An Unexpected Character

Last evening I was working on my novel, typing furiously, closing in on my thousand word target for the day, when out of the blue a sinister character showed up. Now, this has been the part of writing a novel that simultaneously makes me want to scream and laugh. Who the heck did this character think he was to appear out of thin air at this moment in time?

Throughout the night I’d wake up and think either, “This guy has got to go,” or “Damn, this guy is just the thing to bring closure.”

When I started writing this morning I decided to let him stay for awhile and just see where the story went. Friends, I think he’s a keeper. His appearance is the catalyst I needed to resolve an issue and help two of my characters work together after a devastating secret threatened to pull them apart. My subconscious knew something that I did not.

Isn’t that the beauty of using a word processor? If, after a few hundred words, someone or something isn’t working they can go away with just a click, either jettisoned into the trash bin or saved in a new file for another day or another tale.

And, I hit my thousand word goal before 11 a.m.

Peace, people!

Put a Ring, or Three, on It

First thing every morning I place my Apple Watch on my wrist and begin working toward the goal of closing all three fitness rings. I’ve had the watch for over a year now and had never gotten all three rings closed.

I’ve come close on multiple occasions, usually while enjoying a day at an amusement park. A couple of times the stroke of midnight coincided with ring closure and I fell short of my goal.

Yesterday, though, I made it happen by running errands around Tallahassee. First I closed the blue stand ring after 6 p.m. but then I always close it, so I didn’t get too excited. I did note, though, that both of the other rings were considerably further along than usual.

I decided to go for it. First I headed to the elliptical machine that Studly Doright bought in a fit of fitness fever a couple of years ago. I’d kind of forgotten about it. It’s probably been used for two hours total since we put it together.

After roughly half a minute on the machine I was huffing and puffing, yet I pushed on to the minute mark. I wondered briefly if I was having a heart attack, but my breathing settled down fairly quickly and my heart rate looked surprisingly good.

I walked, jumped, and danced around Doright Manor, pumping my fists into the air, scaring the cats and amusing Studly.

“Have you finally lost your mind?” he asked.

“Yep,” I huffed. There was simply no time to explain.

“Well, I hope you find it before Vikings comes on,” Studly countered. “I don’t want any distractions.”

I might’ve flipped him off. Behind his back, because in this case it really was the thought that counted.

The green exercise ring closed next. I whooped and pushed on to close the red move ring. The elliptical was put to use again along with more dancing, leaping, and erratic arm movements. I was going to do it.

Now, it would make a better story if, perhaps, a wild boar had broken into the house and devoured me, or if a wayward satellite had fallen onto Doright Manor smushing me and my Apple Watch to smithereens just before the third ring closed, but the boring, yet satisfying truth is, I closed all the rings just in time to join Studly Doright for our weekly Vikings viewing date. Finally! A couch potato victory.

Of course I tossed and turned with leg cramps all night, and the smell of Tiger Balm wafted through the house, but by golly, if I did it once I can do it again. Just probably not today.

Oh, tonight’s the night I’ll be reading one of my blog posts at Salon 621 in Tallahassee. I’m not nervous. That’s what I’m telling myself anyway: “I’m not nervous. I’m not nervous. Really, I’m not nervous.”

Peace, people!

Darts in the Dark

Darts in the Dark

My time is now spent throwing darts into the dark, hoping that one sticks and makes its mark in the cork.

My aim must be off, maybe, or the target has been moved. I only know that my darts miss their marks

And clatter harmlessly onto the concrete where they’ll remain until the lights are restored. I’m a fool, but not

Inclined to go searching for sharp metal objects in this room, this tomb, where the light is forbidden and my feet bare.

Wildest Dreams

I wrote this in response to a prompt from a Facebook friend. It occurred to me that the wildest dreams from my younger days–marrying a Beatle, performing at Carnegie Hall doing God knows what, traveling to exotic places–no longer were on my dream radar.

Wildest Dreams

Sailing ‘cross oceans
Weathering storms
Standing ovations
Those were the norms
Dreams I once had
Some fulfilled
Some forgotten
Far better for certain
Than some that were not.

Wildest dreams of my
Younger self somehow
Don’t jibe
With the dreams I have now
To more than survive
To thrive and discover the
Person within under the
Protective covers of those
Who love me.

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