Mad Macedonian

New Year's: 200 Word Musings 3

  Yappy Hew Near to my few readers and any and all who stop by for a look, your support, encouragement and even fleeting interest is greatly appreciated and welcomed.

On Friday night, on my last break at work, I grabbed a funny hat  from a table in the festively decorated break room, tossed it on my noggin, and took a silly selfie.

Posting it on my Facebook I wished everyone well and commented that I was glad 2016 was over and I hoped that 2017 would be so much better, personally and creatively.

Among the well wishes in return were a few laughs;

"Damn party animals", from a friend in NoCal.

"You look drunk", from my oldest sister, in SoCal.

and, "did you start partying without US ???? LMAO", from a writer friend in Austin.

I responded this way; "No, our break room at work has a festive look and these different hats laying around on tables. I grabbed one I liked and took a photo during a break last night.

Haven't had a beer in quite a while."

The friend in Austin wasn't having any of it, hee, hee!

"Nice try -- you're a writer, couldn't you concoct a more elaborate story??? LOL"

This got me to thinking and, during breaks at work, writing....

It has been months, even a few years, since I last wrote any 100 or 200 word stories on either of my blogs, my most famous effort being the 31 chapter opus, Aubrey, that a friend thinks deserves publishing.

Aubrey = A 30 pt. 100 Word Cat Story (w/1 of 200 Words) by Nikita

My 1st 200 Word Musings, on this blog, was last April:

CRAP: A 200 Word Musing

My 2nd was last July:

A Word of Warning, Found: 200 Words of Mystery

So...after a New Year's morning re-write, here goes....

 

A Word of Warning, Found: 200 Words of Mystery

  July 1st, and I had just got off the bus near work...

Looking up at the sky...there He was again...

By the time I got my cell phone out to take a photo one eye was closed as if God was not just smiling at me, but grinning and winking, and the vision was about to break apart under the still open eye where the cheek had been attached.

I have long since given up trying to understand why I keep seeing these images in the clouds (the 4th time since April) and just go with whatever creativity results.

 

Later in the day I began my first Sit Spot Challenge since 2012.

 

Speaking of things to "try to understand" let me share something and see what you think...

 

CRAP: A 200 Word Musing

  It's been a while....since I last wrote a 100 Word Musing for this blog.

June 2013 to be exact.

The last 100 Word Cat Story was in August 2014 and there have only been 3 200 Word Cat Stories since May 3013, the most recent just last month.

Life has been difficult the past year or so, but to go so long with so little output of these little gems?

If I can create something as unique as AUBREY once who's to say I can't do more of the individual stories as well as another more complex tale?

Today has been an interesting day...

A couple of days ago I took the cats to a vet to get their nails done and get one a shot. When the folks behind the social media accounts for the vet got wind of  the blog post about the trip they asked permission to plug it on their social media.

Yesterday the cats posted a book review and the author of the book left a comment.

When I wrote the author a note of thanks we got into a little back and forth, the gist of which was that I shared a little about myself and my creativity and regretfully admitted that, no, I would not be able to attend Blog Paws and meet her, in June, despite scheduling a 5 day vacation around when the event occurs, as I could not afford to do so.

Three things she wrote me stood out:

"Writing is not easy and very much an ivory tower activity."

"If your poetry is cat related — you may have discovered a niche market worth pursuing."

and this.....

"My answer for writers block.

Sit down and write anything — crap can be fixed perfected and improved ... … if you write nothing — you have nothing to fix …. somehow when you write garbage and get it out — it clears the way for good things."

 

Thank you, Sandy Robins, for taking time out from your busy life to respond to the ramblings of a struggling writer in Houston.

100 Word Musings 7: Just An Inconvenience

 

My friend Marian Allen wrote about "food that you start to cook but have to put away before the cooking is done", the other day, and her writing prompt for the day was this: A power outage causes an inconvenience.

After some thought this is my story:

Just An Inconvenience

The weatherman kept warning of tornadoes, as I drove along the country road back to the town. As I approached a gas station, desperate to use the “facilities”, I saw dark clouds approaching.

When you gotta go, you gotta go, so I stopped.

The bathroom was a small building with a single light and 1 toilet; clean, though!

As I sat reading the newspaper, conveniently provided, a howling wind came up, rain poured, the light blew; the room shook and I stayed put.

When the storm ended I opened the door…finding myself in the town park, miles from my car.

 

 

 

 

 

100 Word Musings 6: This Meeting is Called to Order

Downtown Long Beach, Ca., June 20, 2010, 345pm...

A typical scene along the concourse near the Transit Mall, as pigeons happily gorge themselves on bread crumbs, and other tasty morsels, tossed on the sidewalk.

One might think so, but you would be wrong...

 

100 Word Musings 5: Life is Like a Package of Hot Dogs

In July 2010 I began a series of what I hoped would be a new collection of stories...

What Thanks Do I Get? A 100 Word Musing

Things happened and now it is the start of a new year.

I have hopes and dreams for a creative future despite everything else going on in my life.

It's time I get back in the 100 word musings game.

My friend Laurence Simon hosts the 100 Word Stories Podcast every week, and has done so since 2005.

My cat, Nikita, has submitted to the podcast, inspired to create his own series, on his blog, Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat, called 100 Word Cat Stories (7 so far, by him and Elvira Mistress of Felinity)

It's time I submitted one of my own.

The topic this week? "Mustard".

 

100 Word Musings 4: A Snail's Journey Ends...Six Years Later

In July 2010 I began a series of what I hoped would be a new collection of stories...

What Thanks Do I Get? A 100 Word Musing

Things happened and it was not until January 2011 that I cranked out a 2nd one...

100 Word Musings 2: The Golden String

100 Word Musings 3 (A Revival): New Year's Resolution

Now, at long last, I've been inspired to write a new one! :-D

(Between them, Nikita and Elvira, my Cats, have posted more, hee, hee!)

A Snail's Journey Ends...Six Years Later

I'm tired, but happy, and relieved.
In 2006 I'd set out to reach my lady love before Snike Snailoney could marry her.
A wrong turn landed me on old Route 66, in Radiator Hot Springs.
4 years later I found an exit to return me to the right road.
Reaching the hometown of my sweetie and asking around, I kept getting strange looks.

As I approached her home, the door opened and there she was.
Before I could apologize my beloved gave me a loving, exasperated smile, saying,
"What in the hell took you so long, you big Gastropod Molluskie?"

NEXT: 100 Word Musings 5: Life is Like a Package of Hot Dogs

100 Word Musings 3 (A Revival): New Year's Resolution

Good Morning friends, and fans, of Musings of a Mad Macedonian.

Yappy Hew Near, one and all! :-D

How do ya like my portrait?

This caricature was done by a wonderful young artist named Oscar, at Knott's Berry Farm, in a 1/2 hour sitting, earlier this month, based on my telling him about my creative writing/journalism work, with Nikita & Elvira Mistress of Felinity, at Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat. :-D

I went to Knott's to relax, and be inspired creatively, and this image now hangs next to my desk as a reminder of who I am, and of my creative talent, and potential, as I head into 2012.

 Reviving 100 Word Musings as part of a more creative 2012.

In July 2010 I was inspired by the 100 Word Stories Series to try my hand at the form, and so wrote a piece called "What Thanks Do I Get?" :-D

Nearly 2 months later I became voluntarily unemployed when I accepted the Downsizing Buyout at my last job.

Somewhat distracted, for a while, I didn't attempt another one until last January: The Golden String.

Then I was distracted again, especially by something that happened at the end of May. :-D

It's been an eventful year, and yesterday I went for a walk in Clark Regional Park, to think, and write.

I soon find myself sitting at a picnic table, clipboard, and notebook, before me, pen in hand...

New Year's Resolution

In a quiet corner of the park the writer, unemployed, recovering from a broken ankle, contemplates the idea of change, and new beginnings, at the mid point of his life.

After starting the year learning new skills, reading for inspiration, and creating on his blogs, a summer of fear, and doubt, affected his life.

Turning to reading for faith, now, as well as creative inspiration, the writer began to think in new ways about the future, and where he wanted to go, and what he wanted to do.

He resolved that 2012 would be the best year of his life.

An occasional car rolled by on a road near where I sat, and I could hear children playing on the park playground, and ducks expressing their opinions in a nearby lake....

 

100 Word Musings 2: The Golden String

THE GOLDEN STRING

Back of the bus.
Alone, tired.

A man, with 3 bags,
gets on, sits next to me.

"Coming from work?", He asks.
"No, job hunting", I reply.

He smiles, pulling a long golden string out of a bag, saying, "I've just the thing, but you must promise to roll it into a ball."

To humor him I agree, and he smiled again, wished me a good day, and exited the bus.

Rolling the string I dozed off, awakening, finished ball in my lap.

Dawn, lost, I exit the bus.

A sign in a window beckons:

Fulltime Columnist wanted - Blogging experience helpful!

--------------

Inspired by Sage Cohen putting a quote of a William Blake Poem , and the poetic response by William Stafford, in Chapter 20, Follow the Golden Thread of her wonderful book called Writing the Life Poetic.

Wow! Has it been 6 months since I wrote my first 100 Word Tale?

What Thanks Do I Get? A 100 Word Musing

I'm back now. ;-D

Want to get into the act?

Check out the 100 Word Stories Weekly Challenge Podcast by Laurence Simon.

If my Cats can do it, so can you! ;-D

Creative Meowsings: 100 Word Cat Stories

My 3rd one: 100 Word Musings 3 (A Revival): New Year's Resolution

 

 

What Thanks Do I Get? A 100 Word Musing

10 feet, 10 frickin' feet, yet it felt like 100!

I had come across the dead bug while out foraging.

Some would have said my eyes were bigger than my stomach.

Well, duh, I'm an Ant. Just about everything's bigger than me!

I got a good grip and, putting one foot before the other, returned to the nest.

It was dangerous, because a human watched, and who knows what he would do?

It seemed to take forever, but I succeeded and, when I entered the pine, what thanks did I get?

The Queen gave me a Hero Badge, 1st Class!

---------------------------------------------------------

 

This story has several inspirations:

 

1. Friend, and longtime regular commentor, Jas, told me a story this morning:

 

Last evening, I watched an ant carrying a dead bug three times
bigger than hisself. Whilst I sat and watched, the ant covered
about 10 feet, disappearing into a needled nest under a
ponderosa pine in our north patio. Wonder if the ant got a
hero badge, or somesuch? (I've been reading about Mao.)

 

2. The 100 Word Stories Series which is a Podcast hosted each week by it's brainchild, the one and only Laurence Simon, Catblogger, Founder of Carnival of the Cats, podcaster, and short-short story writer extraordinaire.

3. The Human with Cats who used to blog at Blog d'Elisson, but recently moved to a new place, lock, stock, and Pussycat, called Lost in the Cheese Aisle, is one who has even written a book full of such 100 Word Stories.

This, dear reader, is just the first of many, in a writing effort I call "100 Word Musings".

My Cat, Nikita, has also gotten into the act! ;-D

Creative Meowsings: 100 Word Cat Stories

 UPDATE -1/20/11: 100 Word Musings 2: The Golden String