Trippy D's Extravaganza

I turned 11 in the summer of 1977, between 6th and 7th grade. Jimmy Carter was President. Star Wars had just come out. And Elvis only had a few weeks left to live. That same summer, Mom married her 4th husband Buddy, and we all moved to a house. Before that, Buddy had been staying with his Mom, and my Mom, my brother and I were in a government subsidized townhome where we had lived for 3 years. The new house was in a different school district, but Mom said it would be easy for me since I was going from elementary to junior high anyway and there would be tons of people who didn’t know each other. My brother Chris would have to be the new kid in third grade at his school, but again, Mom said it shouldn’t be that big of a deal, because who really knows very many people when you’re 8 years old. In the new neighborhood we were on the last street, as far back in the subdivision as you could go, which meant there were woods and a big empty field behind our house. And if you hiked through...

When we moved into our house in 1977, there was a black labrador in the backyard. The people who sold the house couldn’t take him so they left him and that’s how we ended up with Ben. Ben, I think, was really ok with them leaving him behind, because he was pretty attached to the house and the neighborhood. He was old and fat and slow but he would walk around the neighborhood, taking it easy and saying Hi to anyone who he happened upon. Sometimes he would lay down in the very middle of the street, and I mean right on the place where the stripe would separate the 2 lanes, except there wasn’t a stripe. Cars would slow down and honk at him but he would wait until they stopped completely and then he’d slowly stand up and saunter to the side of the road. So weird, like he was a living speed bump, keeping the cars from going too fast to notice some kid running after a ball or riding their bike out from behind a parked van. We were always afraid he’d get run over, but for some reason, we never...

It never occurred to me When you made me promise never to leave you I should have made the same request I see all of you, the light and the darkness I love, and will love, all of you forever I promised In the end I did my best My chapter in your book of life is lost, as if it never existed Or was a vicious pest People thought us an unlikely couple Couldn’t fathom the connection Thought it was a jest They could not understand, we offered each other protection We made a nest I guess they knew all along what I refused to see I was confused There was no such thing As you and me Now I wrestle my grief into a coffin of spiritual fitness Every moment stands as a witness “Crazy man,” they whisper, “he thought she loved him back.” Only seeing in me, something I lack But I will not hang my head in shame I kept my promise, I passed the test My heart I did not guard And my love I gave, without reserve In the end, it was far far more So much more than you deserved

January 3rd, 2014 StoryStarter prompt: The bite of the wind and the driving snow made the mundane trek from house to car seem like a trip to Hell frozen over... The bite of the wind and the driving snow made the mundane trek from the house to the car seem like a trip to Hell frozen over. But once inside, with the heater blowing full blast on his face and feet, and the wind blocked by the glass and steel of the 2006 Subaru Outback with 4 wheel drive, Danny felt immediately warmer and happier. After all... he was going to hunt Bigfoot, so a little snow would be good for tracking purposes.

January 2nd, 2014 StoryStarter prompt: His touch was gentle against her cheek, but the kindness in his eyes had give way to a clouded fury that scared her... It was her first time in the principal's office, so Brianne had no idea what to expect. It was sort of weird that they brought her in and sat her down in the wooden hardback chair and left her alone in the drab little grey walled office, she thought. I mean, weren't there things of value in the office? Maybe in the desk? Or the lone file cabinet sitting next to the desk? If she was the type of person who got sent to the principal's office, weren't they afraid she would be the type of person who might steal the brass armadillo paperweight? Or the coffee mug with BECKENWORTH HIGH printed on the side? Were the answers to EVERY exam located somewhere in a drawer? Couldn't she just snoop around a little and cause all sorts of trouble? Couldn't she take the Sharpie marker from within the cup o' pens sitting...

January 1, 2014 StoryStarter prompt: "A flash of lightning illuminated the room, revealing the transparent silhouette of a man directly in front of her." Helen woke with a start and when she could focus she glanced at the clock on the living room wall. 9:39. But was that a.m. or p.m? She felt confused for a moment, then noticed the darkness outside and realized she had fallen asleep on the couch and had taken a long nap, but hadn't managed to sleep through the night. It was raining hard now. The storm was just starting to move in when she had arrived home and fixed herself dinner. She must have been lulled to sleep by the warm food in her belly, the evening news and the rain thumping against the window. The decision now, of course, was whether to stay on the couch and try to go back to sleep, or get up and do something, or better yet, find her way to bed and REALLY give sleep another try. She sighed, slowly rose, and took her plate to the kitchen. As she rounded the c...

So I have a wicked case of the winter blahs. Which is appropriate, as it is January. I hate the Midwest so damn much. Some day, before I die, I would love to live in Vegas...or California. Actually, maybe a home in each place. I need SUNSHINE and warmth. I should really consider moving to Hawaii now that I think about the time difference. Since I like to go to sleep at 3 a.m. Central time....in Hawaii I'd be going to bed at around 9 or 10 p.m. or something...right? I'm not sure how many hours behind me they are, but at least 3 and probably something like 6. This would be something I could look up fairly easily...but I won't. Okay, that's it. No Vegas or Cali either one. Hawaii it is. Hmmmm, they don't have any casinos there though...okay, this could be trouble. Oh....I need to go to bed...toooooo sleepy to be writing anything right now.

So I realized that the only show I'm even remotely interested in watching right now is Lost. They finally showed a new episode this week. More on that later. I guess I also like Grey's Anatomy quite a bit, but I could miss it and wouldn't be too upset. I miss the Sopranos, and Rescue Me, and Survivor and the World Series of Poker. Actually, since Seinfeld left several years ago, there haven't really been too many shows that I HAD to stay home to watch, or had to tape to watch later. I don't know if this means I'm growing....and moving away from the drivel on TV....or I have just for some reason started weaning myself off. I don't watch anything new. I hear about "good" new shows but I don't feel like getting myself involved in yet another new show. Then again...for some reason I started watching Rescue Me a couple of years ago and got hooked on it. I also liked Six Feet Under...and then I do NOT KNOW WHY...but I started watching Lost when it ca...