The Mini-Mart is Getting Fancy (Wordless Wednesday) and Words for Wednesday

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Linking up with Wordless Wednesday, BeThere2Day, and Sandee at Comedy Plus.     

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Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and has become a moveable feast of word or picture or music prompts to encourage us to write stories, poems, or whatever strikes our fancy.    

This month, Sean Jeating is providing the prompts which will be posted by Elephant's Child.     

This week's prompts are:

• daily,
• friendly, 
• human, 
• nodding, 
• wife
  

 

And/or

 

• bags, 
• gentlemen, 
• infinity, 
• steps, 
• veil

Charlotte (MotherOwl)  has given us Dahlia Yellow as the colour of the month.  If you can also incorporate it into your stories she (and I) will be grateful.

Have fun.

We first met him at a party at a client's home, and he seemed like a FRIENDLY, nice person.  He didn't stand out from any of the other GENTLEMEN at the party, at least as far as I could see.

The whole evening went as you usually expect such parties to go, with people mixing and mingling and talking.  Once I noticed my WIFE standing near the group where he was, and she was NODDING vigorously in agreement with what he was saying, at least I assumed that's what was going on.  I didn't think anything of it at the time.

Our DAILY lives went on, seemingly the same, although I didn't realize something in my wife had changed.  I should have seen the signs, I don't know if I just ignored them, or what, but a VEIL seemed to come between us, slowly and inexorably closing in until I couldn't deny it any more.

Then she told me she was having an affair with him, and that she was leaving, wanted a divorce.  It was as if I was suddenly dealing with a completely different HUMAN being from the one I thought I knew so well.  She packed her favorite travel BAGS, the Dahlia Yellow ones, and went down the STEPS of our home and got into his car as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Although she'd left with him, she decided she didn't want to lose her precious house, just me.  The negotiations for everything seemed to take an INFINITY, but my heart wasn't into staying there without her anyway so it was more a matter of dividing things fairly than fighting over it.

Once all the dust was settled and all his possessions moved in and almost everything of mine moved out, they got married and went on a honeymoon, and that's when I got the idea.

I still had a couple of things stored in the attic, small items of sentimental value and I'd agreed to come while they were gone and retrieve them.  I waited until the day they were due back, and made sure I had the two items in my duffel bag, with the bag unzipped, next to one of the collections of items he'd moved into the house.

Did I mention he collected curiosities from around the world?  Well, he did, and I knew from talking to the client whose party had started this mess that he collected these things but had no actual listing of them, no form of tabulating exactly what he had, just dozens of large and small items he'd picked up in various travels.

Anyway, they walked in arm in arm, smiling, and stopped smiling when they saw me standing there, just zipping my bag, next to one of his curio cabinets, the one which had taken the place of my bookcase in the living room.

I apologized for taking so long, telling them I didn't mean to disturb them, hefted my bag and beat a hasty retreat, and as I drove away I saw him in the rear view mirror, trying to flag me down, but I didn't stop.

It had occurred to him he needed to check my bag, make sure I hadn't taken anything except the items from the attic I'd come for, but it was too late once I'd gotten home, he knew if I had taken something, he'd never figure it out now.

Indeed, through the grapevine of gossip I heard he worried over it, wondering if I'd pulled the wool over his eyes and stolen one of his curiosities, and my plan had succeeded, because while he stole my wife, I stole his peace of mind.

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Today is:

Balloons Around the World -- balloon artists around the world are encouraged to donate an hour or more to a charity of their choice in their community, entertaining children everywhere with balloon sculpture

Banned Websites Awareness Day -- sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians   

Change a Light Day -- US (was originally sponsored by EnergyStar, promoting energy saving light bulbs; although they don't seem to be running this particular campaign any longer, it's a great idea to switch to the highest efficiency bulbs you can)

Festival of Hathor -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Golf Lovers' Day -- internet generated, enjoy if you love golf

Ieiunium Cereris -- Ancient Roman Calendar (fast for the goddess Ceres)

Improve Your Office Day -- and water that plant while you are at it!

Independence Day -- Lesotho(1966)

International Toot Your Flute Day -- an internet generated day for shameless self-promotion

Kanelbullens Dag -- Sweden (cinnamon roll day)

National Ship in a Bottle Day -- another one i can't find a source for, but it's listed everywhere

National Taco Day

National Vodka Day

Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival -- Nihonmatsu, Japan (one of Japan's 3 largest lantern festivals; through the 6th)

Peace and National Reconciliation Day -- Mozambique

Semana Morazánica, una Fiestas Patrias -- Honduras (through Saturday)

St. Francis of Assisi's Day (Patron of animal welfare societies, animals, birds, ecologists, ecology, environment and environmentalists, families, lace makers/lace workers, merchants, needle workers, peace, tapestry workers, zoos; Italy, especially Assisi, as well as several other cities around the world; against dying alone, fire)

     Blessing of the Animals Day -- at many Catholic Churches, in honor of the Saint

St. Petronius' Day (Patron of Bologna, Italy)

10-4 Day (C.B.'ers) -- fourth day of the tenth month, ten-four, good buddy, etc.

Tewa Deer Dance -- Tewa Native Americans (celebrating the cosmic duality of the feminine and masculine, and honoring male and female ancestors; through the 7th)

World Animal Day -- International    

World Space Week begins -- International

Anniversaries Today

The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, 1957

The Soviet Union launches Luna 3, 1959 (first satellite to photograph the moon's distant side)

Birthdays Today:

Rachael Leigh Cook, 1979

Alicia Silverstone, 1976

Abraham Benrubi, 1969

Christoph Waltz, 1956

Anita DeFrantz, 1952

Armand Assante, 1949

Susan Sarandon, 1946

Clifton Davis, 1945

Anne Rice, 1941

Jackie Collins, 1937

Alvin Toffler, 1928

Charlton Heston, 1924

Buster Keaton, 1895

Damon Runyon, 1884

Edward Stratemeyer, 1862

Frederic S. Remington, 1861

Rutherford B. Hayes, 1822

Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, 1807

Debuting/Premiering Today

"The Alvin Show"(TV), 1961

Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major(Shostakovich Op. 107), 1959

"Leave It To Beaver"(TV), 1957

Snoopy, in the Peanuts Comic strip, 1950

Dick Tracy(Comic strip), 1931

Today in History:

One of the largest naval battles in history, the Battle of Lake Poyang, ends when the Chinese rebel forces of Zhu Yuanzhang defeat Chen Youliang, 1363

The first full English translation of the Bible, sometimes called the Matthew Bible, which contained the work of translators William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale, is printed in Switzerland, 1537

Pope Gregory XIII's calendar adjustment that bears his name takes effect, with tomorrow being not Oct. 5, but Oct. 15, 1582

Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts drafts its first code of law, 1636

Peter Stuyvesant establishes America's first volunteer fire department, 1648

Christian Huygens patents the pocket watch, 1675

The state of Belgium is created after separation from the Netherlands, 1830

The New Orleans Tribune becomes the first black daily newspaper, 1864

The Orient Express, linking Turkey to Europe by rail, makes its first run, 1883

Norman Rockwell's Willie Gillis character debuts on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post, 1941

The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty is opened for signature, 1991

The Rome General Peace Accords ends a 16-year civil war in Mozambique, 1992

NATO confirms invocation of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, 2001

SpaceShipOne wins Ansari X Prize for private spaceflight, by being the first private craft to fly into space, 2004

What is believed to be the oldest high-altitude human settlement is found in Kokoda, Papua New Guinea, 2010

Nissan unveiled the NSC-2015 electric car prototype at the Ceatec 2012 show in Tokyo; the car drove and parked itself, 2012

The Nobel Prize for Chemistry is awarded to Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson for their work on cryo-electron microscopy, 2017

The Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine is awarded to David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian for discovering receptors for temperature and touch, 2021

The Noble Prize for Physics is won by Alain Aspect, John Clauser and Anton Zeilinger for their groundbreaking experiments using entangled quantum states, 2022

Work, Wires, and Knowing Where It Is, a Random and Happy Tuesday Post

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ph

It's time once again for a random and happy Tuesday, linking up with Stacy's Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked and Sandee at Comedy Plus.  

Carl had been testing negative for Covid for 3 days and was cleared to go back to work.  His parents, thank heaven, didn't get it this time.

Ms. V wanted to keep him home for one more day to recover, but it was deemed safe for me to come, wearing mask, shield and gloves, and clean his empty room.

Safe for whom? i thought to myself as i tripped over the shoes he'd pulled out of his closet and that were everywhere.  Please note, he has not left the house for almost ten days, does not wear shoes in the house in any but the coldest months, and his slippers were still on the shoe shelf.

That, however, was later in the morning.

First, because he wasn't going to work so i wouldn't need to rush him out the door, i went to Ms. G's and tended her cat and fed all the outdoor critters.

When i arrived at Carl's place, he heard me unlock the door (he has hyperacute hearing, just like my Bigger Girl), stuck his head out of his apartment into the hall to the main house and said gleefully, "I have one more sick day!"

Yes, you do, i told him, but i have to clean that room of yours so you'll have to have your nap on your chair in the living room.

With that, i headed to laundry room and he got into his robe to head for the main part of the house and further snoozing.  He stopped for a snack in the kitchen and i was able to ask him about the state of cleanliness of certain items in said laundry room.

Through the morning he only came in his room once, to grab his toothbrush and take it to the hall bathroom.  He also stopped me as i was getting cleaning supplies and said, "Did you see my X-box?"

Yes, i told him, and i have not touched it, i have cleaned around it and it's still right where you left it.

At least he's been keeping himself entertained.

I also found plenty of evidence his parents had been making him stay mostly in his room.  There was food, extra condiments, and the usual lids all over, some of which needed to be reunited with the items they are supposed to seal.

He's obviously been well stocked.

His table, with the requisite crumbs and a lid that belongs on top of something.

Now, where can it be?

Reunited and it feels so good!
(sorry, i couldn't resist the song lyric)

He'd had plenty of time to get everything into disarray, so everything that belongs here

See the empty spots?

was here

There it all went!

and so it went through the room.

Carl had also managed to loosen the screw on one of his chair legs again.  It comes loose on a regular basis, so as always i grabbed an Allen wrench/hex key and got it tightened up again until next time.

He mostly napped the whole morning away, and when i left after 5 hours he was back in his sleep chair, a smile on his face.  No one in that family likes early mornings, i think they want the morning to start at noon.

Meanwhile, my Sweetie was having his problems with Slow-Moe the car.  Some of you may remember it was giving us fits off and on, on when with us and off when with the mechanics at Kevin and Lenny's.

It went haywire again Friday right after the shop closed for the weekend.  Yesterday morning, it wouldn't start at all, total silence.

Then, ten minutes later, Sweetie got in to try again and it fired right up and no warning lights on.  He drove it to the shop and they said they'd try to track it down.

It was a loose wire!  When we'd had all the computer work done on it last year, the panel over where all that computer stuff is wasn't properly attached and so a wire had loosened and now it's all put back together.

Poor car, i think i've had a few loose wires and screws myself for years now.

In honor of loose screws, sick days and "everything in it's (wrong) place,” some funnies.

Have a blessed and beautiful Tuesday, everyone!

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Today is:

Festival of Bacchus/Dionysus -- Ancient Roman Calendar (tasting the old and new wine and celebrating the harvest)

Independence Day -- Iraq,

Kae Chun Jul -- Korea (National Foundation Day, BC 2333)

Morazan Day -- Honduras (Soldier's Day, trad.)

National Butterfly and Hummingbird Day -- internet generated; celebrate these beauties today, no matter where you are

National Carmel Custard Day

Nobel Conference 59 -- Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN, US (annual two-day symposium, this year, Insects: Little Body, Big Impact)

Oschophoria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (in honor of the return of Theseus after killing the Minotaur; deities celebrated were Dionysius and either Athena or Ariadne, depending on the source cited; date approximate)

Relief of Leiden Day -- Netherlands

Reunification Day/Unity Day-- Germany

Sts. Ewald the Black and Ewald the Fair's Day (Patrons of Westphalia)

Techies' Day -- give your techies some well-deserved appreciation

Birthdays Today:

Neve Campbell, 1973

Gwen Stefani, 1969

Janel Maloney, 1969

Clive Owen, 1964

Jack P. Wagner, 1959

Dennis Eckersley, 1954

Stevie Ray Vaughan, 1954

Dave Winfield, 1951

Lindsey Buckingham, 1949

Roy Horn, 1944

Chubby Checker, 1941

Erik Bruhn, 1928

Gore Vidal, 1925

James Herriot (James Alfred Wight), 1916

Harvey Kurtzman, 1902

William Crawford Gorgas, 1854

George Bancroft, 1800

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"L.A. Law"(TV), 1986

"Scarecrow and Mrs. King"(TV), 1983

"Quincy"(TV), 1976

"The Dick Van Dyke Show"(TV), 1961

"The Andy Griffith Show"(TV), 1960

"The Pat Boone Show"(TV), 1957

"The Real McCoys"(TV), 1957

"Captain Kangaroo"(TV), 1955

"The Mickey Mouse Club"(TV), 1955

"Father Knows Best"(TV), 1954

"Our Miss Brooks"(TV), 1952

"The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet"(TV), 1952

"The Maltese Falcon(Film, NYC release), 1941

Today in History:

The state of Gojoseon (modern-day Korea) is founded by Dangun Wanggeom during the reign of the Chinese emperor Yao, BC2333

The siege and battle of Alesia is ended by the surrender of Vercingetorix, leader of the Gauls, to Julius Caesar, BC52

Julius Caesar's assassins suffer a decisive defeat at the First Battle of Phillipi, BC42

Jews are expelled from Eger, Bohemia, 1430

The Duke of Montrose issues a warrant for the arrest of Rob Roy MacGregor, 1712

British Captain James Cook anchors in Alaska, 1778

General Napoleon Bonaparte first rises to national prominence being named to defend the French National Convention against armed counter-revolutionary rioters, 1795

George Washington proclaims the first national Thanksgiving Day will be held on Nov. 26, 1789

American author Edgar Allan Poe is found delirious in a gutter in Baltimore, Maryland under mysterious circumstances; it is the last time he is seen in public before his death, 1849

J.S. Thurman patents a motor-driven vacuum cleaner, 1899

The first conference on wireless telegraphy agrees to adopt SOS as the warning signal and sign of distress, 1906

Leon Trotsky, Adolph Joffe, Matvey Skobelev and other Russian exiles in Vienna, Austria, found the Pravda newspaper, 1908

Mrs. W.H. Felton, of Georgia, becomes the first woman seated in the US Senate, 1922

A V-2 /A4-rocket from Test Stand VII at Peenemünde, Germany is the first man-made object to reach space, 1942

The United Kingdom successfully tests a nuclear weapon, 1952

Germany is reunified, 1990

Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy is attacked by one of the show's tigers, 2003

Archaeologists on the Egypt-Gaza border find the first evidence of a 2,000-year-old city, 2010

The Nobel Prize for Physics is awarded to Rainer Weiss, Barry C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne "for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves," 2017

The first exomoon, a moon outside of this solar system and about the size of Neptune, is discovered 8,000 light-years away by astronomers at Columbia University, 2018

Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine awarded to Svante Pääbo for research into the genomes of extinct hominids and sequencing the genome of Neanderthals, 2022