%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |
 a place for my responses to the prompts from Andre the Blog Monkey's Banana Bar |
Fun times never stop at "Invalid Item"  .
|
January 9, 2022 PROMPT: READ IT IN THE SUNDAY PAPERS We all have that certain something, real or imagined, that drives us crazy. WE'RE MAD AS HELL AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE! Write your best rant in a 'Letter to the Editor' style blog entry. Watch the video for some inspiration. Dear Editor, I don't know what is up with people nowadays! Everyone seems like they are zombies to their phones. They walk around with their phones attached to their ears or they text or play on the nonstop. The other day, a man was walking by, talking. Since there was no one else around, I thought he was talking to me. I mean, I didn't see a phone out or anything. But he was in fact on his phone. His watch was his phone, which was connected by Bluetooth to his earphones. And why on earth do people think it is safe to text or play on their phones while they are driving? It seems to me that these people are thinking of no one but themselves. This behavior both angers and scares me, as many times their driving suffers by their lack of attention to the road. I also have a problem when people talk on their phones while they are in a store in the checkout line. The people seem too busy talking on their phones to have a proper conversation with the salesperson behind the counter. It is like they were never taught that behavior is rude. It is disrespectful to the salesperson and to those people standing in line behind them. While dining out, I have also seen entire families talking and/or playing on their separate phones rather than having proper family time. Perhaps this is why people find it so hard to communicate nowadays. I think they should put down their phones and try having a face-to-face conversation with someone again, like in the not-too-distant past. What ever happened to good manners? Did they die with the rise of the cell phone and hand-held electronics? Maybe these devices are taking away our ability to truly be social.  |
January 8, 2022 PROMPT: SATURDAY IN THE PARK What is your favorite park, where is it, and do you still go there? If you don't have a favorite park, then tell us why Saturday night's alright for fighting. My favorite park is located about an hour and a half from where I currently live. It is called Mineola Nature Preserve and is on the Sabine River. At the preserve, there are areas for camping, ponds for fishing, a disc golf course, hiking and biking trails, equestrian trails, birdwatching areas, lookouts, numerous plant species, and tons of wildlife - even my favorite, alligators! The Nature Preserve also has quite a few places set up for photographs, an area for gatherings and special events, and an amphitheater. I love it because it has a bit of everything I enjoy doing in nature, and of course, the alligators. My husband and I travel there for disc golf tournaments from time to time and we are planning a lovely camping trip out there once summer rolls around again. I cannot wait! I would love to hear the calls of the gators as I am drifting off to sleep! Then, when we wake with the sun, we will enjoy a light breakfast before we set off for a round of disc golf before the weather becomes too warm. If you like nature, this park is a nice one to go visit. On the flip side of things, I also really enjoy Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas. The area is dry and rocky. The plant and wildlife found there are specialized for the desert climate. I love the bare beauty of the place, the changes in elevation. Both places are quiet and peaceful and a reminder of what the world was like before urbanization. |
| PROMPT January 7, 2022 FUNNY FRIDAY -If you made any New Years resolutions and you've kept them... congratulations! You made it! One full week!Now write a blog entry telling us all about your week. If you didn't make any New Years' resolutions then write about a time you did. It's FUNNY FRIDAY, so make me laugh and earn an MB. I've never really been one for New Year's resolutions. Those are for the masses, for people who are a little more serious about life than I am, and for quitters. If I don't set a resolution, I can't fail at it later when I forget I made it or quit it a quarter way through the year. No resolution means no feeling guilty later for quitting or jumping off the wagon. I never really liked wagons anyway. I prefer to walk so I can take the scenic route. What in the world would be my resolution if I did decide to make one? "I resolve to live through 2022." That's about the crux of it for me. I just want to live and experience life fully. Mistakes, dead ends, and all. I wanna smell the fertilizer along with the flowers.     So lets take a page from QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham's book and list the most common resolutions for 2022 and I'll write how I feel about each one. Couldn't hurt, could it? TOP 10 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR 2022 1 Lose weight - weight has never really been a big issue for me, even when I was seriously overweight or when I was seriously underweight after becoming ill. I never felt like a different person just because of my size. I am who I am and that's never going to change. 2 Eat healthier or change diet - my diet has been changed enough because of my illnesses, thank you. I'm not going to stop eating meat. I drink more than enough water, seldom drink alcohol or things containing caffeine anymore. I don't eat fried foods or fast food. This area don't need fixin' neither. 3 Get more fit/more exercise - HAha! I get as much exercise as my pain filled body will allow. What would I resolve to do on this one? Force myself to walk even on the days when the chronic pain hardly allows me to move?  Yeah right!4 Spend more time with family and friends - Firstly and most importantly, I am not a people person! I have very few real friends. I get more than enough time with the hubby being stuck at home with him on my days off during the winter months. My daughters are grown, and while I miss them, they NEED to do their own thing and be their own people. Maybe this will change once the grandbaby is here, but I'm thinking not. I no longer have the patience for bawling babies or troublesome toddlers. BUT, maybe the resolution could be twisted to "spend more time with animals" - that'd be a resolution I might work at. 5 Be more aware and take care of mental health - I am fully aware of my mental health issues and am reminded of them daily. I already know I'm off my rocker. And my husband is quick to tell me when he sees me slipping more manic or depressed than normal. I work through my social anxiety every day at my job too. My shrink and counselor are amazing at helping me with this area, so I don't think more focus is needed here. 6 Sort out finances and cut back spending - Baaahahahaha! You have to have money to spend it! I am happy living life simply. Neither my husband nor I require all the bells and whistles to get through life; it's just the basics (and internet) for us. The doctors and pharmacy companies take most of our $$$ anyway. That isn't going to change in my lifetime, so why worry about it. 7 Travel more - we have already been, were doing so all last year as well. Disc golf takes us many places. And now, we have cool new camping equipment courtesy of my in-laws - excellent Christmas gifts those were! No more having to get hotel rooms when we go out of town for tournaments. And now we can go and stay at different state and national parks as well. 8 Take up a new hobby, sport or other interest - this one goes in line with #7. I don't need a new hobby or sport when I have disc golf, writing, and taking pictures. But, with our camping gear - and the fishing equipment we received for Christmas last year from my parents, we will be reviving an old love. And fishing is also a great way to look after my mental well-being, as it is so relaxing and peaceful (so #5 comes in to play here too) 9 Be more environmentally friendly - what's more environmentally friendly than camping, fishing, and eating only what you catch? Like I said, we like to do things simply. We wouldn't even need the camper if it wasn't for my illnesses; heck, we'd probably sleep under the stars. And we like to leave our campsites as nice or better than we found them (meaning we make sure we pack out all our trash as well as any we find while we are there.) 10 Look for a new job - I don't need a new job. I just had to get the one I got just to make sure our bills are paid each month. I'm still fighting to get my disability. And I like the place I work and the people I work with. Dealing with people is tiresome, but you do what you gotta do to get by in this wacky world, eh! So, in summation - or to make a long story sort if you just skipped to the end to read - resolutions aren't for me. I guess you could say that I am resolved not to make any New Year's resolutions. Life is too short to plan so far ahead. True happiness is found and measured in moments - not days or years. Enjoy each moment as it comes. |
| PROMT FOR JANUARY 6,2022. Blog about your most memorable flight or other form of transportation. Was it your dream trip or nightmare journey? Most Memorable Flight: I had flown on planes before, but they were commercial passenger flights. Big planes full of people. Then, while I was finishing up my biology degree, I was part of a small group of researchers in the biology department who were invited to present our research at the Society for Ecological Restoration conference near Big Bend National Park in Southwest Texas. We took a small passenger plane rather than a big commercial flight. As we were taking off, the thing is shaking and I'm thinking the bucket of bolts wouldn't make it into the sky. It did, of course but smoke began pouring out - from under my seat! Eventually the smoke stopped and we made it to our destination just fine. I was freaking out about it for nothing. I have to say though, that was by far my most memorable flight! Memorable to everyone except me (talk about a nightmare!): I had a driving incident where I don't even remember leaving the house - but some how I managed to not have to be taken to the hospital. One morning my daughters had gotten on the school bus and although I was feeling off I apparently decided to drive into town. From what I am told, I drove down the highway on the wrong side of the road the ten miles into town. At some point, some sheriff's vehicles were in pursuit. While this is happening, one of the kids on the bus asked my youngest daughter, "Isn't that your mom?" She saw me and said, "Yeah" and slunk down in her seat knowing what was happening - I was in the middle of a seizure. Eventually, I ran into a sign and came to a stop. The cops called my husband from the crash site and had him come get me. When Mark got there to get me, the cops told him that I needed to get some sleep - no ticket, nothing except "she needs sleep". I know God was watching out for me and everyone else on the road that day. I still don't know how I survived with nothing but bruises and I don't know how I didn't hit any other car or hurt anyone. |
| PROMPT FOR JANUARY 5, 2022 Begin your blog entry by writing... When I think about my life so far, I would have to say the most frightened I've ever been was the day... When I think about my life so far, I would have to say the most frightened I've ever been was the day my oldest daughter was bitten by a copperhead snake. I had forced the girls to go outside to help round up all the chickens so we could put them in their coop for the night. Just getting my oldest outside to help out had been a chore. Instead of putting on proper shoes, she had just slipped on her flip-flops. She was walking down the hill behind the house when I heard her scream. Mark and I ran around the house to where she was, and she told me a snake had just bitten her. I found the snake and killed it. After I figured out what kind of snake it was, I put it into a container in case we needed it at the hospital. Good thing I did because the people at the ER probably would have gotten the wrong antivenom. We were there for what seemed like forever. Her foot was turning black from the venom and had swollen alarmingly. My heart was in my throat at the thought of something happening to one of my kids. I was so scared for her. Luckily, having brought the snake in question to the hospital, the medical staff administered the proper antivenom and my daughter fully recovered. But that's when I learned that there is nothing more frightening than something happening to one of my children. I can mentally handle most things, but not that. |
PROMPT January 4, 2022 Besides reading and writing, blog about your hobby or me-time passion. For this prompt, I am going to discuss disc golf. I've written about this love affair of mine on quite a few occasions so bear with me while I once again rave about this wonderful sport. The first time I saw a disc golf basket, I thought it was some kind of artwork or some fancy cooking grill. I was seventeen and high as a kite on pot, chilling at the park with my best friend and his dog Amos, when I looked up the hill and saw this metal, um ... thing gleaming in the sunlight. I asked my friend if he knew what it was and he said, "Naw, man." So we made up our own versions of what the structures of twisted metal and chains were. It wasn't until about eight years later that I learned the truth. Those things weren't art-deco grills designed for beauty and function, they weren't metal statues that looked like trophies. They were made to catch and hold discs similar to frisbees! It had been a while since I had played in any sports. Not since I had graduated high school. But I found the game fascinating, watching those discs soar and turn and dive toward the basket. I gave it a try that first day using my husband's disc. I fell in love with a sport new to me. I think it probably helped that along with my husband, I had a couple of professional disc golfers teaching me how to play, giving me pointers and showing me new ways to throw the discs. It was soon after I first began to play that I was gifted with my own discs and bag to carry them in. Being out on a course, bag on my shoulder, and disc in my hand - I was in my element. Fast forward a couple of years and I played in the state championship for my division. I had an amazing time. I still have an amazing time on the course. After my hospitalization, it was nice to even be at the course walking along while my husband and our friends played. It was a goal slow in coming; having to take it slow and easy. Visit by visit I worked up to being able to walk the entire course and eventually picked up a disc again. I'm working at being able to play more than one round in a day again- some days are better than others due to my condition and the pain it brings. But there's no keeping me away from the course. There's just a vibe to playing disc golf for me. It's laid back, fun, competitive in a friendly way. For me, there's a sense of science-meets-sport-meets-meditation. Different holes on a course require different approaches to reaching them. Throwing properly can be pretty technical; angles and arcs, speed and spin, type of disc and factors at release influence flight speed and pattern. Like ball golf, there are drivers, mid-ranges, and putters - various types of discs for every situation. Physics is applied, most of the time by people who don't even know they are doing anything sciency. It might not sound appealing to you - it isn't for everyone. I like it though, it's a wonderful way to spend quality time with the hubby. No matter what, it's a walk in the park. Hanging out with the guys, throwing discs, talking shit, a safety meeting now and then, throw more discs, talk more shit. On holidays, our disc golf family gathers for a round or two, some good laughs, sometimes some good food, and always good company. We're all bonded by our love for disc golf and many of us are bonded by the friendships we've developed over time. It's always awesome when we can welcome new players and get to visit with old ones that have moved off. Easy camaraderie, good laughs, good times - even when you play bad it's still all good. That's where I find myself nowadays. I can't compete like I once could. I still play but I'm just competing with myself for the most part. Gone are the days of birdies and par golf. I'm the Bogey Queen. At least one over par on each hole is my normal. But, hey, I still have a shitload of fun at the course. I guess I'd qualify for "The Beer Drinkin' League," if only I was able to drink beer again. I'd probably still compete with someone though - but only if they had their sights set on Dead Frickin'Last. Maybe I'll see you on the course someday...Happy flying! |
January 3, 2022 Prompt: TWOFOR TUESDAY - Take your pick of either or both of these blog prompts. 1. True confessions: Tell us why you'll always be a hippy. 2. If money was no object, but you can only renovate one room in your house...What would you do?          I have decided to answer both the prompts for today because they go well together. It seems as though this question was just for me, or people like mee. I'll always be a hippie because - well, I'm a tree hugging nature loving hippie. I absolutely love plants. So much so that my while obtaining my degree in biology, my research focused on plants. But not just plants - plant genetics. Not to genetically modify anything but to understand more about plants and their growth and flowering patterns and how those patterns are altered by their environment - all the way down to the genetic level. What does that have to do with being a hippie, you might ask. Simple. The more I understand of nature the more I can keep all my plants and trees healthy and happy. I'm also a tie-dye wearing, frisbee throwing, animal loving (and pot smoking) peace freak. And in my mind, I will always value the peace of nature above the hectic chaos of urban life. Laid back and easy going is my preferred way of doing things. What would I do with lots of money and a room to renovate? I would make the most awesome sun-room/reading room, full of light and plants and, of course, books. Three of the walls would be floor to ceiling oak bookshelves holding house plants and books by all of my favorite authors. The fourth wall would be all windows in order to let the light in. In the middle of the room would be a papasan chair, a big comfy recliner, and of course I'd have to have a bean bag chair in there as well. OR (if the gub'ment made weed legal) I could turn one of the spare bedrooms into a grow room and use my education and experience with plants to grow some amazing weed to help with my seizures and lupus SLE. While it isn't why I decided to research plants, I suppose it is a dream of potheads everywhere to be able to grow their own smoke. Then I'd know exactly what went into what I put in my body, right? Of course, this is just a pipe dream, so is the sun room. Money will always be an object here in my world. I just make the best of it with what I've got. Hell, at least I'm still alive to see more days. Word Count: 448 |
Sunday, January 2, 2022 Prompt: READ IT IN THE SUNDAY PAPERS We used to read the newspaper in the old days, then discuss our feelings about the various news stories. We called it conversation. Write a blog entry about a current news story in your area. Tell us your opinion on the topic and invite your readers to engage in a conversation in the comments.  Doing a search of current Texas news, I was inundated with articles on sports, politics, and the pandemic. Honestly, I have grown tired of reading/hearing about all three. Let's get back to real news already people! I did find a break from the current norm with Overloaded Human Smuggling Plane Crashes in Texas Desert. Pilot Flees, Cops Say - and there were couple of articles on murders and the like. So, let's discuss a bit on this plane crash, shall we? Here's the condensed version. This Texan, probably with more money than sense, decided to smuggle illegal immigrants across the US/Mexican border in his plane - but since he had more people in the plane than it was built to hold, he lost control of the plane and it crashed in the South Texas desert. This ass-wipe then fled the crash, leaving his passengers to fend for themselves in a new country and wounded from the accident. Local law enforcement, border patrol, and TxDOT all arrived on the scene for search and rescue. As of this article, they still had not found the pilot, but they say it is possible he didn't walk away from the crash unscathed - that he might even have lost an eye. My opinion: First, I think he deserves much worse than losing an eye. I hope he gets bitten by a rattler in the desert or something equally painful. Anyone who puts their love of money over the safety of a fellow human being needs to be knocked upside the head at the very least. (There's my Texan-ism coming out for y'all to see) People like this are a huge part of the immigration problem. I'm not opposed to people coming to the US to better their lives. In fact, my husband is an immigrant (he's Canadian). I do have a problem with these smugglers who make money off these poor people who just want better lives though. Human life is important regardless of where they are from. I hope they find this guy and throw the book at him. As far as the people coming into the US illegally, I understand that they want better for themselves, but there are legal routes for moving to the United States. And the legal routes would cost them much less in the long run - in both money and their lives/safety. Word Count: 458 |
Jan. 1, 2022 Prompt: "Write a personal review of 2021. Tell us about your hopes and expectations for 2022. Write at least one new year's resolution." My personal review of 2021. That's a hard one. So many ups and downs, triumphs and struggles. I have to say, it was better than 2020 but that isn't saying much at all. 2021 was going good enough until those dreaded last couple of months. Holidays are always hard but this year it just seemed like I kept on taking hit after hit as the year beat me down. Yet, humble me it did not. Like I said, there were ups to go along with the downs. I found out toward the end of 2021 that I am going to be a grandmother. I think I am getting used to that idea. My oldest (the one who is preggers) and I have a closer relationship now than we did for at least the five years before. I have seen both my girls further their lives and both are happier because of it. My relationship with the hubby is stronger now than at least 19 of the 20 years leading up to 2021. So, maybe my financial situation leaves a lot to be desired. And maybe my health and mental stability were all over the place, but they're both works in progress - truth be told, I am a work in progress. But I got a job at the end of the year to help out with the financial side of things. I expect 2022 to continue on as normal. Just because a new year has arrived doesn't mean I magically don't have the same old problems any longer. In fact, a new year means additional problems. With the rollover of the year, insurance plans start over again. That means I have to start over on my total out of pocket expenses on my medical insurance. More stress on an already financially stressed household. But we'll get through it somehow. We always do. I hope to write more this year. I hope to finally get on Disability so I don't have to force myself to work through excruciating pain daily. I hope to be the best darned grandma that I know how to be (and the bar is set high on this one because my grandmothers and my Mom are/were some of the absolute best). And I hope to get to go camping and fishing more this year. With the camping equipment my in-laws gifted us for Christmas, we now have fewer excuses to keep us from doing so. Happy New Year everyone. My resolution for the New Year is to LIVE. Not just survive, but to enjoy life and find meaning in even the smallest of moments. AND HAVE FUN while doing it. Word Count: 468 |
5. Sitting at the bar you have a lively conversation with Andre. But it seems as though everyone else is ignoring you. As you glass at the mirror, you realize that you have no reflection.  It had been a long and stressful day. I had been forced to deal with too many people while taking care of necessities around town. Once finally done with all of my errands, I chose to stop by the Banana Bar for a few drinks to help me unwind. Instead of sitting in my usual place, I chose a secluded seat far away from the other patrons. I didn't think I could handle interacting with too many more people. The last lady I had to deal with sealed the deal on that issue. She was the rudest, most self-important person I had the misfortune to come across in a long time - and I was just in there trying to pay my water bill! So, I sat away from other people in the hopes that I could just have some time to myself. Needing a stiff one to start things off, I ordered my drink, a Yellow Submarine. Andre himself brought it over, swinging from the rope rings in the ceiling toward where I sat. He set the drink on the table and told me to let him know when I was ready for another. Tasting the drink, I smiled. It was just what the doctor ordered. Each of the liquors used in the drink could be tasted. Unlike your usual vodka martini, the Yellow Submarine had the added twist of banana liqueur and a backdrop of spiced rum. It was delicious! I drank it down in no time flat and signaled Andre that I was ready to order another drink. I thought this time I would be more adventurous so when Andre swung over to see what I'd like to order, I asked for a Talking Monkey. The menu made it sound delightful. The creamy mix of chocolate vodka and banana liqueur accented with a bit of espresso vodka and some coffee liqueur was the sure thing to help me forget about the stress of the day. It was an indulgence I had been hesitant to try until then. Andre brought it over and I asked him to stay and chat if he didn't have anyone else to see to at the bar. He climbed up into the chair opposite me and we began chit-chatting. I bet you're wondering why I would ask Andre to stay and talk if I wanted to be alone. Well, I didn't exactly want to be alone, I just didn't want to be around other people. Andre has a way of making light of everything and cheering people up. I needed that right then more than anything. When I finished my first Talking Monkey, I asked Andre for another, then another. Our conversation grew loud and animated and I was getting tipsy. No one seemed to be bothered by it though. Then Andre said something so funny that I snorted with laughter and blew my drink out of my nose. I took a minute to check the mirror to help me clean up a bit. To my surprise, I couldn't see myself in the mirror even though it was just a meter or so away. I could see everyone else's reflections, even those seated at tables farther back in the bar from where I sat. Just no me. Or Andre. "Well no wonder our conversation hasn't gotten looks from the other people in the bar," I said to Andre, "We're not really here - or we're vampires. Are there such things as vampire monkeys Andre?" I suppose that was more than even Andre could take and he bust out with such a loud chattering laugh I was sure we would get some attention or the sound would shatter the mirror. But none of that happened either. It seemed as though I got my evening wish, for people to just leave me alone. I drank one final drink, a shooter of Bazooka Joe, then bid my farewell to Andre and thanked him for the excellent evening. It turned out, Andre's Banana Bar was the best place I could have gone to de-stress after the horrible day I had been having. And I learned something during my visit - for some problems, alcohol is the solution. ** Image ID #2260577 Unavailable ** Word count ▼ |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
