Stockton, California

I’m from a place that has deemed the 2nd worst place to live in the United States and the sad part is it’s a small hole in the wall town in Northern California. Well I call it a hole in the wall, compared to Houston, which is where I live now, which is now the 3rd largest city in the country. My family is not one that people would call an ideal family, sorry pop, your words, not mine.
Despite all the negativity it IS where I was born so it will always be my first home.
I am a firm believer that you can find beauty anywhere, if you know how to see it. I have lots of memories of Stockton and for those of you not lucky enough to drive through that little slice of heaven, the best thing I can tell you is watch those shows and movies that take place in L.A. ghettos.
Downtown was nothing special. It’ll take a lot of elbow grease to clean it up. When I was little I use to think to myself, why do we have to have such a dirty downtown. Even the Greyhound station was bad. Now, as an adult I realize that Stockton’s downtown was not that bad, I should know, I worked at Greyhound in downtown Houston and I use to think, just like Stockton.
I use to walk or catch the bus everywhere I went. Summer time was spent at Oak Park, swimming in the pool, learning how to swim from a fat balding old man who looked like Mario from the Super Mario Bro game. My grandmother use to take me to Ports games, Stockton’s minor league baseball team, and she taught me a lesson I still live by today. “They may not be a Major League team but they are your team so you need to support them.” I agree and that’s why no matter what anyone says, I still cheer, GO AREOS!!!
Sorry, that’s a Houston team and I’m talking about Stockton.
Anywho, I remember Stockton having very few movie theaters and my uncle taking me to them all. There was the big one where I seen ET, The Hunt for Red October, Return of the Jedi, and Jurassic Park. There was a little one where we seen two movie on one ticket, that was the best, we spent all day there watching movies.
There were two malls, and they both had a video arcade. Many a quarters were lost in that place. I even remember there was a park, not sure what its called, but the zoo was there, it had a water ride that went around the entire park, and it had a museum. That was my first museum and I swear that the mummy they have on display moved while I was there.
The best, for me anyway, I have a few. The last time I went to Stockton for a visit there was three things I HAD to do. First thing first, when I got back into Stockton it was morning so we had to go to a Spanish bakery and the smell was heaven. Having to park on the street and go inside brought back memories, nothing had changed in the ten years I was away, right down to the pink fading paint on the outside wall.
That night for dinner I HAD to have a Michael’s pizza. When my aunt moved down the street from Michaels I went there all the time, which is where I fell in love with Hawaiian pizza. I went on and on about how I HAD to go to Michaels but my family wouldn’t let me leave the house so my cousin went and picked me up a pizza and that first bite, oh my god it was awesome.
Lastly, Genova Bakery. I have found memories of the smell of that bakery. If you are reading this and living in Stockton you HAVE to go to Genova and take a huge breath, smelling that sweet sweet smell. All I can say it this is what I think of when I think of Italy. YUM!!!!!!!!!!!
Well that’s enough about my home town. While I would not move back there, sorry but California is beautiful, just expensive for me to live in, I would love to go back for a visit. It may not be the best place to live, the crime is high, the streets are dirty, but it’s still a place that I call home.

Life

If you could discribe LIFE in one to five words what would it be?

Home

I’ve been told a million times, “You can never go home again.” I find this a little hard to swallow. There are a lot of questions that could be asked here, a lot of definitions that need to be stated.
First off, isn’t home where you hang your hat, where your heart is? If so then home is with you wherever you go. Along those lines, if home is where you feel safe then home can be anywhere.
If this is true then the other saying, “You can never truly leave home,” makes more sense. Some people feel at home around certain people or in certain places. A scent, a song, a memory, all of these things can be home.
But what about those memories? Places where you spent your childhood, is that the home you can never return to? Is home where your family is, a certain house that everyone goes to instead of their own house. What makes that particular house a home?
What about nomads? People who wonder around, looking for a place to call home, are they homeless even if they have a roof over their heads? Are they looking for a place to call their own or just some place to sleep, shower, and eat?
I have often wondered these questions, even as a child. Torn between two places, two houses that hold memories for me, two cities that I claim as my own and yet, can’t truly claim at all. My soul is a traveling spirit, always looking to the rolling hills and wide open skies, soaring high in the clouds and running hard in the meadows, swimming in pools of blue water while fishing in clear streams.
I say you can never go home because you never really left. Home is in your heart, in your body, rooted deep in your soul. You can not claim any one place, only collect mementoes along the way.
So take a deep breath, fill your lungs with air, your heart with love, your mind with memories. Enjoy the journey you’re on now, home is calling.

My Apologizes

I decided something this morning, I am a writer, at least I think that I am. While I am busy everyday writing, editing, or rewriting something it has occurred to me that I am NOT writing anything that others can read, at least read right now. If I write and no one reads it, is it just ink on paper???
I have two blogs, I have an excuse for not writing on one, but the other, there is none. The Power Tower, http://writingwithpower.blogspot.com, should have something new on it all the time. How often is up for debate.
I seen the movie Julie and Julia yesterday and I think that is the cause for my realization. While I know I can not post something daily, I promise that I will post something at least once a week. I want you, my reader, to hold me to this promise.
Now, if you have not done so already, go to the blog and sign up for email alerts so that you won’t miss any of my exciting rants and raves. I hope to get you involved as well, feel free to leave any comments you wish, it’s always uplifting to know what you think, good or bad, I need the feedback.
Enjoy the rest of the day and see you around the web.

I'm Going International

WHOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!! I'm going international!!! Oh wait, no I'm not. I mean, my books are sold overseas now BUT its not because of my publisher. You would think that MY publisher would want my best interest in mind, since it would translate into more sales for them. Guess not. Here is the latest letter of PROMISE from my publisher. I cant wait for my contract to be up.

Dear Author:

PublishAmerica will submit your book for translation into a foreign language!


PublishAmerica books have already been translated into an array of foreign languages that include Spanish, Greek, Korean, Swedish, and Icelandic.

We will now submit your book for review to the world's number one international publisher, Bertelsmann, which owns publishing companies in numerous countries and sells books in just about every country in the world, in all major languages. They are headquartered in Germany, not far from where the Frankfurt Book Fair takes place.


We will submit not one, but up to five copies of your book to the attention of their foreign rights reviewers, so that they can pass copies around as needed. We will alert you immediately as soon as they show interest, as we have done with other authors whose books piqued translation interest. Since PublishAmerica is not affiliated with Bertelsmann, we would be very proud to see you become yet another translated PublishAmerica author!

Here's how we do it:

If you want to have books on hand, order now, and receive a 50 pct discount!
We will ship your books to you, and we will donate an EXTRA up to five copies
to Bertelsmann's foreign language reviewers, at no cost to you.


Go to www.publishamerica.net, find your book, click on it, then add to cart, indicate quantity, and use this coupon: Foreign50. Then click Recalculate and finish the transaction. Minimum volume is 9 copies.


In the Ordering Instructions field, if you have a special foreign language
in mind that you'd love to see your book translated into, write it down,
and we'll pass it on.

Full-color and hardcovers excluded. Offer expires this weekend on Sunday night.

Thank you,
PublishAmerica Author Support Team

Look Out Sandra Bullock Here Comes The Flood

I’ve heard that age old saying, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” but I’ve had enough. When I first signed on with Publish America I was excited beyond belief that someone wanted to publish my work. That feeling has since past.
Publish America has hurt me more than they ever could have helped me but I’m taking this as a learning experience. I’ve started my own company, Writing With Power, in which I have control over what I release and how much it’s going to cost.
Publish America seems to think that its authors are pure dumb and sends out these emails telling us of these GREAT and wonderful deals. Well now I’m passing the humor onto you, this is where I am biting the hand. Each time I get an email that is such a GREAT deal I am going to repost it. It starts with the email below. Look out Sandra Bullock, you’re about to get flooded.

Dear Author:

PublishAmerica will send your book to Oscar winner Sandra Bullock!

Sunday night's Best Actress won the award for her role in The Blind Side, a movie based on a book that she read before she agreed to play the role.

We will now submit your book to Sandra Bullock and ask her to read it.


Here's how we do it for authors who choose to have a few extra books on hand:


Go to www.publishamerica.net, find your book, click on it, then add to cart, indicate quantity, and use this coupon: SandraBullock25. Then click Recalculate and finish the transaction. Minimum volume is only 6 copies. You will receive your books at a 25 pct discount, and we will print an extra copy that we will send to Sandra Bullock at no cost to you, or more if she requests more, also at no cost to you.


In the Ordering Instructions field, you may write a note for Sandra if you want.
We will include your note when we ship your book to her. Note that PublishAmerica
will keep your note confidential, and that Sandra Bullock may treat your book and
your personal note in any way she chooses.


Full-color and hardcovers excluded. Offer expires this weekend on Sunday night.

Thank you,
PublishAmerica Author Support Team

So am I biting for no reason???

Have You Ever

Have You Ever

Have you ever been in love?
Giving away your heart, body, and soul?
Longing for a touch,
Only they can make you whole?

Have you ever been in love?
Your thoughts no longer your own?
Nothing else matters,
Until you talk in person or on the phone?

Have you ever been in love?
You can’t breathe?
Everything you do
Is for them to receive?

Have you ever been in love?
Have you ever babbled on and on?
Have you ever been in love?
Have you ever felt this strong?

Max M. Power

Truer Words Were Never Spoken

Fake friends never ask for food. Real friends are the reason why u have no food. Fake friends call your parents mr/mrs. Real friends call your parents mom/dad. Fake friends bail u out of jail and tell u wat u did was wrong. Real friends would sit next to u sayin. . "Dam. . We fucked up. . But that shit was fun! Fake friends hav never seen u cry. Real friends cry with u. Fake friends will leave u behind if thats wat the crowd is doing. Real friends will kick the whole crowds ass that left u. Fake friends are for awhile. Real friends are for life. Fake friends will talk shit to the person who talks shit about u. Real friends will knock them the fuck out.