Completion of the Quest

Chaos in Print

Ever since I was about 8 years old, I have been pushing myself on these quests. I call them quests because there is no other appropriate word. My first one began when I was in the second grade. If you recall, there was once a show on TV where they would read snippets from novels for young people, and sketch pictures to go along with them. Well, I was watching that show and they were talking about a book called The Witch of Blackbird Pond. That book struck me as being a good book, and I swore that I would read it some day. Years passed. I would constantly scan the card catalogue at the local library, looking for it. My eyes were peeled for that book. Then, as the sixth grade was drawing to a close, I spotted it there in the “new releases” area of my school library! I read that book, and it was a good book.There have been other quests since then. One that sticks out in my mind was wanting to see Ducktales the Movie. I wanted to see it when it first came out, but I didn’t get to see it until I saw it at Video Update in my first year at university. Obtaining my Princess Leia in the Gold Bikini action figure was another. The longest quest was trying to get my hands on a copy of Transformers: The Movie soundtrack. I wanted it when I first saw that movie on video in 1987, and I wasn’t able to get it until my second year of university 10 years later. I have since compiled a list of movies I am “questing” to see, and when I see them in the video store, I have no choice but to snap them up and see them. So, imagine my delight when I was at Video Superstation in Drayton Valley, and discovered I would be able to complete not one, not two, but three of my quests! There, I was able to rent: an episode of that classic, forgotten 80’s cartoon Visionaries, the sci-fi cult classic Blade Runner, and Disney’s infamous sci-fi film, The Black Hole.

Of that list, The Black Hole is the one I’ve been wanting to see for the longest time. When I was six, a friend of mine had the read-along storybook version of The Black Hole, and images from that book stick out in my mind to this very day. Now that I have become a bit of a film buff, I’m fully aware of the sordid story that brought The Black Hole into existence. It was the late 70’s, and the 70’s were a time that wasn’t kind to Disney. Since Walt’s death in 1967, the studio had been plagued with bad decisions, and the Disney studios spent most of the 70’s just barely avoiding bankruptcy. Then, in 1977, with the release of Star Wars, everyone in Hollywood was making science-fiction films. Disney felt that salvation was at hand, and sunk every penny they could spare into a sci-fi film of their own. The result: 1979’s The Black Hole. Sadly, the film bombed and the critics weren’t kind. Disney was driven deeper into debt, and they didn’t attempt another sci-fi opus until 1982, when they released Tron.

Now, my review of The Black Hole. (WARNING: I pretty much give away the whole movie) The story goes like this: we meet the crew of the U.S.S. Palomino, as they are out seeking new life and new civilizations and boldly going where no one has gone before. They come across the long-lost U.S.S. Cygnus, which is sitting dangerously (and impossibly) close to an enormous black hole. They venture closer, and discover the Cygnus is sitting in some kind of anti-gravity pocket. Our heros board the Cygnus, and discover it is completely run by robots. They soon meet the only remaining human, Capt. Reinhardt. Reinhardt has been working alone for years, and believes that he has developed a way to enter the black hole. . .and survive. He is now preparing to test his theories by taking the Cygnus into the black hole. But, what happened to his human crew? Is Reinhardt a genius or a madman? And thus our story takes off.

When we were flooded with all those sci-fi films in the wake of Star Wars, so many of them seemed focused on special effects and zappity-pow space battles. But not so with The Black Hole. It tried to be more of a character study. It poses the questions of Reinhardt’s sanity, and our heros. One of the crew is seduced by Reinhardt’s experiment because of Reinhardt’s genius, and he believes that he will witness Reinhardt create scientific breakthroughs. One of those characters wants to be a hero, but sadly in the end shows his true cowardice. This movie tried to analyze where the line between genius and insanity should be drawn. And for the most part, it pulls it off beautifully.

The film also has some intriguing ideas. Like I read on the Internet, the concept of what happens to something in a black hole is something that mainstream sci-fi has left untouched. We also have robots that are outfitted with “ESP circuits,” allowing them to communicate telepathically with humans. And the climactic revelation (it turns out the robots are the human crew; Reinhardt turned them into cyborgs so they would quit questioning his orders) is a good 10 years before the Borg did it on Star Trek. Sadly, though, you can see the influences of Star Wars. Our heros are assisted by a robot named V.I.N.CENT, who appears to be an R2-D2 clone with the cuteness factor turned up a little too much. And, Reinhardt’s sentry robots do come across as being a little Stormtrooper-ish. And, it can’t resist a zappity-pow climax, as the ship is pummeled by a meteor storm and everything starts getting sucked into the black hole as our heros attempt a daring escape. Don’t worry, the effects are pretty good for 1979.

This movie is crying to be re-made, if nothing so we can get a version where the characters are fleshed out a little more. Get Stan Winston to design some brand new robots. And they can elaborate on that ending a little more. In the end, everyone gets sucked into the black hole, and Reinhardt has visions of hell and our heros ascend to heaven. Elaborate on those visions a little more! This movie deserves justice. It’s not as bad as history has led us to believe. If I have one complaint, it has to be the film’s music. The music was done by a man named John Barry, whom many attribute with establishing the musical style of the James Bond films. His main theme for The Black Hole sounds too much like a leftover James Bond villain theme. Don’t believe me? Watch The Black Hole, paying close attention to the music, then watch Goldfinger, Thunderball, and You Only Live Twice. You’ll pick up the similarities. (For an even closer match, watch The Black Hole, then watch Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. The Black Hole‘s main theme and Dr. Evil’s theme music are almost identical.) But, all in all, it’s good, and not as bad as history would have us believe. Rent it should the opportunity arise!

And that brings us to Blade Runner. I’ve been wanting to see it since 1992, and Blade Runner: The Director’s Cut was released to theaters. Firstly, this sci-fi film has one of the most fanatical cult followings in film-dom. Secondly, I think it’s one of the most re-edited and re-interpreted films of all time, following Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It first came out in 1982, and then not one but two alternate versions circulated art house theaters until 1992, when director Ridley Scott (Alien, Thelma & Louise) finally got the go ahead to do his official Director’s Cut. Since this Director’s Cut, I think one other alternate edit got a limited engagement run at an art house in LA. I guess this would be a good time to point out that what I rented (and what I’ll be reviewing) was the 1992 Blade Runner: the Director’s Cut, which most of those fanatical fans say is the best version of the film.

The plot is a little something like this: in the year 2019, society has been greatly advanced thanks to “replicants,” highly sophisticated androids. But, replicants are too real. After a while, they begin developing emotions and going insane. So, they were outlawed on Earth, being restricted to off-world colonies, and as an additional safeguard, they only live for 4 years. A group of these replicants, with the end of that fourth year coming quick, hijack a spaceship and return to earth with the goal of somehow getting a life extension. Enter Dekkard, played by Harrison Ford. Dekkard is a Blade Runner, an elite detective whose job it is to track down and retire (i.e. execute) replicants. Along the way, he questions the morality of what he’s doing and begins falling in love with another replicant named Rachael. Or something like that.

The best word I can think of to describe this movie is weird. Half the time, you are unsure of what’s going on. Dekkard’s motivations are never made clear. As the movie starts, he’s quit the force, but he’s enticed back, and I think at the end of the film he quits again. But why? And then there’s the replicants. We really only get to know two: the leader, “combat model” Roy (played by Rutger Hauer) and the “pleasure model” Priss (played by Daryl Hannah). But even then, we’re not sure why they returned to earth, or even if a life extension is their true motivation. Maybe they are just crazy. The plot, I found, was a confusing mess. I think it tried to tackle the same subject matter as the very fine anime Ghost In the Shell, but with less success. You know, questions of what is alive and what is dead, and what exactly can you call a soul? Was that the point of Blade Runner, or was it an allegory of the preciousness of human life like one of the fan reviews I read online said? I have no krunking clue.

But there’s one thing this movie does have: eye-candy. This must have been quite the effects achievement for 1982. We are presented with sprawling vistas of dreary, overcrowded LA in the year 2019. I now know what the “Blade Runner style” that a lot of movie critics talk about is. How can I describe it to you? It’s like Batman, only. . .futuristic. It’s like Ghost In the Shell, only. . .darker. It’s like Batman Beyond, only. . .taken up to the nth level. The sets are amazing. The effects (like those flying police cars) are spectacular. But there’s not much else I find redeeming about this film. See it for the effects, not the plot.

Maybe I should seek out the original version now. Apparently, the original version has Dekker narrating the whole proceedings, so that might help to fill in the gaps. Maybe I should see it with a group of those fanatical fans. Maybe they can tell me what I’m not seeing. Or maybe I should quit obsessing on this film and get on with my life. I’ve been told there are people out there who don’t like Star Wars, so maybe I should accept the fact that I’m one of the many who didn’t like Blade Runner.

And the Visionaries episode! I summarized the whole thing in great detail, so just scroll on down to it. This was one of my favorite cartoons in 1987, so every time I get a chance to see an episode, I don’t bad mouth it too much. I’ll let you read my summary and make your own decisions. I was hoping I could illegally copy the episode, but I couldn’t get my hands on a blank tape. Next time, then. I discovered that Video Superstation had that Visionaries episode back in March, and I think it’ll be waiting for me when I go back.

When the quest ends, I’m always amazed at how things ended. Because of the history of these two films, I was expecting to hate The Black Hole and love Blade Runner. But, the opposite happened. And now, I’m sure you are asking, what is my next quest? Where do I go from here? Well, here’s the short list of films I’m still questing to see: 2001: A Space Odyssey, because like Blade Runner, it’s a sci-fi classic I’ve heard so much about but never seen. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, because it’s the film the phrase “cult classic” was coined to describe. And finally, Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles. Many Mel Brooks fans say that these two are his greatest, yet I’ve never seen them. And now, with this behind me, my journey continues!

 

Visionaries episode #4: The Power of the Wise

Written by Douglas Booth

Summary by me, Mark Cappis

Continue reading Completion of the Quest

Midnight Ramblings II

Chaos in Print

 

Note: if you missed Midnight Ramblings I, then let me explain this. Once in a while, I send these long, rambling e-mails to a friend of mine, named “Nelix” in these columns. I soon began thinking “Why not publish these ramblings as columns?” So, that’s what I do.

Hey Nelix!

So, what’s up in your world? Not much new is going on in mind. I just have to tell you about my latest impulse buy. I was in Wal-Mart the other day and, as always, I was perusing the toy aisle. You will remember how I rave about my action figure collection. As always, I ended up where the Star Wars toys are. They just are the hot collectible today. I was greeted by row upon row of Episode I action figures. Right now I am a little pissed that the new assortment hasn’t made it to Canada yet, but that’s a separate issue. When it comes to my Episode I action figures, I’ve got my Obi-Wan Kenobi, my Qui-Gon Jinn and my (now ultra-rare) Darth Maul. That’s all I need. So, after some poking around, I soon found the Power of the Force action figures. These are the guys from the original trilogy. Yes, they are still making them. I was thrilled that they had a little two-pack that I’d heard about. I am talking about the Jawa and Gonk Droid two pack! You’re probably wondering what the hell a Gonk Droid is. Well, remember in Star Wars when R2-D2 and C-3P0 had been captured by the Jawas and we saw that whole menagerie of droids in their sand crawler? Well, the Gonk Droid was the little guy who looked like an upside down garbage can with legs. He had a more memorable scene in Return of the Jedi when he was on a torture rack getting his feet burned. He is more commonly referred to as a Power Droid. He’s called a Gonk Droid because “Gonk” is the only word it says. Now why the hell did I buy it? I’m still not to sure. Probably because the Gonk Droid was one of the few characters left to become an action figure, and because of that he was becoming one of the most sought-after Star Wars action figures. Plus, he is kind of cute for a box with legs. And now he’s mine!

Actually, I got this brilliant idea. When I become a famous novelist, I think I’m going to write a comic book mini-series called Star Wars: Gonk’s Adventure, all about the adventures of the Gonk Droid. I’d say (in a tounge-in-cheek kind of way) how he was really the one who blew up the second Death Star in Return of the Jedi. Let’s just say that this is my way of protesting how ever character with 2 seconds of screen time in the Star Wars universe gets a whole back story and history.

I’ve also been noticing that all these Star Wars action figures come with these CommTech chips now. I wonder what lines of dialogue are on the Jawa and Gonk Droid’s chip. Probably “Gonk” and some miscellaneous Jawa chirps. I might have to give in and get one of these chip readers. Oh, and I lied when I said that Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Darth Maul were all I needed. I wouldn’t mind getting Captain Panaka. I thought he was kind of cool. But, he’s in that second assortment that hasn’t made it to Canada yet! I could buy him from the Star Wars online store, but I don’t have that kind of money yet.

On a completely unrelated topic, I see that an all-new Sesame Street movie has been released to theaters! Yup, I’m talking about The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. While all this attention is being thrust on it, I’d like to take a moment to talk about the “other” Sesame Street movie. I’m talking about the 1985 film Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird. Now that I think about it, the plot is kind of dark for Sesame Street. In it, a social worker decides that Big Bird might be happier with “his own kind,” so she takes Big Bird away from Sesame Street and puts him in a foster home. Big Bird doesn’t like the foster home that much, so he goes on a cross-country odyssey to get back to Sesame Street. And, of course, the whole cast of Sesame Street regulars goes off in search of Big Bird. This was 1985, so in the Sesame Street Universe there was no Elmo yet, and everyone still thought that Mr. Snuffleupagus was just Big Bird’s imaginary friend. It’s not too bad. I remember seeing it in the theater when I was 8 years old. It was so cool when I was 8! And the soundtrack wasn’t too bad, either. This was the first film where I learned that sometimes it’s worthwhile to watch a film all the way to the end of the end credits. I was hoping that with the release of The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland that Follow That Bird would get a big re-release on video and DVD. But, it hasn’t. But who knows what the future may hold. . . . If you ever happen to see it in the video store, rent it and be 8 again.

It just so happened that this was on the Family Channel this afternoon, so I watched it. And, right after it, they showed The Muppet Movie. That is one of the coolest movies ever! And, it hast to be one of my favorite soundtracks. Kermit’s song in that movie, The Rainbow Connection, is one of my favorite songs of all time, right after Always Look On The Bright Side of Life by Monty Python, and UHF by “Weird Al” Yankovic. And the celebrities in that film! I don’t know if it’s just me, or a testament to those celebrities, but I could pretty much identify all of them! It just rocks. I keep reading online that there is this script in development called The Next Muppet Movie, which would be a direct sequel to The Muppet Movie. In it, all the Muppets have become rich and famous and have begun selling out, so Kermit tries to get them back to their roots. Apparently, one of the funniest segments has Gonzo being selected to be the next James Bond! I sure hope it gets made.

Speaking of movies, I got this brilliant idea the other day. You know how IMAX movies can only be 45 minutes long, right? It’s because the reels are so big. So, I got to thinking that the IMAX (and 3-D IMAX) format would be the perfect one to resurrect the old movie serial! You could have 5, 45-minute long chapters. The first one would premiere in April, and the last in August with a new one each month. You’d have the whole summer blockbuster season wrapped up! I’m currently leaning towards some kind of sci-fi epic. I think this is an idea that would rock if given its due.

Do you know what I find frustrating right now? The fact that I have begun writing these columns so far in advance. Tomorrow, Oct. 4, I post one called . . .And Get A Real Job, which I wrote three weeks ago. This letter, when I post it as a column, will be posted on Oct. 18. The one I post on Oct. 25 will probably be about my sister’s birthday, which is this Friday, Oct. 8. Do you think I’m getting ahead of myself? Man, maybe I do need a job. Then I can slow down on these columns! Oh, well, this is getting kind of long and it’s getting kind of late, so I’ll see you later!

Mark

Oh No! He’s Introspective Again!

Chaos in Print

I hate it when I get this way. Occasionally, something will happen to me in my life where, for the next few days, it will make me all moody and introspective. I begin to analyze my short life in minute detail, and begin to ask myself “What is the purpose?” “Why am I doing this?” “Is this all I’m destined to be?” I hate it when I get this way, because I become so unpleasant to be around. But what’s always weird is what sets off this mood. It’s always the littlest of things. This time, what set it off was watching the 25th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live.

I know what you’re thinking: “How could watching something so funny set off this unpleasantness?” I’ve been wondering that myself. At first, I thought it was because they said Conan O’Brian was going to be one of the presenters, but as the show drew to a close, he wasn’t on stage once. That depressed me. Then I started thinking “Wow. This show has been on for 25 years! That’s amazing! What an achievement! Wouldn’t it be cool if I were able to do something that lasts for 25 years and shapes society, like Saturday Night Live has?” And that’s what set it off. That question, in which I began wondering if I had done anything that would still be remembered in 25 years. I mean, I’m only 22, so if I wanted to do something that would still be remembered in 25 years, I should have gotten it in motion when I was -3 years old. But I didn’t. And now, here I am. I haven’t started anything big, grand, or world changing to be remembered for years to come. I’ve done nothing with my life!

But then, I started cheering up. I thought “Hey! I’m only 22! Lorne Michaels was 30 when he came up with Saturday Night Live. I’ve got eight years still!” So then I start thinking what am I doing right now to change things? What am I doing now that will still be remembered in 25 years? And I’m doing. . .nothing. No one is going to remember me in 25 years! I’m probably going to still be stuck in my parents basement, watching TV and writing this silly column! I’M GOING NOWHERE! I’m stuck here! My life has become a swirling void of nothingness!

Let’s elaborate on the nothingness for a while. I knew that my life had become this void just the other day. There was nothing much on TV, but soon I found something that caught my eye. I must admit I found the program quite engrossing. It had action, drama, comedy, it was perfect! Yup. You guessed it. I was watching. . .wrestling. The WWF to be specific. Now, I know that there is nothing wrong with watching wrestling. In fact, my grandfather watches it. And because he watches it, I’ve always seen it as being a program for old men. So, just I was getting into it, I started thinking “Oh my god. I’m a young, virile 22 year old, but I’m acting like an old man. Why? My life isn’t over! I must find something else to watch!” Luckily, it was time for Pokemon. I’ve got to stop watching that show, too. I’m starting to see homosexual sub-text between Ash and Pikachu. God, my life has gone nowhere fast.

This didn’t help when I was watching my Star Trek reruns this morning. The episode was “Tapestry.” Remember that one? It’s where Capt. Picard has a near-death experience, and meets Q in the afterlife, and Q sends him back in time to when Picard was a fresh-faced young ensign, and gave Picard the chance to change the future and avoid his death. It is one of the best episodes of The Next Generation. But it’s good for getting a person thinking. “Gee. What could I have done differently in my childhood to change where I am now?” And you know what? I could probably do squat! There was nothing wrong with my childhood! But the episode did teach me one thing: we’ve got to take chances.

See, Picard changes the future, but finds that his life is changed. Instead of being a captain, he’s a lowly Lieutenant (J.G.). In his alternate life, he became a person who played it safe, and never took chances. And that kept him from becoming a captain. So, maybe I’ve never taken enough chances in my life. Maybe that’s why I’m unemployed. It’s scary out there, and I don’t want to take any chances. But, I have to if I don’t want to be broke and living in my parents’ basement. It’s starting to set in right now. I miss the freedom of being on my own. I miss having my own phone line. But when I do move out, I’m going to miss cable. But, I have friends, who’ll tape me my shows until I save up enough money to get one of these little satellite dishes! And who knows? Cable’s not that much. All I really need is basic. I think. We’ll see. I have to get my own place, call whomever the local cable company is, and find out which channels are in the basic package! But I need to take a chance. I’ve got to start putting myself out there, looking for something. I’ve already set the goal for myself that I want to have a job by Halloween. So, I’ve really got to knuckle down and start looking.

I can see it now: I get some little job somewhere, and my own little place. I spend my days working and my evenings writing my novel. When the novel is published, I get a huge advance on my second novel, so I quit my job and become a full-time novelist! A few years go by, and I begin to get fed up at how the Hollywood system is screwing up the movie versions of my books. So, I become a film-maker, so I can do my books justice on the big screen. I quickly become the toast of Hollywood, and I am soon asked to be a guest host on Saturday Night Live. Isn’t nice how these things come full circle?

I can feel myself cheering up as I write this! Things aren’t as bad as they seems. I’ve still got a lot of life in front of me. I can still do great things. We are all capable of great things, or at least that’s what I’ve been lead to believe. We just have to take a chance. Will I be taking a chance in the next few weeks? I hope so. Will I be employed by Halloween? I think I will be. Will I do something that will shape society and change the world? Well, for an answer to that one, I’ll see you in 25 years.

. . .And Get a Real Job

Chaos in Print

So, September is upon us. And, unlike so many summers past, I am not returning to school. Nope, I am now a university graduate, with B.SC.’s in Math and Physics. It is now up to me to get a job and join the rat race! But, this is my only problem. I don’t want a job. I’m just having too much fun laying on the couch, watching cartoons, and writing this column. But, I’m fully aware that this society frowns upon welfare bums, so I guess I’d better start finding a job soon.

I’ve fully established what the only thing keeping me from getting a job is. See, the average person’s life plan goes something like this:

School -> Lifetime at job that is only marginally liked in order to get by -> Retirement

But, this is my life plan:

School -> Retirement

I’m missing that all important middle step. And I’m starting to find out that not having a job means you get miss out on certain things in life. Like a DVD player. Or a car. Or a new computer. Or the Batman Beyond soundtrack. Or a relatively debt-free existence. So, like so many people before me, it is time to sell out my values and get a job. But what kind of job?

I had this teacher in junior high who once said that before you know who you are, you have to find out what you are not. I’m still trying to figure out if those truly are words of wisdom or rhetorical nonsense. But, let’s say for the moment that those were words of wisdom. I have spent pretty much a whole summer figuring out what I am not. So, here’s the list. I am not. . .

A teacher – Many people have told me in the past that I would be pretty good at this, but I am not so sure. The fact is, I just don’t have the patience for it. Sure, I can give out 10 minutes worth of advice to point someone in the right direction. But if I were doing it all day, I know that around lunchtime I would be screaming “WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!! IT’S SO SIMPLE!!” So, no to this.

A police officer – I flirted with this idea when I was close to graduating from high school, but too many people told me that I didn’t fit their idea of a cop. So, no to this.

A leader – In elementary school, I was made captain of the school patrol, and I turned into a little dictator. In college, I was leading a protest campaign against a highly unpopular choice for Students’ Union President, but I caved under the pressure. I could probably do this, but I need a hell of a lot more practice.

A soldier – Come on, face it! I wouldn’t survive boot camp.

A burger-flipper – I didn’t go through university to say “Would you like fries with that?” I don’t care how many careers were started at McDonald’s, this just isn’t me.

A laborer in a gravel pit – I did this for a summer 2 years ago, and hated every minute of it. I was getting a few offers to go back to it, and I was so close to doing so. But, I couldn’t. I just don’t like it that much.

Well, that’s pretty much what I am not. So then, what am I? A question many a person has asked as they looked up at the stars. Well, I am still not to sure as to what I am, but I do know what kind of jobs I wouldn’t mind having. Here’s a list of them:

A letter carrier – You know, a mail man. It just a certain simplicity that appeals to me.

A DJ – I did host the #1 radio show at Augustana University College for 3 years. Many people have told me I had a knack for it. My only problem with going pro is being faced with “selling out,” something I am not to eager to do.

An engineer – Not a guy who builds bridges, but a guy who drives trains. I’ve always liked traveling, and this job has more of an allure than truck driver. It’s something I’ve been infatuated with since childhood, so it would be neat to see one of my childhood dreams come true.

A park ranger – I’ve always liked the outdoors, and this is not as intense as a law enforcement officer. I might be able to pull off doing this a little easier than being a cop.

A politician – Oh, come on. How many politicians are leaders?

A video store clerk – What can I say? I love movies and this has a little more appeal than flipping burgers.

A movie theater projectionist – Why settle for being a clerk in a video store when I could do something similar on a grander scale? Who knows? Theater managers might be impressed with my Physics degree and say “Hey! If this thing breaks down, he can fix it!” Plus, I get to watch movies all night. I like it.

A film-maker – See a trend developing? Why just watch movies when I could be making them? Besides, I’ve got tons of ideas circling around in my head. And who hasn’t dreamed of seeing their name up there on the silver screen? All my idols are film-makers. Dare the dream!

This next one is the one that has suddenly gotten a certain degree of appeal for me:

A writer – I am really starting to like doing my silly little columns. All summer, I’ve been toying with writing a book. Enough people are telling me that I’m good enough. All those ideas I have for movie could easily be turned into novels, and I wouldn’t be faced with budget constraints. I could travel, too! Get myself a laptop, and one day I could be writing from beneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and then Central Park in New York City, and then at the world’s first McDonald’s in Los Angeles!

Well, then. My course is clear. If I got the job at the video store, that would probably be enough to keep me alive, and get enough time to write. I know I just can’t jump into this. Sure, I could write a book, but then I would probably have to spend years trying to get it published. I would have to learn the definitions to terms like “unsolicited manuscript.” But, no matter what comes in the future, I know it means having to get a job of some sort. So, I’ll keep spreading around the resumes, and keeping my fingers crossed!