30 August 2012

Notes - on Diplomatic Pouch-2 / quick delete /


         0902 hours. Sitting in the shade at the far north end of Pine Hill Lakes Park waiting for Carol to finish her two-mile round. Uncle John was in good spirits yesterday; he had some jokes and tried to bait Carol into an argument on women's issues. She still pretty much holds to her convections of 1967. There was no "to obey" in our wedding vows. I thought it was rather spunky of her at the time. To her and my mother's cultural thinking this was too avant-garde.

         As you are alone with your thoughts listening to the birding calls and noting the sun's continual rise via the shadows from the tall trees you might speculate on how it would be attempting to cut "Diplomatic Pouch" (where possible) to less than a thousand words. There was a time in the 1980's where you wrote a series of short stories with each less than a thousand words for the fun and challenge. What do you think? - Amorella

         That popped into mind for a second or so either last night or this morning.

         Yes, orndorff, that's why I bring it up. - Amorella

         Man, that would be a task. I don't know how the first "Pouch" was less, maybe I even thought of it then. The chapters would be much more balanced.

         I will help on this consciously and unconsciously. Remember, some points you really don't want to drop will not be because if anyone is later interested, your grandsons for instance, they can dig it out from the originally published books.

         Ha! The words, "Let it go, Luke," roll into mind under the theatrical voice Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is interesting. I wonder how it is for the Dead to delete or to find themselves deleted to only what they can take with them? Bare bones. Well, hopefully more than that, at least spiritually.

         You are using the word "spiritually" in a different context. Look it up. - Amorella

** **
spiritual (adjective)
1 your spiritual self: nonmaterial, incorporeal, intangible; inner, mental, psychological; transcendent, ethereal, otherworldly, mystic, mystical, metaphysical; rare extramundane. ANTONYMS physical.
2 spiritual writings: religious, sacred, divine, holy, nonsecular, church, ecclesiastical, faith-based, devotional. ANTONYMS secular.

From: Oxford-American software
** **

         I mean spiritual in the sense of "transcendent, ethereal". I think this would be quite a shock, for some twice the shock, once in consciousness  actually surviving physical death and twice, the immediate question: what is this, I am next to nothing of my former self? This would be cool to demonstrate somewhere in the revision.

         You and Carol spent the last hour chatting about family, etc. in the shade at McD's (late breakfast snack) over near Kings Island.

         1121 hours. Kroger's on Kings Mill Road. Indeed, I always go with the line from a famous old American play, "Everyone has a right to his own troubles." That includes us also. People live their lives and most have some choice in it. A few don't. I'm think growing up being a British prince for instance. People learn to work with who they are or they don't.

         You are very much the existentialist. What if you had to give that up?  - Amorella

         Whoa. Good question, Amorella.

         I want you to keep thinking about the Dead as you work through "Diplomatic Pouch". - Amorella

         What would take its place? That is, if dead and the existential view was no longer relevant, what would be a for instance (in juxtaposition). The shock for the dead humanoid-marsupials to realize HeavenOrHellBothOrNeither now has alien humanoids, non-marsupial humanoids in the same afterlife setting?

         Yes. 

         In book four or three the human mother Gloama first went to the humanoid-marsupial Place of the Dead and then decided she would rather leave and set up a humanoid Place of the Dead.  I forgot Gloama was allowed to do this just as Diplomat the hybrid (mostly in book three) also appears to have a choice as to which Place of the Dead she wished to visit, something of this sort.

         You are now home, groceries are put away and the afternoon has not been planned. Post. Later, dude. - Amorella


         1534 hours. We had the usual shared (split) lunch at Penn Station, stopped at Staples for desk and file supplies; now we have returned to the tall tree shade (west side of the lot) in the far north Pine Hill parking for Carol's reading, this time she is on page 97 of Grisham's The Litigators. Time to work on the "Pouch". We begin with 4048 words. Getting this down to 1000 or under is going to be a real challenge.

         First, make an extra copy and use that skim read it and I'll direct you where to delete. - Amorella

         That's a good plan, Amorella, better than anything I could think of. . . .  (1556) Okay, down to 1548 words just like that. Amazing. 

         You are stopped at Kroger's once again, this time for eggs for potato salad, then to the post office and a return home. Let's make more cuts, then we can go from what remains. - Amorella

         You cut it down to 1185 words. Awesome.

         You are home. Post. - Amorella

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