Thunderbolt

"Scott thinks he knows what he's doing." That's what I heard when I began telling people that I was in love and planned to marry the woman I'd only known a few months. In May of 1992 I had a plan: live with my folks, find a job, save some cash, and move to California. It started out that way. I found work at a store called Nature's Bin in Lakewood, Ohio. It was a storefront that sold fresh produce and was a non-profit training adults with disabilities how to perform in a workplace. It was only supposed to be a summer job. Three months of saving up and then I was leaving for Los Angeles to pursue the dream. Hollywood. Writing. Directing. Stardom. I had no interest in getting to know someone and opening up myself to another human being; leaving them. It was all working just fine until the end of July. That smile and those bright blue eyes. A kindness and joyful spirit that was so contagious I wanted to be in every room she was in; that kind of feeling where you ...

After a slight delay (more like a hiatus), we're back. Let's get right to it, shall we? Column 1, Row 3: Cyndi Lauper She's So Unusual Cyndi Lauper is a Grammy Award, Tony Award, Emmy Award winning singer, songwriter and actress who, despite her many accolades, will likely be best known for her upbeat, female positive anthem, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." Born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens, she began writing songs at an early age. As a teenager in the 60s, she was unafraid to express her individuality with different hair colors and clothing styles that didn't conform to what her peers wore. Considered an outsider and bullied by classmates, she was expelled from high school at 17 and left home soon thereafter. In the 70s, after getting her GED, she tried art school in Vermont, worked odd jobs to support herself, but eventually returned to New York and began performing in cover bands. By the end of the decade, frustrated by only singing covers, and worried that...