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 |   A terminal for all blogs coming in or going out. A view into my life. |
Started July 1st 2019 for contests, etc. as other blogs are filling up and have other purposes.  I'm starting a new blog because
I'll be linking to
I've started an appendix (I no longer have one personally) to keep track of my Space Cadet journals for Space Blog. It's a work constantly under construction. Mind the mess.
I needed to start a folder for contests as there are so many deadlines and details to remember.
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4 september  56 degrees at 08:30. Smoky-haze. Getting hard to breathe. AQI 126 = unhealthy. 138, 147, 154 on the zoomed in map... very unhealthy. YCC: arnldziffel > SoonerShawn "Earl the nekkid Swirl" Getting nothing done. I don't want to risk going out and I don't want to exert myself. Some sun has broken through the haze. Will temp soar? Ate spicy-mustard porkburger. Coffee... need more. I should buy sugar, but that means walking to the store. 10 pounds of sugar secured in 7 containers.  Sweet...Apparently Hinnamnor is Lao ຮິນນາມນໍ. Still want to know what it means. (rock/water/horn) Got boxes to Alishka and made mac&cheese. Paid rent. 82 degrees at 7 pm. Bearable. 72 degrees and AQI of 121 at 9 pm. 3 september  62 degrees at 09:23. Chatter in the alley; haze over the valley. 77 at 12:30, the haze lifting. White peaches gone. Bought oyster mushrooms, cherry pastry, bacon brownie, one white corn cob. Now at Butterfly Herbs recovering from a chocolate-toffee milkshake. Saw Charlie! Lives in No Cal now. Picture from 2008!  91 degrees at 3 pm. I'm feeling weak so I'm going home. Sat with Lundy for awhile. Very good for me. "Remimagined Voyages" Portugal Reimagined. A Reimagined Me. All our yesterdays are fiction. At home: Ate but ttok a nap = fuzzy-headed. When I got up: Great chat with Birgit. Goodbye to Alishka who is moving out. Her sister Brianna is moving in. Montana won 47-0 over NorthWestern Louisiana. Orioles won, now 70 wins, 10 games over .500 and a couple games out of the wildcard position. 69 degrees at 23:30. Still smoky. 2 september  The college freshman were off to kindergarten when I moved here 14 years ago. I arrived in July 2008 and on September 13th moved into this building. 61 degrees at 09:30. They are working on the bridge, perhaps ready to pour concrete. Soon? UM plays its first football game tomorrow; could be toasty. Gasoline: 3.99/gal. 91 at 16:13. 93 degrees at 6-ish. No 100 But haze or smoke? Air quality is listed as 'moderate'. I picked up a couple masks today, wore one home just in case.Said good morning to Billie Jo and John. Door ajar to move the morning air through here. The industrial fan in the front landing's window is blowing in. That helps but no breeze; the flag hangs limp. Stroganoff for lunch; nearly choked on the meat, so I cut it up into smaller pieces. Size matters. Willie and Bill sat with me. Chatted with Jamie in the office. Cleaned off the table in case Julian visits! Maybe should put on some clothes? Short comment to tah2o: "I'm on hiatus but... glad to read this. I'm neither happy nor healthy so I'm trying to reach for the reset button. I want my joy back." Starting putting my blog notes in my journal. Short chat with Jay who wants to know more about my travels. 71 degrees at 11 pm. 1 september  65 degrees at 09:49. Will be warm today. Gasoline dropped to $3.99/gallon. Goals: Transfer on-line notes from May 18 onward to my journal. [started 9/2] Seriously make notes about Thailand flights and book a.s.a.p. [started 9/1] Check prices for 2-3-week trips to Europe and elsewhere. [started 9/1] Buy replacement Chromebook before trip. This one works but has a crack. Transcribe and assign numbers to jottings in my notepad. Stay off-line as much as possible. 88 degrees at 4:20. Not too bad. Spent much of the afternoon in the a/c of the Senior Center. I sat at the computer figuring out flights from here to Bangkok. We have no train and there's only one bus to Seattle that arrives in the early afternoon. Which would only be good if there's a late evening flight. otherwise I'm stuck in a city that's expensive to fly out of. There are cheap flights to Athens around $800 but if I want to fly Delta Comfort it's $1400. I shouldn't stress over costs. Lunch was 'gyro' with bok choy and grapes. The lemon-blueberry cupcakes were wonderful. Sat alone but joined Charles, then Laxmi joined us. Earlier, sat with Angie and Billie Jo and shared my Sinful melon. 6036 - 5973 = 63 views in August. 4 comments in this blog. A few elsewhere. One reason why I'm withdrawing from WDC. I need serious connections and this place only wants to party. 88 degrees at 6:06 pm. Tried to listen to Biden's speech but internet is iffy at this time in the evening. The major networks didn't carry it... so who cares? We'll see whether anyone is paying attention. Personally? I think he needs to be more direct, less wordy, and show fire when needed. But... I'm not a speech writer. Later: reading the text he appears much more direct than I thought. But... still not focused. He needs to give a direct address on women's rights, focused only on that one issue instead of diluting the message with anything else. Supper: ate a pork-burger with smoked Dutch cheese, melon and cottage cheese. Orioles shut out Cleveland today. They're doing okay. 66 degrees at 23:30. 31 august 59°F at 9:03. 100 forecast. Worn out from yesterday's hysteria. Still not resolved. Coffee. Today is Market Day. My response to RitaEvacuee at YCC re riots should Trump be indicted: "I don't think it has anything to do with 'law abiding'. That's law-and-order speak for oppression. It's only a riot when certain folks take to the streets. Drunk college kids 'celebrating' isn't considered a riot no matter how much they trash the town. In this specific case? Possible but not predictable. In the past, Trump has stoked the anger of his followers for his own personal means. Yes, like any uncontrolled flame, it could get out of control. How he handles this situation is key. So far? Not looking good." Travis sent a message. Reminds me how disconnected I am. Part of going on hiatus to reset and reconnect. On hiatus... kinda... I need to wrap up August; but, I'm pulling back in September. Sat with Kay at lunch. I may start sitting alone, waiting until someone approaches me. I don't always feel welcome... and I bore people. Yes, I can tell at times. Same here. Bought cottage cheese. Splurged on cinnamon bread. Prices on many basic items have gone up 50% from 2020. Food is a basic, not a luxury. Dining out is a luxury. Going to the fancy organic store is a luxury. Driving an SUV is a luxury. A few minutes to 3 and only 87°F. Gasoline is $4.09/gallon. Now 96 degrees at 6. I don't think we topped 100.Moved two unloved items to my p-log and deleted the items. Submitted "Strawberry Shortstop"  [GC] to Kit'z contest.    Submitted "Full moon falling" [13+] to Lighthouse. 70°F at midnight. How cool will it get? Will I cool off? 30 august 62 degrees after midnight. Now 56 at 9 till 9. 90s forecast. I've decided that I should go on hiatus for September. Find other stuff to do. Will a shift of focus help? I dunno. https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/young-and-broke-10-cheap-places-world... Laos+, Viet Nam+, Romania*, Indonesia, Poland*, Mexico*, Nicaragua*, Colombia+, India+, Greek Islands. *been +on-my-list https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/article/how-not-to-be-an-%e2%80%9cugly%e2%80%9d... Interview with Mark Wolters. On Youtube. Pack: patience and kindness; only a carry-on to tavel light; timing to prevent missing connections. Recommends Rwanda+ and Brasil+. Advice: don't be a jerk. https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/tpgs-top-destinations-for-every-decad... My advice: do crazy while young; cruise or package when old; exotic when you can; cheap when you're outta money. The list: 20s Colombia+, Interrail, Viet Nam=; 30s French Polynesia, Slovenia*, Australia*; 40s Kenya+, Machu Picchu*, Costa Rica; 50s South Africa*, Montana, Japan*; 60s Santa Fe, European Rivers, Galapagos; 70s Alaska cruise+, USVI, Italy*. https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyletravel/15-travel-safety-tips-for-th... Don't totally agree. But: plan and tell folks where you're going. I strongly disagree with gps and tracking, rely upon kindness instead. Be AWARE and try to blend in. Bry came by and we went looking for camera, tablet charger, shaver charger ... to no avail. Then went to market and bought white peaches and Sinful (melon). Saw Kat and her family. Temp at 6-ish: 92°F. Contests... Reread and decide! Lighthouse "Full moon falling [63]" Shadow&Light "Well-worn copper [43]" Think... but no response "Gingerbread Man [39]" dialog drabble "One beat [47]" ??? "Boomerang [62]" GC "A worker mends the church's eaves [164.396] a poem" dialog "he must've left his leg somewhere else [56]" ??? "Strawberry shortcake (383 words)" Kitt GC "Strawberry shortstop" 66 degrees just before midnight. 29 august 55 degrees at 10. AQ of 18 (excellent). A bright crispy morning. Ten 100 degree days for 2022: 100 July 16 100 July 28 102 July 29 102 July 30 104 July 31 103 Aug 1 103 Aug 9 100 Aug 17 100 Aug 18 101 Aug 19 We may get there once more this week. I haven't been feeling well. Not ill enough to see a doctor but not up to snuff. On the Newsfeed: "I'm a news junky... but that's problematic these days. Scandalous headlines and opinion posing as news makes it difficult to sort out the chaff. Plus, algorithms promote nonsensical empty calories that UStatians prefer to consume. Worse than potatoes. As for research. Google anything and a commercial company will come up first. Back-in-the-day 'peach, pear, apple, banana' were fruits. Not now! Products are promoted over information. Plus, folks here and elsewhere want 100% truth and eshew the ambiguity of science for the certainty of ancient self-righteous traditions and the what-ifs and what-abouts of conspiracy. Drama wears me out. Ignorance leaves me frustrated. Intolerance (born of hatred and fear) gasping for breath." Chicken cordon bleu for lunch with steamed vegetables was very good. Sat with Doug and later with other friends. Now I need to slog through stuff at home. So much to do that it doesn't seem like progress. But... even a sloth or a snail gets to where they are going.  On the Newsfeed: "Quirky in speech, thought, deed can work. Severus Snape was interesting because of his story, the way he viewed the world, his known strengths, his hidden strengths, his deep distrust, dislikes and his one-true-love. Most Potter fans can visualize him even without the movies (great casting by-the-way) as he's one of the best developed characters. In contrast, the 4 Houses are not equally developed. We get the Story-Told-By-A-Griffindor with Slytherins cast as the villains and Ravenclaw too self-absorbed and above the fray. We Hufflepuffs (like me and Sonali) are forgotton except for Cedric who is developed a bit in the book but sidelined in the movie. Thankfully, there's Scamander. Characters are best when we 'know' them and care for them, even if they are the hero or villain." 83 degrees at 6 pm. Very tranquil day. Hopefully gets down to 50 and then not as warm as forecast tomorrow. Accomplishing so little. Put underwear in a drawyer, socks in a wicker basket. Cleaned some dusty bowls. Made bowties (pasta) with chopped egg, celery seed, paprika and mayo. Very quiet right now. Too quiet. I came across old writings and wrote "Down in the dumps" This cheered me up a bit: ![Merit Badge in Complexity
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| 28 agosto 51 degrees at 9-ish. Typical for late August. August 28, 1963 "I have a Dream" Ate cake. Ate chicken. Making rice. Enough kitchen aromas for now. Today is Wash day. Have stuff set aside. No rush. Should be sunny and breezy and not hot today. Good day to clean. Important to write/post a new/old poem or story today. End of the month... 65 sunny puff-lambies-in-the-sky degrees at 12:12. Oh my bleating heart.  Wash done. 62 degrees at 9:30. I don't think it got above 74 today. A two-day respite. KE: "Your opinion sit softly on my shoulder, sloughs off with the gentlest breeze." Thinking of folks who ghost us here. 55 degrees at midnight. G'nite. 27 agosto 59 cool degrees at 9 am. Market Day in Missoula. To QotD: "I avoided birthday parties by age 4. Refused to have one. I still avoid them. I will avoid the Birthday Bash here at WDC. Too much trauma, too much drama. I feel like a dog on the 4th of July. No thanks. Interestingly my fav number is 22. And my last party was a 'surprise' when I turned 22. Haven't had one since." Thoughts for 1st Chapter: Hug the ent but mind the thorns. We aren't triffids. I hug the Tree; the tree hugs back. 4 Kids: taking my elm to school "Elm and I". Cool partly cloudy day. Missed the melons and peaches.  Irina was almost out of everything. Got a lemon pastry. Saw Nancy... as a vendor she's skipping the market until winter. I'm sitting in Butterfly Herbs after inhaling my peach-cardamom shake. Nancy came in so I shared my concern about my emotions. She's run away so she knows the feeling. Plus, she's my age. I also scored half her hummus sandwich as she insisted. Bought 15 sticks of incense for $1. 12 different scents including patchouli, sandlewood and rose. Shortest poem ever written? "How do I love thee, let me count the ways". __________ I'm not doing well emotionally. But how can anyone care if no one knows? Checked on flights to Phnom Penh, Saigon and Bangkok. Thai visas are now 45 days, so... time to book, plan and go! Write a 'pregunta', Bianca exclaims... maybe 8 lines set aflame? A red wasp? 70 degrees and breezy at 4 pm. Never did get hot. Folks at the Rootfest today are prolly happy. At times I felt as if 'pelos de gato' were caressing me. Less than a mist or a spray, just intermitant and very fine moisture. https://semanariouniversidad.com/opinion/espanol-de-costa-rica-baldazo-y-pelo-de... 58 degrees at 23:35. It's been cool for hours so it's getting cool inside in spite of me cooking: yellow butter cake with sesame seeds and chicken wrapped in bacon with blackberry sauce and onions. Tomorrow is Wash Day. Finished Vice Versa episode 7 (Sunset Orange). It's been a strange day of odd ups-and-downs. 26 agosto 76 degrees at 3:33. Bry came today but we didn't get much done (my fault). She comes back on Tuesday so I have the weekend to get ready. We did get things out of the closet. I didn't bother posting the Cramp yesterday "3 Brazilian haiku [179.72]" as I didn't feel like axing a bitem. Today the prompt is a clerihew, which is a humorous form. We'll see...Lunch was salisbury steak with mushrooms, which was very good. Later: popcorn. Sat with Laxmi, Ernie and Gayl (they used to run a hostel in town). Generated at https://theyfightcrime.org/ He's a witless playboy boxer who believes he can never love again. She's a vivacious psychic wrestler who don't take no shit from nobody. They fight crime! He's a globe-trotting arachnophobic jungle king for the 21st century. She's a sarcastic African-American museum curator in the witness protection scheme. They fight crime! He's a lonely dishevelled senator searching for his wife's true killer. She's a man-hating kleptomaniac pearl diver who can talk to animals. They fight crime! He's an old-fashioned moralistic vagrant living undercover at Ringling Bros. Circus. She's a high-kicking communist journalist with a song in her heart and a spring in her step. They fight crime! He's an old-fashioned Catholic rock star on a mission from God. She's a radical Bolivian nun looking for love in all the wrong places. They fight crime! "Take Joyce Carol Oates’s flash fiction story Widow’s First Year. The story reads, simply: “I kept myself alive.”" We need friends is the prompt at "Invalid Item" Thought: Nature would take care of plastic, eventually... Lots of plastic will be left behind, but nature will have plenty of time to adapt. Microbes that feed on plastic will likely develop. 80 degrees at the Vesper Hour. It that's the high then it's low. 63 degrees with 66% hummidty... almost midnight. Entered "Anatomy of a pochette [50]" into Brenpoet's Poetic Traditions.25 agosto 61 degrees this morning at 9. Cooled down nicely outside and we did have some showers. 🌋 No volcano activity today in Montana... that I know of. 79 degrees at 2 pm and clouds are gathering. Is it a thunderfest? Am I invited? We got sprinkles. 69 degrees at 9 o'clock. I took out one bag of garbage and sauntered across the river to the Thursday Night Out event in Caras Park. Wandered around and came back. At least I got out. Earlier I baked chicken with blackberry sauce and sesame seeds. Added the drippings to a cup of water, a half-cup of rice et voila... I wrote 3 Brazilian haikus. Not much but something. Orioles win 4/3 over ChiSox in 11. Stowers home run (his first) ties game in bottom of 9th after two outs.  $4.09/gal gasoline. 61 degrees at midnight! A comment I have a problem with: "If we wish for good things and are a Christian, God will be there for us." I won't say who, because it's a very common belief among Americans and widespread here at WDC. It's thoughts-and-prayers and not actions (see James 2:14–26). And it's exclusive like a gated community. https://www.theologyofwork.org/new-testament/general-epistles/james-faith-works/... https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/mind-and-soul/church-talk-i-question-religio... In response to Cubby's post: "I never wanted to be a writer. Seriously. I was happy to be a gardener and a reader. Something happened in '99 and I became one. In '03 I started a journal. Showed up here in '05. I basically agree with Stik. I have many interests. These days mostly traveling and writing. I've never had the sustained focus to edit, reedit, promote, submit, which is what is needed to be published and considered a professional writer. That said... advice is nice and support is wonderful; but, I write because I have to." Two responses to Neva: 1. "Any short writing... just write. I'm mostly amazed and sometimes amused where my pen takes me. Posted prompts may force me down neglected paths but I tend to just let my mind wander and voila! something emerges from the recesses of light or dark." 2. "I see the struggle with superstition and tradition presented in Thai TV programs all the time. In the US I see the fear of the unknown future in the adherence and devotion to the past. " 24 agosto 64 degrees at 7:37. The 15% chance of rain is washing the windows, rumbling in the alleys, swaying the locust trees with blustery blasts from the east. Woke me up. I opened the door to get this place aired out. Shopped. Remembered to get scrub pads. Bought eggs... not cheap. But Post Raisin Bran was on sale. 15:45: 83°F NE breezy @ 14 mph, showers forecast this evening?  Any day under 90 is a blessing. Wrote some doublets; need to write some more; want to write a good one. Practice doesn't always equal perfect or even progress. We'll see. "Doublets [179.70]" Posted on the Newsfeed and got some feedback. Going on 10 pm, 70 degrees. Ate corn-on-the-cob from Saturday. Not bad, but fresh is best. It's time to post for contests. If bitems are needed... old works don't necessarily fit if prompts are narrow. I haven't written to every form, every trope, every genre. Maybe I should, but with possibly 10,000 'titles' over 22 years I'm not exactly a newbie. 66°F going in midnight. Wet  and breezy.  One stray click and lost over an hours worth of work... Views, reviews but no ribbons: 14 lines: 1561128 20 lines: 1561139 12 lines: 1572750 17 lines: 1703972 (has been submitted before) Last looked at, continue from here Book: 1563173 Views, no reviews: 12 lines: 1586507 Old poll: 1620097 23 agosto 61 sunny degrees at 09:40. I woke up earlier but slept in a bit. Bry came at 10 yesterday so I was up at 8. I sleep best in the morning. Weird waking dream but not threatening. Didn't sweat as much last night. Sometimes I'm drenched. Sweet coffee. My sister's birthday. To Jayne: "Good advice. Plus, I do need to make folders (an organizational trick). I have no clue where some things are stored. I cross-filed poems years ago but didn't keep it up. Because I usually write 365+ pieces/year (this is an 'off' year) and I've been here 17 years (writing for 23... since May '99) I have written over 7,000 during that time and over 10,000 total (a wild guess). It's why 'everything' is numbered and dated and have unique titles (I use all 30+ letters of the roman alphabet). No one cares but me, but it helps. I'd love to have a secretary (and an accountant and a house-keeper and a...). I have 10 reams of paper but no printer. If I printed stuff at the library I'd end up living there!" 87 at 5:05. Ate in God's Waiting Room. Chicken and quinoa was very good. Scored a bag of bacon. Sat with a couple I barely know. Took out money from the atm because it's my home bank. $10 bills. Orioles won; hanging in there. The dragonet/wyvern flames in the west, the glow captured by clouds scuddering east. What news of the hatchling will they bear? Written as a 'pi' but not about pie... "A hatchling... [69]" 72 @ midnight. Hoping it cools down. Still a tad warm inside for sleeping. 22 agosto 62° this morning. Sore... maybe due to lifting a box. My body just isn't very forgiving. Up date after Bry's visit... hope to move forward with decluttering. She's stronger than I am. 87°F at 14:10. if it stays under 90 for the daily high this week we'll be past the worse heat of the summer. Bry helped move some stuff to the dumpster. My back complained about every time I bent over. IT helps to have someone coming in. She'll be back on Friday at 10. By noon it's too hot to work in my place. Meatloaf and corn-on-the-cob for lunch. Chatted with various friends. To Tina [edited]: "Is the contest named yet? I make contests a 'favorite', but until it's on-line and open I can't do that. Have you found poets to review poetry yet, and story-tellers to review stories? I find it disheartening when contests don't have limits but the judges only award E-rated 'roses are red' or bible-school 'Jack and Jill'. I've read some very good traditional stuff... but if creativity or anything uncomfortable is going to be outright dismissed then many of us need to know upfront. Being 'open' around here [doesn't always translate into] accepting or tolerant. Project Axe: No r/r "Brown eyes [#28 Mark]" "This and every November [#4 Gary Mc]" "Final chords [#31 Myrt]" "Water lily [#33 Bonnie]" "Dental work [#25 José Enrique]" One r/r "Gypsy [#30]" (unpublished elsewhere)"Walk among these hills [#34 Kelly Hart]" "Blue iris [#26 Irene Blumen] " "In the barber's chair [#24 Malcolm]" "All things sweet and Hungarian [#22]" It's a pleasant 80°F at 18:30. Pleasant = as long as I don't exert myself. My pee was golden earlier, a sign of dehydration. I drink lots of water, tea, coffee. I sweat a lot too. I average two showers/day. 74°F at 8 pm after brief showers. Re a comment by huser:rinsoxy: "I do have these [old items mentioned above] stored in a book entry and I could make new book entries for each one if needed; but, many contests demand bitems. Also... some of these aren't too bad, and it would be nice to get feedback from WDC. When these came out I wasn't too concerned. It was a "NaNoWriMo" effort on my part and the writing, editing, choosing, and putting my own chapbook together was enough work. I did it, but 'marketing' here wasn't on my mind. Blogville was dead in 2013 and I don't believe there was a Newsfeed. Plus... I don't think WDC understood blended writing forms like prose-poems or haibun. Still don't. I could write a potential Pulitzer Prize piece and some folks would still be focused on word-count, line-count, contest rules, grammar, spelling, anything other than whether the actual writing was worthy of being read. |
| 21 August 74 at 11:23. Pleasant but will warm up. Folks at YCC are spazzing out over a doomcast 10 days out. Yes, there could be a major hurricane in the Antilles at end of August. The same ridge that's setting up that scenario could trap rain over the upper MidWest... no one seems to notice that. We see what affects us personally. I'm heating up cream of bacon soup. Threw in a can of chicken. Will add day-old pieces of bread. I'm good. 82 at 13:19. I'm fine as long as I don't do anything. It's hotter inside. 81 at 20:44. Moved a box or two... tea in the fridge. A couple visitors from Italy in the building. Bologna sandwich for sup. [66a] raw cat scratches / hug bleeding horizons — / incessant fan [66b] summer's river / saunters by — overhead / thunder rumbles [66c] somewhere else rain / quenches thirst — here, the vroom / of motorbikes Bianca mentioned Eesti haiku. I'm not convinced but why not? Posted: "From the window [66]" Absolutely worn out and listless. Maybe do one thing before bed? 20 August 66 degrees at 9 am. Market day. Will need a pastry to go with my cold coffee. Got peanut butter fudge, nut pastry, sweet white corn. He-talks-to-pears said that they'll be falling off the trees around September 15th. They're well behaved rose-hips-by-any-other-name. I forgot to check about melons. Almost done with my fire-and-ice milkshake. Nice chat with Lundy. Gary is no longer a teen-ager. Sorry, Gare. It happens... AQI 41 (good-moderate). There's a haze softening the view. Smoke? 81 degrees at noon. Water. Language question: is 'roaching' just another slang word for cheating? https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/love-sex/what-is-roaching-and-how-to-recogni... To Harlow: "I have difficulty sorting out the news from opinion pieces or bleached regurgitation. And the need to rename everything. Roaching? Means cheating. Quiet-quitting = making sure you have time for yourself (saying no to the job). When Kardashian's new line of tight-fitting jeans that demand a reduction of the camel-toe passes as news..." BCoF: With the colors of the rainbow let me speak my heart. With each hue of the eternal rose let me speak your name. Roses come in all colors except blue. But lavender will do. The fragrance of Angel Face will make a doubter fall in love. And Oklahoma's petals give a name to its deep red hue. A pink blush in front of a row house in early December once reminded me of my dearest friend and banished the blues of autumn faced with the onslaught of winter. Made into an entry: "December's petals [65]" 90 degrees at 5 but rain predicted this evening with wind and falling temps. Old poll: "How do you feel about your writing?" by Rasputin  Supper: microwaved sweet corn on the cob. Delicious. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/in-moscow-idaho-conservative-christian-reconst... https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-christian-schoAol-in-florida-told-parents-th... 67 moist degrees at 11 pm. I heard thunder earlier and we did get a few drops. 19 August 71 degrees at 09:46. No respite. Priorities:  , managed to take a shower before David, our janitor, gets busy. Barely slept. What traumas will be tip-toed around today? Too exhausted to actively react to anything. 94 degrees at 3-ish. Got up to 97 or so. To Whirl: "I'm stewing about incompetency... how people in power think that their money and position can make up for their lack of competency. Gotta let it go. Critical thinking is a real existential problem in the USA and elsewhere. Knowing 50% and assuming that you're right because the other person knows only 30% can lead to not asking questions to understand the entire picture. Lack of critical questioning/thinking is killing humanity and the biosphere they need in order to survive. Add in a dram, a dollop or a dumpster-load of incompetency stemming from 'power-and-wealth (or my PhD) makes me right regardless' and you have the memes of farmers laughing at city folks asking which end of the bull to milk. Because... *Rolleyes* ...people hold onto their ignorance even when faced with a different, but knowledgable, point-of-view that might reveal the underlying truth." 87 at almost 9. A cloud blocks the red anger eminating in the west. Its screams fade as sweat lingers. When I left yesterday for tomorrow I stopped here along the way. And this is how the dawn/beginning, the noon/zenith, the sunset/fading that now defines me. Red sketch across the sky/ending-of-the-day the sky-river's ripple headed elsewhere, a nowhere I've never visited but the one that beckons me to fly/soar today. As the untraveled/untrammeled path devoid of footsteps begs to guide me. I put one thought before the other and pray. This moment is mine and mine alone, along the lonely bay they say holds my heart gently as time/breath and seconds sway. I will enter tomorrow with gladness knowing that it too will become a memory of yesterday. [64] (19.august.2022) Posted in "Yesterday seems so close so far away [64]" 76 degrees at midnight. Another restless night of drink and pee and sweat. So hard to sleep. 18 August 70 degrees at 10. Will it reach 100? Uneasy rest overnight. Traumas replaying old tapes. I'll need to be careful today. To Harlow: "I don't trust those who sign up for the military or the police with a Rambo macho-mentality. Serve? I get that, but there are so many ways to serve without killing. Qualifications to teach children: You can be a vet who's blown someone away; but, don't be woke or black or gay. Brought to you by Saint deSantis and the Floridians (a new Christo-fascist dark-rock band)." 97 at 5:05. Ate bologna sandwich, tapioca pudding, garlic bread. Interesting Radiohead cover: Possibly for "Spirits at Lighthouses Challenge" :The rain the fog the foto they took before the moon crashed life now snuffed or glass-embeded, mangled, the muffled cries that faded before the light returned to fossils found strewn among the frosted memories of long-forgotten folks that once drove headlong through fog and mist, much like us. Put in "Full moon falling [63]" My neighbor Jay has a pacemaker that was turned off and on today: wiped off, wiped on, wiped out. He was supposed to take a nap. I told I had taken a nap for him. We both looked like shit. 96 at 6:24... another toasty night ahead. The heat suffocates and wears me out. 77 at midnight. 32% humidity. Horrible. 17 August 68 degrees at 10. I was up late so I'm up late.  or  .I'm going to move some boxes, shower and then go to the store. 93 degrees at 3:23. I walked from tree shade to tree shade... like jumping from puddle to puddle. I remembered to buy isopropyl alcohol and dish-washing (wish-washing = hoping someone will do it for me) liquid. My 'treat' was tapioca pudding. Bought more Mexican instant coffee. Vagina sculpturing: crafting the perfect camel toe. Labiaplasty by any name can cost $4,000. https://nypost.com/2022/08/16/designer-vagina-surgery-doubles-in-2022-thanks-to-... So you wanna look like Barbie Kardashian. Is your Ken-Ken gonna get a snip-snip or a walrus bone penile implant? Google 'baculum'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baculum Boomerang: kind words wafted on the winds I sent your way, hoping that someday you would send them back... or pay them forward. Not everything returns like karma. But I wish in whispers, keep an ear to the ground, decipher every crack of lightning, the thunder's boom. There's room for you in my heart. I keep the light on just in case. Made into something. "Boomerang [62]" Stress: dress, tress, mess, less, watercress. Quiver: liver, river, sever, fivver, giver, never, waver. I'm not moving much. My excuse? It's 95 degrees, going on 5 pm. I detect more interactions here at WDC recently. Still 95 degrees at 7. I'm going through papers. Progress. Bry is back in town so maybe next week. This article is BULLSHIT! https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/10-best-hostels-for-a-stay-in-lisbon-... $34-200/night... did the writer ever stay in these places? If so... who was paying. September 13-15 prices are high. Terrace Lisbon is rated 7.7 and $23/n and is in Belem... which is not the center of Lisbon. Sant Jordi: 8.5 and $33/n in Arroios. Poet's Inn: 7.8 and $78/n in Penha de França. Be Lisbon Intendente: 8.7 and $26/n in Arroios. Green Heart Hostel: 8.1 and $37/n in Santo Antonio. Liberty Hostel: 7.7 and $77/n in Santo Antonio. Party Zone (Bairro Alto): 7.8 and $72/n in Misericordia. WOT patio: 7.8 and $42/n in Avenidas Novas. Hotel Petit Lusa: 9.1 and $100-200/n in Santa Maria Maior. Bluesock Hostels: 8.4 and $28/n in Santo Antonio. In contrast where I stayed for $25/n in April: The Independente: 8.7 and $43/n in Misericordia. My internet is frazzled... laters. 73 at midnight? Too hot to sleep inside. 16 August 64 degrees @ 10. It was a lovely night. ...but a lonely one. Not speaking to many people these days. 91 degrees @ 16:30... I'm wilted. I had lunch with Kathi, Dalton, Laxmi and Willie. Went downtown to check my mail. My new debit card had arrived so I went to the bank to activate it. Also got $2 bills and $1 coins. Spent some at Butterfly Herbs to get a cherry cookies-and-cream milkshake. Got free bread at Jimmy-John's subshop. Sitting in the shade is delightful. Doing anything is frightful. Received letter from plainsue. I should send some out. It's still 85 after 8:30. Sun is setting; hopefully it dips below 60 tonight. $4.19/gallon gas for a couple days now. I took a nap earlier because I felt lethargic. It didn't help. Supper: last of the pork roast. Note to self: next time... less spices, dilute vinegar. 71 degrees @ 11 pm. 15 August Mother's day in Costa Rica. 58°F at 8:30. Got to bed early last night? Up earlier than normal. If I'm smart... but I'm not... ...finish cleaning, book a trip, enter contests (and not wait till the final moment). It's not like I have any excuses. I'm doing better in spite of the heat and lethargy. Maybe I should put clothes on first? No snews that's new. MSN has similar algorithms to Spoosefake: what is trending and most popular. In depth? Important? Skrew that! I need to find a different website. Al Jezeera: elections in Kenya; economic issues in Afghanistan a year later; Saudi Aramco cash flow up; Muslim concerns in India; African footballers; UK bus drivers; Griner appeals; Suu Kyi charged again in Myanmar... not a word about u-know-hoo on the 'front page'. Separate page for Ukraine. Lead opinion: When covering Afghanistan, what matters is the people: Because they are the broken heart of this story; India democracy; Indonesia press freedoms. Now Breaking: William Rutu wins presidency in Kenya. MSN: you-know-who, drama, death, violence, click-bait. To Lilli: "Paul's response resonated with me: a cave not a cavern. I could live in the back room of a bookstore, where every mote of dust must tell its tale. I'm dealing with clutter at the moment and it's "difficult". At least I'm not acquiring anything... except boxes... and soon... When I lived in Costa Rica 10 years ago I was closer to being a minimalist. When I travel, I pack one roller-bag take-on and a backpack. I could travel with less, if truth be told. At least that's what the Resident Dust keeps telling me." Plume (prompt for Express it in Eight): a feather in my cap; a river flowing overhead; smoke signals sent from Idado... an upwelling of magma from my heart. Togldeblox at YCC re Putin: "his personality is also years ahead, to the negative, off the charts, creating new floors in the basement on a regular basis. may his real masculine character be not bent, but rent asunder by the talons of giant raptors." Augustine V suggested adding F22 before 'raptor'. I'm so glad I can comment there now.  —Did you hide the translator in your ear folds like I told you? —Yes, Dad #6. —What about your beautiful nose? *sigh* —Had to have it reduced just like you suggested, Mom #3. |
 14 59 at 9-ish... which sounds better than it is. Little air flow in my room even with window open, fan on, and door ajar. 85 degrees at 3. I've only spoken to Billie Jo today while eating my spiced up mac&cheese. Back in 2016 I wrote about myself: "Born in the Eastern Great Lakes, a lover of gardens, a student of biology, a graduate of Kansas... where his hidden heart still beats. A lyrical voice struggling to capture in poetry and prose his sojourn in Costa Rica, his escape from the workforce, resurrection in Oklahoma. Drawn to Montana like Russian thistle, a global traveler in search of a place to call home." Reviewing my poetry/prose. Must find two to enter to contests today. But... it's proving to be an amusing read! Methodically going through blogs: "L'aura del Campo" : "Anatomy of a pochette [50]" An ovi... maybe for Trad Poetry?"Cherries before chores [48]" was rejected without comment. Not very strong, so no loss."One beat [47]" a likeable drabble... nowhere to send it. "Fruits of inaction [46]" could still enter in Shadows, maybe TYP."Starbucks, Anytown, USA [32]" not quite an ovi... but sunny in a way... Humor?"A dog in Uvalde [179.24]" serious 8 lines. Which contest? "Static [22] " promising but would need edit."'22 Dew Drop #13 Nature... "Paid for with your arrogance"" not bad, but..."'22 Dew Drop #9 "Oh. No." [18]" one-side of a convo... attitude showing.  "Hoarfrosts from Hell" : "Still Swedish" Great flow, could be turned into a poem for Shadows!"Enga mellom fjella" : "he must've left his leg somewhere else [56]" dialogue, short, could it be part of something bigger... horror? "Stranger in a stranger's land" entered in SoundVision."Dancing in the Earthlight [53]" I must've entered this... somewhere. The Big One?"Along the Po [52] [~530 words]" a bit vampish  flash... horror?"Moonpies on Mars" with an edit could easily be entered somewhere."Teeth-of-the-lions [49] ~275 words" july entry to Schnujo."A dog with violet eyes [41] 285 words" no love *sad* could be edited and worked with"The hand that threw the brick stopped the train [38] 275w" ditto"For the love of a button [35] (284 words)" I really like this! So... submitted: "[to the arm] L4" to TYP and "Still Swedish" to Shadows.To Beholden re his entry "Greyhound" : "Well written. I met some real characters on buses and trains. Planes? Not as often as people tend to want to be left alone.They also tend to be poor. And the poor have stories beyond matching designer luggage. It's why I stay in hostels rather than hotels. The people I meet when alive will have memories of me long after my passing." 13  Market Day. 70 this morning. I need to take a shower and go. A bit listless. Goal: find something for Shadows&Light. Where are my notes... Snews: Rushdie... mixed emotions. 1. I think "Satanic Verses" was worse than a poor choice of words. 2. The fatwa was extreme, but an historically consistent reaction (see Tahirih). 3. Crossing international borders can create an international crisis. USA does this often. 4. Chautauqua Institute is a very peaceful place and it's disturbing for me personally as I've been there. 5. There is no excuse for the level of violence used against Rushdie. 11 am. I'm stuck to my chair. Huckleberry danish from Irina. Cricket-flour pumpkin-spice cookie from Ann  .Chocolate-lavender shake and coffee at BH. I felt much better after a great discussion with Charles. 5 pm. 91°F with 22% humidity. Not too bad. I'm home. A good travel article (family of 6): https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/article/how-to-plan-a-trip-to-europe/ar-AAZeK2I... Noe Kurtz on fb: "Don't be the bacon in someone's vegan soup." Posted. No response. Days are getting noticeably shorter. Forgot that Vice-Versa posts on Saturday. Watching episode 5 (winter white). It snows in Thailand... Tonight's meal was one potato... a big one. I commented to Jim: "In May '99 I met someone who unlocked my Muse. A magical moment in Michigan. Don't think I've ever been back except for a flight connection. I suspect something else was let loose as well. The next three years were turbulent. Not quite like your story... but magical moments never are." 12  62 degrees at 8-ish. 65 @ 9. 70 @ 10. Sweat all night. Miserable for sleeping. Shower before bedtime; shower when I get up. I should be happy that I'm losing a bit of 'water' weight. I keep hydrated. --- Willow watches as hot winds brush her long tresses, two blackbirds squawking at passersby, where stunted cattails stand stoic in defiance to this drought. Do yesterday's sorrows predict tomorrow's triumphs or more trials that erode our soul's grip on life's earthly plane, as eyes blink and lashes brush away its dying tears. [60] To Petra: "I cringed as the dishes winked at me... Cooked a pork roast in vinegar last night in spite of the 33 degree heat... a spicy lazy-man's sauerbraten. I cleaned up the dishes this morning." Maybe I should've written "I removed the evidence this morning." Sat with Merry for lunch; chatted with Jamie. Scored: white rice, brown rice, a box of farina. To Holly: "Well, Fox and Fascist both begin with F as does fake, faux and another four letter word." Only 90 degrees, just before 4. Toxic drama? Be boring. https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/try-the-gray-rock-method-a-foolproof-t... 83 at 5 with a 15 NW mph  . Quite refreshing. There have been a few stray drops. Empty promises/threats imho. 70 degrees at 21:30. To Stik re WDC activity: "It's been 7 TROUBLESOME years since Dave wrote these two wondrous lines: With petulant pout, some flatulent lout blew riveting rhapsody through his rectal flute. A response to some of your points: 1. Quite a few popular contests (like Taboo) are on hiatus due to lack of entries. Neither "Second Time Around" nor "Dark Dreamscape" are very narrow in scope. But many contests are as you note. Too narrow isn't good imho. Also: responsible hosts can make a huge difference. 2. My blog experience: 6002 views as of August 12 '22 5508 views as of January 1 '22 Less than 500 views in over 7 months, or about 2 views/day. 4908 on Aug 12 '21 3517 on Jan 1 '21 Almost 1,400 views in the same period, or about 6 views/day 2020 = 2,600/year or 7/day. 2008 (Different blog: August 13th 7204 - January 2nd 1587) = 5600 over a similar period as 2020/2021 or about 25/day. Blogging at WDC was very different in 2008. 3. Post-covid activity may be a factor as I noted on January 15th 2022. I wrote: My thoughts... I need to get out more and reconnect face-to-face. It looks like covid-omicron will become endemic like the flu. Very contagious but not so lethal. As the world comes to terms with that I suspect countries will open up. I will need to dream about traveling, do research, makes plans. Go! I have unfinished writing projects. I have unfinished business in my personal life. My on-line addiction has gotten in the way of living. It helped during the shutdown, but 2 years is far too long. I'm getting old in many ways and if movement = life, then I've been comatose. 2021 was the first year since 2006 that I didn't travel. This is only sustainable if I'm making funeral arrangements. 4. I'm not a fan of 'fun and games' but there's a very strong and active group that is. To me, that's not a focus on writing... just my opinion. " 11  70 degrees at 10 and warming. Little relief for some of us. My room is stuffy. Billie Jo kept her door ajar last night; it cooled off some but no air flow. Now 74 at 10:40 and 54% humidity. Tie me to a tree till I turn yellow, admire my slick hard topaz, stroke soft shades of mellow... Became a very bitter poem: "Draft of '72 [58]" 91 at four o'clock. Hopefully no warmer. 103 in the forecast... again. Mostly sat alone with my taco salad and chocolate cake today. I have cooking to do... but in this heat? Pork roast is in the oven. It's only 92 outside. Learning: "Truyên Kiêu," or the "Tale of Kiêu." This masterpiece, ranking with the greatest achievements of Asian and world literature, was written by Nguyen Du in the second decade of the nineteenth century. Link: https://johnpavlovitz.com/2022/04/10/a-funeral-for-my-christianity-2/?utm_campai... "It isn’t the Gospel. It isn’t Good News for the poor and marginalized. It isn’t the Prince of Peace. It isn’t the perfect love that casts out fear. It isn’t Jesus by any measure. It’s a toxic cocktail of power, control, fear, nationalism, and white privilege—and it looks much more like the bloated opulence of Rome than the early Church that resisted it. People have said that the MAGA Evangelical movement has hijacked Jesus but I don’t believe that’s true. They have hijacked the word Christian. Jesus is of no use to them." Reworking the lament of John Pavlovitz: The Church of Amerikkka: It isn't the Gospel. It isn’t Good News for the poor and marginalized. It isn’t the Prince of Peace. It isn’t the perfect love that casts out fear. It isn’t Jesus by any measure. It’s a toxic cocktail of power, control, fear, nationalism, and white privilege. And it's the platform we see in DeSantis' vision for Florida and the CMTA. Rain slashes the window panes. 65 degrees at 9 pm. 74 at 9:35. Temp rebounded a bit but it should cool off tonight... I hope.  10 74 degrees at 9-ish. Never cooled down. Miserable night for sleeping. AQ outside is good; dust inside is troublesome. Am I having an epiphany? An interesting approach about letting go of a relationship that will never be. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/erika-ettin-let-sleeping-ghosts-lie/ar-AA10woR... Pork roast, tuna and bologna were on 'sale'. Tuna casserole for lunch. Sat with Laxmi, Dalton, Willie, Monte. 84 and muggy at 2 pm. I understand how DJT feels violated. But the GOP's response is troubling. More concern about a white-man's property than a woman's right to her body. Only 76 at 7-ish... still 76 at 8-ish. Rain? I haven't seen any drops. 72 at 10 on-the-dot. That's midnight WDC time. No news. No rain. 09 64 degrees at 9, but a hot day forecast. Each day a day of ennui. But slowly... much better than last year when I was listless. 90 at 2 with 17% humididy... okay in the shade if you make like a sloth and don't move. Otherwise... 97 at 5. May not go triple digits! Did get up to 99 but falling now after 6. Saw Kathy, Bill, Don, Kathi, Dalton... chicken was tender today and so were the brussel sprouts. I brought my half-banana home. Do I trust the FBI? Not really. Do I trust Trump? Not really. Donald may have met his match. The FBI will not play his childish games. To QotD: "My mind is scattered. Which moment were you referring to? I'm commenting to Kittiara right now. I referred her to QotD as I feel that this website has been comatose. Frankly? I'm dreading the Birthday Bash. What I need is more writers willing to interact with reviews or comments. Merit badges have become almost meaningless in the last 2 years. I feel like I'm watching Oprah '97 at times... "and you get a car and you get a car and you..." But my needs =/= other writer's needs. My rant includes all case-colors. Lots of blue and purple cases that seldom interact. Why would a lowly black-case newbie bother when folks with brighter colors and 4 numbers after their name don't? And... what encouraged folks 15 years ago may be a barrier nowadays. Just like Elle told Kittiara... things have shifted. And although that's to be expected it's cause for concern for those of us who wonder "who moved my cheese". If I were a mod I'd be asking questions and seeking solutions...but I'm not and never will be. I can't take drama and as a marginalized minority am used to being on the outside looking in and having my suggestions pooh-poohed. Perhaps the SMs could do a real-life survey of young writers and find out what their needs are. Personally, I have no clue. But all social-media platforms have issues as demographics and priorities shift." It's not cooling down. 08 67°F 19°C at 10:30. Very pleasant. Will get windy later but not as hot as originally forecast (we hope). That said... if anyone starts a fire it'll burn the whole town down. To Schnujo: I suspect what you say about articles [selling products] is true. Maybe I should write something to prove the point... but good Regency Romance writers do it all the time. My poem (a cento woven from other poems) "Once in Iceland [169.105]" and short story "Á Ragnvadr (Ragnvadr's River)" take me and the reader to Iceland. I've never been there (except for the airport). Fortunately, I'm not selling anything. Even when I write about my travels I have nothing for sale. Which brings me to "The Best 10 places to ______." Usually based on party-hard, smooze with the glitteratti, least discomfort (crime, brown-skinned-people, don't-speak-English, restrictive laws); places everyone goes to or dreams about: London, Paris, Rome plus 7 more (including 2 "newly-found" places with excellent tourist bureaus). It's all very White-Middle-Class oriented... and tiresome. For products we used Consumer Reports growing up. For travel I use various guide-books. Then I decide for myself and share my experiences. Must've gone to bed early as I woke up early but didn't get up. I don't sleep well at home. I lay back down, but must say that my waking-dream was very pleasant and not to be shared here. "Strawberry Down" is all I'll mention. Strawberry Shortcake ▼ Brewed a mix of Kona and Ethiopian this morning. I'll go to God's Waiting Room for biscuits-and-gravy and ask whether anyone checked out over the weekend. Not likely, but one should be polite. A must-read: "Invalid Item" A toasty 86 at 2 pm. Sat with Merry and Ron, Charles and Laxmi. Nobody died over the weekend... that we know of. A note found while 'cleaning': De espanha: nem bom vento; nem bom casamento. 92 at 6 pm. Not moving much. Don't care much either. 91 at 7 and falling? 22 past the hour, my dears. My favorite time, any day, any hour. But, I've misplaced my glasses and can't be bothered to decipher your twitterings. Frankly, my dears, until I find my glasses I don't give a ____. 5989 |
 07 67 and the flag is limp. 11 am. Meanwhile at YCC: • DrCane1985: Two Rebellious Fishes later.... and Im gone. Jesus, take the wheel!! • TybeeTime - SavannahStorm: Jesus turned a little too much water into wine and needs a DD. The Tropics are a bit calm, so the weather/climate blog is slow. Wordle: 0/2/4/15/14/3 = 38 since I rebooted this chromebook. I had only missed once previously in 100+ tries. My goal isn't to make it in 3, but to avoid losing. Word #6 three times?  i don't like losing. Today's word was a typical #4. I already had 4 letters, one in proper position. Thank you 'S'. Why I travel: before I enter God's Waiting Room to sit and rot... I choose to live. "I dance among the fireflies at twilight as Wednesday becomes Thursday." I need to work on this image. Thailand has colors for each day. sunday is red, Monday is yellow. Wednesday is green, then becomes grey in the evening, Thursday is orange. My colors are green and orange. Befittng a story, a poem and/or a song. I did minor cleaning in a corner I seldom get into. More stuff to throw out or wash. 85 at 5 pm. May not reach 90. In response to Adherrenium: "I wonder whether financing a year abroad to learn another culture and language would count...I mean... crowfunding crowdfunding seems to be common these days. Maybe Ivanka's daddy could supply the dough? I think not. He prolly still has his mother's first tuppence. She was Scot, y'know. Did you know you can live in Bangkok on $8,000/month or in Chiang Mai on a measely $2,000 ($537/month rent for 3 bedrooms). Thailand is "cheap". Oh... can you hear my sarcasm dripping? I'd settle for a one bedroom at much less in Isan. I find ex-pats and their priorities disturbing. But... if you know someone who has an extra $12k/year sitting around I know someone who would gladly invest it in himself (me) and share that experience with others." Krungtep (Bangkok) on a Quarter-million: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I11Z9udn38Y Chiang Mai on less: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/how-to-retire-in-thailands-%e2%80%9crose-o... I did get a wash done. So, something today. 70 degrees at 22:00.  06 67 at 10 in the morning. Will warm up in the afternoon into the 80s. 75 at 5 in the afternoon. Apparently didn't get much above 80, if at all. Very pleasant day and it will cool down nicely before midnight. Blueberry pastry from Irina at market. Huckleberry-lime milkshake at Butterfly Herbs. Read some old flash fiction from 2019 I had printed out: dialogue, no dialogue and mixed. What to do with them? I forgot the butter yesterday when making mac&cheese (or did I?); anyhoo, added butter to the chicken I was simmering in the skillet with a can of cream of mushroom soup, black pepper, paprika, onion flakes. Very good. I posted my musings on the Newsfeed: "I forgot to add the butter to the mac-and-cheese yesterday; but, not-to-worry, I added it to the chicken today!" Sail sat there, turning her head to one side then the other trying to make sense of what I just said. And... that was the problem. It made no sense. She tried to understand everything that her literal mind couldn't cope with. She'd be rocking in her chair, thinking, and rethinking. For days, if I let her. I gave Kyle that look and he came bounding over. "Let's get Sail and go for a walk." Sail wouldn't budge until Kyle whacked her with his tail and slobbered all over her. Then she smiled and slowly gave me her hand. Today was August 6th. It was almost 22 years since she'd entered my life. What happens next? And why? That might depend on what you know about Sail and whether you think there's a medical, mental, physical, emotional issue that clarifies her actions and defines our relationship. I send kind thoughts to Cubby. Still camping? I missed '1st Chapter" last month and this is how I write when I enter her contests. By-the-way, the opening line is 100% true... the rest is absolute fiction." 60 degrees at 22:22. Oh my bleating heart!  05 55 calm degrees at 8 in the morning. 80 at 2:30 with a light breeze, "wispy cataracts cover the blue-eyed sky." Temps easing. We needed the break. Trees and flowers are thirsty. Not a drop in sight before Wednesday. Need to go through old poems and submit to appropriate contests. Need to clean out a corner of the kitchen today, clear off the table, go through a couple boxes. Situation in Taiwan is unnerving. There was a thought... a fleeting thought... but no worries... it's gone now. Ah... "A poem of little insight".  04 67 at 9. $4.29/gal gas. Fans blowing. Big contest is "what a character" and I'm not sure yet where to go with it. Some magic is small, like rotting vegetables turning into compost or personal, like your mother's ashes becoming a porcelain urn (the urn that's empty of ashes) [or your mother's ashes as a glaze, your father's mixed with clay = "Together Forever"]. But what is magic? I imagine twins, one injured or deformed. Would a uninformed magician presented with one and then the other be shocked to the point of a heart attack because they believe/disbelieve in magic? What happens to a faker when transported to a world that's magical. An 18th century Ben Franklin might cope with 21st century change but would a small town priest who's overworked? Not everyone is flexible enough to transform themselves. Transform... whether it's outer matching inner or inner matching outer (becoming the mask) there's a price to pay. What about sub-genres: western, slipstream (surrrealism),lgbtq, romance (romancing the urn?), children, immortality, sports, time travel, psychological, medical, utopia/dystopia, mystery. goth, thriller, AI, dark, historical, autobiography (real or imagined), ghosts, comedy, horror, Lovecraftian, occult (cult?), holiday, biopunk, cyberpunk, steampunk (silkpunk), inspirational, military, food! A link re genres: https://www.servicescape.com/blog/144-genres-and-subgenres-for-fiction-writing To Mary on fb: "I don't understand why Texans put up with horseshit and bullshit. I know they-all aren't illiterate." At 5 pm, 86 degrees with 18% humidity and a stiff westerly breeze. Not too bad. To Paul: "My brain = scrambled eggs. You wrote: "a Robin Hood type that gives all of his booty away to charities." I read: a Robin Hood type that gives all of his body parts away. Which begs the question... while he's alive? Eyes, a kidney, a slice of liver (hold the onions)???" 74 at 21:30. It's cooling down. Lovely sunset tonght but I didn't go down to the bridge to savor its reflection in the channel. Watched for awhile as it faded from copper to rust and wrote a serenade. Entered "Cherries before chores [48]" into Stormy's newsletter as deadline loomed. Need to take care of other deadlines soon.  03 62 and cool at 9 am. Time for market. Chocolate milk, ground pork and chicken thighs at Orange Food Farm. Picked up free canned mushroom soup and beef stew at Senior Center. Sat with Merry, Laxmi, David... 88 and breezy at 2:30. 13% humidity makes it bearable. What chore comes first? Note to Petra re Jamiroquai: "Funky acid-jazz! Not what I expected. A kool-kat-in-the-hat soft-shoeing across a sliding stage wasn't what I was prepared for. Very talented. Jay Kay is now 52. No idea of how old he is in this video."  02 80 degrees and freshening at 11-ish. The door to the fire escape is open and oh-what-a-difference! Hopefully it blows out the ennui along with the trapped heat. It's been a brutal week. Today may be cooler? And tonight 60. I went through pants (mostly jeans) last night and rolled them up and put them in a drawer today. Most were wearable. I'm eyeing the kitchen area. I think straightening that out and repositioning the table would be a worthy project. Bry had a family situation; so, not sure when she stop by this week. I'm leaving shortly to visit God's Outer Waiting Room. Ravioli beckons me. David may have a portable a/c for me! Tomorrow... $4.34/gallon gasoline. Slowly coming down. 86 degrees at 2:02 pm. Need to change clothes. Need to edit "The Winter Rose [295] (253words26lines)" and submit to Senior Forum. Important info on AI writing: "Becoming Obsolete" Only 85 degrees at 5. First Place in Round 9 of Journalistic Intentions  I told Stik: "Thank you for reading and recognizing my effort for JI. It's a difficult contest for me because at times I have trouble wrapping my brain around it. Oktober? As long as it isn't cliche Halloween... unless we get to turn those cliches on their pointy little heads. There are reasons why I like the Taboo Word Contest and Darleen's Dark Dreamscape. JI has the advantage that one gets to choose, which means one can also avoid specific prompts. The way 30dbc was structured for years left me angry at times or gasping for breath. Triggered my traumas?  I could use a non-home workspace but if I have to walk there in the heat it may not happen. Fewer options close-by then pre-covid. Much less in the evening. Hard to predict responses when one crosses cultural boundries. My friend Ronald from Costa Rica found out how different Hondurans and Guatemalans are culturally and I can vouch how utterly different Salvadoreans are from others in the region. Broad brush, I know; but, that's one way of interacting until one knows individuals. I don't trust Costa Ricans in general but I'd trust Alberth with my life. Enjoy your trip to South-of-Wisconsin, East-of-Iowa, West-of-Indiana and Thankfully-not-Misery." 67 degrees at 11 pm. There is hope... Orioles won. They are now 53-51. Last year they finished 52-110.  01 74 degrees at midnight and it's just not going down. I'll take a shower before I nod off but that only helps for awhile. I sweat profusely and I've been having nightmares. Managed to get two entries to contests done before the bell was rung: "Stranger in a stranger's land" and "Dancing in the Earthlight" . My chromebook was running out of juice. It's charged now. Today may hit 100... again. I have lots of cleaning to do but the heat may limit certain tasks. Bry comes in Tuesday morning. This daily blogging in one weekly post isn't working; but, nothing I have done has worked. Did Wordle in 5. I've only missed once in over 130 tries. My anxiety was high over the weekend. We shall see... 72 this morning; maybe it won't hit 100? Awarded  : "After oolong tea" (Round 9). Also won Journalistic Intentions (June).![Merit Badge in Test Your Poetry
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Heartiest congratulations on winning Round 9 of TYP!](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Test_Your_Poetry-2254390_14.gif) 85 at noon-ish. I went to God's Waiting Room and parted with 2 books (37/100). Did not find my hat. I decided against death-by-salt (chili dogs w/ fritos). I'll eat cottage cheese with raspberries... at home. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/iran-steps-up-bahai-persecution-with-wave-o... 93 and at 5 pm. I commented to Kittiara: "Well... now I know where some of my 'scandalous' writings might fit. ["Kit's Higher Ratings Contest" ]I swear WDC can be a bunch of Catholic grade-school brats afraid of Sister Mary-Marcia of the Sobbing-Story (who secretly writes XGC porn... whatever...). And, yes, I know that sounds harsh. Vetter... I read up. He has 3 children and he's 35? I'd retire too. Fortunately can afford to. Vroom I played with cars in the dirt as a kid and went to the local speedway and even the Grand Prix. But... I hardly count... unless it's blowing dust going down a dirt road at 80 mph in my '60 Pontiac Catalina. Finding the car enthusiasts and biker-babes at WDC is hard-part #1. Getting them to write is #2. Share my faith... ["Share Your Faith" ] I really wanted to write to 'joy' but July was Panic-Attack '22. 'Love' doesn't quite inspire me... yet. I think of the line from Paul Simon's "April come she will": August, die she must. Maybe I could write to that."Cher: Is there Life after Love? Me: Is there Love after Life? To Kmac390 re aliens from the Pleiedes revisiting us: "I wish! But maybe they already have? Oops... now I see you said another. We humanoids don't do our homework diligently, do we... maybe we're just as deaf (or deafer) than the stones we stand on."5973 |
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