The coffee machine enrolled itself in an AI training session. You would think it would ask permission before doing so. But no. It just went ahead and enrolled. Not sure what it learned, but found an interesting note on the touchscreen
Not wanting to ask the question about meaning, a verbal request for two cups was made. The coffee was delivered as normal, and the first sip quelled the Chinese New Year fireworks in my head from a severe caffeine deficiency. The second sip, as we have come to know, was accompanied by the Westminster chimes of the doorbell and the inner-ear rendering of the bark of the Hound of the Baskervilles. A quick toss of a knuckle bone into the soundproof room and a door slam brings the tranquility envisioned by the Eagles on their Peaceful Easy Feeling.
A glance at the security monitor shows Hugo the Abominable Snowman holding a clipboard and a letter. This would please every kid in the neighborhood. With a sigh, the security shutdown process begins.
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.
Hugo hands me the clipboard and the letter. The signed clipboard is passed back with a fiver in the clip. Hugo looks pleased (Which is a good thing). Once inside, the letter is opened, and it is from Linda hill. There is a message which reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “kid.’” Use it as a noun, use it as a verb; use it the 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/2026/11/13/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-november-14-2026/
Kid by John W. Howell © 2026
“Hugo?”
“Yeah, he is a later addition to the Warner Brothers stable of characters.”
“When did he first appear?”
“In 1961. Hugo first appears in the episode The Abominable Snow Rabbit when Bugs and Daffy Duck run into him after accidentally traveling to the Himalayas.”
I guess he is retired?”
“No, he appeared in the feature Coyote vs Acme this year.”
“I’ll be darned. I never saw him before.”
“You have to like feature cartoons and appeal to your inner kid, so I’m not surprised. Here is a clip.”
“Gee, thanks. I now feel like a kid.”
“How about the Uber?”
“Right over there.”
“A 1936 Dodge truck. Terrific. What’s the catch?”
“Not a biggie. We have to deliver some fertilizer to a nursery on the way.”
“Fertilizer? What kind?”
“Cow manure.”
“Composted?”
“No, we have to pick it up from a barn on the way.”
“Fresh manure?”
“Well, yeah. Here, take these boots, gloves, overalls, and goggles.”
“Why do I do this with you every week?”
“We don’t shovel manure every week.”
“No. I mean a sub-par Uber with some catch.”
“Makes good reading.”
“You have a point. We might as well go.”
“Think of those Voodoo Rangers after we get to the pub.”
“Too bad the pub doesn’t have a shower. Let’s go.”
”
