Reunions are cool!

 I attended a reunion of Developers from my old Healthcare software company recently! There were about 20 men and women sitting around tables and getting reacquainted over burger and fries. I missed last year's reunion because of some family medical issues, so for me it was great to see everyone again.

The company has gone through several buyouts, restructures, merges, etc, like all companies seem to do these days. These were lots of cool people from the original company, people I worked with on a daily basis until I retired in 2016ish. 

About half of them are at different jobs/companies now. Those that stayed at our company have climbed the corporate ladder or changed jobs internally. It was great to see that everyone was still very involved with moving forward. 

That is one thing I always have to emphasize when I talk to people about this group of developers, testers, admin and support people. It was by far the best group of dedicated individuals I have ever worked with. No other company ever came close to having such truly devoted workers. Our support group and dev group consistently went above and beyond to make sure our customers were well taken care of. Unless you've worked at lesser involved companies, you can't know what a difference this kind of hardcore dedication means to a customer. OK, soap box off now. ;-)

It was amazing to see how everyone has changed, but stayed the same! I know that sounds odd. However it's how I felt as I looked around the room. I could remember each and everyone of them. Remember what we did together for so long. I miss them, our course, but I'm so proud to have been one of them.

We talked about work a little, but most of the conversion was about current family status and how our lives have changed. It was heart warming to hear about new births, vacations, and new experiences. That is what I miss the most about my time with these people. Leanin' at the door of an office and hearing about a new kid in the family or a wonderful vacation story.

Of course while standing at an office door I also heard about the challenges we all met on a daily basis. Again, what made this company of kindred souls special was that we communicated/bitched/helped/brainstormed with each other with our problems. Together. No one was isolated unless they wanted to be. A closed door meant 'I'm trying to work something out by myself' and was respected by all, but the doors were seldom closed.

So. I've got a few 'We'll get together soon' reassurances to look forward to and a few more good memories of some amazing workers and friends.

Take my advice and foster a culture of genuine friendship and cooperation at your workplace. Say 'Hello' everyday. Take a minute or two and find out if they need help or if they can help you. It's OK to say you need help. Go out to lunch with different groups. Get to know what each person contributes to your company's success. It never hurts to bring in donuts once in a while, too!

You and your company will be a better place for everyone.

Patio time again!!

 

 

It's finally cool enough to spend most of the day out on the patio reading and writing! I usually take a big mug of coffee or matcha tea with me. Add a plate of dates smeared with a blue cheese spread and I'm in heaven!

I'm working on my second collection of short stories. A companion to 'Scattered Visions I' that I released last year. SV I has 5 stories, some of my favorite works. SV II will have 7 or 8 stories because some of them are shorter than my normal 10,000 words. 

The stories I've selected from my pile of 'To Be Written' stories include:

- 'Faith' A story about a rural Preacher who ponders his waning beliefs.

- 'Last Rites' One of my rare fantasy/horror tales.

- 'The Pit' A thriller that came out of my boyhood memories of nightmare terror. This tale was released as a Kindle Vella story, but since Vella is shutting down I'm putting it into 'regular' KDP circulation. I'm hoping that my readers will enjoy a few moments of escape from the strangeness that surrounds us these days.

I'm also chipping away at my #WIP, 'Auntie Renita's Plouton II Motel', another story intended for Kindle Vella release. I've published 12 episodes on Vella, put as I've said, Vella is doomed to disappear soon. I'm moving this fun tale to Kindle and Barnes and Noble by the end of the year.

In between these tasks I'm continuing to parse my many notebooks of story ideas, trying to gather them up and organize them into plausible stories. At last count, I had over 50 stories in various stages of outline, waiting patiently for me to give them some love. It's slow going, but little steps... 

I've also discovered that matcha lattes do a better job of rev'ing my synapses than coffee. And it's a bit less stomach wrenching. I still love coffee though, especially in the morning.

Well, fellow pen-pushers, my advice to you today is to keep that notebook open and write down EVERY idea that tickles your mind. Jot it down. Let it flow for as long as you can. Revisit that notebook often, you never know when your mind will flare with the spark of inspiration.

Be ready to blow the spark into a a blazing new story!

Here's a random pix from my stash. I collect 'odd' things, one of which old coins and currency. This is a sheet of 2 dollar bills I bought at the Fort Worth Bureau of Engraving and Printing facility.

Yes, 2 dollar bills are legal tender!

                                   

The Gates of Hell are slowly closing!

That's right, my friends, it's getting cooler here in North Texas!

It's down to the mid 90s during the day and mid 70s at night!! ;-) For most Texans that is chilly! I'm not kidding. 

During my childhood, growing up near Lubbock in the Panhandle, the average summer day was over 100 during the day and over 80 at night. We had a swamp cooler instead of air conditioning.

For the uninformed (and lucky, I might add ), a swamp cooler is exactly what it sounds like. A box with compressed straw-fabric mats on 4 sides, a water pump inside and a big side-draft fan. The water pump sucks up water from the bottom pan of the box and circulates it up into the top of the pads, where it drizzles back down to the pan. The fan draws air from outside the box, through the water soaked pads where evaporative cooling drops the air temp down 15 to 20 degrees, depending on the air temp outside. That air is forced down into the air ducts that distribute it throughout the house.

Ours sat on the roof of the first floor of our 1 1/2 story farm house. I used to sneak out of my bedroom window on the second floor and sit next to the cooler to enjoy the rumbling sound of the motor and fan belt.

Heaven for me as a young lad was sitting under the vent in my room at night with the cool air flowing over me! Unfortunately, my Dad was a skin-flint and would turn off the fan when he went to bed downstairs, regardless of how hot it was upstairs. With the fan off, the temp upstairs would quickly become too hot to sleep. I still remember trying to sleep with sweat dripping off my back and waking up with the sheets soaking wet.

One of the few things that I've splurged on as an adult is keeping the house comfortable, regardless of the 'suggested temp' I heard on TV. I don't try to keep it 'cold', just comfortable. That's around 74 for us.

Now that I live further south, in Lewisville, it's a little easier to keep cool. One way to keep cool is to go out on my covered patio in the mornings. A fan keeps the air moving nicely. Except for a few weeks in August I can go out there with a glass of iced tea and write until around noon when the fan just isn't enough.

I'm looking forward to getting back out there to write and enjoy the peaceful ambiance. The bubbling sound of the little fountain. The colorful birds who like our birdbath. And of course I like casting dispersions at the stupid squirrels who love to hassle the birds. ;-)

Enjoy the last of the Summer, everyone. 

Try one of my books in your favorite reading spot. There are links on the right. I recommend 'Invasion of the Aquanoids' for my SciFi friends and 'Etchings' if you want a spooky Halloween story!

Don't forget the iced tea!