I.C.U.

     I am officially entered in the Amazon breakthrough novelist contest.  I have a little hobby of writing, but I have an even bigger hobby of not letting people read my works.
     I have been working, here and there, on a little novel since 1997.  I have submitted the first few chapters as well as a "pitch" to this contest.  I am excited to see how I do, but also nervous at the fact that people may actually read what I have written.
     As a means to try and "face my fears"  I am going to copy and paste my "pitch" below:

     At first glance, Art McGee looks like a typical 15-year old boy from the inland northwest.  What you don't see, is that he is a skilled con-artist and thief.  As with most adolescent boys, Art likes to push the limits.  One cold, desperate night in downtown Spokane, Art steals from the wrong man.  For the first time, he is caught.  His target, a dangerous gangster, gives Art his own version of "punishment".
    
    As Art begins to regain consciousness, his entire body throbbing with pain that he has never even imagined, he finds himself being carted through unfamiliar territory; a hospital corridor that leads not only to the intensive care unit, but also to some of life’s most challenging lessons.  What he is yet to realize, is that he has no choice but to face these lessons, and that these long, cold corridors may be his home for the rest of his now extremely fragile life.

    
    I.C.U. is the heart-warming, yet heart-breaking story of how Art must deal with the consequences of his actions, about the surprise friendships that shine in life’s darkest times, and how our own views of life can change the way we influence others. 

     It is the tale of a boy who must fight to live well enough, and long enough to become a man.

   This is the best I could write in the little time that I had to get it done.  I have had quite an enjoyable time writing the entire novel, and I am excited to begin my 2nd book.

    Interesting things going on in the life of Joshua at the moment.  Unfortunately that is all I can say at the moment.  However, I will keep the few readers of my blog updated to the changes coming my way.

    

When I grow up

     Just like a wild roller coaster at the fun fair, my day was full of ups, downs, twists, and turns.  However, also similar to a roller coaster, true happiness is achieved only when one can enjoy all aspects of the ride.

     This afternoon I was asked to present to the entire staff at work.  I was to speak about fire and life safety for our residents, and also introduce the new policies and procedures for the way in which we conduct fire drills.  When asked last week to present, I fully intended to prepare a wonderful powerpoint presentation.  Time eluded me, however, and today I found myself unprepared.  Luckily, I had a powerpoint that a deputy Fire Marshall had given to me some time ago.  So, I repeated that, and all was well.

     Shortly after our meeting I had to rush out to make it to the doctor appointment that I had set up for today.  This was the "descent of the roller coaster."  Apparently there is still no magical cure for arthritis.  My ankle has been getting progressively worse and it has been brought to my attention that I am not as good at hiding a painful gait as I think I am. Perhaps I should try and turn my limp into a "strut".

     Basically, there are 3 options:

     First,  two of the most frightening words I have EVER heard; "artificial joint"  at 33 years old? No thanks!

     Second, begin taking a daily medication.  In nursing school, I was taught that the only time someone should take a prescription drug was when the benefit outweighs the risk of side effects.  Well, I would rather have pain in my ankle for half of the day than a stroke and/or bleeding from the stomach.  Strike two.

     This leaves me with the third option; rub some dirt on it, maybe lose a few more pounds, buy stock in Ben-Gay and Bio-Freeze, and get over it.  I decided that I will try this approach first.
     One thing is for sure, joint replacement surgery is in my future, for when I grow up.  I just hope I can hold off long enough for them to perfect a robotic ankle.

 
    Tonight there was no new episode of Arrow (the best show currently on television), so I got my geek fix in by reading some of my older comic books.  What fun!

I leave you with a quote that I thought to be appropriate for today.

  "The fire that warms us can also consume us; it is not, however, the fault of the fire"
                                                                  - Swami Vivekananda

Can I be claimed as a dependent?

     I have always tried to live a life in which I do not take special things for granted.  While this is true for most things, I suppose it is human nature to sometimes forget all the little things that don't really make a significant impression, except for in their absence.
     Dawn is traveling for work for a few days and I am amused at how out of sorts this makes my day.  For instance, I wake up at the exact same time every weekday morning, and there is always a freshly made cup of coffee waiting for me on the kitchen counter.  There has been literally no exceptions to this.  This morning there was no coffee on the counter.  It was a minute setback, but those of you who know me well, can attest that even a minuscule variation to my routine can be mildly devastating.  This is just one example of how dependent I have become on the kindness of another.  And yes, the remaining examples are just as ridiculous!

     Yesterday evening, I felt a bit bored having the house to myself, so 3 of my nephews came to visit.  We had a ball.  We had dinner, which my sister brought over for me, made some dessert, and played for the entire evening!

 Ashton wanted to help in the kitchen, solely so that he could wear the apron and chef's hat :)

He even taught me how to finger paint. 

     Dart league was tonight, and as a bonus, it was also trivia night at the bar.  Fun was had by all, and my team ended up winning the dart match 8 games to 3.  In trivia we were not so fortunate.  I'm usually pretty good at trivia, but not when the categories are related to young people television and music.

     Now I am going to play a bit of my newest obsession, "Clash of Clans" on my phone, and then some shut eye.

I leave with one of my favorite quotes:

"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance."

It's been awhile

     It feels like I haven't posted a blog in months!  I assume that's due to the fact that it HAS been months.  After a couple of requests from friends and family, I decided to begin again.  There is never anything tremendously interesting for me to say, but I guess it's a nice way to end an evening.
     My oldest son is registering for Drivers education this Spring, he is excited about that, and he is already looking at cars for me to buy him.  Bless his ignorant heart.
     Also this Spring, if not sooner, I am doing an remodel of half of my shop.  Building a wet bar and setting it up for poker nights, football games, and such.  My wife is going to be gone for a few days for work, so I may start on building this week.  I haven't decided if I am going to post pictures of the progress or wait until it done and post a before and after picture.  We will see.
     I've had quite enough of the weather we are currently experiencing.  I am a big baby when it comes to snow.  I mean this literally.  I throw fits, tantrums, and pout when it is snowing.  It is supposed to warm up this week so I should have a smile on my face soon.
     This week will be a challenging one at work.  I just returned from my out of town manager meeting where corporate decided to change at least half of my job.  All this just a week from when we are scheduled for a "peer review" this is basically a mock state survey.  Good thing I am always up to a challenge!
     Until next time!