QOTD: #160

What’s your favorite time of day?

I love all times of the day.

Morning with the promise of a day and all that will happen.

Afternoon with a break and the second wind of the workday.

Evening with the warm nights and relaxation and unwinding.

-aaa

No Tell Motels Say A lot 

All no tell motels have a lot to say

Given the forbidden lovers visiting each day.

Passions quenched and desires thrilled

At cost of jilted whose needs aren’t fulfilled.

Paid in cash checked in as “smith”

Anonymity is all they can work with.

Dreams come true or nightmares 

Depending on who really cares.

Cheap linens and rubber sheets 

Make this atmosphere complete.

Finger size bottles of liquor litter the rooms

Along with a stale scent of spent perfumes.

All of the bedding is filthy too 

With all the nasties these people do.

So after you check in and before resting your head 

Place thick plastic on the pillows and bed…

-AAA 08/24/2024

Unicorn Challenge 23rd August

A magical new weekly writing opportunity from Jenne Gray and C. E. Ayr.

The rules are:

Maximum of 250 words.

Inspired by photo prompt below.

That’s it.

One Lone Goalie Stands Fast

Standing alone on the damp green turf.

Nighttime arrives as the steady darkness is abated only by the stadiums lights.

A large crowd situated around these proceedings.

The dampness makes the warm evening humid, adding to the tension of the spectacle unfolding.

Near the lights, thousands of small dancing things are drawn and strewn about. 

Oddly (for the figure standing on the field) the strong scent of popcorn, nachos, and hotdogs fills the air.

The spectators enjoy a veritable orgy of outrageously priced junk food.

Consumed with an almost fierce desperation as they root for their favorite team.

Athletes kick and chase a hexagonal patterned ball up and down the field.

For the moment, he lets out a sigh of relief as his counterpart defends a small patch of earth. 

This respite will be short lived as already the  ball has passed midfield and is heading towards his goal. 

Nothing will get through.

He will dive and land horribly to assure a nil score for his opponents. 

A night in the life of a goalie…

-AAA 08/23/2024

176 words:

QOTD: Favorite Recipes

What’s your favorite recipe?

ANT’S DAILY BRUNCH

I eat this nearly every day, it’s a very hearty breakfast that helps me start out my day right. It’s a pretty large meal and serves as breakfast and lunch for me. Definitely, you can adjust the ingredients for a larger or smaller serving size or for multiple people.

INGREDIENTS:

One cup of cremini mushrooms

1/4 cup of diced white or red onions

1/4 cup of pickled jalapeños

3 large eggs

2 tbs of sriracha 

2 tsp’s of parmigiana cheese 

1 tsp of ricotta cheese 

4 dashes of Tabasco

One handful of finely graded Italian cheese blend.

3 tbs of course black pepper

3 tbs of garlic powder

3 tbs of umami seasoning

2 slices of cracked wheat sourdough

6 ounces of V8 spicy 

1 slightly ripened medium banana 

16 oz white monster energy zero carb

1 2 Oz orange EmergenC packet

2 tsp of salted butter

2 tsp of European style butter 

Veggies: 

Combine the mushrooms, jalapeños, and diced onions in a bowl and set aside. 

Eggs (scramble):

Break three large eggs in a bowl, add 1 tsp’s of: course black pepper, umami seasoning, and garlic powder. Next add 2tbs of sriracha (or more). Finally add, 1 tsp of ricotta cheese. Whip mixture with a fork until all ingredients are combined well, then set aside. 

Toast:

Cut a large slice of cracked wheat sourdough bread in half and place in toaster, do not toast until the eggs are nearly done!!

Beverages:

One 6 oz glass of f V8 spicy

To a 16 Oz glass of white monster energy zero carb, one EmergenC packet. 

Note: you can have any beverage you like instead of mine.

Fruit:

Peel one medium sized banana and place on small plate.

PREPARATION

Place 2 tsp’s of salted butter in a medium skillet, under high then medium heat. 

When butter is melted, add the bowl of veggies you prepared earlier. 

Make sure everything is coated in the butter and sauté everything.

Add seasonings to the vegetables, assuring you mix them a lot (1 tsp of: course black pepper, umami seasoning, and garlic powder). 

Add 3-4 dashes of Tabasco sauce to the veggies and keto mixing. 

When the onions become translucent and caramelized, add the egg mixture and stir it in with the veggies.

Then add one handful of Italian cheese blend and spread it over the top of the veggie/egg mixture. 

Turn up the stove to high heat.

Put the toast in the toaster.

Stir cheese/egg/veggie mixture until all eggs are cooked and the cheese melted. 

Then transfer to a plate. 

Take out toast and liberally butter with 2 tsp’s of European style butter and place on small plate along with peeled banana.

Lastly enjoy!!! if you don’t like spicy food, you can always take out the Sriracha jalapeños and Tabasco and you can definitely add more veggies if you like like bell peppers or tomatoes or anything else. I do the cleanup as I make this meal so as I’m finished and ready to eat it, everything is put away and cleaned up and I have nothing to do but enjoy, and you hope you do as well.  

-aaa

QOTD: #158

Tell us about the last thing you got excited about.

There are many things that qualify as exciting to me.

Discovering music I haven’t heard before that may not even be new, but it’s new to me. That’s always exciting.

My girlfriend will be in town next Wednesday to join me in Vegas. I’m very excited about that.

I never know what I’m gonna write until I write it and that is also very exciting.

I’m very excited about my blog as well, it continues to grow bigger and bigger and I love that.

I couldn’t do it without all of my readers, as always thank you for reading. 😊

-aaa

Get to Know You #31

Hello and happy timezones, kind friends! I have greatly enjoyed your responses to my Get to Know You posts! So, it’s time. Come sit on my porch for a…

Get to Know You #31

Here is round #31:

  1. What’s the best prank you’ve ever pulled on someone?
  2. What terrible gift have you gotten that you’ve had to keep?
  3. How do you like to spend your time after work?

  1. The best prank I ever pulled on somebody is a doozy.  I work in information technology or somewhere thereabouts for the last 28+ years now. And when we play pranks on ourselves, we play the worst. so, I went to one of my colleagues desk that had walked away for a moment and this is about 26 years ago, I took a screenshot of his icons on his screen, then I dragged all the icons screen and set that as wallpaper. Poor guy sat there for 10 minutes, clicking on the icons that would never open… 
  2. Not really anything everything I get I love and I keep even things that are weird, but really nothing stands out right now.
  3. I do a lot of writing poetry, short stories, pros essays. I also talk to a lot of my friends do a little bit of posting on social media and a lot of blogging. I also love streaming my favorite shows on various streaming sites. 

As always, thank you for reading…

-aaa

Sugar, My Cure My Curse

Originally Published 08/28/2024

Sugar sugar please don’t be high

But if it’s low, ill never cry

A sip of Apple or orange juice

Always lets my numbers loose

Candy cookies yummy things

Fresh French fries and onion rings

Kettle chips and puffs of cheese

Never ever fail to please

Sickly sweet and honey taste

I’ll never let it go to waste

Soda Pop drinks and punch

Always raise my sugar much

Prick a finger stick and touch

Hoping the digits won’t be much

When it’s low I feel complete

Because I get to eat and cheat

If too low an alarm will sound

Or I’ll face plant it on the ground

Too high of sugar is a goal that’s missed

And Never fails to make me pissed

Just give some space and I’ll be fine

And raise my sugar from 69

Diabetes it’s really the worst

Sugar, it’s my cure and curse

-aaa

QOTD: #157

How would you design the city of the future?

I humbly apologize to all of my readers and subscribers, but this really is not in my wheelhouse. I’m not a city planner designer, so I must abstain from this particular question of the day.

-aaa

Feast or Famine

Some lovers dreamt

Whilst others wept.

Some share their love 

While others push or shove.

Some grow stronger 

While others take longer.

Some find peace in each other

While some are still under cover.

Some live their very best lives

While others are ex husbands and wives.

Some linger and grow 

Others lose all control.

Some have fun all day

While others are far away.

Its feast or famine

In the rules of love

People must examine

Who fits them like a glove…

-AAA 08/21/2024

Hard Truths

Originally Published 04/28/2024

Recollecting the pasts loves of my life

I mediate and I close my eyes

I can see myself through their eyes

All the love that wasn’t reciprocated

All the deceit and manipulation

And then it hits me like a ton of bricks

They never saw me at all

They never truly knew me we or wanted to

They only knew what they needed and saw me as a means to get there

Knowing is empowerment

I’ll choose better, smarter next time…

-aaa ❤️

QOTD: # 156

Where did your name come from?

This is an identical question to what was asked in June 07, 2024, so I’m pasting my answer from then and here…

This is an intriguing question. I have a very straightforward answer. My name comes from my father, grandfather, and great grandfather.

Anthony Andrew Aquino Jr.

I will share a quick tidbit about the origins of my shortened first name as my Great Grandfather told me years ago.

When many of the Italian immigrants came to Ellis Island long ago, since they didn’t speak English they sported a tag that read “TONY” short for “To New York”.

Thank you as always for reading.

-aaa

Dreamer of a Reality

Originally Published 04/28/2024

I can taste your color

And it appeals to me

You are like no other

That I have ever seen

My heart flutters

When you are near

I’m melting butter

Each time you appear

Come closer to me

So I can see your face

An endless sea

Of beauty in place

Beautiful hair that’s heaven sent

And stunning eyes that stop my heart

Knowing now what the ‘others’ meant

Truly sets your uniqueness apart

I pinch myself am I awake

Or maybe you are just a dream

Feeling you makes my insides ache

Perhaps it’s somewhere in between…

-aaa ❤️‍🔥

Narcissist

N agging

A mbivelant

R eve he

C old hearted

I nnocent of everything, in their mind 

S iren luring you into the rocks

S ullen

I gnonymous

S anctimonious 

T yrannical 

-AAA 08/20/2024

Job Well Done

A task is assigned 

So you get to work 

Everything entwined

As challenges lurk.

Ideas flow out 

Of your busy mind

They are all about

To become refined.

So you jot them down 

Organizing thoughts

As you go to town 

Creatively wrought.

Don’t mince any words

Your mind takes over 

Nothing looks absurd

Don’t run for cover.

All comes together

Faster than it seems

Light as a feather 

Almost like your dreams.

Then the finish line 

Is within your sight

It’s all going fine

Dark tunnels, yield light.

No need to meddle

Or shuffle your feet

Tap the brake pedal

The project’s complete…

-AAA 08/20/2024

QOTD: #155

What motivates you?

There are many things that move me in this life.

Love

Love moves me to do anything and everything for all I care for and even strangers. I’m an altruistic, empathetic soul, to the core.

Music

Music is truly everything to me. I love listing to it, playing it, and seeing it live. I love many forms and always have something playing in the background.

Literature

I love reading as much as I do writing. It provides: knowledge, and escape, answers, and adventure. I love many forms of literature in fiction.

Art

I love art in many forms: painting, architecture, theatre, music (see above), sculpture, and of course writing. I love most forms of art from classical to art nouveau.

Nature

The beauty in nature always amazes and touches my heart. All living things and just being outside really helps recharge my batteries.

As always thank you for reading…

-aaa