Reflections

Housekeeping/Updates

So I’m not really sure what/if I have planned to post here for April, so likely I will play it by ear/whim when and/if I post a flash.

I should warn May will be a slow month for flashes as well since I am going to be gone for a week to Hawaii on a family vacation.

In the continuing saga (we discovered the leak in the kitchen wall November 07, 2023), we are waiting for the cabinets the repair guys ordered to come in to do the next step. We have walls and that’s pretty much where we stand. Once the cabinets go in, then it’s the counters, and finally the floor, appliances etc. Yes it is mind boggling how long it takes, but keep in mind a large part of that was waiting for insurance to decide what they would pay, etc. We also had to have the HOA insurance in, though they never did do a damn thing. It’s been a very long and tiring and at time quite depressing process. But when I get the new kitchen finally in, I will post pictures.

I’m getting anxious to start a new Starfleet Academy story. Those are, admittedly, my personal favorite. This one will have some hurt/comfort, include an actual relationship with Sam, and of course Spirk. Not sure when I’ll get it going but I will.

This weekend I’ll be going to the Boysenberry Festival at Knott’s Berry Farm. We have annual passes for the park so should be fun. And then the next I am off to Temecula again! Ha. Seems I never sit still.

Here is a picture of the hills by my house. This is while I was out at Petsmart getting Luna her new favorite food!

April 3, 2024

Well…

30 years ago today was the so-called “Northridge Earthquake” at 4:31 AM

Most of us who were adults then remember where we were, what happened etc.

This is what happened to one of the freeways. A police officer, having no idea how bad things were that early in the morning, got on his motorcycle to go in, he never realized the road was gone. Very sad.

I have lived through two major quakes. The other smaller by a smidge and in the 70s.

Anyway, obviously this is a scary occurrence, though much more rare than the media and Hollywood have you believe.

I grew up here. There is much to love. It’s not for everyone, of course. Quakes happen worldwide, though to differing degrees. But we have fires and heat and we are absurdly expensive. No doubt about it. It’s hard to afford a house here. But I wouldn’t live anywhere else. Okay, not entirely true. There are two other places I would consider, Hawaii and Vermont. I’ve been to Hawaii and love it. I’ve been intrigued by Vermont since the 1980s when Bob Newhart set a show there. LOL. I might actually hate it.

But I’ve lived here my entire life and I expect to die here. Most people love where they are born and live all their lives. I think that’s all part of the Human experience.

In another 30 years, I won’t likely be around to see it. Such is the circle of life or something like it.

January 17, 2024

Flash Fic, August 11, 2023

Jim was coming out of his apartment when Bones appeared.

“What the hell happened to you?”

Jim fingered his jaw tentatively. “I got mugged.”

“You what?”

“Mugged. You know where someone jumps you and steals your valuables.”

Bones stared at him. “Someone mugged you? The Great Captain Kirk?”

Jim grinned. “Thanks for that vote for my new title, by the way, Yeah, I mean it happened after I attempted to pick up an Orion—”

“Stop right there.” Bones held up his hands. “Why didn’t you contact me? You’ve just barely gotten rid of that shiner Edison gave you.”

He winced. “I know. Anyway, I didn’t need to contact you. Spock took care of it.”

Bones leaned against Jim’s closed door and nodded. “Right. I’d forgotten with everything going on lately that Spock got his medical degree.”

Jim laughed. “You’re hilarious. He just happened to see me in the hallway as I was staggering home. Anyway, it wasn’t much of anything a shower and some sleep didn’t take care of. And this morning coffee and a big breakfast. I was just about to go to Spock’s door. You want to join us?”

Bones straightened and patted his stomach. “I am pretty hungry.”

They walked down the short hallway and Jim rose his fist to knock on Spock’s door and very nearly slugged Uhura in the nose.

“Oh. Hi, Captain. Doctor.”

The smile slipped from Jim’s face but he did his best to hide that. He cleared his throat. “Spock’s going to breakfast with me.”

Uhura nodded. “Spock?” The captain’s here. Doctor McCoy too.” She smoothed her hands over her uniform dress and stepped past them. “Have a good day.”

Jim watched her until she was gone. “Thought they broke up,” Jim muttered.

“Looks like it’s back on,” Bones said so cheerfully, Jim wanted to punch him in the face.

It was, of course, absolutely none of his business.

And as Spock appeared in the doorway, he plastered on his most fake smile.

August 11, 2023

I’ve Been Over This Before I Know

But I am giving serious consideration to closing the blog at the end of this month. I haven’t decided for sure, but no option is off the table. At times, to be honest, I have found it to be burdensome to come up with a flash to post here. Let alone months of flashes. And it seems it’s almost impossible not to spend time repeating myself because I have written so many.

I’ll be also honest and tell you all I am paying for this blog. That’s right I am paying an annual fee. It’s not a huge amount but it’s not nothing either. So that’s also a consideration. Do I want to continue to pay?

So another option rather than outright killing would be one flash a week instead of three to five (or more). Or a few a month. Or just when inspiration hits. That would require people to get email notification here but I think most of you here anyway.

The other thing I want to say is as a treat, there will be a flash MTWTHF 19-23.

Anyway, we’ll see. But hopefully you can enjoy what’s coming up the rest of this month

Photo by Becerra Govea Photo on Pexels.com

December 12, 2022

Remembrance

A year ago, Mom died.

On May 16th last year, we had to move her from the bed she’d slept in for over 25 years to a hospital bed in her room because we were unable to get her in and out of her real bed anymore. She was too weak. Up to that point for weeks, we had bathed her, cleaned her, dressed her and put her to bed. Cancer is a bitch, as I am sure most of you unfortunately know.

Still the 16th was a shocking day, though we knew it was coming. She no longer would eat and barely would take a few sips of water. The hospice people started giving her morphine that day and she never really came out of it to full consciousness after that. She was on oxygen. Each day I would go over to my sister’s to see her and I hope she knew I was there.

On May 20th, the nurses told my sister I should probably come. So I did. She didn’t pass that night, but we spent time with her. She never liked to be touched or hugged or comforted that way. She was raised in a rather cold Irish Catholic family and that’s just the way they all were. But she let us that last night. We stroked her hand and told her we loved her.

I went home that night when the night nurse came. I returned the next morning, May 21st. We kept the oxygen on then only so the priest could come for last rites (they call it the anointing of the sick now). When he finally arrived, we went through it with him.

After his departure, they turned off her oxygen, and it really was very quick after that. Not even an hour. I was in the room next to her when she passed. It was both easier than I thought it would be and torture at the same time.

It’s hard to believe we’ve already had a year pass. Today we are bring flowers to where her ashes are buried and then spending the rest of the day celebrating her long life as she made it very close to 95 years.

Anyway, thank you for listening.

May 21, 2022

Mother’s Day Flash, May 08, 2022

Photo by George Dolgikh @ Giftpundits.com on Pexels.com

It was evening now and Winona was trying not to be disappointed she hadn’t heard from Jim. That morning she’d gotten a message from Sam, his wife, Aurelan, and their son, Peter from Deneva where they were living.

But not a word from her baby.

She knew he was in space on a starship likely out of contact with Earth, but it was Mother’s Day and she was missing him.

So she took out a pint of strawberry swirl ice cream and she ate directly from the carton.

She didn’t get to hear from Jim often. He was an important captain in Starfleet, sent on many missions to save millions of lives. He’d called her on her birthday and before that on his. She never heard from him at holiday time.

Winona thought she should be used to it but she wasn’t really. And it had been even longer since she’d seen him in person. He’d been in a hospital in San Francisco after receiving some injury he wouldn’t give her details about. She’d heard the name Khan whispered by that doctor friend of his. And saw his Vulcan first officer standing sentinel by his side. She didn’t really know anything else.

But she’d gotten to hold him for a full ten minutes.

The door bell rang as she was about to finish off her ice cream and she went to the door slowly. She guessed she was getting a flower delivery, probably courtesy of Jim. He’d asked someone to ask someone to ask someone to get flowers to her.

It was something, anyway, though she would rather hear his voice.

There was a knock this time as she reached for the knob.

“Okay, Okay. Keep your shirt on.”

Winona opened the door and there he was.

Her baby.

She burst into tears as he pulled her close and held her.

The best Mother’s Day ever.

Happy Mother’s Day out there in the US. It’s a sad day for me. We lost Ma a year ago in May (21) and last year was the last Mother’s Day with her, though in all honesty she wasn’t very alert even then.

I thought I’d write this little extra flash.

May 8, 2022

May Day Ramblings

I don’t know the date anymore, but it was several years ago, that M and I returned from a trip to find that sister and Mom had purchased for us our first “Smart” TV from Walmart and left it for us in our house. It was pretty small as far as those things are concerned but we only had a small space in our IKEA purchased entertainment center.

We’ve wanted to upgrade for a number of years now but we had the same old obnoxious entertainment center. This year we decided to get a new one, entertainment center, that would accommodate a bigger Smart TV. So M finally ordered one and we’ve been procrastinating ever since. Today we packed away our DVDs/BluRays and gaming systems so that we could finally put together the new one and get the old one out the door.

It’s a big project but we want that new TV and want this old entertainment center that’s been around since the 1990s, no not kidding, gone.

It reminded me though how many movies and television shows I actually own! Probably thousands of dollars worth. When and if the dang thing is ever finished I will post a picture once we get the new television.

Anyway that’s what’s going around here on a Sunday.

May 1, 2022

Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto)

Fan Fiction and Personal Ramblings

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