Name Change

As everyone reading this knows my name is Tim Fisher. What most people don't know is that I was born Tim Hanner. I was adopted when I was eighteen months old and my middle and last names were changed.

I was raised by what I thought were essentially good people. That is, until I was old enough to decide things for myself. At that time, I decided to find out about my natural or birth parents. I found my natural Mother and learned that my natural Father was dead.

At that time, 1979, my adopted Mother decided she didn't want to have anything to do with me. I had no idea just how insecure she was. Later, in 1995 my natural Father's family contacted my adopted Father looking for me on behalf of my natural Aunt then 80 years old. My adopted Father gave them my phone number and told them he had no problem with them contacting me. When I called him, he sternly said, "You go see that woman. She's old and needs to know about you."

I did and learned a lot about the Hanner family. Then, in 2002, my adopted Father died. When he did, he specifically left me out of his will. Instead of me, he put two cousins as beneficiaries after his wife. When he died, he was a multi-millionaire. I am being told by a cousin who has essentially taken my place as a son to my adopted mother that she wants nothing to do with me. He says that she has disinherited me also. This information really didn't surprise me. In addition, none of the rest of the family wants anything to do with me because I'm not really a part of them. I have now lost a family and a very large sum of money.

I have come to the decision that in the next couple of months I will be changing my name from Timothy Dale Fisher back to Timothy Odell Hanner. I'm only writing this to let people know what this is all about when they see a different name on the profile. When I continue my writing, it will be under the name of Tim Hanner or T.O. Hanner.

6:54 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Lizard Birth

Subject:  Lizard birth If you have raised kids (or been one), and gone through the pet syndrome, including toilet flush burials for dead goldfish, the story below will have you laughing out LOUD!
Sorry, but I had to do this. I got this in an email and had to post it.

Overview: I had to take my son's lizard to the vet.  Here's what happened:

Just after dinner one night, my son came up to tell me there was "something wrong" with one of the two lizards he holds prisoner in his room.

"He's just lying there looking sick," he told me.  "I'm serious, Dad.  Can you help?"

I put my best lizard-healer expression on my face and followed him into his bedroom.  One of the little lizards was indeed lying on his back, looking stressed.  I immediately knew what to do.

"Honey," I called, "come look at the lizard!"

"Oh, my gosh!" my wife exclaimed.
"She's having babies."

"What?" my son demanded.  "But their names are Bert and Ernie, Mom!"

I was equally outraged.

"Hey, how can that be?  I thought we said we didn't want them to reproduce," I said accusingly to my wife.

"Well, what do you want me to do, post a sign in their cage?" she inquired (I think she actually said this sarcastically!)

"No, but you were supposed to get two boys!" I reminded her, (in my most loving, calm, sweet voice, while gritting my teeth).

"Yeah, Bert and Ernie!" my son agreed.

"Well, it's just a little hard to tell on some guys, you know," she informed me (Again with the sarcasm!).

By now the rest of the family had gathered to see what was going on.  I shrugged, deciding to make the best of it.

"Kids, this is going to be a wondrous experience,"  I announced.

"We're about to witness the miracle of birth."

"Oh, gross!" they shrieked "Well, isn't THAT just great?  What are we going to do with a litter of tiny little lizard babies?" my wife wanted to know.

We peered at the patient.  After much struggling, what looked like a tiny foot would appear briefly, vanishing a scant second later.
"We don't appear to be making much progress," I noted.

"It's breech," my wife whispered, horrified.

"Do something, Dad!" my son urged.

"Okay, okay." Squeamishly, I reached in and grabbed the foot when it next appeared, giving it a gentle tug.

It disappeared.  I tried several more times with the same results "Should I call 911?" my eldest daughter wanted to know.

"Maybe they could talk us through the trauma." (You see a pattern here with the females in my house?)

"Let's get Ernie to the vet," I said grimly.  We drove to the vet with my son holding the cage in his lap.

"Breathe, Ernie, breathe," he urged.

"I don't think lizards do Lamaze,"
his mother noted to him.  (Women can be so cruel to their own young.  I mean what she does to me is one thing, but this boy is of her womb, for crying out loud!).

The vet took Ernie back to the examining room and peered at the little animal through a magnifying glass.

"What do you think, Doc, a C-section?" I suggested scientifically.

"Oh, very interesting," he murmured.
"Mr.  and Mrs.  Cameron, may I speak to you privately for a moment?"

I gulped, nodding for my son to step outside.

"Is Ernie going to be okay?" my wife asked.

"Oh, perfectly," the vet assured us.
"This lizard is not in labor.  In fact, that isn't EVER going to happen.  .  .  Ernie is a boy.  You see, Ernie is a young male.  And occasionally, as they come into maturity, like most male species, they um .  .  .  um .  .  masturbate.  Just the way he did, lying on his back."  He blushed, glancing at my wife.

We were silent, absorbing this.

"So, Ernie's just .  just .  .  .
excited," my wife offered.

"Exactly," the vet replied , relieved that we understood.

More silence.  Then my vicious, cruel wife started to giggle.  And giggle.  And then even laugh loudly.

"What's so funny?" I demanded, knowing, but not believing that the woman I married would commit the upcoming affront to my flawless manliness.

Tears were now running down her face.  "It's just .that .  I'm picturing you pulling on its .  .  .  its.  .  teeny little .  .  "She gasped for more air to bellow in laughter once more.

"That's enough," I warned.  We thanked the vet and hurriedly bundled the lizard and our son back into the car..  He was glad everything was going to be okay.

"I know Ernie's really thankful for what you did, Dad,"  he told me.

"Oh, you have NO idea," my wife agreed, collapsing with laughter.

Two lizards: $140.

One cage: $50.

Trip to the vet: $30.

Memory of your husband pulling on a lizard's winkie:
Priceless!

Moral of the story:  Pay attention in biology class........................Lizards lay eggs! 

2:34 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Friends
Current mood: sad

About a year ago I found the site for an online newspaper from my hometown. I've been using it for information about a town of around 3200 people and for the most part, it's been a great source.

People die all around us. We see it on the news, hear the wail of sirens and watch as they pass by, yet we have become oblivious for the most part. Around a week ago I was reading the online paper and came across the obituary of one of my classmates, Shirley Love. Shirley and I never dated and we hadn't seen each other since I dropped out of high school.

I considered us as friends back then, but took the friendship for granted. She was one of the twirlers for the high school band and played the flute. I can honestly say that I never heard her raise her voice or say a negative thing about or to anyone.

Her death hit me harder than I ever would have expected. Evidently she had a wonderful family and life was good to her. For that, I am truly grateful. I can only hope that her close friends and family celebrate her life and recover from this without too much pain.

This served to show me that friends, especially old friends, should be remembered and cherished throughout our lives. I hope everyone here that reads this has many, many real friends and treats them as they deserve. If it's been a long time since you've talked to them, then I sincerely suggest that you do it before it's too late. For those that don't have many friends, make them – it's worth it.

Good luck to all,

Tim

9:33 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Rewrites
Current mood: frustrated

It's funny. One of the driving forces in my life is writing. It and cooking are forces that can't be denied. However (you knew that was coming – right?), there are parts of both of those that try my patients. The big one in writing is the almost never ending rewrite.

I do them over and over for myself, and then when I send it in, I have more to do for my editor. Yet, when the novel is published, I find things I wish I had changed in a rewrite. When I talk to other writers they say the same thing, so I know I'm in good company at least.

I am rewriting each volume of Farn getting it ready for the editor. Hopefully, it will cut down on her frustration and keep me from looking like a complete blithering idiot. The rewrites should be finished and submitted within a week or so.

4:12 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Farn

I have completed the first volume in the serial Chronicles of Bear: Farn to be published by Renaissance E Books. The first volume was titled CHRONICLES OF BEAR: FARN VOLUME 1 - THE WORLD OF FARN. I am now working on the second volume which is CHRONICLES OF BEAR: FARN VOLUME II – GINNY'S WAY. They are a continuation of the books This Dark Time and Rebel's Revenge.

 The serial chronicles the adventures of survivors as they find themselves in a tropical paradise with prehistoric and mythical creatures. They are befriended by people from their new world and must fight to survive in the new environment.

 The story is divided into five volumes that will follow Bear and his friends as they must fight to survive on Farn. Right now, I am awaiting the contract from Renaissance E Books so we can get the first volume up and going. I will let you know when you can get it from either Renaissance E Books, Fictionwise.com or any other location on the web that carries ebooks.

6:39 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

This Dark Time

Ain't this a helluva note. I've applied for a job at numerous businesses and no one wants to hire an old fat man on disability.

Well, I'm not the type to sit back and take things lying down, so I'm going back to my writing. I have a novel that was published as an ebook by Renaissance E Books. Actually, it was divided in half and published as two books named Chronicles of Bear I: This Dark Time and Chronicles of Bear II: Rebel's Revenge. I'm doing a complete rewrite of the story recombining it and will be submitting it to publishers in a couple of months.

The novel follows a group of people when the world loses its ability to produce and sustain electricity. An anomaly from deep in space passes the Earth and robs it of its electricity, nothing that relied on the orderly flow of electrons works. Electric stoves/ovens, TVs, radios, MP3 players won't work. Telephones and computers are nothing but paperweights and cars sit where they were when their life-producing power left.

When the power ceased, safeties were released and some of the remaining nuclear, chemical and biological missiles exploded in their silos. The resulting fallout creates mutations in a small percentage of humans. These mutations are vicious and while some of them act only on animal instincts, others' intelligence has increased exponentially.

With the logical progression of a dog-eat-dog society, the world quickly goes to hell.

I'll get it finished and start the submission process in a couple of months. Hopefully, I can get the book published by a regular publisher.

9:19 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Old friends and The Breaks
Current mood: mellow

Well it's been about three weeks, the rain has stopped and two days ago the temperature reached 105°. Needless to say, my spending time on the back deck has ceased until cooler weather. I miss using the barbeque, but it's just too hot to enjoy using it.

Things are quiet here in Lago Vista. I've been reaching out, trying to reestablish contact with friends from long ago. These are people that were more important in my life than I realized. I know things have changed, but it would be nice to see how they are doing and how their lives have changed.

There is an online newspaper, The High Plains Observer, which I keep my eye on for information about the people of Spearman, Texas (my hometown). Even though I'm still in the same state, it's over 500 miles away (sounds like a couple of songs doesn't it) and it's been 30 years since I lived there.

It's funny, I wanted to get away from there all during my high school years and yet I went back in the '70s and worked as a Deputy Sheriff. Now, I don't wanna live there, but I'm interested in the news about the place. I would love to know about the people I grew up and went to school with.

About 10 years ago, I started a novel about Hansford County. Just recently, I pulled it out and started reworking it. Of course, I've changed the names of the people, towns and county. It's called The Breaks and includes one of the few changes in the usually flat, level terrain of the Texas Panhandle. The story takes place in the seventies and how I remember the place from then. It doesn't resemble anything today. The breaks, as they were known back then, were about 10 miles north of town, but there's a lake where there was once only dry creek beds.

Writing the story has been cathartic and allowed me to live in the past a little – but only as far as the setting. The characters are loosely based on people I've met in other places. That's one good thing about 20 years in the navy, you get to meet a lot of characters.

Well, that's about it for now.

8:54 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

USS Lexington (update)

First let me explain. I sent an email to Grant Wilson of TAPS saying essentially the same thing I posted on my blog earlier, only in a shorter version. I didn't want to waste his time as he has to be a very busy man. I sent it in an email because I didn't think everyone visiting his MySpace site should see my personal opinion/comment. Even though I didn't want it to, I know it had to sound a little testy because of its brevity.

I just received an email from him in which he explained everything in a very patient and courteous manner. He was never defensive nor did he make excuses, he simply explained the situation. I would also point out that he took the time to personally answer an email from a total stranger. This only serves to increase my respect for him and his work. These are the actions of a professional we should emulate whenever possible.

11:10 AM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

USS Lexington

Even though TAPS has done so much for the advancement and acceptance of paranormal investigation last night's episode goes to show that they are as human as the rest of us. TAPS will only accept verifiable evidence. That means they are looking for as many facts as they can get. In last night's episode TAPS investigated the USS Lexington and made a few mistakes.

Consider these -

--The Ads for this episode said they were investigating a Battleship. The Lexington is an Air Craft Carrier. This was finally stated properly at the opening of the show.

--Two of the investigators followed a sound up from the below decks and emerged on the Hanger Bay which they called the Flight Deck.

--At least twice, two of the investigators were on the 1^st Deck and constantly called it the 1^st level. Levels are above the Hanger Bay and Decks are below it. That means they were reporting, on tape, being in a location separated by the Hanger Bay and at least two different layers of 4" steel deck plates.

A person could tell exactly where the investigators were by reading the bull's eye on the bulkhead. It tells where they are, what the space was used for and who's responsible for it. One of the numbers tells whether they are on a Deck or Level. Could this be a problem? Well, it probably wouldn't be noticed by many people – just a couple of million viewers that are or were in the Navy or understand naval customs.

Things like this could serve to detract from their credibility and that of the field in general. I may not be as knowledgeable or as famous as the TAPS members, but I think things like this could cause skeptics to have more questions and doubt our willingness to research and reliability.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the show. I just think they should put as much effort into researching their locations, providing proper information at the locations and presenting their investigations in the proper light as they do presenting evidence to a client. I would hate for them to report something happening on the O1 Level when it really happened on the 1^st Deck.

An attention to detail is important in all aspects of the field especially by something as widely viewed as the SciFi Channel.

8:33 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Barbeque and Rain

Well, it's time for the barbeque. Guess what – for once nature has been on my side. I have two decks, one in front and one in back. The one in front is 8' x 12' and the back is 10' x 20' at one part and 5' x 12' at the other. Both are covered and have decorative fencing all around. The people who built it did it up right. We were supposed to have a get together in the beginning of June for TPR, but only two people besides myself showed up. I'm hoping to have another one in the next month or so. We may be able to have one sometime around the next investigation. Hope so.

I also have two regular bird feeders and a humming bird feeder. The two regular feeders are tough to keep filled, but I only have three humming birds using their feeder. Two of the humming birds are smaller, but one I call B52 because of his size and the deep, low humming sound he makes while he feeds.

Back to barbecuing season. The temperature, for the last week, has been between 85° and 90°. This is because of the rain. We've received a little over a foot of rain in the last month, which has caused flooding throughout the area (more about that later). The cloud cover has kept the temperature down as well. Since the decks are covered, it is very comfortable to use the grill and watch the rain. I'm learning to grill new food including tofu. I've never eaten it before, but after using it in a barbeque today, I'll have to give it some thought. I need to lose some weight, so tofu may be something to consider. I really don't bake a lot of deserts or sweets so it may help.

I drove down to the clubhouse (we have a POA) yesterday only to find that the water from Lake Travis had completely flooded the campground. In fact, parts of it were over ten feet underwater. There is a beautiful two-story brick home that has been 30' or so above and at least 150' away from the water for the last six months. Due to the flooding, water is now over it's concrete deck and up to its back door. This is a boating community and no one can even reach their boats. I remember people complaining about the drought. I guess we all need to watch what we ask for.

2:08 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment