It’s Always Darkest Before They Turn On The Lights

It’s been a very long two months since the last time I updated the blog…but hey, it’s only two months instead of two years!

In Memoriam

As I mentioned in my last article, my father’s health has been declining. Since I wrote my last post, he was in the hospital twice. He returned home from his most recent stint in the hospital but passed away the next morning, April 21. Although my father graduated college with an Associate’s Degree in Dairy Technology, he ended up working for a pharmaceutical company and became an analytical chemist, retiring as a Staff Scientist. I found out during his calling hours that whenever anyone needed to figure out to do something, he was always the one who figured it out; that’s a talent I believe I inherited from my dad. He was a lifelong musician, playing the alto horn (think a baby baritone that sounds more like a french horn) in a number of community bands and even a Dixieland combo. I attribute my love of music to him – I remember going to concerts when I was a kid and I couldn’t wait until I could play in the band; something I’m doing to this very day. And lastly, he was the one who started my lifelong obsession with Star Trek. I remember Sunday afternoons watching it with my dad when I was young. Recently, we had started re-watching some of the episodes when I went to visit him in the evening. Although, as one of my college friends said after my dad’s service, I probably would have been obsessed with it anyway, given my college friends. But my love of Star Trek and science fiction is traced back directly to my father.

My father, like my mother, was a voracious reader. When I was younger, he read a great deal of science fiction and westerns. As he got older, his tastes turned more towards mysteries and thrillers. He was a big fan of my books – in fact, when he was at a rehab facility last fall, he had me bring copies of my books so he could re-read them. I’m saddened that he won’t get to read this book; although it’s finished, it’s not in a state for anyone to read yet.

Here’s a picture of the two of us from 2020:

Speaking Of The Next Book…

With my dad’s health, my time to work on the book has been extremely limited. I have managed to go through and get rid of the most egregious typos, spelling, and grammar mistakes. I’m at the point where I really need to read through the book again and work out issues before I fine-tune everything. I should have more time to devote to it, but I also have to start dealing with my dad’s affairs. Time will tell when I can complete this.

That’s all from me for now. Hopefully my next missive will contain happier news.

Happy Journeys!

Mike

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