Tag: Randall’s Ramblings

Temperatures have ranged between 54F-58F/ 12-14C, with one day reaching 64F/18C. There’s been plenty of sunshine, but yesterday and so far today it’s been overcast. We were able to get the grass cut again and did some pruning, as well as taking some more stuff to the dump. Nothing exciting, but all part of the necessary chores.

The price of gasoline (petrol) remained steady £1.47, while the price of diesel dropped two pence to £1.53. However, Sterling recovered a bit against the dollar. With the current exchange rate, an equivalent gallon of gasoline remained at$6.96, while diesel dropped to $7.26, a decrease of seven cents.

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.” – Henry David Thoreau. Compliments of https://press.barnesandnoble.com/bnpress-blog/inspirational-quotes-writing/.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on May 5th, the first Sunday of the month. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Philippe Quinault, French playwright (L’amant indiscreet); Louis Christophe François Hachette, French publisher (Librairie Hachette); Jacob Kats, Flemish writer (Earthly Paradise); Eugène Marin Labiche, French playwright (The Italian Straw Hat); Karl Marx, German philosopher (Communist Manifesto, Das Kapital); Hubert Howe Bancroft, American historian, ethnologist (History of Pacific States); Henryk Sienkiewicz, Polish author (Quo Vadis, Nobel 1905); Max Elskamp, Belgian author and poet (Lesson Joies Blondes, Maya); Frederik August Stoett, Dutch linguist (Dutch Proverbs); Nellie Bly, American journalist and writer (Ten Days in a Mad House); Christopher Morley, American author (Kitty Foil); Freeman Gosden, American writer and actor (The Amos ‘n’ Andy Show, Calvin and the Colonel); James Beard, American culinary expert and author (Delights & Prejudices); Miklós Radnóti, Hungarian poet (Clouded Sky); Richard Rovere, American political journalist (Goldwater Caper); Pierre Schoendoerffer, French Academy Award-winning director and screenwriter (The Anderson Platoon); Greg [Michel Régnier], Belgian comic-book writer (Achille Talon); Rob Van Gennep, Dutch publisher; Kurtis “Kurt” Loder, American film critic, TV personality and columnist (Rolling Stone, New York, Time); and Naomi Klein, Canadian author (This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate) and activist.

Any names familiar to you? There were two for me this week: Karl Marx and Nellie Bly. Whether you recognize anyone on the list or not, if today’s your special day I hope you have a great one!

My Work In Progress

My work on Mission: Yemen, Xavier Sear Thriller Book 2 is currently on hold due to the myriad non-writing things occupying my time.

In the meantime, I’m re-posting chapters of Temples of Abydos to the two online subscription writing sites I use. Chapter one went up yesterday, the first time since 2022.

Here’s a snippet:

Sylvia Burness lounged in a recliner in front of their wall-mounted fifty-five-inch television and flicked through the history and National Geographic channels. Not finding any programs of interest, she turned the television off. She picked up her cup of tea, weaved way through stacks of unopened boxes, and padded into the circular room off the kitchen, which they used as an office.

Now in her fortieth year, Sylvia had shoulder-length chestnut brown hair and dark brown eyes. With a flawless complexion, she never needed makeup. Her smile always lights up a room when she turns it on. Her passion for history is only overshadowed by her love of animals and her disdain for injustice.

Her husband, Charles Wilkie, sat in front of one of the two iMac twenty-seven-inch desktop computers positioned on adjacent desks. His long sandy blond hair was tied in a man-bun. Cheap reading glasses perched on his nose as he peered at the screen with his blue eyes. His once red beard was now peppered with gray.

“What are you looking at? I thought you were going to unpack some more boxes this evening.” A bemused expression creased Sylvia’s face.

“Aye. For what we paid for this apartment, our belongings should have been unpacked for us.”

Sylvia laughed. “If you hadn’t won twenty million pounds on the Lotto, we’d still be living in a three-bedroom terrace instead of overlooking the East Sands and the Old Course.”

“True.”

Sylvia sat in the empty chair at the other desk and placed her cup on a coaster. “So now that we’ve finished cataloging known Celtic sites throughout the UK, any thoughts on a new project?”

“Aye. Since I’ve been granted a year’s sabbatical from teaching medieval archaeology at St. Andrews, why don’t you request time off as well? I’m sure both the history and archaeology departments would benefit from whatever we choose to do.”

“I just wish they’d approved my Celtic program. Why should Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and the University of the Highlands and Island be the only universities doing this? After all, St. Andrews is Scotland’s oldest one.”

Charles chuckled. “Relax, Sylvia. The dean and the faculty will come around to your way of thinking and set up your program.”

She finished her tea. “I suppose you’re right. What are you considering?”

“I was wondering if we should go to Gobekli Tepe in Turkey. However, I’m still pulled toward Egypt. You know my fascination with the area. Archaeologists are still uncovering tunnels and shafts with the three-pyramid complex outside Cairo. Perhaps we could find a new one—even better, a new pharaoh.”

Sylvia hid a grin as she shook her head. “Why not a lesser-known area? I’m sure we could find one and put our stamp on it.”

“Aye. Now you’re talking! Let’s get cracking.”

More next time.

This brings us to an end for another week. I hope you found something of interest. If you have any suggestions for a topic you’d like to read about, please let me know. Until the next time, thank you for reading and hope you drop in again.

© Copyright 2024 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved

At last! We’ve had a week with more dry days than wet ones. While there’s been some rain, it didn’t last long. Neither did the hail storm that came through.  The first four days of the week saw temperatures exceeding 50F (10C) while the past three the temperature struggled to reach 46F (8C). Today, it’s another overcast day, but no rain is in the forecast.

The price of gasoline (petrol) remained the same this week a £1.42  liter, while diesel edged up another penny to £1.52. As a result, and with the current exchange rate between the pound and the dollar, an equivalent U.S. gallon of gasoline is now $6.80, an increase of four cents, while diesel topped out at $7.25, climbing seven cents.

“When all else fails, write what your heart tells you. You can’t depend on your eyes, when your imagination is out of focus.” – Mark Twain. https://press.barnesandnoble.com/bnpress-blog/inspirational-quotes-writing/.

So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on February 25, the fourth and final Sunday of the month. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).

Friedrich von Spee, German writer; Pierre Antoine Motteux, French-born English dramatist; Karl Ludwig, Freiherr von Pöllnitz, German adventurer and writer; Carlo Goldoni, Italian playwright and librettist (Belisario, Servant of Two Masters); Karl Wilhelm Ramler, German poet (Geistliche Kantaten); Simon Stijl, Frisian physician and writer; Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian national poet and painter; Otto Liebmann, German philosopher (Climax of Theories); Karl May, German writer (Old Shatterhand, Winnetou); John Watson, Canadian philosopher (Objective Idealism); Cesário Verde, Portuguese poet; William Ashley, English economic historian (The Economic Organisation of England); Benedetto Croce, Italian historian, editor philosopher and politician (La Critica); Max Kommerell, German literary critic (Die Gefangenen); Adelle Davis, American nutritionist and author (Let’s Stay Healthy); Mary Coyle Chase, American playwright (Harvey 1945 Pulitzer Prize); Sabahattin Ali, Turkish poet, author and journalist (Esirler, Içimizdeki Şeytan); Frank G. Slaughter [C.V. Terry], American novelist and physician (Sangaree); Edgar Pangborn, American sci-fi author (Judgment of Eve, Davy); John Evan “Jasper” Weston-Davies [pen name Berkley Mather], English writer; Anthony Burgess, British novelist and essayist (A Clockwork Orange); Gérard Bessette, Canadian author; Larry Gelbart, American television writer, playwright, director and author, best known as creator and producer of M*A*S*H; Richard Stern, American writer; Erica Pedretti, writer; Shivadhar Srinivasa Naipaul, Trinidad, novelist, essayist (Fireflies); F Xaver Kroetz, writer; Aldo Busi, Italian writer; and John Doe [Duchac], American poet, songwriter, and cow-punk musician (X; The Knitters).

Any names familiar to you? There were two again for me this time: Anthony Burgess and Larry Gelbart. Whether you recognize anyone on the list or not, if today’s your special day I hope you have a great one!

My Work In Progress

As I previously mentioned, I penned chapters 22-30 of Mission: Yemen, Xavier Sear Thriller Book 2 during the Xmas market. I’m slowly typing up and posted them to the two online subscription writing sites I use. This week, I finished chapters twenty-eight and twenty-nine, and began work on chapter thirty.

Reviewers provided another fifteen critiques, bringing the total to 527. As always, they’ve provided plenty of recommendations for me to consider, and I’m always appreciative of the time and effort people put into reviewing my work.

Here’s another snippet:

Bashari glanced at his wife and smiled. “Our tenure in Europe resulted in changes in the family. We picked up several Western ideas and values. Our children learned them as well, which is why Shatara is more outspoken than most Yemeni women.”

“It is good for her to have an open mind. Likewise, it will help Zahid to blend into other cultures.”

Bashari nodded. “As always, you’re wisdom speaks volumes, Yasmin.” He frowned. “However, the current situation in Yemen is not one used to people speaking their minds.”

“What are your plans now?” Sear tapped the side of his head. “ I mean once we recover Shatara?”

“I shall return to work. I’ve been asked to spend more time preserving Yemen’s heritage. Many of the locations are now identified as UNESCO world cultural sites, although the fighting stops everyone except those who are the bravest to visit them. I am hoping Zahid will work with me. There are many spots which haven’t received the UNESCO linkage but are still of importance to the country.”

Sear nodded. “Who do you think is holding Shatara, and where?”

“As with many Yemenis who do not agree with the fighting between the Saudis and the Houthis, I have made enemies. It is possible some of the Houthis, especially those embedded with Ansar Allah, might have taken her to teach me a lesson. I refuse to aid them in their cause, which I believe is counter-productive as they are pro-Iranian. They want to take over all of Yemen and attack the United States, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. While I do not subscribe to the tenets followed by the Saudis and Israel, we need to learn to live together in peace, not aggression. Moderation is the key to living together, not just here but everywhere.”

Sear pursed his lips. “Do you find your opinions in the minority?”

“Yes, I do. However, this is something I believe in, and I shall do my best to assist my country in becoming a prosperous nation where people with differing opinions can still share viewpoints without killing one another.”

“I hope I don’t offend you, Bashari, but don’t you think you have a rather simplistic viewpoint of the world?”

Bashari glanced at his wife and laughed. “Yes, I support I do. However, living in Europe taught both of us it is better to live together with mutual respect rather than always fighting.”

Sear nodded. “I suppose you’re right. So where do you think those who kidnapped Shatara are holding her?”

“I have given this some thought, and I believe they will be found in the more remote areas. Of course, I could be mistaken.” He studied Sear’s face. “I hope you will do whatever you can to bring our daughter back to us. “He glanced at Yasmin. “Alive.”

Sear nodded. “I will do everything possible to bring her back to you.” But I’m not sure what I can do by myself, and Vincent said no foreign support given the current situation in-country. He rubbed his stubble. “I might need some assistance. Do you know where I can find some guys experienced with fighting?”

Bashari and Yasmin glanced at each other and smiled.

“My late husband’s family wants revenge for his death. He had four brothers, and they have some grown-up sons who will want to help.”

“Okay.” Would prefer qualified fighters, but I can’t be choosy. He glanced at Bashari. “How about you?”

“I have two older brothers. They both have two sons, and all are experienced fighters.” He put up a hand and counted fingers as he stared at the ceiling. “I can also count on eight cousins.”

“Where do they live?”

“They are all in the Aden area—they’re fishermen. But I know they will help.”

At least eighteen. Will it be enough? Sear studied Bashari and Yasmin’s faces. “Should it be necessary for you and your family to leave Yemen once I find Shatara, will you be able to do so?”

“Yes. I shall do whatever is necessary to keep my family together. I made many friends in Europe, and I am sure they will help us begin a new life.” Bashari sighed. “Compared to most Yemenis, we are considered wealthy. But wealth brings its own dangers. I also know a secret that might be useful as a bargaining chip.” He stared at Sear. “But it might be dangerous.”

“What is that?”

“There is a Saudi faction living in Yemen. They are trying to keep a damaging secret from the rest of Saudi Arabia and moderates in Yemen. If their secret is revealed, the truth will pit family against family, brother against brother, until the sands are colored with blood.”

More next time.

I also continued working on The Great Rebellion – Finn Harding Book One.  It’s a romantic alternate history of the American Civil War. I ‘m tweaking chapter five, originally written by my co-author, and hope to send it to him over the next week for consideration.

This brings us to an end for another week. I hope you found something of interest. If you have any suggestions for a topic you’d like to read about, please let me know. Until the next time, thank you for reading and hope you drop in again.

© Copyright 2024 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved