April 2021
HDWGH – Story 30 – Raven Thief
–From The How Did We Get Here Series–
Now: Matt Hagen used a kitchen towel to stop the small flow of blood from his mouth. The injury was from Matt’s wife Heather who had possibly just heard the weirdest excuse her husband had ever given her for not completing an assigned task. She reacted to the story by simply punching him in the face. After the last lie he told, what could she do?
Before: Matt Hagen had been given the stupid task of grocery shopping at Costco by his wife Heather who couldn’t be bothered on this gloomy spring day. He hated grocery shopping. His wife was almost militant about the way he was supposed to buy groceries, what to buy, and most certainly what not to buy. He gave in to her demands because of a small lie he had told recently. He didn’t know how many errands he would have to run before she’d forgive him.
He went golfing with his friends last weekend instead of attending a wedding with his wife. He told his wife that he had to work on Saturday and couldn’t get out of it. He would have gotten away with it but his friend Jeff wasn’t very bright and forgot that he wasn’t supposed to say anything. He did. Heather Hagan turned into another woman after that. Not very kind to Matt, at all.
As Matt was finishing the loading of the groceries, a large fat Raven swooped down, ripped open the pack of steaks he had just bought, and flew off with both of them. This was Alaska. Weird shit happened here. The right thing to do would have been to go back into the store and see about getting his money back. That was a hassle.
He was fairly certain that when he told his wife what had happened, she would understand.
Pool Area Project
My illustrious pool project for 2021 is almost completed.
The first year I used an inflatable pool that costs a whopping $10-20 dollars.
I bought more expensive inflatables since then but for the last couple of years I have gravitated back to that original $10 design. It just works.
This year I have added a beach area, tiki candles, and fencing. It was pretty expensive but I think that the privacy of being able to lay out in the yard without all of the cars driving by disturbing me will be worth it.
We’ll see.
Random Apple Things
I ordered AirTags on Friday and literally sat on the refresh key until the Apple store came back online so I could get my order in. It is ridiculous. I own that.
There was a pretty good article that John Gruber linked to about how Apple’s M1 chip strategy is more about unity than trying to sell several variations of the same chip. The $699 computer has the same processor as the $1699 machine. I think that shows how strange it is that Intel thinks they need to have several versions of a CPU.
If they turn around and put the M1 into an iPhone, then we’re talking serious M1 strategy.
Low Temperatures
The low temperature listed for any given day is actually the low temperature of the next morning.
For example, the low temperature listed for Sunday is 48 degrees F. That is actually the low temperature for Monday morning.
It took me 15 years of biking to figure that out. It is important that I know what the actual low temperature is going to be because I have to dress accordingly.
I had the revelation a few years ago.
HDWGH – Story 29 – Remote Dud
–From The How Did We Get Here Series–
Now: Brian Kirby did not expect this! He pressed the detonator and should have heard a very loud boom. Instead, he was surrounded by a bunch of flashing red and blue lights and a big (some might say) oversized police officer yelling at him to raise his hands. This was certainly not the way he thought this day would go.
Before: Rachel Phillips loved her boyfriend. She loved him in spite of the fact that he never really talked about his “job.” He would always come home talking with such vagueness, that some of his tales could be applied equally across donut shop owner, car mechanic, and opera singer. Tonight, he had finally opened up to her about what he did for a living. Not only was she horrified to find out that Brian was a well known and well paid hitman but that his next target was a friend of Rachel’s from college. She worked really hard to hide to horror she was feeling.
She had to do something. Under the guise of walking her dog, she left her tiny Brooklyn apartment and headed down India Street. This explained everything to her. The apartment over looking the East River waterfront in a new development seemed way too much for someone Brian’s age to afford. She called the police and told them everything she knew including how he had planned to kill Rachel’s friend.
Rachel kissed Brian goodbye that evening and sat on her bed. She would just sit here until the call came in from the police.
Then, she would pack up her belongings and leave. Well, she continued thinking about her situation, it was the beginning of the month and this apartment cost over $5000 a month. Perhaps, she would leave at the end of the month. Fuck Brian. Fuck Brian in his hitman who wants to kill my college friend’s face.
Great Idea
I have been pondering writing a screenplay. I’ve been working on a crapload of short stories because I love writing them. Every once in a while as a writer, you come up with a story that would probably make a good movie.
I think I have that story.
I am currently finishing up the last chapter and rather than wrapping the whole thing up into a nice bow, I’m going to leave it hanging.
To be continued…
That sort of thing.
Vacation Ends
This was one of the few vacations that I’ve taken where I had a very clear agenda about what I was going to accomplish.
I’m happy to say that I’ve gotten most of the things done that I’ve wanted to.
I completed a few courses so I feel good about that.
There is still a lot to do as far as organization but I am off to a solid start.
I’ve never worked so hard on setting up the next vacations that I have. The next time I am off will be in July and by then, the pool will be in full swing but I’ll get to spend the entire time outside enjoying all of the things I’ve set up.
I hope everything will be worth it. I’ve spent a tad more than $20 dollars for an inflatable pool which is how thing whole thing got started.
If I were drinking, I’d hold up a glass and raise a toast to a week that I hope won’t suck too badly.
A Good Life Lesson
This is going to sound painfully obvious. It is very obvious but I fell into this trap at home. I was watching a productivity video and it flipped on the light bulb for me.
Would you like to know what it was?
Well, I’ll tell you anyway.
Certain things belong in certain spaces. I did an audit of my office and wow, just wow!
You would not believe the amount of crap I moved out of the office so it could be placed where it actually “should” be.
Coffee products = kitchen.
Bedroom products = bedroom.
Basement things = basement.
I had a lot of things in places where they shouldn’t have been.
My office looks better as a result.
Note: The picture is not my office. It comes from here.
HDWGH – Story 28 – Just Wading Around
–From The How Did We Get Here Series–
Now: The Perkins family stood outside of their house as water flowed out of the front door and into the street in front of their house. The house sat in the middle of a cul de sac so, all of the neighbors had a front row seat to the birth of the “Perkins River” as it would come to be known in the late edition of the local newspaper.
Before: Todd Perkins and his little brother Tony knew better than to throw the football in the house. Over the years, they had broken their fair share of living room furniture including a vase that their grandmother had passed down through the generations. They had just finished watching their famous team play and felt like tossing the football around. It was raining outside so tossing the ball around in the house had been the only option for them as they saw it. There was another stupid option to “not” through the ball in the house but the boys didn’t much care for that option.
Tony threw Todd a pass that quite frankly was a little too wobbly. Todd still made the attempt to catch it but it got by him and sailed into there kitchen. He heard it bounce of something and land in the middle of the floor. At this point, the boys felt like they had pushed their luck and decided to stop throwing the ball inside the house.
It was about 2:00 am when the kitchen sink facet had decided to come loose after being jarred earlier by the football. There was a sound of metal hitting the tile floor and then the water began gushing out onto the floor. No one heard the water. It wasn’t until momma Perkins made her way downstairs in the morning that the full effect could be appreciated. There was screaming, some yelling, and momma Perkins may have peed herself a little.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard
I just got around to watching this movie. I love both of the main characters.
If you want a nice explosion, guns, action filled type of movie then you’ll love this one.
I thought Selma Hayek’s character was a hoot and so much of what we don’t usually see her doing. She did channel the stereotypical Latina anger issue thing which I thought was hilarious. She was just so angry. All of the time.
Samuel L. Jackson always is great to watch.
I’m not going to talk about plot but if you are looking for a movie that just transports you somewhere else for about an hour and a half, this movie will fill the bill.
The Mystery of Dark Matter
Today’s random thought is about Dark Matter.
As I was sitting here at my desk thinking about all of the things that we are so close to achieving as far as space exploration, I had a wandering thought.
Actually, it was more like a question.
Why do we waste so much time trying to understand something that we made up to explain something that really doesn’t need explaining?
There is air. There is space.
Can we move it along, please?
There are infinitely many more things out there that need to be analyzed, probed, and then probed again.
We are wasting so much precious time on something that may or may not exist. Some people will devote their whole lives to this and to me, that is such a waste. A waste of someone’s life.
I personally believe that if it wasn’t for all of these “side projects” we would probably already have a colony on the moon and also on Mars.
Can you imagine what the world would be like if all of the scientists were focused on achieving one goal. The could all have their roles to play but what if they were all driven towards a common goal?
Wouldn’t that be cool?
Revisions versus Writing
I am a first draft kind of guy. I can sit here all day long and pound out original material like nobody’s business.
When it comes to revisions, I hate it.
I’m doing it now. I have to go back over the last few stories I’ve written and complete the first revision. I have some beta readers who are willing to read my stories and give me feedback.
I plan on giving these stories to an editor when I think I’m ready to publish them.
Self publishing is something new I am trying but I don’t think you can or should publish anything without an editor looking at it.
My grammar can be awful sometimes. Anyone who reads this blog should know that by now.
That is all I have. Nothing Earth shattering. Just a post about how much I hate editing myself.
Book Review – Sort Of
I’m not yet going to give details of the book but I’m listening to a science fiction nugget.
I like the whole idea of it. There are parts that don’t seem to make much sense.
For one thing, the main enemy is missing the motivation. They are bad and try to kill the main characters but I still don’t know why.
It sounds like democracy versus communism. That seems off.
I’ll write a good review when this book is finished. It will probably be soon. I think I have 5 hours left.
Travelling
I am doing something today that I rarely do.
Travel.
I am totally ok with staying in my own area and minding my own business as long as I can write, I’m happy. Sometimes, I have to get out of the comfort zone.
Hopefully, it will all work out in the end.
Vacation Begins
Yay!
Time to break out the list of things that I’ve been accumulating and get busy!
I actually do like this working vacation because I have so many things that I want to do.
This is the first vacation I’ll be taking since I’ve began writing on a daily basis.
I’ll write a bunch of blog entries, I’m sure.
Let’s do this!
HDWGH – Story 27 – Winning
–From The How Did We Get Here Series–
Now: Artie Baker walked into the office with a smile on his face. The smile didn’t last long as everyone froze and stared at him. Nothing was said for a long moment before money began changing hands. Had everyone just placed a bet on him for something? He had an incredible lunch hour and coming back to this weird behavior was just bizarre.
Before: Artie pulled Jeff’s boxers down to his ankles and immediately took his lover’s cock in his mouth. He had been craving it all day long. How soft it was when he first touched it and how hard it became in just a few moments of blowing on the tip lightly. He sat in his cubicle fantasizing about licking the entire length. He loved sucking cock. He would do it all day long if it wasn’t for this stupid “adult” thing he had to do. He didn’t think any of his fellow office workers either knew or cared that he was gay.
Jeff’s first squirt of cum went high but the rest of it settled into Artie’s waiting mouth. He swallowed every drop. These lunch rendezvous are what kept their relationship interesting and exiting. Sometimes he secretly hoped that someone would walk in on him as he had Jeff’s big dick in his mouth; making the onlooker jealous, no doubt.
No kisses or hugs just a hurried goodbye and Artie was headed back to the office feeling like he owned the world. This day was turning out to be the best day ever!
Biking Season
I am most pleased about being able to bike back and forth to work once again.
This will be the 3rd day so far this week.
I have been tired for the last couple of days but there is a period of acclamation where the body needs to stop and realize we’re doing this again.
The journey back and forth each day has been extremely wonderful even in the bad weather. It is much different than driving back and forth in a car. You are relying on yourself. It is just you, the bike, and the road.
I’m just happy to be able to do it again.