That sounds yummy. I don't eat dogs much anymore other than the Costco polish sausage. But chili-cheese-Frito dogs would definitely get me back.
Sonja did not have a cat. So why was this one making itself at home in her house?
Calico Cupid - Summer Love contest entry
The metal singer made Brenda an interesting offer, but was her interest in the music ... or him?
Quote by gillianleeza
Amen, Roland. Happy Fourth to you and yours.
Storms are rolling through here, so not sure how that will affect the celebrations down on the Mall. Maybe it will drown out the speech and clear up for the fireworks. Oddly, this year they are not scheduled to start until eleven pm. All past fourths started right after it got dark, around 9 pm. It's also still dangerously hot and humid.
I hope everyone has a good weekend.
Love this clock! Hope your 4th went well.
Fire and Ice - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words competition, first place
Monster - Survivor competition, first place
Weekend coffee is brewing and there's Assam and Scottish Breakfast in the teapots. Fresh lemonade and iced tea are in the fridge, as is a selection of craft sodas. Freezer has ice cream and ice cubes for your drinks. And there's goodies.
Sonja did not have a cat. So why was this one making itself at home in her house?
Calico Cupid - Summer Love contest entry
The metal singer made Brenda an interesting offer, but was her interest in the music ... or him?
I hope everyone is well. I brought some red velvet cupcakes and mint tea with me today.
I wish I could watch the All-Star game tonight, but I only have streaming services. I spent about $180 on MLB.com/ESPN to watch every game this year, but the fine print has screwed me over. It does not include blacked-out games based on geography or other contracts. Major League Baseball sold exclusive rights to FOX for the All-Star Game.
I have been outlining a dramatic family storyline and will probably start writing the story later this week. While outlining the story, the antagonists seemed so stupid, with no emotional maturity or self-awareness. When I talked to my son, he reminded me that most people today do stupid, foolish, and selfish things. Maybe it will be more realistic than I thought. I am basing it on a real occurrence that I have personal knowledge of.
Quote by rolandlytle
I hope everyone is well. I brought some red velvet cupcakes and mint tea with me today.
I wish I could watch the All-Star game tonight, but I only have streaming services. I spent about $180 on MLB.com/ESPN to watch every game this year, but the fine print has screwed me over. It does not include blacked-out games based on geography or other contracts. Major League Baseball sold exclusive rights to FOX for the All-Star Game.
I have been outlining a dramatic family storyline and will probably start writing the story later this week. While outlining the story, the antagonists seemed so stupid, with no emotional maturity or self-awareness. When I talked to my son, he reminded me that most people today do stupid, foolish, and selfish things. Maybe it will be more realistic than I thought. I am basing it on a real occurrence that I have personal knowledge of.
Hey, Roland. I'm in the exact same position as you: I sepnt $180 for baseball and they black out the All Star game. Billionaires run the world.
Glad to see you are at work on a new story. I like that you are pushing into realism.
Days are super hot and dry here. I'm just starting the second draft of the novel, and it looks like SO MUCH WORK!
!yad eht yojnE
Fire and Ice - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words competition, first place
Monster - Survivor competition, first place
.did I
Hazy, hot, and humid here, so nothing new. The air quality alert is new, at the purple level. I was unaware that there was a level above red. It's mostly due to the Canadian wildfires. You can smell the smoke when you step outside. I immediately started coughing, so I will be indoors for the foreseeable future. I don't need an asthma attack.
I hope everyone has a good weekend. Cheers.
Quote by gillianleeza
Hazy, hot, and humid here, so nothing new. The air quality alert is new, at the purple level. I was unaware that there was a level above red. It's mostly due to the Canadian wildfires. You can smell the smoke when you step outside. I immediately started coughing, so I will be indoors for the foreseeable future. I don't need an asthma attack.
I hope everyone has a good weekend. Cheers.
Yeah, take it easy out there. Been like that here since Wednesday afternoon but improved this morning (dropped from 10+ to currently 3) so hope it improves down your way, too. There is still a yellow alert up for our region so a chance it could return, I guess.
Fresh coffee and tea are on. Goodies are stocked. What besides the world smelling like a smoky bar is up in your world?
Sonja did not have a cat. So why was this one making itself at home in her house?
Calico Cupid - Summer Love contest entry
The metal singer made Brenda an interesting offer, but was her interest in the music ... or him?
I picked up some red velvet cupcakes to share. It is hot and humid here in the NC Piedmont, as well.
I had a bad morning. I found myself a mile and a half from home and was unsure how to get back. Thank God I had my phone in my pocket. I used Maps to get home. I do not dare to get help, except from relatives. Someone might turn me in to social services, and they could make me leave my home because I live alone. I would not like to go through that. I am okay the vast majority of the time. When I have these episodes, I seem to have the common sense that keeps me safe. I think this episode happened because I missed two of my brain meds for a few days; the VA was slow about mailing my refills.
I am excited to learn that NASA is planning an Explorer 3 mission. It will be a mission specifically to explore the heliosphere, where Explorer 1 is presently located. The Explorer 3 mission will reach the edge of the heliosphere five times faster than Explorer 1 did, using the Sun to slingshot it at a much higher speed. It is years away, but I love the idea. I am genuinely thrilled by the prospect!
Quote by rolandlytle
I am excited to learn that NASA is planning an Explorer 3 mission. It will be a mission specifically to explore the heliosphere, where Explorer 1 is presently located. The Explorer 3 mission will reach the edge of the heliosphere five times faster than Explorer 1 did, using the Sun to slingshot it at a much higher speed. It is years away, but I love the idea. I am genuinely thrilled by the prospect!
It's a very cool mission. Seems like the more we learn bout the sun, the weirder it is.
Sorry about your bad morning. That used to happen to my wife. It's scary, I'm so glad you had your phone, and the good sense to use the map. I'm also glad you have relatives to help you. There's an app called Life360 where relatives can know the location of your phone - that might be a nice back-up. At any rate, I am glad you are safe. Stay well!
Nothing new here. Starting the second draft of the novel. It's a LOT of work. Playing with the telescope at night, which improves my sanity.
!sreehC
Fire and Ice - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words competition, first place
Monster - Survivor competition, first place
Good evening. We can never have enough space missions to the sun given the possible outcomes if a major solar event heads our way (fried satellites and hydro grids for starters).
Had a gorgeous day here. 20C, low (for July anyhow) humidity, breezy, sunny, no smoke. Felt like we had rewound back to late May or early June. Took advantage to get the lawn mowed since it looks like more of a mixed bag going forward.
Sonja did not have a cat. So why was this one making itself at home in her house?
Calico Cupid - Summer Love contest entry
The metal singer made Brenda an interesting offer, but was her interest in the music ... or him?
Week is over. So is my vacation (well, except for the weekend). Getting some fairly normal July weather for here, so high 20s Celsius. Nothing too excessive, at least, though getting a bit warm for me.
Sonja did not have a cat. So why was this one making itself at home in her house?
Calico Cupid - Summer Love contest entry
The metal singer made Brenda an interesting offer, but was her interest in the music ... or him?
I am glad you had a good vacation, Scott. The baseball season is heating up! I follow four teams. (#1 - The Chicago Cubs; I am a lifetime fan. #2 the Chicago White Sox; the only way that the Cubs could have their best season is to beat the White Sox in the World Series. #3 The Atlanta Braves; I grew up watching a lot of their TV games, and it is my sister's favorite. I often go to her house and watch the Braves. There is a big series between the Cubs and Braves in mid-September, and we are making big plans for that. #4 The Arizona Diamondbacks; my son lives in the Phoenix suburbs, and when we talk on the phone, I can talk about the Diamondbacks with real knowledge about the team.)
I am looking forward to watching the new Spider-Man movie!
My teams are 1 - Mets, 2 - Rockies, 3 - Cubs, 4 - Red Sox. I'm fearful there will be no baseball next year, with the upcoming strike.
We went to Rockygrass for my birthday this weekend. Insanely fun. Talia took me out to a nice steak dinner last night for my actual birthday. It has been a nice few days. Back to the same ol', same ol' today.
Fire and Ice - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words competition, first place
Monster - Survivor competition, first place
Quote by verbal
We went to Rockygrass for my birthday this weekend. Insanely fun. Talia took me out to a nice steak dinner last night for my actual birthday.
Happy belated birthday!! I'd say that I hope you had good one, but it sounds like you did. 😊
Nice day here. Bit warmer than I like but not terrible. I smell smoke but it's probably local, someone with an outdoor fireplace or something. Air quality is 2.
Writing away on various things as time allows. Might talk more as I decide which ones will actually get written and which might go here.
Sonja did not have a cat. So why was this one making itself at home in her house?
Calico Cupid - Summer Love contest entry
The metal singer made Brenda an interesting offer, but was her interest in the music ... or him?
Happy belated Birthday, Jeff! I am looking forward to my birthday. I am 67 years old, and every time I am around my sister's or brother's kids and grandkids, they joke teasingly, "Hi, Roland. You are 6... 7...!" and start laughing! The whole 6- 7 thing is as stupid as it literally is the same as figuratively!
I feel for all of the people dealing with the wildfires, and I pray that it will get better. (Even though it will just get worse in the coming years.)
Please save some of your good stuff for us. I can hardly wait to read it. If you do publish some of it, let us know. I would love to buy your writings!
Day off here in the Great White North. We generically call it the Civic Holiday and it falls on the first Monday in August. It's basically an excuse for a long weekend between Canada Day (which isn't always even a long weekend) and Labour Day. Different places call it different names and celebrate different things. I'm just crashing and enjoying the free day off.
Coffee is refilled with dark roast Costa Rican beans. Teas are Irish Breakfast and Earl Grey Cream, with hot water ready if you're craving something else. Cold beverages are stocked up, so there's pitchers of lemonade and unsweet iced tea along with an assortment of sodas.
Sonja did not have a cat. So why was this one making itself at home in her house?
Calico Cupid - Summer Love contest entry
The metal singer made Brenda an interesting offer, but was her interest in the music ... or him?
Pretty quiet in here. I see some freeze-dried Folger's in the back, let me go make a cup. I brought rice crispie treaps!
Block party on my block today. Should be fun, though there will be some rain. Looking forward to the hot dogs. I hope someone wants to play wiffle ball besides me.
!ecaeP
Fire and Ice - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words competition, first place
Monster - Survivor competition, first place
Quote by verbal
I hope someone wants to play wiffle ball besides me.
Well, that's a new one on me (thanks be to Google). I hope you find some more players, too.
Yeah, this place is getting very quiet. I've been busy elsewhere myself. Even the pace of story posting has slowed.
I keep trying for something but they all seem to stretch out and I don't really want to get into some epic multi-parter right now. A lot of what I had on the go has lost my interest. I just zipped up a bunch of them and stashed them on my backup drive, then deleted them from my working drive. Want to be able to go back to them but they are basically just clutter right now.
Sonja did not have a cat. So why was this one making itself at home in her house?
Calico Cupid - Summer Love contest entry
The metal singer made Brenda an interesting offer, but was her interest in the music ... or him?
No, I didn't die...real life got me again, the asshole.
But sir, he's my emotional support silver fox teddy bear.
Quote by JustAnotherSapphic
No, I didn't die...real life got me again, the asshole.
And who is Sean????
Good to see you back regardless. 
I poked my head in at another website yesterday. The more things change, the more the say the same. In other news, finished the second draft of the novel! All that really means is that I start the third draft today.
Hope this finds everyone well.
Fire and Ice - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words competition, first place
Monster - Survivor competition, first place
Quote by verbal
And who is Sean????
That would be Sean Astin. 🥰🤤
But sir, he's my emotional support silver fox teddy bear.
Sorry to be absent for most of the last two weeks.
I have been out of town, and my mental fog has been rolling in from the sea of dementia a lot lately. In the time I have had, I have been reading newly posted stories and actually writing a story myself. The story is a very different type for me, based on an unbelievable situation that happened to a friend of mine. It is about a relationship in modern-day societal changes.
I hope everyone is safe and happy. If you can, and it does not conflict with your beliefs, please add my brother Jeff in your prayers. He is recovering from a serious motorcycle accident that happened on Thursday.
Quote by rolandlytle
my mental fog has been rolling in from the sea of dementia a lot lately.
Nice to hear from you Roland. That's a pretty powerful metaphor. My heart goes out to you, my friend. Drop us a link here if you write/publish a story here, I'd love to read it.
My memory issues are strting to fade. It appears to be a med thing, from a drug I take for neuropathy. I'm taking much less now, and I think it's helping.
Nothing else new here. Writing, baseball and telescopes.
!sreehC
Fire and Ice - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words competition, first place
Monster - Survivor competition, first place
Hi Jeff. Needed medication can affect your life in hurtful ways. For some of my meds, losing or gaining ten pounds, or even getting a little dehydrated, can screw me up. I hope you and your doctors can work everything out.
In baseball news:
In the history of MLB (1876 through today), a leadoff batter has hit a home run on the first pitch of a game and then ended the game with a walk-off home run only four times. Two of them have happened in the last eight days!
Quote by rolandlytle
Hi Jeff. Needed medication can affect your life in hurtful ways.
I think it's mostly worked out. Very scary experince, as i am sure you know.
One of the many cool things about baseball is that any given night you can watch history happen. Pete Crow Armstrong is a force of nature (I dont' know much about th other guy).
!prac eht ezeiS
Fire and Ice - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words competition, first place
Monster - Survivor competition, first place
Thank goodness for microfiction cause the last few things have been too short to put anywhere else.
But sir, he's my emotional support silver fox teddy bear.
I always have trouble with anything under a thousand words, not to mention only one hundred words. I guess I have problems painting a picture with words concisely. Many of my favorite books are from authors who ramble on and on, like The Lord of the Rings trilogy or the three Thomas Covenant trilogies.
My eclipse pic from last week.
Fire and Ice - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words competition, first place
Monster - Survivor competition, first place
Jeff, I wonder if it is the same med I take for sciatica nerve pain. I noticed struggling for words and a few memory issues, and the doctor agreed it was related to that medication that they had increased recently. I am mostly off of it now, but it was a struggle.
Life is still busy with my Dad. The unhinged things he says are bothering me more than usual these days. I am doing my best, but it's hard most days.
I am going on vacation in a few weeks, so that should be helpful. Two of my boys and their wives are going as well. I rented a house right on the ocean, so I am going to sit on the beach for a week, reading, swimming, hanging out in the hot tub, and letting everyone else handle meals. My brother can be responsible for my dad for a week.
I hope everyone is doing well. I am happy September is here; now the cooler weather can show up and hopefully do away with all of the mosquitoes.
Take care, everyone. Cheers!
