Writer's Block

R.a.n.t. for week of 06/28/15

This was a weekend initially earmarked for getting serious (or series) writing done. After (during actually) my April A-Z r.a.n.t.-fest, attention to my short story series 'Writer's Block' was placed on the back burner. Till then, I was getting one chapter posted a week. As it's a short story series, the chapters are really not that long. But now the intense April is almost two full months behind and I've noticed I have not returned to the series.

Clicking the 'Writer's Block' link above, you will notice I have one full story complete and the second episode with six chapters complete. It's been my long desire to finalize this piece of work. So why have I not gotten back to it? One word. Irony. Get what I mean? So how do I get back into the habit? As mentioned above, I meant to get some writing done this weekend, but as always, things came up. I helped a friend move on Saturday and Sunday I was lazy. Realistically, I was tired from the day before. I'm not spring chicken any more. Looks like the next few weekends will be utilized for helping others as well. No, I'm not ranting about helping others, because I enjoy being appreciated and feeling wanted for something. But how do I jump back in? How is it I can find time for so many other people, but never find time for myself? How do I get inspired? Where has my zeal gone? Where is my motivation? Can you help with some positive affirmation?

Some questions for discussion.
How do you battle Writer's Block?
What do you do to unwind?
Do you ever feel pulled in 15 different directions?



Did you know Jeffrey Scott has it's own Facebook Page?
It's true! Follow the link below.
It's a great way to keep in touch apart from leaving comments here.

Help me reach 100 follows by the end of the Summer.
Current count - 59
Jeffrey Scott Facebook Page

Egg Harbor (Part Three) - Where I Stayed & Coming Home

This entry may not interest too many people, but I thought I had to at least show my appreciation for the place I stayed, The Landing Resort. It was a beautiful place and I found it rather inexpensive for the size of the accommodations. As a bonus for sticking around and checking out my photography, I've included a few additional misc photos I found very cool. Hope you do too.

Remember, clicking the photos will enlarge them in most browsers.

The main living quarters. Table was used for my computer.

I found the bedroom very comfy and cozy.

The kitchen was user friendly and ready.

What the place looked like from the chair.

Outside one of the shops, was Bumble Bee

Another cool car. Anyone know the details?

It rained just before I left. Then the sun came out.

I had to stop and photograph this awesome display.

With the sun out, the rain began evaporating.

The process was done 15 minutes later.

The rest of the trip home was uneventful. But it was a wonderful weekend. I'm looking forward to my next trip to Door County.

Next Week:  I visit Lambeau Field (Green Bay)

Battle of the Bands Results - Giving It All Up For Love

Congratulations to my first Battle of the Band winner - Phil Lynott.

This was an interesting battle for me, and difficult as I am a Huey Lewis fan and I really wanted to see him win the battle. That being said, I certainly didn't want to sway anyone, and I wanted to make the challenge interesting and fair. This was the reason I decided to go with a lesser known song of Huey Lewis. When I heard Phil Lynott's version of 'Giving It All Up For Love', I loved it and immediately knew this was going to be my first battle.

Votes came in early for Huey Lewis and I was concerned it was going to be a sweep. But after the first five votes were in, Lynott was already leading 3-2. After ten votes, there were another 3 for Lynott and 2 more for Huey lewis making the total 6-4, Lynott. Ironically enough, the next ten votes resulted the same number of 6-4 in favour of Lynott. The total after 20 votes was 12-8. As the last four votes came in, Huey started to make a come back. Lynott only received one vote. The last two votes to come in were for Huey Lewis and I gave my vote to Huey Lewis aslo. So the final results are: 13-11 Lynott / Lewis.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and placed a vote.
Did you enjoy this feature? It seems like everyone did.
22 unique comments were received this post. The most I have ever received for a single blog post.
A lot of friends and family told me they thought this was a great new feature.
So what does that mean? Look for a new battle July 1st.
What song will I choose?
Which artists will battle it out?
Who will you vote for?


Make sure you visit the other participants in the Battle of the Band to see who won their battles.

STMcC PRESENTS 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS'
TOSSING IT OUT
JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE
WOMEN: WE SHALL OVERCOME
ALEX CAVANAUGH
YOUR DAILY DOSE
BOOK LOVER
MIKE'S RAMBLINGS
CURIOUS AS A CATHY
THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING
DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS
THIS BELLE ROCKS
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE
ANGELS BARK
FAR AWAY SERIES
NOVEL BREWS 

Once again. The winner. Phil Lynott

Litter Bug Season

R.a.n.t. of week 06/21/15

Yes, it's that time again. The sun is out and people are returning to the outdoors. Unfortunately, it also means they are brining their trash. And where does the trash go? Well, if you look at the security still from our office camera, you'll notice it doesn't go in the trash bin ten feet away. No, that would be too difficult and require a minimum of patience and integrity. Better just throw the trash on the ground, as this dude did when discarding his trash.

There are times I see garbage laying around and I think to myself, 'how did they not notice their garbage get away from them?' Or 'why did they not pick it up'? But I guess I've been giving people too much credit. Until I happened to notice this scene on our security camera at work. Not more than ten feet away from garbage bins, he lets his refuse drop to the ground. I'm sorry, I'm just having trouble trying to process this. Can anyone explain this to me? How can someone be so thoughtless and nonchalant. Have people no pride? If not pride in their neighbourhood, pride in themselves?

Egg Harbor (Part Two) - Egg Harbor Shops

Last week I shared a set of flora pictures from a recent trip to Egg Harbor, WI. This week I thought I'd share a few photos I took of the intriguing store-fronts. Which would you like to visit? Let's play a game. Can you guess the six stores I visited? The answer is revealed below.

As always, click on the photo to see them enlarged.

1.) Signature Pieces - A unique shopping & retail adventure.

2.) Fat Louie's - Olive Oil Company. Wine & Spirits

3.) Double Delites - Gourmet Popcorn & Gelato

4.) Greens N Grains - A Natural Food Mart

5.) Made In Britain, Ltd. - Imported foods & gifts from England.

6.) Main Street Shops - A small indoor mall.

7>) Door County Confectionery - Fudge & Nostalgic Candy

8.) Shipwrecked Brew Pub -Restaurant & Brewery

9.) Cupola House - Jewellery, Antiques & Collectibles

10.) Casey's BBQ - Barbecue Pub and Restaurant

11). Door County Sunglass Company - Sunglasses and such.

12). Main Street Market - Groceries, Beer and Wine

13). Grumpy's - Ice Cream & Popcorn

14.) Island Orchard Cider - Stop in for free samples of cider.

15.) Eames Cherry View Park - Music Pavilion

So, how well do you know Jeffrey Scott? Which stores did I visit and spend time shopping in? There were a few clues above to help you along.

Tha Answer:5, 6, 7, 8, 12 & 14.
But to be fair, there are many more I would visit and some places I didn't take photos of.

Next Week: Egg Harbor (Part Three) - This n That

The Creative Blogger Award

I was nominated as a creative blogger. If I am to accept the award, I need to follow a few rules. That's where this blog post comes in.

The rules:
1. Thank and post the link of the person who nominated you.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself to your readers.
3. Nominate 10-20 blogs and notify them.
4. Pass on the rules.


Thanks
I would like to thank Chrys Fey from Write With Fey for the nomination.
Chrys lives in Florida and is an author, blogger and reader. She''s also a Titanic survivor. :)
Her blog is an invaluable resource for tips on writing. Make sure you visit and say hi. Tell her I sent you.


Five facts about myself.
1.) I"m a huge Sci.Fi. nerd. Doctor Who, Star Trek, Star Wars, Farscape, Red Dwarf etc. etc.
2.) I love music and enjoy most genres. I'm an 80's nut first and foremost.
3.) I tell everyone Country is the only genre I won't listen to, but I secretly like a few country songs/artists.
4.) I'm learning to speak an Asian language known as 'Karen Sgaw', spoken in Myanmar and Thailand. Instead of an alphabet like we have, it uses a whole new alphabet I had to learn. I can now read the language, I just don't understand it all.
5.) My favourite food is cereal, my favourite non-alcoholic drink is coffee, my favourite alcoholic drink Guinness. My favourite candy is Jelly Babies.


I nominate the following bloggers:
1.) Rachel Hoyt - A fantastic poet. She takes current events and discusses in poetry.
2.) Roy A. Ackerman - Making the world better, one click at a time.
3.) Muriel - Whether discussing fish and chips or giving dating tips, her blog posts are fantastic reading.
4.) Stephanie Faris - A Children's Author. Her posts are always intriguing.
5.) Liesel K. Hill - Another author sharing writing advice and supporting fellow bloggers.
6.) Dixie - Everyone loves a good laugh. You'll find all the humour you need here.
7.) The English Kitchen - Debunking the myths of English cookery, one recipe at a time.
8.) Jennifer S. Pitts - Scribbles from Jenn. Always something interesting and fun to read here.
9.) Spacerguy - Star Trek / Sci.Fi. Blog. You can't go wrong talking about Star Trek
10.) Mary Burris - Do you like music? Of course you do, and so does she. She provides interesting background information on some of your favourite artists.

Battle of the Bands - Giving It All Up For Love

Welcome to the new feature "Battle of the Bands".

Starting today, I'm joining a group of other music enthusiasts who have decided to band together (pun intended) and showcase differing selections of the same song. Here is how it works. On the 1st and 15th of each month, I'll be posting two versions of the same song. Your job will be to vote on your favourite. Which artist did you think performed the song the best? I encourage everyone to listen to both versions all the way through, then comment, letting me know which you thought was better. It would be nice to know why you feel the way you do as well. On my next BOTB (Battle of the Band) feature, I'll reveal who I have voted for, and the overall winner.

For my first battle, I've chosen the song 'Giving It All Up For Love'.
I'm a big fan of 80's music Huey Lewis was one of the first artists I started collecting cassettes of. Yes, that's right. Back in my day we listened to music on cassettes. And we liked it. However, I didn't think it would be fair to choose one of his most popular songs, so I thought I'd find one most people are not familiar with.

So without further ado, let's begin with the song performed by Huey Lewis and the News.
The group was originally named Huey Lewis and the American Express, however their manager convinced them to change the name. Huey Lewis and the News provided for Back to the Future and Huey Lewis himself has a cameo in it. He tells Marty McFly (Performing one of the songs from Huey Lewis and the News) that he is just too dang loud. Huey has also provided his harmonica talents to Thin Lizzy's 1978 Live and Dangerous album and he produced Bruce Hornsby's 1986 album 'The Way it Is'. Take it away Huey Lewis and the News.



This song was also covered by Phil Lynott, a member of Thin Lizzy. Thin Lizzy is probably best known for their song 'The Boys Are Back in Town'. One of the cool things I found about Phil Lynott, he is a poet like me. In 1974 he published a collection of poems titled, 'Songs for While I'm Away'. Phil died in 1986. So let's listen to his rendition of the song.


And that's it. Which version of the song did you like? Don't forget to comment and let me know so I can tabulate which song wins my first ever Battle of the Bands.

Did you enjoy the Battle of the Bands feature? Come back on the 1st when I'll announce the winner. Also, check out more band battles by following the links below to others hosting their own 'Battles of the Band'.

STMcC PRESENTS 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS'
TOSSING IT OUT
JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE
WOMEN: WE SHALL OVERCOME
ALEX CAVANAUGH
YOUR DAILY DOSE
BOOK LOVER
MIKE'S RAMBLINGS
CURIOUS AS A CATHY
THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING
DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS
THIS BELLE ROCKS
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE
ANGELS BARK
FAR AWAY SERIES
NOVEL BREWS

Egg Harbor (Part One) - Harbor View Park

I decided I need a get-away this past weekend. Having never been to Egg Harbor (Wisconsin), but hearing a lot about it, I decided to visit. I figured it would be a great place to escape for a weekend to work on my writing and photography. I was correct! Upon arriving, I was awestruck by the beauty of this little community. I loved the sites so much, I took over 200 photos. In this brief selection of photos, I've included some amazing flora I discovered from Harbor View Park and the surrounding areas.

Don't forget to click on the photos to see them enlarged.

A beautiful day, looking towards the harbour.

This is the view coming up from the harbour. I felt very welcome.

A single rose. Where are her buddies?

Very near perfection. I can imagine paradise looking like this.

I keep telling myself I need to get a book to help identify flowers.

Lovely shade of pink. Wouldn't you agree?

I love purple flora.

Yellow with black. Love the contrast.

Then you must find a shrubbery!

Another great view of the park, and more purple.

I've probably added enough, but what's one more photo?

It was a great place to visit. One day I shall be back.

Next Week:  Egg Harbor (Part Two) - Shops

Shipping Wars

R.a.n.t. of week 06/07/15

A few months ago I was sitting at home, very bored. Idly flicking through the channels, I found an interesting show. Well, I say interesting. What I mean is, it was the only channel not airing a commercial. This particular show happened to be about the exciting world of items being shipped from point A to point B. It featured a variety of people bidding to win the rights to ship various item(s). If that were not exciting enough, the next part of the show should grab your attention. The person who wins the bid, (hold on to your hats), must prepare the item for shipment. Now comes the drama. Will the item for shipment make it to point B in one piece? You probably think the show ends on a dramatic cliffhanger. "Will the collection of Looney Tunes Memorabilia make it to the buyer in one piece? Will it be on time?" But fear not! No cliffhanger! All is revealed by the end of the show. That's right, no need to have to watch another episode. Phew!

So why am I ranting about this show? Mostly to be funny. It's not like I haven't watched pointless television before. Shows about bidding on storage lockers or what happens inside a pawn shop. But I pick on this show because I have my own shipping dilemma. You see, a few weeks back I ordered a novelty pen as a gift for a friend. The order was placed 20th May. It's current status is "shipped" and the estimated delivery date is 2nd July. Is this really a reasonable amount of time to ship a simple pen? I've ordered things from other countries and had the item delivered to my door a week later. But a pen? I guess not. I can only imagining it's coming from Alaska. The package was placed on a sled dog team and is now making it's way East through Canada. At some point, it will arrive via train to Toronto. From there, it's loaded onto a special go-kart for delivery to Wisconsin. The final delivery instructions suggest the post office to deliver it on pogo-stick.  So yes, I suppose getting the pen I purchased by 2nd July is quite fast. Unless, of course, the delivery date was 2016. To be honest, I never did check the year. Perhaps I shall do that now. Well, I mean after this next episode of Shipping Wars.

Some questions for discussion:
What mindless show do you watch?
What's the oddest piece of memorabilia you own?
Does a month and a half seem like an acceptable amount of time for delivery?



Stay tuned next week for a new feature.
Battle of the Bands!
On the 1st and 15th of every month, I will be showcasing two artists, featuring the same songs.
Who sang or performed it best? You will decide!