Touching the two coffee icons on the coffee maker’s touchscreen sets in motion the solution to the sitting-on-the-back-of-a-rocket annoyance in my head from caffeine withdrawal. The soothing elixir flows from the dual spout into the mug. The aroma begins the healing process.
The first sip deadens the nerve endings to quell the rocket’s red glare. Of course, the second sip is accompanied by the cacophony of the doorbell’s Westminster chime and the crystal-crumbling barking of my beloved Hounds of Baskerville.
A toss of a new treat into the soundproof room and slamming the door brings a kind of hush that allows the brain to think. A quick look at the security monitor confirms the presence of Tweety Bird on the porch holding a clipboard and envelope. Knowing conversation is futile, the security shutdown process is begun.
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.
Tweety Bird hands me the envelope and clipboard. Attaching a fiver, signing, and then handing it back brings a smile to Tweety’s beak. Thinking a bird needs more motivation, an anonymous tip on success is proffered as the door closes. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action.”
The letter is from Linda Hill. It reads:
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “motion.” 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/2026/09/04/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-september-5-2026/
Motion by John W. Howell © 2026
“Tweety Bird, huh?”
“Yup. I was glad to see him.”
“How do you know it’s a him?”
“I don’t.”
“Pretty dangerous making assumptions.”
“Do you know?”
“Yup. According to Warner brothers Tweety is a he.”
“If you knew that, why ask me?”
“Just curious. I love getting your brain in motion.”
“Clever.”
“Thank you.”
“Speaking of motion, have you called for an Uber?”
“I have. It is right over there.”
Photo by Tom Okragly
“You have got to be kidding.”
“Don’t let the appearance fool you.”
“Oh, I’m not fooled. I doubt that pile of junk even moves.”
“It does. It got here, didn’t it?”
“What’s that paper on the driver’s side windshield?”
“It says not to move it.”
“So why was it in motion?”
“The paper is dated 1953. I think it is safe to move.”
“Is it safe to ride in?”
“Of course. Here are your goggles.”
“What are these for?”
“There is a little dust in there that blows around.”
“Why can’t we get a normal Uber?”
“These classic finds are cheap.”
“I guess so. Let’s get going.”
“Now you are talking.”
Five bucks buys a lot of birdseed for that little guy. Maybe he can add a catnip toy for Sylvester and have a quiet weekend. Good job with the prompt. I hope there’s a good AM station around. I doubt that baby has much of a sound system.
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Ha ha ha. We will be lucky if it has anything at all. Thanks, Dan. 😊
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Your notion of the car in motion is dated to say the least. I hope it gets you to a voodoo ranger bar soon enough.
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The tires are only flat on one side.
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😂
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😊
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Funny, Tweety was one of my favorites as a kid. What a wonderful, innocent time we grew up in.
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Yes, it was. Well, except for the duck-and-cover atomic bomb drills and the Nike base at the end of my block. Oh, and the air-raid sirens. Maybe you missed all that.
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I lived in a much classier neighborhood.
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I’ll bet you did.
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Giving Tweety Bird a fiver and advice was nice of you, John. I hope that old Uber worked okay for you.
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We had to carry it the last block, but the VooDoo Rangers will make that better.
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😊
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Car looks like it was part of the nuclear bomb test site and somehow survived.
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Ha ha ha. We should wait until after dark to see if it glows. 😄
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I sure hope there’s a road leading out of that gully.
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Can’t you picture those wheels spinning trying to get out. Must be the ‘little dust in there that blows around.’
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😊
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Yes, I can! I assume the tires are bald, making for more fun.
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😊
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Ha ha ha.Good one, Liz.
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Thanks, John!
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Kind of gives new meaning to the words ‘rust bucket’ doesn’t it? But that hood ornament just screams ‘aerodynamic.’ Keep your goggles on and your mouth closed. I hear that dust is killer.
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Should have had a respirator. Hard to believe how much dust is kicked up at ten miles an hour.
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John, you don’t have to take that kind of stuff from TO. I would send the Voodoo Rangers over to his classy neighborhood and then maybe he’ll keep his pie hole shut. He messes with me like that all the time too… He has nothing better to do the bug people. I’ve had it… I’m taking him off my speed dial. Also, just wait until you get his first invoice for copyright infringement on his stupid car pictures . You know he has the law firm of Dewey, Chittum, and Howe on retainer😰,
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Don’t worry. My legal firm is Bakken, Lattace & Tomita. They never lose.
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Those headlight frames are awesome! They don’t make details like that anymore. Have a lovely week-end!
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They almost look like they are built to screw off and on
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Very much like a wing nut. 😊
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😄
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Great classic car! I’d hire it.
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Thank you, Rebecca.
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1953? A real but rusty classic, with holes in the floorboards for your feet so you can propel it along!
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A Flintstone mobile.
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🙂 🙂
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😊
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Hi, John. It was fun for Tweety to turn up at the door. From “the rocket’s red glare” to “a kind of hush” you had my mind rolling around. I don’t know why I get such a kick out of the “bucket filled with 1000 marbles” but I do — I guess the marble keep my rolling brain going. Still shaking my head over this week’s Uber… LOL. Happy holiday weekend. Hugs.
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I think you can imagine the feet of anyone stepping on them going in all directions. Is a funny scene.
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Barkeep! Voodoo Ranger with a tetanus shot chaser.
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Ha ha ha
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Oh goodness! Yes, I’d be a little hesitant to climb into that Uber. 🙂 Great use of the prompt, John!
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I can feel the grit in my teeth
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What a journey this would have been! I can remember being in one of my dad’s old vehicles and seeing the dirt below my feet. Oh, the memories you’ve conjured! Well done, John.
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Love those memories, Gwen. Glad my silly post got them started
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For some reason I was very amused by the phrase, “Thinking a bird needs more motivation.” 😊
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So glad you liked it.
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I think I’d don not only goggles, but a suit of armor to take that lovely rust bucket out for a spin. 😀
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An excellent idea, Linda. Of course, then you would have to clean the armor afterward. 😄
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What an entertaining and imaginative take on “motion”! The coffee, Tweety Bird, and wildly over-the-top security system had me laughing. Brilliantly creative!
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Thank you, Anowar. Glad you got a laugh or two.
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You’re most welcome
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John, I’m always impressed with how you use up the challenge word(s) just dealing with the coffee machine.
I can’t think of a time you had to use a second sentence, let alone a second paragraph.
Although, when I look at today’s …Uber? … I think you could use a second mode of transport. It’s likely the dust in the air is rust dust.
Then again, VooDoo makes a great eye wash.
👁️🍻 👁️🍻 👁️🍻
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We had very stout shoes, so I guess they would be the backup. I think VooDoo would make a good anything. 🥾X 👀
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Right..walking in a good pair of shoes.
Honestly, that is my A1 preferred choice of getting around.
I never know what I’ll find! 🧦 -s
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You do find a lot of treasures there. 🎁 -x
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OX OX
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OX OX
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😊X 😊X
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So glad to see characters from the Looney Tunes stable showing up.
That’s quite the vehicle. Bet it’s seen a thing or two.
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When I was 11 years old, I had a ride in one like this, only new. I told the man that I wanted a car just like his when I grew up. He told me that cars would be so much better when I grew up. He was right. 😊
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Love Tweety Bird, and the Uber is very cool. Of course your coffee and lockdown are the best!!
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Aw. You are very kind to say so. I’m glad you like the post.
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You’re very welcome, John.
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😊
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Hi John. I do believe I knew that tweety was a male bird. I’m glad he got a tip, I always liked Tweety. The car looks a bit ropey.
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I love that term, “ropey.” So descriptive. Thanks, Robbie.
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😉🌞
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😊
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A fiver AND a priceless bit of advice? Score it a win for Tweety!
As for the Uber, it has lots of potential. But then again, so do my Dolphins and I ain’t depending on them to get me anywhere, so there’s that.
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That Uber is a hard pass for me. One of those situations where in addition to keeping a fire extinguisher in it, you’d best give them out to each passenger as well.
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And a CO detector, too. Thanks, Bruce.
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John, giving Tweety Bird a fiver and life advice, then hopping into a 1953 car with a “do not move” note on the windshield, is the most delightfully chaotic sequence I’ve read all day 😂
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I’m so glad you liked it Khadija. People have described me as chaotic, and your addition of “delightfully” made me smile. Thank you. 😄
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Ha, “chaotic” without the “delightfully” is honestly underselling it 😄 The best kind of energy to bring into a room. Glad it made you smile!
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😊
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