Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #109 by Keith Channing

Here is Keith Channing explaining this whole deal. “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.” Here is the photo.

Kreative Kue #109

The Race by John W. Howell © 2017

“Would yo look at that.”

“What?”

“Those bike racers.”

“What about them?”

“They are on some kind of contraption. They’re not racing at all.”

“They are too. It is break time is all.”

“Break time? What is that all about?”

“You see these guys on the motorcycle thingy are giving the cyclists a ride while they have a drink and rest a little.”

“Is that in the rules?”

“Of course. The idea is not to delay the race but make sure the cyclists have enough water  and  are healthy enough to finish.”

“Takes the uncertainty out of it don’t you think?”

“Well, the best rider will finish not the one who can stand the torture the best.”

“Isn’t the torture part of separating the strong from the weak?”

“I suppose but this way it is a matter of riding skill, not stamina.”

“I don’t know. Would be like putting a football team on Segways for part of the game.”

“Might be fun.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Think of a guy on a Segway going out for a pass and the defender is on his Segway and then they both go after the ball.”

“A big crash right?”

“Yeah. Doesn’t it sound great.”

“You like hockey don’t you?”

“How’d you guess?”

“Oh just lucky.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do on a Spa Vacation

Top Ten things not to do

The inspiration for this list came from looking at possible spa vacations and then deciding to pass after reviewing all the material. I hope you enjoy the list and for those who love spa vacations, I am very envious since you obviously have a good feeling about yourself.

Ten Things Not to Do on a Spa Vacation.

10 On a spa vacation, do not sign up for anything you don’t understand. If you do, at best you will learn what you don’t like at a high cost. At worst, those funny words turn out to mean “tortured until you confess.” (Sad thing is you don’t know what to admit huh, Bunky?)

9 On a spa vacation, do not fall asleep in the sauna. If you do, at best you will wake up before dehydration sets in. At worst, your dreams of lost in the desert will, in fact, be reality and that oasis is a mirage. ( Being a conscript in the French Foreign Legion wasn’t on the itinerary was it, Buford?)

8 On a spa vacation, do not think the phrase “essential oils” really means not optional. If you do, at best you’ll experience a new meaning to the term, “greasy.” At worst, you cannot find a place to sit, lie, or stand where you don’t slide off and end up on the floor or ground. (So everyone thinks you are drunk huh, Bosco. You shouldn’t care until CNN shows up)

7 On a spa vacation, do not think the robes are gifts of the hotel. If you do, at best you’ll pay the $75.00 each charge without complaint. At worst, the head of security will be called over the loudspeaker to look through your bags at checkout since housekeeping reported the robes missing.(Right now Tiny the WWF champ is walking across the lobby, and the look on his face gives you the chills. You sense he has been looking forward to this all day don’t you, Buster? Can you say strip search?)

6 On a spa vacation, do not sign up for the mud baths if you are unsure of the source of the dirt. If you do, at best you will imagine all kinds of things in that mud with you. At worst, once you realize that Bayou Baths is a combination of river mud, crawfish droppings, and decayed vegetation you’ll never feel clean again regardless of the number of showers you take. (The brochure said “all natural” so what’s the complaint, Furd? Sure you got a little in your mouth, but you’ve had worse.”)

5 On a spa vacation, do not think massage words are the same as outside life words. If you do, at best you were careful in describing the service you were expecting. At worst, the light-hearted comments about deep massage will have you begging to be saved.(Let’s not even mention how you mumbled aloud something about the ending, Tex.)

4 On a spa vacation, do not try to influence the music choice of the staff. If you do, at best you will be ignored. At worst, the esoteric music that you thought was annoying has now been replaced by heavy metal favorites played on a flute, harp, and oboe. (Makes the nails on the chalkboard analogy seem inadequate huh, Rube?)

3 On a spa vacation, do not ignore the hot stone warnings. If you do at best aloe vera will ease the pain. At worst, you will now be mistaken for an Olympic athlete who had undergone suction treatments. ( Of course, you could also be mistaken for an idiot who doesn’t pay attention to warnings, Stu. I Love that line of circles down your back.)

2 On a spa vacation, do not think a seaweed wrap is a luncheon menu item. If you do, at best your cries for rescue will be ignored. At worst, as you struggle to free yourself from the grip of the slimy seaweed you inadvertently roll into the hot tub. ( Now maybe the stuff will cook off huh, Buddy? Can you say Miso soup?)

1 On a spa vacation, do not think you can request your favorite food. If you do, at best you will get zucchini prepared like your favorite food. At worst, the staff will believe you need a “cleanse interdiction,” and you will spend the rest of your holiday fearing to be more than ten steps from a ceramic chair.(Man, that juice tasted so good going down didn’t it, Bubba? Do you think they put jalapeno peppers in there?)

Views of the Neighborhood

My producer was scouring the local news and came upon the annual Library book sale. She suggested it would make a good item for Views of the Neighborhood. Off we went. This first photo shows the civic center entrance, and sure enough, there was a line waiting for the sale to begin.

Library Book Sale

Got to the sign and sure enough. The sale opens at 9:00 am. It is now 8:45 am.

Book sale

A little closer will give you a view of the folks in line. I have to explain that most of these people are from the upper midwest. They are waiting in line. Most Texans do not wait in line for anything except barbeque. (Also, Texans in this part of the country don’t wear sneakers)

Book Sale

The doors opened and in we went. I know what your thinking. We did not wait in line we went to the store and then came back.

Here is an overview of the interior. You can see a lot of tables and books. There were so many it would be impossible to show you all.

Book Sale

Here is an example of animal books.

Book Sale

And a selection (among many ) of paperbacks.

Book Sale

The pricing system was pretty straight forward.

Book Sale

Each table had a particular sign giving the reader an idea of what was there. I picked one of the more interesting.

Book Sale

The Civic Center is an interesting place unto itself. It has a small museum at the entrance with some exhibits. Here one showing the birds in the area.

Book Sale

The last photo is a display of a few of the fish around the Gulf. If you look closely, you can see the idiot photographer reflected in the display glass. This will also give you a good idea what Texans wear around here.

Book Sale

I hope you enjoyed the view this week.

 

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Hair”

 

SOCS

It is Steam of Consciousness Saturday time again and this week’s prompt is “Hair.” Linda Hill, the master torturer at the Hill Dungeon of Prompts, says we can use the word any way we want and to have fun. This caused me to pause and wonder how many ways can I use the word “hair?” If you would like to also have these kinds of conundrums visit Linda’s post and read how. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2017/02/03/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-417/

Hair By John W. Howell © 2017

“Gimmie long lengths of hair. Shining, flaxen, waxen hair. Shoulder length or longer.”

“What are you singing?”

“The song from Hair.”

“Hair?”

“Yeah, the musical.”

“Oh. please. That old thing.”

“It’s a classic. Was a major Broadway production with nudity.”

“Nudity? You call weird flashlights nudity?”

“What do you mean?”

“The place was dark except for a few flashlights.”

“So what. The cast was necked.”

“You mean naked.”

“When a bunch of folks are without clothes and there is no swimmin’ hole, and it includes boys as well as girls that’s necked.”

“I see. Did you see the show?”

“Well no.”

“How come?”

“I was only ten when it came out.”

“How do you know about the nude scene then?”

“I read about it.”

“And the song?”

“Partridge Family sang it.”

“But you were little then,”

“I know. I had the record, though.”

“Could you understand what they were saying.”

“No, I just like the music.”

“Ever want to see the show?”

“I would now.”

“Why now?”

“You gotta ask?”

“Man you kill me sometimes. You can see more nudity at the park.”

“What park?”

“Let it go. I was just making a point.”

“Which is?”

“You are an idiot.”

 

Friday JohnKu -AKA- TGIF

TGIF

 

Friday is the day of the week that brings us all together in the worship of time off. This weekend is Super Bowl weekend and a time to gather and cheer for someone else’s team. This year the Pittsburgh Steelers (My team) lost the championship to the New England Patriots and Tom (squeeze that ball) Brady. So naturally, I am a one day fan of the Atlanta Falcons who won the right to meet the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

My wife and I love the commercials so even though our team is not playing we will be watching. We have been invited to a party and will also look at the game in between mouthfuls of forbidden foods. Oh, let me correct that statement. I will be eating mouthfuls of forbidden foods. (until caught that is to say) All in all, it should be a good time, and we are looking forward to the event. The idea of rooting for a team to lose (As I am with backing the Atlanta Falcons against the New England Patriots) is the subject of today’s John Ku. Hope you like it and have a terrific weekend.

Root to Lose by John W. Howell ©2017

Your team didn’t win,

Subvert the victorious . . .

Sport and politics.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Mystery Thriller Writers Week #MTW

Mystery Thriller Week

 

I am one of the original writers to sign up for the mystery, Thriller Week event scheduled for February 12th through February 22nd.

This event brings together mystery and thriller writers for a week of showcasing:

BOOKS

AUDIOBOOKS

CONTESTS

REVIEWS

COVER REVEALS

TRAILERS

PROMOTIONAL SPECIALS

MARKETING

BRANDING

NAME RECOGNITION

AUTHOR INTERVIEWS

GUEST BLOG POSTS

LIVE FACEBOOK AUTHOR HOSTING EVENTS

VIDEO DISCUSSIONS AND TRAINING

PUBLISHING MENTORING

PRIZES

AWARDS

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

I will be hosting a live Facebook event on February 16th at 9:00 AM Eastern Time. I will be discussing character participation in story development. (I will remind you again)

My purpose with this post is to introduce to what we hope to be an annual event. Here is the link to the About page. Go check it out and look at the other tabs as well.

Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day

Hump Day

 

It is Wednesday Story Day time again, and last week we witnessed a confrontation between Seth and Alice which made it clear that these two had some major history. We left them without knowing why Seth said, “You were right,” to Alice. Well, we can always hope that was a hint for a cringe moment later. Let’s get back to the widow’s house in this lovely town of Antion, Illinois. Notice the town has a name, and I want to thank Dan Antion for allowing me to borrow his surname for the story. (You can almost see his editor’s eye roll can’t you?)

“Hey, Alice. I thought you had left.”
“Hi, Lucas. I had an errand to run is all.”
“You led me to believe you were changing your mind about coming to my place.”
“Well, I did change my mind about that earlier. With a little encouragement, I could be persuaded to change my mind again.”
“I am real confused. One minute yes, one minute no. What can I do to convince you?”
“How about saying something nice.”
“Like how beautiful you look today.”
“Nice start.”
“You look beautiful today.”
“You said that Lucas. Try something else.”
“Come over here and sit next to me on the swing.”
“Okay. What do you have in mind?”
“Nothing but I can say I like the way the sun hits your hair. Makes it glow.”
“ How sweet you are. I really believe you mean that.”
“Can I hold your hand?”
“I’m not sure I want the neighborhood seeing us mooning on the front porch swing.”
“Yeah, I see that. I’ll just say I like the way your dress lays when you cross your legs.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your legs are something I would like to see. I have a hint by how the fabric clings but would like to touch them in the flesh.”
“That was almost poetic. I am starting to like the way you talk.”
“I also like your arms. They have a healthy and trim look, and I could imagine being held close by them. Your hands—”
“Let’s go to your place, Lucas. Now.”

Tuesday Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #108

 

“HereYou know I love prompts and will let Keith Channing tell you in his words about this one. “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 #108

The Hold-Up bu John W. Howell  ©2017

“Just keep running for god’s sake.”

“I’m not sure I can go any further.”

“You’d better. Want the cops to get you.”

“N-no but my lungs are going to burst.”

“Stop whining. You’re the one who screwed up the getaway car.”

“So I forgot to check the gas.”

“So I forgot to check the gas? You are an idiot you know that?”

“Aw come on. It could happen to anyone.”

“Okay let me ask. Who was responsible for the getaway car?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah it was me. I’ll never live this down I can see that now.”

“Shut up will you and give me a chance to think. This money is getting pretty heavy, and you’re right it is getting harder to keep running.”

“Look over there. Do you see what I see?”

“Carriages?”

“Yes, carriages. We can grab one of those.”

“I can hear the all points bulletin now. ‘BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR TWO DUMB SHITS IN A STOLEN CARRIAGE ‘ Are you out of your mind?”

“No, listen. We hire one and give him a bunch of dough. He keeps his mouth shut. We look like a couple of tourists, and nobody will be the wiser.”

“I guess it does beat dying of a stroke. Okay, let’s do it.”

“You gentleman look like you are in a hurry.”

“Is this carriage for hire?”

“Well normally it is, but it is booked on an exclusive tour today.”

“Could a little incentive talk you out of skipping the trip.”

“What kind of incentive?”

“A thousand bucks.”

“Whoa. You could talk me out of anything for a thousand bucks. Hop in.”

“Here’s your money. Want to count it?”

“Ten hundred’s is pretty easy to count.”

“So what was the tour was booked?”

“Get up boy. Oh, nothing important.”

Come on. You have my curiosity aroused.”

“Well, the police chief wanted to take his wife for a ride  and lunch.”

“The p-police chief?”

“Yeah. You see he’s a nut about romance, carriages, and horses.”

“He is huh.”

“He also likes to drive them himself.”

“H-himself?”

“I would sit back and enjoy the ride, boys. It might be your last for a while.”

 

 

Top Ten Things Not to Do on a Bicycle

 

Top Ten Things Not to do on a BikeThe inspiration for this list is my three days a week eight-mile ride on the single speed beach cruiser bike which is pictured above. I get some crazy thoughts while moving along and I thought I would share them with you. For those of you who have seen my bike before will recognize the fact that this is a newer version. It is all aluminum, so maybe it won’t rust and collapse under me like the last model. Hope you enjoy the list.

10 On a bike, do not think you are riding a motorcycle. If you do, at best the hand wave you make to the Hells Angles will be ignored. At worst, the leader of the pack, Tiny (WWF champion) will use you as an example of what happens when you mock the Hells Angles. (Don’t worry he will untie you and let you go at the next town or fifty miles whichever comes first, Ferd.)

9 On a bike, do not think you can take phone calls. If you do, at best the other end will hear two out of ten words. At worst, you might be distracted enough to miss your turn and end up with a thirty-mile ride. (You have always warned people about that turn, and now you are the poster child, huh Bunky?)

8 On a bike, do not think riding on a busy highway is the way to go. If you do, at best you’ll get used to the horn honks. At worst, that eighteen wheeler blast of air will knock some sense into you as you go airborne. (You were sure people couldn’t fly, weren’t you Tex?)

7 On a bike, do not insist on exercising your rights to the right of way. If you do, at best all others will concede. At worst, you’ll confront a passive aggressive psychopath who has just been told they need to be more assertive.( That crumpled aluminum mass can be sold for scrap, Buster. Just pick it up and walk the ten miles to the recycle center.)

6 On a bike, do not neglect proper clothing. If you do, at best the stares by those you pass can be ignored. At worst, the citation for indecent exposure will be seen as a mark down from public lewdness.( All because of that speedo, huh Ace?)

5 On a bike, do not forget that wet roads are slippery. If you do, at best a couple of  slides will be a reminder. At worst, that long hill ending at dead man’s curve seems to be a challenge right now in that you are going twenty miles an hour straight down. (Brakes are a liability in this situation aren’t they Buford?)

4 On a bike, do not forget insects will hit you at the speed you are going. If you do, at best a couple of moth hits is all you will experience. At worst, you’ll have the pleasure of being dismounted by the largest June bug on the planet. (This is not a joust, and there is no princess kiss at the end either, Duke.)

3 On a bike, do not watch the scenery more than the road. If you do, at best you’ll get a warning to return to your lane. At worst, that lovely cottage and flower garden holding your attention is at the corner of the road and a drainage ditch. (mud and water are easy to get off you, What about the bike, Mike?)

2 On a bike, do not think more about your plot line and less about the double line. If you do, at best you will get home safely. At worst, your story line development will be interrupted by a quick ride to the ER. (Now with your leg in the air you have plenty of time to do the story line huh, Ernest?)

1 On a bike, do not think you can do tricks like you’ve seen on the trick bike championships. If you do, at best you’ll remember that all those champions are under twenty years old and stop yourself. At worst, you’ll get half way through a triple spin and realize that your arthritis is no longer your major bone problem. (Enjoy everyone visiting you in the hospital and asking, “What were you thinking John?”)

Views of the Neighborhood

Today we are visiting an absorbing place. I have mentioned the Farley Boat Works in a couple of posts and have featured the Farley Boat planters sponsored by the garden club. Today though we are going to the mother ship. The actual Farley Boat Works and Museum.

Farley Boats set the standard along the Gulf Coast for fishing and sport from 1915 to the mid-1970s. Three generations of the Farley family designed and built the Farley Boat in the back of their home in Port Aransas, Texas.

Here is a shot of works taken in the sixties.

Farley Boats

No Farley Boats were made from the late seventies until The Port Aransas Preservation, and Historical Association (PAPHA) opened the restored Farley Boat Works building to the public on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. Boat building lessons for the general public commenced the same day.

Here is how the building looks today

Farley Boat Works

The Boat Works Manager Frank Coletta supervises the activities which include, boat building lessons, restoration,, and fundraising. Behind Frank is a partial view of the workspace.

Farley Boat Works

Above where Frank is standing is a sign that captures the essence of the boat works.

Farley Boat Works

The next photo shows a bench with every kind of clamp needed to hold pieces of wood together.

Farley Boat Works

The next shot is a skiff under construction

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I mentioned earlier that Frank supervises fundraising for the boat works. A man project is the construction of a handmade kayak which is sold at auction. The last one sold for thousands. Here is the next one being made.

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One project of the boat works is the design, fabrication, and launch of the first Texas Schooner in over one hundred years. The sign below welcomes donations for spars and sails on the finished craft.

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Here is the schooner being built under a tent outdoors. You can see the rudder laying on its side on the concrete blocks

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There are other exhibits on the grounds. Here are two. This room gives you a history of the works and contains an example of an outboard motor powered boat.

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This room has a more classic Farley Boat.

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There is plenty more to see including a collection of old outboard motors and other artifacts. If you are in Port Aransas a visit to the Farley Boat Works is a must. The museum and boat works is located at 716 W. Avenue C, Port Aransas, TX 78373