BootsnAll Travel Community

Two quotes that came up today:

On NPR referring to the curator of the Faulkner Museum in Oxford, Mississippi: "An English Major, Anderson has given up her dream of writing a great novel."

Woman my mother spoke to this weekend: "I used to be writer, but now I sell real
estate!"

I know that gun is around here somewhere. . . .

Jet

Oh well... less competition!

The realities of life. Writing does not pay!

Thanks for cheering me up, guys. I just feel so much better now.

Waaahhhhh!

Jet

Oh, we were supposed to cheer you up... not goad you into putting a gun in your ear. Darn! Why didnt I someone tell me!

Don't do it. We can talk about whatever you want to talk about

quote:

Originally posted by rafo:
Don't do it. We can talk about whatever you want to talk about

Yeah... What he said...

Anything I want to talk about? Cool.

Why is it that English Major and giving up your dream are linked by that stinkin' comma?

What is the best story you've heard in the past week?

Why is there a picture of a cow on the bottle of Elmer's Glue?

If someone gave you $300 (pick a number, any number) to spend any way you want, what would you buy?

What does fear REALLY smell like?

You said anything . . .

Jet

I used to work for a major literary journal and when I would read cover letters and stories, a main problem was lack of professionalism. People would LIE on their cover letters, make spelling errors, or typos--this gets you from the start.

But yes, it is hard because everyone (even a 93 year old man who enclosed his photo who I wrote back because he seemed so sweet!) wants to be a writer. Just keep on doing it.

Back to the thrilling world of corporate America.

Oh, one more thing. One of my old professors in graduate school had us do this exercise: overheard dialogue. We would carry around tape recorders or just jot down things people said into our journals. You get a feel for how people talk. And it's funny.

Some good ones:
"I used to have a life, but now I have a rash."
--my coworker

"Yo, you have to try the off-the-hook cheese platter."
--girl in front of a tapas bar

So just listen and laugh, and keep faith in what you do and love will always be a part of you.

An english major with a coma states that is "what" she is. Kinda like if I say... "Jetgirl, said she was going to shoot herself." We know its jet girl...

The best story I've heard in the past week is this:

"I have a neighbor who moved here from North Dakota who owned a Super Cub. He was arrested three times for hunting deer from the plane, the judge explaining to him that his hunting technique was "flawed"...

He would zoom in just above stall speed right above the ground, and lead his shotgun BEHIND the deer slightly because his speed was faster than the terrified, fleeing animal. Flying with one hand, he told me he had to be "very careful not to shoot out the strut." He has since entirely stopped drinking, and he no longer flies...a blessing for all of us.

Nice guy, but a bit of a whack job... "

Followed closely by this:

"When I was working at the local FBO, one day the winds were cranking at 45 mph straight out of the south. Problem was the only runway we had was 29-11. This transient with his Super Cub went out, loaded up all his luggage and taxied down to towards the end of 11. We thought he was nuts to take off with a steady (direct) crosswind of 45mph.
The son of a gun blew us all away when he took off within a 50 ft patch of asphalt heading due south!
The manager of the FBO was about to get on the radio to yell at him, but we were all in shock in what he just did, it was amazing.
You couldn't yell at the guy because there wasn't any other traffic in the air, plus he had already turned on course within the traffic patern.

Amazing. I will never forget that guy!"

(http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=1076469)

Elmer's glue has a cow on the bottle...

"Where Did Elmer's Name Come From?

Elsie the Cow became Borden's very popular "Spokescow" in the late 1930's. She was a big hit at the 1939 New York World's Fair, and soon afterwards the character of Elmer the Bull was created as Elsie's husband. In the late 1940's, Borden's new Chemical Division asked to use Elsie for its new white glue product. The thought of Elsie representing a non-food product didn't seem appropriate, so as a compromise, Elmer was loaned to Chemical as their very own "spokesbull". To this day, Elmer the Bull still represents the most recognized adhesive company."

http://www.elmers.com/funFacts/index.asp

If I had 300 bucks to spend any way I'd like... I'd probably buy jet girls hand gun off of her!

Before 1991 you could ask what fear smells like, but you can not do that any longer! Why? Naked Gun 2 1/2! "THE SMELL OF FEAR!" Now its a movie... Movies depending on what they are recorded on tend to smell like plastic.

I hope this helps!

put the guns
DOWN
everybody...
help is on the way.
you want to write a novel. fine. get in on this event:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/
zopa is doing it.

Zopa! My mom did the nanowrimo thing last year and ended up with a GREAT novel. She's shopping it to agents. I've got one 3/4 done. Gotta get my butt moving.

Cherie! Great over-heard conversations. I love evesdropping on people. One my favorites from a cross crountry train trip: "My God! These were the women we were fighting this war for!" (No idea what the women did to offend that guy, but it had to be pretty bad.)


Rocknrod! Great info. I loved the stories. Re: Elmer's Glue. One would think that a glue company would put a horse on their packaging. . . I'm just saying. [On a separate tangent: When I was a kid growing up in the country our neighbor had a really nice bull named Plato living in the field next door. When I was about six I used to hop the fence and go pet him. He'd sit on the hill just like Ferdinand and contemplate the meaning of life. Then I got caught by my horrified mother and she banned me from going anywhere near Plato. I swear he used to look whistful when we went by his field.]

Jet

Gotta remember that elmers came into play when casein glue was the big thing... a replacement glue with no cow parts? EGAD!

At least thats my hunch, I have nothing to back this up... except for the fact that elmers website has something that says something about not using animal parts!

Not to revert to the drepessing way this topic started, but this subject has been on my mind lately too. Even if I continue to get magazine assignments once every month or two, I'll still have nothing in the bank in about two years, maximum (assuming I continue to travel in affordable places).

I worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis for nine years before I went nuts, quit and embarked on this adventure. What the hell will I do with myself when this chapter comes to a close?

Sorry folks, I've been getting crap sleep here in stinking hot Laos. It's put me on a bit of a bummer trip.

Leif,

Just figure out where you might settle and start a business.
Or like we talked about BUY property, it's what got you what you're doing in the first place.

You KNOW you're going to make it!
Just figure it out!

I have a question about the camera but I'll PM you. I got a cannon s400.

You get some sleep, Leif, God of ...Thunder...
Remember in fantasia when the thunder god went to sleep? Wasn't that rad?

Also, love the Mynamar pictures. It looks very romantic there even though you had awful bus rides and no sleep!

Well, if i stop traveling this instant, I can try the property investment angle. So, I have two options:

1) Stop traveling now and, if I'm very, very lucky, buy property in a very out of the way, emerging place and be patient (not my strong suit) and teach English or something.

or

2) Travel for about two more years or until i'm broke, and then try to figure out what a 37 year old guy with no money, no assets (except a beat up laptop) and a four year gap in his resume is supposed to do.

I'm sure the Fed would take me back, but that'd just be too weird. Maybe I could sell scarves at the night market here in Luang Prabang? The only excitement is packing up your stuff and running for shelter every 45 minutes when a downpour rolls through.

Oh yeah, and I can juggle. Hmmmm...

Pass the gun, I'll just hang onto it for safe keeping.

*buys a round of drinks for everyone on the thread*

fiction writing is probably the most difficult kind of writing there is -- so props to you artists that take that on!! but freelance magazine writing is no walk in the park, either -- well, maybe a poorly lit park with wild, hungry animals in it -- but what can you do?

There are so many types of writing that *might* pay your bills: journalism, advertising, technical, non-fiction, fiction, screenwriting, poetry (very, very small bills only), commercial, television, play-writing, kids books, educational... find one(s) that you can do and that make you happy and do them! heck the losers who have given up on their dreams!

And if all else fails, you can always take out a loan, go back to school, get your higher degrees and teach, then you have a cushy place in a University from which to pursue your publication dreams.

Clearly the only solution is to buy a sail boat and island hop.

Until the boat breaks... then your stuck with a broke boat, a broke you... and 3 dollar a gallon water.

You guys are great. Leif, don't despair. Your writing is so good, I know you'll make it. I have no intention of giving up my dreams. It just makes me mad when other people give up and then the rest of the world seems to say, "Well, it's about time!" Almost as though they're happy that another one has joined the crowd of depressed ex-dreamers.

I don't want to be a famous writer. I don't want to write the next "To Kill a Mocking Bird." All I want is to feel fulfilled. I don't write so people will tell me I'm wonderful, I write because I have to. I'm compelled to.

At any rate, the gun is locked up again. I'm not gonna let the bastards get me down.

Thanks for all the encouragement. And thanks Rocknrod. You made me giggle.

Jet