Month: October 2014

Friday Fictioneers: The Third Chair

The third wheel; they called her. Where ever Sally and Tom went, Suzie would follow. This may have been cool for Tom, who got to brag about the two luscious blondes who accompanied him, but it was no party for Sally.

It wasn’t that Sally didn’t want her sister around, but c’mon, on an evening where she expected Tom to propose to her? That’s just too much.

Still, when Sally arrived at the restaurant, there it was, a table and three chairs.

On that night, to Sally’s surprise, Tom popped the question to his one true love… Suzie.

This is my entry into this week’s Friday Fictioneers.

100 Word Challenge: Trusted Hands

One of my old high school teachers recently passed away. The man was 63, and has been fighting cancer since 1998.

Mike (not his real name), was a beast. In class, he often flipped out, hollering and throwing things at students. Luckily, he never threw anything at me.

We watched him have a nervous breakdown in class one day. They carried him out screaming.

I never heard much from him after high school, but last year, news reports said that he tried to kill his wife, stabbing her in the face and neck.

He spent his remaining years in a mental institution.

This true story of exactly 100 words is my entry into this week’s Velvet Verbosity 100 word challenge. The word this week is Beast. Check out the site!

Friday Fictioneers: No Change

One would argue that change is a good thing;

Charlie and Ole’ Tom would disagree. They liked things to remain the same.

Their game was Chess. Coming home from the war, the game allowed the two of them to engage in their own battles. They’ve been coming here ever since.

People took notice. Whenever the place changed hands, the new owner ensured their places were kept.

They are gone now, but as a tribute to them, two chairs and a table still sit in the same spot, waiting for two new warriors to partake in a battle. No change.

This is my entry into this week’s Friday Fictioneers.

A Close Shave

Last week, my 12 year old step son came to me to ask a favour. He wanted to learn to shave. Sure, there were a couple of hairs growing under his nose, but I didn’t think he was ready for this step into manhood. Maybe I couldn’t accept the fact that he is growing up.

As I stood there and explained the basics of shaving, I thought back to my childhood, and the times where I stood and watched my grandfather shave. He used a straight razor that was nothing short of a beast. The thing looked like it fell right out of a slasher movie. I remember how he drew the blade against a long piece of leather that hung from the edge of the table, and then proceeded to lather up a homemade brush that he made from horse hair; carefully swirling it in a cup that he swiped from Gram’s cupboard.

He took great care in covering ever inch of his lower face, until he closely resembled Santa Clause. Then, with the care of a surgeon, he proceeded to drag the sharp blade over his face, cutting every hair, and thankfully no flesh.

He had a little razor for me too. He fashioned the thing out of a piece of alder wood, whittling the handle so that it matched the one he used. The blade was attached with a small screw, and although the edge was not filed sharp, I thought it was. Standing next to my grandfather, the two of us shared in a special moment together.

When we finished, he took boiling water from the kettle and poured it into the heavily enameled basin, and using a face cloth, he proceeded to wipe his face clean. He cooled the water down to wash my face.

“There, now you are a man!” he said.

I explained to my son just how easy it is to shave nowadays. I gave him the basics of shaving, and began to shave my face. He watched me first and then imitated my actions. He was shocked at how sharp the razor blade was, and how smooth it made his face feel. I explained how today’s razors were so much safer than the ones my grandfather used, and even the one my father uses to this day.

When we finished, he wiped his hand under his nose. “Wow, smoother than a baby’s bum!” he said. Those were the same words I used while my grandfather and I shaved together.

“Welcome to manhood” I told him, and winked my eye.

‘

Dumb TV Show Review #1: Resurrection

Just watched the latest episode of Resurrection. I am still waiting for the show to start to make sense. I think I am in for a long wait!

Last year, the show began with a kid coming up to an elderly couple’s door. When the door was opened, the couple were surprised to find that the kid at the door was their son….who died over 40 years ago. He was still dressed in the same clothing he died in. Trouble was, he was still a kid. (the afterlife must have a limited supply of clothing)

Later on, other people came back to life as well. These people are like ‘friendly zombies’. The one thing that bothers me with the story is that someone can come back to life after dying in the 1930’s and not be amazed with the changes in the world since they kicked the bucket.

The other thing that bothers me is why they are coming back…or how. This has never been touched. The show is like a zombie (albeit friendly zombie) soap opera. There is even one zombie who is pregnant, just like she was when her car left the road and she died. Tough baby!

Omar Epps, the fine surgeon from the House M.D. television show is the star of this show, and just recently the poor man was shot to death. Fear not though, he came right back to life in a matter of days. Was he ever surprised to find out that he had died. Big shock I would imagine!

There are government organizations involved, they seem to be made out as the bad guys. What other tv show makes heroes out of the dead and criminals out of the living?

This ain’t no Walking Dead!!!

Tribute to Canada.

After yesterday’s shooting in Ottawa, I felt this song a tribute to once was. Our country is no longer safe, and we are no longer free.

Every day from now on we will fear the unthinkable.

Friday Fictioneers: Birds on the iPad

Don’t feed the birds

they would warn;

but the old man kept throwing seeds

and bread crumbs.

It gave him something to do

some way to give back

but now they are gone.

The only birds left

are the ones on the iPads.

You can look at them

but they make no sound.

Nothing but images

of days gone by;

and they don’t love.

Just memories

of a world we destroyed.

Now the old man is gone too

and the benches are bare

and nobody sits

and nobody stares

at life.

this is my entry into this week’s Friday Fictioneers.

100 word challenge: Worthy of a king

“Must you be so mean?” pleaded Junto, the smallish servant of Brunt.

With a staff made from pure diamond, he certainly looks the part. Trouble is, Brunt is no better than the smoogs who serve him.

Brunt was in the woods one day, gathering berries for the weekly feast when he came upon a large trunk. In the trunk he found some old robes and a crown. Near the bottom, he found a long stick with the jewel attached to the end.

“Wash my feet, and make sure you clean all eleven toes” Brunt commanded, striking his servant to the ground.

This is my entry into this week’s 100 word challenge. the word this week is ‘Staff’.

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

everthing old is new again…sigh

Ever reminisce about the old days and wish everything was that way again? The candy we enjoyed as kids, the games we played, and how about the music we listened to? Sometimes things are better left to memory.

I felt that way about four of my favorite musicians from my younger years. Back then, my four favorites were Bryan Adams, John (Cougar sometimes) Mellencamp, Tom Petty, and of course my all time favourite, Bob Seger.

When I seen that all four of my favorites planned on releasing new albums for 2014, I was elated. Couldn’t wait to get them. The minute they were released, I bought them. Big Mistake!

Years (and all the cigarettes) were not kind to Mellencamp’s voice. His voice, although always gravely, now sounds as if he gargled with nails prior to recording the album. That is not to say that the songs weren’t great, but I couldn’t get past the raspy voice. It almost hurt to listen.

Speaking of gravel, Bryan Adams released a new album as well….of all things, a cover album. Six years after his last album, entitled ’11’, he releases a cover album. Don’t get me wrong, the man can still sing, and for Bryan, the gravel works well, but the song choices??? Country songs?

I have always been a country fan, but I was a rock fan as well. Those two worlds don’t (or shouldn’t) collide well. It was just wrong to hear Adams belt out Kristofferson’s ”Help Me Make it Through the Night’ and even worse, his rendition of Don Gibson’s ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’. Adams did a great job on those songs, but it seems to me that there were already enough covers of those songs that my favorite Canadian ROCKER didn’t need to be doing them. I wish he could have released an album of original ROCK songs.

Another artist who chose to go country as of late is Bob Seger. My absolute favourite artist throughout the 70’s and 80’s, Seger released an album that is a mix between country and blues, and for me, it just doesn’t make it.

Steve Earle’s ‘Devil’s Right Hand’ was the biggest disappointment on the entire album. Seger simply cannot hit the notes that the songwriter did in his own release of the song. Instead of showcasing the fine singer’s voice, the song shows the age of the artist. The rest of the songs on the album just didn’t cut it for me. Very disappointed in this one and a waste of my money.

Finally, Tom Petty. What can I say? I hated the entire thing. Maybe I am being a bit too critical, but when fine artists try to fit the cookie cutter world of radio, it is just darn disappointing.

On the way to work today, I loaded my favorite albums of yesteryear. ‘Reckless’, ‘Uh Huh’, Full Moon Fever’ and ‘Beautiful Loser’. Now THAT was music!

Friday Fictioneers: Exercise Regime

PHOTO PROMPT – Copyright – Douglas M. MacIlroy

As he packed up his favorite things, a tear ran down his face.

He sat for a minute and reminisced. The days out on the lake, the evenings on the deck, the time spent with friends, all gone now. To think that all his misery began after his wife suggested he enroll in a yoga program. “Get back in shape so we can do the fun things again.” she said.

He got with the program, and enjoyed it quite a bit.

How did she find out that instead of just ‘doing Yoga’, he ended up ‘doin the Yoga Teacher’?

This little glimpse of the life of a very foolish man is my entry into Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ Friday Fictioneers post. Why not check out the prompt and give it a try for yourself? Lots of fun!!!