Author: Michael

Husband, dad,(ex)programmer, comic collector and proud Yorkshireman. I have no idea why im here or why im writing but i rather enjoy it. no great fan of punctuation;

The In-between – Part 33 of 31 – A possible beginning

The End

Just a little something,  I doubt I will take it further for now but I don’t like to keep things back…

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part15 Part16 Part 17 Part18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part25 Part 26 Part27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30 Part 31 Part 32

Armitage smiled and sat back in the chair.  There was something quite homely about the place, with its high open fireplace and dark wooden bookshelves.  He fingered the leather of the tall wingback chair and finished his tea.

“He looks fun” he said motioning with his empty cup to a picture that hung above the fireplace.

An impressively moustached fellow stood defiantly legs akimbo in front of an erupting volcano.  Armitage placed the tea on the small low table in front of him.  There was something so familiar about the clink of the tea cup on the china saucer.

“So you say we’re part of ‘The Office of Entropy” he asked looking at the small grey haired woman sat next to him.  “And we’ve been here before?  If you ask me this all sounds a bit dangerous to be honest.  Are you sure about this because I am a renowned coward.”

The old lady laughed.  “Oh dear boy, we’re dead remember.  I think we can perhaps put to bed some of those worries.  All seems to make perfect sense if you think about it.”

Armitage threw her a most confused look.  “How the devil does any of this make sense?”

McCann offered more tea.  “Don’t let it worry you Armitage” she said as Armitage shook his head.  “Trust me, you’re a natural.  It will all come back to you.”

He let out an unconvinced “hmm” and sat back in the chair.

“So what happens now then?” he asked.  “Whilst I enjoy tea as much as the next man I would assume that there is more to this existence.”

McCann smiled.  “I have something to show you, come with me.”

Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge: SATES and FUELS

Well that’s wholly inappropriate for any day of the week. Sorry Japan.

Desire overwhelms

sated sanity returns

puts tissues away

https://ronovanwrites.com/2018/07/30/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-212-satesfuels/

 

 

 

No Wasted Ink Writers Links — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog

Another site well worth a follow. Always plenty to read no matter what your reason for blogging.

Originally posted on No Wasted Ink: Coming down to the end of the month, I’ve saved the best for last. This Monday has a bumper crop of excellent writing-related articles for the list. I hope you’ll agree! Enjoy these until next week. The Basics of World-Building Boost Your Creativity Mindset Naturally Why a Serial Might…

via No Wasted Ink Writers Links — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog

Somewhat starvin’ Marvin

I have no idea why.

Now a chap I knew could not contain the things he daily ate

no matter what he had and piled so high upon his plate

He’d gorge and feed his hungry face, sweet scollops, cakes and trout

then suddenly without fair warning it would come back out

 

He’d dine on steaks and fries and eat a pizza with meat on it

then forcefully with gusto great came forth projectile vomit

A meagre mouthful would result in gagging and some retching

one time he even soiled his trousers, brown on cream – quite fetching

 

Okay so I will stop there.  I recognise that sometimes I go a little far but this is just a bit weird.  I think it was funnier in my head than I can actually do on paper.  I then also got to thinking just what might make him so very unwell and think maybe he might just have a nervous disposition rather than it being an eating disorder.  At that point I now find myself thinking that he would probably then just have stayed home which is pretty sad and the likelihood of him having a wife or girlfriend is pretty slim so it’s really just descending into a pretty sorry tale and all a bit depressing.

Seemed a shame to waste a good title and picture so I guess I will just leave it there.  Feel free to finish it if you like.

Plus, there isn’t really a word that rhymes with hungry and even puke and barf are pretty limited so it was never going to end well.

 

 

 

What Teddy saw. 2.

Something a little different. There may be more they may not.

There are things you see that cannot be unseen, and when you are alone in the dark they play over in your head time and time again.  Even when tucked up in bed I can still see what he did with the play-doh when she was away for the weekend at her mothers.

A few weeks later I had to endure a tea party with a friendly enough chap made out of blue and yellow, and no matter how hard I tried I could not look him in the eyes. In some ways it was pretty impressive and I had no idea something of that size would hold it’s shape without some sort of reinforcement.

It is not just what I see that fluffs my stuffing though, an inability to act is an equally frustrating thing indeed.  Just yesterday the fellow from next door – the one with the paedophile hair-cut and revealingly tight jeans – popped over to see her when he was at work.  Apparently he had an abundance of plums which he was concerned would go a little soft if left uneaten.

I think he has his eye on her if you ask me, though she didn’t seem interested despite his quite obviously ripe fruit.

Apparently she is going to make some jam.

Diet o’clock 30th of July.

Mmmm frosting baby yeah.

So the kids are enjoying their summer holiday and I am at home with them and am fast realising that that eating properly when at home all day is going to be quite the challenge.  Whilst I have been able to be particularly disciplined when at work those same boundries melt away at home.

I feed the boys pretty healthy stuff for the most part and they are enjoying what I make but I know my youngest rather fancies learning to bake and I am actually pretty good at it. Thing is, fingers and spoons and bowls need to be licked and when I baked cup cakes a few weeks ago I was up to my elbows in butter cream and before I know it I was fingering my own mouth with frosted digits without even realising.

I will do my utmost to resist but there is a lifetime of habits to undo and you’d be surprised how often I have found myself eating cake in bed when all I meant to do was put the cat out.

Should be interesting.

 

 

FACEBOOK AND WORDPRESS – A NOTIFICATION YOU SHOULD READ — Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo

If you use WordPress with Facebook you might want to give this a read.

Originally posted on Serendipity – Seeking Intelligent Life on Earth: First the released my data to Cambridge Analytica. That led to having my identity stolen and my computer hacked. How many new ways can they find to become worthless? FROM WORDPRESS: You have probably gotten the same message via email, but in case you missed…

via FACEBOOK AND WORDPRESS – A NOTIFICATION YOU SHOULD READ — Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo

2000AD Art – Nick Percival

Classic 2000Ad 2nd of October 1995

I am lucky enough to have 2 pieces of art work that graced the cover of 2000ad and this is one that appeared in 1995 on a classic collection.  It is an acrylic and pen by Nick Percival and it shows ‘Mean Machine Angel’ .  It is so gorgeous and the closer you get to it the more beautiful it gets as you see the brush strokes and pen lines.  NIck Percival has done so so many covers and what I really love is seeing how his work has progressed over the years.  This feels somewhat different from his more recent work (which I guess is to be expected).   Enjoy.

20180730_2156117444178432928288895.jpg20180730_2156096790020584469683896.jpgscreenshot_20180730-220233_chrome5685260599336259316.jpg20180730_2203532585422438276149289.jpg20180730_2156211260943968023079736.jpg20180730_2203338249911133006693631.jpg20180730_2156175641907625484550323.jpg

 

 

2000AD – Stickleback

D’Israeli and Ian Edginton

I am a big fan of black and white comics and artwork.  Now I know they may feel a little old school and on the surface may not quite pack the punch of one of your full colour efforts but I think there is an intensity about them then I feel rather appealing.

Today I am sharing ‘Stickleback’ with you.  This is what Wikipedia has to say about it.

Stickleback is the eponymous title character of a steampunk comic series created by Ian Edginton and D’Israeli appearing in UK comics anthology 2000 AD. Described by his author as a “bad guy,” Stickleback is cast initially as a Moriarty-type figure, “The Pope of Crime[, who] secretly presides over the criminal fraternity of a fantastical, grotesque, Gormenghast-style old London town

Written by Ian Edginton and drawn by D’Israeli I find it compelling stuff and was lucky enough to meet both of them at a con a few years ago.  Ian was so gracious with his time and willingness to discuss his work and the process whilst I had a hoot picking D’Israeli’s brain trying to understand why it was that I enjoyed black and white art so much as I don’t really get art particularly.  I can’t express an appreciation for it but I do so love it.  There is something about the main character, shown in the photos, that really creeps me out and I love that.  20180730_2221074456539789692219678.jpg20180730_2214496101702494879394951.jpg20180730_2214285918213611660968416.jpg20180730_2215067030022336022962147.jpg20180730_2214218996202568841926146.jpg20180730_2213594790276325050206737.jpg

They both signed my copy of the ‘Number of the beast’ collection and I have another collection somewhere else but cannot seem to find it.

D’Israeli even drew a picture of ‘Dirty Frank’ for me which I will dig out which I intend to turn into my next tattoo.  Thoroughly fabulous chaps indeed.

Here you go…

Look, if I don’t write them down they go round and round in my head and that really is not a good thing at all.

A young couple loves garden were tending

every moment each day they were spending

and their love grew and grew

oh the things they would do

though she drew a clear line at rear ending

 

How To Handle The Post Writing Daze #SundayBlogShare #Writer #Writing — BlondeWriteMore

Lucy has some cool reads, and if you haven’t read her Roxanne stuff then you are missing out…

After what happened to me last week I feel the need to talk about the dangers of the post writing daze and offer some advice to others on how to handle this fragile creative state. I have also been wondering how many accidents, slip ups, calamities, disasters, boo boos, costly mistakes, wrong turns, poor decisions and […]

via How To Handle The Post Writing Daze #SundayBlogShare #Writer #Writing — BlondeWriteMore

Yet another one of these

Look, if I don’t write them down they go round and round in my head and that really is not a good thing at all.

Once a fellow woke up on a Sunday

at his cold wife winked “Hey is it fun day?”

she declined his request

and insisted at best

a quick hand job on three weeks from Monday

 

The Soldier Part 4

A thing where I only write every second piece. Sorry it took so long to get back round to it.

A.P. (I am sure he has a name but for the purposes of this we shall go with A.P.) asked me if I fancied some sort of collaboration thing when he writes a piece then I follow.

I was asked to do this before and I wanted to and then I realised I have less time than I would like to really make an effort so I didn’t do it.  Nothing has changed but this time I said yes and so A.P. goes and makes a quite eloquent and intriguing post and I figured I better get it done as it would be frightfully rude not to so I seem to have written the follow up piece below.

There weren’t really any rules other than he does a piece then I do.

The soldier part 4

Part 1
Part 2

Part 3

The amber district is many things to many people, but not one those who call it home choose to do so.  If it were a wife then it would be a stooped old crone with less sense than teeth, though possessing very little of both by most acceptable standards.  Were it a friend then it would surely be the duplicitous wife stealer of a compadre with a taste for the warm wet crone mouth.  Were it a husband then it would surely be the never home and whore addled…well you get the idea.

It was a most unpleasant place indeed and not somewhere that you would choose to spend your holiday or even a long weekend.

With no idea of where she ought to be Tes pulled the cowl of her cloak around her ears and with eyes downcast walked through the tall stone archway that lead to the main market.  Unfamiliar smells assaulted her nostrils and made her eyes water and the buzz and bustle of the market filled her ears.

“Hey Darlin’” came a voice over the hubbub.  “You after something special then?” Somehow she knew it was aimed at her and she couldn’t help but look over. “What can I get for you?”

He was dressed in the usual mix of rags and dirt of most of the people down here, his face worn and wrinkled.  A broad smile met her as she looked up at him.

“No thank you “ she said nervously and turned away.

“Oh come on” he continued.  “Whatever you need I can get for you.  You after a young boy maybe?”

Tes shook her head.

“Girl?”

She turned slowly to face him again.

“I need neither thank you kindly and I would suggest that perhaps…”

“Oh blimey, I know you” he said raising a finger in her direction.  “You really better be careful down here sweetheart there are those that might well not take kindly to you being here.”

Tes looked about worried, pulling her hood further over her face.  He could see her nervousness and lowered his finger and spoke more quietly.

“You might want to come with me” he said his broad smile now gone from his face.  “I think there’s someone you might want to see.”

 

Diet o’clock 29th of July.

I just cant help myself.

I am continuing with the whole30 business because I am so enjoying it bit I think I have run into a bot of a problem.

Guacamole and Salsa.

Until recently I had only ever had the stuff you get from the store in small tubs, and it was only when I made it myself did I realise just what it could taste like.  I was completely blown away and I actually feel a bit obsessed.  For the last fortnight I have been making the stuff non stop and I find myself thinking about it rather more than I ought to.  The minute I see a tomato or an avocado it sets me off and I feel qholly out of control for the stuff.

Even right now I am tempted to head downstairs and have a quick finger full.

I guess it’s better than standing in front of the fridge eating cake and stuffing biscuits in my mouth in the wee hours.

How can it be wrong when it feels so right.  Right?

 

 

 

A Thousand Miles of History XII: Hirvedh Treguhyon — Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo

So much good stuff can be found at Sue’s blog. You should go visit you won’t regret it.

We left the Merry Maidens, still buzzing with the magic of the stone circle in the mist. Distracted by the profusion of wildflowers in the hedgerows, we might have driven blithely by, but… “Whoa…” “What’s that…” we said in unison as my foot hit the brakes, just seconds after resuming our journey. Finding nowhere else […]

via A Thousand Miles of History XII: Hirvedh Treguhyon — Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo