Michael T. Miyoshi's Blog, page 54

Morning Kick Start

I get a little writing kick start in the morning with six-word stories. Not every morning, but I write those tiny stories whenever I get a prompt. Which makes me a little dependent on those offering the prompts. But that is okay, I write whether I get the kick start or not. It is just what I do. After all, I am a writer. Or at least I strive to be.

But back to those six-word stories.

Each morning before I write, I check through my social media, Facebook and Twitter. I look to see if my writi...

Pokémon GO

Gotta catch ‘em all. Again.

I know they are not real, but people are wandering around towns all over the world searching for Pokémon. They are using their phones playing Pokémon GO to look for and hopefully catch all the Pokémon. At least in their area.

Now if you do not know what Pokémon are, you have probably been living under a rock for the past twenty years or so. Or you have not had contact with anyone under the age of fifty (or older). Or maybe you just do not keep up with the times in...

Windshield Wiper Protectors

Original by Ildar Sagdejev
licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0,
via Wikimedia Commons

Apparently, some windshield wipers have plastic protection on the blades. Not to protect them between use (that would be awkward and dangerous), but to keep them safe while they are sitting in the plastic containers on the shelf in the stores. Of course, I found this out after traveling a thousand miles with them on. (I did not take them off between storms.)

I have changed windshield wiper blades many times. On man...

Full Screen or Not Full Screen

Full screen or not full screen? That is the question.

Whether it is easier to suffer the distractions of outrageous backgrounds or to go full screen just to blot them out. To write, to compose. To keep out distractions. Ay, there’s the rub. For in keeping out the background, the starkness blinds the eyes. And in blinding the eyes, there is more distraction.

Distractions and more distractions. That is the key. Avoiding distractions. But in avoiding distractions, the mind cannot keep to the ta...

F27? Bingo!

I know there is no “F” in BINGO, but I felt like shouting, “BINGO!” when our number was called.

Our youngest son, Thing 3, and I were in the department of licensing to get his learner’s permit the other day. Just getting the permit is enough to cause anybody anxiety and angst. After all, it means our baby is growing up. But that anxiety and angst were replaced by annoyance and boredom while waiting in line to get the important driver’s permit.

(I actually looked online before we went and saw...

Meeting a Living Legend

It does not happen often, but I met a living legend. At the Washington 2016 State Track and Field (T&F) meet.

I was sitting at the javelin area getting ready for the 2A competition. I had settled into my spot at the fence ready to watch my athlete compete against fifteen other athletes for the state title. Other coaches and spectators were sitting by me too. Just before the competition started, a seasoned coach, decked out in his school warm ups, came and sat by me. He used the chain link fe...

Congratulations Class of 2016

Congratulations class of 2016! You made it. It is time to relax a little and enjoy your accomplishments. But do not rest on your laurels too long. They just get tired.

This year, as in 2010, I have a more special reason to congratulate the graduates. I have one myself. So besides all those graduates who have been in my classroom or on my field or just in my hallway, I have a graduate who has lived in my house and eaten my food. Thing 2 is graduating.

I am, of course, happy for the graduates....

Half the Man

If you were half the man…

Normally, the expression that starts, “If you were half the man…” is an expression of disgust or derision. At the very least, it is a non-flattering comparison to another person being held up as a good example. But I would take it as a high compliment indeed if somebody told me that I was half the man my father was. Even so, one of my dad’s best friends tells a story of the normal use of the expression.

Larry and Dad worked together for many years. Decades even. So...

Stuff Gets in the Way

No matter what you do, sometimes stuff gets in the way of you doing it.

I love to write. (Much to the chagrin and dismay of people I know.) But sometimes, posting on my blog or working on a book cover or uploading my newest book to the publisher get in the way of actual writing. (I have a bunch of books on Amazon, if you have not already heard. Hint, hint.) Sometimes, these things are diversions I use to keep from writing. But more often than not, I have a great idea that ought to get writte...

Grief

Grief is a funny thing. Not funny, ha ha. But funny, strange. The strangest thing about grief is that it is different for everybody.

I wonder a lot about the grieving process. I know that somebody really just observed enough people to see that the steps through the process are really the same for everybody. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance are all part of what everybody goes through. Some people take longer to get through each step than others and may go through them at...