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 |   A terminal for all blogs coming in or going out. A view into my life. |
Started July 1st 2019 for contests, etc. as other blogs are filling up and have other purposes.  I'm starting a new blog because
I'll be linking to
I've started an appendix (I no longer have one personally) to keep track of my Space Cadet journals for Space Blog. It's a work constantly under construction. Mind the mess.
I needed to start a folder for contests as there are so many deadlines and details to remember.
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| July 30th 69 degrees and a choking 159 AQI. Dry mouth. Stinging eyes. Also a personal temp of only 96.9. I've been shaking. Arm seems to be dislocted again and I don't sleep well. Just me whining. Anxiety lessening. I don't want to annoy people by having them watch my roller-coaster, but I do want a few to know that I'm not doing well, that I am NOT okay. 97 sweltering degrees. AQI of 108. Hope for rain to wash the skies and bring some relief. Told Jean that I can't go out when it's this smokey. Hope we can meet Monday. Posted "Why do some people [not] trust God’s plan with their lives"  on the newsfeed hoping to get a response.Snow in Brasil. May devastate the coffee crop. https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/photos-show-snow-on-brazil-streets-... The local temp's between 96 and 100 right now.. AQI down to 84.  Almost 7 p.m.JULY 31 It kinda cooled down overnight. But now it's 12:40 and 91 degrees with 101 in the forecast. AQI is 96. Went tomarket. Bought curds, spinach pocket, 3 potatoes. Irina's blueberry pastry was to die for... and I told her. Good enough for Paris or a fancy restaurant in Missoula. Made Jonasz share one with friends. He didn't complain much.  Todo tranquilo si no me muevo. Finished "View from the bridge [179] " "Calling Zmitri" "PPC #8 Quoting Leviticus [197]" and "Hidden among Hemlocks" . I finally found some energy to write today but too little and too late. I'm wiped out in so many ways.Nice chat with Bryan. Saw Sunny and Bri for tacos. Praying for smoke to clear out (it was better today) and rain. I want rain. July 32 Obstacles: Real life: mental and emotional. Writing: a bit burnt out. Characters: hold that thought. My Muse is knocking at the door. Truthfully? Anything will do. It need not be grand. We're all where we are because some obstacle wouldn't let us go where we wanted to go. Hopefully, we are happy where we are. It never cooled down. Now 85 degrees at 11:55. AQI of 87. We might get sprinkles later today or a downpour. The forecast is unreliable for here. Third place will do.
My comment to a review from WebWitch: "Thank-you for your generous response.  To answer unasked questions: Yes, I have travelled that route [Sognfjellvegen] by bus... twice. We stopped once at a lodge and I was able to see the glaciers in the distance, the snowfields closer, the cotton grass. And yes, there was a moth orchid in the window. It's a Norwegian thing. I've traveled through Sogndal as well (I stay in Solvorn). Very few people choose to live in this inhospitable place. They visit, hike, camp... but they don't stay. I needed to put Sussan where she could breathe. I hope she enjoyed her last Summer." I told Cubby re "Flight Lessons" the dimple in the carpet — as seen from below is just Juliana's butt — not a UFO. So... maybe I should write "Juliana's Flight Test", as Wordsmitty suggested and include the above. 89 degrees at 4:26. AQI of 76. I wore a mask to the laundry but I prolly didn't need to. Now to hang up once I catch my breath. 42 steps up with wet clothes isn't the same as 42 down with dry. What does one say to someone who just lost their best friend today? I did what I could. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I'm feeling deflated. There were only 10 entries to the WDC Contest so 3rd place isn't saying much at all. One only has to have a basic membership so all those newbies are nowhere to be found unless they're all just playing games. Once upon a time there were real writers here at WDC. There still are, but many of us got long in the tooth and Gen Z doesn't realize that by merely interacting they could rejuvenate the site. The Millenial dabbler has aged as well... maybe they're all playing BINGO? Or are folks just interested in monetizing their writings? Where's Gabby when we need her? Only 77 degrees at 6:52; AQI of 71? I SMELL RAIN ... and chicken (I'm cooking chicken). The pavement is actually wet and I can breathe! As billionaires fight to go to the Moon, there have always been other voices asking about the price... Regarding haiku on spooseback: "Yes and no. The Japanese form does not translate into English well. It has rules for a reason and those rules are bent for reasons. No one writing a Shakespearian sonnet is going to write 13 irregular lines of non-rhyming verse and call it a sonnet. So, yes, if you are trying to write a haiku then there are rules... hundred of years old that don't seem to have stopped the Japanese from expressing themselves. If you are talking about Anglophones then no; English speakers, especially Americans do what ever they want and call it whatever they want. They seldom write a haiku because they don't understand what one is." |
| 2 p.m. 31c with AQI of 103. I went out with my mask. Sat with friends then went to the beer and wine store and bought groceries. Hunted down the wild lemon merengue. And picked up butter. 99c/lb At home ate some key lime yoghurt and remembered to put the cheap (89c/lb) chicken thighs in the fridge. And since I splurged and bought cashews I set them out of view. Jeremiad: a long, mournful complaint or lamentation; a list of woes. "the jeremiads of puritan preachers warning of moral decay" Three responses to my lament today... just a lament, no jeremiad. Lost in dreams in Thailand with Chu Yi from Taiwan looking through me as if I were a ghost, as if he were Xiao Bai and me Weifeng. 29°c in a smoky haze hiding the sun. AQI = 95. It's 8:44 and dusky, dimming not yet dark. To Annette: "No, I looked at articles in Deutsch Welle, Le Monde and Al Jezeera today; incredible news from around the world. I also peeked in at Fox but they have no news outside their conspiracy bubble. The World does not exist to Followers of the Fox. I live in a multi-cultural multi-lingual world where many speak Arabic, some of whom I call friends. I do not condone xenophobia or islamophobia. I have cut back at spazenook because of the level of ignorance and hatred there. I find it interesting that Bezos would try to corner the market in printing. $1 for me; $1 for you... except he will have enough to build a mansion on the Moon or Mars leaving me have enough to buy a coffee. Since I have a couple 1st Chapters to offer... tempting... but will His Highness tolerate me leaving a copy here at WDC? Who really rakes in the royalties? Who owns the copywright? Does it matter? He could crush WDC. Did you read the fine print? I started to. Is his policy English First or English Only? Visions of China and their One China policies looms in front of me. Did you know... does anyone at WDC realize... that French, Spanish, Navajo and hundreds of other languages are native to North America? Are they now 2nd Class citizens? Amazon is worldwide and quite fluent in German (#2 market, UK 3rd). Color me skeptical at best, because being infuriated isn't good for my heart." To Robert: I suspect that the entire article could've been summed up in one or two sentences. "Take time to smell the roses." and "Make hay while the sun shines." JULY 29 67 degrees at 8:52 with an AQI of 104. Do I risk it? 81 degrees and 120 AQI at 11:53. I survived my walk across the bridge. Now home for the day. Saw Angie. Still 90 degrees but AQI down to 81. Ate tuna sandwich. Ate cashews. Trying not to move much. Sweating. I received a pretty painted stone  from Idaho... who do I know in Idaho? Sheila, Jennifer? But who...  |
| I need to do the wash... can't go out. AQI is 151, which is bad for me. Temp is only 69 at 10:30 so that's okay but it could climb another 30 degrees this hazy Monday. I answered the QotD re Olympics: "I remember how US TV only cared about US athletes... because truthfully? Americans still have an US versus the World mentality. Kosovo has 11 athletes totally. Two women have won gold in judo. It means a lot to small countries. I applaud great efforts and unexpected results. The young swimmer from Tunisia, the woman who cycles from Austria. I don't need to know more gossip and wah-wah stories about Americans. Scandals and covid and...  ... important to organizers, but not to me, I'd rather focus on results and the beauty and agony and triumph."90 degrees outside. 143 AQI. Covid numbers are up in our touristy town so I may have to wear a mask just to 💩. Still bad. Never went out. JULY 27 78 degrees at 11:30. I remembered to renew my library books. Does that count? It circles around, seeks a way in. No crevice shrinks small enough to escape its notice. We think it does no harm. We're still alive, aren't we? We sleep in at dawn, unaware that it curls around us, robs us of our breath. 88 degrees at 1:23 and 130 AQI. The sky to the south is white. Watching new Thai TV series about embracing 'home'. First three episodes introduce us to three separate stories of what is home. One man goes back to his village to make it a better place to live after his mother is hit by a car and killed (very believable, high death-by-car rate... 3 times higher than USA). Another just wants to teach (best line... this isn't "1000 Stars") and is hit with the reality of apathy and poverty. The third has watched his parents murdered and wants 'revenge' (corruption and greed are common Thai themes). This all takes place in North East rural Thailand, perhaps in Maha Sarakham. At times there are Thai subtitles. There is one scene in episode one that says it all. The car is driving down a paved road that turns to dirt. This isn't vibrant Bangkok or touristy Chiang Mai or Phuket. This isn't "Rick Steve's Thailand". https://betterbe.co/life/usa-maps/22/ Should I ... lose.weight/diet/fast/nap/get.my.hair.cut/vape/take.vitamins(thank-you Alabama). This is how Mid America (19 states from Arizona to New Jersey) filled in the blank "Should I _____?" Montana and Alaska answered 'vote', Hawai'i and California 'move out' while Nevada and New Hampshire focused on 'buy bitcoin'. My comment on QotD: "Most people's answers remind me of how different I have always been. By age 11 I knew all the US states and capitals, by age 12 I knew the world and already had a bucket list I dreamt about for years: Norway (2012), Japan (2015) , Kenya (?). I should've followed my dreams when I was younger. Folks here seem enamored by English speaking countries and tourist hot spots. If the question were worded different Mid-Americans would have responded Vegas or Orlando, a mountain or a beach... as long as they didn't have to leave their comfort or imagination zone. I'd respond Kentucky and Mississippi. Meanwhile, some folks here in town still think I have money. I don't. I have wanderlust. I admire people like Elvira (Mexican, met in Costa Rica and Norway), Dawid (Polish, met in Taiwan), Vincent (French, met in Kosovo) that travel and seek adventure in new places with strangers and strange food. And chat with odd people... like me. But, alack, here's a typical WDC prompt: "tell us about your favorite burger". No one asks about octopus." 92 degrees and an AQI of 151. AQI in places I have visited: 34 in Porto. 61 in Prishtina. 53 in Nottingham. 25 in Tralee. 26 in Lillehammer. (but higher in Oslo) 62 where I grew up. 17 in San Jose (CR) 50 or thereabouts in Taipei. 28 between Newcastle and Sydney, NSW 48 in Cape Town 25 in Fukuoka. 167 in Dubai It's time to adjust my habits again. I'll need to wear a mask inside here and anywhere I go. It's no longer safe. Will I need to cut back my showers in spite of the heat? Do I go back to avoiding strangers and sitting further away from friends? This past year has nearly killed my spirit. Overstated? 261 new cases is the highest since early February. The outbreak north of here in Kalispell (Glacier Park) is real. 84 degrees and 101? Coming down... there's hope. There may be rain in the area but I don't see any drops. |
I read an old blog entry from 2007: "Zahara, Like water for chocolate" . It garnered 12 comments. I'm mourning a community-lost.  This isn't good for my depression. At times I just want to thank WDC and wave goodbye. It's becoming harder and harder to stay. plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose ~ Alphonse Karr. I wrote to Robert: "Definitely Danny Downer today. Hugz. I'm more optimistic than this when I'm depressed. 'Good' and 'Bad' happen, but when the 'Good' gives up... One person may be flexible like a willow wand. A bunch of willow wands is hard to bend. It's why autocrats can respond quicker than (small d) democrats. Rights erode when we refuse to bend together (thinking of race and religious divides). Covid-denial is an example of magical thinking trumping medical science. Nativism and Nationalism becoming a growing part of Americanism is frightening as the World gets smaller due to natural processes. And Mother Nature is ignored at our own peril. Oh Sweet Summer Child! I wish I were." 63 degrees at midnight.  139 AQI   57 degrees at 8:48 and an AQI of 147. 80 at 12:48. Still smokey. Con un AQI de 132 me siento ahumado. 78 and 74 at 10:10. At least it will cool off tonight. I did write a poem: ""79031" [196]" Won 24 Syllables with "Yee-haw! [193]" JULY 25 64 degrees at 12:34 a.m. Cool enough to sleep and I can turn the fan on to make it cooler. Suppose to get hot today though. 64 again at 10:30 ... which is pleasant but 118 AQI is not. My eyes have been suffering for days now. Some sunshine peaking through. 85 and 114 AQI at 1:45. I sit inside because I dare not go out while the compressor goes on and off under my window. I could go out in the hall to escape it, inhale the smoke by sitting in front of the 3rd floor landing's window. Bri is back and brought me a shell from a beach in Connecticut. She gifted me a juicer and marshmallows. I'm drinking mocha with marshmallows now. For a moment all is good. But now 140 AQI which is unhealthy (for sensitive groups), plus temp over 90. I should try to accomplish something before coming back here. Ate two hotdogs, read James (Bible) took note of 3:5-10 regarding the tongue, revised one blog rating to 13+. I really need to clarify my approach to blogs and Blogville. 1. I want to be able to say most anything without cultural taboos. 2. I want a community that interacts. 3. I don't need a set of prompts to follow. 4. If I offended you it's because you took offense. 5. An adult needn't monitor the &#@ language of other adults. It's 92 degrees at 5:30. It's 72 degrees at 10:45 with an AQI of 95. There is hope. Almost midnight. Back up to 101; can't win. |
| 61 cool degrees with an AQI of 83 at 8:30 a.m. Want to stay in bed. Didn't. Put on clothes and went across the bridge to visit friends. Bought a sticky bun, picked up mail, bought a book. Home. Post-operation Angie is back... with her cattle prod. I was thrilled to chat with her. She has lots of catching up to do with Billie Jo. Response to Bryan... Soul Sister grey ash this 'thing' just ash the life within released — reduced to smoke — fleeing cooling embers © Copyright 2021 Kåre Enga [178.191] (22.juli.2021) 76 degrees with 77 AQI at 12:45. That's not too bad. I put a light jacket on earlier because it was a tad cool and because the jacket had pockets. Just a stray thought of how ungrammatical this is: "A friend from Tainan went to the mountains alone." Taiwanese do not exist in the singular, do not go places alone. To Tina: "An adult blog may be the wrong way to characterize it. It's not that I need to read XGC... most writers reserve that for fiction; however, if someone needs to go there because their cat was just squished... so bi it. Folks shouldn't be afraid or ashamed to share (with the caveat that what they share may become public). [Stik] sums it up for me, "Honestly, the move toward escapism and away from controversy breaks my heart." in "Community reflection" Many taboo topics cross the line into 18+ while newsletters are limited to 13+ or E. Lots of E rated unicorns running around WDC. I'm not 13. I'm not a [unicorn in a] fluffy bunny [suit].SEX... biological, gender, dysfunction, prostitution, gratification, cultural, religious, legality... not all go past 18+ but it's hard to talk about orgasms and FGM in a 13+ limited group. POLITICS... some would prefer to write about sex... less messy. Democracy, human rights, autocracy, multiple versus two-party systems, voting rights, consensus, one-party-rule, partisans. RELIGION... for some the ultimate taboo... exclusivity, inclusivity, dogma, core beliefs, brethren, control, support, community, family, individuality, interfaith, us versus them, black/white thinking, superiority. Grade school prompts that are White Christian Middle Class America circa 1955 may be safe but frankly? I was a mere babe in 1955 and sheltered, but looking back I can vouch it wasn't all nicey-nicey. Plus, I'm not a member of the Texas Board of Education trying to dumb down Amerikkka (that's not a misspelling). Storytellers and Poets can be friends (thinking of the musical Oklahoma) but that doesn't mean they should be reviewing/rating each other (some are both... or neither). Comments? Hell yeah! We all love pats on the back and an OMG! when they are sincere. And if a piece doesn't connect... we need to hear that too. It's not always the wrong poem; it can be the wrong audience." 4 p.m. High Fire Hazard with a stiffening breeze, low humidity, 86 degrees (not expected to go higher). An AQI of 71. 9 p.m. 75 degrees and 63 AQI and breezy. It will hopefully be a good night to sleep. It's already bearabble inside and it might go down to 50. I really needed a break from the smoke and heat. This may be it. The worse day forecast is 95/63. That will change of course. JULY 23rd 62 degrees at midnight and 72 AQI. My eyes can still feel the smoke. 54 degrees at 8 a.m. and an AQI of 89. Eyes stinging. I can feel the dryness. QoTD regarding bread pudding and rice pudding: "What no one has mentioned yet is that both can be poor man's food in some parts of the world. Or for children and old people with sensitive teeth. Arroz con leche (rice pudding) was more common in Costa Rica years ago. Associated with a children's song and easy for children to eat. My mother made a baked custard with leftover rice, not Greek style on the stove. I like both. Bread pudding was made with leftover bread or bread that was going stale. We often added raisins. Many working class people tried not to waste food ... not for 'political' reasons ... simply because there wasn't enough. Food was expensive and fresh food unavailable out of season. At that time (50s) the rationing of WW2 and the Depression was a well-remembered recent event. I don't consider either nostalgic. To me they are regional, ethnic, related to poverty, or 'making do'." 83 degrees and 101 AQI. Glad I took the garbage out and saw friends earlier. Market tomorrow morning becomes iffy. chouse: to herd roughly. nonsense: Yee-haw! Like a louse riding a field mouse herding wild cats, Sal's collie cornered her kids, grinned — began to chouse. © Copyright 2021 Kåre Enga [178.193] (23.juli.2021) On hold Posting... posting... ten till midnight the poem's not finished the bed's not made the day's not done nine till... my time runs out. © Copyright 2021 Kåre Enga [178.194] (23.juli.2021) Also wrote this: "What I remember [195]" It's 5:44 and I'm wiped out. Heated a bag of gemelli. Didn't like it. I'm quite depressed. It's only 86 degrees and the AQI came down to 60, so it's not the heat nor smoke. Fortunately I wrote a blog for today much earlier. I have no energy now. @9: 77° and AQI 73 but the skies look white to me, rosy at the horizon. Seems smokier than 73, very fragrant inside. Took nap. Do I feel better? Not really. |
| 69 degrees with an AQI of 49 (good) at 2:30 a.m. Can't sleep. 76 degrees with AQI of 46 at 10:40. A bit warm but it won't get hot if it rains. 4:15 Back down to 76 degrees after the thunder, lightning and RAIN. It was really coming down at 3:33. Went to OFF to buy food. Got some vittles. New sales tomorrow. Might go again if the air is clear. I only spent $15 today. Laxmi gave me her chicken-cheese taco. Also... Bob (new... from Kentucky), Bill, Phil, Dalton, Don, Kathi and Kathy. And Kathy's small white dog. They still won't let us sit inside the Senior Center. Wrote: "Belonging [189]" "Peas and flounder [190]" Entered into "Pop-Up Challenge!!!" Somewhat comfortable and not in a bad mood. This is mostly due to 'avoidance' on my part. "Blogging Circle of Friends " Day 3172: July 21, 2021 Prompt: Write a tribute to someone special in your life.Glacial waters run white-green into the deep blue lake where your eyes look up at me uncomprehending that I am tossed by searing winds of instability caught between the anvil of rocks and embers. I kneel at the shores of your traquility begging to quench my thirst... begging that your ice will temper my anger, while I anneal my angst in a bed of sand. "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" Your son/daughter just gave you the surprise of your life when they brought their same-sex significant other home to meet you. What is your reaction? Are you shocked, pleased, in denial? How would you handle this?I'm shocked by the prompt! An adult prompt? Oh my. Most of the people I've met would 'deal with it'. I have two older-than-me female friends who've talked about their ex-husband being gay. They dealt with it amicably.Of course... one should know one's child long before there's a 'surprise'. And in my opinion that's up to the parents, aunts/uncles or grandparents to take the initiative and make it clear that the child/youth is loved regardless. Otherwise, be resigned to estrangement or going to their funeral. JULY 21 68 degrees at midnight. It will cool down nicely tonight, but 110 AQI does not bode well. 62 at 8 a.m. with an AQI of 87. Meatball! And a patch of blue... sky... Saw folks. Discussion about how some of us are just walking away instead of fighting. Also grocery shopped. Didn't buy much. I went because of Wednesday sales and because one never knows with the smoke and heat. 86 degrees at 4:30 with an AQI of 81. NEWSFLASH 30 DAY BLOG CHALLENGE HAS AN ADULT PROMPT! Your son/daughter just gave you the surprise of your life when they brought their same-sex significant other home to meet you. What is your reaction? Are you shocked, pleased, in denial? How would you handle this? A difficult prompt for G-rated WDC. A couple bloggers were as shocked as I was! So... how did folks do? A couple answered the "What If" honestly and thoughfully. But... a couple have already gone through this and for couple of us on the other side looking in... Personally, I believe bloggers can handle adult questions. The YA section of our library has books that mention rape, suicide, bullying, etc. To think that 13 year olds can handle subjects that a 50+ year old can't... is a bit ageist and demeaning. So... What if:  your friend was actually trans. you found out that you heritage ain't what you were told. you found a cousin after 70 years. you were actually related to someone you were attracted to. *1 your friend was told his grandfather was actually his father. your friend was black, Jewish, Muslim, ex-Nazi, Asian... (What if you are?) your neighbor was mixed-race. landlady was Native American. your boyfriend was your mother's ex-boyfriend. *2 your great-uncle was a pimp. your close-friend was once a prositute. you chose a different religion than your parents. a friend was diagnosed as spmi (mentally ill) and then shunned. your neighbor's son committed suicide at age 14. your landlady quit teaching because a kid committed suicide in her class. a cousin was ostracized because the father of her children was black. your friend's son was killed in the house you used to share.And the list goes on. I didn't check off two. *1 I do suspect that a friend is distantly related, fear that we are very closely related. *2 It's one of the mysteries of a TV show I've watched. No one knew... until they did. When all else fails, the virtues of compassion and tolerance come to mind. One site says 92 degrees at 5:55, another 87. Regardless, I'm melting. There's still smoke in the air but I can go out for a bit when it's under 100 AQI. I'll need to take another shower. It's the best I can do. Two contests (due end of August) that I was not aware of. "Rebel Poetry Contest" "Distorted Minds Contest" |
| 90 degrees and 140 AQI. Again... can't go out. 30 day blog challenge asks about food. Yesterday was tuna mixed into mashed potatoes. Boring repetitive queston, boring answer. I'm concerned about smoke and how I can't go out. "In the Land of Smoke" and my inability to tackle personal crises. Like it took me over a week to get the fan in the window. But... I think I have some tuna-cheese-potato left over. I told the "Bard" about last month's blog contest: Thank-you. I'm book-bound and close to item-limited. (The Great Purge looms in My Future )But... I do have various blogs, partially because mixing XGC and E entries would offend too many people here (even when they don't say it to my face). Also... I'm ecclectic (and scattered). My latest entry is in my gentle Nature blog about smoke... yes, I could go XGC about that and rant like Julia Sugarbaker without the Southern Charm. But I didn't.  Most people here are truly more interesting than meets the eye. Either in real life or in their dreams. I hold back... a lot... and I suspect that that's not uncommon. Blogs needn't be boring or bound by prompts or other-people's-opinions. And yes, posting my entries like I did was intentional.   K as in Cory "93 degrees at 7:30 ... so we won't hit 100 degrees. The haze prolly kept the temp down ... but 142 AQI. The haze can kill. Maybe there's a story there... Speaking of stories... in chatting with Billie Jo today I was inspired to write a story. She's 'mature' ... so no skinny mini. She has been around planes for many years. She talks about them a lot. I named her Juliana for the short story "Flight Lessons" . I'm fishing for comments. Since I don't write 'humor' it'll be interesting if anyone comments on that. There's some purposeful alliteration and rhyme because my inner-poet always wants to be let out. Also whether it's strong enought to be a static item. And in which contest to shove post it. We'll see.79 degrees at 10:33 with an AQI of 113. Both are headed in the right direction. I'm hoping for rain (possible before Thursday) or strong winds (not likely). I told Robert: "Don't get me started! I loved gardening from age 9. And no, I didn't grow up on a farm which maybe is why. My maternal grandparents were both gardeners with their separate gardens. I still remember which was which. I could sketch the place, even though I only saw it once since 1963. I loved designing gardens! Color, design, touch, fragrance, movement... even sound. I don't talk about it much these days. My house plants would get jealous. During the season one could find me in the garden, especially in the evenings, far into twilight, until I couldn't distinguish a white thread from a black one." JULY 19 8 till 8. 66 degrees and an AQI of 127. They say "chance of showers"... one can hope. Dark morning of white skies. SandraLynn wrote about "Flight Lessons" :> You are correct, if Dumbo could fly why can't I? Being wingless and blessed/cursed > with a generous backside should not be a legitimate deterrent to flying, no, not at all. > That padded derriere serves as somewhat of a cushion for the many false starts and > crashes. So, determination and grit are the secrets to soaring? "She landed as > daintily as Dumbo". Now there's an image! I'm also left with the idea of a > bruised pine tree holding a grudge. Hmmm, blackberry bushes are needy and "little > vampires." Good to know should I attempt my own first flight. I appreciate your subtle > humour and word pictures. Thanks for the laughter. I'm cheering for stubborn Juliana. > She deserves a flight permit based upon sheer perseverance. Other than that nice response I'm feeling bruised today. I apparently upset somebody and that could create problems where I live and that triggers my traumas. 87 degrees and 118 AQI at 2 p.m. I didn't see rain but maybe someone got a few sprinkles. Not as hot today. My anxiety is soaring and my depression is deepening. But then I get this: Getting better. 81 AQI at 9:30 and a 'mild' temp of 77. Need to reread "She only wanted flowers" [E] by Special Kay  |
I've been quilled. Best Blog for "O Pinions!" . Best Medium-Length Poem, Free Verse for "Delta [77] " . Best Short Poem, Free Verse for "i am behind the camera [358]" . Best Short Poem, Free Verse for "PPC#2 When a moment lasts a lifetime [146]" . Best Short Poem, Structured for "Interlaced [107]" . I need to give thanks... but... imho these aren't my best. I need to learn the lyrics: Very smoky so I'm stuck inside... which isn't good for me. I put the fan in the window which helped cool the place down. Even blowing out it pulled smoke in. The AQI was 156 this morning. It's 155 at 12:30. Already 80 degrees. Calm... no wind nor rain to clear the smoke out. This is super bad for my lungs and my mental/physical well-being. Sunset (9:15) 82 degrees and 95 AQI. JULY 17 Toss & Turn. Now 71 degrees and 135 AQI at 11 a.m. Stuck inside. I told Schnujo re "Casino Schnujo": Keeping track [of participation] sounds like a total nightmare unless there are internal tracking devices available. I've kept track of my interactions at times. Very discouraging. In June 2021: I gave 261 blog comments; 9 received. Less than 200 views. But in the past ... 2007: 17100 views March 31st on my first blog "L'aura del Campo" 15882 views March 6th 1,218 views in less than a month. Comments averaged around 10 daily. (I made copies and deleted some entries) I mention this because once-upon-a-time there was a thriving blog community. Also, my poems from that time were read and commented upon. Not now. Participation is important but communication even more so for me. I just want interactions and comments on writing. That is my reward. I'm not motivated by money like many people. So... that aspect would make no difference to me. If it requires any effort on my part I'll prolly not participate. Vespers: 91 degrees and 129 AQI. 9:30 ... 78 degrees and 140 AQI. |
| One of the reasons I was charmed by Paris was that I had no agenda and no expectations. I hope I remember that on my next trip. To Beholden: "A blog has the potential of being a conversation. It has the potential of building community. I've seen it work that way at WDC. I've seen it fail. Of course FB does that as well, except that there's less depth and Twitter even less so. No one writes a three paragraph response on either platform. And blogging at WDC is almost passe. Nothing against good prompts when needed, but the same beige bland boring prompts lead to the same bland boring blogs... with occasional spice added. Better to just post and respond at QOTD. Even a poetry forum like Express it in Eight works better. But... most places are General Audience rated to "attract more participants" and "not offend anyone". My opinion of that exceeds their ratings. It very hard to share anything unpleasant or controversial when readers do not wish to listen or engage. And many folks here may be writers but they aren't communicators and/or consider blogs to be daily grade school exercises, not an opportunity to share real thoughts or their real lives. There are issues in my life right now that I won't share IRL and don't dare share here. I no longer trust people as much as I used to. Blogging allows a person to be seen (or exposed). I'm becoming invisible again." My tooth just broke off as I was eating cottage cheese and fruit and typing a comment to Lilli. Good riddance. It has wanted to leave for quite a while now! I tried to yank it out these past months... no luck. I was worried it would break off and I'd swallow it. So this was good in a way. I'll keep the evidence to look at later. I suspect the area will heal now that the Offender is gone. Life is like that. Removing a splinter or a toxic relationship might hurt... but it feels so much better afterwards. 90 degrees at 2 p.m. Severe fire warnings. AQI at the moment is 60. I don't go out if it's over 100. It's not very comfortable inside but I'm used to being uncomfortable. I told Lilli... "I watched the Thai BL "He's coming to me" because it wasn't just a 'love story'. 1. It's a whodunit. Why did Med die... it wasn't natural. 2. Supernatural because Med is a ghost who knows next-to-nothing about himself. 3. Detective as Thun&Friends look for clues everywhere as to #1 and #2. That adds some hairy suspense. 4. Yes, the 'detective' and 'victim' are slowly but surely forming feelings for one another. A cozy with complications. 5. Those ghostly complications... why can Med sometimes touch things and Thun? 6. Really... why Med and Thun specifically... that I won't give away because many people watching don't catch on [until episode 6 of 8]! Even though the clues are there from the beginning! 7. For the person watching the ending isn't certain and some people consider the 'happy' ending as coming out of nowhere... but... no... the clues are all there if you ask "why". See #6, 5, 4 ... 2. It's marketed as a Rom-Com (BL is an Asian male-male version of that). And yes, there's humor and a wonderful score that pulls at the heart and includes a lot of 90s music (Med died in 1997 on his 22nd birthday). And because Med has been going from tomb-to-tomb-to tomb for 20 years... Thun has to explain present day Bangkok (and this is wonderful for non-Thais!) as to styles, culture, food! So... why did I enjoy this? Because it's layered. One has to pay attention. Re-watching it for all the clues one missed is challenging. If you just care about endings... you miss all the good stuff. It's accessible to anyone who isn't Thai. The close-ups allow the watcher to know thoughts and feelings without relying on words. It shows not just tells. Writers here should learn how to weave genres to keep their readers engaged. Most great movies and books do that." 96 degrees at 7 p.m. So... the heat is not my imagination. 84 AQI. No breeze. JULY 15 72 degrees at midnight with 86 AQI. I wanted to see my friends but with AQI at 155 at 10 a.m. I'm not going out. Cubby chose "Leather [148]" as 1st place in "Writing 4 Kids Contest " . I wrote:My mind's muddled. Coffee. I need coffee! My first response reading "gps" before opening message: So much for sending this off to Rachel's Second Time Around...  ... I mean it would've been a good entry...So... again... thank-you for reading and choosing to give this a pretty ribbon. I'll go make coffee now. A comment left in one of Jayne's old entries: "I watch Thai movies (... ... yes, we know. ) with subtitles. Thankfully, most are readable. That said there are Thai subtitles when folks speak other languages or dialects. What's interesting about Thai is that words are not separated. It seems to use a space between sentences though. When spoken, words can only end with unaspirated p, t, k, m, n, ng or a vowel. One listens for that. Each language has its own grammar and it's own tricks to parse what is being said. The problem with English is that I suspect that Anglo-Saxon was metrical and used verbs like look-for, look-at, go-in, go-out much like Norwegian. Then the French showed up with their latinate word structure like Spanish (buscar, mirar, entrar, salir) and an intonational pattern over a phrase that smooshed sounds. However, English isn't Latin at the core as Robert pointed out, even if it's love and legal language is. Latin grammar is a very poor way to learn English and should be totally abandoned imho. Punctuation? I use it as best I can. My background is NOT English lit nor grammar. It actually stifles many writers here who try to use correct punctuation in dialog or poetry where it doesn't work. I tend to use an emdash — to demand a pause. Many readers here consume ##books/day. That means they sight read at over 500 words/minute. Poetry is supposed to be read out loud and slower. Dialog must be paced as if it's a theatrical play. Proper reading doesn't seem to be taught or appreciated. Grammar can be a gift or a curse." It's 2:30. I guessed 87/140. It's 87 degrees and a dangerous-to-me 139 AQI. I got the fan in the window. I am concerned about the fit... but hoping it makes a difference tonight. In the meantime... 85 degrees at 8:30 and 126 AQI. Ate stuffing with chili. Tonight... two hot dogs. Possible good news. Costa Rica may be dropping it's covid insurance come August for vaccinated travelers. |
| A bit of a rant I wrote earlier and posted as today's personal blog. "Traffic jam? You asked for it! " 23c and 144 AQI at 11:30. I'm stuck at home. It's dangerous to go outside. Not in the mood to write but I better be... soon. The compressor under my window for the floating business (new this summer) is annoying. I dare not go out because of the smoke. My room is hot. It's hotter outside. I just don't feel very happy today. Well, I took a shower, ate mashed potatoes and I'm avoiding all the things I have yet to do.  But I feel good. Just responded to Brian K Contest Judge-y  There are so many times I feel misunderstood that it comes as a shock when someone does understand me. 1. this is a social media site, not a writing site... sad, but MFA writing groups are no better. 2. judges... lots of work. Some do the best they can but aren't really qualified. Makes me question whether my winners aren't truly trash. Blue/Purple case doesn't = qualified. 3. I'm not good at joining groups IRL. Same here. Tight circles bind me. 4. some of the groups are "family friendly" which basically tells me I'm not family. Because they are uber-polite they don't say stfu... but I hear it. 5. I may never win some contests because the judge does not like me or doesn't like what/how I write. No clue because they never honestly review. I don't review often. I've forced myself but found much of what I was given to review was less than mediocre and I was giving out 2.0s. I personally understand mediocre but so much was cringe-worthy. 30c and 112 AQI at 8 p.m. Never went outside. The AQI tends to get worse overnight as cool air sinks so we shall see. Listening to Radio Bari (Italia) on Radio.Garden Mavis Moog now lives in that area. I may get to visit if I ever get my butt out of Montana. Wrote: "PPC#6 Dominicalito [186]" . January is "summer" in Costa Rica. JULY 13 "Blogging Circle of Friends " Prompt: Have you ever had a song running through your head, and you just had to sing it aloud. Tell us about the experience.I have "Lom" (Wind) going through my head right now. I need to learn the lyrics. This has the lyrics. And 1000 Stars: I wore a mask to the grocery store because of the smoke. Not as bad as yesterday. Too late to mail important stuff (pickup is 10 a.m.) so I might have to brave the heat and go downtown to the post office. If so, I'll find somewhere cool to park my butt on the way back. I'm parked at Butterfly Herbs. Paid $134 for a year for my p.o. box. I don't want stuff piling up at my door. Posted postcard to Gare and Anna-Maria. Received postcard (Tiriti Matangi) from Elle, sent from New Zealand June 30th. This week should be expensive if I do what I needed to have done last month. My mood is lifting. Saw Travis off to Pennsylvania. I want to leave so bad! Bri leaves tomorrow for Connecticut. I'm boycotting the Senior Center because it's bullshit to make us sit outside in the smoke. At least it's cool here. Hope to get fan in window this week. I'll have to move bright orange kolanchoe that's in bloom but they'll cope. Home: hot, stifling. Bri gave me some peanut sauce, satay... I'm cooking up fish. I lay down for a nap... it doesn't matter what I do. I'm deflated by the heat and bad air. It's 79 degrees at 10 til 10 with a slight breeze. The AQI is down to 64. But... still quite uncomfortable inside. Some good news... maybe... If Medicare expands to cover vision, hearing and dental then maybe I can have all 3 done. The US has been very reticent to cover real health needs. We'll see about drugs. If Montanans can legally buy drugs in Canada then that's going to increase the quality of life substantially for some folks. I told Robert: "Annette needs to tell us more about frieght ships. Like where's the links! How to do it! I've thought about it for years because I've never done it. With triple digits in the forecast and air in the hazardous zone yesterday we ain't happy here in Western Montana. Or I should say, I'm not. The last bad Smoke Season I got caught in damaged my lungs. And I don't like stifling heat. Oh... to pooh pooh your bad news... ... if Medicare expands to include vision, hearing and dental... I desperately need all three. That said, not one week goes by without there being something that pisses me off. I've cut back on spoozenook and that has helped. I'm tired of the anti-vaxxers. If they choose to die, so be it. If covid only killed the stupid... Still an issue in Montana. But it is nice to have a president who isn't in attack mode 24/7, tweeting insanity at 2 a.m. My anxiety levels slowly subside. I do need to follow the political news less often though. I have to follow the world news though because it affects me even if most Americans choose to remain oblivious." |
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