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Feeling down? The “Blues Brothers” scene below will fix that! Warning–language, and I mean no offense to anyone.

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https://rugby843.blog

We all converged at the big pine tree in the ranger station parking lot, not looking forward to the job. At least it was a day in fresh air, free of constraint. The Ranger methodically asks us one at a time, “who are you” and we all have to show our identification. It has to be specific, with the warden’s seal of approval from the county prison.

All of us were required to have a shovel, water and boots. Our uniform came with neon yellow stripes on the shirt backs and sides of our pants, indicating we were “volunteers”. The Ranger broke apart the container with the anosmic masks to fight the smoke and we were ready to go.

The fire had consumed fifty acres near the populated area so a bunch of us considered safe enough to hold a shovel without inflicting harm, were summoned to help the firefighters. We were to build a trench to keep the flames from continuing to the homes nearby. The huge barmecidal water trucks could only get into the area so far and helicopters used lakes to refill their water supply.

There were animals darting out and running by us at times and we could actually hear what seemed like screams of panic. The town was saved but the trees and vegetation were badly damaged, animal habitats gone. It gave us a sense of needed pride to be able to do this good.

https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2019/07/22/wordle-143/#like-18277

The coolest sound I just heard over my head today, the Thunderbird team practicing. They’ll be performing tomorrow here as part of the Cheyenne Frontier Days. This year they will be overhead at the US Air Force base. Cool!!!

The first time I heard them I was stuck in a rehab hospital for a broken bone in my hip. I wheeled down the hall to a room with one large window to watch. There is something uplifting and inspiring about hearing and watching them.

Now that’s a good start to my day!

https://rugby843.blog

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Welcome back, Stephanie and congratulations! What a Christmas gift!

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My mom, the mother of all mothers, and I still miss her even after 43 years.

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https://stephaniecolpron.wordpress.com

Inspired by Scott over at waldina.com, I give you Raymond Chandler’s “Big Sleep”. I love the metaphors Mr. Chandler used. Leading roles played by Bogart and Bacall of course. I love the way Lauren Bacall always played a strong woman who knew what she wanted. : )

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https://rugby843.blog

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Marie kept repeating her mantra, “I can do this” in her mind, as she approached the building. Her interview with the office entitled “The Demented Cipher” was in fifteen minutes and her usual fear of public speaking was looming in her mind. Marie was an excellent mathematician, however her social skills were minimal. She surprised herself attempting to change her place of employment, but matters at home forced her into seeking higher wages.

As she sat in the hallway waiting for the interview she placed her hand around the tiny box in her handbag. It was full of minuscule slips of paper with positive messages. The feel of the small container helped ease her mental stress. As soon as the interview was complete and the job was hers, she could once again settle into her comfort zone, alone with the numbers.

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https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2019/07/21/sunday-writing-prompt-5-by-5-5/#like-18274

Jack was leaving her behind. Never mind the dirt barely covered her body and soon the animals would be at her, he didn’t care. She deserved it, after all this time, everything he did, trying to please her. . .no more. He was done. Of course she was curious as to his sudden desire to hike in these woods, knowing she hated the outdoors, but for this once she followed him. Jack had never seemed so determined as he was this morning; her curiosity overcame her usual dominant behavior, and this onetime yielding was her literal downfall.

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Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge #23

JUL

21

I Do!

Posted on July 21, 2019 by Bryce Warden @ https://wasthatmyoutloudvoice.com/2019/07/21/i-do/#like-4814

Standard

Today is a big day, it’s a family wedding on the hubs side. For those not in the know, my husband is first generation Italian-American born and raised in Brooklyn. Now download every stereotype of New York Italians into your brain and imagine those people at a fancy wedding venue, that’s what I have going on tonight.

The hubs and I are at the stage in life where the wedding invitations have slowed down. If we get invited to a friend’s wedding, it isn’t their first. Most nuptials we attend now are for the grown children of friends. Every time we attend one of these events I am filled with gratitude that we eloped. We plan to offer our kids bonus gifts if they elope instead of having a big wedding.

I like a party, it’s just so much pressure and expense. Tonight’s event is black tie optional and it starts at 7pm, that means formal attire. For this minimalist makeup, tousled hair, sports bra wearing woman, formal takes effort. Significant effort. It’s also expensive as hell just to be a guest.

About 6 weeks ago I went dress shopping with a friend who is kind but doesn’t mince words. That’s who you want with you when you attempt to dress yourself for a special occasion. We started out at Nordstrom Rack. I tried on about 37 outfits, most were dresses in various lengths with a few jumpsuits thrown in for giggles. It was painful.

There were a few outfits I simply could not figure out how to get on. That’s an immediate pass, the idea of getting stuck in one of those makes me shudder. The last time I went shopping alone I had to will myself to become disjointed to escape the dress I apparently had no business trying on. If I have to summon my inner Houdini it’s simply not worth the effort. I have a real fear of having to claw my way out some overpriced frock which I’m forced to purchase because I went all Hulk-woman on it. No thanks.

You don’t have a complete understanding of how much you detest your body until you’ve seen it encased in something that mere moments ago brought you hope and a twinge of excitement. Exuberance gets replaced with disappointment, self-loathing and a general sense of WTF. An hour or so into the expedition I still needed a dress so we drove to the mall. The mall is my least-happy-place.

The stores and the dresses all started to look the same. I was sticking with black because I like my clothes to match my soul. OK it’s slimming I’m not the anti-christ FFS. On the 56th attempt my friend and I agreed on the dress I would get. Sweet relief, that task was done. Never mind that I had to order up a size from my usual which put me into the size which I swore I would never wear…sigh. Basically, I hated myself the least in this particular dress so I bought it.

The next day I started to question my choice. Self doubt crept in and tapped me on the shoulder. For those that aren’t familiar, I have named my self doubt Ethel. I envision Ethel as Grandmotherly looking prairie dog, she wears a knitted sweater vest and she has bifocals. She also swears a lot, has a tattoo and chain smokes Marlboro Reds. Ethel is a straight up bitch, she has too many opinions and she is persistent AF.

Anyhoo, Ethel convinces me that the dress is all wrong. In fact, she tells me it’s hideous and that I look like a bloated Morticia (Addams Family) in that lacy ace bandage. I panic and begin to look online for something else. After several hours, I purchase a gown that may or may not work. That dress arrived a few days later and Ethel told me that it was even more ridiculous than the first, so I punched her in the face and decided to embrace my inner Morticia.

Next on the agenda was shoes. Gawd I hate heels. I love the way they look…walking in them however, is a fine art that I have not mastered. A couple of years ago we went to a wedding in Malibu, California and my feet still ache when I think of the shoes I wore. Once again I am torn between wanting something that looks good and what I can actually pull off with minimal scarring (emotional or physical). As mentioned before, this wedding is NY Italian, anything under 4 inch heels will be laughed at. The 81 year old grandmother will be wearing stilettos and I’m not even kidding.

My primping is minimal but the basics need to be covered. This week I got a mani/pedi and freshened my hair color. I actually got my hair done yesterday and I have done very little since then because I don’t want to lose the blow out. Seriously I have limited my time outside (current temp is surface-of-the-sun hot) and I skipped the gym to avoid needing to wash my hair. These are sacrifices one most make.

For some this may seem like a lot…to you I say Ha! I guarantee you some guests have had surgical procedures to prepare for this wedding and yes I am serious. The results of cool-sculpting, breast augmentation, Botox, chemical peels, tanning salons and varicose vein correction will all be on parade this evening, I have no doubt. Don’t even get me started on the teeth whitening, I may be blinded by 9pm. I’ve got nothing against those procedures I’m just too chicken to try them out (oh and I’m cheap).

Stayed tuned for the details of how it went…

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https://wasthatmyoutloudvoice.com/2019/07/21/i-do/#like-4814

https://rugby843.blog

The only thing that told the hiking group Joe was in trouble, was his speech. Suddenly he was no longer coherent, and then startled stumbling. Joe was the scout leader and was always a bit stiff and certainly a disciplinarian with the boys. Seeing him acting in a drunken state the boys started smiling and as Joe’s condition worsened, they were outright laughing.

When Joe collapsed from the sting, and lay there unconscious, the boys’ scout training ended frivolity and they hurried into action. With their help, Joe survived his bee encounter.

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Bee sting allergy symptoms:

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https://cyranny.com/2019/07/22/sting-word-of-the-day-challenge/#like-48875

FOWC with Fandango — Coherent

Image: Saibel@DeviantArt

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Good or evil face

Which one shall I show today

Always wish for good

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RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #263 Good&Evil