Asylum Moonshine inmates are pleased to announce the first release for 2020 – 9 x 500ml bottles of Just Peachy, 30% ABV Peach Brandy. The inmates were unable to offer much more information other than there used to be 12 bottles 🙂
A reliable spy informs us there is double this quantity of Plum Crazy – Omega A reliable spy informs us there is double this quantity of Plum Crazy – Omega currently held captive in the bowels of the Asylum, presently receiving Oak before final tweaking, sampling and possibly even bottling.
The weight loss continues at pace. As much as I despise Nestle their Optifast product does what the label says. But for the first time today I actually felt hungry mid-afternoon. Not mouth/head hungry, but stomach growling hungry. Hmmm. Oh duh. With my new found energy I run around like a headless chook all weekend and had got so focused on what I was doing I’d forgotten to have my lunch shake. Cue juicy apple.
Which brings me to another phenomenon. I noticed as I started THIS weight loss program (not using the D word) that the shakes filled my hunger beyond expectations, but what was happening is my brain and mouth hadn’t got the memo, so I found myself THINKING I was hungry even though my stomach was quite content. It was a bit of an epiphany for me and I decided to try and retrain the subconscious – so when my greedy hungry mouth demanded snacks I now walk to the pantry and state out loud “request denied”. It seems to be working as the demands seem less frequent. Not gone altogether, 60 years of brain programing can’t be undone that easily, but less often.
The universe has a perverse sense of humour. Let me explain. On two occasions recently the universe has in some way assisted me to buy and sell items only to take what I call ‘the angel’s share’ of the deal. Item 1. I was bidding on a stereo unit for my massage room, had an […]
Some time back I started boycotting Nestle (one of the largest bottled water seller in the world) products after their CEO stated “drinking water was not a basic human right”. So I had to eat humble pie after my surgeon told me I had to lose 31kg before he would do some surgery on me […]
Starting with my first trip to the USA in 2008 I have been left with the indelible impression that the universe at large wishes me to complete the task of writing a fictionalized version of one of the of the last great Indian wars, a book I have now titled ‘Killing Coyote’. Every now and […]
Something that bugs me – why is it whenever anyone talks about ‘past life’ experiences they always claim to have been an Indian Chief, Pharaoh, great painter or the like. Did no one have an experience as someone who starved, was killed brutally, lived on mean street, or was a slave? In things spiritual I […]
Been many months of saving and planning but I’m finally almost ready to revisit USA. Heading off for a month in southern Oregon come this Easter weekend, the primary mission being to get my Buick Wildcat out of storage and finally ship it home to New Zealand after 3 1/2 years in storage. Also hoping […]
Yeah, okay. I’ve been slack. What can I say? I’m just not into taking every little piece of news from every day and blasting it out to the world in a blog. I’m just not that interested in boring you all with my day-to-day life. It’s boring and tedious, writing about my life, not my […]
Congratulations to me. Wednesday night this week saw the completion of my Toastmasters Competent Communicator manual, barely five days longer than a year to finish. I am now therefore a Competent Communicator; I always stop when I consider this – was I previously an incompetent communicator? I earn a small badge and a certificate and […]
Finally the night for Billy Connelly’s show had arrived. We found an early car park and settled into Chicago Bar for a few pre-show drinks and a meal. Based on our experience I doubt I would go there again. The staff were friendly enough but the first thing that put me off was the sticky […]
I enjoy watching the sometimes off-colour TV show ‘Californication’. The main character, Hank Moody, is a talented but fractured writer, his vices of choice alcohol and sex. As much as I find some of the story-lines a little much for my tastes I love Hank’s commentary on the lost of the writer, to wit … Hanks daughter […]
I ran across this item in an op shop and it gave me an idea. What if I sought out odd bods like this, posted them on my web site offering a small prize for the best guess? Would this help drive more traffic to my site? Would this help me become better known? Could […]
I thought I could never be amazed by human behaviour – but once again they have surpassed even my low expectations. I have a number of gripes; some that border on pet peeves. I’ll start with the one that broke this camels back, a story I read in this mornings news that spoke to the […]
The shortest day of the year looms upon me with the speed and inevitability of an out-of-control freight train. Given my relative silence, it seemed a good time to do an update – a state-of-the-nation-esque dissertation on the comings and goings of life back in Godzone; that’s New Zealand for those of you not lucky enough […]
In all honesty, I can claim to be somewhat of an expert on yo-yo dieting, a veritable black belt in the ancient art of ‘Yum-Carb-Fat’. As anyone who has not been hiding in a cabin in the back woods for the last twenty or so years will know, our modern society has added many new moves […]
Saturday finally rolled around, enabling me to put into practice the skills learned at last weekends cheesemaking workshop. The week had dragged by but allowed time to collect the myriad small and large items needed to carry out the simple but carefully choreographed task of cheesemaking. The end result was three 500gram (1lb) blocks of creamy deliciousness. […]
Had a great night out. Attended my very first Toastmasters meeting and jumped in boots and all with a two-minute impromptu speech. Figured hey, that’s what I was there to do so no point in hiding in the crowd. And yes, I was great, according to the supportive members. Go me. In the not to […]
It’s been a little over nine weeks since I left North America and arrived back in the land of my birth, New Zealand. And what a tough time it has been. I’ve been away three of the last four years. During that time I’ve been to Alaska and the Yukon once, British Columbia three times, […]
So begins ‘The Longest Day’, my name for the 30+ hours it will take to get from Williams, Oregon, USA back to my home country of New Zealand. You may have noticed I didn’t say ‘hometown’; that’s because I don’t quite know where home is anymore. Since I began this journey five years ago I’ve […]
HITMAIL DOT COM Your hopes and dreams were just deleted. ………………………………….The sickness infected a quarter of the world’s teenagers before anyone even noticed. As the source eluded the planet’s best medical experts and researchers, they gave it a name – Pandora. Pandora appeared to be almost cunning. Where one child became infected, their circle of […]
Goodreads Book Giveaway Tough Justice – Seeds of Doom by Russell Turney Giveaway ends September 02, 2012. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin email Print
*** NEW RELEASE *** Déjà vu has a face! Two inter-dimensional life forms seek the same dangerous, experimental device, a vortex generator that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of time and space.The Watchers most experienced agent, Gaia Hassani, must once again take human form to locate and destroy the device, by any means […]
Don’t judge a book by its cover Sorry, I have to say it. BULL. Not these days, where everyone with a computer and a wild idea can put a book up for sale on Amazon, Smashwords, and other book sites still to come. Our book covers are incredibly important in this disposable, instant gratification, immediate […]
It’s been a busy few weeks. In short – Finally made my way out of the winter cold of BC, back into the USA. Almost didn’t make it after the border crossing from hell. Changed tickets – return to New Zealand early October New cover for ‘Tough Justice’ Cover being designed for ‘The Watchers’ ‘The […]
We writers sweat blood. We pour our hearts, our souls, and in some well known cases, our sanity, into our writing. Maybe we’re a little crazy. Perhaps that’s part of the job description. Certainly, only other writers fully understand us when we talk about the crazy things our characters make us do. We spend hours, […]
My intention when I came to wintery Prince Geroge, BC, was to write TWO books. As of this morning, I completed the first draft of “Hitmail dot com”. The quick details follow. HITMAIL DOT COM Paranormal/Horror 1st draft 132,000 words 450 pages When Maddi Wallace is frightened by a phantom at the age of nine, her parents hope […]
I can finally report on the progress of my winter hermitage. My second book, “The Watchers”, started early November, is in third draft and goes to the proofreader at the end of the month. I submit a tentative cover and the back cover info. THE WATCHERS Paranormal/Scifi 75,000 words 260 pages +/-Two inter-dimensional beings seek […]
The next story is not telemarketing, but is given to bring some balance to what might appear an earlier crazed rant. This story threatens to fall into the category of urban myth. No one is sure it actually happened, but it could have. Some years back, there was a well known family business that prided […]
Personally, I HATE them with a passion that borders on pathological. You know the calls. Usually as you’re getting ready for dinner. “Good evening, Mr.Smith. Have you had a great day?” (Aha, the first small YES. It’s a sales tactic. Any sales man, be it car, insurance, electronics, all of them, knows […]
A quick Q&A with San Francisco Writer University Dean, Laurie McLean. How long has SFWC been running? This is our 9th year for the conference. How many attendees are expected this year? Speakers? Agents? Classes? We’ll have 300 attendees, 100 speakers (including 20 agents) and since we’ve added two new tracks this year—social media and […]
