Friday John Ku – AKA – TGIF

June 16, 2017June 13, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 37 Comments

TGIF

Friday you sweet thing. Good to see you again. Well, this week I have been working like a mad man to try to set up some posts for the time I’m out-of-town. I am able to prepare posts for my regular features. The posts that are prompts will be a different matter. On Tuesday and Saturday, my prompts come from others, so I’ll just have to hope the WiFi works well. I will be gone ten days beginning June 18th. Today’s JohnKu talks about the fear of missing out. I hope you have a great weekend.

When we are away,

The fear of missing out lives. . .

But is unfounded.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Lucy is Concerned

June 15, 2017June 13, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 75 Comments

“Hi, Boss.”

“Well, hello Lucy. How are you today?”

“Pretty good boss but I have a question.”

“I wonder if you could set that computer aside for a minute?”

“Oh, sure, sweetheart.”

Lucy

“Darn thing anyway.”

“You had a question?”

Yeah. Mom tells us you are heading overseas.”

“Yes, that is true. I’ll be gone a couple of weeks.”

Lucy

“What’s with that face?”

“I’m worried.”

“About what?”

“That you’ll forget us.”

“How is that possible? You are my babies.”

Lucy

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“And the kibble will show up as usual?”

“Guaranteed.”

“Thanks, Boss. I think we’ve covered it all. Time to rest.”

Lucy

“Sleep tight, Lucy.”

“Have a nice trip, Boss. Don’t forget the souvenir.”

“Wouldn’t think of forgetting. Thanks.”

***

Lucy has a way to introduce the fact that I will be leaving for Scotland on the 18th returning on the 30th. We are going to visit the birthplace of our grandparents. This trip will place a little pressure on my blogging so I apologise in advance if I miss a comment or even a post. I’ll do my best to stay current but one never knows.

Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day

June 14, 2017June 12, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 47 Comments

Hump Day

It is Wednesday Story Time again. Last week we were treated to a bit of information that had us on the ropes (metaphorically speaking, of course). It seems that Harriet and Alice have a past together that included some unsavory items. It is time to get back to the hospital since I see the doctor coming out into the waiting room.

“Doctor do you have news for us?”
“Which of you is Mrs. Murphy?”
“I’m Mrs. Murphy.”
“And so you must be Mrs. Weston.”
“Yes, yes I am.”
“Okay how about we have a seat over there.”
“Is it serious doctor?”
“Well, let’s just say Mr. Saveride has a long way back.”
“What do you mean back?”
“That is a good question, Mrs. Weston. Mr. Saveride suffered a traumatic injury to his liver, spleen, and gut. He fell quite a distance and when he hit the ground there was a secondary collision of his organs inside his body.”
“Oh, my.”
“Yes, Mrs. Murphy. He is very lucky to be alive. I must say he is strong and young but he will need a lot of rest and little motion for the next few weeks.”
“I have a spare room. He can certainly stay with me.”
“Alice you know full well that he will be staying at my house.”
“Well, he won’t be leaving this hospital for at least two weeks so you two have plenty of time to determine where he can go. Also, I will not release him if he still has signs of internal injuries.”
“He can stay as long as necessary. I’m fully responsible for his bills.”
“I do understand that Mrs. Murphy and he is lucky to have a friend like you.”
“Yes, Mrs. Murphy. Mr. Saveride is very lucky to have a friend like you.”
“Please, Alice we need to think of Lucas and put our petty differences behind us.”
“Unless there are any questions, I have another surgery to attend.”
“When can we see him?”
“He should be awake soon and then about an hour in the ICU just to make sure he’s okay. I would say tonight about seven. In the meantime, I think you too ought to get some dinner.”
“Thank you, doctor. And thank you for saving our Lucas.”
“You are quite welcome. If you have any other question please get in touch.”
“We will doctor. Goodbye.”
‘“We will doctor goodbye.’ You make me sick.”
“Come on Alice. Let’s follow the doctor’s advice and grab some dinner. I could use a belt.”
“I thought you gave up alcohol, Harriet you dog.”
“I’m taking it up again. You want dinner or no?”
“Hell yeah. I’m in. Like old times.”
“Keep your hands to yourself though.”
“Aw. That’s no fun.”
“Maybe not, but just the same.”
“Buzzkill.”

#My GRL is Featured on Ereader News Today for $.99

June 13, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 25 Comments

My GRL is featured on Ereader News Today for $.99.

Here is the blurb.

Can an ordinary guy overcome the super ordinary to stop a terrorist plot?

John J. Cannon, a successful San Francisco lawyer, takes a leave of absence from the firm and buys a boat he names My GRL. His intent is to try to relax, but others make this intention impossible. John is unaware when he buys his boat that it has been targeted by a terrorist group to be used as a guided bomb to destroy the Annapolis Midshipmen on their summer cruise.

John’s first inkling of trouble is when he wakes up in the hospital and learns they found him unconscious next to the body of the young woman who sold him the boat in the first place. He was also laying on the gun that killed her. John must struggle to convince the police he is not a murderer and then he finally ends up as the only one who is available to try and stop the terrorists from completing their mission.

The action moves from a small town in Texas to fifty miles offshore of the New York Harbor where the terrorists plan to launch their attack.

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #127 by Keith Channing

June 13, 2017June 12, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 31 Comments

Keith Channing explains what we are doing here. In his words, “Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; and either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithkreates@channing.fr 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 – pingbacks don’t often work.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries, with links to your own blog or web site, next Monday.”

The photo.

Kreative Kue #127

“Can you get your harness fastened?”

“I’m not sure. I think the buckle is broken.”

“Broken? How can that be? The government paid over $100,000 for that buckle. it is Titanium for heaven’s sake.”

“Well, smarty pants why don’t you come down here and try to get it to work?”

“You know I can’t do that. You have been hermetically sealed in the capsule and we can’t open it. It would render the atmosphere non-sterile.”

“So what are we to do then?”

“Let me check with control and get back to you.”

“Okay. How long till liftoff?”

“Thirty minutes. Plenty of time.”

“I’ll wait for your return.”

“Ha ha ha. I’m not ging anywhere I’m calling them. Hello, control. We have a situation. Marie’s harness won’t fasten. Uh huh, yup, affirmative. Thanks.”

“Uh, Marie.”

“Yes.”

“Control doesn’t want to delay the launch.”

“I can certainly understand that. So what do we do?”

“Are you sure you can’t get the harness buckled.”

“Yes, I’m sure. Joey here even tried.”

“Okay then here’s what control recommends. See that yellow bar just above you and to your left?”

“Yes, I see it.”

“And the one above you straight ahead?”

“Roger that one too.”

“When liftoff comes you are to grab that yellow bar to the left and the one straight ahead and hold on.”

“Wait a minute. You mean I’m going off in space holding on to a couple of bars like a monkey?”

“Looks that way.”

“Tell control there is no way.”

“I’m afraid it is the only way.”

“Then I quit.”

“You can’t quit.”

“Why not?”

“We have a contract that says you are going into space.”

“Without a harness?”

“The contract doesn’t stipulate how. I wish you God’s speed and a fabulous mission.”

“No, wait—”

“Sorry module one. Communications must cease until liftoff. Aloha.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do With a Smartphone

June 12, 2017June 11, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 52 Comments

Top Ten things Not to Do

10 If you have a smartphone, do not use it to send a breakup message. If you do, at best the message will fail to deliver. At worst, your message will be received just after the recipient has paid a no return deposit on the condo you were to share. (Talk about awkward, Idiot.)

9 If you have a smartphone, do not use it to video record those embarrassing family moments. If you do, at best you will be convinced to trash the video. At worst, your clip is now on YouTube, and there are a million likes. (Yes, your family is well-known for its stupidity. Too bad they can’t show their face in public, Putz)

8 If you have a smartphone, do not think you must reach the last level of Candy Crush. If you do, at best your phone will quit working. At worst, you will still be working to achieve the level even as your family has finally given up all contact. (Can you say obsessed, Bert?)

7 If you have a smartphone, do not think anyone wants to see your pictures. If you do, at best you may find a hapless victim who feigns interest. At worst, most of the people you show your treasures are sound asleep at the end. (Of course, they are now a captive audience huh, Buford?)

6 If you have a smartphone, do not think you can take pictures without permission. If you do, at best you may be told to stop doing so. At worst, Tiny the WWF champ who you just photographed, just confessed to his therapy group how camera-shy he has become as a result of being more open in the discussions. (You are very right to begin running, Buster. I think Tiny is gaining on you, though.)

5 If you have a smartphone, do not ask the robot assistant a question in public. If you do, at best you won’t be understood. At worst, your question was so inane that now everyone realizes you are an idiot. (“What is the temperature today?” was a real crowd pleaser, Goober. Go sit down and be quiet.)

4 If you have a smartphone, do not think you can watch a video and walk at the same time. If you do, at best a few bumps by passersby will convince you to stop. At worst, being airborne as a result of walking into a taxi will give you time to think about next time. (You must now prepare for the second collision with the ground, Tex. Here’s hoping there is a next time.)

3 If you have a smartphone, do not take any selfies you wouldn’t want your mother to see. If you do, at best she’ll never see them. At worst, those little photos you made for your friend’s eyes only are now featured on the Snapchat gross photo of the week. (And you thought the cloud was an iron-clad secure place huh, Dufus?)

2 If you have a smartphone, do not be afraid of that ringing sound. If you are, at best you can stop it by answering with a “hello.” At worst, the distraction of the ringing causes you to take extraordinary measures that finally silence the ringing. (You did know that water is harmful to a smartphone right, Bucky? And BTW smartphones were initially designed for phone calls. That’s what all that ringing was about.)

1 If you have a smartphone, do not operate any other machinery while using it.If you do, at best you will get one chance with no consequences. At worst, you may hurt yourself and others especially if you are driving a car. (But you know all this right, Bunion?)

Views of the Neighborhood

June 11, 2017June 10, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 47 Comments

I have Taken you to the Port Aransas Museum before, but last night there was the opening of a special display. The display commemorates Port Aransas area surfing.

This first shot is of a painting which was used as the program cover. It is the old Danceland where surfers used to meet to party. The building was torn down in the late sixties.

Surfer exhibit.

The exhibit had some informational stations like the one below. This tells of Women surfing pioneers.

The Caldwell Pier in Port Aransas is still a favorite surfing location. This shot is from the mid-sixties.

The next photo is a display telling of surfers riding the swells of a hurricane.

The event had its share of old surfers, and l you had to do was add a barley pop to begin a lively discussion.

Of course, there was a board rental place called The Surf Shack. Those long boards from the sixties are quite impressive.

This display points out the origin of surfing in Port Aransas in the early sixties.

A photo of a Surf Shop in the mid-sixties and a cherry 1966 Mercedes 300 sedan.

Here is a photo of the Magic Bus.

An actual surfboard.

I left this photo in so you could see how the exhibits were presented. (I also thought that guy in the pink shirt and the Corona was really the epitome of a surfer dude.)

A shot of the barmaids at work.

So you have an idea of the venue here is an outside shot of the museum building. I liked the flag flying as well.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Admit.”

June 10, 2017June 9, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 25 Comments

SOCS

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again. This week’s prompt is “Admit.” Linda Hill says we can use it any way we want. I have to admit I’m not sure how to use it but will figure it out before too long. If you would like to join the craziness just pop over to Linda’s blog and read up on all the rules. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2017/06/09/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-june-1017/

“This ticket says ‘admit one.’ Where does your buddy think he’s going?”

“Excuse me. You talking to me?”

“Yeah, Robert I’m talking to you.”

“Name’s Silvester.”

“Okay, Silvester. Where d’you think you’re going?”

“Into the show.”

“Show me your ticket.”

“He’s got it.”

“His says ‘admit one.’ You and he make two.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“Real simple. No ticket no entry.”

“I already said he’s got the ticket.”

“And I already told you his ticket says ‘admit one.”‘

“He and I are together.”

“Yeah, so?”

“That makes us as one.”

“Woo boy. You think I’m that stupid?”

“Don’t know.”

“Don’t know what?”

“If you are that stupid.”

“Okay, that’s it. Show me a ticket or get lost.”

“Here’s my ticket.”

“Now I have to ask.”

“What?”

“Why did you put me through all that?”

“You have to admit it was fun.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Suit yourself.”

“Let me ask just for grins. Did you get the Robert De Nero reference from the movie Taxi?”

“Yes. Yes, I did.”

“What’d you think?”

“Not funny. Excuse us the movie is going to start.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

June 9, 2017June 8, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 38 Comments

Funny Friday

Friday is here again and with it the prospect of being able to relax a little over the weekend. Only eight or so hours and we will approach Saturday Eve. When I was working, and in my youth, I used to enjoy going out on Friday for a couple of Coronas and a big juicy hamburger. (This was in the late 80s before I gave up eating beef.) I would get a bottle of Corona with a lime and then pour the bottle into a frosty glass a little at a time. We had a bunch of friends who would all meet at this same place. We put a title on the evening to describe the objective for all getting together. It was called “Beer, Beer, Burger, Beer.” The name stuck and at times was shortened to the “Four Bs.”

One day we all showed up, and the server explained that the manager would no longer allow beer bottles at the tables. It was okay at the bar, but he felt it was too seemly in the dining room. I ordered my beer and out it came in a twelve-ounce glass with a lime floating on the foamless top. It was the kind of presentation that could only be thought up in Northern Indiana.

Long story short, we all protested the new rule and convinced the manager that he was playing with fire. (Not to mention about ten bar tabs consisting of the Four Bs.) My next beer was served in a bottle alongside a chilled 8 oz glass as God had intended.

Today’s JohnKu talks about standing up for your rights. I hope you have a beautiful weekend.

Your life is your own,

When others decide for you. . .

Make sure you agree.