

Science fiction, fantasy, mystery and what-not

We’ve now reached Twosday, August 9, 2022. Twosday is really Tuesday, of course, but there’s a tale behind Twosday.
A poor young woman in France was desperate to feed her family. One morning she went to the market. As she browsed the displays with a rumbling stomach, keen to help her starving siblings at home, she overheard merchants talking about the day of the week. Realizing it was Tuesday, she convinced others that the day’s origins came from Two-day, a day in which people could buy two items of fish, bread, and produce for the price of one. Inspired by her desperation, she passionately implored the shopkeepers to restore this tradition, and won the day. Eventually, Two-day fell out of use, becoming known as BOGO, or Buy One Get One free.
She went on at a young age to become a military hero. Her name was Joan and millions followed her. That’s right, this young woman later came to be known as Joan of Arc. And now you know the rest of the story, which I just made up.
It’ll be a warm Twosday here in the valley, with temperatures rising as soon as the sun slipped into the valley at 6:12 this morning. It’s 21 C now but we expect to achieve 97 F again. The sky is blue, the air is smoke-free, and finches are sitting on a telephone line singing. Sunset will be at 8:20 this evening.
In honor of Twosday, we — The Neurons and I — will give you two theme songs. One is from Olivia Newton John. ONJ passed away this week. As soon as The Neurons read the news, they began playing, “Physical” (1981), and it’s been in the morning mental music stream since. Part of that is because network news all played the song while talking about ONJ’s career and passing, reinforcing its presence in the MMMS, and keeping songs such as “I Honestly Love You” and “Please, Mister Please” out.
But as I typed this morning, a train passed through town, blowing its whistle to ensure we all knows it’s rumbling through. The train whistle prompted some of The Neurons to begin Johnny Cash’s 1955 song, “Folsom Prison Blues”. It came out the year before I was born so I’ve known that song my entire life. That I know it despite not yet being conceived when it was released is a testament to how often it was played in various media venues throughout my lifetime. No doubt, a large part of that is because it’s memorable.
Well, I have a coffee appointment which I need to get to. Stay positive, test negative, and so on. Here’s the tunes. Enjoy them both. Cheers
Flooficacy (floofinition) – 1. An animal’s power to produce an effect.
In use: “The floof book which almost every young floof uses, Training A Human, A Guide for Young Floofs, instructs young floofs to learn early which method of swaying your human has the best flooficacy – big eyes, sweet noises, silly action, playfulness, or deep loving.”
2. Something pleasing to animals to eat that is considered rare or luxurious.
“Same the beagle loves American cheese, but his people give it to him so infrequently that it’s a flooficacy in his mind.
3. The state or quality of being an animal with a diminutive stature.
In use: The flooficacy of young animals such as kittens, puppies, kids, and lambs, often stir people.”
One problem with using Purple Air to check his town’s air quality is that each time he checked, he ended up singing “Purple Rain” by Prince, but substituting ‘air’ for ‘rain’.
I wasn’t the person I am now, and I wasn’t married to the woman with me now. I still knew it was me but didn’t like the same, something known as perspective changed, as they frequently do in my dreams.
My wife and I were in a room with many others. Double beds lined the walls with the headboards against the walls. Every bed had a couple in it, including my wife and I, fully dressed with shoes on, under bed covers. Around the room were men and women, the men in either dark blue or white shirts, with loose black suits and hats, and the women in beige blouses, something with beige skirts, but sometimes with black skirts. Sometimes, the women wore a white bonnet.
The men and women not in beds were clapping their hands and dancing, thumping their thick-soled shoes against the wooden floor, chanting, “Kiss and dance, kiss and dance, kiss and dance.” Laughter kept interrupting as they focused on specific couples.
In bed with my ‘wife’, I moved close to her, getting face to face. Like most in the room, we were about forty years old, given one or two years either way. She looked white, wan, and tired. I asked, “What do you say? Should we kiss and dance?”
She answered, “No, I’m too tired.”
Disappointed, I snapped, “That’s what you always say.” Frustrated, I climbed out of bed and walked around the room as the “kiss and dance” chant continued. Other couples were kissing and several got out of bed and danced in the room’s center.
Another man climbed into bed with my wife. Outraged, I saw that she let him kiss her. At that point, a man called an end to the festivities and told us, “Everyone needs to go home now.”
My wife and the man left the bed. She came to me and said, “We should go.” Everyone else had already filed out.
Rage stoked, I replied, “No.” I took her by her shoulders, pushed her back against a wall, and said, “I have three things to say to you.” Her eyes were wide; she did not speak. “One, you never want to kiss me. Two, I saw another man get in bed with you, and I saw you kissing that other man. I am tired of all of this. We are done. I’m going home. You need to find somewhere else to do.”
I left.
Dream end.
I felt tremendously liberated and strong after awakening from this dream.
The moment was here: time to write. There was so much to do with storylines, plot points, and character development, his thoughts were like a clowder of kittens chasing one another and wrestling while also playing with a litter of puppies. Organization was required. Discipline. Focus. Direction. Yes, yes, yes. And, yes.
But first, more coffee.
He wondered if it was ‘just him’. He didn’t really become annoyed, but it was a minor irritation when another person insisted that he make a call on the household’s behalf and then hovered nearby, eavesdropping, inserting themselves into the conversation by throwing out comments even though they have no idea what’s being said on the other end, throwing the conversation’s rhythm off. If they wanted to talk, why’d they give him the phone and asked him to call?
Yes, it was probably just him who found this rude and intrusive. It often was ‘just him’.
Today is Sat-er-day, the day you get when someone asks, “What day is it,” and you begin to reply, “Sat-” and your brain yells, “Wait,” so you give a verbal pause, “er”, while the brain quickly reviews the answer — is it Saturday? — and then tells you, “Go ahead.”
It’s August 6, 2022, a lovely morning here in southern Oregon. The moon was silver and clear last night vice the pumpkin hues worn throughout the week’s first days, hues granted by fire particulates. Fires still rage but none closer than twenty to thirty miles. A shifting wind has dropped our AQI into small, healthy numbers. You feel for the others, of course. One person’s win is another’s loss. Wish it wasn’t so. The biggest threat is the closest conflagration, the McKinney fire, sixty thousand acres, ninety homes destroyed, thirty percent contained, just over the border. It’s rugged land.
It’s 20 C at the moment but will climb to 94 F before the day is done. Sunrise was an old-fashioned offering of pale silver light gracefully acquiring strength before turning white gold and warm. Started about 6:09 AM. Sunlight will rule until the setting commences at 8:24 this evening. Clouds? None to speak of.
I have “Stumblin’ In” by Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman playing in Sat-er-day’s morning mental music stream. Came about when The Neurons caught my wife stumbling. As the more rational brain rushed help to her and asked if she’s okay (and she was, it was a little trip over a hair on the floor or something), The Neurons began playing the 1979 song.
Alright, coffee is due, and then other activities will be engaged. Stay positive, test negative, and take care of thy self and thy loved ones and friends, and even those who aren’t loved ones or friends but need help, yeah? Let’s be careful out there as Sarge used to say on Hill Street Blues. Here’s the music.
Cheers
Infloofgration (floofinition) – The act, instance, or process or adding an animal to an environment.
In use: “Proper infloofgration to a household when a new floof comes into someone’s life is critical. The established animals and newcomer both need time and space to adjust to the situation’s new parameters.”
