Weekly Short Stories Contest and Company! discussion

How can I take a test on Macbeth when I’m hungry for blueberry pancakes?

TPBM uses real maple syrup.

I do, when I can afford it, I usually make my own and add natural flavoring.

TPBM lives where it rains all winter?

Actually, I am not because I nibbled on the last of my blueberry buttermilk shortcake earlier!

TPBM has decided that it is time to get into the kitchen and bake something for Christmas.

Well, sadly, my clothes definitely say I can. And you have no idea how many cookies I'll be baking this Christmas season. I think its already at 12 to 16 dozen, with a bunch more to go yet. Shortbread is on the horizon and moving closer to getting done.

TPBM thinks that Nanaimo Bars may be the best Christmas snack ever invented.

No. I’ll go with Muth’s Bourbon Balls (made with very old Barton).

TPBM likes cream-cheese-filled pastries.

I can't say I've ever tried them, but they sounds amazing!

TPBM watches the "Dog Whisper"?

I do, but not religiously. However, I've begun writing a book about the spiritual equivalencies between his whispering and philosophers of yore.


TPBM sees Kitchen Nightmares and the Dog Whisperer as different aspects of a similar principle.

Um, never seen either of those.

TPBM is writing a short story for school and is trying to see how they can work in this week's topic.

Um no lol.

TPBM is loving their new tablet

Well I've had my Nook for almost a year so it's not exactly new I guess.

TPBM is putting the polls up.

Not me! I’m so glad someone stepped up to the plate and did that. Thank you, Stephanie. I await, with eager anticipation, the new contest.

TPBM got up too early this morning and is ready for a nap.

Yes, indeed.

TPBM is so glad it's Friday.

I haven’t gotten to my first one yet! I’m supposed to be doing something, but I’m afraid to find out what it is.

TPBM is naturally good at organizing the day.

I'd like a first nap to begin with. And depending on how long that one is, I just might need a second one. But I don't nap in the middle of the day (usually) so that's not going to happen.

TPBM is avoiding their school.

Yes to M, I really like to organize stuff, but no Stephanie. I actually really enjoy all my classes, I've just been too tired to do the work I am suppose to get done. I really need to do it this evening.

TPBM absolutely loves this group and everything about it?

Yes! There are a lot of times I should be doing chores but am playing on the W.S.S. instead.

TPBM likes barbecue.

With chili and cheese and onions. I’m getting hungry just thinking about them.

TPBM likes wandering the stacks in libraries.

Nearly my most favourite thing to do in the world!

TPBM sometimes takes random books home from the library just to see what might pop up.

Hahaha no. I always know exactly what I am getting when I go to the library. But then my library is only the size of a largish living room and there is not to much to choose from, maybe if I lived nearer a big one I would do more browsing.

TPBM went to see the Hobbit midnight showing?

There was a midnight showing? No. I picked up an old Catherine Deneuve film on DVD, that looks as though it’s going to be dismal.

TPBM is comfortably settled by a crackling fire and is deeply absorbed in a captivating novel.

Close. Well, maybe not that close. Okay, there is a energy efficient gas fire place in the living room downstairs, and I'm listening to a collection of songs on an 2011 podcast that I find completely captivating. And I'm writing up a book review / fushigi for my book blog.

TPBM generally finds the movies Catherine Deneuve starred in are less appealing than s/he thought they would be.

Excellent, Guy! I should have known you’d be listening to fine music and writing up a penetrating analysis.

I’m not a movie watcher, and the few movies that appeal to me would bore most people to tears. This one, Belle de Jour, was made in 1967 and is about a frigid housewife who is married to a doctor. Did you ever see Suddenly, Last Summer or The Red House or Dementia 13? I liked those.

TPBM likes stories that explore the interior landscape.

Eh. I like it when the story just starts going. I tend to get distracted when the author starts going on about how things looked if it's not relevant to the character's current circumstances. I usually start skimming when it's too extensive.

TPBM is waiting for the printer to print.

You’d find it torture to read Eiseley’s All the Strange Hours!

No. My printer got a real workout earlier today, though.

TPBM sometimes gets to the end of a novel and wishes there were more to it.

Quite frequently, as it turns out. For some reason I have a pretty good intuition about books, and rarely read books that are only just good enough to finish.

M, I've seen Suddenly, Last Summer and I vaguely remember The Red House. It was Suddenly.. that gave me high expectations, which were not usually met. Of course, I was very young when I watched these, and so it may be time to revisit. This getting older thing does strange things to one's remembrances and reactions to things. And I tried to watch Belle de Jour but I don't think I made it to the end of the movie.

TPBM doesn't know it, but they would find the French movies The Three Colours: Blue, White, Red to be an entertaining and very rewarding movie series to watch.

Nope. I'm ready to sleep.

TPBM is excited to see their sister tomorrow!

I'm as dead as doornail. No giggling from me.

TPBM has decided to make him or herself a hot chocolate to help them ease into a pleasant sleep.

No, I'm laying bed right now.

TPBM can't believe Christmas is next week.

Hmmm. Actually, I have come to understand that the feeling of happiness is a holy grail. Feeling/feelings are the means by which we know we are not following our path. To always feel happy is to be, in a sense, enrapt by delusion.

More important is to be happy, and allow the feeling function to work and not get fixated on any one particular state. To be happy requires a different approach to being alive than does the transient feeling happy.

TPBM has no idea what Guy just said, and wishes he kept is pop-psych to himself and concentrate on bubble gum posts.

Guy, Blue is the only one of the trilogy I’ve seen, but I liked it. What’s not to like about Juliette Binoche? Recently, I watched With a Friend Like Harry. Sophie Guillemin just makes me tingle all over, and I was horrified when, near the end, Harry murders Plum.

At the time of this post (5:23 a.m.), TPBM is still sound asleep and can’t reply.

Not anymore.

TPBM ear and jaw hurts. I think I slept too tense last night. At least, that's what this feeling in my jaw is leading me to believe.

Nope. My parent's anniversary was a few months back. Congrats to your parents, Alex and I hope you will feel better!

TPBM should talk about something interesting because CJ can't think of anything!!! (Lol)

Haha. Sure.

TPBM is reading the news.

Well, as it happens I'm reading TPBM in the WSS, not the news.

M, of the three colour movies, Blue is the most famous, but not the best. It is very good, as is White, but truly excellent is Red with the very talented and very lovely Irène Jacob.

TPBM would read the news less if they knew that much of what is printed is either false or propaganda.

Yes, I believe that that is true — at least for at least one of them.


TPBM had chicken for supper tonight with mashed potatoes.

Wow! Am I ever. I just finished uploading into Soundcloud my reading of The Darkroom. And once there I was distracted by a local Vancouver alternate music group, Brasstronaut's Opportunity. I've now listened to it five times, tonight.

Of course, I am also in the process of blogging yet another fushigi. It began with, of all things, Laurie Brown on CBCR2's 'The Signal' having played 'How Pi Sounds' — a musical description of the irrational number. So, right now I'm listing to pi, which means, I guess, I'm having a second desert! My first desert tonight was a home made espresso shortbread dipped in chocolate with tea! My oh my!

TPBM has forgotten that headphones may be able to circumvent the anti-music nazis.

Not for me. I am not hungry at the moment.

TPBM is tempted to go to the library and search out an old classic!

Well yeah. I meant when the person has the time. LOL. I really want to look for And Then There Were None so badly!

No it was my fault. I didn't phrase it correctly. I clicked post and thought, "You know what, that kind of doesn't look right?" Lol.

Alex (Al) wrote: "I don't think the library is open in two in the morning, but if it was, I'd be tempted!

TPBM is having a strange night...morning rather.

I should go to bed."

Not strange, just busy cleaning. But I couldn't stop myself from popping on for bit.

TPBM doesn't know what to do when a thread says there are 31 new posts?

Avoid it at all costs.

TPBM has a great idea for a story for this week!

No, not yet.

TPBM saw The Hobbit today! Great movie!

No. Quite likely I will see this when it hits TV.

TPBM is concerned that their story idea for this week will come across as too pedantic.

Hahaha I agree with the captain

But no, I'm afraid will will come across as plain stupid.

TPBM still has a piggy bank?

:) Nope, those days are gone.

TPBM is sailing some rough seas!?

When it comes to working out, postponement is always the happiest option.

TPBM is watching something exciting on television!

Nope. I wish. I've been thinking of watching Supernatural.

TPBM is going to bed soon.

Nope! Guess again!!!

TPBM would like to know what the very exciting thing on television is/was.

Stephanie wrote: "Nope. I wish. I've been thinking of watching Supernatural.

TPBM is going to bed soon."

Aggg, sorry!!! Missed this post. Yes, I am going to bed soon.

Don't worry. It happens.