<![CDATA[But But, I Loved Contribution Section]]> http://editorialpinups.com/blog/ EN Thu, 02 Mar 2023 23:18:00 +0000 Incomedia WebSite X5 Pro <![CDATA[A Day After Work]]> imblog
Now understanding the operational process, I was ready to start attacking the list of questions.  It was already determined that Shea had either been to a number of places or had visitors from a number of places.  Key factors included to determining not only how old she was when she died, but from what era she had lived.  Moving forward it would be necessary to determine what her interests were and also what some of her views were.  Based on our morning conversation I would not be able to ask her directly what her occupation had been, providing she would have been old enough to have had an occupation.

Already I had determined a few things in our conversation regarding breakfast. This is not to say that she lived in the areas of the food she had discussed. She may have had that as a special treat from a friend. If she had encountered the food in a restaurant, it could be possible to determine the location of said restaurant.  This would be tricky if it was a restaurant chain like the Waffle House.  Great food, but many locations.  Spags and Beans?

It was interesting how Shea appeared twice dressed differently. The first time she dressed to get my attention and introduce herself.  The second time she dressed base upon the fact that I was going to have breakfast. Both times Shea got on the phone trying to tell my Father that she did not think this was going to work, but each time I told her I had enough information which kept her from bailing out keeping us in the game. I wonder how much push he gave her to stay the course considering how new the course was?

There were many parts of the process.  The first was to write down anything she told me.  Second, when I saw her I had to read the situation properly. Next I needed to understand her clothing choice at the visit.    Fourth, I needed to start conversing.   Fifth, I had to be on the lookout for and try to determine when she showed up.  Lastly, was the need for major research as I learned in journalism class in high school;  Who, What, Where, When, and How.
]]> Thu, 02 Mar 2023 23:18:00 GMT http://editorialpinups.com/blog/?a-day-after-work http://editorialpinups.com/blog/rss/00000000F <![CDATA[Back from Break]]> imblog
Greetings followers of But, But, I Loved, a novel in progress.

I completed the month of August with one of the craziest months of my life.  For the first time in over a year I took a vacation to not exclusively visit relatives, but also to in part visit relatives.  I trip took my wife and me to Sedona Arizona where my mom and sister and their spousal units live. The bulk of the trip was planned for that visit.  With my sister we did a trip to the old mining town of Jerome Arizona. Much history there.  We also had a great time also celebrating my mom’s birthday.  While she may walk a bit slower and need some assisting, she is doing well.

One reason to drive on the trip was to talk with people in flyover country and see parts of the old Route 66 through Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Tucumcari New Mexico gave introduction to some new acquaintances that helped give ideas for But But, I Loved.  Tucumcari is one of the Route 66 towns that gave inspiration to the movie Cars.  

Through conversations along the way with the various local people I was able to get additional insight into how people think.  It helped me further understand the 2016 political victory of Donald Trump.  These are hard working people.  They have a sense of purpose, like to make things, are able to realize that people are not perfect.  Many I talked with do not like to be intellectualized.  Their use of the English language is simple and concise.  These are not negatives, this is a reality that is lost on many intellectuals.

My 2000 Honda Insight does not use much gas, so the conversations at the pump were short...and few and far between, but enlightening.  One gentleman while filling the car with gas was proud to talk about his town.  How it had changed over the years.  How there was a renewed optimism. Ironically, I remembered statements like that on a vacation I took to Montana back in 1983.

They say that a writer writes about his experiences and also himself.  That is why it is important to see different things in the world. My world being the mainland United States. This is why I felt it was important on this trip to drive.  I caught a bit of flack for driving and not flying, but the flack was well worth it.  The experience was quite good.  The people I met were friendly and fantastic.

Additional creative ideas were taken from the trip.  You will see in the final novel how it all plays out.

Taking a vacation from my day job is quite challenging.  Much of what I do is based upon being on site helping people with their computer tools. Preparing for the trip was a large task, trying to get everything completed and delegated prior to leaving, then returning and getting caught back up.  

Now that I am back and pretty much caught up at work, it is now full bore forward.  I have a time frame in mind for completing the novel.  I have the ending completely in mind, but will not write it until the appropriate time… at the end.

I have all my notes in place and ready to go. It is now write, write, write!!

Watch the blog and your emails for those who signed up for email alerts at www.butbutIloved.com.

Thanks,

Scott
]]> Wed, 12 Sep 2018 05:40:00 GMT http://editorialpinups.com/blog/?back-from-break http://editorialpinups.com/blog/rss/00000000E <![CDATA[A break then moving forward]]> imblog   
Greetings followers of But, But, I Loved, a novel in progress.

It has been a while since last updated.  As mentioned in a previous blog post it was time to create the actual story of Shea.  Our conversational dialogue had come to the point that it was time to start getting some more specific items out of Shea or she would be this spirit for life in the apartment.  While the conversation has been fun and there is a chance that one could easily fall in love with Shea, we must remember our purpose; find out why Shea decided to remain to find out what had happened to her.

The month of August us usually a challenge time wise for me.  First, on a weekly basis I create the slide presentations for my churches Sunday services and with the exception of one week August is no exception.  While some may not think that this is a creative endeavor, I have created some standards for the presentation.  Also, the before service ad loop does allow for areas of creativity beyond basic information.

I am an avid softball player.  I went back to playing after the last of my kids decided they had completed their youth baseball careers. Between the three kids there was over twenty years of assisting with coaching.  Throw in a few soccer seasons (sort of the blind leading the blind) and basketball endeavors, it was my turn to play again.  So this week I have the end of season double elimination tournament which if we keep winning goes more than one evening starting Monday night.

In the past it has generally been get the kids ready for school.  But this year that is a bit different.  Technically the last has finished his basic schooling.  While he is looking ahead at the possibilities of grad school, the school concept changes here in application.  In other words the time commitment is different.

In August there is the LIVEFIT WITH LUPUS golf outing.  Information can be found at livefitwithlupus.org.  My responsibilities include doing the graphic setup and coordinate printing for hole sponsorship signs and coordinate picture taking at the event.

Lastly, this year I will  be taking a week to visit my mom, step dad, sister and brother-in-law down southwest in a state that has better tax laws that Illinois (that doesn’t narrow it down too much).  I haven’t seen my mom and step dad for over a year so this will be a good time.  The spaceship will be loaded and my wife will join me on the trek.  With the exception of an oil change which may be done down there, all upgrades have been made and the vehicle is ready to go.

So, what this means for you, is starting on Monday August 20, my full attention turns to the next steps towards completion of “But But, I Loved” the novel in progress.  This means I will be getting to the point to put a few more excerpts out there.  It also means that I now get to have Shea help me find the outcome as to what had happened to here in her earthly life.

I promise you this, it will be unlike anything you have read.  It will be happy, sad, adventurous, and also give some insight into some more of society as it is and it was.

I don’t know about you, But I am so ready to get the vacation completed and get back to the pen.  Watch the blog and your emails for those who signed up for email alerts at www.butbutIloved.com.

Thanks,

Scott

 

 

 
]]> Mon, 06 Aug 2018 06:15:00 GMT http://editorialpinups.com/blog/?a-break-then-moving-forward http://editorialpinups.com/blog/rss/00000000D <![CDATA[The Beginning of the Transition]]> imblog   
Greetings followers of But, But, I Loved, a novel in progress.

 
I received a number of excellent helps and suggestions on the chapter excerpts tpublished on the blog.  It has been an interesting trip with the premise of the novel being our main paranormal character, Shea,  is unable to answer questions about herself, but through conversation she is able to reveal things about herself which eventually bring us to the story of what had happened to her in life.

 
I have created a strong start in the ten chapters already created.  My next step is to step away from writing our conversations (don’t worry there will be more written), complete the fact matrix and write the story of Shea. In a way, the novel is two stories.  One, what happened to Shea and two, the story of the paranormal Shea and this guy.

 
I am excited as I transition to this part of the process.  I now get specific with who Shea was, when Shea was, where Shea was, etc, you get the drift.

 
A word about the matrix.  There are many historic interesting facts that will be presented in this novel. I have been upping my research as I write.  There are many historical memories in my general knowledge set. I am constantly told how it is amazing that I am able to remember such items. I wanted  to not only share those facts with many, but I also have had fun looking up the information so that I can present these items with most accuracy.

 
It will be the type of novel where you may just say, “I wonder how true that is,” and then go to the web to look up the statement.   

 
One more note.  I have just completed reading the book “A Hard Day’s Write”, the stories behind every  Beatles Song. While most of the Beatles songs list John Lennon and Paul McCartney as the composers.   The book explains how many of the songs were started by John and completed by Paul or vice versa.

 
The song that intrigued me the most is “A Day in a Life”.  This one song is actually two songs put together. John wrote the first half which has a very distinctive story.  Paul wrote the second half with a very different story line. The bridge between the two songs makes it a successful song.

 
The same is true with “Starship Trooper” by YES. Three songs written each by Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, and Chris Squire, but one beautiful musical piece.  Many symphony compositions are of this type.  A symphony is generally two, three, or four movements, or  stories, tied loosely together.  “Starship Trooper” is a tighter story.

 
As I start to write my “second” story as I am finishing the matrix. The matrix is used to track the facts that Shea uses to communicate her background.  By writing Shea’s story now, I will also determine any specific facts to add to the matrix.  I will then be able to continue the chapters of conversation.

 
Stay tuned!

 

 
]]> Wed, 02 May 2018 05:00:00 GMT http://editorialpinups.com/blog/?the-beginning-of-the-transition http://editorialpinups.com/blog/rss/00000000C <![CDATA[Excerpts from the chapter "The List"]]> imblog While first meetings are cautious and special, second meetings start breaking away the ice of personal defense.  Check our characters as the talk together for the second time.  Watch out, you may learn something.  Feel free to issue me some thoughts!!
 
  
Excerpt 1:

 
The phone.  I put the cord on to authenticate the look of the apartment.  Nothing more, nothing less. The cord is nothing more than a piece of cotton clothe line rope painted black to look like the original.  At one time the key to visitor entry.  Now, for the most part, inoperable with the exception of some electricity flowing to the phone.  Tested at the door bell, nothing.  Now nothing but an art piece built into the apartment.  

 
But somehow Shea, appears, talks to me, says she talks to my father on the phone, tells me I can’t talk to my father on the same phone as I am not of that world, tells me we are going to help each other, then disappears.  All totally logical and rational.  Only if on high doses of hallucinogens.

 
In a curious way I walk over to the doorbell phone.  I look around the edge.  It looks innocent enough.  I check the cord.  It is still cotton clothe line painted black.  I pick up the hand set.  I look at it.  It is still missing the talk piece cover.  I put it to my ear.  Nothing.

 
I am not of that world!

 
Shea’s last words were to come up with a plan of attack and a list of questions for her.  She is still here to find out what had happened to her in order to help others avoid what had become of her. Could she be one of the 211,000 unsolved murders since 1980?  She doesn’t even seem to know who she is other than the name Shea.  And the name Shea could be code name.  So going by name will not be a given, but a starting point.

 
Solving this mystery will most likely be the ultimate decision tree situation.  Effectively Shea does not know who she is or where and when she is from.  Somehow we will need to correlate that.  What will she understand?  Distance, elapsed time, career, home life events?  Or is the way to success to bring up events and see how they correspond with her answers.

 
Better yet, what are the rules of engagement for this existence? Does the positiveness of Heaven count in this situation, or does that start at complete exit from Earth?  It is odds on that the negative will creep in.

 
Excerpt 2:

 
I look at the time on the marquis two doors down.  It say 6:36.  I have about 30 minutes before I have to go.

 
I retreat to the bathroom for a shower and shave.  I get dressed, all but my outer shirt.  That has been a habit of mine for years.  I don’t want to mess a shirt by sloppy eating this early in the day.  I look out the bedroom window at the marquis and see that it say 6:55.  I have about 10 minutes.

 
As I get to the Kitchen, there is Shea wearing nothing but my Kitchen Apron.   

 
“Do you cook?’ I asked.

 
“In a way,” Shea exchanged. “Is it always so hot in here?  In January?”

 
“I don’t know,” I answered.  “This is my first January.  You can feel the heat?”

 
“In a way,” Shea stated.  “This heat can be a problem for anyone. How can you stand it?”

 
I explained, “It’s included in the rent.  I have no control.  It is a hot water system.  Those have always been good on extremely cold days, but open windows are needed on warmer days.”  

 
“Hot water system run water through pipes and the pipes then radiate the heat” I thought explaining the system would give this a try to get an idea if facts about Shea would come out.   I could put together an answer matrix then start drawing conclusions.  It is a practice similar to when I was young and just starting the real workforce.  I had a small workplace hobby where I would figure out which women were married and which were single.

 
“Mine blew air,” replied Shea.  

 
“Blew air?” I caught.

 
“Yes, no water.  Out of the holes in the wall you would have hot air blow out periodically.  It never got this hot!  January cold and to tolerate this you have to be naked!”

 
The technique is still a winner.  I’ll make notes and start putting the whole process together.  I said, “I do keep track of which way the wind is blowing with any rain and snow.  The landlord doesn’t much like getting the wood floors all wet.

 
“So you are not used to extremely warm Januaries?”

 
“Good question,” Shea retorted. “I am definitely not used to it being so warm in the kitchen like this.  Many of the houses I remember would have kitchen windows that let air in without much trying. I guess they figured the stove would heat the kitchen.”

 
I walked around her to get to the counter to get my breakfast.  I took the plate off the top of my oatmeal bowl, then grabbed my cup of coffee and brought that to the table.  Shea watched as I went back to the cabinet above the oatmeal bowl and took down the jar of honey.  I immediately squirt honey over the top of the oatmeal, place the honey back into the cabinet, then carry the oatmeal bowl to the table.   

 
Next I open the refrigerator, reach for the carton of hard boiled eggs and take one out.  I crack the egg on the table, proceed to peel the egg dropping the shell fragments into an open napkin.  In my usual organized way, I place the peeled egg on the plate, wrap the shell fragments in the napkin disposing the napkin in the trashcan between the stove and the refrigerator. I then went back to the egg and sprinkled it with pepper.

 
I sit down to eat my breakfast and offer Shea a seat at the table.  She obliges and sits on the chair nearest the doorbell phone.

 
“You call that breakfast?” Shea inquired, “Oatmeal with honey, coffee, and a hard boiled egg?”

 
“It is my usual,” I said.  “It goes quick and is easy to clean up.”

 
“A bit boring.” joked Shea. “Do you ever deviate?”

 
“Sure, I sometimes use pancake syrup in place of honey,” I answered.  

 
“I mean is it always Oatmeal, a hard boiled egg, and a topping?”

 
“Every once in a while I feel hungrier so I have two hard boiled eggs.”

 
“That does seem to be excessively consistent and boring,” laughed Shea.

 
“I suppose you have something better?” I asked somewhat snottily, “Please enlighten me with a creative suggestion or two.  What might be one of your favorite breakfast combinations?”

 
Shea started, “Eggs are a good start, but it is what to do with them.  One idea is to take the eggs, mix it with sausage and cheese baked with stuffing.  Or perhaps scramble a few eggs and melt a slice of  American Cheese on it.

 
“Eggs aside, you can do some walnut pancakes, ultra eggy french toast, or sour cream waffles and have a side of grits with either of these?”

 
“That sounds like that would take time,” I calculated. “I normally don’t allocate much time to breakfast preparation.

 
“Then try some spags and beans.”

 
“Whaaa?” I choked.

 
“I do feel adventurous some mornings though.”

 
Shea’s curiosity is peaked. “I’m interested”

 
“When I do have a little extra time, I make a specialty omelet.”

 
“A specialty omelet,” Shea exclaimed. “Now you are talking. What kind is it?”

 
“An oatmeal omelet!” I declared.

 
“An oatmeal omelet?! I have never heard of such a thing.”

 
“It’s part of a gluten free thing that I do,”  I explained, “I have cut back on wheat and bread products.  I mixed oatmeal in with the eggs to give it a bit more body and filling.”

 
“Very creative,” complimented Shea. “So have you come up with some questions?”

 
“I have.  It will be interesting as to how this might work.  If you don’t mind, I will start with a few obvious questions.  Do you have an idea of either how old you are now or were when you passed?” I asked.

 
“No, I have no idea.”

 
“Do you have any knowledge of where you might be from or where you may have lived last?” I asked.

 
“No clue on that either.  It seems that when I chose to see what had happened to me they erased my knowledge of those things,” Shea explained.

 
“But you know walnut pancakes,” I queried.

 
“And eggs, mix it with sausage and cheese baked with stuffing,” Shea said.

 
“And a heating system that did not overheat you with water, but blew air!”

 
As I finish my breakfast I start thinking that the clock has been running.  I think, that I will be late for work. I thought about what had just happened.  Shea had no memories of my specific questions.  However, she could relate to things like breakfast menu items, house construction and heating systems.

 
I mosey to the sink to fill water in the cleaning pan.  As I start to wash my dishes Shea asks, “Don’t you have a machine that can do that?”

 
I look around the kitchen.  “The kitchen is a bit small for that, isn’t it?”

 
“I suppose you are right,” Shea answered, “I just don’t think that I have ever washed too many dishes by hand.”

 
As I look out the window at the marquis, to my surprise the time reads 6:55.  Strange I thought.  I go back to the bed room, grab my shirt, and start putting it on.  I glance over at the clock and it says 6:55.  I button up and tuck in.  I start on my way back to the kitchen to turn the light off.  Shea is talking on the doorbell phone.

 
“You said he was creative.  But an oatmeal omelet?  We have determined that direct questions won’t work.  I just don’t have the memory of events or locations.

 
“Are you sure this is going to work?  We talked a bit about his kitchen, breakfast items, building construction, and how warm it is in this apartment.  No, I don’t think he noticed.”

 
“Shea,” I interrupted her as she was talking on the phone, “It looks like I will be early for work. Oh, I think I may have an idea or two where you have spent at least a part of your life.   
]]> Thu, 08 Mar 2018 06:24:00 GMT http://editorialpinups.com/blog/?excerpts-from-the-chapter--the-list- http://editorialpinups.com/blog/rss/00000000B <![CDATA[Excerpts from the chapter "The Introduction"]]> imblog Meeting for the first time can elicit a number of emotions.  When our characters meet, one knows much about the other and the mystery is to find out the other.  Tell me what you think!
 
  
Excerpt 1:

 
“I will check.”  came the voice again.  Then I heard the click of the metal.  I hear the click again.  “I think he will figure it out.” Then the chair slide sound again.

 
I look to the right towards the kitchen table.  I see the doorbell phone off hook.  I slowly walk towards the kitchen table area.  I am looking up at the phone on the wall.  The phone is off hook.  Then I look down towards the table and sitting on the chair on her knees facing the chair back facing the doorbell phone holding the receiver in her hands is a most beautiful woman. She has not noticed me.  I walk closer looking at her.   

 
I tried to startle her with “And you are?”

 
“You drove Gary crazy with that,” she smoothly and unsurprisingly replied.

 
“With what?” I ask taken aback.  She knows Gary, my boss at the last radio station I worked?  “And how do you know Gary?”   

 
“It is not do I know Gary,” she corrected.

 
“Let me try again,” I started, “with what?”

 
“Starting your sentence with “And”,” she retorted. “You would always lead off the live newscasts with the word “And”.  It drove him crazy, but you kept doing it all the time.  Even after Tony  told you Gary didn’t like it.”

 
“How do you know Tony?” I quizzed.

 
“It is not do I know Tony,” she corrected again.

 
“And you are?” I tried again. “And what’s with that phone?  That is not even a real cord!”

 
“I would suggest then that this is not a real conversation I am having on it,” she exclaimed.

 
“The way you are dressed,  you could get arrested if you went outside like that!” I said.

 
“No problem.” she said.

 
“What do you mean no problem?” I asked.

 
“Easy,” she explained. “I won’t be going outside, I can’t.  It is in the rules.”

 
“Rules? What rules?” I drilled.

 
“The rules under which I am here and how I use this phone.” she explained.

 
“Why here? Why me?” I demand.

 
She continued to explain, “I was referred to you.  I was told that you could help me.  In fact I was told that you are the only one who could help me.”  She changed her position on the chair.  Now she had put her leg closest to me on the floor and was just sitting on one knee now.  She looked over her shoulder laying the receiver on her shoulder. “I was told that you have this most logical way of thinking mixed in with a curiosity which makes no sense to others, but gets results in figuring out mysteries.”

 
“This seems strange,” I thought.  “I do have a flair with logic and figuring things out.  I am most unconventional. But I haven’t investigated anything recently.  Who would refer me?  I haven’t been in the news reporting business for years.”

 
Again I asked, “And you are?”

 
“I’ll tell you” she said, “but don’t ask the question starting with “and”.”

 
“You are?” I asked, “who referred you to me?”     

 
“My name is Shea,” she answered, “I was referred to you by your father!”

 
Excerpt 2:

 
“But how does this work,” I asked.  “How do you communicate with my father?  In fact why are you here?  Why would he refer you to me?”

 
Shea explained, “the definiteness of heaven and hell are real.  There is a time factor of travel between Earth and Heaven, another road taken per se.  It all depends on the circumstances of one’s death.  Your father having been a teacher, and a very good one, along with his work routing trucks, has put him in the position of helping those of who passed under questionable circumstances.

 
“Where and When, How and Why I died I don’t know.   When entering Heaven you are given a choice as to find out what happened or just go in.  All I know is something is not right, and it is possible that it was something very bad, so bad, that it is still going on with others and the authorities have no clue what it is.  When entering Heaven, I asked for the sake of others if I it could be found out what happened to me.  If bad and there was foul play, the perpetrators can be caught and punished.  If there is no perpetrator, then I can go on to Heaven knowing otherwise.”

 
“The doorbell phone on the wall? I asked, “What is that all about?”

 
“It’s been re-purposed,” said Shea. “That is how I report back to your father.”  

 
“Can I talk to him?” I asked.

 
“No!” Shea excitedly proclaimed. “You are not of that world.”

 
“That world?!

 
“Trust me,” Shea assured, “Even if you hold that phone to year ear you won’t hear anything and if you talk into the mouth piece, you will not be hear but by yourself.”

 
Excerpt 3:

 
I recompose as there is a reason this is all happening.

 
“How was I found here?” I asked.  

 
“You have a history.”

 
“A history?”

 
“You have a history of looking beyond your base location to work.” Shea explained.  “You left Peoria for Minnesota when Peoria was drying up. You changed jobs when you saw either opportunity or a company malfunctioning.  You wisely changed roles noting an abused industry at the time.  When times get tight you manage to find opportunities but they always seem to be elsewhere. At the height of your photography, you found it easier to book gigs out of town.  You were able to convince someone in rural Wisconsin that you would be there ahead of time and give them a great product.

 
“Knowing that Illinois seems to bring down the Quad Cites, you jumped at the opportunity that with good weather can be a commute but comfortably it is best to stay close to work. You seem to like looking beyond where you are based. We also have our ways of keeping track of people…..and no, we are not in a direct line of communication with Santa Claus.

 
“What is important is you are going to help me and I am going to help you!” Shea exclaimed.

 
“I am going to help you and you are going to help me?” I asked.  “How can I help you?”

 
“You,” Shea began, “are going to find out what happened to me.  You are going to find out who I was, where I was, and why my life ended in the way that it shouldn’t have.”

 
]]> Thu, 08 Mar 2018 06:18:00 GMT http://editorialpinups.com/blog/?excerpts-from-the-chapter--the-introduction- http://editorialpinups.com/blog/rss/00000000A <![CDATA[Excerpts from the chapter "The Layout"]]> imblog
Hi, as promised, I am going to provide you with some excerpts from three of the early chapters.  This chapter is called "The Layout".

"The Layout" gives you a basic description of the apartment.  The chapter contains more, but this is a sample of the chapter content.  Please comment in the blog your thoughts.  Thanks in advance.

Excerpt:

There were two doors to the main part of the complex.  One unit on the side of the building had an external entrance.  In the back there was a coach house style apartment attached to the garages. The building itself was composed of three levels.  The top two levels were above ground.  They showed me a lower level which was half below ground, or a my mom called it, a garden apartment.  This was a very cool and eclectic place. The unit was a one bedroom with hard wood floors.  The bedroom was large enough for King size bed or a queen with additional furniture and had a nice size walk in closet.

The living room was huge and had another larger walk-in closet.  Not only could you put a traditional living room setting in there, you could easily put a nice sized office in.  The kitchen was a small galley style with load of old fashioned metal cabinets.  There was a nice built in cabinet with a glass door where the kitchen separated the dining area. In the hallway by the bathroom and bedroom doors was a built in four drawer with a large multi shelf cabinet above. No need for a dresser here!

As I looked around I saw mounted on the wall the old doorbell phone.  The phone was black with a button on the top but just under the receiver hang area.  There was a thick cloth covered cord connecting the phone to the base unit. I had asked if the system was still in service. I was told it was not.  It was costly to maintain and with everyone carrying cell phones, the need was most dissipated.  To take the phone off the wall would create a maintenance project that was deemed unnecessary.

And of course, it looked cool. It was not something you would find in too many other apartments.  It was a nice decoration for an apartment of this type.  It added to the eclectic look and feel of an apartment from this era.
I was ready to sign on the line.  I said where do I sign.  I have the deposit money in hand. Well in the form of a debit card or a check.

As it came out thought there were others looking.  Also you had to play the landlord form game.  Upon getting all of my “landlord stuff”  I was told the lower level had already been rented.  But there was this one one floor up and the other side. It was the same layout, only flipped.  I said yes.  And I will take a garage also. (The rent was very inexpensive and having a garage would give me a place to put things that did not fit into the apartment which needed going through and some disposal.)

I got all of the paper work approved, paid the bill and got access.  It was almost as good as the garden unit.  I noted a couple of small paint jobs that needed to be done and the maintenance company took quick care of it.  I also hired a cleaning crew as I wanted to have a good clean start.

The doorbell phone however did not have a cord connecting the handset to the base.  Being a bit of an eclectic person, it was put on my post move in list to connect a cord.  Even though it would not do anything, the goal was to make it look like it really belonged there.

The idea of authentic look made sense.  The apartment building, with its 19 units and a coach house in the back, was built on the old main US Highway going through town.  At its peak, more cars than can be imagined, like described in the movie CARS, drove by.  Looking at the road, it was fairly wide from its original creation.  Nowhere did I see the typical we made it too narrow look with just wide enough lanes and houses and buildings right on the curbs.  Even the center turn lane looks original.  It is the main road to two hospitals, two colleges, and through the downtown area.

The building was also not a part of a complex.  On the property’s southern border (there is a fence, kind of like a wall) with a major American Bank as a neighbor.  On the northern border where the driveway to the back parking and garages is, the neighboring property is a funeral home crematory.   The next property to the north is a Realtor Association building. Across the street is is a large dental office.  This is an isolated apartment building.  Behind the garages across the street which looks like an alley is a number of apartment buildings, but there is no direct path to get to them.

Not knowing the details of the building construction, I wondered what the effect would be with having hard wood floors.  One past house that I lived in had pinewood floors.  Not only was it noisy, but the floor sagged when people over one hundred fifty pounds would walk across.   It was not as noticeable upstairs as it was downstairs.  Upstairs you would feel the floor bounce.  Downstairs, you would hear the clopping and also watch the light bulb sway.  If someone would drop an item on the floor, the sound below would be accentuated by the by the cement floor and solid walls.  Some sounds were downright deafening.

The question is, with hardwood floors, what sounds would be heard?  Does sound travel through the wood to other floors?  How loud would they be.  In fact, what might I need to do differently to not be noisy.  Could the radio or TV be played too loud?  Does the movement of a desk chair across the floor make an obnoxious noise?  If I a pan is dropped on the floor, is it a bang or a thud below?  Would anyone hear the blender at eleven at night?

Not that I worried what I could hear, I had been battling a hearing problem for over twenty-five years. Not that my hearing was totally bad, just certain pitches were fairly weak.  For instance, when running the church sound board (weird, a hearing impaired guy runs a soundboard, of course, there are level indicators on a sound board) and projection screen controls, I would have difficulties understanding the all soprano singing group.  With the multiple part singing groups, the blend of pitches made it easier to understand.  It is this lack of hearing ability that always led me to ask others what they could hear.

Another issue with sounds would be in the non-heating and non-air conditioning days.  The windows on the apartment would be opened.  Could someone on another floor hear what is going ion in the apartment?  Could someone outside hear what was going on in the apartment?  Better yet, what does it sound like in the apartment with the windows opened?  I can sleep through anything, but others have told me they hear the city street sounds all too well and have to close the windows and turn on the air conditioning.

]]> Thu, 08 Mar 2018 06:11:00 GMT http://editorialpinups.com/blog/?but-but-i-loved-writing-excerpts-from--the-layout http://editorialpinups.com/blog/rss/000000008 <![CDATA[Getting closer to a showing]]> imblog   
Hi But But I Loved Novel in Progress followers,

 
The past week and a half I have been concentrating on the edit, rewrite, and reedit of chapters currently written in preparation of presenting to you some excerpts in about a week.  It has been challenging and exciting.

 
It is through much of the dialog that we will develop the story of our paranormal visitor.  The dialog is meant not only to be informational, but also fun.  It is during this process that I have much fact checking going on.  I also have a good many personal experiences included.   

 
The fact checking has been fun. I do have to discipline myself that I do not get caught up in research, as it can get in the way of the writing.

 
Take this challenge.  Take a topic of interest to yourself.  Do a little research on it.  Feel free to respond on the blog.  I am curious as to your experience.

 
We have a new survey out there https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WJ98M3M .  It is called that was then this is now for a lack of any other title.  It is current event related but I do want to hear your thoughts.

 
Get ready for some samples shortly!!
]]> Fri, 02 Mar 2018 06:49:00 GMT http://editorialpinups.com/blog/?getting-closer-to-a-showing http://editorialpinups.com/blog/rss/000000006 <![CDATA[It's been two weeks]]> imblog
Hi But But I Loved Novel in Progress followers,
It has been two weeks since our last communication.  I have been doing a combination of writing new sections and edit writing existing sections.   
It is a very exciting and very busy process.  In choosing the concept of a paranormal mystery with an embedded real world style mystery with conversations, there are many facets which must tie together.  We remember that in a paranormal mystery there is only one real rule.  That rule is to be consistent.  
Paranormal mysteries do not have to adhere to the basic rules of science, we get to make them up as we go.  But we do have to be consistent with the rules.  It is not proper to throw a thought out there to never be used again.  Thoughts must be developed and then consistently followed.  This is where the editing, rewriting, text insertion and deletion are most important.

I have always been a verbal story teller.  A verbal story teller always works within a limited time frame.  The story must be started, developed, and completed within the allowed length of conversation.  My verbal story telling skills were developed in person and on the radio.  When doing an 80’s 90’s top hits formatted radio show, I was told that I had to talk over what was called the ramp.   
This was hard for me as I had developed my initial love for radio with the beginning of FM Radio where the rule was to talk, then stop talking when you started the music. My stories were limited to the length of the ramp, or the instrumental start of the song.  Average ramps are the to thirty seconds.  If I had a longer story to tell, I would Play America by Neil Diamond.  It had an almost two minute ramp.
As a side note, when the program manager told me that I had to talk over the ramp to be more consistent with the satellite feed diskjockies, I could not let it go without some form of protest.  The first song I played was Jan Hammer’s Theme from Miami Vice.  There are no lyrics and the dirty look then chuckle I got from the program manager was more than worth it.
Before long I will be publishing some excerpts from the novel in progress.  I will be looking for your opinions and also give you some new writing to enjoy.

Drop a line and tell me what your thoughts are!!

For now, back to the novel writing!!
]]> Fri, 16 Feb 2018 06:59:00 GMT http://editorialpinups.com/blog/?it-s-been-two-weeks http://editorialpinups.com/blog/rss/000000005 <![CDATA[Request for sugestions on Regional Breakfast menu items]]> imblog
In helping with the mystery part of the novel, I am looking for some regional breakfast ideas.  As the novel develops you will start understanding more as we go.

Of course, that is part of the mystery.

Please take this quick survey for this request https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/876ST3J

Thanks in advance,

Scott
]]> Fri, 26 Jan 2018 05:45:00 GMT http://editorialpinups.com/blog/?request-for-sugestions-on-regional-breakfast-menu-items http://editorialpinups.com/blog/rss/000000004 <![CDATA[Update number 1]]> imblog   
Greetings,

 
I have written for a week and a half now.  This is a thoroughly enjoyable experience.  It has been an interesting time in reality, but a most exciting time in But But, I Loved Land.

 
I want to first thank everyone who has signed up for a postcard book mark.  If you have not signed up for yours, please fill out the form on the main page of www.butbutiloved.com.  I will get that bookmark out pronto.  Second, if you and three of your friends sign up, I will send you an official But But I Loved pen with phone stylus.

 
When doing a paranormal mystery, there are two rules.  The first is there are no rules.  Paranormal events are based upon occurrences that are energy based  but virtually unprovable.  The second rule is to keep track of your paranormal concepts to make sure you do not violate your paranormal concepts.

 
While this sounds easy, it is easy to create an unjustified tangent.  This leads to reader confusion.  To combat this I will be doing many more periodic editing runs.

 
At this first reporting point I have set the stage and started our two main character introductions. This is  a character loosely based upon myself and our paranormal visitor.  When setting the stage, I am giving a description of some societal events, the reason for locating, and a description of the main story location.

 
Next, I have started writing the introduction. This has been exciting.  It has been a long time since I wrote any significant dialog between characters.  There is so much that the characters want to say, but as in life, they strategically hold back waiting for the right opening.  Add to that the paranormal experience, the conversation can get even more exciting.

 
Talk to you in the next report!

 

 
Scott
]]> Fri, 19 Jan 2018 05:01:00 GMT http://editorialpinups.com/blog/?update-number-1 http://editorialpinups.com/blog/rss/000000003 <![CDATA[First Postcard Bookmarks have been sent]]> imblog The first of the postcard bookmarks have gone out.  To celebrate this event next week, I will be publishing the first of the questionaires for introducing side conversations in the novel.  Those who are registered will have an additional opportunity in the survey process.

Make sure you are registered and receive a tottaly free postcard bookmark, including shipped outside the United States.  Register at www.butbutiloved.com!
]]> Fri, 05 Jan 2018 05:28:00 GMT http://editorialpinups.com/blog/?first-postcard-bookmarks-have-been-sent http://editorialpinups.com/blog/rss/000000002 <![CDATA[Welcome to "But But, I Loved", a novel in progress]]> imblog
“But But, I Loved” is a novel in creation. I, the author,  am inviting contributors to help with ideas for dialogue.  
To become a contributor and follow the creation of “But But, I Loved”, go to the main web site page, www.butbutiloved.com to read about the concept.  Then with our simple fill in the blanks form, sign up to be a contributor and receive in the mail, a nice post card style book mark to use in your current books and as a reminder to check in.  I will alert you to any changes, updates, and idea requests by email.
Thanks,

Scott

]]> Fri, 29 Dec 2017 01:46:00 GMT http://editorialpinups.com/blog/?welcome-to--but-but,-i-loved-,-a-novel-in-progress http://editorialpinups.com/blog/rss/000000000