This is the essence of writing like crazy to me. Dive in and start writing, and hopefully, it’ll stick.
Amor Said
Floofverine
Floofverine (floofinition) – a cat or dog that reminds people of a wolverine, either by physical appearance or behavior.
In use: “His little white and gray cat with the blue eyes was such a little glutton that he began calling her his little floofverine, leading him to name her, Hugh Jackman. He often called her Hugh, Jack, or Jackman, but his favorite alias for her remained Floofverine. It didn’t matter, because she answered to all of it, so long as he was offering her something to eat.”
Friday’s Theme Music
Little Feat was one of my favorite groups when I was a young teenager but none of my friends had heard of them. When I played their music on the eight track, they’d ask, “What’s that?” with that look on their face like they’d taken a bite and discovered a funky and unexpected taste that worries them because maybe they they’d bitten into a bug or some rodent part.
Years later, I was surprised to hear Little Feat were playing again because, hello? Didn’t they break up and the guy that started them die? Yes, but they’d been reformed by surviving members.
Well, they’d become a little more mainstream but I still enjoyed them. “Hate to Lose Your Lovin'” is probably the song most people know them for, so why not?
From 1988.
No Problem
Showered, shaved, and coiffed, the finishing touch was required, the SPF 50 UV A/B blocker that would allow him to enjoy the sunny day while he rode his bike down to have coffee (and maybe a doughnut) with his friends.
But it wasn’t in its proper location among his essential toilet vials and tubes. Probably because he’d put it away in the wrong place yesterday, silly git. Each drawer was opened, searched, and closed, and then again because it must be in one of those drawers and he was just overlooking it.
Or it was on the tray where he keeps his stuff on the counter, knocked over, perhaps, or out of sight behind something else – hard to believe, because that tube is orange and yellow and the rest on there are green, black, or white — except the Trader Joe’s moisturizing shave cream that he uses (which is also an orange tube) — but the little bastard of suntan stuff wasn’t there, where it should be. So he must have carried it off somewhere, yes, probably while feeding the dog, or playing with the dog, or something with the dog, or maybe — did he get interrupted while he was applying it yesterday? There’d been one day when he’d had a phone call — which day? Who’d called? Someone had called. What day had that been?
Christ, he couldn’t remember anything. Maybe, maybe it’d had happened – yesterday? But — maybe he hadn’t used the suntan lotion yesterday. Had he used the suntan lotion yesterday? He didn’t remember, he couldn’t remember. Well, assume that he’d been using it and had gotten interrupted or had carried it off absent-mindedly — because that’s never happened — and put it down in another room, like the utility room – right, because that’s where the dog is fed — or the laundry room – no — or the other bathroom — no — or kitchen – NO.
Christ, had he thrown it away? Maybe he’d thrown it away by accident. Or maybe he’d put it into the freezer or recycled it or — or — whatever the hell people did when they were getting old and losing their mind. Maybe he was getting that thing, what? What’s it called? Alzheimer’s, Alzheimer’s. Was this his Still Alice moment? Maybe this was the onset of dementia — or maybe —
He saw his husband in the office. “You haven’t seen my suntan lotion, have you?”
“Yes, I used it yesterday. I was in a hurry and needed some, but I was out, so I grabbed yours and took it with me, and I left it in the car.” His husband smiled. “I’m sorry.”
He smiled back. “No problem.” Going out to the car, he chuckled at all the things he’d thought while he’d been searching – overreacting –
Stopping at the car, he paused in thought.
Why the hell was out he out here?
Michael Said
I like discovering quotes like these. It helps alleviate the worries I have about the lack of control over what I write — something which seems inherently wrong to write, but most writers will readily grasp.
Enfloofopedia
Enfloofopedia (floofinition) – a reference work or compendium providing summaries of information from all branches of knowledge about cats, dogs, and other house pets.
In use: “Observing his cats and dogs and their interplay and maintaining insightful notes, he soon developed the world’s first enfloofopedia.”
Just A Warning
You should look at my photograph and memorize it. Then, if you’re ever out somewhere and see me in line, whether I’m in a car or on foot, DO NOT GET IN THE SAME LINE AS ME. My presence in the line guarantees that the people in the line ahead of me and the cashier will all slow down. Tiny issues will take place to stall the completion of their transactions while I’m in the line. Once I’m through, everything will be okay, but while I’m in the line, people will flash through the other lines so fast, your head will spin.
You’ve been warned.
Wednesday’s Theme Music
This is a classic of my childhood era. Although I was a rocker, who could resist the Temptations? Their blend of R&B and soul helped me look at life, love, and relationships with new perspectives as I evolved through my teens.
This particular song comes out of the nostalgia stream because of our dry, dire situation out here in the Pacific Northwest. You may not know it, but we have many fires happening out here. Our air is unhealthy to hazardous due to wildfire smoke on most days. Hot in the nineties to low hundreds doesn’t help, nor does the drought much of the region is enduring. Events are regularly canceled as we hunker down.
Naturally, I thought, “I wish it would rain,” more than once in the past few days. That triggered the Temptations’ beautiful and melancholy song streaming into my mind. And then it rained.
Here it is, as we heard it back in 1967, “I Wish It Would Rain.”
Rain!
Busy editing, I was startled when another coffee shop regular said, “Hallelujah.”
I looked up. “What?”
“Hallelujah,” she said. “It’s raining.”
I turned and looked out the windows. She was right.
Seeing it, I rose and went outside. Oh, the smell, the sound. The last time we’d had rain here in Ashland was July 15. Lightning that day accompanied the rain, starting many of the fires that issue the smoke we’re dealing with.
Lori came out. We laughed at the smells, sound, and sight. Rain! “Hopefully, there won’t be lightning,” Lori said.
Yes, my thoughts, too.
Straddle-floof
Straddle-floof (catfinition) – a common game played in households with pets. The game’s simple goal is to straddle a household pet, such as a dog or cat, and walk over it when it’s encountered, rather than walking around the pet, or making it get up and move. Scoring is based on the degree of difficulty, such as items being carried, the level of light, the pet’s size and the number of pets. Bonus points are offered if the pet is asleep and they’re straddled without being disturbed.
In use: “He had a shopping bag in each arm and a large sleeping cat in the middle of the hall rug, a perfect straddle-floof set-up — and he was wearing shoes. He imagined an announcer speaking in hushed golfing tones saying, “He’s going for it.””
Michael Seidel, writer 