07. Baldy Nov 07 Sun

(7:37 am Sun Nov 07, 2010)

Yeah baby, fall back. Cool air. Sweetness. Hey there gentle reader. How are things with you today?

Aaaannnnd now we are back to being unsynced. Both time wise and day wise. Reality is once again creeping ahead while fiction falls behind. It is Sunday morning in novelling time and Saturday morning in novel time. The thing is, it it me that is slow or is it my characters that are slow?

Well, at least I have made a small stab at an earlier beginning today.

(7:48 am Sun Nov 07, 2010) 13479

(12:05 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010)

What can you do? Time does its thing. Sliding into the future. Slipping away from you. Don't blink or the moment is gone.

(12:30 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010)

I have been trying. Honestly gentle reader, I have been trying. Yesterday may have been dry. Today is bone dry. Dry as a desert. And not just any desert. Some deserts are too moist to be as dry as I am today. But the goal beckons and calls and must be obeyed. If I recall correctly, I don't want to take the time now to check, in past years I have spoken of some word factory but perhaps this year I need to envision some word well. Some deep hole that needs to be drilled in this dry desert to allow me to tap into the life giving water. How can we get Baldy home? Should he make it without incident or should something happen to him on the way?

(1:24 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010)

It looks bad today. I just can't seem to get a good running start. Perhaps a look on the NaNo site for a dare?

So Baldy was on the way home but as he was passing through a slightly seedy part of town he was set upon by a pack of mangy pot cakes lead by a pit bull-chow mix. He tried to get away but they forced him into a corner by a wash house and blocked his routes of escape.

He tried to go supersonic on them but he lacked the energy. The long day and night had drained his reserves and he just could not manage it.

He tried using some dimly remembered techniques from his younger days but they did not get him anywhere.

"What you got in the old box there old man?"

Baldy growled and said "None of your business, get out of my way and let me be."

The pack laughed as one. "I don't think so," said the leader, "I think we all would be very interested to see what might be in there. What do you guys say?"

"You know dat Prince, that's just what we want to see. Make him open the box and show us Prince, make him do it now."

"You heard the boys," growled Prince, "open it up now or get ready for a rain of pain!"

The pack growled and they all raised their hackles. Baldy made one last try at getting away but they blocked him and one lay behind him while two rushed him and bowled into him, tripping him over the one behind. Sometimes the old tricks still worked.

Prince grabbed the box from him while he was scrambling on the ground and stepped back. A wall of pot cakes moved between Baldy and Prince blocking any chance Baldy had of getting his box back.

(1:40 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010) 13969

Mary and Buster were sitting on the front porch later in the day when Baldy came dragging himself into the yard all scruffed up and with his tail between his legs. He had the metal box with him but carried it dejectedly upside down, the lid was open and twisted half off.

"What happened to you?" asked Mary. "Where have you been?"

"What do you have there?" added Buster?

"Well," answered Baldy, "I went out to South Beach and saw Zevelyn and we worked out what the teacher clue was and so I went up east and dug up this box that the clue said had important information. It took me a while because some boys were there hanging out for the day and a good part of the night and I couldn't go digging things up with people watching."

"So you got the important information! Quick, what does it say?" exclaimed Buster?

"No, I don't have it, "cried a dejected Baldy. "I should have opened the box right away. I might have know what do do next if I had!"

"What happened?" asked Buster?

So Baldy related the story. "And they took the gold and ran off. I figured I would at least keep the box, just for the memories."

"Wait, there was gold in the box?" said Buster.

"Yes, gold and some gems too. They got it all." said Baldy.

"Fantastic!" said Buster.

"Fantastic? What is wrong with you gully? I get beat up and the treasure gets taken and you say fantastic? And here I thought we might be going to be friends." said Baldy.

Buster laughed. "yes fantastic, don't you see?" said Buster.

"See what?" asked Baldy.

"Well... the clue told you to dig for information and not to dig for treasure, right?"

"Yes, I think so."

"So did they get the information you dug up from you or didn't they?" asked Buster.

"What do you mean, 'did they get the information?' they got everything." Baldy almost shouted in his growing frustration.

"You too need to calm down," put in Mary.

"OK, so what was written on the gold or gems? Anything?" asked Buster.

"I don't know," said Baldy, "nothing on the gems for sure I think, and I don't think I saw anything unusual about the coins when the fell out of the box onto the ground. They looked pretty much like doubloons to me."

"And the only thing they took from the box was the coins and the gems?" asked Buster.

"That was all that was in the box. They took everything. Everything .They didn't leave me anything!" shouted Baldy.

If they took everything from you, then what is that you brought home?" smiled Buster.

Baldy looked at the gull like he was crazy, "It is an *empty* box you numb skull. An *empty* box."

"Ah Ha! So they did leave you something then. Like I say, fantastic." laughed Buster.

(2:02 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010) 14462

(2:45 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010)

So you manage to get on a half of a roll gentle reader and what happens? You bash head on into a cement wall is what. All that precious forward momentum built up at such a cost, with such a great effort, dissipated in an instant.

"What are you two so excited about again?" asked Mary, her Friday night Fish Fry spatula in her hand. You see, gentle reader, Mary loved spatulas. Well, she loved kitchen utensils in general, but of all kitchen utensils, spatulas help a special place in her heart. Over and above all other kitchen utensils. Well, with the possible exception of knives. Knives were in a whole other league in Mary's view. Mary sometimes found herself wishing that there really was a Spatula City so that when she took a shopping trip to Florida she could go and check out some special purpose, or even made to order spatulas. Well, over the years she had collected a good number of spatulas for various purposes and occasions. The thing is, they had all been bought as generic spatulas and Mary had decided on their special purposes after much trial and error.

(2:54 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010) 14669

Baldy looked at her with a strange look on his face. What was she doing with her Friday night Fish Fry spatula in her hand on a Saturday? That was odd.

"Here, let me have a look at that box you have there Baldy," said Mary. "This looks interesting, where did you get it?" she asked as Baldy dropped it for her.

"This goes with the treasure map we found the other day Mary, I dug it up last night up east by Blackbeard's Tower," replied Baldy.

"I really wish you could communicate clearer at times like these," said Mary "sometimes I think I can almost hear what you are trying to say."

"Yeah, and sometimes I wish you could hear what I am saying better myself," responded Baldy. "Look, here is the map that goes with it." he said, dropping the map at her feet.

"So you had the map! I was looking for it all yesterday. Let me look at that again." Mary picked up the map. She looked at it careful and then took another look at the box. "You know, I think some of the lines on this map may match up with some of these scratches on the inside of the box lid."

Buster took a cleaning cloth out of his pocket.

No gentle reader, I don't know where his pockets are but he did take a cleaning cloth out of his pocket.

He took the box from Mary and began to clean the years of decay off of the outside of the box.

"Hey, don't be so grabby Buster. I was just looking at how the lines matched up with the map. The lines are on the inside, not the outside," said Mary.

But Buster had a feeling. He sensed some more information below the grime and corrosion. When Mary tried to take the box back, he hopped away with it and kept polishing the outside.

Mary laughed, "You act like you expect some genie to come out of that box and grant your wishes Buster. And where did you get that cloth? That's not one of mine. Did you sneak out and take that off a neighbour's line? That would be very naughty of you if you did," scolded Mary.

"I didn't take anything from around here. This is mine, I brought it with me," said Buster as he continued to polish the box.

(3:28 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010)

"Hey," said Baldy, "you two need to let me see my own box. stop hoggin it you two."

"Who are you to complain? You said it was nothing but an old box, Mary and I saw that it might be more. So you just chill out and let me finish what I am doing and then we can all take a good look and see what we see."

(4:46 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010)

Oops gentle reader, time slipped away again but at least this time I have a reasonable reason. A good part of that chunk was taken up playing a game with the family. I lost big time. I displayed great skill in squandering a nice lead. Hopefully I will return to the task here with a little freshness of mind.

(4:57 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010)

Nope. Still wasting time.

So, let's see, Buster kept cleaning the box, Baldy fidgeted around, and Mary went back to what she was doing with or to her Friday night Fish Fry spatula.

Wouldn't you like to know gentle reader, wouldn't you really like to know. Sorry. That's the game if you care to know. So there you go. You learn some things while wanting to learn others.

The night ended with the box looking quite good but no matter how much they examined it, they couldn't see how it gave them much extra information. Sure, the lines looked like they could match up with those on the map to provide better outlines of the locations involved but it just did not seem like enough to live up to the expectations provided by the clue on the map itself.

(6:11 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010)

Another semi decent excuse there gentle reader. Helping out my mother-in-law with something and eating some dinner. Now to get back to the word slinging.

What happened to that word well idea from earlier in the day? I will have to get to that another day I guess unless I can somehow deal with it before this day's writing is done.

Right then, Baldy went to spend the night in his dilly tree after two nights of roughing it in the wild. Buster went to his perch and Mary went to her bed with the box and the map stowed in a safe place.

(6:16 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010) 15470

Sunday morning dawned cool and fresh. Baldy came down from his tree to greet Mary as she was sweeping her front porch. "Hey Mary, where's the map? I want to look at it again. I think I may have had an idea or two in the night," said Baldy.

"Morning Baldy, and how is my pooch doing this morning? ready for a busy day?" asked Mary.

"Just give me the map please Mary, I really need to see it right away. This may be important," pleaded Baldy.

"There's no time for maps and treasure today my love, your band mates kept coming by looking for you while you were off cavorting about the island. I have an idea they will be along soon ta reckley looking for you to practice. I get the feeling they will not take kindly to you trying to give them no for an answer. A word to the wise my love. A word to the wise."

"Ahhh, no," moaned Baldy, "I forgot all about practice in my excitement with this treasure thing. We have a big gig coming up soon and we have a lot of new stuff to learn still. Plus we still need to look over our repertoire and work out our set list. That always takes some work to get right."

"Here, let me give you a quick breakfast so you will be ready to roll out when they arrive. I don't want you all waking up the whole neighbourhood with your noise this morning so you better go down by the Fort to practice this morning," warned Mary.

(7:04 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010) 15744

(7:33 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010)

So baldy had his tuna and grits with two strips of bacon thrown in for good measure. He might get upset with Mary from time to time but she sure knew how to treat him good too.

His friends came by just as he finished up his breakfast. He thought for a second about telling them he was busy today and wouldn't be able to go with them but knew that would be more trouble than he wanted to face.

Just for your information, gentle reader, if you want to see roughly where the band went to practice you can check this link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=25.076868,-77.356743&spn=0.002872,0.003664&t=h&z=18

This is about 25.0769 degrees North and 77.3566 degrees West.

You see how these clouds are trying to give me grief gentle reader?

After Baldy left, Mary finished up her chores and then put Buster outside in the dilly tree for the day. "Now you just call me if you need anything Buster. Or if you see any cats or raccoons come around. I am going to the back yard to work in my garden for a while and then I have to get some food started for lunch and dinner.

Mary walked around back and Buster / Cooper took out his cell phone. He had been calling from Mary's land line because he was running low on minutes. He needed to get one five dollar phone card as soon as he could. He should have asked Baldy to pick one up for him while he was out. Next time unless he got out to pick one up for himself. He dialed.

"Hey Zevelyn, this is Buster, um Cooper, listen, do you have any more ideas about that map?"

"No, not yet, do you have any more information for me from Baldy's travels to Blackbeard's Tower?"

"Well, that's what I was kind of calling about," said Cooper, "He dug up a box that had some doubloons and some gems in it. He got jumped on the way home though. The gold and the gems got stolen but he did come home with the box. I think that was a bit of luck as it seems to me the markings on the box might be the information we were sent in search of by the clue on the map," explained Cooper.

"So, were there more clues on the box then?" asked Zevelyn.

"Well, there were some lines on the inside of the box that looked like they might merge with the lines on the original map to give us a better idea on the outlines of the land masses indicated. There may be some more lines on the outside that may do the same. I have a feeling that there may be more there too but I have not managed to finish cleaning it up properly. It has been buried underground for a long time."

"OK," said Zevelyn, "I need to go now, let me know if you find any more information on or in the box. I will call if I come up with any ideas or a solution to the coded messages."

"Sure thing, I am running low on minutes so if you can't get me on my cell, call me at the number I gave you for Mary," said Cooper.

(8:43 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010)

Meanwhile, Mary was around back working in her garden. While Buster was on the phone she had climbed one of her coconut trees and pulled down a half a dozen coconuts. She then went to her shed and got out her machete and proceeded to husk the coconuts. After they were all husked, she picked up one that she fancied and gouged out its eyes. She drank all of its water and then used the machete to split it in two.

Mmmmmm. Mary loved her a coconut. She ate the meat and then took the five remaining to her kitchen and began to prepare a meal.

Well gentle reader, I have just passed three thousand words for the day. Not the four thousand I would have liked, but a good bit better than yesterday. Cipher with me for a bit gentle reader. Help me to pad my word count a bit more before packing it in for the night.

Nought times nought is nought.
One times nought is nought.
Two times nought is nought.
Three times nought is nought.
Four times nought is nought.
Five times nought is nought.
Six times nought is nought.
Seven times nought is nought.
Eight times nought is nought.
Nine times nought is nought.
Ten times nought is nought.
Eleven times nought is nought.
Twelve times nought is nought.

Sweet! Thanks so much gentle reader. Let's try something significantly more difficult now shall we?

Nought times one is nought.
One times one is one.
Two times one is two.
Three times one is three.

Come on now, I know you can keep up. Concentrate.

Four times one is four.
Five times one is five.
Six times one is six.
Seven times one is seven.
Eight times one is eight.
Nine times one is nine.
Ten times one is ten.
Eleven times one is eleven.
Twelve times one is twelve.

Great. Fantastic, you sure can cipher gentle reader. Who did you study your maths with?

And I think that can be it for the night. Perhaps we can cipher some more together before the month is over gentle reader.

(8:43 pm Sun Nov 07, 2010) 16663