posted January 11, 2005 08:29 PM         

I figured it was time for me to come back to Lindaland when a notebook that I lost months ago re-materialized in my bedroom. Proxieme, if you are reading this, the paper on the connection between geomagnetic polar shift and evolution has been returned by the aliens who beamed up only my notebook. And guess where it showed up...back under my bed! You know I looked there at least twenty times during my repeated searches for that darn thing. And then this morning one of my tarot cards slipped out of my hand and slid under the bed. (It was the Ace of Cups, if you're interested.) When I reached under the bed to retrieve it...there was the notebook. I wasn't looking for it, so I guess that is why it was there. It also might be related to a theory I just came up with that humans are actaually worm holes between parallel dimensions. Too long to go into now, but it all has to do with String Theory and The Theory of Everything. Anyway, the paper is back. Are you still interested in reading it and do you still live at the same address?

Trillian...I have thought of you so many times. I really must e-mail you. How's everything in your world these days?

posted January 11, 2005 08:46 PM         

Welcome back, FK! Will look forward to reading more about your most recent adventures out there in space... (you will post them when you get the chance, I pray!! )

Happy New Year and much and to you!!

posted January 11, 2005 08:47 PM         

I still hope we can share our writing and be friends for a long time to come. I'll be starting the new book in earnest shortly...

posted January 11, 2005 11:04 PM         

The adventures, eh? OK.

How Quantum Physics Helped Me Find My Homework

Lets begin with the bargain.

I wanted to effect some subtle changes in my life. I went, like so many of us do at times like that, to the Powers of the Cosmos with a deal.

I walked alone out under the winter stars and said, “OK, Powers, we both know what you want from me. I’m carrying around a few thousand lifetimes worth of instructions, so I get what I’m supposed to do. You just have to help me out here. If I’m going to spend hours per day dealing with ancient mysteries, some of this wage-earning burden needs to be lifted. Tell you what…you provide me with a way to spend half as many hours per week working for the some income, and I’ll start into all the writing, reading, walking, listening, spiralling, etc, that you have been poking me about in my dreams.

The Powers responded instantaneously, very loudly, and with a decided snicker at my foolishness. “Agreed. But you have to go first.”

Sigh.

The Powers are always like that. They seem to be endlessly amused by waiting until we think we have it all figured out, then guiding us to those Homer Simpson moments when we have no adequate response other than to slap ourselves on the forehead and say, “Doh!”.

I have to start first. Well, of course I have to start first! I looked up at the trillions of pinpoints of light. “I knew that. All I have to do is start the cycle, spin the wheel, and there we go. I would have figured it out.” As I turn to go, I slapped myself on the forehead once more for good measure. You can’t fool the Powers by pretending you already knew the answer, even if it WAS really obvious and you feel really dumb. The snickering was breaking into a full-fledged giggle in some corners of the universe.

I went home, picked up my lovely first edition copy of “The Way of Zen” by Alan Watts, and gave the wheel a spin.

posted January 17, 2005 08:21 PM           

*awaits further bits of the story*

posted January 18, 2005 12:05 AM         

Just some theories.
Great to see you back,
Dean.

posted January 18, 2005 08:46 AM         

So you have some new stuff to mail from your notebook? I'd love to read it if you are happy to send it to me again

posted January 18, 2005 05:51 PM         

Hi Dean and Sheaa and LibraSparkle! Sheaa, I'll e-mail you this story once it is all finished.

Here is a bit more...

Within a few days, I got an Invitation to Submit for an educational video. It was to be roughly the same length as the episodes in the documentary series I write, but whereas I have at least a month to put together one of my regular programs, I had only two weeks to get this show together AND I was already in the middle of working on a program that was due at the end of the month. But we’ve been trying to get our foot in the door for educational programming and, if the show is accepted, I’ll get almost twice my usual wage. Hmmmm. Granted math isn’t my strong suit, but that doesn’t seem like half the hours for the same wage to me. In fact, this seemed like I would have much LESS time to delve into ancient mysteries if I took this project on as well.

I wondered, “Is this a test to see if I put increased pay potential before my agreement to devote myself to more Mystery Time? Or is it an opportunity banging away at my door?”

According to Zen, there are no tests, only the perception of a test, so I decided it must be an opportunity. I presented the whole project to the producer I work for. He looked at the calendar, squinted, looked at me, squinted some more...

“This show has to be out of this office and on to post-production by WHEN in order to make this deadline?” He kept looking back at the calendar like there must be some hidden joke he hadn’t yet caught.

“Wednesday.”

“You are going to get this out by Wednesday? Well I have to admit, I’d like to see that.” He had developed a decided smirk. “And you are still going to get the fish show done by the end of the month?”

“Yep.”

“We have no guarantee of any money for this at all?” He didn’t look happy about this bit.

“No guarantee, but if we get in, we can pitch them a whole educational series.” I nodded hopefully.

“OK. Do it.”

I started working on the program and, lo and behold, it just flew together. I don’t know how, but it was done in plenty of time. Scripts, narration, story boards, pictures, edits sheets, music…it all came along so easily I started looking in the closets and under beds for shoemaker’s elves. Then the next program on my To Do list began to fly together as well. I was literally doing the work in half the time. Needless to say, I made sure to keep up my end of the bargain, Mystery-wise.