So Far

Daily writing prompt
Was today typical?

Hard to know. It’s only 6am EDT. So far, it’s been fairly typical– the alarm went off at 5, I hit the snooze prompt once, got up, hit the bathroom, poured myself some cold brew, took a sip of water, headed downstairs, turned on the dehumidifier, sat down on the couch, and fired up the sluggish laptop (must be updating).

Weather-wise, it looks like another day in the steamroom, with some relief coming later in the week.

Big Ones

Daily writing prompt
If you could bring back one dinosaur, which one would it be?

One of the sauropods, the big herbivores– Diplodicus, Brachiosaurus, Dreadnoughtus, Argentinosaurus. T-rex and Velociraptor are so cliche, and for some reason it bothers me that they get all the attention. I like the more docile giants.

Like a Newfie, on steroids.

We Might Use Them

Daily writing prompt
If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go?

If my wife could be talked into getting on a plane, probably out to see our daughter and son-in-law in Colorado. If not CO, maybe Hawaii?

Otherwise, maybe give them to someone, or look into a cash equivalent– if these options were available.

Just Don’t Call Me Late for Supper

Daily writing prompt
What’s the story behind your nickname?

I guess it depends on who you talk to. I’ve had several, along the way. One was “Jed,” a mistake made by my Scoutmaster who got me confused with another guy in the troop. Another was “Og 1,” because I was the oldest of three brothers. And another, less used one was “Pencil,” because I was tall and thin.

But not that thin.

Trying

Daily writing prompt
What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?

Eat healthy most of the time, and take the meds that our doctor has prescribed. I am very conscious of avoiding sitting for very long, though I still sit too much. I avoid the noise of political commentary whenever possible, other than Colbert and Kimmel and a couple others. I read, I count as exercise the days I work with our son at his landscaping business. Other days I try to get to the Y. I play the piano on occasion, and recently dusted off the guitar a friend gave me years ago. These are pleasant diversions. And a good visit with the grandkids usually tires me out but lifts my spirits.

Fairly Local

Daily writing prompt
What are your future travel plans?

Near term, a family get-together in upstate NY, a trip to southern New England in September, and not much after that. We haven’t been up to Maine for a while. Maybe we’ll look into that.

Nothing exotic or out of the ordinary, though a long weekend in Iceland sounds interesting.

Room for Improvement

Daily writing prompt
What would you change about modern society?

To borrow a phrase from Bush 41, I’d like to see kinder, gentler nations. We are slaves to ideologies and the bottom line, slaves to some ideal, preferred lifestyle; we pay lip service to nurturing strong communities but live as though it’s all about ‘me.’

Let’s take a holiday from social media, reconstruct some semblance of an attention span, and acknowledge that accelerated climate change is happening in real time.

And we elect surprisingly horrible leaders. Though, in the case of the U.S., not surprising at all. How could people not know what they were gonna get? Many need a heart transplant, and a better handle on discernment. Or maybe they need to take a longer, deeper look at the Bible, which they say means so much to them.

Extra Work

Daily writing prompt
What do you listen to while you work?

Work mostly happens outdoors anymore, when I’m working with my son or in our yard. I have never had a desire to listen to music or anything else while engaged in these things, especially in the summer heat– I don’t need a set of headphones on, or anything in my ears while I work. The same goes for exercising at the Y– I just exercise, and have never found a need for any additional stimulation or distraction. I just tune into the rhythms of the day– birds, traffic, and so on.

Yikes

Daily writing prompt
What’s your go-to comfort food?

Assuming comfort food is code for food that’s very palatable but not necessarily good for me, I have to go with a big plate and seconds of spaghetti and meatballs, or pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy, or sausage gravy and biscuits with a couple of fried eggs, topped off with a decent sized piece of apple or pumpkin pie and a chunk of dark chocolate.

Fun ‘n’ Games

Daily writing prompt
What’s your favorite game (card, board, video, etc.)? Why?

Probably Solitaire. I can just take out my phone and play a game. It’s on my iPad, too. Dominos are fun, and so are Cribbage and Pitch/Setback. The grandkids are getting old enough to enjoy some of the classic board games, like Trouble and Sorry, even Blokus. I don’t have the time for or interest in committing to Monopoly, or anything like that. I like games that involve some strategy, but are moreso just fun to play with a few other people.