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Archive for September, 2020

FF – CASH!

September 30, 2020 46 comments

Here is my 100 word max story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week’s photo was contributed by Rowena Curtin.

Copyright Rowena Curtin

 

“Look what the sun’s done to that! It’s all warped and melted!”

“Wow, yes. The sunlight is hot! Just standing in it is so warming!”

“Don’t stand in it, dude!”

“Why not? It’s perfecfnjg smff. Wsds goong oon?”

“Aargh! Your face! It’s hideous! It’s melted off!” bleurgh… bleurgggghhhhh!

 

Disappearing zone layer. Global warming. It’s here. It’s now!

Do you want your face to melt off? You can help!

Send a donation to us, the Campaign Against Sun Heating, or CASH for short.

Yes, send us a donation, cheque payable to CASH!

You can make a difference!

 

Sharing My World 21-09-2020

September 27, 2020 29 comments

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World, with extra questions from Roger Shipp.

Have you ever driven the wrong way on a one-way street? How did this come about?
Streets go both ways, surely 🙂 No, I don’t remember ever going the wrong way.

As a kid, did you ever decide to run away? Did you have a plan? Take a pet? Sandwiches?
I may have, when I was very little. Or maybe it was my little brother. I (or he) only got a hundred yards away or so, though.

You suddenly found you have a hidden talent for playing a musical instrument. What musical instrument do you hope that accompanies your talent? Any particular song?
I reckon a violin. I could play jaunty jigs and annoy the neighbours.

Do you accessorize with jewellery? There was an opal necklace (cursed) and Slytherin’s locket (also cursed) in the Potter story. Have you had any heirloom jewellery passed down through the generations? Is it more ‘keepsake’ or do you wear it on occasion? (Hopefully, yours was not cursed?)
I’m not a jewellery person. I’m not married so no wedding ring, and I’m not a pimp or Mr T.

I pity da fool who wears this much bling

What ingredients go into YOUR favourite salad?
Ooh, I’ve heard of “salads”. I sometimes have a “salad” but the main ingredients are cheese and meat. So not so salad-y, really.

If you care to, share something that really irritates you.
That’s the subject for a whole new “War and Peace-sized” post.

What are your favourite ‘lounging around the house’ items of clothing? Now that a lot of people ‘lounge around the house’ waiting for the all clear in respect to Covid being shown the door, have those lounging items changed?
The same as my “going out” clothes but older versions, no longer deemed as suitable for outside wear. The jumper is a bit older, the jeans a bit tattier, but still fine for answering the door.

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FF – Vampires!

September 23, 2020 70 comments

Here is my story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week’s photo was contributed by Dale Rogerson.

Sorry, but if you post a photo of garlic, how can I not think “vampire”?

 

Crash!

“Argh! How did you get in? Uninvited? Past the garlic? In the middle of the day?”

“Umm…”

“You blood-drinking nightcrawlers, you should be bursting into flames!”

“Ah, I see what’s happening here. Eh, lads?”

Yeah! Ha! Happens all the time!

“We’re not vampires, dude!”

“You’re… not?”

“No! Wow, this is embarrassing! So sorry, mate!”

“I just thought… with all the bodies recently… drained of blood…”

“No! Jeez. You thought… no! No, we’re a homicidal blood cult.”

“Oh, phew… wait… what, now?”

Slice! Swish! Spurt!

“I can’t believe he thought… aw, never mind. Everyone remember to bring their ritual mugs?”

Slurp

 

Sharing My World 14-09-2020

September 20, 2020 25 comments

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World, once again augmented by “Harry Potter-themed” questions from Roger Shipp.

You have just been gifted a magic wand that specialises in completing household chores. You can request the completion of only two household chores. Which chores would you assign your wand to complete?
Well, this wand is a bit disappointing, to be honest. Only two chores? Vacuuming and cleaning the oven. My oven’s instructions said it was self-cleaning, so I never cleaned it. And it’s filthy. So that needs doing.

At the local Wizards-R-Us store there was a sale on handshake shockers, instant darkness pellets, and levitation pills. Which of these ‘party thrillers’ are you more likely to purchase?
The instant darkness pellets. They’d be useful in all sorts of situations, like random street muggings and the like.

In the alley behind Wizards-R-Us, there was a tradesman selling a Love Potion. The sales pitch was too much for you and you yielded and purchased one vial. What do you do with it?

COMBINED WITH

You are the Great Clearinghouse Winner of a new ‘good luck’ potion – Felix Felicis. It has to be used within the next thirty days or its potency becomes diminished. Do you use it? Do you give it to a friend in need?
Yes, I’m combining these two. Think of the “significant other” I could hook with these two babies in my “chat up” arsenal.

If everyone spoke their mind, would this world be a better or worse place? Why?
It would be simpler but a disaster. Think of how many people would get beaten up by strangers, fired from their jobs, divorced by their partner…

Can achieving nothing make a person happy?
Yeah, if they’re really lazy and unambitious. Like me.

How do you know if you love someone enough to marry them?
You never will. Take a chance.

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FF – Nuthead and Numbnuts Have a Picnic

September 16, 2020 47 comments

Here is my story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week’s photo was contributed by Roger Bultot.

Copyright Roger Bultot

 

“Here we are, Nuthead! A nice picnic.”

“Yes, Numbnuts, lovely. Is this where we meant to go? Never mind. Spread out the food!”

“Food?”

“Dang!”

“I remembered the baby chair.”

“Good-oh. But that makes me think we’ve forgotten something.”

“The food?”

“Something else.”

“The baby! We forgot the baby!”

“Omygodomygodomygod…”

“Wait a sec. We don’t have a baby.”

“Oh, that’s a relief. I thought for a minute we’d left him slash her at the supermarket slash petrol station slash home.”

“Phew! Though we do have a baby chair.”

“But why?”

“I forget. Let’s go home.”

“Yes, let’s. Where’s that again?”

 

Sharing My World 07-09-2020

September 13, 2020 23 comments

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World, co-hosted by Roger Shipp with his Harry Potter-inspired questions.

What happened to cause you to discover ‘bullies” were real?
It was when I went to “big” school. It was just low-grade bullying. I only ever got punched once and that was right in front of a teacher. Heh heh.

Eavesdropping – When given the chance, how often do you eavesdrop?
I don’t really eavesdrop. I just sometimes hear other people’s conversations 🙂

Escalators, at one time, were the ‘next big thing’. When was the last time you rode an escalator?
Whenever I was last in Marks & Spencer. They have an escalator up to the first floor (if you’re American that’s probably the “second floor”), which is where menswear is. That was at some point before lockdown.

Have you ever ‘let’ someone win in a sports competition or a board game? How did it turn out?
Nope. I don’t think that does anyone any favours. No, you lost, get over it! Stop crying and man up, you snivelling little three year old!

Do our fears start with our DNA?
For sure. I’m terrified of DNA.

If you could have your hair any colour for 24 hours, what colour would you choose?
I’d leave it the way it is. Brown with edges of grey. Very distinguished, I reckon 🙂

When do you think a person gets old?
When they’re around 10 years older than me.

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FF – Spy Games

September 9, 2020 61 comments

Here is my story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week’s photo was contributed by herself!

 

“Look, that altered ‘open’ sign. That’s the signal!”

“Hmm. Are you sure, Sir? Maybe the neighbourhood kids…”

“Yes! Come on!”

ding!

“Hello, my good man. Ahem. The biscuits dunk well in the Darjeeling.”

“Huh?”

The biscuits dunk well in the Darjeeling.

“Your mate… bit ‘odd’ is he? A sandwich short of a picnic?”

“Um, Sir, I don’t think we’re in the right place…”

“Nonsense! I’m sure that is the correct counter-response. Um. Ahem. Yes! Here, my good man, the microfilm.”

“Um, okay.”

ding!

“Best put this with the others. Seven microfilms today! Maybe I better get my ‘open’ sign fixed. Damn kids.”

 

Sharing My World 31-08-2020

September 6, 2020 23 comments

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World, co-hosted by Roger “Harry Potter” Shipp. This week we’re up to “The Goblet of Fire”.

Many local regions, especially rural areas where I live, have haunted houses. Have you ever spent the night in a house that was supposedly haunted? Anything ‘strange” happen?
I’ve not heard of any haunted houses around here. Nearby we have “The Beast of Bodmin Moor”, so it’s probably best not to go there after dark. Though it’s probably just an escaped jaguar or tiger or something. Nothing to worry about 😉

The Quidditch Cup (riding broomsticks while chasing a small ball) was a huge sporting event in the land of Hogwarts. What is the largest sporting event (or concert, etc.) that you have ever attended?
I can’t think of any large sporting events. I went to a few concerts while I lived in Germany way back when. The biggest were probably Paul Simon’s “Rhythm of the Saints” tour, and Iron Maiden.

When you go for a swim, do you prefer an ocean, the seaside lakes, or a pool?
What on earth’s a “seaside lake”? Not one of those, then. I swam in the sea a couple of times as a kid, but a pool sounds the best thing to me. Nice and safe.

Ron Weasley received a horrid robe to wear as formal wear to the Christmas dance at Hogwarts. Tell about the most ‘ghastly’ fashion statement that you have ever made.
Excuse me, I’m the very epitome of fashion. Jeans and a jumper never go out of style.

What is the last song you sang along to?
I tend to have songs going round in my head rather than singing aloud. Except in the car, and that would have been whatever was playing, I sing along in the car all the time.

What was your scariest nightmare about?
Like I can remember the details… I should have answered this in the 2 minutes after actually having the nightmare, after that the details float away. I’m just left with an uneasy feeling.

What food do you crave most often?
Either chocolate or cheese, depending on whether my body needs sugar or wants savoury.

What’s your grossest bug story?
I can’t think of anything in particular. Bugs are gross. end of story.

Nemesis

Categories: About draliman

FF – Bloody Tourists

September 2, 2020 67 comments

Here is my contribution for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week’s photo was contributed by C.E. Ayr.

Copyright C.E. Ayr

 

“Oh, how very ‘olde worlde’! Costumed inhabitants, old cars! I think I’ll try some of the ‘olde worlde’ ale! A pint of your finest, my good man.”

“’Ere. Free pahnd fifty.”

“Three pounds fifty? Surely you mean ‘a shilling and six pence, guvnor’?”

“Nah. I mean free pahnd fifty. Guvnor.”

“Oh, well, okay. Hey, this tastes just like regular ale! What about the ‘olde worlde’ experience?”

“Fine. Give it ‘ere.”

(sprinkle tinkle)

“’Ere. Olde worlde experience.”

“Aha! Urk, yeech, bleurgh! Yes, very olde worlde…”

*****

“Frank, you’ve been serving ages. Need a toilet break?”

“Nah, just ‘ad one. Har har. Bloody tourists.”