Tag Archives: parade

Just Another Magic Monday

Let’s face it — most days are just …. well …. days.  Some good stuff happens, some bad stuff happens … rinse, wash, repeat … not a big deal.  Occasionally there are days when it seems like nothing can go right — UGG! — chin up, do your best to keep moving forward.  And then, every once in a while, there are days where Everything Just Seems To Go RIGHT!  For me, last Monday was one of those days …

Here’s how it went… with a little back-story

Pirate Lance English
Lance English …. Pirate! (he’s actually a nice guy)

Saturday I braved going into downtown Seattle.  In the morning I was going to participate in the St. Patrick’s parade with my S.A.M.S. Post.  The plan for the afternoon was to visit my two friends at the Emerald City Comic Convention who are moving to Toronto at the end of the month — not to mention seeing our mutual friend who’s the current Captain of the SeaFair Pirates.

Yes, it’s true … I know a pirate.

Seattle Center Monorail Space Needle
The Seattle Monorail with the Space Needle in the background

The drive down the island and into Seattle was nice.  Once at the Seattle Center, instead of taking the Monorail as I had originally planned, I opted to walk to the parade staging grounds at the other end of the city located near Pioneer Square.  The slightly-cool and slightly-warm sunny pre-Spring day begged for a walk, and it was lovely!  To be frank, as far as I’m concerned the parade was a poorly planned bust — however it was great to spend time with my fellow S.A.M.S. members and the two ladies who lead us in carrying our banner.  After the parade I was surprise-treated to lunch …

Wow, Cool, Thank You!

Emerald City Comic Con 2019

Catching up with my Canadian friends at ECCC involved crossing a number of fingers.  The convention annually attracts around 95,000 fans* of geek-culture — some of my people — many of whom are wearing impressive costumes that they have personally crafted.  This includes my two friends, so they blended in amid all the heroes, villains, elves, Jedi, and … well, everyone.  Also, the three of us were working with limited electronic communications that day.  Fortunately, everything worked out!  I connected with my friends in the terraced park next to the Washington State Convention Center.  By further luck and happenstance I ran into Chad — an absolute gent, a heckuva photographer, and the man who has taken among my favourite pictures of my Celtic-rock band, Nae Regrets.  As evening neared Christina, Martin, and myself hiked a few blocks away from the convention where we enjoyed dinner together before saying our fond goodbyes.  As opportunity presents, I look forward to visiting them in Toronto.
(* 2018 ECCC attendance according to Wikipedia)

But onto Monday …

The previous week I got my book, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, placed in its very first bookstore — The Kingfisher Bookstore in Coupeville, Washington.  That felt great — the beginning of the next state of being a published author!  Also, the owner of Kingfisher — Meg — is an absolute JOY of a person.

Coupeville Public Library
Coupeville Public Library

After a relaxing start to my Monday — delicious in part because we tell ourselves that’s not what a weekday morning is supposed to be like, especially a Monday.  Just before noon I popped over to the Coupeville Public Library.  I wanted to check the status of scheduling the presentation I’ve done with Tom Trimbath on how to self-publish books and e-books. Monday

This is when all the neat stuff began!

I was directed to speak with Debbie, whom I had already understood handled most of the presentation scheduling.  After introducing myself and explaining Tom’s and my workshop she said that she remembered reading my previous submission and wanted to get us in soon.  Somehow it came up that I m currently working on another book, and she asked what that was about.  I explained that it is a collection of Highland bagpipe sheet music featuring military and patriotic tunes and their history.  Debbie immediately asked if I would be willing to present this book.  What she didn’t know was that I had already been thinking about it but hadn’t quite broken the ice on How.  She suggested that this presentation would fit in well at the Oak Harbor library, being close to the Navy base, and that she’d like to host me at the Coupeville library around the 4th of July this year.  I am absolutely flattered to be asked — so now, all the more, I’m pushing to complete this book! Monday

As I went to leave the library — the first time — I saw one of the fellows who works at the library.  I hadn’t really seen him before, but I have heard about him — moreover, I’ve heard about what his wife and he are doing… Monday

Gabriel and Sarah Chrisman
This is one of the many great pictures on the Seattle Times article, I felt this one was the best…

Behind the library help desk sat one Mr. Gabriel Chrisman.  I had heard about his wife, Sarah, who writes books about the Victorian era.  The amazing thing is that they live their lives — not completely — much in keeping with 1880/1890s period.  I stopped to pass on to Gabriel that I was aware of his wife’s writing and that I admire what they’re doing (sadly some people don’t understand while other’s have been regrettably worse).  Our conversation turned to asking Gabriel if he might help further research a bagpipe tune I need information on for my military & patriotic music & history book.  Gabriel was intrigued by my query and asked me to send him my notes.  He was also interested in the book I’m working on and apparently can get behind hosting my presentation.  While I left at this time, we spoke into the afternoon — but that happened later … Monday

Kingfisher Bookstore Coupeville
Meg at Kingfisher Bookstore in Coupeville

When I left the library — this time around 1230 — I saw a notice about an event I had forgotten about.  Meg, the owner of The Kingfisher Bookstore was presenting a book-related topic starting an hour later.  I raced home — I needed lunch and more-presentable clothes — and I raced back!  Making it through the door just before her presentation started, I was able to let Meg know I was there to support her topic — and she met me with her immutable smile just as I had found it the week before. Monday

Meg’s presentation was fun and enlightening — and part way through took a walk a few blocks over to her bookshop.  The weather was warm and bright; we got to see more of her shop and the historic building it’s in.  I spoke with Gabriel more and also stuck around after the presentation.  Meg and I spoke about a number of upcoming things.  There’s an arts and crafts festival in Coupeville during the summer and we discussed how she might bring people into her shop.  She said she would like to host book readings and possibly small music performances and would like to feature me (see “Tom” below).  I told her that Tom Trimbath and I have talked a bit about starting to do podcasts about all-things having to do with writing, authors, bookshops (etc) on Whidbey Island.  Meg said she’d like to start a small book publishing company on Whidbey and I said that I’d like to be a part of that. Monday

Tom & Jerry, pinch
By the time I left Meg’s shop I was pretty much dancing and pinching myself just like Tom here…

Monday was MAGNIFICENT — and there’s more to come!  And since then…

  • Wednesday March 20th I received a call from Robert, a college friend of mine.  He’s in his 4th round in higher-ed, part of his foci is marketing, and he wants to do a project on my Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies book.
  • Over this past weekend I got in touch with my friend, Rick.  He loves history and is involved with curation of local early settlers with the Doc Maynard Society.  When he found out about the bagpipe sheet music and tune-history book I’m working on he said he would be interested in that and that people from his historic society would be, too.  Do I hear another presentation date in the works?

Loads of good things in the works!  Some of which has to do with presentations I’ll possibly be doing.  So that in mind, if you’d like me to present or my bagpipe sheet music and history book once it’s ready, maybe you’d do well to get on my calendar now — contact me.

A Meeting About Things To Come

Tom E. Trimbath
How could ya not like hanging out with this guy?

Last evening I had a meeting with Tom Trimbath – a gentleman I consider a friend, a self-publishing mentor, and an all around good soul. This ‘meeting’ was not unlike our previous meetings – informal, creative, humorous, and inspiring. A number of things are coming up for Tom and I — it was time to check in again. We met at Toby’s Tavern in Coupeville, WA, for dinner – the same joint we were in not long after the publication of my recipe book last fall.

Now before I tell you about the meeting, let me tell you a little about Toby’s …

Coupeville, WA from over Penn Cove
If you think this view of Coupeville over Penn Cove is beautiful, you should see it from the ground level.
Coupeville WA street
Here’s a little look at Coupeville…

Before Tom’s and my meeting last year Tom suggested Toby’s and offered for me to look into other places in Coupeville. While Coupeville is about 22 square miles here on Whidbey Island, what I was inquiring about was the historic 2-block area on the waterfront overlooking Penn Cove. I know the area well – as a kid I spent summer days playing in the town and seeing the different shops when visiting my grandparents. While many of the shops have changed since then, the historic town has stayed much the same – and if you’re visiting Whidbey Island, definitely stop in and enjoy yourself in Coupeville for at least a few hours. But where was I? Oh yeah – back to Toby’s …

Toby's Tavern Coupeville WA
This is the place!

Last fall when I was looking at reviews for the different restaurants on the Coupeville waterfront I came up with a number of nice sounding places. When I looked up Tom’s suggestion of “Toby’s Tavern” I read some rather interesting reviews on Google and Yelp (etc). I read things that made it sound … well … TERRIBLE! Bad food, fist-fights, weirdoes galore … I hung out in my share of divey places in my 20s, but now it just didn’t sound all that appealing. When I checked with Tom he said Toby’s was nothing like that, to trust him, and to meet him there later that evening. So, trusting Tom as I often do, I did!

When meeting Tom at Toby’s late last year, I found it a bit like what I read at LonelyPlanet.com

“A quintessential dive bar housed in a vintage mercantile building dating from the 1890s; even the polished back bar was originally shipped here from around Cape Horn in 1900. Quaff home-produced microbrews and enjoy a menu spearheaded by local classics such as fantastic mussels, clam strips, and halibut and chips, while listening to the jukebox or shooting pool.”

Toby's Tavern interior

I haven’t been back to Toby’s since meeting Tom there last fall but in my time there I found I like Toby’s.  There was something about the joint that was just … comfortable.  When I have a few more things in order in my daily life I’d like to stop in for a burger, catch a window booth and write while looking out on the cove.

Some burger at Toby's Tavern in Coupeville, WA
Not my burger from last night — I don’t take food pictures like this … it’s weird.

Locally, Toby’s is somewhat known for their burgers – I can’t say they’re particularly special – if you go there don’t expect them to be gourmet, from what I’ve seen they just make a good classic burger. So I joined Tom last night again at Toby’s – he had a plate of fish and chips and I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and lemonade. Since he was a little late for our meeting, and I was a little later, we quickly got down to business.

Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies
MY BOOK!

We started out with talking about our presentation next week at the Langley Library – titled “Self-Publishing – From Inspiration to Publication“. We gave this same presentation last October and it went well. If you don’t know about this already, it’s great for authors and folks working or thinking abut becoming authors. Writers have additional options to traditional publishing these days, and one of those is to self-publish – you do all the work to produce your book and have a press manufacture your books for you. Self-publishing is how I brought my recipe book to fruition – and one of the companies that supports this is Amazon.com – they make, sell, and provide me with copies of “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies“. Self-publishing has been growing like gangbusters over the past 20 years; it is an option that authors and to-be authors ought to know abut and consider.

Tea book
I can write this — NO PROBLEM!!!

Tom then brought up the topic of a writing project he invited me to a number of weeks ago – it was about this time that the juices from my burger started leaking down my hand. As for the ‘writing project’, Tom had asked that I contribute some writing to a fundraiser book about tea. This was an interesting prospect to me since I’m more of a coffee drinker. I drink tea, I just don’t drink much tea. Tea remains a new personal discovery for me – I’m still exploring the flavours and finding the moods when it best suits me. As for this tea book, I’m flattered to be asked and I’m excited to get myself further known as a writer – and I know already that I’ll be writing from the ‘new to tea’ position.

www.BagpiperDon.com
Yep, that’s me — BagpiperDon AKA BiscottiDon

This ‘fundraiser book’ topic was timely since I brought a question for Tom on the subject to our meeting. Since publishing “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies” I have been working on two books; one of these is my next recipe book, and the next book to be published is a bagpipe sheet music book that is planned to be a fundraiser for a veteran’s organization of which I am a member. It was at this point that my burger started falling apart in my hands with a distinct immediacy. Nonetheless, Tom helped to clarify that books can be set-up through Amazon and sold for fund-raisers, and gave me a little insight on the process … and, as usual, the day after I have a number of other questions for him around this.

Wee Iron Giant
There might be robots!

We went on to talk a bit about a Sci-Fi book that Tom is writing coupled with a series I’ve had in my head for 25+/- years. It was then, despite my best efforts, that my burger was really going to pieces – pickles falling out, onions falling out, juice down my hands … that otherwise tasty burger was making me look like a real SLOB! Tom’s book (actually, he said there is going to be two) could exist in the same universe as my book series and we’ve been talking about working on these cooperatively. The prospect has fed my mind – so much so, that to make his book(s) and my books work together it has given me ideas for a back-story book along with two or more books beyond the original four I had thought of – and I’ve been making notes regardless of other things I’ve been needing to focus on.

As we finished up our meeting, and I finished up the last of my broken burger, we touched on two other topics briefly before Tom had to leave. One of these is that we’re looking beyond our 1-off ‘how to self-publish’ presentations. We talked about taking our presentation ‘on the road’ and off of Whidbey Island – we’ve even talked about growing it to where it is a weekend-long workshop with additional presenters. Then, as I was wiping burger juices off of my hands, I introduced a new idea – doing podcasts to promote our writing. I have the gear and the capabilities, and between Tom and I we have plenty to talk about. Tom liked this idea, so I’m sure we’ll talk about it more soon.

Then, Tom and I wrapped our meeting. As our bill got paid we talked with one of the ladies who’s part of the Toby’s bar staff about our presentation. Tom left for an evening of dance, and I left for an evening of practicing bagpipes for a St. Patrick’s Day parade this weekend. Tom didn’t shake my hand when we departed, and after that burger I don’t blame him. And as for Toby’s – it’s dive-bar charm, tasty if sometimes greasy burgers, and view of beautiful Penn Cove – yeah … I’ll be back.

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