I was in downtown Houston a few days this week for a two-day seminar. Now, from where I live, it’s quite a drive into town. Rather than get in the midst of the early rush-hour traffic, I decided to go in a lot earlier. Naturally it gave me some time to kill, so I sorta wandered around the hotel for an hour or so.

It turns out there’s a beautiful little park right next door. Needless to say, I found some great photos!

Here’s my favorite, one I’ve titled: Table for Two. Now, doesn’t that scene just invite you to pull up a chair and set a spell?

Enjoy!

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Yeehaw! Waahoo! And what the heck; a big ol’ tip o’ the topper, too, for all the fine entries in this month’s What I Learned From the World of Plants groupwrite project! And what an interesting topic it turned out to be, wasn’t it?

There were 16 entries this month! (sound of crowd cheering enthusiastically) And I’ll tell ya, we covered the gamut of content here, folks: funny, serious, ironic… you name it – there’s a post that fits. (In fact, one enterprising participant changed the meaning of the word, “plants”, and wrote about something completely different. Way to think outside the box, there, Bubba!)

Anyhoo; take a gander at the list of entries below, won’t you? In fact, why not do them the honor of leaving a comment – or even starting a conversation? You’ll be glad ya did! They’re in no particular order except it’s how I found ‘em.

• Talking Dirty, by Steve Woodruff at Steve’s Leaves
• What I Learned From the Plant World, by Patrizia at VOIP
• Two Important Lessons From Plants, by Deb Brown at Deb Works
• What I Learned From the Death of My Bosai, by Ulla Hennig at Ulla Hennig’s Weblog
• It May Look Easy, by Paul Merrill at Shiny Bits of Life
• What I Learned From the Plant World, by Nancy Kourmoulis at Treasures of Darkness
• 8 Things I Learned About Sales From the Plant World, by Brad Shorr at Word Sell, Inc.
• The Art of Paying Attention, by Joanna Young at Confident Writing
• What I Learned From the Plant World, by Lillie Ammann at A Writer’s Words, and Editor’s Eye
• What I Learned From a Bunch of Spinach, by Luke Gedeon at Luke Gedeon
• What I Learned From the Plant World – Restoration, by Elizabeth Spitter at Made for Something Greater
• Cold Comfort, by Sam at Future Nostalgic
• What I Learned From the Plant World, by Meryl Evans, at meryl.net
• And the Day Came When… by Amy Palko at Less Ordinary

And last, but hopefully not in the least, er, least, here’s a couple of entries from yours truly:

• Bloom Where You Can, by Robert Hruzek at Confident Writing (published as a guest post over at Joanna Young’s place, Confident Writing, while coincidentally fitting into her own theme this month: Possibilities. What can I say? I’m such an efficient fellah!)
• Constrictor, by Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings

Y’all give yourselves a big hand, my friends; once again you’ve outdone yourselves! And as always, a big ol’ tip o’ the hat to ya! Plan to join us next month for the next What I Learned From… project.

What’s the topic going to be, you ask? Well, now… that would be tellin’!

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Hey, if you’re a regular reader of the Middle Zone, I have a favor to ask of ya. Heck; even if you’re NOT a regular reader (and I promise – I won’t go there!) I’ll ask the same favor of you, too.

I’ve Entered a Fiction Contest!

For the last month or so, the Editor Unleashed Forum has been accepting entries of flash fiction for a contest called Flash Fiction 40. (In case you’re unfamiliar with the term, “flash fiction”, it’s generally understood as “fiction under a thousand words in length” – about two single-spaced pages.)

Why should you care, you say? Well, I’ll be the first to admit you may not. Hey, I’m OK with that. Really.

But I’m askin’ you, as a favor to me, to perhaps rethink that a mite, and here’s why: There are 283 entries in the contest, and the best 40 will be published in the upcoming Editor Unleashed/ Smashwords Flash Fiction 40 anthology. The top story wins $500!

I’ve entered a story of my own, and now we’ve moved into the (sound of terrified screaming) judgment phase. But here’s the important part: YOU can help propel me into the top 40!

Yep; you have within your power to do something truly amazing, and it’ll only take a little of your time. (Well, OK, it make take more than a few minutes. But still…) The fact is, I NEED YOUR VOTE!

Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to cast a vote. Unfortunately, there’s a few hoops you have to jump through in order to do it. So, to make it easy, I’ve spelled out all the steps right here.

How to Cast Your Vote

1. Go to the Editor Unleashed Forum (link opens in a new window). If you’re not already a member of this forum, you’ll have to register to cast a vote. (It’s totally free, so please do so). Click on the word “Register” and it’ll walk you through it.
2. Once you’ve registered, go back to the Forum and log in. (If you get lost, close that window and click the link above again.)
3. On the next page to appear, click on the third entry, “Flash Fiction 40 Contest”.
4. Here’s where all the entries are listed – all 14 pages of ‘em! BEFORE you go any farther, PLEASE READ that first entry, “Sticky: Story Voting Rules”. This will tell you HOW to cast your vote. (It’s simple. Really.)
5. OK, now see the page bar over on the right there? Like I said, there’s 14 pages of entries. Mine is on page 14, so click on “Last” and you’ll go straight there. (They’re in chronological order of entry; I submitted mine on the first day.)
6. Scan down the page for the story titled “One Fine Day…” (you’ll see my name under it), and click on the title. Read and enjoy!
7. Now, to cast your vote, look for that “Rating” tab just above the story. Simply click on the little white triangle and a drop-down menu appears. Click the radio button for the number of stars you’d like to give – 5 is best, 1 is, um, not. (Don’t worry; I won’t try to tell you how many stars I think it’s worth!)
8. Log out and you’re done!

Of course, if you’re interested, feel free to read and vote on as many as you like. But I’m warnin’ ya now, make sure you have plenty of coffee or tea on hand; at about 10-15 minutes per story, you should be able to read all 283 of ‘em in about 5 hours or so!

Hey, I want to thank you from the bottom of my Texas heart for your help and support; a big ol’ tip o’ the hat to ya!

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Last week I spent a few days (on business) in the tiny Western U.S. town of Vernal, Utah.

OK; chances are, after reading that opening statement, you probably fit into one of several categories:

1. You know exactly where Vernal, Utah is and have maybe even been there (A special hat tip to fellow Bubba: Terry Starbucker. I’m tellin’ ya; that guy’s been everywhere!)
2. You don’t know where Vernal is, but might like to know.
3. You don’t know where Vernal is… and don’t particularly care.
4. You’re only reading this post because your dog ate your homework and this is the best you could come up with for a replacement assignment. (Good luck with that, by the way.)
5. Other (Sorry, just had to throw this one in).

Oh, don’t worry; it really doesn’t matter which category you fall into. A couple of guys wearing genuine Italian pinstripe suits with big lapels, carrying violin cases, and that answer to the name “Guido” aren’t gonna be knockin’ on your door anytime soon. (Unless, of course, you owe ‘em money. But that’s another bucket of fish, if you get my meanin’.)

Nope; for me, the great thing about going to Vernal, Utah is pretty simple, actually: It’s a place I’ve never been. In case you’re wonderin’, it’s a very small town located near that big arrow on the map up there. Hey, I don’t know about you, but I love breakin’ new ground! So many opportunities for new vistas, new people to meet, and more than likely, great lessons to be learned!

I’ll tell ya; Vernal was no disappointment. Here’s just a couple of the interesting things I discovered (or rediscovered) while there.

A Town’s Identity Is Important – and Personal

Every place has its own, well, “thing”. You know what I mean, right? The “thing” it’s known for, far and wide. ‘Course, in the case of big places, it may be more than one thing, y’know? But for really small towns, there’s usually one that really stands out.

Something I didn’t know (and you may not have, either) is that Vernal, Utah is where some of the first dinosaur bones in America were discovered. Now don’t that put the fuzz on your peach!

Yup; there’s old dinosaur bones in the mountains and hills around here; a fact alluded to by this giant, pink (and apparently, lady) dinosaur located at the outskirts of town on Hiway 40.

In fact, dinosaurs seem to be the official mascot for everything in this town; I’m tellin’ ya, they’re all over the freakin’ place! For instance, we stayed at the Best Western Dinosaur Inn (where, if nothing else, at least the pool was open!) Even the hanging baskets were graced with their presence.

Dinosaurs also invited us to do everything imaginable, including join ‘em in the wading pool, see ‘em in the OK Corral, and buy, among other things, oil tools. Plus, on the other end of town from our friend Pinkie, there’s a rather motley-lookin’ T Rex; I’m told they decorate this fellah to suit the time of year. The decoration du jour: Graduation Day. (And apparently, someone’s birthday.)

The bottom line is, here’s a town perfectly comfortable with its identity, y’know? They take their dinosaurs seriously, and that’s a fact. Now this, my friends, is a town I woulda loved to grow up in. The kid I was then woulda had a field day with this!

Interesting Factoids Are Everywhere!

I’ll tell ya; in my extensive travels, I’ve visited quite a few small towns across the United States (and a few in other parts of the world, too, for that matter), and the truth is, every one of ‘em has its own flavor. That’s because there are remarkably individualistic souls all over this world, y’know?

Ah, but the really fun part is when they congregate together. I mean, you just never know what amazing little detail you’ll uncover; something that turns any given place into something truly unique.

For instance, one of the folks I spent two days with in our client meeting told us this one: Back when they were shooting Starship Troopers (the truly awful Hollywood version of a relatively decent Robert Heinlein sci-fi book), they shot many of the outdoor battle scenes (humans vs. the evil alien bugs) right near Vernal, out in the Utah wilderness.

In fact, most of the extras in scenes such as this one (all wearing futuristic body armor so you couldn’t tell who was who anyway) were high school seniors from all around the area. They got paid something like $25 per day – not exactly big money, but still. The guy who told me this was disappointed he was only a Junior at the time, since to be in the movie they had to be at least 18 years old.

And that’s only ONE fellow’s story (and he is, no doubt, sticking to it). Imagine the great things I’d have learned had I time to spend with more of the local folks!

When Was the Last Time You Broke New Ground?

Amazingly enough, not everyone enjoys breaking new ground, you know. The very idea of exploring distant horizons send a chill up their spine. I must admit; its an attitude I’ve never understood.

I once ran across a woman whose only dream in life was to never be farther than 5 miles from where she lived – ever. And she was serious! (If you like, check out “Here Be Dragons“. Ironic title, considering the nature of, y’know, this post. Get it? Dinosaurs? Dragons? Oh, never mind.)

Anyhoo -

So what was the last time you went someplace completely new (at least, new to you)? What’s the most unusual place you’ve ever visited? Did you learn anything from the experience? Care to share a few tidbits with the rest of us? Hey, the floor is open!

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Dinosaur photo, Pink is the new ‘black’, right? by Robert Hruzek

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Hey, you know what day it is?

Yep; it’s the first Monday of the month! And that means it’s time for our next edition of What I Learned From… groupwrite project (sound of cheering)!

And this month, the topic is rather, um, lofty, if you get my drift.

The question you have to ask yourself is, Have you ever had what is commonly known as a mountaintop experience? You know what I mean, right? I’m talkin’ about an experience so amazing, so profound – maybe even so life-changing – you’ll never forget it.

Well, chances are, you have, and if so, we’d like to hear about it!

What I Learned From a Mountaintop Experience

All you have to do is tell us in your own words what happened to you, and more importantly, what you learned from it.

How to Participate

What should I write, you ask? Excellent question!

The fact is you can write pretty much anything you like, as long as it relates to the topic. A story, a soliloquy, a poem; hey, you get to choose! (So far, no one has submitted a video yet – but I bet it’s just a matter of time.)

There’s no limits or restrictions on length, either. In fact, there’s already been a couple of one- and two-word entries, so by all means, be as brief – or as eloquent – as you like. OR (should you feel particularly prolific), you can also write more than one entry – thereby improving your chances to win the free book! Not bad, eh?

Entries will be accepted from now through Sunday, June 7, at midnight, CST (-6 GMT), so you have plenty of time!

Free! Free! Free!

Once again, thanks to the generosity of Internet Superstar and all-around fellow Bubba, Chris Garrett, I have yet another copy of his and Darren Rowse’s book, Problogger: Secrets to Blogging Your Way to a Six-figure Income to give away (sound of more cheering). So grab the writing instrument of your choice, folks, and get crackin’!

Here’s all you have to do:

1. Write one or more new post(s) on your blog. As I said, feel free to be as eloquent (or concise) as you like. C’mon; show off for us, why don’cha?
2. Include a link to THIS POST (uh, the one you’re reading now).
3. Send me an email (rhruzek@sbcglobal.net) containing your name, the title of your post, and the permalink of the post. (This is just to make sure I don’t miss it.)

That’s all there is to it! (See? I told you it was easy!) On Monday, June 8, I will post the entire list of entries right here at the Middle Zone, so be sure and drop by to check ‘em all out. (By the way, that list will also have a permanent spot in the WILF archive page.)

Oh, and (just to prolong the suspense) the winner of the Problogger book will be announced on Tuesday, June 9. Just so ya know.

As always, groupwrite projects are open to anyone (you don’t even have to have a blog to enter – just send it to me as a guest post). Please remember, we only have two simple rules around here:

• For the sake of the general blogging audience, please keep it G-Rated. (Also please note: this is a request, not a demand, since after all it’s your blog and you can do what you want. Fair warning, though: I reserve the right to link to you – or not.)
• Be nice.

All right, ladies and gentlemen; you know what to do! Grab the writing instrument of your choice and go for it!

[Further note from the Proprietor - I realize it takes time to write your entries (ordinarily, I announce our topics a week ahead of kickoff day), but would you mind too terribly not waiting until midnight on Sunday night to notify me? When everyone waits to the last minute (you know who you are!) it sometimes gets a little difficult to get them all compiled by Monday's 6 am post time. I surely thank you, and as a token of my appreciation - have yourself a cookie!]

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“Mountaintop” image created with the help of a clever little application called Spell with Flickr, by Erik Kastner

[Note from the Proprietor: In case you're wondering what it's all about, well, we're smack in the middle of BLOGAPALOOZA! Hey, you're welcome to join in the fun if you like! All ya gotta do is click that cute little link and read all about it!]

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Guest post by Tony Cradic who writes over at Tony C Today

September: 700 Billion? That’s All You Need. No Problem… Troubled financial institutes look for my hidden money-sock.

October: More stimulus rebate checks? My poor great, great grandchildren… literally Can our great grandchild afford our spending habits?

November: If ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ were candy and nuts America has spoken and now he’s our President.

December: We’re number 1… wait… you’re number 1… wait… Talking the talk is just the beginning. I need to start walking too.

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My name is Tony Cradic, and I’ve been blogging since this past September. I love God, my family and my country as much as humanly possible.  I’ve traveled a lot of the world, but Tennessee is again my home.

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[Further note from the Proprietor: Hey, if you're interested in having your own "best of 2008" posts highlighted right here at the Middle Zone, then by all means, click on this link: (BLOGAPALOOZA: What I Learned From 2008) and read all about it! BLOGAPALOOZA will be open for entries from now until Sunday, January 25.]

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You ever wonder if your life has, well, meaning? Y’know; that your life counts for something. Or at least, to someone? Anyone?

Hey, we’ve all had days when we wondered if we were making an impact on the world. It’s the perennial “George Bailey” problem, isn’t it? (You remember him, right? The guy from It’s a Wonderful Life).

And just like ol’ George, if you’d just stop to think about it, you might be surprised at the part you have to play in that great ongoing symphony we call life.

A Christmas Concert

Speaking of symphonies, I remember a Christmas concert given years ago by the Houston Symphony. It was a wonderful performance, I’ll tell ya. The repertoire was perfect, of course: filled with both familiar seasonal favorites, plus a few classical standards.

I love watching an orchestra perform. All the different musicians, playing like mad while following the conductor’s lead with incredible harmony and precision. It’s inspiring, to say the least.

I especially enjoy focusing on the many different instruments. The ways they’re played, the delicate nuances each one is capable of; hey, it’s all good, y’know?

One of the most important, yet somewhat rather unsung orchestra positions, though, is that of “utility”. In case you didn’t know, that’s the member in the percussion section who plays all those distinctive-sounding, though rarely called-for instruments; you know, stuff like castanets, jingle bells, or cannons (pretty much obligatory for performances of the 1812 Overture - or Cannonball Run).

But during this particular evening’s performance, I found myself watching that guy almost exclusively. I mean, this young fella had a fascinating job! For one song, he played a tiny little finger cymbal for only about three or four measures. In a different number, he pulled out a washboard and scraped merrily away, adding just that perfect touch of ‘homeyness’ to the music.

Finally, the orchestra got around to playing one of my Christmas favorites, Sleigh Ride. It’s a light, happy, toe-tappin’ tune, and it never fails; audiences everywhere usually kinda “get into it”, if you know what I mean. The thing is, in this piece there are several spots where the sound of a whip crack is needed (it’s about horses pulling sleighs in the snow, you know).

Dangerous Profession?

Now, I don’t know about you, but if I were in an orchestra, the idea of someone behind me actually, y’know, trying to crack a real whip during a concert performance would understandably make me a mite nervous. Yep; I can see the headline now: “Orchestra Mayhem – Young Whippersnapper Takes Out Frustrations on Fellow Orchestra Members! Film at 11.”

Here’s the secret, though. See, instead of an actual whip, that distinctive crack is created with a pair of polished wooden boards, hinged together at one end. When the time comes to crack the whip, the utility guy simply whacks the two boards together (hopefully without catching a finger!), producing a surprisingly authentic sound.

The funny thing was, by this time in the concert, most of the audience had noted the antics of the utility man as well. And so, when he snapped those two boards together, they actually started applauding! You could tell it kinda took him by surprise. Nevertheless, he acknowledged the audience with a small bow and kept right on.

Naturally, the more he did it, the more the audience responded, and by the time the piece was finished, the Conductor even had him take a special bow to recognize the audience’s appreciation.

Don’t Just Sit There; Play Something!

Now, I don’t think there’s any need for me to build up this big, elaborate metaphor of how “Life is a Symphony”, do I? I’m sure we’ve all heard that one once or twice, somewhere down the line. But still; I can’t help but think about that utility guy… and how life occasionally imitates art.

See, there was this one piece…

The music played for quite some time before the guy even stirred. Finally, he stood up. Spent a few seconds shifting his music on the stand. Turned and picked up a short stick with what looked like a wooden ball on the end. Waited some more.

Then he shifted his feet a bit to get the proper stance. Raised his arm over some strange-looking device on a table next to him. Waited a bit more. Then… then… and then… right on cue, he hit it with the gentlest of taps, producing a softly melodic tock!

He then sat back down; his work completed.

It was… perfect!

We All Have a Part to Play

You ever feel like your life doesn’t really amount to anything? That you have some part to play, but you’re not quite sure what it is? Are you occasionally plagued by self doubts? Hey, we all face those feelings every now and then. The good news is, it’s really kinda, well, normal.

Here’s something you can do next time you feel like that Bozo in the mirror is sneerin’ at you behind your back. Just think of that orchestra’s utility guy. He spent nearly that entire piece just sitting on the sidelines, waiting. Everyone else is playing like crazy, but not him; he might as well have been a bump on a log as far as the rest of the orchestra was concerned.

But when it came time for him to make his contribution… well, I’m tellin’ ya; it was just the right contribution – at just the right time!

You’ve heard it before, and I’m sure you’ll hear it again. But what the heck; I’ll say it anyway: In life, it’s up to us to prepare, and to pay attention; after all, we do need to be ready when it’s our turn to play, right?

Just remember, it ain’t the quantity of notes you play in life, it’s the quality!

Hey, I’m just sayin’.

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