of faith.

I'm finding the research quite interesting and...uhm...I learned what living in God's grace means.  I admit it.  I did not know.  Its not what I thought it was.  Not to minimize the significance, but its like living in the time between the date your car payment is due, and the date they actually penalize you with a fee for being late.  We are allowed to be human and not live up to expectations, as long as we make an honest attempt. 

Oh yes, I found the Seven Heavenly Virtues.  I didnt know there was a list.  Yes, I did look up the Seven Deadly Sins too.  (I was somewhat familiar with them).  Primarily, I was interested in Lust for the purposes of the story.  Well, it is a romance novel, of course there is lust!  And because the story takes place around Christmas, I needed to know what masses were held during that time.  I had always heard of people attending midnight mass Chrismas Eve.  I didnt know it was called the "Mass of the Angels."  I like that name. It sounds more important than "Midnight Mass".   Yes, I have so much to learn. 

So, basically, its been a very productive and informative week.

Art and Technology

The constant stream of information that I am getting from Twitter, and the Blogs that I follow, is fantastic! Interesting things that I've never thought to look for are popping up here and there. In my quest for information, I stumbled upon something I hadn't noticed before...IT geeks are artists.

For some reason, I always grouped IT people with the more analytical types. Being both analytical and creative myself, I saw the art in the technology. But, I never gave much thought to the type of people in the field. The theory is that people who are both analytical and creative use both sides of their brain. (That's not to say that people who use only one half their brain are any less intelligent, or have half the brain power.) I think the technology age caused people, who were typically one side or the other, to stretch their abilities. The amazing technological advances we make month after month require both analysis and creativity.

I became fascinated with computer technology in 1995. Back then, in business, we were using dumb terminals to look up information. I had used a PC only a few times, and really didn't understand them. The computer class I had way back in highschool taught me the history, but not much about the practical use. And then they put one on my desk. My world was changed forever.

One day someone handed me a CD, and told me to put the files on my PC. Having only used a floppy disc to save information, I had no idea what to do with it. So, I took the CD and put it in the large floppy drive. I put it only part way in thinking the computer would take it the rest of the way, just like the CD player in the car. It didn't move. I pushed it the rest of the way in and waited. Nothing happened. Much to my dismay, I could not find the eject button. Anxiety set in. There was important information on that CD and I didn't know how to retrieve it. My pride did not allow me to go ask for help. I stared at it for a while.

All of a sudden a light went on in my head. I realized what I did. The CD doesn't go in the floppy drive. It goes in the pop out cup holder. (How many times have you heard that joke? ) I slowly leaned sideways so I could see around the corner from my desk. Thankfully, no one was around to see what I was about to do next. I took a paperclip from the drawer and partially straightened it out. Gently, I attempted to pry the CD from the floppy drive. I snaked it back as deep as I could behind the CD, and worried that I was going to electrocute myself. Slowly but surely, it came out far enough to grab it with my fingers and pull it the rest of the way. I put the CD back in its case and put it in the desk drawer. That was enough fun for one day.

The next day I took the CD out and put it in the correct place. The lights flashed on the computer and things happened on my screen. A window popped up and there were the files I needed. Awesome! How do I get them on my computer so I dont have to mess with this CD ever again?

After that incident I vowed to never be that stupid about a computer again. I spent at least 10 minutes every day learning something new about my PC. Once I learned the PC, I went on to figure out the mainframe we used. I became the office expert. When my company merged with another we had to integrate with their system. I was given access to the AS400 about two weeks prior to the formal training. When the "trainer" showed up, I knew more than she did, and even taught her a few things. This was my new passion. I was infected by the IT bug.

Back to my original point, that IT geeks are artists. I have been surfing Twitter for a little more than a month looking for both IS/IT information and writing/publishing tips. What I found was that many of the writers are IT geeks, and the IT geeks are writers, poets, and musicians. The people that I thought were just highly analytical are also creative.

I'm starting to feel so at home.

Homework and Freedom

Its Tuesday night and I spent very little time on my homework this past weekend. I was busy working on my writing and revamping this site. I'm really happy with the way it turned out, especially the photography. My favorite pic is the one on a Preview of Mikey. Doesn't it just scream FREEDOM! I love it.

Freedom. That is what this page is about. Well, not really, but in a weird way it is. I have always loved to write. Most of what I wrote in my younger years was lost along the way. It was either thrown away, packed away, lost in a computer crash, or just simply misplaced. I've never shared any of it with anyone because of my fear. The fear of being judged for the thoughts in my head. Really...when you think of Stephen King... do you not think he has a very warped mind? You have to be seriously warped to write some of the things he writes. His books scare the daylights out of me.

It would be impossible for a writer to not leave a part of himself on each written page, just as a painter puts his soul into his art. You may see it as colors on a canvas, but the artist sees it as part of himself, the good and the bad. Writers are the same way. Our own ideas, experiences, and philosophies come out as we write. Its like sharing part of your inner self. We influence our characters no matter how hard we force them to be their own people.

So, my fear is that people who read what I write may think I am warped like Stephen King. (I'm not that kind of warped, but you get the idea.) And what if someone I know recognizes a quality that closely fits their own? Readers don't go looking for hints of themselves, but often times they do identify with a character. Will they think I wrote about them? Maybe I did, maybe I didn't.

Is my fear unusual? I honestly have no idea. But it is mine to deal with as I spend more time writing. Maybe I will know when I have achieved my goal, conquered my fear, and reached freedom, when someone tells me I am truly warped!

As for my homework, I really need to get back to it. I have some database labs to work on. Just your typical IT geek stuff. And some research to do on the new "low emission" coal for my environmental science class. Its all very interesting.

One Fine Day

All things happen for a reason. Be thankful for what you have, and never underestimate its importance.

Matthew had the life he always wanted; a beautiful wife with a stunning smile, two growing boys, and the dream house that he designed and built for his family. His architectural firm was successful. Life was good. But sometimes “good” just isn’t enough. Having reached his goal of a peaceful existence at an early age, Matthew was bored. One day dragged into the next without excitement, and without spontaneity. He lost his purpose somewhere along the way.

Fate stepped into Matthew’s life just a week before Christmas. He met Julie unexpectedly when he took on a job to revise plans on a custom home. A few days later they spent one incredible day together. Julie awakens his passion for creativity, excitement, and love. Matthew finds himself questioning his devotions to his family, his job, and his God. When fate twists itself into a deadly ice storm, it forces the two of them down an unexpected path of tragedy, heartache, and renewed faith.

To read an excerpt continue to my previous post: Bits of One Fine Day

Bits of One Fine Day

Julie and Mathew walked hand in hand thru the food court looking for the restrooms. They found them on the opposite side of the cafeteria. When they reached the entrance hallway they stopped. The first sign said Family Bathroom. Mathew turned to Julie and said jokingly “do you think anyone will mind if I use the “family” bathroom alone?” He let go of her hand and began walking away from her down the hall towards the men’s room. Julie surveyed the backside of his body as he walked away. As Mathew reached the door she responded with a straight face “well, I could always go with you, and hold your hand”.

Mathew pushed the door open with one hand, turned to Julie, and held out his other hand to her. With a huge smile he said “come on”. Julie hesitated, not sure if he was being funny, or actually encouraging her to join him. She slowly started to walk toward Mathew, unsure of herself. She felt a bit of anxiety. He laughed and said “you just wait there”, then he turned, and walked into the restroom. Julie laughed as the door closed.

Julie loved the look on his face right before he left her standing there alone. His look seemed to indicate that he thought about having her join him in the bathroom. She stood at the end of the hallway surveying the people sitting at the tables. Bright neon signs indentified the individual food vendors scattered around the edge of the food court.

As she waited she made a mental list of the emotions she was feeling. The day was surreal. She felt happiness and anxiety at the same time. She felt this odd connection with Mathew that seemed to tighten around her heart as the day went on. She purposely did not think about having to leave him later that afternoon. Her heart hadn’t slowed its pace from the moment they met. She thought about what she should be doing when he emerged from the restroom. Should she be looking down the hallway at him? Or stand at the end of the hallway with her back to him? If she stood with her back to him and pretended not to hear him coming, would he walk up behind her, put his arms around her and kiss her neck? Or would he do something simpler, like gently touch her lower back to let her know he was there? These odd thoughts crossed her mind, and she laughed at herself. She was completely out of her element.

It really didn’t matter what he did when he returned. The simple fact that they would have several more hours together made her happy. When he did return, Julie could not help but turn around when she heard him walking down the hallway.

“You…are trouble” he said with a smirk.

They began walking together. “How am I trouble?” She asked.

“You would have come in there with me”.

“Yes, and you would have liked it”

“We would have gone too far”

“No. We might have felt each other up a bit, but we would have stopped”

He laughed, and they walked on. He liked that she was so forward with her desire for him. He thought of bending her over the sink in the restroom.

Whats In a Name

I changed the name of my blog. Did you notice?

Never mind, there are only two of you following it.

I also gave it a very Zen look. The look wasn't intentional. I just started messing with the options and it came out that way. I suppose I should invite people to my blog, but I'm just not ready for visitors. A few people have noticed it, since it is connected on my Twitter page. I'm not convinced it has a direction yet.

The photography added is all mine. The current photos were all taken at Starved Rock, IL during a hiking trip we took in July. I don't claim to be a photographer. I took 250 photos using an average digital camera and a few turned out fairly decent. Photography is on my list of potential hobbies, after I finish school and earn some money with my degree.

Actually, this blog does seem to be evolving into a record of my writing journey. I've never written a full length novel, though I have several story ideas in my head. The number of ideas keeps growing and growing, and its making me crazy. Every one of them has a half written chapter or two stored on one of my many electronic devices, or scribbled in a spiral notebook, between the pages of my homework. The characters talk to me. Usually, at very inopportune times.

Anyway, today I was planning on spending the afternoon listening to music in the park with, my hubby. It was hot and humid outside, and I was tired and lazy, after class. We just didn't bother to go. I would have liked to go, but instead I lounged on the couch eating turkey roll-ups, and writing. The laptop put out enough heat on my lap that it felt like I was sitting in the sun. Whew...I may have to adjust the air conditioning next time.

Today's writing was very productive. I've already outlined my plot, written most of the character profiles and determined how they interact with each other. Today I started on the first chapter and wrote 900 words. Its not much, but considering how much work I have already done, its just a matter of getting the rough draft on paper. Every time I get stuck on a sentence, I stop and search out one of the many awesome tips on twitter. I use the distraction as an inspiration. How does that tip apply to what I am doing? And then I write on. Seems to be working for me.

Mikey is evolving as I write. BTW if you haven't figured it out yet, he is a fictional character. I know I haven't shared who he is or what he does yet. I'd like that to be a surprise. Maybe, I will post a little something about Mikey each time I write about him, and see if you can figure him out.

Mikey was asked this question today: “When was the last time you dated someone that you met while sober?”

Changes

Please pardon my dust while I play with the layout of my blog. I would like my page to appear more personalized, but I haven't had time to mess with it. Be patient. It may look different every couple of days as I test out the options. I know, a nice black font on a white background is the easiest to read on a cell phone. Not that I read blogs on my Blackberry...

This week I accomplished writing the basic profiles of most of the characters in my book. I'm starting to like a character that I hadn't considered until today. Mikey has a sister. She acts as his conscience and their interaction explains a lot about Mikey's private personality. Mikey thinks she is perfect, and feels like he constantly fails to live up to her expectations. Mikey travels all the time so they mainly interact via phone. Reminds me of the old Charlie's Angels series. We never see Charlie, but he is always there.

The Plot Thickens

OK, so my blog is fairly lame so far. Don't expect much until I graduate in February, 2010. Oh yeah, there is a chance, albeit a very remote chance, that I will be continuing my education at Northwestern for my Masters. I already got the green light from one of the admissions professors. Its a dream today, but stranger things have happened in my life.

Just out of curiosity...anyone want to pay for my Masters? No? Hmm...Well, I have a few months to figure it out.

Today I spent the first half of my lunch outlining the plot for Mikey's story. It actually poured out once I started. Then I spent the second half writing his profile. I think he's neurotic. He's like Sybil but with only two personalities....the public one and the private one.

So, the narrator character...she's next.

A preview of Mikey

MIKEY

I woke up one morning and decided to write about Mikey. I doubt he would agree to allow me to do it if I asked him. He’s much too private of a person to allow half the world read about his life. I think he likes the idea of fame but doesn’t really want it for himself. He’d rather be around it than in it. He was one of the most interesting guys I had ever met, and yet he had barely begun to live his life. Most would agree, he is too young to have a biography written about him. But, I tend to write about things that I can not get out of my head any other way, and Mikey was always on my mind. I needed to get him out. This isn’t a biography, but it’s definitely a story worth telling.

I met him in the spring of 2007. We were briefly introduced by a mutual friend at a night club in New York City. Gone were the days of hazy smoke filled rooms. The “No Smoking” laws took care of that, years ago. Yet the room was dim, and had the typical Club atmosphere. It was early in the evening. The music was still in the background, allowing conversations to fill the air like a mob of angry bees.

At the time, I thought he had barely noticed me. Later, I would find out I was very wrong about that. He had taken just as much interest in me, as I had in him, but he hid it well. Our mutual interest in each other would end in a whirlwind affair that would leave a lasting impression on my soul, though it would not happen for some time after we met.

I could hear him speaking across the room but did not look in his direction. Mikey’s voice was very distinct and deep. He had an obvious Long Island accent. It reminded me of Danny Bonaduce, somewhat gravelly, as if he smoked far too many cigarettes and far too much weed in a short period of time. Personally I found the sound of it sexy as hell.

I heard the confidence as he spoke, yet I could also hear the insecurity underneath. I doubt anyone else heard it as I did. Listening to him was distracting me from my own conversation, and I found myself frequently losing my train of thought. I looked at the guy in front of me, nodded my head and smiled as if I had heard what he said, even though I hadn’t.

Mikey had a charisma that attracted all kinds of people. This was apparent by the entourage of women that followed him when he moved around the room. Occasionally, throughout the evening, our eyes would meet. I don’t know why I returned his gaze with an almost vacant look. Or why neither of us registered any obvious desire, nor attraction. But I was sure of one thing. Playing with Mikey was like playing with fire. He was undoubtedly hot, and I would undoubtedly get burned.

Crazy

You touched the inside of me

Felt your love upon my soul

Made me question my devotions

Till I stood out in the cold

Wishing it could numb my emotions

Freeze the memory of you

Just one day to remember

One kiss to hold on to

One touch always on my mind

Turn me on turn me upside down

One touch left me blind

This is crazy

You’re a long term fantasy

An imagined love affair

You ran away with my heart

Did we really care

One day, one kiss, one touch

Turned my face into the sunlight

Closed my eyes and realized

The deeper implications

Know how long I agonized

Can’t deny the allegations

Brought my soul down to its knees

Plead for a reprieve that wouldn’t come

This is crazy

You’re a long term fantasy

An imagined love affair

You ran away with my heart

Did we really care

One day, one kiss, one touch

A Father's Last Struggle

I wrote this story about year ago for one of my English classes. It was published in the spring of 2009 in the Devry University Literary Publication. Its my first publication. Grab a tissue, its a tear jerker.

A Fathers Last Struggle

My father passed away from Prostate Cancer in July of 1999. He and I did not have a close relationship while I was growing up. Being the oldest of four children, I was the leader, the protector, and the proverbial black sheep. I tested all of the rules, pushed all boundaries, and frequently caused my parents much concern and dismay. Yet in the end, despite the gap in our relationship, it would be my words that would help my father let go.

It started back in July of 1992. My father was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer. At 48 years old he was one of the youngest men in the country to be diagnosed with such an advanced stage. Several prominent research facilities across the country took interest. My father was given a maximum of 7 years and he was put on the standard protocol of hormone therapy to stop the spread of the disease. Surgery was not an option. Even chemotherapy was not recommended as it would have weakened his body and shortened his life.

The initial shock of the news wore off and life in my family returned to normal. My father went to his doctor for regular check ups and blood tests, and each time was told there was no change in his status. Five and a half years passed with virtually no disruption in his life. Then, during a routine check up, the tests indicated that the standard protocol was no longer working and it was time to seek out alternative options.

My father was sent to a leading cancer research facility in Chicago and was put on an experimental program which consisted of several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The doctors surgically implanted a chemo “port” into his chest and tattooed his abdomen as a guide to pinpoint the radiation. My father was not a fan of tattoos. He was even less of a fan of cancer.

Through the years of his treatment my father refused to accept that his fate had been sealed. It wasn’t that he was afraid to die, or that his affairs were not in order, or even that he hadn’t accomplished everything that he wanted to accomplish in his life. It was simply that he did not want to die. Given a choice, my father would have chosen life support in a vegetative state over pulling the plug and dying peacefully. He wasn’t lucky enough to have that choice.

When my father began having difficulty driving home from work he would frequently stop at my house for a break. We began having long discussions about life and the gap in our relationship began to close. A mutual respect developed between us. My father finally, but reluctantly, gave up his 30 year career as a programmer.

The treatment took its toll and the cancer ravaged my father’s body from the inside out. The cancer had caused such massive damage to his organs that he required weekly blood transfusions. My mother took a leave from her job when my father no longer had the strength to get out o bed. She was determined to allow him to die at home and not in a nursing home.

After several months, the doctors recommended we stop the transfusions because they were only prolonging the inevitable as there was no chance for recovery. Even with a miracle cure for cancer there was no saving him, the damage was done. My father disagreed and demanded the transfusions continue. His health deteriorated and he fought every day at the expense of my mother. She pleaded with him to stop the treatment but he refused. My years of disagreements with my father had prepared me for this one final argument. I had his stubbornness and resolve and no one else was more equipped. Only I could listen to him fight for his life and still ask him to give up. He finally relented.

During his last night, my father laid in his rented hospital bed in the living room, merely a skeleton of the man he had once been. His eyes were sunken and his skin was grey. My siblings and I took up residence on the floor of the room for the night. At 2am my father awoke, sat up in his bed, and then he stood up. His movement was so quick that I barely caught him before he fell to the floor. He spoke for the first time in over a week.

He said to me “I keep trying but I can’t keep my eyes open.” I said to him “Dad, its ok to go to sleep now. You don’t have to wake up any more.” Standing there holding him up I saw his face change. His eyes suddenly appeared normal, his skin was pink, and he felt warmer than he had in a long time. He said in a perfectly normal and strong voice “I know you will take care of your mother. I know everything is ok now.” He smiled at me then he lay back down in bed and closed his eyes. I knew he had left at that moment.

My brother had seen the whole event and stared at me in disbelief. I hadn’t imagined it. He had seen the change in my father’s face and heard his voice. We said nothing to each other about it. There was no need. My father’s body breathed and his heat beat for another fifteen hours while Aunts and Uncles arrived throughout the morning. Everyone wanted to be there for his passing but I knew he was already gone. He had survived seven years to the day of his diagnosis.

Copyright KBStrangeway

Diego's Poem

My computer has not yet been fixed so I am sharing a laptop with my hubby. We pass it back and forth every half hour or so while sitting on the couch. The person without the computer gets control of the TV remote. It works quite well. Anyway, I mentioned in my previous post that I had a poem to post so I'm taking a few minutes away from homework to do just that. I generally do not write poems. This one was written as an example for a student that was having trouble understanding the instructions. He asked me for help. The instructions were to write a poem about an inanimate object and what life was like for that object. I wrote this sitting in the Commons at school in about 5 minutes. I'm not sure if I helped him or not, but I enjoyed the process. Hope you enjoy!


I stand in the corner
And wait quietly for you
I am loud
But without you no one can hear me
Many admire my style and grace
But only a few truly love me
Your touch makes me sing
Your rhythm keeps pace
Feel your heart through me
For I feel mine
Only through you
I am the soul of music
I am a drum

Computer Disambiguation

After receiving the infamous "blue screen of death" on my computer last night, I had some time to think about which writing to post first. Luckily, I have no followers yet, so no one is waiting impatiently for something interesting. So far, I am still talking to myself. I have a poem that I wrote as an example for a classmate. He was taking a writing class and had an assignment to write a poem about an inanimate object and what life was like for that object. I will post it as soon as I get my computer back.

Day Two

I’ve now had this blog one whole day and I am not sure what to put up first. Granted, I have no followers yet, but eventually I will. I have written a lot of stories, mostly fiction, mixed with real feelings and experiences. My writing is generally not profound in the typical sense. I prefer to write in a way that makes my readers feel like they are in the experience. I just love the simple little details that tell you life is happening around the characters! It can be so much fun and profound in its own way.

Learning the Ropes

Before I post anything I thought I'd post a test blog just to see how this works.
It seems kinda cool. I will be posting some of my short stories as I write them just to get some feedback. Hope you enjoy them!