Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – My Year

~ John W. Howell

A picture of a string with drops of water- the logo for SoCS

The coffee machine has decided to take some time off for the holidays, which finishes my year perfectly. Since AI is new to me, there was no way to negotiate any other outcome. This morning’s coffee is being made in a French Press. We are in the four-minute waiting period, which seems like four hours. Finally, the press is ready. A slow, steady pressure is applied, and the grounds are squeezed to one-quarter their size. The Costa Rican coffee aroma hits the nose, and the first sip brings back the memory of the clock.

The clock is set for December 29, 1924. The location is Hollywood, California, and the time is two hours. A pull of the plunger and we find ourselves at Grumman’s Chinese Theater. We are here in time to see the premiere of the silent movie Peter Pan.

The adventure film Peter Pan, directed by Herbert Brenon and starring Betty Bronson in the title role, was released by Paramount Pictures (at the time, Famous Players–Lasky). The film was an adaptation of the J. M. Barrie play Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up, which had premiered almost 20 years earlier (on December 27, 1904) and which Barrie novelized in 1911 in the book Peter and Wendy.

After the movie, our alarm goes off, and we find ourselves on the couch with a tub of popcorn. A text from Linda Hill comes in. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “my year.” Use “my year” as the theme of your post. Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/12/27/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-28-2024/

My Year by John W. Howell © 2024

“Well, that was a trip. Whatever happened to that silent movie?”

“After being considered lost, the film footage would be rediscovered at the Eastman School of Music in the 1950s and restored. In 2000, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry.”

“I would like to see that movie.”

“I know you can buy it on DVD from Amazon.”

“Oh. I was more or less thinking of free viewing.”

“Ah. It is on YouTube. Here’s the link https://youtu.be/KregKeKX9as”

“Yeah, that is much better. Gotta keep room in the budget for the VooDoo Rangers.”

“You haven’t paid for a VooDoo Ranger in years.”

“I know, but this may be my year to do it.”

“You are running out of time. Did you call Uber?”

“Yup, he’s right over there.”

Photo by Dan Antion

“You are joking, right?”

“Got a great deal.”

“I’ve said a hundred times we don’t need great deals on an Uber.”

“How’s free?”

“Really?”

“Yup, and all we have to do is hold some electrical wires for the guy.”

“Hold some electrical wires? You mean like up in the air.”

“Yeah, in the bucket while he splices them onto the power grid.”

“Power grid like a billion watts power grid.”

“Well, yeah. He said there’s nothing to it, and it is only a half hour of work.”

“Why I go along with this, I’ll never know.”

“Also, wear your rubber boots.”

 

 

78 thoughts on “Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – My Year”

  2. I’m sure you guys will be safe. I just read in the “On this Day” list in our paper that Peter Pan the play opened in 1904 ( I think on the 26th). I wonder if the timing was planned. Something to consider over those VooDoo Rangers.

    Liked by 2 people

      1. I saw a guy get killed in the Denver area while he was in a bucket hooking up a transformer. The high voltage arced from the supply wire to his head, and through him. The bucket he was in was grounded somehow.

        Liked by 1 person

  10. The George Eastman house (mansion) about a 10 minute drive for me into the city limits of Rochester, NY, is now a wonderful museum open to the public for tours and programs related to film, naturally. It also is a repository for the preservation of old films. Apparently, old film, like old anything, can deteriorate over time. The grounds also houses a theatre where old movies are shown on a weekly basis. It’s quite the place. The city, as well as other communities around the world were beneficiaries of Eastman’s generosity, especially in medical fields. He established dental clinics in various countries and supported the University of Rochester in its early years. Sadly, he committed suicide by handgun, writing a note that ‘his work was done’. Hope I didn’t bore you, John🤓

    Liked by 2 people

  18. I’ll check out the silent movie. I didn’t know there was one. I’ve always wanted a cherry picker for some photo opportunities but, I’d pass on doing anything electrical.
    I do like the color of the truck. 😂

    Like

  19. Oh what a gift, as you shared that Peter Pan link John.. I have saved to watch over the weekend… I am delighted it was rediscovered and restored again. I smiled as I clicked on to watch the wobble of the titles in the first minute.. 🙂 Looking forward to watching..

    Have a wonderful rest of your weekend John.. xx

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Rubber boots, for sure!⚡⚡⚡I’d rather stay home and skip drinks for the night. Very clever, John. Have a great evening, sans electrical currents. 😄

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Such a lovely post. I had french press coffee as a special treat on my bday brunch. I can smell your post. lol. Makes me want to invest in my own. Also, Peter Pan is one of my all time favorites.

    Thanks for sharing your gift week after week. Hope the rubber boots weren’t necessary 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Pressed coffee is my fave. That’s what I drink here, so I know you were not suffering. 4 minutes? I wait 3.

    Anyway, don’t forget your rubber Uber boots, or there will be no more “my years”.

    Speaking of years, HAPPY NEW YEAR, John!

    I will get back to you next year about the book. I’ve been shading the drawings… but have been thinking carefully about painting them in.

    I think I’ve decided on a cloudy… pastel theme. I’ll be trying one tonight.

    Hmmm…. maybe I’ll just do hair and eyes, and shade all the others. Then take pics tomorrow. Then paint. (just in case, because they already look cool).

    Okay and Yahoo into the new!

    🎨𝔁 O🕊 O🎉 🎨𝔁

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Imma take the old French Press over any new fangled method every day of the week and twice on Sunday. As for Peter Pan, I’ve never actually seen it.

    What a shocking turn of events with that Uber ride . . .

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Pingback: End of the Year Post by Traci Dowe/Kenworth in which, all great minds think alike! – Where Genres Collide Traci Dowe/Kenworth Dark Fantasy Author

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