Author: Michael Seidel

Science fiction, fantasy, and mystery writer. Singer (sorry, no shows) & nudist (in my home). Beer, cat, cheese, coffee, pie and wine friend. Left IBM and Silicon Valley for the southern Oregon life but I miss the ocean. We're too far inland. Gotta move.

Friday’s Theme Music

I’m counting down the days to Friday. This is Friday, so Friday’s a week away. Seven days. Then I’ll be counting down again.

Calendars help that. Instead of counting down to Friday, we count down to a date. Today is May 5, 2023, Cinco de Mayo. There will be some joy and celebration going on, parties and drinking and eating. Socializing. Dancing. Then we resume the countdown to the next special date. Mother’s Day, I think, in ‘Merica. May 14, 2023. Although several family birthdays are between now and then.

Spring is firmly in control this week. The cats are enjoying it, in the mid-forties at night, fifties to sixties during the day, a little dribble of rain. Early sunrise, late sunset. Blossoms out, leaves returning, people ogling trees’ pink and whites, exclaiming, “Aren’t they pretty?”

Feeling a little tired today. A dream flotilla sailed on and on through the night. Out of nowhere this morning, The Who were summoned by The Neurons to perform “You Better You Bet” (1981) in my morning mental music stream. The Neurons aren’t admitting to anything about why the ’81 song is playing.

Coffee is in order. Breakfast — oatmeal with nuts, seeds, raisins, and cranberries — has been et, along with a pinwheel pastry which my wife made, puff pastry and honey with crushed walnuts and pistachios. Most tasty.

Stay pos. Keep counting the days. Cheers

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The Writing Moment

Into the fourth revision I go. The novel flows more smoothly and the story so far feels complete and true. That’s a big reach when only fifteen percent has been done in this round but I hold onto any sign of progress and completion that’s found.

Meanwhile, I’ve started writing another novel, of course, because stories stir restlessly in the mind’s wings, eager to for their moment to be explored and told.

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Thursday’s Theme Music

Thursday again, naturally. May 4, 2023. Man, I remember writing 2011 as the year not long ago. 2000. The years dart past like playing kittens.

A bird on a wire, clouds in the sky. Quiet today, but relaxed, not like Ashlandia is holding it breath and keeping its powder dry. More, subdued. Clouds inhibit the warmth and sunshine. It’s 53 F, and a high of 60 F is expected. Yesterday’s late afternoon grew find after our 2 PM to 2 PM rain shower — blink and you missed it — rising to 68 F and feeling warmer for the sunshine’s due process. Dawn was already developing at 5:09 AM when Papi went out for another inspection, though sunrise wasn’t until a few minutes after six AM was struck. The sun will inhabit Ashlandia’s skies until after 8 PM.

We had a joyous time at the beer guzzle yesterday afternoon. Only way to describe it. Strong turnout, high energy, fun conversation and joking. Eclectic subjects. Always is. Our youngest member, Doctor P, recently retired department head at the local Uni., turns 65 next week, so he’ll be treating us all to beer and pizza.

Political news inspired The Neurons today. After reading a bit this AM and digesting what I’d read yesterday, The Neurons said, “I’ll show you a ‘god’ who falls asleep on the job.” I thought, what’s that from? A bit later, more song emerged, then click, recognition was achieved. Now “Knights of Cydonia” by Muse from 2006 occupies the morning mental music stream. It always reminds me of Uriah Heep from another era, which isn’t a bad thing.

Here’s the music. Stay pos. Coffee is onboard with me, so here we go. Cheers

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Floof Fog

Floof Fog (floofinition) – Human mental condition when worries or activities involving an animal prevents them from thinking of, doing, or recalling other matters.

In use: “She had a list of things to do but succumbed to floof fog when she sat down to read a book and the cat jumped up and joined her. Floof fog set in and the two were soon snuggling and asleep.”

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Red Dream

Going across a dark, almost dystopian urban landscape, I came across Dad. He was hustling around, his normal mode, with that odd, splayed-leg walk of his. Seeing me, he said, “Here, come help me.” He was pointing and directing. “We need to paint this place. Get that brush and paint over there.” He pointed to a red brick wall.

At that point, I realized that most of the place was already painted red. “You’re painting everything red.”

“Yes,” he answered, taking up a roller and resuming.

“Why?”

“It needs to be red.”

I saw that besides the buildings being red, so were the pavement, grass, trees, and roads. Even the sky and clouds were red. “How did you do that?”

“Hurry,” he answered, “we need to get everything painted red.”

Although I didn’t understand and disagreed, I began painting. As I did, I found red rubies surrounding me. I picked them up with huge astonishment, admiring the cut gems, and called out to Dad, “Look what I found.”

“I know,” he replied without pausing his work. “Take what you want. They’re yours.”

Dream end.

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Overheard

A woman was enjoying a latter with another woman another at a nearby table. I heard her say, “One time my son ended a text with TTYL, and all I could come up with for what it meant was ‘Ta Ta You Loser’.”

Yeah, cracked me up.

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Wednesday’s Wandering Thought

We’re such individuals. Not just from one another but from what we were when we were younger.

I used to be aghast that someone didn’t like chocolate. Or ‘don’t care for sweets’. Dad is one of those.

I could understand why people didn’t like coffee, beer, or alcohol generally, between flavors and effects. Now I see, as I age, how my taste buds and preferences have morphed through my decades. I still enjoy chocolate, beer, coffee, etc., but things taste sweeter or saltier to me.

Life. Takes so long to learn and understand, and then things change.

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