Month: September 2021

Thursday Inspiration — Live on Stage

FandangoLeave a comment

In the Before Days, prior to Covid-19, my wife and I used to go to around a dozen live stage performances a year. There is nothing like seeing a live concert where your favorite classic rock artists, like the Eagles, Jackson Browne, Billy Joel, Peter Frampton, the Stones, CSNY, Elton John, Steely Dan, the Moody Blues — all of whom we’ve seen perform live over the years — and a host of other greats, rock the stage with their greatest hits. And yes, we’ve even been to multiple live Yanni concerts over the years!

When we lived in San Francisco, three blocks from Golden Gate Park, we used to go to the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and Outside Lands music festivals, each of which had multiple stages spread across a large section of the park. And on the East Bay we saw live performances by artists like Jackson Browne (pictured above) and Don Henley at Berkeley’s Greek Theater amphitheater.

And we also subscribed to Broadway SF, where we went to about a half dozen live Broadway stage shows (musical and plays) each season.

But all that ended once the pandemic hit, and, quite honestly, I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready to see another live-on-stage performance again. At least not until COVID-19 has been fully eradicated. But with all of those assholes who still refuse to get vaccinated or even where face masks, that’s highly unlikely.

Written for Jim Adams’ Thursday Inspiration prompt, where the word is “stage.” Photo credit: Fandango.

DNA Test

FandangoLeave a comment

Eric was very self conscious about his prominent brow ridge. It really agitated him and so he decided to send a saliva sample to one of those DNA testing sites.

Eric was eagerly awaiting the report from the testing site in the mail. He had requested that they send him a detailed document of his ancestry. Even though he knew his appearance was genetic, inherited from some primordial relative through the vastness of time, he wanted to better understand his ancestry.

When he read the analysis, he scratched his forehead in dismay. He was shocked to find out that he was more Neanderthal than Homo sapiens.

Written for these daily prompts: My Vivid Blog (agitated), The Daily Spur (document), Sord of the Day Challenge (genetic), Your Daily Word Prompt (primordial), Ragtag Daily Prompt (vast), and Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (forehead).

#WDYS — He’ll Get Over It

FandangoLeave a comment

For a young child, Ned was set in his ways and did not react at all well to change. He didn’t like to travel to unfamiliar places, where people spoke, looked, dressed, and behaved differently from him.

When Ned’s father told him that the family would be traveling to his grandparents’ home in Slovakia for a few weeks, Ned’s eyes turned watery and he stubbornly said he would not go.

Ned’s father wanted to figure out how to cure Ned of his travel phobia, so he decided to meet with Ned’s teacher. Maybe Ned’s teacher could offer a hint or two to Ned’s Father.

“Ned’s reticence to travel should give you no cause to repine,” the teacher said. “Make a game of it. The photo you showed me of the village your parents live in reminds me of Disneyland. Just tell him you’re taking him to Disneyland. He’ll be excited.”

“You seriously want me to lie to my kid?” Ned’s father asked incredulously.

“Hey,” the teacher said, “He’s only eight. He’ll get over it.”

Written for these Sadje’s What Do You See? prompt. Photo credit: Maksym Harbar @ Unsplash. Also for these daily prompts: Word of the Day Challenge (watery), Ragtag Daily Prompt (Phobia), The Daily Spur (teacher), My Visual Blog (hint), and Your Daily Word Prompt (repine).

FOWC with Fandango — Forehead

FandangoLeave a comment
FOWC

Welcome to September 30, 2021 and to Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (aka, FOWC). I will be posting each day’s word just after midnight Pacific Time (U.S.).

Today’s word is “forehead.”

Write a post using that word. It can be prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction. It can be any length. It can be just a picture or a drawing if you want. No holds barred, so to speak.

Once you are done, tag your post with #FOWC and create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. Please check to confirm that your pingback is there. If not, please manually add your link in the comments.

And be sure to read the posts of other bloggers who respond to this prompt. You will marvel at their creativity.

Fandango’s Provocative Question #137

FandangoLeave a comment
FPQ

Welcome once again to Fandango’s Provocative Question. Each week I will pose what I think is a provocative question for your consideration.

By provocative, I don’t mean a question that will cause annoyance or anger. Nor do I mean a question intended to arouse sexual desire or interest.

What I do mean is a question that is likely to get you to think, to be creative, and to provoke a response. Hopefully a positive response.

My provocative question for you this week was prompted by a question that Melanie asked in her Share Your World prompt on Monday. She asked, “How could carousels be spiced up so they are more exciting?” In my tongue-in-cheek response, I suggested, “First, make it adults only (i.e., 18 or over) and second, require everyone to shed their clothing before getting on the carousel. That would make it more exciting. Or possibly more frightening!”

That got me thinking about a question some of you might find a bit provocative. Are you ready?

Have you ever been to a clothing-optional (nude) venue, such as a beach, resort, club, party, etc? If so, what did you think of the experience? Would you do it again? If not, would you ever consider going to a clothing-optional gathering? Why or why not?

If you choose to participate, write a post with your response to the question. Once you are done, tag your post with #FPQ and create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. Or you can simply include a link to your post in the comments. But remember to check to confirm that your pingback or your link shows up in the comments.

FOWC with Fandango — Composition

FandangoLeave a comment
FOWC

Welcome to September 29, 2021 and to Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (aka, FOWC). I will be posting each day’s word just after midnight Pacific Time (U.S.).

Today’s word is “composition.”

Write a post using that word. It can be prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction. It can be any length. It can be just a picture or a drawing if you want. No holds barred, so to speak.

Once you are done, tag your post with #FOWC and create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. Please check to confirm that your pingback is there. If not, please manually add your link in the comments.

And be sure to read the posts of other bloggers who respond to this prompt. You will marvel at their creativity.

MLMM Photo Challenge — Thin Ice

FandangoLeave a comment

Didn’t I tell you this would happen?
Didn’t I say the ice was thin?
Didn’t I say this was a big mistake?

But did you listen to me?
Did you heed my warning?
No you did not.

And what was the result?
What was the outcome?
I’ll tell you what it was.

A major quack up!

Written for the Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Photo Challenge. Photo credit: Kyle Green.

Heartbroken

FandangoLeave a comment

The candy was made
With the bittersweet tears
Of a novice at love
Who could not escape the hurt
Of her failed romance.

But she will not be bitter
And should she see him again
She will act in a jocund manner
So her first love will never know
How he broke her heart in two

Written for these daily prompts: My Vivid Blog (candy), Word of the Day Challenge (bittersweet), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (novice), Ragtag Daily Prompt (escape), The Daily Spur (bitter), and Your Daily Word Prompt (jocund).

Fandango’s Story Starter #13

FandangoLeave a comment

It’s time for my weekly Story Starter prompt. Here’s how it works. Every Tuesday morning (my time), I’m going to give you an incomplete “teaser” sentence and your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to build a story (prose or poetry) around that partial sentence. It doesn’t have to be the first sentence in your story, and you don’t even have to use it in your post at all if you don’t want to. The purpose of the teaser is simply to spark your imagination and to get your storytelling juices flowing

This week’s Story Starter teaser is:

Cold and wet, tired and exhausted, she…

If you care to write and post a story built on this teaser, be sure to link back to this post and to tag your post with #FSS. I would also encourage you to read and enjoy what your fellow bloggers do with this teaser.

And most of all, have fun.