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.

Wednesday’s Theme Music

Blazing question in my head to research. Why, after being complimented about something well done, do people pretend to buff their nails? Know what I’m talking about? Figure it has to do with work and not having dirty nails or maybe having the time to do your nails, or maybe implying that your nails are in good shape and not broken because the work was easy. All things I’m inferring from context. Really curious about the gesture and its history.

Meanwhile, we watched the snow failing this Wednesday, April 12, 2023 morning. 6:30 AM it was. Falling, sticking, accumulating. All gone an hour later. Right now, it’s all blue sky and disheveled gray and white clouds. And it’s snowing again.

It’s now 37 F. Word around the weather stand is the high will be 44, 47, or 51 F. Depends on which service you ask. Sunrise came at 6:35 and the sun turn will end at 7:49 AM.

Read yesterday that California endured a stunning 32 atmospheric rivers this year. Ashlandia, in southern Oregon, shared in some of that largess.

Note of interest: I just learned this morning that the full name for Papi, my ginger floofmate, is Papi von Painintheass. Who knew?

Watched the last of “Sprung” last night on Freevee. A Greg Garcia production, I knew it would have quirky characters and surprising twists. Helped with a strong cast led by Martha Plimpton and Garret Dillahunt, I wasn’t disappointed. The ending to this short pandemic-inspired series was sweet and funny. The music to the closing credits was “Better Things” by the Kinks, 1981. I hadn’t heard the song in a long time, so The Neurons regaled me with it in the morning mental music stream, and I share it with you as today’s theme music. It’s a jaunty song with an ‘old-fashioned’ rock and roll sensibility. Hope you enjoy it.

Stay pos. Like the bumper sticker said, dream big. Or, have coffee. Relax. Here’s the music. Cheers

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The Purse

She sat at a coffee shop table a dozen feet away, alone, attractive, maybe thirty, so he watched, a voyeur.

She probably knew but didn’t look. Setting her small black purse down, she opened it and took out a phone. An Apple laptop followed.

He gawked. Purse that small, little circular thing with a gold chain, couldn’t hold anything that big. That purse was like a TARDIS.

She drew out a power cord. A hardback book followed. Bottle of water.

No way, he told himself, no way. All that stuff from that purse wasn’t possible, and yet, he knew what he saw.

Looking up, she gazed at him with electric blue eyes and smiled.

Like she knew exactly what he was thinking.

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Tuesday’s Theme Tumblings

Tuesday’s Ashlandia by the numbers. 041123, 41/55 F, 6:34/7:48. Rain showers took the night. More rain visitations are anticipated for today.

It’s smelling and feeling like spring outside. Temperatures pushed up to a glorious 74 degrees F. Foamy white clouds ring the blue bowl over Ashlandia. Snow still stands on patches of the surrounding mountains but a green world and blue sky dominate.

I complained to friends about my weather forecast irritation. One responded with a story out of The Atlantic about how/why apps fail to provide satisfying and consistently accurate forecasts. Embedded in the tale was a site called forecastadvisor.com. This site tells what apps and sources are most and least accurate in their forecasts by percentage of days. Good data to gobble.

John Mellencamp was selected by The Neurons for residency in today’s morning mental music stream. Song is “The Real Life”. 1987. Went to a concert for that album, Lonesome Jubilee. Germany. Song came up from the mental vaults due to reflections on what is meant by living a real life? Seems like a definite spectrum to that answer, which changes by age, experiences, and circumstances. I feel like I’ve found my real life spending time in isolation, writing, editing, posting, corresponding. Others would disagree, chiding me for ‘not doing anything, not going anywhere, not being social’. I can debate with them whether that is ‘the real life’. Farmers might tell you the real life is all about growing things. Parents might say it’s about raising children who become adults and raise more children who become adults ad infinitum. I’ve heard others state that living the real life means helping others.

Here’s the song. Stay pos and live the real life, whatever you decide that is for you for now. My real life definitely involves coffee so I’m off to the kitchen. Cheers

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Monday’s Wandering Thought

Stripping down to shower, he tossed his dirty undies on the floor to be taken to the hamper. The cat immediately marched over, sniffed the garment, and sat down on it. A purr boomed out.

Liked he claimed a major prized.

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An Old Friend

Night came with silence

But then there was a sound

Something cracking hard

Like a window coming down.

Atlas leaped to investigate

And then froze in the spot

It could be something dangerous

And that meant a lot.

But still he had a duty

To protect his furless folks

So he would do as needed

Because his duty was not a joke.

So boldy, inch by inch,

Atlas sniffed and advanced

Till he came to the danger

And finally could relax.

For it wasn’t a burglar

Nor a killer or a mouse

Just the ghost of an old friend, Titan,

A dog who once lived in the house.

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Monday’s Theme Music

When the spinning stopped, we knew we were at a new place. Reality heartbeated in. A short man approached and announced, “I am spring. Welcome to my home. Please, relax, enjoy.”

Sunshine, check. Blue skies, kind of. Flowers – yes, and buds and blossoms, and green coverings on the ground. Warm air? Getting there.

Popping over the horizon with a low snap, the sun said, “I am here, I am here,” at six something-ish. Temperature now is 55 F but the weather clerks are promising low to mid 70s before the sun takes a bows and leaves at seven something-ish PM. Not sure if they really know what’s going on.

It is Monday. The energy drive is stumbling a little this AM. I plied it with some caffeinated black water, an old trick which I picked up from an old man in a far away time. The hoped-for impact was felt after a few minutes. The energy drive soon kicked The Neurons’ asses and they knocked into gear.

The Neurons planted some music bulbs earlier. When they bloomed, I found “I’m Waiting for the Man” by The Velvet Underground coming up in the morning mental music stream. Looking for it online brought up a video of Lou Reed and David Bowie playing it together onstage, wholly apropos as Bowie covered it, too. I like it so I hope you do as well.

Here’s the music. Be pos. Have coffee. Or tea. Beer. Wine. Whatever fits your hour, mood, need. Have a strong Monday. Cheers

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