H-i-a-t-u-s.
In this reference, it is a euphemism for being out of routine, distracted, otherwise occupied, and downright lazy. Yet again I must apologize for my failure to write with regularity.
Excuses. However inadequate they might be, here they are:
Out of routine. We went through what was supposed to be a six-week remodel of our kitchen and ended up taking a lot longer. Contractors, especially good ones with lots of jobs, never guess right when it comes to time frames. The project necessitated setting up a cooking and dining outpost in our family room. It also included annexation of our patio. Grilling there was familiar, but heating water in a tub in the microwave in order to wash dishes on our patio table was too much like camping. My idea of roughing it is staying in a hotel that doesn't have a coffeemaker and minibar in every room. The half bath off our kitchen provides our only facilities of the type on our first floor, and it was out of commission for the duration. Upstairs and downstairs are words that should not be associated with that many trips to the head.
Distractions. First ventures into large processes and projects with new bosses fry the brain. Most often, my brain is involved with my writing. Ergo stuff at work impeded writing progress for a while.
Otherwise occupied. Lots of spare time was used getting in shape for a bicycling weekend in Rocheport, Missouri. Riding the Katy Trail as it traced the Missouri River was a delightful experience. In addition to simply gorgeous scenery, we also saw prehistoric pictographs on the side of the bluffs and caves formerly used by the Katy railroad for storage of explosives. Riding our bikes through the Katy's only rail tunnel was interesting, too. Having one of my stepdaughters and her husband along for the adventure simply amplified the fun.
Our stay at the School House Bed & Breakfast there was pure pleasure. The accommodations and the victuals were top notch.
We also savored the offerings of Le Bourgeois Vineyards and their Blufftop Bistro and Winegarden. The view of the Mighty Mo from the restaurant's perch is spectacular. When I mentioned that one of the menu items, an appetizer called arancini, reminded me of the wonderful Sicilian dish served under the same name by deservedly famous Gino's Restaurant operated by Marino family in my hometown of Baton Rouge, the chef sent a complimentary serving of his version to our table for sampling.
The folks at the Trailside Cafe & Bike Shop at the Rocheport Trailhead provided invaluable information about the trail, scrumptious food, and even got our address on the sly from my stepdaughter and mailed me their recipe for seven-layer salad.
Rocheport is a great venue for antique shopping. We enjoyed simply looking at most of the places. Several items made it impossible for us to get out of Richard Saunders, Inc., located in the historic 170 year old Wilcox House, without parting with some of our money.
What nice people we found in the little river town. Relaxation, indulgence, and fun abound there.
We punctuated the middle of our Rocheport weekend with a 15 mile jaunt (by car) to Columbia for the Saturday night session of the Roots ’N’ Blues ’N’ BBQ Festival. My favorite blues artist, Taj Mahal, was the headliner of the evening. I thought that seemed to fit perfectly, since one of my favorite Taj songs is "She Caught the Katy (and Left Me a Mule to Ride)."
Otherwise occupied even more. We also went to Estes Park to attend the nuptials of the daughter of dear friends. A really nice cabin at the YMCA Camp shared with three other couples of dear friends provided a place to rest our heads for the weekend of the wedding. The event was both touching and beautiful. An exceptional suite at Mary's Lake Lodge was an excellent home base for the extra few days we stayed. It was fortuitous that we were in Estes for the Elk Festival. The good townsfolk actually close a golf course for two weeks to allow large numbers of elk to graze and mate. Even Mr. Spock would have found it fascinating.
Otherwise occupied more than more. Another trip to Tulsa for a visit with my other stepdaughter and her husband was fun and relaxing. It afforded a rare opportunity for a round of golf. This son-in-law is quite proficient on the links and yet so kind and patient to share the fairways and greens with this unpracticed duffer. Years ago I worried about my scores. Though I now play less often, I relish the opportunity to commune with nature on a beautiful course. The way I play, I commune with parts of nature unknown to most folks. The kids made our stay relaxing and fun.
Otherwise occupied even more than that. It was fun to visit Big BR on the weekend of the LSU-Florida football game. Watching a Tiger game with folks from Red Stick (the English translation of Baton Rouge, for those of you who haven't figured it out) is a rare pleasure for a bayou boy transplanted in Kansas. I watched it with my mom and twin daughters. One daughter is a sports aficionado of the highest degree, while the other could care less. The contest was so exciting that the could-care-less daughter was, possibly for the first time ever, watching a pigskin contest with bated breath. How about them Tigers, huh?
And more. At least this flavor of otherwise "occupiedness" is productive from a writing perspective. The short story I mentioned in my long ago last post is finally in progress. It is an effort to get some publishing cred. I'm shooting for something between 7,500 to 10,000 words, but as I have gotten into it, I could easily see expanding it out to novel length if I decide to do so later. Visions of Billy Bob Thornton's 25-minute short, Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade, and full-length Sling Blade cross my mind.
Downright lazy. All Southern boys can do this. Though we don't do it often, it is considered a survival tactic on hot and humid days in Dixie.
As mentioned earlier, I regret that I haven't written with greater regularity. In my defense, I have to mention that there are many products on the market that make the claim that they insure regularity, but I have yet to find one that at all affects the frequency of my writing.
If there is anyone still out there who checks this blog, thanks for continuing to stop by. I promise to spill a few words here more often from now on.
In this reference, it is a euphemism for being out of routine, distracted, otherwise occupied, and downright lazy. Yet again I must apologize for my failure to write with regularity.
Excuses. However inadequate they might be, here they are:
Out of routine. We went through what was supposed to be a six-week remodel of our kitchen and ended up taking a lot longer. Contractors, especially good ones with lots of jobs, never guess right when it comes to time frames. The project necessitated setting up a cooking and dining outpost in our family room. It also included annexation of our patio. Grilling there was familiar, but heating water in a tub in the microwave in order to wash dishes on our patio table was too much like camping. My idea of roughing it is staying in a hotel that doesn't have a coffeemaker and minibar in every room. The half bath off our kitchen provides our only facilities of the type on our first floor, and it was out of commission for the duration. Upstairs and downstairs are words that should not be associated with that many trips to the head.
Distractions. First ventures into large processes and projects with new bosses fry the brain. Most often, my brain is involved with my writing. Ergo stuff at work impeded writing progress for a while.
Otherwise occupied. Lots of spare time was used getting in shape for a bicycling weekend in Rocheport, Missouri. Riding the Katy Trail as it traced the Missouri River was a delightful experience. In addition to simply gorgeous scenery, we also saw prehistoric pictographs on the side of the bluffs and caves formerly used by the Katy railroad for storage of explosives. Riding our bikes through the Katy's only rail tunnel was interesting, too. Having one of my stepdaughters and her husband along for the adventure simply amplified the fun.Our stay at the School House Bed & Breakfast there was pure pleasure. The accommodations and the victuals were top notch.
We also savored the offerings of Le Bourgeois Vineyards and their Blufftop Bistro and Winegarden. The view of the Mighty Mo from the restaurant's perch is spectacular. When I mentioned that one of the menu items, an appetizer called arancini, reminded me of the wonderful Sicilian dish served under the same name by deservedly famous Gino's Restaurant operated by Marino family in my hometown of Baton Rouge, the chef sent a complimentary serving of his version to our table for sampling.
The folks at the Trailside Cafe & Bike Shop at the Rocheport Trailhead provided invaluable information about the trail, scrumptious food, and even got our address on the sly from my stepdaughter and mailed me their recipe for seven-layer salad.
Rocheport is a great venue for antique shopping. We enjoyed simply looking at most of the places. Several items made it impossible for us to get out of Richard Saunders, Inc., located in the historic 170 year old Wilcox House, without parting with some of our money.
What nice people we found in the little river town. Relaxation, indulgence, and fun abound there.
We punctuated the middle of our Rocheport weekend with a 15 mile jaunt (by car) to Columbia for the Saturday night session of the Roots ’N’ Blues ’N’ BBQ Festival. My favorite blues artist, Taj Mahal, was the headliner of the evening. I thought that seemed to fit perfectly, since one of my favorite Taj songs is "She Caught the Katy (and Left Me a Mule to Ride)."
Otherwise occupied even more. We also went to Estes Park to attend the nuptials of the daughter of dear friends. A really nice cabin at the YMCA Camp shared with three other couples of dear friends provided a place to rest our heads for the weekend of the wedding. The event was both touching and beautiful. An exceptional suite at Mary's Lake Lodge was an excellent home base for the extra few days we stayed. It was fortuitous that we were in Estes for the Elk Festival. The good townsfolk actually close a golf course for two weeks to allow large numbers of elk to graze and mate. Even Mr. Spock would have found it fascinating.
Otherwise occupied more than more. Another trip to Tulsa for a visit with my other stepdaughter and her husband was fun and relaxing. It afforded a rare opportunity for a round of golf. This son-in-law is quite proficient on the links and yet so kind and patient to share the fairways and greens with this unpracticed duffer. Years ago I worried about my scores. Though I now play less often, I relish the opportunity to commune with nature on a beautiful course. The way I play, I commune with parts of nature unknown to most folks. The kids made our stay relaxing and fun.
Otherwise occupied even more than that. It was fun to visit Big BR on the weekend of the LSU-Florida football game. Watching a Tiger game with folks from Red Stick (the English translation of Baton Rouge, for those of you who haven't figured it out) is a rare pleasure for a bayou boy transplanted in Kansas. I watched it with my mom and twin daughters. One daughter is a sports aficionado of the highest degree, while the other could care less. The contest was so exciting that the could-care-less daughter was, possibly for the first time ever, watching a pigskin contest with bated breath. How about them Tigers, huh?
And more. At least this flavor of otherwise "occupiedness" is productive from a writing perspective. The short story I mentioned in my long ago last post is finally in progress. It is an effort to get some publishing cred. I'm shooting for something between 7,500 to 10,000 words, but as I have gotten into it, I could easily see expanding it out to novel length if I decide to do so later. Visions of Billy Bob Thornton's 25-minute short, Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade, and full-length Sling Blade cross my mind.
Downright lazy. All Southern boys can do this. Though we don't do it often, it is considered a survival tactic on hot and humid days in Dixie.
As mentioned earlier, I regret that I haven't written with greater regularity. In my defense, I have to mention that there are many products on the market that make the claim that they insure regularity, but I have yet to find one that at all affects the frequency of my writing.
If there is anyone still out there who checks this blog, thanks for continuing to stop by. I promise to spill a few words here more often from now on.
2 comments:
Welcome back, Red Stick Writer! As a devoted fan of your blog, it's nice to hear your wonderful words flowing once again. It's also nice to hear what you've been up to, since our regular chats around a board of trivial factoids is, regretably, a thing of the past. Thanks for the photo cred - that's one of my favs! Don't be such a blog stranger and let me know when that story's finished!
Dick I agree with Christine it is so nice to hear your words again
Post a Comment