Our intrepid author at a book signing on Coronado Island Every year I write something about how fast the past year went by. Not this year. Sure, we’re all a year older now, but the best is yet to come.
I ended 2017 with having my left knee replaced by a titanium joint. December and January were recovery months.
It took Kaiser three weeks to find me a physical therapy appointment. In the meantime, I worked the hell out of my knee in our apartment complex’s gym. I worked out every day and crawled home hurting.
When the three weeks were up and I at last went to physical therapy, the therapist asked, “What are you doing here?” I had already exceeded all their parameters for recovery from the surgery.
I went home fat, dumb and happy.
Things were not as rosy as they appeared. In January I had some kind of relapse; the knee got infected and swelled up. I couldn’t walk on it. Three more weeks of bed rest and antibiotics.
I’m finally back on my feet. The recovery from surgery was painful and I still don’t have full use of my knees, but would I do it again? You betcha. Before I had to use a walker to get around. Now I can walk like a normal person.
I ended 2017 with having my left knee replaced by a titanium joint. December and January were recovery months.
It took Kaiser three weeks to find me a physical therapy appointment. In the meantime, I worked the hell out of my knee in our apartment complex’s gym. I worked out every day and crawled home hurting.
When the three weeks were up and I at last went to physical therapy, the therapist asked, “What are you doing here?” I had already exceeded all their parameters for recovery from the surgery.
I went home fat, dumb and happy.
Things were not as rosy as they appeared. In January I had some kind of relapse; the knee got infected and swelled up. I couldn’t walk on it. Three more weeks of bed rest and antibiotics.
I’m finally back on my feet. The recovery from surgery was painful and I still don’t have full use of my knees, but would I do it again? You betcha. Before I had to use a walker to get around. Now I can walk like a normal person.
Lilly checks out the new car
February brought a new change to my life. My book sales dropped off so badly, I needed to do something to supplement my income. I don’t know what happened, but in 2018, I couldn’t give away a book. Do not despair though. So far in January, sales seem to be recovering.
To solve my cash flow problem, I started driving for Lyft. Because my truck is too old, I had to rent a car to use. This was expensive and I had to hustle to make enough to pay for the car and still put money in the bank.
I had a minor incident where I side swiped a pylon and put a little scratch on the passenger side door. My bad. Then I got hit by a drunk driver and really smashed up the car.
Hertz (from whom I was renting) said enough. I can’t rent a car from them anymore.
While I licked my wounds, Dawn and I had a serious discussion about my driving. We decided that it made more economic sense to buy a car to drive.
We found a 2012 Nissan Altima in really good shape and I became a professional driver. With my own car, I could ad Uber to my repertoire. And away I went…
I have a few whoppers to tell about ride share driving, but I’ll same them for later. They are for mature audiences only.
To solve my cash flow problem, I started driving for Lyft. Because my truck is too old, I had to rent a car to use. This was expensive and I had to hustle to make enough to pay for the car and still put money in the bank.
I had a minor incident where I side swiped a pylon and put a little scratch on the passenger side door. My bad. Then I got hit by a drunk driver and really smashed up the car.
Hertz (from whom I was renting) said enough. I can’t rent a car from them anymore.
While I licked my wounds, Dawn and I had a serious discussion about my driving. We decided that it made more economic sense to buy a car to drive.
We found a 2012 Nissan Altima in really good shape and I became a professional driver. With my own car, I could ad Uber to my repertoire. And away I went…
I have a few whoppers to tell about ride share driving, but I’ll same them for later. They are for mature audiences only.
Dawn and Lilly are doing great. In October, we all went to a doggie Halloween Party. Dawn dressed up as Cruella DeVille and Lilly went as a Dalmatian (remember, she’s black and white). While Dawn was going through a box of Halloween decorations, she found an old vampire costume of mine. I remember the costume, but I don’t remember when I wore it. Anyway, I was your friendly neighborhood vampire.
The party was great. It was held at Maverick’s Bar, the hottest spot in Pacific Beach. Dogs of all sizes and shapes were there in the most innovative costumes. The grand prize winner was Donald Trump with his parents dressed as secret service agents.
I worm my costume while driving and my passengers loved it. When they got into the car, I welcomed them to my automobile with my best Boris Karloff imitation. Then I offered them a bowl of candy for trick or treat. We had a blast that weekend.
90% of my riders were in costume and going from bar to bar or to parties. Have I mentioned that in San Diego, when the young ladies “dress up” to go out, they wear hardly any clothes? Halloween was no exception. I saw an awful lot of skin over the weekend.
The party was great. It was held at Maverick’s Bar, the hottest spot in Pacific Beach. Dogs of all sizes and shapes were there in the most innovative costumes. The grand prize winner was Donald Trump with his parents dressed as secret service agents.
I worm my costume while driving and my passengers loved it. When they got into the car, I welcomed them to my automobile with my best Boris Karloff imitation. Then I offered them a bowl of candy for trick or treat. We had a blast that weekend.
90% of my riders were in costume and going from bar to bar or to parties. Have I mentioned that in San Diego, when the young ladies “dress up” to go out, they wear hardly any clothes? Halloween was no exception. I saw an awful lot of skin over the weekend.
Christmas on board the Victory
That brings us to Thanksgiving. Mama originally planned on coming down to San Diego for the holiday and we were all going to drive up to Orange County to have Turkey Day with my cousins. Unfortunately, Dave, Mama’s husband, fell ill and she couldn’t come.
Revising our plans, we decided to spend Thanksgiving with Dawn’s brother and parents. Joyce and Wes sold their home in Panama (curse them!) and moved back to the States. They bought a motorhome and are touring the country. In November, they landed in San Diego.
For Christmas, I flew up to Portland to see Mama. Dawn and Lilly stayed home and had Christmas with her family. It was a great trip. Mama turned 94 over the holiday and looks great. She constantly complains about her aches and pains, but she still drives, shops and does most all of her regular activities. I tell her she has nothing to complain about. Most people her age are dead.
She’s not looking forward to spending another cold, wet winter in Portland, so I invited her to spend it with us in warm, sunny San Diego. I seriously doubt that she will take me up on the offer, but I tried.
As usual Dawn decorated the apartment for Halloween and Christmas. I love the trimmings and traditions. We had a great tree too.
Dawn has been working her tail off at three jobs. She still does the catering gig, but she also drives for Uber when I don’t have the car. In her spare time, she volunteers at the Humane Society. The HS just took over pet control from the county and are hiring right and left. Dawn hopes that through her volunteering, she will have a fast track to getting a permanent job with the Humane Society.
Revising our plans, we decided to spend Thanksgiving with Dawn’s brother and parents. Joyce and Wes sold their home in Panama (curse them!) and moved back to the States. They bought a motorhome and are touring the country. In November, they landed in San Diego.
For Christmas, I flew up to Portland to see Mama. Dawn and Lilly stayed home and had Christmas with her family. It was a great trip. Mama turned 94 over the holiday and looks great. She constantly complains about her aches and pains, but she still drives, shops and does most all of her regular activities. I tell her she has nothing to complain about. Most people her age are dead.
She’s not looking forward to spending another cold, wet winter in Portland, so I invited her to spend it with us in warm, sunny San Diego. I seriously doubt that she will take me up on the offer, but I tried.
As usual Dawn decorated the apartment for Halloween and Christmas. I love the trimmings and traditions. We had a great tree too.
Dawn has been working her tail off at three jobs. She still does the catering gig, but she also drives for Uber when I don’t have the car. In her spare time, she volunteers at the Humane Society. The HS just took over pet control from the county and are hiring right and left. Dawn hopes that through her volunteering, she will have a fast track to getting a permanent job with the Humane Society.
Scary, huh?
Okay, we’ve gotten through the year. So, what awaits us in 2019? I published Cyberwarfare in December, the worst month of the year to release a new book. Sales have been okay, but not the block buster status we had with The Chinatown Murders. I’m working hard on marketing and selling the book.
I mean, who wouldn’t want to read it. Almost every week there’s some news article about cyber-attacks or hacking. Cyberwarfare is about a terrorist cyber-attack on the U.S.A. C’mon folks, get your copy today.
As soon as Cyberwarfare was published, I started work on the new Catrina Flaherty novel. I’m using the working title of The Panama Murders. It’s about a serial killer at work in the Bocas del Toro archipelago off the northeastern coast of Panama. As usual, it’s based on a true story.
When we were in Panama housesitting for Joyce and Wes, the serial killer had just been apprehended. It was all anyone could talk about. I thought, with a serial killer on this remote island, it had to be a Cat story. I had two other books I had to write before I got there, but here we are now. Hopefully, I set up the story well enough in The Chinatown Murders and Cyberwarfare, that people will have to buy the book to see what happened to Cat.
I'm looking forward to April. I will be teaching a class on writers groups for the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild. I’m going to make more of an effort to teach at SoCal writers conferences this year. I have an inside contact with the La Jolla Writers Conference I need to peruse and many others.
In the meantime, I was appointed to the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild board of directors to fill an opening for a director that had to resign for health reasons. I’m enjoying the work and am working on the SDWEG’s 40th anniversary gala. We’re presenting the Odin Award for lifetime contribution to the writing community in San Diego. I’m hoping that we can build an Oscar-like atmosphere into the event.
I’ve rambled on forever. I’ll sign off for now, but a happy and prosperous New Year to everyone.
I mean, who wouldn’t want to read it. Almost every week there’s some news article about cyber-attacks or hacking. Cyberwarfare is about a terrorist cyber-attack on the U.S.A. C’mon folks, get your copy today.
As soon as Cyberwarfare was published, I started work on the new Catrina Flaherty novel. I’m using the working title of The Panama Murders. It’s about a serial killer at work in the Bocas del Toro archipelago off the northeastern coast of Panama. As usual, it’s based on a true story.
When we were in Panama housesitting for Joyce and Wes, the serial killer had just been apprehended. It was all anyone could talk about. I thought, with a serial killer on this remote island, it had to be a Cat story. I had two other books I had to write before I got there, but here we are now. Hopefully, I set up the story well enough in The Chinatown Murders and Cyberwarfare, that people will have to buy the book to see what happened to Cat.
I'm looking forward to April. I will be teaching a class on writers groups for the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild. I’m going to make more of an effort to teach at SoCal writers conferences this year. I have an inside contact with the La Jolla Writers Conference I need to peruse and many others.
In the meantime, I was appointed to the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild board of directors to fill an opening for a director that had to resign for health reasons. I’m enjoying the work and am working on the SDWEG’s 40th anniversary gala. We’re presenting the Odin Award for lifetime contribution to the writing community in San Diego. I’m hoping that we can build an Oscar-like atmosphere into the event.
I’ve rambled on forever. I’ll sign off for now, but a happy and prosperous New Year to everyone.
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