Bob Cairns

Okay, it’s your call but know that this is written by a frustrated writer who, having been through every aspect of the publishing business, is taking his last shot at entertaining an audience.

In defense of this effort I’ll be blogging, airing out just a few more random observational thoughts—stories---that just might encourage laughter, reading, writing and reminiscing.

Okay, admittedly there are 600 million blogs worldwide and 32.7 million bloggers in the U.S. But couldn’t we scooch over and make room for just one more?

I refer here to my bio.

https://www.pastpageturners.com/bobs-bio

So, books fiction and nonfiction published by St Martin’s, numerous pieces in national magazines, Sports Illustrated, TV GUIDE, served as a speech writer for NC State University’s Chancellor.

But, if the above credits appear to be a writer’s brag, it came with writer’s sweat and my share of rejections.

The method in my madness with Bob’s, Oh No Not Another Blog is actually pretty self-serving: it’s time for me to get over myself and share some of the joys that I’ve been privileged to have had in this writing process.

Hopefully your writing has taken you there, too.

There’s research, interviews, organizing the gathering of quotes, etc., all a part of the process that kept me entertained and so busy. And then there’s the one-on-one with the people doing some really interesting interviews.

Should you kindly read my blog I’ll share some of my writing experiences with you, many came from the hundreds of personality pieces I wrote for magazines and books. Feature stories and personality pieces can be a goldmine---from a World Champion Rodeo Bull rider who worried more about the highway miles logged from one rodeo to another than being hurled from the back of a 2,000-pound bull, to a medical doctor who had saved lives at NASCAR races. How about all those Hall of Fame baseball and basketball players---the astronauts and Five Star Generals? Then there was Mariner Moose, the Seattle Mariners mascot who duked it out with drunken fans that kept bopping him on his antlered head on Bat Night. And the winner of the North Carolina Hollerin’ contest, a man who sat with me one evening on a bench by the NC State belltower and sang/hollered “Amazing Grace” in a pitch perfect tenor voice.

This writer’s blog will share some of my childhood reminiscences---from baseball to “behavior.” The ones called Pet Smart, about Mr. Bones, my unbroken forty-dollar donkey, and my nine pet ducks named for the NY Yankees are favorites.

But the memory bank remains open, so I won’t forget my readers when I experience something current, a blog feature called Daily Doings, little events that I find of interest/zany and feel compelled to share.

Okay, here’s one. Recently there was this lady at Costco who stopped me as I trundled down an aisle pushing a cart with one of those bad wheels. This shopper actually took time out of her BOGO day to suggest (I didn’t know her and she was not even an employee) that I obviously didn’t have the faintest idea of how to select and or pack a grocery cart. She said, and I quote, “Sir, your left front wheel is out of line and you happen to be crushing your fresh bread with those beer cases so if you don’t mind, I’d like to repack your cart.” Taken aback, I stood back. She did do a marvelous job on the repack, and I thanked her kindly and limped off with my three-wheeled buggy, noting with some pleasure that her cart contained a pallet-sized purchase of DEPENDS.

Back on point, after spending the last five decades claiming that I’d never self-publish, my New York Literary Agency closed its doors. I now find myself in my electronic DO IT YOURSELF years. So from time to time---I’ll shamelessly also promote my blog, websites and books!

By the way keep an eye out on Amazon and Ingram for Bob’s latest books: The Inn: Memoir of a “Storied” Past, where a kid grows up in a historic inn and learns to be a relentless storyteller; a basketball novel, Dear Coach, Dear Benchie, where a former coach and player relive their relationship through a series of letters; the novel, Driving Mr. Crazy, a chase story with a beautiful redhead behind the wheel of a semi-trailer laced with drugs and a nerd passenger holding on for dear life; and Balls of Ivy, a Kentucky horse-racing, action-packed whodunit.

Speaking of Bob’s Books for a reminiscent read at a reasonable price simply go to The Inn: Memoir of a “Storied” Past at http://amazon.com/author/bob_cairns_books.com. You’ll find me and a life packed with stories and people with genuine characters.

Now, that we’ve put the commerce to bed every blog needs a tease so, just for fun, I’ll kick things off here with some mildly outrageous offerings, promoting a regular Oh No feature that I’m simply calling…

Undoubtably all of the above brushes and many more in more detail will find their way as features into these catch-all Oh No blogs.

So, although this miscellaneous blog may appear to be kind of out there, my aim is simply to entertain, maybe make my case for winding up the old writing career on my terms while bumping that international blog number up to a nifty six-hundred-million and ONE.

Bob Cairns and his fun-filled Oh No blog will be attempting to (with his other writing projects) help raise funds to benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Andrew Lackey, V Foundation for Cancer Research
14600 Weston Parkway, Cary, NC 27513
Phone: 919-443-3574