“ May your day be wonderful” is the message on the touchscreen of the coffee machine. For the life of me, I can’t imagine why the machine has started to provide motivational messages. The last software download must have led to the idea that we humans can change our emotional state at will. Oh well, it is a nice sentiment, and a touch of the two coffee buttons is a more practical way to alter a mood. The aroma of the magic elixer provides a hopeful sign that the day may, in fact, be wonderful. The first sip quells the 50-story fall climax of the grand piano feeling in my head, brought on by the lack of caffeine.

The second sip, as we have grown accustomed to hearing, is coupled with the cacophony of the Westminster chimes of the doorbell and the instantaneous iPhone unhealthy noise warning sound of Twiggy and Tempeste, believing with all their heart they are doing a good deed in causing eardrum-bleeding mayhem. A quick toss of a handful of kibble into the soundproof room and a slam of the door restores a kind of hush all over the world.

A look at the security monitor confirms the cause of the ruckus. Heckle and Jeckle, the yellow-billed magpies, fill the screen. Knowing that any discussion with these two will be fruitless, the security shutdown process has begun.

The B-2 bomber squadron and the F-35 escort must be called off. One call does it. The tank corps and gunboats are told to stand by. The Apache helicopters are rerouted. The electric shock fence is turned off. The drawbridge over the quicksand is lowered. The robot attack dogs returned to their charging station. The laser-guided machine guns on the roof are set to caution. The nest filled with rattlesnakes was put away. The bucket filled with 1000 marbles is locked down. The tear gas canisters shut off. The electrified welcome mat set to off. The fall-away sidewalk into the pit filled with spikes is locked. The hornet’s nest closed. The water cannons are set to safety. Bear traps are set to off. Peregrine Falcons perched on the roof above the front door were fed. The vat of boiling oil set to warm. The front door is opened.

It’s hard to tell who’s who, but one magpie had the envelope, and the other had the clipboard. Each gave me their item, and the clipboard was returned with a signature where indicated. Both held out wings in an obvious hint for a tip. “You don’t need to wait for permission to succeed, ” was my tip for the day. Stepping back through the front entrance and closing the door, the envelope from Linda Hill is opened. Here is the message:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “may your…” Use the phrase “may your” in your post. Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post https://lindaghill.com/2026/05/22/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-23-2026/.  

May Your . . .  © 2026

“Heckle and Jeckle? I haven’t seen them for years.”

“I know. They made their first appearance in 1946, so they are 80 years old.”

“I can see why you invited them to the post.”

“What do you mean?’

“Old guy like yourself.”

“Well, as a kid, I liked them.”

“Hard to visualize you as a kid. Where did you watch them?”

“On TV and in comics.”

“TV? Was it invented when you were a kid?”

“Of course, it was. We had a black and white 10-inch screen.”

“Hard to imagine.”

“As near as I can remember, we had that thing for about seven or eight years.”

“How could you see anything?”

“It seemed okay to me.”

“May your eyes thank the heavens that you didn’t strain them too much.”

“Yeah, we weren’t allowed to watch TV much, so I guess I survived. You order an Uber?”

“Right over there.”

“Just, no.”

“Aw, come on. I’ll ride on the back. You’ll have a seat.”

“Well…. what is the catch?”

“No catch.”

“Come on.”

“Okay, a small one.”

“Hit me.”

“There’s a trailer.”

“Okay, that’s no big deal.”

“With a tree in it.”

“Don’t tell me.”

“Yes, we need to plant it.”

“Oh, man. How long will that take?’

“Will only take an hour, if.”

“If what?”

“If we don’t have to use the jackhammer on hard ground.”

“I’m not dressed for this.”

“Take these overalls and gloves and oh yes, these goggles.”

“Goggles? What for?”

“You are doing the jackhammer.”

“Just shoot me in the face.”

“The goggles will protect you.”

“Fine. Let’s go.”

 

 

 

The coffee machine sits quietly waiting for its first command of the day. A touch of the two coffee images on the touchscreen brings the sweet sound of beans grinding. In 14 seconds, the magic elixir that quells the evil caffeine withdrawal pain pours into the cup. The first sip quiets the sound of a falling Mosler safe crashing into a five-story greenhouse that is in my head. The second sip is accompanied by the predictable cacophony of the Westminster chimes, the doorbell, and the baying of the hounds of Baskerville, portrayed by Twiggy and Tempeste. A quick toss of a new bone into the soundproof room, followed by a door slam, brings the peace train back home.

A glance at the monitor shows that Clarabelle the Clown is on the front porch. Knowing it is silly to ask it to leave the envelope, the security shutdown process is begun with a sigh.

The B-2 bomber squadron and the F-35 escort must be called off. One call does it. The tank corps and gunboats are told to stand by. The Apache helicopters are rerouted. The electric shock fence is turned off. The drawbridge over the quicksand is lowered. The robot attack dogs returned to their charging station. The laser-guided machine guns on the roof are set to caution. The nest filled with rattlesnakes was put away. The bucket filled with 1000 marbles is locked down. The tear gas canisters shut off. The electrified welcome mat set to off. The fall-away sidewalk into the pit filled with spikes is locked. The hornet’s nest closed. The water cannons are set to safety. Bear traps are set to go off. The Peregrine Falcons perched on the roof above the front door fed. The front door is open.

Clarabelle gives me a honk and passes the envelope and clipboard. After the signature, we trade the envelope for the clipboard. Clarabelloe has a hand out in the classic request for a tip. “A positive mind is stronger than a negative thought.” Is the tip left with Clarabelle as the front door closes. The envelope is from Linda Hill. Inside is a message. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “sweet.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2026/05/15/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-16-2026/

Sweet by John W. Howell © 2025

“Clarabell? From the Howdy Doody show?”

“Yup, the very same. I used to watch it on our 10-inch TV screen.”

“In black and white?

“Of course.”

“What year was that?”

“The show started in 1947, and I think we got our first TV in 1948.”

“You were a kd.”

“Yup. Seven years old when I began watching.”

“Do you remember anything about the show?”

“Only that I sent away for a Clarabell cut-out figure. It arrived about 100 years after I sent in for it.”

“Did you like it?”

“Oh yeah, it was all in color and stood on its own. It was in my room for years.”

“Do you still have it?”

“Unfortunately, no. I’m sure it went the way of all my kid stuff. Passed to cousins.”

“Well, at least you can go on YouTube if you want to see the shows.”

“I don’t have any interest, but thank you for the information.”

“Why talk about Clarabelle then?”

“I just thought it would be fun.”

“You know what else is fun?

“You call Uber?”

“Right over there.”

“A 1978 Mark V Lincoln Continental. That will get us there.”

“I thought you would like it.”

“What’s the catch?”

“No catch. Just one stop.”

“Can’t wait to find out on this one.”

“Well.. There was a recall on a part back in 1978, and the dealer had to order it.”

“Yes.”

“The part just came in, and the owner wants to get it fixed before the shop closes.”

“After 47 years of waiting, I don’t blame him, but can’t he do it next week?”

“Yeah, but the price of the ride will never be as sweet.”

“How long is the repair supposed to take?”

“Twenty minutes max.”

“That means 4 hours. Okay, let’s go. I’m going to order VooDoos from DoorDash. Well, just sit in the dealer waiting room as if it were the pub.”

“Worth a try. They have snacks.”

“All the better.”

To contrast a standard coffee maker to this one is like comparing a steam locomotive to a bullet train. The locomotive gets the job done over time, but the bullet train delivers results immediately. So with that praise of the coffee machine, the two-button press delivers a double coffee in seconds. The first sip stops the air-hammer-on-concrete sound of caffeine withdrawal in my brain. The second brings the predictable crescendo of a load of cymbals hitting the ground after being shoved off a cliff sound of the Westminster Chime of the doorbell, coupled with the baying of Igor’s hounds. A quick toss of two Benny Bones and a slam of the door to the soundproof room traps Tempeste and Twiggy and produces the silence is golden moment prior to the incursion.

A check of the monitor shows the image of someone who looks like Porkey Pig with a clipboard and an envelope.  A quick check verifies the need for a signature so with a sign the security system shout down process is begun.

The B-2 bomber squadron and the F-35 escort must be called off. One call does it. The tank corps and gunboats are told to stand by. The Apache helicopters are rerouted. The electric shock fence is turned off. The drawbridge over the quicksand is lowered. The robot attack dogs returned to their charging station. The laser-guided machine guns on the roof are set to caution. The nest filled with rattlesnakes put away. The bucket filled with 1000 marbles is locked down. The tear gas canisters shut off. The electrified welcome mat set to off. The fall-away sidewalk into the pit filled with spikes is locked. The hornet’s nest closed. The water cannons are set to safety. Bear traps are set to off. The front door is open.

The pig hands me the clipboard and envelope. The clipboard is returned after signature. The pig has a cloven hoof extended in the classic ‘tip request’ pose. I gave him an excellent tip. “A good plan executed now is better than a perfect plan next week.”  Not waiting for his reply, the front door now separates us.

I open the envelope and see a message from Linda Hill. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “contrast.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2026/05/08/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-9-2026/

Contrast by John W. Howell © 2026

“So what was the purpose of comparing the coffee machines?”

“The prompt is contrast, and I wanted to pull it in early.”

“Well, you did that for sure. Say, do I detect a different security system ashut down.”

“Yes you do. My pal Tom Okragly helped me out with that.”

“Why change?”

“I figured folks were getting tired of the old one is all.”

“How did you know that?”

“I put a line in last weeks that if someone spotted the line, I would give them an Amazon gift card.”

“No one did?”

“Nope.”

“Are you telling the truth?”

“No I’m pulling your leg. I just had a feeling.”

“Okay so we’ll see how this one plays.”

“That’s the idea.”

“Are you thinking of changing the pub visit.”

“No that stays. We get to use some unusual rides and that is fun. Speaking of which.”

“Uber is over there.’

“Nice. A 1958 Buick Roadmaster convertable. With a big catch I’m sure.”

“Just a small catch.”

“What’s that?”

“We have to ride with the top down in the strawberry festival parade.”

“Is that all?”

“Well you have to smile and wave.”

“I can do that.”

“And wear this hat.”

“Wait a minute. That’s a giant strawberry.”

“It’s not real.”

“I know that, but look how stupid I look.”

“So?”

“I’m a world famous author. I can’t be looking stupid.”

“The words from your mouth just confirmed the hat is a good fit.”

 

The neat part of having a coffee robot is the availability of that soothing syrup, available night or day, 24/7. Having to wait for an extended brewing process for more than one minute might mean the difference between calmed neurons or a catastrophic brain bleed. The first sip stops the auto production line cacaphony of the caffeine addition screaming for relief. The second sip brings the dreaded doorbell Westminster chime and Cerberus duet, which threatens to break glass or cause eardrums to bleed. Two fresh Benny bones are tossed into the soundproof room, followed by the door slam, bringing golden silence to the room.

A check of the security monitor shows Smoky the Bear standing on the porch. He has an envelope and, of course, a clipboard. Rather than argue about leaving the delivery with a sign, the security shutdown process begins.

The SWAT team needs to be put on standby. A quick text to the leader confirms that status. Also, the flight of A-10 Warthogs must be diverted. Another call to the commander puts that worry to rest. The SEAL team needs to be called off, and a call to the leader makes that possible. The MH-60 Jayhawk Helicopter hovering over the house is diverted. A call to the tow truck driver stops the deployment of an M1A1 Abrams Tank. The control panel simplifies the security system’s shutdown process. The boiling oil vats are put on standby, the turret mortars disengaged, the Trebuchet on safety, the concertina wire rolled, the Claymore mines reset, the tower Gatling guns on safety, the moat net dropped, the alligators fed, and the IEDs and shoulder-held rockets put away.  The Proton torpedoes switched off. The gamma ray beams covered. The high-powered maser guns switched to standby, and the nanorobots were chained in the basement. The Klingons are called back, and the Targ is caged. Robbie’s Bot is sent to the basement.  The Tasmanian Devil is directed to the food in his cage, and the door drops. The electronic jammer is kept active, given a situation with a robot not too long ago. The locks on the door are thrown. And the door opened.

The bear hands me the envelope and the clipboard. After signing and returning it, it’s obvious the bear is looking for a tip. “If what you have done yesterday still looks big to you, you haven’t done much today.” Mikhail Gorbachev said that, and that’s my tip as I slam the door.

The message in the envelope is from Linda Hill. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “neat.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2026/05/01/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-2-2026/

Neat by John W. Howell ©2024

“Pretty neat the way you got rid of the bear.”

“I don’t think it was really Smoky.”

“What makes you think that?”

“He was wearing Nike running shoes.”

“Yeah, that would be a tip-off for sure.”

“Why do you suppose you get all these weird characters delivering your messages?”

“For one, folks like to see who will be doing it.”

“Okay.”

“For another, it makes an interesting counterbalance to the security shutdown process.”

“Why? What’s wrong with the shutdown process?”

“Might be a little stale.”

“So think of something else.”

“Easy to say.”

“What about the Voo Doo Ranger bit?”

“The car part is still fresh. Plus, I have a whole file of cars sent in by Dan Antion, Tom Okragly, and Resa McConaghy.”

“Does remind me.”

“Did you call Uber?”

“Right over there.”

“Well, that is something. Lots of room for sure. What’s the catch?”

“Nothing much. We have to pick up the boys and girls gymnastics team on the way to the pub.”

“How do we get home?”

“Oh, the driver will deliver the team and come back for us.”

“Okay, that doesn’t sound too bad. I still feel there’s more.”

“Full disclosure. It’s the 7th-grade team, and they will have had enough Gatorade to float Florida.”

“I’ll get my earplugs.”