Life in progress


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162. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Note: Strong language

Friday, February 9th 9:00pm
Brandon and Jordan

 

Brandon: How goes it with Marissa?

Jordan: I’ve decided to get back together with her.

Brandon: Does that mean …?

Jordan: (nods) I’ve got it all planned out for Valentine’s Day. Hotel room, flowers, chocolate, champagne; the whole nine yards.

Brandon: Scruples be damned?

Jordan: I just can’t live without her, ya know?

Brandon: You know, she’s not the only girl out there.

Jordan: She is for me.

Brandon: Do you know if she’s a virgin too?

Jordan: She’s not.

Brandon snorts.

Jordan: What?

Brandon: I’m afraid she’s just using you. What if she has her way with you and then just forgets about you?

Jordan: What if I punch you in the head?

Brandon: Hey man, I’m just looking out for your best interests.

Jordan: Yeah, well, she’d never do that. She loves me.

Brandon: Not enough to stay with you if you don’t have sex with her.

Jordan: You’re an asshole, you know that?

Brandon: (turns to the window, mumbling) Yeah, the asshole who’ll be here to pick up the pieces.

 

Next stop: Saturday, February 10th, 5:00pm

Click here to learn all about this series, how it works, and where to find your favourite characters.


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Bots and Pingbacks – Beware

Here we go again. The bots and spammers have found a new trick. I had a spammer ping back to one of my older prompts this morning. Fortunately I get a little preview in my notifications of what’s in the body of the post where the link to my blog is situated. UNfortunately, you can’t see the preview in the link in my comments.

The one I caught this morning was trying to advertise steroids. All this to say if you see a pingback that’s suspect on one of my prompts, don’t click on it. I’ll do my best to zap them before they cause any trouble. And if you get one of these bots pinging back on your own blog, be sure to hit the spam button rather than delete, so maybe Akismet’s algorithms will catch them. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Please spread the word either by reblogging this or writing your own post. Don’t let the bots get the upper hand! Thanks!


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Feb. 10/18

Welcome to Friday here on my blog, complete with your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. I’ve been busy this week writing a story for an anthology that’s going to be all sex. It’ll be coming out (pun unintended but inevitable) under my pseudonym, so don’t look for details here … I can let you know more if you’re interested. Anyhoo, I only mention it because I can’t stop laughing as I write and I’m not sure this is a good thing. Funny smut is allowed, isn’t it?

Here’s your prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “tail/tale.” Use one, used them both, you decide. Enjoy!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here at this week’s prompt page and check to make sure it’s here in the comments so others can find it and see your awesome Stream of Consciousness post. Anyone can join in!

To make your post more visible, use our new SoCS badge! Just paste it in your Saturday post so people browsing the reader will immediately know your post is stream of consciousness and/or pin it as a widget to your site to show you’re a participant. Wear it with pride!!

 

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!


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161. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Thursday, February 8th, 7:00pm
Bella and Edgar (and Edward)

 

Edgar: It’s going to be great meeting your parents. Do you really think they’ll like me?

Bella: What’s not to like? You were the captain of the football team, which my dad is going to love.

Edgar: That was a couple of years ago though.

Bella: And now you’re an electrical engineer. (takes his arm and hugs it) Brains and strength.

Edgar: And your mom?

Bella: You know how to cook. She’ll be very impressed. (kisses him on the cheek)

Edgar: Thanks. I feel bett …

Edward: (popping up in the seat behind) Who’s this, Bella?

Bella: (rolling her eyes) He’s my boyfriend. What’s it to you?

Edward: He’s not meant for you. I am.

Bella: You’re crazy.

Edward: Crazy in love with you.

Edgar: (turns) Step aside, man.

Edward: I will not! Bella is the love of my life! My soulmate! There can only be one for h …

Edgar: (punches him in the nose) I said, step aside. The lady wants nothing to do with you.

Edward: (holding his nose and heading for the door) I’ll get you for this! You have no idea what it’s like to feel the wrath of a vampire! (gets off the bus)

Edgar: Do you think your friend Drommen will be happy with that little performance?

Bella: (smiling) Very. You really should come and meet my parents. For real.

Edgar: Don’t you think we should go out together first?

Bella: Is that an invitation?

Edgar: (smiles) Valentine’s is soon …

Bella: (smiles widely) Sounds like a date.

 

Next stop: Friday, February 9th, 9:00pm

Click here to learn all about this series, how it works, and where to find your favourite characters.


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160. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Wednesday, February 7th, 7:00pm
Quinn and Yvonne

 

Quinn: Now that you’ve been a couple of days without morning sickness, where do you want to eat on Saturday night?

Yvonne: I’d really like a steak … if that’s what you want.

Quinn: Sure. (smiles and takes her hand) I think we’re going to be okay, don’t you?

Yvonne: Yeah. Especially now my mother’s out of the hospital. I think the psychiatrist was a good idea. Thanks for arranging it.

Quinn: Maybe when she sees the baby she’ll accept him for what he is, and not just a sign she’s getting old.

Yvonne: I hope so.

Quinn: You’re sure you want to go to this shop we’re going to? With the baby and all?

Yvonne: I think so. It’ll be nice to have all the equipment for after the movie Friday night. You’ll be taking notes, right?

Quinn: Of course. (reaches into pocket) Oh, here. (hands her a paper) I got my collar size.

Yvonne: (smiles and takes the paper) Thank you Mr. Grey.

Quinn: My pleasure, Mrs. Grey.

 

Next stop: Thursday, February 8th, 7:00pm

Click here to learn all about this series, how it works, and where to find your favourite characters.


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One-Liner Wednesday – You Know You’ve Made It

You know you’ve made it when the bookstore pays you. Go me!

Cheque to reimburse me for the books I sold at my book signing in October, 2017


If you would like to participate in this prompt, feel free to use the “One-Liner Wednesday” title in your post, and if you do, you can ping back here to help your blog get more exposure. To execute a pingback, just copy the URL in the address bar on this post, and paste it somewhere in the body of your post. Your link will show up in the comments below. Please ensure that the One-Liner Wednesday you’re pinging back to is this week’s! Otherwise, no one will likely see it but me.

NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, like Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

As with Stream of Consciousness Saturday (SoCS), if you see a pingback from someone else in my comment section, click and have a read. It’s bound to be short and sweet.

Unlike SoCS, this is not a prompt so there’s no need to stick to the same “theme.”

The rules that I’ve made for myself (but don’t always follow) for “One-Liner Wednesday” are:

1. Make it one sentence.

2. Try to make it either funny or inspirational.

3. Use our unique tag #1linerWeds.

4. Add our very cool badge to your post for extra exposure!

5. Have fun!

#1linerWeds badge by Dan Antion

 


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159. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Tuesday, February 6th, 3:00 2:00pm
Maurice and Stuart

 

(Stuart sits at the window. Maurice takes the seat beside him.)

Maurice: Hey! You’re early for once.

Stuart: Yep. Gotta go buy a new rug before work.

Maurice: Cat peed on it one too many times?

Stuart: Nope. Dog bled all over it.

Maurice: You’ve got a dog now?

Stuart: Not only that. You remember the old lady whose dog I accidentally killed?

Maurice: The one whose next dog ran away, and who’s deathly allergic to cats?

Stuart: That’s right. She’s living with me now too.

Maurice: But … why? And how is she living with you if you’ve got a cat?

Stuart: As for why, she spent so long in the hospital that she missed paying her rent and got kicked out. So I offered to take her in.

Maurice: And the cat?

Stuart: Shaved it.

Maurice: The cat mustn’t have enjoyed that.

Stuart: Nope. It looks like a giant bald squirrel.

Maurice: So what happened to the dog? You said it bled all over your rug.

Stuart: Well yeah. The dog took one look at the cat after we shaved it and thought it was a squirrel. Dog tried to eat the cat, cat scratched the dog.

Maurice: Wow. That must have been one hell of a scratch to make the dog bleed like that.

Stuart: Well, yeah. Because we shaved the dog too.

Maurice: The old lady’s not allergic to dogs though. She had one before.

Stuart: Nope. I am.

Maurice: The two of you are a match made in heaven.

 

Next stop: Wednesday, February 7th, 7:00pm

Click here to learn all about this series, how it works, and where to find your favourite characters.


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158. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Monday, February 5th, 5:00pm
Alfred and Hester

 

Hester: When does the urologist want you to go back for the test?

Alfred: How should I know?

Hester: The receptionist gave you the little card, didn’t she?

Alfred digs into his coat pocket and pulls out an appointment card.

Hester: Give it to me then. (adjusts glasses) It’s in two weeks. A “flow test.” What the hell is one of them then?

Alfred: I don’t know. Maybe they want to see if I do better at getting it up with your sister.

 

Next stop: Tuesday, February 6th, 3:00pm

Click here to learn all about this series, how it works, and where to find your favourite characters.


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#LOVEISINDABLOG2018 – Devotion

I was both surprised and happy to find that my friend Bee is hosting her February prompt, Love Is In Da Blog again this year! If you’re looking for prompts, check out her blog here!

When I think about the word “devotion,” my mind immediately goes to single-minded love and romance. But then, Merriam-Webster dictionary actually states this:

obsolete : the object of one’s devotion

Who knew this definition was obsolete?

Yet it’s true, the term is much broader than that. I’m devoted to my kids–all three of them. I’m devoted to my friends, both offline and on. I’m devoted to my writing, my career in editing, and my blog. I’m devoted to caring for my dog … the cat slightly less, because perhaps he’s less devoted to me. That, and he’s not my cat. He’s my son’s and will move with him if he ever moves out.

Which begs the question is it possible to be devoted to someone (or something) that’s not devoted back? Absolutely. That can get rather frustrating, though, in a “but why are you leaving me” sort of way. In the case of the kids, that’s usually inevitable.

Do we throw the word devotion around too liberally? Perhaps. Makes you think about what you’re truly devoted to though, doesn’t it?

Be sure to check out Bee’s prompt a the following link, and join in today! https://beehalton.com/abc-of-love-prompt-5-devotion-loveisindablog2018/writing/blog-events/love-is-in-da-blog/love-is-in-da-blog-2018


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157. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right (#SoCS edition)

Sunday, February 4th, 3:00am
Moosh and Hip

 

Moosh: Where are we going again?

Hip: Nowhere.

Moosh: In other words, we’re just going around in circles.

Hip: It’s an experiment.

Moosh: To see how long it takes to get kicked off the bus?

Hip: Exactly.

Moosh: And what if we get kicked off when we’re miles away from home?

Hip: (shrugs) We’ll wait and catch the next bus.

Moosh: But you know it’s going to be the same bus driver. He’s not going to let us back on again.

Hip: Oh. I didn’t think of that. We’ll just have to walk home then.

Moosh: We can’t walk. You’re broken.

Hip: You’ve got crutches.

Moosh: They’re not for walking miles with.

Hip:

Moosh: (rolls eyes) That’s what I get for having hip for brains.

 

Next stop: Monday, February 5th, 5:00pm

Click here to learn all about this series, how it works, and where to find your favourite characters.

This post is part of Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click here to join in! https://lindaghill.com/2018/02/02/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-3-18/