Tags and Prompts

Hiding from the heat with. . .

BJ’s This or That New Year’s Challenge

Once you’re hooked on something, not unlike my K-pop obsession, it’s damn hard to let it go, even when there’s a tiny corner of your bound and gagged mind that insists you probably should. There’s a reason that tiny corner is bound and gagged; it’s a bloody nuisance when I’m adamant that my way is the right way and I refuse to be challenged, even by myself!

I am developing this kind of obsession with BJ’s challenges.

I’ve always been absolutely determined not to get roped into doing things, any kind of things, to formula, which is pretty much what challenges are all about. I’ve recently found myself getting inexplicably enthusiastic about the T o T challenges, however. It must be BJ. She’s very hard to resist.

Anyway, here I am. Again. With yet another challenge begging my attention. Nobody said I couldn’t play with the rules, though, right? A little? Just a little. I swear.

1. Resolutions or No Resolutions?

I resolve to not make resolutions which, by definition, is then a bloody resolution which means I’ve already broken the resolution which is the whole reason I don’t want to make resolutions in the first place! Does that qualify as a Catch-22?

Let’s keep this stupidly simple and answer with NO resolutions. There. Done. Not a resolution in sight.

2. Mountains or Ocean?

Tsunamis come from oceans!

And oceans are made up of deep water (kind of the whole point of it being an ocean and all) where you have absolutely no idea what’s swimming there or when it’s gonna come up and turn you into Tai-sushi. I have absolutely NO inclination to be on the menu of whatever things lurk in the deep and, although I don’t mind the occasional walk on a nice calm beach, I most definitely prefer the mountains. Mountains are solid and reliable and dependable.

And I can run and hide in them if need arises!

I choose you, oh faithful mountains!

3. Fiction or Nonfiction?

Fiction. My own life is already quite sufficient non-fiction to fill that particular niche and I need all the damn escapism I can get. Not quite sure how that goes about explaining my fascination and enthusiasm for all these writers on Medium who insist on sharing their non-fiction realities, mind. I’ll put that down to a glitch in the system and stick with the principle that fiction comes first unless its on Medium.

Does that count? Or is that suddenly a both? I find myself once again caught in a quandary because it’s impossible to say I prefer the one over the other when I’m breaking my own preference then, on a daily basis.

This sucks.

On the whole, though: I prefer fiction.

4. Morning or Night?

I spend my nights tossing and turning waiting for morning, even after delaying bedtime as long as possible. I guess that suggests that morning it is. Mornings resonate with energy and the promise of things not yet experienced. Mornings are beginnings. Nights are reminiscences and waiting. I love the dark and I often do my best brain-work at night, but mornings are an adrenalin rush of anticipation and enthusiasm.

Morning.

5. Long or Short?

Long or short. . . what? Am I long? I’m tall. Ish. Not in comparison to the Watussi or your average basketball player but taller than average where I live. But that’s tall, and not long.

Long or short hair? I have both. Shaved back and sides (thinking a tattoo, perhaps) and getting longer on top with plans to Viking plait it when it gets long enough.

Long or short books? Longer is better (thinking LOTR or Foundation or Dune) but short can be okay, too. If it came to absolutes, however, I’d have to choose long.

Life! Let’s go with long or short life in which case I’m all down with a long life! I have way too much shit I still want to try before I die so, if I get a choice, I choose long!

6. Books or Audio Books?

I struggle sufficiently with listening to people at the best of times without having to hear someone butcher a book by not reading it the way I want it read. Book! Give me a good old-fashioned paper and ink book if at all possible or, if needs must (which they must more often than is reasonable in this age of ever-increasing costs) then Kindle or the like. I like to be able to add my own inflections or go back and read a line or a paragraph again. No. No audio! Book!

7. Coffee or Tea?

You see, the complication with this is that you’re technically asking all of us, and all of us can never quite agree. However, if the question was directed primarily at Writer, who is, after all, the one responsible for doing the scribery parts of this exercise, then the answer would most resoundingly be coffee. Sinh is also a coffee addict and I’m fairly confident Blue is, too. (And, for those not yet in the know, I have DID and there are currently 12, yes 12 identifiable personalities resident in my head. Way to go me.)

Wait. So where were we again? Oh, right. Coffee!

8. Reading or Writing?

Just in case it hadn’t already become patently obvious on account of how far behind I am in reading all my favorite people (and I’m not even going to name names because that would simply be downright embarrassing) I prefer writing to reading. I have too much shit going on in my head that needs an out and even while I’m reading, my head insists on going off on tangents. Makes it a little hard to concentrate, that does.

I used to read a LOT when I was younger; escapism (and no Netflix and K-dramas!) As I’ve gotten older and external responsibilities keep piling up, it’s become more and more difficult. It’s a hardship but I figure I’ll catch up once I’m too old and crippled to get out do useful stuff anymore.

Writing.

9. Handwritten or Typed?

Curses be upon my palsied hands. I used to have beautiful writing and I wrote everything long-hand and was even an enthusiastic penpal, writing actual pages of real, honest-to-god letters to friends all over the world. I can’t do that anymore. I get spasms and I lose strength and my writing now looks as if a drunk orangutan got hold of pen and paper. Yeah, it’s a tragedy but, typed it must be.

10. Sweet or Sarcastic?

You know sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, right? Not that I’m averse to a bit of sarcasm where the situation warrants it but, on the whole, not that I’m exactly a walking marshmallow, I think I’d have to go with sweet. Yes? Are we in agreement? I’m fairly certain I do my best to be kind and if I can’t be kind, I’d rather walk away. We’ll assume, for the purposes of this challenge, that kind is equivalent to sweet.

11. Salt or Pepper?

Forced to make a decision about what does or doesn’t go into the Survival Pack; it has to be the salt. No brainer. Pepper’s great as a condiment but salt has so many other applications that my store-room isn’t complete without a barrel of salt. True. No shit. For everything from washing out wounds, to killing slugs and snails in the garden, to preserving, to actually using it with the pepper. . . salt is a must.

12. Laptop or Desktop?

I like to stay put and work in familiar places. I like solidity and dependability and, to be honest, if I had to go on the lam for whatever reason, the last thing I’d be thinking of taking would be electronic devices. I may not have the best working relationship with the MIG4 (the current iteration of my desktop) but we have an understanding. Laptops are fragile, fickle, and temperamental. Laptops to desktops, in my opinion, are like Hondas to Jeeps. I’d rather the Jeep, hands down so. . . desktop!

13. Clap or Follow

These are easier than I anticipated.

I’m not into Follow for Follow and I like to see some mutual engagement before I Follow, especially as if I Follow, I’m also going to subscribe to ensure I can find your work. (I don’t know what’s up with the Medium system for getting articles to our attention but. . . it ain’t working!) Claps are an instant acknowledgment that I’ve both read your work and enjoyed it and I also very rarely pass by without also leaving a Comment.

So, claps.

14. Funny or Serious?

You know, there are definitely times where a little clarification could be extremely useful. Like now. Funny or serious what exactly? I’m going to have to assume, for lack of defined parameters, that we’re talking perhaps mood in general? Aside from those times where serious is no longer a choice, I’ll have to go with funny. Life’s too damn short to not be able to laugh at it, as often and as hard as possible. I’m generally given to laughter first and all other things a distant second.

15. Hobby or Career?

Given a good career is only a hobby gone viral, I’ll readily jump to the hill that says hobby.

16. Pen Name (Pseudonym/ Nom de Plume) or No Pen Name (Real Name)?

Well, this is a bit of a conundrum. The thing is, my Pseudonym became my real name, as in, I legally changed it. So, although I’d say No Pen Name, because I have no intention of adding yet another name to my growing list of past identities, I had one but it isn’t any more. Get what I’m saying?

Uh, current position? NO pen name.

17. Winter or Summer?

Finally, an easy one. I love Summer, hate Winter with a passion! Winter is trudging around in the wet and the cold and the mud to tend outdoor animals. It’s soggy bedding and ripped covers and not-enough-hay. It’s dirty fireplaces and splitting wood, and ashes, sawdust, mud, and hay ends traipsed through the house. It’s cabin-fevered dogs and mud-fever and storm galls. Oh, the list could just go on and on and on. NO to Winter!

Summer, on the other hand, is ALL things good.Happy animals, happy gardens, and happy me. Done. Summer!

Sheesh. Are we there yet? What about now? NOW? No? Why the hell not? Oh, alright then. . .

18. Airplanes or Automobiles?

What? No horse? Or walking/ trudging/ tramping? What about horse and cart? *Grumbles grumpily under breath* Fine then! Automobiles. There. Are you happy? If there was a road off this rock to visit the world, no matter how long it would have to be, I’d take it. I have no fondness for taking my limbs off the ground where Mother Nature firmly intended they should be planted!

19. Tonic or Soda?

Finally, a proper easy one. Tonic. Soda is for pussies and tastes like what I imagine donkey piss might taste like, given I’ve never tried donkey piss, nor any other kind. But if I had, I suspect it would taste like soda.

20. Sunrise or Sunset?

Isn’t that a song? I’m sure that’s a song, and I now have it stuck in my head.Thanks for that. So, okay, what again? Oh, right. Choose one. Um. Eeny meeny minie mo. . . sunrise. Isn’t this like mornings/ evenings? Dawn/ dusk? I like twilight, which is non-judgmental but if I flip a coin, it’s sunrise. On account of, you know, mornings.

Are we done now? Is that it? ‘Cos I have chores pending and, not that it hasn’t been fun ‘n all hangin’ out ‘n stuff, but there’s only so long I can shy away from the must be done’s. (Guinea pigs find it difficult to make a statement about their delayed dinners but large dogs on the other hand. . . )

So there was some sort of end I’m supposed to add to this, right? Tag? Brett Jenae Tomlin, I hope you’re happy with this one because I’ll have you know it wasn’t easy!

To all of you fabulous writers out there,

Kia kaha and aroha nui. 💞

Fighting! 👊