Miracle Myx Goes Wheeee!

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This was one of the few times so far that Myx hadn't complained. I put him on a book cart, and then, even though I'm not a trained librarian--nor do I have a degree in Library Science--I took MIRACLE MYX on a short jaunt around the stacks.

"That was fun!" Myx said with an enthusiasm that he rarely displayed with me on our excursions.

"I had to be careful you didn't tip over," I said.

"You know I have excellent balance."

"You do? ... I mean ... you're the most agile book I know." Better to play along when things are swimmng in the right direction.

"I needed the cart to myself, yanno," said Myx.

I had to clear the cart of other books (yeah--I put them all back exactly the same way they were--I think). Myx could be a prima donna sometimes.

"Don't expect that kind of treatment in libraries in the future once you're published," I said.

"Oh, I think I'll get the same VIP treatment."

I didn't disabuse Myx of the notion.

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Miracle Myx Gets Handsy

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"She's leaning on me!"

"Come on--that doesn't hurt," I said.

I had wedged MIRACLE MYX under a mannequin at Macy's. It didn't take long for Myx to start complaining.

"How do you know it's a she?" I thought a little kidding would lighten Myx's mood for a change. Sometimes I think he enjoyed being on the road with me and facing the challenges and adventures ... Okay--maybe it wasn't all that much fun putting ourselves in awkward situations on a daily basis--but Myx at least could play a long.

"Other than you, who wears blouses that have buttons on the left?" Myx had an answer for everything. "You told me that girls have buttons on the opposite side as guys so that guys could more easily--"

I wasn't going to mention the mannequin didn't even have buttons.

"I never told you anything like that--and leave my buttons out of this," I said.

"She just said I make a nice armrest," Myx said.

"Is that a left-handed compliment?"

"Dave--look at her hands! How could I tell?"

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Miracle Myx Memorial

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"He was a good guy," said Myx.

Today would have been Dr. Michael Aronoff's 65th birthday. He never made it this far; he passed away from brain cancer on October 2nd of last year.

"I'm shaking hands with him in August of '06. That was just a few days before he was diagnosed out of the blue," I said. Michael and his wife, Janee, traveled the country often in their RV and had stopped in Massachusetts to visit me before heading back to Bloomington, Indiana.

"That's you when you first buzzed your hair off," Myx said.

"Well--Michael had to have his head shaved for an operation, so I did the same in solidarity. I sent that pic to prove I did it! Big of me, eh?"

"Dave, there wasn't that much left to --"

"That last picture is when I visited Bloomington this past August. We went to the Indianapolis Zoo on the hottest day of the year. I wheeled Michael around and we really enjoyed the day."

"He read me first, didn't he?" Myx asked.

"Michael was your first fan, Myx. He always asked about what stage of publication we were in."

"He was a good guy," Myx said.

Then ... we were quiet.

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Miracle Myx Goes Shopping

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"You realize it's 6 degrees and windy out here, don't you?"

Myx was stating the obvious to me. In the Boston area, we were having a cold snap--like anything exposed to the cold could snap off if the right leverage was applied. Still, when you're a leader, you have to set a good example for the troops. (The depressing part was that I'm the leader of one troop--a book!)

"It is a bit brisk, but we should be done in no time," I said with just that air of assurance in my voice--the one that never fooled Myx with his synesthetic listening.

We were at BJs Wholesale, an airplane-hangar-sized building with all sorts of items at bargain prices--if you wanted to buy a 3-month supply of something all bound together in a plastic wrapper.

On the way out, I couldn't pass up giving MIRACLE MYX a quick ride in the carriage. I'm sure other shoppers thought I had just bought the book. Okay, I was sure they thought all sorts of other stuff. None approached me--and I'm such a friendly guy, too.

"Are we done yet?"

"Almost, I have a few more positions for you," I said.

"I have a position for you!" Was that a chatter in his voice?

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Miracle Myx Gets Romantic

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"Aren't I out of place?"

Myx was genuinely surprised when I "racked" him up in the Romance section. MIRACLE MYX was, indeed, primarily a mystery--but did have some romance in it.

"We're doing this for a special group of authors: those dedicated to expressing the passions and desires that--"

"I get it, Dave," said Myx.

I hate it when Myx interrupts me just as I'm about to eloquently--

"Are you running that pity thing in your head about how I break into your wonderful and facund strings of never-been-expressed-before thoughts?"

"Of course not!" I said with just the right amount of indignation. "Facund? Where'd you get that?"

"Certainly not from you!"

Miracle Myx

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Miracle Myx Irons Things Out

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"Don't fall," I said.

I really didn't need to say anything. This was one of the more precarious perches (have I used that alliteration before?) that Myx had balanced on. It had taken more than one try to wedge the small ironing board into the crotch of the tree at that height.

"Another fine mess you've gotten me into," Myx whispered.

I knew I shouldn't have let him watch that Laurel and Hardy marathon.

"You'll be fine. Just think--you're a prime example of "Extreme Ironing," I said.

"And why is it again I want to be that?"

"Lots of people take that seriously. You should be honored that you're participating in such a sport." Even though I didn't know what I was talking about, I thought that sounded pretty good.

"I think you're just blowing smoke," Myx said.

"Where on a book, may I ask, do you actually blow the smoke?" Myx wouldn't answer.

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Miracle Myx New Year!

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"This is it, isn't it?"

It was unlike Myx to ask such an open-ended question. Usually he wanted some specific information, and framed his words to funnel your answer directly towards his immediate need. This was different--he sounded thoughtful. I could either be a wiseass and berate him in our usual banter, or use my ol' Diotalevi charm and vast knowledge of psychological insight.

"Howzat?" I said. Pretty good--eh?

"This is the year I'll be born--you know."

"Myx, you've been born many times," I said. I didn't want this to start sounding religious or new-agey, so I expounded. "First you were an idea in my mind, then I wrote you, then an agent loved you, then a publisher loved you--now all you have to do, when you're published in the spring, is get some readers to love you. Piece of cake!"

"Wise man say, 'Easy cake often sought after by crumby people.'" Myx smiled.

"We'll be fine in 2008. Look at all the nice viewers who are appreciating your adventures," I said. We were getting plenty of fun feedback about this blog.

"Speaking of 2008--shouldn't we ...?"

"Yeah--on three: one--"

"HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!" Myx shouted.

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Miracle Myx Leaves 2007

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"You've being clever," Myx said.

"Hmmm?" I answered eloquently.

"You think you're being clever with your headline."

"And you have a different opinion, I guess," I said. Myx loved cleverness--but mostly when he thought he was the source.

"I just think we could have ended the year with more of a bang ... some zip ... a little--"

"I get it, Myx. But, you have to admit the leaves thing is amusing."

"I don't have to admit anything, except it was a stretch."

Again we were at the Natick collections (on the second floor). There was a stand of white birch rsing from the first floor and these leaves hung and twirled in slow hypnotic revolutions with the air currents. I thought Myx looked good there in front of them.

"Hold still while I take this pic," I said. (heh! heh!)

"Leave me alone. See, now that's clever!"

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Miracle Myx Has Balls

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"I think I'd better clarify my title here," I said.

"It works either way,"Myx said.

"So you don't think I should add that it's gumballs I'm talking about?"

"Don't you agree you took a lot of chances in the book and that there are some surprises, and maybe even a shock or two that are a gamble? Wouldn't that be considered balls?"

Myx was referring to a couple of turns that define him as a new type of hero. There's also ... the very ending ....

"The only chances I was concerned with was taking this pic of you. Although, those people in the background didn't seem to notice because the display covered us," I said.

"You didn't see the looks you got behind you."

I was starting to get used to the attention I got while carrying Myx under my arm in public wherever I went, balancing him somewhere, whipping out my trusty Canon SD1000--and clicking away!

"I'm sure they understood," I said.

Myx was quick to add, "They were being polite, Dave."

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Miracle Myx Gets Trashy

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"Don't you think this is beneath my dignity?"

"You have dignity?" Whenever you can answer a question with a question, you're probably a little bit ahead with Myx.

"Dave, how do you make your decisions about these pics, anyway? I mean--a trash container?"

"I try to choose something that will be amusing and different," I said. I wasn't going to let on that any level surface that would let me stand MIRACLE MYX up was in contention for my next shot.

"Don't you think people might subliminally think that I'm trash?"

Myx was just full of questions today. But did he have a point? Could there be some unspoken connection that a viewer could make? Although I intentionally put some "trashy" parts into the book for spice, I certainly didn't want that kind of association to be made. I'd better let Myx know that I thought it over and valued his opinion.

"Don't be stupid; nobody's going to think that," I said just before a woman pushed a Snickers candy wrapper through the spring-loaded lid opening.

Miracle Myx