Bill's Meandering Thoughts

In Lieu of Flowers, Send Vodka

2008-12-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

The morning my mother-in-law died one of her friends sent a delivery person to the family home. We saw the car drive up, heard a knock on the door, and expected flowers.

It was a half-gallon of vodka.

When I recounted the event later on, one of my friends said, “I’d like to know that family! What an attitude: In lieu of flowers, send Vodka!”

My reply: “I’m a lucky man to have married into them.”

Lee Holden, who died at age 87, was active and mentally alert to the end of her life. And I often said to her, “If I had to choose a family instead of the bride, I couldn’t have done any better.” Her reply was always: “You’re darn right you couldn’t have!”

Lee knew I always enjoyed a cocktail before dinner so she would inevitably make me a Vodka Martini, which was her favorite drink. She and her husband of 65 years, Chuck, also enjoyed preparing food for visiting family.

The last year had been extraordinarily tough for all of us, especially Lee and Chuck: In September 2007 they lost their son-in-law: Rich Adent, husband of their oldest daughter, Sue; six weeks later their second child, Jan, died of pancreatic cancer at age 61.

Then, in February Lee was in an auto mishap and fractured her pelvis.

After the accident, both Debbie and I were afraid she might contract pneumonia from the limited activity during the healing process. Lee, after all, had smoked for sixty years before she finally quit cold-turkey one day in an effort to get Chuck to quit, too. Lee’s lungs were already weak from the smoking, and she was on four times daily respiratory treatments, which she self-administered.

But Lee was-strong willed, and a fighter who never complained about her predicament.

Two months after the accident (April) she was back home, healthy (well, mostly) and anxious to return to her old routine. A meticulous housekeeper, she loved her animals, a Yorkshire Terrier named Mikki, and a rag doll cat, Nancy. Though she couldn’t play tennis anymore (she played until age 72, when her ankles gave out) but she avidly watched tournaments on television.

Summer passed and the vegetable garden began to produce its bounty. Then, in August, Lee suffered a mild heart attack. Again, an ambulance. A stent received and medication changed, Lee attempted to return to normal. Again, no real complaints. But the added medicine didn’t quite agree with her.

Labor Day weekend, unsteady from the medication and too stubborn to use her walker to help steady herself, she tripped and fell. Something had broken, she knew. It was her hip.

Again, tenacity prevailed as she moved from the hospital to a step-down hospital and finally into the same nursing home where she recovered from the pelvis injury. She was looking forward to working hard with physical therapy to return home to Chuck and her animals. On the road to recovery, though, she became unexpectedly weak. Sue made arrangements for Lee to visit the emergency room, where they diagnosed pneumonia and an upset stomach because of her medications. Lee arrived there on Friday. Debbie rushed down to St. Joe. Saturday I received a frantic call that her mother was near death; that I should hurry down as well.

I drove the 230 miles but again, Lee had shown tenacity and apparently cheated death from its nearly-successful grip. The doctor said they’d drain her lung on Monday, and after that, she should be ready to go back to the nursing home. I visited Lee and we talked briefly and smiled. Her condition stabilized, I returned to Traverse City on Sunday, ready to go to work.

At 4:00 a.m. Monday I received a call from my wife, distraught. Lee died after asking the nurses to open a window. Deb had stayed with Lee all night, as she had in past times, and was there as she departed this earthly world.

Lee didn’t want a traditional funeral. She was cremated, and in lieu of a wake or funeral a celebration of her life was held at the family home the following Sunday. Our kids were all there, as were a ton of relatives.

We drank White Russians, Jan’s favorite drink, and Black Russians and Vodka martinis, Lee’s drinks, and Rich's favorite beer, and pop, and the Holden’s great well water, and thought of Lee.

We posted pictures and quotes of her favorite sayings around the house, and wore jeans and fuzzy socks, apparel that Lee was known to favor.

We told stories, and laughed and treasured the moments she had given us over the years, through her cantankerous but very caring personality.

Lee was from the old school, mostly German, a product of Scheers and Gundlach’s and the frugality that comes with living through the Great Depression. Yet, Lee was one of the most generous persons I have even known, though many, I believe, misunderstood her sometimes gruff nature.

Lee has helped me in many ways, through the years, to understand the Scheer mentality which sometimes shows up in my wife. And I thank her for her welcoming me into the family, and her friendship, and not least of all, her Vodka martinis.

Jeans and Fuzzy Socks in honor of Lee

Vero Beach with the Hanleys

2008-03-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are with the Hanleys: Warm weather and ocean breezes.

We've been loafing, mostly, eating probably too much and having a beer from time to time (and occasional gin and tonic!)

The condo is located on North Hutchinson Island between Fort Pierce and Vero Beach on A1A just across from the ocean. It's on the fifth floor and provides a terrific view down the beach. We've driven to both Vero Beach and Fort Pierce for shopping and lunch, but mostly mostly we've been just vegging out.
Last night we visited Joe and Pat Harding, from St. Joe, who live in a complex next door.

Kevin got the internet wireless working well, so we're finally online.

Will post again soon.

Bill

McCain's T.C. Election Day visit; Bill's View Behind the Scenes

2008-02-18T06:52:00.000-08:00

Sen. John McCain visited Traverse City on primary election day: Jan 15, 2008, attracting at least 420 people, according to estimates by an impartial group: the staff of the Hagerty Center, where the GOTV (Get Out the Vote) event was held.

It was a great rally with a good turnout, considering it was held on a weekday morning at 8:30 a.m. and a lot of people had to be at work at that time.

I am proud to say I had a small hand in the success of the event, being the campaign’s local contact to help McCain’s advance people organize the visit.

It all began mid December with a phone call from GOP Michigan National Committeeman Chuck Yob. He asked me to start thinking of venues for a possible visit on Sunday, Jan. 13: the Park Place Dome, an airport hangar, or other places that could hold at least four hundred people.

The reason I was called to help was because I was asked early on (last September) if I would be the McCain 2008 Chairman for Grand Traverse County.

"What do I have to do?" was my response at the time, wondering if I would be swamped with work.

"Not much," was Chuck's response, “until he comes to Traverse City."

Well, beginning December 28th with another phone call, I was called to action. Chuck informed me that the date of the visit had been changed from Sunday to Tuesday, the actual day of the primary election. So from December 28 until election day untold hours were spent laying the groundwork to help the campaign staff set up, publicize and get people to the event.

It was important to have a great crowd turn out: national media would be there and broadcast video throughout the state and even the country. In fact a whole busload of media arrived.

My marching orders were: first, find and secure a terrific venue. Next: secure a high school band (or two) to play live music; contact Veterans’ organizations to bring out a contingent (or two) of honor guard; get some large groups to attend in case no one else showed up (high school kids were acceptable); make sure the media knew of and publicized the event; notify the local police so they knew the Senator would be in town; and compile a list of local VIPs that should be invited and email it to headquarters ASAP for approval.

Once those things were in place the Advanced Team from headquarters would handle all the minor details, such as: setting up the room with risers for the Senator and press; handling the logistics of transporting the Senator and his entourage (and press, and all their luggage) from the airport to the hotel etc.

To accomplish my small part in the event took phone calls to more than fifty different people (and multiple phone calls to many). My computer logged 126 related incoming emails (many in response to my fifty outgoing inquiries). And then there were many hours on site with the advance team.

Now that the visit has come and gone, and people have had time to mull their reaction, it seems that the event was generally considered a success, even though the Senator lost Michigan to Mitt Romney. McCain did win two districts: the First, which encompasses the Upper Peninsula and northern part of the lower peninsula, and the Sixth, which is southwest Michigan (Cong. Fred Upton’s district).

Comments reflected how the Senator came across as a genuine person, even though he had probably given versions of the same speech many times. He was in command of the issues and possessed the demeanor of a leader.

Following his remarks he took time to shake hands and mingle with the crowd.

When one elderly Veteran got off his chair (we provided chairs for the honor guards) and attempted to walk toward the Senator, McCain spotted him and promptly walked across the room to save the older man steps. And McCain made time to talk especially with him, leisurely, for a minute or two.

Evidence that it’s a small world with a variety of connections became apparent even before the Senator came to town. One of the high school principals had a son attending the Naval Academy with McCain’s son.

The military camaraderie became even more evident when one of the crowd control volunteers told us that he was a flight controller aboard the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal in 1967, when there was an explosion and horrible fire aboard ship. He said that his voice over the radio was the last McCain heard before McCain had to bail out of his aircraft.

Prior to the event, both men asked for an opportunity to shake the Senator’s hand. And they got their wish.

One thing I forgot to mention. Shortly before the Senator's arrival I was given last minute directives that weren’t in the script. One was to quickly assemble all of the vets who had been seated in chairs and bring them to the back entrance…immediately.

I enlisted the help of one my the other volunteers and we ushered the veterans to the kitchen. We waited until the vehicle carrying the Senator entered the parking lot. Then we escorted the vets outside to line the entrance. Senator McCain took the time to shake each one’s hand and thank them for their service, and for coming out on such a cold day.

Such is the bond of those who have served faithfully in the U.S. military.

Pics from the Birthdays

2008-02-18T05:32:00.000-08:00

Okay. Charlie posted the birthdays first. But I found a couple of pictures which I think are great. Here they are:

Nora with her cake. Taken December 26, 2007

Leah with her cake, taken January 1, 2008

By the way, who took these? They were on my camera, but I do not remember taking them!

Goodbye Richie

2007-09-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Last week our family untied in saying goodbye to our good friend and brother-in-law, Richard Adent.

Rich was only sixty-four years old when he passed. Yet, he was loved and treasured by many friends and family. Rich had a heart of gold, and would go way out of his way to help someone in need.

I remember, in the early 1970's when he help my wife, Debbie and me when we had car trouble in Ludington. I can't remember after all these years the miles he travelled to help us, but it must have been over a hundred. And he thought nothing of it.

Rich--along with his wife Susan--was the proud father of three extraordinary children: Todd, Amy, and Joe. They all have been extraordinary role models for our four children: Charlie, Leah, Steve and Nora.

I'm proud that our kids all helped during the difficult times of the funeral week: Charlie came in from California to serve as pallbearer; Leah read the scriptures; Steve sang "On Eagles Wings" and Nora helped with the small children.

Rich was a great friend as well as brother-in-law. He will be missed by many, many people. But his example has made a positive impact on our families and beyond. What more could one hope for?

Goodbye Richie...we'll miss you.

The Weeks Fly By...

2006-12-07T20:46:00.000-08:00

Here it is, December, and I cannot believe it is nearly Christmas!

It's been quite a year. As Steve did in his blog, I'll try to summarize a few of the highlights since my last post, which was last March, the weekend of St. Patrick's Day and Steve's opera.

1. Leah and Walter got married!
If you're a regular reader of the site, you'll already know this. Anyway, welcome to the family Walter H-C Scott!

2. Whatever happened to Summer? It seems as if I didn't really have a summer, though it was great to have Nora and Steve both home. They were busy with their full lives. Steve was an intern with a Michigan Supreme Court Justice and Nora worked at Haggerty Insurance and for the T.C. Beach Bums baseball team.

3. I went through physical therapy for tendonitis. Yes, my body can't take the abuse quite as well as the old days. I dug post holes to finish a fence before Leah's wedding and my arms didn't like it. Thank goodness for cortizone treatments to make the hurt go away!

4. Yes, I'm a complainer, especially compared to Grandfather, who never complains. He went through hip replacement surgery at age eighty something and was back working in his garden within a couple of weeks. I should be so sprite and lively at half his age. Wait! I'm more than half his age. When did that happen?

5. Sometime in August Debbie and I celebrated our twenty-fifth anniversary over again for the eighth time. I think we did something fun. But I can't remember.

6. Steve moved into a new apartment, but I didn't help him move in. In fact, I didn't even go down to take him back for the school year; Debbie did. Same story with Nora. Debbie moved her in, too, while I stayed in T.C.

7. I must be getting to be a stick-in-the-mud, because I also cancelled a scheduled trip to L.A. in September for really no reason than I wanted to spend time at the cottage since I couldn't remember where Summer went.

8. The snow is here. What happened to fall? I vaguely remember Nora being home for fall break, but not for very long. Were the colors good then? Or had the leaves fallen? Seems like the colors were good this fall. Or was that last fall? They all blend together after a while.

9. I do remember Thanksgiving. Especially the big screen television at Todd's house. Maybe once the kids are through college and the prices come down I might be able to buy one. Oh, many of us helped rake Grandfather's yard like the old times. But we didn't have beer this time. I wonder why not.

10. I finally got used to writing 2006 on things. But soon I'll have to change to 2007. Boy, adjustment can be hard, especially for a kid from Chicago who never saw the Cubs play in the series. (I'm talking about me, not Steve).

The Green River

2006-03-14T16:22:00.000-08:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Here I am at the Chicago River on the day they dyed it green!
The shirt I'm wearing is a Corbett's Bar shirt, graciously supplied by my oldest brother Bob and his wife Gail. The sash is from the Bernard J. "Bun" Brady Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (Traverse City, MI).

On Parade Day in Chicago I watched as nearly 100 floats and entries passed by the viewing stand. (A bit bigger than our annual affair in T.C.)

Afterward I was privledged to attend a Sligo County party on the 3rd floor of the Hilton and visit briefly with my old high school buddy Jim Scheer and his with Kathy, and listen to his son Kevin play Irish tunes on the fiddle and his daughter, Kara, sing a beautiful Irish melody.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Traverse City, Michigan!!

240D Resurrected!

2006-03-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

Today I picked up the new 1983 240D from Ron Bohrer and it drives great!!!

I miss the old oxblood red color, but the bluegrey with blue interior is certainly liveable. For your information, we bought the old 1981 240 D in November 1994, keeping it until March 8, 2006. We put about 66,000 miles on it in all those years (mostly kid miles).

From the old "Chuckmobile," Ron brought the following into the new one:

engine and transmission
newer exhaust parts
newer front end parts
better brake pads
snow tires we bought last winter, with original rims

and who knows what else.

From the new 1983 he left us:
Original Becker radio with casette deck and an antenna that actually goes up and down when the radio turns on.
a newer battery (ours was six years old. He said they usually last only three years)

We have newer summer tires with modern rims
Ron supplied us with dark blue hub caps for the old tires which look pretty cool.

I drove it about fifteen miles today and I sure do like the old fart's 4 banger diesel.

It shifts smooth and boy is it quiet! Yes, QUIET. I can barely hear the diesel, even with the hood insulation gone. (Ron power washed away the insulation because it was falling off anyway. For $75 we can get new, but I don't think we'll need it.)

Anyway, Sorry kids...this is now Dad's car...you get the Bubble!

With Love and Excitement,

Dad

Winter Returns!

2006-01-19T11:39:00.000-08:00

Winter in Northern Michigan is back!

The pictures from November posted on my last blog pretty much tell the story for T.C. in mid January.

I had a good drive back from dropping off Steve's couch in Chicago and taking Nora and her friend Carlos back to South Bend. I drove through a clear night and arrived back in T. C. about 10:30 p.m.

Monday I had off, which was a good break. Caught up on paying bills and assembling stuff for the taxes.

But soon came the snow! I fell asleep on the basement couch after it came and decided to start up the snowblower at 12:30 a.m. and snow blowed until 1:30 a.m.

By then I my blood was going, so I had trouble falling asleep. Back to the basement, since Deb was upstairs asleep. Watched T.V. for an hour. It is amazing what infomercials are on during the hours from 3-4 a.m.

Anyway, winter is back. I took the 240D to the guy who is supposed to check out the engine. If nothing serious is wrong with it, he'll place it in a 1983 model and I pay him money and get a new, ugraded body! So I'll be driving a car which is only 23 years old instead of 25!

Enjoy winter!

Nov 17, 2005; Winter begins

2005-11-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

Pine tree in front of our Randolph Street home.

Elmwood Street near Randolph.

Our home on Randolph

Looking out our deck last night.

The Grape Harvest

2005-10-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Oct. 15, 2005) I was fortunate to participate in the annual grape harvest party at a friend's vineyard. It was an absolutely beautiful day, with mild weather and occasional sunshine.

The grapes were plentiful and occasionally hung in huge clumps just waiting to be clipped.

The first picture below shows the beautiful Michigan colors with a host of volunteers harvesting grapes.

The second picture shows vineyard owner Silvio (Tony) Ciccone with two loyal volunteers.

Finally, Jennifer Ciccone is shown with her mom, Joan, along with Aunt Dorothy Gustafson, Joan's sister-in-law.

I arrived about 9:00 a.m. and worked until about five p.m., but with two interruptions: both dog related. Since Debbie was in South Bend, I had to drive home to let Onya out.

Jerry Gustafson was the straw boss and armed each of us with a bucket, clippers and pair of gloves. He then paired us up to work on a row, with one person on each side.

My first partner was Becky. While we clipped grapes and dropped them in our bucket we were able to have an interesting conversation and learn about each other's background and families. Becky knew quite a bit about wine, since she managed the wine section at a local store.

Once our buckets were filled, we dumped our harvest into one of the lugs placed periodically along the row.

After about two hours Becky had to leave so Tony took her spot. It gave me a chance to catch up on his family news as well as learn a bit about grape growing and wine making.

After the work was done I drove home to feed and walk the dog, then returned for the traditional after harvest party. We watched the end of the U of M game, then the surprise end of the Notre Dame game.

I've participated in past harvests, but this one was especially enjoyable not only because of the great weather, but mostly because of the great people who attended.

The get-together afterwards was especially enjoyable: great grilled chicken and lasagne, stimulating conversation (the U of M fans sang the Victors), and, of course, the wine was terrific.

New Cross in the Dunes

2005-10-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

Cross in the Dunes

The picture above is the new image of a reconstructed cross we found this past September in the Dunes.

Repaired Swing

We have our old swing back! Above is the repaired swing; we also have a teriffic new one for the other side of our home, so we can sit on it and enjoy the morning sun, as well!

Father Hesburgh's Chairs?

2005-09-23T13:30:00.001-07:00

Last weekend after the Notre Dame-MSU game I visited my longtime friend, Bill Hanley, and his wife Kathy. The purpose of the visit was to inspect and buy two cloth covered armchairs they were selling.

Bill claims that the chairs were once used in Fr. Theodore Hesburgh's office at Notre Dame. Upon retiring, Bill said, the good Father let his niece have the chairs. About ten years ago, when the niece moved out of town, she sold them to Bill and Kathy, telling them that they came from "Uncle Teddy's" office.

Knowing Bill as I do, I immediately wondered if he was telling a tall tale. But then Kathy confirmed it and Bill commented. "Besides, who in their right mind would chose such a color for chairs in their living room?

Charlie has first claim on at least one of the chairs--being he holds two degrees from ND. I may have to put the other up for auction if Nora's plans to transfer to ND come to fruition!

UPDATE!

Charlie sent me the following picture.

Proof Positive?

Demonizing Bush Has Consequences

2005-09-12T07:54:00.000-07:00

Could the Demonizing of President Bush have contributed to the slow decision of the Louisiana Governor to call in Federal Troops?

Over the years of observing politics one sometimes gets a hunch that proves out to be true. Having said that, hunches are only hunches, not based on any hard fact, but intuition.

Recently I watched a recap of the news events concerning the Hurricane. Early in the crisis, the Louisiana Governor responded to a question with a certain hesitation and a body language which prompted me to suddenly jump to a conclusion.

She was fearful of having the Federal Government take over her state and assume police powers associated with such a takeover.

Having been a democrat during the Vietnam War era, my mind flashed back to the paranoia of the left. On one hand, they wanted the Feds to enforce civil rights laws and distribute the wealth of the country more equitably. On the other, they were fearful of the absolute power of the Feds, especially if the Feds were controlled by the conservatives, or right wingers. Mentioning Hitler seemed to be part of the plan to plant a seed of fear in the hearts of the left.

Recently, with the demonizing of President Bush, I can conclude (perhaps with no basis, and perhaps wrongly) that the Louisiana Governor wanted 24 hours to contemplate her decision because of a fear planted in her by fellow party members.

If given Power, the Nazi-like Bush might take over the whole country. She didn’t want to be the one who would give him the first state. She, no doubt, had to consult with advisors, and that would postpone her immediate decision which ultimately cost lives and property.

No one is really examining why the Governor wanted 24-hours to make the decision. Instead, the blame has been shifted primarily to FEMA and the Bush Administration.

All communities should not only have disaster plans in place, but leaders with guts and the temperament to take the consequences of their prompt decisions—whether they be right or wrong.

We have seen the results that indecision can create.

All leaders—mayors, governors, head of Fed agencies—can and should learn from our military the merits of effective leadership and disciplined chain of command.

In a bona fide national emergency and life threatening situation, the misguided fear of a possible Nazi-like takeover should not even be a factor.

My intuition tells me that—unfortunately—it was.

A Visit With Grandfather and Grandmother

2005-08-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the month Debbie and I visited Chuck and Lee Holden. It was a fine summer day, and I had noticed that their fish pond seemed appealing and particularly photogenic. So, I asked Lee if she would mind if I took a picture of her, and Chuck.

"Sure," was her reply. Debbie was a little surprised at the positive response. Fortunately for me, I was able to capture the Holdens in unusually good light. So: friends, and relatives. Enjoy the attached portrait of the senior members of the Holden-Corbett clan, Lee and Chuck Holden.

Be Thankful For Good Health

2005-05-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we have to reminded not to take our health for granted.

During the last three weeks I've been reminded of that, and the nudge continues to linger on.

When Charlie came home for a surprise visit for Mother's Day I was already beginning to feel lousy. Sore Throat; trouble swallowing, loss of energy. By Sunday night I had a 101 fever so on Monday I went to a walk in clinic to get an antibiotic.

I hardly ever miss full days of work because I'm sick. Usually I'll go in even if I feel horrible, at least for a little while. I missed not only Monday, but the whole rest of the week except for two hours on Friday. Even into the next week I only worked partial days because my energy was so low.

Still not quite up to normal, at least now I can look back and appreciate good health, which most of us take too much for granted.

We need to take care of ourselves: eat right, exercise, and drink in moderation! As my Irish grandmother used to tell my dad, "Nothing too much!"

Searching For An Agent

2005-04-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

The last time I wrote a book I dealt directly with the publisher.

Now, with fiction, it apparenty is almost as difficult to find a reliable agent to represent you as it is to find a publisher willing to publish a first novel.

So now I begin the quest of landing an agent who will at least look at my manuscript and tell me that I should keep my day job and maybe write poetry over Guinness and be happy that I have a creative outlet!

I sent out my first query letter last week, attaching the first page of a 28-page proposal. I present the summary of the project below:

New Book Proposal

Working Title: Murder at Cathedral Bay, or
Mysteries at Cathedral Bay; The O'Connor Murders (First of a series)

Author: William A. Corbett

Content: After Dolores O'Connor died of an apparent stroke at age 54, her ashes were discretely buried in an isolated sand dune, marked by a simple driftwood cross.

When it is learned that her donated organs caused the deaths of the recipients, police suspect she might have been poisoned by her husband. Her son enlists the help of his best friend, private investigator Charlie Slaughter.

While searching for answers Charlie comes into possession of a picture exhibiting strange holographic effects; Dolores O'Connor reaching from the clouds through the driftwood cross to touch the shoulder of her youngest son, Sean. Appearing with Dolores in the clouds is the face of the Virgin Mary. Only two people can see the special effects: Charlie and Sean's sister. Could Dolores be attempting to reach Charlie from the beyond? Is such a thing even possible?

Meanwhile, Tom O'Connor becomes involved with an extremely attractive young woman whose mother is also a suspect in the unusual death of his wife. Tom's ultimate and bizarre suicide launches another investigation.

In his quest to solve the murders and mystery of the strange picture, Charlie tracks down suspects across the country and even travels to the remote hills of Ireland. His encounters with the paranormal and mystical unnerve the hard-nosed investigator.

Are such things real, he wonders? Or, has he somehow been hypnotized by Sean's sister, an intensely spiritual person with special gifts said to be given only to saints?

Manuscript: 100,000-110,000 words; ready immediately

Author Bio: William A. Corbett is author of numerous articles and one book on financial planning from a religious perspective. This is his first novel, though not his first attempt at one. Corbett was editor and publisher of two nationally-circulated newsletters: Making Ends Meet®, and Finance Council Forum. He has served on church finance councils on both the local and diocesan level. He holds the designation, Certified Financial Planner,® and currently works as a personal financial advisor. He is married with four adult children, and his wife works as a religious educator at her local parish.

Draft Ver 3.4 Finished!

2005-03-27T18:10:00.000-08:00

This morning I finished the latest draft on my novel and now am faced with two problems.

First, what pen name should I use; second, what shoud be the title

I had thought about opening the possibility of a series. Therefore, the main title would be: Mysteries at Cathedral Bay.

Each work would have a subtitle. This would open the series to other authors, as well as myself (Charlie, are you listening?)

Debbie thinks subtitle: The O'Connor Story would be okay for my current work. I'm not so sure.

I could use the main heading Murder at Cathedral Bay; subtitled: Dust In the Wind.

That title would be most reflective of the work.

(Above cover and picture, copyright 2004 by William A. Corbett, all rights reserved).

I'd appreciate comments on both the title.

For those who haven't read it, the story is about two mysterious deaths.

First, Dolores O'Connor dies, presumably from a stroke. When her donated organs are all either rejected or cause the deaths of their recipients, police suspect that her husband, Tom, might have poisoned her.

The mystery is solved, apparently, and Tom O'Connor is cleared.

But then Tom O'Connor is found dead of an apparent suicide.

The narrator-investigator searches for answers, and even travels to Ireland to interview a suspect.

The final answers are found back at Cathedral Bay by reading the diaries of a rejected lover!

There is progress...but it's slow

2005-03-22T11:48:00.000-08:00

Well, as of today I have over 117,000 words in the manuscript and notes. But the big decision is what to do with the title.

Should it be:

Mystery at Cathedral Bay
Murder at Cathedral Bay
Window at Cathedral Bay

Or, should I begin a series, entitled:

Mysteries at Cathedral Bay; The O'Connor Murders

or,

Mysteries at Cathedral Bay; Dust In The Wind

What sounds most intriguing?

The draft of Parts One, Two and Three is now complete; I'm working on Part Four, which is the wrap up of the whole novel.

I can, belive it or not, see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Sometimes It's Like Pulling Teeth!

2005-03-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

I've been working on my novel on and off for the past couple of weeks.

Yesterday I printed off Ver 3.3: Thirty-six chapters, sixty-three scenes and over 110,000 words, including notes and partial segments.

I still have more work to do than I'd like to think! When I revise one thing, event, or remembrance, I have to backtrack to all the references made before to assure that the revision is consistent with what I placed earlier. Thank you, Microsoft for Find & Replace!

I'm currently linking the events in Ireland with Cathedral Bay. Flashbacks and other devices which I hope are seamless to the reader.

I'm stuck on the scene at the top of the Burren by a megalithic wedge tomb, which is shaped much like an altar. The protagonist is working with a new age ex hippie who is fascinated with lenses and filters and the unknown.

In my mind I can feel the warmth rising from the limestone and smell the array of flowers which blossom on the Burren in May!

Transferring 8mm Videos to mini DV

2005-03-08T19:58:00.000-08:00

For the past few days I've been attempting to transfer our old 8mm video to our mini DV camera, in preparation to loading it onto our Mac for editing.

I started with 1990, the first full year we owned our video camera. Nora was four, Steve six, Leah eight and Charlie twelve (if my math is accurate!).

The mini DV tapes are sixty minutes long. I forgot that the 8mm tapes are 120 minutes long.

So far, I've done seven full mini DV tapes and found such tidbits as Nora saying, while in an eighteenth century stockage:
Dad, take a piture of me!

I've tried to skip over some long-winded shots, but it is tempting to just let them all play as recorded. Items such as our family trip to Washington DC; birthdays of Charlie, Nora, Leah, Steve and Dad and cousin Tom. (Dad at 43; Tom at 23).

I hope, sometime, to have snippets up on the web!

So, for now...just anticipate.

March Already! How time flies...

2005-03-01T07:54:00.000-08:00

Well, it's now March and it's been too long since my last post.

Also, it's been too long since I've worked on Mystery at Cathedral Bay. I did some work this weekend and finished reorganizing draft 3.0. Now the writing begins again.

I had hoped to have this new revision finished by 31Dec04, but, alas, time goes on. Leah, the part I'm currently working on is set in Ireland...Lahinch and The Burren. Dolmens, photographic filters made of sepia crystal that catch moments in history. Ley lines. The supernatural, etc. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Writing from the gut is sometimes like reading a novel. Often you don't know how it will end, but sometimes you can guess. The characters are living their own lives and acting on their own. Sort of like kids, I guess.

The total manuscript so far is about 110,000 words, including notes and snippets of future scenes.

Wish me luck. I'd really like to get this draft in shape by the end of March so I can have a agent read it.

Valentine's Day 2005

2005-02-14T20:21:00.000-08:00

Today I received a great gift from my wife of over thirty years: a steak.

To many people, that wouldn't be such a unique gift, but Debbie has been a vegetarian since 1973!

When I got home from work there was a nice card on the dining room table, with a note that my present was in the frig.

I looked in and noticed a small package from Maxbauer's Meat Market.

I offered to cook it and Deb didn't disagree. She had asked the butcher how it shoudl be done: fry in a skillet two minutes per side, then six minutes in the iron pan, placed in the oven for six minutes.

It took a little longer, but boy, was it great!

We both had a salad. Debbie finished the spagetthi left ofer from our dinner at Aunti Pasta's the other night with Leah and Nora.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Oh, I got Debbie a vase full of roses and Godiva chocolates.

College Aid Financial Aid Forms Stink

2005-02-08T18:26:00.000-08:00

Well, for that past three weeks I've been in the process of gathering information for taxes, getting the info to my accountant, and then finally beginning the process of filling out two essential financial aid forms, the FAFSA and the CSS Profile.

Both Nora and Steve needed to have these forms filed for aid consideration.

Nora's had to be done by Feb. 15th; Steve's somewhat later.

I'm happy to say that we have the Federal 1040's done for each of them, and the aid forms filed. But it took more than a little effort on Dad's part.

I've probably spent 30 hours on the taxes alone. The FAFSA and CSS forms probably took another two or three hours for each kid.

But, alas, I think we're finally done.

The rub is that I may have to go into the websites at work because the review process--for some reason--doesn't seem to work on the Mac. I get a message that Mac and Entourage don't recognize a "null" prefix, which comes with the Fafsa link.

Oh well...the quest continues.

Self-government relies, in the end, on the governing of self. --George W. Bush

2005-01-20T11:55:00.000-08:00

I consider the above line perhaps the most important that our President uttered today because it reflects a presumption that governing one's self is absolutely necessary for our society to function as a free republic.

I have been fortunate in my business to deal with people who basically govern themselves: they are honest and therefore have integrity. They follow the rules, and do what they say, and say what they mean. Because of that, I can transact business with confidence. If I suspect that a potential client is a liar, or deceiving in any way, I choose to send them away, for I incur a liability if someone reneges on a transaction.

Unfortunately, there are many in society who are selfish, and who have chosen moral relativism. They think nothing of lying, of rationalizing to themselves that sometimes little lies are necessary to avoid conflict, or to achieve their own goals.

Such an attitude is not only destructive to the individuals and those around them, it is slowly causing our society to deteriorate, as well. Over the long run, it can be our most serious enemy. It can spread insidiously, and cause the rule of law to break down so that people rationalize all sorts of things: from cheating on their taxes and spouses, to taking drugs that the government has deemed illegal. Such an attitude leads to a spiral downward, affecting families and even threatening the very premise that is needed for an orderly, free society: honesty in dealings between citizens, whether in the private or public sector.

Perhaps I am old-fashioned in my beliefs, but I have absolutely no tolerance for lying.

I can forgive many frailties and faults that reflect the human condition. God knows, I have made thousands of mistakes throughout my life. But I have tried to face them honestly, and be true to my word. As the founder of the firm I work for once said: Our clients will forgive an occasional error in judgment, but never an error of intent.

After all, if a person can lie about one little thing, how can he be believed about anything? Where does lying stop and honesty begin? To me, unquestionable truth is necessary to function. Without it, isn’t life a potential abyss, with no defined right or wrong?

Self-governance. What does it entail?

I believe that honesty is at the heart of it.

But it also requires respect for yourself and those around you; believing in a moral code, and that civil laws apply equally to all.

If we are to be a beacon for the world, is it not our patriotic duty to clean up our own act first, and start by governing ourselves?

wac

ps--why not read the President's speech in full. Here's the link:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/01/20050120-1.html