WfW ~ 31 May ...

Image Source: Bing

 It's the last day of my commitment to the American Cancer Society to write for 30 minutes a day in May.

Click here to go to my fundraiser page.

I am also writing with Words for Wednesday, which can be found here.

This is a continuing WfW story that started here on April 5th.

 Once we had gotten settled in the office and made sure that Rose was safe, we decided to travel two towns away to use the public library computers for researching the names on the IDs I had taken from the men at Chuck E Cheese.  The library was an imposing building in an otherwise small and nondescript town.  There were two large concrete lions on both sides of the stairs leading up to the front door.

 "Excuse me, we're looking for your computer resources room?"

 "Do you have a library card with us?"

 "Um, no.  What do I need to provide?"

 "Do you have any sort of government-provided identification?"

 I thought quickly and handed her one of the two CIA IDs that looked closest to me.

 "George Adams, is it?  You don't look like your picture."

 "I was involved in a bomb explosion on an assignment.  The plastic surgeons had to make some drastic choices when they were reconstructing my face.  I only recently was able to take off all the bandages and haven't yet had my ID photo updated."

 "Hmmm.  Well, he did a wonderful job.  I can't even see any scars.  Let me just get you a card and you'll be able to access the computers."

 "Thank you.  He's one of our best surgeons, of course.  Usually, he systematically takes on our witness protection cases and works to give them a completely new identity."

 "Oh my!  Is there any way I could get his name and number?"

 "Only if you are going to testify in a case against an international child or drug trafficking predator, but I can't imagine what you would need his number for.  You are a very attractive woman just as you are."

 She blushed and turned away, and I felt Jack's elbow dig into my ribcage.

 "Could I get the card, and you can just point me in the direction of the computers?"

 Ten minutes later, Jack and I were reviewing the information that Google and Bing had provided on Mr. Adams and his partner, Ralph Harrison.

 "You know Simon, occasionally you can tone down the lies you tell to get information.  Plastic surgery to change your looks?  Do you think the CIA would actually do that?"

 "Why wouldn't they?  The cartels and mafia do it.  I'm sure sexual predators probably do it too.  Serial killers. If they are on the run or want to keep their crimes from being pinned to one identity."

 "Maybe, but just be careful because we don't want to be able to be identified either if these searches set off an alert somewhere on their names.  We'd be right in the middle of a government firestorm and that librarian would be able to pick you right out of a lineup with as much attention she was paying to your face."  

 "You're right.  I probably shouldn't have laid it on so thick.  Are you coming up with anything at all on Harrison?"

 "Nothing specific.  It would be nice if we could have done this at the office with our research software programs that would have given us access to more background information. The first result I landed on with Bing just says that he invented Hawaiian Punch Fruit Drink.  But that guy died in California in 1990."

 "Well, I didn't want anything tracked through our IPA address to the temp office.  This way if they are tracking the searches on those names, they'll pop up in a town away from where we really are.  If we can stay out of sight for a few days, maybe we can figure out what is really going on.  I'm not having much luck either on this Adams guy.  Apparently, he was either a jazz musician that died in 1992, or the son of President John Adams and died in 1829."

 "So if we can't access any background check systems without drawing attention and raising red flags, what about the coins?  You still have pictures of them on your cell phone, right?  Maybe we can find out what would be involved in reproducing coins that look like them and see if that can get us some information on who might have created them in the first place.  I'm really not buying this "Humans from the Future" story that Rose is still hung up on."

 "Good idea.  Look to see if there is a metalsmith anywhere near here."

30 May ...

  I'm writing as part of my commitment to the American Cancer Society to write for 30 minutes a day in May.

Click here to go to my fundraiser page.

 It's almost the end of the challenge.  I have to confess that there were some days when just writing was a challenge.  Thinking of what to write, and days, when I wanted to write on something I knew, would be controversial.

 I recently watched a four-episode documentary called [link>] "The Secrets of Hillsong."  It was a sad, but yet fascinating look at the rise and fall of a church that I once followed on television.  What I found most interesting were the similarities (growth goals, financial giving, and demands on volunteers) between Hillsong and a church I went to before.  But most heartbreaking for me were the "victims" who were either shunned from the church, publicly humiliated, or left because of bias whose faith had been changed because of the church.

 When I posted a link to the documentary on Facebook and my thoughts on it, there were of course pro and con comments regarding it.  One comment felt that such documentaries did more harm to the church than the fallen preachers did, but I would have to disagree.  I think having your eyes opened by the truth behind why a church failed should encourage other churches to have more honest accountability.

 Regardless of which side of the fence someone is, it was a sad ending to what had once been a powerful and encouraging church that I received a great deal from at a time when I needed hope.

29 May ...

 I'm writing as part of my commitment to the American Cancer Society to write for 30 minutes a day in May.

Click here to go to my fundraiser page.

 I spent most of the day still getting plants into pots between raindrops.  The sun did come out occasionally between the raindrops, which was a good and promising thing.  I'm at the point of almost running out of planters, and trying to figure out where to put what.  For now, I have some plants 2-4 in a pot, but I know I can divide them as they get larger. 

 But I started the day with a look at used cars, which felt positive, and hopeful.  The prospect of actually being able to get a car soon is beyond exciting for me.

 But Tuesday is looming, and work.  It will be a busy week as I try to catch up with chores I put off while planting and make sure that the garden doesn't dry out too much after a good 24 hours of rain.  

 Life is good.

28 May ...

Just a new
little friend.

 I'm writing as part of my commitment to the American Cancer Society to write for 30 minutes a day in May.

Click here to go to my fundraiser page.

 Weather from a tropical storm south of us moved into the area late afternoon, but I was able to continue getting some of the vegetable seedlings into pots before I finally came in.  We need the rain.  El Nino is going to be rough on us this year.  Hot and dry.  Hopefully, hurricane season, which starts on 1 June, won't be harsh for the south but will bring us some rain. 

 If I renew my lease for next year, I'm thinking of finding a way to turn the shed in the yard into a greenhouse.  It leaks a little as it is, but I may be able to replace the roof with the fiberglass panels used to make greenhouses.  Or .... use old windows from Habitat for Humanity and use the frame to rebuild it with them.  I will need to see what the inside frame looks like and take some measurements.

 Tomorrow I should be able to finish getting the seedlings planted if the rain holds off or isn't heavy.

  Fingers crossed.