Bicycle

I’m proud to say that I want to be like my mother when I grow up. Ha; when I grow up. My mother has always been the youngest person I know: so full of life and ready for the next adventure. She taught me that life is truly what you make it. It can be about the picket fences and the nine to five or it can be about doing what you really want to. Don’t get me wrong, I think picket fences are cute and I’ve done my time but I wanted and still want more.

My friend Anna had moved to Japan, after living in England and Lithuania for some time. Working in youth hostels and mission fields she’s a gypsy I admire. I traveled during my time off, while she lived the travel and has the mud stains to prove it.

She was teaching English to a small school in Osaka and invited me to visit for the nth time. “I don’t know. It’s so far, costs a fortune, and honestly Japan has never been on my list.”

Never been on my list? What was wrong with me? I decided I needed to go, to be reckless, to do something frivolous because quitting my job to go on a six week trip to the Philippines wasn’t reckless enough. I needed to get out of my not-so-comfortable cubical and mundane every day.

So, I bought a ticket and found myself on a 13 hour flight to Japan. Hour six is the hardest. It’s when you realize that you no longer want to be in that can and know there is nowhere to go. Burdened with many forms of entertainment, forced sleep is what got me through it.

Anna met me at the airport, chauffeured by Maki, a now dear to me friend and Geisha. Excited to see someone from home, Anna was anxious to show me her Osaka, which of course meant playing Russian roulette with Octopus.

We hopped on her wicker basket adorned bicycle and started to pedal up the street. Wind in my hair, ass falling asleep from the metal bag holder over the rear wheel. I was on top of the world and thought I was Rose in that iconic scene from Titanic. Swerving here and there, off balance, the air tasted like frivolity, recklessness, and pollution.

I was grinning from ear to ear in my bliss.

Anna turned to me after we veered into traffic a second time and said, “Um, can you put your feet in? I’m trying to pedal here.”

An excerpt from my novel in progress, in response to this week's Theme Thursday's prompt.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls

Somehow this title seems very appropriate this morning.

I've had the recent pleasure, and I do mean pleasure, of reading an advanced review copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls. A prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies this book is equally as funny and charming. Steve Hockensmith does a wonderful job of taking Jane Austin's characters out of Pride and Prejudice and imagining what they might have been like prior. At times I found the description of the characters to be missing the subtly of Jane's doing, I still found most characters held true to their selves. A few were altered with the understanding that this is how they came to be the reserved, excitable, proud individuals we have known them as. I loved the new characters he introduced and I was appropriately disgusted and laughing with each one.

Quirk classics, the publisher, is holding a competition for you the blog reader. Go to their site and tell them where you read the review and you will be eligible to win prizes.

Do pick this book up and have a read.

The Face Behind the Voice

After much delay I safely arrived at the Dulles airport. I immediately let Ward know I was safe. I then called Tommy and was greeted with a hearty "Welcome to the USA Tammy". We made arrangements to meet at the airport and he would chauffeur me to dinner, wine, and finally the hotel.

While waiting I was entertained by the free H1N1 Vaccine clinic at the baggage claim. With them hollering "free H1N1" it's not a wonder nobody signed up. I also witnessed a gentleman have a very lively conversation with a vending machine, telling the dispenser that whatever it did was not acceptable. I say good for him for saying something. Giggle.

Dinner was fantastic as was the company. It was nice to finally put a face behind a voice I had worked with for so long. A dear friend who I was only just meeting. We laughed, we ate, we enjoyed a bottle of Innocent Bystander and were invited to join the electric slide happening at the bar.

All in all an enjoyable day one. Today is full of meetings but I'm sure I'll find some adventure in it somewhere.

On my way...maybe

I'm enroute to Washington, DC. Well, at least that is the plan. I haven't left Saint John yet. My flight has been delayed for the 3rd time due to weather. I can claim to predict the future: I miss my connection in Halifax.

Being somewhat of a local celebrity as one of The Girls, I'm well taken care of. I get to enjoy the VIP lounge of getting the table and chairs closest to the TV and outlets.

The staff here have been so wonderful; taking the initiative of researching weather and seats in Halifax and discovering that if I follow that route I won't make it to my destination today. The lovely ladies have booked me now through Montreal.

So unless the weather does not improve, my 7:10 flight is now at 11:45. Here I sit in the Saint John airport 30 minutes away from home enjoying a perfectly toasted bagel, a steaming cup of coffee, and taking advantage of the wireless internet.

His Girl Friday

Movies
Pizza
Cheesies and wine
Pjs
Snuggles
Chips and alpine

His Girl Friday

Response to ABC Wednesdays

Bottle

Sunday.

Bleck.

Tomorrow she leaves for a week. It sounds exciting: Washington, DC. But it’s work and it’s away from him.

Their relationship is new; comfortable and exciting. They hold hands while strolling, link arms when talking. She drapes her legs over him while reading and dreaming. He holds her tight.

A week without his snuggles. Boo.

If only she could bottle him.

Response to Theme Thursday: Bottle

When Pigs Fly There Will Be Latte

Eight years it’s been. Eight years since she canceled her cable. Seven years since she first unplugged her TV for weeks at a time. Seven years of watching DVDs of her favorite TV shows or memorized movies. She learned to paint, play guitar, craft, write, and spent much of her time reading. Eight years of missing pop culture references.

“It’s been a good run”, she thinks as she stands with her boyfriend ordering cable.

“The first six months are free, and you can have the technician install up to three boxes at no extra charge.” The agent tells them.

“Wonderful”, her boyfriend responds, “one in the TV room, one in the living room, and one upstairs in the bedroom.”

“The bedroom?!” She exclaims. “I’ve never had a TV in my bedroom”.

“Really? Never?”

“Never.”

“You’ve never had a TV in your bedroom?”

“That’s right.”

“I bet you have.”

“You’re on. I bet you a latte.”

“OK. You have one in there now.”

“What?” She muses. They are doing renovations in the bedroom and she wonders if he has moved a TV upstairs without her knowing...

...The light of realization dawns.

Crap. There may be no TV in her bedroom, but she is sleeping in the TV room.

Laughing she relinquishes.

“The technician will be there on Wednesday. Enjoy your latte sir.”

Response to Sunday Scribblings