Sharing My World Week 12

March 28, 2014 16 comments

It’s time once again in draliman-land to Share My World, courtesy of Cee at Cee’s photography blog! This is a chance for bloggers to get to know each other a little bit better by answering some questions.

Here is the badge.

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And here are the questions.

What is your most favourite smell/scent?
That’s a tricky one. I like the smell of freshly-mown grass (I borrowed that from someone else, but I do). I also like the smell of bacon cooking.

Mmm, bacon.

Here’s a picture of my tea the other day, some of which I bought in the monthly village market.

baconfortea

Bacon for my tea. Mmm, bacon.

That brown stuff is Worcester Sauce. Mmm, Worcester Sauce. And bacon.

Mmm, bacon.

I rate that tea at three out of five heart attacks. On the other hand I eat maybe one fried egg a year (the cooker in my rented place was rubbish) so I don’t feel too guilty.

How do you write: computer, longhand or other?
Other? What would that be then? I use the Force to conjure the words into the ether, there to reside until I need them again.

Actually, I tried that once but it didn’t work out. I could never find the words again. Everywhere I looked someone was waving his hand and saying “These are not the words you’re looking for.”

Ha ha. Ah haha.

I write everything on my computer. I write posts like this straight into WordPress and I write all stories in Word and then paste them in. My handwriting is not the best. Sometimes I come back to something I wrote ages ago and I can’t even tell what I wrote.

Your favourite blog post that you have written? (add link)
Oh dear, how can I choose? I can’t so I’m going to shamelessly do three. A kiddie’s one, a little story and one with a sort of moral (though it may not be obvious).

Spider Army (short kiddie poem with DraliDoodles)
Baptism of Fire (short story)
Until the End of Time (mock diary – be careful what you wish for)

What’s one of your favourite books from childhood?
Oh boy, I have no idea. My childhood was soooo long ago and I read so many books that I can’t remember. Just little flashes. I remember a lot of the books I read at school, but we had to analyse them to death so I didn’t really enjoy them.

It would probably have been sci-fi or fantasy, like The Hobbit. Okay, we’ll go with The Hobbit.

Here is a picture I just took of my copy of The Hobbit. Professional photographer that I am, it features a flash reflection and it’s on its side. But… Hobbits!

TheHobbit

Yay, Hobbits!

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
Last week happened. I’m grateful nothing bad happened. Next week there’s some big stuff going on at work which I can’t afford to mess up, culminating in a weekend of doing the bulk of the tricky stuff, so I can’t say I’m particularly looking forward to that.

I guess I’m just fundamentally an ungrateful person 😦 .

And on that bombshell… see you again next week!

Design Flaw

March 26, 2014 55 comments

It’s Wednesday. That means it’s time for Friday Fictioneers! Which was posted on Tuesday.

I’m confused 😦

Never mind. I have written my little story. I’ve gone all dialogue-y this week. I hope it’s not too confusing who is speaking, it’s tricky to do three people without any “he said, she said”.

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by the talented Rochelle and the idea is to write approximately 100 words in response to a photo, which this week has been contributed by John Nixon. Thanks, John Nixon!

Have a read of all the other submissions for this week by clicking on the little blue froggy below.

forest

Copyright John Nixon

“Wow, these twigs look huge! Like a forest! Your miniaturisation device worked, Professor.”

“Indeed yes, Major. A triumph!”

“So, how do we de-miniaturise? Is that the correct term, Professor? De-miniaturise?”

“Indeed it is. I simply reverse the polarity of the emitter.”

“The emitter? The emitter way up there? Using that absolutely massive screwdriver?”

“Mmm, yes. In my line of work we call that a ‘design flaw’.”

“In our line of work we call that a monumental fu…”

“Secure that shit, Private!”

“Sorry, Sir.”

“So what do we do now? Yes, Private?”

“I suggest we run, Sir. That cat is coming back.”

Sharing My World Week 11

March 23, 2014 14 comments

I can’t believe a whole week has gone by already, and it’s time once again for me to Share My World, part of Cee’s Share Your World feature.

Here’s the badge, which I must remember to pop on my sidebar.

share-your-world2

If you were an ice cream cone how many scoops and flavours would you be and why?
Mmm, ice cream. What to choose, what to choose? I think we’ll start with cool mint choc chip. Add to that a bit of plain old creamy vanilla and add in a bit raspberry and I think we have the perfect cone.

Unless the raspberry clashes with the mint choc chip, in which case it’ll be gross.

Are you left or right handed?
I’m right-handed. Very right-handed. I can count on the fingers of one hand the things I can do with my left hand. I’m counting those things on the fingers of my right hand as my left hand is not up to the job.

Before making a phone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say?
I rehearse to the point that I have an idea what I want to say, and I decide up-front my opening line. A bit like when I’m giving a talk – have an idea, an outline, and know how you’re going to open and the rest will flow naturally.

I hate making phone calls. “Dread” might be a better word. I put them off as long as possible, so you can imagine what the past few months have been like, buying a house. Calls to the solicitor, estate agent, changing my address with a gazillion people. It’s never-ending!

How many rings before you answer the phone?
I actually stopped answering the land line phone ages ago. I was getting multiple junk calls a day, until I registered with the Telephone Preference Service, and then they largely stopped. My mum uses a code – a certain number of rings, hang up, then she rings again so I know it’s her.

As for my mobile, I’ll answer it as soon as I fumble it out of my pocket. Sometimes I accidentally answer it while it’s in my pocket.

Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
I’m grateful that in the three days I took off from work last week I actually got a lot done, rather than just vegging out like usual. I bought and constructed some bookcases, and they are actually really good, sturdy things. Unbelievable considering they only cost £22.99 from a warehouse chain store – I’m very impressed. Here’s a picture of one I put in my bedroom.

bookcase

Finally “the gang” has found a new home!

I even registered with the local doctor! I needed antibiotics for my eye, which I had to pay for. £7.85, if you can believe that. It’s gone up since my last prescription back in the 90s. As a new patient the nurse did a full work-up including a blood test and now they want to monitor my blood pressure. I tried to tell her that it’s been “borderline danger level” for years and coming back to have it taken again in 4 weeks isn’t going to make any difference, but she wasn’t for swaying 😦 .

In the week coming up I’m looking forward to – nothing in particular. Let’s just get through it in one piece, shall we?

That’s me for this week. Tune in again next week, when I will be Sharing My World once again!

Categories: About draliman Tags:

Time to Move Out

March 21, 2014 48 comments

It’s time for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by the lovely and talented Rochelle. The idea is to write approximately 100 words in response to a photo prompt. And 100 words is not a lot, let me tell you 🙂

This week’s photo is of a staircase in an old building, and was supplied by Rochelle herself! You can read all the stories submitted for this week’s prompt by clicking on the little blue froggy.

old-building-staircase

Copyright Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Harold wheezed, out of breath, as he reached his apartment block. A sharp sound – crack! crack! emanated from a nearby alley as he unlocked the front door.

“Damn gangbangers!” he muttered as he stepped over the semi-conscious junkie in the doorway and went inside. Fifty years ago this had been a nice, quiet neighbourhood.

As he approached the stairs he heard a scream and a body crashed down, bouncing off the grill lining the stairwell. Harold took a quick look. That pusher from next door.

He pulled out his phone and called his daughter.

“Honey, is that room still going spare?”

Storybook Corner – Pulse

March 19, 2014 15 comments

Here is my submission for February’s Storybook Corner. This is a 300-500 word photo prompt hosted by talented fiction writer Adam Ickes. Here’s the cool logo.

ogre-castle

Why not give this a go yourselves – you still have a couple of hours left for February! The word limit gives a little more scope than many of the photo prompts out there. You can read all the submissions by clicking on the little blue froggy below.

Read more…

Weekly Photo Challenge: Inside

March 16, 2014 31 comments

This week’s Photo Challenge from The Daily Post wants a photo which says “Inside”. I have two photos which show inside and outside!

When it’s a bit chilly outside (even though the sun has come out)…

Piazza, Truro

Truro, Cornwall one early chilly but sunny Saturday morning

… it’s nice to snug up nice and warm in the living room of my new house with the gas fire on (and watch Dr Who).

inside

Inside the sitting room in my new house

Double flash reflection and a finger in the way! I am such the photographic professional 🙂 .

Sharing My World Week 10

March 16, 2014 10 comments

It’s time for me to share my world again! Actually, it was time to share my world almost a week ago, but this last week I picked up a bit of a social life. I know, me!

I’m also still spending time getting the house in order. The sitting room is all spick and span and the kitchen is pretty much there, but I still have a lot to do in the bedroom.

This week has some tricky questions. It’s all based on introvertism (I think I just made that word up – my browser is not happy with it), and is hosted by Cee over at Cee’s Photography Blog.

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Describe yourself in a word that starts with the first letter of your name.
Hmm, the only word I can think of (avoiding the obvious) is “average”, so I’m going to use my bloggy name and go for “dark”, which pretty much describes my character, and is easily divined from my stories.

If 100 people your age were chosen at random, how many do you think you’d find leading a more satisfying life than yours?
Now this is a hard one. Most of them, but that would be my perception. They would have problems and worries that don’t show on the outside, I’m sure. The grass is always greener, and all that.

If you were a tree, would you become a book or furniture? Please describe.
I think I would prefer to stay a tree, thanks. Looking out over the world, enjoying the sunshine and rain and the wind blowing through my leaves or needles.

I wouldn’t want to be a book, leafed through, falling to bits and discarded. I also wouldn’t want to be sat on. Please don’t chop me down!

You are trapped in an elevator, who would you want to be trapped with?
I don’t generally use lifts. Fortunately most buildings in Cornwall are not so tall that you can’t use the stairs. I’d definitely walk up three or four flights rather than getting all squashed in a lift with strangers. Enclosed spaces are fine as long as I’m in there alone.

Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
I guess I’m grateful that nothing went horribly wrong last week. There was no reason why anything should, but you never know. “Dark”, remember? I’m looking forward to a couple of days off next week.

That’s all the questions for this week, most of which I have managed to avoid answering correctly!

Categories: About draliman Tags:

Everything Changes

March 15, 2014 49 comments

Hello and welcome to my Friday Fictioneers entry, which is hosted as always by Rochelle and this week features a photo by Friday Fictioneerer Adam Ickes.

I wrote this story on Thursday, but only now have time to post it! To read the other entries for this week, click on the little blue froggy.

adamickes-boardwalk

Copyright Adam Ickes

Shelley summoned her courage and approached the little wooden bridge. The new varnish gleamed – one could never tell that it had been damaged.

Edging forward she looked into the gulley, a run-off for melting winter snow. A tear stung her eye as she cast her mind back to last week when everything was all right, everything was normal. The buzzing of the little dirt bike, the laughter of her brother, his excitement as he tore onto the bridge.

A tiny miscalculation. That was all it took to change everything.

Forever.

She placed the flowers next to the bridge and walked away.

Sharing My World Week 9

March 6, 2014 34 comments

Hello friends! It’s time once again to Share My World, part of Cee’s Share Your World series of questions which helps bloggers to get to know one another a little better. Peace out!

This week’s questions are all about our dream house.

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Would you prefer a reading nook or an art, craft, photography studio?
Reading nook? Art studio? What what what? Where’s “kick-ass soundproofed and fully stocked entertainment room”? Somewhere I can turn up the volume and shoot aliens, or watch Hobbits (yay, Hobbits) kicking Orc ass, all without disturbing the neighbours with fully surround-sounded gunfire and whatnot.

And I could read in there as well.

Would you prefer the TV in the living room or another room?
I would prefer a TV in every room, thanks.

Especially in my kick-ass soundproofed and fully stocked entertainment room.

What colour would you like your bedroom to be?
Who cares, when I’ll be spending all my time in my kick-ass soundproofed and fully stocked entertainment room?

Okay then, lavender.

Would you prefer a one floor house or multiple levels?
Well, I just bought a house with two levels. While I’m a little worried about the stairs when I get older, it’s nice to go upstairs to sleep at the end of the day.

At least it would be if my bed wasn’t still in bits and I wasn’t still sleeping on the sofa in the living room.

Bonus question:
Ooh, a bonus question! What could it be, what could it be?

As I was saying, Bonus Question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
I’m grateful that my house move went reasonably smoothly. In the upcoming week I’m looking forward to getting my bedroom sorted out so I can invite the people round who have been eager to see my new abode (and so I can sleep in a bed again, because I’m getting too old for sleeping on sofas. Especially two-seater sofas).

That’s all for this week. Have a lovely week everybody!

His Favourite Place

March 5, 2014 79 comments

It’s Friday Fictioneers, hosted as always by the talented Rochelle. This week’s picture comes courtesy of Danny Bowman – my (roughly) 100 word story follows.

Have a look at all the other great entries here, and why not give it a go yourself?

lengai_summit_from_crater

Copyright Danny Bowman

Andriy mopped the sweat from his brow as he looked out over the stunning landscape.

What rugged beauty, he thought. Much like my native Ukraine.

He had emigrated to this land years ago, quickly finding work in a job he was eminently suited to. It was these moments of solitude however, surrounded by such incredible views, that he lived for.

Bracing himself, he dragged his burden to the edge of the cliff and pushed it over. For a moment he wondered what the poor sod had done to deserve such a brutal end, but then shrugged and settled down to enjoy the view.