McHuston Booksellers

Rare, Collectible, & Otherwise

Tag: Bestsellers (Page 5 of 71)

Faith an’ Begorrah! Another St. Paddy’s Day in the Books.

March 17, 2016 /

If you’re lucky enough to be Irish, then you’re lucky enough. And EVERYBODY is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. I’m writing this thinking back on the days of Paddy’s Irish in Tulsa, when the lunch hour was over and we could begin gearing up for the big night.

Because it was during the evening hours that everything kicked into gear. Standing room only, five-deep around the bar, plates and plates of corned beef, live music, and the annual march-through of the kilt-clad bagpipers.

StPat2

My kilt still fits, as it turns out. (It hasn’t changed, but I have – and I’m lucky to be back down to once-a-year-kilt-wearing-size.) I didn’t march around with any bagpipes, but I did run behind my daughter on several occasions carrying drinks and plates of corned beef.

They were plates to be proud of, to my way of thinking. I made a lot of corned beef in my Tulsa restaurant days at Paddy’s Irish (not just a once-a-year thing), and Dustin’s offering at our St. Patrick’s lunch today was everything you’d expect. Attractive on the plate, delicious to the taste. And as our neighbor at Hollow Tree Gifts (a find shopping boutique in the Rose District!) – as JoAnn reported back, “it’s so tender a baby could eat it!”

We sold out, needless to say, but made it almost through the lunch service before switching to the shepherd’s pies and the regular menu. Better to run out than throw out, the way I look at it.

A public Thanks! to Kristen for waiting the tables today, and another big Thanks! to Dustin for all his hard work in the kitchen. There is no question that – as fun as St. Patrick’s Day was at Paddy’s back in the day – I enjoyed our shamrock and corned beef lunch party a lot more. Less stress. Shorter hours.

And fewer Irish-revelers hanging on to the floor for dear life and partying into the wee hours.

So, I’ll be putting some of the party decorations away. Others stay put. We’re Irish everyday here, not just around the seventeenth of March. Remember, there are no strangers here, only friends you’ve not yet met. So,

Come visit!

McHuston

(PS The strangers and friends line is courtesy of our Irish poet friend W.B Yeats, from whom I borrow with gratitude.)

Check out the Check. A writer’s life.

March 3, 2016 /

Ahhhhh, the high-powered, high-paying career of the published author! Another day, another royalty check dropped off by the postman. And – if you believe that, you’ll want to steer clear of that professional fact-checker job.

It’s true that a lot of people bring home a regular paycheck through their writing, but whether that check covers all the bills or not depends on the type of typing being done every day. I’ve tapped at the keys most of my life, which is ironic.

aSparkleBook

Taking the class at MHS, home of the Buffaloes, I managed a pretty decent typing speed (until subtracting for the typos…). At the time, I thought it was a pretty useless enterprise since I had no plans to incorporate typing into my career plans. That same muddled high school thinking went into my assessment of algebra. What in the world would ever require THAT stuff?

Oh.

Computer programming. It turns out that those formula and variable writing skills from high school came in pretty handy when I started doing some contract programming. I thought it was fun, getting that computer to do things, so I took it up as a sort of hobby. (Classic definition of a nerd, I believe.)

In the long run, the algebra class paid off in larger paychecks than the typing class, although without that high school learnin’ I might have been the first ever “hunt and peck” keyboard operator. As a hobby, the programming certainly paid better than the creative writing.

royaltyCheck

Witness – the aforementioned royalty check, which may be small enough in the image that you can’t see the little number. You can click on the picture to enlarge it but it won’t make the dollar amount any bigger. In the spirit of full disclosure (and so as to not unfairly discourage a budding author from the lure of a career), this particular check only covered eBook sales from a single title.

Obviously, I’m not setting the Nook and Kindle world ablaze with my published works.

Still, it reminds me of that first-ever payment I received for something I had written. It was a pretty good feeling. (Ah heck. It was a GREAT feeling, even if the check barely covered a nice steak dinner.)

There are some authors that have had enough books published that they are likely making a living on piles of these little checks. And I think that would be just fine too. I’m content knowing that those years of typing out radio copy, news stories, press releases, and advertising scripts brought in enough to pay the rent.

These days, writing pays the bills – but it is the writing of others in hardback and paperback. Oh, and the writing out of the guest checks when the lunches have all been served. No typing involved there.

Someone asked me if I was working on a new book. Hmmmm. Not regularly. And if I ever get around to finishing the ones on the hard-drive it will be for just for the fun of putting a copy on the bookshelf.

‘Cause it won’t be for the big royalty check…

We’re writing up some lunchtime specials every day, so –

Come visit!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow OK!

Did you ever just consider what went on?

February 14, 2016 /

How was your day? WAIT! Before you answer that… let me ask you a couple of questions. Okay? The day.

Maybe you didn’t have to be up by a certain time today and you got to sleep in… already a reason for a positive start. The alarm banged you awake?

At least, you woke up.

question

Had the day off, did ya? Being a weekend and all. How can a day like that be anything but glorious? A day OFF! I get wobbly-kneed just thinking about such a thing. Oh. Wait a minute. You mean you had to work? Like we did?

Well.

We had jobs to go to, didn’t we?

Even if it is work that is less than pleasant, it pays a bill or two doesn’t it? Or – if it the work amounts to gotta-do-it work (called honey-do jobs in my generation), maybe you got something accomplished you can scratch off the list. If it wasn’t finished, maybe you made progress.

If it didn’t get done, was it because of a cough?

Well, then maybe at least you have your health. Where is this going? To this point – nowhere. We can get so caught up in the day to day that we sometimes forget to see where we are. You know, like all those float trips down the river. Paddle, paddle, paddle, and if you don’t look up, you don’t realize you’re making progress.

Sometimes it is good to rest the oars and just let the river carry you onward.

How was your day?

Did you speak to anyone? Did they respond? Did you smile once? Maybe more than once? Did you have a chance to grin and let it slip by? (That happens.) Did you receive a compliment and feel good about it? Did you compliment someone? Did you finish on time? Did you drive to work without crashing? Were the traffic lights in your favor, and if not, was there a good song on the radio that made the waiting bearable?

Did you drive on the expressway without having to coming to a complete halt? (Even after so many years of driving the BA, I did not realize this happens everyday. Those of you dealing with it have the gift of patience and get good-day bonus points….)

How was your day?

Did you see someone who means the world to you? Did you tell them “I love you?” Did you walk outside on a sunny February day in Oklahoma and remember that folks in other parts of the country have to don heavy overcoats, hats, gloves, and galoshes (remember THAT word?) just to step onto the front porch?

My alarm went off, and I don’t recall upon awakening being thankful for being alive. It’s hard for me to reflect on something just started. But the day is over and now I have the time.

I’m glad I woke up today. And, I’m happy that I had the chance to race around and do my work. It was a tough day, but the three most-taxing hours got completed with a sense of pride and accomplishment. People told me they enjoyed their lunches. People hoped I would tell Dustin what a good job he does preparing the meals. I did.

The car started. I drove to the house without incident. There was a good movie on. I watched it and enjoyed the ending. As the credits rolled up the screen, I thought back on the movie. And the day.

I had hugged her. And she hugged me back.

Sometimes simple things can make a day. I hope you can remember all the little things that go in to making a great day. They are so easily overlooked, like diamonds scattered along a sandy beach.

Remember someone today, and tell them how you feel if given the chance.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow, OK!

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2024 McHuston Booksellers

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑