Absent-minded Acting Professor?

Evening!

I must apologize for the last post where it may seem that I stuttered. :) Maybe I should read the last post before making the new one.

You know, this is often a symptom of a disease that has plagued mankind for its whole existence... a disease that causes unstable equilibrium, random amnesia and generally obliterates the mind. I'm referring, of course to advancing age. Yes, I can feel its icy fingers upon me.

My wife often mentions a story to our friends and family that illustrates my sudden awareness of this vicious disease. I was leaving the house one morning as I usually do, getting into the car and driving to town... this particular day, I was going to get gas. Well, I arrived at the gas station, stepped out of my Chevy and proceeded to undo the gas cap. I pulled the hose off of the pump, put it into the gas inlet on the car, then continued with the payment phase. There, I stood before the pump, after preparing the car to receive the gas, after driving several miles into town only to stare blankly at the credit card slot, my hand feeling the left cheek of my backside where I usually keep my wallet. Only, there was no wallet. Everything was going off without a hitch right up until this moment. Then, cerebral brakes slammed on, my thoughts skidding erratically to a stop.

$*$&%!@!!

After putting back the hose without buying anything, after driving several miles without listening to the radio, after mumbling all the way into my driveway... I walked straight into my office and printed out a sheet that read: ABSENT-MINDED BUTTHEAD CHECKLIST. This list had only three items (items that I'm always forgetting). They were: keys, phone & WALLET. This list, I then attached with tape to the inside of the screen door where it would be in plain sight each day as I left the house.

Does it work? Yes. Well, except once when I locked myself out of the house. :)

I'm a Student Again!

Hi, folks!

Just enrolled in East Carolina University for a Master's in History. The school is located in Greenville, NC. There's some folks there who are doing research on the Lost Colony. I got intrigued... doesn't take much. :)

Anyway, just letting ya know. I'm excited about returning and look forward to spending the rest of my life on campuses somewhere here in my home state of North Carolina.

As for the writing... It's still going on. Never stop, I tell ya. Heirloom Returns, Aten's Promise, Following the Bear, Shock Value and various short stories, one of which I plan to place on here, piece by piece. I want to gauge public response to it. So, keep your eyes open for that.

Well... as all ECU Pirates are want of saying.... "Arrrrggghhh!"

Keep writing!

New beginnings...

For many years now, I've been bouncing around now, working, writing and playing in my shop out back. At my age, this looked like my life. Not a bad one, sure. But, for someone with my "unusual" personality, that kind of life is certain death.

So, I decided that I needed to make a change. I have an Associates Degree but never went to college long enough to get the Bachelor's. In fact, I enjoyed college so much that I went way beyond the normal 64 credit hours to get that Associates. Every subject was cool to me. Physics? Cool... how does this work? Why does it take so much work to push a desk across the floor? And why does it take so much less to make one splash off a pier? And why does George Washington wear wooden teeth? And, what do you mean they weren't made of wood? Stuff like that. I could do that all day, every day...

What profession allows you to do that? Duh... being a teacher.

I love to talk. Ask my wife. I also like to be a "know-it-all". You need her phone number? Actually, knowledge is fun for me. You play video games... well, I learn. It's just an aspect of my psychosis that's been with me all my life. That... and "Jeopardy!"

I'm not dull! Really... I'm a lot of fun. At least, I think so. And my wife will say that, too. It's not just my opinion. By now, I should think you can trust her opinion! So, I asked her if I would make a good teacher. She said, "Did you say something, Professor?" I love that girl.

Now, I'm seeking my Bachelor's Degree. Then, a Master's. Maybe a Doctorate or two. As long as it's fun. And, it promises to be. For almost thirty years, I have done genealogy. What history is more interesting than your own? Genealogy has unwittingly led me to the coast of North Carolina (my home state) and to the very beginnings of the state, in fact the beginnings of America. Going to college at East Carolina University in Greenville threw me into the local "looney bin" along with some other folks doing research on the fate of the Lost Colony. The Lost Colony, you may ask? Yep. The Lost Colony of Roanoke in 1587. This is a Mecca for us history nerds. Not only that... there's also pirates! Arrggghh! Now, you thought I was boring. Shows you! Take that, ya' lubber!

You can read up on the research currently being done at www.lost-colony.com

The idea is that the Roanoke Colony was never completely lost, but that they simply blended back into our society through their native descendants who married into the early settlers to this region. Early pioneers were mostly unmarried men (7 out of 8, in fact). They married native women... natives who just happened to be blond with blue eyes (on occasion). Wouldn't that be like the first to land on the buxomly California shores? With margaritas? Don't tell my wife when you talk to her.

Well, I got hooked. Now, I want to make it official. And, I want a margarita, too! So, there will probably be many more books to come with even wilder ideas than time travel involved (did I mention that I was a sci-fi Nerd too). My first book was based in lovely St. Augustine, Florida but now I have California-like natives, scantily clad and begging for attention in North Carolina. I'm sure there's a story in there somewhere... again... quit telling my wife!!!