Goldstruck

Goldstruck - a Chinese/Bollywood film to be shot.......but first, marketing, next month at the Berlin Film Festival.

I haven't done a voice over in 30 years.  I did voice overs two days ago for Goldstruck teasers.  Wow - it was fun to be an actor!!!!  and I had a goldstruck 'situation' that day:  I left my bag in the taxi, during my trip to the studio.   An iPad, Leica camera, my Kindle, a good Cross pen, Bose pod earphones.......and what would be the odds of the bag being turned over to the HKPD?    2-3 times out of 500 is what the police stated.....a really shitty situation was alchemistically turned to a golden moment when we got the call from HKPD!!!!!!!!

I'm trying to coordinate getting the taxi driver a reward - let's see what happens....good definitely must be rewarded!!!

Freezing one's ass off in Hong Kong

The sun is shining.  The hoodies are on.  It is one day of work prior to the weekend, after a long holiday.....and there will be an awful lot of people calling in sick, today.  Such was the case with my stretcher - who - had he had his numbers correct, might have SMS'd me, cancelling this morning - not that I'd have even looked at the SMS, which I never do......

For those of you who only look at the blog but not my site, be aware that since I spend most of my time at home in China, where this blog is blocked - either from reading or writing - I have started a website page for entries while in China....so if you and to read me during the lapse of time where there is nothing on this blog, then go to www.lifeilao.com

But there'll be a lot of blogging while we are in warm Thailand for the entire month of January!!!!!

Last night, though, in Hong Kong, our blankets and mattress warmer were not enough - we froze our asses off.  Tonight and tomorrow will necessitate wearing of long thermal underwear under the warm up suit.

And of course I am wearing my FCC hoodie, today!!

In pursuit of my PTIN number

For the past few weeks I tried on a weekly basis to go online and renew my number with the IRS;  the number that legally permits me to stay in business as a tax preparer.

It was announced, sometime in October, that practitioners could renew online.  That was simply not so.  It was only this past week that I could advance to renewal screens online.  But then, who remembers once a year passwords and usernames?  Who knew that the password only was valid for 6 months and that the incorrect data you were posting was caused by the wrong password, locking you out of the system?

So last night I called an IRS number in Iowa.  Lo and behold, I did not have to wait - I got through to an individual almost immediately.  I got an activation number that I had to use when re-applying as a new online user.

And then, this morning, I tried the activation number - although the screen where one can enter that number only was found after a very frustrating half hour online.  Yet I did succeed and I did confirm, once again, that the IRS is not a bastion of computer efficiency;  that the FATCA and F(u)BAR systems it is extending its electronic reach to are going to truly be fubar!!!

It's the old in and out (of Hong Kong) game, again.....

I came to town on Sunday afternoon and now it is Tuesday night.  I didn't really have much on the agenda this week but procrastinated sufficiently that I didn't think I'd finish the little that had to be done.  Surprise of surprises - I finished.

With one exception - I have to call the IRS, tonight, because I cannot access my practitioner's number renewal program and need alternative means of getting the task done.  This is one, I am afraid, of many misdeeds perpetrated by the IRS computer system that I have been personally involved with, recently.  I fear that the system is irreparably broke;  broke beyond repair.  It cannot get fixed and will only get worse.  What a nightmare!!!

But there is good to go with the inconvenience of having to stay up later than I do to make the call:  I get to go to and listen to some jazz, live!!

This afternoon I listened to a speaker at the FCC who talked about the financial woes of the cities.  She had no idea of what a comprehensive property tax was or what the long term future of taxation in China will be based upon.....I think I am going to be well prepared for my speech on Saturday - I know the subject matter well.  Now I have to polish off how I say it.....

Memories of times past.....1956-1958 Thanksgivings in NYC

I started at Brooklyn Tech when I was 14.  That was in 1956.  Little did I know that an annual Thanksgiving tradition was the Thursday morning football game between Boys High, were my father went and Brooklyn Tech.

Boys High Field, far, far, far away from the school but near to where we first lived in Brooklyn (853 Empire Blvd) was convenient for us and what a wonderful thing to do:  my father, my brother and me - a family Thanksgiving morning football rivalry.  Then my Uncle Max, who 32 years earlier, under the same coach (Wally Muller) who still coached Boys High, was a city star, got wind of it and asked if he and his three sons can join us - that afternoon, we'd all go to their house in Forest Hills for Thanksgiving dinner.

Thus began a three year tradition - the mornings found 7 of us (6 of us in the stands, Uncle Max participating by walking with the 10 yard chain along the sidelines).   Do these two schools  - no longer all male - still meet for Thanksgiving morning football?  What changes have transpired in NYC during the past 55 years?

Damn, it's cold!

14 degrees outside.....and it was in the 20s, yesterday.  Damn, it's cold!!

My blood has thinned.  I used to be a trooper in this type of weather.  Not any more.  I'm glad I have the Moncler jacket to wear - it is light weight warm.  I have two in Hong Kong - one of which I should bring back to Guangzhou with me.

I have one meeting, today....and that is already over.  I have one easy tax return to do - that is still to be done.....and of course I have writing that is long overdue - sooner or later, I've got to get off of my arse and motivate myself.

But now?  Hell no!!

Will it rain?

A decision:  after getting back from meetings on the Kowloon side, I decided that this afternoon was a good one to cook.

I made brownies, 'compensating' for the overdone cookies (salvagable, nonetheless!!) last time.  I used two sticks of butter, two eggs (which I probably should not have mixed, initially - or should I have worried because that liquid consistency of it all was drawn butter! and it all 're-mixed' - and that is not a yoke!!), more water, the same amount of vegetable oil (virgin olive).......simmering (on 7 minutes, off 3 minutes, closed pot) for 45+ minutes........

It looks good....let's see how my culinary arts have improved.....

I'm listenng/watching the Stones 2013 Hyde Park concert on DVD.   They are great!!!

Ah, Hong Kong weather at this time of year!!!

It is cool in the morning.  Brisque outside, actually.  Debatable whether or not to wear a jacket over the shirt sleeved shirt (with a t shirt, too - it ain't summer).  But the logic of that tingle in the air (not really chilled) going from my apartment to the FCC makes sense when I eventually leave the FCC and the weather outside has warmed to the point where a jacket would have been an inconvenience.

It is writing and thinking time.  Writing, because when away from China, I want to do this blog and what better way to do it than to make it part of my initial, daily routine?  Thinking because I am keynote speaker at a prestigious, international tax conference, mid-December, in Xiamen.  Keynote, in this case, is banquet speaker where, unlike everyone else who has been allocated 20 minutes to speak (yeah, it is an academic conference), I am a 40 minute tax entertainer.  And entertaining is what I fully intend to be!!  I will entertainingly get my message across about property tax to some of the most prominent researchers the State Administration has - my attempt at stand up tax comedy, again, in China!!

There are some clouds in the sky, today.  Yesterday there were none and the brilliant blue was wondrous.

O.K.   that's enough blogging for one day - time to read some newspapers!!!

A list of improbables.....

1)  Since the 'quality' of  participating teams has been in decline subsequent to the start of the Asia Series, how come it is still in existence, at least as we know it?

2)  How come Japan gave up its turn to hold the Asia Series, this year (in Fukuoka)?

3)  Why did the Japanese and Korean participants send their 'second' teams?

4)  And perhaps the most improbable of all:  How did Australia do it all?

****************************

Jack Murphy hit a home run, two nights before, coming out of a hitless slump.  He hit another one in the eighth, last night - a grand slam.  The Cavalry dismantled the Uni-President 7-11 Lions of Taiwan, 14-4.  I did not see the grand slam - with bases loaded and Murphy coming to the plate with the score 10-4 and 19 hits, thus far, for Canberra, I opted to find a taxi and get back to my hotel (and get to Mos Burger before they closed for a late night alternative to McDonalds).  I knew he hit one when the CPBL management wisely decided to get rid of their unused fireworks, right then and there.

Kudos to Australia - their win was the best thing that could happen to baseball in Asia, in particular but generally, for baseball around the world.  There is only one true impediment remaining to true baseball expansion and growth in Asia:  MLB.  Their approach, their attitude, their total lack of vision without any patience....it is one of a 'Small mnd' (and yes, double entendre is truly meant, here, for those who know what I am talking about).

There will eventually be baseball in China.  When?  Who knows.....but it will return......

And me?   Who'd have thought that I'd attend 22 professional games in 4 countries this year......it was absolutely wonderful!!!

When you take things for granted......

When I take things for granted, tired but happy last night that in the morning I'd be able to do this blog, I discover that all those good words and catchy phrases were lost - forgotten somewhere during the night.....

When Samsung Lions and Rakuten Eagles management took for granted that they would meet for the Asia Series championship, that there was no reason to bring their starting teams as there was not going to be any competition.....well......they both lost!

Last night, in front of a far more respectable crowd (but still not an attendance worthy of an international sporting match), Nelson Figueroa (remember him, long ago and far, far away in the Majors?) pitched a great game, with the Lions of Taiwan beating 'my' Eagles from Japan, 4-1.  That 1 run should not have been:  the Eagles base runner was clearly tagged out (from my seat I had a better view than the home plate umpire) but the culture here is such that the Taiwanese manager made a polite, brief protest - quite passive - before sitting down.

Of course, I come from a razzing the umpire tradition and when I yelled out in Chinese:  'Bullshit, can't you see?', the Korean ump, who heard me, apparently understanding Chinese, turned around and gave me a stare......and I became a hero to the Taiwan fans around me, who kept on high-fiving me throughout the remainder of the game.

Thus, tonight, there'll be a good , vocal attendance, as the Canberra Cavalry, this year's baseball cindarella team, plays the Lions of Taiwan for the Asia Series championship.

And frankly, this is the best thing that can happen for baseball in Asia!!!

Miracles sometimes happen.....!

Taichung Stadium is a nice, compact, 20,000 capacity baseball park.

Last night, in front of approximately 19,850 empty seats, Australia's Canberra Cavalry beat Korea's Samsung Lions 9-5 in what had to be one of the most exciting games I've been to.

Samsung, like Rakuten, did not bring the big guns.  That was a mistake for Samsung because 'on any given night' - and last night was the night - Samsung did not have the pitching but Canberra had the hitting.....aided, of course, by the fact that I was razzing the umpires and cheering the Aussies on.

I sat with the Italian team, which, at 4am, left Taiwan to return to Bologna.  The Korean team will now go back to Seoul and 'have to explain' how they blew it.

Tonight, Rakuten is in danger - they left their guns back in Sendai and will play a strong Taiwan  Uni-President 7-11 Lion team that certainly will be motivated by a near to capacity house, tonight.

It was cold as hell out there, last night.....I'll bundle up a bit more, tonight....and am looking forward to it.

On Sunday afternoon, Rakuten beat Canberra, 6-3, going ahead - finally - after 8 innings.  Without their first team offense, Rakuten could face embarrassment, tonight, too......

Regardless, it's fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Taoyuan, yesterday.....back to Taichung, today

There is a very noticable weather change, 37 minutes train ride north from Taichung.

Yesterday, two baseball games were played at Taoyuan Stadium, near the airport and far more accessible to Taipai than Taichung.  Taipei, in the north, is cold.  Kaoshing, down south, is warm.  Taichung, population 2.6 million, is just about right!

And once again, it's all about the pitching.

Australia shares something with Italy:  smaller, part-time baseball where, at best, there was one pitcher per team that was really worth a damn.   Italy (Bologna) lost two games.  The first loss was respectable.  The second loss was pathetic.  Australia won its first game.  Yesterday, had Rakuten had their 'first' team in, their loss would have been even more pathetic than Italy.

And yet.....because they were second place in their bracket, they play again, tonight, against Korea.  Prediction:  tonight's game will be a blow out.....Korea will easily advance to the championship game on Wednesday night.

Last night, Luis Vizciano, 39+ years of age, was the losing pitcher in 10 innings, as the 7-11 Lions of Taiwan lost to the Samsung Lions of Korea.  Tomorrow night, the Taiwan team, in front of a home crowd, will play Rakuten.  It's time for Rakuten to bring on some first stringers - including pitchers, as they will have a tougher battle against Taiwan....and assuming they win, they'll face a tough Korean team.

It's fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When you really have only one pitcher of 'quality'

The teams from Japan, Taiwan and Korea are professional.  These teams pay their players who have no other jobs.   The teams from Australia and Italy?  If they are paid, it is not sufficient to live life without another job - one that pays.

Thus, Bologna, Italy, the European league champion, made a good showing on opening day.  But last night, in the chill of late autumn (a hoodie I purchased at the ball park came in very handy!), Taiwan's first place team, the Seven-Eleven Lions, had a field day:  They led 8-0 at the end of 5.  We left early, prior to Bologna, Italy being further humiliated.

The most fun, though, was sitting in the fan section and rooting the Taiwanese on.

Today's two games take place in Taoyuan, near the airport.  We'll take the high speed rail to the airport and then shuttle to the Taoyuan ball park.   This afternoon, Rakuten plays Australia's Canberra Cavalry.  Tonight is perhaps the best game, thus far:  Lions (Taiwan) vs Lions (Korea).   Yet I am not sure I'll be going to both games - maybe, just maybe, I should pay more attention to my age and limit the length of the day out.....besides, the temperature will go even lower tonight.....!

If you want to find out whether I went or not to tonight's game, then you'll simply have to read tomorrow's blog!!!

Morning drizzles - 16 November

I have absolutely no idea of the final score, last night:  the Eagles broke the 1-1 tie with the Rhinos (Taiwan's 2d place team) in the bottom of the 8th.  Their half of the inning was still going (with 2 out) but I feared for lack of transport so I left to find a taxi.  Obviously I found one because I got back to my hotel, took a bath and slept soundly.

It was cold, last night - a stark contrast to the balmy, mid-70s of the afternoon game.  I guess that means I'll wear the Asia Series hoodie I purchased that afternoon.....

Tanaka did not pitch  through the 8th inning.  Did he pitch the 9th?  I have no idea - this morning's papers - at least the English language ones I was able to look at - did not carry the game.

Two more games today:  Australia plays this afternoon against the Rhinos of Taiwan.  The Rhinos were more impressive - to me, at least - than the Samsung Lions.

Anyhow.....it is time to get dressed and grab some breakfast.  Then.....off to the ball park!

Samsung Lions of Korea 5 - Bologna, Italy 2

I don't feel my age.....I certainly do not act my age.....but it appears that I appear my age - unless it is the fact that I'm the only white guy around in a very Asian setting and the staff of the CPBL wants to make this a great experience for me........I think it is the latter.....

The taxi ride was not as long (or as costly) as I anticipated.  I got to Taichung Stadium around 11:15am and had no problem finding the information office where news of my impending arrival had already been spread to all in the office - they literally and figuratively gave me VIP treatment, escorting me to where I was to sit as a Super Fan.  There were 6 other Super Fans there - all Japanese.  One wore a Chiba jersey, another wore a Nippon Ham Fighters jersey.....and when I took out my Rakuten Eagles jersey and put it on, they 'adopted' me!!!

Five of the six looked as one would expect a bunch of Japanese men scouring  manga and anime in Akihabara to look.  The sixth?   Transgender!   What a group!!  Their English was even worse than my Japanese yet baseball was the common language and we had a good time together.

Italy's Bologna team lost the game in the bottom of the eighth inning when a relief pitcher came in and after walking the first batter he faced (with absolutely nothing on the ball), he threw three straight balls to the Korean batter who, based upon the prior pitches, would either walk (because the ball would be no where near home plate) or hit a home run if the ball got over the plate.  He hit a 3 run homer and the game ended 5-2.  The Korean team, though, the Samsung Lions, did not impress me.

At the start of the game, perhaps there were 100 people in attendance.  Conclusion of the game - 2-300 people, no more - mostly school classes attending.......

I took a taxi back to the hotel and will rest for an hour prior to returning to the stadium for the 6:30pm game.  Rakuten plays this one against the second place Taiwan team.  Neither Andrew Jones nor Casey McGeehee of the Eagles is on the traveling squad - presumably, they've gone home after the Japan Series.   But the pitching staff is intact and it will be nice to watch them play........

Food:   good fried dumplings and fried squid.  Tonight I will try a hot dog.....

More.....tomorrow.....and I hope to download pictures, tomorrow morning, to the photo gallery of the website.

Wake up in Taichung

It is the 15th of November and at noon, this year's Asia Series begins with a game between Italy and the Korean league champions.  I would be surprised if Italy won although the Italians have got to be emotionally up for a game like this with a team from one of the 'better' baseball countries:  the Korean league teams play a 128 game season.

Tonight, Taiwan's number 2 team plays the Rakuten Eagles of Japan.  Taiwan plays some good baseball (although the league, consisting of only 4 teams, has a bit of a 'shady' recent past).  Will I go for an afternoon game, come back to the hotel and then take another taxi ride back for tonight's game or will I spend the entire day there?   Good question!  It all depends on both distance from the hotel (I'm still not sure how far away the stadium really is) and the availability of taxis  from the stadium.

Park City Hotel, a smaller hotel I found from the Agoda hotel site, is centrally located.  It was easy to find from the high speed rail station even though communications between the taxi driver and me were 'limited'.  The room I am in was recently re-done and the bath tub was very 'welcome', this morning for a half hour bath.

It is now 2-1/2 hrs before I depart for the stadium.  Making the best use of time, this morning and the mornings over the next week are the  immediate task at hand........and then......baseball!!

And so we end this trip to merry old Hong Kong.....

Here I am, a day after Armistice Day (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - you get the gist) and I didn't even realize it was a holiday.......and now it is Veteran's Day - and it is a celebration day for me, too, I suppose, because I was in the Army........I survived the Army, not a war......

I started out the morning with a harmonica lesson.....got to practice more - that is the ONLY way I will show any improvement.

Had a client meeting.

Soon going to have a flu vaccination - then going to another client meeting.

And then....back to Guangzhou and a day to get ready for my trip to Taiwan.

Sorry to write something so 'meaningless' but I would rather have inclusion to the blog, today, rather than nothing at all......

Hey, you looked at the wrong one for yesterday!!

G'day, mates,  greetings from Hong Kong!

'twas a busy, busy day, upon arrival from Guangzhou.  I thought I erased the blog entry I wanted to make, yesterday.  I didn't - thus to those out there who are reading me:  scroll backwards and immediately before the brief one you read from yesterday lies a far more verbose entry.

If you want to scroll, it's there.....and if not, no big deal!

Jazz at the FCC last night:  a quintet of some exceedingly skilled musicians, veterans of the struggle to sruvive with making music their career.....they were craftsmen.  They were damned good.....and I am fortunate enough to have jammed with three of them.  While the Australian vocalist was good, she did not hold weight with the 5 musicians accompanying her.  Yeah, she had a few songs where she held her own but  for the two-set concert performance, I'd have preferred ditching the singer and just watching and listening to the 5 in the 'back-up band'.

And today?  Katherine and I luxuriated in sleeping in and sleeping late.  I took advantage of one of those rare nights where I got up only once and had no problem immediately falling back to sleep.

And today, thus far into the early afternoon?   I did walk and exercise my way to the HK side of the Star Ferry Terminal and took away two hot dogs for Katherine and me to eat at home.  For the first time I encountered lines at Top Dog.  I have mixed emotions about this:  on one hand, it is nice to see them 'make it' - they deserve it.  On the other hand, I hate waiting on lines!!

A quick addition for the day......

I actually wrote something good.....and pushed the wrong button, erasing it all......so rather than nothing at all, you, who might read this, will only see a sentence or two...sorry 'bout dat!

Hot and dry in Hong Kong

This is the nice time of year in south China.  The temperature has dropped a bit - just enough to be 'borderline' nice.  The humidity, though, has really decreased - it is dry and my skin needs far more moisture than the creams I have but foolishly do not use.

The frustration comes, though, when I open the windows and hope for air circulation - there isn't any.....it is too hot in the apartment with motionless air but not hot enough to avoid guilt if I turn on the air conditioner.  Such is my plight on a Saturday afternoon in Hong Kong.

We came in on the early morning train.  I had an appointment, mid-afternoon.  Katherine napped (which I did, too - for a while before my meeting and after we came back from Man Mo Temple, where we go to have good thoughts.

Jazz , tonight, at the FCC.  A Japanese film, tomorrow.....lunch and dinner on Monday...lunch on Tuesday.  Then it's back to Guangzhou.  A whirlwind tour of Hong Kong, gaining weight at the time of year when dieting should be more rigorous.  Such is life on an autumn weekend in Hong Kong 

A day like any day, filled with the events.....

If I can figure out how to get this from MacJournal to my blog, when I get back to Hong Kong, I will do so. Otherwise, what I feel just might be a longer journal, today will remain unread - such is life.....

It was 27 degrees in Guanghou, this afternoon. The sky, marbled with clouds, was blue - vibrant blue. I took a bus to the Garden Hotel area and met with Fred Hong at his offices regarding some work the two of us could do together. It is hard to believe but next year we'll have been working with one another for 20 years. Two small businessmen, professionals from Los Angeles who chose Guangzhou. We are 9 years apart in age and while Los Angelinos, I'm the westside Jewish variety while Fred is from the Monterey Park Chinese community on the other side of town. Yet we came together half-way around the globe.

Sky FM is an app on both my iPad andiPhone. At home in Guangzhou, I have a 'portable' speaker system from Bose that is blue tooth connected. I'm listening to 1960s rock n roll, now - a good mix of my sort of stuff......

And tomorrow I will finalize my Taiwan baseball trek and secure a hotel reservation!!

Sorry, it ain't going to be a long piece - time to watch some anime.....

At the end of this trip to Hong Kong

I've been busy.....I've been spectacularly inefficient and lazy when not busy.....I didn't go to the blog as much as I had intended.....so what else is new??

The Rakuten Golden Eagles lead the Yomiuri Giants 2 games to 1, having won game 3 last night at the Tokyo Dome by a 5-1 score.  The Eagles pitching - not just Tanaka - has been great, thus far!  I have been wearing my Eagles Jersey (through the wonderful gift of jersey from 'akajoeboy'), starting right after the Dodgers elimination from the NL Series and I will continue to wear it for the duration of the Japan Series.....and just might wear it again in Taiwan, if the Eagles win Japan and go on for the Asia Series.....

It is the World Series, end of game 3, though, that stands out in my mind.  This one last out of the game made it a 'world' series as Uehara, bull pen fireman supreme, picked off Wong (Chinese-American from Hawaii) at first to end the game.  What an Asian baseball moment:  Uehara picking off Wong!!!

Back in Hong Kong

Actually, this is the third day I've been here.  It is Sunday, early afternoon, and I am proving once again, that membership has its privileges:  that members only table at the FCC, always vacant, was just what I needed to set up the iPad and order a lighter lunch, knowing that I will pig out at Oktoberfest in Hong Kong, tonight.

It is a wonderful autumn day, today.  There's sun and blue sky and temperature of 26 degrees.  I am seated, waiting for wonton soup and noodles.  The Cards won the third game of the Series on an obstruction call by the umpires.  Rules or no rules - this is a really chicken shit way to win a Series game!

Once again I am wearing my Rakuten Eagles jersey.  They lost to the Giants, last night, in game one of the Japan Series in Sendai.  They play again, tonight, in Sendai.  Will Tanaka be pitching???

I've got work to do this afternoon but I have no desire to do it and am going to see the extent to which I can possibly 'postpone' the inevitable.

I cooked, this week, first time in a long while.  I wanted to make fudge brownies.  The result, alas, was a burnt, hard , tasteless cookie.....got to experiment again  based upon the learning curve from this week's  cooking fiasco.  The problem is that I am not quite sure where I went wrong.....such is life.

Later - I'll write again, tomorrow!!

2-0 in the 6th

All right!  Here we are, tuesday morning, the first business day of the week since yesterday was a holiday in Hong Kong - go climb a mountain day.

I started out with a breakfast meeting, this morning.  Soon, I'm off to the bank.  Then some morning chores before finally getting back to my apartment from which I have to leave before 3pm as there will be no power in the building  between 3-5pm.

It  will be hot today....but the morning started off at 26 degrees outside - quite refreshing!

Dodgers are leading........will get back to the game, now.....this is it for today.

Post-game Columbus Day edition

Yeah, it is tough to lose a 13 inning game.....but it would have been tougher to lose a 13 inning game at home.....to push the Cards to 13 innings, in St Louis, ain't nothin' to sneeze at!

I'm wearing my cap and jersey throughout this year's Dodger duration........

Such is life.........

Columbus Day in Hong Kong

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue......and true, so true, it is true - no one gives a rat's rear end (justifiably so) in Hong Kong!

Who cares??

I am sitting in my underwear, reading emails and newspapers in Hong Kong, soon to get dressed to go to the FCC for my morning appointment.  I'll watch the ballgame there, too - each day the Dodgers play, I'll don the Jersey.....if I wear it, they'll win.  They'll lose if I don't wear it.   That's my baseball jinx for the year.

We're off to Shenzhen, this afternoon, Katherine returning home to Guangzhou, tomorrow while I come back to Hong Kong.

Go Dodgers!!

LL     8:31am     HK

Dodger jersey wearing time.....

All right, we are in the league championship series.  We're playing our old league championship nemesis, the St. Louis Cardinals.  Do we take this series lightly?  Hell, no!

We've got two 'real' starting pitchers.....work with them.  We've got relief and a decent mid-game pitching staff....use them with flexibility to supplement the two starters.....and hopefully our hitters will hit.

I have mixed emotions regarding the Boston-Detroit series.  I'd love to see our ex-Red Soxers play the Red Sox.....do I want to face Detroit?   The Detroit hitters (but for Cabrera) I think can be contained.....

It is late afternoon in Hong Kong.  It is Friday.  It is really nice outside.

I finished the work I had hoped to finish, today and am waiting for my wife to arrive from Guangzhou.  We're going to a movie, tonight and then, mid-day, tomorrow, off to Shenzhen where we'll spend the night, attending a charitable fund raising event.   I'll bring my iPad with me and write the balance (I hope) of a Tax Analysts article.  That which I do not complete tomorrow morning or Sunday morning in Shenzhen, I'll complete on Sunday afternoon, back in Hong Kong.  I'm relatively up-to-date and have even started harmonica lessons!  Now is the time of year to actively work upon the non-tax areas of life!!

Rain - will it rain or won't it?

Here it is, not quite 10am on an overcast, relatively cool (27 degrees) Monday morning in Hong Kong.  Here I am, at my usual table, sipping my second cup of coffee at the FCC, debating whether or not we're going to have taxi problems, getting to the train station, if it rains.

Ostensibly, I am here at the FCC to write - I simply would not even go to Pages to write were I to have stayed at our HK flat.  At least I am doing a blog piece, which will be the last one until I return to HK, as I go home to GZ for the next 10 days.

Tax season is over.  The work that I've taken on is not 'pressure-prone'.  I can do that work as well as devote more time to music, photography and cartooning.....as well as making an initial start at some 'serious' (at least for me) fiction.

Anyhow, this is today's blog - albeit brief - and now to try to do some non-fiction tax writing........

On a laid back, lazy late summer Sunday.....

For me, the nicest way to begin a Sunday without plans or activities anticipated for the day would be to have had an uninterrupted night's sleep go on into a later than time to get up (ie nearly missing the last 7:05am Sunday morning, regular season baseball game!).

Such was today's case and it was nice.  Breakfast consisted of tea (brewed here) but bakery bought (from the night before) buns (in my case, crisp/hard/sesame seed coated rye with raisin).  Ah, what a mess was made as those sesame seeds scattered far and wide, going everywhere but the paper I was holding with which I had hoped to entrap them.   The cockroaches will have a field day, tomorrow night, realizing that I am gone and thus, coming out to retrieve all those sesame seeds!

Also devoured - in three separate times during the morning - were the cut pineapple pieces packed for sale by the local food stand.  Yesterday, I went to the stand, purchasing that pineapple pack and two packs of mixed fruit.  Katherine and I each had mixed fruit, last night.

Lunch today was a walk - to the one hot dog stand I know of in Hong Kong where you really do get a hot dog.  I fear the place will cease to exist because of so little business but it simply serves the best I've had on this side of the Pacific.

And after the foot longer, thick, juicy dog in a large bun, laden with sauerkraut, pickles and mustard? Why a walk home and a nap, of course!

It's raining in Hong Kong

11:10am on a Saturday morning.  I've already met with my first clients of the day.....two more meetings, today, then a leisurely afternoon/evening with my wife, who is headed towards Hong Kong, today.

I had 4 good hours of sleep, last night, waking up around 2:30am and reading, playing harmonica for a couple of hours prior to going back to sleep.  I now have a general idea of how I want to improve upon my ability to read music while practicing, primarily, the chromatic harmonica.  I will 'secondarily' learn/practice on my melodica/melodion as my second instrument, primarily because it has a keyboard.

As I feel confident with the latter instrument, I will then go on to my AX synth.....and then, the diatonic harmonica.....going last, to the banjo.

So much for my eclectic assortment of musical instruments, which I hope to start with - at least - 3/4 hour a day for all of them.

And then there's the writing - lest we forget that this is the most important facet of developing new ways to spend my time, instead of taxes......

Of course, there is also drawing - for which I really do have to learn to use both this iPad and a drawing tablet as well as 'conventional' paper and pencil.

Autumn in Hong Kong

Here it is, just a couple of days prior to the end of the month.....and this morning, in Hong Kong, it feels like Fall.....WONDERFUL!!!

What's not so wonderful, though, is the task at hand of going through a month's worth of mail that has accumulated while I've been out of Hong Kong.....ah well, such is life.......

Regardless,  I'm in Hong Kong and not too worn out from tax season.....and the work load I have facing me is more than tolerable.

Onwards.......

It ain't over 'til it's over!!

Last day of an 18 day vacation.  Here in Ochanimizu until around noon.  Then taxi to Uemo and the Narita Express.  Katherine and I go separate ways:  she to an earlier China Southern plane;  me to the ANA business class lounge, first, followed by a later flight to Guangzhou.

So....what's been done during our trip?

Firstly and most importantly, Katherine's monumental display of diligence in her studies paid off, yesterday, at the Temple University-Japan's Promeco Test Center, where she passed part two of the IRS Enrolled Agent exam!!!!!

Me?   7 baseball games;  3 museums;  2 jazz and blues 'concerts' at different clubs;  3 books read.....and 9 days of walking from our hotel, the Tokyo Garden Palace (conveniently located very, very near Joanna's apartment!), to the Imperial Palace and circumnavigation (once, completely, 8 times, partially) around the outer perimeter.  A walk like that is a long way from my first walks, growing up in the lower middle class, East New York, Brooklyn Jewish ghetto!

And my biggest accomplishment?  Staying off of email, telephone, SMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is my return to the real world........refreshed from a really nice time away from reality.

.....and there are two more days to go.....

.....but will there be more days or will there be a delay in flying?  A Category 4 typhoon is - as of Saturday morning (today) - heading directly for Hong Kong.  True, our flights go to Guangzhou buy hey, that's not so far from Hong Kong and what will the typhoon's wind impact be??

I'm sitting indoors at a local coffee shop, near the Temple University-Japan facilities, where Katherine is sitting for an examination.  I'm indoors because while I started out, outside, it turns out that those pleasant outdoor tables are not meant for fresh air but for smokers (cough, cough!).

Just a bit over 2 hours left for my wait.  I'll probably go shopping at the Isetan, next door, in search of flowers to present to Katherine after her exam.  After, we'll be joined by Joanna for either a grand, glorious Beijing duck lunch or a not so grand and glorious Beijing duck lunch:  grand if Katherine passes, not so grand if the results are 'not so grand'.....

Returning to the real world will be a chore - it has been a nice 2+ weeks without email or telephones, pissing off, along the way, a whole group of people who cannot quite understand what it is to be outside their realm of communications.  We've progressed from party phones to private phones to answering services to message machines to messages on cell phones.

Bring back the good old days where people looked at people, not their phones!!!

TGIF - Tokyo!

Very interesting:   The sushi bar in Ochanomizu that has become our 'favorite', here in Tokyo, serves very noticably larger pieces of fish at dinner time.  They've got to go through their inventory, reducing the supply in order to re-order, fresh, the next morning from the fish market......no longer will we plan lunchtime at the place - dinner is far more filling!!

Nakano Broadway, the retro shopping mall is a very dangerous place, indeed:  too many desireable items for sale for which I really don't have a need but a desire.......happily (especially as far as my wallet is concerned), I have had sufficient will power to resist......and with a choice of either a Grateful Dead T shirt of a Woody Allen shirt, I opted for the latter (as I already have 4 Dead shirts).

Maru, the jazz cellar in Ochanomizu, is the ideal way to spend an evening.  The cover charge is not too costly and the music is good - a two set evening, without either dinner or drinks, will run $US26.25.

The dental clinic at Tokyo Medical and Dental University is, perhaps, the best deal in town:  my daughter needed a filling and it cost $US79.  There was no wait (10 minutes is not a wait!), the place was comfortable and spotless.....but Joanna can speak Japanese and I could not.....so I guess that I'm going to have to stick with my annual visits to Bumrungrad in Bangkok.

Two more days here, then home and a return to communicating with the world.  Practically zero connectivity and living without email or the phone is pretty bleeping nice!!!

The last game of the season - what a way to end!!!

Chiba is at the far end of 'greater, metropolitan Tokyo'.  It takes approximately 45 minutes to get there.

QVC Marine Field is fully enclosed, but for a roof, and gives one the same sort of feeling that one gets in Oakland, for an A's game.

On the 17th, my birthday, mid-afternoon,  as Katherine and I were returning from a late lunch, we bumped into Paul Barnes and Jason Martin, home from their travels from 'See it All' through the ballparks of Japan.  They were on their way to Saitama and a Lions-Fighters game.  Their last game, on the 18th, was in Chiba for the Marines - Buffaloes.  I joined them.  It was a 4 hour game where one was absolutely oblivious to the time because of the game, itself, which held one absolutely captivated with its excitement and activities.

The Buffaloes won, 7-6.

The weather was superb.  The fact that there was sufficient space to 'spread out' made it simply sublime.

What a fitting end to 7 baseball games in Japan, in September.....and now I will return to MLB - TV, upon my return home.

California FTB due process? Bullbleep!!!!!!!

A client of mine - one who has been with me for years (but will cease being a client and become solely a friend because of his move) - moved to California from Thailand at the end of 2012.  'Welcome to the Hotel California - you can come anytime you want but you can never leave'

Without warning, the Franchise Tax Board 'ordered' Wells Fargo Bank to abscond with $US10,000 from his account because of a 1099 from 2009, which it claims was taxable in California.  The company which issued the 1099 contacted the Franchise Tax Board, stating that this was overseas income (the client was never even in California during 2009) but to no avail.  The FTB gets 'nasty' with people who dare dispute its actions.

Who the hell does the FTB think it is - what arrogance!   Hasn't anyone in the FTB ever heard of due process?  What right does any government, anywhere, have to simply take what it wants?  Who wants to bank with a bank that complies without concern for the depositer???

If this is California democracy in action, then democracy, California style, is a farce!

71 or 72?

Happy birthday to me!   In the west, I am 71.  My wife, though, says that I am 72.

Regardless, I am happy, relatively healthy and.....ALIVE!!!!!

Last night I went to a jazz cellar for some live music.  Today, we'll visit a Bhuddist shrine, followed by Mexican food at El Torito - Shinjuku.  This morning, I walked approximately 6 kilometers in 20 degree weather, which was absolutely delightful!  I've got to get up earlier, each day, to take advantage of the cooler weather!!!

My thoughts of the day:  I enjoy doing nothing, relaxing, reading, sleeping, walking, etc.  Life is good!

An unanticipated typhoon.....

It is 11:45am on a wet, windy - very, very windy - Monday morning in Tokyo.  It is a national holiday, today.  We are experiencing typhoon winds strong enough to have cancelled flights to and from both Haneda and Narita.

I started my morning walk at 7am, this morning, without either hat or sweat towel, fearful of either being blown away.  I never quite made it to the Imperial Palace for a walk circumnavigating the place because the rains started.  I made it, soaked, to Delifrance, for my morning cup of coffee.

Balentien hit two home runs, last night, setting a new record for Japan.  No, I was not there.  Yes, I could have gone but being with my wife and daughter was obviously more important than seeing the second NPB record, this trip.   And I will still get to another game, tentatively planning to travel to Saitama on Wednesday, to see the Seibu Lions vs the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.

I'm reading a lot.....I'm sleeping a lot.....and I've gotten back to walking on a daily basis.  Walking, cane and all, is something I've got to do on a regular basis......and these weeks in Japan will hopefully become the start of something I once did with regularity and will do as part of my daily routine for a long, long, long time to come.

Rain, rain, go away......

.....And so I got up and got dressed, early this Sunday morning......

.....And I went out for my walk to the Imperial Palace and a walk around the place.....

.....Only it was raining - not the time for walking.....so here I am, back at my trusty old iPad, writing away prior to reading the weekend newspapers, hoping that the forecast for rain all day, today and rain, all day tomorrow simply will not be correct.

On the other hand.......on 10 September, at the Swallows home game at Jingu Stadium, I got up and led the cheers with the two paid flag wavers from the Swallows.  You might want to see......

http://youtu.be/x9aHttGTo8l

Japan Ball is over for the year.....boo hoo.....

Here it is, the 12th of September.  I've been here in Japan for a full week and I have yet to wear shoes or socks:  sandals all the time!

Today's walk is far more realistic for the next week+ :  5-6 km.  It was a glaring sun, this morning (good that I brought sun glasses!!).  I'll do the same walk, tomorrow and hopefully, most of the days that I am here.  I'll do a 10K, again, one day here but not all the time.

At 7am, prior to my walk with Jon Gat (from L.A.), I said my good-byes to two from our group who went to the fish market in Tokyo for the freshest sushi/sashimi you can find!!  At 11am, I said my good-byes to most of the rest of our group, departing for Narita and back to the States.....and to the two going on to Sapporo for a game, tonight, at the Sapporo Dome.

Tonight I have a ticket for 'my' Swallows at Jingu Stadium, where, last night, Vladimir Balantien tied the NPB home run record.  Sometimes I do things right:  two nights ago, at Jingu, I purchased a ticket for myself for tonight's game.  Wouldn't it be great if I see 'big bad Vlad' break the record, tonight??!!!!  That'll be two records, having seen Tanaka of the Rakuten Golden Eagles pitch his 20th win of the year on the 6th, in Sendai.

Katherine (my wife, for those who may be reading this but who do not know me) is now with me at my hotel in Tokyo and we'll have a good time/family vacation in Japan over the next 10 days.....and of course, I will continue to blog while outside of China!!!!!!!!!!!!

A walk around the Palace

9am - some might call it rain but to me it was nothing more than a drizzle requiring an occasional wiping of the glasses.  The walk around the Imperial Palace is 5 km.  Getting there was 2 km.  Getting back another 2 - thus 9km this morning.......tomorrow morning I'll do it again!

Last night at Jingu Stadium, Vladimir Ballantien hit home run # 54.  I won't see the Swallows tonight as it is our final game (at the Tokyo Dome - Giants vs Seibu Lions) for the JapanBall season.  I purchased a ticket for tomorrow's game, though and wouldn't it be nice if I got to see big bad Vlad hit # 56, setting a new Japan record??!

Lunch in 20 minutes - I'm meeting my wife & daughter - both studious in their endeavors while I figure out ways to stay out of their hair, allowing them to do their respective studies.

Things go nicely!!!

Literature in a garden/manga in a museum

A morning walk without a destination in mind.
Stopping for breakfast and then going on to discover a garden.
Sitting in the shade in that garden  - reading.
Tranquility.

A nap, then a taxi ride.
A manga museum.
Nice!
Very, very nice!!

The name of the garden?  It's already packed, so I can't refer to it but I do know that it was an 8th century imperial garden in Kyoto.  It was tranquil.  It was peaceful.  There were ants and bees.

And then, during the afternoon, a ride to the Kyoto International Manga Museum, a place where one can informatively learn more about this genre than I'd have thought.....and sit and read, from the close to 300,000 books available to read while there.  

Now I really want to add some collector manga art to our little, diversified art collection!!!

Thus far, I've seen a pitcher win his 20th game this year without a loss - a new record replacing Rube Marquand's (?) 100+ year old record of 19.  AND....Vladimir Balentien has 53 home runs with 20 games to go to break the Japan League record of 55.

Balentien plays for the hopless Yakult Swallows - 'my' team.  I'm going to a Swallows game tonight......will he hit a homer?

Happiness is a ball game at Koshien-in a lower temperature than before!

Four days.....three games....surprisingly cool temperatures.....expected seats made for the Japanese posterior.....but fun, nonetheless.

While the Hiroshima Carp fans go non-stop in synch, the Hanshin (Osaka) Tiger fans go non-stop, too.....sometimes in synch, more often, in controlled chaos.  They don't just wear team jerseys, they wear pants, jerseys, head gear and are wild.  The rooting is infectious - there is no such thing as a dull moment there!

Unlike those of us with Los Angeles mentalities (ie - I left after 7 innings with the score 9-1, Giants over the Tigers), people stay until AFTER the game is over.  

I have trouble with the baseball strategy, here.  The culture does not permit them to 'play to win' - they play not to lose.  That means caution - bunts, holding runners on 3d - they don't take chances and that sort of drives me mad.....but it is far more fun to attend a game in Japan than in the States.

Take it to the limit!

Remember the Eagles song?   I just did:  Take it to the Limit....one more time!

I worked, I pushed myself, from the 3 August return from the States through late afternoon/early evening, 4 September, without a day off, pushing myself, taking it to too ridiculous a limit, getting a really bad case of bronchitis/cold/sore throat, et al during that time frame.

I was called during that time to take on more work......I annoyed the hell out of some of those  who called, expecting that I would succumb to pleas and do work.   Well, all those who called are likely duly pissed off at me, only I really do not give a damn!

I set schedules with adequate time.....What's that, you say - you are sorry that you didn't take heed of my warnings or my schedule.....too damned bad!!!

Yeah,  I have an iPad on this trip - to write, to read, to listen to music.....but no email.  Yeah, I took my iPhone - in case of a family emergency.  Otherwise, I have no idea who has called and either left messages or not - as I am not answering.

Instead, I am having fun!  I'm going to the first of 5 baseball games, tonight, in Sendai.  It's is going to be a good game, too, with two pitching prospects in what will hopefully be a battle.  The game is going to break attendance records - primarily because additional stands that have been built for the playoffs (Rakuten Golden Eagles are in first place in the Pacific League!) will be opening up, tonight.

Anyhow, I'm here in Japan....on vacation.....and liking it!!

It is nearly over.....

I have reached complete and total burnout for the year. Fortunately, the shit I have left to be worked on between now and the 3d of September, when I plan to close shop for the year, will not be 'taxing'. The problem will be psyching myself up to doing the day's work, once my morning is over.
From the start of the day - be it 5:30am or 7am - I have the routine set for my daily start. It works.
From early evening until bed time, I have my routine set. It works. It is that time of day, after my nap, where now I have work but later, ???, from about 2-2:30pm - 6pm.
I want to play music - I will have to structure my practice time, more....that I know if I ever hope to take it to the next level.
I must read, take pictures, experiment and learn the software if I ever truly want to have photography as an element of my time. Same for cartooning.....and obviously, same for tax writings.......
Ah, the choices of my life.....at least there's a baseball game on one computer as I write away on my iPad.....

The Great Passage

That's the name of a Japanese film we saw, last night in Hong Kong.  Firstly, Monday nights are now discount nights - all seats are $HK70.  Not bad!

We'd have gone to see this film, anyway, as it dealt with the 15 year  'passage' from conception to publication of a new Japanese dictionary.   This might have been a work of fiction but there had to be some reality upon which it was based.

It was a long film.  It dragged at times.  Yet I would recommend it to others to see.    I personally rate films, fitting them into 3 categories:

a)  forget about it - either all or the part of it that I saw prior to 'giving up in despair'.

b)  yeah, it was o.k. (or better) and I'd recommend it to someone else

c)  I liked it well enough that at some point of life, I'd like to see it again!

After a couple of days not feeling as well as I'd have like to have felt, I'm now feeling better.  En route, this morning - back home to Guangzhou.  Seven more days of tax work to be done!!

Oh how it's tough to get going in the morning.....

Is it simply a matter of age or is it age and a couple of other things?  Among those other things is the non-stop, never seemingly ceasing tax return work causing that physical breakdown or is it psychological?

Who knows....who has time to care......

Yesterday, I caught a frog in my throat and simply could not stop coughing.  This went on through the evening and night.  I woke up, this morning, in utter exhaustion.  Here it is, 27 August.  8 days left.  Oh, I'll complete everything I am responsible for completing but never again will I work to this degree, for so long throughout the year.

And as for other matters:  I have not stopped reading - am thoroughly enjoying the chance to read!!!  I was up to 8 books at one time.....brought it down to ....and am now back up to 7.

....and for the second time, today.....Mets vs Tigers

A lazy afternoon in Hong Kong.  That followed a morning that started with being stretched, followed by a bank meeting with a client.

Then back to my apartment and psyching myself up to work on another return....and actually completing sufficiently to be satisfied about the stopping point I am at, today....

One more meeting, today......after???

Following today, there are 8 more scheduled work days.......some will include writing time.  Other days, music,perhaps......once this season is over and I've returned home from Japan, it's time to learn new routines!!!

Oh, and why watch the Tigers-Mets for the second time?  Because the two broadcasters are interesting!!!

The blog routine!

How sweet it is!

This morning, at the FCC, I went to my site and, specifically, to the blog.  Now that the blog is set up, it'll work, worldwide....but a 'qualified' worldwide because there are jurisdictions of this world that limit some applications and this is one of them - in China.  Thus, in China, where I live - where I happily plan to spend the rest of what I consider will be a very long life - does not let this app on my site.....so only those outside of China or those, perhaps, who have an effective VPN in China will see it.

Do I care?  Not really, anymore.......I'll write when I can, enjoying myself in that process but I never really expect anyone to read me, anyway......I write primarily for myself!!

I have a brief lunch meeting.....then I've got to be back home from 2 - 4pm for Netvigator to show up.  Luckily for me, I figured out the 'hieroglyphics' of Netvigator's telecommunications system and, with the speakerphone on, waited patiently through the 'lines are busy' cycle........

And then......time to psych myself up for more tax work.

That's it for today.   Starting tomorrow, I expect to get into a 'detailed, daily blog groove', knowing now, when, where, how.......!

I got those Thursday morning, shitload of work to be done blues

I have made progress:   I came home to 216 emails (none of them 'junk') on my primary email account.  Two days later,  I'm down to 128 emails and content, now, to review my other email account and let things reduce - naturally.

I have tax research to do, this morning.  That's undoubtedly boring but it has to be done prior to my being able to work on the items I have scheduled......

And in-between all the work, I am reading 7 books.

And, perhaps, also doing some writing - first for TII and later, for TA

I'm in my solitude in Hong Kong - could not really work on the stuff I have to work on without that solitude.

Heading home.....

It's not quite 6:30am in Bangkok on my final day of travel.

Inspite of:

a)  a major travel screw-up, as Thai Air does not fly directly to Los Angeles and I came down to BKK only to find that I had to fly, first, to Seoul, to get to L.A.
b)  food poisoning:  either the kimchee on Thai Air or the cold food at the Asiana business lounge in Incheon, during the stop over, caused a horrendous entrance to the States.
c)  travel in the U.S. - what a horrible situation that no one who has not traveled outside of the U.S. would never quite comprehend - domestic travel in the U.S. is rough and uncomfortable - not a pleasant experience.
d)  my brother falling ill over the last couple of days in L.A.

it was still worthwhile trip.

I now have a 'sense' of direction in my writing - will I do a novel?  Who knows?  I'll start but am not quite sure about the extent to which I will continue ......

Anyhow,  it is time to go home and work this month, with a slight, additional carryover to the end of  September/beginning of October.

Back to the real world!!!!

After Writing School

Here it is, Monday morning, the 29th of July.  Coursework is over.  Have I learned anythng?  Yes.  Do I have a clear sense of direction?  No.

I want to write but I have less of an idea about what I want to write than I did , mid-week.   I've got a great memoir but I don't really want to do a memoir.  Can I do a novel?  Can I do short stories?   It's all based upon what I can do to develop characters.   4 primary characters?   Then do the stories and fit the story to the character.  

How long will it take?  Who knows!  

I've now got an agenda but it's one without a timeline.......

One tends to forget that it does get cold.....

8:23am.   Sunday morning, 28 July.

Not a cloud in the sky.....blue sky and cold!  It is 10 degrees outside.  It isn't even August, yet.....too cold for me in the morning.

I completed the last piece for submission to the workshop classes.   Let us see how it is 'seen'......

The trip to Iowa City has been a worthwhile 'interlude' to my life.  I've learned some things here - I think I have a sense of literary direction.

Let us see......

Wake up time along the Great Plains

So now I have a blog?   Let us see how my friend and computer guru brings this over to my web site. That would be great - to be able to add a daily blog (when out of Chine) to the site......next, after that, it'll be adding pictures to the gallery......slowly but surely......

Here I am, Thursday, fourth of five days for the week long workshop.  It's good, thus far as I am learning what I have to do to start upon a 'venture into fiction'.  I'm no where near  being ready to begin - I've got to develop the main characters first, then start writing brief stories as I go over the years I want to cover.

Anyhow,  now I have to face today's tasks at hands - and first and foremost is the choice coming up:  do I shave today, or not???

LL
6:25am
25 July
Iowa City 

Wednesday morning in Iowa City

Here it is, hump day - the middle of the week for the five day writers workshop.

I met, this morning, with the workshop leader, Carolyn Lieberg.  I now have far more of an idea of what I want to do;  how I must prepare myself for the craft I wish to pursue.

And so I will do it.   First step is doing a new blog.  This is it.   Now to see if  we can get this blog to my website.....!