Things to do... What do you like?

I was finally able to go to a Racine Raiders football game as a regular fan...  The last game was over 30 years ago, when I was still in my high school pep band and the Lighthouse Brigade Marching Band and went to play as part of one of those...   I remember I used to have so much fun because watching the games in person is more fun than watching on TV.  I've had the pleasure of going to every home game in high school, went to watch the Wisconsin Badgers regularly while in college, and even went to a Green Bay Packers preseason game once.  So, to be able to take my son to one of these, since I'd pulled him from regular public school to do the public virtual school thing, he never had that opportunity...  It's a great family event as well as for groups of friends to attend.  I had fun making some noise with my miniature cowbell that sounds more like a wind chime...

I enjoy instilling the love of reading in young people. Teens & young adults who don't fit the social norms or haven't been introduced to much would like something a little different, such as Soldwolf’s current story in the making, Meeting the Parents (Ch. 1) In this military sci-fi story, there is a lot of action, tactical movements both from a personal & strategic perspective, and the main couple along with their Circle of Friends (Ch 36) are endearing. In Discoveries & Decisions (Ch 45), the details of the discoveries from the last chapter(s) are gradually being revealed. Certain conclusions can be drawn from these, as well as understanding the gravity of the key players' impact was on finding the intel. Some might be nominated for awards, others might be glad that they don't use guillotines in the future... A ton of info is sifted through, and this operation was bigger than anything you'd expect, so the plans on what to do next will have to be a delicate balance.

In the chapters leading up to the current point, the “bad guys” whether they are outright enemies, infiltrators, or inside traitors, The Wrath of Khan will look tame to what they are going to end up getting. Whether you’re about the military aspect, sci-fi action or personal relationships, you’ll find this to be a good read. Even though Spock says, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” (Star Trek), I think, in this case, the need to keep this couple safe from harm would be best for this futuristic society.

Go find that thing to do, you might find something you enjoy, and be inspired to pursue something new, get a hobby or just expand on what you already have.

Concert Settings:

Back in April, my 19-year-old son treated me to the Billy Joel concert up at Miller Park Stadium.  Yes, I corrupted him...  He loves classic rock.  Other concerts he has gone to include ZZ Top and The Who.  Definitely a boy after his mother's heart.  I am fortunate.

I wonder if it is because growing up myself, I'd always been a music head, and love classical music, jazz, etc.  I even play clarinet and tenor saxophone, sang in the jazz choir, and can't imagine my life w/o music.  My son also is a musician.  As a preschooler, he'd sneak my harmonica and play along to his favorite cartoon shows at the beginning.  He now plays trumpet and is learning how to play acoustic guitar.  Yes, I'm bragging just a little bit...

To make things more interesting, I'd been involved at a young age helping out with various campaigns to get people elected since I was about 9, and got him started around the same age, maybe slightly older.  We also love Science Fiction.  We try to see every sci-fi flick that comes out on the big screen together, even if it's on $5/Tuesdays or at the Value Cinema.  It's pretty fun.  Everything from Star Trek to X-Men to whatever else that comes out...  Plus we love action, thrillers, and so much more.  I hope we can continue to do things together as he goes on, though I realize it will be a lot less often.

So, when I found out that my friend, Soldwolf is writing a military sci-fi story filled with action, humor and even a little romance story called Meeting the Parents, I was interested.  Because I like the story so much, I decided that I just have to share it, because it's too good not to share.  It's a neat storyline featuring a hero from post-unification Earth, where he is serving in the UN military, and his love is from a prominent family on a planet called Tamal, a humanoid race that evolved from herbivores.  This Tamalnii heroine is such an endearing character, you'll be cheering on for her and her people as well as for her and her studly to make it through to the end.

Chapter 41:  Post Takedowns - With so much going on, people need to chill out to make out sensible reports...  Oh, the info collected is huge.  I'm just wondering what kind of smackdown is awaiting in the future...

Happy reading!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I am.

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.

Father's Day Facts

In the USA, we take for granted that every year, we celebrate Mother's Day in May and Father's Day in June.  Not every country does this.  Certain countries expect that every day, you honor your parents in some form or another, especially when you still live at home.  In Japan, they celebrate Girls' Day on 3/3, Boys' Day on 5/5 - though it's starting to shift to having 1 Children's Day per year.

Here are the countries, other than the United States, which celebrate Father's Day on the 3rd Sunday of June every year:  Argentina, France, Netherlands, Chile, Canada, United Kingdom, India, and Japan.  Other countries do celebrate but on different days.

It is interesting though, how different cultures celebrate.  Breakfasts and brunches are somewhat popular around the world.  Going fishing or on other outings that the dads enjoy are also popular.  One that is underrated yet great, especially for dads who have everything, is to donate to a good cause in his honor would also be something cool.

Speaking of giving to dads, an author friend is a giving dad.  While I don't know how he pulls it off on occasion, but, evidently, his military background helps him keep a good regimen going.  He gets to the Hospitality Center before 0600 all 4 days in the morning and helps set up for breakfast to feed the people who come in, make the coffee for everyone, and all of the things that need to get set up to run smoothly.  Once that is in place, it's taking in and organizing all of the various donations which include food from multiple sources, among other donations for clothing and more come in, on top of getting called to make more coffee, get supplies for the main meal into the kitchen, and everything else...  These people are lucky to have him there helping.  

Would you be a dear, and give this Navy dad of 3 grown daughters a read?  It would cool to be able to make Plans & Tours (Chapter 37) and treat our families, like in Soldwolf’s story, Meeting the Parents. Children can be handfuls. You either know how to handle 'em, or you don't, and they still crack me up to pieces. It's also interesting learning a little bit about Military etiquette. And, just like any place else, you have young ones who wander off, and adults who can't keep track of themselves, much less anyone else... Let's just hope the mischief is kept to a bare minimum!

4th of July is coming up in just a few weeks, where it’s like a Festival (Chapter 38) all by its self. Who doesn't love festivals? And a designated driver? But no, it isn't because of what you might think... It just would be nice once in a while. Of course, with every festive gathering, there are always gifts. Now I'll have to find what happened to MINE (you'll have to read the chapter to figure out what of mine I'm talking about) to show off & take pictures of... And it's so fun to introduce people to customs familiar to me but new to them, so I almost wish that I could be this type of gift bearer! The Lady is also Japanese, so I am relating with her as she gives her omiyage to people (okay, so I'm only half, and was a child in coming here, but...)

Just remember, every read he gets, gets him one step closer to being able to be found by publishers to turn this work in progress into a book. And what would YOU give to a Navy dad if you knew one, anyway? I don't know...

Advocacy & More

As the founder of Youth Voice Initiative, I get called upon often to do advocacy work, whether it's for a single parent who needs a letter written to the courts, or to speak up for a special needs child, or to help see what kinds of programs are available for various things whether it's a support group or just information in general.  It is truly rewarding to know that I can help make a difference for some people, including the lives of children.

Because of the experiences I've had, I'm also a volunteer advocate for Sexual Assault Services, and take the crisis phone to offer peer support as well as to make hospital visits for recent survivors.  It's not always easy work, but very worthwhile, because sometimes as the advocate, I might be the only one they see as being on their side.  One thing I enjoy doing, when there are small children present, whether the survivor is a child or the adult survivor brings their children in, is that I like to read age-appropriate books with them.  Reading often reduces stress and allows people to feel more normal.

In my own free time, I enjoy reading as well, and my favorite genre is Science Fiction, just because it's filled with action, technology, culture, and more.  It fascinates me.  The current story I'm reading is still a work in progress by a friend of mine, Soldwolf, called Meeting the Parents, which is a military sci-fi set in the future, where Earth is unified and has allies culturally and militarily with other humanoid type species intergalactically.  Please check previous blogs for more information, if you'd like.

Parties, Friends & Guests (Ch 33) We all like to eat. Sometimes it's nice to not have to cook, and it's even better when you have your special place with that special someone. The earth hero, Scott, even found a favorite spot on his lovely's planet that he even wants to show off to his family! But the question is, though, are the potential in-laws going to get along with each other? Or will it be a disaster? The dynamics can get interesting, so just read & find out for yourself. I just have to wonder though, where are MY Kyoto hair sticks?

Gathering Friends (Ch 34) It's fun to meet new people, especially when they're going to be important connections. While exciting and comforting, it can get overwhelming. I'm feeling the hero, who is anxious about remembering names, but fortunately, his lovely & her family are there for support. Even with his military friends, it's all about balancing work & life. I'm just wondering though, will they get to introduce Cajun cooking to these nice Tamalnii people? If this chapter doesn't tug at your heartstrings, I don't know what will.

Friends Reunited (Ch35) It's refreshing to find that even big tough guys can have a gentle soul, and how often, they could use a personal hero, too. heartwarming stuff, and when reuniting with friends, who are also formally connected, what better than hosting an official dance? And then of course, what is a dance w/o doing more party planning? So much fun stuff going for sure!

A Circle of Friends (Ch36) Everyone needs a good one of these, and I tell you, the hero and his lovely are lucky to have who they have. I'm really digging the new characters introduced, and how they get back to business on both work and personal fronts! Oh, and some huge things are brewing, so you don't want to miss out on the action!

Now, please be a dear, and click the highlighted areas, they're hyperlinks to where you need to go to read.

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?

Cultural Rant of an Advocate...

Here in North America, today is Mother's Day.  I kind of like the idea of celebrating parenthood.  It's weird, though, because I spent the 1st 8 years of my life in Japan, and don't remember having specific days where we honored our parents of either or both genders.  In Japan, they celebrate Girls' Day on March 3 of every year, and I remember the doll set that would be carefully taken out, in honor of the ancient old customs of the Japanese royalty coming out and placed just right in a prominent spot in the house, to show off to everyone who comes in, to brag that you are proud parents of daughters.  I guess because all children are expected to respect and obey their elders, to the point that even teachers are revered as secondary parents to all in school.  I do vaguely remember celebrating Grandparent's day, but, because I had no living grandparents there, I never got to celebrate.  But my sister & I always looked forward to putting this up, just because it was fun, and it was carried over into our teens even after coming here.

Even though people like to think that Eastern and Western cultures are very different, there ARE similarities.  While specific foods might be different, what carries over is the love of barbecued foods, except those of us who live(d) in Tokyo could never have anything awesome such as a Barbecue Pit (Ch 13)!  Reading is also something that is common, and of course, the most popular types of things were documentaries, biographies, crime fiction, and of course, who can forget Sci-Fi?  I bring this up, because my friend, Soldwolf, the Navy veteran who is writing a story called Meeting the Parents, which is a military Sci-Fi novel with a few other genres put in, and has aspects of work ethic, family values, romance, and humor...  He also spent at least a little bit of time in Japan, and actually trusts my cooking skills in making ethnic, homestyle Japanese food and enjoys it.  I just hope it doesn't get back to the Naval SSQH (Ch 14) because the only thing I might be able to keep up with the sailors is my swearing capacity, possibly... But, I do enjoy feeding people, especially family and friends.



Even though my mother is totally a born & raised American, from right here in Racine, WI (she never left the area until she married my father), and my original language was English, (I actually had to go out to the playground as a tot to learn Japanese from the other children), I basically was raised mostly Japanese while there, so when my mother came here with my sister and I, there was a time where I had to go through Familiarization (Ch 17) to get acclimated to life in these United States.  It wasn't always peaches and cream, that's for sure, and some fresh strawberries have always been my favorite.  Of course, when I had my own family, I have a son, but we've always been here, so I was never able to celebrate Boys' Day, which happens ever May 5th, by being able to fly windsocks like this off my front porch to brag that I am a boy mom!  I'm not sure, but I think I would have 2, a bigger black one to represent my 1st son who I lost in childbirth, and then a red or orange one that is slightly smaller to celebrate my now 19-year-old.



Of course, we shouldn't always be afraid of Cultural Differences (Ch 16) because I think it's fun celebrating many of those unique things.  Think about how fun it is to go to events such as Italian Fest or Greek Fest.  I think we should bring back Afro Fest, and then add Asian Fest or something!  



Anyway, please click the highlighted chapter titles incorporated into my blog.  The more reads he gets, the better chance Soldwolf actually gets to being sold as an author.  Thank you!

Reading, writing & tutoring

I am a tutor for the Racine Literacy Council.  It's fun.  They're also having a new tutor training at the end of the month.  I like tutoring, not only because you get certain perks, like treats and events, but, it's personally rewarding.  It's really neat to see how the students progress, and adult students learning English or polishing up their reading and writing skills is a really neat process to watch.  Each year, a book is written, called Life Journey where the students submit their stories.  One of the tutors is a gardener and cook, and he brings in his goodies.  Many of the students bring in homemade food from the region they came from.  So many good things going on, from chili cookoff, tutor recognition, pot lucks, cookouts, etc. it helps bond the people who are there, and I am fortunate to be a part of this.

And, of course, speaking of reading, I'd like to plug the next 4 chapters of the story Meeting the Parents, written by my friend Soldwolf.  It's a military Sci-Fi with some endearing characters and intergalactic romance where the couple went through a ton of stuff to try to make it last.  I'm getting a connection with the main female character, who is strong and badass in her own right, but still very chick.
Chapter 5 - Big Sister Interrogation 3
Chapter 6 - Big Sister Aftermath
Chapter 7 - Morning Revelations
Chapter 8 - Morning Revelations 2

Happy reading, and any likes & comments are most welcome! Just remember, the more hits this story gets, the better chance there is to get published to a real book.  Thank you in advance!

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