Technical note: The information on lightning strikes 
and the human body comes from _Discover_ Magazine, 
August 2002 "When Lightning Strikes", pp 46 - 51. 
It's a GREAT read and the picture will knock your 
socks off!

End notes: Whew! Well, this was a long one, but 
definitely a labor of love. In case you are 
wondering, yes, I know all these places all too well. 
I know several people who have various attributes of 
Max Wellman, but not the most glaring character flaw 
he has in this story. Some of the people are very 
real, I just used different names (with one happy 
exception--the nurse in the Capitol Building for 
years and years really is Dorothy Ferguson--now 
retired--and I hope I've captured her appropriately 
here because she is a terrific lady and a good 
friend.) All the political situations are as real as 
I could make them, and I've lived through many like 
these. The press conference is as close to the real 
thing as I could make it, and I've been too many. All 
in all, I tried to inject as much realism as possible 
in this story. I hope those parts didn't bore you to 
tears. And if you ever come to Springfield, please, 
spend some money. We need the sales tax revenues. 
(Note to international readers: we are NOT really the 
Springfield on the Simpsons--we just act like it ;)

Many thanks,

Vickie 
vickiemoseley1978@yahoo.com