Views of the Neighborhood – Driveways

August 18, 2019August 17, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 85 Comments

I know it seems a little odd to feature driveways on Views of the Neighborhood. I just found that some of them are so steep up or down that I couldn’t help myself in taking pictures of them. They may interest you as well.

Here is one that drops about thirty feet and then you have to go through a gate as well.

I thought this was interesting in that there is a handrail which you would need to pull yourself up the drive. The sign that looks like a tree to the right designates this house as someone who needs help getting their trash to the curb. The collectors go down and get the cans.

Here is another sign that means this house also needs help with the trash containers. The reason it is not a tree is that the collection company has changed over time.

A drive so long that a drain is needed at the bottom to collect the sunami water rushing down from the rain.

Here is another handrail to help you drag yourself up the drive. Also a drain and tile insets for decoration.

A long driveway made of asphalt

Another handrail and steps to make it easier for you to drag yourself up the driveway.

Shade and winding drive

Bit of a drop-off. Gotta hope the brakes are good.

Another sign indicating the need for help with trash. This is the third type and is the current trash pick-up provider.

You can’t see the house from here, but you could roll right into the living room. Just follow the drive.

I think you aim for the front door but keep a heavy foot on the brake.

Well, that’s about it. I hope you enjoyed the tour which gives you an idea of how hilly our topography is around here.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Co-“

August 17, 2019August 16, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 45 Comments

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again and this weeks prompt is “co-” Yup, that’s right. We are to use any word with co-. Linda Hill also says to have fun. She does have an interesting sense of humor. If you would like to join in on the fun visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. (Bring your own alcohol for even more fun.) Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS August 17/19

“Co-op.”

“Huh?”

“I’m looking for words that start with co-.”

“Why? Oh, wait. It’s that Hill machination again, isn’t it?”

“It’s not a machination. It is more of a brain teaser.”

“Yeah for co-dependents.”

“I resemble that remark.”

“Hahaha. It’s just that this Saturday thing is like being around a bunch of co-conspirators.”

“Well, we all enjoy taking a prompt and having fun with it.”

“More like taking a prompt and co-authoring what sounds like scribblings from the edge.”

“Well, we can’t help it. We are writers, after all.”

“That explains everything. Co-inhabitants on the planet Mars.”

“Oh yeah? So what do you do for fun?’

“I don’t sit in a dark room on a sunny Saturday staring at a computer screen trying to co-operate by making up a story using someone else’s prompt.”

“I would say your life is boring then.”

“Do you hear yourself?”

“So what is fun for you?”

“A picnic with friends, a barrel of beer, great food, and fun games.”

“Really? You think that s a good time?”

“Yup.”

“When is the next picnic?”

“Today.”

“Can I go?”

“What about the prompt.”

“I’m coalescing around a different approach.”

“Which is?”

“Drink now, write later.”

“Now, you’re talking. Let’s go.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

August 16, 2019August 15, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 59 Comments

Twiggy — “It’s Friday, Little One. Go play.”
“But Dad. I don’t have anything to play with.”

Looks like we made it to Friday. I hope your week was a good one. I can’t say much has been going on around here. We have had a full week of above 100 degrees F. Have to say it gets old after a while. Wednesday night we got a nice downpour. It was totally out of the blue. Not forecasted. It seems the big high-pressure area that sat over us all week moved slightly to the west. Nature abhors a vacuum so in rushed a little cold front and there we had it, rain.

I managed to keep the 1000 wood a day pace on my WIP this week. I’m currently at over 47,000. That means I did a little better than 1000 a day. I usually target about 90,000 so I’m a smidgeon over half way to a completed first draft.

Today’s JohnKu talks about unforcasted events. I hope you all have a super weekend.

It would be pleasent,

If every surprise was good . . .

Too bad some are not.

Thursday – A Little Personal Twiggy and Lucy Stay Home

August 15, 2019August 13, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 75 Comments

There they are. The dreaded crates waiting for their next victims.

“Look, Lucy. The rents are going out without us.”

“There’s peanut butter in it for us.”

“I just happened to notice how big your crate is, and it has a soft bed.”

“Yeah. That’s cause I know where one does not go potty.”

“Gosh. That happened once when I was a puppy.”

“You better watch the Pinocchio effect there Little One. I’m checking on you.”

“I love this beddy.”

“It’s not a beddy its a pad.”

“Whatever you call it, it’s nice.”

“You need to get out of there now.”

“Hey, Little Potato. There is a jar of peanut butter with your name on it.”

“I’m calling for room service.”

“What good girls. Already in your crate.”

“Yes, Boss. We are waiting for the goods

“Well, here you are.” We’ll be back soon.”

“Take all the time you want, boss. I’ll be busy here for an hour.

“Me too, Dad.”

Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day

August 14, 2019August 12, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 53 Comments

“Wednesday just isn’t the day for playing catch, Lucy.”
“Yeah, Little One. Let’s wait till Friday.”

It is Wednesday Story Day again, and last week we were surprised to know that Christine has a judge friend who just might be able to issue a warrant or two to help our guys get some answers. Primarily they would like to know if Janice (Alexis’ wife) was in the Hyatt Hotel the night he was killed. You see she told Larry and Andrew that she wasn’t there, but Christine swears she was. Christine says Alexis told her so but has no proof. A warrant from a local judge would force the hotel to give up their records. Christine stepped out to make a call to the judge. Most of us are a little leery when Christine steps out. I guess we are still nervous about the attempted hit on our boys. I see Christine is coming back so let’s get over there to see what she has to say.

“Well, boys it’s all set. All you have to do is go to the judge’s house and pick up the warrant.”

“He’s even going to fill it out.”

“Oh, yes. The judge will do almost anything I say. He has this big fear of exposure.”

“Exposure?”

“Yeah. He’s one of those powerful guys that thinks he can do anything he wants. Well, the stuff he wants to do, you wouldn’t want to read about it in the papers.”

“I don’t want to know.”

“Don’t worry, Larry. The judge’s secrets are safe with me. You see if the information got out, his wife would take a hike, and the community would shun him. What good would he be to me in that scenario?”

“I’m thinking none.”

“Right. So, I keep the secrets, and the Judge keeps me. Everyone stays happy. Hey, you guys want another drink?”

“No, thank you. We should be heading over to the Judge’s house.”

“Suit yourself. You want to leave Andrew here with me?”

“No, I think he needs to come with me.”

“Okay, then. You boys have fun. If you need anything else, just let me know.”

“We can let ourselves out. Come on, Andrew. Let’s just walk out the front door before you comment.”

“Okay, we are out here, Larry. What kind of crap is going on here? This woman is blackmailing a judge, and you are getting yourself involved.”

“Relax Andrew. All we are going to do is get a legal warrant and go ask the hotel for their records.”

“Larry. That woman obviously has something on the judge, and I can’t imagine that it is anything legal.”

“Let me worry about this, Andrew. We are just getting a warrant is all. The rest of it is none of our business. Get in the car.”

“That woman is lucky; she doesn’t get herself killed.”

“How so?”

“If she can ruin a judge with the information she has. How long before the judge gets tired of playing her game?”

“Come on, Andrew. This is not a soap opera. People don’t go around killing folks just to keep them quiet.”

“Mark my words, Larry. She’s headed for trouble. That’s all I’m saying”

“Okay I hear you, Andrew but what can we do about it?”

“Forget the warrant and go back to Boston.”

“And let Alexis’ killers go free?”

“Well, there is that I suppose.”

“You should have had another drink with Christine.”

“I felt like a fly who just dropped into the spider’s nest. No thanks. I’ll take my liquor in freedom, thank you.”

“Okay, then. Can we now go to the judge?”

“Drive on.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #224 by Keith Channing

August 13, 2019August 12, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 46 Comments

I am happy to repost that Keith Channing is back. After six weeks of moving he is back on line. Welcome Keith. In his words. “Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). 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.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.”

The photo.

“Lets hope he has not made a mistake.”

“A mistake? The guy is clearly off his rocker.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Um. Let’s look at the evidence. One he is sitting out in the hot sun. Two he thinks beer is going to drop from that dark cloud.”

“But as he explained he created a new form of rain.”

“Rain that is supposed to be beer? Don’t make me laugh.”

“I tend to feel sorry for him.”

“Not sure that is the proper emothion. I think more we should get him some help.”

“What would happen if that cloud opened up and filled his glass with beer?”

“He would be a billionaire in no time. That’s not going to happen. Who ever heard of such a thing.”

“I hear thunder.”

“Okay so it might rain.”

“Normally when it thunders I smell ozone. Right now I smell beer.”

“Don’t make me put you in the same straight jacket.”

“Look. It is raining in the glass and there is a nice head on the beer.”

“I see it alright. I am really surprised.”

“What do you say now Mr. Doubting Thomas?”

“Sure glad he is our son.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do at The Introduction of the First IBM Personal Computer in 1981

August 12, 2019August 18, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 59 Comments

Today marks the anniversary of the introduction of the first personal computer by IBM in 1981. If you want to return to that time, take this list with you. It may save a mistake or even a tear in the time continuum.

Top Ten Things Not to Do at the Introduction of the First IBM Personal Computer in 1981

10 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not laugh out loud at the 16 to 256 kB amount of memory being offered. If you do at best someone will think you are laughing with delight. At worse, you’ll be put in a position of explaining what you believe to be so funny. (Just because your current laptop has a thousand times that memory you need not be a snob, Isaias.)

9 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not tell Tiny the WWF champ that he needs to learn to keyboard. If you do, at best Tiny will think you mean someone else. At worse, Tiny will think you are mocking his two-fingered approach to typing. (The other worse part is Tiny just left his self-esteem support group where he was told he is a beautiful, perfect, big boy. I think you will have to deal with his feelings of rejection, Illias. It is going to hurt. I’m just sayin’)

8 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not ask if there re any discounts available on the $1,565.00 price tag. If you do, at best you’ll get a weird look. At worst, the engineers will put you to sleep, explaining all the components, and how expensive everything is inside. (Now don’t you feel foolish, Ismael? Put that Best BUY coupon away. No use telling them that you can get a PC priced at $141.00 in 1981 dollars. Might even get you run out of town.)

7 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not ask if you can play Pong on it. If you do, at best more funny looks. At worst, one of the engineers will suddenly see you as a genius and won’t get away from you. (You may think this is a good thing, Izzy but the guy hasn’t been out of his clothes for two weeks.)

6 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not use white-out on the screen to correct mistakes you make trying out a unit. If you do, at best the group with think you are cute. At worst, they’ll think you are a technology terrorist. (There are a couple of big guys moving your way, Iban. Might be a good idea to take your white-out and correction-tape and head for the door.)

5 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not complain if you get a stripped-down version with no monitor for your $1565.00 ($4313 in 2018 dollars). If you do, at best you will be told to buy a more expensive model. At worst, the engineers will sit you down and explain that the PC was designed to be hooked to a TV monitor. ( So now you know, Ivo. You just plop that sucker down by your TV and plug it in the back. Well, assuming you have a connection on your TV. If not come back and get the +$3,000 models. We’ll throw in a couple of floppy disk drives too. Don’t tell me you don’t know what floppy disks are?)

4 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not scoff at Charlie Chaplin’s character The Little Tramp as a spokesperson for the IBM PC. If you do, at best, the market will ignore you. At worse, the advertising folks will lock you in a room and make you watch an endless loop of Little Tramp commercials until you buy a PC. (Best just buy one in the first half-hour, Idal. Otherwise, your brain may melt.)

3 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not buy before you try. If you do, at best you can put up with some inconvenience. At worst, you’ll be trying to save to drives that don’t exist and trying to print to slots that are empty. (Maybe you should have tried it out first, Isham. Looks like you will need the more expensive one after all.)

2 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not ask if it is compatible with your iPhone. If you do, at best, no one in the room will know what an iPhone is. At worst, the security department will believe you asked the question because you are from a competitor. (Looks like it is going to be a fun ride out the front door, Izak. Try to land on something soft this time.)

1 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not ask if it comes in colors other than grey. If you do, at best the salespeople will think you are joking. At worst, the salespeople will think you are a corporate spy for Apple. (Looks like they are ready for this kind of thing, Issa. Here comes the sheriff with a couple of deputies. MIght be a good time to hit the way back button on that cell phone.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Where”

August 10, 2019August 10, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 65 Comments

Where in the world does Linda Hill find these prompts? It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday, and this weeks prompt is “where.” There is a little more to it, so I’ll let Linda explain.

Linda’s words. “Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “where.” Start your post with the word “where” and write whatever comes to you. Bonus points if you end your post with “where” too. Enjoy!”

Now you know why I started the post with “where.” If you would like to have fun like this, go to Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS August 10/19

“Where” by John W. Howell © 2109

“Where, oh, where has my little dog gone.”

“Another nut case Saturday I see.”

“Oh, where oh, where can she be.”

“Sigh.”

“With her tail cut short and he nose cut long.”

“Big finish now.”

“I forgot the next stanza.”

“You are kidding.”

“No. I’ve drawn a blank.”

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, I feel fine.”

“Not like you to forget a verse.”

“I know. Maybe I’m slipping.”

“That train pulled out long ago.”

“Very funny. Now I’m concerned.”

“Please. It’s just a dumb song that was made up eons ago.”

“Makes me wonder, though.”

“About what?”

“The brain.”

“How so.”

“When slips occur.”

“Why?”

“No, not why.”

“What then?”

“With all that information gone. To where.”

Friday John Ku – AKA – TGIF

August 9, 2019August 15, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 84 Comments

Lucy and Twiggy — “Okay Dad. Lucy doesn’t want to play tug of war. It is up to you.”

Another Friday (YAY). This week has been pretty standard around here. It seems odd not to have workers or furniture disrupting the day. Well, we are certainly glad for that situation.

The weather here in Austin has been in the 100’s all week. We are told by the local weather forecaster that it is going to be this way for another two weeks. There was no discussion about what happens after that, so who knows how long it will last.

I managed to keep my 1000 words a day goal. I’m now sitting at over 41,000. This book is a strange one for sure. Let me tell you about it. The protagonists are both dead and on a trip to the eternal home. They were allowed to choose some learning stops, so they went to Dodge City, Kansas in 1874 and ended up in the Longbranch Saloon. Then to Tombstone Arizona in 1881. It seems James (The protagonist) had an interest in Wyatt Earp. From there they ended up at the Alamo in 1836 but this time it wasn’t a destination they requested.

Apparently, they witnessed the devil taking a soul at the OK Corral in Tombstone, and now the devil wants to chat. He sent a text to James (His reply number 666), but he and Samantha (The other protagonist) decided to ignore it. So now the devil is manipulating their agenda. He definitely wants to strike a deal so that James and Samantha won’t be letting souls know about his personal visits at the time of death.

The devil thinks it might be bad for business if people knew the devil himself would be ushering wicked souls to hell. He thinks people might not damn themselves if they knew a personal meeting was the result. The devil believes it would be a good idea if James and Samantha joined his team. Joining him would guarantee their loyalty and silence. He decides to show them what it would be like being a devil’s disciple.

Their first stop is Wimbledon where James beats Roger Federer for the 2019 title. Next for James is the Normandy landing on D-day 1944. James is leading a company of troopers headed for Omaha Beach. James has no idea what to do and worse, not sure he can get back to the Bellagio in Las Vegas. That is where he and Sam were having dinner with the devil before he was willed to France. Stay tuned.

Today’s JohnKu talks about imagination. I hope you have a terrific weekend.

Imagination,

In the hands of a writer. . .

Can be a good thing.

Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day

August 7, 2019August 6, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 55 Comments

It is Wednesday Story Day again, and last week we found out that Christine has some information to share. What confused most of us is why she is willing to share the information. I guess when we recovered from the fact that Christine was still alive and was rather cavalier about her meeting with Larry and Andrew, we need to find reasons to trust her. I see she is getting her second drink and that Andrew has joined her with a snifter of Willet Reserve Bourbon.

“Here’s your drink.”

“Thank you, Andrew. I see you are joining me.”

“I never like to turn down an invitation from a beautiful lady for a drink.”

“Oh, you devil. Andrew. I’ll bet you were a killer in your day.”

“My day?”

“Okay, you two. Let’s get back to your theory, Christine.”

“Such a spoilsport, Larry.”

“I know, Andrew. Just enjoy your drink. So Christine, before all the bar fly activities you mentioned that you thought Alexis set up a meeting with his wife and that she and Mr. Dixon killed him.”

“That’s my theory.”

“Do you have any proof?”

“Not really. Just the fact that I got a call from him saying he would be a little late and was going to try and meet with his wife.”

“Was she here in South Tahoe?”

“Yes, they were staying on the California side in the Hyatt there.”

“Wait a minute. If he was staying with his wife at the Hyatt, how did he meet with you?”

“Come on, Larry. You have to know some couples have arrangements. She had her Dixon I had my Alexis.”

“Okay, I get it.”

“You don’t approve, though do you?”

“I was faithful to my wife until she died, and in many respects, I still am. Even so, folks have to do what folks have to do. You can’t really say you know if Alexis met with his wife or not, can you?”

“No, but it has to be worth something to be able to testify that she was here in South Lake Tahoe at the time of his death.”

“Did you see her?”

“No. Alexis told me.”

“Yeah, that isn’t going to do us much good.”

“Damnit, Larry I know she killed him, and somebody’s got to bring her to justice.”

“It is interesting that she told us she wasn’t here when he died. Andrew, I wonder if we can get the hotel to release records about Janice being in the hotel with Alexis.”

“That is going to be tricky. We don’t have jurisdiction here. The hotel might ask for a warrant.”

“How about a warrant from a Boston judge?”

“I’ll call the chief and explain what we need.”

“You gentlemen need some juice around this town?”

“What do you mean Christine?”

“I have some friends in high places, and if you need a favor, maybe they can help.”

“You know a judge?”

“I know one very well. He and I used to date.”

“Date?”

“Please, Larry, give a girl her dignity. Let me call him and see if he would do me a favor. I’m going to ask him to meet with you. You can then explain what you need. Excuse me guys, but I need to talk to him in private. I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t say a word, Andrew. Wait until we are outside.”

“Yes, boss.”