I Sure Am Clean Today!

 Like he knows anything about writing 

Yesterday was an unusual day; I mowed the lawn twice and took four showers. I will tell you about that later - kind of a cliff-hanger...

Well, as destiny would have it, a short story competition has fallen into my lap and I am entering. I have until September 20th (a mere eleven days) to have my short story submitted. Yesterday, I dug-out the dozens of stories I had started writing over the past couple of years. Some of them are already beyond the short story criteria (length-wise) but I am way ahead of where I would have been had I not had anything written. I can condense stories or add to others. So, for the next couple of days I will be in editor mode (something I have done many, many times in my life) to make one really good short story from what I have. There is a theme for the contest so I may have to refine my story/stories to match the criteria. As I see it, I am way ahead of where other people who just found out about the contest are. If I am selected as one of the finalists I will have to read my story on the radio as part of the contest. I am unclear if listeners will decide on the winners or how the winners will be chosen but, if listeners decide, and I make it that far, I will let you know so you can listen and, hopefully feel my story worthy enough for your to vote. I am pretty excited - I love writing pressure; I always have. As I look into it, there are many short story contests. I just saw one from Readers Digest that I may have to enter next? The deadline for that is November 16th. Since this is my first go and many probably do this all the time I just want to do well. though winning would not be objectionable. I will autograph a first edition for you when my first book comes out.

Hey, one thing that I learned on our trip to Germany is that they do not have any bears in Germany. There has only been one bear in the country in the past 170 years. That bear came from Austria and killed seven sheep and raided a chicken coop before returning to Austria. I was under the impression that Germany was full of bears. I thought maybe Goldilocks even lived in Germany. I was truly astounded by that fact.

 This is pretty much my day yesterday (though I walked to the store with clothes on) 

I should probably explain the four showers and the mowing the lawn twice now that I think about it. I had already taken my morning shower because I had heard that it was supposed to rain for the couple of days straight. The rain was said to be here, according to the so-called experts, off-and-on for the next few days. So, after the rain stopped for a bit and the grass was fairly dry, I fired-up the mower. I quickly moved through the front yard and then it was off to the forest in the back. There was some mud here and there but nothing that would slow me down. I got about half-way done with the back when the sky started sweating on me (shower number two - this one with no soap). Fortunately, I had my lawn-mowin' hat (shower cap in this case, I guess) and gloves on so there was no water in my eyes or on my watch. I was moving pretty good and not realizing, because of the trees blocking a lot of the precipitation, that it was pouring rain but I was gonna finish the lawn dag-blam-it. Well, all of a sudden, the lawnmower decided that it didn't like the moisture and it quit. Try, as I might, I could not get it fired-up again. So, I took Old Red to the garage to dry off. I found, at that time, that I was soaked. I was the only one home so I stripped naked in the garage and hung my wet clothes from a rope in the garage to dry. I did this very quickly because I pictured Cha Cha or Fabio coming home for some reason and hitting the garage door opener and all the neighbors being outside with their video phones as I stand there naked in my garage - fortunately, for womankind that did not happen,. So, I went up and took shower number three. After a bit the sun came out and the rain stopped and I fired-up the mower again and finished the back. It was pretty humid by that point so I became very sweaty. Knowing I needed another shower anyway I washed the lawnmower with the hose and removed some things wrapped around the blade and went in and took shower number four. It probably sounds very boring now but it sure seemed action-packed yesterday.

My feet are asleep. Maybe that last story was more boring than I thought. I hope that it was just that my feet lived through the story.

At least he is honest!

Wouldn't you know it? I just now heard on the radio that is is supposed to be in the mid 70's and dry today. Funny how we plan our lives (and lawn-mowings) around their reporting and then, after we mow in the mud and down-pours and do dollar dances in the garage... the next day is pretty-much perfect mowing weather. Don't you wish you could be wrong as much as weather forecasters and still be paid very well? I am wrong all the time but I just do it as a hobby; I am not a professional. It is supposed to get down to like 53 degrees tonight so I am thinking it a windows-open kind of day and night - but they are probably wrong about that too.

Okay, I have lots to do today including working on my short story. I hope you enjoy the supposed great weather that is headed our way today. I also plan to watch, or listen to, the Cubs - Cardinals game today (I like day games). The Cubs are playing great baseball right now and have beaten (actually annihilated) the Cards the last two nights. I hope the Cardinals can avoid the sweep today as, even though they are still in first place, I like that they still have some breathing room at the top of the division. There is about zero chance that the Cards will be eliminated from the play-offs but winning the division means a better chance of making it to the World Series as fewer games are required.

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope the weather is all that you hope for where you are too. Have a great day. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!