

Science fiction, fantasy, mystery and what-not

His shoes were lined up in the closet. One pair had the sides reversed. He had to fix them before going on. The right shoe on the left side just looked too wrong.
Sometimes, I get up and decide, I’m not doing the math. The math can be anything from diet to floof pukes and all the range available in news, politics, and life’s generalities. The math will do itself, thanks.
It’s Tuesday. Cold, wet February 7, 2023. Cold is relative, as we’re at 36 F, up from the dark hours’ 30, and will reach 56 F. My weather spies had it wrong when they told me it wouldn’t drop below freezing until Wednesday. Or, possibly, the weather changed. A third thought is that they deliberately misled me because they’re spiteful. Fourth, I misunderstood or read wrong. Perhaps, though, the weather folks are part of a misinformation conspiracy so that they can make money or rule the world. Or they’re aliens and lying about the weather is part of their plans to conquer Earth. That’s the math.
Sunrise lacked yesterday’s boom but came in a scootch earlier at 7:18 AM. Our sun exposure will end at 5:33 PM. Meanwhile, more gorgeous moonlight was out last night in Ashlandia. Spring is peeking around Ashlandia’s plant life, getting me all excited. Winter likes letting Spring in early, then dashing back in with a few fresh inches of snow and icy weather. We’ll see, won’t we? I mean, what else can be done but wait and see?
“1234” by Fiest is playing in my morning mental music stream, seeded there by The Neurons when I was thinking about doing the math. Taxes were completed last night — didn’t take long, about forty-five minutes for state and Fed — I’ve been doing this a while, you know — but I didn’t file yet. I give myself a few days to let me think about what I might have overlooked.
I like “1234” for its mellow approach. Although it was released in 2007 and I heard it often on the radio, I’d never seen the video until today. I remember the Apple iPod commercials which use the song, though. Anyway…
Here it is. Stay pos. Make it a magnificent Tuesday. For me, it’s coffee, cleaning, writing, walking, and reading – halfway through A Psalm for the Wild-build by Beck Chambers. Small but highly entertaining book and should be finished quickly. Cheers
He’d seen his shadow this afternoon. That meant another cup of coffee, and maybe two cookies after he ate his lunch.
Rules are rules.

Floof Jockey (floofinition) – Individual(s) responsible for maintaining order among animals and taking care of them.
In use: “In many households, floof jockey duties such as feeding, cleaning litter boxes, and exercise, are divided among children to help develop a sense of responsibility.”
He removed his toothbrush. Then he remembered that he wanted to wash his hands before he brushed his teeth. Hands washed, he reached for his toothbrush in its holder.
Gone.
WTH?
He looked around. There was the toothbrush, where’d he set it two minutes before.
So it was going to be that kind of day.
Polyfloofdron (floofinition) – A collection of several animals doing activities, such as sleeping or nursing.
In use: “After eating, grooming, and playing, the dog, cat, and kittens came together as a polyfloofdron on a bench cushion in the fur-melting sun.”
A friend has gone into hospice. Failing heart. Surgery to replace his pacemaker was aborted a few months ago. Measures were made to help him sufficiently recover for a new pacemaker. Whatever happened since, he’s in hospice.
I thought about him and me, and him and his life, trying to find words for where we’re at. I finally decided, I was happy to know him, enjoyed his company, admired his accomplishments, respected his principles, and enjoyed his company. The words feel empty and lost, as satisfying as reaching into an empty bag.
It’s the nature of existence as we know it to live and then die. Sometimes the space between the beginning and end are cruelly small. His was not. He’s done the first. Now he will do the second.
Websites seemed to be growing worse. Almost since the inception of the web, there was clickbait, slugs, ledes, and headlines to invite surfers to click and browse. Too many of these were outright misleading, trying to sensationalize political divisions and celebrity behavior.
Grammar declines. Punctuation mistakes, yes, and typos, which can happen, but some sentences are read several times before the fact is accepted that the sentence is I&I – incomplete and incoherent.
Now, bad links are blooming. Click on a link and it takes you to the wrong place. Is hijacking back? It seems like just weak execution. Whatever it is, it’s another modern, first-world annoyance.
Don’t get him started on the pathetic search results which are often returned.