I have to go away for a few days, possibly even a week. See you when I get back.
Time Off
March 27, 2013
Wu Wei of Playing Pool
March 18, 2013
I couldn’t blame the patrons of the billiard hall for rolling their eyes as I moved to the silent jukebox, using the cue in my hand as a walking stick. No doubt they were cursing themselves for not feeding more bills into the machine.
Scrolling through the cd’s, I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t filled with country music. Fifty cents a song. Not bad. My first dollar went to Black Sabbath. When “War Pigs/Luke’s Wall” came on, the bikers in the corner were able to stop wishing I would drop dead. When “Supernaut” came on a short time later, the tall, fat one in brown leather gave me what was probably a rare grin.
Nine bucks later, everybody was satisfied and my date and I could enjoy some tunes while we played a few games. Paul waited for me at the pool table, beer in hand as he leaned against the edge.
Paul was magic. The first time we went out, we hung out in the back patio of my favorite downtown club and talked like we had been best friends for years. Best friends who had never kissed. I remember watching his lips when he spoke, fascinated by their rose tint and the way they moved more than an American’s lips should, lips that needed another language to move right.
Three months later, here we were in a cheap pool hall listening to old metal surrounded by people who wanted to be left alone and signs telling customers not to spit on the floor. He was still magic.
“You look like a club bitch,” he said as I walked up to him.
“I know,” I said as he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me to him.
He laughed and kissed me, mumbling against my mouth that people thought I would pick out Sade songs. I pushed away after running my fingers through his curls and told him to break. It was our usual argument. He would counter with the fact that he had racked and I would claim that I stunk at breaking. It was a game I always won.
Paul went first and three balls went in. Two stripes and one solid. He was chivalrous and took solids. He got another solid in and then missed.
I looked at the table, trying to calculate which ball would be the easiest for me without any thought to setting up a later shot. Aligning myself perfectly after choosing my ball, I knew where I should hit to make it go in. The shot was simple and would go in.
The ball didn’t go in. It was now Paul’s turn and he was hot until he got to his final shot and missed. He was taking pity on me like a big dog letting the chihuahua have the tug-of-war toy for a few moments of victory. If I missed the next shot, he would tell me to go again. If that shot failed, he would coach me until the time that he felt it was fair for him to end the game.
Having nothing to lose, I didn’t plan my shot and just walked up to the table and aimed. The ball went in. That method worked for me and I walked to where the next ball was lined up, allowing my body to stop where it decided. Again it went in. In this manner, I made all my shots.
When I tried to sink the eight-ball, I was careful and tried to do it right. This would be my first time beating Paul. The ball struck the edge of the hole and bounced back towards me.
“What the hell went wrong? You were doing great,” he told me.
“I thought about it.”
“Always a mistake,” he said as he sunk the ball and won the game.
Conclusion: The body knows better than the mind when it comes to the physical. Paul is still magic.
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This was a Prompt For the Promptless post. PftP was started by rarasaur at http://rarasaur.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/forthepromptless-s1-ep4/ and the following can be found at Rara’s awesome page, which you should visit right now.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013Wu wei, or non-doing, is a Taoist practice involving letting one’s action follow the simple and spontaneous course of nature rather than interfering with the harmonious working of universal law by imposing arbitrary and artificial forms. In other words, it is the action of non-action.
“As the planets revolve around the sun, they “do” this revolving, but without “doing” it. As trees grow, they simply grow without trying to grow. Thus knowing how and when to act is not knowledge in the sense that one would think, “now I should do this,” but rather just doing it, doing the natural thing. The goal of spiritual practice for the human being is, according to Laozi, the attainment of this natural way of behaving.” – Wikipedia
Learn more at Wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_wei Learn more at Merriam Webster : http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wu%20wei
My Lame-0 Blog
March 12, 2013
You probably don’t need me to inform you that I rarely post. But you probably don’t know why.
For the past month and 3 weeks, I have been trying to rewrite an ending to my book. My manager told me that my original one was “”odd and inconclusive”. He was right. After trying out several, I finally chose the one I liked and sent it off yesterday morning.
No more late nights writing and wracking my brain to try to find the right place to say goodbye. It’s not the kind of book that actually ends. It is merely a place to stop for now because the story continues. At least I will have some quality sleep unless he tells me that it needs work and then the whole thing will start again.
If you can, wish me well. If you pray, give me a little mention. I will be doing the same for you.
Thank you to everyone I follow – your posts have kept me sane and helped me take my mind off things. More importantly, you have helped me procrastinate 
Hug Award
March 9, 2013
HOPE UNITES GLOBALLY
Thank you Ajaytao http://ajaytao2010.wordpress.com/2013/03/09/the-hug-award-hope-unites-globally/ for nominating me for this special and prestigious award. Thank you so much Ajaytao! Visit him, he is a wonderful human being, a great poet, an inspirational man, a terrific blogger, and most of all a warm and true friend.
My Nominations are:
Janson Jones for his great work with the natural world, his ecological efforts, and for being a voice for nature – http://dusttracks.com/
Rarasaur for her kindness, humor, and limitless capacity for uplifting others – http://rarasaur.wordpress.com/
Cherispeak for her awareness of the horrors of warfare and her activism in educating others – http://cherispeak.wordpress.com/
Nada Faris for her social activism on behalf of the people of Kuwait – http://nadafaris.com/
Lexington School for the Deaf for simply being and for educating the loud world about the silent world – http://lexnyc.wordpress.com/
I look up to those mentioned and their words and blogs have brought light into my world. Their existence is a wealth. I encourage you to visit their pages. You will realize that what I have said of them is true.
ALL ABOUT THE HUG AWARD
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ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES for HUG AWARD©
“Hope is an expectant desire; a confidence in a future event; a ground for trust and confidence; to think; to look forward to with trust and expectant desire.”
The HUG Award© was initiated by Connie Wayne at A Hope for Today at http://ahopefortoday.com, which promotes hope, love, peace, equality, and unity for all people.
The HUG Award© is for people with an expectant desire for the world, for which they: Hope for Love; Hope for Freedom; Hope for Peace; Hope for Equality; Hope for Unity; Hope for Joy and Happiness; Hope for Compassion and Mercy; Hope for Faith; Hope for Wholeness and Wellness; Hope for Prosperity; Hope for Ecological Preservation; Hope for Oneness
The HUG Award© recognizes and honors those who help keep hope alive in our current world, which is plagued by war, natural disasters, and economic recession. They nurture hope, in any of the above areas (in italics), by the work they do, or in their personal lives with things such as blogging, public speaking, charity work, etc.
The HUG Award© is for anyone, anywhere in the world, who meets the guidelines and wants to be nominated for the award. Please leave a comment on this page if you are interested in receiving this award, or if you would like to nominate someone else for the award.
The HUG Award© is for people who, without giving up or compromising their own religious, spiritual, or political beliefs, are able to nurture hope and respect the dignity of all people.
The HUG Award© is for those who, without bias or prejudice, use their resources and gifts to make the world a better place for everyone.
The HUG Award©is for people who have a hope or an expectant desire that the work or talents they use in things such as blogging, public speaking, charity work, etc., will make a positive impact on the world.
These people do not have to actively use the word “hope” in their work or creative talents. They only need be conscious of their desire to make the world a better place for everyone.
These people use their available resources–a smile, a hug, a helping hand, a listening ear, a voice, time, money, possessions, education, personality, talent, websites and blogs—to make a positive impact on the world and make the world a better place to live.
The HUG Award© is not specifically a website or blog award. It can be given to people in your community, at your employment, at your place of worship, etc. Please make sure they have a copy of these Guidelines, and please don’t forget to submit their names back to this site.
HUG AWARD© IMAGE for RECIPIENTS of HUG AWARD
HUG Award© Image: Those who receive the HUG Award© may paste a copy of the original HUG Award© image into an Image widget on their website or blog by simply copying and pasting the following image URL into an Image widget: http://hopesfortoday.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/hug-award1.png. As the link URL for the image, please insert http://ahopefortoday.com/2012/01/14/hope-unites-globally-hug-award-guidelines/.
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GUIDELINES for NOMINATING OTHERS FOR THE HUG AWARD©
1. If you receive a HUG Award©, you may nominate others who also meet the above guidelines for the award. You may nominate as many people, websites, or blogs as you want to nominate to receive the award. I do ask that, upon receipt of the award, you nominate at least one other person. The award is also not time limited, so you can nominate new people or sites you encounter in the future. Please try not to nominate those who have already received the award.
2. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTACTING YOUR NOMINEES and telling them you nominated them for the HUG Award©. AND when you contact them…
3. Please link this page: When you contact your nominees for the award, please include a link to this page, http://ahopefortoday.com/2012/01/14/hope-unites-globally-hug-award-guidelines/, so they will have the same information you received about the award. Then, they also can perpetuate the award by nominating others. AND…
4. Please post a comment on this page at http://ahopefortoday.com/2012/01/14/hope-unites-globally-hug-award-guidelines/ with the name and the complete website or blog address of the site(s) or person(s) you nominate.
5. If you know, I would appreciate you informing me of the geographical location of your nominee(s) and /or their site(s).
6. Social Media Sites: You may also copy and paste unchanged copies of the original HUG Award© and HUG Award© Guidelines’ wording to other social media sites such as Facebook and Linkedin. You may also print original copies for your personal use for display, etc.
7. You may print a copy of the HUG Award© Guidelines for people you nominate, who do not have a website, blog, or social media account to which they can paste award and Guidelines. If they have email, you may email them a copy of the original HUG Award© and original Hug Award© Guidelines.
Thank you for your help sharing HUGs (HUG Awards©) with the people of the world. Blessings, Connie
The Hope Unites Globally HUG Award© and the HUG Award© Guidelines are the copyright of Connie Wayne – ©Connie Wayne 2012 at http://ahopefortoday.com. They both may be copied and shared in accordance with the Guidelines established in this post.
Ten Years of Shock and Awe
February 27, 2013
This is a prompt from that genius Rarasaur http://rarasaur.wordpress.com/2013/02/26/prompts-for-the-promptless-ep-2-the-11th-possibility/
Rarasaur writes:
The 11th Possibility is the idea that, regardless of data to the contrary, something unexpected and outside the realm of ordinary thought is always potentially around the corner.
“A coin is flipped 10 times, and in each instance lands on either heads or tails. But even after the normalcy displayed by the first 10 flips, the result of the next flip is still unknown. The coin could turn into a bird and fly away. The coin could land perfectly on its ridged edge. The coin could dissolve upon landing. It could defy gravity and remain stuck in the air. This is the 11th Possibility.”
Suggested Prompts:
•Share a picture of something that represents The 11th Possibility to you
•You walk into a dark room and flip the light switch on. Normalcy says that the light turns on. What are some possible 11th Possibilities?
•Consider, develop, or discuss the 11th Possibility in literature or film
•Write a poem about an ordinary scenario turning into something outside the realm of ordinary thought
•Share a story about the reaction that would occur if the 11th Possibility presented itself
•… or make up your own prompt related to the theme!
This is my contribution to the concept. Photo is courtesy of those folks at 9gag.
TAG – Totally Awesome Game
February 26, 2013
Thank you Melanie (http://thisismycorn.wordpress.com/2013/02/26/tag-totally-awesome-game/) for tagging me – I think you are a sweetie!
I do refuse to tag anyone else, though, so if any readers would like to play, please let me know and I will add you on to the TAG list.
Here are the rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and eleven random facts about you.
3. Answer the questions given to you in the tagger’s post.
4. Create eleven new questions and tag new people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and let them know they have been tagged.
Post a picture of yourself:
Oh, hell no! Here’s a picture I love instead. Waterhouse’s Ariadne.
11 facts about me:
1) I am female.
2) I despise chocolate, unless it’s that time of the month.
3) I’m a night owl.
4) I wear 7 ½ size in sneakers, 6 in sandals.
5) I have a hard time recognizing people.
6) I’m an introvert.
7) I’m Cuban.
8) I’m an excellent cook. (definition = people eat and like what I make)
9) I practice lucid dreaming.
10) My favorite quote is by Bruce Lee: ”It is compassion, not the principle of justice, which guards us against being unjust to our fellow man.”
11) I love animals.
Melanie’s Questions and my answers:
1) If you built what, who would come? I’ve built mini-pyramids in my yard so the lizards would have a place to hide when my dog came out. They used it!
2) Where would you end up were you to go the distance? In my soul mate’s bed.
3) Who’s pain would you ease if you could ease his pain? Hard question that… anyone’s that I could.
4) Is this heaven? No, this is just the classroom and an arena.
5) What would you do if the Voice called? Huh, I hear many voices, please be specific.
6) What are you grinning at, you ghost? Not telling, but they are fantasies.
7) You guys wanna play ball? Or do you prefer football, basketball, hockey, soccer, nothing, or something else? I love to watch Aussie rules football.
8) So what do you want? Peace.
9) Is there enough magic out there in the moonlight to make this dream come true? Yes.
10) There’s only eight of them. Eight of what? Yes, there are eight points in an octagon.
11) What’s Terrance Mann got to do with baseball? No fair, I don’t even know who he is!
G.F.’s Questions:
1) What meal would you make for the most important person in your life?
2) What meal would you make for your worst enemy?
3) If you could go back in time and give your younger self some advice, what would it be?
4) If you could take one object to Heaven, what would it be?
5) You are given $10,000 to use only on yourself, what do you do with the money?
6) You are asked to read a book to an inmate in jail, what book do you read?
7) What career would leave you happy at the end of the day?
8) What do you do to combat your biggest temptation?
9) Who would you take on your dream vacation, if anyone?
10) What is your favorite sculpture?
11) Where do you go when you daydream?
People Who Have Agreed to be Tagged
The Lovely Lovely Chandra Sherin – http://chandrasherin.wordpress.com/
The nicest thing happened to me last night. I won a contest for Greta van der Rol’s space opera – “The Iron Admiral.”
I didn’t know I had won until I opened up my email and found a message from Amazon that a Kindle prize waited for me.
Lately I’ve been reading too many supernatural stories and they are all jumbled up in my head and it makes me feel that I’ve read the same story fifteen times in a row. Yes, something different is called for. Some space! Some battles! Some alien weirdness! Yes!
Thank you so much, Greta!
Here’s her blog address: http://gretavanderrol.net/
Stop by and give her work a try if, like me, you are in the mood for something different.
Whatever you give a woman
February 24, 2013
I found this today and it really made me laugh...
Wabi-Sabi of Balding Men
February 20, 2013
I’ve been thinking about writing about my love for balding men for a while now. Although I have a male pen name, I am a woman and nothing calls my attention to a man more than some skin. Thanks to a prompt from Rarasaur at http://rarasaur.wordpress.com/ (a very nice and friendly blog) I decided to consider it wabi-sabi, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi. These supposed imperfections are what help make these men so aesthetically pleasing to me.
Here’s my top ten recognizable bald/balding men. They are in no particular order, perhaps.
10) Patrick Stewart
9) John Malkovich
8) Bruce Willis
7) Jason Statham
6) Mitch Pileggi – Skinner on X-Files
5) Djimon Hounsou
4) Phil Collins
3) Dean Norris – Hank on “Breaking Bad”
2) Younger Rob Halford – Judas Priest - Yes, yes I know he’s gay, but he was the focus of the first sexy dream I ever had.
1) Vladimir Putin – Meow!
Written
on February 27, 2013