FF – There’s Always a Catch

June 19, 2019 77 comments

Here is my story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week she also provided the photo! Click Mr Frog for the linkup.

 

Sam smiled. An airport without aircraft! Who would have thought? No-one, certainly, before the arrival of the N’Gak’Na three years ago.

Hailing from a distant galaxy, they had asked for nothing, yet gave so much. Suspicion waned as poverty and starvation were eliminated. In fact, everyone was getting quite plump!

Entering the transfer pod, Sam closed his eyes and waited. The UK to Australia in two seconds! The pod whirred.

Opening his eyes, he found himself lying on a table, surrounded by a N’Gak’Na family holding cutlery, their mandibles watering. A carving knife descended.

He couldn’t move. He couldn’t even scream.

 

Sharing My World 10-06-2019

June 16, 2019 36 comments

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World. Which logo to use this week? Decisions, decisions…

Yes, the one with the UK front and centre, I think!

What do fish do all day? What thoughts do you think they have?
Well, they certainly seem to do a lot of swimming around the place. As for their thoughts, much the same as ours I reckon. What to do today, where to go, which algae bar has free wifi, that sort of thing.

What celebrity would you have as a SPOUSE, if you HAD to choose?
Ooh, so many choices. It seems a bit rough on my chosen celebrity, though. Taylor Momsen is a great singer so she’s on the list. Despite the decades of age difference. Alicia Vikander, though Michael Fassbender might not be too happy. Jenna Fischer, though her husband might want words as well. I think I’m going to get beaten up a lot.

What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever broken?
Hearts. Hearts are priceless. As an international playboy and man of mystery there have been a lot of those. Sometimes I receive instructions from Intelligence Service HQ the import/export company and I just have to move on at short notice.

No, wait, that’s James Bond.

When was the last time you slept more than 9 hours in a stretch? Why?
I don’t know. I was probably ill if I slept that long. Or maybe at the end of a long period of annual leave when my routine has got all messed up.

Here’s a couple of pictures of my new flowers to brighten up this post.

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FF – Musings of the Cutlery

June 12, 2019 77 comments

Here is my story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week’s photo was contributed by Valerie J. Barrett.

To read all the stories and to add your own, click on the froggy.

 

Ah, to see the light of day! The old house restored and open to the public!

I pressed the Sunday best, you heated Madam’s beverages.

And I stirred that beverage. Halcyon days!

What’s all that white crap?

That’s a mark of my venerable age. Why are you spraying out your spout?

I’m excited, okay? Big day!

Shh, here come the visitors. Oh, for them to see us in all our beautiful glory, paragons of a bygone age!

“Wow, look at all this useless old shit. Let’s try the next room.”

Well, that took us down a peg or two and no mistake.

Philistines.

 

Sharing My World 03-06-2019

June 9, 2019 27 comments

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share My World.

Do you think there is such a thing as a ‘gendered’ brain?
Oh Lordy. Well, I didn’t know anything about this so I read some stuff. The answer seems to be both “yes” and “no”. In short, various groups seem to suggest that while girls and boys have certain differences at birth – responding differently to faces, for example – most of what happens afterwards (pink for girls, blue for boys etc) is down to societal conditioning.

Blimey.

What is the silliest fear you have?
I don’t have any silly fears. They’re all real, I tell you. Real and justifiable. Anyone who isn’t mortally afraid of spiders is clearly nuts.

Out of your family members, who are you closest to?
Ha. Some of them read this so I’m not answering.

All of them.

What is something you’ll NEVER do again?
In 1983 James Bond taught us to “Never Say Never Again”. Saying you’ll never do something again is a bit presumptuous. So there.

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FF – Fate Happens

June 5, 2019 63 comments

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

Click on the froggy to see all the stories and add your own.

Copyright C.E. Ayr

 

“No! No way!”

“Whatever is the matter, my dear?”

“It has a balcony! Read the news, woman! English tourists are forever plunging to their deaths off balconies. And that aircon unit! In every American film I’ve ever seen someone’s been crushed by a falling aircon unit.”

“Maybe you’ve been watching the wrong…”

“You go inside. I’m nobody’s fool. I’m going for a swim in the pool.”

Funny, but in every film I’ve ever seen…

GERRRONIMOOOO!

… the injury’s because some idiot doesn’t check…

SPLAT! ARRRRGHHH…

… there’s water in the pool before jumping in. I hope our holiday insurance covers gross stupidity…

 

Sharing My World 27-09-2019

June 2, 2019 35 comments

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World. Which logo shall I use today?

Do you consider yourself a pessimist or an optimist?
I’m a bit of a pessimist. Everything that can go wrong is definitely going to go wrong. And that glass is way more than half empty. But that means I’m always prepared for the worst, and there’s plenty of room to be pleasantly surprised! I call it “disappointment management”.

Can War ever be just?
Just what? Just a bit of a tiff?

Oh, I see. Well, I don’t know about “just”. But certainly “necessary”. Imagine what would have happened if we’d not stood up to Mr Hitler. He would have conquered most of the world, unopposed. And, more recently, most of the Middle East would be a Caliphate. And it wouldn’t have stopped there, considering we’re not doing “war” any more.

Think about the people you love most in your life, what do you do for them?
I bring them joy just be being there with all my awesomeness and whatnot.

Are you health conscious?
Absolutely. But unfortunately I then ignore myself and eat loads of pizza and burgers anyway. Here is a picture of some burgers I made just last week! See the salad stuff there? That’s the healthy bit.

Draliburgers

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FF – Coconuts

May 29, 2019 76 comments

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

Well, this one pretty much wrote itself 🙂

To read the other stories and add your own, click here.

Copyright Susan Eames

 

Despite the beauty of his surroundings Micah sat, head in hands, tears streaming down his cheeks.

How had it happened? He’d always been so careful. Every step planned, everything accounted for.

How would he tell his wife? His poor, darling wife, waiting for him at home. She’d be preparing supper right now, oblivious, maybe humming a tune as she worked.

She’d sent him out for coconuts. He’d climber higher, higher, his foot had slipped… he’d landed, legs akimbo, on this branch.

She’d sent him out for nuts and HE’D CRUSHED HIS OWN.

On the plus side, the choir needed more sopranos…

 

Sharing My World 20-05-2019

May 26, 2019 30 comments

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World.

Is it better to suspect something (bad or hurtful) and not know or to have your worst fears confirmed by sure knowledge?
Definitely both. I’m perfectly happy to live in the knowledge that everything could be okay. But I would prefer to know for sure. Unless it’s negative in which case I’d rather not know. Except I would definitely rather know. Positive or negative. Not know, that’s the preference. I’d rather know. Or not.

What makes you laugh aloud? Crack up? Laugh until your sides split? When was the last time you had a great big belly laugh?
Some comedies like Parks and Recreation. Ultra-violent scenes in “just for fun” films like John Wick and Expendables. I particularly love that scene in Expendables where the baddies are all running and then one chap’s head explodes and then one of the goodies wanders past with his massive gun blazing.

Heh heh.

Do you suppose Noah had woodpeckers in the ark? If he did, where did he keep them? Apologies to the Darwinians in the crowd… this is merely for fun, okay?
It’s a little known fact that there were actually two arks. The first one was the one with the woodpeckers, beavers and the like. That one sank. The Ark Mark II was the one you see in all the illustrations. The beavers had to tread water until the flood waters dissipated and the woodpeckers took rests from flying by resting on their heads.

Why is “Charlie” short for “Charles when they are the same number of letters?
It’s an alternative name. It depends on the type of person it is. There are actually three flavours. Let’s investigate!

Charles:  “Oh I say, punting on the Cam? Jolly good show, don’t’cha know. Bring the Pimm’s, what-ho!”
Charlie: “Yes, what a wonderful idea, let’s go shopping and then we’ll visit the park. Bring a picnic!”
Chaz: “Nah, I can’t go daan da pub cuz da feds is got me, innit, and dey say, you is commin wiv us, you robbed da Post Office, and I is like, prove it coppuz, and dey is like, we has your DNA innit, an’ I is like, bollocks.”

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FF – Magic Stoner Donkeyland

May 22, 2019 62 comments

Here is my story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. The photo was contributed by J. Hardy Carroll.

It’s all a bit mad and has a beginning, a middle and an end (purely because I put “The End” at the end). It sort of starts with the photo, takes a bit of a left turn in the middle and then shoots off at a tangent at the end 🙂 .

Warning – may contain drug references!

https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=ee77f3783e1bbf9d1eef

Copyright J. Hardy Carroll

 

“Look! Puff the Magic Donkey.”

“Surely it’s ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’?”

“I can’t draw dragons. But he’s still magic. Look!”

The donkey leapt from the page and appeared on the pavement! His eyes were wide and unfocussed and he appeared a trifle unsteady on his hooves.

“Hi, Puff.”

Puff coughed a cloud of sweet-smelling smoke. “Dude,” he hee-hawed, wandering dazedly out into traffic.

Meanwhile, in Magic Donkeyland HQ, Stoner-General Donkey awaited news from his invasion scout, Stoner-Corporal Puff – a report fated never to arrive, after stoned-out-of-his-brain Puff’s close encounter with the Number 19 bus from Islington.

Invasion aborted!

The End.

 

Sharing My World 13-05-2019

May 19, 2019 28 comments

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World.

What social stigma does society need to get over already?
How can I pick just one? There are so many. Not talking about stuff just makes it worse, turns it into something mysterious, misunderstood. So, all of them, please.

What was the last photo you took?
It was this one, some of my new plants. I’m tidying the garden and replacing plants and bushes which have passed away 🙂

 

When was the last time you snooped and found something or found out something you wish you hadn’t?
I don’t even remember the last time I snooped. I have access to a lot of information at work and it’s best not to get tempted by things. That way madness lies! And sudden unemployment.

What’s the most comfortable bed or chair you’ve ever slept in?
While I can’t remember every bed I’ve ever slept in, my current bed is pretty good. Not too hard, not too soft. I’m a bit like Goldilocks in that regard. Hard beds are just uncomfortable. Very soft beds lead to waking up with a sore back and a stiff neck.

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