Silly Daddy and the Miracles of Marriage

Ink brush and marker on 8.5" x 5.5" paper by Joe Chiappetta 2010

I drew this comic as a companion piece to a deep, yet hilarious essay that my wife just created. And for the record, my wife did not actually say what I wrote in the above comic. However, once you read her essay, you'll see how it all fits together. Please enjoy her talented writings below.

Opposites Attract: Even in a Lightning Storm

Essay by Denise Chiappetta

Many people like to ring in the new year with a bang. So do we.

My husband, Joe, loves the outdoors. So much so, that he, with the help of my 9 year old son, have built a "fort" out of fallen trees, branches and twigs in the forest preserve near our house. It really is a nice little shelter. Five trees kind of grew in a semicircle, and the guys used that as a foundation to weave branches in for walls and even have a roof over half of it. They built a fireplace out of scattered bricks found on the path and an old rusted metal something-or-other.

Today was Joe's last official day of vacation from work, and it was 50 degrees on this, the last day of December here in Chicago. Never mind the drizzle in the air. Sissies watch the weather channel. Veggie dogs and matches in hand, mud boots on, to the fort the guys were headed. What a nice idea. Father and son bonding in nature. That's great! Until... Joe looks at me and says, "Hun, why don't you come too. This is my last day of vacation and I'd really like to do something together as a family... all of us. It's so warm outside. This is the last nice day of the year. Literally. We'll start a fire and have lunch out there. I'll do the cooking (wink wink). Come on, Hun. It'll be great."

Now, I didn't really have a lot of other plans. Laundry. House cleaning. Return some phone calls. Run over to the Rec Dept. to sign my kids up for some programs. I want to be agreeable. I want to meld those family moments of togetherness around the hearth. Only, we don't have a fireplace in our house. Maybe going to the fort together is a do-able idea. It's the closest thing to a fireplace we have. The kids will have fun. Surely the drizzle will stop. I need to learn to be more optimistic in the new year. "Yes," I hear myself say. But I'm not stupid. "You and Luke go ahead and get the fire going and the food started. Anna and I will do a couple errands and meet ya there in time for lunch." Agreed.

Now, I won't bore you with the details of how 5 year old Anna and I had to walk along a narrow sidewalk next to a busy street, in the misty drizzle, while people stopped in their cars waiting for a train stared at us. I won't elaborate on my imagined fears of having a policeman pull up next to me, asking me if I was homeless, was this my daughter, and why was I taking her into the forest in the rain?? This is America after all, and we weren't doing anything illegal... right? Or picturing in my own mind's eye how I might react if I was one of the female motorists staring at us in pity. No, I held my head high, put a smile on my face, tried to see through my drizzled glasses and told Anna how great the hot dogs would taste as I hiked her over the guard rail and proceeded into the forest.

I had a "pretty" good idea where the fort was located. Anna handled it "pretty" well when her mud boot stayed stuck in the mud and her foot popped out and got slightly wet. It only took one "pretty" calm cell phone call to Dad to keep us from being "pretty" lost in the forest.

The fire is doing well as we arrive, which is a miracle, seeing as it's officially raining now. I'm practicing my "optimistic in the new year" approach to things and decide to focus on how happy my husband seems to be. He smiles over my way and says, "Hun, isn't this great?! I mean, this is the life! Isn't it beautiful? Look, I'm gonna go pee over there and then wash my hands with snow! Snow...formed into the shape of a piece of soap! Wow! For free. I love it!" Now, I'm not sure when the last time he was charged a sum of money to pee... but maybe he's talking about the water bill. I decide not to question his bliss. Nod and smile. He is pretty darn cute with the sparkly rain drops glistening on his head. My wild man. I can dig that.

Anna and I stay to the side of the fort with a "roof." It's not way too bad. We have big rocks to sit on. Our coats are puffy. She's got on her snow suit for protection. The fire is warm. She is eating mustard on her veggie dog and loving it. It's our sought-after cherished family moment.

I'm proud of myself. The sight of a mouse... (or is it a little rat?) nesting a foot away from my rock, and another darting around the other side of the fort doesn't intimidate me. If they're not in my house, they are kinda cute, I generously comment. The fort is their house, after all. I'm the intruder here. I'm really reveling in this girl scout moment when my veggie dog tumbles off my roasting stick and into the dirt. I pick it up and eat it. Without even attempting to wash it with snow!! Never one to refuse credit where credit is due (especially when it comes to myself), I say to my husband, "Look, aren't you proud of me? I'm eating my veggie dog with dirt on it. In the rain. And the snow. With the mice." He smiles and looks at me like I'm the most attractive thing on the planet... no, the universe. I'm suddenly Maid Marion to his Robin Hood. We are living a romantic life as outlaws in the forest, surrounded by our brood of followers. I knew there would be a pay off for all of this mess, I tell myself. He's happy. We're building family memories. You can't put a price on that.

Then the thunder starts. At first I think it's a plane. I take my hood down for a moment to listen more carefully. Luke optimistically comments, "That sounds like the Millennium Falcon landed in Berwyn." Joe, glowing, replies, "It's ok. Not a big deal." I feel my chest tighten. Is that pain starting on the side of my head a headache from the low barometer or a potential stress headache? I start mentally calculating how long that last veggie dog will take to cook. They're not meat after all. While we're roughing it, let's just eat that baby raw... that's my silent opinion. My coat suddenly feels wetter. "Ok, I'm about ready to get going," I chime in. Then comes the little lightning flash. "Yeah, let's go," Anna says. Never mind the impending storm. She's run out of food to eat. The whining can't be far behind. We pack it up and head out.

I find myself annoyed at Joe's slow walking pace over the bridge next to the street. He lovingly smiles back at the rest of us following behind in single file, "Look at those ducks swimming in the rain!" he comments. The kids are more resilient than I at this point. "Awesome! Cool!" they say excitedly. "Let's pick up the pace here, can we?" I impatiently reply. There's always one crabby tourist on the tour bus. Right now it's me. The rain comes down harder. My Alamo moment arrives. As we walk along the road, journeying to the parking lot (which seems even farther away than on the trip there, by the way) a car slows to a stop and pulls up next to us. A stop. On busy Cermak road. In the rain. That in itself is a rather dangerous and desperate move. I might do that for a wounded domesticated animal. Maybe. Probably not. The passenger door swings open and a woman thrusts an umbrella toward us. "Here ya go!" she generously says in pity. "No thanks," we reply. "Our car is parked right on up ahead. But thanks anyway," I say smiling. But on the inside, I'm not really smiling. I'm losing it. "Oh no, we are THOSE PEOPLE!!" I silently scream in my mind. "That poor family whose car died and can't afford a cab and have to walk home. Or who ran out of gas and have no friends or relatives to bring them more and have to schlep their kids to the gas station in the rain. Or those poor homeless victims of this awful economy who lost their home to foreclosure and now live in the forest in a flimsy tarp tent! I think I saw something like that on the news! Or, worse yet, those terrible parents who brought their kids out in the rain without a stinkin' umbrella!!" The cars whiz past and I'm certain I'm being judged as all of those things at 35 miles an hour. Why does this bother me so much? It doesn't bother my husband at all. He smiles and says, "Wow kids, wasn't that nice of that family in the car to offer us their umbrella?! God bless them."

I'm sure they will be blessed. I, however, was not feeling very blessed as I climbed in the car soaking wet, thinking how glad I was that the seats are leather and easy to clean up from mud. I start the car, glare at my husband and shaking my head, mutter, "Never again." Home is only 3 blocks away. I'm a model of efficiency upon entering the door, pulling off coats and snowsuits, barking out orders. Anna picks up my wedding ring off the bathroom counter as I ready her shower. It falls in the sink and starts on it's way down the drain. She catches it just in time. "Anna!! What are you thinking!!!" I yell at her. She howls her heart-felt hurt and scared feelings. She's hysterical. I'm hysterical on the inside, but silently brooding on the outside. Joe steps in and facilitates the shower. I go to the freezer and crack open a large package of dark chocolate I got as a Christmas present. The bedroom door gets closed as Mommy self medicates with chocolate that she isn't prepared to share while taking off her wet clothes.

So, I wonder, chomping on chocolate, what is my breaking point? The rain? The mice? The dirty dog? The umbrella? Why did I feel shamed by a family walk in the rain while my husband felt energized by it? What deep fears did that "family adventure" conjure up for me? Why did the imagined opinions of strangers feel so real and important? Can you put a price on family memories? At what point is it a healthy thing to sacrifice your comfort to see your spouse happy? At what point do you call it a day and head back to the car? Why do opposites attract? How can the things we love about someone also be the things that drive us nuts sometimes? How did I miss the fact that just because you take you're kids out in the drizzle without an umbrella doesn't mean that you're a bad mother? Maybe doing things in the spirit of adventure and memory building means you're a good mother... after all, what mother can control the weather? That's a little much to ask... even of mothers.

So, I wouldn't have changed today. Except for a few things... I would have prayed more. Especially on that bridge. I would have communicated better with my husband. He may be handsome with glistening rain drops on his head, but he can't read my mind. I would have concentrated on my kids' smiles more, and the rain drops less. I would have been more grateful that the wedding ring didn't go all the way down the drain. After all, what's the ring without a great relationship with the husband who gave it to me and the daughter who dropped it? I would have eaten less chocolate while thinking about all these things. But, I guess that's what "I'm sorry" is for. So... "I'm sorry God. I'm sorry family. I'm sorry thighs." Tonight I'll tip a glass to more family memory-making adventures in 2011.

Power Pendant of Planet Pizon: a Star Chosen sci-fi novelette

eBook is only 99 cents (USD) and heavy on space romance gone bad, raygun battles, and revenge vs. forgiveness.

Short family friendly sci-fi book with action and a positive message!

The Star Chosen are caught in a deadly struggle over a mysterious power pendant that may be the only thing standing between them and certain vaporization. When control over this otherworldly pendant gets called into controversy, a young romance on Planet Pizon turns into a fatal battle involving laser guns, spaceships, and ex-boyfriends. Will the Star Chosen squander the pendant's amazing abilities in a thirst for revenge, or will they learn to trust God and forgive in a time of mourning? Find out in this sci-fi space opera by award winning author Joe Chiappetta. Novelette contains 10,000 words.

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You can also read the first three chapters below as a free preview:

The Power Pendant of Planet Pizon: a Star Chosen sci-fi novelette

By Joe Chiappetta

Chapter 1: A Gift from the Deep Space Mining Vessel

From the spaceport, anyone could feel the ever so slight vibrations coming from the antigravity drives on the largest ships as they came and went. Such was the case with the approaching deep space mining ship that Pamma was viewing. The bulky, awkward vessel glided smoothly into Planet Pizon Spaceport just as scheduled. No amount of fancy decorations could change the fact that this incoming mining ship was ugly and grimy--perhaps the ugliest craft ever imagined. As the vessel made its textbook docking procedure into the port, this was Pamma's primary thought as she peered out the giant window of the spaceport terminal, waiting reluctantly for one of its passengers.

Pamma's dark, lovely, purple eyes were blinking rapidly as she let her mind dwell on trivial matters to pass the time. "Whoever designed this mining ship clearly had no concern for aesthetics," she pondered. "It looks as if someone took massive blocks, randomly assembled them, sat on them, kicked them, and then rolled them in the mud oceans of our nearest moon. It's a wonder this vessel even gets off the ground. That ship is about as ugly as my old life."

Pamma would know. She had recently made a list of all the bad things she had done in her twenty-two years. It was a surprisingly long and even repulsive collection of shameful deeds.

Much of what was on the list consisted of things she had done in virtual reality scenarios. However, Archilli, one of the men who introduced the concept of list making to her, explained that, "Evil intentions start in the mind. So that's where they need to be stopped."

Certainly no one would have suspected that such an ugly list would have come from the likes of Pamma. Outwardly, she was the image of ideal, exotic beauty: bronze skin, big eyes, long hair, and healthy body all wrapped up in youthful sweetness. Yet inwardly, as her list revealed, she was a woman that had lost her way, and in need of much help. Her cute laugh and honey-like voice couldn't hide her corrupted character anymore.

That was the whole point of writing the list: to peer beyond the outward appearance and see what was really going on inside. Pamma penned her list willingly at the prompting of Archilli, an Earth man, and Pamma's old boyfriend, Geo. Like Pamma, Geo was a native of Planet Pizon. Ironically, he had recently returned to Pizon with his new friend, Archilli, the very week that Pamma's boyfriend, Oraxo, had gone on a trip. Pamma at first thought it was coincidental that Geo came back to Planet Pizon while her current boyfriend was offworld on his scientific quest for rare power generating minerals. However, through the events of the past few weeks, Pamma no longer believed in coincidence.

While her boyfriend was gone, Archilli and Geo, behaving as perfect gentlemen, had been a great help to Pamma. Both of these men had previously made lists of their own and had benefited from them immeasurably. Pamma could testify firsthand how much of a changed man Geo had become. If Geo could change, Pamma figured that anyone could change--including her.

Of course, she couldn't say firsthand how much Archilli had changed, since she had only recently met him. Yet in that brief span of a few weeks, Pamma always felt completely safe with Archilli. He was just old enough to be her father, and despite his being a little on the quiet side, Pamma saw Archilli as a natural leader with integrity. He was a man who demonstrated extreme loyalty to his beliefs and his friends. Pamma was now counted among that small number, and it made her feel honored.

Navigating through the busy spaceport terminal, Pamma was pretty sure that her current boyfriend, Oraxo, whom she was waiting for, would not approve of these new relationships. Yet none of that would matter soon anyway. At least Pamma didn't think it would matter much longer.

Chapter 2: Girl with Gadgets

Pamma closed her tired eyes and found a low lit area of the spaceport terminal to sit while waiting. Her abnormal blinking rate was decreasing over the last few days, and would continue to do so the longer she stayed away from her old habit. She was determined to not go back to her shameful ways. "I feel so anxious," Pamma thought as she settled into the not-too-comfortable public chairs at the spaceport lounge. "I should pray."

Pamma must have nodded off in prayer, because she awoke to the sound of a young man saying, "There you are, beautiful. I got you something! Hey, wake up, sleepyhead." It was Oraxo, always handsome, always confident.

"You got me a present?" Pamma echoed as her eyes focused on the gift that Oraxo was holding out to give his sweet girlfriend. The gift was bright green, and globe-shaped, with a large opening on the bottom--big enough for someone to fit their head into.

The sight triggered quite a response from Pamma. She leaped upwards, and said to Oraxo, "Please forgive me, this is nothing personal, but..." Pamma couldn't find the words to finish her statement. Rather, this sweet, innocent looking young woman grabbed Oraxo's gift, dashed it to the floor, and jumped on it with all her might--repeatedly.

Pamma's favorite song was simultaneously playing over the spaceport's intercom, which made her all the more enthused to thrash dance on the device category that took so much time away from her real life. Pamma's stylish thigh-high boots had not particularly been designed to destroy virtual reality helmets. Nevertheless, they certainly did the trick with complete thoroughness, not to mention exquisite fashion, all to the beat of "Unplug Us Please, We've Had Enough." The irony did not escape her.

"What in the name of the galaxy are you doing?" yelled Oraxo. I paid good money for that VR helmet! It's the latest model!"

Pamma calmed down, looked up from the debris at her feet and made a half-apology; "I'm sorry. While you were gone, I've come to some deep convictions. I decided to give up my virtual reality escapades. I even made a vow to destroy any VR devices that were given to me."

"Well, um, here's to keeping your vows," Oraxo said with some hesitation, trying to adapt to the awkwardness of the situation. "I guess I can respect that. I just wish I would have known. Two month's wages, down the drain--no big deal. You want to know why? Because I sure did miss you while I was gone."

Oraxo had planned to follow up his gift with a big kiss hello, but since Pamma pulled her woman-smash-things stunt, he decided to let things settle down as he and his girlfriend left the spaceport. They traveled through the tube line hovertrain above Planet Pizon, and Oraxo tried to bring the conversation back to a level of normalcy; "Thanks for meeting me at the spaceport. While I was offworld, I had a good deal of time to do some serious thinking."

"What a curious similarity," said Pamma as the hovertrain left the vicinity of the spaceport and travelled down toward the surface of the planet, "I've been doing a lot of thinking too."

As if he didn't even hear her, Oraxo said, "You know why I love you so much?"

"Because my dark hair reflects the purple hues of the landscape so nicely?" joked Pamma. Actually she was only half joking. Pamma's black hair truly did sparkle among the colorful mountains of Planet Pizon. It was one of her many outstanding features, and everyone knew it.

However, as soon as the words left her tongue, Pamma regretted it. This flirtatious comment was not the sort of tone she wanted to set anymore. Given what else she had to tell Oraxo today, Pamma really needed to learn to guard her heart more--especially now that she was a changed person.

Largely dull to Pamma's internal conflict, Oraxo replied, "No, it would take more than the color of a woman's hair to make a lasting impression on me. I love you so much because, not only are you more fun and beautiful than anyone in the whole galaxy, but you're also one of the most talented energy technicians I have ever known."

"Oh, stop it," cried Pamma. "You taught me practically everything I know. It was my attending your virtual trainings on untapped energy models that inspired me to be more than I could be."

"And since then, I've been your biggest fan," said Oraxo, with pride. "You're a quick study. Frankly, however much you had been impressed with me, I've been impressed with you all the more. Your recent theories on brain wave power should help me to create the most amazing personal power harness that has ever existed--and I am firing up the prototype today, as soon as we get back to my lab. But I'm getting ahead of myself. We've been apart for forty days. Perhaps we should stop off for a romantic lunch somewhere. How about Bistro Blasterini? You love the pasta there, don't you? I certainly..."

With much awkwardness, Pamma interrupted, "Oraxo, I've been praying for guidance on this matter quite a bit. I'm not going on a romantic lunch and I'm not going back to your lab."

"What?" exclaimed Oraxo in disbelief. "Since when do you pray? Is something wrong, I mean aside from you going through the withdrawal symptoms of someone in rehab from virtual reality addiction? Sure, anyone can tell, with all the excessive blinking you're doing, that you're still having withdrawal symptoms. But I respect you for cleaning up your act. Maybe I should too. Yet is there anything else that's wrong?"

Pamma answered with a heavy heart, "Yes, I mean no, nothing's wrong. It's just that I am a different person now. I've changed. Oraxo, I am breaking up with you."

Completely stunned, the young man replied in a panic, "No! Don't even think that. You can't possibly say that. You're my inspiration for creating the power pendant." Oraxo franticly pulled out a triangular shaped pendant from his briefcase and started programming it with great determination. This was his last-ditch effort to impress his woman. "I was going to wait until we got to my lab to show you this, so we could properly document everything, but you must behold my creation now!"

Oraxo was certain that his invention would change the universe. He had really been looking forward to sharing his moment of triumph with the love of his life in a private event wherein they could celebrate. Yet now that Pamma shot down such an opportunity, he took consolation in the fact that the hovertrain's security cameras should record the sudden burst of amazing energy that would soon be emanating from his triangular device. In turn, this footage should be enough documentation to land him scientific credibility, as well as extra publicity for revealing the pendant in such an unorthodox manner.

Therefore, he unclasped the cordage that held the pendant and touched the ends of the cord to the front and back of the top of his head. As he did so, ten tiny wirebots slid out from the cord and pinched into his own skull. "No need to worry--this will only hurt for a moment," Oraxo explained in a louder than necessary voice. He did so because the other passengers were now peering at the couple in curiosity. Apparently, they were making a bit of a scene.

Oraxo continued to explain as Pamma just looked on in confusion, "The device needs a jump start from a human brain. The procedure should be harmless, and it will pull the unused brain capacity of my mind and convert it into a living power source. My calculations suggest that I might pass out, but it should only last a moment or two. Either way, in a few seconds, the triangular pendant at the ends of these cords should light up in the most dazzling display you have ever seen."

Pamma cautioned him, "This is foolish, Oraxo! Don't you think it might be dangerous to launch your experiment in such a public setting? I mean, we're on a moving hovertrain! What if something goes wrong? There are a lot of people here. Besides, you of all people know my cautionary side notes on brain wave energy tapping. I suspect it might increase a person's aggressive behavior."

Oraxo did not have the opportunity to respond. He gently passed out, like a late night virtual reality user at the end of a long day in fantasy land.

One passenger seated in back of them commented, "I guess your boyfriend was right about one thing: he did say he would pass out. However, I don't see any dazzling light display."

"He's not my boyfriend," Pamma quipped, with a mind-your-own-business look on her face.

After a whole thirty seconds had gone by, with no revival from Oraxo, nor any dazzling display of lights, Pamma decided to take matters into her own hands. "Let's hope this doesn't hurt," she said as she grabbed the cords attached to Oraxo's head and yanked them out. She was relieved to see that her ex-boyfriend was beginning to come back to consciousness. However, she became more than a little annoyed when her entire car of hover train passengers started clapping. "Why were they clapping?" thought Pamma, "All I did was yank some wires out of my idiot boyfriend's impulsive head."

Then she wondered if it was the time of year when both of Planet Pizon's suns were out, because it was suddenly awfully bright in the hovertrain. A faint exclamation from Oraxo clarified everything. "It works!" he said, "The pendant works!"

Pamma looked down at herself to the realization that the radiance was coming from the pendant she was holding. An unexpected feeling came over her: the very emotion that Oraxo had hoped for. Pamma felt special.

Chapter 3: The Impromptu Hovertrain Experiment

The hovertrain passengers continued to clap at the amazing sight of Pamma holding the radiating pendant. She was a vision of glowing beauty--literally. Yet what was that overconfident look on Oraxo's face? Satisfaction and pride were oozing from this shrewd young man. "Who does he think he is?" pondered Pamma in irritation. "Does Oraxo think I'm that shallow, that he can just flash around gifts and fancy inventions to win me back?"

Oraxo compulsively went to hug his beloved in this moment of victory. However, Pamma instinctively held up her hands and the pendant to stop him from doing so. In consolation, Oraxo sadly grabbed the brilliantly glowing pendant from Pamma's hands. Their audience immediately stopped the applause. Some stopped clapping due to the heartbreak of the moment. Others stopped clapping because the pendant ceased to glow as soon as it passed into Oraxo's hands.

"That's very strange," declared Oraxo, as he checked some settings on the back of the pendant. "According to my previous calculations, once the device is activated it should never run out of power."

"Maybe the device doesn't like you," joked an outspoken passenger. A sarcastic woman sitting nearby added in a whisper, "And obviously, neither does she."

These crude comments actually gave Oraxo an idea. "Here," he said as he handed the pendant back to Pamma, "I want to test something."

"Broken high-tech jewelry is not going to win me back," sighed Pamma.

"Fine," said Oraxo. "Just hold it anyway." With no enthusiasm at all, Pamma took the pendant. Just as Oraxo suspected, the device lit up again just as brilliantly as before. "Apparently you're right. Something about you activates this device, where I, on the other hand, don't seem to have the power to turn anyone on," he said with a wry smile.

"Maybe it's just you Oraxo," Pamma said, passing off the device to the outspoken passenger behind her, "Here, see if you can light it up."

Eagerly, the man in the seat behind them declared, "I have been known to light up peoples' lives before. Sure, let me hold it." A soon as his thick fingers clenched around it, the device darkened yet again.

The sarcastic woman yelled, "Hey, mad scientist, maybe it's just woman-powered, like everything else good in this galaxy!" After a round laughter, this woman took the pendant from the man, yet she too had no affect on the device. It was as unresponsive as a robot after an electromagnetic storm.

This prompted an intuitive experiment among all the passengers in the hovertrain car. They passed the pendant, one person to another, until every passenger--all 44 of them--took a turn at holding the device. However, not one of the others could make the device light up again. Just to triple check, Oraxo gave the device to back to Pamma, and for the third time, the pendant illuminated the environment with a spectacular brilliance.

Suddenly, a hologram of a hovertrain security guard projected at the front of their cabin, and the guard said, "Thank you for riding the Pizon Hovertrain Line. Pardon the interruption, but a few minutes ago the security camera in this car went out. Is everything alright in your hovertrain car? We no longer have video surveillance into your cabin."

Pamma, who was already standing in the aisle, replied, "Oh, everything is fine, officer. Thank you for asking."

"Are you sure?" asked the guard. "The hovertrain cars in front and in back of you are reporting a brilliant light coming from your cabin."

Oraxo joined the conversation, his dreams of free publicity shattered by the reality that his invention was not quite ready for public scrutiny. "Yes sir, officer. There's no danger in here. Everyone is getting along quite agreeably. Yet you say your command center can't see inside our car, even now?"

"No, we can't," replied the guard. "Even my hologram transmission is only one way. Of course we can still hear you, but we have no visibility into your cabin. I take it however you all can still see me. Is this correct?"

As Oraxo affirmed the guard's question, one of the other passengers whispered to Pamma, "Say, young woman, why don't you stash that pendant in your purse. The government may hold us for questioning once we reach the surface of the planet. And you know how long Pizon investigations can take--we could all be stuck here for hours!"

Getting a nod from Oraxo, Pamma buried the pendant in her purse. Immediately, the light that had caused such a disturbance had disappeared as quietly as it arrived.

The guard ended the conversation with a scripted government response, "Sorry for the interruption. Your safety is always our priority on the Pizon Hovertrain Line. Please enjoy the rest of your ride down to the planet."

Poised in a posture of perplexity, Oraxo mumbled as he glared at Pamma, "This is quite bizarre. What is so different about you, compared to the rest of us, that you--and only you--can illuminate my pendant and short out government security cameras? There are, let's see, 44 people on this hovertrain car. That's a reasonable population sample size. The device only responds to you. So what makes you so unique?"

Pamma replied, "I don't know about the rest of these people, but I can't think of many differences between you and I. We're both third generation Pizon citizens, both trace our lineage back to Earth through Indian ancestors. And I think... let me scan your ID tag. Yes, we even have the same blood type."

"Please come back to my lab with me," urged Oraxo as the hovertrain pulled into the surface station. "I really need to run a few more tests."

"Fine," huffed Pamma, "But I am only staying for thirty minutes, and then I'll have some friends pick me up."

"Oh, is one of them your new boyfriend?" blurted Oraxo in a bout of disgruntled jealousy. Even as he ended his childish statement, Oraxo realized how petty he sounded. He knew jealousy would only cloud his judgment, yet he couldn't seem to help himself. He had really missed Pamma while away on his offworld expedition, and the thought of her with someone else was simply unacceptable.

"I don't have a boyfriend. It's not like that," replied Pamma, straining to be civil. "Now hold off with the questions. I've had enough public drama for one day."

End of preview. Scroll back up to order the full version of Power Pendant of Planet Pizon eBook now!

Original Pencil Cover Art from Star Chosen Novel

Pencil drawing on 8.5" x 11" paper by Joe Chiappetta 2010

Here is the original black and white cover art from my Star Chosen science fiction novel. It took quite a while to draw this action-packed cover. In retrospect, it would have been a lot easier to work on all the fine futuristic cityscape details if I had made the pencil drawing on giant-sized paper. You might notice a few gaping holes in the diving spacecraft. Those holes are not due to manufacturer defect. The ship is under attack, as can be found in this all-ages space opera.

Picturing the likeness of the characters for the cover of this full length novel, I tried to capture the looks of a number of real people familiar and dear to me. The character at the front of the hovercraft is modeled after my dad. The guy on the statue is modeled after Jay Shelbrack. The guy falling out of nowhere is modeled after Greg Biggs. And the statue is... well I can't say, as that will give away an important surprise element of the book.

Notice that the original pencil book title logo is very different than the final version that ended up on the printed book and eBook. You can also compare how different this pencil image looks against the final color book cover by going to the Star Chosen sci-fi novel ordering page for this book.

There, of course, you can also order this sci-fi novel that is basically Star Trek meets the Bible meets Silly Daddy!

Typical Family Conversation of Silly Daddy

"We have to take the thing to the guy, and put it by the other thing," a man says with all seriousness to his relatives.

This is a typical family conversation. The amusing thing is that most of the time, we actually understand each other. Is your family like this too?

Webcomic drawn in Adobe Illustrator, edited from an iPAQ Pocet PC drawing by Joe Chiappetta, 2010

Silly Daddy Eats a Sand Scone

Ink pens and markers on 3 pieces of 4.5" x 3.5" paper by Joe Chiappetta 2010

Silly Daddy and his daughter fumble around in a strange underground cavern. In a world where wet sand plops from the ceiling and bakes into cute pastries that taste terrible, one man belches, "This must be a dream!"

And it was, thank God.

Yes, this comic is based on a real dream I had. I can still recall the strange taste of the sand scone even now. Its flavor was like metallic grit. Oddity aside, my daughter thinks this story is hilarious.

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Unbearable Troubles: Nothing New Yet No Less Dramatic

Unbearable Troubles: Nothing New Yet No Less Dramatic
Essay by Joe Chiappetta, 2010

In the recent past I have survived through what I thought were times of unbearable pain due to a lower back injury. I dreamed to be free of this burden for a long, long time. In fact, the pain was something I had struggled with for 25 years--more than half of my life! Yet now, thanks to God, that injury is gone and I can dart about like a squirrel again.

The reason that this unbearable situation has been on my mind more and more lately is because I have two friends in prison. When I even try to consider their predicament, I fall completely short of understanding, even though I have had my bouts with the unbearable. Some of the terrible things they tell me in their letters seem to be completely beyond my imagination. What can I do for them? Certainly I can pray--and I do. Yet how do I communicate with them in a way that connects? Is empathy even possible? Perhaps thinking about what got me through the back pain will somehow create a point of relatability that clicks with my imprisoned friends. Therefore I must reflect upon what got me through the unbearable periods in my life. The answer comes quickly and without question: it is God.

In times of unbearable trouble it is important to search for the presence of God working through the situation. That is how I survived my back injury and am now completely healed. Most of what God was doing, even in the beginning of the pain, I was oblivious to. It literally took decades for me to understand what God was trying to show me. And until I was ready to comprehend the lesson and apply it to my life, the pain would continue, since God disciplines those he loves, as the book of Hebrews explains in sobering details. The lesson was that I needed to change my character with a complete overhaul. I needed humility, sincerity, deeper faith and openness.

While this essay is not a detailed account of how I was healed, the one thing I will stress about the whole draining ordeal is this: once I dealt with the issues God wanted me to deal with, then and only then was he willing to bring the healing. And that is exactly what happened. That's not to say that I am now an expert on humility, sincerity, deeper faith and openness. However, these issues have become areas of focus and repentance for me. That's what God blesses. My back troubles came to an end--by faith being put into practice. It brought me to a new beginning--a new Genesis.

If you go and read the actual book of Genesis from chapter 30 to the last chapter you will find many incredible parallels to our modern day troubles by looking at the lives of Jacob and his sons... especially Joseph.

Jacob got swindled by his own father-in-law into working twice as long as agreed upon. Later he fears for his life against his brother Esau and is separated from his family. Jacob even wrestles with God and acquires an injury. Much later he is lied to by most of his sons and falsely thinks his son Joseph has been killed. Imagine all the suffering this man went through. Yet did not God make him into a great nation? It was by faith that he endured these troubled times.

Genesis continues with the trials of Joseph. He is sold by his family and abandoned. He is falsely accused and left for dead in prison. Yet again God delivers him, gives him a plan and the means to survive a severe famine, and makes his people into a prosperous nation.

How did he endure through the bad times? Like his father, in his darkest despair Joseph had to rely on the only one who could completely deliver him from the dungeons. That is the God who saves.

I believe Joseph was rewarded for his consistent attitude of righteousness... no matter who was around or not around to see it. He did not give in to the sinister advances of Potiphar's wife. He had a commitment to purity and that is what we all need--that same heart. Without God it is impossible to have and maintain such a heart. That is why daily prayer and Bible study with application will take our lives to the level that pleases God. This is the level that I hope and pray to meet all of my family and friends at as fellow siblings in God's kingdom. It is the only level that will save us. It is the only level that will rescue the lost.

At the end of the musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice) there is this incredible climactic scene. Jacob and his presumed dead son Joseph are reunited after years of separation. With all the triumphant drama that a musical can muster, the final round of lyrics start with this song; "So Jacob came to Egypt no longer feeling old and Joseph came to greet him in his chariot of gold... of gold!"

When I first saw the musical, I was more impressed with the fact that my daughter Maria had a starring role in the play and did a fantastic job. As for the scene wherein they all sang, "So Jacob came to Egypt no longer feeling old..." I wondered why this was so climactic, aside from the concept that many theatrical productions end with a bang. I'm not completely dull. I do understand that father and son are finally reunited, so of course that's significant. However I felt as if I had missed a deeper issue. Perhaps I was distracted from the full meaning of the scene because it was in this play that it fully hit me that my daughter was almost an adult. Plus it had been at least a year since the last time I read through the book of Genesis.

Therefore, I went back and re-read the biblical version of the account of Jacob and Joseph in Genesis. Therein, I came to a profound understanding. The reason why this reunion is such a big deal is because of all the grief and hardships that father and son had been through--that God allowed them to go through. All those experiences, while super-challenging, served to strengthen them as men in the faith. The unbearable trials didn't embitter the men. It softened their hearts, and God strengthened them.

God allows such things to happen to us today as well, to teach us what we need. He wants us to be survivors and point others into his rescuing hands. Moreover if we do so, and if we keep putting matters in God's hands we will be like Jacob in eternity--no longer feeling old. We will be like Joseph in paradise--in a spiritual chariot of gold... of gold!

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My Train--My Time Machine

Ink pens, markers and watercolor on 8.5" x 5.5" paper by Joe Chiappetta 2010

My Train--My Time Machine

Essay by Joe Chiappetta, 2010

After half a decade riding the usual city train to the office every weekday, I thought I had seen it all. I was resolved to never see anything memorable or exciting on this mundane trip. Not counting the occassional traffic accident, this was a routine commute that I shared with thousands of drowsy Chicagoans every morning.

However, on the dawn of this cloudy new day I was in for a treat on multiple levels. An intense thunderstorm created the heaviest rainflow over the outside of any train window that I had ever laid my eyes upon. Gratefully I was on the inside of the train.

If I wouldn't have known better, I imagined that a fire hydrant had been let open on the roof of our train car. That's how heavy the water flow was. The outside world appeared to morph like melted quivering plastic as bucket-sized amounts of water streamed wavily down the window. The cityscape faded in a translucent liquid spectacle that was quite pretty.

I was reminded of days of old, when my dad would let us sit in the family station wagon as it rolled slowly through the automatic car wash. Giant fuzzy red rollers appear to swallow the car of my childhood in a hyper cleaning fun frenzy. If only those fluffy red rollers would stop spinning. I want to get out of the car and touch them.

Oh, here comes the blue side-rollers! Surely they are made of the same stuff as Grover, that odd Muppet from Sesame Street. It's one more reason to love the automated car wash. I appreciate that my dad lets us stay in the car for this theatrical experience. In my book, there's no doubt that it's quality time with the whole family.

Clickety clack--I looked around the rest of my modern day train. Were any of my fellow passengers also transported back in time as I had been? Yet the dull looks on all of their faces confirmed that none of them saw what I saw. Therefore it made the experience all the more fleeting, yet precious.

Never had imagined that a simple train ride could propel me back in time so vividly. Yet such was the case. I even felt the long lost security of riding with the father of my youth, a man full of strength and intrigue.

This was so unexpectedly nostalgic and surreal as the outer shapes of the city warped with the downward rush of rain. What a fool I was to presume that my morning trips were set in a stone of boring monontany. I thanked God for such a pleasant surprise, and I wondered what would happen next.

I also wondered about my own three children. What are the incidents that I completely undervalue, yet they hold as precious? A great resolve swelled up in me. I need to find the car wash moments of my kids, and ride the train with them as the water washes over the memories that make us family.