After a lousy night’s sleep, there is nothing better than a big cup of joe. It is always appreciated when the machine is ready to go and delivers that steaming cure for the firetruck siren in my head from caffeine withdrawal. The first sip turns the siren off. As we know, the second sip is accompanied by the sound of the doorbell’s Westminster chimes. This annoying intrusion is then followed by the “Bark them to St Louis” reaction of Twiggy and Tempeste.
The quiet is stunning. There are no chimes or baying of Igor’s hounds. Checked the security monitor in case something was missed, but there was nothing. After turning on the infrared laser and painting the porch area, the image of a visitor appears. It is Casper the friendly ghost. The security shutdown process is begun out of curiosity.
The B-2 bomber squadron and the F-35 escort must be called off. One call does it. The tank corps and gunboats are told to stand by. The Apache helicopters are rerouted. The electric shock fence is turned off. The drawbridge over the quicksand is lowered. The robot attack dogs returned to their charging station. The laser-guided machine guns on the roof are set to caution. The nest filled with rattlesnakes put away. The bucket filled with 1000 marbles is locked down. The tear gas canisters shut off. The electrified welcome mat set to off. The fall-away sidewalk into the pit filled with spikes is locked. The hornet’s nest closed. The water cannons are set to safety. Bear traps are set to off. Peregrine Falcons perched on the roof above front door fed. The vat of boiling oil set to warm. Monty Python’s Harmless Little Rabbit’s cage is closed. The front door is opened.
Casper is standing in the glow of the laser, a clipboard and an envelope hovering near him. Taking both and returning the signed clipboard with a fiver, a tip comes to mind. “When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.” — William Arthur Ward. It is given to Csper, and he leaves.
Inside the envelope is a message from Linda Hill. It reads:
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “sleep.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!
To see what others have done with the prompts, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link.
https://lindaghill.com/2026/08/28/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-august-29-2026/
Sleep by John W. Howell ©2026
“Man, I had a bad night’s sleep last night.”
“What’s the problem?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I kept thinking about our Uber ride today.”
“What about the ride?”
“I’m worried you won’t like it.”
“Since when does that even count?”
“You know I want you to enjoy your ride to the pub.”
“And yet I usually arrive needing a shower and an electroshock treatment.”
“Aw, it’s not that bad.”
“I’ve been in a neck brace all week from falling out of that 10-story car.”
“This week will be different. Look over there.”
Photo by Dan Antion
“I must say this is an improvement. I think it’s a 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack, 6.4-liter (392) HEMI V8, in Sublime Green.”
“Well, you would know.”
“What’s the catch?”
“Aw, come on.”
“There is always a catch.”
“There’s only a driver’s seat.”
“So we sit on the floor?”
“Cushions, actually.”
“Doesn’t sound too bad.”
“I’m worried about you getting out.”
“Why’s that?”
“*Cough.* You are no spring chicken.”
“You worry about you. Ouch.”
“What was that?”
“I think I broke a fibula.”
“What?”
“Just kidding. Let’s go.”
Sometimes lose to the ground is harder to deal with. Enjoy the beers, gentlemen.
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Thank you, Dan. That will be the payoff.
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Love Caspar and the lime green racing car. Very imaginative. Getting up and down can be difficult after age abit. Reminds me of the Dukes of Hazzard car where there we always saw people in the back seat but never saw how they got in or out.
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That is a perfect vision, Pat. 😄
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Just roll out slowly. You’ll be fine as long as nothing pops.
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Sitting on orange crates doesn’t help either.
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Thanks, John.
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😊
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Generous of you to give Casper a fiver, John. The Uber looks nice. I hope there’s room behind the driver’s seat and you have a great time at the pub.
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I’m sure we will have a good time after the first VooDoo Ranger.
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😊
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😊
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I’ve been sipping on a cup of coffee while reading this post. The coffee has awakened me, and so has that car’s vivid green color.
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It is a stunner for sure.
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I slept well last night, but wouldn’t you know our coffee machine broke this morning. Right after my husband finished his coffee. French coffee press to the rescue. Not a fan. Going coffee maker shopping this morning. Cool ride, though. That’d perk me up!
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So typical of coffee machines to punk out between rounds. The one missing out looks at the other as if they were to blame. Good luck on the machine hunt.
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So Twiggy and Tempeste don’t ken to ghosts?
Do those cushions have a seatbelt?
We had a 1867 Dodge Charger slant back, the year before the Bullitt car. We took it to 110 mph, but you could watch the gas in the tank decrease.
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I had a ride in a 2012. There was a G-force meter, and I swore I could have passed out from the acceleration.
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Hilarous!
“And yet I usually arrive needing a shower and an electroshock treatment.”
“Aw, it’s not that bad.”
“I’ve been in a neck brace all week from falling out of that 10-story car.”
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Thank you, Liz. 😄
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You’re welcome, John.
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😊
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WOW, that electroshock car woke me up alright…. no cofe needed/ Too funny. You boys have fun and don’t get a ticket! 💕
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That’s why we have an Uber driver. He takes all the risks. Thanks, Cindy.
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Hahahaha smart man❣️
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😊
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LOL, well Casper was certainly unexpected. And the non-detection is a fun twist. Hmmm I guess the security measures wouldn’t have any effect on Casper, but no point in wasting all that ammo. Besides, he’s the Friendly Ghost. :o) Excellent tip/quote too. That is a VERY bright green car. I hope that driver obeys all the traffic (and other) laws, because it would draw attention for sure. LOL. . I hope the lack of sleep is all fictional, although I can relate. Big hugs.
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Lately, the meds I’m taking are giving me fits at night. Doing about 4 hours. Thanks, Teagan.
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Ugh! I’d be wandering around in a brain fog. I hope it straightens out soon.
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Brain fog comes with the meds. That’s one of the side effects.
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Yup. I’d ride in it. At least there are cushions.
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That is a good thing.
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One would think all the machinations of the shutdown would not be necessary for a ghost but I’m thinking one cannot open the front door without it!
That is quite the colour… love the car, though. I’m at the point that too-low cars are a no-go for me. Getting in is one thing, getting out a whole ‘nother ballgame!
Cheers ya later!
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I have a low-to-the-road vehicle, and I just roll out. Cheers ya later.
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You wild thing, you!
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Yes indeed
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I don’t know if any of the security precautions would even phase Casper? I love the car. Great story for the challenge, John. I know you won’t be sleeping on the way to pub sitting on a cushion.
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Sitting on a cushion will be a challenge, but I’ve had worse. Thanks, Deborah.
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😊
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😊
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Classic challenger in quite the neon color!
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It is for sure
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A driver’s seat and only cushions. That makes me wonder about the seat belts. Very nice green bright color on the uber ride.
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I suppose I could crawl into and out of a car…if it was a great color like this one, John.😊
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Crawling would be the way to go.
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I do love Casper the friendly ghost. Sitting on the floor is not that easy for older folks 🩵
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What older folks? Oh, you mean me. Yeah, it’s true.
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I said older not old. I was very careful 😊
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Ha! Now that’s a pretty cool Uber ride even if there are no seats. Great use of the prompt!
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Thank you, Jan. 😊
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You’re right. Nothing settles me faster than a cup of Joe. Headache? Usually not a problem. Lack of sleep? No sweat. Java does the trick.
And honestly, you ghosted Casper on the tip! Then again, that’s probably the only currency he can accept since he has no pockets.
Cushions, body pillows, bean bags, who cares? That’s a sweet ride!
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He got a fiver and some advice. 😄
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That works!
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Nice ride!
I understand why you gave Casper one of those word tips. After all, he is a friendly ghost, and it was a friendly tip.
But the fiver… did it waft right through his hands? Did you reclaim it? when it hit the ground?
What can a ghost do with a fiver?
Why did I think a fiver is just 50 away from a flivver? (yes, a riddle)
🐂 🐂 𝓞𝓧
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Too much thinking on those questions makes my head hurt, Resa. 😄X 🐂
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Woohoo…nice Hemi ride, John. And I loved your tip for Casper.
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Thank you, Monika. I hope Casper liked it.
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