While getting ready for a library book appearance this afternoon, there was an envelope on the kitchen counter which had been overlooked. It left from yesterday’s mail delivery. Since it was from my dental insurance provider, opening it seemed to be a good idea. It was from the head of client services, and she wanted to let me know that if I do nothing, my coverage will continue on January 1, 2022.

I felt all warm inside until I saw the date of the letter was October 15. I had to wonder why there was such a delay. This caused me to read further and come to a section that detailed that my premium was not going to change next year. Well, that’s good, was my thought. Then looking at the premium amount, a surprise jumped out. The amount listed was $11.00 more than I thought. With my finger resting on the word ‘premium,’ my other hand went to the web. Sure enough, the amounts were the same.

A further look at payment history showed the price of my premium went up by $11.00 back in May of 2019. “Where the hell have you been?” This was a question that seemed to have no answer. A call to customer service confirmed the increase and the fact that my autopay took care of it.

Disconnecting in a state of stun, the wondering mind turned to all the other autopay accounts, and then the doorbell rang. The first action was getting Twiggy off the ceiling. The second was to look at the ring camera mage, which showed a guy standing there waving an envelope. I spoke to him through the intercom. “Just drop it.” “No can do.” Finally came the reply, “Special delivery.”

I picked up Twiggy and went to open the door. She is visible through the glass doing her Tasmanian devil impersonation while throwing foam left and right. The guy must have had a second thought since he threw down the envelope and broke the Olympic record covering the 100 yards to his truck.

Putting Twiggy back down, making sure she was breathing normally, I retrieved the envelope. Here is what was inside.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “close eyes and point.” Grab the closest printed material to you when you sit down to write your post, open it up (if it’s a book, flyer, etc.), close your eyes, and point. Whatever your finger lands on, use that as your prompt. Have fun!

If you would like to have, fun visit Linda’s blog and see how easy it is. Here is the link.

/https://lindaghill.com/2021/11/05/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-nov-6-2021/

Premium by John W. Howell © 2021

“Look at you.”

“What?”

“Put your finger on the word premium. You know what you can do with that?”

“I think it’s done.”

“Aw, Naw. You’re not gonna let that story stand as your contribution.”

“I think I am.”

“Come on. You can do a ton of things.”

“Why don’t you write one.”

“What?”

“I said —”

“I know what you said. You must be crazy.”

“Why”

“I don’t write. I review. You know the old adage?”

“Tell me.”

“If you can’t do, review.”

“Please, I heard it a different way.”

“Anyway, I’m a beer expert, not a wordsmith.”

“So get on with your expertise.”

“Premium or lite?”

“Very funny.”

“Maybe I could write.”

“Stick with your strength.”

Since tomorrow is Halloween, I decided to double-check the preparations for the trick or treaters. I put on my boots to avoid inadvertently stepping on any sharp object in the front of the house. The backyard is a barefoot safe zone, but the front is a different matter. It is like the boonies hazard-wise.

A notebook grab off the bookcase made sure the listing of the things needing to be checked was at hand. My first stop was the boogeyman by the front door. The electronic sensor which caused the release of the ghoulish laugh was working perfectly.

Next, the automatic candy dispenser was found to be releasing two Kit Kat bars per perceived visitor instead of one. A quick adjustment and reboot corrected the problem, and rather than open the apparatus to replace the bar, I ate it.

Further down the driveway, I checked the parent’s booze dispenser. Pretending to be a parent, I read the instructions. The machine required entering a birthday to receive a margarita. Although a little early entering my birthday did produce a margarita on the rocks without salt. Not wanting to waste a perfectly prepared margarita, it accompanied me on the final phase of my rounds.

The boombox is cleverly hidden in the bushes and will surprise all who approach the house. It is placed so that it is the first thing encountered by visitors. There is a prerecorded reel with messages. My favorite is the one that says, “Halt, who goes there?” The banshee scream is a good one too.

As I returned to the house, satisfied that the trick or treaters would be well-served without any need to interact, I came upon a bamboo pungy stick. It was stuck in the flower bed with a note attached. The message read, Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “boo.” Find a word with the letters “boo” in it or use “boo” as is and base your post on it. Enjoy!

If you would like to enjoy, visit Linda’s blog and read how. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2021/10/29/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-october-30-2021/

Boo by John W. Howell © 2021

“So you don’t want to meet trick or treaters.”

“Let’s just say I would rather avoid that.”

“Yet you set up all that stuff.”

“Anyone who gets past the boombox and the booz machine is welcome to the Kit Kat. Of course, then there is the ghoul for a final scare. So there will be no loitering.”

“Do trick or treaters ever ring your bell?”

“Big sign there that says not to.”

“What if they do?”

“A loud boom followed by water balloons.”

“You didn’t check that.”

“Works all year on anyone. No need to check.”

“Remind me not to come by tomorrow.”

“Don’t come by.”

“Figure of speech.”

“Just making sure.”

“Beer?”

“How about a margarita instead?”

“Sounds good.”

“Just enter your birthday on the touchpad.”

“You are mad, you know that?”

“Just a little. Cheers.”