Southern Fried Christmas...With Gumbo!

Well, I didn't say anything until I got back, but I took the family and all our Christmas presents back to Louisiana for the Holiday. A five year old boy, an almost-three year old girl, one beautiful wife, and me, all in a crew-cab truck. Oh, and lots of suitcases, wrapped in trashbags in the bed. We took it easy going there, stretching the 1700 mile trip over three days. We went from Pahrump, NV, to Benson, AZ, the first night. Benson to Sonora, TX, the second night. Sonora to just short of Lafeyette, LA on the third day.

Upon arrival, I was promptly eaten alive by Cajun mosquitos, in December. Go Figure. My hemoglobin must be like gravy, wine, and chocolate milk, all rolled up into one delicious flavor, to those little bloodsuckers.

The food was great, as always. I married into a Cajun family, and enjoy the new smells and tastes every time I go back. My belly was swollen more than once from a variety of delicious barbeques and gumbos.

The family is still there, and I'm back at work in Nevada. I did the return trip in 30 hours or so, solo. Let me tell you, friends, if you have a chance to go from Louisiana to Nevada in less than a day and a half, with only four hours of frigid sleep and Monster energy drinks flooding your veins...Don't. Well, actually, it wasn't that bad, but it was an endurance test. I passed.

Now that the Christmas celebrations are done, I'm able to concentrate on writing and prototyping again. The VTOL and tank I did for an unnamed mini manufacturer came out beautifully from the molds, and I'm happy with the results. I'll wait for them to announce it, though.

The Mars McCoy story is almost done, and wonderfully over budget in the word count category. I think you'll like it. I've had a small chance to inject some humor into the story, here and there, just so it's not all blast-cannons and dead bodies floating in space. Don't get me wrong, those can be fun, too, but the cadence of the story needed a bit of uplifting.

Speaking of cadence and storytelling, wear a diaper if you're going to see the Brad Pitt movie, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." A very nicely-done movie, but the pace and storytelling were off, as if stretched out in a quest to use excess film stock. See it at a matinee, or wait for Netflix, but I don't recommend you rush out to see it. Unless, of course, your woman is a Brad Pitt fan. If so, let Brad pump up the tires for you. You can fill in the rest of that analogy.

Also, don't chug down a whole soda during the previews, like I did, and have your back teeth floatin' through the rest of the seemingly-never-ending flick. Unless you're into that kind of bladder pain, in which case, have at it.

Best,
John Bear Ross

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