[stylist] The ShellBell Report July, 2009

[Shelley J. Alongi]

Birthday wishes

This morning, at 5:00 AM Pearl my black and white cat woke me up just to say Happy Birthday Mom! Or was it that she just wanted me to fedd her? Well, today because it's my birthday she got a present. God knows I've gotten a few presents this year. I got $50 to spend at Target, I bought an antique lantern from a railroad model shop, I am going to Steakhouse 55 tonight, the famous steak house at the disneyland Hotel. Every year I keep saying I'm going to do that, and so this year I made the reservations and said it's now or never! Last night I saw my exuberant nieces at the Red Robin and we had fun. Ashley who is 2 years old kept singing Happy Birthday tome, or trying to. Kylee was just rapped up in whatever Kylee was doing or wanting to know what Nana's cat was doing. I think we might havea a future cat lover in the family! yea, I'm not alone! 

In three days I'll go back to work after being off since June 29. I'm almost ready to go back tow ork. I've finished two books, one written by a third grade techer that was hysterically funny, and an account of a child of a Holocause survivor through his own dealings with that whole era. He was a speaker at the convention workshop, the convention that I did not attend this year because I wanted to pay off credit cards.

I'm glad I stayed home. In my last letter to you I mentioned that I was going to Chatsworth to find the railfrans who knew Rob Sanchez the Metrolink engineer who parished in the Chatsworth accident. I found the railfans! They're willing to help me place the plaque. We did have a possible spot for it but that fell through so now we're working on Chris's plan B. I have plans C D E in place. Chris, who was one of the last two people to talk to him before the accident, said he was glad I had come out to find him and he would be willing to helpme. So that story isn't over yet. I have a feelign it's not goign to be over for a logn time. Chris told me Rob was a Dodgers fan. I remember Lilian wrote that he wore a Dodgers baseball cap when she saw him.  

Speaking of the dodgers, I'm currently, as I'm writing this, listening to yesterday's Dodgers game so please dont' give me the score! Someday I'll get to today's game: maybe, if I dont' get distracted by all the other games. 

The last two weeks have been very productive in the writing department as well. I updated my rr story, I published more about my trips to the fullerton train station. I have to write more but I'll get around to doing that, soon. Tomorrow I'm off to Santa Barbara and will probably wave at chris as we pass Chatsworth.

So someone, you may remember, asked me two weeks ago what was in Chatsworth. Well, chris is in Chatsworth, and there's a Mexican restaurant I want to try there! Lilian, Rob's friend, who I met last Monday at Starbucks, said what was in Chatswroth was memories.

"Good ones?" I wanted to know.

I think mainly yes, but I'm not sure if she's sure, sometimes. She had a relationship with Rob through the dogs they worked with, but every relationship has its flaws. If it didn't, we wouldn't be human. But it was a good one, and it was nice to finally, after so many months of corresponding, meet her. We'll meet again probably in September. I still owe her Starbucks for the article I made her cut down for the NFB Writers magazine last October or was it November or December? 

So if you want to see my writings take a peek or just click on the bottom link here and review al the titles. "Late Baby Late" is the latest Metrolink writing. We're up to chapter 24 of the "flirting with Monday" story, the one with Glen Streicher the railroad engineer. I've been doing some corrections to the writing of that story. And I published "Goodbye Good Night: Thoughts of a Dying Journalist."  

And now I'm officially the editor for the NFb Writers Division magazine "Slate and Style." I better get busy; Robert, the division president, asked me when his first deadline is. And as the comercial is now instructing me, go Metro, and get a good union job. My job isn't union but I'll go metro when I can. These days it's kind of about Amtrak. Inthree days I'll be planning my next vacation and enjoying helping everyone else plan their's.  

We'll be putting together my website, soon. 

Well, this is the major update for now so till we meet in person or online, have a great day and keep dreaming! 

Shelley J. Alongi 
"Today is the day for dreaming. Tomorrow is for making dreams come true"---my birthday card
Home Office: (714)869-3207
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NFBWD "Slate and Style" editor 
http://www.nfb-writers-division.org

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To read essays on my journey through the Chatsworth train accident, Metrolink 111 or other interests click on http://www.storymania.com/cgibin/sm2/smshowauthorbox.cgi?page=&author=AlongiSJ&alpha=A

updated July 2, 2009