I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

It was very nice to take a break from the blog.  While I do miss the interaction from fellow bloggers, I was getting a little burnt out.  Unlike other blogs, I don't really write my own content.  I'm constantly searching for people to interview so I feel like I'm a one woman internet death source and that gets frustrating sometimes.

So what did I do on my break?
Well, I started attending a citizen's police academy in my home town.  Weird, yes.  But, I like to do things that allow me to meet new people and learn about things that I know little about.  Like the police.  I've toured the jail, I've told bad jokes, I've learned about traffic and accidents and I have eaten zero donuts.  So, there. I have a lot of respect for these men and women, even those who have given me traffic tickets.  They're just doing their job.

I also took a little trip to California to celebrate my mother's 80th birthday. We ate a lot, drank a lot and it actually felt like a real vacation.  I don't get many of those, so it was all good. Here was the bad part.  I flew Southwest airlines and my plane stopped three times on the way to California.  The first time I boarded, I was stuck in a middle seat, but when those folks deplaned, I grabbed a bulkhead seat.  I thought I was all cool until the next group of people boarded.  The first lady on the plane was elderly and she took the aisle seat on my row.  Then a larger woman sat down in the middle seat.  She kept playing with her i Pad and elbowing me in the ribs before take off.  Not once did she apologize.  When we were finally in the air, the lady on the end turns to her and says, "So, where ya from?" in a loud, shrill voice. Their conversation would last three minutes and it would repeat, verbatim every ten minutes.  It was like the movie Groundhog's Day but worse.  On the bright side, I got to use the Kindle I won at the library and was able to escape into a good book, "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn.  I very much enjoyed it.  "So, where ya from?"

I did a little writing (including some fiction!!!) and a few people have my manuscript.  The ending is still not there, but I've received some encouraging feedback.  Now, I have to figure out if I keep querying agents or just publish this puppy myself.  It's a tough decision.

I have also been debating going back to school to become a teacher.  I need a job.  I've applied to several places and I don't know if it's because the economy stinks or because I'm overqualified or because the simple Google of my name has 10 pages of death associated with it--I don't know.  But, till I land that job,
you'll see that I've added a "Donate" button to my blog.  My dad doesn't think an occupation is real unless you make money from it.  So, if you feel so inclined to prove my dad wrong or maybe you just enjoy my content and want to buy me a cup of coffee (pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks) I'd appreciate it.  I feel like a total panhandler for doing it, but we all have to pay the bills somehow.  Maybe one of my lurkers is Bill Gates or something.  If so, hi Bill!

Okay, I do have an interview coming up on Thursday and it's gonna be good.  In the meantime, here's a movie recommendation.  It's called "Sunshine Cleaning" and it's a very entertaining flick.  I interviewed a biohazard cleaner for my book.  Tough, stinky job.  Enjoy and happy Monday!


Boo


     In the latest issue of the Texas Monthly, Jason Sheeler wrote an expose of Kermit Oliver, Khristian Oliver's father.  You can read, "Portrait of the Artist as a Postman," here. My friend and classmate Margaret alerted me to Sheeler's story on Facebook since she knows my relationship with Khristian, his family and Sonya Reed, his girlfriend and mother of his child.

     I immediately went to the Texas Monthly's website and read it.  I'm sure a lot of wealthy Texans are scratching their heads that the only American designer for Hermes lives in of all places, Waco, TX. Also, that this same artist works at a post office.  The horror! But those people who actually know the Oliver's story felt the real horror.

     I felt like the entire piece was meant to exploit this very sensitive and reclusive man by giving away little details that weren't fully explored and getting many of them wrong.  In addition, people now know what street he lives on and that his son was executed and he and his wife aren't dealing with it that well. Call me overly sensitive, maybe even protective of this couple, but it felt like the writer went after Boo Radley.  And you just don't do that.  Everyone probably patted him on the back for "getting" the story, but did he?  No.  He just caused that poor family more heartache.  At the end of the piece, there was a link to the above picture.  I don't know what the title means, but Khristian Oliver is under the sheet.  His daughter Madison is placing the rose on him.  And it looks like Katie Oliver is holding him.  Oh, and there's Rick Perry the Governor of Texas looking mournful.

     I too feel a little like a recluse lately.  I haven't been motivated to drum up more interviews for the blog and I'm debating if I'm going to keep things the same once I return for real in mid-October.  If I just wrote my blog myself, it would be a lot easier, but I rely on willing participants to share their lives.  I totally respect those that have helped me in the past.  It takes a lot of bravery to share your pain with the public.
On that note, I'm going to leave you with a quote.

"Well, you know what'll happen then? All the ladies in Maycomb, including my wife, will be knocking on his door bringing angel food cakes. To my way of thinking, taking the one man who's done you and this town a big service and dragging him with his shy ways into the limelight - to me that's a sin... it's a sin. And I'm not about to have it on my head."  The Sheriff in To Kill a Mockingbird




Bernie

I know I said I was taking a little break, but I just watched this film tonight and I really enjoyed it.  I've only lived in Texas for two years and I knew nothing about the case, but I liked the quirkiness of this story.Jack Black is totally awesome in this role.  Gone is the usual craziness that we usually expect from him.  He nailed the part of a God loving funeral director that everybody loves. Unfortunately, he's also guilty of murder.  It's a true story, but it is Hollywood's version of it, so who knows how true it is.  Skip Hollandsworth, a journalist in Texas wrote about Bernie and also helped write the screenplay.  You can read the story here.