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tabby cat looking at camera

“I Can Only Do This Once”

This entry is part 2 of 17 in the series GDB & Route 66
Portrait of a male tabby cat
Portrait of a male tabby cat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As I checked into my Winnemucca, NV motel last night, I asked if a service dog in training could stay for free like a working service dog, instead of me paying the pet fee. (She could.) Upon learning that I’m a professional trainer, the desk clerk realized that I obviously needed an education in what service animals do. (But if I’m a professional trainer there with a service dog in training, wouldn’t I probably already know what service animals… Never mind.) It included this exchange:

Clerk: “And there are even service cats! And do you know what they do? When a person is dying, a service cat is trained to get up on their chest and die with them.”

Me: “Um. /awkward blinky moment/ But they can only do that once.”

Clerk: “Right. But it happens.”

Road Trip! the First Part

This entry is part 1 of 17 in the series GDB & Route 66
Would you get hip to this kindly tip And go ta...
Get your kicks… (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So I’m off on the Great American Road Trip.

The purpose is to return Mindy to Guide Dogs for the Blind, and as I couldn’t get anyone at any airline to confirm that she’d be able to fly in the cabin with me, I had to drive her across the country. Trying to make the best of it, I planned an iconic journey for the return, tracing old Route 66 for as much of the old pavement that remains.

Red road sign: "Warning: vultures may cause damage to vehicles."

Stories in Upcoming Anthologies

I’m pleased to mention that I have two stories in upcoming sister anthologies, Corvidae and Scarecrow, both from World Weaver Press later this year. Both are edited by Rhonda Parrish, of Fae fame. My stories are “Sanctuary” and “Judge and Jury,” and while each can stand alone they… 

handwritten text on a bathroom wall

Toilet Poetry

So on the final stop of my trip home, I went into the women’s restroom at the train station in Indianapolis. I found this on the wall. He told me he was afraid of commitment with 13 tattoos on his body. I confronted him. He said: “but I… 

The Empire Builder poster

Amtrak Cascades & The Empire Builder

Red road sign: "Warning: vultures may cause damage to vehicles."
This photo has nothing to do with this particular trip — it was taken on New Year’s Day at Lake Monroe, IN — but I couldn’t not share it.

My gift to myself for surviving December and January was to take the Empire Builder back home from Portland.

January was a crazy month: I taught workshops in Michigan and New Jersey. While in Michigan, I was rear-ended at a stop light during a hard snow, and my car had to be towed. (It’s fine now.) Then I flew to Portland to speak at Clicker Expo, a training and behavior conference (and one of my favorite times of year). There my brand-new computer decided to overturn its discouragingly predictable existence by freezing up and dying during my presentation. Twice.

So I was glad I’d planned ahead and booked the Empire Builder home. The Empire Builder is Amtrak’s premier passenger line, a run all the way to Chicago. I had a sleeping compartment, one of the small roomettes.

Fae

Nominated! Starred!

Fae

So I can’t believe I forgot to mention this here, and I’ll just plead that I’ve been hyper-busy with work over the last month or so. But I really should have mentioned it.

My short story “And Only the Eyes of Children,” appearing in the 2014 World Weaver Press anthology Fae, was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. I’m most definitely pleased with that.

“And Only the Eyes of Children” also landed on Tangent Online’s 2014 Recommended Reading List, complete with a two-star mention (of 0-3 stars possible). I’m pretty pleased with that, too.

Snow sliding down the windshield, but still cohesive, coiled and then formed ribbons!

Snow Ribbons & Other Winter Things

Winter brings us pretty things. While the north apparently got some good accumulation, the Great Winter Storm turned out for us to be largely rain and slush — actually, I would have much preferred the snow — the mild temperatures did at least create some fun snow effects. Like… 

So To Honor Him book cover, three riders on camels against a dramatic sky, with a brilliant star, and a super-imposed drum

What You Did Last Week

So To Honor Him book cover, three riders on camels against a dramatic sky, with a brilliant star, and a super-imposed drum

So To Honor Him was released a day early to newsletter subscribers. Not only did they have the first look, but they had a different price: pay what you want, and all the profit would go to International Justice Mission.

(All direct sales profits last week went to IJM, but on official launch day, the price was a fixed $1.99.)

English: Amanda Palmer Live 2008
Amanda Palmer and I are very infrequently mistaken for one another. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I wasn’t sure about setting up a pay-what-you-want day. I mean, that kind of thing works for people like Amanda Palmer, but, well, I’m not Amanda Palmer. What if everyone just grabbed the story for free and nothing at all went to International Justice Mission?

So To Honor Him book cover, three riders on camels against a dramatic sky, with a brilliant star, and a super-imposed drum

Herod the Great (Big Jerk) in History

etching of Herod the Great
Herod the Great

I know well enough that the Jews will keep a festival upon my death, however it is in my power to be mourned for on other accounts, and to have a splendid funeral, if you will but be subservient to my commands. Do you but take care to send soldiers to encompass these [illustrious] men that are now in custody, and slay them immediately upon my death, and then all Judea, and every family of them, will weep at it, whether they will or no.

This was how Herod intended to ensure mourning at his funeral. Yikes. (Fortunately, these orders were not carried out after his death.)

Detail of the Three Kings from The Adoration of the Magi, tapestry, by Edward Burne Jones

Songs of the Little Drummer Boy

Detail of the Three Kings from The Adoration of the Magi, tapestry, by Edward Burne Jones

Last time I talked about the weird appearances of Little Drummer Boy figurines in Nativity scenes and the fascinating historical research I got to do for So To Honor Him. Today I’m going to talk about the obligatory soundtrack for the book: “The Carol of the Drum” or “The Little Drummer Boy,” depending on when it was recorded and by whom.

I’m not even going to try to list here all the myriad covers of this song, or even just the better ones. I’ll simply point out some really stand-out or significant recordings and explain why I think they deserve a mention. I know I’m leaving out a lot of favorites; feel free to comment with a plug for your choice!