Blog
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Thanksgiving 2018
Today is Thanksgiving. This day is wrapped up in so many memories, most of them good, though not all.My dad had a massive stroke in 1991 the day before Thanksgiving. We spent most of that holiday season visiting him in the hospital. He didn’t even make it to the next Thanksgiving, having died that next July.
I remember one year there were many areas on fire on Thanksgiving because we had terrible winds. That Thanksgiving night watching all the news coverage, it was horrible. You’d think you’d get used to it, but you don’t. When I was in high school we had terrible fires around Halloween.
Last year’s Thanksgiving. I was sick for three months, not going to lie. It was bad. I could not get rid of it and I had this terrible whooping sounding cough. We went to a restaurant for our meal instead of M making it and as we were walking into the restaurant, M fell. Didn’t get hurt, but, well, you know. The food wasn’t that great and I was just miserably sick. And it was about 95 degrees out.
This year, it’s supposed to be 66. Big difference. We are having it at our home, homemade by my own personal chef (ha), and I am not sick.
Here is what I am grateful for:
My health, M’s Health, my family, my mother around for another Thanksgiving, my friends, my readers, my readers who have become friends, the country I live in, for all its problems is still pretty damn great, Luna, my job, because yeah, we need jobs, my healthcare insurance, the ability I have to write stories that people care about and want to read, my house, still standing.
I am sure there are other things I have forgotten. But those are the ones on my mind.
What are you thankful for?
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Just Stuff
The Experiment was updated. Most people got the notification (I did myself) but I know at least one person DID NOT. So just in case.
I discovered I went a little out of order. Should have done Hello Darkness next but oh well. Next week. Since the next chapter of The Experiment will happen at the holidays it needed to be done.
I am working STILL on the Christmas story. No title yet. It’s sex right now so I am procrastinating! Ugh.
Tomorrow I am making cheesecake. Have to go to the grocery store too for some last minute crap for Thanksgiving.
I have a flash ready to go on Friday and I also wrote next Friday’s flash, so I am very much ahead there.
Went for a walk this morning and it was so beautiful out. Perfect weather.
Park by my house
Just flowers
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Ramblings, November 19, 2018
As you know, I have this week off.
Did some cleaning over the weekend to get ready for TG on Thursday. I got Bitter Frost updated despite AO3 refusing to tell anyone. Funny thing was it said on their twitter that emails were delayed but hadn’t disappeared altogether. BS
I have some errands and shopping I want to do today. But I am also working on my Flash Fic for Friday. This week, other than the Flash, I want to finish the Christmas story, so I can call it done, and move on. I know how I want to end it, it just has to get there!
Wednesday I am making a pumpkin dessert for TG. If it turns out okay I will post a picture of it.
When I was young, I used to do all the Black Friday shopping thing. Well, I never got up at 5 or anything,but I would go shopping that day. These days I do most of my shopping online or on different days if I am going to, say Target (my favorite store, ha ha). I doubt that pattern will change this year. I don’t like crowded stores. We went to Costco on Saturday and it was packed with people who wanted to run you over with their damn cart.
Sunday the 25th is decorating day here at my house. One month exactly! I’m excited to have it done. I am Christmas nut, I know.
When I was a kid, long long ago, but not in a galaxy far away, we used to go to mass. Anyway, I loved going to midnight mass. These days half the churches have done away with it and only like one of every five churches have actual midnight mass, around here anyway, but when I was a kid it was a big thing and I loved it. For me, it was such quintessential Christmas. Even as I became a little older my sister and I would go when no one else would anymore. Mass would be standing room only so we’d get there early and I loved the pomp and circumstances of it all. The whole ceremonial thing.
Though I am no longer practicing any religion, I remember that part of it very fondly. There’s a saying I think rather applies to me. You can take the person out of the Catholic but you can’t take the Catholic out of the person. Yep.
Anyway, even now my favorite time is Christmas. I’m like a kid, still. I even have a Christmas playlist on my phone to listen to as soon as Thanksgiving is over.
I know some people in the Star Trek fandom get offended that people write Christmas stories about Kirk and Spock, because Shatner and Nimoy were both Jewish. I’ve even seen people complain about it. But my take is that was the actors, not the characters. Roddenberry was an atheist. Kirk and Spock did not disclose their religion, though Spock, often dismissed the idea of a deity. I don’t write TOS Christmas stories, and Quinto is not Jewish, and Pine is only part, and speaks of how he really doesn’t follow any religion, plus I think he has celebrated Christmas as a child. Anyway, it really doesn’t matter, I don’t get into too much religion, though I do reference Amanda being Jewish. My point is, it’s fiction, a fandom written about characters that don’t even exist, so if I want to write Christmas, then I am going to do so.
I hope everyone here in the US has a wonderful Thanksgiving. And everyone elsewhere, if you are out there, has a great week.
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Bitter Frost Updated
The notifications never went out, there’s an issue, apparently, especially with mine, so anyway, if you haven’t read it, there it is. I don’t want to lose the comments I have so I am going to leave it up as is. But yeah, annoying
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Cookie Exchange, 11/16 Flash Fic
I got a request to return to my Friday Flash Fics, so this is the first one. Now, you can expect possibly a Pinto fic in the future, but for now, for this first one, I am posting this one. I was inspired watching the Christmas Cookie Baking Championship on the Food Network. Enjoy!
“Excuse me but you are the hottest guy here.” Jim scooted up next to the Vulcan who sat by himself at the bar.
Jim had been surprised to see the Vulcan at this event. It was supposed to be a holiday cookie exchange party. Everyone was supposed to bring a dozen cookies and then choose someone to exchange them with. It wasn’t really Jim’s scene, but he had nothing else to do and everyone he normally hung out with had other stuff to do.
And yeah, he’d cheated by buying cookies at a bakery.
“My temperature is not particularly elevated,” the Vulcan said.
Jim sat on the stool next to him. “And funny too.” He smiled. “Jim Kirk.”
The Vulcan merely stared at him.
Jim’s smile widened. “Now, see the way it works, is I say, Hi, I’m Jim Kirk.” He put his hand toward Spock’s. “And you say, hi, I’m…”
Nothing.
Jim grabbed Spock’s hand and pressed his to it.
The Vulcan blinked but he did not move his hand away, so Jim considered that a win.
“Vulcan hands are—”
“I know.” Jim winked. “Jim Kirk.”
“Spock.”
“Success! I thought I was going to have to beg. Not that I wouldn’t have or anything. Are you alone?”
“You are with me.”
“Good answer. You bet I am. Want to exchange…cookies?”
Spock arched a brow, which was really damn sexy, actually. “I brought gingerbread cookies.”
“I brought spritz cookies. Decorated with red and green sprinkles.”
“Very simple cookies.”
“I know, but the truth is I don’t actually bake. I bought the cookies.” Jim gave him what he thought was a charming sheepish grin. “It’s terrible, I know, but it was all last minute. I didn’t even know this was going on until I happened to walk past a sign. See, I’m all alone this weekend. No friends. No one.” He stared into Spock’s dark eyes. “Is your apartment close?”
“You are quite bold.”
Jim didn’t think he imagined the green tint to Spock’s cheeks.
“I told you, you’re super-hot. Insanely. I didn’t have any idea you’d be here. I’d have stepped up my game if I knew but—”
“I did not come here with the idea of engaging in copulation.”
“Oh my God, I might have just creamed my pants.”
“Mister Kirk—”
“It’s Jim. Or just Kirk, if you really have to.”
“The point is, my mother wanted to come here tonight and—”
“Wait. I thought you said you were alone.”
“I said that you were with me.”
Jim frowned. Yeah, okay, Spock never said he was alone. And now, shit, Spock wasn’t interested. Obviously. Whether because his mother was there or because he…he just wasn’t interested.
It was hard to hide his disappointment, but he forced himself to smile. “Oh. Well. Yeah, that’s true. I’m sorry to have—”
“Spock?”
Jim turned as a really pretty dark-haired human woman wearing a flowered scarf around her head.
“Ma’am.”
She smiled at Jim. “I’m Spock’s mother, Amanda.”
“Jim Kirk.”
“How lovely to meet you, Jim. Are you exchanging cookies with Spock?”
“Well. I hoped to. But I think Spock—”
“Yes, we are,” Spock spoke up.
Jim glanced at Spock in surprise.
“In fact, if you and your friend no longer need me, Jim and I thought we would have our cookies elsewhere.”
“Oh.” Her eyes sparkled. “Well, yes, of course, Spock. Andi and I aren’t quite ready to leave yet, we’re still tasting cookies, but if you’d like to go with Jim, that’s fine.”
Spock nodded.
Amanda looked at Jim. “Your cookies must have been quite delicious to convince my son so quickly.”
Jim coughed. “Yes. Um. Yes, ma’am.”
“Anyway, I’ll see you later, Spock. Andi is waving me over. She’s holding a plate of shortbread.”
Jim watched her walk away and he turned back to Spock. “You don’t have to—”
Spock slid off his stool. “In answer to your question, Mister Kirk, my apartment is close.”
“Oh.” Jim licked his dry lips. “Oh.”
Spock grabbed his arm and turned him toward the exit.
“Wait. What about our cookies?”
“I do not like spritz cookies.” Spock pushed open the door.
“Oh, thank God, because I hate gingerbread.” Jim hurried after him.
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Rambles November 15, 2018
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com The fire near us is now at 57% containment and that’s good news even though it burned over 504 structures. Up north, the “camp” fire destroyed an entire town. What a horrible couple of weeks it’s been for everyone here. I hope the winds leave us alone for a while, we need a break.
The weather report coming up for the next week or some promises a mild Thanksgiving holiday, which is very much welcome. As I have said I start my week off as the day ends tomorrow and I look forward to it even though I have many household chores.
My writing goal is to finish the Christmas story (still unnamed). I am writing the sex part at the moment. Once that story is finished I will feel much relief.
I saw on the news today something sad. A while back there was this big story about a “GoFundMe” account set up for a homeless man after he gave a woman his last $20 so she could get home. People donated all kinds of money. Now it turns out the whole thing was likely a scam to get people’s money. What kind of horrible people take advantage of warm-hearted generous people like that to steal their money and good will? These people need to go to jail and I hope they do. The moral? I say, sadly, don’t give money to any of these things, unless YOU personally know their circumstances.
