Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

Monday Madness...Oh, No! It's Tuesday!

Today's blogs....

Blog City - Day 78 – May 20

A blogger, a short story writer and a poet walk into a bar . . .

Given that this is your prompt Mitch, I am expecting interesting things...

My next thought is ‘ah man that had to hurt, why put the bar there?’

But let’s consider this.... I would much rather be at a coffee shop.
The blogger is conversing with the Barrista about current events. Laughing and chatting is part of his day.

The poet has her Chai tea and it seated in the comfortable seat by the huge plate glass window. She gazes outside pen in hand, poised over her notebook. Eyes taking it all in. Her tea going cold.

The short story writer has chosen a seat further back in the coffee shop and pulled her notebooks, pens and laptop out into an organized muddle on the table before her. She has her coffee, already her second one, resting against her lower lip as she contemplates. Her other hand holds a pen against a sheaf of pages. A moment passes, then the pen scribbles wildly as the coffee is set back on the table.

30 Day Blogging Challenge

May 20 - Going fishing, what's your fish story? Today we will be blogging about fishing or any activities something related to the sea or ocean.

Fish stories, really. My one childhood fish story has me down at the creek with my grandfather and my cousin, Jennifer. Grandpa had taken us down there to show us how to fish. jennifer had probably already done it before but it was a new experience for me. Grandpa baited our wee hooks and we slipped them into the water running under the bridge. Being small, my line ran over the metal bars of the bridge. Jennifer, a grand year and a half older, but probably the same height had managed to get her line up over the top bar, like our grandfather did. we waited, in quietness for what seemed like eternity to a young child, then a little commotion and I had a bite. Jennifer and grandpa helped me, encouraging me with what to do but as the wee fishie got to the bridge bars I pulled and it flipped off my line and sailed back into the water. Given that we needed to catch these small fish to get the bigger fish and that was our one attempt we packed it in and walked the mile or so back to the farm. It was boring and I never did any thing like that again.

Now if I take this prompt and head to the ocean where I can swim the reef in Mexico and in the natural aquarium at Xel-ha - those would be far more exciting stories.

Xel-ha is closed in from the ocean with a wall of plexi - glass plating. It is to keep the bigger fishies out but there is one barracuda in the inlet and though I enjoy swimming with the fish, I am not found of coming face to face with that little beastie. Well, we have been to Xel-ha three times now. The first two times I had an idea where the barracuda was but had no interest in seeing it - my husband wanted to, though. On our last trip there in March, he got his wish. We had just snorkeled down the mangrove lined river into the inlet and had toured the manatee area when it was time for lunch. We swam our way over to one of the exits closer to the food places. I was ahead of Brett. He was slower because he was taking underwater pictures with our new camera. I had checked to make sure he was close - I like knowing he is close to me - it helps take the anxiety of being a small swimmer in a big area not so daunting.
I had just turned back around to see what was before me when something flashed by me - thin and long. I stopped up short thinking "oh, my that was the Barracuda!" I popped my head up announcing to some twenty others in the water around us that I thought I saw the Baracuda, then I dropped my head back in to see if all was clear. It was not. From the murky depths of the area stirred up by all the swimmers came the face only a mother would think had potential. I saw beady eyes and even some teeth as the monster came towards me with a speed that had me back peddling and shifting out of its way. I glanced back to see Brett merrily taking pictures.
I announced I had seen the Barracuda, and like the other swimmers we all made out way to the steps and a quick get - away. Looking back Brett floated causally, still taking pictures.

I was pulling myself up out of the water when his head finally emerged from the water. Looking around he noticed he was the only one still in the water. A grin formed on his face as he noticed my discomfort.

With casual confidence he made his way over to the ladder and got out to join me.

"I got some really cool shots!" he began and all I could do was laugh and shake my head.

For the rest of the day we avoided that exit, though the Barracuda had probably moved on in search of something shiney and fish - like.

Welcome To My Reality – Week Twenty - Two

3. If your life came with background music, what would your soundtrack have been made up of today?

Today is still early so I would have to say - All is well with my soul. Calm and uplifting, ready to meet my day.

4. What is your birth order? (eldest, middle, youngest or only child) What impact if any do you think it has had on your life?

I am an only. I remember being in a Developmental Psychology class and the professor a middle born child had said that 'All first born children should be disposed of as they are the parents first attempts at parenting and thus are filled with mistakes' We all laughed. Most university classes are filled with first borns and only children. Only a scant few in our class were later borns.

All my friends are first borns – my three of my really good friends are all the oldest with one younger brother. All my boyfriends have been last borns – with one exception being a middle child. I have always found those statistics to be rather interesting.

Being an only child I grew up quickly. I preferred the company of adults and found children my own age childish. I did not understand all their chatter and playful ways, hence I experienced a great deal of teasing which further increased my dislike of children my own age. Children younger than me were fine.

I enjoyed my own company as well and enjoyed books and games my own imagination could conjure. I wanted to please my parents and be the good little girl – this also made me a target for teasing because I refused to do anything that would get me in serious trouble.

As an only, I am probably spoiled, not having to share with brothers and sisters in anything. I often need to push myself to be social but once I am in a social venue I can be quiet animated and funny – a far cry from my painfully shy childhood, when I would hide behind my mother’s legs long after most children stopped doing that.

I am conscious about being there for others – I do not want to be that spoiled person nobody likes.

I am not sure what the other birth orders are like, but I am interested to find out where are little group of bloggers and others fall within their family. Psychology major strikes again – Curious.