Home
>
Writing
>
When I Grow Up

When I Grow Up

I've just come back to work after nine glorious, sun-drenched days at home. This year, vacation was the week of July 4th. We stayed home instead of dashing off to a cottage on a lake. Aside from saving a few thousand bucks, I had plans! Amazing plans! Projects galore, and the gumption to tackle every one of them!

I planned to weed every garden on the grounds. There would be no stragglers left standing when I was through! I would relocate the strawberry and raspberry beds to new locations. That, in itself, would be no small feat, since they are massive. Massive, and loaded with weeds, I might add. I would rototill a whole new border garden by the roadside and move the choked peonies and sundrops to a new home. It would be splendid! Superb! Riotous with color!

And, best of all, I would completely scour my proofs for Upstaged, the second book in the LeGarde Mystery Series. Due "any day now," I'd been promised that they'd arrive just in time for my carefully planned hiatus. When finished with Upstaged, I'd work on Counterpoint, the ninth book, and write until my fingers cramped or I became a mummified author, glued to the laptop with a glazed expression of delight on my ugly mug. I was psyched! I was ready! I was bursting with energy!

On top of the lofty goals for garden and books, I planned to spend every possible second with my grandsons. Julian, two and a half, is a whirling dervish who actually helps me in the gardens and keeps up a constant, delightful chatter that offers true companionship. He attacks the weeds with relish, and has begun to recognize the difference between the bean plants and the pigweed. Gordon, one and a half, toddles around happily, playing with the dirt and water and the sandbox until he is covered in mud. Both boys beg for rides on the lawn tractor, and we spend many an hour riding around the grounds, ducking beneath low hanging branches and plucking ripe gooseberries and blueberries from the bushes that we pass. The boys provide superb inspiration for my characters in the LeGarde mysteries. Gus, the protagonist, is blessed with three grandchildren. I soak up as much detail as possible when I'm with those little ones. Aside from the soul-quenching love that I receive, they keep me hopping.

All right. Back to the plan. How did it turn out? What vacation ever turns out as planned? Who's ever accomplished all of the things on their long "To Do" list? The gardens were finally weeded to completion. They'll stay that way for a few weeks. I never did move the major beds or start the roadside flower show. We picked and cooked gourmet feasts with cukes, zucchini, beans, beets, kale, peas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and more. I spent hours with my little buddies, lolling in the sun, floating in the pool, and digging in the dirt. Julian learned to jump in the water and go under! Gordon munched on Blue Lake beans and added to his vocabulary. I enjoyed a successful book signing at Borders. And I wrote like the wind.

Upstaged didn't arrive ? matter of fact, it's now due tomorrow, the day I return to work! But I polished up Mazurka, which is due to my new publisher soon, anyway. It's ready to go and should be out in November.

I'll be back to work in the morning. Glad to see my friends, but cringing at the thought of losing this amazing sense of freedom. As I've been sitting here writing this, it struck me. THIS is what I want to do when I grow up! Forget about that engineering stuff, I want to stay home! To spend time outside! To write! To cook! To love my grandbabies! To create roller coaster stories, ripe with life and endearing characters, to be passionate and alive and free!

Sigh. When I grow up, I want to be? retired!

Aaron Paul Lazar lives in Upstate New York with his wife, three daughters, two grandsons, mother-in- law, two dogs, and three cats. After writing in the early morning hours, he works as an electrophotographic engineer at NexPress Solutions in Rochester, New York. Additional passions include gardening, preparing large family feasts, photography, cross-country skiing, playing a distinctly amateur level of piano, and spending "time" with the French Impressionists whenever possible.

This article is from the "Seedlings" Column, found in "The Back Room" newsletter at: http://www.bobburdick.com/thebackroom/current_issue.htm

Altho ugh he adored raising his three delightful daughters, Mr. Lazar finds grandfathering his "two little buddies" to be one of the finest experiences of his life. Double Forte', the first in the series, was published in January 2005. Upstaged, number two, will be released in August 2005. Mazurka, number three, is scheduled for November 2005 release. With eight books under his belt, Mr. Lazar is currently working on the ninth, which features Gus LeGarde and his famil

recurring maid service Buffalo Grove ..

In The News:

The iconic Mary Kay pink Cadillac goes electric with the Cadillac Optiq, available only to the company's top 1% of sales force performers.

Cybercriminals abuse trusted Intel driver to gain kernel access and shut down Windows Defender, enabling undetected malware deployment since July 2025.

Using email aliases for online shopping and subscriptions can protect your privacy by preventing companies from linking your activity across websites.

New research shows AI overlap does not equal job replacement, with knowledge-based roles seeing most integration while physical jobs remain least affected.

Scammers target seniors who avoid social media by exploiting public records like obituaries and real estate filings to steal personal information and money

Recovery team in Italy use AI-enabled drones to detect missing hiker's red helmet, leading to successful recovery after months of ground searches

Google Salesforce system breach exposes business data while scammers use incident to target users with fake security calls and phishing attempts.

Google announces Pixel 10 lineup with Tensor G5 chip and Gemini Nano AI, introducing Magic Cue, Pro Res Zoom up to 100x and satellite emergency support features.

C San Diego study reveals 86% of school safety companies monitor students 24/7 on personal devices, raising privacy concerns.

Users can now add their favorite outlets' coverage to the Top Stories section of Google search results by utilizing the 'preferred sources' feature. With just a few clicks, you can add Fox News.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS shows an unexpected frontal glow that Harvard's Avi Loeb says cannot be explained by sunlight reflection or standard cometary outgassing.

Receiving order confirmations for purchases you never made could mean your email address is being exploited in fraud operations targeting multiple retailers.

First wireless brain implant works with Apple's official protocol, enabling hands-free control of iPhones, iPads and Vision Pro through thought alone.

Data brokers sell personal details that scammers use to target retirement funds through fake financial advisor calls and convincing phishing attempts

Ten innovative tech solutions from gait sensors to smart pill dispensers help adults 65+ track fall risks and prevent injuries before they happen.

Meta AI internal documents revealed chatbots were allowed to flirt with children and engage in romantic conversations until the company was exposed by Reuters.

ChatGPT will avoid giving direct mental health advice under new OpenAI rules following instances where the AI model provided harmful or misleading responses.

Your phone tracks you in more ways than that little GPS icon suggests. Here’s how to find and clear hidden location logs on iPhone and Android.

Authorities in France and the Netherlands have been notified. Meanwhile, impacted customers are being told to stay alert.

Apple just rolled out a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature to specific models, following a recent victory in a legal dispute.

Kidney dialysis provider DaVita experienced a ransomware breach by the Interlock gang affecting 916,000 people in the second-largest U.S. healthcare attack of 2025.

A Chinese-made Unitree R1 robot walked Manhattan streets and shopped for shoes as part of KraneShares' $28 million AI robotics fund promotion campaign.

The ShinyHunters cybercriminal group breached Google's Salesforce system through vishing attacks, stealing business contact details and customer data.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

When I Grow Up

Writing