Sunday Stealing: Random

From Sunday Stealing

RaNdOm Meme


1. If you were to attend a costume party tonight, what or whom would you go as?

A. I'd put my camera around my neck, take a pad and a pen, and go as a reporter.

2. What are your choice of toppings on a hamburger?

A. Cheese, catsup, mayonnaise, lettuce.

3. You are chosen to have lunch with the President. The condition is you only get to ask one question. What do you ask?

A. How do you feel about the two-party system, and what steps would you take to rectify the problems it has created and bring back true democracy to the people?

4. It’s your first day of vacation, what are you doing?

A. Driving somewhere.

5. What is your concession stand must-have at the movies?

A. A bottle of water.

6. Which do you dislike most: pop-up ads or spam email?

A. Pop-up ads.

7. What do you think Captain Hook’s name was before he had a hook for a hand?

A. Captain Two-Hands. Or maybe just George.

8. Rock, paper, or scissors?

A. Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock!

9. Let's say a brick fell on your foot, and your kid is standing right next to you, what is your 'cleaned up’ swear word?

A. I don't clean up my damn swear words when I say them. I don't give a f*ck who the hell is listening. Especially if there is a bitch of a brick on my foot. (However, I very seldom actually *write* swear words.)

10. Which is worse, being in a place that is too loud, or too quiet?

A. Too loud.

11. What is one quality that you really appreciate in a person?

A. Good manners.

12. At the good old general store, what particular kind of candy would you expect to be in the big jar at the counter?

A. Smarties or Fireballs.

13. What is the most distinguishing landmark in your city?

A. My nearest city is the Star City of the South. We have a huge neon star on top of Mill Mountain (a mountain in the city). It glows in the dark. It called the Roanoke Star but the locals call it the Mill Mountain Star.

 

Here's a link to a nice shot of it in the dark, all aglow.

14. Everyone hears discussions that they consider boring. What topic can put you to sleep quicker than any other?

A. Who has what disease.

15. How many times did it take you to pass your drivers test?

A. Once. If it takes you many more than that, maybe you should use the bus system.

16. If you had to have the same topping on your vanilla ice cream for the rest of your life, what topping would you choose?

A. Chocolate.

17. What food item would need to be removed from the market altogether in order for you to live a healthier, longer life?

A. Chocolate.

18. You are offered an envelope that you know contains $50. You are then told that you may either keep it or exchange it for another envelope that may contain $500 or may be empty. Do you keep the first envelope, or do you take your chances with the second?

A. Take my chances with the second. I started out with nothing anyway.

19. If you had to choose, which would you give up: cable TV, or DSL/cable internet?

A. Cable TV.

20. What is your highest level of education?

A. I have a masters degree.

21. How much is a gallon of gas in your city? What was the highest it’s been?

A. Right now it's about $2.35. It's getting close to Memorial Day and the prices always go up then (gouge gouge gouge). I think the highest it hit was about $4 a gallon, around the end of George Bush's presidency. I can't really remember how high it was. Only that it was high.

22. What kind of lunch box did you have as a kid?

A. I had a Partridge Family lunch box. You can see a picture of it at this link.

23. What would you rather have, a nanny, a housekeeper, a cook, or a chauffeur?

A. I'd be really happy with a combination housekeeper and cook. I don't need a nanny or a chauffeur.

24. Would you rather be trapped in an elevator, or stuck in traffic?

A. Stuck in traffic. I have an elevator phobia as it is.

Saturday 9: No Myth

Saturday 9: No Myth (1989)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) The girl in this song is "just looking for someone to dance with." Who was your most recent dance partner?

A. My momma don't dance and my daddy don't rock and roll. My husband don't dance and neither does anyone I know. So I guess my most recent dance partner was the broom.

2) Michael Penn wonders if he'd do better with the ladies if he was Romeo or Heathcliff. What fictional character represents your romantic ideal?

A. Aragon, King of Gondor, from Lord of the Rings, as portrayed in the movies. I like that long hair, bad boy look, and brooding eyes.

3) The lyrics refer to "knots I have yet to untie." Do the shoes you're wearing have laces?

A. I'm wearing sneakers with laces.

4) Name a character from mythology.

Cassandra, who received the gift of true prophecy from the gods only no one believed anything she said. (Most married women can probably relate to that, as their husbands seldom listen but the lady is almost always right.)

5) Michael Penn is the brother of Oscar winner Sean Penn. Give us the title of a Sean Penn movie.

A. Um. I would have to research it, which is dishonest. So I must honestly answer that I do not know the title of any Sean Penn movies. I'm not sure I would recognize Sean Penn if I saw him. 

6) Their father, Leo Penn, was a busy TV director from the 1960s through the 1990s. He specialized in detective shows (Magnum PI and Cannon) and medical shows (Trapper John and Marcus Welby, MD). Are you more likely to watch a program with lots of car chases, or one that's set in a hospital?

A. I like fantasies or sit coms. I don't like hospitals at all. I am not more likely to watch either, and generally don't. Sorry. Of the four shows mentioned, I have seen Magnum PI, but only sporadically.

7) 1989, the year "No Myth" was popular, is the year of the first HDTV broadcast. Do you watch many shows in "high def?"

A. I don't watch any shows in "high def."

8) 1989 was also the year The Simpsons premiered. Who is your all-time favorite animated character?

A. Bugs Bunny. He was quick-witted, smart, and cuddly, all at the same time. If he looked like Aragon he'd be the perfect man.

9) Random fill-in the blank: If I never had to ______________ again, it would be too soon.

A. If I never had to clean a toilet again, it would be too soon. (But I am pretty sure I will do it again this weekend.)



Click the link above to play along. Whee!

Locust Trees

The locust trees are hanging full of blossoms this year. It has been some time since I've seen the trees this full of bloom.

Redbird!

Thursday Thirteen #395

1. I am in a filipendulous state of mind.

2. My visceral decisions about my health care make me feel as if I am doing the right thing, even if I'm not.

3. I am generally pensive, though not for reality. I am frequently reminiscing about a quixotic time that never was.

4. Acupuncture sometimes has the unfortunate tendency to make me pugnacious.

5. I'm afraid my Thursday Thirteen today is a bit esoteric.

6. Ominous dreams last night have me looking at my day in a different light. I dreamt of baby birds on the window sill - Rose Eagles, my husband called them. My grandmother's nickname was Rosie and she also featured in my dreams last night. I think she was paying a visit.

7. My efforts to write are nebulous these days. I can't take control of the substance.

8. My last article was not diminutive; it was a laborious project, about 1,700 words, and quite involved. I wrote about water.

9. I drink copious amounts of water during the day, at least six glasses, but still have dry skin.

10. Our austere spending has kept us relatively debt-free, but it also means I still use an ancient flip-phone and do not text.

11. The ostensible purpose of both political parties is to govern, but it really is about capitalism and money. Governing has little to do with it.

12. The duplicitous nature of some of my husband's customers makes me wonder if what he does is worth the effort.

13. This anomalous Thursday Thirteen is brought to you by a few visits to various Words of the Day websites and the words proffered on them.




Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 395th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

New Baby

I love it when they give birth in front of the house and I can watch the whole process. Always a miracle.

My Mother's Day Visitor

Mother's Day can be difficult for those who have lost their mothers, or those who wanted to be mothers but never were. I have a double whammy with that, so tend to hide like a turtle on that particular Hallmark Holiday.

Mother Nature, though, knew I needed some company. So she sent along this lovely creature to bring a highlight to my day.

Okay, who is interrupting my romp?

I see you, you big lumbering camera-welding human!

I've got my eye on you!

What, you think moving around for a side view will help?

Yes, I have a tail!

Look at the claws on that critter!

Apparently even turtles get flies.

I think this is what we commonly call a box turtle (terrapene carolina). There is a small pond down over the hill and the turtle was sprinting up toward my red flowers from that direction.

As turtles go, it moved quite quickly across the driveway. It stopped in its tracks the moment I opened the back door, though. That piercing red eye never moved from me as I walked around it, taking pictures.

Finally, after I gently placed a hoe beneath the turtle and turned it around in the direction from whence it came (for I did not want it to eat my flowers), it ducked its head into its shell. When I next looked out, the turtle was gone (and the flowers were safe).

For a day, I think, this turtle was my animal totem. The turtle totem symbolizes a person's peaceful walk on this earth. It represents the path one takes as she embarks on her journey through life. 

In contrast to emotional or spiritual development occurring in bursts, the way of the turtle anchors one's personal unfolding in a slow, more grounded series of steps and longer cycles of transformation.

The turtle is associated with one's physical and embodied evolution on the earthly plane. People call on this spirit animal for help to be more grounded. One can also get help with slowing down and pacing, so the next step may be taken with more confidence.
My overall animal totem is a doe, but I think other animals sometimes pop up to guide you. I've been visited by a black bear, a black swan, and by turkeys. I think they all have something to say.

Books: Factory Man

Factory Man: How One Furniture Maker Battled Offshoring, Stayed Local - and Helped Save an American Town
By Beth Macy
451 pages (including footnotes & index)
Copyright 2014

First, I have to make several disclaimers.

I went to college with the author. I consider us friendly acquaintances and rivals, as we are both journalists in the Roanoke Valley. She wrote for a different newspaper before turning to books. We are Facebook friends. She once wrote an article about my efforts to write a book about author Mary Johnston (efforts which ultimately came to naught).

We don't have lunch together, hang out, or talk trash. We greet each other kindly and professionally. I think I've spoken to her maybe 10 times in the last 20 years, to be honest.

My edition of Factory Man is autographed.

My bedroom suite was made by Virginia House, which ultimately Bassett bought out. I was grateful that my furniture was built before that happened because by then Bassett was making junk. The bed I sleep in is solid cherry wood and the drawers in the dresser are dove-tailed and not stapled together. It's solid, good furniture, and Bassett ruined Virginia House when they bought them out (the purchase is mentioned in the book).

Having said all of that, I debated a long time about reviewing the book publicly. I suspect anything I say can be misconstrued in any number of ways. If I praise too much, someone will say it is because we know one another. If I say anything negative, it will be construed as professional jealousy. I am sure I cannot win this one, but I will write a review anyway.

First, I am not sure how to classify this book. Amazon and others have it listed as a business book, and I suppose that fits best. It is a not a biography, nor is it really a history. It's more of an assessment of a certain industry, an analysis of its rise and fall.

I personally see it as an indictment of capitalism and globalization, a microcosm of the macrocosm of our society, but others may not. I know there are people who think this is the way things should be. I am not one of them.

The industry under discussion in the book is the American furniture industry. At one time, furniture was king in Southwestern Virginia. When you watched The Price is Right in the 1970s, they gave away Bassett furniture. I can remember my grandmother watching the show and saying, "That was made just down the road."

Bassett had a good name up until the late 1980s.

Factory Man tells how furniture making came to the area, and how the Bassets brought it here. They created a bank and then basically set up a town. The family experienced infighting; expansion proved exasperating, and marriages were made not only for love (if ever for love) but for what the spouse could bring to the industry table.

Thousands of people around here worked on these furniture lines. Then along came China and other importers. They brought cheaper furniture, some of it exact replicas of the Bassett brand.

Then, as has happened in so many other industries, local factories began importing the cheaper items.

Jobs went asunder like trailers turned to twigs in a tornado. Soon the area's best employers were laying folks off, not just a few at a time, but by the hundreds. Portions of Virginia have never recovered from the economic devastation of this loss of jobs.

That part of the story, the effect that globalization has had on "the little people," is the story that Macy tells in her book.

She also explains how John Bassett, III, fought to keep his factories going by finding trade-agreement loopholes. He is her hero, the old rich guy who wants to keep his people employed.

The two stories merge, of course, because they are bound up in the same issue of globalization.

Macy's research is evident on every page. She is thorough and meticulous. Her writing is personable and flowing. But she was dealing with tough subject matter.

For one thing, these people were not the most likeable bunch. They were men smoking cigars who were plotting how to make the most money they could, and they wanted to do it on the backs of their workers. Macy glides over this fact somewhat, showing the better side of the owners, generally. They did some nice things for their employees, certainly. But they also became rich off of the sweat of others.

In the end, this is a story of capitalism at work, and capitalism takes no prisoners and has no room for niceties. It rises and falls, and humanity be damned. I wanted to read stories from factory workers who hated the Bassetts, but there were few in there (I don't recall any at all, but perhaps there was one or two I am forgetting). I suspect Macy had a hard time finding people willing to publicly speak out about the furniture industry owners. One never knows what form retribution may take, after all.

The book reads like a newspaper article - a very long newspaper article. That's to be expected, as Macy is a journalist. However, the book bogs down in the middle and I confess I put it down for several months before picking it back up to finish it.

It suffers, too, because so many people have similar names. There is a chart of the family in the back of the book, but I did not find it until it was too late. By that time I was thoroughly confused as to which Bassett or Spilman did what to which factory. I have heard that this chart has been moved to the front of the book in the paperback edition, and I applaud that change if it is true. I wish I had known of the chart in the back sooner.

Macy set out to tell the story of the demise of the furniture industry and the loss of jobs. She does this admirably. She also wants to tell the story of John Bassett, III. She does this, too, but the tale feels incomplete. Perhaps it will feel incomplete until the gentleman retires or dies, I don't know.

The writer also offers no resolutions or ways to bring back these jobs backs, or how to create a new economy. She simply offers up what happened, fact by fact. The reader must draw her own conclusion from this. My conclusion is that American manufacturing has lost this fight. Even if a manufacturer remains over here, corners are cut so that the product suffers.

We are stuck with poorly made, low-quality items for a while. Eventually, I think, American made that is of quality will make a come-back, but it will be rather like the local food movement. Slow, steady, and a long time coming.

My book club read this book and it generated interesting discussion about our area. We read it not long after Norfolk Southern Railroad announced it was moving 500 jobs out of Roanoke. Roanoke has long been known as a railroad town, so for Roanoke this was a little like the furniture factories closing in Basset. The biggest difference is the railroad has been sending jobs out of Roanoke slowly for about long as I've been alive, so the impact was lessened.

I think Macy did an excellent job in her reporting of this important story. She has earned many accolades for this book and there is even talk of a mini-series or something with Tom Hanks (no real details available there). She deserves everything she can get and I would like to see her go on Bill Maher on HBO and discuss her book, because Beth is as impressive in person as she is on the page. That's an interview I would not miss.

I applaud my colleague on her hard work and brilliant effort. If you have an interest in globalization and would like to know why your neighbors no longer have a job, then this is must-read. I am not aware of many other writings that attempt to tackle this issue from the bottom up, instead of the top down.

Sunday Stealing: A Person Not Yet Born

From Sunday Stealing

CAPS LOCK Meme


1. YOU HAVE 10 BUCKS AND NEED TO BUY SNACKS AT A GAS STATION. WHAT DO YOU GET?

A. A bottle of water, a bag of Baked Lays Potato Chips, and a banana, if there is one. I think that's about all $10 will purchase in a convenience store or gas station.
 
2. IF YOU WERE REINCARNATED, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE?

A. A person not yet born.
 
3. WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE REDHEAD?

A. I will say my massage therapist. Or Lucille Ball.
 
4. WHAT DO YOU ORDER WHEN YOU’RE AT AN I.H.O.P. OR BREAKFAST PLACE?

A. Scrambled eggs, bacon, grits, biscuits and gravy.
 
5. LAST BOOK YOU READ?

A. I listened to King and Maxwell, by David Baldacci. The last book I actually read was Factory Man, by Beth Macy.
 
6. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?

A. I currently watching The Return of the King as I attempt to exercise. So I am watching it in 15 minute chunks.
 
7. DESCRIBE YOUR FAVORITE PAIR OF UNDERWEAR.

A. They're underwear. I don't have a favorite pair. So long as they don't have holes in them, I wear them.
 
8. DESCRIBE THE LAST TIME YOU WERE INJURED.

A. Apparently I injure myself every time I open my eyes. At the moment I have a bruise on my arm and one on my back, neither of which I know how I obtained.
 
9. IF YOU COULD INVENT ONE THING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

A. One of those instant healing tricorder things from Star Trek.
 
10. ROCK CONCERT OR SYMPHONY?

A. Rock concert. Well, more like a pop music concert. I am not into hard rock.
 
11. WHAT IS THE WALLPAPER ON YOUR CELLPHONE?

A. I have an old flip phone. I don't think it has wallpaper.
 
12. FAVORITE SODA?

A. I like a root beer every now and then.
 
13. FLAVOR OF PUDDING?

A. Chocolate. 

14. WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A PEDICURE OR A MANICURE?

A. Neither. My nails are thin and brittle. I tried a manicure once and it hurt so much that I vowed to never try it again.
 
15. ANY BUTTONS OR BLINKIES IN YOUR SIDEBAR?

A. I have an advertisement for my husband's septic tank business.
 
16. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON YOUR BLOGROLL?

A. I don't know. I have a fair number listed in my sidebar but I also have a long list in a folder in my Favorites on my browser.
 
17. WHAT’S THE LAST PIECE OF CLOTHING YOU BOUGHT?

A. Socks.

Saturday 9: Harper Valley PTA

Saturday 9: Harper Valley PTA (1968)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

I remember this song from childhood. I have always thought it was a fun song - even more so when I was old enough to actually understand it.

1) This week's featured artist uses her middle initial (C. for Carolyn) all the time. Do you use your middle initial very often?

 

A. I use it in my official signature. I used to use it in my byline but at some point I stopped that.

2) In this song, a mother tells off the local PTA. What's the most recent school event you attended -- whether as a parent, a teacher or a student?

A. Um. I have no idea. The only thing I can remember is going to see my niece dance on a Saturday at the elementary school, and that was probably two years ago.

3) The lyrics reference the mom's miniskirts, which were trendy in the 1960s. The website Popsugar reports that gingham checks are trendy for 2015. Tell us about the most recent addition to your wardrobe.

A. My most recent addition to my wardrobe was white Nurse Mate compression socks that my physical therapist urged me to try in hopes of helping the swelling in my right ankle. How's that for sounding old, eh?

4) Thinking of moms, Access Hollywood named Carol Brady of The Brady Bunch TV's #1 mom. Who is your favorite TV mom?

A. Shirley Partridge on the Partridge Family. She sang and played keyboards and had beautiful children.

5) Mother Winters always gave Sam peppermint tea to calm her stomach. Do you have any tried-and-true home remedies to share?

A. I sometimes eat candied ginger for an upset stomach, or drink ginger tea, for the same. Ice helps swelling, but I'm sure everyone knows that.

6) Sam's mother always tips 15% in restaurants. Sam has worked in food service and is more judgmental, tipping between 10% and 25%, depending on the quality of the service. What's your tipping policy? Are you more like Sam or her mother?

A. I generally tip 20%, unless the service was terrible.

7) When the tip of her shoelace becomes frayed, Sam's mother snips off the end and then paints the tip with clear nail polish. Good as new! Sam thinks that's crazy because you can just buy new laces for less than $2. Are you more frugal like mother or spendthrift like daughter?

A. I'd buy new shoelaces in that particular scenario. I'd probably save the laces to use for something else, though. You never know when you need a string.

8) Mother Winters loves how french vanilla smells and burns her Yankee Candles all year around. Do you use scented candles or air fresheners?

A. I have asthma and allergies and react strongly to most fragrances. So, no.

9) Sam is celebrating Mother's Day with her mother's favorite, Hershey Bars. Would you prefer classic milk chocolate, dark chocolate or chocolate with almonds?

A. I am partial to dark chocolate but lately it seems to upset my stomach, so I suppose milk chocolate this time around.

 

 

 

Join in the fun at Saturday 9 by clicking the link above. Whee!

 

Books: King and Maxwell

King and Maxwell
by David Baldacci
Unabridged - 13 hours
Read by Ron McLarty with Ortlagh Cassidy
Copyright 2013

This is Baldacci's sixth book in his King and Maxwell series. The guy is a prolific Virginia author with several other series as well as stand-alone books.

I've listened to all of the King and Maxwell series and enjoyed each one. The characters of Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are well developed. There's always danger, political intrigue, technological savvy, and relationship complications. I don't know how the books read in print but I enjoy listening to them in the car.

In this story, King and Maxwell literally stumble into their next case. A rainy night, a young teenager running with a gun - bang, the book is off to a fast start. The young man, Tyler Wingo, learned hours earlier that his father, Sam, had been killed in action in Afghanistan. His stepmother wasn't too concerned that the young teen had run off.

Former Secret Service agent Michelle Maxwell felt all of her spidey senses tingling when she and Sean came across the situation. Something was amiss. Boy, was she ever right.

The duo begin investigating and soon a plot unravels that goes straight to the Whitehouse. Add in a psycho with revenge issues and you have the making of a big story that might cost the two private investigators their lives as they work to protect the young boy and uncover the truth.

I enjoy this audio version, which come across almost more like a radio play than an audio book. Using a male and female reader for the various parts was genius. The audio also added in special effects - gun fire, crashes, and a little ramp-up noise to alert the reader that there's something up and you should listen to the next part while the car is parked. Otherwise you'll forget you are driving.

Thursday Thirteen

1. Heroes often fail. And stories always end. Those lines are from a song. Any guesses?

2. Conversation on Tuesday.
    Me: I think my qi (pronounced chee) is bad.
    Friend: What do you call bad qi?
    Me: Chong.

3. I opened up my little hometown paper yesterday and saw this article headline: How to Respond to an Active Shooter Seminar. So instead of working on mental health and societal issues that make people think it's okay to gun each other down, we're just going to give in and learn how to duck, cover, and shoot back. Okaydokey.

4. I saw a new acupuncturist yesterday. She told me I have problems with my lung, kidney, spleen, and gallbladder meridians. There are twelve standard meridians. That means I'm 1/3 messed up.

5. A friend told me earlier in the week that when she first met me, she thought I was a normal, boring person. Then I said something (she didn't remember what) and she knew that she was in the in company of someone who did not follow the rules and who marched to a beat of her own making. I took it as a compliment.

6. The tenants in my rental house did at least $1,500 in damage. They knocked holes in the wall, removed the shower heads and inner guts of the toilets (?), and broke a door. Thanks for nothing, jerks.

7. I told my husband I was thinking of getting rid of my books. He said it would leave me heart broken. I think I see it as more like making way for new ones. Besides, the older ones are dusty and I'll never read the book again. However, I say that, but the books are still here. Maybe he's right.

8. Watching Game of Thrones every week is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You know there will be blood and gore but you can't look away.

9. Have you figured out the song in #1 yet? It's here.

10. This is not the song, but it is a song and version that has been trapped in my head for the last several days. It's from the Newsroom, which was one of my favorite shows when it was on. "That's How I Got to Memphis."

11. I started a gratitude journal at the beginning of the year, but I haven't written in it since March. The entries were all starting to sound the same. "I'm grateful my friend called me today. I'm grateful I was able to do a little housework. I'm glad the pain was a 7 instead of a 9." I will go back to it, though.

12. Does anyone know how one changes her karma? Is there a formula you can follow? Do I need to find the yellow brick road? Walk a mile in bare feet over a rocky road? Burn incense? Stick straws up my nose?

13. I worked in retail a very long time ago. The proprietor scolded me because I did not honor the money. She insisted that I turn each bill so that they all faced the same way, smooth the cash, and treat it with respect. It was the first time I realized how much people worship greenbacks.

If only we worshipped our souls so much.


Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 394th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

May Moon

Sweet Shrub

These are photos of a sweet shrub (calycanthus floridus) that my mother planted at the home we lived in from about 1973 to 1976 (which would be when I was still a child). I own the property now and rent the old farm house out.

This plant grows near the corner of the porch. I confess we have cut it back multiple times at varying times of the year. My husband keeps hoping it will die but it grows back time after time, bigger than it was before he pruned it. Since my mother planted it, I have a bit of a fondness for it. Apparently, it is an incredibly hardy plant.

What I Love To Do

Last night, it all came back to me.

I was working on a long article for a local publication, one that included much research and the reading of boring legal documents. It was a story that I figured few would read, but the information mattered. Somebody had to write it.

Suddenly, I spied something off. I read. I reread. It made no sense, and it was a major scoop if it were true. That's a reporter's dream right there.

I called my editor and told him what I'd found. Yes, it was Sunday evening. I interrupted his repair of a carburetor, but what I'd come across was important enough that he went to clean the grime off his hands and head for his keyboard.

For a time, we both thought we might have something. It seemed improbable. I think we both knew in our gut that it was incorrect paperwork, but we had to be sure. It was big if it wasn't. Major scandal.

Long story short, what I'd found wasn't wrong-doing, just an embarrassing error that highly paid lawyers, not a low paid freelance reporter, should have found. But had it not been an error, it would have had local folks in an uproar. Heads would have rolled.

But in the figuring it out, in the working on it part - the excitement building as I thought I had a major story, the discussion with my editor, the follow-up Sunday evening phone calls to community leaders, there it was.

What I love to do.

I love to chase a story. I love the feel of it, the idea of it, the smell of it. I love thinking I have something that the public has the right to know, and I'm the one figuring it out and presenting it to them. I love sniffing after a lead like an ol' hound dog on the track of a rabbit. I track down first this person and then the next, putting together the puzzle pieces until I have a complete picture. And then I write it up so a sixth grader can understand it, and send it out into the world. And frankly, I'm damn good at it.

Even when a story fizzles, like it did last night, for a while the adrenaline flows. The body forgets it hurts every time I breathe. My focus becomes acute, I see nothing else. Just the story. The words and the world of it, the happenings around it. The build up to how something happened, the actual climax of it occurring, and the dénouement - all the parts of a novel - there they are, in a newspaper story.

Like writing a best seller, only in 1,000 words.

I used to do it almost every week. Now I seldom do it at all - most of the time what little writing I am doing is straight forward and a bit boring, because I don't feel well enough to do anything else. The pay for the work isn't there, either, not like it was ten years ago. With our brave new world and all of that, our information isn't gathered as it once was. The governments do what they want because they think no one is watching now. Frequently, they are right about that.

I'm still watching. Mostly it's mundane. Sometimes, though, it's not.

I cannot tell you how much I miss those times when it's not.