Reading, writing, drawing, good food, good movies, talking to smart people.
Movies
Television
Noooooo....
Books
The Outsider (Colin Wilson) - Waiting for the Barbarians- The Magus - Labyrinths (Borges) - The Phenomenology of Spirit - Movable Feast - The World as Will and Representation - Lord of the Flies - Invisible Man (Ellison) - Spartacus - 1984 - The Intuitionist - Shibumi - Old Man and the Sea - The Idiot - A Day in the Life of Ivan Desinovitch - Don Quixote - The Flowers of Evil/Paris Spleen - Beyond Good and Evil
Heroes
Right now I'm reading Saul Bellow and I think he might qualify... Coeetze, Roth, T.S. Eliot... oh, and of course Spider Jeruselem and the Original Electra Assassin
Who I'd like to meet: Intelligent talented people. Writers, artists, musicians - 'such that love the same beauty that I love, somewhat after mine own fashion' (as said by Ezra Pound)
Productive is good; I'd take productivity over sanity any day! Ah, am I rubbing shoulders with a celeb? I am intrigued. But how's everything else? How's your spirit? And the writing? You've not been putting up that gift on a shelf, have you? So good to hear from you, Siolo! You are a rare one. Big, cheesy smilies, elsie.
Hope you are enjoying leisure! Missing you and your written word. How are things? Thinking of you. Sorry I have been so busy my blog is like one by an absentee owner, but I will come play again soon. Are you up to tooling with poetry for next month's theme? Hope so. Milles baises siren, H
After that shit I pulled in Laos, I was grateful to be back on a real mission. I am NOT cut out for desk duty. Anyways, there I was driving the truck full of small arms and munitions on a dark desolate Ugandan road. I knew this was going to be hairy and so did the spooks back at Langley. Ha, they knew I was the only one with the balls to pull off this type of fucked up mission! Anyways, my team and I had stopped by a freshwater well, to load up our canteens when we heard the trucks approaching. We capped off our jugs and chambered our weapons, unsure if it was our contact people or not. The spotlights hit us. A man who I could not see (due to the glare) spoke to us in a French accent: "Put down your weapons, do it slowly". I hesitated... " I have two .50 caliber weapons ready to fire on you, you had better comply!" I did what the man instructed, but I was thinking about the .45 caliber pistol on my ankle. "Throw us the keys and don't do anything funny". I did what I was told, then I heard the men chambering their guns. They were getting ready to slaughter us right then, right there. We were blind sitting ducks...
Just then, we all heard the crack of a rifle, then a volley of machine gun fire from the jungle. The men in the trucks turned their aim toward the gunshots, but were mowed down on their vehicles. They were slumped over their weaponry. There was a mist of blood and gunsmoke in the air... I checked myself for holes... None.
From the corner of my eye a figure appeared. I could not recognize who it was at first, until she spoke... It was Siolo...
"Long time no see, Dr. KLU. I thought they put you on desk duty, stateside. After that shit you did with those Blackhawks in the Laotian jungle. Hell, I thought they were going to knock you off for it". She was wearing her trademark black B.D.U.'s. Her eyes, sky blue in the dirty dark air... "Well, You can't keep a dirty dog down, now can you?"
Hi Siolo. The show was late but it happened :) An interesting experience. It was kind of hard not knowing who you're singing to. Well wish you a great day. Thanks for everything. Love, Me
Ola lovely one. Just wanted to drop some love to you guys; haven't seen the written word from you or Andrew for awhile. Hope all is peaches and cream! :)
He wishes you were there--but I wish you were here. There are no storms or signs of inclement weather. The days grow long with daylight and I'm sure we could find some fun things to do.
A visit? I promise to pamper and worship you in all fun ways--including driving you anywhere that might entertain you. Come down to SD for a nice bit of fresh [albeit smoggy] air if you can. Okay, the invitation is open, open, open...
Now here's the story, and I swear on the bible it's true...
I had damn near fallen asleep at the wheel when I saw the sign up ahead for the truck stop. Just in time... I figured that I'd have myself a cup of coffee, no food. I wasn't hungry anyways, just road sleepy. I went inside, sat down at a booth. Hell, I was the only son of a bitch in there! Anyways, the waitress came up to me and I woke right up. She was a beautiful creature who looked just as tired as I was. I could tell right off that she was not takin' any shit from nobody! I ordered my coffee and kept my head low... That cup was nice and warm. Hit the spot. Now I was mindin' my own business there, with my coffee and all, but suddenly the door burst open and two men with shotguns come in, yellin' and screamin' to get on the floor. They was so wound up that they didn't realize that nobody was in there 'cept me and the waitress... So I hit the floor. I could hear them yellin' at my waitress for the money, but something in her tone kinda made me look up... She was calm as all get out, but she started to count the money out for 'em, like she was at church or somethin'. She was nowhere near scared of those thugs. In fact, one of 'em was gettin' kinda loud and mean because he thought the till was a bit short and wanted more money. I was gettin' scared for her when out of nowhere, she pulled out a good ol' Colt .45 and blasted both these fools... After they dropped to the floor, she yeled out: " you can come out mister, they're good and dead"... I got up and walked on over. " You want a refill?", she asked. I said: "Sure, but do you mind if I asked your name?"
"My name is Siolo", she said as she walked over to one of the dead men to grab her money...
"Wanna help me carry these sacks of shit out back, mister?"
Hi, wish you where here too :) This spring has been gorgeous so far. Haven't been swimming yet but it's on my to do list. Well miss you, hope you're enjoying yourself. Love, me.
Join me this Sunday, 7 -9 p.m. for an online chat at www. writerschatroom. com, where I'll be chatting about writing, publishing, my books, and pretty much anything else you'd care to discuss.
Here's how Siolo and I met: Many winters ago I was stationed deep in the Ardennes forest at a tiny reconnaissance outpost. It was mostly boring. I was the only person there doing intel work, while the others were Special Operations soldiers, there to protect me and the work I was doing. Anyway, one especially cold evening, I was awoken by the sound of automatic gunfire... I jumped out of bed, chambered my MP-5 and took cover behind a heavy steel door. The last thing I remembered was a loud blast, then white light...
It must have been several days later, but, I woke up in a warm bed in a tiny room. I was bandaged and burned pretty badly. My vision was blurry and my throat was dry. Suddenly the door opened and there stood Siolo with fresh bandages and warm soup. I asked her where I was and she said: " Your outpost was swarmed by the rebels and you were taken hostage. I was sent in to liberate you. I lost my entire team, but we got out just in time, you and I. Don't worry, we are in a safe house. Tomorrow we will fly out via helicopter. I have all your papers and they are safe..." So, you see, she saved my life. Since then, we have been assigned to numerous missions together... Siolo is someone you could count on when any amount of shit hits the fan...
Yes, I am about to go get a pedicure to let a little candy apple red glisten from my feet. Then deadheading roses and reading student stories and novelist group novel excerpts. Aside from so much busy-ness, all is good. Of course you are super busy! How is the weather in Seattle? I think of you often--can't wait for you to rejoin the fray with a new piece. Happy Mother's Day!
It cracked me up but I'm somewhat twisted. Hope you guys have a lovely weekend!! Dennis and I forming a coffee and cigar trip for all of us to san fran in the near future!!
Forced camping trip? Isn't that illegal in this state? Oh maybe I'm thinking of something else....I spent the weekend in Orlando for a work conference, not my fav place on earth. I think of it as Vegas without the fun. I found it intensely repulsive driving around there, all suburban sprawl with strip malls and gawdy cheesy facades on big chain stores. Shameless tasteless consumerism in its lowest most grotesque form. On the plus side, it was 90 degrees and sunny all weekend. I even got about 3hrs of surfing in at Cocoa beach before driving back to the airport on Sunday. Helped to wash off the dirty residue Orlando left on my soul.
It's like this: You are sitting at your typewriter, simulating work. The city editor approaches with great celerity. He's the big shot in this roofless cement office, and he speaks a name and a location - a horse stall in a deficiently occupied town, with nary a sawmill. Then he turns on his heel and is gone. Can you beat that for service?
Hope you guys enjoyed the rest of you dinner and that you have an awesome time in Portland. Sorry we had to run out like that & we wish we had more time to hang out. Timing was perfect though and we're back in Seattle at last! Carlos says hi & we should meet up when we're all in town for Tango, dinner, etc. Hope your having a Blast!!!
During the intermission I bought an Audubon bird call in the lobby. Then I climbed all the way back to my seat as Slayer's second set began, and twisting the little screw, I managed a series of chirps and tweeters, which were barely audible against the ruckus of the head bangers. Soon hundreds of birds appeared - common street birds, and not just above me, but below and behind me. I stood up and addressed all of them, speaking through my heart, and yet unsure of what I needed to say. I knew that many of these birds were malevolent, they were here for wrong-doing, yet I found myself to be lively and confident: "Do not do what the others may do, and NEVER be like them. "
We missed you, but of course we would be delighted to meet up whenever you can. ;) Hoping your days are relaxing and inspiring. I'm looking forward to a break in my frenetic pace to do more writing. You? How goes the art of living and the living of art? xxoo!! H
