“Using this image (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really. Either put your offering (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before the end of the week. If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here. Thank you for taking part.”
Bucket lists will be with us forever. Here’s a list I published on March 5th, 2018. I think it still may be helpful for those planning a bucket list. I should have labeled this list the Top Nine since the last one is a recommendation of one to do.
While looking around, I came upon one list of the top ten crazy things to put on your bucket list. This list started me thinking of what not to put on your bucket list for fear of having the list prematurely remain unaccomplished. I did borrow a couple from the list.
10 If you are making a bucket list, do not include swimming with great white sharks. If you do, at best, they will have eaten before you show up. At worst, they have all given up their vegan diet, and you are the first animal protein they’ve seen for weeks. (Looks like those extra long flippers might come in handy, Dayson.)
9 If you are making a bucket list, do not include asking Tiny how he got his name the next time you see him. If you do, at best, he will have his Airpods in his ears and will miss the question. At worst, you will remind him of the teasing he took in the fourth grade when he stood six feet tall. (This might be a good time to try out those nunchucks, Deavon. Be careful, though, and don’t let Tiny take them away from you.)
8 If you are making a bucket list, do not decide to ski the Alps. If you do, at best, you’ll sober up before the trip. At worst, you’ll get to the mountain and ignore the fact that you really weren’t an excellent skier in the first place. (That thrill of being airborne doesn’t last very long does it, Delbert? Don’t worry; the ski patrol will be waiting for you at the bottom of the mountain. It is a very short trip to the hospital.)
7 If you are making a bucket list, do not add breaking the world freedive deep dive record. If you do, at best, your first try will give you a hint to stop. At worst, you will realize that the 122-meter (400+ feet) record is safe with your ten-foot dive. (Yes, Delsen, you need to hold your breath for over four minutes to break the record. So far, your best shot was twenty seconds)
6 If you are making a bucket list, don’t include quitting your job to try something new. If you do, at best, your boss will hire you back. At worst, something new is something that ten million had tried before and failed. (I give it to you that a mail-order catalog seemed like a good idea, Donte. It’s just that it has all been done before. Why not try to corner the aluminum can market?)
5 If you are making a bucket list, don’t consider a solo skydive. If you do, at best, you will take all the training. At worst, you’ll go up in a plane and then have to actually step out the door. (The first thing to remember is when to deploy the chute, Dorian. The second is how to use the other chute. Let’s not worry about the third right now you have enough to deal with.)
4 If you are making a bucket list, don’t think taking your life savings to Las Vegas would be fun. If you do, at best, the casino will have caught on fire. At worst, all those blackjack lessons and theories went out the window when you took a card on fifteen, and it was a ten. (The hotel will be happy to comp your room tonight, Dorrin. It seems you are the most prominent loser today.)
3 If you are making a bucket list, do not include running with the bulls in Pamplona. If you do, at best, you will be able to outrun the guy behind you. At worst, your strategy of running up a tree will backfire as six bulls all hit the tree. (You forgot that those horns are pretty tough, Draupnir. Put away that red hanky. Nothing can save you now.)
2. If you are making a bucket list, do not make a note about cooking fish at home. If you do, at best, someone who loves you will talk you out of it. At worst, you will finish the cooking and realize you have ruined a twenty-dollar fish and a fifty-thousand-dollar kitchen. (I think you have learned your lesson, Drewes. Now call the bank and get that home improvement loan fast.)
1. If you are making a bucket list, include becoming a best-selling author. If you do, at best, it may happen. At worst, you will live forever trying to complete your bucket list. (Just keep working on it, Drystan. Ninety-two is the new sixty-two. There is plenty of time.)
Today, we are going to the Lakeway Greenbelt to watch the start of the 5K Wilderness Run/Walk sponsored by Friends of the Park. This run happens every year to raise awareness of the volunteering opportunity with Friends of the Park. This non-profit organization helps maintain Lakeway Parks and ensures their preservation for the future.
We are catered by Cypress Grill in Austin. Our entertainment is Chicago
Brunch menu
Creole Eggs Benedict
English muffin, poached eggs, Cajun tasso ham, Creole hollandaise, served with one side (also available with classic hollandaise sauce)
Eggs Napoleon
English muffin, poached eggs topped with crawfish etouffee and cheddar-jack cheese, served with choice of one side.
Loaded Biscuit
Buttermilk biscuit open-faced, topped with Cajun tasso ham, andouille sausage gravy, and two eggs your way
Shrimp & Grits
Gulf shrimp, andouille sausage, and red peppers in a traditional low country gravy atop our creamy garlic cheese grits with crumbled bacon
Spanky Special
Sandwich with fried egg, American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and mayo on toasted whole wheat
Cajun Hash
Andouille sausage, tasso ham, and boudin sausage sautéed with home fries, tomato, onion, and jalapeno, topped off with two eggs any way you like them.
French Toast
French bread, grilled golden brown and topped with powdered sugar, is served with one side.
The Bayou Breakfast
Two eggs any way you like them, plus any three sides
Buttermilk Pancakes
Three homemade pancakes with a choice of one side
Build Your Own Omelet
A three-egg omelet with three of the following ingredients: andouille sausage, Tasso ham, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, Gulf shrimp, lump crab, crawfish etouffée, Creole hollandaise topping, parmesan, cheddar jack, or provolone. Served with a choice of one side.
Let’s go.
There is a sign for the event.
Entering the Greenbelt, we run into these thoughtful chess players.
There’s the registration tent.
T-shirts, of course.
Oranges and bananas for the athletes.
Coffee and donuts for the rest of us.
Bronze elk family in the park.
A heron looking over Hurst Creek.
The starting point.
A slight warming up before the race.
Ready to go.
Friends of the Park chairperson gives the go signal.
And we are off. Well, not we as in you and I. We have food to eat.
The runners pass the heron on the way to 5K.
Now that the runners and walkers have departed, let’s have some food and enjoy the music.
The sound of coffee dribbling out of the machine’s exit tubes is music to the ears and the brain. Pound for pound, you can’t beat the restorative ability of even a sip of that beautiful elixir. After the first sip, looking around for the clock, the thought strikes: Why not go to Europe and see what is happening? The clock is set for Greece on April 13th, 1924. The duration is an hour. Pulling the plunger, and we are there.
We arrive in time for the announcement of the results of the election held on March 25th. The voters were to decide whether or not to retain the monarchy or endorse the Second Hellenic Republic proclaimed by parliament. Parliament stipulated that the public had to approve its decision.
Over a million votes were cast, and 758,000 opted for a republic with Pavlos Kountouriotis as president. Only 325,000 supported King George II’s return to the throne.
With the cheering crowds as a send-off, the alarm goes off, and a soft landing is managed on the couch. A text from Linda Hill comes in. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: ends with “ound.” Find a word (or words) that ends with “ound” and use it any way you’d like. Have fun!
To be a drug-sniffing dog, you have to be impassionate, which is exactly what this golden retriever was not.
Though Roger flunked out of the Kaohsiung City police academy in Taiwan, his career in public service was not over. He has now captured the hearts of his people with his rescue efforts during Taiwan’s recent earthquake.
Striking the northern part of the island with a magnitude of 7.4, it caused a landslide in a popular national park that destroyed several buildings and claimed a dozen victims.
Roger flunked out of the police academy for being too jubilant – credit Kaohsiung Fire Department
8-year-old Roger was quickly deployed to the area, where his exuberance and independent streak put him in good stead for locating the body of a 21-year-old victim who hadn’t been found.
Whether Chen Chih-san, captain of the rescue dog unit of the Kaohsiung Fire Department, has other dogs that assisted in the rescue efforts, only Roger captured the island nation’s hearts because of his earlier career setback and subsequent redemption arc.
“I’m not saying he was not good or that he didn’t get along with others. But the requirement for narcotic detection dogs is that they can’t be too restless and independent,” Chen said. “But (these attributes) are what we want in rescue dogs.”
These attributes were perfectly on show when he lunged for the reporter’s microphone as his handler was being interviewed by Taiwan’s official Central News Agency.
Having participated in 7 rescue organizations throughout his career, which included his being certified by the International Rescue Dog Organization in 2022, an accolade last achieved by a Taiwanese rescue dog in 2019, Roger’s retirement is fast approaching.
CNN reports that he will have a wonderful home suitable for an active, precocious dog like him. However, before he puts his paws up for his golden years, one family will have the closure of laying a loved one to rest because of his excellent nose and personality.
The good news in this story is that just because a body is not best equipped for one job doesn’t mean all jobs are out of reach. Today’s JohnKu talks about careers. I hope you have a great weekend.
” Using this image (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really. Either put your offering (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before the end of the week. If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here. Thank you for taking part.”
Well, here we are for a lifetime event. It is perfect that the eclipse coincides with my top ten list on Monday. You can bet I did not have a spare list hanging around, so yes, this is original. I’ll run it again during the next one in 300 years.
Top Ten Things Not to Do on Eclipse Day
1 On eclipse day, do not pull into the Chic-Fil-A drive-through. If you do, at best, your wait will be the normal hour. At worst, you will still be there three days from now. (who knew that everyone for ten states around wanted a chicken sandwich, Ferd.)
2 On eclipse day, do not serve inappropriate food at your party. If you do, at best, no one will attend the next one in 300 years. At worst, you will be known as the humorless old grump who doesn’t know how to throw a party. (A pretty tough evaluation for someone who didn’t serve Moon pies, sun chips, meteorite cheese balls, Orbit and Eclipse gum, Galaxy cupcakes, Starbursts, Milky Way, Capri Suns, and Moonshine martinis.)
3 On eclipse day, do not think those Ray Bans will protect your eyes. If you do, at best, you’ll catch on quickly. At worst, the week off from work to rest your eyes won’t be covered under the company’s benefits program. (You didn’t read the fine print under the heading ‘acts of stupidly’ did you Ralph?)
4 On eclipse day, do not think your grocery store will have a full food stock. If you do, at best, you only want to buy rutabagas. At worst, you’ll find the shelves as empty as the day before a significant weather event. (You didn’t count on your town population going from 11,000 to 220,000 people since you are on the 100% coverage path. You will survive without milk, but your caffeine level is in the red, Buford.)
5 On eclipse day, do not decide to take the family for a leisurely ride in the car. If you do, at best, no one cares you have only gone two blocks in two hours. At worst, you will suddenly realize the traffic gridlock means you’ll spend the night in the car. (Little Jimmy’s cough and runny nose didn’t seem like a big deal before. Looks like twelve hours of exposure may put you under, Sid.)
6 On eclipse day, do not think you won’t need sunscreen. If you do, at best, the day will be cloudy. At worse, your assumption of the sun being blocked has given you a quick trip to the ER for those third-degree burns. (You should have known the eclipse only lasts four minutes, Bunky. The rest of the twelve hours you spent out there would have required an SPF of 50.)
7 On eclipse day, do not think you are immune to the effects of too many tequila sunrises. If you do, at best, you will quietly pass out. At worst, the next morning, you look at the outgoing calls on your phone to discover at least ten to your boss after midnight. (Too bad you can’t remember the reasons for the calls, Tex. Maybe it will come to you at your one-on-one Zoom meeting with the boss in five minutes.)
8 On eclipse day, do not try to park for free in that vacant lot. If you do, at best, the owner of the lot is on vacation. At worse, Tiny the WWF champion, the lot owner, has been dying to try out his new piece of recycling equipment. (The two-foot square metal block that used to be your car is available at Tiny’s recycling center. He’ll give you a deal, Haywood.)
9 On eclipse day, do not finish that 32-ounce big gulp before the big event. If you do, at best, the city has provided port-a-potties. At worse, the event you are attending is in the middle of a giant field with no facilities, and there is not a tree, shrub, or bush for miles. (You are now faced with a dilemma, Jake. You either make a run for it or hope there is a puddle you can drop into.)
10 On eclipse day, do not skip the event. If you do, at best, you’ll miss a lifetime opportunity. At worst, you have yourself convinced that it was no big deal. (Don’t worry, Derrell, maybe with cryogenics, you might be available three hundred years from now for the next one.)
Today, we are going to see several things. I call it potpourri because there is no theme, just a little bit of everything. We are catered by Aba of Austin. Our entertainment is Keith Urban
Menu
BLACKBERRY DROP BISCUIT blackberry thyme jam, whipped cream
KHACHAPURI baked egg, cremini mushroom, graviera, green onion
SHORT RIB SHAKSHUKA local eggs, spicy harissa, graviera, roasted potato
