Day: March 16, 2020

What Else Have I Got To Do?

Fandango10 Comments

680E81CE-3247-4B00-BD29-1F1BC13A0997I really was thinking about skipping this year’s A to Z Blogging Challenge. But now, as I noted in my previous post, that my area has invoked “Shelter at Home” and mandated “Stay Home — No Gatherings,” what else is there to do?

So, since I am going to do this thing, today is the day we are tasked with posting a theme reveal. Because my blog is “This, That, and The Other,” as you might imagine, my theme is going to be “Other and Miscellaneous,” which means my A to Z Challenge posts will be whatever strikes my fancy.

It’s Come To This

Fandango32 Comments

In a statement on February 26th, Donald Trump said, “And again, when you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that’s a pretty good job we’ve done.”

On February 28th Trump said that coronavirus will “disappear” like a “miracle.” In late February, he speculated that warm weather would kill the virus and stop its spread.

He recently told reporters, “It will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away. Be calm. It’s really working out. And a lot of good things are going to happen. The consumer is ready, and the consumer is so powerful in our country with what we’ve done with tax cuts and regulation cuts and all of those things. The consumer has never been in a better position than they are right now. So a lot of good things are going to happen.”

And then this showed up on my newsfeed about an hour ago:A9DDA194-2C26-4BE0-9B54-03CF4C304BA7And then this alert came on my iPhone:BC610840-6406-4AD1-A253-3E412AF97CF6Shelter in place? Stay Home? No Gatherings? So everything is pretty much shut down in America, or at least in my part of America.

But it is reassuring to hear from our President that he’s done such a good job and that “a lot of good things are going to happen.”

Isn’t it?

 

Share Your World — Irish Edition

Fandango21 Comments

Share Your WorldToday Melanie has given us two Share Your World prompts, one that focuses on Saint Patrick’s Day, and the other that has more provocative questions.

I’m neither Irish nor Catholic and I don’t know much about Saint Patrick’s Day, other than it’s a good excuse to drink green beer and to get shitfaced. But, as they say, we’re all Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day, so here goes nothing.

Saint Patrick’s Day questions:

Saint Patrick’s actual color was not green. Was it red, orange or blue?

I have no clue.

Was Saint Patrick born in Ireland, Britain, or France?

I have no clue.

How old was Saint Patrick when he was taken as a slave? 10, 13, or 16?

I have no clue.

Why is Saint Patrick’s Day celebrated on the 17th? Was it the day he was born, the day he died, or the day he got the title “Saint”? 

I have no clue.

Is Saint Patrick’s Day always, usually, or never held on the same date? 

I have no clue.

What did Saint Patrick use to symbolize something for Christianity? Was it a stick, a shamrock, or a bird?

I have no clue.

What city turns a river green every year to celebrate? Is it Detroit, Chicago, or Green Bay, U.S.A.?

I do know the answer to this, since I used to live there: Chicago.

Which year was the first St. Patrick’s Day parade (in America) held?

I have no clue.

Which US president was of Irish descent and forgot it was Saint Patrick’s Day?

JFK?

Is corned beef and cabbage is a traditional Saint Patrick’s Day dish?

I have no clue.

True or False: The shamrock is the national flower of Ireland.

I have no clue.

Where was Saint Patrick buried after he died? Britain, Ireland, or France?

I have no clue.

Two of the three colors on the Irish flag are green and white.  What is the third one?

Let me guess. Orange?67BE4F96-E307-4DE3-99BE-5DA1E504EC1D

True or False: Saint Patrick was not actually a Saint.

I have no clue.

What do leprechauns use their sticks, called “shillelagh” for? Accessing their rainbow, turning invisible, or making their magic pot of gold appear?

I have no clue.

Which is not true?

  • Lent restrictions are dropped on Saint Patrick’s Day.
  • Irish soap was invented in Ireland.
  • Saint Patrick’s real name was Maewyn Succat.

I have no clue.

What’s the traditional occupation of a leprechaun? Thief, shoemaker, or banker?

I think they’re supposed to be mischievous, so let’s go with thief.

Okay, now for Melanie’s more provocative questions.

What harsh truths do you prefer to ignore?

I have no clue.

Okay, just kidding. The real answer is that I prefer not to ignore the truth, no matter how harsh it may be.

Is free will real or just an illusion?

Free will is defined as the power or capacity to choose among alternatives or to act in certain situations independently of natural, social, or divine restraints. I believe in free will. I don’t believe in fate or predetermination. I believe the decisions I make are my own choices. Of course, some decisions are impacted by external factors, like my decision to go to the grocery store today to buy some rolls of toilet paper and finding that the store’s shelves have no toilet paper, no tissues, and not even any paper towels. This is the only time in my life that I’m hoping to be constipated.

What is the meaning of true love?

I’m a rather selfish person, but to me, true love is when you care about someone else more than you care about yourself.

Sunday Writing Prompt — Retro Diner

Fandango22 Comments

26A90F49-D47D-4D8D-BADE-C63999475FEF“Garish,” she said, looking around the place, an expression of disdain on her face.

“What are you talking about, Beth?” he asked. “This is a classic re-creation of a mid-century diner. It’s totally retro.”

“Oh, right, Andy,” Beth said. “Like you’d even know what an actual mid-century diner looked like. You’re a child of the late Nineties.”

“My dad used to take me to diners near where we lived,” Andy said, “so I know what I’m talking about. Look at these vinyl seats and all the neon signs and lighting. And these tabletop jukebox thingies, just like back in the day.”

“It’s so plastic,” Beth said. “They’re trying too hard and it’s not at all authentic.”

A waitress, frantically chewing a wad of gum, walked up to their table and handed Andy and Beth menus. “Can I get you some water?”

“Sure,” Andy said.

“Do you have any sparkling water?” Beth asked.

“You mean like seltzer?” the waitress responded.

Beth sighed. “Never mind. Still water is fine.”

The waitress spun around and left the table. Meanwhile, Andy, after looking at the menu, said to Beth, “Do you see the prices on this menu? This can’t be right. A burger for 95 cents. Add cheese for a nickel. French fries for a quarter and a Coca-Cola for a dime. This has got to be a joke.”

“Maybe they charge retro prices in this retro diner,” Beth quipped.

The waitress came back to the table with two glasses of water. “Can I take your orders?” she asked.

Andy read her name tag and said, “Hey, Betty, these novelty throwback menus are great, but can you get us the regular menus, please?”

Betty looked confused, reached over and took the menu from Andy and looked at it. “This is our regular menu,” she said.

“Come on, Betty,” Andy said. “A cheeseburger for a buck? A Coke for a dime?”

Betty’s cheeks turned bright red. “I know,” she said in a hushed tone. “Until last week our burgers were only 75 cents and Coca-Cola was a nickel. But the owner had to raise the prices on just about everything in the menu a few weeks ago because of a higher cost of living. It’s 1955, you know. Your money doesn’t go as far as it used to.”

Beth looked at Andy and then back at the waitress. “What do you mean it’s 1955?” she asked Betty.

“1955,” Betty said. “March 15, 1955.”

Andy stood up and looked out of the diner’s windows. He turned pale, sat down in his seat and pointed toward the windows.

Beth looked toward where Andy was pointing and saw that the diner’s parking lot was full of cars from the early Fifties. And that’s when Beth started to scream.

Written for this week’s Sunday Writing Prompt from Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie.

Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge #57

Fandango17 Comments

FFFCWelcome to “Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge.” Each week I will be posting a photo I grab off the internet and challenge bloggers to write a flash fiction piece or poem inspired by the photo. There are no style or word limits.

The image below is from the Tama66 at Pixabay.com.2F2BD7B2-0CC8-408A-A573-BC42498E9797For the visually challenged writer, the photo is of the ornate entrance to large, brick mansion at night.

If this week’s image inspires you and you wish to participate, please write your post, use the tag #FFFC, and link back to this post. I hope it will generate some great posts.

Thanks to all of you who have participated in these challenges. Your posts have been very creative. Please take a few minutes to read the other responses to this photo challenge.

Please create a pingback to this post or manually add your link in the comments.