First bit of news:
News #1: Subscribers now up to a record-breaking Six! (Thanks Mom!).

I’ve been writing a lot. Writing silly little stories. And sillier emails. And, of course, writing the sequel to first book “Endless”. I’m sure you are all waiting with unbearable anticipation the release of my next smash hit! Well, it’s in the works. So make sure you go and read the first one!

I’m also preparing to begin my search for another publisher, so I’m re-writing and re-writing again the first several chapters of said sequel. I'm also reading said chapters outloud to my dear wife, the beautiful and talented Ms Susanne.

Pray for her.

Then I must write the summary. Then come the submissions - and the endless waiting. I figure if I start now I may have a new publisher by the time I finish the work! Timing is everything, they say.

Oh, and I need a title. Any ideas anyone? Anyone? And don’t say Endless…Part II. That’s just crazy.

Recently, my wife, my three-year-old and I got stuck in a traffic jam on I-75. A 3.5-hour traffic jam. That’s not a traffic jam that’s a bloody traffic Marathon! YIKES!

However, everyone was really cool (except those crazed maniacs who attempted escape via the submerged median!).

I mention this now because (News #2!) I wrote a short piece on this experience that recently appeared in the Gainesville Sun, complete with a photo of yours truly. I haven’t actually seen the article yet, so I have no idea what photo they used. Hopefully it wasn’t some embarrassing thing from my big hair 70’s - 80's era like my High School or College photos. Or practically any year thereafter, for that matter. Or even right now as I sit like a long-haired beatnik and type this highly informative and entertaining piece of literature! Okay, so I need a haircut. I promise I’ll get one – right before my very next big interview.

Interview? you may ask yourself.

Ah, yes, that is my other news item of merit, worthy of reporting only in the most highbrow of publications, i.e., this newsletter, inotherwords News #3… Drum roll please…

My first interview appeared in this month’s edition of High Springs/Alachua Magazine! Complete with photo of yours truly, without the big hair. Of course, you can’t really see me or my hair very well because the print shop ran out of ink or something – I’m all faded out, as is everyone who had the misfortune of having their photo appear on that particular quadrant on every odd-numbered page. But that's okay...

YET I DIGRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I gots to stop that! Yes, local author and editor Patricia Behnke interviewed me about the recent publication of my new novel “Endless” – available in fine online bookstores everywhere. You can also pick one up at Goering’s bookstore in beautiful downtown Gainesville. Well, it might not actually be downtown but when you live in High Springs everything in Gainesville is downtown. So, there you have it. And if you don’t, you ought to have it. Go get one. You know where they are. You may even find a copy at the Alachua General Hospital Gift Shop. I'm trying to get a copy into the public library. So all of you with library cards go down to your local library and request they acquire it! Oh yeah.

So, where was I? Oh yeah, sounding like a commercial. I'm supposed to be writing a newsletter!

Yes,thus ends my very first newsletter – a letter with news of great import about yours truly. Yes, these are mere baby steps into the world of Free Lance writing. I’m a bit wobbly, and I’m moving slow but, hey, I’ve read the Tortoise and the Hare. My goal will still be there when I reach it!

And now, for your reward for so patiently wading through this silliness, I shall include the UNCUT version of our experiences stuck in I-75 Traffic.

Enjoy!

The I-75 Parking Lot
Yesterday afternoon, as we cruised northbound on I-75 in pouring rain, a screaming ambulance sped by us, foreshadowing events to come. Within minutes all three lanes of traffic slowed to a crawl - and then halted. So there we sat with our fellow stranded motorists, grid locked for what would turn out to be a 3-hour + delay.

I sat there sullenly with car idling for some time, appreciating the AC; the rain made it too unbearably muggy to open the windows. A motorist ahead of us opened their car door and stuck an umbrella out. We assumed they were nearly out of gas, or they had no AC.

I counted my blessings and tried to focus on the fact that it’s far better to be stuck in traffic from an accident then to be the accident. Eventually, the rain ceased. Ever hopeful that the traffic would move again, I alternated running the car and suffering from the heat. After about 1 hour our three-year-old wild-man was going stir-crazy so we let him out of his car seat. He had held up pretty good! Now he enjoyed the freedom of crawling about the car, looking out the windows and buckling up the shoulder belt like a ‘big boy’. By this time, the majority of our fellow castaways had gotten out of their vehicles and were milling about, talking on cell phones, conversing with one another and dodging ambulances that were using the emergency lanes.

That’s one reason why it’s good to leave those lanes open.

One impatient young man raced by us in that emergency lane, much to everyone’s dismay. We wondered where he was trying to go – until he recklessly swung his car about in an attempt to cross the median. He got stuck, mired axle-deep in the soggy ground. He tried to drive out, his spinning tires throwing huge plumes of muddy water everywhere and with parts of the undercarriage tearing off. But he wasn’t going anywhere. A guy in a truck took pity on him and eased him out with a pull line. Then he waded back into the median to retrieve parts of his car.

We watched this circus for quite some time, there in our car, eventually opening all the windows and suffering the heat ourselves. Some drivers turned around and headed south in the emergency lane. Another tried to cross that same median whereupon he got stuck as well. He immediately jumped out, a woman slid into the driver’s seat and within moments he’d pushed the car free – and nearly into the southbound lane of I-75. The crowd applauded his efforts as he ran grinning to the appreciative audience – until he smacked straight into the back of his car when the driver hit the brakes.

As we sat, many other cars attempted this same maneuver, with varying results. One turned about and backed up as far as she could in that emergency lane. She wanted to get a running start to cross the great divide. She waited for a break in southbound traffic, gunned her engine and raced by us. Once up to speed she cut over, fishtailing as she crossed the wide boggy median! We all watched with baited breath. Miraculously she merged without incident.

Whew!

Don’t try this at home!

A man in a van was even more reckless; he raced by us backwards in the northbound emergency lane and then cut across the flooded median into oncoming traffic. It didn’t work. And he nearly got stuck trying to get back across. But quitters never prosper and he didn’t get killed – so he tried it again! This time he made it across the median, again backwards, tearing out his undercarriage as well. But he didn’t stop quickly enough; the rear of his van jutted into southbound traffic to the blare of honking horns and – I would imagine – a fair amount of cursing from those motorists unfortunate enough to have suddenly found him in their path! Thankfully they all missed him. I was just grateful he didn’t get anyone killed.

Innumerable fire trucks, ambulances and cruisers from several agencies continued to pass us by in those emergencies lanes, that is when those lanes were not clogged by errant motorists driving in the opposite direction. I imagine a fair amount of tickets were written. But still we didn’t see any tow trucks.

My wife took up conversation with a woman in the car next to us and eventually me and my boy got out of our vehicle. We visited with people and I let him crawl on top of the car thinking it would keep him out of harm’s way.

Now here is where things get interesting. You’d think a 3-hour delay would bring out the worst in people, but everybody I met was kind, considerate and remarkably okay with everything! Despite the incredibly muggy weather, the rumor that four people were dead and that six trucks had crashed in three separate accidents and numerous other vehicles were involved, everyone made the best of it! One lad took photos with his cell phone of every motorist who tried to escape illegally. Another group played fetch with their dog. Many talked on the phones and someone had a laptop out. People watched DVDs. Someone opened a hotdog stand! No kidding. A mobile hot dog stand was stuck there behind us and they were open for business! My boy and I walked down and got some dogs and chips and drink. Our delay had turned into an impromptu social gathering right smack-dab in the middle of I-75!

My son resumed his car climbing. I still felt it was safer than allowing him to wander about on the highway. Silly me. The moment I wasn’t there to watch him he fell and skinned his knee. But have no fear; our new friends came to the rescue! A retired nurse brought a Band-Aid and the fellow behind me supplied baby wipes. My son was quickly cured; it’s amazing, the healing properties of a Band-Aid or two. When the Band-Aid came off, another nice lady offered him hers.

A FHP friend of mine, one of Florida’s Finest, cruised by and I caught his attention; he backed up. We talked about a bunch of things but foolishly I completely forgot to ask how much longer the delay might be. When he took off I turned to discover a small throng of curious motorists looking at me expectantly, and asking, “So? How much longer? What happened?” Etc. Oops. I didn’t know. But I had learned that no one had been killed, which was good news. But there were injuries and a helicopter was en route. Soon thereafter, to our delight, three monster tow trucks cruised by. There was light at the end of the tunnel!

By now it had been over three hours, but socializing had helped that time to pass quickly, and it wasn’t long before we were saying farewell to our newfound friends and cruising home. Now as I look back upon our little gathering in the middle of I-75, I can think of no better group of people to be stranded with and my faith in humanity has been renewed.