One Word: Wand

A one minute writing exercise from One Word

"Wand"

I used to have a magic wand. Actually I had several. I have one at the moment too. It lights up. I justified the purchase by telling myself it was a practical item. -Just cooler.

When I was younger the wands I had were magician’s wands. I had several. I had breaking wands, collapsing wands, linking wands, weighted wands… My first wand was made of wood. I loved it. I may even still have it. It’s been a while since I opened that trunk… Actually, I’m pretty sure I do still have it. I sewed a red fabric case for it, with a gold button. I’ve had that wand since I was five.

(The "case" was made when I was ten)

Code Cleaning

This is going to go right over some people's heads, and make other people's eyes roll.

When I modify any kind of computer code that I don't write from scratch, I try lots of different alterations until I get the result I'd like. Although I'm pretty good about going back to delete changes that didn't work or did nothing at all, I still tend to end up with a few lines of code that aren't serving any purpose (either because I forgot to undo those changes, or because I later found a better way to achieve the same effect.)

Knowing I have stray lines of code in a program bugs me!

So I spent two days going through my template line by line, with a brand new fresh "Awesome Ink" Blogger template (which is the base for my current template), re did the hacks from scratch, and tested each remaining line of altered code to see if it was doing something useful or not. If not, it didn't make it into my final copy.

The result is a "cleaner" blog template - At least on the code side. The final product (the blog) looks exactly the same. There's no difference in it visually. But I know the code has been cleaned, and for some odd reason, that makes my brain happy.

Jumpers

NaBloPoMo writing prompt: If you were walking over a bridge and came upon someone who looked like they were about to jump, what would you do?

I'm not sure what someone could be doing that would lead me to think they were going to jump. It's very likely I would (consciously or unconsciously) convince myself that was not what they were doing.

If, however, I did believe that that's what they wanted to do, and that they were distressed about it, I would talk to them. I wouldn't call anyone unless the person seemed psychotic, and I mean that in the literal sense (If they were hallucinating etc.) For pretty much anyone else, in pretty much any other condition, I would talk, sit, and listen.

Loss vs Gift

NaBloPoMo writing prompt: Have you ever lost anything of value? Do you still think about it? Imagine how you'd feel if you'd given it away instead.

This was an interesting subject for me. I liked this idea and thought it might help me feel better about some losses in my life. But when I tried to apply this to specific instances of loss, losses of value, I realized I would have never given those things away. Not ever. Not something that was of true value to me.

I also thought about a time my luggage was stolen. I could have given away most of its contents, but the difference is, if I were going to give those items away, I would have written down all of my makeup brands and numbers first. To this day I have not been able to figure out what the heck shade of lipstick I used to wear.

Woo Hoo! Disclosing Tablets!

I just found some disclosing tablets! - You know those pink tablets that dentists have you chew and swish around to see how poorly you brushed? Even though these particular tablets had to be well over 10 years old, I gleefully popped one in and did just that, and was very surprised by the results.

I chewed, swished, spit, looked at my new dayglo pink teeth, and then brushed without looking in the mirror (which is what I usually do) to see how I did. And guess what? I got it all! No pink! None at all! So then I chewed and swished a second tablet just to be sure and again, no pink! I checked with a mirror and everything so I could see the back teeth. I did amazingly well! - Or these tablets are duds. I doubt that though because my currently brighter than bright pink tongue looks AWESOME! (Despite my efforts to brush that too.) I tried to get a picture to show you, but they all came out looking obscene.

I should totally have a disclosing tablet party :)

One Word: Wondered

A one minute writing exercise from One Word

"Wondered"

I've often wondered what would happen if I completely disappeared.

Actually I haven't. That's just the first thing that came to mind to write. It sounds pretty typical doesn't it?

I actually know what would happen if I disappeared so I don't wonder about it. Well... if I just up and disappeared right in front of someone and vanished into thin air that might be different. And interesting. I suppose they'd deny it - If they were smart!

* This is actually a very cool word and I wish I'd done better with it. I may revisit it at some point!

One Word: Swept

A one minute writing exercise from One Word

"Swept"

Swept away...

Really that's all that comes to mind. That and sweeping. 

I swept for years before I got a vacuum. I don't have carpeting, and brooms were just easier to store. To this day I still have a small broom and dustpan hanging from the side of my toilet, from when I used to flush kitty litter and would inevitably spill some on the floor. 


That was 60 seconds.

A few side notes:

The litter was flushable. It was recycled newspaper bits and so long as I flushed no more than a scoop or two at a time, flushing it worked fine.  -And flushing was so much easier than having to run it outside to the garbage! But again... spillage ;) So I kept a small broom and dustpan hanging off the side of the tank.

I thought about moving the broom and dustpan set about a week ago, since I no longer have pets, but then I left it. It may not be a logical place to keep it anymore, but it's not in the way and I always know where it is. I doubt most people even notice it.

White Popcorn - It's not just me!

Someone from Michigan (Hello Michigan!) came to my blog yesterday because my Is White Popcorn EXTINCT? post popped up in their google search. - What were their search terms? "Why can't I find white popcorn!"

No kidding. That's what they were looking for! Also in their search results was a letter to a newspaper in Maine asking the same thing!

It's not just me!!!

FYI, I ordered some white popcorn online. We'll see how that goes.

Reindeer Games

NaBloPoMo writing prompt: Write a post using the following words: placate, boring, solitary, crinkle, and juice.

Those are the names of Santa's backup reindeer. You know, to swap in when one of the others is ill.

One Word: Example

A one minute writing exercise from One Word.


"Example"

Example.

"She tried to lead by example. Unfortunately, her example wasn't a very good one."

"Example on a math test."

"Give me an example."

Ok, now the word is beginning to look funny to me. You know, from staring at it too long? I hate it when that happens.