The Life of Oddley - Episode 9

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE - "Stuck in Tulsa", Part Five

Greetings, people, and welcome to another episode of "The Life of Oddley".  I haven't seen much input regarding last week's postings dealing with the shows I would pitch to television but I will be patient and wait for your word.

Now, back to our story.  Last week, Oddley finally decided to leave Brooke behind after she decided to stay at the hospital to tend to Roy.  With Brooke out of the picture, Oddley now went ovet his options.  While making a lunchtime visit to go over those options, he finds a new friend.  Her name is Rita and she proves to be a good person. 

Oddley, after lunch, accepts a visit to Rita's house, which is an old house.  This renders Oddley without words as he settles in.  As we last left him, he was trying his best to break the ice...

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"Well, what shall we do now?" I said after a minute or two.

"How about some more drinks, of the evening variety?" suggested Rita.

"You mean, liquor?" I asked.

"That's right." she said.

"I should tell you, I'm only 20." I said.

"I won't tell if you won't." she said.

"I guess so." I said.

"Now, what'll you have?" she asked me as she walked to a drink-mixing kit on the far side of the room.

"Surprise me, for I have no experience in ordering drinks." I said.

"Surely, you've had a few." she said.

"Only beer." I said.

"So, you've been drinking." she said.

"Only for two years, and in only one place." I said.

"I see." she said.

"It's just how I operate." I said.

"Well, I operate a little differently." she said.

"That I've noticed." I said.

"Here you go." she said as she put down a finished drink.

"What is it?" I asked.

"A nice whiskey sour, all ready to go." she said.

"Thanks." I said.

As I took a sip, I felt the whiskey flow throught me. It was a good feeling, one I had never felt before. I proceed to continue sipping slowly while Rita made herself one and joined me on the couch.

"So, what do you wanna talk about?" asked Rita, taking a sip.

"Nothing on my mind right now." I said.

"Give it time." she said.

"Give what time?" I asked.

"The drink. It'll give you something to talk about." she said.

"I hope so, because I need it." I said.

"Maybe I can start by asking where you're from, because you told me that you needed a place to stay." she said.

"I'm from Chicago." I said.

"That's a big city. Are you a native?" she said.

"Born and raised, and now working." I said.

"Not now." she said.

"Not right now, but usually. I have three weeks off and I've already spend one week working." I said.

"Working where?" she asked.

"At a science lab, working as an assistant to a female scientist." I said.

"How well did that go?" she then asked.

"Well, I was almost killed by a muscle man on a untested chemical, saw the doctor in her birthday suit, and uncovered the means by which I left Chicago." I said.

"And what was it?" she asked.

"Well, I found this chemical that turns any woman into a raging nymphomaniac. I called it nympho-drops." I said.

"Interesting discovery." she said.

"I then used those drops on my sister to cancel a gambling debt, which worked." I said.

"Then what happened?" she asked.

"The next morning, I went back to my sister's place to collect the stuff, which I had left there, and found her taking a little more than you should." I said.

"How does all of this make you leave Chicago?" she asked.

"Well, in my long-distance run from my chemically-altered sibling, I actually ran into a car, which belong to a housewife, who decided to go on a trip, with me along." I said.

"How did that happened?" she asked.

"I used her car to hide from my sister and wasn't able to bail beforehand." I said.

After a few more minutes, I had finished my drink, so Rita refreshed our glasses and returned to the couch. I soon drank that down and moved on to a third. By that time, I had told Rita everything about my time with Brooke, in detail. She just took it in and let me roar on like the drunk I was being.

I don't know how many whiskey sours I drank, but it was enough to put a gap in my memory, because the next one took place in the late evening, as the sun was setting in the distance. I was watching some television as my memory returned to me. I saw that Rita was watching with me.

"Having a nice nap, man?" I heard Rita ask me.

"Did I take one?" I asked.

"Yes, you did." said Rita.

"Then it must have been a good one, because I don't remember taking one." I said.

"My friend Lisa has does gaps, too." she said.

"Do you fill her in once she comes to?" I asked.

"I don't, but with you, I can. You were just napping." she said.

"Good to know. I needed that." I said.

"Listen, I've been thinking about what you said, about continuing westward." she said.

"I've always wanted to see the ocean." I said.

"Well, maybe I can take you the rest of the way." she said.

"You don't have to do that." I said.

"But I want to. I'm beginning to really like you and I wanna see you happy." she said.

"That's nice to know. I guess I could take you up on that." I said.

"You'll won't be sorry you did." she said with a giggle.

All that drinking must have short-circuited my thinking, because I was now about to take a car ride with a person I had known for less than 24 hours. Then again, I knew Brooke less than ten minutes before I decided to travel with her. Maybe it's a weakness in me that I just can't get rid of.

That night, I dreamt that I was back in Chicago after a long trip. Things were normal at first. I was at work, where I saw Gilda, just working away stacking cans in the same way that I did when I first met her a couple of weeks ago, before this whole thing even started.

"It feels good to be back." I said to her as I walked up.

"I know it. Did your trip go well?" said Gilda.

"As well as can be expected." I said.

"How was the ocean?" she then asked.

"Wet. Very wet." I said.

"Good, good. Met any famous people?" she said.

"Not that I saw, maybe once or twice." I said.

"Maybe you'll remember." she said.

I then moved on. I decided to scan the aisles before learning what job I had at the store that day. The first aisle I visited was normal. It was full of people, getting items and such. There was a whining child and his nervous mother as they fought over an item that he wanted but she didn't.

As I rounded the corner into the next aisle, I saw it. It was the bloodied body of Newshaw, laying stiff, face-down, in the middle of the aisle. I ran over to it and checked for a pulse but found none. He was dead, all right. The question was: what killed him. I looked the body over and found where the blood was coming from.

It was coming from his midsection. I looked around a bit before I turned him over. There, I saw a horrible sight. I can't describe it fully, but let's just say that a certain organ, common to all males, was torn to bits and/or missing. The mystery deepened for me as I looked down at the awful sight.

I then heard footsteps behind me. Slowly, I turned around and saw that it was my sister, but not the way she should be. Instead, it was the thing that had forced me to leave Chicago, but much more than what I saw then. It was a pure monster, with evil eyes and large muscled frame, staring at me.

I could tell that there was only one lone thought on her mind, and it was that thought that had killed Newshaw dead. Quickly, I ran down the aisle away from her but she gave me chase, just like last time. I threaded my way through the aisles, ever thinking of the idea that this time, running wouldn't help me.

I had only one option: the front door. Quickly, I ran as fast I could to the front door. When I got there, I saw my sister, pacing back and forth like a lion, waiting for its dinner to arrive. I was trapped, and there was no way. I tried to run away but I ran into the cans that Gilda was stacking before and made another discovery.

It was Gilda, and she, too, was dead. This time, anything sexual on her was gone and she was just a dead body. The monster-Susan heard the crash and raced towards me. I grabbed some cans and threw them at her, but she just ate them. She pounced onto me and was about to cut into me when I heard it.

It was the ringing of an alarm clock. My eyes sprung open and I was back in Rita's living room, sleeping on the couch. I looked around and saw the thing causing the noise. I shut it off and then realized that it wasn't there last night. Rita must have put it there after I'd dozed off.

The time on it was 7:45 am. The sun was rising and I was alone in there. I got up and looked around a bit for her. I headed upstairs to see if she was still asleep. I saw that the bedroom doors were open. I looked into one and saw that it must be Lisa's room, due to the decor.

It was covered in little furnishings, except for a bed, bedside table, make-up table, and three chairs. Lisa struck me as the plain and simple type, the opposite of Rita. I tried to figure out how could this person live with Rita, unless there was something else I wasn't aware of. I then moved on and continued looking.

I looked into the second room on my search and discovered Rita's room. Her room was covered in spendor. Colorful paint filled the walls. The furniture within was the best one could get around here. The bed alone was classic 19th century sleeping place, with frills and bows all around it.

Inside the bed, under lace covers, was the sleeping Rita. For a moment, I thought about awakening her, but I decided to let her sleep. She looked so peaceful to me. Her dreams must be the best ever, compared to what I had last night. Quietly, I reversed course and started back downstairs.

A quick bowl of cereal became my breakfast as 8:00 am arrived. From upstairs, I heard a beautful ring, the sound of Rita's alarm clock. I ate my cereal slowly, as I always do, to let it one bite settle before the next one, and also to think. I thought about the day before and how I'd left Brooke behind.

After a minute, my ear picked up the sound of footsteps coming from upstairs. They slowly moved down the stairs. The footsteps reached the bottom of the steps. I realized that Rita wasn't wearing shoes because the steps sounded soft, not hard. She then entered the kitchen and my eyes almost left their sockets.

I saw that Rita was wearing a nightie, but not a normal one. I was that it was a mini-skirted type of nightie, complete with lace trim. Another thing about it was that it was see-through. In a way, it was like she wasn't wearing it. The morning sun wasn't helping by shining light through the thing, showing everything.

"Good morning, Oddley." she said with a smile.

"And a good morning to you." I said.

"I see you're having breakfast." she said.

"That I am." I said.

"I'll make myself a bowl and join you." she said.

That she did and in a minute, was sitted across from me. I saw that the nightie was really see-through, even without sunlight. It had a low neckline and showed a lot of chest. I had only known Rita for almost a day and yet, I feel no romantic or sexual feelings towards her.

"What's wrong?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

"What?" I said.

"You looked distracted." she said.

"I am, a bit." I said.

"On what?" she asked.

"On your... bedroom attire." I said.

"What about it?" she asked.

"It's... showing me more of you than I wish to see." I said.

"Don't you like my body?" she asked with a grin.

"Very much. In fact, you have a lovely... shade of skin." I said.

"I thought you were gonna say chest." she said.

"That, too, as well." I said.

"Don't worry. I'm an open and honest person and I feel that the human body is a beautiful thing." she said.

"Whatever floats your boat." I said.

I finished my breakfast and so did she. After a moment, she retreated back up the stairs to get ready for the trip. Meanwhile, I took another tour of the living room. I had only been in the house less than a day and yet, I felt the history it must have contained. I sure looked old and the stories it could've told me if I only had time.

Time was something I didn't have on this trip. Mr. Randall had only given me three weeks off and I had wasted one week at that lab and the first three days of this week in Tulsa. By my count, I only had 12 days left of my vacation and I intended to spend most of it looking out at the Pacific Ocean.

Eventually, 9:00 am rolled around. That was the time that me and Rita had agreed to begin the trip. I was standing next to the car itself, an old white Chevy, with about over tens of thousands of miles on it, when I saw Rita exit the house with a suitcase. She was dressed in practically the same clothes as yesterday, except the turtleneck was blue.

"I see you've managed to dress today." I said as she walked up to me.

"You need to free up your mind." said Rita.

"I've tried. Believe me, this past couple of weeks has given me cause to do so." I said as Rita put the suitcase in the trunk.

"You need to free it up some more. After all, what happened in the kitchen shows that your mind is still a bit closed." she said as she walked over to the driver's side door.

"I'll remember that, Rita, if you ever decide to go without that nightie for a night." I said, opening the passenger's side door.

"Be careful, Oddley. You might get your wish." she said as she got in.

"I've heard that before." I said as I got in.

"Ready for this?" she asked me.

"As ready as I can get." I said.

"Then here we go." she said as she started the car.

The car roared to wonderful life in the mid-morning atmosphere. It took a moment to get ready and then, Rita began to move the car out of the driveway. Within a minute, the car was in the street and with a roar, moved forward and westward towards California.

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This concludes our second serial on "The Life of Oddley".  Next week, we begin our third serial, a short one titled "The Road to California".  Over the three parts of the serial, Rita takes Oddley from Tulsa to the shores of the ocean.  Along the way, Oddley learns what kind of person he has put his trust into.
 
Next week, Oddley and Rita have an interesting start to their journey.  That interesting start leads to a lunchtime stop, complete with the threat of jail time hanging over the travelers' heads.  What can it be?  Tune in and find out.
 
Until next week, this is John Maxwell, reminding all that the man who has all his cars has a good train running on the tracks of his mind...

My Pitch to Television 2011, Part 3

Greetings, my people.  Today, we conclude my three-part pitch to television with an idea I discussed with you last year.  This time, I've managed to refine it a bit to make it a pitch I would make to a network today.  Now, this pitch is for cable, as well as broadcast networks, just in case that the big three networks aren't up to the task of producing this series.

Last year, in my first comeback posting, I mentioned my brainstorm about the 1976 TV movie "Sybil", that I would have made it as a TV series, not a film, if I was a producer in those days.  After several more brainstorms, I've decided to pitch it as a television series in these modern times.  It's the least I could do with the brainstorm I had last year.

In preparing my pitch this time, I headed back to the source of the whole mess, the original 1974 book.  Now, I will admit, I have only thumbed thru it at this point, but the bits and pieces I've soaked up are good enough for a first time pitch.  The book features a lot more material than the movie and thus, more material that can be used for the series.

For my pitch, I've decided to begin the series in January 1962.  I feel that I can cash in on the current trend of shows taking place in that time period and it provides a contrast beween this series and "The Life of Oddley", taking place five years later.  As I told you, I plan to bring Oddley and gang to television as the fourth show in my pitch.

For the pilot, I've decided to open it with the scenes that opened the original book, with Sybil moving from the classroom at Columbia University to a snow-covered street in Philladelphia.  When she gets to a hotel where she apparently rented a room, she finds five days have passed between the classroom and the street.  Concerned, she heads back to New York.

Confused about the experience and concerned about how it will be viewed by others, she decides to seek out a psychiatrist.  Her teacher suggests the lovable Dr. Cornelia Wilbur.  It's when she gets to the office that I make my own addition.  In Dr. Wilbur's office space, the large inner office, occupied by the doctor herself.  In the outer office is my creation, her assistant and student.

In last year's posting, I made a pun and called him Dr. Orville.  Since then, I've renamed him Dr. Henry Edward Grant, "Hank" to his friends.  It's Dr. Grant whom Sybil first meets upon her first visit to the office.  Styling himself as the gatekeeper to Dr. Wilbur's domain, he gives Sybil a brief exam and questioning.  During this, she reveals her recent experience with an unexplained trip to Philly.

Curious about Sybil himself, he decides to bring her to the doctor's attention and walk into the spacious office, where Hank tells Dr. Wilbur about the would-be patient in his office.  Striken by Sybil's case, she invites her into the office.  Sybil then unloads about the things that have happened to her concerning this phemenoma she finds herself.  At the end of the visit, Sybil becomes Dr. Wilbur's newest patient.

One of the interesting things about this concept is that the series can be pitched as either a 30-minute or 60-minute program.  While I would perfer a 30-minute series, I could also work with a 60-minute series.  Also, while I would like it to air on a major network, I can also work the show on a cable channel, most likely Lifetime or AMC, depending on who's interested.  As you can see, it's very usable.

One thing I would mention during the pitch is the background of Dr. Grant, because, as an original creation, he needs one.  The other main characters can use the original book as background.  Dr. Grant comes from Wheeling, West Virginia, the son of a general store owner.  He only became a doctor because his father refused to allow Hank to pursue his true passion: being a traveling musician.

Dr. Grant is a happily married man, to the lovely Lydia, a former violinist who tries to get Hank to pursue his dream while she plays around with her true musical love: fiddle music.  Throughout the series, the lives of Dr. Grant and Lydia would be shown.  Tops in that line is showing their true devotion to each other.  That would get to Sybil and her other selves, allowing her to examing her ideals of romance and love.

This goal would also be accompilished by the use of a boyfriend for Sybil.  His name is yet to be determined but his job would be to test Sybil's idea of love, which comes from the years of abuse from her mother.  As the series progresses, Sybil and her boyfriend would go thru the steps, while he would deal with the other selves, who try to scare him away, because they believe that love would only hurt Sybil.

The use of Sybil's other selves is dictated by their interactions with the outside world.  One idea is to make Vicki the leader of the personalities.  Another idea is to avoid the concept of dominance, which pervails in other kinds of shows of this nature.  Furthermore, a layer of comedy is to be used, in the guise of Dr. Grant, to lighten the mood and also help the audience get into the series itself, rather than continually focus on Sybil's past.

Another thing to examine is the social issues of the era.  While I haven't watched the other shows set in this time period, I do get the feeling that they avoid the social issues of the time.  One way to mention these issues is to have an episode where Dr. Grant tells of his time as one of the Freedom Riders and how he learned that abusing others is not and will never be a good idea.  Thru this experience, Sybil learns to try to accept her past and move forward in her treatment.

All in all, a well thought out concept.  The results of many brainstorms on the idea.  This program would definately be the one to make the rounds.  I do know that a network is bound to buy into the concept because the possiblities of both entertainment and education make this a good show.  The purpose of this week is to discuss the shows I wish to see on the air.

"A New Kind of Family" would be a nice sitcom.  "Captain's Log: The New Star Trek" would make a nice return for a beloved series, and "Sybil" would make a nice time machine into another era.  I hope that my three extra postings this week have whet your appitite for more.  Next year, I hope to have a few more shows to pitch to television.

Yours truly, John Maxwell.

The Life of Oddley - Episode 8

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE - "Stuck in Tulsa", Part Four

Hello, people, and welcome to week eight of this series.  Again, no comments from anyone on the job I'm doing but feel free to do so below the posting.  I think I'll start mentioning this series to other people in my life and see if the ripple effect occurs.  Along with the theme of the week, it is one thing I would truly pitch to television if given the chance.

Back to the story.  Last week, Oddley and Roy met up again on the side of the road when Brooke's car suffered a flat.  After a run into the desert, Oddley and Roy were about to duel when Roy stepped onto an angry rattlesnake, who showed its anger by biting Roy, rendering him unconsicous on the ground.  With no other recourse, Oddley decides to seek help.

With help from Brooke, the two manage to carry him back to his truck, place him in the back, and make the trip back to the city and the hospital.  When they get there, they find trouble in getting Roy admitted, so Oddley is stuck filling out forms before medical help arrives for the stricken man.  Once Roy is wheeled away, Brooke tells Oddley that she and him will stay in Tulsa until he heals up...

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I stood there in silence, thinking over what Brooke had just said to me. It was a shock to me and my mind to think about more time spent in Tulsa, a city that was already getting dull for me.

"You can't be serious, Brooke." I said.

"I am serious. We should stay until he gets better." she said.

"Do you know how long that might be?" I asked.

"Maybe a couple of days." she said.

"I don't know if I can live here a couple of days." I said.

"Then you better get used to it." she said.

"Then I will." I said.

I them made a bee-line for the exit. I don't know why, but I did. As I left, I heard not a word from Brooke. As I left the building, I knew that she was probably glad that I was going. For the last two days, I had been her unwanted passenger, and now, I was gone and she was free to spend time with Roy.

I stepped out into a nice but dry Oklahoma spring. The late morning sun was beating down on me. Even though it was April, it felt warmed than that. As I walked down the path to the sidewalk, I gave no thought to Brooke back then. I only gave thought to what I was gonna do in Tulsa.

Being a fan of country music, I knew that Tulsa was the home of Cain's Ballroom, birthplace of western swing. If I had enough money, I could get in and hear a good-time band play good-time music all night. I could sure use a good time now that I was stuck in Tulsa, a town I would very much like to leave.

I managed to reach the sidewalk. There, I made a turn and kept going. Further from the hospital I walked. Further into downtown I went. I saw that downtown was a maze of buildings and streets, along with cars that were giving off the sounds of traffic. A sound that was familiar to this Chicago boy.

I don't know how long I walked, but I do know that eventually, my stomach told me that it is time to eat. Without much thought, I walked my way into a nice cafe. Once inside, I saw that the atmosphere was an Oklahoma version of Chicago medium-scale dining, which was alright with me. I wasn't looking for much except a nice place to eat.

I managed to find a table and I took a seat. Once sitted, I began my wait for a waiter. The place was halfway busy, with people taking their longer-than-usual lunch breaks. The same kind of people that live in Chicago live in Tulsa. Anyway, I was waiting when I heard footsteps that I took to be a waiter.

"Is this seat taken?" I heard a voice ask.

"Not in the least." I said as I turned around in the direction of the voice.

It took me a moment to rack focus on my eyes. I then saw a woman's face looking right at me.

"Thanks for the seat." said this mystery woman.

"Glad to hear that." I said.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you." she said.

"No problem. In fact, I could use a little company." I said.

"Glad to be of service." she said.

"Would you like to tell me your name?" I asked her.

"Maybe I will and maybe I won't." she said cryptically.

"What a nice way of answering a question. Maybe you can respond the way us regular people do." I said.

"You're no fun." she said.

"Now, tell me your name." I said.

"Rita Louise is my name." she said.

"Interesting name, Rita. My name is Oddley Mitchell." I said.

"Nice name." she said.

"It's mine, all the way." I said.

"It's nice to meet new people. I never really get to do that. I made some friends yesterday but I didn't really get their names." said Rita.

Rita then moved her face a little closer to me.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"I'm getting a good look at you." she replied.

"That's nice." I said.

"No problem." she said.

In return, I managed to get a good look at Rita. Her outfit was strange. She had on a yellow turtleneck, covered with a slim brown vest, complete with fringe. I noticed that the bottom of the turtleneck doubled as a miniskirt. I'll admit that her uncovered legs were nice addition to her body.

She was wearing a nice set of heeled boots. Her hair was very distinctive, a rusting red, and somewhat curled. It grew down from her head and went about a quarter of the way down her back and chest and covered the shoulders. All in all, a very nicely constructed person.

"Excuse me?" said the waiter as he arrived at the table.

"Yes, sir?" I said to him.

"Are you already to order?" he then asked.

"How about some menus first?" I asked.

"Yes, of course. Here you are." he said as he handed over two menus.

"Thanks, sir." I said.

"I'll be back in a few." he said, walking away.

"What do you want for lunch?" asked Rita.

I thought it over of what I would eat for lunch. I decided on a sandwich, the classic quick lunchtime meal. I saw the list of sandwiches. There were so many. Luckily, I saw that they had one of my favorites, the Reuben.

"Are you ready now to order?" asked the waiter as he returned after five minutes.

"Yes. I will have the classic Reuben, with a little extra horseradish and an extra drop of dressing please." I said.

"Nice choice, and for you, lady?" he said.

"I will have a nice chicken alfredo, please." she said.

"One Reuben and one chicken alfredo, coming up." he said as he collected the menus and left.

"You know, you strike as a girl with fine tastes." I said.

"I always try to be in the latest fashion. You know, just jet-setting." said Rita.

"The man who catches you has to be a rich one." I said.

"I don't care about that. I just want a nice man." she said.

"Then, your style... " I said.

"Is just me, all over. I like to dress up fine. It's my habit." she said.

"I just dress in a way that leaves me comfortable." I said.

"So do I. You should see my closet." she said.

"Dang it, girl. You are your own woman." I said.

"I know. It's a gift." she said.

"Say, do you live with anyone?" I asked.

"Why do you ask?" she said.

"Because I need a place to stay for a while." I said.

"I see. Well, I do, sort of." she said.

"Who with?" I asked.

"Her name is Lisa, and she's a total killjoy." she said.

"How long have you lived with her?" I said.

"Since we were kids." she said.

"When?" I said.

"When Lisa was six." she said.

"Six years old?" I said.

"You got it." she said.

"How did you meet?" I said.

"Oh, Lisa had problems when she was a kid, big problems, and after awhile, she took her problems to me." she said.

"And what did you do?" I said.

"I, kinda, sorted them out for her." she said.

"In what way?" I asked.

"In many ways." she said.

"So, you would solve Lisa's problems for her." I said.

"Yep, and after some time, the two of us became inseparable." she said.

"How have you two lived together?" I said.

"As much as two people can. Lisa says the two of us should lead separate lives and not allow our two lives meet. The way we are, that's sometimes a problem. I did come out a few times when Lisa had her friends over. After the last time, she told me that we were moving and I wasn't coming, but I did anyway." said Rita.

I stopped and reviewed Rita's answers. She had answered my questions in an almost coy-like fashion, as if there was something not being told. What that was I didn't know and part of me didn't want to know.

"Lunch is here!" said the waiter some time later when he arrived with our food.

"Thanks." I said as he put down my sandwich.

I then cut off a piece of my sandwich, and took a bite out of it. It tasted very delish to me. I chewed it very well, indeed. As I did, my mind began to sort out all of the things that Rita had said to me, quietly and slow.

After I had finished my meal, me and Rita made our way over to her house. When we got there, I saw that it looked a bit out of place. Vines and stuff have taken to the house, the paint had chipped and pieces had fallen off, and it looks like something out of a old black-and-white movie.

It had the appearence of being haunted, like it had stood empty and alone without a soul to look after it. Yet, I knew that Rita and her friend Lisa lived there, alone. Two housemates in charge of a broken old house. It struck me as a bit silly, so much so that I giggled as I reached the front door.

"What's so funny?" asked Rita.

"Never mind." I said as she opened the front door.

As I stepped inside, I saw that the door itself was painted white on the outside and dark brown on the inside. The door had a pane of fogged glass set in it.

Beside the door were bracketed panes of glass. I stepped into a small entry hall. The entry hall had a little table with various knick-knacks on it: pictures and stuff. After a couple of steps, I found myself in the living room.

"Nice place." I said.

"Yes, it is lovely." said Rita.

"I can see that." I said.

As I stood in the living room, I felt like I was in the 1920s, when everything seemed on the up and up. It took me a moment to get back to 1968. As I walked around that room, I saw an old radio in a corner on the far side of the room.

"Where do you want to sit?" said Rita to me.

"I think I'll walk around a little." I said as I ventured further.

I saw the tables covered in trinkets and such, even saw a few pictures on the wall. It was fascinating to be in that room. I saw that the stairs came down from the second floor like a landing ramp.

I went over to a little corner of the room. It was a place on the right side of the stairs which had a row of shelves. There, on top of those shelves, was a nicely-framed picture, and in it, the picture of a lady.

"Who's this?" I asked Rita, pointing to the picture.

"That's Lisa." she said to me.

I took a closer look at her. She looked to being in her early-to-mid 20s. She happened to be wearing a knee-length skirt, with a belt around the mid-section, and a turtleneck-like neckline. Her brown hair was pulled into the tightest ponytail and her face was framed by a pair of classes, round lens with red frames, and she had a deep look on her face.

"Is she here at the moment?" I asked.

"Oh, you can say that she's out." she said.

"I can say? I think I will say she's out." I said.

"Yeah, she's out." she said.

"I see. Do you know where she might be?" I asked.

"You can say she's around." she replied.

"Close by?" I said.

"Yeah." she said.

"In what way?" I said to Rita.

"A way I can't tell you about." she said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because Lisa has told me to keep it to myself because she doesn't people to know." she replied.

"I think I'll sit on the couch." I said as I headed that way.

I got to the couch and sat down. As I sat there in silence, I tried to think up what to say.

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After six weeks of solid cliffhangers, a weak one shows up again.  I must say, waiting a week to find out how Oddley's gonna break the ice is not a good means of bringing readers back, but it's how I wrote it and I can't change it now.
 
Next week, Oddley finally manages to break the ice, with a little liquid help.  Then Oddley's new friend Rita concludes finally grants the wish he's had since he started his adventure in Tulsa.  Find out how the wish is granted and where it will take him.
 
That's on Thursday, September 29th, at 2:30 pm, right here on the blog.  I hope you enjoyed this week's two additional postings so far , detailing the shows that I would pitch to television if I had the chance to do so.  Tomorrow's posting will detail my final pitch for the year, of something I pitched to you last year.
 
Until then, this is John Maxwell, saying to you that all things considered... is a very fine radio show...

My Pitch to Television 2011, Part 2

Hello, people, and welcome to my second posting of the week, also part two of the shows I would pitch to television if given the chance.  Feedback is non on yesterday's posting, so please let me know what you think of these concepts I'm bringing to you, the public, before I take them to a major network.

I have a feeling that today's pitch is a short but sweet one.  The second show I would pitch to a network is one that needs to return to where it began 45 years, one week, and six days ago.  I'm talking about "Star Trek" and like many of my fellow trekkies, I've come up with a concept.  This pitch would be given to CBS only, as they currently hold the rights to the show, so go where the Trek is.

My pitch would be to use the universe created by the latest Trek movie two years ago and bring the original Trek characters back to television.  After all, the cast consisted mainly to television actors, so working on a weekly television series would not be a strain to them.  It'll be a means of continued employment in a bad economy.  All my concepts create jobs, which I do to fulfill the President's request for such.

For the return of Captain James T. Kirk and Spock to the small screen, I plan to use Harlan Ellison's original draft script for "The City on the Edge of Forever" as the pilot, because the cornerstone of my Trek concept is to make it a 21st-century show.  Life in the current century needs a Star Trek to make us look at our actions.  Drug dealing and nefarious characters seem to be 21st century television fodder, so let's feed them into the Star Trek filter and see what comes up.

Following from that, hiring the best of our modern science-fiction writers, who grew up on the original adventures of Kirk and crew, to write inventive stories seems to be in order.  It worked for Roddenberry and I'll make it work for me.  I can only wonder that the scripts that would come from people like Stephan Baxter, Kin Stanley Robinson, and many others, along with more recent Trek writers, taking a turn writing about their heroes.

The subject matter for this Trek is very current.  With the recent events in the Middle East, the bad economy, and the rise of the Tea Party (re: Nazis), Star Trek is the perfect means of showing those issues in a light where they can learnt from.  After all, if we are to learn that an Arab Spring can happen anywhere, it needs to be put on a planet where democracy is slowly being destroyed in the name of freedom.

Once Star Trek returns to television, a new generation of fans will emerge and make sure that the show continues into its second century just as strong as it was in its first one.  Believe it or not, my pitch is done for the day.  Tomorrow is our regularly scheduled posting of "The Life of Oddley".  Then, on Friday, I conclude my pitch week with a very useable concept.

Yours truly, John Maxwell.

My Pitch to Television 2011, Part 1

Welcome, folks.  For those of you waiting for this week's episode of "The Life of Oddley", I offer a diversion.  In today's posting, the first of three this week, I will examine the shows I would pitch to a major network if given the change.  It's not uncommon to pitch more than one show to a network to see what takes, so listen up.

Today's offering is something in the sitcom genre.  I thought I would start with comedy, then drama, then finish with something that's both.  My sitcom entry is something I've been working on for a while.  It's my take on the traditional sitcom with traditional elements thrown in.  Sitcoms tend to my natural mode of thinking, so why not lead off with this?

It's called "A New Kind of Family", and it takes place in New York City.  The family is called for now the Martins.  They're your average American clan except that both Mom and Dad are both female.  Yes, a homosexual couple is the center of this sitcom.  For those already not up on this concept, it's the 21st century.  It's time to think forward.  I am.

The two female leads share the responibilities of family, raising their two kids, a boy and girl, in a normal environment.  The boy is the older of the two siblings and is very intelligent while the young girl is typical of those her age, surrounded by pink thinks and dolls.  The parents are married, having done so recently after the state legalized such marriages.

The traditional element I enjoy most is the wacky but lovable neighbor.  Once living next door to sitcom families everywhere, now almost gone.  This wacky but lovable neighbor is named Alan Lloyd, and he's very tolerant of his neighbors and their lifestyle.  In exchange, the Martins get used to his lifestyle, that of a television comedy writer, working for Jimmy Fallon (a plus if sold to NBC)

The adventures that the Martins have are typical sitcom fare, updated to the 21st century and given a twist because of the nature of the family itself.  After all, theirs is a marriage only in six (should be seven) states.  Alan comes from a family who don't take kindly of his choice of neighbors and when they visit, they tried to suggest Alan move back home.

The pilot episode contains an scene I've had stored in my mind for years.  The pilot opens with Alan breaking the fourth wall as they introduces the Martins to the viewing audience.  He then shows us a morning in the Martins' apartment to the tune of Tanya Tucker's version of "The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA".  Again, it's an idea I've had for years and let me tell you, it just doesn't die.

A feature of the show will be Alan's talks with the audience as he tries to explain things to us.  Alan's appearences within an episode shouldn't remove time from the star family.  He is merely a means of introducing the antics of the Martins to a world a bit less than forgiving about homosexuals.  Alan's upbringing should have made him intolerant but he saw pass all that.

At times, Alan will star in his own episodes, with the potential of a guest starring role from his boss.  Alan's adventures will show that things haven't changed since the days of Rob Petrie, just more nerds write comedy.  It also opens the door to major guest stars to stop by the Martins' thru any interaction with Alan.  All in all, a wonderful series that takes the traditional family sitcom and makes it a 21st century show.

In tomorrow's posting, I will detail my plans for bringing one of the best television shows of all time back to television.  Althought some people have their own ideas, this is my take on a classic show, which foreces us to take a look at ourselves.

The Life of Oddley - Episode 7

Greetings, again, and welcome to our seventh episode of "The Life of Oddley".  Things are moving along here but still no one has left comments before.  Please leave one if you are moved to and tell me if my effort tickle your fancy.

Anyway, back to the story.  Last week, Oddley again avoided certain death when Brooke decided to take up Roy's offer of a dance.  However, the dance proved to be too close for comfort to Oddley, who then interrupted the dance and ended up punching Roy in the face, causing Oddley and Brooke to make a retreat out the door fast.

After a night spent at a motel in separate rooms, Oddley and Brooke returned to the road and Oddley then had to explain how he ended up in her car.  Once Oddley recapped the last five weeks of his story, Brooke refused to believe it.  Before Oddley could explain again, the car suffered a flat tire, stranding both him and Brooke on the side of the road.

After discussing walking back to town, Brooke spotted an approaching car, which turned out to be a truck, belonging to Roy, who doesn't look happy to see the stranded motorists...

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE - "Stuck in Tulsa", Part Three

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The expression was that of revenge as he saw us standing by the car on the side of the road as he pulled up with the sounds of the brakes. As he got out, I was hoping that he would actually help us.

"Well, if it isn't the Chicago Cowboy." said Roy as he walked up to me.

"Hello, Roy." I said.

"I thought you would left town after what you did to me." he said.

"I decided to spend the night and get some breakfast." I said.

"That's nice." he said.

"It's good enough for me." I said.

"Listen, I want payback for what you did." he said.

"Sorry, I'm not up to it." I said.

"I want my payback!" he then screamed.

"You're not gonna get it from me!" I said.

"Then watch this!" he said as he made a grab for my neck.

Quickly I ran away from the car into the countryside. I knew that Roy had given chase behind me. I knew that my running had gotten me here in the front place but I never do learn from my mistakes.

I don't know how far I ran but I don't know that my running came to a halt when I tripped over something. It took me a moment to regain my footing and see that I had tripped over, of all things, a rattlesnake who had been sunning itself before I ran my foot into it.

My fall over the rattlesnake was noticed by Roy, who I guess didn't see what I tripped over because of the events of the next few minutes. I had stopped my running to look down at the rattler, as they say. He didn't look happy that I had ran over him in haste, so I backed off.

"Why don't you keep running?" asked Roy as he neared my position.

I wanted to tell him about the rattlesnake but my fear over the snake had already shut down my mouth, so I watched as Roy slowed his steps and stepped closer and closer to the rattlesnake, still not a happy creature.

"Roy, I think I should tell you... " I said.

"I've got you now. I'm gonna beat you so bad, your grandchildren are gonna feel it." interupted Roy.

"I should warn you... " I said.

"I don't warn me of nothin' I'm gonna do you in." said Roy as his boot stepped on the rattlesnake.

Roy's boot stopped on the rattlesnake as he felt something under it. Quick as a flash, the angry rattlesnake sank his fangs into Roy's leg. Roy then fell to the ground as the powerful venom entered his body and knocked him out.

The rattlesnake let go and moved away as I walked over to the body and signaled to Brooke to come over to where I was. As she arrived, I could tell that she had never seen a rattlesnake bite before. Neither had I but I wasn't about to let her know that.

"Help me carry him." I said.

"Carry him where?" she asked.

"To the truck." I said.

"What for?" she asked as she grabbed his feet.

"So we can get him to the hospital, where they can save him." I said as I grabbed his shoulders.

"They can do that?" she said as we began to move it.

"Yes, they can. I know a little more about snake bites than you do." I said.

That was true, about 0.3% more than her. Anyway, we managed to drag him to his truck, collect his keys, get in the cab and begin driving back towards Tulsa. I couldn't believe it. I was driving back to a city I was happy to leave ten minutes earlier.

It took me ten minutes to find a hospital. As I pulled up, I wondered how we would get Roy admitted. After a moment, I decided to just drop him off and be done with him. That way, we could then look for a tire store and solve our own problem.

"Okay, Brooke. Here's the plan. We take Roy, get him admitted, then we go find a tire store, get what we need, fix the car, and continue westward." I said.

"What a plan." she said in near-disgust.

"It's a plan, and it gets us out of Tulsa today." I said.

"Have some feelings. We should stay for a while." she said.

"Why should we?" I asked.

"Because we caused his problem." she said.

"I guess you're right. We'll stick around to see if they can fix him." I said.

"Good." she said.

"In more ways than one." I said quietly to myself.

"What?" she said.

"Nothing." I said.

"Okay." she said.

"We're here. Quick, let's get Roy's body." I said, stopping the truck.

"You're so kind." she said as we got out.

We walked to the back of the truck, collected Roy, and slowly made our way inside. Inside, we saw that the waiting room was almost empty. That meant a good chance of getting Roy admitted quickly.

"Excuse me, ma'am." I said as we arrived at the front desk.

"Yes, sir?" asked the nurse on call.

"Listen, I need you to admit this man quickly." I said.

"Why?" she asked.

"He's been bitten by a snake." I said.

"Here, fill out these forms and we'll admit him quickly." she said, handing them over.

"This man is on the verge of death, and you want me to fill out forms?" I said.

"It's standard procedure." she said.

"Maybe you can just wheel him in there, because he's heavy and about to brake my arms." I said.

"Fill out the forms." she said.

"Fine. I'll go fill them out." I said, walking away from the desk, forms in hand.

"Have a nice day." she said as we left.

"We need to find someplace to put him down." I said to Brooke.

"How about this chair?" she said, pointing one out.

"Good idea." I said as we deposited him in it.

"Now what?" asked Brooke.

"I fill out these forms." I said.

"Don't you need personal information for that?" she asked.

"Right, and Roy's wallet should help." I said, putting it out of his pocket.

"You shouldn't take that." she said.

"Don't worry. I'm only using it for the information." I said.

"That's not very helpful, you know." she said.

"I can guess the rest just by looking at him." I said.

"Suit yourself." she said as she took a seat next to Roy.

"Fine." I said as I took a seat on the other side of the room.

I then quietly filled out the forms. The personal information came from Roy's wallet. It showed that he was a factory worker, member of a union, 43, and, most of all, married, as one can tell by the wedding ring on his hand, which I removed, as one should do when confronted by a snake bite victim.

When I finished, I walked the forms back over to the front desk, where the nurse took them without a word. I then went back to my seat and waited for further medical help to arrive. As I waited, my rage at Brooke began to grow. I was marooned, not of my own design, but because of a runaway housewife.

"It can't believe I'm still here in Tulsa. I should be somewhere near Oklahoma City by now." I said, after five minutes of nonstop rage-filled thinking.

"You brought him here." said Brooke.

"Because he stepped on a snake and I wasn't able to warn him. Technically, we shouldn't have even stopped if it wasn't for that flat tire, which we still need to fix." I said.

"I'll remember that." she said.

"What's really bugging me is you." I said.

"How's that?" she asked.

"Because we could have fixed the tire and been on our way by now. Instead, we're in this hospital because you don't wanna leave him." I said.

"We can't leave him." she said.

"Why? We don't know him. He's not a friend of mine." I said.

"You didn't let him." she said.

"He tried to take you into his bed. Not exactly a way to make friends." I said.

"Don't me you haven't done that?" she asked.

"I have, but not of married women. I stick with the single set, and there's a lot of them." I said.

"I don't care. I must stay by him." she said.

"You mean we should." I said.

"That's what I said." she said.

"No, you said 'I', not 'we'." I said.

"Slip of the tongue, nothing more." she said.

"Excuse me." said a doctor as he walked up to us.

He looked to be a nice guy, about the same age as Roy, with brown hair, turning a bit grey, slighty tired face, and wearing the white lab coat we often see doctors in. All in all, an average doctor.

"Yes, doc?" I asked him.

"I'm Dr. Mendel, the resident poison expert here. Where's the body?" he said.

"Right next to Brooke." I said, pointing him out.

"I see. Where was he bitten?" he said.

"In the foot, by a rattlesnake." I said.

"Do you know what kind of rattlesnake?" he asked.

"I don't know, doctor. I wasn't much of a scout." I said.

"The snakes that live around here aren't that poisonous, so he can be saved." he said.

"Thanks, doctor." said Brooke.

It then take long to get Roy wheeled out of the waiting room, once the doctor okayed his entry. Once Roy was wheeled out, the doctor followed behind, leaving me and Brooke to continue battling each other.

"Now that he's in, it's time to go." I said, getting out of my chair.

"Not so fast." said Brooke.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean, we stay." she said.

"I've stayed long enough, Brooke. It's time to get a tire." I said.

"No way." she said.

"What do you mean, no way?" I asked.

"I mean, no way we're leaving Roy here without an explanation." she said.

"I think a snake bite explains itself." I said.

"Listen here, we're not leaving until Roy gets well!" she screamed at me.

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It looks like Oddley's stay in Tulsa is becoming longer and longer.  How much time will Oddley have to endure in eastern Oklahoma?  The only way to find out is to come back next week to the blog when the next episode is posted and find out yourself.
 
Next week, Oddley reaches the end of his rope with Brooke, which forces him to seek other means of leaving the city, which he finds in a kind soul, who may be the new answer to Oddley's increasing list of unending problems.  This is getting very exciting indeed.
 
That's on Thursday, September 22nd, at 2:30 pm, here on the John Maxwell Blog.
 
Until then, this is John Maxwell, signing off, for lack of anything else to say...

The Life of Oddley - Episode 6

Greetings again, folks, and welcome to the sixth week of "The Life of Oddley".  Still no comments or feedback on the series but I'm still hoping that someone out there will write in and tell me what they think of my efforts.

Now, back to the show.  Last week, we saw Oddley begin a most unusual trip when, in his flight from the nympho-Susan, he ran into a car belonging to a housewife named Brooke, who has decided to take a trip to find herself and finds a most unusual passenger, Oddley, after he uses the car to hide.

Brooke decided to let Oddley tag along on her trip, which leads her down the mother road of Route 66.  A road that takes her all the way to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Brooke decides to take in a local honky-tonk for the atmosphere.   Something Oddley thinks is a bad idea but goes along with anyway.

While in the honky-tonk, Brooke finds herself the object of desire of a cowboy named Roy, who tries to pick the housewife.  That's when Oddley comes to her aid and defends her honor.  However, Oddley soon finds himself facing death again as Roy picks Oddley off the floor and threatens him with harm...

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE - "Stuck in Tulsa", Part Two

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I closed my eyes as I readied myself for the punch. I never felt it, however, as I heard Brooke intervene on my behalf.

"Don't do it." I heard her say.

"Why shouldn't I?" he asked.

"Because... I'll dance with you." she said, dejectedly.

"Fine by me." he said as he let me go.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked her.

"I can't let you take a punch for me." she said to me.

"I was willing for it." I said.

"I could still do it." he said to me.

"Go dance, but be careful with her." I said to him.

"My pleasure." he said as he took her hand and lead her to the dance floor.

"Not much, if you mind." I said to him.

I watched as Roy and Brooke had their dance. All through it, Roy was dancing a bit dirty, trying to get Brooke to follow but I know those Chicago housewives well, even those looking for themselves.

I then noticed that Roy was taking it a little too far as it looked to me that he was forcing himself on her. After a minute of this, I couldn't take it anymore and I walked over to them and placed myself between them.

"Stop it right there." I said.

"What are you doing, boy?" asked Roy.

"I'm making sure that Brooke doesn't do anything that she doesn't wanna do." I said.

"I'm not." he said.

"Then what was that you were doing just now?" I asked.

"That was a little warm-up." he said.

"It looked like you were forcing yourself on her. Perhaps you haven't noticed but she is a married woman." I said.

"I've had a few married gals before. They always go for stuff like that." he said.

"Maybe in Tulsa, but not in Chicago, Illinois." I said.

"Chicago. I hear that town's jumpin'." he said.

"Listen, I'm telling you to leave this lady alone." I told him.

"And if I don't?" he asked.

"I'll... do something very bad to you." I said.

"Like what?" he asked me with a taunt.

Suddenly, without warming, I reared back and gave him the biggest punch I'd ever given someone. In a few seconds, Roy was on the floor. Quickly, I grabbed Brooke and ran our way out of the place before Roy could regain his footing. In a hurry, we climbed back into the car and zoomed onto the road.

"What was that?" asked Brooke.

"The act of a man withour options." I told her.

"You actually decked that guy." she said.

"I did, didn't I?" I said.

"I didn't think you could do it." she said.

"Me, neither. I was surprised to do that." I said.

"Good thing we got out of there before he got back up." she said.

"If we had stayed, my number would have been up. I don't wish my tombstone to read, 'he died in Tulsa.'." I said.

"What would your friends say about that?" she asked.

"You know, I never told anyone I had left." I said.

"So no one knows you're with me?" she asked.

"I guess so. I mean, I woke up today in Chicago and now, it's nighttime and I'm in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Not exactly how I planned to spend the day." I said.

"Me, neither." she said.

"I think you should stop for the night." I said.

"I think so, too. Roy can't follow us." she said.

"I know these people. He will try." I said.

We soon found a small roadside motel where we could spend the night. The sun's light was fading as me and Brooke quietly sat there in the car outside the office.

"I think I should go in alone, Oddley." she said.

"There are two of us, you know." I said.

"But we can't sleep in the same room." she said.

"If we must, you go first and check in. Then, after you do, I'll check in." I said.

"Good idea." she said.

"If there's only one room left, signal me and we'll take it from there." I said.

"There's not gonna be one room left." she said.

"We'll see." I said as she got out of the car.

I watched as Brooke went into the front office and talked to the desk clerk. I couldn't hear what they were saying but I see it was going well. After a minute, Brooke came out and gestured me to go inside. As I went in, I wondered if the desk cleck would notice.

"Hello, good sir." I said as I walked up to the desk.

"Hello to you." said the desk clerk.

"I would like a room, please." I said.

"We happen to have one available." he said, looking over the wall of keys.

"That's nice to know." I said.

"Here you go. Room 114." he said as he handed me a set of keys.

"Thanks." I said.

"That'll be $20.00, please." he said.

"Here's your money." I said, handing over a 20.

"Thanks." he said as I made my leave.

I soon walked over to the room I had been given. As I looked in after opening the door, it was dark. Turning on the light showed me a fairly-good sized room, with a bed, table and television.

I quickly took a seat on the edge on the bed and turned on the television. There, I was confronted with Porter Wagoner's smiling face as he talked about this week's show. I felt a little better now that I was listening to some good music.

My sleep that night was normal, despite the fact I wasn't in my usual bed. Luckily, Brooke had the good sense to awaken me so I wasn't left behind. After checking out, we made our way to a diner for breakfast.

After breakfast, we headed out onto the road again. As we started to leave Tulsa, Brooke's curiosity about me had reached the top and I could see that her mind was wondering through many things.

"Oddley, would you please tell me something?" she asked.

"Anything, Brooke." I said.

"How did you end up in my car?" she asked.

"Must you know?" I asked.

"Yes, I must. I just need to know." she said.

"Well, if you must know, it began with a girl. No, it began with a baseball game and a bet." I said.

"A baseball game?" she said.

"A friend of mine had convinced to bet on a baseball game. Of course, the team I picked lost the game." I said.

"Then what happened?" she asked.

"Then I owed my friend $3,000, payable in 30 days or else." I said.

"Was there any way out of it?" she asked.

"He first offered to date my sister for cancellation of my debt, but she's one of those feminists and turned him down." I said.

"Continue." she said.

"Now the girl enters the picture. She was a sex-crazed blonde beauty. Sex was the only thing she cared about." I said.

"But how does this relate to your debt?" she asked.

"She directed me to this science lab, where I met this lovely female scientist, who gave me a job at $1,000 a week, plus bonuses." I said.

"I see." she said.

"Before I could go to work there, I had to get out of my other job, working at a supermarket." I said.

"So how did you do it?" she asked.

"I simply asked for three weeks' vacation and got it." I said.

"So what happened?" she asked.

"After almost getting killed on the first day, I'll spare you the details, I began to notice that this scientist and the girl who lead me to her looked alike." I said.

"How much alike?" she asked.

"As it would turn out, the same." I said.

"How is that possible?" she asked.

"By this stuff I dubbed nympho-drops. It sends a girl's sex drive over the top." I said.

"Interesting stuff." she said.

"After some thought, I decided to use this stuff on my sister." I said.

"What for?" she asked.

"So she could finally date my friend and get my debt cancelled." I said.

"Did it work?" she asked.

"It did. My debt was cancelled and my friend had his date." I said.

"That still doesn't explain how you ended up in my car." she said.

"Well, the next morning, I went back to her place to collect the bottle the drops because I had forgotten it and she decided to down two teaspoons." I said.

"How much did you give her the first time?" she asked.

"Only one teaspoon." I said.

"I see." she said.

"My sister, after having changed into this beast, gave chase to me and that chase lead me to your car and that's the story." I said.

"Is that a real story?" she then asked.

"It is a true story. I hid in the car to hid from my chemically-altered sibling, who would have done me like a steak." I said.

"I wish I could believe you." she said.

"Me, too. Those drops are still at my sister's." I said.

"Will you stop that?" she said.

"Listen, I've spent one week of my vacation working at that lab. This is my second week and I'm beginning to enjoy where I am." I said.

Just then, I heard a loud popping sound coming from outside. Then the car began to rock a little. I then realized that one of the tires had burst and now we were minus one tire. I could see that Brooke had come to the same conclusion and stopped the car.

"Now what?" she asked as we stared at the flat left front tire.

"Well, we can see if there's a gas station nearby." I said.

"And who's gonna walk there?" she asked.

"I don't know." I said.

"I guess we could wait until someone comes to our aid." she said.

"We're about 10 miles outside Tulsa on Route 66 and you're hoping someone stops to help us. Boy, you really need to find yourself, because you've lost your mind." I said.

"This, from someone who came to my aid last night." she said.

"I'm beginning to regret that." I said.

"Never mind, I see a car." she said.

I looked in the direction she was looking and saw an oncoming truck. I looked closer and my face turned a bit white. I saw through the front window and saw something I didn't want to see. I saw the face of Roy, and the expression on his face didn't mean good to me.

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Roy always shows when you least want him.  He ended last week's episode and now this week's.  I wonder if he'll end next week's episode?  The only way to find out is to come back next week yourself and find out the truth of the matter.

Next week, Oddley and Roy have a desert showdown, which ends with someone almost dying and ending up in the hospital, which leads Brooke to make a decision that will change lives forever, or at least one life forever.  Mind you, it's hard to tell you what's gonna happen next week without revealing too much.

Until next time, this is John Maxwell, reminding you that today is the 45th anniversary of Star Trek, one of my favorite shows.  To end this week's post, I'll quote a certain starship doctor, who ended an episode by saying to us, "Well, what do you know?  I finally got the last word." 

The Life of Oddley - Episode 5

Greetings, people, and welcome to another edition of "The Life of Oddley".  After four weeks and one story down, still no major feedback, but I'm ever hoping for some.  I think I'll start mentioning my blog to other people.  Maybe that'll help.  As I said last week, this week is the start of the serials, the new method of giving you Oddley's long story so you can refer back to it better.

Now, where were we?  Of course, we began last week by revealing that Oddley's living room visitor was Gilda, but not the normal Gilda.  It was a different one than usual.  Not wishing to ruin his new friendship with Tuck, Oddley quickly hid himself and waited for the nympho-Gilda, as he called her, to leave, which she did.  These events caused Oddley's mind to start thinking over the last few days.

He soon came to the conclusion that Willow was, in fact, Dr. Milner under the influence of the nympho-drops.  This leads Oddley to an interesting idea, in which, with Gilda's help, he gave some of the drops to his sister Susan, which turned her into the usual results.  Oddley then let Newshaw date the nympho-Susan, which helped to cancel his debt.

The next morning, Oddley realized that he had two weeks left of the vacation time he asked from Mr. Randall and decided he would take the time off.  He then remembered that he left the nympho-drops at Susan's house.  When he went collect them, he found that she was now addicted and downed two teaspoons, which turned her into a monster, causing Oddley to flee...

This Week's Episode: "Stuck in Tulsa", Part One

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I ran out as fast as I can. Faster than I can ever remember running. My mind was so caught up in running that, in my flight, I ran past my jeep. I didn't have time to think about that. I could hear my sister's growls behind me as I ran deeper into the neighborhood. Deeper and deeper I went, and further and further from my jeep I ran.

My running stopped quite by accident. I was looking behind me, for I had lost sight of her when my progress came to a sudden stop. I had hit the back of a car in a driveway. After a moment to get my bearings, I decided to hide in the car inside. Luckily, the front passenger door was unlocked.

I hid really well as I heard the sound of my sister outside. It seemed liked a minute before she went off. For a moment, I felt safe until I heard a front door open. It was to the house of the owner of the car. I looked up a little and saw two people, a husband and wife, with a suitcase in the hands of the wife.

"Look, darling, I'm gonna go and that's final." said the wife, a woman in her mid-30s, with blackish hair, with eyes to match and a shape exceptional for her age..

"No, you're not." said the husband.

"I need to find myself." she said.

"You can find yourself here." he said.

"I'm going and that's the final word." she said.

"Get back in the house." he said.

"If you want to discuss this, follow me." she said as she headed back inside.

He then quickly closed the door and locked it shut.

"Now you're trapped." he said.

While he was confident in his victory, I saw her sneaking out the back way and make her way to the very car I was hiding in.

"Who are you?" she asked me when she got in.

"Never mind, just go." I said.

She then started the car and the car pulled out of the driveway. Quickly, it motored off while the husband was still at the door.

"That was close. Now, who are you." she said.

"My name, believe it or not, is Oddley Mitchell." I said.

"Interesting name." she said.

"That's what they keep telling me." I said.

"My name's Brooke LaRue." she said.

"Nice to meet you." I said.

"Why are you in my car?" she asked.

"I was hiding from someone. I don't wish to explain." I said.

"That's okay. I could some company on this trip." she said.

"Thanks, Brooke." I said.

"No problem." she said.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Nowhere in particular." she said.

"I've been there." I said.

"I see." she said.

"It's a nice place to find oneself." I said.

"Then that's where I'm going." she said.

The car soon made its way out of the neighborhood. My mind was wanting to ask Wanda to return me to my sister's house to collect my jeep, but my mind also remembered what was waiting for me if I did. I had no idea how long two teaspoons of the nympho-drops would last, so I let Brooke continue her drive.

That drive lead us to one of the most famous roads in the world: Route 66. It was at an intersection where we met the mother road. After a moment, we turned southwards, the only real direction to go. Within the hour, the road had taken us out of Chicago. It was the first time in a long time for me.

I watched as the Chicago skyline became smaller and smaller on the horizon until I could no longer see it. That's when I knew that I was on a trip. It wasn't the vacation I was thinking of that morning, but it was the one I was on now. Another hour passed before my mouth could start moving again.

"How far are you going?" I asked.

"I have no idea." she said back to me.

"Then why go on this trip?" I asked.

"Because I wanna find myself." she said.

"I see. And you couldn't do that at home?" I said.

"Not with that man there." she said.

"You mean your husband." I said.

"Not to me. Not now, anyway." she said.

"I hope that'll change soon." I said.

"Me, too." she said.

Another hour soon pass by and I spent the time looking out the window, watching the landscape of northern Illinois. Back then, it was nothing but barns, farmhouses, and corn. Sometimes, I would see a cow or a horse, but mainly the crops as they are in the spring.

Eventually, I was overcome by the usual boredom. As our trip began its fourth hour, I turned my eyes over to the dashboard to rest my eyes and saw that the gas gauge was nearing the "E" side of the dial.

"It looks like you're running low on fuel." I said to Brooke.

"Really?" she said.

"I can see from here." I said.

"You're right, Oddley." she told me.

"Then, shouldn't we find a gas pump?" I asked her.

"I don't see one yet." she said.

"I saw a sign saying there'll be one in ten miles and I believe eight of those miles have passed." I said.

"You have an eye for the roadside." she said.

"Thanks. The result of long car trips in my youth." I said.

"Your family took long vacation?" she asked.

"To see my relatives in Memphis." I said.

"Just you and your parents." she said.

"Just my mother and my sister. I lost my father to the Korean War." I said.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up." she said.

"Don't worry. I'm over it by now." I said.

"Good thing you are." she said.

"I'm starting to see that gas station." I said.

"I can see it, too." she said.

We did eventually make it to that gas station. As we pulled in, my mind wondered how we would explain ourselves to the attendant on call. As we pulled up to the pump, out the attendant came and over to the car.

"Good day, ma'am." he said as he walked to the driver's side window.

"Good day to you." she said.

"What's your pleasure?" he asked.

"$10.00 of the regular, please." she said.

"Okay." he said as he walked away.

He then went to work pumping the gas. After a gallon, he noticed my present in the front seat of the car.

"Is that your son?" he asked.

"Yes, he is." said Brooke.

"Nice-looking kid. Nice to see that a mother still likes to bond with her son." he said.

"Thanks." she said.

"Is he a nice boy?" he asked.

"He is a nice boy." she said.

"That's nice to know." he said.

"Let's drop it, okay?" she then said.

"Okay, because I'm almost done with your tank." he said.

"Good." she said.

"Done." he said as he finished.

"Get the money." I said as he walked back to the window.

"That'll be $10.73, ma'am." he said.

"Here you go." she said as she handed over the money.

"Thank you, ma'am." he said.

"Gotta go." she said as we drove off.

"That was close." I said.

"It's not like we're lovers. I'm a married woman." she said.

"Trying to find herself." I said.

"Touche, Oddley." she said.

The Mother Road eventually took us to the Mississippi River and St. Louis. I will tell you, I loved seeing that Arch as we neared the city. I managed to talk Brooke into stopping for lunch. We ate it quietly, not saying a word.

We then headed back on the road, continuing our trip down Route 66. As the day passed, we went through Missouri, heading to Kansas for a brief visit, and into the wilds of Oklahoma. This took another five hours.

As the sun set, we reached the city of Tulsa. This cowboy capital gave us a chance to slow down. Rather than find a room, Brooke was anxious to see what Tulsa was about, so she located a bar as we entered the city and stopped there.

As we entered the bar, I was reminded of the fact that we were now in Oklahoma, by the music and the accents of the bar patrons around us. As I walked up to the bar, I did my best to act like I belonged there.

"Howdy, partner." I said to the bartender.

"Cut the act, jack." he said.

"What did you say, man?" I said.

"You city boy, you. Trying to act like one of us." he said.

"I am one of you." I told him.

"Don't keep it up." he said.

"Just give a cold brew." I said.

"One beer, coming up, and you, lady?" said the bartender.

"I'll have the same." said Brooke.

"Two beers." he said as he walked away from us.

"Having a nice time?" I asked her.

"This place is weird." she said.

"This is Tulsa. It's a cowboy town." I said.

"But you're not a cowboy." she said.

"I can be, if I can be." I said.

"You think you're a cowboy?" I heard a voice asked.

I looked in the direction of the voice and saw a real cowboy, wearing a ten-gallon hat, a mustache, demin in shirt and pants form, and just looked like it.

"I did." I said.

"You don't look like one." he said as he walked over to me.

"I am. Name's Oddley. They call me the Chicago Cowboy." I said.

"Never heard of you. Besides, Oddley's a stupid name." he said.

"Listen... " I said as he started in on him.

"Name's Roy, boy." he said with a smile.

"Listen, Roy. I'm from the northern plains and news doesn't move this way." I said.

"I see you brought a lady with ya." he said.

"This is Brooke. I'm her protector." I said.

"You're no protector. I am." he said.

"I don't think she wants you to protect her." I said.

"I'll protect her." he said.

"She's married." I said.

"Not for long." he said.

"Are you coming on to her?" I asked.

"Is wanting to bed her coming on to her?" he asked.

"Leave her alone." I said.

"Dance with me." he said.

"No." said Brooke.

"The lady said no." I said.

"I said you'll dance with me." he shouted.

"I don't want you." she said as he made a grab for her.

It was then that I did something I'll remember with me always. I just leaned into him and gave a good punch in the jaw as hard as I could give. He fell to the floor quickly. After a moment, he got back up and he didn't look happy.

"Did you just punch me, boy?" he asked.

"That I did. I defended her honor." I said.

"I don't like it when someone decks me, boy." he said as he grabbed my collar and lifted me off the floor.

"I'm sorry, but I was protecting her." I said.

"Well, you better protect yourself, boy." he said as he reared back his fist for a punch.

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Oddley is once again threaten with the end of his life.  I could make things easier on him but then, you wouldn't stick around until next week, and find out what's gonna happen to him.  What's gonna happen to him?  Drop in next week and find out for yourselves.
 
Next week, Oddley's brush with death leads to a quick getaway, an overnight stay, and an attempt to explain himself to Brooke, which leads to another brush with death.  Boy, Oddley sure seems to almost die every week, but then, like I said...  That's next week, Thursday, September 8th, at 2:30 pm, on the John Maxwell Blog. 
 
Until then, this is John Maxwell saying, there are many ways to say "school", but only one way on a certain game show, if you know what I mean...