Feel free to posit your written works of art in this section.
Tab, rainey, and maybe Oughtist, can I tap you two (or three) for a critique once all the stories are in? Thanks in advance.
I’d be honored (no, not on herd), sangrain! Though, as now an Ordained Dudeist Priest, I am behooved to insist that, yeah, well, you know, it’d just be, like, my opinion man.
The dude abides. Excellent.
Tab and Rainey?
Sorry, San. I’m so busy these days that I don’t even have time to think up decent excuses for why I don’t have time to do something. That busy. It’s a shame because I like your idea. I sense you’re trying to pick up the pace a little here at ILP, raise the bar a tad, turn up the thought meter. Or maybe you’re just trying to keep things interesting, which is interesting in and of itself, and might go a long ways towards explaining the sabbatical. I suspect that the various theories being bandied about regarding your mysterious, potentially-nefarious real life might be misplaced and/or potentially nefarious in and of themselves, which might go a long ways towards explaining why people write sentences that go on and on, don’t really arrive anywhere, and in the end are completely devoid of anything meaningful. And that, too, is a shame. What’s my point, speaking of things misplaced? Only that it’s good to see you back here (even if I don’t have the time to do anything about that) regardless of why you’re back and notwithstanding the reasons, nefarious or otherwise, you may have left in the first place.
Good to know you’re out there. Takin’ 'er easy for all us sinners.
Sandy, you screwed up. Invite rainey as an author. As a renoun movie critic he could whip up a short movie script even though he is busy busy. Hell, if you won’t I will. Come on rainey, just a scene from some movie you’d like to see or laugh about. Anita could be the damsel in distress, I could be the dastardly villian, (I usually am) and faust could be the gallant hero, although he may not have a white charger… I think he still has a pickup and a boat… one of those… Surely you can write something on the back of a napkin at lunchtime. Give it a go.
I just saw this thread.
Sorry to disappoint, sandy, but I don’t write much that looks anything like a “work of art”.
Rainey!!! Really good to read you. Tell you what, how about we give you two weeks after all three of our friends submit their short essays? Your critiques don’t have to be any longer than your response above. Take your time.
Tentative, I didn’t tap rainey for authorship 'cause I knew he was a very busy man. I figured just browsing through a short essay and offering a quick response was something he could do in his sleep, that’s why I asked. And the young ones need more exposure to his mastery. I figured it was a win win. Now that I have assured him he doesn’t have to rush, let’s hope he’ll come around. Oh, and can you inform Tab of the latest developments? Tell him not to freak out. He has time. The critics will have more time. I’m just placing time constraints on our essayists so we can get the ball rolling. I’ll have less time after labor day, as well.
Blurred, good to see you’re at least entertaining the thought. Just do your best, or just something. That’s all we can ever ask. I’ll go ahead and extend the time period in which you have to submit so you and xzc can have more time to work. I’ll push the deadline to Thursday. Have fun. This is supposed to be fun. No pressure.
I imagine Tab is a little busy at the moment. He’s hitting the end of holiday and has three to get back in school; the two children and then himself. Plus, I don’t know when they harvest olives, but I understand he has an orchard that may need attention. He’ll come around, but like rainey, it may be a few weeks.
Blurred, no one is asking for a work of art. Hell, look at the subject matter. Faust and I ain’t exactly works of art, so it should be a cake walk. You can be gentle with sweet Anita, but faust and I have been 'round the block enough times. Besides, here’s your chance to get even! 
Indeed, I myself will be characteristically unreliable in my attention to this matter. School’s starting up for me as well… but if I get a chance, maybe I’ll submit my critiques in advance, such that everyone might have something to go on…
In the meantime, if you’re ever looking for a sudden getaway, sangrain, here’s a lead for you:
Oh man, only in Canada. Good looking out, Oughtist. I hope the scenery comes with the trailer.
Rainey, I’ve missed your poetry. I hope you’re enjoying whatever’s keeping you so busy, and especially hope it’s somehow related to your writing.
Blurred, I thought what you wrote in the “Daughter on the Plane” thread was beautiful, you’re very gifted at expressing yourself.
San, I’m traveling the next two weeks and then there’s that week you need to catch up from the lost weeks, you know? If you can give me a month…
Thanks, Anita. Yep, (mostly) related to writing. I’m temporarily out of the poetry business, though. Just off in a different direction (creatively speaking) right now.
Sandy, you plan is rapidly going down the toilet.
So in the spirit of the game, I offer: youtube.com/watch?v=T-timQghfQI I get to be the villain!
Not a problem. Hopefully after our friends submit their creations on Thursday, you and the other critics can drop in whenever you can.
Is it a new boat? An extensive cruise? Tell me it’s a new boat! Got your ditty bag ready?
Well, tent, since you asked… 
(Her name is Pilar and I’m in love. She’s a Precision 23. She’s not the reason for my traveling, though. She’s just the reason why I’m having trouble staying at my desk…)
Ummmm… I looked very carefully and I didn’t see any hottie in a bikini sprawled across the cabin. Was she below deck? Please tell me you’re not slipping! A great hull! Perfect for shoal cruising. You know you could spend weeks out in the keys, right? Damn! I’m jealous. I’m just too far from salt to even consider it. But it’s a perfect one or two person hull. That it can be trailered means no slip rentals.
A thought: Isn’t there some way to set up the desk below deck and with the right electronic gear, they would never know where you are…
Yeah, ain’t she a beaut? She’s got a shallow keel and makes use of a centerboard. With the board up she only drafts a foot and a half, so she’s perfect for the Keys. She came with a trailer but I sold it off. It’s a pain to have to trailer her around and put the mast up each time. I’ve got her in the very slip that’s in the pic and it’s a small price to pay to be able to just jump in and go whenever I want. Has a nifty little 6 HP kicker, too, that moves her along suprisingly well.
Okay, now a desk below where I would do my work, or a hottie in a bikini? Can’t rightly see how I can accomodate both…
Oh come now. Surely a man with your talents can multitask! 
Creativity knows no obstacles. Yeah, I always preferred a centerboard. It allows for little mistakes in gauging depth that would rip a fixed keel out of the bottom of the hull. Congrats, my friend. New experiences will feed new poetry.