walks, in, blinks, and… IMMEDIATELY STEALS ALL THE COOKIES! THE BANDIT STRIKES AGAIN!

Guess that theft will keep me from running for office.

Happy birthday to your loved one, Red.

Hi Kat. pets Chessie

Woke up to snow, if not quite as much as was predicted. Also woke up to a little fox in the snow, who has been hanging out in our back yard lately. He’s so cute! And seems healthy and alert. I think it’s just a safe spot for him (or her), no coyotes or bears to chase him. He hangs out by a rock and follows the sun across the yard, like a cat. Such a treat!

Nothing today but writing. Coffee would help. As well as ALL THESE COOKIES! HAHAHAHAHA!

Coach trip along the coast (and we might do just that!)

Morning run or afternoon walk?

Quote by gillianleeza

It would be fun to be in New Orleans. Not much fun around here. I've been helping my Mom deal with my dad, who will need surgery. He does not remember the trip to the ER or the surgery consultation. Not sure how we are going to handle it all. Dementia is cruel and harder on caregivers, in my opinion.

I can't sleep, so I'll hang out, enjoy the peace and quiet, and have some cookies.

Cheers Everyone!

My heart goes out to you, and I hope you get some sleep. When my wife went to the ER while in the throes of dementia she was terrified. I shiver even rethinking that. Godspeed, dear Gill.

Nice to see you popping your head in Ape.

As for political office, I think I have decided to go to the grocery store after the coming snowstorm blows over, and collect signatures for an afternoon. If I get 50, I will send them in. That would put me on the ballot. I won’t win, but I hope to get some insight into the process.

Writing about a convenience store robbery today. I have NO IDEA how to write a realistic robbery. This might take a few tries to get right,

Coffee and a blueberry shortbread cookie please.

What's in the back yard? A bear? Ridiculous. Honey? Honey?

Hey Roland, hey Sara.

Yeah, Roland, I love Jeff McNeil. Churning out hits like there's no tomorrow.

I got an email from a political party asking if I'm interested in running for office. Just talked with Talia, and I'm going to take a tentative step toward it, and talk to someone this week. I have written some stories that might be problematic.

Gonna go see M3GAN today. I've been avoiding all the hype so I can see it fresh. All I know is that Marnie from Girls is in it.

Coffee please.

A horror movie sounds like just the deal, Gill.

I woke up to pee at 7 a.m., just as the sun was rising, and saw a fox in out backyard. I called Talia over, we looked, went back to pee and saw an elk in the same spot. Like, hanging out with the fox. What a great way to start the day!

Of course, after all that I couldn't get back to sleep, so I'm pretty frikkin tired. But, all I gotta do is critique some stuff and do a little shopping.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Thanks for the set-up, James.

Glad to hear from you Scott. I'm a little jelly, a cruise is on my bucket list, and I think we will probably do one soon.

No Talia Thursday. My novel critique group has THREE novels in it currently, so I've got some homework between now and Saturday. PLUS two stories to critique for Monday critique. Dang. Lotsa reading ahead

Meanwhile, I'm knee-deep in chapter 4, and wondering if chapter lengths should all be similar. Thoughts?

Roland, my team is the Mets (thanks for asking).

A coffee and a Deputy Dawg cookie!

Quote by KatarinaTechgoddess
I've decided I need to do more of that...reach out to people. I'm notorious for getting lost in my own little world.

You and me both Kat. Glad you are recovering.

And Sara, I'm glad we didn't get Correa. We already HAVE a shortstop. Spring Training is a month away!

Tired again today, but fine. I wrote 1200 words yesterday, handily. Finished chapter 3. Then played like 5 hours of MarioKart and The Show 22. I suspect I will do the same today.

Anyway. I'd love a blueberry shortbread cookie from my pal Quick Draw. And a coffee!

Quote by gillianleeza
I watched Jurassic World Dominion last night. I enjoyed seeing the cast of the original reunite for this film, but the story was so-so, and it went on too long.

I finished that last night too! The original cast was the ONLY reason to watch it. swoons at Laura Dern It didn't make any sense. Just dumb. I understand Chris Pratt wanting to be an action star, but I like his jokey/goofy persona more.

Thank you James.

Tired but pressing on today. I only wrote about 300 words yesterday, so I am pissed at myself. I went to the dentist, and my daughter had some drama, so I didn’t have the full day to write. Still, today may be a bit of a slog.

Sorry about your Grandson, Roland. Sounds painful. I remember how I slammed my kneecap into a metal pipe we were using as a base for baseball. They thought I’d shattered my kneecap! I hadn’t, though that knee has given me problems ever since.

A coffee and a cookie would be wonderful.

Quote by rolandlytle
A week ago, Liz and I viewed the new 'Avatar' movie in 3-D. It was quite a good film. The vistas and world were absolutely amazing. It had exciting character development. It is what you expect from a three-billion-dollar movie. The weakest part was the idea that caused the conflict.

I really enjoyed Avatar 2 as well! It was just so FULLY immersive, I felt like I was there after I got used to the glasses. I agree about the conflict being the weakest part: it worked best when you were just hanging out with the characters, learning about Pandora. I'd go see it again.

Thanks for the setup James.

Warm sunny day here. The cats are lazing, Talia is working. Spent much of the weekend in parental emergency mode (Kat just wrote about this!) but I think things are calm now.

I didn't sleep well. And I go to the dentist today. Wah. Still, the blank page beckons. I am really trying hard to write slower and more mindfully this year, so I don't wanna just bust out 1000 and be done.

Hey, I read a REALLY nice piece of writing here. Give it a look! They're new here (I think), let's give them some encouragement.

https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/general/pa-smoked-a-pipe-and-it-smelled-fine

Quote by KatarinaTechgoddess

Been fighting a stomach bug the past few days. Although it could very well be food poisoning as that lasts longer than I realized. Only one other person got sick though, so it could be just stomach virus.

So I will skip my typical tea in favor of a Coca Cola. I will be in the corner, watching football (American that is) and working on a new story. Anything to keep my mind off my tummy.

Yikes! I hate food poisoning! Feel better. I really enjoyed your micro - you described the terror and joy of parenthood in 100 words perfectly.

Roland, sorry your head is mushy today. I'm hoping things will improve, it's nice to see you around here.

We went out to breakfast at our favorite place, and the wait was long, and the food and coffee was cold, so I'm in an irritable mood. Trying to edit, but my head isn't in it. Maybe I'll take a nap.

Until then, I'll have a cookie to munch on.

Quote by TaliaRussell

Hey Handsome - buy me a coffee? ❤️

You betcha. Want a Scooby snack too?

Garcon, two coffees two of your finest Scooby snacks!

Good luck everyone. Thanks for the java Ape. Good to see you back Elyse!

Utterly exhausting day yesterday, taking my daughter to the OR at 4 a.m.. She is doing fine, despite some pain, and I am doing fine, despite some grogginess.

No plans for the day. We might go see that creepy M3GAN movie. It looks, um, creepy. Or just continue binging White Lotus.

I’d love a coffee! And a Scooby snack!

I guess there's money to be made in ruining everyone's Christmas.

I'm honored to be on the podium with Ping and Kat, particularly since I borrowed Ping's brain to write mine, and kinda aped his style. Congrats to everyone who won, and placed, and entered. It was fun to see all the different takes. Like a Rorschach test. Which doesn't speak well for me. :)

These contests are great. Thank you, Molly, for organizing all this and giving us a fun way to pass the time during winter break.

Hey Kat, hey Ape.

May I buy you a coffee and a cookie Ape? You have been doing some fine writing lately.

Me, I will keep slogging along. No Talia Thursday. Writing and CSPAN today. The cats are relieved.

I'll have a coffee and a cookie as well. Hearty congratulations Scott.

Thanks for the setup Ape. Thank you for quitting singing Les Miz too (kidding).

Woke up too early, but in a pretty good mood. Nothing but writing today. I'm trying to write more slowly and carefully. More mindfully. I don't make New Year's resolutions, but it's a New Years intention.

Talia is back on another site, and might pop her head in here. She might even start writing again!

Coffee and one of those de-LISH cookies of Sara's would be a kindness.

Quote by rolandlytle

It is nice being someplace where people know about Yogi, Quick Draw McGraw, and Baba Looey.

Hey Roland! Good to see you around.

Sara! Quick Draw frikkin McGraw!!! I used to sit on the top of a comfy chair and pretend to be QDM riding on his stagecoach at the beginning of the show. My LORD that brings back a memory. THANK YOU!

1100 words in the books yesterday. Hopefully, 1100 words in the books today.

A coffee and a Quick Draw McGraw cookie please.

I'm glad everyone had a nice NYE. We did something kinda fun - at about 11:58 we shut off the TV and listened to the New Year come in. It was pretty easy to tell - the noise started ramping up, peaked for a few minutes, then ramped back down. We kissed in the New Year, never looking at the clock.

Today I write the first 1000 words of a new WIP. It's about try to change a flat tire and the jack sliding and the car landing on someone's hand. Fun!

A coffee would be lovely.

stumbles in with slight hangover, plugs in percolator, dumps in Costco dark roast and water, sets up teas and cookies for 2023

Hey everyone. I do have a slight hangover, something I'm unused to. We split a bottle of champagne and I threw a couple more shots into the mix.

We binged a GREAT show I'm amazed I missed - Better Things. On Hulu, and originally on FX. Funny and moving, and REALLY accurate about single parenthood.

I also wrote out an actual chapter outline for the new novel (based on the Hero's Journey). Never done that before. But it's time to take this a little more seriously. 24 beats, 12 for the protagonist, 12 for the antagonist.

Anyway. that's tomorrow. Today's gonna be mostly lazy. Enjoy the new year, everyone!

blinks, half-awake. plugs in percolator, pours in some Costco coffee, sets out a delicious array of teas, and a plate of Sara's cookies

There. dusts off hands

Hope everyone is well, and has excellent NYE plans, even if those plans involve never leaving the house (like us). The Black Phone is streaming, I'm guessing that is in our future.

Bad news: I accidently took the cats' meds last night! Don't ask meow.

I will probably see you all on the far side of New Year's. Have a safe one, and a fun one.

Peace.

Big snow last night. My daughter called us at midnight to stay with her on the phone as she navigated VERY slippery roads. She abandoned her car about 3 blocks from home (parked thank God!) and walked the rest of the way. It was scary. She's fine this morning. Don't know yet about the car.

I am snug as a bug by comparison. I have therapy today, and I think the dentist may have f'ed up my tooth.

I also may be starting a new novel Monday. Making notes now.

The Correa thing makes no sense, Sara. And don't we already have a shortstop?

Anyway. Hope everyone is well. I'd love a coffee and a cookie.

The Spy Museum sounds fun. Never heard of it. It's nice to have fun relatives during the holidays though.

Lazy day. I will edit, but I have a dentist appointment later so I am not gonna push hard.

I have been playing SO MANY videogames, mostly MarioKart and baseball. My thumbs hurt. I am really glad I have writing in my life, otherwise I'd play videogames all day long.

Saw Jennifer's Body again last night, online with two good friends. It was really fun. I'm so fond of that movie.

Hey Sara, did the Mets lose Correa? I can't figure out what's going on.

A coffee and a cookie please.

chill and enjoy the ride

At a vacation destination: wander aimlessly or have a plan?

Nice dinner out, then home.

New Years Eve: made up holiday or an important milestone?

Hey Gill, it isn’t a holiday without a little disaster. Sounds like you got it contained, and had a great Christmas regardless. I hope everyone else did too. Sounds like everyone stayed safe.

Ah, the eternal question: to write, or play video games? I’m not a huge gamer, but I got a Nintendo Switch, and I am old enough, and videogames advanced enough, that they feel like sci-fi (especially the motion tracking games).

So I think it’s gonna be a little of both. Plus, gonna crock pot some chicken and green chilies and onion and cumin and pepper, and fill up the house with Christmas smells.

Peace everyone. A coffee would be awesome. Any Christmas cookies left?

We call it Boxing Day here, though no one knows what it means, other than throwing away boxes.

Good comp entries, although I have one more to read. I put up a NON-comp entry over the holidays, using the lake pic as a prompt. https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/realistic-fiction/love-16. It's not exactly 1000 words, and could use an edit. Not today.

I hope everyone got what they wanted. Peace, love, joy. I got those things, plus a new videogame console (Nintendo Switch) to replace my ancient but beloved Nintendo Wii. It's really fun. Also, Lego. Also, Pez. Good Christmas.

Okay. A day devoted to toys and food before the real world resumes.

Thanks for the setup, Ape. A coffee and one of Sara's delish cookies would be swell.

We warming up out here. Never got above 0 yesterday, but it's 11 now, and will be ABOVE FREEZING by 9 a.m.! Back in the high forties after that. I hope everyone is safe and warm.

All caught up on the comp entries. Great group of entries (plus my weirdness). I appreciate the kind comments thus far. I just submitted another one, not a comp entry, but another take on the lake idea. This one has a whole different tone.

Probably won't drop in until the other side of Christmas. Have a Merry one everybody. And if you are dreading the holidays (and I don't love them), surround yourself with kindness and love.

Peace.

Quote by WriterGirl

(Shakes you awake) You are NOT taking a nap after your horror-flake story kept me awake last night. You tell me a sweet, lovely, gumdrops and snowflake fairies story RIGHT NOW, Verbal! 😠

For you, WG, I will write something sweet, about a lake, in exactly 1000 words (NOT as a comp entry, just cuz). It'll be my Christmas Eve Eve gift to you.

That said, I kinda like the story, 24 hours after submission. I'll stand by it.