G. Michael Vasey's Blog: The Wacky World of Dr. Vasey, page 63
January 7, 2015
A Journey to the End of the world
I remember one day deciding with a friend that we would explore the very edge of our world. We jumped on our bicycles and set off resolutely in that general direction. After about 15-minutes, we had already entered an entirely new world about which we knew only rumor. Here, there were supposed to be roaming gangs that if they caught you, would carry you off to their secret lairs in the ‘blackgang’. We felt, well, very brave to have gone so far and to be in someone else’s territory.
Parking our bikes by the side of the street, we entered some gardens discovering a veritable paradise of willow trees and grass surrounding a small private pond. It was magical and it was someone else’s secret garden as we had hauled ourselves over a 6 foot brick wall to get there. To me, this was a secret and deeply mystical world. The grass and the drooping willows gently moving in the breeze stirred my imaginative juices and I recall sitting there savoring the atmosphere.
Of course, we were afraid that whatever Giant owned this garden, they would be miffed to find us trespassing there, so we shortly left taking one last long look back over our shoulders, hopping back on bikes and cycling down the street home just as fast as we could. We half expected to hear the thump of feet as we were chased down the street. We half expected to meet the members of ‘blackgang’ on the trek back. Of course, we arrived home safely and enjoyed a sandwich and fizzy drink in front of the TV.
I recall this expedition with clarity. I recall the feelings and emotions. I recall the secret garden at the end of the world. It was magical day in a magical childhood.
Not so long ago, I had an opportunity to go back to my childhood house in Westlands Rd., Hull. A quick stroll up the street, one block essentially, and I found that ‘blackgang’ was now a sprawling housing estate rather than the square of bomb damaged wasteland it was when I was growing up. Another block and I found a block of flats and peering over the brick wall, I was surprised to find the magical garden. It was much smaller than I recalled and there was just one willow tree there and a small muddy green pond unkempt and overgrown.
Imagination is an incredible thing. Far better than the reality we surround ourselves with. On the other hand, perhaps that reality is created through our imagination? In which case, we simply need to imagine better just like I did as a boy. Just like we all did when we were kids.
Tagged: Childhood memories, imagination
January 5, 2015
Ski Weekends
We went skiing this last weekend.
That sounds like a lot of fun doesn’t it? It sort of conjures an image of daring and sportiness, Apres ski, and so on.
When I say we, I really mean my partner and daughter went skiing. Off they went and down they came the ski slope again and again and again. Me, I either watched them shivering in the freezing cold breeze, or you would have found me skiing several times down the last 50 meters or so of the slope, cursing like a trooper, moving like a skewered Giraffe on drugs and sweating like a … well, pig actually.
You see, Skiing terrifies me.
It sounds good. I’m going skiing! The reality is that anything more than 15 degrees sloped downwards and I can’t. My legs, back and arms tense up so much that it actually looks as if I have muscles. I begin to sweat in total and utter fear. It doesn’t matter how hard I try to convince myself I can do it, I just know that I can’t.
Meanwhile, kids the age of 4 go whizzing past me laughing like crazy banshees as they go. It just makes it worse. It just makes me feel so ashamed and guilty that I didn’t see a skiing slope until the age of 43 and not again until I was 47. That I didn’t really try skiing until I was over 50. Had I learned at 4 like these Czech kids, I too would be whizzing by like EVERYONE else on the slope.
I stagger back up the hill. The boots feel like vices around my ankles and I cannot walk in them. The skis actually seem to weigh a ton and have a life of their own. I reach my destination and dump the skis down. It takes me 5 minutes to get my feet in the bloody things and I nearly fall over, or rather do the slow splits several times trying. Eventually, I look right and left for whizzing kids and, spotting a gap, I push myself out. I criss cross the slope about 10 times doing 3 mph and do a snow plough stop 50m down slope.
I wave at my daughter, 7 years old, as she whizzes past me shouting “Daddy, Daddy, look….” She has now learned to stop properly somehow leaning into the skis and showering everyone around in shaved ice. It just makes me feel worse. I quit totally demoralized and after taking 20 minutes to remove the vice-like boots (which have resulted in swollen legs), I trudge off for my hot chocolate…… if I wasn’t driving I’d have a drink, God knows I need one.
Tagged: Aging, all me, skiing, sports
My Haunted Life Updates
In two days, 102 people have downloaded My Haunted Life Too on Kindle and it is #1 in the Supernatural category on Amazon.com but bizarrely unranked on Amazon.co.uk. Anyhow, thanks to all who have downloaded it and it will be available for a couple more days yet so do go and grab it while you can.
Meanwhile, My Haunted Life 3 is getting pre-orders at 99cents. This will be last in the series (at least thats the current plan). The original My Haunted Life is also selling quite well. However, I am hoping that the entire series will sell increasingly well in the coming months introducing my writing to a broader audience in the process.
Please do write reviews as well if you happen to read the books…
Tagged: Announcements, Books
January 3, 2015
My Haunted Life Too – Free on Kindle
My Haunted Life Too is free on Kindle for 5-days. Go grab a copy and scare yourself! Don’t forget to pick up the other books in the trilogy as well! See below for links to amazon.com purchase pages….
My Haunted Life Too (FREE!!!)
Tagged: Announcements, Books
January 2, 2015
The My Haunted Life Trilogy – Final Book
My Haunted Life started off as a book idea to help broaden my readership (from magic to paranormal) and to utilize material from my blog supplemented by new stories as well. The first book – My Haunted Life – sold well and is still selling well and it prompted the idea for a second book – My Haunted Life Too. The second book went out only in Kindle format and it too is selling well.
Well, in the book world, things usually come in three’s and so yes – a final book in this series is in the works with the rather unique and obvious title… My Haunted Life 3! Like its two predecessors, it is a collection of true short stories of strange experiences in life; both mine and others. These are not just ghost stories but stories of strange coincidences, poltergeist, weird incidents and other such glitches in the Matrix of life. They will make your flesh crawl and are probably best read in daylight hours. They will also make you think about reality and the way that we create it.
My Haunted Life 3 is already available for pre-order on all Amazon sites. I can tell you that it has some super stories in it – I wrote them recently so I should know right? I will likely feature one or two of them nearer its release but for now – catch a look at this cover! I think it is the best yet.
The final iteration in the My Haunted Life series will likely be to combine all three volumes as a paperback collectors issue. I suspect that will happen in March or April so until then, grab your Kindle versions on Amazon.
Tagged: my haunted life 3, paranormal short stories
December 31, 2014
New Year Celebration?
Please forgive me for being a party pooper but I dislike New Year. I think I detest it because I simply don’t understand it. What are we celebrating?
I suppose we are pleased to be getting rid of one year and welcoming a new one with all its potential. But don’t we do exactly that every single day? What is so special about this particular day?
And if I am to celebrate the potential of a new year then why does it begin with a hangover? what a great start – a late night and too much alcohol – the new year is already ruined before it even began!
No, if it were down to me, I’d be going to bed at a normal hour and treating it like any other day in my life. Frankly, I would rather it were still 2014 when I wake up tomorrow anyway. Why would I celebrate getting older by another year? Hell, I am still trying to figure out why 2014 went by so fast…
In fact, life is speeding up. 2014 was so quick and I know 2015 will be even faster. Slow down please!
No, I am sorry, but this is one tradition I could live without.
Happy Holidays!
Tagged: Aging, all me
Poetry Featured in Ljagun Poetry Journal
Two of my poems are published in the December edition of Ljagun Poetry Journal. The poems are ‘Big Man’ and ‘Summer is Here’ and they can be found on pages 37 and 38 of the issue.
The Journal can be downloaded in PDF format here.
My thanks to the editors for accepting my work.
Tagged: Poetry
December 30, 2014
A Yorkshire Christmas
Christmas Eve was spent collecting Ammonites on a cold, blustery but magnificently beautiful day on the Yorkshire coast. We found lots of these whirly fossils in the lower Jurassic of Ravenscar and the walk down and then back up the cliffs was refreshing and invigorating. This experience was topped off with a delicious cream tea at Raven Hall Hotel. It couldn’t have been any better.
As the three of us trooped down the muddy path, I reflected on the many trips around Yorkshire fossil hunting I had done with my late Father. Not only did we hunt fossils but we explored the area in depth. Roman roads, ancient burial sites, viking villages. You name it, we did it. We even found a whole bunch of iron age pottery that we donated to the Yorkshire museum – Staxtonware – from the valley just at the Scarborough side of Staxton hill. I was back in my element and enjoying that.
We took a look at the Alum works and I tried to explain to my daughter that the rocks above us were brought down to this place and treated with gallons of human pee brought by ship from Hull to the south. I asked her the question my Father had once asked me, “Can you imagine how it would have smelled here?” By the wrinkled nose look she gave me, she probably could.
After the cream tea, it was back to Beverley to finish the trifle we had left there that my Mother had made at my request. Delicious!
My daughter had never experienced Santa delivering presents. In the Czech republic, they are delivered by Jezisek and on Christmas Eve conveniently just after dinner. She enjoyed ripping open the presents that morning and she opened everyones just for good measure. She was also fascinated by the Christmas crackers and managed to go through a couple of boxes of them! Just the thing for her, little plastic novelty gifts and party hats in everyone!
Christmas dinner followed and she enjoyed traditional turkey and trimmings followed by Christmas pudding and rum sauce. Actually, she didn’t much care for the pudding which meant I got double helpings….
It was a brilliant experience for my daughter but it was also nice to be with my Mother and family back in the place I was born for Christmas for the first time in over 30-years. Hull City even managed an away win on Boxing Day……
Tagged: Childhood memories, christmas
December 22, 2014
Happy Holidays!
Well, I am going to take a break this week and won’t be back until next Monday. For the first time, we will celebrate Xmas elsewhere and leave tonight. Thanks to everyone for stopping by periodically and humoring my madness with your eyes and sometimes your hearts (and even wallets?). It’s been a good year really and I hope 2015 will be good too!
If you are still searching desperately for presents – how about a book? One of MY books? The Last Observer perhaps or My Haunted Life?
Otherwise, Happy Holidays!
See you all in a week.
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