Wednesday, June 03, 2009, 8:18:32 PM
Steven Harper Piziks     IP: 99.53.108.166

You're welcome, Jonathan. I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Just downloaded your book. I'm really enjoying it so far.....Thanks!!

Hey, thanks, Kyra. And long live O'Carolan!

Greetings from a harpist

First, my fervent thanks: your writing about folk-harp over pedal helped me realize my devotion to that music, and get out of an orchestra that was fast becoming a negative experience to turn back to what I love. Long live O'Carolan.

Also, fulfilling the request of noting a download of the book. My third copy, but you can never have too many copies of a good book.
-K

Good luck, Gary! I hope everything works beautifully for you!

--Steven

Very Interesting Blog. Leaving for Ukraine in a month for 2 boys.Very nice to read of your experiences.

Fred--

Huh! The artist will have quite a time adapting that--there's so little description, I don't know how anyone could envision the world. (Snark snark snark.) I guess someone must think the property would do well enough, sales-wise, though.

Steven, I just finished reading all of your guestbook comments, all the way back to july of 2004. I enjoyed it very much and I tried before to post a comment and I do not know if it ever worked. Ahh, life, the agony and the ecstacy!

Hey Steven, in case you haven't heard recently, Marvel Comics has been making a big push of adapting best selling authors' works into the comic/graphic novel format. Oddly, Ender's Game will be debuting this fall. Looking at your synopsis of the book, I find it hard to envision such a translation.
Thoughts?

Isaac! Hi! Welcome. I'm glad you liked my class enough to miss it later. :) Poke your head in my room and say hi sometime!

Hi Mr. Piziks! I just stumbled across this site! Weird, huh?

I miss your class :(

Deal! :)

I very well remember those drive-in restaurants like what you ate at. I used to cruise up and down the main street in Saginaw with my friends and we went from drive-in to drive-in. There were three that I can remember. Great fun was had by all!!! We'll have to go there to eat next time I come down.

Sarah--

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. I'm planning to make CORPORATE MENTALITY available, too. Watch for it!

--Steven

I've been reading your journal for a few years now (I first found you through the adoption journal), but had never read one of your books. There is a lot of bad science fiction out there, and so I'm often reluctant to spend what limited reading time I have on a new-to-me author without some reason to think I'll enjoy it.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I read In the Company of Mind this week and liked it quite a bit. The fact that each of the alters served an important role in Lance's life and career (ie, they had different skills beyond just helping Lance cope with the abuse) really made it work for me - they essentially functioned as separate characters in the novel and I enjoyed watching their interactions.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your work with all of us. I see from your website that there was a sequel as well. Any chance that will make it online some day?

Traci--

You're out there collecting battle scars. Eventually, an editor will get tired of rejecting you and will buy something. (That's how Marion Bradley always put it, anyway.) Or something more.

Writing off-balance people is difficult (takes a lot of research), but fun, and it's a little scary sometimes, getting that deep inside their heads. :)

--Steven

Congrats on finishing the book! Yaaaay! I've been busy collecting rejection letters, myself. Woohoo! Lance's father was schizophrenic? Oops, I missed that, but then I was reading for the MPD. Oh, and I read your BSG book. I liked it, though I've only seen one episode. I must say, though, that you do have a talent for writing mentally unbalanced characters. The doctor guy came out really well.

Yep, I figured that. :) A big part of the sections that take place in the past are about Lance dealing with a schizophrenic father.

I just realized what I wrote could be misread -- I was comparing my disturbed family member with Lance's father, not Lance, who of course had MPD and wasn't schizophrenic.

-- Lee

Lee--

You're welcome. :) I'm glad I got the tone right regarding life with a schizophrenic. The research (which was theoretical and not biographical, thank heavens) was both difficult and disturbing, and so was some of the writing. Heh.

--Steven

Clearly my mother disagrees. :)

--Steven

Hi Steven,

I've just now finished "In the Company of Mind." All I can say is, wow. The book has a great first half but the second half is even better, developing a breakneck speed so that it's un-put-down-able. I can't say that it's always an easy book to read -- there are some scenes of abuse that can be a bit difficult -- but it's always fascinating and compelling.

I grew up with a schizophrenic family member, and I think you've captured very well the very distinctive kind of stress that a family goes through when living day by day with a family member who's mentally and/or emotionally disturbed. I sincerely hope you gained this knowledge through research and not through personal experience!

So I've now read five of your novels, and I look forward to reading more. Thanks again for writing them, and for making ITCOF available!

-- Lee

Yeah, right!

It's true that women still do most of the housework these days, but anymore I'm rapidly losing sympathy for them. Why would you marry a man who won't do his share around the house? These days, it isn't expected that household chores be done by just the woman and that her job is just for "extra money." I've heard female teachers at my school complain that their husbands don't do housework, and I tell them to make them do it. Go on strike. Refuse to do it. Too tired to cook? Tell hubby it's his turn--or make just enough for yourself and tell the kids Daddy's going to make supper for them. Then leave for a couple hours. Do only your own laundry and tell hubby to get off his butt and learn to use the washer. The only reason men don't do more housework is because the women do it for them.

Given that statistically we know that women still do most of housework in the average home, it may well be very enlightening to some of those husbands to learn just how much support work goes into running the home that they've been taking for granted.

Bob--Cool! I hope you like it. :)

Bethany--Hi! (Hey, everyone, this is my sister Bethany. She's a dentist in Cadillac, Michigan.) You'll probably be pleasantly surprised at how many people find your practice's site, actually, and at how many spam-bots find it. :) I did get the card. Thanks! And now you get to turn 40. We'll call about Sasha's appointment very soon. Kala got sick and that made everything suddenly very busy for me at home.

--Steven

Hi Steven,
I am surprised at how popular your blog is! (that is not meant to be an insult--I just had no idea how many people read these things!!) I am creating a website for the transition of my practice...hopefully many people will find it, or at least one right person. Hope you are feeling better. Did you get my birthday card? Are you going to call and make Sasha an appointment?
ttyl, Bethany

Hi Steve,
I just downloaded a copy of "The Company of the Mind." Thanks for making it available for us. I'll let you know my thoughts on your book after I read it. Thanks again.....Bob

Denise-- We'd talked about getting Sasha's bones scanned but never did it. Maybe we should revisit that.

Lee-- Thanks! I'm glad you're liking THE COMPANY. And on the Amazon Kindle. There's a lot of buzz about it in the publishing world. It may be the first device that actually makes e-publishing worth something!

Hi Steven, just wanted to let you know I downloaded "In the Company of Mind". Thank you very much for making it available! I'm halfway through it and I'm really enjoying it. It's a very powerful novel, especially considering it was your first published novel. I love how a compelling narrative is told while at the same time we gradually learn more about the protagonist and his situation. Bravo!

By the way, I'm reading it on my Amazon Kindle, which I'm also enjoying.

-- Lee

Have you ever considered having bone scans done on Sasha? It is possible to get birth certifcates adjusted.

I wouldn't be surprised if my son was a bit younger than we think, but unfortunately malnutrition and years of Prednisone in his system have stunted his growth anyway, so it's impossbible to accurately tell.

Julie--

I'm glad you liked the books. I certainly loved writing them (when I wasn't beating my head against the wall, anyway). Was NIGHTMARE that long ago? Oof. Unfortunately, sales weren't strong enough for the publisher to want more Silent Empire books, so OFFSPRING was the last one. But I got to do four books in a genre where most series run three, so that's a win, I guess. If I'd been able to do a fourth book, I would have jumped forward a few years to when baby Evan and Ara were teenagers and getting into troublesome adventures of their own, dragging their silvering fathers Kendi and Ben with them while their younger brothers and sisters looked on in horror and/or envy. :)

--Steven

Mr Piziks-
Hello! I know this is a long long long shot, but I was wondering if you had any plans at all to continue your Silent Empire Series. I found the copy I had of "Nightmare" in the sixth grade in the back of my closet while moving out of my parents house ( I am now a 2nd year college student!) and blasted my way through the series without any sleep. I know they way you left it in "Offspring" it could really go either way, but i figured I would at least ask.. i am such a huge fan of that series, its crazy!

I agree with Janet. I've had a few chalazions (similar to a sty), which had to be surgically removed, and my doctor told me that if I felt one developing that I should use hot wet compresses to try to get rid of it.

Great advice, Janet. I =have= been using warm compresses, and they do help. I wish there were a way to keep them warm longer, because they feel good, too. The sty is gone . . . for now.

I've really enjoyed reading about your boys' adoption (and their ongoing adventures).

You mentioned that you get sties much more often than you'd like. I don't know if this will work for you, but as a pharmacist, I've always recommended two things to treat a sty. First, don't touch it, no matter how much it itches or burns, as it so often does before it swells up. Second, apply warm compresses to the area every 15 to 30 minutes. Run a washcloth under very-warm-to-hot water (use your judgement and your own comfort level here; I can stand, and use, pretty hot water), wring it out, and place against the eye for several minutes, until you feel the hot washcloth cooling down. Do this for at least 4 or so repetitions. (You may need to repeat the warm compress sessions more than once over the course of the day.) Many times, this procedure will abort the sty before it swells much- or at all - and it seems to shorten the resolution time considerably. I've used the warm compress method and had a sty gone the next morning. Best of all - no money spent on physician visits or prescriptions.

I've really enjoyed reading about your boys' adoption (and their ongoing adventures).

You mentioned that you get sties much more often than you'd like. I don't know if this will work for you, but as a pharmacist, I've always recommended two things to treat a sty. First, don't touch it, no matter how much it itches or burns, as it so often does before it swells up. Second, apply warm compresses to the area every 15 to 30 minutes. Run a washcloth under very-warm-to-hot water (use your judgement and your own comfort level here; I can stand, and use, pretty hot water), wring it out, and place against the eye for several minutes, until you feel the hot washcloth cooling down. Do this for at least 4 or so repetitions. (You may need to repeat the warm compress sessions more than once over the course of the day.) Many times, this procedure will abort the sty before it swells much- or at all - and it seems to shorten the resolution time considerably. I've used the warm compress method and had a sty gone the next morning. Best of all - no money spent on physician visits or prescriptions.

That would be fun, Fred! I've always wondered how it would work to cross two different types of karate.

--Steven

Denise: Thanks. :) The fighting doesn't stop when the adoption process ends, does it? Yeesh.

Charr: Hi, and welcome! I do teach one advanced English class--college reading. So maybe I'd have you if you attended the school where I teach. :) Stick with that advanced English. We need more people like us around!

Hi Steve. Yes, you don't know me, but I think everything you've been doing these past couple of years has been pretty cool! After reading so many entries, I've realised we have a lot in common, yay! Even if I am only fifteen. ! But it would be awesome to have you as an English teacher! (Except for, from what I can tell, it sounds like you just teach regular English and I only take advanced courses.) All the same, you seem like you'd be fun! I'll definately be keeping in tact with your blog! (And I still have about three/fourth of it to read! :) )

I haven't stopped by here in a bit, but I wanted to say 'bravo' for fighting to get Sasha evaled. We have been incredibly fortunate to have an 'agressive' ELL teacher for our son, who has advocated for him, and gotten him reading services. He honestly wouldn't even have qualified for services, but because he had not been to school before getting here (at almost 9) he was pretty far behind. But her reasoning was, 'he needs help, he deserves help, we will give him help'.

As a former Sped teacher myself, I know this is rare though, especially when you speak wth administrators. One of our son's good friends from Haiti is struggling in school, and they are fighting an uphill battle to get him evaled. It drives me crazy that they just want to pigeon hole kids and label them one thing or another. "he can/'t be special ed... he is ELL"

Good job fighting for what Sasha needs!

Allen--Oh lord. My version of sparring with Ray would be me backing away very, very fast. I wonder what sort of stuff they do in Russia and if it's very different? Of course, they share a looong border with China.

Sandy--Whoa! Sarah married in two weeks. You're right, it doesn't seem possible.

And hi, David! :)

Hi Mr. Piziks, this is David Auger. I like your blog alot. See you in school on monday.

Hi Steven,
Long time, no comments. I'm known more for my forgetfulness than anything else. I'm sorry to hear that you're having some troubles with the boys. Hope things improve soon. I liked the approach you used with Max.

Two and a half weeks till Sarah's wedding. It just doesn't seem possible.

That is so cool about the music! Cello is awesome and piano is so useful to know how to play.

Hugs to you, Kala and the boys!

So you want to spar at Karate eh? I could give you Ray's contact info.... of course he's a Black Belt now and in a different style...but I'm sure he'd take you up on the offer! or will when he gets back from Russia..he's there for a martial arts conference

Congratulations, Traci! Go you!

Ah ha! I knew the Cherry Coke Zero and DCC had to be the same thing with different labels. Now I know why.

Heh, also noticed your post about Aran and your Karate Class observations. While I don't know much about Tang Soo Do, I do have a pretty extensive martial arts background and could field some general knowledge questions you might be fuzzy on. Shoot them over to me via email and I'll see what I can do to help.

Just saw your blog of late, since I don't get to check as often as I would ike. Anyway, I was piqued at your Dt Cherry Coke comments, odd what you pick up on working in the beverage industry...anyhoo, your DCC two litres were probably there to clear out your distributor, since the new move is to label everything "Zero" because men in the 18-24 age group won't bring themselves to drink anything "Diet" apparently.
Not that there's anything wrong with the soda you bought, but in the future, should you go looking and be unable to find it, it's probably labelled "Cherry Coke Zero" which is the same thing.

Oh, definitely. And the men are dealing with a cultural /biological issue as well, one that takes them in the opposite direction.

Another way to put it: the women are afraid of being noticed and the men are afraid they =won't= be noticed.

Steve, the women students are often working to overcome cultural expectations that women shouldn't be violent, as well as learning how to use their bodies to apply force, and they're trying to do this in what is traditionally a male (and often macho) environment of a martial arts school. (Many guys without martial arts background have picked up, if not some skill, at least more williness to thump a bag with a good strong impact.) But check out the current story in the AA News about the girl karate student.

I didn't mention that, did I? :) It is indeed Korean karate, and the style we're learning is called Tang Soo Do.

I'm not as sore lately, thank heavens! Ow.

--Steven

You must be doing Korean karate (i.e. taekwondo). Dobak is the Korean word for the uniform. (It's "dogi" in Japanese, or sometimes just "gi".)

We share so much in common.
Best wishes
Whitterer on Autism

That's funny! And weird.

--Steven

The audio book thing is bizarre, only because I went to the library a couple days ago to get audio books for my road trip to Taos--and I picked up WIND IN THE DOOR and A SWIFTLY TILTING PLANET. A WRINKLE IN TIME was gone. I just wanted to hear L'Engle read her own stuff.

Anyway, happy Fourth, and have a good BBQ/picnic/meal/whatever it is. I'll be watching fireworks from my balcony. :>)

A friend of mine pointed me toward a botany professor's web site, where he writes:

"Muskmelon (Cucumis melo 'reticulatus') is commonly known in the trade as a cantaloupe. However, no cantaloupes are actually grown commercially in the United States, only muskmelons. Cantaloupes (Cucumis melo 'cantaloupensis') are a rough warty fruit while muskmelon have the characteristic netting on the fruit rind."

Most of my life the word "muskmelon" has gotten me blank stares when I travel outside my home state, and I assumed it was a strange regionalism for cantaloupe. Now it turns out Michiganders have been right and non-Michiganders have been wrong. Who knew? :)

--Steven

I grew up in Michigan and I always knew canteloupe as canteloupe. Muskmelon is just the more generic name for the class of melons that include canteloupe and honeydew and others.

Chris--

That's wonderful about the Anne McAffrey books and your grandson! Recruit, recruit, recruit. :)

--Steven

I can across you blog site while searching the web for Anne McAffrey. The blog info.. all copied from JRR Tolkein and.....
Well my blood pressure started to rise. Who does this guy think he is? I raised my children reading them stories of Pern. I scanned the first couple of blogs, then went to the archives, started at the bottom looking for the blog about Anne McAffrey. I must now say, that next trip to Borders l plan to look for one of your books. I read the entire archives. I agree completely with you about Eragon, my kids now 27 and 22 thought is was a complete rip off.
I had my grand kids last weekend and the youngest 3, brought me a book and asked if I would read it to him for bedtime. It was the Dragonflight , I asked if he knew what this book was and he said, Yes read me the part about the white dragon Ruth almost not hatching and the boy Jaxom saving it. I laughed and told, Well honey it's not in this book, but I know the part you want and just happen to have that book. His reply was but it has a dragon on the front of it, so Ruth has to be in there.
Nice to know a family tradition has started. Keep up the blog, enjoyed it.
Chris

Hi, BT! Always great to hear from another Ukraine adopter. :)

Mackie's wheels aren't adjustable, though I wish they were. I might get another set for him, some that -are- adjustable, just for the reasons you mentioned. The training wheels he has are extremely sturdy, though, and I'm not sure I'll be able to find adjustable ones that will be as good. I'll have to check.

--Steven

Hi, BT! Always great to hear from another Ukraine adopter. :)

Mackie's wheels aren't adjustable, though I wish they were. I might get another set for him, some that -are- adjustable, just for the reasons you mentioned. The training wheels he has are extremely sturdy, though, and I'm not sure I'll be able to find adjustable ones that will be as good. I'll have to check.

--Steven

Greetings. I follow your blog as a fellow adoptive parent of two Ukrainian brothers. The similarities between our experience and yours are uncanny, so it's always fun to check out your blog. Our boys are now 7.25 and 5.5 years old, so not quite as old as Sasha, though our older boy still has lots of similar challenges and victories to Sasha's.

Anyway, on Mackie and the training wheels. Have you tried raising the training wheels a little at a time, e.g., a little bit every week? We found this got our boys used to having to find the bike's balancing point. Whenever we noticed that they were wobbling less, we'd raise the training wheels another bit. Once the training wheels were as high as they'd go, we watched to see when the boy was riding mostly on two wheels (training wheels were usually off the ground). We then used one of those handles that attach to the bike's seat stem that we could use to balance the bike and run alongside while the boy rode without training wheels. After about two hours with the handle, each boy was training wheels-free, and without even a single fall. (There have been falls since, but not due to an inability to balance the bike!) We got our handle at Toys R Us, and it has since been used by many school classmates with great success!

Oh my, yes. :) Hi, Traci!

--Steven

I really, really, really want to read your new book . . . but you could have guessed that, right? :>)

Not if you're anonymous, no.

Steven Harper,
I have to send a letter to you for a school project. Unfortunately, I don't know your home address. Could you give it to me?

Thanks, JS! :)

--Steven

I love your Silent Empire Series and I have read them many times. I happened to start reading on the advice of your wife who happened to bring the books to Maxey. Your wife is a wonderful teacher.
Please say "hi" for me. She'll remember me if you mention my name. If she doesn't mention Maxey and subbing for Mr. Webster's class. Thank you. JS
I think you should write more books in the Silent Empire Series.

I love your Silent Empire Series and I have read them many times. I happened to start reading on the advice of your wife who happened to bring the books to Maxey. Your wife is a wonderful teacher.
Please say "hi" for me. She'll remember me if you mention my name. If she doesn't mention Maxey and subbing for Mr. Webster's class. Thank you. JS

Okay, so I had to get Rebel Without a Cause from the library after I read your post. Haven't seen it in years, and . . . wow. Puts the movie in a whole different light. Didn't know James Dean was gay either until I looked it up.

And hooray for speech team . . . I did poetry for a while (some of the T.S. Eliot cat poems) but I always lost because comedy didn't win like drama did.

No biggie--that's what the "delete" function is for. :) Though I do have to say that knowledge of a religion does not equal faith.

And I didn't know my blog had readers in Arkansas!

I'm sorry for the previous blog. It was written by a guest at my home. Although we are Christians, we are accepting of others. This comment does not reflect that. sorry

Ha! (And hi, Traci!)

Congrats on the BSG book (I posted it to our SHU list, they thought it was cool,) and the Frenkel prank gets funnier the more different POV's I read it from. I like your idea too . . . so when are you going to get a spare five minutes to write it? :>)

That's my hope! The more familiar he is with driving, the better he'll be when it becomes real.

You're doing good thing taking Sasha out for driving lessons. He'll be so much better prepared when he does formal driving school. I noticed that all the kids who has previous driving experiences had much better times with the driving instructors than the completely new kids did.

I do like Tempest, at least a little. Some of their stuff gets too rock-musicy for my taste. (I like rock, but folk/rock fusion isn't my thing.) Heather Alexander is still #1 everywhere! :)

I think you might like the band, Tempest, since you like Norski type folk tales. Have you ever heard of them? If not, give them a listen!

We did see a fair number of beggars that Irine identified as Gypsies. One followed us for quite a while before Irine glared her away. Several of them had children with them.

Social security in Ukraine. 'Tis to laugh, indeed, and an utter shame.

" Has Val ever hoarded food? Mackie did for quite a while. We found fruit and crackers and peanuts in his bed all the time."

No, because at his age, he didn't have access to hoard. Now the booger knows how to get into anything, and I have to keep him away from the cheese or, well, we have issues with the toilet. :-(

"whenever Sasha says, "Thank you for my brother and my family, Dad" (and he says this fairly often), it makes it worth it."

How wonderful!!! You did this...you made a difference in the life of two children!!! Especially Sasha.

When we were in Kiev we met a lovely older couple who were adopting a 15 or 16 year old, I can't remember. They were pretty rich...but I thought how wonderful that they were doing this. They had adopted several times before. Not from Ukraine, but other countries. They could have used their money for anything, and they chose to keep a teenager off the streets in a 3rd world country.

Did you and your wife, when walking aroung Kiev, meet a lot of beggars? What bothered me...is the mentally challenged I saw begging. We gave a lot of money on the streets....and they needed it.

I wish there was a social security system for Ukrainians. No grandmother should be sitting on the street begging for money. No mentally challenged person should be begging. No mother with a newborn either, or children...and there were so many that had a *perfect* American accent when they realized we were American. My translator said they were "gypsies".

I really loved Ukraine...we were there over a month. It felt like home.

Michelle--

Thanks for the nice words. Raising Sasha and Mackie is a lot of work, but whenever Sasha says, "Thank you for my brother and my family, Dad" (and he says this fairly often), it makes it worth it.

I did get rid of you e-mail addy. It's optional on responses, so you can leave it blank.

Cigarette burns =could= be the result of carelessness around a baby, but I don't honestly think they were.

It's a weird experience, teaching an orphan how to handle having more than enough food, innit? Has Val ever hoarded food? Mackie did for quite a while. We found fruit and crackers and peanuts in his bed all the time.

It's wonderful that you got Val, and the timing of his conception certainly seems more than coincidental.

Irine did make her mushroom pasta for us. I absolutely loved it and kept the leftovers for snacks later. It was so good! I think Irine was pleased that I kept asking about it. :)

--Steven

"The social worker report says they found cigarette burns on Maksim, though that could have been accidental. I don't criticize her in Sasha's hearing, though. He doesn't need that."

How could cigarette burns be accidental? Those poor kids. They have been through a lot...especially Sasha. I want to adopt an older child, but I am thinking my husband and I need to win the lotto first. :-(

Even my son Val, had many adjustments from being in the orphanage. He had never worn shoes before, and that was weird for him! The eating thing was difficult, because he wanted to eat all the time. We learned our lesson when we fed him a big breakfast of eggs and oatmeal (yes, I was a first time mom at 30 and my boy was hungry!!), and my sweetie vommited all over the place when we tried to give him lunch 3 hours later. : (

Now, at 5, he knows how to say no to food. :-) Unless it is cheese, of course.

I want so badly to go back, I want to adopt a child...who really needs to be adopted. My son, is beautiful, and we are first time parents.
But there are SO many older kiddos that need to be adopted. Thank you for taking Sasha. You saved his life.

I think it is absolutely wonderful that you adopted siblings, and one at 12. We adopted our son, Val, at 15 months. He is our only child. He was conceived around the same time my baby died in utero. I think things happen for a reason.
Sasha and Mackie are so blessed to have you.

Oh hey....did Irene make her spaghetti for you? I am not a big pasta eater, but my GOD her spaghetti was good! I don't know what she did...and she used fresh mushrooms (we were told not to eat mushrooms because of Cherynobl but they were TOO good!)

I wish I could chat with Irene. We had some "heart to hearts". :)

Finding your blog brings it all back! :-)

Alcoholism is a horrible disease. Who knows what her intentions were. But I agree, your son doesn't need to hear negatives about his birthmom...he obviously has enough thoughts of his own.
My son has ADHD. It seems the Dr.'s, once they find your child is adopted internationally, like to place blame. "Oh, the birthmother must have drank during her pregnancy." Holy SHIT! Half of my caseload of kids in school have ADHD!
But, I haven't walked in my son's birthmom's shoes. And I am eternally grateful to her for passing on some darn smart, and loving genes!!!
Oh and hey...is there any way I can lose my email addy here? I thought it was only given to you for updates to your journal. I didn't know if I submitted it it would be available to anyone. : )

Sasha has such a tremendous way of stringing words together. "I hid under the bed with the shoes." DIdn't you once say you are keeping a book of his stories?
A friend once took a 3 day train ride (or maybe more?) from Ukraine over to the Sea of Japan for a summer camp visit. The bus ride to Sasha's aunt's home must have been torturous.

Mackie turned five in December, so yeah--trouble with "th" isn't that big a deal yet. :)

I have mixed feelings about Sasha's mother. Sasha gives mixed messages about her, too. She drank an awful lot--Sasha stole money from her so she wouldn't spend what they had on vodka. The social worker report says they found cigarette burns on Maksim, though that could have been accidental. I don't criticize her in Sasha's hearing, though. He doesn't need that.

--Steven

Oh...and how old is Mackie now? I am not concerned about a "F" for "TH" until they are in first grade! My son, who will be 6 this summer still does that. :-)

"I also wonder if the Internat specifically didn't record her visit so as to make Sasha eligible for international adoption."

That is what I was thinking. Makes sense, and his birthmom may not have known the rules.

I am always going to give my son's birthmom the benefit of the doubt. I want him to know he came from quality. It was my understanding that birth control is very expensive, and that in Eastern Europe the biggest deterrant to unwanted pregnancies is abortion.

Thanks GOD my son's birthmom chose adoption. :-)

Shauna--

Mackie's language acquisition is going really well. He still has trouble with "th", and he isn't as adventurous as Sasha when it comes to language. Sasha will use a word--any word--he thinks might fit. Mackie is more likely to fall silent or point and say, "Dat one" if he doesn't know the right word. He still has a faint accent, which is very cute.

--Steven

Michelle--

Another Irine adoptee! :) She was so very helpful and wonderful. RPF wasn't quite so hands-on with us, though they did know their way around a bureaucracy, that's for sure.

Interesting about the parental visit thing. I wonder . . . Sasha still claims his mother visited him, but his memories of how it worked are a bit hazy. I wonder if she just took a bus and walked around the Internat asking for him instead of going into the office, so there was no official record of her. I also wonder if the Internat specifically didn't record her visit so as to make Sasha eligible for international adoption.

--Steven

Denise--

Definitely me too! I don't think Sasha realizes how poetic he is. And your son is indeed lucky to have his friend nearby.

--Steven

Steven- Sasha has the true soul of a Slav; We just don't raise our kids to begin to think or feel like that!!
That was my suggestion about Cats. Get Aran the CD or tape. Glad he likes it so! Any stories about Maks' language acquisitions lately?

oh and ps....

"Ernie" from FRUA is a pompous ass (Spelling might not be right here)...

I adopted in '02. I went back to FRUA and listed my name as "Boogerbut", just because nothing else would let me post. And that is just a silly nickname I have for my son! Turns out it the words "boogerbutt" were way too offensive to "Ernie" at the FRUA site...Actually, I am no longer allowed to post there, because "Ernie" told me, I had chosen an "offensive" name. Yes..."boogerbutt" is offensive to individuals on the FRUA site. Good Luck...I have been banned.

PS...Ernie didn't tell me ahead of time why I was banished (for the evil I submitted to this world by subjecting it to...the actual use of the term "Boogerbutt"

Sorry man!

Ok I gave myself a name. I just posted "Anonymously" but that is confusing. I was the one that used RPF in '02.

I also wanted to let you know that I agree with your politics, and that blog you wrote regarding a "Dear Abby" article. I am a Speech Therapist in the school systems, and I work with a lot of severely disabled students (many with Autism). A child's disability is *never* a blessing. I am reminded of this when I work with my sweet Autistic kiddo, that is SO smart and affectionate, but just unable to communicate to me what is making him sad. : (

Holy cow! We also used RPF in 2002, and stayed with Irena in the beginning. My husband and I had a very different experience though. Our translator and driver were fantastic, we felt like we were on vacation. We actually had to tell them to stay home on some days (so we could go sight-seeing on our own).

Regarding Sasha's birthmom...it was my understanding that once a parent had relinquished their rights, a child in Ukraine is not available for adoption by a foreigner *if* he has been visited by family members in the last year. That is how I remember it. Our son was relinquished at birth. That may be why Sasha's family did not visit.

I was researching Ukrainian adoption with RPF because we adopted so long ago and a friend of mine was considering it. I came across this blog. Interesting, once RPF entered the picture (long story), our adoption was a breeze!

So Irena is a grandma now. : ) I remember flipping through photo albums of her daughter and boyfriend. She was so proud!

I commented way back when on your adoption story, and have been following your blog ever since. That quote from Sasha had me in tears... as I am guessing it did you as well. How great that your boys have eachother. I am thankful that my son from Haiti has his best friend from Haiti living 10 minutes from us. I know they remember Haiti every time they are together.

Good idea. Thanks!

Your Sear's experience is common to lots of service call type things. I really really hate the way service calls run. I know the reason is that they collect all service calls scheduled for a day and then map out the most effecient route for the service tech (allows the tech to make more appointments, and these days, conserve gas). But it's still frustrating because too often they act as if they expect there to be a stay-at-home spouse. Next time try asking them if you can call early in the morning to find out if you're scheduled for the morning or afternoon -- they can usually tell you that much.

I checked Google and found the program's web site. It seems to be a continual program. I'll have to set my DVR to catch it. Thanks for the heads-up!

And hi, Anonymous! There are clearly multiple versions of the puma story, which only proves it's become true folklore. :)

Long time reader of your blog, started reading it after your wife mentioned in CoH about your trip to adopt the boys. Looking forward to your book on the subject, when you finally get it written.

Anyhow, the reason for this post was I caught a show on PBS tonight called "Mental Enginering", which appears to do the same thing as your Media Awareness class, deconstructing commercials to look at the messages hidden in them. Wasn't sure if you had ever heard of or seen this program, but as soon as I saw the first five minutes, it reminded me of what you talk about in your posts.

Mayhaps something to check out, or maybe even something to deconstruct in your classes, sort of taking a magnifying glass to the magnifying glass.

The way I heard the story at freshman orientation was that if a virgin walks by the pumas they roar...which, after pronounced by the all-knowing orientation guide, all the incoming students titter.

What a good idea! I'll do that.

Check out the musical Cats from the Library for Mackie! He's not too young for it!!

Thanks, Arthur! I originally wrote an outline for a third COMPANY/CORPORATE book, but Baen Books decided they didn't want it. In it, humans in the free space (wherever Aditi didn't rule) routinely traded bodies around, which made for an interesting universe. Lance, Delia, and their children had passed into legend, but Gremlin was still around. But as I said, Baen elected not to buy it, and that was the end of it, I'm afraid. :(

Are you planning to create a third book in the corporate mentality series? maybe a prequal? or a 'during the same time' type book? those two books are _awsome_

I'll pass that along to him. :)

Actually, sasha only needs about 4 more monkeys after the baboon. It took Me A Looonng time to beat that game...

Indeed, there's always 2007. I regret that during a move, I destroyed a particular manuscript that I'd been working on, however, I'll take it as a sign that it was overdue for a re-write. Good luck to you this year as well.

What's really frustrating is that the book has become such a powerful seller and eaten up shelf space for books that are much more deserving. And how many cool novels were rejected because the publisher didn't have the budget to publish them after paying Paolini an enormous advance?

Yep! The Wii is evil. It hasn't been off since we got it, except when the boys are in bed!

The Wii is insane! I got it right before christmas, and played it 5-7 hours straight! Except after that, my arm hurt...as did my head :(

Yeah, it's one of those things I hate about the video game industry. They figure that by releasing the game before they have enough supply to meet demand that they can increase media coverage and get more publicity surrounding the release. It's all about them and their company, not about serivicing customers, you know?

hahaha good luck finding a Nintendo Wii! My dad went to target, k-mart, circut city, best buy, and gamestop...nothing.

I'm =so= with you.

And Tigers: WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR!

You need a time out for yourself! A weekend off on a wander by yourself- to regroup and refresh your mind!
Shauna "yea, Cards' from St Louis

Yeah, that's what I meant. :) Go Tigers!

While the Tigers did defeat the Yankees, they did so to gain entry to the American League championship series. They defeated the Oakland A's to get into the World Series (finally, revenge for 1972! At least none of the A's threw a bat at one of our pitchers this time...)

And they beat the Athletics on the 22nd anniversary of the night they won the Series in '84 :)

Allen

Thanks, Shayna! :)

I just loved "Hoard" as a librarian myself I completely understand where the dragon is coming from. I just wish I had her talents for sensing my treasure. I can't wait to read the rest of your work.

Gaah! I can =imagine= she's feeling a bit peeved. She's way into the "GET THIS KID OUT OF ME!" stage, and then to have it delayed. Argh!

Not familiar with Smith Lemli-Opitz syndrome. This is the first I've heard of it.

Shayna--

"Hoard" only appeared in SWORD & SORCERESS IX. If you really want a copy, I could e-mail the story to you. Drop me a line through this page.

I didn't know he'd written "Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues"! Aw, man!

John M. Ford died today (sept. 25)
Author of the Star Trek novels "The Final Reflection" and "How Much For Just The Planet", as well as the best and funniest RPG adventure ever written, Paranoia's "Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues", as well as many other fine works. He was 49.

Thought you might want to know, if you didn't already

I was wondering if "Hoard" was going to be available on fictionwise at all? I can't get a copy of Sword and Sorceress IX or was it published in another antology i can search for? thanks shayna

Actually, Uncle Elmer said that Wonder Woman had good plots, and he liked to look at them!!!

Hi, Kris! Nice to meet you. :) I do remember your brother. Maybe I will indeed have you in my class in two years!

Hi, you probably don't know me but I'm Andrew Domasin's little sister. You were his literature teacher 2 years ago. Anyway, he remembered you and we started talking about you and your books. Then I searched the web to look at some of your books then ended up looking at your blog. They're really cool and kinda funny. I hope you'll be my teacher when I get to high school. I'm only in 7th grade... x_x

You did, and you're welcome again. And HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Headin' toward two decades.

Nineteen years ago today, a certain someone played piano while Susan and I were married, even though he'd just been back from Germany a short time and we gave him zero rehearsal time :) I honestly don't remember if I ever thanked you then, so I will now.

Allen

We'll definitely have to talk. I'll e-mail you, soon as I've recovered from vacation.

My daughter and husband have been working with "Hands-Across-the Water" (HAW) for more than a year trying to adopt a specifically identified abandoned child in Guatemala. I have held my tongue, but not my wallet, while waiting for things to turn right for them. HAW encouraged my daughter and son-in-law to meet their prospective child last year when he was but a month or two old. They spent nearly 14 days with the boy in their possession and then returned to Michigan with grand expectations. After a year of waiting and seemingly circular discussion with HAW they decided to return to Guatemala this past May. They are both professional people with responsibilities to their congregation and counseling services clientele. My son-in-law needed to return to Michigan but has returned to Guatemala for a brief period in support of my daughter who is carrying for the child in her temporary possession. In retrospect, there seem to be numerous issues that HAW is immersed within for which adoptive parents should have been informed and protected.

Irrespective of my above ranting, I am now ready to pursue social, political and legal avenues to address HAW's travesty of adoption. I suspect that HAW's ineffectiveness may be wrapped up in foreign government bureaucratic morasses and HAW's unwillingness to expend resources to function effectively in foreign countries.

I would very much appreciate your sharing with me the experiences of other people with HAW and any advice you may have for resolving the adoption process for my daughter.

To recap - my daughter has been in Guatemala with the intended child since the first of May 2006. It is now the end of August 2006. My wife has been providing personal support in Guatemala for the past month. My son-in-law has made two trips to Guatemala during the past 4 four months. Supportive friends have visited my daughter to help with chores and activities.

Thanks for whatever help or direction you or your bloggers can offer. We need effective direction to resolve this issue.

You're welcome, Linda. I hope everything gets resolved soon for you--and that all the . . . fuss about flying dies down before you go!

My husband and I have been working on a Ukrainian adoption for almost two years...the hang up ... mostly politics and such. Without a lengthy report, we currently have been told to expect a new appointment in Sept or Oct of 2006. This is a great piece of news. I just spent most of the morning reading your blog...reminding myself of the sights and sounds of Kiev and Ukraine in general. I am anxious to pick up our now 14 - almost 15 year old girl. As you spoke of places and things so vividly, I could picture our family there...as we were before and as we will be again -- hopefully soon. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

I actually stopped by DM a few months ago when Richard came up for a visit, which is why I didn't stop again. It's a junior high school now, of course, but it was still familiar in an "I hated so many people at this high school" sort of way.

Mules over lammas? Ha!

Steve, I was reading your blog and the last entry got me thinking. I suggest mules over lammas. Not as much hair and I hear the lammas spit too.
Also, I did my own trip back in time when we had the renuion, it went much the same as yours. I'm surprised that you didnt stop by DM. Can you imagine trying to teach there? An open campus indeed.

Yeah, the system refuses any entry with a URL in it. Before they did that, robots posted spam like crazy. Now it's only "minor" spam, and I'm not sure what the purpose is. I think they're hoping I (or someone else) will respond to the e-mail address so they can harvest the responder's own addy.

Hi, Dave!

Should be able to block the ISP somehow. Maybe not. Why would someone do this? BTW this is "Dave" the cousin. I read his blog all the time. :)

Yeah, some robot shlub likes to post spam and junk here. I delete it but it grows back like dandelions.

Thanks, Allen. I still keep expecting him to come running whenever someone cracks an egg open--Poltergeist loved raw eggs. Now the scrambled egg bowl goes into the sink instead of on the floor for the cat. I hope everything's well with you and Susan!

I remember Poltergeist sitting on my lap when I would come over to visit you and Kala at your apartment when you lived here. He was a very sweet cat. Condolences most heartfelt are sent your way from all of us here.

Allen

Thanks, Mom and Katie. Poltergeist was a great cat. I've lost pets before, but this is the first time in many, many years that I've been this upset over losing one. Katie--glad to see you delurk! :)

--Steven

I've been a fan for quite a while (I actually became a fan when I used Dreamer in an essay about genetic engineering for AP English), and have been reading your blog for a while as well, but thus far have been too chicken to comment or email you.

However, reading about your loss of Poltergeist has roused me into commenting. One of my cats had the same kind of tumor in his mouth about a year ago, and we had to put him to sleep also. I'm sorry you had to go through the same thing, but it sounds like he was a great cat.

I'm so sorry to hear about Poltergeist. He really was a neat cat! And that's a great picture of him, too.
My cat, George, is now 17 and so far is doing well. The vet says that in human years, he's 84! He's catching up to Grandma!
Every once in awhile he will take off sprinting from the basement steps, through the kitchen, dining room, and living room, and
take a flying leap up onto my computer desk. He then sits on the desk looking out the window. So, I figure he must be doing all
right--I'm not sure if I could even do that!

Lots of love, Mom

I've just finished your "Nightmare" book and I can say only that it's great and amazing. The characters are so visible and clear. The story is spectacular. And above all, this is Sci-Fi with gay protagonist. I've never dreamed to had more. Thank you very much for your book. And I looking forward to read other your books.

Thanks, Judi. I've never much liked fluffy-bunny stuff, and this issue is a hot button with me, obviously.

My mother read the entry and said, "You =really= didn't like that poem, did you?"

I wonder how differnt things were on the Canadian side of the adoption--easier or harder. :)

Just ran across your website and devoured the Ukrainian adoption content. We adopted our two sons Peter (now 6) and Bohdan (now 4) from Ukraine (far western oblast of Ternopil) in February/March 2005, shortly before you and Kala adopted Maksim and Sasha. Hearing your account of your adoption and post-adoptive experiences is so familiar and fun! We are in Winnipeg, Manitoba (Cda).

Thanks, Shauna. :)

Go Aran!! 9 is a Big number!! Happy Birthday to him!! I'm amazed at all the positive growing and maturing he's done this last year; adding 2 Ukie brothers to his little life can be no easy feat! I would have found it difficult- so he's a real Champ- in anyone's book!!

Congratulations on your adoption, Denise! Haiti--that must have been a real trip, in more ways than one. And not many people are willing to take a nine-year-old. It's true--things do improve, even though it's hard to remember when someone is throwing a major tantrum or breaking toys or hoarding food until it spoils. It's =hard=, but things do smooth out eventually. And time goes fast. I still keep thinking Sasha and Maksim have been with us for only a few months, but it's been almost a year.

I just came across your adoption blog by accident, and am very happy I did! We just brought our 9yo son home from Haiti in December, and it's been an incredible experience. While our experiences, and the backgrounds of our boys are very different, so much of the behavior you describe is identical to what we have been through. I just had a particularly long, emotional week, and told my husband that it feels like a never ending game of chess... always trying to think 3 moves ahead, to read his emotions and try to predict his reactions. What a gift this was for me to see someone who has gone through the same thing. As I am sure you know, as much as I know intelectually that these behaviors are normal, and we will work through them... emotionally, it's hard to get past them when you are in the heat of the moment. Reading your blog helps me to remember that these are normal things we are going through, and it gets better each day. Thank you for that.

Ray/Fred--Hi! :) I've been keepeing an eye on the immigration stuff through various forms of news, and I'm liking the demonstrations--they show very clearly how much depends on immigrant labor. As far as I saw, there wasn't any real disruption of anything in Ann Arbor or the town where I teach, though I'm interested in finding out if Detroit, which has a heavy immigrant population, was affected.

Hi, Jana! Joyous Beltaine!

Hiya :-)
Just wanted to let you know that even though we haven't seen you guys in forever, I still read your blog religiously!

Hugs to you and Kala and the boys :-)

Thanks, Tanya. I hope the adoption goes well. I've heard that Ukraine is really ramping up the difficulty on international adoptions lately. They're only making adoption available for children over age 10 who have siblings. But if you're originally from Ukraine, they may let you in with more ease. Your adoption agency, of course, will know more. Here's hoping!

Thank you Steven for sharing this wonderful journal. I am half-way through and I am hooked! I was born and raised in Kiev, but haven't been back since 1996. Your photos and descriptions made me homesick, even though I thought I was cured of Ukraine for a while now (had lived in the US since '92 and a US citizen already). My husband and I hope to adopt a child from Ukraine this year.

Sean Astin has a book out and I was not informed?? This is a severe oversight!

(And hi, Aunt Sandy!)

--Steven

Greetings! Aran's photos are phantastic!! I think he has a budding career. I love your harp playing, you need to burn some to CD and send it to me since I don't live near enough to be able to hear you more often. I will be reading "Nanotech" soon (I got sidetracked with Sean Astin's book). Thank you so much for the autographed copy :-) Much Love, "The Cool Aunt"

Cristin, that's wonderful. Congratulations! Anywa is a beautiful child.

We're still waiting for a travel date. The web sites listed with yours are very interesting, too, especially some of the travel journals.

I was searching for Ukraine adoption stories and found your site. Congratulations and good luck on the upcoming adoption. We adopted a lovely 17 month old girl in April 2004 from Ukraine and she has just been such a joy.
Cristin
http://americanexpat.blog-city.com

I'm glad it was helpful! I posted it because it seems oddly difficult to find this info sometimes. :)

--Steven

Your "Key to Novels" is essential reading.

Thanks, Mahesh and Bridgette!

--Steven

You rock, Steven! Btw, if I haven't said it ... I can't wait 'til OFFSPRING comes out. Catch you at your newsgroup. :-)

Tell Aran he's a WONDERFUL photographer and I hope he does many more essays.

Thanks, Chuck. You and me both!

I understand that Star Trek books are not doing as well as they used to. I have to say that I work at a bookstore and I have read many many star trek books and YOUR book was very original. That is why I loved it sooo much. I hope pocket books pulls their head out of their butt and realizes that YOU writing voyager books would make them some money. I heard that there are two voyager books coming out at the end of the year....Hopefully they will do well and then You can come out with something new and inovative. Thanks

Thanks, D.Rage! Glad you liked the books. :)

mugu guy--I'm hoping to write more VOYAGER. I have proposals, but Trek books aren't doing well these days, thanks to ENTERPRISE's low ratings, and the publisher doesn't do as many. I'm still hoping!

--Steven

please,I was wondering if you are going to write anymore star trek voyager books? I though nanotech wars was great mugu guy ooff

Mr. Piziks,

Your writing on the "Paul Schrader" version of the novelization of EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING was excellent. And I just finished reading the "Renny Harlin" version, which WAS actually published, and it blew me away. Truly a more interesting and worthier story (of the 'Exorcist' name) this version 2.0 of E:TB should surely be, given the novelization.

Anyway, it really moved me, Steven -- it took hold of my imagination, and I SAW the events in my mind's eye unfold. And sure, it's not your own material, but YOU KNEW how to translate Hawley's script into a novel format. You succeeded. The book truly is as good as Blatty's original 1971 text to which this is a prequel.

Glad you accepted the challenge of such a project as 'E:TB'. You and the other folks behind E:TB, I'm convinced, have beat what have been overwhelming odds. The movie MAY turn out to be of lesser quality than the book, but THE BOOK, yeah... you nailed it.

Thanks for lending your imagination to it, bud.

D

www.bloodynews.com
...REVIEWS of Mr. Piziks' "Paul Schrader" version of E:TB can be found there! :D And look for one I did for the "Renny" version SOON. Should be up ANY day. :D

Ps.Steven, you have my vote of confidence to handle more 'Exorcist' novelizations or original stories, should any ever be fated to happen. :)

Hi, Sara! Hmmmmm . . . I think a romance between Chakotay and Janeway would be great. I mean, it was pretty clear they were heading in that direction before the relationship with Seven showed up. It also made a lot of sense to me, and it would be interesting to develop. After all, a romantic relationship between a captain and a first officer would be against regulations, I'm sure, but VOYAGER is (was) in a weird situation. How would you handle giving orders to someone you're in love with? How would you handle =taking= orders you didn't agree with? What fun (from a writer's perspective)!

I doubt it'll happen, though. The books aren't supposed to knowingly contradict anything from the show, and the show has Chakotay and Seven getting married.

One of the reasons I petitioned for the subplot I used in THE NANOTECH WAR was that we didn't get to see Chakotay and Seven's relationship develop. They were vaguely attracted to one another in one episode, and then POOF--they were married. I was given permission to develop this particular plotline, but then the number of books was cut back and Pocket got a new editor for the Star Trek line, and this got lost in the shuffle. Sigh.

--Steven

I have been reading the postings and I have to make a comment regarding Star Trek Voyager. I was really disappointed in the way the series ended. I thought the "romance" between Seven and Chakotay was NOT cool. However I would support a possible relationship between Chakotay and Janeway. Since you are an author of a book (which was great by the way...i read it in one day) I was curious as to if you think they will ever steer it back to what Jeri Taylor had started with the episode "Resolutions" and at the end of her book "Pathways" with a possible romance between the captain and her first officer? Just curious as to your thoughts. Hope your day is going well. And keep up the great work. AND I love your website....fun!

Thanks for stopping by!