Day: February 12, 2021

#writephoto — Into the Deep

Fandango13 Comments

Craig was the adventurous one. Alan was more cautious. So naturally, Craig had to cajole his older brother, to call him a pussy and a wimp, in order to get him to walk to the edge of the ravine and to look down at the dark, swirling water far below.

“Feel like going for a swim, bro?” Craig teased. “It’s so damn hot and I bet diving into the chilly water would be really refreshing.”

“No way,” Alan said as he backed away from the edge. “You’d have to be crazy to jump in the water from this height. If you want us to go swimming to cool off, let’s hike back down the path to the water’s edge at the bottom of the ravine.

“I can’t believe my big brother is such a wus,” Craig said. “You go ahead and hike back down there, Alan, and call up to me when you get there so you can witness my feat of heroism and athleticism.”

“Craig, you’re nuts,” Alan said. “You don’t even know how deep the water is at this spot. Please, I’m begging you, come with me. Don’t do it. It’s not worth getting hurt or worse.”

“Sorry, Alan,” I’m not a wimp like you. I’m going to dive in now.” Craig took a deep breath, moved to the precipice, gave a Tarzan-like shout, and dived.

******

Alan couldn’t shake the tremendous guilt he felt for not being able to talk his kid bother out of his reckless act. Tears streamed down his eyes as he sat at Craig’s funeral three days later.

Written for Sue Vincent’s Thursday Photo Prompt. Also for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (swim), and Ragtag Daily Prompt (chilly).

Fibbing Friday — What Is?

Fandango12 Comments

Frank (aka PCGuy) and Di (aka Pensitivity101) alternate as host for Fibbing Friday, a silly little exercise where we are to write a post with our answers to the ten questions below. But as the title suggests, truth is not an option. The idea is to fib a little, a lot, tell whoppers, be inventive, silly, or even outrageous, in our responses. Today is Di’s turn to host and here are her questions.

1. What is Jewish penicillin?

Lox and bagel.
2. What is crème de menthe?

It’s that creamy spread you put on a bagel with your lox.

3. What is meant by tit for tat?

It’s a boob upon which a woman can get a tattoo.
4. Who said ‘Hail Caesar?’

I did when the waiter asked me what kind of salad I wanted.

5. What is S O P?

It’s what you do when you dip a piece of bread in gravy or sauce to sop it up.

6. What is an Evergreen?

A traffic signal stuck on green. Often the cause of vehicular accidents.

7. How many eggs can a peacock lay in its lifetime?

That depends upon how long it lives.

8. What do trunks and boots have in common?

Wearing bathing trunks with hiking boots is the latest fashion trend among hikers.

9. What is a boa?

It is the opposite sex of a girla.

10. What is tic, tac, toe?

It’s a breath mint for people with toe fetishes.

A Month of Love #12

Fandango2 Comments

Paula Light says, “Let’s celebrate the month of lurve (aka love) by posting one thing we love every day throughout February.

Now the truth is that I’m not really a romantic guy, so I might be hard pressed to come up with 28 objects of love, but I think I should be able to come up with 28 things I like a lot.

After I wake up, get out of bed, pee, wash my face, and brush my teeth, I go outside and retrieve our morning newspaper. Then I head to our open concept kitchen/family room, pour myself a cup of hot coffee, spread the newspaper across the table, and start to read from front to back.Yes, I’m one of those old-fashioned people who enjoys leisurely perusing the newspaper for interesting articles. Sure, my newspaper was probably printed at around 10 p.m. the night before, and I can get more up-to-the minute news on my iPhone’s newsfeed, but I still really enjoy sipping my coffee and reading the newspaper.

My local paper is the San Francisco Chronicle. It’s not the Washington Post or the New York Times, that’s for sure. But it’s a decent newspaper and it’s worthy of being one of my “month of lurve” designees.

Reblog: We Will NOT Forget!

Fandango13 Comments

On top of everything else, Senate Republicans are now guilty of jury tampering. As Jill explains in her post, three Republican U.S. Senators met with Donald Trump’s defense attorneys yesterday to discuss the their strategy on the day before the defense attorneys present their case to the “impartial” jurors of the upper chamber.

What? Members of the jury holding a strategy meeting with members of the defense team in the middle of the trial? I’m no constitutional scholar, but isn’t that, like, illegal? Or if not illegal, it must certainly be unethical, right?

Anyway, Jill says it all much better than I ever could….

In case you didn’t notice, there is a trial of some importance taking place this week in Washington, D.C.  Now, I used to watch Perry Mason, and a …

We Will NOT Forget!

Fandango’s Flashback Friday — February 12

Fandango19 Comments

Wouldn’t you like to expose your newer readers to some of your earlier posts that they might never have seen? Or remind your long term followers of posts that they might not remember? Each Friday I will publish a post I wrote on this exact date in a previous year.

How about you? Why don’t you reach back into your own archives and highlight a post that you wrote on this very date in a previous year? You can repost your Friday Flashback post on your blog and pingback to this post. Or you can just write a comment below with a link to the post you selected.

If you’ve been blogging for less than a year, go ahead and choose a post that you previously published on this day (the 12th) of any month within the past year and link to that post in a comment.

This was originally posted on February 12, 2018

What’s That Word I’m Looking For?

There are occasions these days when I can’t quite conjure up that exact word — one I’ve used a million times before — that would be perfect for what I want to say. And yes, my memory for names or events isn’t quite what it once was.

But after all, I am a senior citizen; a card carrying Medicare beneficiary.

Okay, just saying that makes me feel kind of old. But then I have to remind myself that age is really just a number. It is what it is. I didn’t choose when I was born, just as I can’t choose when I will die.

I admit that my body ain’t what it used to be. My mind, though, except for occasionally being unable to conjure up the precise word I know is out there, is still sharp. And I believe that blogging is a way to keep it that way.

Blogging forces me to exercise my brain. It challenges me to keep up with what is going on in the world around me — news, politics, science, society, technology. It requires doing research, checking facts, and being able to see different perspectives. It necessitates logical and critical thinking.

It also gets my creative juices flowing when I see an image or am given a word or a phrase and must try to conjure up a short, fictional story about what that image, word, or phrase brings to mind.

It means needing to be able to express myself articulately and in a clever, entertaining, and witty way. Or at least attempting to do so.

Blogging also puts me in touch with people from around the globe. Fellow bloggers of all ages, from various backgrounds, with unique experiences, and with varying world views. It provides me with insights into what others are thinking about, writing about, and doing.

Who knows? Blogging might even delay the inevitable onset of old-age — oh, what’s that word I’m looking for? Oh, right — dementia.

Written for today’s one-word prompt, “conjure.”