Tuesday – Anything Possible – Finger Point Prompt – “Answer”

August 27, 2024August 26, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 47 Comments

Today, I randomly opened Eternal Road – The final stop to page 45 and, without looking, placed my finger on the page. The word closest to my finger is “answer.”

“Is that your final answer?”

“What do you mean, ‘final answer?'”

“I mean that you can’t change your mind once you commit.”

“Um, maybe I better think a little linger.”

“I haven’t got all day.”

“Okay, okay, I just need a second.”

“Time’s up.”

“I said a second, not a split second.”

“Very funny. Come on, is that your final answer.”

“Yes. For heaven’s sake. That is my final answer.”

“Well, congratulations. You have completed the test.”

“Test? What test?”

“The test to see if you have what it takes to be part of this great organization.”

“Part of? Wait a minute. All I did was come in here for lunch.”

“I know, and now you are one of us.”

“I just said yes to your question. I didn’t know there was any more to it than that.”

“Oh, cricket. The world is a wondrous place, and on every highway, important questions need answers. You did well.”

“I’m sure I don’t understand what you just said, nor will I understand it.”

“It doesn’t matter. You said yes, and that’s all that counts.”

“I still don’t understand the importance of the question, ‘Do you want fries with that?’ I will just trust that my sandwich will be ready soon.”

“Life is more than a sandwich, cricket. I pray you see that one day. That’ll be eight fifty.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Hap.”

August 24, 2024August 23, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 89 Comments

Happiness is a strong cup of coffee to get the blood moving and the brain in gear. Thank you to my magic potion machine for delivering a cup of the hot steaming stuff with no delay. The functioning brain meant reaching for the clock would not be wasted. The clock is set for August 23, 1924 and the location is St Louis, Missouri. We arrive to pick up the story from the St Louis Dispatch in an article written by Roland Thomas.

He writes that the planets Mars and Earth were the closest today than they had been since August 18, 1845, and the closest since high-power telescopes had been constructed, coming within 34,630,000 miles (55,730,000 km). We know from experience that Mars and Earth would not be this close again until August 28, 2003.

As stories of men on Mars attacking the Earth are rumored, our alarm goes off, and we land safely on the couch. A text from Linda Hill comes through. It reads:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “hap.’” Find a word that starts with “hap” and use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda Hill’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/08/23/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-24-2024/

“Pretty exciting stuff.”

“Back then, it was.”

“When will it happen that Mars will be closest again?”

“Not till 2035.”

“Wow, that is a long wait.”

“Yeah, if you missed it in 2003, it sure is.”

“You going to watch it?”

“Humm. Maybe. I’ll be 94 then.”

“Oh, come on. With your VooDoo Ranger as support, there’s no contest.”

“I suppose you would call it the fountain of youth.”

“Well, maybe not the fountain of youth, but maybe the source of youth.”

“Or at least a haphazard conduit.”

“Well, we are happiest at the pub. Let’s go.”

“Uber?”

“Right over there.”

“Okay, I call shotgun.”

“You got it.”

“Do we have a ladder to get up there?”

“It so happens that I’m prepared to give you a boost.”

“Don’t drop a senior citizen.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Finger Point Prompt – “Nothing”

August 20, 2024August 19, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 50 Comments

Today, I randomly opened the award-winning book Eternal Road—The Final Stop to page 259 and placed my finger on the page without looking. The word nearest to my finger is ‘nothing.’

“What are you thinking?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh, come on. Your face tells a different story.”

“What do you mean?”

“That deep frown tells me something is bothering you.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Looks like something.”

“Why can’t you just believe me when I say it’s nothing?”

“Because I’m concerned when it looks like you’re troubled.”

“I’m not troubled.”

“Okay, let’s drop it then.”

“You started it. How about we drop it when I say we drop it?”

“You call it then.”

“I’m not ready to drop it yet.”

“Why not?”

“Because you didn’t accept the fact that I wasn’t thinking about anything.”

“I do now.”

“Yeah, but now I’m not thinking of nothing. I’m thinking about not talking to you for the rest of the day.”

“This got out of hand fast.”

“So next time when I say ‘nothing’ to a question of ‘What are you thinking about?’ You’ll believe me, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“Okay, I forgive you.”

“Thank you.”

“What are you thinking?”

“That I need three fingers of bourbon.”

“You are always thinking about bourbon. I believe you have a problem.”

“Soon to be solved with three fingers.”

“That was funny.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah.”

“I love you.”

“What are you thinking?”

“Don’t start. Go get your bourbon.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Shirt

August 17, 2024August 16, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 56 Comments

My coffee machine has started to develop an attitude. After punching the brew button, my fingers start drumming on the countertop. Indeed, you would think the machine could appreciate withdrawal symptoms when they manifest. Instead of sympathy, a message comes up on the touchpad. It says, “Keep your shirt on, this quality brew takes time.” Suitably chastised. Hopefully, my pout has had an impact since the coffee is delivered instantly.

Just after a sip, the doorbell’s Winchester Chime routine causes most of the coffee to hit the floor. Twiggy and Tempiste try to warn whoever is at the door that rabid wolves have taken up residence. A deep sigh and loud “Cut it out” finally bring some sense of quiet as the security system shut-down procedure starts.

The turret machine guns are set to stand by, the boiling oil cauldron tipping mechanism is turned off, and the automated arrow launching pods are unarmed. In addition, the Trebuchet, ballista, and falling rock device are switched to manual. The claymore mines are set to manual, the mote net rolled back, and the concertina wire retracted. The Iron gate is raised, and the bolts are thrown on the front door.

The door is opened, and a character who looks very much like Bug Bunny asks me to sign for a special delivery letter. My only comment is, “I guess you missed the do not ring the doorbell sign.”

He responds, “Don’t know how to read, Doc.” He then turns and hops away.

The letter is from Linda Hill, and it reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “shirt.’” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

If you want to see what others have done with the prompt, here is a link to Linda’s post: https://lindaghill.com/2024/08/16/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-17-2024/

“So again, no clock.”

“Well, this week, I had a request from an old friend to do the security system.”

“Oh, so you take requests now?”

“No, but in this case, my friend is a loyal follower and misses the old post. The story is a little deeper, too.”

“Do tell.”

“We both lost another friend who enjoyed making suggestions on the post. They both devised the Trebuchet, ballista, and the mote net. So, this post is in honor of Dan. Thanks, Tom, for the suggestion.”

“Well, my suggestion to honor those two with a VooDoo Ranger seems a little shallow.”

“No, I think that is a great way. If Dan were here, he’d jump on that suggestion. Uber?”

“What does my shirt say?”

“Over there?”

“Yup. Look over there.”

“OMG, that is a 1976 AMC Gremlin.”

“Well, you would know. All I see is a way to the pub.”

“This should be fun.”

“You can have shotgun.”

“You are a mensch.”

“Gotta treat the bag man with respect.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Finger Point Prompt – Purchases

August 13, 2024August 12, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 63 Comments

Today, I opened the book The Last Drive randomly to page 87 and, without looking, pointed to the page. The word closest to my finger is “purchases.””

“So, what’s in the bag?”

“I couldn’t help myself.”

“Okay, what is it?”

“Not an it.”

“There are a few things in the bag?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Are they a secret?”

“No, not really.”

“Well, can I see them?”

“You can’t laugh.”

“Why would I laugh?”

“Cause they may seem a little strange.”

“Okay, I won’t laugh.”

“Here they are.”

“What are they?”

“Magic beans.”

“What? Where did you get these?”

“A guy in the Costco parking lot. He sold them to me.”

“Sold? How much.”

“Oh, no money. Just our firstborn.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah. We don’t plan to have kids, so I thought, what the heck.”

“Jack, you idiot.”

“What?”

“The test was positive.”

“Oh. Well, he doesn’t know our address.”

“Did the guy have red hair?”

“Yes. How did you know.”

“Give the nice man standing behind you his beans back.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Ship”

August 10, 2024August 9, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 62 Comments

While waiting for the delivery of my life-giving elixir, my mind wandered to some information sent to me by award-winning author and friend Gwen Plano. She sent.

Coffee and tea intake were associated with long-term cognitive changes in older adults, two prospective studies presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) suggested.

Among 6,001 Health and Retirement Study participants in the U.S., drinking two or more cups of coffee a day was associated with a 28% lower risk of dementia over 7 years compared with drinking less than one daily cup (P<0.05), reported Changzheng Yuan, ScD, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston and the Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China, in a poster presented at the meeting.

Moderate tea drinking — up to two cups a day — was also associated with a lower dementia risk compared with no tea consumption (P<0.05).

When total caffeine intake derived from coffee and tea was calculated, participants in the highest quartile of caffeine consumption had a 38% decreased risk of dementia (P=0.032), Yuan and co-authors said.

No longer being concerned about the benefits of coffee, and hopefully, will have time to drink enough to fill a ship. While thinking about coffee there is a knock at the door. Twiggy and Tempeste open up with a fair imitation of the Hounds of Baskerville. It is FedEx with an envelope. Inside is a note from Linda Hill. It reads;

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ship.’” Use it as a noun, a verb, or slang … or all three! Enjoy!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/08/09/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-10-2024/

“Hold on.”

“What?”

“There was no trip to the past today.”

“Well, not much going on a hundred years ago.”

“You could have gone back only Fifty.”

“That ship has sailed.”

“Okay, so no trip back today.”

“Fine. Here is the only thing happening. In the first boxing match ever staged at Wembley Stadium, light heavyweight boxer Tommy Gibbons of the U.S. knocked out Jack Bloomfield in the third round of a non-title bout. Bloomfield was knocked out in the 3rd round and never fought again.”

“I see what you mean. Going to a boxing match is not my idea of a good time.”

“I can’t imagine your idea of a good time.”

“Well, Uber is right over there, which is a big hint.”

“No way. You can ship that sucker back to Uber.”

“Oh, come on. Think of riding in the bucket.”

“You think of riding in the bucket. A/C cab for me.”

“I guess you are paying, so you should have a choice.”

“You are not going to ride in the bucket, right?”

“Sitting on your lap is more practical.”

“Although more unrealistic.”

“The bucket will be fine.”

“Keep your hands and feet in.”

“Thanks for the tip.”

“Ship of fools.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind. Get in the bucket, and let’s go.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Finger Point Prompt – Kidnapping

August 6, 2024August 5, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 54 Comments

Today, I opened the book The Last Stop to a random page (219) and pointed to the page with my eyes closed. The word closest to my finger is the word “kidnapping.”

“I have heard everything now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t believe you would tell a story like that.”

“Well, it’s true.”

“It is so hard to believe I must call foul.”

“My kidnapping is the truth.”

“Oh, please. Your parents are wonderful folks.”

“Yeah, they are, but it still doesn’t take away from the fact that they kidnapped me.”

“Why do you say that?”

“All you have to do is look at them and then look at me.”

“So what’s your point.”

“Are you kidding me? My point is I don’t look anything like them.”

“I never noticed. Okay, but that still doesn’t mean you were kidnapped.”

“I don’t talk like them either.”

“Oh, come on. Yes, your voice is a little deeper, but still.”

“I’m telling you they stole me from my natural parents.”

“Hold on. I think I read about something like this.”

“You did?”

“Yes. National Geographic Magazine had an article about brown-headed cowbirds.”

“What does that have to do with anything.”

“You have a brown head.”

“Yes.”

“And your mom and dad are bluebirds.”

“Yes, of course.”

“That’s it then.”

“What’s it?”

“Brown-headed cowbird moms lay their eggs in other bird’s nests, and then the other birds raise their young.”

“You mean I’m a Brown-headed cowbird?”

“Looks like it.”

“Abandoned by its mother.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Get off the half-empty kick. You have wonderful and loving bluebird parents.”

“I guess it could be worse. I could have been raised by wolves.”

“There you go. Although wolves don’t build nests or lay eggs.”

“Hey, it’s my coping mechanism. Don’t throw shade on my parade.”

“Fine. Anything to get you thinking positively.”

“I think I’ll start thinking like the bluebird of happiness.”

“Swell. Let’s go flying.”

“We can sing songs.”

“Yeah, Maybe you should let me handle that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Never mind. Take to wing bluebird of happiness.”

Tuesday Anything Possible – Finger Point Prompt – Struggle

July 30, 2024July 29, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 55 Comments

Keith Channing is taking some time off from his Kreative Kue feature. Being addicted to prompts, I have brought back the Finger-Point Prompt. Here is how it works. I open a book to a random page and, without looking, point to a spot on the page. The word or words closest to my finger is the prompt. Today I opened Eternal Road – The last stop to page 201. My finger is closest to the word ‘struggle,’ our prompt.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to figure out this math problem. It is a real struggle.”

“You want some help?”

“You know anything about calculus?”

“Are you kidding me? I have a PhD in quantum physics.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“I think there is a lot you don’t know about me.”

“I would appreciate the help, but I need to know something.”

“What? As if I couldn’t guess.”

“What do you mean?”

“When people know I have a PhD, they always ask me what am I doing being a plumber.”

“That did come to mind.”

“Let me tell you a little story. I was working on a job, and when it came time to present the bill, the customer looked at it and said, ‘This comes out to $500.00 an hour. That’s more than my doctor charges.'”

“Okay, and the point is?”

“The point was my reply to the customer, ‘I know. I used to be a doctor.’ Now let me look at your problem.”

Tuesday- Anything Possible – Kreative Kur #440 by Keith Channing

July 16, 2024July 15, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 36 Comments

In Keith’s words.

“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.”

Link to Keith’s post. https://keithchanning.wordpress.com/2024/07/15/kreative-kue-440/

The Photo.

“Okay, that didn’t go well.”

“I don’t know. Looks like everything is in one piece.”

“That descent could have done us in.”

“You didn’t tell me about that lever.”

“One of the main reasons I didn’t is I didn’t want you to be tempted to touch it.”

“It was right there, almost begging me to pull it. It even had the word ‘pull’ on it.”

“If you had read the rest of the words, it says ‘pull for fire.'”

“Well, obviously, it didn’t work.”

“What do you mean?”

“There was no fire.”

“Going forward, there have to be some rules.”

“Look, I’m here to take lessons from you. I would hope there are rules.”

“The first is no touching anything until I tell you.”

“Sounds like a good one. What’s the second rule.”

“The second is for me, actually.”

“That’s interesting. What is it.”

“Never, ever book a student who obviously has the mental capacity of a grape.”

“Hold on. You referring to me?”

“Oh, no, sir. I’m just making a rule for the future.”

“That’s good. Now, what is this thingy here.”

“The thingy that says ignition?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“It is a magic converter that turns electricity into an order for the engine to begin to rotate in anticipation of igniting the spark that will fire this sucker into action.”

“When do we use it?”

“After you open that door and get out.”

“But how will I be able to fly if I’m not in the vehicle.”

“Try beating your arms, or I’ve heard there are some drugs that may help. Try not to slam the door on your way out. Mind that seat belt release; it can be tricky.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Chicken or Egg

June 29, 2024July 12, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 56 Comments

Banging on the machine has no effect. It is clear the foamer is on the fritz. There is no reason to make a Cappuccino without milk foam. It makes one wonder which came first, the milk foam or the coffee. Clearly, a cup of coffee without milk foam is just a cup of coffee. Milk foam without coffee is just hot milk with a mustache possibility. What is a person to do? The best thing to do is reset and be grateful for a cup of coffee and then get a new machine.

With coffee in one hand and the clock in the other, it is time to head out for another adventure. The clock is set for June 29th, 1914. The location is Sarajevo, Bosnia. The duration is for an hour. When the plunger is pulled we land on the street in Sarajevo. It is 11:00 AM, and two shots have taken the life of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Sophie the Duchess of Hohenberg, his wife.

The shooter is a student, Gavrilo Princip, a Serb separatist who is immediately arrested along with 22 accomplices. Pandamonium breaks out, and our alarm goes off. Back on the sofa, the text from Linda Hill comes in. It reads. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “chicken or egg.” Use the “which came first” conundrum in your post, whether about the chicken and the egg or about a real-life situation that fits the question. Or just talk about chickens and eggs! Enjoy!

To see what others did with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/06/28/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-june-29-2024/

“That was some visit. I noticed you went back to 1914. Why?”

“For one, nothing was going on in 1924 but the Democratic convention. I could not pass up the event that triggered World War I.”

“Gotta wonder how that was the trigger.”

“Well, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and allies of each country declared war on each other. It was a mess.”

“What happened to the shooter?”

“He eventually was found guilty and sentenced to twenty years of hard labor in prison. He was too young for the death penalty, but his accomplices were all put to death. He died in prison in 1918.”

“Whoa, Karma at work.”

“Something like that.”

“Speaking of Karma.”

“I suppose this is a run-up to a pub visit.”

“Well with a name like VooDoo Ranger what else would Karma be?”

“Dis you call Uber.”

“Yup, he is waiting over there.”