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tcr!
· Apr 15, 2018 at 8:34 am
This is another story from the book I was writing a few years back. Again, the book was mostly bullshit but I do enjoy some of the one-off stories.
—Friday; afternoon
Now that another workday was done and he lay in bed, his thought trains were his own again. Frank enjoyed the comfort, the disconnection that “bed” brought. Indeed, his midday siestas were spiritually divine. He could roam the countryside of his mind and drift in random thoughts.
One of the last times he’d seen his mighty friend, Gibson the Brave, was on a Sunday, late morning, maybe two years ago. Gibson had just finished painting his kitchen while his wife was away visiting family and he was trying to look confident and put together. It was only window dressing though, morning-after jitters refused to hide behind the blinds.
Gibson recalled to Frank how his wife had seriously said, “Don’t drink both bottles of wine this weekend” and he smiled ashamed. There was some relief in Gibson’s implied confessional but they both knew his wife would bring the fury upon him that night.
They moved to the dining room and Gibson sat Indian style on the floor, steadying himself. He looked like he’d just as soon lie down right where he was. He soldiered on though, dipping and wiping his brush in the white paint as he prepared to engage the formal dining room. His hand started to shake as he attempted to physically will his brush to glide just above the base board.
Two dollars said the empty wine bottles were hidden at the bottom of the recycling bin and too bad their dining room would end up looking like a drunk painter had cut the trim.
He felt sorry for Gibson the Brave and wondered how much hangover pain he was in. He could see the agony on his face, and knew the weight of being an under-performing drunk in the eyes of the Missus.
Diagonal across the dock from where Frank lived, Gibson’s struggle was close to home and way too familiar.
Honestly, Frank was more than glad that none of the brush strokes were on his shoulders. This was Gibson’s time to dance in the hungover spotlight.
While he watched Gibson’s artistic handy work, he himself felt the guiltiness of getting away with alcoholism. He’d been in Gibson’s house two weekends past feeding their dog. But mostly he’d been sneaking shots from the kitchen counter’s bottle of rum while the dog was out pee’ing — he had had his own shakes to tend to that particular day. In the there and then, he smiled to himself as he wondered if Gibson had taken the wrath for that drop in fluid as well.
As the final memory domino fell, his mind unwittingly wandered back to the there and then, came away from Gibson’s kitchen twice removed.
Frank thought to himself, “I wish I could loose myself in that for a little longer. Gibson was a good man.”
It all faded though and there he was laying in bed again. He tried to snatch it back one more time but barely remembered what else he and Gibson talked about that day. Frank could only recall the “don’t drink all the wine” conversation even though he’d visited Gibson for a good hour or two.
He only had pockets of feelings left from that day, only remembered how he knew Gibson must’ve felt. And how he had felt those times in the presence of a kindred spirit, bonding on motorcycles and cheap wine and marital bliss.
…
Gibson and wife and dog were long gone these days, having returned to the heartland to be closer to their kin.
Frank thought to himself some more, “Maybe life isn’t so much about our adventures but maybe it’s about the people we share our adventures with.”
tcr!
· Apr 14, 2018 at 9:17 pm
The new MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar is pretty nifty but I’m in the habit of resting my fingers on the ESC key at various times. I don’t know why it’s just one of those things I do because I’m me. However, I can’t do that anymore because all kinds of shit bust loose when I got to rest my fingers up there.
tcr!
· Apr 14, 2018 at 12:31 pm
Sometimes the only safe place to find solace on a solitary Saturday afternoon is in 1984.
tcr!
· Apr 14, 2018 at 10:43 am
Whoa, I didn’t know this was a thing. I feel like I qualify for Mission Impossible now.
Lisette
· Apr 14, 2018 at 11:11 am
It wasn’t my package though! Also it’s hopeless our front center window is more than 6 feet wide plus the two side windows.
tcr!
· Apr 14, 2018 at 11:44 am
I’m coming over to have a look at your windows.
tcr!
· Apr 14, 2018 at 10:06 am
Earlier I put a load of laundry in the wash so I can be all productive on this Saturday morning.
A few minutes ago I heard the washing machine ding to let me know the load was done.
My immediate response was, “DUDE, shut the hell up!”
tcr!
· Apr 13, 2018 at 7:08 pm
It is from the gods!
It’s also a xenomorph facehugger and egg disguised as a coffee cup. 🤓
CE Garcia
· Apr 13, 2018 at 7:21 pm
Its in good hands!
tcr!
· Apr 13, 2018 at 7:39 pm
Thanks for sending it!!
CE Garcia
· Apr 13, 2018 at 7:54 pm
You’re welcome sir!
Momma J
· Apr 13, 2018 at 8:03 pm
Please tell me what it is!
Kelly K
· Apr 14, 2018 at 12:53 am
My question as well. Two 🤔 in one day!!!
tcr!
· Apr 14, 2018 at 8:22 am
It’s a facehugger in disguise as a coffee cup.
…
“A facehugger is the second stage in the Alien’s life cycle. It has eight long, finger-like legs, which allow it to crawl rapidly, and a long tail adapted for making great leaps. These particular appendages give it an appearance somewhat comparable to chelicerate arthropods such as arachnids and horseshoe crabs.
The facehugger is a parasitoid; its only purpose is to make contact with the host’s mouth for the implantation process, by gripping its legs around the victim’s head and wrapping its tail around the host’s neck. Upon making contact, the facehugger administers a cynose-based paralytic in order to render it unconscious and immobile. During a successful attachment, the facehugger will insert a proboscis down the host’s throat, while simultaneously implanting an embryo. The host is kept alive, and the creature breathes for the host. Attempts to remove facehuggers generally prove fatal, as the parasitoid will respond by tightening its tail around the host’s neck, and its acidic blood prevents it from being cut away. In addition, its grip on the host’s head is strong enough to tear the host’s face off if it is forcibly removed.”
Momma J
· Apr 14, 2018 at 2:14 pm
I don’t think I would want to drink from the cup!
tcr!
· Apr 13, 2018 at 2:27 pm
Audio (MP3): 20180413 - It's all really great news
Well over half the conversations I have are all words. Personal and professional. All reading and responding. I want to say there is no voice in them but each author has their own in black and white. It’s still all words though. Nothing verbal. The only emotions are the ones I assign based on how I know the sender.
I try hard to read everything personal I get as really great news. At the very least I try not to assume those words sent to me and meant for me are negative. When I get a text or an email I take the words literally unless I know the other person is joking.
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fleming · Apr 15, 2018 at 5:25 pm
Love your rug!
tcr! · Apr 16, 2018 at 4:10 pm
Thanks! I found it in my attic.
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fiatlux423 · Apr 15, 2018 at 5:34 pm
You know they love you when they want to be touching you as much as possible.
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Kris HB · Apr 15, 2018 at 10:01 pm
Love your blanket, where can I buy one…maybe 2…
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jimi hindrance experience · Apr 16, 2018 at 1:09 pm
Wherever you go, there they are.
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