Phil Brown: Blog

There was an old English proverb that my daddy was fond of quoting. It went something like this:

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
If turnips were watches, I'd wear one by my side.
If if's and and's were pots and pans, there'd surely be dishes to do.

From the book of collected poetry by James Orchard Halliwell (1840)

I've had several emails asking for a general update, but being the private person that I am and experiencing what I am going through, I couldn't think of anything to say.

Thanks to all of you who have followed my torturous journey of recovery with your thoughts and prayers and WISHES for a speedy recovery. Please believe me when I tell you I want to write again just as badly as you want me to finish Book 4. (And wait until you see Book 5. I think it's pretty good, at least in my mind…)

For the most part, I am progressing nicely. I am growing stronger every day. However, I WISH every single day that they (the doctors) could do something about the meds.

I can be sitting there watching TV when I think I'll go to the kitchen to get something, but by the time I get there (a dozen steps or so) I can't remember what I went for. Or I will go to the grocery store and forget what I came for. (I have learned the value of making lists). And remembering the names of even simple items is a chore sometimes. Oh, it eventually will come to me, but I have to work for it.

We discussed this lack of concentration with my doctors, and one even did some testing, but they all finally agreed that it was caused by this Daedalean cocktail of medications that I take every day. (Most of them to keep my body from rejecting the experimental valve).

So while I read your emails, and empathize with your desire to have more of the story, I am unsure how to respond. I find myself WISHING every day that I could focus enough to write, but even this short note is pushing the boundary for me. And as for when I'll be able to write, well… hopefully when they reduce some of the medicine load. That's what I'm WISHING for.

My one-year follow-up is next week, and I'll be going back down to the hospital in Atlanta for a few days so they can run their myriad tests and really see how the old ticker is faring. I hope they will decide to lessen the med load so that I can focus better, but if I had to choose, I much prefer living with a lack of concentration, than not living at all.

Still, I do understand your desires for me to continue the story, and so my WISH for you is the patience that I also, am forced to endure at this time.

Best WISHES,

Phil

Wow!!!

Talk about having your mind blown! I posted an appeal for help in editing my new chapters less than 48 hours ago, and I don't think I've done anything else but to reply to your emails and reviewed your edits. And I gotta tell you, I was impressed with the editing abilities of so many of you. Wow, again!

A special thank you to Jay Cantrell, who jumped in and helped me out on this chapter. He even taught me a new word to go along with some fantastic suggestions to make the story better. How I wish he could edit for me for more, but I understand he has his own stories to write. If you haven't checked out "A Toast in an Empty Bar", take a look. It's well-crafted and powerfully written, and it is sure to move you.

If you're following Book four, then note that I have submitted newly edited chapters 1 thru 18.

Also, just an F.Y.I… the newest chapter, Chapter 19 has been submitted to SOL and should be posted soon. This has to be the single most edited chapter I have ever submitted with over a dozen editors contributing something.

Thank you again to everyone who responded for all your help. Hope you enjoy the story.

Phil Brown

Hi boys and girls,

For the record, (and all of you who emailed your warm wishes for a speedy recovery), it appears that you might get what you asked for.

It seems that I finally got what I asked for… a new heart valve!

Back in June, I finally got a new mitral valve, and in the process became the first person in the nation to get a new, experimental one at that. And they didn't have to cut my sternum open again to do it!

So far, so good.

Anyway, I have begun to feel much better and have finally started writing again. However, I have run into a tiny problem. While I have the next two chapters almost ready, it seems that a couple of my editors are no longer available to me.

So… I need a couple of new editors so I can start posting again.

If you'd like to volunteer, the work is not too hard. Just a good basic understanding of spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and an eagle eye for spotting mistakes. An ideal job for a left-brained detail-oriented, with OCD. And the pay is great! It's the same as I get!

Email me very soon if you're interested. I really want to get posting again!

Phil

No... I'm not dead!

Yet!

Although there are days when I feel real close to it.

Just so you know, the hospital has finally received all of the necessary approvals, and I am scheduled to go under the scalpel by the end of the month. If all goes according to plan, I will soon become the first person in the world to receive Medtronic's/Twelve Inc.'s new TMVR valve.

If it works, I should be well enough to start writing again soon. In addition to finishing Second Time Through, I have come up with several other story ideas that I want to pursue.

As always, to those of you who have taken time to write, my sincere thanks.

Phil

It has always been my personal policy to try and answer any legitimate questions about my story, and while the following email didn't actually ask a question, it did seem to beg for an explanation.

They wrote:

"Every time my fingers touched her dehiscent pussy's anthesis, it made me wonder if she would even make it through her trim without climaxing."

(from Second Time Through - Book II - Chapter 22: Six Flags Over Georgia)

Dear Phil,
I consider myself well read. But you have me chasing professional words that are outside the literary norm. Dehiscent? Anthesis?
Good job. Please keep it up even though it is ignored by most readers.

(Name omitted)


And here is my reply:

Dear (Name),

You're correct, most readers probably stumbled over both words and just went on, however, a few readers did notice and took the time to drop me a note.

Some actually had a botanical background and either laughed at me or applauded my inventive use of the terms.

Several more were teachers or professors of English. They mostly thought I was taking too much liberty in my usage.

Others were professional wordsmiths (authors) and they all laughed at the usage.

And many more were simply readers who were too curious to let such distinctive and unusual words go by without stopping and looking them up. They almost all were laughing at my (very) liberal and somewhat tongue-in-cheek use of the botanical terminology.

However, as in many cases, there is actually a story behind that particular scene.

It was the result of a challenge from one of the guys on the construction crew I worked on at the time.

Every day, I would carry my laptop with my lunch pail, and while the other guys ate their lunch and relaxed, I was busy typing with one hand and holding my sandwich in the other. They started out teasing me a lot at first, but then several of them began to want to know what I was writing every day.

One thing lead to another and finally, I started printing out each chapter as I finished it and they would pass it around. They were a tough audience and I figured if it passed muster with them, it might be readable for others.

One day, one of the guys bet me that I couldn't come up with an original way of writing a sex scene. The rest of the crew were the judges, so I went to work.

A few days later, I passed out written copies of the chapter. While not a single one of them could probably pronounce either word, I was prepared and had a print-out of both words and their botanical meanings.

It was a lively lunch break that day, as they all sat around and debated. I wish you could have been there, listening to seven tough and dirty rednecks, sitting in the mud while discussing the literary significance of "...her dehiscent pussy's anthesis,"

Anyway, they finally decided and we all enjoyed a few beers that night at my crew-mate's expense.

I decided to leave it in the posted version simply because it was so much fun.

So... (with apologies to Mr. Harvey)... Now you know the rest of the story.

Thank you for reading my story and for taking the time to write,

Phil