Day: July 5, 2021

#WDYS — Bad Planning

Fandango9 Comments

“I told you that this was a bad idea,” Jane said. “I pleaded with you to resechedule for later in the year. But did you listen to my pleas? No you did not!”

“I think you’re having an over reaction, Jane,” Audrey said, looking across the front seat of her vintage Toyota Corona. “And you’re starting to repeat yourself.”

“Well,” Jane said. “It bears repeating that with the weather at this time of year being iffy, this was not a good time to go on a whitewater rafting trip. And now here we sit in the freezing cold in the middle of nowhere in this crappy old car of yours with a dead battery. We have no cell service out here and to top it all off, I have to pee like a racehorse.”

“So get out of the goddam car and go squat,” Audrey said. “It’s not like there’s anyone around to see you.”

“You know that we’re going to freeze out here in this cussed car,” Jane said. “I lament ever listening to you and your harebrained ideas.”

“Well, you’re no genius when it comes to planning our little getaways, you know,” Audrey said. “That class reunion weekend I let you organize was a total disaster. Why do you think people call you Calamity Jane behind your back?”

“At least I didn’t put anyone’s life in danger,” Jane said. “I swear to God, Audrey, that if we get out of this alive, I’m going to shoot you dead.”

“Good,” Audrey said. “That will put me out of my misery for having you as my best friend.”

Written for Sadje’s What Do You See? prompt. Photo credit: Oziel Goméz. Also for these daily prompts: The Daily Spur (plea/reaction), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (repeat/lament), Your Daily Word prompt (cussed), MMA Storytime (genius/shoot), and Word of the Day Challenge (reunion).

And also for the JSW Challenge, where we are supposed to write a story, essay, poem, etc. showing conflict between two women.

Share Your World — July 5, 2021

Fandango11 Comments

Melanie graces us with another of her Share Your World questions today. And here they are:

Is there inherent order in nature or is it all chaos and chance?

I think that there is both order and disorder in nature. when I think of order in nature, it means that we expect things and events to occur naturally, assuming no artificial or manmade impediment to the those things or events. When something “unnatural” — an act or behavior contrary to what occurs naturally — is when disorder, and possibly even chaos, comes into play.

What is infinity?

It’s a brand of Japanese luxury car.

Oh wait, that’s Infiniti. Sorry about that. Infinity means unlimited, never ending, boundless.

Does observation alter an event?

It may alter the event or it may alter the consequences of an event. Studies have shown that the mere act of observing something can alter it. If people know that they’re being observed, they will behave differently than if they feel that no one is watching them. But we have also seen first hand how observation can, after the fact, affect the consequences of an event, such as when people record an event using their smartphone cameras. Observing those video recordings taken when George Floyd was brutally murdered by the Minneapolis police resulted in the conviction of at least one of the involved cops, a consequence that might not have happened if there were hell yeah video recordings to be observed.

Do you like balloons?

I have no strong feelings one way or he other about balloons.

Blogging Insights — Commitment

Fandango10 Comments

For this week’s edition of Blogging Insights, Dr. Tanya has two questions for us. First, she asks…

How committed are you to your blog?

Given that I spend more time with my blog — drafting, proofing, and publishing my own posts as well as reading the posts of those blogger I follow — than I do on any other single activity each day, I’d say I’m very committed.

Then she wants to know…

What part, if any, do other bloggers play in your level of commitment?

Rory asked a very similar question in his monthly 12 Bloggers post for July, the response to which I just posted a few hours ago. He asked, “What is one of the most significant ways that your readership influences you, your blog and your writing?” So I’ll answer Tanya’s question the same way I answered Rory’s.

It’s by other bloggers reading, liking, and commenting on my posts that makes the commitment of time I devote to my blog worthwhile.

12 Bloggerz — July 2021

Fandango13 Comments

Rory is back with this month’s edition of 12 Bloggerz, where he asks a dozen eclectic questions. So let us proceed.

1. On a scale of 1 – 10, where 1 is low and 10 is high, how happy are you with everything in your life at this moment?

6.28318530718

2. Why do you do what you do the way that you do it? Interpret as you so wish.

That’s just the way I do what I do.

3. How do you embrace difference?

In the grand scheme of things, what difference does it make?

4. What is one of the most significant ways that your readership influences you, your blog and your writing?

By reading, liking, and commenting on my posts.

5. How would you feel if everything you didn’t believe in today turned out to be true – which of your new disbeliefs now truths would affect you the most profoundly? But also answer this question from the opposite spectrum as in: How would you feel if everything you believed in today turned out to be false – would this affect you and if so which falsehood that you hold now true would affect you the most profoundly?

This is a trick question because they’re two sides of the same coin. If everything I didn’t believe in turned out to be true and if everything I did believe in turned out to be false, then what would be the point of believing — or not believing — in anything?

6. How often do you cross your fingers or say touch wood or good luck to people or do you not believe in that sort of thing?

I am not a superstitious type, so I don’t usually cross my fingers or knock on wood. And if I wish people good luck with something, as often as not I’m being sarcastic and not genuine, as in, “Yeah, well, good luck with that.”

7. Do you think that our childhoods impact our lives as adults – what are your views?

Of course our childhood influences our life. How could it not?

8. There is no truth to horoscopes – yes or no and why to either?

The only horoscopes I’m familiar with are those that are printed in the daily newspaper and they are so general that they are worthless.

9. Does it really matter if we are environmentally conscious? I mean is it that important? If not why not and if yes, why??

I’m old enough at this point to know that I’ll be dead before our environment, due to climate change, can no longer sustain human life. But I have children and grandchildren and that’s why being environmentally conscious is important to me.

10. Do you find it easy or hard to relax and what relaxes you the most?

I find it pretty easy to relax as long as I don’t read, watch, or listen to the news. That raises my anxiety levels considerably. What relaxes me the most? Putting in my air pods and listening to classic rock.

11. How well or badly do you respond to being ‘shocked’ or ‘surprised’?

That depends upon whether or not the word “pleasantly” precedes either “shocked” or “surprised.”

12. How do you feel about the term “I am a lucky/unlucky person” as in – do you think that there is some truth to it or is it all nonsense?

I don’t put much stock in the terms “lucky” and “unlucky.” It is what it is. Sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don’t. Which way is more a matter of your own actions than of anything that happens purely by chance.

Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge #125

Fandango18 Comments

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

The photo below is from Jarmoluk at Pixabay.com.For the visually challenged writer, the photo is of four clocks on a wall showing current times in four different cities.

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.