Science fiction, fantasy, mystery and what-not
The computer, once a useful writing tool, had become intrusive and frustrating. Programs and apps interrupt the writing flow to make suggestions about tenses, spelling, and other matters. He’s just trying to get the story down, letting it flow as fast as he can. Technology’s helpfulness disrupts his process.
The dice have been tossed. Rolling to a stop, they come up Tuesday, July 26, 2022.
106 F is today’s magic number for our valley. We hit 103.5 F yesterday. Only cooled to 22 C overnight. Already 24 C this morning.
The sun peeled back the night at 5:58 AM. Night will reclaim the valley upon the sun’s setting at 8:37 PM. Them’s the rules.
All this warm weather has the cats in an interesting zone. During the day, they staked out cool shade and slept. One took up the front door and the other guarded the back. This morning’s cool air turned the house into a grand prix circuit as the cats exercised some zoomies, accelerating down hallways, blasting around corners, obliterating toy mice and throw rugs encountered along the way. The FIA should check out it as a new race venue: the Clay Street Grand Prix. Seating will be limited so they’ll need to turn to television to keep their lofty revenues up.
Today’s music came from eavesdropping on two young women. I’d bet on them being twenty-somethings. One was encouraging the other in some enterprise and told her, “Your day will come.”
Well, The Neurons leaped right on that, popping “Our Day Will Come” into the mental music stream where it remained this morning. The original hit that I knew, from a year I couldn’t remember, was by Ruby and the Romantics. A 45’s label is burned into memory as it was loaded on a pink and gray little portable record machine. Where, who, when are blanks. Covers and other variations of the song were encountered throughout my life but I always enjoyed the one with the organ solo in the middle.
BTW, I just love that expression, “eavesdropping”. Hearing it conjures a person hanging upside down from eaves outside people’s windows.
Well, here we go. Stay safe, test negative, exercise some critical thinking, and remain positive. Coffee time now, before the heat becomes oppressive.
Here’s the music. Cheers
Kibble Balance (floofinition) – The extremely precise quantity and kind of food an animal, especially a housepet, deems acceptable. The Kibble Balance exists on a spectrum known only to animals and is thought by humans to constantly fluctuate. Such fluctuation vexes humans’ ability to feed animals.
In use: “The cats just loved the new grain free kibble Michael provided them but abruptly turned their noses up to it on the third day, when changes to the Kibble Balance shifted their interest in the that food.”
In a true WTF moment, he reached up and back to scratch the top of his back. His fingers found a round, flat object. Poker chip? That’s what it felt like but how and why it was there was a mystery.
It wasn’t a poker chip; it was a U.S. quarter.
There had been a U.S. quarter stuck to his back. Really, WTF?
105 F is today’s magic number. Ashland’s forecast high temperature, keep it in mind as you plan and pursue activities. Cooling shelters have been set up around town at churches, community centers, and the library.
The house system says it’s 66 F outside. Alexa claims it’s 21 C in Ashland, where I reside. The net says it’s 74. It all makes sense because they’re all correct. Depends on where you live, the mountains’ shadows, and the sun’s reach, yeah? Hope the weather is kind to you wherever you are. If it’s not, then I hope you’re in a safe place.
Another week has begun. This is Monday, July 25, 2022. July has entered the final stretch. 2022 is halfway through summer in the northern hemisphere.
Old Tucker was active last night. The big guy was feeling it. I opened the back door just after midnight to let in some cooling air and check upon them. When I flicked on the light, I saw Tucker dash out into the yard. He seemed to be after something. Well, the light was bad so I dropped back for a flashlight. When I illuminated the scene, I saw a young raccoon facing off with my cat. The raccoon was a little larger than my boy but Tucker goes aggro with animals. I called for him to come back. The raccoon tried to make an escape. Tucker gave chase, but the raccoon made it into a bush. Tucker sat there to ensure the critter didn’t leave. I went out an coaxed Tucker back, allowing the other to make their escape.
Meanwhile, the orange menace known as Papi, aka Meep, had watched all this from the patio’s safety. Once Tucker returned and the raccoon was gone, Papi went over there and laid down in front of the bush where rocky raccoon had taken refuge. He just grinned at my efforts to get him back in.
“Everyday Is a Winding Road” by Sheryl Crow (1996) has settled into the morning mental music stream. The Neurons riffed on my thought upon reading some news and thinking, “Well, anything goes these days.” The Neurons promptly launched the song, homing in on the lyrics, “Everybody gets high, everybody gets low, these are the days when anything goes.” Like almost every song residing in my mental juke box, the song has a story attached, although it’s just a regular tale of hearing the melody during my Silicon Valley commutes, passing the time as we motor slowly through the webs of interchanges clotted with cars.
Stay pos, etc. It’s still cool so I’ll refresh with a little hot java, yeah? Yeah. Have a better one.
Later, gator.
It’s supposed to reach 99 F today. They’re telling us, tomorrow, it’s gonna get hot.
Today is Sunday, the 24th day of July in the common era year of 2022.
Our thermometers hover at 12 C right now, which is not bad. We’ll surge over 100 F tomorrow, and hang around that territory for the week, where much of the U.S. is already residing this July. Clouds have been peeled away, leaving a blue veneer that inspires paintings. Sunrise kicked off the daylight hours at 5:56 this morning. Night will commence after sunset at 8:38 PM.
“Tired of Toein’ the Line” by Rocky Burnett from 1980 is in the morning mental music stream. The Neurons put it there after a conversation with the cats. They seemed to be telling me that they’re tired of toeing the line, breaking out in zoomies and galloping in and out of the house, their response to me telling them that it’s gonna be hot so they need to take care of themselves and toe the line some to stay safe and healthy. Their demo ended when Papi raced in and threw himself down across from me. Fixing a steady amber gaze on me, he seemed to be saying, “That’s what I think of your line.”
Well, they were acting out but I’m sure they got the message. They’re not stupid, just independent and a bit mocking. Tucker is less so, being older.
While I heard the song, I had no clues about its year or performer nor even the title. I guessed at the last and suspected that it was related to 1980. I’d been thinking about that year. Living in San Antonio, it was the first time that my wife and I expected consecutive days over 100 F, and we went through twelve of them that summer. Had to search the net to bring it all together.
Okay, stay positive and test negative, keep cool and take precautions as needed to protect thyself and others. Gonna get hot coffee before it gets too hot out to enjoy, right? Here’s the tune. Do you know it?
Peace out.
Michael Seidel, writer 