The New Year is always a good time to make plans. I guess you can make resolutions too but resolutions seem so concrete and unyielding. Plans are more elastic and change with you. I guess some resolutions are just plans anyway. "I plan to go to the gym more often." It is a resolution and a plan. Either way it will probably fail.
Ok gotta stop for a minute. As I was typing this, I realized I was channeling Andy Rooney. Go ahead and read that first paragraph in the style of Andy Rooney. It fits! I guess Andy was the first blogger in history.
Anyway, I do have a plan for 2009. I want to write a story based on childhood memories and incorporate somehow the Casa Fernandes crazy people. I am not sure how it all work but I have the first few paragraphs of the story. Let me know what you think:
You kids! Either in or out! In or out! It’s a beautiful day – go play outside! And close the door – you weren’t born in a barn!”
I never understood why one’s birthplace would have anything to do with the ability to open or close a door. If I were born in a barn, why would I want to leave the door open? I would think that being born in a barn would be kind of drafty and I would want the door closed.
In fact, I had no knowledge of barns at all at the time. I don’t think I had even been in a barn much less born in one. The only barn I can recall as a kid was the Fisher Price Barn made out of tin. But I digress, Mom wanted us to go play outside and we obeyed her animated orders. Notice how Mom only speaks in exclamation points.
Outside - for my brother, two sisters and I – was quite expansive. We had an empty field across the street. The weeds would go wild in the summer and almost on cue would catch fire every summer and provide several minutes of excitement. On the other side of the back fence of our house was a large church and the parking lot of the church was closest to us. When cars weren’t parked there, the parking lot had a half court basketball court and seemingly miles of red hot molten black tar on which to play. We chose the parking lot over the field more often that not.
The church parking lot was a much better option than my Dad’s suggestion “Go count cars on the freeway.” Although I contemplated taking him up on this suggestion several times, I never actually went through with it. I always thought it would be funny to go back to my Dad and say “92”.
“Whaaat? 92 what?”
“I counted the cars on the freeway and counted 92.”
“I think there are more cars on the freeway than that.” He would reply.
“You never specified how long to count cars. So I got up to 92 and thought I would come back and let you know how many I counted.”
“Ah. Great. Go back outside before your Mom sees you. And close the door! She thinks you were born in a barn, you know.”
End Scene. Once back on the parking lot, we would meet James, the first crazy then somehow introduce the others - Mr. Touch, the General, Lola.
That is all for now. The story will get fictional but retain the characters and be based on actual events.
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4 comments:
Laughing already. The counting cars if hilarious.
Oops, IS hilarious, not if.
You definitely have to mention the "shortcut" to get to the church too. And Dad should be playing the guitar when he tells you to go count cars on the freeway.
Bravo!!
I trust you'll preview other chapters on your blog.
Got a title yet?
The Longwood years?
Tab and Taryentons?
This strange thought occurred to me as possible research for your story. What was Casa Fernandez and who paid for it? Was it some county run halfway house? Clearly these guys weren't working and someone had to pay their rent.
I look forward to future chapters.
Please don't forget to mention how they (the CF peeps) would hang in the trees and drop on unsuspecting childern who dared walk by! And the game we played in the church parking lot where we filled an old stocking with grapes and threw it in the air. What the...?
Good stuff!
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