Trivia quiz

Yay for Miss Lissa, our first place in last week's quiz!
The Idiot took second.

Thanks for playing everyone, hope you are still having fun!
If you have format change suggestions, questions for next week or anything else to say, feel free,
here or logophile_mania@yahoo.com
OK, here is THE QUIZ
Don't google!
Good luck.

This is Memorial Day.

We have not forgotten.

Happy Birthday!

Today is the birthday of the gandmamma/mamma.

This is a picture of her looking on uncomfortably while her grandchildren engaged in highly questionable roughhousing at an Italian castle. This is not as worried a look as she wears when I take them for rides on motorcycles and allow them to say naughty words like, darn.

Despite these errors in my judgement she continues to voice her approval of me as a human being and a parent, she is good to Ariella, offers to babysit and helps with the dishes when she comes to visit, what more could one possibly ask?

As some of you have heard me say, sarcasm was my mother tongue, without her I could never have gain and maintained my current level of fluency.

Thanks mom, if you weren't you, I wouldn't be me,

Happy Birthday!

Flash Fiction

Stories in 55 words, I find that I really enjoy writing these. It is a great quick way for me to feel I am being creative without having to actually exert alot of energy. That may be lazy, it is true, but it is more effort toward writing fiction than I had been doing for a while, so I am going to claim it is a step in the right direction. I had alot of fun writing those topical 55s for everyone a couple weeks ago. I think I will do that again. If you would like, leave a topic in the comment box and I shall attempt to write about it.

Squinting, she watched the sun play along the rippling water. She looked across to mountains she could only see because she knew where they were. This was home, the smell, the sight, the sound. There were memories stretched out over hundreds of miles here, every one of them telling her she was where she belonged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The small set of cups was carried to the table along with the tiny creamer and sugar bowl. Newly ground coffee and fresh cold water were standing by, awaiting the last critical ingredient for this experience. There is one thing that can be steadfastly relied on to improve one's enjoyment of any espresso, excellent company.

I gotta be me!

Now if I could just figure out who I am.

I have pretty much ruled out evil genius,

and I am comparatively sure I am not the sweet, soft-spoken gal who remembers everyone's name.

Other than that, a world of options is open...

Got any ideas?

Another thrilling installment of...

Ask the 8 Ball! Ask me your questions, people. Questions that require a yes or no answer and I shall pass them on to the 8 ball.
I asked the 8 ball if you all would enjoy this and it said, "Without a doubt."
Let the enjoyment begin!

last week we had a tie for first and for second.
In first place we have THIS GUY
(who was totally watching my face as he read the question aloud which, given my complete LACK of a poker face, may qualify as an unfair advantage),
and
Geek Girl AKA Candace at 80, yay!
Tied for second we have,
Snavy, Lime, and my new friend VERA at 70.




Here is the QUIZ

Here is the princess and our homemade bird bath which is in the process of being reconstructed.

Another meme, and its Monday, so it alliterative

1) Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4.
"His ancestors had formed a small but deadly army to defend themselves."

2) Stretch your left arm out as far as you can and see what you touch.
Air, that is all there is on that plane all the way over to the window.

3) What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Building the Ultimate (Tokyo Teleport Town)

4) Without looking, guess what time it is.
3:30 PM

5) Now look at the clock. What is the actual time?
4:26 PM, I have no concept of time.

6) With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
Sarah McLachlan (Surfacing) and two small boys playing with Bionicles

7) When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
A little while ago (have I mentioned I have no concept of time?), I was taking Ariella out for a potty break.

8) Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
What the heck? the Bionicle I was helping to construct I guess, what kind of question is that?

9) What are you wearing?
black jeans and a grey polar fleece hoodie

10) Did you dream last night?
My psychology/biology classes lead me to believe the answer would be yes, do I recall them? no

11) When did you last laugh?
When my children were flattering and amusing me in an attempt to talk me into giving them back their Bionicles which had been confiscated for lack of clean up. It worked.

12) What is on the walls of the room you are in?
Clockwise...
windows, a clock, an entertainment center, shelves with little jewel-toned glass bottles and what-nots, a windsock, a magnet board we made to hold our souvenir magnets of European cities, a doorway, a cloth reproduction "Rules of the Inn" more windows and a ceramic clock from Vietri.

13) Seen anything weird lately?
I recently watched some blue jays trying to scare some rabbits away from the bird feeder area in our yard. I don't know how weird that is really, but I was mildly suprised by it.






















14) What do you think of this quiz?
I thought it would be easier than coming up with an idea on my own, now I am thinking this is more typing than I would have otherwise done. Oh well, maybe somebody will actually read the whole thing. I wonder whether anyone will actually find any of it interesting though.

15) What is the last film you saw?
Munich

16) If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?
A Yamaha V-Star 1100

17) Tell us something about you that we don't know.
I just sneezed

18) If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
Roll the sucker over, let the Aussies ride cowgirl for a while.

19) Do you like to dance?
Yup, I make no claims for my skill, but I enjoy it.

20) George Bush
Can I go back and describe walls a bit more? The walls in my bedroom have some nice things on them, I've no desire to waste my time, energy and typing on this topic.

21) Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Hilda Otilda, after our grandmothers, ok, really, if one of our kids had been female Aria was a name on the table.

22) Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
Thing One, or Rastus

23) Would you ever consider living abroad?
Yup, have before and would do it again. I'd rather live in Europe than on the east coast of the US.

24) What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
"Ya done good, kid, let's party."

Friday 55 Flash Fiction

This is 55 word flash fiction.
With bonus pics thrown in just for fun
------------------
Conscious thought returned slowly in a blaze of overwhelming sensation and lights that were far too bright. Distant voices asking odd questions about the date, their location, and the presidency burrowed into her awareness. The realization this was no dream finally dawned on her. Isn't that interesting, she thought, pain tastes just like a penny.
-----------------------------------------------
Her fingers trailed languidly as she raised her arm overhead. The rhythmic bumping was soothing she thought as her eyes closed. His occasional grunts of exertion made her wonder if she ought to feel bad for letting him do all the work while she was nearly falling asleep. "I'll row the boat back to shore."

Flashback HNT

We were requested to repost our first HNT.

Although Ariella did show off a paw on her own a week before this photo was featured back in September this was our first joint HNT. So here it is in honor of people flashing their half nekkid selves.

And to flashback either farther...

Here is a photo of Mr. Logo and I back in the mists of time.

This is a honeymoon picture, we were at Seven Springs in Pennsylvania.

Yes, I know we look like babies. We weren't.

I was only a teenager for a few more months and he had even been legal drinking age for a while.

This was a couple days before the event he refers to as my "first attempt on his life."

It was a white water rafting trip and no homicidal or suicidal tendencies were exhibited, although a certain rashness of behavior might have been displayed...maybe.

Anyway, if you aren't getting nekkid hope you are finding another way to have your fun.

A Meme (Let me tell you about the word)

I volunteered to do a tag from Lime. She assigned me the letter O.

Here goes...

This is how it works:
If you comment on this entry and beg for a letter, I will give you one.
Thou shalt write ten words beginning with that letter in your journal, including an explanation of what the word means to you and why, and then pass out letters to those who want to play along.
Of course, if you want to comment but not be assigned a letter, that's an option too.
I'll only deign to assign letters to those who specifically ask for them if they pass the credit check and promise to take very good care of the letter.

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Occam's razor

An important scientific principle that can and should be applied to life, in a manner of speaking.
Keep it simple, sweetie!

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Occidental

A great street in Seattle's Pioneer Square district, nice walk, good coffee, and if you ignore the monstrosity at the south end of the street, very attractive. Pioneer Square is a great place (at least during the day) to get a coffee, visit the waterfall park, and stop by the Elliot Bay Bookstore.

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Otters

These creatures are just so cute you can hardly even believe they are real. I love sea otters. The Seattle Aquarium has some otters and I could watch them for ages. At the Oak Harbor Marina otters will come up to the walkways and check you out to see whether you might have any snacks for them. They are the kind of animal you just really wish would make good pets.

-----------------------------------

Ogre

I love the Shrek movies, both of them. I am a Mike Myers fan, despite his occasional lapse in judgement (I am still working on overlooking his Cat in the Hat sacrilige). So I Married an Axemurderer is genius and I love me some Shrek. Ogres in fairy tales are a grossly misrepresented minority, I say STOP DEMONIZING THE DIFFERENT. Don't teach the babies to be hatahs.

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Oppositional Defiance Disorder

According to one of my favorite amateur psychologists I suffer from this. It is characterized by uncooperative behavior and hostility to authority. I can't imagine what she is talking about.

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Onager

Onagers are amusing, friendly, clever creatures. They work well with others and are comfortable in group settings.

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Orbison
Roy Orbison is heavily featured in the sound track of my life. The man's voice is a wonder of nature and he could write a song, man oh man, could he write a song. He speaks to me. When I first switched over from cassettes to CDs, my very first was a two disc Roy Orbison Collection.

--------------------------------

Orga...

Nuff said.

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Obscure
This is me, I admit it. I don't mean to be obscure, my brain just likes to hold onto and interconnect strange, little known, and useless pieces of information. Some people have mistaken this for exceptional intelligence, those who rely on me to recall appointments, phone numbers, where we parked, or why I left the sugar bowl in the fridge have a vastly different viewpoint on that.

---------------------------------------


Ocarina

The music of Eric Tingstad was a mainstay of my parent's music collection. He teamed up with Nancy Rumbel in the mid to late 80s and I was introduced to the ocarina. It has a beautiful sound, and the double ocarina, which is what Nancy Rumbel plays, is just amazing. If you are dying to own one you can pick them up pretty cheap at the Pike Place Market.

(Yeah, I know it is a very dated pic, but it is the only one showing her play, and I wanted you all to see that)

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There ya have it, what O means to me, somewhere a kindergarten teacher is wringing her hands.

Tuesday

Congrats to last week's winners, Lawyerboy and Minka with 90, wow.
The Idiot followed them with an 80.
Thanks everyone for coming to play.
Remember, if you don't like my questions, email some to me at logophile_mania@yahoo.com,
include four possible answers with the correct one marked.

Here's the QUIZ

I throw a heck of a party.

Despite some guest cancellations due to illness Thing Two had a party this weekend.

Guess what the theme was, go ahead, guess...

Mr. Logo, in addition to all his other awesome talents (some of the downright unmentionable in polite company) can also decorate cakes. He made this Scooby cake the first time when Thing One turned seven and we had a repeat performance for the seventh birthday of Thing Two.

The kids were turned loose on a table full of craft supplies and got to play a rousing game pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey.

But the definitely highlight was when they all got to chase down Mr. Logo and pelt him with water balloons. There were nearly 100 balloons and although he started out strong after dodging and running for a while soon the pack had worn him out and cornered him.

After thoroughly soaking the paternal unit they left him to dry in the sunshine and went to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Cake and ice cream was followed with gifts, of course.

And it seems a good time was had by all.

THEN

Sunday, Mother's Day, the Things and Mr. Logo took me to Tutta Bella for dinner. We' ve tried the one on Rainier Ave. before and the one on Stone Way this weekend. Local bloggers, if you haven't tried these out, you really should consider it.
Then we went to Archie McPhee's to pick up a couple things we desperately needed.
A good weekend all in all.

Happy birthday, Thing Two!

Seven years ago the youngest Thing joined our crazed lil clan.

He was a total Daddy's boy right from the start. When Mr. Logo walked in the house, he knew, even if he was sleeping. He loved sleeping in his papa's arms.

Shortly after he turned two we relocated to Italy and he celebrated the next couple birthdays there.

This is my little monkey man finally showcasing his skillz in an approved (and therefore less intersting) location.

Thing Two loves costumes, after Halloween I go buy him a couple extras while they are 50% off. His current favorite is a ninja costume but various forms of pirate-y clothes are a mainstay of the make-believe wardrobe.

Here he is playing catcher, probably for the last time. Despite repeated instruction he WOULD NOT keep his knees up. He got pegged in the thigh twice in exactly the same spot. Catching has lost its appeal at this point. But he looks fierce in the gear, eh?

That is my seven year old. Hard to believe he has sucessfully endured that long. He is a creature of amazing strength and flexibility.

Happy Birthday, lil man!

55 Flash Fiction Friday, and a MEME

Stifling snickers they hid, shushing each other. The time was right, any minute he would be coming up the stairs. The poor, unsuspecting idiot was expecting coffee, little did he know he was about to get so much more. Two curly headed muses were about to make sure inspiration struck, like a two by eight.

Here is a lil thing I copied from Guggenflugen.

I AM more than the sum of my cliches.
I WANT some things I cannot have.
I WISH I didn't want them.
I HATE overthinking things.
I MISS feeling like I understand life.
I FEAR nothing but fear itself... and carnies.
I HEAR my children laughing
I WONDER if they are doing something they shouldn't.
I REGRET losing my temper last night.
I AM NOT going to grow up.
I DANCE whenever there is music.
I SING from the diaphragm.
I CRY when people I care about cry.
I AM NOT ALWAYS someone I can admire.
I MAKE WITH MY HANDS a fabulous cup of tea and occasionally even scones.
I WRITE stories in 55 words.
I CONFUSE almost everyone at least occasionally.
I NEED a vacation.
I SHOULD do the laundry.
I START squealing when I laugh really hard.
I FINISH with a flourish.

Pictures to follow if blogger cooperates later.

As I was mowing my lawn today, making intersecting zigzag patterns, I was thinking about my poor huband.
He is the reason I was mowing in such an interesting configuration. Perhaps I should explain.
You see, I consider it part of my cosmic commission to demonstrate that the whole duty of man is NOT to disprove the second law of thermodynamics (everything tends to disorder). He does not share this point of view.
Shortly after we were married Julia Roberts starred in Sleeping With the Enemy. When straight, even lines of cans with labels facing forward alerted her to the presence of her psychotic husband I am aftraid unflattering parellels may have been made.
It does me no credit to admit that even today I recall without shame the positive glee with which I harrassed him about that, for a very long time.
I have mentioned in the past that I now close cabinets doors for him, I put my shoes in the closet rather than just off to the side somewhere, I open the blinds to exactly the same height and close my dresser drawers ALL the way...most of time.
But, it is not in my nature to surrender entirely.
I recall one evening, when he inquired as to why the sheets I had put on the bed were not a complete set. I explained these were the ones that had been on top, not to mention, contrasting sheets are more interesting.
But why, he inquired in a pained tone, did we have to have a single pillow case from each set?
These are the questions that plague him, and in living with me, they plague him often. Can't we throw that away? Why can't that or this or the other thing be put away? I typically have what I consider to be a perfectly reasonable explanation that seems to cause some sort of strange throbbing in his temple or trigger a need for deep breathing exercises.
So we return to the topic of the lawn, which he prefers to have mowed in large even rectangles. I can't imagine anything more boring. Everyone does THAT! So I tend to do the mowing in a more free flowing pattern form. It is a credit to his perverserance, or a sign of how far into exhaustion I have driven him, that when he noticed the lastest pattern in our yard he merely sighed heavily and asked if I really HAD to do that.
I admitted I didn't but that I did really enjoy it.
"Fine," he said with a resigned sigh, "Have fun."
He loves me, he really loves me!!


Hey, I am a guest poster over at Belle of the Brawl, check it out!

Pictures of my world

I already need to mow again, it's insane.

It's another gorgeous day,

see ya later!

Last week Doug and Monika tied for the lead at 80, aren't the two of you clever and cute and all that?
At 70 we had TanLucyPez, Vera, Met2morf, and Thaddeus.
Congrats all, you are such smartypants!

Speaking of pants, I just paid an outrageous sum for some pants, over $100!
That is crazy talk, isn't it?
Well, they are made with teflon, so I guess it is understandable, but still...

OK, I am done talking,
here,
it's the QUIZ!

Oh, and for those who have been missing her

She has been busy enjoying the good weather.

More about me than you would ever be interested in knowing.

OK, Susie and the Grunt and Crystal recently did this and to maintain my status as a total joiner I thought I would too.

1. When was the last time you had sex?
I really liked Susie's answer
"Have sex? I AM sex!"
but she already said that, so I will go with...
"Stop being impertinent, if you weren't there it is none of your business."
IM me later for details
:p
2. How do you flush the toilet in public?
I don't often find toilets with an audience.
If, however we are discussing restrooms open to the public,
with my foot.
3. Do you wear your seatbelt in the car?
Yup
4. Do you have a crush on someone?
Hmmmm, lemme think about that one...
5. Name one thing that you start to get tense about if you are close to running out of it?
Patience is the obvious answer here, but I will go with fresh reading material
6. What famous person do you (or other people*) think you resemble?
According to that on-line face recognition thing I look like Lucille Ball, Chaka Khan and Beyonce Knowles.
7. What is your favorite pizza topping?
You have to have cheese, beyond that, meeeeeeeeat!
This list is missing a number 8. I even traced it back a couple blogs and couldn't locate it.
9. Do you crack your knuckles?
Sometimes
10. What song do you hate the most when it gets stuck in your head?
I don't like it when ANY song gets stuck in my head
11. Did just mentioning that song make it get stuck in your head?
HA! I have cleverly sidestepped the problem by not really answering the previous question,
mwah hah hah hah! It's the small things in life that give me pleasure.
12. What are your super powers?
My ability to jump with lightening speed to the wrong conclusion.
13. What is the hardest thing you have faced?
A car
14. Where are your car keys?
In the key box
15. Whose answers to this questionnaire do you want to hear?
Crystal, The Grunt and Susie
16. What's your most annoying habit?
Fidgeting constantly
17. Where did you go on your last vacation?
The Cascades
18. If you could punch one person in the nose and get away with it who would it be?
I am not really a nose puncher, I prefer psychological torture.
19. What is your best physical feature?
My spleen
20. What CD is closest to you right now?
BNL Stunt
21. What three things can always be found in your refrigerator?
oxygen, light, shelves, oh, ok, fine!
salsa, yogurt, soy sauce
22. What superstition do you believe/practice?
Ummmm, I never step on my mother's back, it is very bad for sidewalks I hear.
23-24 Also missing
25. Do you talk on your cell phone when you drive?
Occasionally, usually not. I have some very slight safety-nazi tendencies.
26. What would your name have been if you'd been born the opposite gender? If you don't know what your parents would've chosen, what name would you choose for your other-gendered self?
I think there was coversation about me being a Justin.
27. What song(s) do you sing most often in the shower?
I am more of a bath person, but in the shower I sing with whatever is on the radio.
28. If you could go back or forward in time would you and where would you go?
I think this question is missing a critical word or two.
29. What is your favorite Harrison Ford movie?
The asskicking president one is pretty good, but he will always be Han Solo to me.
30. What CD is in your stereo?
Holst, The Planets
Handel, Water Music
Vivaldi, The Four Seasons
Sarah Brightman, The Classics
Chris Norman, Highlands
Best of Clannad
(I was in a classical kind of mood I guess)
31. What OCD qualities do you have?
Occasionally spelling and grammar things get to me.
I am annoyed by memes with numbers missings, poor spelling and bad grammar.
32. How many kids do you want to have?
In addition to the two I have now, or instead?
33. If you could kiss anyone famous who would it be?
Are we talking a polite smooch on the cheek or a serious face sucking here?
I need more information before I can make a decision like that.
34.Would you really want to kiss someone you didn't know, even if they are famous?
Sure, why not, what better way to get to know someone?
35. What do you do when no one is watching?
sign songs playing on the radio
36. If they made a movie about your life, what actor/actress would be the best for this job?
Lucille Ball
37. Would you rather die in a blaze of glory or peacefully in your sleep?
As long as the blaze isn't painful that sounds ok.
38. What candy, from when you were a kid, do you miss the most?
sixlets
39. What is your favorite kid's movie?
Nightmare on Elm Street
Or
Christmas Story, or Sword in the Stone, or Disney's Robin Hood
40. Favorite musician(s)/bands you've seen in concert?
Blackwatch
41. Have you ever been in love?
Yup
42. Do you talk to yourself?
Yup
43. Is there anybody you just wish would fall off the face of the earth?
Yup, although the required lapse in the laws of physics is not something I am prepared to deal with.
44. Would you steel from the rich?
I don't know, do they spell STEAL correctly?
If not I might be tempted.

55 on Friday

So here we are again at the time for Flash Fiction as decreed by Susie. The idea is to write exactly 55 words that have a distinguishable character and a plot. I asked for some suggestions earlier this week and they were all so good, or at least challenging, that I wrote 55 for everyone, except Doug who merely asked me to include his idea with Lime's, so I did. Hope you all can find something to enjoy.

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Damasta
A smile of satisfaction spread across her face. She had it, she finally had the recipe. Glancing around surreptitiously she quickly saved the document to a file, e-mailed it to herself then deleted any record of it. The Macaroni and Cheese Dinner formula was hers, and she would expose the toxic ingredients to the world!

For Sar
Two curly heads leaned close together across a table. It was the only way to converse over the surrounding din. The laughter belied their very serious purpose. The largest, most elaborate, fluffiest, fruitiest alcoholic concoctions on the menu would make their way to this table tonight. The hunt for the perfect bitch pop was on!

For Lime and Doug
"...so it isn't Arminianism versus Calvinism, but rather dispensationalism versus covenantalism, and I definitely have a problem with Federalism." she said. "Also, to backtrack, I cannot even seriously consider the supralapsarian view. Infralapsarianism is far more consistent."
"You lost me at 'What hermeneutical principles are you using to justify your eschatology' " he said blankly. For Blither
I step away from the edge of the waterfall avoiding slippery spots then climb up. I look east, the mountains aren't out today. Realizing the time I check for traffic and take Occidental to the coffee shop. It is a glorious day, warm with bright grey skies, a perfect Seattle day to meet a friend.

For Candace
Quickly she tossed soap, toothbrush and towel in the canvas tote. The invitation to her friend's houseboat was last minute but welcome. She set her bag and sandals on the porch and locked the door. As it latched she remembered her keys were inside. Turning she saw there was only one shoe by her tote.

For the idiot
Leaning forward, he said,

"So we flew to Switzerland where we could test the theory."
His lovely young companion asked

"You couldn't just use a bubble chamber?"
He laughed and patted her knee

"No, my dear. That is really just for particle detection."
She scooted closer,

"Now," she said breathlessly, "Tell me about the quarks."

Flashback HNT and then some

Throughout my life I have periodically chopped my hair off and then let it grow out.

This is me in the early ninties,

obviously in a "all chopped off" phase.

Within the last couple years I finally came to...

not just a cease-fire,

not merely a truce,

but an actual peace with my hair.

I am sure many of the male types who read this blog are completely lost about this.

But anyway,

I rather expected that now that we are co-existing peacefully I would keep it long.

But this week,

partly because I am pretty busy,

partly because all that hair is really hot in a helmet,

partly because it is getting sunny and summery feeling,

partly because I was just ready for a change,

I did it again.
And I think I like it.

Also, if you want to check me out with my friends the Hijackers,

and my HNT is pretty dorky over there Vera,

head over

HERE.

Tuesday

Last week, while suffering a disfiguring and disorienting illness (pink eye) my dear friend Susie cheated her ass off on the quiz. Not only did she take it twice, she also googled. She is lucky I love her so much. All is forgiven.

Now, Miss Lime actually won with Weirsdo a close second place.
Good job, ladies, you are amazing!
Doug gets an honorable mention for this:
"Even with the word of warning, written to beware:
With nine replies wrung from his mind which turned once more to air
In clear and sorry lapse of thought, he held Whitman aloft
Ws can't be kept straight when *rememories goes soft."
Brilliant, Doug. If I must have my errors pointed out it should always be done in rhyme.


Next, I am going to be doing 55 Flash Fiction on Friday, please leave me some topic suggestions, eh?

And last, here is
THE QUIZ

So, it's May already

which means more sports, and winding up the school year and several other extra commitments as well.

The basic gist of which is...

I am a little busy.

In light of this,

I will be around alot less for a while.

I will be busy doing this.Don't envy me too much.