People, Talents & Hey!

I met Soldwolf, the author of Meeting the Parents, a little over a year ago at one of the places I volunteer with.  He'd been regular there for a while, and very established in his role there, and has been very active with the day to day activities that happen.  The place is lucky to have him there, especially in the morning, and even the paid staff relies on him a lot.  With all that he gives of himself to the center to serve the neediest people in the community, he still takes a lot of guff from fellow staff & especially the clients.

Because the clientele is highly needy to an extent, coming in for a variety of reasons, there are those who are thankful to be there to help make their ends meet, then there are those who want to get anything and everything they can get their hands on.  My friend has no issues firmly telling people "no", and often, because he is firm with his principle, some people misinterpret him as being mean, rude, etc...  





It is interesting, because as much flack as he takes, these people get forgiven, and he faithfully comes in ridiculously early to dedicate a part of his day to ensure that things are going smoothly.  Many people seem to overlook that.  Yet I think there are those who go in that makes it worthwhile for him to go in, such as the very talented resident artist who does an excellent job drawing & painting people/scenes there.  There are also a couple of musicians (a pianist and an aspiring fiddler), and I think I remember someone bringing in a knitting or crocheting project along that line.  Being that I'm pretty crafty myself, I understand why Soldwolf appreciates these people who help brighten the day, when others can be stressful.

In getting to know him, I find that he's smart, funny, and very accommodating.  When he puts his foot down, there is always a logical reason for it.  And, if people were to actually give him 10% of the slack he gives everybody else, they'd realize he's a good guy to know...  And, I really enjoy his military sci-fi story, which is still a work in progress (I've posted chapters in previous blogs), and because I think reading is a good thing, I'm sharing since you know, sharing the love is the right thing to do.

Chapter 39 - Fireworks

Now, who doesn't love a good fireworks show?  But who am I kidding?  Us Asian people love our light & sound shows.  It would be neat to learn how to become a pyrotechnic, and the hero's Japanese friend won't miss it, either.  I like how the author captured authentic cultural characteristics in the story.  It is also cute how certain things can sound really strange to someone from another planet when they don't have a basis for reference.  You're going to have to read about which sweet treat it is...

But of course, even during a celebratory fireworks show, not everything is fun and games.  The hero is in charge of some military operations, and of course, there are always things that need to be done, especially with personnel.  Other things are going on in the background.  Do heads roll?  Is there a death toll? You'll have to find out what kind of damage control is being done yourself.

Chapter 40 - Takedowns

Oh, and what a takedown...  I'd really hate to be in the position of this guy...  When a retired military officer comes out of retirement to see you, you know it isn't good!  And the intel that is being dug up, wow...  It's HUGE!

And with the Hero & his lovely (among those there to support them), being that they have pull within the military, still have to balance the work/life cycle delicately...  The tension & excitement grows, as to what will happen next.

The author's highlighted name at the top will bring you to his writing profile, and for those who want to read from the beginning, the title of the story will take you to chapter 1.  With more people stopping in to read, the better chance he gets of having publishers taking his story, once he's done, and actually printing it into a book.  With how he gives his time, also being a veteran, this would be a great way to be able to give back to him.

I can't want to like that!

Our children are funny.  They all make me laugh.  I can't count the number of times I laughed until I hurt because my son would say the damndest things, and at 19, he's STILL cracking me up.  Plus, being a boy after his mother's heart, he loves Science Fiction and the weird stuff too, so I'm going to try to get him into my friend Soldwolf's military sci-fi story, Meeting the Parents - which so far capitalizes on so many of my interests. I’m hoping to share his stuff, just because the characters are endearing, and while the hero & his betrothed are strong people who can not only steal the scenes but the show and thunder too. Plus, the more hits that are received, the better he can catch the attention of publishers who may end up helping him to get a book deal that could end up on the shelf... I’m linking my previous blogs as a reference for previous chapters published...

Anyway, I remember the time when my son was the ripe age of 2. Yes, 2. he was probably one of the easiest 2-year-olds, since he rarely threw a tantrum. I could count on less than one hand how many he had in a week, and if he had a particularly large one, I knew it would be a while before another occurred. But I digress... Poor lil guy. We did some deep house cleaning one day, and here it was 8 pm and we hadn't started cooking dinner yet, and he was patiently annoyed by the fact that he was hungry and tired. We took out a glass jar of store-bought spaghetti sauce and figured we'd doctor it up. Italian food is ultimately his favorite food to this day. So we get it on a plate, and he practically jumps into his high chair, eagerly grabs his fork & starts twirling the pasta like a champ. It goes into his mouth, and oh, the look on his face! As he's chewing, he throws his fork onto his plate. While swallowing he pushes the plate away and as soon as he catches his breath, insists, "I CAN'T WANT TO LIKE THAT" Ooh, boy!!! It was one of the better brands you can buy, yet, here is this ripe old 2 years who knows it's not the good homemade stuff and refused to have any of it! A food connoisseur at this age? Whoda thunk? Well, he's always hated Spaghetios, too. Go figure. Now, he works at a 5* restaurant.

I think my young chef would like Soldwolf's story, and in chapters 1-4 (listed in my blog I Have A Story About That) shows how a futuristic Earth would have a single conglomerate military that works in alliance with each other as opposed to individual countries being separate, which not only unites humanity but also has alliances with other humanoid species.

Going back a couple of years before my son was even born, I remember picking up my Godchild from kindergarten on a nice fall afternoon, and on the way home, he's pointing out the various trees randomly & casually stating, "Oh, look. That tree is naughty. Oh, and that one, too. Ah! That one is really naughty!"... Just to have the record straight, I asked, "Why are the trees naughty"? and braced myself... "Because the trees are BUTT-NAKED"! I about tripped over my own feet.

My Godson always loved reading active books, and I'ms sure he'd enjoy this, too, especially the hero, who is strongly focused, yet protective over his Talmanii sidekick, who keeps him balanced. In chapters 5-8, posted within Reading, Writing & Tutoring, you'll see the character development of these two.

Then there was the time when my nephew was in preschool... My sister in law and niece lived upstairs, and he'd slept over... I woke up in the morning with my niece knocking on the door to say that her cousin crapped in the driveway... Oooh-wee! And there he is, with this bewildered look, and could have played Calvin from the comic strip, Calvin & Hobbs. My sister in law was called to clean up. It still makes me giggle thinking about this.

Mind you, now, he's kind of like the barbecue master on that side of the family, and he also does yard work & flies homing pigeons as a hobby. He'd love chapters 9-12 from Interesting Tidbits just because it would be interesting for him to learn about the space adventures that happen out there.

Fast forward a few months, into mid/late fall, when my sister in law made lasagna that didn't hold together... My Godson 1st stated it looked like throw-up then decided to call it lasagna soup. At my niece's birthday, she was going to make lasagna again, and the nephew, who'd heard about the lasagna soup exclaims, "I don't want to eat lasagna that looks like throw-up"! I locked myself into the bathroom... fortunately it all came out fine.

I think my niece would like the character development so far because of the main couple as this interspecies being so endearing, as you'll see more in chapters 13-16 in my Rants blog, to cheer this cute Talmanii gal with the cute ears and her studly Earthling hero. Her mother, my sister in law, would fall in love with the romance of the couple, and how her family supports the relationship. Chapters 17-20 is captured in Summer fun & Adventures.

Please read and if you could, keep reading. It is a work in progress, and you'd be helping a veteran break into the business. With enough hits, he can catch the attention of the publishers and possibly get his story published into a book.

I just love these characters in the story, though. The main gal is kind of a contradiction and in some ways. She is strong, capable and independent, yet is close to her family as you read in Goodbye's & Travels (Ch 21). She is also adventurous & curious while cautious in a smart way as you'll see in (Ch 22) Journeys & Preparations. Because she knows how to balance work, family & relationships, she appreciates her studly for his strength and enjoys that he accepts her family the way they do him in Preparations (Ch 23). And who knows what to look for, when there are Deliveries to be made, and are the dynamic duo sending or receiving these in chapter 24?

Interesting tidbits of Racine, WI

Most people know me as an advocate.  Even if you don't, it's probably one of the 1st things that come to mind, just because I don't ever seem to step out of that role, even during a regular dinner.  That is primary before even my interest in politics.  What people may or may not know, is that I love history just as well.  I love learning about it.

I came to Racine in 1977 as an 8-year-old from Tokyo.  I've always loved being near large bodies of water and learned that Captain Gilbert Knapp is the founder of "Port Gilbert" (where the mouth of the Root River meets Lake Michigan), and has an elementary school named after him, which is the 1st American school I attended.  Neat.  Captain G. Knapp first was a shipmate at the ripe young age of 14 and eventually served in the Civil War.  Here is a picture, potentially a part of his uniform that is displayed in the VFW.  Pretty neat, isn't it?

Captain Knapp did all sorts of neat things, like start a business, served in public office, but my favorite part is that he was a military guy.  Seriously, who doesn't love our brave men in uniform?  Just to let you know, the author and my friend Soldwolf has also served in the Navy for a LONG time, and please, do NOT call him Sir, because he works for a living!  If you wouldn't be so kind, though, please keep reading the chapters of his story, Meeting the Parents, which is a military Sci-Fi with an inter-species relationship along with the humor that goes with life in combat, cultural differences, and everything else that comes with life.  Links to previous chapters have been posted in previous blogs.  You can access them when you go to read the chapters since there is a list to the side you can click on to see where you're at and go from there.  Chapters are listed from newest to oldest, from what I can see, FYI.  The author is also a Racine citizen.

Chapter 9:  Later That Day 
Chapter 10:  Back Yard
Chapter 11:  Outdoor Dinner
Chapter 12:  Grandmother

Please support these stories here, with enough hits on each chapter and story, it's one step closer to being able to get published eventually, into an actual book.  In helping to do so, you're even helping this advocate possibly get a signed copy of the book, which would be so exciting!

I have a story about that!

Hello Blogspot bloggers!  It has been a while, and it's good to be back.  I have updates, more advocacy & a story to share.

Since blogging last in August, I'd had several interviews with a ton of interesting and great places, landed a great game, tried to help a couple of people out, kept my side gigs, and lost the game...  Other personal issues are happening, but, nothing I can't handle.  While I loved the paid gig I'd landed, and I really appreciated my time there, sometimes these things are meant to be temporary rather than permanent.  We'll leave it there.

In the interim, I was presented with two different people who needed some personal advocacy and needed a safe haven, so I'd taken them in, individually.  That didn't work so well, either, though it was a learning experience.  Neither of them really had it in mind to better their situations, and I found out that maybe I'm better at generally helping the masses than I thought, on a more basic level rather than the smaller groups I once used to thrive on.

So, it's back to the drawing board after I take care of some personal issues.  In the meantime, to keep active in the community, I still volunteer as an advocate for Sexual Assault Services, a tutor with the Racine Literacy Council, animal care at the Eco-Justice Center, and various duties including administrative work at the Hospitality Center.  I hope to be able to get into further details about each of these agencies in future blogs.  They're all great places for their own reasons.

Anyway, I remember when my son was preschool age...  his favorite thing to say, when he wasn't interested in the conversation, was "I have a story about that"! and the way he used to climb up on my lap and get really close was way too cute.  Sometimes I miss those days, but, today he is a 19-year-old college student at Gateway Technical College pursuing a Culinary Arts associates degree while working as a kitchen assistant at Sebastian's, and he makes me proud to be his mom.

Speaking of stories, though...  I have a few friends who are authors, musicians, artists, etc. and one author named Soldwolf is writing a story called Meeting the Parents, which is a Military Sci-Fi featuring an intergalactic love affair that starts with a series of events, leading to some steamy romance in quest of happiness and the humor that goes with it all...  As of right now, the story is still a work in progress (not quite finished yet), and with enough hits on his chapters, it has the chance to become published into a real book.  I'd like for that to happen, so, could you be as kind as to read, like, even comment, and support the writing?  Here are the 1st 4 chapters:
Chapter 1 - Meeting the Parents
Chapter 2 - The Morning Edition
Chapter 3 - Big Sister Interrogation
Chapter 4 - Big Sister Interrogation 2