3TC

Fandango’s Flashback Friday — August 5th

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Wouldn’t you like to expose your newer readers to some of your earlier posts that they might never have seen? Or remind your long term followers of posts that they might not remember? Each Friday I will publish a post I wrote on this exact date in a previous year.

How about you? Why don’t you reach back into your own archives and highlight a post that you wrote on this very date in a previous year? You can repost your Friday Flashback post on your blog and pingback to this post. Or you can just write a comment below with a link to the post you selected.

If you’ve been blogging for less than a year, go ahead and choose a post that you previously published on this day (the 5th) of any month within the past year and link to that post in a comment.

This was originally posted on August 5, 2019.

The Odd Couple

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Just like every Leo, she always had to be the center of attention. But as an Aries, I, too, can be passionate, confident, and very direct. So yes, we did clash quite a bit. But that’s to be expected, isn’t it? We are both, after all, fire signs and are each strong willed, so a certain amount of discordance shouldn’t be a surprise.

Sometime we collide about minor things, like whether to go to Disneyland or to Magic Mountain for a vacation. Or that she loves to soak in a tub for hours, while I am in and out of the shower within three minutes. At other times our whole orientation is in conflict, like her being more of a home body who would be happy spending the evening sipping wine in front of the fireplace, while my preference would be to live a more nomadic life, driving around the country visiting scenic national parks in an RV.

The truth is, though, that I find her to be a totally bewitching woman and she finds me to be an extraordinarily fascinating man. And while we are occasionally at each other’s throats, there is nothing that anyone can do to chip away at our love. We may seem to be an odd couple, but together, we have zero tolerance for anyone who would dare to try to tear us apart.

Written for the Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie First Line Friday prompt, where the first line is, “Just like every Leo, she always had to be the center of attention.” Also for Paula Light’s Three Things Challenge, where the three things are “Disneyland,” “fireplace,” and “zero.” And for these daily prompts: Daily Addictions (mountain), The Daily Spur (shower), Nova’s Daily Random Word (nomadic), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (bewitching), and Word of the Day Challenge (chip).

SoCS/3TC — Carried Away By the Music

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When I hear a particular song from my past, I often feel as if I’ve been transported to a different place, a different time, maybe decades ago. As I listen to the familiar lyrics, hum along to the melody, and appreciate the voices singing in perfect harmony, the music will transport me, and I will find myself awash in memories, mostly pleasant, fond memories.

The music that I enjoy most is classic rock, and when the music hits my ears, I close my eyes and listen to the songs I grew up with, I just let the sounds wash over me, and I am a peace. In today’s crazy days, it’s very therapeutic to let the music carry me away to happy times.

Written for Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt, where the words are “wash” and “awash.” Also for the Three Things Challenge prompt from Di over at Pensitivity101, where the three things are “song,” “melody,” and “harmony.”

3TC — What Goes Up…

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“I’m gonna get up on that stage tonight and I’m gonna sing my fuckin’ heart out,” Deana said. “I’m going to be energetic, mesmerizing, dynamic, and downright nuclear. Tonight is the night that some music producer is going to hear me perform and will discover his next superstar diva.”

“Keep dreaming, Diva Deana,” Anita said. She and Deana were sitting together backstage, each awaiting their own turn to perform before the small audiences at the open mic night. “For your own emotional protection, Deana, you need to stop already with these fantasies of fame you keep happening,” Anita continued.

“You’re such a liar, Anita,” Deana said. “One day you’ll look up at a marquee and see my name up in the lights.”

“Whatever, Deana,” Anita said. But just remember, when you’re looking up at that fantasy marquee and admiring your name, who it was who told you that what goes up, must come down.”

Written for the Three Things Challenge from Di at Pensitivity101, where the three things are “up,” “down,” and “told.” Also for these daily prompts: Ragtag Daily Prompt (stage), Your Daily Word Prompt (energetic), MMA Storytime (nuclear), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (discover), Word of the Day Challenge (protection), and The Daily Spur (liar).

Up down told (3TC)

Who Won the Week? 11/29/2020

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FWWTWIt’s time for another Who Won the Week prompt. The idea behind Who Won the Week is for you to select who (or what) you think “won” this past week. Your selection can be anyone or anything — politicians, celebrities, athletes, authors, bloggers, your friends or family members, books, movies, TV shows, businesses, organizations, whatever.

I will be posting this prompt on Sunday mornings (my time). If you want to participate, write your own post designating who you think won the week and why you think they deserve your nod. Then link back to this post and tag you post with FWWTW.

Back in 1970 I was a long-haired hippie. I was proud of my long hair. It was my freak flag, so to speak, and had no intention of getting it cut, even though my boss at a job I had just gotten at a local RadioShack was putting some pressure on me to at least trim it back in order to be more “presentable” at my customer-facing job.

I was debating on my drive home from work whether or not to succumb to my boss’ demand that I cut my hair, when I heard this song from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on the radio.

After hearing David Crosby’s song, I decided to quit my job at RadioShack.

Speaking of RadioShack, do you remember RadioShack? It used to be a fixture at large shopping malls, small strip malls, and small town main streets across America for decades. At its peak, it operated stores under either the name RadioShack or Tandy in the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.

But between large electronics box stores like Best Buy, and online sites like Amazon, RadioShack fell on hard times. Somewhere along the way, “The Shack” got lost. Even with the early successes of its TRS-80 (sometimes referred to as the “Trash-80) personal computer, RadioShack was not able to capitalize on the PC boom that began in the mid-’80s. It also found itself largely on the outside of the portable device revolution as it drifted toward irrelevancy. In February 2015, RadioShack Corporation filed for Chapter 11 protection under United States bankruptcy law after 11 consecutive quarterly losses.

Well, after two bankruptcies, it seems that RadioShack has, once again, been pulled from the brink. An entrepreneurial investment firm hopes to make RadioShack competitive again, this time online, rather than with brick and mortar stores on street corners or in shopping centers. The plan is to build a vast online marketplace on top of the RadioShack brand.

So, in its effort to resurrect itself. I’m designating RadioShack as this week’s Who Won the Week winner. Good luck, RadioShack. Maybe the third time is the charm.

What about you? Who (or what) do you think won the week?

In addition to my Who Won the Week prompt, this post included the words “hair,” “flag,” and “home from today’s Three Things Challenge prompt from Di at Pensitivity101, and the word “succumb” from Fandango’s One-Word Challenge.

Sunday Writing Prompt — The New Restaurant

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“So, what did you think?” Anita asked.

“The food in the new restaurant was different,” Clark said. “I wish the chef’s style was more in line with my tastes.”

“You make me laugh, Clark,” Anita said. “Ever since you recovered from that mild case of coronavirus, you said you’ve lost your sense of taste. So how could the food have been more to your tastes?”

“That’s not the point,” Clark said. “All I’m saying is that it was a letdown. And this whole idea to trudge to this restaurant in the midst of a snowstorm because you read a good review on Yelp was your idea.”

“Hey, why are you taking a jab at me?” Anita asked. “We’re moving at the end of the month and we might not have had another chance between now and then to give it a try.”

“And since we’re moving anyway,” Clark said, “why even bother giving it a try?”

“You’re impossible,” Anita said.

Written for the Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Sunday Writing Prompt, Creating Context. This week we are to selecting one of the highlighted words in the following sentence:

“The food in the new restaurant was” delicious/different/challenging.

Also for Pensitivity101 Three Things Challenge, where the three things are “food,” “wish,” and “style.”

Also for these daily prompts: Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (laugh), Your Daily Word Prompt (trudge), Word of the Day Challenge (jab), and Ragtag Daily Prompt (moving).

Sunday Writing Prompt — Cards on the Table

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What the hell? Alan thought after he opened the package he received from his editor. He picked up his phone and called the guy.

“Josh here,” the editor said when he answered the call.

“You arrogant son of a bitch,” Alan yelled into the phone.

“Ah, Alan,” Josh said calmly. “I guess you got your manuscript with my edits.”

“Don’t pull your down-home, woodsy routine on me, you worthless, spurious bastard,” Alan said. “Who do you think you are to redline my entire draft and to replace entire sections of it with your revisions? I hired you to edit my book, not to rewrite the damn thing.”

“Alan, you’re just like all of the rest of the wannabe novelist who write shit and then claim you can publish your claptrap independent of editors and publishers,” Josh said.

“Are you calling my manuscript shit?” Alan asked. “You so-called editors couldn’t write your way out of a wet paper bag. All you do is take other people’s creative work and tear it to shreds.”

“You think you’re a creative artist, do you, Alan?” Josh said. “Your manuscript has about as much creativity as a carbon copy.”

“You weren’t saying that when you wanted me to hire you, Alan said. “You claimed, with that deceitful smiling face of yours, that my draft covered a wide sphere of interests and with your great prowess to tidy it up, it could be a best seller. Were you lying then, Josh, you unscrupulous dick?”

“Okay, Alan,” Josh said, “I’m going to put all of my cards on the table.”

“I wish you would, Josh,” Alan said.

“Alan,” Josh said, “Don’t quit your day job.”

Written for the Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Sunday Writing Prompt (cards). And for the Three Things Challenge (sphere, arrogant, smiling) from Di at Pensitivity101. Also for these daily prompts: The Daily Spur (editor), Ragtag Daily Prompt (woodsy), Your Daily Word Prompt (spurious), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (replace), And Word of the Day Challenge (independent).

3TC — Liquid Lunch

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Tavern

Betty looked at the clock on the kitchen wall when Danny walked through the front door of their apartment. It was 2:30 in the afternoon. She knew what was coming, and sure enough, Danny walked into the kitchen, marched up to Betty, put his arms around her, and planted a sloppy, wet kiss on her mouth. Betty pushed him away.

“Come on, Baby,” Danny slurred. “I’ve got a hunger in my gut to get some sugar from my little love bunny.”

“That feeling in your gut, Danny,” Betty said, “is from your bellyful of booze because of your liquid lunch at the tavern. Now go sleep if off if you know what’s good for you, you bad boy.”

Written for the Three Things Challenge from Di at Pensitivity101. The three things are “belly,” “liquid,” and “hunger.”

3TC — At the ATM

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I was about to use the ATM at my local bank when a man came up behind me and stuck a gun in my back. “Do as I say and you won’t get hurt, understand?”

“Yeah, I get it,” I responded.

“Good. Turn around.” I did as I was told. He was a little taller than me. He was wearing a hoodie and a ski mask covering his face. He handed me an envelope and instructed me to withdraw all of my cash and stuff it all into the envelope. Again, I did as I was told. I handed the envelope with the money in it to him. He put it in a pocket in his hoodie and then took out his mobile phone. “I got it,” he said into the phone. “What do you want me to do now?” There was a pause. “Are you sure?” he asked.

He looked at me, pointed to the woods behind the bank building. “Let’s take a little jaunt to the woods, shall we?” he said.

I looked at him and I said, “Look, I did exactly what you asked me to do. I have no idea what you look like and so I can’t describe you to the authorities, which I won’t do anyway. Just let me go and we can forget all about this, all right?”

“You’re a loose end, pal,” he said. “My boss doesn’t like loose ends.”

“You’re a smart guy,” I said. “Are you going to let your boss bully you into committing homicide? That’s a lot worse than armed robbery. Let me go and no one will be the wiser, I promise you.”

“Sorry, no can do. Now march,” he said.

“Wait!” I said. “There’s $500, the daily limit, in that envelope. I’ll give you my ATM card and my PIN and you can withdraw $500 a day until all of my money has been exhausted.”

I actually heard him chuckle. “Quit trying to honeyfuggle me, pal,” he said. Then he motioned towards the woods. I knew that if I did what he asked, I’d be a dead man. I’m no hero, but I had to do something. Thinking fast, I kneed him in the groin, causing him to double over. I had hoped he’d drop his gun, but he didn’t. I went after the gun in his hand and we struggled over it.

The sound of the pistol firing was deafening.

Written for these daily prompts: Your Daily Word Prompt (jaunt), Ragtag Daily Prompt (bully), and Word of the Day Challenge (honeyfuggle). Also for the Three Things Challenge from Di at Pensivity101, where the three things are “cash,” “envelope,” and “mobile.”

Sex Sells

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“It’s odd,” Dwight said.

“What is?” Gregg asked.

“I put a post on the Nextdoor app advertising my business and I haven’t received any responses, not even one.”

“I didn’t know you started your own business,” Gregg said. “What is it?”

“I build and repair wood privacy fences,” Dwight said. “I even put an image on the ad showing the fence I built for my own house.” Dwight handed his smartphone to Gregg and said, “Here, take a look.”

“All due respect, dude,” Gregg said, “but you’re ad has no pizazz.”

“They’re wooden privacy fences,” Dwight said. “There ain’t a whole lot of pizazz going on with privacy fences.”

“My friend,” Gregg said, “sex sells. I’ll ask my wife to put on a skimpy bikini and to come over and pose seductively in front of your fence. If anyone can promote your business, that raven-haired beauty can.”

Dwight took a few photos of Gregg’s wife posing provocatively near the fence and posted the sexiest one on Nextdoor. Within a few hours he’d gotten dozens of inquiries. Thrilled, Dwight called Gregg. “You were right, buddy, sex does sell and now I’m basking in new fence projects.”

“See, I told you,” Gregg said, “so congratulations my friend. Bask away.”

Written for the Three Things Challenge from Di at Pensitivity101, where the three things are “post,” “build,” and “repair.” Also for these daily prompts: Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (odd), The Daily Spur (image), Your Daily Word Prompt (respect), Word of the Day Challenge (raven), and Ragtag Daily Prompt (bask).

3TC — Exotic Pets Not Allowed

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“I’ve told you this umpteen times before, dammit,” the country club’s athletic director yelled at Nick, “and I’m not going to tell you this again. You’re not allowed to have exotic pets on the tennis courts.4FB78D65-24E6-40D7-AEB6-D3270F26D76BIf you don’t immediately turn around and take your pet alligator with you, I’m going to have to call security.”

Written for the Three Things Challenge from Di over at Pensitivity101. The three things are “exotic,” “pets,” and “tennis.” Also for these daily prompts: Your Daily Word Prompt (umpteen), Jibber Jabber (turn), and The Daily Spur (Security). Photo credit: Steemit.com.