About the name. I was the youngest of four. Until I got to kindergarten, I didn’t have much to say. All I had to do to get what I wanted was to point, and a sibling, or loving parent, would fulfill my request. As a result, my father coined the nickname — King Midget. At least that’s the way the story goes. (Edited on February 11, 2012: My father let me in on a secret. The title wasn’t an original thought in his head. Instead, way back when, there were cars called King Midget cars. I’ve mentioned it here on this blog somewhere. I’m devastated it wasn’t created out of the original brilliance of my father’s head. OK, maybe not. I still like the name. I’m neither a King nor a midget.
I am a father, husband, friend, and lover, writer, runner, pizza maker, baker, and many other things. What I am not is my occupation. It is my job that pays the bills and provides for my family. But, it does not define me.
100 Things About Me.
My Bucket List:
1. Shag fly balls during batting practice before a Giants game. And, hopefully, not tear my ACL like Mariano Rivera.
2. Live on the Oregon Coast.
3. Have one of my published works noticed by somebody. Anybody. Of course, I’ve gotta get my novels out there to have any chance at this.
4. Make a pizza with an egg on it.
5. See a game at Fenway and Wrigley before it’s too late. (Added 5/27/12)
6. Purchase a Tear Drop Camper. (Added 5/27/12)
7. Conquer my fear of roller coasters. (Added on 6/24/12, but accomplished 6/19/12-6/21/12)
8. Ride a real roller coaster, not of the Disneyland variety. (Added on 7/12/12)
9. Corollary to #3 above — Publish a Novel. (Added on 7/12/12, accomplished 7/15/12)
10. Corollary to the corollary — Publish a Novel via the traditional publisher route. (Added on 7/12/12)
11. Hike Thunder Mountain by Silver Lake (added on 7/15/12)
12. Bicycle the Mormon Immigrant Trail (added on 7/15/12) This will be a tough one for me, but my goal is to do it within the next year. It’s about 25 miles of two lane mountain road that goes mostly uphill … but then it’s a 25 mile return, mostly downhill. Haven’t bicycled much and I hate hills. Time to start training.
13. See the Northern Lights. (added on 7/15/12)
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KingMidget's Ramblings 
G’day Mark,
Amazing what one learns about one’s colleagues at STO (thanks to the latest STO Newsletter). Never knew you were a fellow wordslinger! I’ll be taking a look at some of your offerings shortly. Meanwhile, as reciprocity, here’s the URL to my own primary writing site. As you can tell, my style is much more eclectic, as perhaps befits an unreconstructed, politically incorrect, ex-Berkeley, kama’aina, born-again-Bohemian.
Cheers, Kaliki
http://www.authorsden.com/kalikianokalei
How’s it going? I just started a site called Watercooler Report (watercoolerreport.com), and am looking for contributors. The idea of the site is to have anyone be able to post their opinion about recent news, as well as interesting news. Would you be interested in posting some of your material there, possibly under Politics? The site still is almost live, and I can make a contributor account for you if you like (I need your name and email to do so). You could write a short bio in the author section, and hopefully it could help you get some extra publicity if it picks up. Let me know if you would be interested.
Thanks.
I don’t often go to someone’s blog and download their book right away (really, I don’t), but when I clicked on the Amazon link to “One Night in Bridgeport,” I was immediately intrigued. Then I opened the first chapter and got hooked right away. So it’s now waiting in my queue to be read. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog so I could be transported to yours. And congrats on your books. 🙂
I think Rose at butimbeautiful is on to something. Us publishing bloggers need to support each other. I’ve downloaded her book now and will be reading it as well. And, thanks for the feedback that my blurb intrigued you … that’s the hardest part of this whole publishing thing … trying to write something that will capture a reader’s interest. Glad I caught yours.
I read Rose’s book. I loved it. Her main character is quite the personality.
I usually stick to thrillers, but by reading other bloggers’ books, I’ve branched out a little in some other genres, which is always a good thing.
And, yes, writing blurbs is difficult. It’s challenging to find a balance between not sounding overly dramatic but still getting the point across in just a few words.
I had the help of two people who had read drafts of Bridgeport. They helped me by taking out a lot of details — they felt I was giving too much away — and also with picking the right descriptive words. That kind of help is invaluable.
Very true. It’s hard to be objective about our own work, especially after having read it hundreds of times.
Well, we have something in common, because I compare everything to baseball players, and I also fear roller coasters terribly.
Hey– can you email me your best contact email address? I only have your work one and have some self-publishing info that I’d like to forward you. Happy Saturday!
Congrats on all of your success. Impressive. Especially the pizza with an egg on it. Sounds delish 😉
Thank you. Still working on a lot of other accomplishments in the days, months and years ahead. The egg on pizza … definitely a winner.
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Excellent bucket list!! I too have one and enjoy reading others for new ideas of things to do. Keep up the great work on knocking things off the list.
Thank you. It’s been awhile since I updated it. This is just the kick in the pants I need to do that.
Oregon coast makes me jealous. Oh Brookings, how I doth Love thee.
Fort Bragg is very Oregonesque. I may not need to go as far. That said, there still is something about the Oregon coast.
I truly do love southern Oregon. Going back again soon and so excited!
Where to?
Brookings harbor
Hmmm. We stayed at Gold Beach, Reedsport and Tillamook and stopped at many points in between. Where is Brookings?
Right below gold beach.
Got it. Enjoy! The jealousy will be all mine.
I will think of you when relaxing on the beach;)
Grrrrr
The Oregon Coast is beautiful, if you like rain, thunderstorms, fog, cool temperatures that rarely get above 70, and are independently wealthy, as there are no jobs for those not related to business owners. But it’s gorgeous to visit.
It’s my retirement destination. No job required. Although I may be satisfied with Fort Bragg or Mendicino now. It will also be a test to see whether, after living in Sacramento my entire life, I can survive in a much different climate.
Maybe there’s a nice old Catholic church and a pretend priest you can stay with at the Oregon Coast or Fort Bragg to see if you’d like the weather.
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Hi Mark, for some reason your email address has disappeared out of my Hotmail contacts?? So just wanted to say thank you for the review on When Stars Collide 🙂 Do you remember offhand what any of the issues with the writing were? (so I can try and improve them). I’m about half way through Weed Therapy and loving it. Not getting a lot of time to read at the moment but I am getting there and will get a review up as soon as I finish 🙂 Thanks again! x
Sent you an email.
Thanks so much for following the Jenn stories! I’m honoured. I also like your bucket list.
My pleasure. And that bucket list needs updating.
Well, that’s a good sign, right? 🙂
I’m not sure I’m updating because I achieved anything. It’s more that I need to recognize that the list was generated some time ago and needs to be updated based on my changing objectives … and hopefully, I’ve achieved a thing or two.
I suspect such lists are usually a balance of such dynamics. 🙂 (Yay! Sentences that use big words to say very little!)
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I love that, “What I am not is my occupation. It is my job that pays the bills and provides for my family. But, it does not define me”. Great story about your name! All the best to you, Koko
Thank you.
If the Giants ever play the Red Sox, you can knock two things off your list.
There’s a parking lot behind Fenway where homers land. If he’s still there, the guy that catches them then gets the players to sign them is friendly.
If the Giants face the Red Sox in the WS I will HAVE to get to a game there.
Dude, you’re awesome. Seriously. It took me well over 10 years to get this through my husband’s head:
“What I am not is my occupation. It is my job that pays the bills and provides for my family. But, it does not define me.”
Once it finally sunk in it changed his life. It honestly changed his entire outlook on himself and his life. He was kinda lost for a little bit but he finally figured out who he was as a person. I hate it when people ask “what do you do” because the answer always starts with “I’m a…” and that’s NOT what you are. LOVE IT that you wrote that.
: )
Sigh … to this day, after more than 21 years of marriage, my wife is offended that I don’t come home and talk about my day at work. She claims she can’t know me if she doesn’t know what it is I do all day. She will never, ever get, understand, or accept that the last thing I want to do is talk about my day at work and that it is the absolute last thing she should ask me if she really wants to know who and what I am.
Thank you for getting it.
: )
I definitely get it. I also get the loneliness of having people close to you not understand you at all. It’s so easy to conform and just play along. Good for you for staying true to yourself. Maybe one day she’ll have an epiphany and come around.
Not holding my breath. 😉
Well, now you know there are others out there who dare to be individuals and not allow their professions to define them. We should start a revolution! Wait, no, maybe not. We’d probably disappear into some bunker somewhere to stop our madness from infecting the masses. lol
We’d end up being defined by our revolutionary cause and then have to revolt against that. It would be a vicious, never-ending cycle. I know there are plenty of people out there who think the same and understand my position on this. Unfortunately, I didn’t marry any of those people, some of whom are my very best of friends, who have loved and supported me for years and decades and who get it and get me.
That’s awesome! I’ve met very few and it’s so frustrating. That’s why I had to tell you how much I appreciated that statement.
: )
I appreciate your comments. It is something I struggle with so it helps to hear the encouragement every now and then.
Thank you so much for stopping by my place today. It led me right to you! I can’t wait to read more and hope that we can still be friends even if I’m a forever KC Royals fan. You should see the Hunter Pence signs taking up space in my head 😉
I don’t have a problem with the Royals. If anybody else but the Giants had been playing, I would have been rooting for the Royals to give them and their long-suffering fans a break. Welcome to my little world!
I and enjoyed the Giants, too! What a class-act group of guys. One of the most enjoyable series I’ve ever watched.
It has been easy to root for the current group if Giants. Not much in the way of egos or prima donnas among them. I hope your Royals find a way to remain competitive. Although it doesn’t seem like the off-season has been to kind to them.
You have an email…From Gmail…From me…
Hey Mark – It’s been awhile. I wanted to invite you to a blogging event that I’m hosting in November. It’s on Walking with Intention. If you’re interested in sharing a guest post you can find out the full info here: http://theseekersdungeon.com/30-days-of-walkingwithintention/
I’d love to share your words in the Dungeon!
thanks
Sreejit
Sreejit … thank you for the invite. I’m going to give some serious consideration to this.
Hope you’re doing well.
Mark
Question for you … you describe the request as being for a “prose piece.” Do you mean a piece of fiction, or can a non-fiction piece about my efforts to walk with intention has been a long-time struggle.?
I wrote prose to mean as opposed to poetry. But as far as fiction or nonfiction, you can write whatever you like.
Thank you. I’m becoming more and more intrigued with the idea.
Cool. I hope you do it. By the way, I turned one of my seven day story challenges into a 25,000 word novella which I’ve been putting up 1 chapter a week every Wednesday with only two more weeks to go. – if you want to check it out it’s called Blur. You can see it in my header… (hopefully you don’t remember the ending otherwise it wouldn’t be very suspenseful…)
Thanks for letting me know and I’m thrilled that you were able to use that challenge for something much bigger. I will definitely check it out.
Sreejit, if you don’t follow Amy Reese, you may want to and invite her to participate in your November effort. Here is her latest post … http://amyreesewrites.com/2015/09/30/the-power-of-stillness/
Cool I’ll check her out
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Hello sir, i came to say, you are a sensational writer as well as a very humble person. I like your title now that i have known what it is about and i have loved the few posts which i have seen so far. I look forward to reading more, Cheers to new friendship! – Cezane 🙂
Thank you for the follow and kind words!
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If you wouldn’t mind, I’d be curious to know why the Oregon coast? It’s had a romantic appeal for me, but I live near Seattle and have gone there several times now and dammit if we don’t get socked in most every time, no matter the time of year. We did a roadtrip from Seattle to the Redwoods via that coast however, and that was really good…came back inland via Crater Lake and Mt Hood etc. Nice story, thanks for sharing about the name.
I love the dynamic nature of the Oregon Coast. And the many little towns and lighthouses and beaches and so many other things to stop and see and experience. Maybe if I were to live there, the weather would wear me down but it so beautiful I think I’d be able to handle it.
Roger that, I get you on all of the above. Thanks for the link to your other site too, Mark.
By the way, I noticed you followed my blog. Thank you! I also have a blog devoted to my fiction writing … Markpaxson.com
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Hi King Midget! I found your blog through Berthold Gambrel’s Thanksgiving share. I’m looking forward to seeing your posts in my Reader. Happy Thanksgiving!
A friend of Marc’s (@Sorryless) is a friend of mine. Besides, as I scrolled the comments on this page, I see two of my long-time readers that I seldom see anymore – Carrie Rubin and El Guapo. I will be subscribing.
Yeah, Carrie doesn’t blog much anymore. She’s primarily on Twitter now. Not sure what happened to El Guapo.
I miss both of them. Gaupo stopped by within the past few months, then vanished.
I saw something from Gaupo on Twitter a few months ago as well but then nothing.
Thanks for the link, Mark. This blog is classic, and much more ambitious than mine. I’m maintaining revision99.com only sporadically these days. All my readers went away, so I feel like there’s no reason to write.
Sorry if this is the wrong place to reach you – I didn’t see an email address or contact form.
(NOTE: I do have a WordPress blog, but I have never used it, so I’ve tried to fill out the info below with my real info. Hope it works…)
I used to blog much more frequently, with the reduction in engagement from readers, it’s difficult to stay interested in blogging as much as I used to.