posted
As you may surmise from that hackneyed greeting, I am a "westerner". Specifically, I am a Texan and therefore, by definition, an expansive, aggressively extroverted loudmouth. Surprisingly, that stereotype is, on this occasion accurate.
Sadly that "hail fellow well met" garrulity does not translate itself into the kind of storytelling that I so admire in others. Fortunately, my beloved spouse is the storyteller in our family while I serve as reader, editor and ambulatory thesaurus, encyclopedia. When she asked me to accompany her to a writers workshop this summer (not to attend, but rather to serve as an anchor to reality), I thought of the writer's workshop sponsored by one of my favorite SF authors and brought it to her attention.
She is still doggedly determined to be a "literary writer". So I am here breaking trail and scouting the territory for a hypothetical foray to North Carolina next year.
Here is the requisite brief bio in condensed form: MWM 56 6'4" IT job, native Houstonian, politically conservative, bum ticker, SF fan from age 8 when a doting aunt gifted me with a box of paperback books (Ace Doubles, Heinlein, Asimov, Leinster, van Vogt, etc) which her employer had discarded. Recently disdaining most SF due to a preference for optimistic endings. Dystopia gives me dyspepsia. I have been reading history, historical fiction and alternate history. Turtledove and Stirling have provided me with much guilty pleasure.
"What's that book about?" "Um, it's about what might have happened if a giant meteorite had struck the earth causing a "nuclear winter" that wiped out most northern hemisphere civilization during the Victorian era. But by relocating to India and ruthlessly imposing survival oriented laws, the Victorian Brits manage to sustain a civilization that is gradually advancing on a different path than our reality. However, they are opposed by the cannibalistic Russians, rapacious Muslims and materialistic Japanese, leading to fascinating geopolitical machinations" "O-o-o-o-kay. Look, I gotta go, been nice chatting with you"
Posts: 13 | Registered: Mar 2012
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks for your kind offer of turtle cheescake, but as an insulin supported diabetic with poorly controlled blood sugar, battling the resultant hyperlipidemia and suffering chronic pancreatitis thereby, I am forced to recoil in horror (think Christopher Lee reacting to Peter Cushing brandishing a crucifix).
The bio is me. When she finds a few minutes of uncommitted time my lovely and talented bride might join the fun and will doubtless write her own bio at that time. She is a middle school English teacher and a part time adjunct English professor at a local college as well as Mom to her youngest teenaged daughter. Therefore, as you can easily imagine, she is busier than a tap dancing chainsaw juggler on ice.
Posts: 13 | Registered: Mar 2012
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thank you for your gracious welcome, Merlion. Welcome to the monkeyhouse is a literary reference I would recognize, but the treehouse bit is too obscure for me. I suppose I could peruse the founding documents of the forum, but to do so would deprive you of the joy of enlightening the noob. Therefore, I will gladly bite; what's with the treehouse bit?
Posts: 13 | Registered: Mar 2012
| IP: Logged |
posted
The treehouse is a mystical metaphorical representation of the Hatrack community. It's sort of like Yggdrasil but with a hot tub and an anti-gravity room and me handing out deserts and apparently a unicorn and stuff.
Posts: 2526 | Registered: Apr 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
I see, the medieval tree of life; with disco ball and fromage d'chevre Hors d'oeuvres.
I seem to remember a unicorn character in something I read once. He was a pervert who was attracted to non-virgin females. I always like that kind of cutesy twist. Vegan werewolves, garlic loving mafioso vampires, industrialists with a heart of gold, etc. R. L Asprin RIP.
Posts: 13 | Registered: Mar 2012
| IP: Logged |
posted
Shay, Alas! I am less than musical, tone deaf and deaf to the music of poetry as well. I am a prose soul wandering in a musical world.
Administrator Woodbury, Thank you for the stern admonition regarding the gracious acceptance of what is offered in the spirit of helpfulness. I sincerely regret any perception I might have created of unwillingness to accept treats. <chewing cheesecake>
Posts: 13 | Registered: Mar 2012
| IP: Logged |
posted
Zippo, I totally understand...my Grandma was diabetic though she unfortunately didn't take any dietary steps to help it. Personally I'd go insane if I literally couldn't eat deserts at all myself. And I was just about to say that, due to my extensive magical abilities my deserts never cause any harmful reactions regardless of medical circumstances. I'm special that way.
Posts: 2526 | Registered: Apr 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks Merlion. Oddly enough, the way I discovered my diabetes many years ago was through gluttonous gorging on an amaretto chocolate cheesecake a dear friend baked for my birthday. Although I didn't require an ambulance ride, I wasn't far from it.
Posts: 13 | Registered: Mar 2012
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Zippo44: Administrator Woodbury, Thank you for the stern admonition regarding the gracious acceptance of what is offered in the spirit of helpfulness. I sincerely regret any perception I might have created of unwillingness to accept treats. <chewing cheesecake>
No problem, Zippo44. And my apologies for letting you think I was admonishing. My intent was to clarify.
Also, I can completely understand your reluctance to accept treats when they can be so scary for you. Your "no thanks" was quite gracious, actually.
Posts: 7598 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
| IP: Logged |
posted
Welcome, Zippo! Please check out the Hatrack Treehouse Adventures for a glimpse into how this wonderful and ever expanding treehouse came to be. There are also links within to even eariler adventures, that most find to be extremely entertaining.
Printer-friendly view of this topic
E-mail this page
