Tag Archive for: Jackass Mail Run

My Take on What’s Going On at Home and Abroad

/in /by

The reason I put the cover of my latest book, Angel Lost, up today is because I like it and it makes me happy to look at.

What doesn’t make me happy is all the scary stuff going on all around the world with the Japan earthquake and tsunami being at the top of the list right now–but who knows what will be next? My heart goes out to the Japanese people. What’s happening over there is far worse than any horror movie or story. Who would believe an earthquake of such magnitude followed by tsunmai traveling 500 miles and hour? Nuclear reactors exploding and now a volcano erupting, it’s all too much to even grasp.

I’m not even going to get into the wars and rumors of wars.

What I’m going to write about next seems petty to all of the above.

I’ll move onto something far smaller-daylight savings time. I’m an early riser and I’m not thrilled with it being so dark for so long in the morning. I know that I’ll get used to it and as summer approaches it will get light earlier.

Last week I had a couple of disappointments. The big one was the cancellation of Mayhem in the Midlands. This is a convention I eagerly await each year. Because hubby and I are getting older I was wondering how many more we’d get to attend with flying getting more difficult each year. Now, it seems, we may have already gone to the last one. It’s like finding out a family reunion has been canceled. I’m not going to see any of the wonderful friends that I’ve made over the years at Mayhem, nor will I be able to share wonderful meals with them at the various ethnic restaurants in Omaha.

So as not to lose the money completely I’d lost on the non-refundable ticket (the trip insurance I bought didn’t cover the cancellation of an event) I decided we should go to Killer Nashville. I registered for both of us (this is a non-refundable fee) then called the airline to buy the airline tickets. To make a long and very frustrating story short, the new tickets, even deducting the old ones, are twice as much as the first pair.

A two day event I was going to attend for the second time (the Jane Austen Fest) was canceled and I might not have even found about it if I hadn’t run into one of the organizers and told her I’d see her in a few weeks. Fortunately, I did get the money back for that one, and the hotel I planned to stay in for two nights cancelled my reservation without a fuss.

I then signed up for a one day event right here in my home town, certainly not nearly as elegant and you can see that by the name, The 50th Jackass Mail Run. It cost 1/4 what the Jane Austen Fest. It’s outdoors which means putting up a tent, hauling table and chairs and my books–but what the heck, it’s close by, I won’t have to pay for a motel room.

My problems seem pitifully small compared to all the global happenings, but they are problems I can deal with.

And on the positive side, the reviews for Angel Lost are beginning to come in and so far have all been great.

Marilyn

Jackass Mail Run, Come and Gone

/in /by

The second page of the Fresno Bee had a photo and story about the Mail Run, the Porterville Recorder thought it to be front page news. Tells you how important this rowdy event is. Hubby went up to town at 9 a.m. and set up the home made booth. When he was done, I went up and set up my books–we were in front of the dentist’s office.

Immediately, the scent of cooking tri-tip and popcorn and other wonderful smells drifted my way and I was ready to eat. I ended up going across the street and buying a torta a local church was selling. People started wandering down the street long before noon–the official opening time.

At first, no one stopped by my booth–books aren’t exactly tempting when there’s so much other stuff going on–mostly people driving up and down the street showing off their vehicles.

Finally, things got serious and I spent a lot of time describing my books and yes, before the day was over I’d sold 10. Not bad–better than I’ve done at some bookstore signings. Yes, I did see a lot of people I haven’t seen for awhile and met some new ones as I’d expected.

A flock of middle-aged saloon “girls” strutted up and down the streets with heaving bosoms and appropriate costumes. A group of varied aged belly dancers also wandered down the street on the way to the stage set up in front of the pizza place. We could only hear the entertainment, too far away to see it.

Around 4 p.m. the sounds of gunshots rang out. A posse came galloping in ahead of the mail wagon, shooting in the air to scare off the bad guys. Didn’t work. Once the mail wagon came right in front of my booth, the bandidos stole the mail sack. Didn’t keep it long though, they were soon shot dead right in front of my eyes. The mail sack was retrieved and the mail delivered safely to the post office. (The bandidos came back to life in minutes.)

I made the cost of the booth and some profit and had fun, so it was a good day.

My writing friend and long time mentor arrived Sunday afternoon and we talked writing all evening long. In the night, a skunk decided to stroll past one of the dogs and he barked his annoyance waking me up. I knew it was a skunk because of the distinctive stench that floated in my bedroom window.

In the a.m. we talked more writing (great fun) and at noon I took her to Porterville, where we had lunch with another writer friend who will be the hostess for the next couple of days. Now it’s time for me to pack for Las Vegas and the Public Safety Writers Conference.

(While we’re gone, the Springville Rodeo will go on. Not sorry I’ll miss it–very difficult to get out of our driveway with all the cars passing by.)

Marilyn
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