Today Allison and I worked with my Dad to get the new bedroom prepped for painting. We sanded the walls that Dad had patched. I taped the floor so we could paint and not worry about spilling onto the hardwood. Allison sanded some of the molding and then we finished the molding, vacuumed the floor, and then washed the woodwork. So the room is ready to get painted. Dad will do the ceilings and then we have some primer and paint for the walls. I we are going with the yellow that is on the wall there on the left. The Yellow on the wall to the right was the original color of the room when we moved in 25+ years ago.

Well, I am heading home today. I already made it to Chicago so I am half way there. And my flight to Providence is looking like it is going to be on time. On the flight to Chicago I had an exit row so I actually had room to stretch out my legs. I made it quickly and easily though security and got some breakfast and had plenty of time to make my flight.

While on the flight I read more of the Patricia Cornwell’s book Predator, it stinks but I have to finish a book if I start one. Allison and I have read all of the Cornwell books and I guess I keep reading them because I am invested in the characters. However I don’t even like the characters anymore.

And why does every mystery writer that deals with police procedure and forensics have to point out that there are so many shows on TV that portray forensics in an unrealistic light. Okay, we get it you writers are more accurate. Gee, could it be because you have all the room in the world to explain procedures where a TV show has one hour to do the same thing? I’m sick of hearing that police shows like CSI and Law and Order are so unrealistic, no kidding. Thanks for pointing that out genius, go write an article about it for the newspaper. Because you pointed that out to me I see you now as so much smarter.

Anyway I think Cornwell’s books have lost a step. I’ve been reading other writers and I find their characters and plots much more interesting. I think Cornwell’s books just keep getting darker and darker for the sake of getting darker. The characters are becoming less likeable, more broken and flawed. They are not even tragic heroes but messed up individuals who do not even seem to care for each other. The communication breakdown in this book was ridiculous. Are we supposed to care about these characters because I certainly no longer care about them? I am almost finished with the book and I care so little for these characters at this point that I’m going to be glad to be rid of them.

I did some work on my aStore last night and started putting together the books by author like I had them on the Flatwater Bookstore. I started with Clive Cussler and that is as far as I got. I am going to get back into Clive’s works next. I’ve got the Kurt Austin Series and the Oregon series to begin reading. These are stories that are unrealistic and fantastic but they are fun and the characters are ones that you can really care about. There is no real angst in Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino. These guys tough it out and get the job done. I read all of the Dirk Pitt series up to Trojan Odyssey and now there are two books in the Dirk Pitt Series (written by Clive and Dirk Cussler) that I need to read. I will get to those books and hopefully by the time I do there will be a total of three books in that series for me to read. Trojan Odyssey was a good stopping point because it closed a chapter on an era in the Dirk Pitt universe and began a whole new direction; I want to read about that new direction. I just love reading straight through a great series of books. So I am going to get back to an author I can really enjoy, read one series of his books and then move on to the other series. I think I’ll start reading Tony Hillerman’s stuff after that. I read an article by Tony Hillerman in American Airlines American Way magazine recently and it reawakened my interest in reading his series of books. I only have a few of them so I’ll be dusting off my Library Card.

While I waited for my flights I also made use of my time to play around with a book I picked up at Job Lot in Walpole, NH. It is called How to Draw PEANUTS by Charles Schulz. I took the memo pads from my hotel room and picked up a mechanical pencil to sketch and used a hotel pen to put in the dark lines. Not the best equipment choices, I know Wes, but I wasn’t going for serious quality at this point. Just starting to learn how to draw the characters. I’ve got to pick up some good pencils and pens to have with me to make sketches when I’m bored in the airports. Today’s photo is my attempt at one of the more famous PEANUTS gags. I used to draw a bit as a kid and I think being able to sketch out some of my favorite characters would be nice to know how to do. If anything it is neat thing to do while I’m waiting around.

Well I made it to my next flight to Providence. No major issues there. I did get a little annoyance flair up with some of the folks getting onto the flight. There was one woman who tried to go around the ticket scanner and cut the line. Then she tried to go on the small regional jet with her larger carry on, the kind that you have to check at the gate. She was given a ticket but of course, the rules did not apply to this woman. She went right on with her bag and then ended up having to get off the plane and put it in the correct place. Then as she got on she was telling another woman that she was in her seat. Of course the woman was not reading her ticket correctly and she “had never flown on a plane this small before” so she was unsure how the seating was arranged. I was at my frustrated limit, which was very, very short today. I spoke up. “The single seat is A, the aisle is B, and the other window is C. There are little pictures next to the numbers and letters, you match them with your ticket!” Apparently they did not get sarcasm because they were all appreciative for the information. I swear one of these days I’m going to get thrown off a plane, or I should just start making up Bill Engvall Signs.

At least she is not seated next to me; instead I have an empty seat and the foot from the woman behind me. As soon as the overhead dinged signaling the use of approved electronic devices I pulled out my laptop and started my laptop and windows media player. I think this is another reason I would like to get a media player. I’ve fought against it for a while and now
I am interested in getting one. Pretty much so I can block out inane conversations behind me. The usual blather from people whose opinions they have formed from Star magazine and E! Channel. I’m not exactly sure what to get, an iPod or a Zune, that is still the major technology debate raging in my head, and it will go on till I just end up buying one or the other.

I finished Predator by Patricia Cornwell, you would think after all these books she has written she would learn how to write a decent ending. The end totally stunk. It was all wrapped up neatly in half a chapter. I am so irritated with her books. I keep telling myself I am not going to read the next one but I still do and they are awful. Her work has not gotten better over time, it has gotten so much worse. Oh well, that book is finished.

Okay So I get off the plane and the woman who attempted to bring her oversized carry on onto the plane came out to get her bags. She of course stands right in the way of everyone getting off the plane and then she says to a couple in front of me, “I can’t believe that they make you put your bag under the plane at the gate, why don’t they tell you about that sooner?” the couple kind of whispers to each other and I resisted the urge to give her a sign.

Allison Dad and I went to Fortune House for dinner. They were packed and the meal was awesome as usual. The folks there are so nice and always happy to see us come in. We just love eating there.