I am in Chicago before I go on to Writers Police Academy. Everything looks green. The tree outside the window was bare last time I was here, but now the view of the street is blocked by the leaves. It's a big weekend in my old neighborhood. There are a number of graduations from the University of Chicago and the 57th Street Art Fair. It's the first art fair of the season in Chicago.
There will be lots of foot traffic over the weekend and a festive atmosphere. It's warmer than what I left in Southern California. It's been a very chilly spring. I used the art fair in one of the Writer for Hire books.
I brought my work with me as I push through rewriting KILLER HOOKS. It's an adjustment going from my PC desktop to the MacBook Air. It's a different version of Word and instead of a backspace key and delete key, there is only a delete key that acts like the backspace key.
It's not a big deal.
And then it's on to Appleton and Writers Police Academy. I was thinking back over the other ones that I've gone to and I have always learned something that I've used. Where else would I be able to hear what it's like to be on a SWATT team, or that suspects prefer to be zapped with a taser than pepper spray. I have heard detectives talk about the way the question people to get them off their guard. The last time I went I learned about how to apply a tourniquet. There was a prison guard at one of the earlier Writer Police Academy and she talked about people who were imprisoned on weekend to serve their sentence and how she got to know them.
I had a chance to ride around in a fire department style ambulance. It was nauseating which made me wonder how it is for patients. There is supposed to be an array of different vehicles this time. In the past, I got up close to a bomb squad truck and felt the weight of the suits they wear.
They have been chances to drive a police car through some kind of obstacle course. I don't want to do that. There has also been a thing where a scenario is projected on a screen and you have to decide if whether to shoot or not. Then after you decided, they play the rest of the scenario and you see if you were right. It makes me nervous just to watch other people do it and I'm not interested in trying it myself.
It should be interesting.
7 comments:
Good morning -- Chicago sounds pretty at the moment -- my son's in-laws live there and one of them told him Chicago is pretty for a few days in September!! Muggy hot summers and freezing cold winters.
The Writers Police Academy sounds very interesting -- certainly lots of things to learn. I think it would be fun to drive through an obstacle course, at a moderate speed, of course!! I rode in the ambulance with my husband the morning the EMTs took him to the hospital -- I did feel sick but I thought it was just worry over him -- maybe a combination.
I've been crocheting hours each day -- not much else to do on a hot summer day but stay in with the fan blowing. I have about a dozen patterns I make over and over -- different color combinations. i have a question: Is there any way to get CeeCee's blanket pattern without buying the book again? I tore the page out of the paper back and somehow misplaced it.
I made a favorite lemon pie yesterday -- so quick, easy and delicious. A can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 c lemon juice blended together; stir in a can of prepared lemon pie filling. Put in graham cracker crust -- homemade is best -- and chill for several hours. Can also be frozen but we prefer it just well-chilled. Add a dollop of Cool Whip to each serving, if desired.
Have fun with your rewriting -- sounds like a big job. But I look forward to the finished product.
Patty
Appleton--my birth mother lived there for many years, and my half sister still does. It was growing fast last time we were there--probably 20 years ago.
I have a new project, Dressagirlaroundtheworld They make simple sundresses for little girls in Africa, Indian reservations, etc. Many of these children have never had a new article of clothing. It is going to be a lot of fun. Anyone can join in, just look it up on computer !
You are such a busy traveler--I suppose it is easier to work from the quiet apt. in Chicago. I remember one exciting time--we flew into Chicago, and then had to take a connector to Appleton. It was pouring rain, the plane was tiny, and had sheets of metal bolted all over the outside ! Good luck !
A note about the dress project mentioned by Linda Osborn -- I did it a couple summers ago -- had yards of gingham fabric and made about a dozen dresses. Indeed a worthy cause.
I found it!! Opened up a file folder of patterns and the page with CeeCee's pattern was stuck to the back of another page. Hurray!!
Patty
Patty, the Chicago weather is quite nice now--at least if you are near the lake which I am. I am glad you found the pattern. There's going to be another CeeCee's blanket in KILLER HOOKS.
Crocheting is a good thing to do when you are stuck inside. The lemon pie sounds yummy.
Linda Osborn,
I went to a previous Writers Police Academy in Appleton around eight years ago. What struck me the most was that everything on the main street was closed on Sunday. I remember you said your birth mother lived there. It seems like a lot of people have conneictions to Appleton. A friend I've know almost ny whole life told me her son was born in Appleton.
Making sun dresses for people all over the world sounds great. The dresses probably come together faster than yarn projects.
It looks like the weather should be good for my flight going to Appleton. Yes, they are small planes. The last time I went, they turned off the lights on the plane and it felt like we were bing tossed around the sky in the dark.
Would love to go to the Writers Police Academy someday! I have attended similar events, and they're always fascinating and helpful.
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