Smokey Mountain Breakdown

I haven't been posting because I've been cranking on a graphics project that I' trying to get out of the way so I can put my full attention back on my writing. It's now clear that I'm not going to be able to do much more graphic art work. My good retina got so inflamed yesterday from the eyestrain that I freaked and bumped my prednisone way up. I think I may have this eye thing that only septuagenarians and occasionally people with lupus get. At least the pred seems to pull down the swelling or whatever is causing the crazy out of my mind pain. Writing, I can at least not look at the screen. There's no way I can do graphics without staring for long periods of time at stuff. Anyway. My eyes are practically bleeding from the graphics work and when I'm done all I want to do is lay in a dark place with ice on my eyes.

So has everyone been following the Olympics. That was some opening ceremony. I think they've set the standard way higher. Barcelona and Paris' were fabulous, but this one took the cake. And they seemed to have gotten rid of the omnipresent haze of smog over the city for that one night at least. The visibility was great.

Zhang created an amazing work of performance art and it just goes to show you what a director can accomplish with the resources of a nation and a blank check. Though I'm happy I wasn't one of the designers. I heard he changed his mind about the color of one set of costumes and ordered 2008 new ones done by the next night. I would have had kittens.

I, for one, welcome our Chinese overlords--especially now that they've lost those unattractive unisex Mou suits. The goose stepping soldiers did sort of creep me out. After the WWII thing--I think all militaries should have retired the goose step. I'm just sayin'. Hitler ruined it for everyone.

P & D?

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Kellie tried the ignition, and then pounded her fists on the steering wheel. The reek of gasoline flooded from the engine.

“Crap! Crap, damnit! Damnit to hell--” A stream of profanity burst free from her mouth. Lucius stared at her with wide eyes from behind Lola.

“Come on!” Kellie gave Lucius a push and they piled out of the red car into the middle of the street.

Kellie checked Bubba’s car, found it locked, and then ran over to the delivery van. She looked under the steering column and pulled free a fist full of wires.

Lucius stood in the middle of the road hugging Lola. Kellie cut her eyes at him in exasperation. He got the message and piled into the doughnut van just as she coaxed it to life.

The van lurched into the street, throwing Lucius into the back of the van. He landed on his rear and a palette of chocolate-iced crème filled fell on him. One of the boxes spilled open, smearing Lola’s front with icing and crème.

Lucius picked up a blob of crème from Lola’s nipple and sucked it off his finger. Kellie looked back briefly and snorted at him.

“Lucius! Now might be a good time to—uh--disengage yourself from your--friend there while I’m getting us out of here.”

Lucius considered the problem of Lola’s attachment and decided to remove her garment. The transparent synthetic material caught on everything. He squeezed Lola out of the red teddy, bending her in startling and unexpected contortions. He could see why some men might find her irresistible. The deflated teddy dangled from his shirtfront like shredded frills from his old prom tuxedo. Lucius plopped down in the passenger seat with a box of chocolate glazed.

He stuffed one of the doughnuts in his mouth and said, “What about your car? Aren’t they going to find us through it?”

Kellie made a hard left turn and the wheels squealed in protest. “Oh. That’s not my car. Get my bag and see how much cash is in there.”

Lucius dragged the bag over and started counting.
“What do we do now?” He lost his place counting and started over. His lips moved as he concentrated on the money.

“Well, the first thing we need to do is lose the doughnut truck. Then, we get a car and check into a hotel.”

Lucius stuck another doughnut in his mouth. He offered the box to Kellie. She grabbed one and held it in her mouth to make another hard turn before licking the frosting off. She chucked the naked doughnut out the window then sucked the frosting from her fingertips.

“So, where are we going to dump the truck?”

“Oh, I’d say this looks about right.”