Trick or Treat Haiku

In the spirit of this special day, enjoy this little Halloween haiku.

children walk with friends
through neighborhoods for candy
costumes are required

The Collective Unconscious at Work

My best friend just sent me a link to this article: Why Are So Many People Afraid Of Clowns? and the date it was published was the same day I published my own post More About Clowns. Whoa.

Spooky, eh? Not really. It's the collective unconscious at work again. We're all connected. One super brain.

Wait. Does that mean we're connected to clowns, too? Ew.

Happy (almost) Halloween!

More About Clowns

Why is it that clowns bring joy to some while causing nightmares in others?

When I was a kid I went to the circus. The clowns there were funny, doing all sorts of slapstick with each other and throwing buckets of confetti at the audience. While I smiled at the antics, I was seriously creeped out by the makeup and hid my face whenever one of them came near.

Years later I watched the movie adaptation of Stephen King's It, whose antagonist can shape shift into an evil clown. That didn't help. This photo reminds me of that character.  *shudder*

In my story, The Clown, the narrator loves clowns. Her boyfriend takes her to a place he thinks she will enjoy because it celebrates them. Unfortunately, it changes her perspective.

How do you feel about clowns?

The Clown, part 6

"It's okay! It's okay. Shhh, calm down." Brad's voice soothed me as my breathing normalized. "You were just dreaming."

"We need to get away from here." I was hysterical. "There's something wrong with this place. I've never had nightmares like that before. I've never seen clowns as evil, but I keep dreaming about that one in the lobby, even before we got here!"

"Okay, hon. We don't have to stay here. I just want you to be happy. I thought this place would be fun."

"I thought it would be, too. I loved it when we first got here. The energy is just bad."

The sun was coming up, warming the chills in my body. I was so eager to leave, I didn't bother to change my clothes. I jumped out of bed and grabbed my suitcase. "Race you downstairs!"

"Hey! No fair." Brad got up more slowly. He was never much of a morning person.

"I'll drive." I went downstairs and put my suitcase in the trunk before heading to the lobby. The desk clerk was the same cheerful guy from last night.

"Hiya! Did you sleep well? You got the quiet room, ya know?"

"I noticed. Unfortunately we need to leave sooner than expected." I handed over my room key just as Brad walked up behind me. He turned in his key as well.

"Interesting place you have," Brad said kindly.

"Why, thank you. We think so."

"We?" I asked, glancing over at the clown collection. The giant clown doll was missing. My body started trembling again.

"What is it?" Brad gently ran his hands along my arms, trying to soothe me.

"I'll be outside." I left without another word, unable to stay in there any longer. Brad joined me a minute later. I turned to him and hugged him tight. "I'm so sorry, Brad. I didn't mean to ruin your special weekend."

"What are you talking about? It's not ruined. I only planned for us to stay here one night anyway. We're headed to Las Vegas, baby!"

I looked up at him in surprise. "Vegas!"

"Let's do it. Let's get married. I hear they have a circus wedding chapel over there." He smiled, his eyebrows wiggling up and down."

I laughed. "Yes! I would love to marry you in a circus chapel, you goofball."

"I was hoping you'd say that because our families are waiting for us."

"WHAT?"

"Surprise?" 

I laughed and gave him a shove. "Some surprise!"

He chuckled. "Sorry, you know I can't keep a secret. Just act surprised when we walk in, okay?"

"Sure." Tears suddenly filled my eyes. I loved this man so much. Not only did he understand me unlike anyone else, but he put up with all my weirdness. No, he embraced it. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Let's get going."

We jumped in the car and headed for Sin City, where we would become a traditionally (or untraditionally) married couple.

--

Back in the lobby, the desk clerk's smile became a frown as he watched the car speed away. "Dammit, Larry! What happened?"

A skinny man walked out from the back room wearing the blue and yellow striped clown suit. He held a large butcher knife. "I dunno, man! I was about to go in when this black and white clown just appeared in front of the door. Like, out of thin air! He glared at me and shook his head, so I got the hell outta there fast!"

--

The End.

Inking Again

I was going to write another chapter this morning, but I had to help my husband ink a comic book page. He's in deadline hell again. The only way he can finish pages when they come in last minute is if I'm there to assist. We pass pages back and forth. He gets some blacking areas ready for me and then gets more ready on the next page while I'm working. I enjoy helping him. It's very meditative.


Plus it makes me feel less guilty when I spend his money.

The Clown, part 5

I awoke to a cool cloth on my face. It felt nice. I slowly opened my eyes to find Brad looking down at me with panic in his eyes.

"Thank God," he whispered.

"What happened," I asked, unable to remember anything prior to our arrival.

"You fainted, gave me a heart attack."

"Oh, is that all? Maybe I'm just hungry or something?"

He nodded slowly, then smiled shyly. "Is it possible you could be pregnant?"

I stared at him in shock. Would he be happy about it if I was? We had never discussed children before. "Um, I don't think I am...but what if I was? What would you do? Out of curiosity, that is."

Brad sat back as I tried to move into a sitting position against the headboard. How did I get in bed? I suddenly remembered I had been standing. Did he carry me? Whoa. He was stronger than he appeared. That made me feel good. Such a big strong, sweet lovable guy would make a great daddy. Wait, why was I suddenly thinking about kids?

"Huh, ya know I never really thought about it before. I mean the idea was floating out there like some far off maybe someday fantasy, but I hadn't really considered it seriously. Me, a father? Of course, you would be an awesome mother, no question. But if you were pregnant I think I'd be really happy."

I smiled, feeling such a glow of love in my heart for this man. "Good to know. I think you would be an exceptional father. I should know, right? I had the best."

"Yeah, he was a great man. I still miss him."

"Me, too." My dad had been so funny and kind and had brought joy to so many people as a clown until the circus closed down... "Oh, god." I just remembered what I had seen outside the window.

"What is it?"

"You're gonna think I've totally lost it, but I thought I saw a clown walking out in the cemetery."

"Really? That's creepy! Do you think the hotel does that just to freak out the guests? It is close to Halloween."

"Oh, I hadn't thought about that. Maybe you're right!" I laughed. That had to be it. Right?

"Let's get some sleep, so we can go exploring in the morning."

"Yeah, good idea." We didn't bother to undress. I could barely move, so Brad just put his arms around me and we slept.

I dreamed of my father. He was dressed in his old black and white clown costume, patiently teaching me how to juggle. We started out with bean bags, then moved to balls, then pins. When he handed me a knife I was shocked. I looked up at him to ask him why, but it wasn't him. It was the evil looking clown from the lobby! And he was handing me another knife, but this one was covered in blood.

I woke up screaming!

Vacation, Had to Get Away

Sadly, my daily writing run came to an end yesterday. I forgot to post something.

My excuse was being on vacation.

I don't travel much, but my husband was a guest at the Bellingham ComiCon in Washington state and he wanted me to go with him. I did not take my laptop with me, but thought I might be able to at least post some simple short prose via cell phone. Alas, it was not to be. I managed to post something on Friday, but I was so exhausted last night it completely slipped my mind! So sorry to you and to myself. I was doing so well, too!

How do writers keep up with a daily schedule when they go on vacation. Or do they even go on vacations? Do they all take their laptops with them and just keep going? Maybe.

I need to get back into the morning groove anyway. Posting stuff at night really sucks. I'm usually so tired and cranky. Hmm, I'm usually that way in the morning, too, but at least I'll get it out of the way early and not worry about it.

I'll write the next chapter of The Clown on Monday. I really mean it this time!

Keeping it Brief

I must keep it brief today. I will write more tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Meditation Haiku

Thinking about meditation. Are you willing to go there?

sitting in silence
letting my thoughts pass me by
I feel calmer now

Silence is Golden

Recently I had a mini meltdown while surrounded by a group of friends. It was embarrassing.

Soon after that I heard someone talking about meditation, how when we have a regular practice it makes it easier to deal with everyday annoyances. You still feel the emotions, but you're better able to handle them. It makes you more thoughtful. No more foot-in-mouth disease.

How fortunate that the Meditation Sit-a-thon starts this weekend. I will get my practice back on track by challenging my husband to sit with me every day.

If you or anyone you know also suffer from similar afflictions like foot-in-mouth disease or high anxiety, meditation can help you, too!

For more information about the Sit-a-thon visit the 21 Day Wake Up Challenge.

FYI, you can start anytime! Just go for 21 days from your own starting date and hopefully you will create a helpful habit for yourself!

The Clown, part 4

I whirled to face my boyfriend, the guy that was supposed to love me and make me feel safe. I gave him a big shove and he stumbled away.

"What was that for?"

"You booked us in a hotel next door to a cemetery?!? What the hell, Brad!"

"Why is that so bad? They're dead. They're quiet. You wanted someplace restful--"

"Not the best choice of words right now, Brad!"

"Aww, hon, don't tell me you're scared." He pouted and strutted towards me.

"Stop it," I said weakly, trying not to giggle at his puppy dog eyes.

"My girl is braver than that." He put his arms around me again. "You are fearless. And there really is nothing to fear."

"What about ghosts?"

"What about 'em?"

"I don't want them to come over here."

"Why would they do that? We're not very interesting. Oh, maybe they could be voyeurs. We might put on a show for them."

"Oh, hell, no! I am not having sex next to a cemetery."

"Wha--?" He gasped as I poked his chest.

"You've only got yourself to blame, pal. Did you honestly think this would be romantic? I am seriously creeped out! FYI, we are leaving in the morning." I moved away from him and was once again drawn to the window. Another light shined over the area and caught the flash of yellow and blue stripes. The clown was walking among the graves! 

Suddenly I couldn't remember how to breathe, the room began to spin and everything went dark.

The Clown, part 3

I walked on rubbery legs across the room and stared at the clown, unable to believe what I was seeing. I could've laughed it off and just said it was similar, but it wasn't. It was THE clown, right down to it's striped hat and demonic eyes.

The desk clerk laughed. "Freaky, ain't it?"

"You could say that," I replied. "Where did you get it?"

"Dunno. It just sort of appeared one day."

"What? How could it just appear out of thin air?" I was getting hysterical and Brad put a calming hand on my shoulder.

"Oh, folks are always dropping off weird clown stuff, knowing how we collect it. Somebody just left it here one day."

I nodded at him then looked back at the clown. It looked like its face had changed. It was smiling before, but now it looked mean. I clutched Brad's hand.

"What is it, hon?"

"Remember that freaky dream I had in the car?"

"Yeah?"

I pointed at the doll. "That was what I saw."

"Whoa. You're psychic! Cool."

It didn't feel very cool. All I knew was I wanted to get away from that thing. Clowns were supposed to be joyful and fun. This thing reminded me of Chuckie from Child's Play.

We thanked the desk clerk and headed upstairs to our room.

"This is supposed to be the quietest room in the place."

"Great! I could use that. I just endured the week from hell."

"Your boss still on your case?"

"Yeah, she won't let me do anything without looking over my shoulder. Geez! I'm seriously considering quitting."

"You should." He put his arms around me and held me tight. "Let this be our celebration trip of you soon finding your right work." 

"Thanks." I gave him a squeeze then went to open the window to let in the cool night air. It sure got dark fast. I don't remember the sun being very low in the sky. Maybe we were in the office longer than I thought. 

It smelled a little mildewy. That was weird. Usually outside air smelled fresher than that. Maybe it was the old wood. It was pitch black, I couldn't see much of anything. That's good. At least there wouldn't be any cars racing by. Suddenly a light shined over the landscape, probably from someone entering the parking lot out front. I squinted, unsure of what I was seeing. It looked like old tombstones.

"Um, what are those?" I asked, pointing next door.

Brad peeked over my shoulder. "Oh, that's the cemetery."

What?!?

Clown Haiku

Inspired by my story The Clown.

big red lips smiling
a thing of dreams or nightmares
it's all perspective

The Clown, part 2

With our coffees in hand, we got back on the road.

Brad had been very quiet., so when he spoke I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Who told you?"

"Who told me what?"

"Where we're going."

"Nobody. I have no idea where we're going."

"Then how come you--" He shook his head. "Nevermind."

"O-kay," I drawled out. "You are acting really weird, dude."

He nodded slowly, as if in a daze, and we didn't speak again for another thirty minutes or so.

A tall white sign came into view. It looked like there was a giant clown on it. I sat up straighter, seeing the words Clown Motel. 

"Shut. Up."

"Surprise," Brad said softly.

"Shut the freak up!" I laughed.

We pulled into the parking lot of a charming old motel. The wooden slat walls were sky blue with white trim. Each door was adorned with its own clown. I squealed and dashed out of the car. "An entire motel devoted to clowns? This has got to be a dream!" I could barely contain my joy, bouncing up and down on my toes. Brad handed over my bag and we went inside.

I stopped just inside the door and gasped. The lobby was wall to wall clown kitsch, from tiny snow globes to lunchboxes to magazines. This place was perfect!

"Welcome to the Clown Motel," the clerk announced. He was smiling like a loon. I knew how he felt. How could you not be overcome with happiness every time you walked in the door of this place? Clowns were the symbol of my childhood. My dad had been a professional clown and he had taught me everything he knew. I could juggle, tumble and mime my way into children's hearts everywhere. Well, at least in the hospital where I volunteered.

As Brad checked us in I took a closer look at all the adorable collectibles. From the corner of my eye something caught my attention. I turned my head and froze. There, sitting before me on a chair, was a life-size clown doll or mannequin, It was the same clown from my dream!

Gun Scare

Today my daughter's school campus had a lockdown. Apparently one of the students had a gun and was making threats on the school. Another student called the police. We still don't know all the details.

For two hours my daughter had to hide in a darkened portable classroom without moving or making a sound, while SWAT teams swarmed between the buildings, checking doors and searching for this rogue student.

I passed the school on my way home and saw several cop cars out front. My first thought was "There's a gunman on the school campus!". It's depressing to think of how common this occurrence has become. It seems like every other week there is a school shooting. Thankfully, I had finally bought my daughter a cell phone for her birthday and she takes it to school with her. We texted each other every five minutes or so, keeping each other calm, until the students were evacuated.

I am not going to get into a debate about whether or not people need to own guns, but I don't like them. And I have no patience for people who allow their children to have access to them.

I think the bigger issue is mental health. Parents need to pay more attention to their children and their children's friends. Teachers need to be more watchful of distress signals in their students. We all need to get to know our neighbors.

In a perfect world, right?

Stay safe.

Golden Cat Haiku

sad face golden cat,

why are you waving at me?

ah, solar panels

--

Silly, I know. My eyes were burning and I didn't know what to write. I looked up at the shelf and this golden cat was waving at me. BAM!!!

Be open to inspiration.

The Clown, part 1

This story was inspired by the photo I found yesterday of the real Clown Motel.
--

The wind blew dust across the road before us. It was practically deserted, and not a Starbucks in sight. Damn.

"Are we there yet?" I jokingly asked my boyfriend. 

He laughed. "Don't worry, you'll know it when you see it. It's the perfect Halloween destination according to this blogger I follow."

We had been driving for hours and he wouldn't give me a single hint. I don't know how he did that. I couldn't keep a secret to save my life. I turned my head and stared out the window, watching the tumbleweeds roll by.

"Hey, hon, GPS says there's a Starbucks coming up in a couple miles. Wanna stop?"

"Do I? Is the Pope Catholic?" I grabbed my purse to make sure my SB points card was in it. My coffee addiction was made possible thanks to all the freebies I got each month. I opened my wallet. Yep, it was in there. 

My other addiction was handbags. Because I swapped them on a regular basis I was never sure if I had transferred all of my stuff. Some of my bags were pretty small, so I couldn't always fit everything. The coffee card was top priority, but I had lost it before... right before I lost it. Thank the universe for the calming influence of my boyfriend. Brad reminded me that I could simply grab another points card and transfer my balance. 

"There it is!" Brad slowed the car, as we got closer to the driveway.

I perked up, ready for my caffeine fix. My smile of joy quickly disappeared.

"Uh, oh." He quickly sped past.

"NO!" I yelled at the retreating green and white sign which hung a big red BANKRUPT banner. "What the hell? How could a Starbucks go out of business? It's, like, impossible! Everybody stops at Starbucks!" I silently cursed the lousy business owners. They must have been really stupid.

"There will probably be another one in a few miles. Maybe that's why this one went under. Everybody was going to the other one."

"You better hope so after getting my hopes up."

"Sorry."

"Mm hmm." I sulked in my seat with my arms crossed over my chest. I closed my eyes and tried to get my mind off coffee. Napping was my forte. I could sleep anywhere for any amount of time, no matter how short.

Colors swirled before my eyes and formed into a vision. It was a clown. He was dressed in a red suit and hat with colorful blue and yellow stripes. He turned his head and smiled evilly at me. I startled awake. Brad was pulling into a Starbucks parking lot. I took a deep cleansing breath.

"You okay, hon?"

"Yeah, I just had this freaky dream about a clown."

Brad stared at me like I was insane. 

"What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. Let's go get some Frappuccinos. I hear the pumpkin spice one is really good and it's only gonna be around for the holidays," He rambled before quickly walking away.

That was weird. I had never seen Brad look so nervous.

The Clown Motel

I just found this random photo on Facebook.

It is The Clown Motel and it sits next to an old cemetery!

I saw the picture and thought it was a joke, so I looked it up.

It is real. Check out this link. 

People have posted reviews and photos. I think some of the reviews are made up, though. Then again, maybe they aren't!

 DUHN DUHN DUHHHNNN!!!

As if clowns aren't already the creepiest things on the planet, someone decided to dedicate an entire motel to them? And build it next to a cemetery???

Well, it is the perfect Halloween destination, I suppose.

Boo!

Words

This is an open letter to anybody who thinks it's okay to say whatever they want on Facebook (and elsewhere online), no matter how hurtful or thoughtless.

NEWSFLASH:  It is not okay.

The next time you get the urge to comment on someone's post, please pause for a moment and read what you just wrote. Is it helpful or hurtful? Are you adding to the conversation or sidetracking it?

Do you really want to make your friend feel like crap? Is it necessary to spit all over them? Were they even asking for a debate or were they simply sharing something they liked?

If you really have a problem with something a friend posts you can always start a thread on your own page and invite others to debate with you.

There have been so many times when I have caught myself feeling negative towards someone else's post and I type up a diatribe about why they shouldn't like something. Then I pause and read my words. Many times I delete them and move on to something else.

There is so much negativity in the world. Do you really want to add to it?

Peace.

Orange and Black

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of orange and black. She glanced up from her biology textbook, but it was gone. 

Well, it was Halloween time, so she probably had orange and black burned into her eyeballs.

She went back to her studies. It was relaxing to read out here on the campus lawn.

Another flicker of color caught her eye. What the heck?

She rolled onto her back and looked up. There was a butterfly hovering over her flapping its beautiful orange and black wings. She recognized it as a monarch. They were popular here in Santa Cruz. In fact, there was a big festival coming up soon. Thousands of monarchs traveled here for the winter, just like the swallows in Capistrano.

Why was it hovering over her? She didn't look like a flower. In fact, she was wearing all black, including her hair. She watched the delicate creature for a few moments until it started to move away. Then it came back and moved away again, as if trying to get her to follow. 

Why not? She had almost an hour to kill.

She put her book inside her backpack and headed off after the insect. She followed it into a small grove of trees. It flitted around her then shot up into the sky. When she looked up she could hardly believe her eyes. 

There were hundreds of butterflies covering a high branch. There were so many they looked like leafs!

"Whoa!" She cried out. Suddenly they all broke away from the branch and she was enveloped in a cloud of fluttering wings. She laughed and spun around like a child, delighting in the wonder of this magical moment. 

This was the best day ever! And she finally knew what her costume was going to be this year.

A beekeeper!

--

We went to the Monarch Festival in Santa Cruz today. And yes it was magical.

Spew!

I didn't know what to do! The howls were getting louder and its face turned a hideous shade of reddish purple. I covered my ears and watched in horror as a vile stream of what looked like clam chowder shot from its mouth and nose in a projectile across the room to splatter all over the floor. What the hell was that? And was it toxic?

I pointed at the creature and yelled, "You are so cleaning that up!"

"Are you crazy? She's just a baby!"

I glared at my best friend. "Fine! YOU clean it up!"

"Maybe babysitting isn't your thing."

"Ya think?"

"I'll get the mop."
--

This scene was inspired by an adorable photo of a friend's new baby with whitish glop running down her chin. Just for the record, I would've cleaned up the above mess. This scene is from the perspective of a bratty pre-teen.
Although, I was also a bratty pre-teen and probably would've felt the same way. Babysitting was so not my thing.

The Wrath of God

I arrived at the mall for some afterwork holiday shopping. 

The sun was setting and the light began to turn a bright orangey red. I paused outside the sliding glass doors to appreciate nature in all its glory. I had never seen such colors in the sky before. A cold wind blew and, as I watched, dark clouds swirled and formed. I had always enjoyed staring at clouds and seeing other things like funny animals and people. These clouds did not amuse me. They looked sinister. 

It was as if the sky was on fire and they were the smoke.

One of the clouds was moving more quickly than the others. I watched as it took shape. It was a hand! I could see it clearly. The fingers were long and skinny and tipped with sharp nails. That was the freakiest thing I had ever seen in my life. Usually cloud formations only hinted at objects in silhouette, but I could see every crease and bony knuckle. The hand was reaching for me, trying to grab me! I was frozen with fear. 

All I could do was squeeze my eyes shut and scream.

Oh, GOD, it was touching me! I could feel its little pokes and prods. I shivered as the icy fingers tapped out a rhythm all over my body. They were sinking through my clothes to touch my bare skin underneath. "NO!"

"Run!" Someone nearby yelled. "Get inside quick! The storm is coming!"

Storm?

I opened my eyes and looked up again. It wasn't fingers. It was rain streaming down through the cloud! And I was getting soaked to the bone. 

I turned and quickly ran into the building.
--

Thank you to Paul Myers for his excellent photography.

Wicked

She was cackling and waving her arms at us. I widened my eyes in shock, but couldn't look away. It was like watching a train wreck, not that I had any desire to see a train wreck. That would be awful. And sad. Well, this was almost as bad. This girl might even leave a few dead bodies in her wake if she didn't stop soon.

The cackling became wailing that crescendoed into a climax of off-key screeching. I cringed and tried not to cover my ears. That would be rude. 

My eyes began to water as I held in my laughter. I could feel my date shaking. He was laughing, too. I glanced over at him and he looked at me.

"I can't take much more of this," he whispered.

"Me either, but we can't just walk out."

"As soon as this song ends?"

I nodded and prayed for silence. The music stopped and everyone applauded their appreciation, probably for the ending of the song, rather than the performance.

We jumped up and ran out of the auditorium.

"Oh. My. Gawd," I exaggerated. "That was the worst interpretation of Wicked I have ever seen!"

"And heard!"

We laughed all the way to the coffee shop. I had a craving for pumpkin pie.
--

I swear this had nothing to do with the fact I went to choir rehearsal tonight. I just had music on my mind.

The Devil Himself

Why was he so cruel?

He had me scrambling all over the place, going up, down and sideways. Stop! Go! Wait!

I was so dizzy. I felt like I was going to throw up.

If he didn't kill me first, I was going to kill him. I was going to pick up my water bottle and bash his head in. If only I had enough energy to lift it that high. Not that aluminum was strong enough to bash anything.

"Back row, you can do better than that! Move! Move! Move!"

That fitness instructor was the devil himself.
--

This story was brought on by the nausea caused by tonight's BodyShred class.

Needles

He was coming towards her with a needle in his hand and an evil grin on his face. She was frozen with fear, her eyes widening with every step he took. Her body began to shake and a cold sweat prickled her back. She had nowhere to run, backed into a corner. Maybe she could kick him and dart past. Nobody would try to stop her. She was too fast. 

She would scream at all those people waiting outside. "I will never be like you! Never! I don't need this! I'll show you all."

She got ready to kick out, when suddenly she felt a hand grip her ankle.

"Don't even think about it, missy."

"Mommm," she whined.

"Here we are, sweetie. This won't hurt a bit," he said sweetly as he took hold of her arm. "Well, maybe just a teeny bit."

Jerk.

Captured! She squeezed her eyes shut against the cold swab of the cotton ball. Tortured!

"Now just relax."

No escape!

"Good girl. We're all done here."

Done? Huh. That didn't hurt much at all. 

"Thanks, Doc!" She hopped off the exam table and skipped out into the waiting room of the injection clinic. She laughed at all the crying children. 

What a bunch of babies!
--

This story was inspired by a trip to the injection clinic today. My daughter and I got our flu shots. I was this little girl... still am. I hate needles!!!

Can't Find The Door

I got up quickly and almost passed out. The sweat poured down my face as I stood there on wobbly legs. I tried to take a deep breath, but it wouldn't come. My inhaler was in my purse. A lot of good it did me there!

I swiped my arm across my forehead. It had to be over a hundred degrees in here. Where the hell was the door? It was dark in here (or was I just blacking out) and there were bodies everywhere. Me being such a klutz, I just knew I would trip over one of them and twist my ankle.

That would be the end for sure!

I would never be able to show my face in this Hot Yoga class again!

Subway Canine

Thanks again to Paul Myers for his inspirational photo!

I could feel the tension in the crowd around me. It was Monday morning and nobody wanted to be there on that subway platform. We were all heading to jobs we hated. 

Imagine if we could all play "musical jobs", where one week each month people could rotate into different positions. We would all find the perfect fit. For now, we were all misfits. I heard the train approaching and glanced over to see the headlight getting closer. The tension grew thicker if that were even possible.

The train stopped and one by one people stepped into the car in front of me. Magically, the tension began to dissipate, body language relaxed. I could hear laughter. As I got closer to the door the energy became joyful. What the heck was going on?

I stepped into the train car and was greeted by an adorable sight. A small dog on a leash was laying spread out on the floor acknowledging each passenger as they came aboard. It's head tilted in curiosity and every time someone chuckled it would raise its ears. 

I smiled and then giggled happily, remembering the old saying, "Dog is God spelled backward."

---

Have a great week!

Sweet Tooth (Sweet Shop, part 5)

Read Sweet Shop, part 4 here.

He sat at his desk, sucking on a peppermint. If anybody in his office caught him he would probably never live it down. He couldn't help it. He had a sweet tooth. It was the reason he went into his current profession.

He closed his eyes, savoring the cool freshness on his tongue. He thought back to the lovely girl from the candy store. He had tried to casually run into her a few times, but each time he saw her he couldn't get up enough nerve to start a conversation. Oh, well. Maybe one of these days he would just buy some cotton candy and hand it to her like a bouquet. She would probably appreciate the gesture.

"Doctor, your next appointment is here."

He froze, trying not to chew. "Tan yew, Bwenna," he garbled.

She raised her eyebrow at him. "You might want to spit out that mint. It sets a bad example."

What was she, his mother? He spit the candy into the waste basket. "Good point. Thank you, Brenda. What would I do without you?"

"Sarcasm is unbecoming."

He narrowed his eyes at her as she walked away, then stuck out his tongue.

---

She had noticed that cute guy from the flower stand watching her from afar every day last week. She wondered if he was a stalker. Maybe he was just shy. Hopefully that was it. After all, a man who loved cotton candy couldn't be all bad, could he?

She heard footsteps and set down her magazine.

"Good afternoon--"

She looked up at the familiar voice. "You!" she exclaimed.

"You!" he breathed.

They both laughed nervously.

"You've been stalking me!"

"Actually, I've been trying to get up the nerve to ask you out."

She blushed and changed the subject. "Where's Dr. Parker?"

"He retired last week. I guess Brenda forgot to call you. I hope this won't be too awkward."

"So, you're a dentist who loves candy?"

"Why do you think I became a dentist? With all the sugar I consume, I need industrial strength teeth cleaning quite often."

She smiled. "You must work out a lot to stay in such good shape. I mean--" She blushed again.

"Thanks," he laughed. Aside from my candy habit, I'm pretty health conscious." He cleared his throat. "So...about that date?  And don't feel pressured just because you're stuck in the dental chair of doom. I promise I won't ask you again. I mean, I understand if you want to keep this professional...that is if you want to keep me on as your dentist."

"I'd like that."

"Great!" He paused. "Um, were you referring to a date or to me being your dentist?" He held his breath.

"Both." She said with an amused grin. "Maybe we could go visit the Sweet Shop together."

"I'd like that."
--

The End.

School Clubs

Today my daughter's high school had a club fair. That's where any student who wants to start a club sets up a table and pitches their ideas. Originally, she had planned to create a movie discussion group, where students would get together and watch movies and discuss the plot and characters, maybe write reviews for fun. She changed her mind and backed out at the last minute, but my husband decided to create one of his own! Cool school, eh?

He's a music fanatic and always wanted to teach History of Pop Music, so he is inviting students to join him for an hour a week to sit around and listen to different styles of music and discover what influenced their favorite music of today.

He was unsure if people would even sign up, but at the end of the day he got twenty participants!

Since my daughter decided not to run a club this year, I have invited her to create a new blog with me. It will be a mother/daughter movie review site. We both love movies and we love discussing them, so I think it will be fun. I will post a link soon!

The biggest surprise is that my daughter ended up joining two other groups: Concert Club (a performance group for aspiring musicians) and California Scholarship Federation (a group that helps students earn college scholarships). I am so proud of my girl. I'm always reciting one of my favorite Jamie Lee Curtis lines (from the Freaky Friday remake) to her, "Make good choices!", and she's doing it. Yay!

Happy Inktober!

Inktober is a challenge every October for all artists to do one ink drawing each day for 31 days.

My husband teaches a comic book inking class and one of his students gave him a little sketchbook in honor of this event. He has taken it to heart. He has promised to do one sketch each day in that little book. He has such a hard time just letting go and allowing himself to sketch. Hopefully this challenge will help him get over that. Being an inker is all technique and care. Sketching is the complete opposite. I am so proud of him for committing to this challenge. Maybe it will start a new positive habit. Today was day one and his first sketch is beautiful and thoughtful! Of course, it's Batman, but that's okay. Mick is all about the Bat.

Challenging myself sure helped me! I have been faithfully sitting down at my writing blog every day to just freewrite. I try not to give a lot of thought to what I put down. I just start writing and see what develops. It takes away much of the fear. I can't fail because there is no right or wrong way to do this.

Just DO it!!!

Flowers and Candy Haiku

Inspired by my Sweet Shop story.

colors of the earth
flavors of another world
senses overwhelmed