Good-bye 160

Blackness covered the day.

Trees shivered to shed their leaves.

Skin disappeared.

Fingers replaced by wool.

Skies cried in grief.

Summer ends

in a thunder clap.

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This is a Sunday 160.
Take the Challenge if you dare.

Over the Top Award

I recently received this award from Green Eyed Momster who is a kick in the pants. Thank you
GEM. It is called the "Over the Top" Award and I am humbled to be recognized. (I am so insecure that any attention I get causes devotion and drooling.) I jokingly referred to this award as a chain letter award, but was informed by the lovely and much more talented than I, Mrs. Monkey Man, that is is called a meme.

So here are the rules of this meme award as passed down to me by the fore-winners (is there such a thing).

1. Answer the questions below using only one word (Good! My simple mind couldn't handle more than that.)

2. Thank the blogger who gave it to you (What's next, bow to your partner and doe see doe?)

C. Pass it on to 6 of your favorite bloggers (Shown below.)


So, now the questions:

1. Where is your cell phone? Pocket

2. Your hair? Gone

3. Your mother? Guilt

4. Your father? Passed

5. Your favorite food? Steak

6. Your dream last night? Sex

7. Your favorite drink? Water

8. Your dream/goal? Happiness (ditto!)

9. What room are you in? Bedroom

10. Your hobby? Walking

11. Your fear? Failure

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Loved

13. Where were you last night? Restaurant

14. Something you aren't? Patient

15. Muffins? Banananut (OK it’s not really one word)

16. Wish list item? Motorcycle

17. Where did you grow up? Portland

18. Last thing you did? Changed

19. What are you wearing? Jeans (ditto!)

20. Your TV? Off

21. Your pets? Doofus

22. Your friends? Caring

23. Your life? Transitioning

24. Your mood? Thoughtful

25. Missing someone? Dad

26. Vehicle? Explorer

27. Something you're not wearing? Shoes (ditto!)

28. Your favorite store? Resale

29. Your favorite color? Blue

30. When was the last time you laughed? Minutes

31. Last time you cried? Thursday

32. Your best friend? Wife

33. One place that I go over and over? Park

34. One person who emails me regularly? Dennis

35. Favorite place to eat? McCormack's

I included a (ditto!) when I had the same answer as GE Momster because she did the same thing for the person who passed it on to her and I am a copycat. This was fun but now I have to pick six, which will be hard. So I choose -

Chronicles of a Croydon Boy (reveal yourself Phillip)
Let Me Go On and On (you are amazing)

Adventures of One Sober Woman (you adventurer you)

This is harder than answering the questions

Sixtyfivewhatnow (my fellow Orgonian)

The Peach Tart (love you Peach)

and Mr. Knowitall (that's for getting me hooked on that 55 bs - love that too)

I also want to plug The Walking Man because he is talented and I follow him, but know he wouldn't do this award business.

So have fun accepting this award you six and I'd say let me know when you post, but since i follow all of you, I'll know anyway. Love you all. Enjoy.

Red Angel

The argument was getting too heated.

Both parties stood glaring,

pink faced with veins

popping everywhere.

Silence suddenly

overtook the room,

forcing calm and

reducing blood pressure.

They turned to face

the perpetrator

of this most profound

and mysterious occurrence.

Floating above the fray

was the sage Red Angel.

Kind words and logic then prevailed.

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This is a Flash Fiction Friday 55.

If you want to know what the hell that means visit g-man. The challenge is on.

Or Try my Sunday 160.

If you can fill a text messages, you can do this.

Just Because...

I have made a few observations that I want to share. They all begin with....
Just because....
...you own an expensive car doesn't mean you know how to drive.
...your hair and nails are perfect doesn't mean you look skinny.
...your dog will fit in a purse doesn't mean it can't walk.
...your signal works doesn't mean you should leave it on for 10 miles.
...you are alone in your car doesn't mean people can't see you pick your nose.
...you own a cell phone doesn't mean everyone wants to hear your conversation.
...you have a bluetooth ear piece doesn't mean you look any less crazy talking to yourself.
...your children can run free in a restaurant doesn't mean they should.
...your S2000 may look like a sports car it's still a Honda.
...your daddy was president and you went to an Ivy League school doesn't mean you have a brain in your head.
...you know the words to a song doesn't mean you can carry a tune.
...you can play softball at 40 doesn't mean you are an athlete.
...you have your turn signal on doesn't mean you can merge into my lane without looking.

I was going to add "Just because you can make a list doesn't mean you can write." but I would have been dissing myself and a number of very entertaining blogs I keep up on. I hope you enjoyed this and I hope you will add a few of your own.....just because.

Breathtaking 160

He held his breath and stayed silent.
His heart felt like it was beating as
loud as a drum. Footsteps drew closer.
Playing hide and seek was quite exhilarating.

________________________________

This is a Sunday 160.
Take the Challenge if you dare.

Fifty Five???

As nearly sixty people each week (or is that 55 on average) offer up their creative thoughts in fifty five words, I wonder to myself, “Is anyone really counting the words on every submission?” First, who would be so obsessed? Second, is everyone that honest? Who would really know if this is fifty four or

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This is a Flash Fiction Friday 55.

If you want to know what the hell that means visit g-man. The challenge is on.

Or Try my Sunday 160.

Is this offensive??

Last Friday I showed up at work wearing a short sleeved, black button front shirt with the Playboy bunny logo over the right pocket and the words "Talent Scout" over the left pocket. Fun shirt that gets great reaction.

Unfortunately, one of the reactions I got was being asked to go home and change my shirt because it was inappropriate and would send the wrong message to people about our company. While I am still trying to figure out what that inappropriate message might be, you should know that most of my clientele are young or youthful creatives - graphic designers, hip slick and cool ad execs and very casually dressed buyers who also deal with the designers and "look how cool I am" ad execs. (Okay, maybe I'm being a bit harsh on the ad execs, but I used to be in that role when suit and tie were the dress code of the day. I hope Goodwill is making a bundle off my old suits.)

Now mind you, I'm not so ticked off about being asked to change. After all, there are people out there who would no doubt fly into a sexual frenzy at the mere sight of the Playboy Bunny logo. That surely was Hugh Hefner's intent when creating it back in 1953. No, changing my shirt wasn't the issue. It was the fact that I was brought into someone's office and given the inappropriate attire speech in front of a coworker. What am I a five year old.

"Now, Monkey Man. The other children are getting very excited over the suggestive clothing you are wearing. We are all in agreement it is most harmful to us and we will soon begin effing each other in every possible orifice because we have no self control and are being whipped into distraction by the hypnotic effect of the logo on your shirt." WTF!?!??!! (Okay - I paraphrase).

So being a company man, I took this to human resources and expressed my dissatisfaction at being singled out for my clothing when we have no dress code other than "Don't wear open toed shoes in the plant", "Keep hair and jewelry out of the machinery" and "Don't stand in a bucket of water while operating electrical equipment"....you know....the usual. I especially pointed out being called to the carpet in front of someone else. I just want to make sure we do things by the book around here and that management manages people with respect.

Am I asking too much?

Stop That Whining

They whined and bickered

until she could stand it no longer.

"Stop it or I will bitch slap

the three of you," she hollered.

Her husband and kids stood silently.

_________________________________________________

This is a Sunday 160.
Take the Challenge if you dare.

Death for their kind

Fog drifted across the casting pond

as the sun drug itself up

over the shoulder of Mt. Hood

painting the sky a fiery pink.

Fall hung in the morning air

so thick it left its sweat

on windows and windshields.

The same wetness it would excrete on leaves

holding the cold morning air

and sucking the blue from their veins.

Leaving them to only hold

the yellow, red and orange hues

that spelled death for their kind.

While beautiful to most,

it was the end of the time

of living beauty for trees.

Now they would stand naked

to the cold for months

awaiting the warmth

and gentle color pallet of Spring.

55 in Fear

It permeated the room.

Curling and twisting

as if it had a mind of its own,

leaving nothing

but destruction in its wake.

Children ran screaming.

Adults cringed in fear

as nausea overtook them.

Alone, I stood before the beast.

“Please,” I pleaded.

“Stop feeding the dog table scraps.

You know it makes him fart.”

__________________________________
This is a Flash Fiction Friday 55.

If you want to know what the hell that means visit g-man. The challenge is on.

Or Try my Sunday 160.