IN MEMORY OF TWO GREAT TV SHOWS

MAN-IN-BLACK INCIDENT

On April 25, 1978, I was scheduled to appear on the Jaycees Talk Show on CJCS Radio at 6:30 p.m. I was busy in the afternoon in my den, compiling the information that I wanted to touch upon during the show. The time was between 2:30 and 3:00 p.m. when there was a knock on my front door. I opened it and immediately stepped back in shock.

A classic Man-in-Black stood before me. He was slightly shorter than I was - around 5' 6" - and he was slightly bent over, which made him seem even smaller. His complexion was a darker color then my own - being closer to an olive hue. His cheeks were so sunken in that they looked like they were pinned together on the inside of his mouth. He had high cheekbones and a very sharp, angular face. His eyes were the most prominent feature, being larger than normal and slightly slanted - not Oriental looking, though - more outward, almost a wrap-around effect. The man's face had a sinister expression, and his eyes enhanced it. His complexion wasn't smooth. It appeared to be pitted and rough. His mouth was thin and drawn. His nose appeared small and straight. His hair was black and very short, as if it was just growing back in again.

He wore a black turtleneck and black slacks, although his pants seemed to have a faint sheen to them, making them appear lighter than the turtleneck in color. His shoes looked like a dark brown and were shined. He was a very thin man, and his clothes hung oddly on his body.

He was holding a picture album in his left hand and, after a moment of just standing there staring at me, he reached over with his right hand and opened the book. I glanced down and saw a picture of a young boy posed attractively and one of a woman and child. At the same time, the man started to speak, and his manner of speech shocked me as well. His words were mispronounced and formed difficulty, his mouth moving very slowly and carefully working out each word. Even with his great effort to speak, the quality of his speech was extremely poor. He spoke very softly, and I didn't catch all that he said, but what I did hear was to the effect of: "Do you want a picture taken of yourself or your children? We have a mobile in the area."

It took me a few seconds to decode his sentences. When a person speaks, there are natural pauses and inflections to the words that help the listener understand the message. This was missing in his speech. The words all ran together and many were broken up. My mind had to unscramble it in my head and put in the missing pauses and reconnect words. It was a strange feeling to reconstruct his sentence. Only when I accomplished this did the message make sense to me.

My reply was simply, "No, I have enough pictures." The man stood for another long moment, staring at me. He suddenly turned and ran out the door. I was stunned and numbly closed the door then realized that I should be watching him to see where he goes, so I quickly opened the door again - only about 30 or 40 seconds had passed. My house was not located on the end of a street, so he should have been still in sight. He was gone! At no time, during this encounter, did I see any vehicle behind him on the street. He should not have disappeared so fast.

He never threatened me nor warned me to stop any particular research. That evening, I went to the radio station and was the guest on the talk show. All the calls in were clear, except for one from an investigator in my group (name withheld by request). I'll call her Anne. Her call was filled with a sudden static on the line, badly broken up, and barely audible. The calls proceeding and following hers were fine.

After I got home, I called Anne and told her about the breaking up of her call on air and also about the strange man who had come to my door (I made no mention that I felt he was a Man-in-Black.) There was a long silence on her end of the line then she blurted out, "He was here, too!"

Anne told me that, about a week previous, this same man had come to her door, asking if she would like some pictures taken of her family. Since Anne is an older woman and her children are all grown and gone, she decided to have a picture taken of her champion dog to give to her husband on his birthday.

Arrangements were made and a couple of days later a large, black van pulled into her yard. Anne said there were no markings at all on the sides, displaying the name of the photography business. Both men were dressed in black suits. They came to her door and demanded that she bring the dog into the van, instead of them going into her house. She described the one man (the taller of the two) as being the same one who came to my door, and the other one was slightly shorter and stockier. The shorter man seemed to be having trouble breathing. At first, Anne thought that the man was asthmatic, because he was panting instead of breathing normally. One man asked her what time it was and appeared to be agitated that it was taking her so long to bring her dog to the van. She had the impression that she was holding them up from getting to another appointment.

Anne had a very difficult time getting her dog into the van. It would whine and cower, and she had to drag it. At no time did either of the men offer to help her. Once inside, the two men set up their equipment and took the dog's picture. Anne didn't elaborate on what the inside of the van looked like or what equipment they had in it, or even what transpired while she was there. She stated simply that they took her dog's picture and she left. She was very vague and resistant to my further inquiries. Soon after that, Anne quit my UFO research group, without any explanation. I didn't hear from her again.

C.U.F.O.R.N. (Canadian UFO Research Network) investigated this incident as a possible Man-in-Black event. Anne was never available to them for questioning. She avoided me and them completely. The studio that the men claimed to work for was called, and the investigators found out that the studio had stopped taking pictures by mobile vans and no one fitting my description worked for them. They had no knowledge at all that someone was going around posing as a photographer for their studio, and the manager was very upset at the thought.

It was discovered during the investigation that my next door neighbor had also had this Man-in-Black come to her door on the day he came to mine. He was wearing dark sunglasses and actually handed her the photo album. She opened it to look at all the pictures but found only two photos in the whole book. During this time, the man just stood and stared at her, and when she handed the book back in confusion, he asked her if she wanted any pictures taken. It's apparent that he must have gone to her house by mistake. He came to mine next and had removed his sun glasses.

I remember that my first thought when I saw him was one of revulsion. He had a truly sinister appearance to him. I reacted as if I had been threatened by his presence. At the same moment, I thought "MIB!" but kept trying to dismiss this thought from my mind throughout the encounter. I was certain that he had come due to my scheduled appearance on a talk show that evening.

This was my first Man-in-Black encounter, and I will never forget it! There have been other incidents which I will write about in the future.



CHARACTERISTICS OF A MAN-IN-BLACK

Here's what to look for if you've noticed a mysterious figure, in your vicinity, watching you, either from a black car or from the shadows:

SKIN COLOR: M.I.B. have been described as olive hued at one extreme and pasty white at the other and every color in between.

HAIR: The hair has been reported as being extremely short, giving the witness the impression that its head had been shaven recently with a new crop of hair just growing back in.

EYES: The eyes are very unusual. Some are described as Oriental; while others are compared to Mongoloid eyes. There may also be a wrap-around effect to them.

EARS: Sometimes pointed or mis-shaped ears have been reported, but this feature is not very common. Usually, normal ears are observed.

MOUTH: A M.I.B.'s mouth is usually small and straight with minimal lips.

HANDS: The fingers are unusually long and tapering. Many times, an M.I.B. will approach the witness with its arms crossed and its hands tucked under its arm-
pits, thereby hiding them from view. This behavior suggests that there might be something notable about their hands and they are trying to prevent the witness from seeing what it is, because it might provide a trait that will enable M.I.B.'s to be identified in a crowd.

CLOTHES: Almost all have worn black - hence the name "Man-in-Black." They have been observed sporting black topcoats, ill-fitting black suits that are out of fashion with the times, black turtlenecks, black slacks and even carrying black briefcases. Some have lightened their wardrobe to brown and even grey.

SHOES: The shoes of an M.I.B. might have very thick soles (usually an inch or so) which seem to serve as an insulation from the planet's influence.

SPEECH: There have been cases where a M.I.B. talks in a low, halting voice, which people mistake for a speech impediment. A loud, peculiar laugh, which sounds more like a cackle, has been noted. M.I.B. can also possess an odd accent that can't be placed and may use outmoded slang expressions. Mechanical monotones and an inhuman voice have also been reported.

BREATHING: The breathing of a M.I.B. is quite different than normal. Some witnesses describe it as being short winded; others claim that it sounds like an asthmatic gasping for air. Panting is common. Sometimes a M.I.B. will ask for a glass of water then take a pill that helps its respiration.

PREOCCUPATION WITH TIME: Many witnesses have reported that the M.I.B. seemed overly concerned about the passage of time and asked, on more than one occasion, what time it was. Possibly, it only has a limited period of safe operation on our planet, so visits must be brief.

DISGUISES: A M.I.B. can show up at the witness's door wearing an Air Force uniform and using the name of an existing officer at a nearby base, but usually changing the rank. NORAD, CIA, FBI have all been used by a M.I.B. sporting normal attire and identification.

A word of warning: If the man at your door checks out on all the previous descriptions here, don't believe any credential that is produced. False I.D. is the easiest thing in the world to get if you know the right people in the right places.

TOBERMORY TEASERS

On August 29, 1980, I decided to drive up to Tobermory. Reports of balls of light being observed over Lake Huron near Cape Hurd intrigued me enough to pack the van and 'hit the road' with the intention of checking it out.

Once I reached Cape Hurd, I searched for a viewing area. I drove down dirt roads in the general direction of Lake Huron, pulling off in various laneways, hoping that one of them would open up to a public beach where I could view, but I ended up at private cottages. Finally, I found a suitable place where I could park my van.

Now that I had a viewing area, I went into Tobermory to a local restaurant. As I waited for my food, I saw two young men enter. Both appeared to be in their early twenties. One had blond hair and large sensitive eyes. The other man was thin-faced and black-haired. They were completely human looking, but I felt a strange, psychic 'stirring' when I saw them. Seating themselves at a nearby table, they ordered something to eat.

I kept peeking over at them during my meal; each time, they met my gaze with knowing looks. I eventually began to feel a little silly about the whole affair and decided to ignore them. I paid and left without any further acknowledgment of their presence.

I walked to the OPP station nearby and spent a few minutes talking to the officer-on-duty about any reports of strange aerial phenomena observed in the area over the years.

Twilight was fast approaching. Grimacing at the thought of spending the night at a lonely campsite with no 'munchies' on hand, I stopped at a small variety store to stock up on treats.

No sooner had I made my purchase when the same two men I had seen at the restaurant walked in and surveyed the merchandise, frequently peering in my direction. Once again, I experienced a psychic connection, which surfaced as confusion and an ill-at-ease feeling.

I decided to leave. I went to a grocery store next door to pick up a couple of food items. Being short on money, I had been living on sandwiches - my only wild, financial extravagance was supper at the restaurant - so I felt I needed to 'round out' my diet. Browsing in the pudding and pastry aisle (old desires die hard), I noticed that the two men were literally following in my footsteps.

I hurried to the checkout and filed through, keeping a wary eye on them. They stood off to the side, waiting for me to pay and leave. My van was parked right outside, so I climbed in and watched intently to see what would happen next.

Both men seemed concerned by my focused attention on them. They kept glancing at me while the cashier rang up their purchases. When they stepped out the door, the blond-haired man said, "Let's go back in here," and they disappeared into the variety store again.

I decided to wait until they came out. I was determined to find out which car in the parking lot belonged to them. I suspected, on a deeper level, that they didn't have any transportation - at least, nothing that we use on this world. I settled in, unwilling to budge.

A sudden thought surfaced in my mind, It's late. I better go to the viewing area before it gets dark.

I immediately started the van and drove away. I was halfway to the viewing area before I remembered why I had been sitting there and about my resolve to wait for the two strangers to reappear. I puzzled over the inexplicable change of mind and forgetfulness that I had so quickly and powerfully experienced. I was certain that the thought hadn't been my own. I knew there was no use going back - they would be gone.

I pulled off the road onto a rough-hewed lane which led to a small wedge of land next to the lake. It was barely light enough for me to study the landscape. I stepped out of the van and surveyed the scene: backed by forest, I faced the shore, separated from it by a narrow bush-dotted, rock-strewn strip. A small patch of black and gray tinged clouds roiled against the light of the moon, but, with the turn of my head, I saw clear night sky and brilliant stars beginning to show on all sides. My gaze returned to the clouds. I had never seen clouds move in such a 'boiling' manner before.

I reached for my flashlight. Sweeping the murky area, I searched for the shortest and safest route to the lake. Just as I decided to take what looked like a fairly easy pathway across the rocky divide, I suddenly lowered the flashlight, turned, and climbed back into the van. I looked at the clock: 9:30 p.m.

As I sat on the van's bed, wondering why I had so abruptly changed my mind about going to the shore, a few raindrops spattered the windshield. Of course! I told myself. That's why I came back inside. It's going to rain. I'll sit here and wait until it stops. (For some reason, I had forgotten about the clear, starry, night sky. The only clouds present were the oddly-behaving ones in front of the moon.) I switched off the flashlight and sat in the dark, listening to the surging heartbeats of Lake Huron, each wave-pulse breaking on the shore with a throbbing rumble.

I slowly sat up. (I didn't recall lying down.) Grabbing the flashlight, I shone it at the clock: 4:00 a.m. I gasped then groaned. Damn! I cursed silently. I must have fallen asleep! The night is almost over, and I haven't done any viewing!

"It's not dawn yet,"I added aloud.

I resolved to spend the hours before sunrise viewing over the lake. Stepping out of the van, I noticed that the ground didn't look wet from the rain. Odd. I was sure it had rained.

I took only a couple of steps toward the lake before I came to a sudden halt. I wanted to go to the shoreline, but something was stopping me. I kept hearing in my mind, Leave - right now! Shaking my head, I tried to dismiss the thought, but it was too strong and urgent to be ignored. I found myself scrambling back into the van, starting the motor, and racing away from the area. I felt like I was in danger.

As I headed home, I fought such intense drowsiness that I had to finally pull into a parking lot in Goderich and sleep for awhile to be able to safely continue driving. It didn't make sense. If I had fallen asleep at 9:30 the previous night and slept until 4:00 in the morning, I would have had six and a half hours sleep. The tiredness I experienced was equal to being awake all night.

A PRAYER TO THE 'GODS'

You've touched a light and starry breast
And stilled the heart within to rest;
Then heard the Universal bars
Through rhythm of the endless stars.

You've ebbed and swelled in golden glow
Where planets and the stars all flow;
Then weaved a lace of brilliant spheres
That dropped to Earth like cosmic tears.

You've walked upon some unknown shore
And braved the jungles to explore;
Then watched the pulsing, changing seas
For signs of struggling humanities.

You've listened and through ages heard
The crying in our spoken word;
Like babes who first learn to stand
And need the help of someone's hand.

You've watched us rising upward
And saw us reaching outward;
Then, all at once, you understood
And knew our need for brotherhood.

To you, we send our silent plea
From all on Earth, "We must be free!"
End now our long sojourn here
And return us to the stars, so near.

Make us, once more, starry vagabond
Who sail to distant worlds and then beyond;
And show us that our spirits can traverse
Through every mystic realm of this Universe.

Forgive us for all the wrongs we've done
And love us as a father loves his son;
Then protect us, for we shall not roam
At last we know - we are finally home.

by Patricia Hayes

MONTH OF APRIL 2010

APRIL 1
(Unclassified material. Use it as you please.)
"We regret the delay in answering you. It's very difficult to find time for letter writing in the midst of present global turmoil. Please do not expect much from us in way of correspondence. Besides, just recently, the Opposition managed to temporarily disrupt our internal mail system." Jan 1/1982

"Yes, the possibility itself and contingency plans have been considered to use S.U.F.O.R.T. as a future rescue/pick-up center. It seems you are not totally blocked in your memory recall." Jan 1/1982

APRIL 2
S.U.F.O.R.T. (Stratford U.F.O. Research Team) disbanded many years ago, and I have no idea what their contingency plans are now. (I bet you thought it was an April Fool's joke!) In the 1980's, Oscar told me about this Internal Mail System, and I sent quite a few questions through it. You will see the answers to some of them attached to various blog posts. I don't have the ability to send questions anymore - that ended when Oscar died.

APRIL 3
On June 13, 1987, a woman (L.H.) from Naples, Florida, who claimed to be a contactee/abductee, wrote a letter to me:

"I received an astral-like communication from contacts beyond the realm of my logical understanding. I was encouraged to visit Dr. S in Wyoming. They left five items (through automatic writing) for me to check in his files, naming drawers, numbers, etc. Item number three stated: there is a number forty-five to be written within drawer top ten, drawer with the key in its box.

"Dr. S and I found the drawer, which was above a drawer with a key in its box and, strangely enough, a few days before, Dr. P, his associate, had numbered this entire drawer full of files, for a research project. File number forty-five was with Dr. P.

"Dr. S has written me since that, upon checking Dr. P's file number forty-five for this drawer of his, it contained personality inventories and questionnaire comments from yourself. Dr. S states that your file letter comments on personality items of an inventory referred specifically to item number 45!

"Strange coincidence: having Dr. P. randomly number your file 45; have the file contents refer directly to item 45; and, prior to my ever knowing what was in Dr. S's file system, have an 'astral contact' state to check 45. I wonder where this path leads."

It led to April 1, 2010. L.H. and I briefly exchanged letters about this in 1987, but nothing really came out of it...until now (23 years later). I had a feeling that I was supposed to post two excerpts from my Internal Mail System answers as my blog entry for April 1. (I wasn't very comfortable about doing that, though.) I wanted to post my poem, A Prayer to the 'Gods' first, then I would decide what I was going to put on my daily blog for the day.

I searched the top drawer of my tallest filing cabinet (I have four cabinets - a total of ten drawers between them), looking for the poem. Instead,I found the letter from L.H. I read it again and inexplicably focused on the numbers: 45 (there is a number forty-five) 10 (within drawer top ten). Put into numerology terms: 4+5+1+0 = 10 Reduced to 1. What could it mean?

I found the poem and started typing it onto my blog. I finished three lines then had a strong urge to stop. I deleted it. Why? I felt the answer was in the numbers, so I wrote them like this:

4 - month? (April)
5 -
10 - year? (/10)
1 - day? (1)

I posted the Internal Mail System excerpts on April 1/10. Then I recalled "to be written" in the contact message. Was that my "item" to be carried out? What was 5? I counted the number of posts already on the blog and found that my April 1 one was number 5. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

APRIL 4
When I'm 'on purpose' - going the right direction on my life's path - everything feels right about what I'm doing. Sometimes, though, I allow fear of the future to intrude and cause anxiety and hesitancy. I resisted posting the Internal Mail System excerpts (even though it felt right), and it took a letter from 1987 to convince me to finally do it. Once I did, I felt 'on purpose' again.

APRIL 5
The NOW fits into this somehow. I have to try again to stop my thoughts and experience the NOW. The more I want to play with it, the more convoluted my life becomes.

APRIL 6
I wake up with a strong conviction to experience the NOW. It's difficult to break the ties with the past and the future. I'm always thinking about what I have to do and what I have already done. The power to create exists only in the NOW. When you do something, it is being done in the present moment. It is in the mind where the disconnection occurs. I realize how often (even as I type this) I think of some thing or some time other than this moment.

APRIL 7
I wake up with a strong conviction to experience the NOW. What happened to my experiencing it yesterday? It dissolved into the demands of the day. I don't want that to happen today. I will make time to do it. (In those two sentences, I prove to myself that I live mentally in the past and the future.)

APRIL 8
I wake up with a strong conviction to experience the NOW. What happened to my experiencing it yesterday? It dissolved into the demands of the day. Why do I have such a resistance to mentally existing in the NOW? Am I afraid? The NOW is an existence without boundaries. I built a protective wall around myself, and I feel safe within it. I need to step out of my own self-reality to see reality. I need to disconnect to be able to connect. I need to unlearn to learn.

APRIL 9
I'm a thinker. I enjoy it! It's like having company 24 hours a day. I'm never lonely as long as I have my thoughts. To live in the NOW, I have to stop my thoughts. What will happen to me when I do that?

APRIL 10
I'm standing on the shore of Wildwood Lake (south of Stratford, Ontario), eating a candy bar. (UFO viewing and 'munchies' always go together with me.) I think back to the afternoon when I suddenly had the desire to drive out of town. I knew I had to leave at exactly 8:00 p.m. (I usually follow any inexplicable impulse in my quest to track the elusive UFO.)

I hear crackling of the underbrush as something moves in the forest behind me. I think of the coyote attacks on women over the past few weeks (one fatal), reported on the news, and wonder how much of the candy bar I should keep - just in case.

It's beautiful here: the still surface of the lake mirrors the surrounding pines in dusky splendor. I know that a saucer could be right in front of me but just 'out of phase' enough not to be visible. I'm in the right spot. This is a minor 'window' location. One resident of the area reported seeing a UFO sucking up water from the Duck Conservation Area in the past. (I'm sure a few ducks went with it.)

The Duck Conservation Area is in the opposite direction from where I'm looking right now. I consider going to the other viewing spot, but decide against it because it's deeper in the forest. I'm armed only with a flashlight and a half- eaten candy bar at the moment.

Is my timing off? (I've done that before.) I suspect that it is. I finish eating the candy bar and, without anything left to distract a hungry coyote or the wild dogs rumored to prowl in the area, I say goodbye to Wildwood tranquility and drive back to Stratford.

APRIL 11
I remember an incident that happened during one of my visits to Oscar at his apartment in Toronto. His phone rang as I was about to leave. Oscar made no attempt to pick it up, so I heard the message that was left by the caller on his answering machine. It sounded like a man. He was talking in a bizarre fashion, and I couldn't understand what he was saying. It seemed like a coded message. Oscar didn't offer any comment or explanation, and he didn't act surprised or confused by it. (Oscar had told me previously that he often received cryptic phone calls when it was time for another meeting with "the boys upstairs.") By chance, did I hear one of those calls?

APRIL 12
I've been receiving phone calls with no one answering when I say, "Hello." I normally hang up because I figure it's a business with an auto-dial feature, so I want to disconnect before a live operator comes on and tries to sell me their product.

The phone rings again today with the same result; but, this time, I feel I have to stay on the line and "listen closely" to see who has been calling me. A few hello's later, the dial tone sounds, without anyone cutting in to speak to me. After I hang up, my head feels really strange for awhile then clears.

APRIL 13
I love watching You Tube. I come across the most interesting things. Today, I watch a short feature on Telekinesis. Here's the steps I need to do to move an object with my mind:

1. Relax and clear my mind (that's my first hurdle!)
2. Visualize what I'm going to do to my target object.
3. Energetically connect myself to the object (Everything is connected anyway, so all I have to do is mentally acknowledge and believe in that connection.)
4. Take slow, deep breaths and mentally observe the object being moved by me. (I have to let my energy flow freely. The less I try, the easier it becomes.) Yoda says, "Do or do not. There is no try."

To make Telekinesis work, I must understand that I am ONE with everything. As my favorite Star Trek character would say, "Fascinating!"

APRIL 14
Are ONE and NOW connected? Help me out on this one, Spock! As a diversion, I go to a salon and get my hair cut. (Doesn't everyone when they don't want to think about something that boggles their mind?) Maybe it will clear my brain - less hair, less thoughts.

APRIL 15
I couldn't resist these 'Words of Wisdom' for today's blog entry. Thank you, Mother Teresa.

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

Mother Teresa

APRIL 16
"Today is Friday." I have to keep telling myself that.

I am sitting at my computer when I experience a 'blip'. It is as if space-time 'hiccups'. I'm in the same space as I was before, but it doesn't feel like Friday anymore. Everything looks new and strange for a moment (like it does when you're away for a two-week vacation and return home) then it becomes mundane and familiar again.

I ponder the odd 'day disbelief' in my mind and this reasoning surfaces: "It can't be Friday. Too much time has passed." I keep thinking that it must be Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. How bizarre!

APRIL 17
I find myself staring at the television or the computer monitor sometimes, as if in a trance. I don't realize what I'm doing until I suddenly shiver and 'break the spell'. I've read about how watching television causes a hypnotic trance state in the viewer, but I'm surprised at how deep I go. Was this the cause of the 'blip' I experienced yesterday? I consider it. No, I don't think so. It was different.

APRIL 18
I wake up feeling very strange. I sense that I'm 'out of sync' with my normal
life. I have to work today, so I force myself to get ready. Once I get to work, my perceptions improve enough that I can function efficiently. What's going on?

APRIL 19
I haven't any motivation today. I keep telling myself that I have to get 'this or that' done, but I don't do it. My head feels dull, and I'm listless. I have a negative attitude. What am I aware of, on a deeper level, that is influencing my thoughts, outlook, and actions?

APRIL 20
I'm wandering in circles in my apartment building's parking lot, mumbling about directions and intently searching the sky.

(Rewind a few minutes.) I arrive home from shopping and check my e-mail. Lots of messages! One is from a new Facebook friend, J. He's a pilot, and his plane is en route to Toronto today. He tells me to go outside at about 3:45, look North, and I should see his plane at 15,000 feet. Right after I read the time in his message, I look at the clock - 3:45!!

What are the chances of it being the EXACT time that is stated in his message? (I always look for strange coincidences like this. I have met people over the years, who have helped me in some way toward reaching my goals, through oddly synchronized time and place connections.) I jump up from my chair and run outside.

(Fast forward a few minutes.) I don't see his plane. I'm doing the 'Captain Jack Sparrow Dance' around the building, trying to be certain where North is and why the plane isn't there. Reluctantly, I give up and go inside. (I'm already the lady who tripped over a suitcase in her kitchen and slashed/bashed her head shortly after moving in, requiring a trip to the hospital for stitches.) I can only imagine what my neighbors are thinking now: "Drugs! I tell you! She's on drugs the way she was acting out there!"

APRIL 21
Today, I consider making a profile for myself on the e-Harmony online Dating website. I would definitely be their worst nightmare! It would be good for a laugh anyway. I tried it before. (I kept my profile, and it's around here somewhere.) When I find it, I'll post it. More to come...

APRIL 22
I bought chicken wings a few days ago. While I waited, I saw a contest entry box on the counter for a free 3-month membership to GOODLIFE. I don't normally enter every contest I see, but something urged me to do so because I would win. I just got a call from David at GOODLIFE, telling me that I am the second-place prize winner...a whole week of sweat and sore muscles awaits me! Oh, happy day!

APRIL 23
"Are you sure that I'm the second place winner?" I ask a 'bulked and ripped' employee at GOODLIFE. (I'm not acting the part of a lucky winner.) He looks confused, so I explain, "It's important to me that it was an actual win and not just a marketing ploy to get members." He assures me that it was a legitimate win. That's good enough for me. I join GOODLIFE, but I'll still get my free week first.

Coincidence plays a major role in my life, and this is just another example: I enter a contest being told I'll win, and I do. It's pointing in the direction that I have to go.

APRIL 24
I'm at GOODLIFE, and A. is orientating me on their machines. For a long time, I've had the feeling that I have to tone up and strengthen my body. "It's needed before..." keeps popping into my mind, but the sentence never completes itself. I'm not worried about that until I respond 'off-the-cuff' to one of A's comments with, "I need to be able to survive anything."

I wander around the spacious gym and find the machines that I want to use when I come back. Being a procrastinator, I contemplate, When is the best time to work out? (A good procrastinator would always say, "Later.") Eleven at night pops into my mind. All right! I silently agree, I'll do it then. I'm not sure why.

As I walk to my van, I pause and look up into the sky behind the GOODLIFE building. Again...I'm not sure why.

APRIL 25
Work in progress. I will get it written. Trust me. I think the subject of trust is perfect for this day's blog item.

APRIL 26
If you have read this far, I commend you for your courage and tenacity. Please suggest my blog to ALL your friends and ask them to suggest it to ALL their friends. I'm out to conquer the world, and I have to start somewhere.

APRIL 27
I'm standing on a treadmill, looking for the jack to plug my earphones in, so I can hear the program on the flat screen television on the wall in front of me. I can't find it! How can I write a 120-page screenplay and not be able to find a phone jack on a treadmill? I'm feeling like an idiot! I'm hoping that I don't look like one to the other women, working out nearby. It's hard to be professionally posed while fingering the control panel in a seductively probing manner. I give up and ask for help. The jack is far under the panel, so I forgive myself, plug in, and start the treadmill.

As I begin slow and build up to a quicker pace, my muscles wake up, send a "What bear are we trying to outrun?" message to my brain, then warm up. (It's from that old joke: If you and a friend are chased by a bear, you don't have to outrun the bear. You just have to outrun your friend.)

APRIL 28
I write a pitch for ODYSSEY today and send it to Jeffrey Weissman. He's an actor who has played roles in two of the Back to the Future movies. Jeffrey requested a "one sheet pitch" from me.

Here are the first three paragraphs:

How do you know I'm human? Are you certain that I was born on this planet? What would you say if I told you that, on any given day, as you travel through a major city anywhere on this world, there is a strong probability that you will pass someone who isn't human and who wasn't born on this planet? And, you would never even know it!

In 1975, a Canadian, an American, and a Russian found out, in an extraordinary way, the truth of this statement through an incredible odyssey. These three men were individually contacted by benign extraterrestrials, brought together in Tibet, and whisked away on the adventure of their lives.

Encountering many strange and bewildering sights and experiences within a higher dimensional universe, the men learn, through near-heart-stopping events, about the fury of the cosmos, the essence of God, the Opposition's terrifying and destructive effect on Earth, the host aliens' unfolding, protective plan, and themselves.

APRIL 29 - Work in progress. I will write something here (other than this) soon.

APRIL 30
Douglas Adams said, "I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by." I always remember that comical quote on April 30.