Today is National Good Samaritan Day. The key word is Good. I have always tried to be a good and respectful person. For those who may have read some of my books, like Demonic or 2125: Home of the Brave, you may think differently. Of course, those were only fantasy novels.

There is my first reveal: I ran accounting departments for most of my career, and yet, I never fired anyone. I worked with each person to make them better at their job. I felt that was the right way to treat people. Unfortunately, my bosses were not of the same mind.

Here is an example: I worked for several years for Sherwood Medical Company, which had been acquired by American Home Products, a major US corporation headquartered in New York. One of the locations wanted to relocate an HR manager to another site where help was needed. Ultimately, the CEO of the parent company said to give her a 6% raise and let her pay her own relocation. So, the top executive of a billion-dollar corporation involved himself in this action.

I wish that was the only example I have witnessed, but it was not. I could list more, but if you worked in Corporate America, you already know what it’s like.

Rather than focus on the exceptions, let’s focus on the larger issue. I believe most people want to do the right thing, in spite of the significant number of others who care only about themselves and their immediate gratification.

Our political class only makes the problems worse. While we have different ideas on what our country and our world needs, most know that being kind, just, and fair matters most. Some believe the political hyper-partisanship is to blame. I think they are correct.

I have read the Tao de Ching, the first book by Lao Tzu, the ancient Chinese philosopher and creator of Taoism. He said the best government is the one the people never hear from. Wouldn’t that be great?

That is why I focus on what is around me. If I give money to one party or the other, it matters little to them. They are grateful for the cash, but that’s it. If I care for the people around me, I have done my duty of our Lord. I cannot change the world, but if I help one person, that good will compound. Perhaps some day, that good will cause real change. That is about all one person can do.

Please take a few minutes out of your day to check out the posts by the other authors who are participating in this 30-day Challenge. They are much smarter than I. You can click the link below to see what they have posted every day. All the best!

Welcome back to my humble website. In case you did not know, today is National Organize Your Home Day. I certainly do appreciate the reminder. When I moved into my current residence, I brought a huge amount of stuff with me. At the time, everything seems precious and vital to my happiness. Those times are long over.

At this stage of my life, I want to simplify everything. For those who did not know, during my working years I carried a lot of excess weight around with me. I blame the corporate culture. When I worked for Sperian International, I traveled a lot. The corporate headquarters was in Paris, France. As any of you who have been there, Paris is a magical place, at least during the times I was there. I also traveled to Sweden, Norway, Austria, Slovakia, and Brazil. When you are traveling on company business, you always end up eating at great restaurants. You swallow a lot of that culture and it shows.

That adventure ended abruptly when Honeywell acquired Sperian. If you know anyone who worked at that company, you know most former employees say it’s a great to company to have worked for. Being there isn’t so great.

Yes, I know I changed the subject, but I wanted to share the context of the situation. For two years or so, I was at home. My ex (wife at the time) eats like a bird. I spent so much time with her that my eating habits changed and I lost a lot of weight. I feel great by the way.

Still, I was encumbered by a lot of other stuff. Recently, I realized that most of it has to go. Much of my extra large clothing is already gone. But I still have a ton of things to go through. Most will end up in the trash or given to charity. My goal is to lighten the load before I decide to move to Florida, or wherever. It does not make sense to carry my junk around forever. If I do decide to move, I will also be saving money on the move.

I mentioned before a failed deal I had with Barnes & Noble Nook Press. I ended up with a slew of copies of my earlier books. I mean a LOT of BOOKS. I have already set aside enough copies to keep. The rest is truly trash. At first, it bothered me to throw them away. After I got rid of the first batch, I felt relieved. All the books are still available online, so nothing is really lost. Plus, the ever-present memory of the Nook Press fiasco still grates on me. Once those copies are gone, I will be able to let that go.

I have mentioned before that I now lead a very simple life. That suits me just fine. All the old clothes and books are just in the way. I also have a large number of hardcover books that I purchased over the years. While I feel a connection to them, I know they will be better used by others or in a library. I will likely keep the few cookbooks I still have, and my Hitchhiker’s Guide books. Those were always my favorites. One of these days, I will announce my success. Then I will have more time to focus on what is really important in my life. I wish you all the best!

Please take some time to review the posts by the other awesome RRBC authors who are participating in this challenge with me. I know you will love their stories, probably better than mine. You can click the link below to check them out.

Today is National Napping Day. I am not sure how to deal with that. First, I have never been a person who takes naps. My brain is too active with crazy nonsense to allow me to rest during the day. I have a hard time staying asleep all night. I do remember my brother Kent took a lot of naps. He would put the hood from our mother’s hair dryer over his face with the heat off. I could not understand how anyone could sleep during the day. If you are one of the lucky ones who can, I congratulate you!

Do not get me wrong on this. Every one of us is different. When I consider my ex, her children, their spouses, or grandchildren, I am amazed at how different each person is from the rest. My daughter’s two girls could not be more different from each other. The elder is very thoughtful and devoted to her schoolwork. She is also good at fencing and water polo. The younger is all about sports. She is a phenomenal soccer player, generating most of the team’s goals. At school, she just gets along. My son’s children are equally different from any of the others. Unfortunately, they live in New York, so I do not have much opportunity to connect with them. For all of them, I am reminded that our physical traits come from our parents. Our souls come from God.

While sometimes our differences can cause issues, ultimately those differences are what makes each of us unique and special in this crazy world. When I think about the world my grandchildren will inherit, I know everything will be okay. Perhaps today we can argue about politics, but those differences are temporary. It is the youth who will decide what happens to America, and every other country on Earth. Today’s divisive policies will fade away. Hopefully, new unity will ultimately conquer the bad we see today.

In other words, all is well in the Kingdom of God. I hope you all have a wonderful day. If you are one of the lucky ones, go ahead and take that nap. I wish you all the best.

Please take some time to check out the blog posts by the other authors competing in this 30-day Blogging Challenge. You can get there easily by clicking the link below.

It appears that I am now finishing the first third of the contest. Since I have a busy schedule today, my post may not be too long. You can thank me later.

Regarding faith. My family life was difficult. My father was an Air Force pilot. My mother was a housewife. That’s because there were three children and also because my father was transferred every 3 or 4 years. My parents were Lutherans, although I believe any church we attended was more due to my mother. Her parents were of Norwegian ancestry. In fact, my grandfather and mother were born in Oslo.

In the military, the preachers are also Air Force personnel (Chaplains). I can only recall a few services we attended. Still, I have always been drawn to God. In some of my stories, the protagonist could sense the other side when young. That was me too. Of course, it was also too many years ago to count.

I have always had a Bible. Now I have two. I also have read Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism. One of the bits in his Tao de Ching mentions that the best government is one that leaves you alone. I also own a Bagadvad Gita, although I have not read it yet. Clearly, I was most drawn to Lord Jesus, and still am today.

Now, I am on a journey to read the Bible. I have read the Books of Moses and the New Testament. After hearing some of the words of the Prophet Isaiah, I started to read the books of the famous Jewish prophets. I am now in the book of Jeremiah. Isaiah spoke about the decline of Israel around 800BC. He also prophesied the birth of Jesus. So far, Jeremiah seems to focus on how God will destroy Israel as the people have turned to idol worship. Perhaps many of you know how that book turns out. I do not want any answers. I will finish reading it and move onto the next.

Reading the history of the Jewish people is fascinating. Unfortunately, it seems to mirror what is happening right now in our world. I hope that somehow things can turn around. I do not think I am ready for the Lord to return and render justice.

As always, I encourage you to check out the blog posts by the other authors participating in this challenge. I know you will learn a lot about how people think. I wish you all the best.

Today is National Get-Over-It Day. Of course, that is easier said than done. I had my share of corporate takeovers and crazy executives during my career. Being laid off is never fun, and you are forced to figure out how to live without a paycheck. Thankfully, I was always able to land on my feet. In my last job, the CFO knew less about accounting that I know about brain surgery. Plus he thought he was the greatest of all time. Not a good combination. That job became so painful that I chose to retire instead of suffering that man another minute.

Still, I did always overcome adversity. After the surge of emotion and hand wringing has passed, you learn that life is better than before. The demons who plagued your career are way back in the rear view mirror. After some time, you even feel sorry for their miserable lives. If your supervisor (boss) is a jerk, chances are that his/her life is many times worse than your own. Having some financial security allows you to let it go.

Other aspects of life are more difficult to accept. Divorce comes to mind. Even though the event was not good, over time you realize that everything will be okay. Being a man of strong faith helps a lot. That is how I feel now. Everything I need is within easy reach. I must confess that I do not need a lot. My life is simple. My diet is simple. My needs are simple. When I consider leaving California, I know that the appropriate time will come in due course.

I now realize that my earlier life was tough! Driving the kids to school. Waking every day at six o’clock in the morning to get to work on time. Traveling all over the place for work (that part was actually fun, most of the time). Plus I met a lot of great people, many of whom I am still connected to via social media or the telephone.

I suppose the best thing is to say that our working life is complicated. Retirement is much less so. Now, my major focus is my books. I have written many stories and my brain is still overflowing with new ideas. I will allow those stories to be written in their time, even though I feel the need to do stuff faster. That feeling is a vestige of my working life. Nothing could ever be completed fast enough. I will let that worry go too.

Once again, please check out the blog posts by the other authors who are participating in this challenge. I know you will learn a lot. All the best!

For some reason, today is National Proofreading Day. It seems like the folks who name each day are out to get me and other authors who suffer through our silly mistakes. Since I am not proofreading today, I will talk about something completely different (said in deference to Monty Python’s Flying Circus).

I have mentioned that my next book is currently called Land of Lost Souls. Perhaps some of you out there wonder what the heck I am talking about.

The first thing that came to my mind was Communism. Many socialist or communist regimes claimed there was no God, and the government was to be worshiped instead. If enough people fell for that, perhaps they would turn away from their chance to reach Heaven. My story does not mention that. Instead, I imagine a moment between life and death. At that moment, we may see the tunnel of warm and inviting light leading to Heaven. However, if a demon is nearby, they could convince the soul that they were still alive. Their life would continue forever in the Evil Realm. If that existence seemed familiar, the soul could decide they never died.

Being among demons would not be a pleasant future. Perhaps the soul would face constant pain and hatred. Even if their false life was ended, they would began the cycle again, for all time.

I have written a number of books with very dark plots and horrible events. As many of you know, in my stories the good guy always comes out on top. This story is no different. I suppose all of my books follow the Hero’s Journey plot line. That has always influenced my style. I cannot bring myself to write a book with a dark and cruel end. It’s just is not in me.

Please take some time to check out the posts by the other authors who are in this competition. I know you are going to love each and every one. For a quick trip, just click the link below. All the best!

Welcome back for my March 7th blog post. I hope I come up with something interesting. As usual, I’ve got a lot on my mind.

Today has been complicated, and it’s not even 4PM yet (in California). My ex asked me to go with her to Lowe’s, where she was meeting the man who is fixing various things in her house. Unfortunately, the two of them get up earlier than me. I barely had time to brush my teeth and take a shower, and I was off and running. We must have traversed most of the store, and stores like that are HUGE! With nothing in my tummy, I became worn out pretty quickly. At least she received a lot of information and numbers to help her plan.

When we got back, she had to rush off to join a group of friends. I took my dog and hurried back home. After coffee and my quesadilla, I began to feel much better. The bad news is that the weather is still a bit chilly for me. When I was working full-time, I had quite a few more pounds to carry around. Also, my sensitivity to the cold has become more acute with age. Still, I survived.

Later, I went to my outside storage room and took out a box of old paperbacks. It’s a long story, and why I don’t use the Barnes & Noble app to publish e-books anymore. As I lugged the box out, I made the mistake of raising up a second too soon, and whacked the back of my head. No issues, other than the impact hurt. Don’t worry. I am fine now.

Then I tried to start another reread of my upcoming book. I am looking for specific errors in my logic. My stories seem to take on a life of their own while I type. To find anything, I have to read it all. I did not have the motivation to get very far. My muse and I must be in the right mood. Today is not it. As I have mentioned before, everything works out in God’s time. I need to remember to be nice to myself. Do that for you too!

In case you did not notice, I changed the daily title of my blog for this month. I was advised by a smart person in RRBC that I need a more engaging title. Thanks, Paula. I hope this works better now. I suppose the readers will be the arbiters of that.

Since the time is progressing toward 5PM, I think I will end for today. Tomorrow, when I am not so frazzled, I am sure to have more things to say. Please remember to check out the blog posts of the other wonderful RRBC authors who are taking part in this challenge. Most of them are smarter than I.

I have had a sort-of busy day already. Thankfully, I finally went in for a haircut. I feel lighter already! As well, my ears and neck are no longer covered with gray hair. It does feel pretty chilly though. I go to Great Clips, a national chain with a location just a few minutes from my place. They keep track of my preferred cut and can recreate it quickly. My grocery store also had a $5 off coupon. A double winner!

After that adventure, I went grocery shopping at Vons, a California version of Albertsons. It used to be a California version of Safeway, but with all the consolidation in that industry, it’s hard to keep track. Yet again, I was shocked at how expensive groceries are these days. I hope a change in our government can reverse some of that.

Later, I went to my ex’s house. I always buy her some treats that she is too busy or thrifty to buy herself. It is a little thing that makes me happy. Other than those adventures, today has been pretty typical, although we are expecting a big rainstorm over the next few hours. Akiva and I are safe and dry inside for the rest of the day. My Amazon Echo device is showing thunderstorms. My phone weather app just shows rain. From my experience, the Echo is always wrong. We shall see as the evening progresses. The electrical infrastructure in California is terrible. A single lightning bolt hitting a transformer and the lights are out. It also seems our governor has shut down all the power generation (except solar). Another reason our electric rates are outrageous.

My latest project is to throw stuff away. I have accumulated a ton of stuff: papers, clothes, shoes, and other things I just do not use. There is a charity in town that will take clothes and some household items. They resell them or give them to the poor souls who go to their food kitchens. I also have a lot of books. I hope to be able to donate many of the hardcover books to a library. I also have a sizable collection of music CDs, vinyl records, and movie DVDs. I plan to keep most of those, although I did give a Willie Nelson CD set to Aida. She has a friend who absolutely loves Willie. I was probably never going to listen to it again, so it is a win-win for all. Music is huge for Aida. Me, not so much.

Of course, my focus is on my books yet to be born. And maybe an eventual move to Florida, or somewhere else. There is always time in God’s universe, so I will let those things happen when it is their time. That philosophy goes with comment yesterday about being kind to ourselves. There will always be someone who wants to nit-pick everyone else. Ignore them. Most likely, they feel worse about themselves than you. I wish you all the best.

In case you wonder why I always say “all the best,” in one of my jobs, our CEO was Henri Dominque-Petit. Yes, that was a French company. He was always thoughtful and caring. He ended all his memos or letters with A Bien Tot. Obviously, that means all the best. Clearly, he had a big impact on me. Thanks for checking out my blog post!! And please follow the link below to check out the other awesome writers participating in this challenge.

Today is National Cheese Doodle Day. Hmmm. I have nothing to say about that. Instead, I should mention that today is also Super Tuesday, the day when primaries are held in several states, including California where I live. Frankly, I have nothing much to say about that either. I realize the conventions are coming up, and the rhetoric about both sides will be overstated and of little use to any of us. For our political class, it’s a big deal. I am not a member of that class, so I guess you could say I have no class.

Now, next Sunday is another subject. That is the day we switch from Standard Time to Daylight Savings Time. I have always hated the time changes. You get used to waking up at a certain time, and suddenly you are oversleeping. Being retired, I probably should not whine too much about it. Plus, I realize that come summer, I will appreciate the later sunset.

The advent of Springtime is another benefit to the month of March. I understand that most people have to survive a brutal winter. Here in San Diego County, it’s a bit rainy and the highs are in the upper 50s or low 60s. After being here more than forty years, my sense of warmth and cold has changed a lot.

What I should be focused on is my writing. Some days, that is not easy to do. This or that pops up, and my mind feverishly creates excuses not to work on my novels. Having an energetic dog adds to my distractions. Somehow, I have still managed to write quite a few books. Perhaps I should not be so harsh to myself. This writer’s brain needs time to figure stuff out. When I am distracted, I imagine my mind is mulling over ideas to improve the current work. My active mind has no idea what is happening in there. Or maybe I am just lazy.

It is critical that we be kind to ourselves first. My books will be completed. I will then come up with new ideas, unless my muse goes on strike. By the way, can I fire my muse? I do not think that is possible.

For all the other writers out there, know that the words will come out at the right time. Please recognize that writing a book is a lot of work. Beating yourself up will never get it done sooner. Allow your muse to lead the way. The quality of your work will excel when you trust that inner you that sits behind your eyeballs and gives you miraculous ideas.

I wish you all the best. You will succeed, and you will probably surprise yourself with words that show up on your pages.

Once again, I am getting an early start on my daily blog post. My day has been eventful already, even at 2:30pm. The largest part of my day was my dentist appointment; really just for my quarterly cleaning. The technician (Chris) is always friendly, but sometimes is a bit rough on this old dude.

It turns out that she is only two years younger than me. She mentioned that she is considering retirement. Oddly, I retired when I was 67 too. She was very concerned about the size of her Social Security Pension, although she owns a house and said she had significant savings. Nothing more tangible than that. Good! The less I know about other people’s finances, the better. Money is not something I like to talk about, although I can offer insights into Social Security, investing, and other financial topics. She was not interested. Good once again.

The worst part of the cleaning is the feeling that my mouth is full of blood. I know it takes a day for so to heal from the scraping, so this feeling will go away.

Something else is more top of mind with me recently. If you don’t live in Southern California, you may not know how crazy things are. For example, in San Diego County where I live, the average price of a house is now one million dollars. Of course, very few houses are really worth that price. The issue is that housing developments vote on whether they want more houses built there or not. Many residents voted no. Instead, the region is getting taken over by new apartment complexes. That is not sustainable. I know that the bubble will break at some point, most likely as companies decide to relocate to other states. If that snowballs, housing values will plummet. I do not have the stomach for this insanity anymore.

I have been considering a move to Florida for the last couple years. I have been reviewing 55+ communities in various states for some time. At one development in North Central Florida, I can buy a new home for $140k. It would not be huge, but who really needs a big house when your children have long ago flown the coop?

I have not made any firm decision yet, although it is clear that California will continue to be poorly run. Even though it is one of the most diverse and beautiful states, the government remains a hot mess. I am certain that I will opine on this matter some more as March trundles forward.

Other bloggers have added pictures to their posts, so here is a picture of my beloved dog Akiva.