The Monday Ponderings for this Memorial Day.

I really do not have anything particularly deep or symbolic to say about this day that I haven’t said in the past. My main points are pretty simple.

1. Remember the Lost and the Fallen. May they rest easy.
2. Some things are worth fighting for.
3. Only the Dead know the end of the war, hardly an original idea.
4. Wars cost, long after the shooting stops.

I suspect losing my father last year to Agent Orange induced ailments while having struggles with Desert Storm induced ailments has made me rather depressed overall. So I will focus on other topics.

The Writing Front

I looked over two projects this morning while sitting on the front porch. Mainly I incorporated the thoughts from the Beta Readers into my material and wrote up To Do Lists for the projects.

One of them, I believe, can be compressed into a 1000 word stand alone story if I play my cards right.

The bad news is that I learned today that my submission window actually closes at the end of June instead of July. So it is time to get into high gear on these two projects.

By July I’ll transition to conventional science fiction efforts for the remainder of the summer.

I just need to get into the habit of writing again. One disturbing aspect of looking at the activity logs for A Restoration of Faith is that the last time I actively worked on it was April 12th. That, really, is unacceptable.

The Reading Front

When I’m not writing or swimming laps, I will be reading. On tap is The Landmark Herodotus, which was slated for last summer. Also I have a number of other history books related to topics I do enjoy, mainly military and ancient history. Finally, I will do some professional reading with an aim toward revising a number of my lectures for the Fall.

The Fitness Front

Starting tomorrow I’ll head up to my assigned aquatics facility for laps before they open to the public. Our facility offers lap swimming along with splash and play for the kids before noon. Given how hectic our lap lane can get during open swim, I feel this is the best time to get the laps knocked out. Hopefully I will be doing this on my days off and days when I am assigned to second shift.

Additionally, I will get a membership at the Community Center down the road from here. I think some light weight training is probably doable to a degree. The muscle mass will help burn off the fat faster and maybe this time around, come November, I can keep it off.

Other Fronts

Not much else to report really. The usual chores associated with keeping up a house are on tap for this week which include mowing the lawn and other such things. As things settle down, I’ll push forward on clearing those off the deck.

Lastly, it is my hope that I’ll return to regular blogging and perhaps it will entail some content of interest as oppose to personal entries like this one. Granted, I keep a blog mainly for my own personal benefit but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t write with an eye toward expanding my audience.

Respects,
Steven Francis Murphy
Kansas City, Missouri

The Sunday Update

The Writing Front

Tomorrow I’ll get out of bed and take a look at the current project, A Restoration of Faith, which has languished on hold for the last month. I’ve got feedback from the Beta Readers of Murphy’s E-Lite Reader Corps and I picked up a bit of research help from a friend of mine. With a schedule in hand from my summer employer for the month of June, it is now possible to manage my writing time effectively. Additionally, things are calming down significantly around the Murphy Estate, which should make it possible to move forward.

Optimal writing times for me have always been between 0700 to 1000 and 2100 to Midnight. I suspect the days when I am slated for second shift work will end up being the most productive.

I’ve got until the end of July to have something into the hopper at The Black Library. That is roughly sixty days, give or take.

ConQuest: Kansas City’s Annual Science Fiction Convention

This weekend I got a chance to meet Gardner Dozois, editor, anthologist and science fiction writer. We did not talk long, perhaps no more than ten minutes total, but it was good to finally meet a man who had significantly shaped my own early writing efforts with his encouragement and his advice.

Additionally, I served on three very good discussion panels which ranged from playing in the created worlds of others to dark and gritty fiction. I frequently cited my experiences as John Birmingham’s research assistant in those discussions. That said, I found that I spent more time listening than I did talking with the ever so often quip thrown into the mix.

It was a good time.

The Lifeguard Front

My summer employer’s social media policy is fairly stringent and thus I am limited to a degree in what I can discuss. However, today was a day full of challenges, perhaps the most notable in my mind was that of dealing with pool chemistry. There is a precise sequence which must be followed and as such, I’m a bit slow in picking it up as well as a bit detail oriented about it.

The experience I am having with pool chemistry does inform and validate a decision I made back in March about a different opportunity. I suspect I would have been in over my head had I taken the other fork in the road.

It was, of course, definitely a good day to be at the pool. Clear skies, sunny and warm.

Hopefully in the next few days I’ll be able to work back into swimming laps. I suspect this activity will be limited to days when I am on second shift. It will be easier to get into the pool for laps, especially during open lap swim before the park officially opens.

Other Fronts

My mother has returned from her two week long, much overdue vacation to Florida. She came back rested, relaxed and glad to be home. I gather she had a good time catching up with her old friend down south.

So it goes.

Respects,
Steven Francis Murphy
Author of The Limb Knitter and Tearing Down Tuesday
Kansas City, Missouri

The Summer Awaits

I helped move Trinity into her new apartment last night and spent most of the evening assembling furniture, taking out the trash and whatnot. We had some grilled steaks, corn and potatoes before the last items were hauled over to her new place. There was a scary moment when the mattress threatened to go airborne on 210 Highway but I pulled over and with her help, we got things sorted out.

She’ll be spending the summer in California with her father’s side of the family, something which is long overdue. We’ll be keeping in touch and I might go visit her if the budget, the summer employer and the stars align properly. We’ll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, the house is quiet with Mom down in Florida visiting an old friend. It is the first vacation my Mom has had since 2003 and a richly deserved one at that. From the photos of her that I see on facebook, she appears relaxed, happy and seems to be enjoying herself.

As for me?

I’ve spent the last two weeks wrapping up a chaotic semester, helping with Trinity’s apartment move, trying to step up to the plate as Head Lifeguard at my assigned Aquatics Facility, wrap up the last of Lifeguard certification obligations and generally keep my sanity intact. We can probably toss in the fact that the ZX-2 is down for a bad alternator which meant a run to the shop for a bill Mom will have to help with and the fact that I generally haven’t been sleeping well.

My health? Not the best.

I’m overweight, having regained the twenty pounds I lost last summer. The stress of the last nine months has taken quite a toll on me. Trying to find time to workout, eat properly or even write has been difficult. It is my hope that even with my expanded summer obligations that I will be able to regain my physical and mental well being while working on the writing career.

On that note, one project is nearly ready. I had an art history friend/peer provide some terminology I was lacking for the descriptive components of my current project. One downside to my quasi-Marxist attitude toward religion is that my knowledge of religious institutions and physical structures of worship is pretty thin. I have just enough to get me by as an historian.

Before one damns me for that, I’d like to point out that there are many who are similar with regard to military history.

I want to spend the next week or two polishing the current project up before moving onto a story about a potential revolution in the deep future. After that, we’ll see what happens.

Summerward Ho!

Respects,
Steven Francis Murphy
Author of The Limb Knitter and Tearing Down Tuesday
Kansas City, Missouri

Pondering the Name Thing.

So, we’re powering down on the teaching front for three months and spooling up to full power on the Lifeguard Front. I’m ready for a change of pace, to be honest.

Thus tonight the question came up, one which frequently comes up in nearly every corner of my life.

“What do we call you?”

I’ve got three names and they have variations. I like all three of my names and I like most of the potential variations that do not involve blue creatures in white hats and pants.

To my students at Longview, it is usually, “Mister Murphy,” or, “Sir.” Why?

A certain level of decorum should be established and to be honest, I mitigate that formalism by not wearing suits or business casual as an instructor. After the first month, my usual uniform, if you will, is a clean shirt, jeans and maybe an Eddie Bauer sweater or a hoodie. If it is hot, shorts and flip flops are not unheard of. I don’t shave much either.

To my friends, Murph works best, or Murphy. Long before the Army got a hold of me, Murphy was pretty much the standard alongside Murph. It is the name I am most likely to respond to. Often I will ignore Steven because . . . well, there are plenty of Stevens out there.

In grad school it was Francis, which I am partial to. Unlike most folks, my middle name does not bother me very much. I’m named after my Grandpa Murphy and I use my middle name when I sign off on my blogs to honor him, not to puff up my ego.

Steve or Steven is usually the name used by my professional peers at Longview, to include my Boss. If the voice is old enough, namely over thirty, I’ll respond to my first name. Under thirty it, for some reason, drops off my radar.

At the Lifeguard/summer employer front . . . ?

“Can we call you Murph?”

To be honest, my personal preference on any given day is Murph. I don’t think I mind in an informal setting. There will be enough other reminders of my new position as Head Lifeguard that I don’t need to pound people over the head about my rank. After all, I have a uniform, which is different to a degree from theirs and if that wasn’t enough, I’m twice their age in most cases.

So I said I didn’t have any problem with it.

However, in pondering the matter, I did realize something.

Imagine a scenario where a lifeguard and myself are conversing with a guest. The guard might well go, “Well Murph, this is what happened . . . “

Does that sound professional?

Thus I may offer additional guidance on the matter in the coming days. Murph in an informal setting such as during downtime, after hours or training while Steve/Steven is more appropriate for guest contact situations.

It is strange to ponder this sort of thing because I see all three of my names as being equally valid and useful. I don’t have a particular preference per se but I do realize I have to tailor myself to certain situations.

In other news, I’ve encountered most of the lifeguards we will start the season with. My summer employer’s social media policy is fairly stringent and prevents me from discussing anything in particular depth. However, I will say that I got a fairly good feeling from tonight’s meeting.

Respects,
Steven Francis Murphy
Author of The Limb Knitter and Tearing Down Tuesday
Kansas City, Missouri

The Lifeguard Front: The Feet First Surface Dive.

As I understand it, nearly every lifeguard certification requires a feet first surface dive. For American Red Cross, you execute your dive, recover the brick and then swim back to the wall in less than two minutes. For Starguard, it is a dive down to the bottom of the pool, usually twelve to thirteen feet, to recover the brick and bring it to the surface.

These dives used to give me endless fits as I built up toward my own qualification. However, there are a few tricks I’ve learned which help.

1. Ankles together or ankles crossed.

When you launch yourself up, you use one powerful kick of your choice to build upward momentum. As you drop below the surface it is best to either keep your ankles together or ankles crossed. If you can imagine yourself as a dart being thrown at the bottom of the pool, this might help.

Personally, I prefer ankles together however some have found that ankles crossed produce the same result.

2. Flutter with your hands.

My head lifeguard last year noticed my troubles and said, “If you flutter your hands over your head, you’ll speed right to the bottom.”

That seemed silly, but trying to row myself down to the bottom with powerful arm sweeps wasn’t cutting it. Each sweep after the first one created drag which made the job harder. However, if you execute one powerful subsurface arm sweep to get the process started, then the fluttering hands above your head will propel you rapidly to the bottom.

3. Don’t cheat, actually touch the bottom.

It is in your best interests to plant your feet on the bottom of the pool. Once there, you can locate the brick and use your leg muscles to power yourself to the surface. Bending at mid level and reaching for the brick actually makes your job harder, slowing you down and depriving you of the benefit of basic physics.

The bottom of the pool is your friend, not your enemy.

4. Hum on the way down.

I learned this the other day and while I do not use it, it has helped people who have trouble with water going up their nose as they descend. Humming can help.

For myself, I tend to bleed a bit of air out as I descend, just in single bubbles.

5. Remain calm, do not panic.

Fear of drowning and/or suffocation can be a very powerful thing. I do not fear for drowning mainly because I know, no matter, what, I can get out of the deep end in a hurry. Suffocation, on the other hand, is something I still struggle with.

I deal with this by relaxing myself before my dive, taking deep breaths while slowly treading water over my target. Granted, in an emergency there will be no time for this but then you’ll have an adrenaline spike working in your favor. For training and qualification, a slow tread before the dive will let you build up to the moment before you descend.

It is doable and if you struggle with it, know that you are not alone.

Respects,
Steven Francis Murphy
Author of The Limb Knitter and Tearing Down Tuesday
Kansas City, Missouri

Almost There.

The 2012 Winter Semester (they officially call it Spring but since it starts in the winter, I call it what it is) is about to wrap up. I’ve got a final to administer and a final to take tomorrow. Then it will be over.

Sixteen weeks. Typically they pass without too much trouble but that was not the case this time around. Let us list the things that happened.

1. The loss of two classes.

I lost two of the four projected classes for this semester. Combined with an ongoing budget problem that I can’t seem to get under control, this pretty much made moving into the new two bedroom apartment impossible. In retrospect, I suppose it has been a bit of a blessing.

My mother said, “You are going to inherit the house when I pass, why not stay?”

Yes, there is the stigma of a forty year old man living with his mother. On the other hand, it is balanced by having an office that I can use during the colder months.

2. Relationship Stress.

Trinity and I had our share of problems which has led to her imminent move into an apartment of her own. I will be remaining behind. In many respects, I think this is for the best. I can be a notoriously difficult person to live with. She, I think, needs the additional independence in order to feel better about herself.

We’ll move forward and see where the relationship goes after the move out.

3. Various illnesses and ailments.

My brother went into the hospital for his own medical issues, which I won’t get into. Toss in my own health, which hasn’t been the best over the last sixteen weeks and what you have is a hot mess that chewed up a lot of time.

4. Lifeguard Instruction.

On a more positive note, I served as lifeguard instructor for my summer employer this spring. This is my first experience with team teaching and there is a lot to like about it. The additional influx of money arriving every two weeks was helpful and I believe that the job has made me a better lifeguard. It also highlighted some ongoing weaknesses in my own understanding of the profession.

There is room for improvement as well, however, my employer has a stringent social media policy. More to the point, even if they didn’t, such opinions are not fit for public display. I’ll want to ponder on those opinions privately for a bit.

5. The Promotion Effort with the Summer Employer.

I applied for promotion with my summer employer. At this time, I can only reveal that I will be working with my summer employer. More info will follow soon enough but after a very long process, I think we’ve reached a position both sides are comfortable with.

It was a long process and it did not proceed in the manner I had envisioned. It was a costly process in that Trinity and I both believe that the stress of pursuit may well have put additional strain on the relationship. I’m still processing what it all means.

6. The Writing Effort.

I managed, at last, to move forward with a project which is nearing readiness for submission to market. The only reason it is nearly ready is more due to the market’s own submission guidelines than any effort on my part. The market only needs a thousand word excerpt plus an outline and a paragraph long summary.

Hopefully we’ll have some luck.

7. Struggles in Spanish 102.

Spanish 102 proved to be as difficult as predicted. I had endless trouble and never enough time or energy to get anything done properly. If I can make a C in the class, I’ll be satisfied enough. However, I will be retaking the class again either this Fall or this Winter.

My knowledge of Spanish is, for the average American, actually tolerable. I can read it in fragments. I can speak very simple sentences. If it is spoken slowly enough to me, I can understand simple sentences. I’m probably right about where a five year old speaker is.

Which really isn’t good enough for me. I want to do better.

So it has been a long haul and I’ve been fortunate enough to have two classes of relatively decent students for the journey this semester. Now I’m looking forward to the summer.

Hopefully some sun, some laps in the pool and whatnot will recharge the batteries.

We’ll see.

Respects,
Steven Francis Murphy
Author of The Limb Knitter and Tearing Down Tuesday
Kansas City, Missouri

Year Five: Winding Down the Academic Year while spooling up for pool season.

The semester is winding down here at the end of my fifth year of teaching as an adjunct instructor of history at Longview Community College. I am, as always, surprised to find that I am still around. I never expected to last as long as I have. However, if things change in the Social Sciences Division as projected, next year could well be my last.

Time will tell, I suppose.

In the meantime, the pool season is spooling up and I am on deck for a second year as a lifeguard. My summer employer’s social media policy is fairly stringent and as a result, I can not reveal much about what I will be doing yet. I do have a new batch of challenges set before me and I expect this to be the equivalent of a full time job for the next three months. During that time I will, of course, try to swim as much as humanly possible.

I suppose that is my only real demand from this job that I can state on the net. I made some choices which didn’t make a lot of people happy. The list of reasons for those choices is a fairly long one which includes one basic requirement.

I want to stay near the water. I want to be swimming as much as possible. I want to build on what I accomplished last year fitness wise and of course, I want to become a better lifeguard. If I can get these needs met, in addition to moving forward on the writing front, then I will be relatively happy with my choices.

The Writing Front

I’ve got all of the material back from most of my beta readers concerning A Restoration of Faith. This story was supposed to head out ten days ago but May has been a real bastard of a month in many respects. Still, I think a couple of rewrites should be sufficient to bring it up to speed.

I will, I think, be consulting with an expert in art history I know for some guidance on an ongoing problem I’m having with some descriptions of the building I am using.

Knock on wood, this project will go out on June 1st.

I have two other projects on tap, one closer to readiness than the other. When I talked it over with Terri at Longview, she was fairly impressed with the concept. So we’ll see how that goes.

Research Project Number – 06/Axis of Time – 04
Stalin’s Hammer by John Birmingham

John’s first ebook for the Axis of Time trilogy is moving forward. The loss of the internet seems to have held him up a bit but I suspect by the end of the month at the latest it will be off to the editors. I can promise readers a fairly entertaining read from what I have seen thus far.

Other Fronts

I will be helping Trinity move into her own place next Friday. Apparently no one else will be providing any assistance, which is typical. I may send a request for support out to the Longview Community to see if we can get a few volunteers to help out. In turn we’ll feed them.

Our relationship status?

For the record, I am a notoriously difficult person to live with on a full time basis. I can handle being around any given person for a maximum of four hours, maybe eight on a really good day. Otherwise, I prefer long periods alone. The less alone time I get, the less time I have to recharge, the more cranky and irritable I get.

We’ve had our troubles, however I think a place of her own will help settle some of those issues out. We’ll try to rebuild from there.

If only it wasn’t in Blue Springs, Missouri.

For the record, I used to think pretty fondly of the town. People I work with still live there and the person who became President James Kipper in the Disappearance/Without Warning Trilogy makes his home there when he is not deployed with the Army National Guard. I find myself in Blue Springs regularly for lifeguard training so I am familiar with the town.

Still, a lot of bad history is out there. To be there makes me edgy, always on watch, keyed up and waiting for something awful to happen. Perhaps the only exception to that rule is when I am at lifeguard training, mainly because no one would be stupid enough to try something in front of fifty to a hundred plus witnesses in an enclosed environment.

At least I hope.

On a more cheerful note, we’ve finally got the barbecue grill set up on a proper brick paver platform in the front yard. We’ll be grilling up some flesh and veggies tonight I do believe.

In the meantime, I have study guides to send out, material to grade and quizzes to build.

Respects,
Steven Francis Murphy
Author of The Limb Knitter and Tearing Down Tuesday
Kansas City, Missouri

Year 2012 Summer To Do List, Version 1.0.

Normally by now I would have had time to contemplate a to do list for the summer. Sadly, I’ve been pretty busy. Top of the list, of course, is my summer employment as a lifeguard. I am still uncertain in what capacity that will be but I do have a job for the summer one way or the other. That, for now, is enough.

The Reading List

Behind me on the shelf is The Landmark Herodotus, edited by Robert Strassler. It was supposed to be my summer reading project last year but the need for hours on the clock to prevent eviction pretty much laid that project aside. Herodotus isn’t the sort of thing you can zip through like a novel. It requires focus of mind and to be perfectly honest, a bit of silence. Barring that, a lot of sun near the pool doesn’t hurt either.

So Herodotus it is. If I can get through that then I’ll revisit The Landmark Thucydides for the first time since graduate school.

The Writing Front

As of now, here are the current projected projects.

1. A Restoration of Faith, a Warhammer 40K short story, slated for May submission. It is about to transition to second draft status.

2. Blood and Gears, another 40K project. First draft stage.

3. An untitled 40K project.

4. Convergence Point, an older project which I’ll be dusting off for re-submission.

5. An untitled mainstream SF short story project.

By the end of the summer I plan on having all of these out to market. Of course, plans rarely survive contact with reality. It will depend on whether or not I can keep everyone and everything out of my hair long enough to move forward.

The Fitness Front

With a return to the pool my plan is to get the twenty pounds I regained over the winter back off of my body. If I am working as a baseline lifeguard, that should be easily accomplished. However, I have additional goals.

1. Swim one kilometer without pause. Yes, I know this was last year’s goal. We’re going to do it this time.

2. Depending on where I am assigned, I may purchase a bicycle for daily rides in order to build up my cardio endurance.

The Lifeguard Front

Whatever else happens, my plan is to participate in the Lifeguard Olympics Team of my assigned facility. I believe that since I am an instructor, I can not be an active team member myself. However, I can coach, train and advise. Where ever I am finally assigned, I fully intend to do my part to see to it that my facility’s team performs well.

Nah, screw that. I want my facility to win it, pure and simple. I’ve got some ideas on that score.

The Home Front

1. Continue upgrades to the office area downstairs. This includes salvage and restoration of a fair amount of furniture, the purchase of some electronics and perhaps the inclusion of a punching bag.

2. Paint the shed in the backyard.

3. Assemble the new gas grill and get to grilling on a regular basis during the summer months.

4. Help Mom paint the rest of the interior of the house, a long overdue task.

Finally, of course, get some time in at the pool for some sun, swimming and relaxation. I learned last year that it was best if I did not take my time off at the pool I work at. Fortunately for me, there is a local pool which is relatively secluded, quiet and tranquil.

Just the sort of pool I like to visit as a patron but not the type of place I’d like to work as a guard.

We’ll see how things go.

Last but not least, there will be the research projects, which are beginning to firm up. And I’ve got lectures to revise for the Fall.

So it goes.

Respects,
Steven Francis Murphy
Author of The Limb Knitter and Tearing Down Tuesday
Kansas City, Missouri

Once more, with vigor, forward!

I have had an opportunity, over the last ninety days, to ponder the nature of promotion in the workplace. To be fair, it has been, at times, a confusing, painful experience which often hasn’t had a lot of sense or reason behind it.

I had to make a call, one that I believe was right. The aftermath of that call, however, has been the trial of sorts.

Now I find myself in a position where I’m going to pick up a handful of dirt, rub it into my palms and put my head down into the wind again for another shot.

I won’t be alone as others vie for the same position.

May the best of us come out on top. May that person be fair in judgement, stern in character and immune to the whims of mobocracy. May that person, whoever he or she may be, inspire those below them to do great things, to work hard and to strive never to let them down.

If it is not me, then may this person be the kind of leader I would follow into Neptune’s Depths, to pull away those who have fallen to the Songs of the Sirens.

May this person be the type of person who gives me pause enough to say, “They chose well for I do not have their measure of character, experience and inspiration.”

Best of luck, everyone.

Note: Yes, this is a cryptic entry. I know that. Thank you.

Respects,
Steven Francis Murphy
Author of The Limb Knitter and Tearing Down Tuesday
Kansas City, Missouri

Pondering from the Garage where Tuesdays are born.

From the Desk of Steven Francis Murphy

What you see above is the most recent photo of my new office space in the basement of my house. I took great pains to compose the photo in such a way as to emphasize maximum efficiency and organization. What you don’t see, of course, is the rest of the basement. We got rid of most of my father’s detritus only to replace it with the stuff from the vacated Pod Loft down in Northtown. There is still a fair bit of organization to be done, upgrades to be worked in, and general fiddle farting around but I will say this.

In the two months since I cleared out a workspace in the basement, my productivity on all fronts has shot through the roof. Given how much I have to deal with this semester it is probably a good thing I have the space otherwise my current workload would be impossible to manage.

In front of the desk is a small fridge for beverages and at some point I’ll get a microwave plus a hot water kettle as well. We don’t have a bathroom down here but we do have a sink behind that wall of encyclopaedias.

At some point I’ll put a relatively cheap, expendable carpet down on the floor which should make the winters tolerable.

Ongoing projects for the Garage Office include refurbishing two bookshelves my father built when I was a boy. They are a bit on the rickety side but salvageable with some work. They are a sort of orange stained color which never sat well with me. I think I’ll put a plywood back on them as a form of reinforcement and paint them black to match with the other furniture already down here.

Eventually another XBox will be obtained and I’ll get a gaming area going. There is a couch-futon thing I might pick up at Target which is relatively affordable. If Mom wants to watch one thing an I want to watch another, or Cindy and I want to have a date night, there will be a space for that. Or if I find enough people who actually want to watch NFL football, that is an option as well.

I think a punching bag is in order for later on down the road along with a modest workout space. I do not think I’ll bother to get free weights though I may invest in some dumbbells for arm and shoulder work.

Of course, what I should be doing down here is reading history and science fiction while working on my lecture notes and writing projects.

Backyard Restoration

Things took a turn for the better for Mom here in the last couple of weeks. The VA finally settled her Widow’s benefit claim which means she has the resources to clean up the backyard. Efforts are underway as we speak to get the brush knocked down, the trash removed and the backyard turned into something that can be maintained by people who have to work for a living.

Mom and I had done some work back there but frankly, we just didn’t know where to begin. Fortunately, as was the case with the basement, we found someone who has been very efficient in clearing things out, getting the brush under control and managing the landscaping problems.

Pictures to follow once we’re done.

Research Project Number – 06, Stalin’s Hammer

The current research effort is moving forward without any serious difficulties. The client has most of the combat chapters back in hand. I need to run over some of the non-combat chapters a bit later today or tomorrow.

Most John Birmingham fans will know that Stalin’s Hammer is the first of a series of dedicated ebooks tied in with the Axis of Time trilogy. I think everyone will be pretty happy with what they see.

Plans are afoot for more such titles in the AoT universe and in the Disappearance Trilogy. Everything, of course, hinges on the readers themselves. We’ll see how it goes.

The Writing Front: A Restoration of Faith

I’ve gotten feedback from two of Beta Readers so far. The comments have been positive for the most part. There is a laundry list of things which need to be fixed but that is to be expected with a first draft. Hopefully I can clear some other matters off the deck and focus on this over the next couple of days.

The Lifeguard Front – Instruction

Teaching others to become lifeguards continues to go well. My employer has a stringent social medial policy which limits what I can say. I do believe I can say with confidence that the class I had this last Sunday with my teaching peers was one of the best I’ve had all season. Everyone got in there, did what they were supposed to do and we got out.

Real professionals already, they were a joy to work with.

On other ongoing matters, I can not comment at all, social media policy or no.

Other Fronts

I’ve not kept up with the physical fitness and my time in the pool has been nil aside from lessons. That needs to change over the next few weeks. So we’ll see what happens.

Lastly, we got a new barbecue grill. The bad news is that I have to assemble it.

Saturday project? Yeah, probably. At least I’ve got instructions in two languages I sorta understand, English and Spanish.

Respects,
Steven Francis Murphy
Author of The Limb Knitter and Tearing Down Tuesday
Kansas City, Missouri