“Since my car is in the shop, would you be able to give me a lift to work tomorrow?” I asked my coworker who lives a few blocks from me in my same neighborhood. “Sure, I’d be happy to,” he said, “and I can pick you up at 8:15 if that works for you.” “Actually, I have an early meeting with my team. It’s scheduled for 7:00 so if you could pick me up at 6:30, that would be great,” I said. “Perhaps you can either reschedule your early morning meeting for a later time or to another day when your car is back from the shop,” he suggested. “As much as I appreciate your suggestion, neighbor, I cannot ..read more

For his Writer’s Workshop this week, John Holton gives us six writing prompts and we are tasked with choosing one of the prompts (or as many as we want) and writing a post that addresses that (or those) prompt(s). I chose three prompts for this week: (1) use the word “aunt,” (2) write a post in exactly 12 sentences, and (6) write about the most humid place you’ve been. Have you ever been to Houston, Texas in the summer? It’s awful. Temperatures often reach triple digits and if you couple that heat with Houston’s 100% humidity, it’s unbearable. I’ve been there in November and December and it’s ..read more

“Are there any specific requirements that you’re looking for in your next home, Mr. Birch?” the real estate agent asked. “Yes,” Birch said. “I’d like a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom home, updated kitchen, and something that is solidly built.” “That pretty much describes what every homebuyer wants these days,” the realtor smiled. “Any dealbreakers I need to be aware of, Mr. Birch?” “Yes,” Birch said, “the structure needs to be indestructible.” The realtor looked at Mr. Birch questioningly. “Indestructible? Can you elaborate?” “The first place I ever bought was located in a trailer park ..read more

Daily writing prompt Do you practice religion? View all responses Kyle was an atheist but his girlfriend, Tina, was pressuring him to find his spirituality. “I’m not saying that you need to embrace and practice a particular religion, but I’d like you to get in touch with your spiritual side.” “Tina,” Kyle said, “how mant times do we have to have this discussion? I don’t have a spiritual side. I don’t believe that there is a higher being, I’m not searching for deep and profound answers to the purpose or meaning of life. I believe in living life to the fullest because this is the only life th ..read more

I’m reblogging this post from Annie over at Annie Asks You. I encourage you to read it, especially if you’re an American voter and still haven’t made up your mind about who to vote for in the upcoming general election. Watch these brief videos and think about what you’re listening to before making your biting decision. Thanks, Annie, for pulling these together. On this day that reminds us of the sacrifices so many Americans have made to protect our country, I think it’s important to consider how seriously … A Memorial Day Montage for Those Needing Anti-Trump Fodder ..read more

Detective Fred Morrisey and his partner, Detective Ron Hayden, looked down at the body outline drawn out on the floor. Morrisey then looked at the uniformed officer who had arrived first at the scene. “You interviewed the family members, right?” “Yes sir,” the officer said. “Jim and Margaret Nichols. The deceased was their 30-year-old son, Jeff, and they were both asleep when the crime occurred. The ME estimated that death was between 11:00 last night and 1:00 this morning. The deceased’s father found his son’s body on the floor of their recreation room. It was around 6:30 this morning when h ..read more

“That’s weird,” Ellen said. “What’s weird?” her husband Will asked. “That wall art,” Ellen responded. “You mean that surrealistic black cat on the red background?” “Yeah,” Ellen said. “Did you notice that there is a pheasant where the cat’s head is supposed to be.” “Ellen, I think that cannabis-infused gummy we just took is already starting to kick in for you. That cat has a cat’s head sitting right on top of its pink and black striped neck, plain as day,” Will said. “Will,” Ellen said, “look closely. The cat’s ear on the left is definitely shaped like a bird’s head. And where the cat’s other ..read more

“Should one of us head down the mountain to see if we can get a cell signal to call the park service about coming up here to retrieve his body?” Dave asked the others in the group. “You know that Bob is — or should I say was — all alone in this world. No wife, no kids. And he always said he wanted to be buried someplace where there was a view,” Jerry said. “So maybe we should wrap him up in the canvas from his tent and dig a grave up here at the summit.” “You’re right, Jerry, there’s no one down in the valley to take him, anyway,” Mitch said. So whaddya say, Dave, shall we start digging?” “Ho ..read more

She threw back the glass of wine and stormed out of the room. “Sharon wait!” Nick called out as he ran after her. He finally caught up with her on the street just outside the restaurant and touched her shoulder. Sharon spun around so she was facing Nick. Looking directly into his eyes, she said, “What? There’s nothing left to say, is there, Nick?” Sharon tried not to cry but her eyes started to well over. “We’ve been together for almost a year and a half and I was expecting an engagement ring. I was not prepared for you to announce that we need to take a break from each other.” “It’s not that ..read more

Gertrude reached over and squeezed Isadore’s hand. They were sitting on a bench at an amusement park and Gerty said to Izzy, “The grandchildren are having such a marvelous time enjoying all of the rides here in the park. I’m so happy our son and daughter invited us to join them today.” “Yeah? With all these screaming and crying rugrats, I can barely hear myself think, much less hear what you’re saying to me. Some fun this is sitting on a bench with no shade in the sweltering sun,” Isadore said. “Oh, come on, Izzy, don’t be such and old curmudgeon,” Gerty said. “Look at all of these marvelous ..read more