F Is Not Just For Fridays

I wasn't sure what to put up here today. As you are well aware, I've been sick of late and the creative juices just don't flow very well when they're evaporating with the rise of internal temperature. That said, maybe I'm just getting burnt out, trying to do too many things and all that.

So, I pose the questions to you, the readers: How do you strike that balance? How do you come up with ideas? How do you work through writer's block? How do you keep it going?

And while you ponder your answer or answers, I'm going to tell you a few things I learned or was reminded of this week:

1. I wish I had more time for video games.
2. Bravo is the best channel because they play two episodes of "The West Wing" every morning.
3. Halls Citrus Drops do not always feel good on a sore throat.
4. I need a week to be lazy, i.e. vacation without kids.
5. The new show "Justified" on FX that started this last Tuesday is brilliant and you should watch it, too.
6. Speaking of which, apparently it is now okay to say "Shit" on basic cable channels like FX. That's pretty cool since it doesn't bother me.
7. As much as I love my homemade potato soup, three straight days of the stuff for lunch and dinner is too much, even for me. But it was about the only thing I could swallow.
8. Ice Cream on a sore throat is a perfectly acceptable dinner.
9. Pieces of sharp cheddar cheese don't hurt the sore throat...
10. ...but I should have waited a few more days before eating the Triscuits.

Have a great weekend, all.

Ah, Youth

In one of my many trips to the grocery store for sick supplies this last week, I snapped some pictures of various items hanging out in the aisles. This was, by far, the best.

Okay, so it's a little weak, but nothing says fun for a child like teaching them a trade: how to undo handcuffs. Or about bondage.

"Bowden" (Chapter 1, Part 1)

Okay, so I wanted to have more than this to put up today, but that didn't happen. As I warned, I'm splitting this into multiple parts. And there's no guarantee that I'll have the next part up next Wednesday.

Also, it's very raw and unedited. Enjoy.

Bowden (Chapter 1, Part 1)

And so it was when Bowden found himself literally backed into a corner, a stream of blood coursing down the side of his face, he turned away from the coming blow and raised his hands in defense, that the alley burst into flames. He opened his eyes and the fiery world swam before him. Unable to hold himself up, Bowden fell over onto the pavement, the ground warm against his cheek. As the fire raged up around him, consuming the clothes he was wearing, his last thought was of curiosity, and he wondered why his skin didn’t hurt. Then the darkness overtook him and the world was no more.

*****

He gagged and his eyes shot open as the dirty water forced its way down his throat. Sitting up, Bowden coughed up the foul liquid before collapsing back to the ground. The black sludge smelled of warm ash and rotten garbage. He tried to push himself up, but found neither purchase nor strength to do so. It was all he could manage to flop onto his back again. He wasn’t sure what he expected to see once he finally opened his eyes, but he saw floating black ash like falling snow with a backdrop of the purest blue October sky.

There were shouts to his left and he slowly turned his head. Several yellow-clad firefighters were running his way, water spraying with each footfall. Unable to fully control his body, Bowden’s limbs swung randomly as two of the firefighters lifted him from the ground. A third wrapped a blanket around him and they proceeded to carry him out of the alley. He just hung there limply in their arms as they exited to the street. Bowden barely heard the ambulance’s wail as it careened to a stop nearby. He was placed on a gurney, strapped into place, doors slammed closed, and they were off. The ambulance bounced with every defect in the road. There was no feeling, and his eyes drew heavy. Sleep was welcomed.

*****

It was the rhythmic beeping that woke him. The room was dark for the most part, only a soft glow from the recessed fluorescent light on the wall above his head. The beeping continued in his ear. Bowden went to rub the sleep from his eyes, but found that he was unable to move as his hands were restrained by leather straps to the hospital bed.

“Nurse,” he called, his voice hoarse and mouth dry. There was no response. “Nurse?”

It was several moments before the door opened and a trench coated man entered the room.

 
So, there's your tease of it.

Top Five Tuesday: Down with the Sickness

I lost a follower. Oh well. I guess that happens when I don't post for a few days. I'm sick with bronchitis and my energy is down. Deal with it.

The Premise
I had a friend in high school who was, dare I say, obsessed with David Letterman's "Top Ten" lists. So much so that he would share his own top ten lists over lunch periods. The subject matter of those lists is not retained in my long-term memory, no matter how good it is. However, I'm sure I could ask him since I still know how to contact him. Thank you, Blogger and Facebook. One day a few weeks ago, as I was reading through the blogs that I follow, I saw that many of them have theme days; "TMI Thursdays" and the like. That's when I thought I would try my hand at my own theme day. "Top Five Tuedays" was born. The only disclaimer is that these lists represent my own opinions and are subject to change whenever the hell I feel like it.

So, in honor of this latest bronchitis attack, I thought I'd do a pissy top five list.

Top Five Things I Like/Hate About Being Sick

1. Like: Staying home, laying on the couch, falling asleep watching movies.

2. Dislike: Feeling like my throat was raped by a cactus.

3. Like: Hall's Citrus Drops.

4. Dislike: Feeling like the floor of a taxi cab.

5. Like: The Quiet

Bonus: 6. Dislike: When work calls me even though I'm home sick.

I don't mean to sound like a bummer today, folks, but I'm failing on the energy here. I had started a piece last Friday that I was going to put up tomorrow, but being sick has stopped that in its tracks. We'll see if I can finish it today. It will be an ongoing thing since I've outlined it to be much, much longer than a short story. We'll see what I get done and it might be a bit of Chapter 1, Part 1 kind of thing.

I hope you all are healthy today. I don't wish this on anyone.

La La La La La La

There is no picture for you today. Nothing I snapped a picture of while walking or driving somewhere. Instead, I give you this...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472181/

Discuss.

That is all.