Writer's Block: Unlikely Benefactor
Aug. 9th, 2009 12:47 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
$100,000 each for the following:
1) & 2) My alma mater colleges
3) The school I'm attending now
4) 5) 6) The school districts of my childhood years
7) 8) 9) The public libraries in the towns where I lived in those same years
10) The Smithsonian.
$100,000 each for the following:
1) & 2) My alma mater colleges
3) The school I'm attending now
4) 5) 6) The school districts of my childhood years
7) 8) 9) The public libraries in the towns where I lived in those same years
10) The Smithsonian.
A Sevier Case of Wanderlust
Sep. 15th, 2008 05:58 pm(Pardon the pun.)
As my brother had paid me a little for my services Saturday, I had money for a shopping trip to Gatlinburg and points north today.
As shopping went, it was rather unproductive. As walking around and geeking out went, it was okay. The weather was too lousy for photography, but it was still pretty busy in G-burg on the Parkway. Traffic was busy just about the whole length of the Parkway from I-40 down through. The hot rod cars were going home from the weekend gathering.
The Star Cars museum now has a Mach 5 from the Speed Racer live-action movie. I didn't go in to see it, but I may take nephew Egan there on his next visit with us.
Being the bibliophile I am, I spent most of my time in the Books Warehouses in G-burg and Pigeon Forge--the latter being a test of my character...they had that horrible Christian pop music on the P.A. system. It took all the will I had to ignore that garbage and look for what I wanted. More on what I ended up buying later.
The public works people are already getting the utility poles ready for the Christmas lights. Yes, they try to make Christmas last six months in Sevier County. Bah.
One of the main shopping centers, the Belz Mall in Pigeon Forge, is beginning a large-scale renovation. So it's rather strange to see shops being forced to move from one location in the mall to another and to see a whole side of the building completely torn out.
I know I'm griping a bit, but I have to go and do this every so often. Remind myself where I am in the world and what it was like working at G-burg and Pigeon Forge.
FP
As my brother had paid me a little for my services Saturday, I had money for a shopping trip to Gatlinburg and points north today.
As shopping went, it was rather unproductive. As walking around and geeking out went, it was okay. The weather was too lousy for photography, but it was still pretty busy in G-burg on the Parkway. Traffic was busy just about the whole length of the Parkway from I-40 down through. The hot rod cars were going home from the weekend gathering.
The Star Cars museum now has a Mach 5 from the Speed Racer live-action movie. I didn't go in to see it, but I may take nephew Egan there on his next visit with us.
Being the bibliophile I am, I spent most of my time in the Books Warehouses in G-burg and Pigeon Forge--the latter being a test of my character...they had that horrible Christian pop music on the P.A. system. It took all the will I had to ignore that garbage and look for what I wanted. More on what I ended up buying later.
The public works people are already getting the utility poles ready for the Christmas lights. Yes, they try to make Christmas last six months in Sevier County. Bah.
One of the main shopping centers, the Belz Mall in Pigeon Forge, is beginning a large-scale renovation. So it's rather strange to see shops being forced to move from one location in the mall to another and to see a whole side of the building completely torn out.
I know I'm griping a bit, but I have to go and do this every so often. Remind myself where I am in the world and what it was like working at G-burg and Pigeon Forge.
FP
Tags:
Getting Out There
Apr. 22nd, 2008 04:51 pmHey.
Decided to day-trip to Gatlinburg today. I hadn't been there in a long time and the weather was nice enough.
Not all that much has changed. One hotel being demolished (not Park Vista or Glenstone Inn--too shame); the Holiday Inn is now something else; Microtel is still Microtel (so as long as nobody looks too close at it I can still dangle a parking permit from Moonshine's windshield mirror bracket and park there). There's a Church of God convention at the main arena, so the sidewalks are busy with church elders from Alabama and Mississippi. At Star Cars, the plummeting Cadillac from Terminal Velocity (IIRC?) has been replaced with the Batman Returns Batmobile and the KITT out front was replaced with Anna Nicole Smith's Jaguar convertible.
I basically wandered the shops and malls.
Did most of my shopping at the Books Warehouse shop in the mall near the Aquarium. After poking around the music CDs, I came upon the pile of Baen hardback science-fiction novels...
Bought Echoes of Honor (which I have as an e-book but not in hardcopy), Crown of Slaves and The Shadow of Saganami--both of which I didn't have in ANY form.
Combined cover price: $75. I spent $11.
My need to get off this planet appears to trump any other desire.
* * *
Meme from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
robby_bevard:
I'm with Robby, I'd probably leave the booze alone and go for something with caffeine and/or guarana. Like...
...This?
And I'd probably let Aaron Williams in without an ID. He's got a tab running with me.
FP
Decided to day-trip to Gatlinburg today. I hadn't been there in a long time and the weather was nice enough.
Not all that much has changed. One hotel being demolished (not Park Vista or Glenstone Inn--too shame); the Holiday Inn is now something else; Microtel is still Microtel (so as long as nobody looks too close at it I can still dangle a parking permit from Moonshine's windshield mirror bracket and park there). There's a Church of God convention at the main arena, so the sidewalks are busy with church elders from Alabama and Mississippi. At Star Cars, the plummeting Cadillac from Terminal Velocity (IIRC?) has been replaced with the Batman Returns Batmobile and the KITT out front was replaced with Anna Nicole Smith's Jaguar convertible.
I basically wandered the shops and malls.
Did most of my shopping at the Books Warehouse shop in the mall near the Aquarium. After poking around the music CDs, I came upon the pile of Baen hardback science-fiction novels...
Bought Echoes of Honor (which I have as an e-book but not in hardcopy), Crown of Slaves and The Shadow of Saganami--both of which I didn't have in ANY form.
Combined cover price: $75. I spent $11.
My need to get off this planet appears to trump any other desire.
* * *
Meme from
robby_bevard:I'm with Robby, I'd probably leave the booze alone and go for something with caffeine and/or guarana. Like...
...This?
And I'd probably let Aaron Williams in without an ID. He's got a tab running with me.
FP
Leaping And/Or Creeping
Feb. 29th, 2008 12:11 amSince it's Leap Day, I should relate that if I were hosting a party for it, I'd include a Liliputian Leaping & Creeping Contest (a.k.a. a Limbo Dance).
Overday I went to Pigeon Forge to meet with my previous boss to make sure I had the proper name for the business (it changed after I left) and for her (it was in the process of changing as I was leaving--she divorced). I need references for my application. (![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
domain69?--I'd ask you but I don't think we've seen each other once in three years. Still, it would be nice for you to send me your snail addy and phone # via my e-mail {you still have it on file, ne?} just in case?)
The mountains in Sevier County were covered in snow. I was tempted to go up to English Mountain but held off--I may go later next week. I've never been there but it was something I've wanted to do for a long time.
The helicopter museum in the Forge is gone. One, it was in a rotten location, with a dangerously placed parking lot. Two, they were charging as much for admission as the much better Museum of Aviation (Warbird collection!) at Sevierville Airport. Three, aside from the Comanche gunship mock-up and the Airwolf replica, they didn't have much in the way of exhibits to get the general public excited. I don't know if the exhibits were auctioned off or will just be displayed someplace else--or will get inducted into the Museum of Aviation.
FP
Overday I went to Pigeon Forge to meet with my previous boss to make sure I had the proper name for the business (it changed after I left) and for her (it was in the process of changing as I was leaving--she divorced). I need references for my application. (
domain69?--I'd ask you but I don't think we've seen each other once in three years. Still, it would be nice for you to send me your snail addy and phone # via my e-mail {you still have it on file, ne?} just in case?)The mountains in Sevier County were covered in snow. I was tempted to go up to English Mountain but held off--I may go later next week. I've never been there but it was something I've wanted to do for a long time.
The helicopter museum in the Forge is gone. One, it was in a rotten location, with a dangerously placed parking lot. Two, they were charging as much for admission as the much better Museum of Aviation (Warbird collection!) at Sevierville Airport. Three, aside from the Comanche gunship mock-up and the Airwolf replica, they didn't have much in the way of exhibits to get the general public excited. I don't know if the exhibits were auctioned off or will just be displayed someplace else--or will get inducted into the Museum of Aviation.
FP
Quick Meme You've Probably Seen Before
Mar. 6th, 2006 12:17 am| Your Superhero Profile |
 Your Superhero Name is The Bronze Tiger Your Superpower is Mystic Your Weakness is Confined spaces Your Weapon is Your Celestial Shield Your Mode of Transportation is Teleporter |
* * *
Must be a slow news night. The local news from the ABC station included BBC footage of the Spitfire 70th Anniversary flight. I saw the teaser and thought maybe there was something going on at the Tennessee Museum of Aviation at Sevierville, but no dice.
FP
Meme Plus a Visit to a Junkyard
Feb. 22nd, 2006 12:39 am
You kill with magic.
You are very skilled with magic, but have poor
fighting skills. But it doesn't really matter
anyway since it can be as powerful as other
weapons. You are probably missunderstood by
people and have some pain inside you. You are
not the kind of person to start a fight, but
if you are provocted you respond. You
probably don't have that many friends either
though you might want some. According to you
life is a lonely journey and you try not to
care to much. Most people who are witches or
anything similar is thought to be evil and
want to see all people suffer. That however
is not true. You don't feel that much joy
seeing others in pain. You are probably
peaceful and quiet when left alone.
Main weapon: Potions and spells
Quote: "A man can be destroyed but
not defeated" -Ernest Hemingway
Facial expression: Blank eyes
What Type of Killer Are You? [cool pictures]
brought to you by Quizilla
I'm told the first man to bear my family name in America was deported to Massachusetts because he was a Gypsy. Who married a redhead.
* * *
Just east of Sevierville along Highway 411 is a small junkyard, where I noticed three airplanes in disassembled states:
The large white plane appears to be a Lockheed Lodestar, and the gray Army plane is a Grumman Mohawk surveillance plane from the Vietnam War era. The biplane, I haven't identified.
As the Tennessee Museum of Aviation is only a few miles away I wonder if these planes are future restoration projects for the collection. It looks like most, if not all, of the pieces are there and in relatively good shape.
FP
Past and Place, Part II
Feb. 27th, 2005 01:07 amWhen homesickness and curiosities combine...
I lived in the Tampa Bay area nearly half of my life. From 1979 to 1996. The place where I lived, Spring Hill, went from a sleepy backwater blip on the highway to a near city in its own right while I watched.
I find myself looking up places and things I know are gone.
Boatyard Village (http://www.ambertides.us/PICS/Attract/boatyardvillage.jpg) and the Florida Military Aviation Museum next door to it, next to the St. Pete/Clearwater Airport, whose expansion swallowed their lands. Neither of them really amounted to so much, it's sad to say. Boatyard Village went so far out of its way to look "charmingly rustic" that it was ultimately incongruous and unattractive. The Museum never had the funds to get a proper building to house its exhibits...or even to mow the grass often enough. I visited the Museum a few times, but often they weren't even open when I came by. Most of the aircraft they had have since been taken over by other collections, most notably one in Akron, OH. It galls me some that their P-2 Neptune bomber was cut apart to use as part of an artificial reef. Bad enough that they did it at all (an insult to the people who paid time, money, work and resources to preserve the plane in the first place, as well as the servicemen they hoped to honor), but worse that they so ineffectually anchored the hulk to the bottom of the Gulf that the current ripped it loose! There was also a "94th Aero Squadron" franchise restaurant at the location, and I was lucky to visit there once as my mother's driver for one of her writer's guild meetings. I'm sure it's gone too.
Florida, I have seen, not only is ever changing but moreso than other places I've seen, is unforgiving of mediocrity.
I lived in the Tampa Bay area nearly half of my life. From 1979 to 1996. The place where I lived, Spring Hill, went from a sleepy backwater blip on the highway to a near city in its own right while I watched.
I find myself looking up places and things I know are gone.
Boatyard Village (http://www.ambertides.us/PICS/Attract/boatyardvillage.jpg) and the Florida Military Aviation Museum next door to it, next to the St. Pete/Clearwater Airport, whose expansion swallowed their lands. Neither of them really amounted to so much, it's sad to say. Boatyard Village went so far out of its way to look "charmingly rustic" that it was ultimately incongruous and unattractive. The Museum never had the funds to get a proper building to house its exhibits...or even to mow the grass often enough. I visited the Museum a few times, but often they weren't even open when I came by. Most of the aircraft they had have since been taken over by other collections, most notably one in Akron, OH. It galls me some that their P-2 Neptune bomber was cut apart to use as part of an artificial reef. Bad enough that they did it at all (an insult to the people who paid time, money, work and resources to preserve the plane in the first place, as well as the servicemen they hoped to honor), but worse that they so ineffectually anchored the hulk to the bottom of the Gulf that the current ripped it loose! There was also a "94th Aero Squadron" franchise restaurant at the location, and I was lucky to visit there once as my mother's driver for one of her writer's guild meetings. I'm sure it's gone too.
Florida, I have seen, not only is ever changing but moreso than other places I've seen, is unforgiving of mediocrity.
