Pumpkins and Prescriptions

I am either very fortunate or a terrible American but until this year I have never had a refillable prescription. The last two prescriptions I’ve had were for pain drugs after major dental procedures.

I did not know how it works. There is no FAQ for pharmacy use. It seems like everyone just knows how to do it.

When I needed my refill I logged onto my doctor’s online page and clicked the refill request. I received a note that it had been rejected.

I figured I had to phone the doctor. The next day I received a robocall from the pharmacy saying they wanted me to come pick up my prescription.

Meanwhile, I somehow picked the wrong pharmacy. I had a list of addresses and I thought I knew which one I wanted. But then when I went there to pick up my prescription they didn’t have it. I then drove to another pharmacy with the same name assuming that was it and it was not. Then I was trying to take a short cut and ended up on this back road where I had no idea where I was and saw a pharmacy with the same name and they had it.

I thought I changed to the one I wanted but this back road pharmacy is the one that called me. So I went in and said: Look, I’ve never had a prescription like this. I need help. You just do it on the phone. I had no idea. I thought fraud was a problem and this stuff was watched over.

I think I have finally learned my lesson after my missteps the last couple of years. I processed almost all of my pumpkins today and made pie crust and stuck it in the fridge. I’m making the pie on Wednesday. I’m trying a new pie recipe. Remember what happened last year.

I’m also making the gravy on Wednesday. Every time, we’re sitting around while I’m trying to do the gravy. Screw the pan drippings. Let’s get that food on the table before rioting starts.

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Rust

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Confluence Dedication

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Main Street

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Watchclock Station

I was running an errand downtown in the middle of the day. There was construction blocking a lane right outside my office and traffic was backed up.

As I crossed the street I saw a pearl-white Cadillac from about 1998 with two elderly ladies in it, both of them wearing hats. Their car was partially into the intersection and the light turned yellow and the driver gunned it and they ended up 100% blocking the intersection.

I cringed, waiting for it.

No one honked. It was brilliant.

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Oregon Coast

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Includes Free Pitchers

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Open Your Eyes

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A Few Tidbits

I have a confession to make. I never really liked the book, A Wrinkle In Time.

I always said I did, because it seemed like I was supposed to, but I have no memory of connecting with it or re-reading it. There’s a movie being made and every time there is a breathless casting announcement, I can’t even remember the characters.

I re-read The Wind in the Door a few years ago and hated it. I’m sorry. I wish I felt differently.

In other news, it seems like any writing step that I am waiting on always resolves itself on Monday. That means I won’t have time to deal with it again until Friday. Actually, it seems like any step in life that I’m waiting on seems to resolve itself on Monday.

I have completed the files for the paperback of the story collection. Now I need to wait for the printer to review and then I can order a proof to see how it looks and if it’s fine, we’re ready to go.

Finally, I had a giant bowl of apples from the tree set aside. I was going to can some applesauce but I didn’t manage to get to it last weekend. I finally went out there this morning and they’ve been sitting there too long and were only good for compost.

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Updated RED TAPE Stories from Indian Country

This quick little project that was going to be done in August is finally finished. Well, except for the paperback. I’m working on it.

The selected stories have some connection to the people and lands of the Karuk Tribe.

The updated collection has three additional stories:

Lottie v. The Moon Hopper (originally appeared in Future Lovecraft).

The Last Willow Stick on the River and Reservation Jobs (originally appeared in Yellow Medicine Review).

Willow Stick and Jobs have no speculative elements and I gnashed my teeth about including them but in the end decided: it’s my collection, I can do what I want.

Here’s the background on the original nine stories:

The Battle of Little Big Science
(previously appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction) This was my Clarion West week #3 story.

Estelle Makes the Casino Run
(previously appeared in Innsmouth Free Press) I wrote this for a contest with my Clarion West classmates.

Social Security
(previously appeared in The Wordstock Ten) This was my submission story for Clarion West.

Field Work
This was my Clarion West week #2 story. Are you seeing a theme here?

The Medicine Woman of Talking Rock
Yup, Clarion West Week #5.

Repercussions
Clarion West Week #6. This was me trying to do something different since you’re supposed to stretch yourself at the workshop.

Trusted Leader
This was my Week #7 story — the first thing I wrote after I left the workshop. The process was gruesome but I like the way it came out after about 5000 drafts.

Fish Killer
This story has nothing to do with Clarion West. I was upset about the dredge mining situation on the Klamath and needed to work it out.

The Casino Gargoyle
This was another submission story I wrote when I misunderstood the application instructions.

Purchase links:

Kindle | Apple | Kobo | Nook | Paperback

If you already bought it but want the updated version, drop me a note. We can work something out.

I have a couple of new short stories floating around out there. Hopefully I’ll have some news to share on that soon.

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