So far I have resisted trying to give the specific words which lead to the acronym T.O.W.E.R. but the organization features strongly in the next Masks story. So far I have: Theater Overwatch World Enforcement Regulator. That doesn't really... work, so I am looking for suggestions.
This is not a contest. The only reward will be the use of the name in the story.
From near the end of the next Angel of... story. After WWII, three of the superhumans who helped the Allies win are discussing their plans. Two decide they're just going to get away from it all:
"We're going away," said Sutter. "Marie and I have found this place, in Puerto Rico, not far from an old Spanish city but out in the country. It has this bowl-shaped valley. We can lie in the bottom of the bowl and watch the stars go by overhead with no interference."
The writing is going slowly, which I think is understandable. Besides completing the disposal of Mother's estate I am (Finally!) completing the income tax information needed to send off to the CPA. So, it will be a while before I post anything new.
I might post some of the early Gifted Saga stories, which are about Marian Holst. They have little or no TG material but plenty about transformations and their aftermath.
We buried my mother Wednesday, beside her parents in the family plot in Crab Orchard, Kentucky. That has a nice location on a hill. (Her father was on the cemetery board of directors.)
There were surprisingly many people at the service, here in Frankfort, including the music director and minister from her church. The former led us in singing Mother's favorite hymn. The latter gave a short sermon. Just as Mother wanted.
However, only her descendants and a few cousins made the hour and a half trip to Crab Orchard (where Mother was reared).
We knew this was coming; my Mother was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer back in November. However she didn't want us to tell anyone until after she was gone.
There were multiple ups and downs, but the downs predominated and she slowly grew worse. She died at around 2:40 this afternoon, at age 89.
Mother is home, in her room, in a hospital-type bed, courtesy of Hospice/Care Navigators. She has two caregivers (arranged by my sister, with help from her youngest daughter) for round-the-clock care. Considering that she was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer over two months ago, she's doing quite well. How much longer she'll do well we don't know.
We still don't know what caused her stroke-like problem, a week and a half ago. In fact, we still don't know what is causing her gut upset, which she's been suffering from for nearly two years.
My Mother took a turn for the worse Tuesday. We're not sure, but she may have had a stroke. We were just lucky the nurse from Care Navigators was there for her weekly visit and got Mother transferred to the closest Hospice facility immediately. Mother is currently in the Hospice/Care Navigators section of Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky.
Sorry folks; I'm still sick. Going to the doctor this afternoon.
I did a lot of writing on _Angel of Earth_ the past couple of days, but it was mostly rough stuff, just getting basic ideas down.
Update: I hope none of you ever have to change a flat tire before going to the doctor. :-(
I failed (Passed?) the flu test, so it's not that. (Unlikely, since I've had this year's shot, but possible.) They also tested me for Covid-19, just in case. That result won't be in for a couple of days.
I hope to start posting the chapters of Angel of Earth next week. In the meantime, here is some music I use for inspiration in writing the Malak stories:
Please report any formatting problems, etc. here. (I hope that is the right place for the update. This is being done in a bit of a hurry due to personal obligations. I'll check back on this later.)
I have lots of photos of costumes, both hall (aka cosplay) and Masquerade. Costuming is the closest thing to physical transformation most people will ever experience.
I am (slowly) approaching 29k words on _The Angel of Earth_, out of an estimated 50k to 55k. I have made (tiny) progress on the next Masks and Freddy on the Loose stories.
Part of the problem is having to do Summer yard work. Part of it is cats (there's one being chased by a bluejay this morning). Part of it is distractions from other sources.
_Angel of Earth_ is about a quarter of the way written. I have the beginning and the end and a little of the material in between. Oog...
I have written some on the next Masks story and the next Freddy on the Loose.
Part of the problem is simply that there's a lot to do away from the computer. We've had so much alternating rain and Sun I have to cut the grass about every five days.
Aaron was standing at a window, the lower portion of which was open. As was the screen beyond. Melody needed a moment to see who - or, rather, what - he was talking to: A small, nondescript grey bird standing on the window sill.
"You need to stop teasing that cat," said Aaron, sternly.
Had an image pop into my head, something which may have been drawn already. Inigo Montoya and Wesley (dressed as the Dread Pirate Roberts) back to back with lightsabers in their left hands, smiling, surrounded by Sith and/or Jedi.
Kravaal Island and the background tales of what happened there were inspired in part by the Boris Karloff movie The Man With Nine Lives and the music video for the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star," as well as the Dark Star ominous, minor key version of the song.
In an interview a few years ago, Trevor Horn of the Buggles said he still had those glasses. ;-)
I had hoped to post the first installment of the next Masks serial today. However, "things happened" over the holidays (nothing majorly bad and a few things good, including some nice presents) and I'm only about halfway to the planned final length. I only just got my main villain of the piece completely fleshed out this morning! (He has connections to Rasputin, with some of my inspiration from Doc Savage and a bunch of other sources.)
There is a tradition involving fruitcakes which most folks currently alive are unaware of. Yes, people make fruitcakes for eating, often with whiskey of some sort, perhaps even with a small amount inside the container so that the fumes enrich the cake. However, these are not the fruitcakes traditionally given as gifts. Even if the tradition is no longer remembered by most of the people who follow it.
No-one knows how Devil's Hollow (which I can see part of from my front porch) got its name. I even asked at the Kentucky History Museum*. Here's one explanation:
"Scaring someone to trigger their latent powers is the stupidest..." said Tiger, as Middleton sat, further startling him. He leaned forward, aura flickering. "Didn't you idiots learn anything from Tokyo in 1983?!"
This was a reference to a sequence in the Japanese animated feature Harmageddon. For those who may not have seen the movie, I made a music video of this several years ago, and it can be found here:
I have for decades been writing a column titled The Joy of High Tech, which has appeared in print and digital fanzines. I have recently begun rewriting some of the older ones and posting them to DreamWidth, at:
Checks can be made out & sent to:
Joyce Melton
1001 Third St.
Space 80
Calimesa, CA 92320
USA
Note: $6000 is the operating, maintenance and upgrade budget. Amounts received in excess of the $6000 will be applied to long term debt accrued over the last 19 years.
