Here is a top drawer new site to join in and participate. Ionia Martin and Julian Froment are masters of fun.
2014 Is as 2014 Does
I want to wish all of you a very Happy New Year filled with good health, prosperity and an abundance of happiness.
A Tiny Favor if I may ask
Still reblogging. Good stuff by a Pittsburgh Steeler fan
I’ve been trying to write more and more poetry. Some of it is good, some not as much. But I’m learning and trying to do more.
What I would like to do though is increase my readership. May I ask that if you like a particular poem, would you please re-blog it for me? That may get me more eyes and hopefully a few more followers.
I don’t get too worried about how many followers and my stats, but I would like to increase a tiny bit.
So I hope it isn’t inappropriate for me to ask you to give me a hand. Much appreciated. Thank you.
Top Ten No No’s is as Top Ten No No’s Does
Here is the 26th installment of Ten Top Lists of What Not to Do by Marie Ann Bailey of 1WriteWay at http://1writeway.com and John W. Howell of Fiction Favorites at http://johnwhowell.com. These lists are simu-published on our blogs each Monday. We hope you enjoy.
Top Ten Things Not to Do on New Year’s Eve
10. On New Year’s Eve, do not think you need to consume everything in the city. If you do, at best you may gain a few pounds. At worst, you will never ever feel better again.
9. On New Year’s Eve, do not think everyone is in love with you. If you do, at best you may get a new roommate. At worst, you may wake up next to a stranger who is now your spouse.
8. On New Year’s Eve, do not think you have to scream “Happy New Year” more than once. If you do, at best you will lose your voice. At worst, someone may in fact put a sock in it.
7. On New Year’s Eve, do not think you need to invent and issue resolutions for everyone else. If you do, at best you will lose some friends. At worst, your host may resolve to ban you to the patio.
6. On New Year’s Eve, do not think you have to help others drink more. If you do, at best you may be the last person standing. At worst, you may be named as a co-defendant on a DUI.
5. On New Year’s Eve, do not think you need to give everyone a kiss. If you do, at best they will all think you are a nerd. At worst, you may pick up a nice case of bubonic plague.
4. On New Year’s Eve, you do not have to sing “Auld Lang Syne.” If you do, at best, your off-key rendition will be recorded for playback when you are sober. At worst, you’ll not know the words and remove all doubt as to your IQ.
3. On New Year’s Eve, you do not have to tell everyone exactly what you think of them. If you do, at best, a few will want to take you outside. At worst, several will.
2. On New Year’s Eve, there is no reason to remove some of your clothes to be more comfortable. If you do, at best, you may not know when to stop. At worst, there could be additional records of your lack of discretion that you will need to pay handsomely to squelch.
1. On New Year’s Eve, there is no reason to get behind the wheel of a car after you have won the shots per hour contest. If you do you, at best you will end up in jail. At worst, you might just hurt someone.
Resolution is as Resolution Does
Friday again. (So soon?) I hope you were able to enjoy the holiday and can look forward to a joyous New Year. This brings up the question; what do you plan to do on New Year’s Eve? If you are like me you consider New Year’s Eve as a holiday for amateur party goers and want to stay out-of-the-way. We generally have a nice dinner and talk about the year and more or less set some resolutions. Usually they are pretty rough and no one keeps track until it’s time to report progress the next New Year’s Eve. During the progress report the individual can wiggle a little if the resolution wasn’t kept or accomplished. (to be frank none of us can remember the other’s resolution anyway)
In 2011 I resolved to have my book ready to publish by December 31, 2012. Well, my report in December of 2012 was to the effect I had finished the manuscript and was hunting for a publisher. This year I plan to resolve to get a second book ready for publication. Notice I said “get ready.” There seems to be a lot of time between getting ready and actually being published. For example I just received the final Galley pages for my debut novel (the one I said would be ready to publish on December 31, 2012). I do have an ISBN number so I think the year 2014 will be the year of the launch. I say that with fingers crossed. I’m gonna declare to the family that getting published is also a resolution for 2014.
So there you have it. My resolutions for 2014 are: Finish my second novel to the point of publication and have my first published. I would throw in some words on completing the third novel rough draft, but don’t want to press my luck.
How about you? Do you set resolutions that you intend to keep? Do you keep them?
Merry Christmas is as Merry Christmas Does
Today is Wednesday and I would normally have a little story to tell. Since it is Christmas day I think the only story is to wish each of you and yours a very Merry Christmas and peace in the spirit of the season.
Top Ten No No’s is as Top Ten No No’s Does
Here is the 25th installment of Ten Top Lists of What Not to Do by Marie Ann Bailey of 1WriteWay at http://1writeway.com and John W. Howell of Fiction Favorites at http://johnwhowell.com. These lists are simu-published on our blogs each Monday. We hope you enjoy.
Top Ten Things Not To Do When Shopping at the Last Minute for Christmas
10. When shopping at the last-minute for Christmas, do not battle another for a parking place. If they are similarly crazed, you may just lose the front end of your car while the other driver yells “Tawanda! Tawanda!” at you as if they are Kath Bates in Green Fried Tomatoes.
9. When shopping at the last-minute for Christmas, do not take your children with you. At best, they will get in the way; at worst, they will be a witness to your stepped-up aggressive behavior when you Taser another parent for the last remaining iPod Nano.
8. When shopping at the last-minute for Christmas, do not leave home without a list. If you do, at best, you will no doubt forget something or someone. At worst, you will be tempted to grab armloads of stuff with the rationale what doesn’t work can be returned only to find out after Christmas that you were wrong.
7. When shopping at the last-minute for Christmas, do not think you are going to get anything on sale. If you think you will, at best, you will be disappointed. At worst, you will be afraid to go home given what you have spent.
6. When shopping at the last-minute for Christmas, do not forget sizes on your list. If you do, at best, you may just misjudge. At worst, you will get your mother-in-law an extra-large and you’ll never hear the end of it (even if it is the right size).
5. When shopping at the last-minute for Christmas, do not think expensive will take the place of thoughtful. If you do, at best, you will spend too much and become every one’s favorite gift giver. At worst, none of your gifts will be appreciated and all of them will be returned for cash.
4. When shopping at the last-minute for Christmas, do not have everything gift wrapped at the store. If you do, at best, it will appear as if you did not put your heart into the gifts. At worst, you could be accused of giving gifts you bought for someone else.
3. When shopping at the last-minute for Christmas, do not buy gifts that you yourself would not want to receive. If you do, at best, you might just get it back someday. At worst, the gift might be as tasteless as you thought it was and now you are the embarrassed recipient.
2. When shopping at the last-minute for Christmas, do not stop until your list is complete. If you do, at best, the person you left off will give you the best gift ever and you’ll have to admit that you got them nothing. At worst, your excuse of running out of time will be the straw that broke the camel’s back since you had a year to make it right.
1. When shopping at the last-minute for Christmas, do not stop humming your favorite Christmas song. If you do, you might break out in tears and nobody likes a crier this time of year.
Come on, baby, spend Christmas with me!
Here is a great way to help those who want to chat Christmas day. I’ll be stopping by. How about you.
Retail Memories: When Customers Attack – COVER REVEAL
This just may be required reading of anyone who goes into a retail store. Papi Z is not one with which trifling is acceptable.
Weekend is as Weekend Does
Friday is here. Hoo Ray. Now is the time to start planning for an outrageous weekend. Those of you who are working full-time need to take some of the bosses minutes today and really think on how you want to spend the weekend. Go ahead the company won’t mind. After all you think about the company and your job on your time off don’t you?. . . *crickets* . . . Of course you do. You can’t fool and old fool. So what’s it to be? Here are a few suggestions to get the old thought process working:
Christmas is next Wednesday so how about packing up the kids, grandparents, and go shopping at the mall? Yes siree that sounds like a joyful thing to do. Don’t forget you will be out and about with thousands of your closest friends, enjoying the Yuletide spirit. If you have any luck you will be given the privilege of buying what you really didn’t want at a price you really didn’t want to pay. As a capper if you are really lucky you and the family will pick up a mild case of the flu that will progressively get worse by Christmas day.
Maybe you would rather go to an exclusive bed and breakfast just the two of you. There you can settle into a quant room that sort of reminds you of your grandma’s house. A degree of authenticity will be found in the mix of mothball, old sock, and camphor smell that you know and love. The real nice part is the cost of the room is just slightly below your month’s rent, but breakfast is included. Speaking of breakfast you will be able to join about ten of similarly minded people all dressed like you and all on their phones. The menu will include fresh squeezed gooseberry juice, cranberry scones with homemade elderberry jam, egg white omelet, and decaf cappuccino with soy foam. You are living now.
A final choice might be a simple weekend home with a few friends. Y’all can start on Saturday with the favorite punch before the football game. You remember it from last year. It’s that milk kind of thing with a rum base and kerosene taste finish. A few of those and you are suddenly transformed back to your undergrad days. You can try as hard as you will, but resistance is futile. Luckily the rest of the weekend will be a blur of football game on the TV, a pickup game of touch football in the snow, several bottles of wine and drinks, something for dinner, exactly what escapes you, and finally to bed in the car in the driveway. (Why you can’t explain) Sunday morning will be all about trying to figure out how many of the guests were offended by whatever when on before you went to sleep in the car. You will tread carefully until the Bloody Mary kicks in and then you will find out the whole truth. Of course you will never do this again.
Hope your choice is at least as good as these. Have a great weekend.
