19. Sayings Nov 19 Sun

(11:29 am Nov 19, 2006)

(2:43 pm Nov 19, 2006)

"You can't plant sour orange and pick banana." (CB Donald Sands : DT His Daughter Stacy)

Hmmm. Could that relate to the great banana mystery?

(3:43 pm Nov 19, 2006)

How many words per minute is that? In case you haven't noticed, gentle reader, I am having serious problems getting un-tracked today. This time I think it may be because I am all broke up on account of being out so late last night at that ball. And you know something? That ball room was fix up nice. Funny thing that. I bet you can guess how the ladies were dressed.

Buss right up. Broke up and hurting. Slow, thoughts like thick syrup only not nearly as sweet. I am certainly not eighteen anymore. And not twenty one either. I could keep counting up for a while here, but I think I will quit while I am ahead.

You know, gentle reader, it had slipped my mind, but I just went back and was trying to re-read what happened yesterday in order to get the words flowing and I run right up on brakes. Right up on that little issue that Bing and Boom tried to throw down. I am so upset with those two. And don't get me started on Nano and Drake. What is going on with these returning characters? Are they upset because I didn't keep them in the limelight during the year? Could that be it?

About four and a half hours to get to two hundred and fifty words. Is that crazy, or what? And hte thing is, most of them have come out in the last little bit. before that, it was a desert. Like I wrote in that thing I wrote for my lovely wife. Sometimes the words flow like a river run dry.

Petro was sitting at home reading and listening to some tunes on a PeerCast station when his door bell sounded. He stood up and hobbled to the door.

"Loqui, Big Byte, this is a pleasant surprise. Come in, come in. What brings you this way?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing and so I asked my big cuz here if he would like to take me to see you. Well, here we are."

"Yeah, Petro, it is hard to say no when Loqui asks you for something."

Loqui slapped her cousin on his shoulder. Loqui wandered around Petro's living room looking at the art that hung on his walls. Most of the pieces were by locals and her eyes were drawn to one of her own pieces. It was a medium sized print of one of her larger canvases and she walked closer for a better look.

(4:02 pm Nov 19, 2006)

Yes, it was a limited edition print, signed and numbered, Petro had number ten of a hundred. Loqui smiled.

Petro hobbled over. Loqui turned to him, "So, what do you like about this piece, Petro?"

"I like your light. In the sky, but even more on the water."

"Yes, I was happy with how that came out on that painting."

(4:28 pm Nov 19, 2006)

"Don't let somebody's donkey cost you a cow." (CB Joey Cooper : DT Aunt Ruth)

Petro offered to make tea for everyone and took orders. He hobbled out to the kitchen to put on the kettle and he put some salsa in a bowl and poured out some corn chips on a plate. Loqui followed him in to the room.

"Listen, Petro, I wanted to apologize for how I have been treating you all this time. I rather not try and explain it if that is OK with you, but I would like to say I am sorry."

"Loqui, I hear you and thanks. Consider it forgotten. Would you take the chips and dip out for me? I'll be right out."

(4:40 pm Nov 19, 2006)

(5:10 pm Nov 19, 2006)

Petro put some olives and some cheeses on a platter and followed Loqui out into the living room. Big Byte was laid back in his recliner, Big Ed's favourite spot, digging in to the chips and salsa. Loqui had resumed her tour of his art collection. She was standing in front of one of his few originals.

"Petro, I like this one, it is unusual, but I like it. I don't think I have ever heard of the artist though. Is it someone local?"

"Yes, she is a friend of mine actually, and it doesn't surprise me that you haven't heard of her. She paints by contract and doesn't exhibit."

"What do you mean, she paints by contract? You mean like only commissioned works?"

"Something like that but a bit more involved really."

There is a long pause before Loqui queries, "So... can you explain what you mean then?"

"I can try. First, she doesn't paint things and then try to find buyers. She will only paint things if she has a sale already. Well not exactly, she paints lots of things without a buyer lined up for them, but those are for herself only and she has never sold any. So, for the paintings she sells, she never paints them unless she already has a buyer. And she signs a contract with her customer. Some of the details are that there are never to be reproductions of the work. Not by the customer and not by her. None whatsoever. Then also, she doesn't sign the works. Well, she does, but just made up names. The customer is never allowed to reveal her identity."

"What, what kind of deal is that?"

(5:27 pm Nov 19, 2006)

"Let me finish please and then I will answer whatever questions that you ask and that I am allowed to. She gets paid up front. She chooses what she wants to paint. The customer cannot sell the work for at least ten years. If the customer sells the work, they have to bind the buyer to a similar contract which she specifies but they may never reveal her identity."

"That sounds crazy!"

"Doesn't it though.

(5:32 pm Nov 19, 2006)

"Biscuit and crackers come in the same ship but different packages." (CB Hazel Thompson : DT ??)

"And she has customers? Wait, you mean you signed a contract like that?"

"Yes I did, and there's more. She only takes new customers by recommendation of her old customers. And only with a signed contract and full payment secured before she even considers it. Oh, and she gives her customers a ten per cent commission."

"It sounds bizarro."

"Oh, it is, but not a bizarre as the world famous bizarro bathroom. I must say, she is crazy like a fox though. I think she does quite well for herself."

"I have never heard of anyone trying anything like that in the art world. Never. I am shocked that it would work. Why would anyone agree to such a deal?"

"Well, if you like her work and want one, it is the only way to get one. I guess there are enough people out there who like them enough that she gets by with doing it. Plus, she lives a simple life and isn't trying to make a killing from what I can see. What can I say? It seems to work for her."

(5:49 pm Nov 19, 2006)

(6:59 pm Nov 19, 2006)

Petro sat down in his easy chair and pushed the button on the remote to turn on the television. He kind of felt like vegging for a while, probably with some sports, but perhaps just with a click session. He had enjoyed that little visit. His spirits were buoyed by Loqui's words and concern.

After leaving Petro's place, Loqui and Big Byte headed back into town to try their luck at that special restaurant once again.

(7:07 pm Nov 19, 2006)

(7:35 pm Nov 19, 2006)

When Loqui and Big Byte got there, there was no door anywhere in evidence, just a blank wall where the door was. "I don't believe this. This is where we came for dinner a few nights ago, isn't it cuz?"

"This is the place Loqui, this makes no sense. Can we call Petro now and ask him what the deal is?"

"No, let's just walk somewhere else and grab a bite and let me think this over."

(8:29 pm Nov 19, 2006)

OK, gentle reader, this is getting way out of hand. The combination of time warps and temporal black holes in the vicinity today has been nothing short of astounding. It is really time to shift into sprint and, or ramble mode. Strap yourself in tight and come along for the ride.

Out on the Queen Anne's Revenge, the good Mr. Tucks is on the move, he has been having to move his hiding place every so often as one of the players was not so easily convinced that the microwave oven account was obviously bogus and has actually been searching for a penguin aboard the ship as well as looking for other, more rational, explanations. He got little more suspicious after going back and confirming that there was indeed a slight fishy smell in the microwave oven.

(8:37 pm Nov 19, 2006)

"Jack drunk but he ain' fool." (CB Ricardo Thompson : DT ??)

Fryer Tucks is beginning to wonder if he may need to abandon ship and call in a replacement agent to take over his duties. He never liked to give up though and he was going through his possible options seeing if he could solve his little situation. You know, I think I might need to be a little more circumspect when it comes to the information that I reveal about what is going on out on the high seas on that particular mega yacht. I hope I haven't let too much slip already, I think I've said enough mind you. Well, enough about the good Mr. Tucks. Obviously not enough today, otherwise, believe me, gentle reader, with how bus right up I am today, I would already be shut down and lying in my bed. No bout adout dat!

(8:48 pm Nov 19, 2006)

(9:03 pm Nov 19, 2006)

Nooooo! Not again, this has got to stop.

Once upon a time there was a pirate who later became known to history as Blackbeard. There is much that has been written about him, but there is much about him that is unknown. On top of that, there is much about him that has been concealed.

There is a tower on the eastern part of the island of New Providence that is commonly known as 'Blackbeard's Tower' and it apparently sits forlorn and all but abandoned on a ridge overlooking the eastern road.

One thing that has been concealed since Blackbeard left the world stage is that he left family alive. Living scattered around various islands of the Bahamas.

Another thing that has been concealed is that he did not leave them broke and certainly not broke, broke. No, he left them, shall we say, set.

He not only left them set, he left them organized.

He also left them with goals and visions, not to mention a few dreams.

Also concealed is that they have been working since then to achieve their ends. Quietly, yes. In the background, yes. A power behind the thrown kind of set up if you catch my drift.

I don't guess it would surprise you if I were to tell you that their ends might actually be nefarious.

(9:14 pm Nov 19, 2006)

They had pretty much contented themselves as a family to only be involved in local affairs as pertains to the Bahamas for all this time, but lately, events in the wider world were developing in such a way that they were considering getting the family involved in more international matters. Doing so would require a level of care and caution that was a whole order of magnitude greater than they were accustomed to exercising on their local operations.

(9:22 pm Nov 19, 2006)