Category Archives: procrastinate

The Phoenix and the Pineapple

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Greetings, Fluffsters! It has been too long since I’ve written a post.

You could have written yesterday’s…

You got there first. Besides, I like to keep my changes subtle. Like the change I did to- oh, right. I shouldn’t be telling you.

Change? What change? Where?

Oh, nothing… Pretend I didn’t say anything.

What did you change?

You don’t honestly think I’m going to tell you, do you?

Gah! Excuse me, Fluffsters. I’m going to try to track down Fluffy’s change…

 

Huh, that was effective.

Now, while she’s off on her wild goose chase, I’m going to tell you a story.

The Phoenix and the Pineapple

Once, a long time ago, one the Phoenixem had recently been reborn from the flames. It was a young phoenix, and had only celebrated its rebirth five times previously.

Now, each phoenix gains time between its rebirths. In fact, it may go up to as many months without a rebirth as it has had rebirths. So a new phoenix would burn into a new egg within a month. A Second Generating phoenix could wait up to two months. Of course, if something happened to it, it would instantly go up in flames into another egg. But no phoenix could enjoy its current generation for longer. The memories would survive each birth, and the personality would remain the same.

This young phoenix, as mentioned previously, just celebrated its fifth rebirth. It had lived, therefore, for nearly ten months. That of course is very young for a phoenix.

Within two days after its rebirth, the young phoenix decided to explore.

On wings of flame, it shot towards the skies- a comet in the clouds. Everyone who saw it watched with delight. There were only a few of the Phoenixem in existence. To watch one fly was said to bring Luck- both good and bad, for all magics were attracted to the Phoenixem – but the observers cared not. The spectacular beauty outweighed any potential negative effects.

That very day, a single seed fell in the spot of the Phoenix’s rebirth. The magics in the area sparked it to life, and out of the ground grew a slim pineapple plant. The plant absorbed the magics of the Phoenix, and glowed with an inner beauty. Rumors of this pineapple flew on the winds. Soon all had heard of it. Rumors abounded. Some claimed it would bring the dead back to life. Others claimed it would spontaneously combust. Before long, a crowd gathered around the plant. Half wanted to pluck the fruit and taste it; the other half were ready to defend it.

Finally, someone thought of the phoenix.

“It is a portent!” the villager said. “The Phoenix flew overhead, and the tree appeared! The Phoenix has not forgotten us; it left this in its place, to attract the magics!”

The villager was, of course, wrong. The Phoenix was young, and so had not intentionally drawn anything near its nesting ground. But none of the other members of the mob knew this.

“We must let it stand!” another villager said. “Eventually, it will ripen and fall on its own. Once that happens, we will see what it brings!”

And the villagers agreed. Although many still desired to pick it, they realized the folly of harvesting magic prematurely. And so they let the plant stand, and posted an honor guard, night and day, to watch the plant.

This lasted for 76 days.

On the 77th day, the Phoenix returned to its roost.

It came again on wings of flame, and the guards scattered. Although the phoenixem are peaceful, they may unintentionally harm others, for their flame is fierce.

When the phoenix returned to its roost, it noticed the plant with surprise and delight. It compared itself to the plant, and saw the inner glow. Slowly, the phoenix crept closer to the plant, still very curious.

It tilted its head around, to examine the plant better. It then finally understood. Despite the fact that it was glowing, the fruit was a pineapple!

A phoenix with its head nearly upside down

The phoenix tilted its head. It finally recognized the pineapple!

In the phoenix’s time abroad, it had come across the exquisite fruit multiple times before. It had developed quite the taste for them.

Without thinking about it further, the phoenix clawed the fruit open, and took a bite.

Delicious. The fruit was hot, sweet, and everything the phoenix looked for in a pineapple.

As soon as it removed he last vestiges of the fruit from the plant, to the phoenix’s surprise, the tree spontaneously combusted. In its place, a new seedling arose.

The phoenix smiled in delight, as only a bird can. The seed had gained some of the same magic of the Phoenixem! The fruit would regenerate!

And so the phoenix lived happily ever after with its fiery fruit.

The end.

Happy Tuesday, Fluffsters! Fare thee well, and I hope you have a marvelous day.

June 2

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Dear Fluffsters,

Did you know that on June 2, it rained? It also (probably) snowed. And maybe hailed, and thunderstormed, and was the sunniest, most disgusting day of the year so far. Probably not in the same place, though. Maybe not even in the same year.

But I digress.

June 2. 6/2 There’s got to be something specific about June 2… Fluffy? Any thoughts?

6/2, you say? Well, 6/2 = 3. No matter what base of mathematics you’re working in. After all, you need to get into a second digit to really play with bases. But I’m not sure how that relates to the date.

Ooh, I do! That means-

-Oh shoot. I shouldn’t have said that… Here we go.

-That that 6/2 = 3. Always. So June 2 equals 3. Which means that either June 2 is the third day of the year, the third day of the week, the third week of the month, or can simply be represented as the number “3”.

What? No! Ok. So what about September 3? Or December 4? Or even March 1? Those are 9/3=3, 12/4=3, and 3/1=3.

You know, you’re right. I hadn’t thought about that.

 

That must mean- that means-

I GOT IT!

They’re all THE SAME DAY!

I’m going to need to start recording things. Because if March 1 = June 2 = September 3 = December 4, that could have catastrophic influences!

…That haven’t happened yet? How do you figure?

…I’m working on that.

Anywho, happy Sunday! I hope you have a great week.

Boring Things I’m Calling Comfortable (6/6): Finishing

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Hello, Fluffsters! With this post, I’m DONE WITH THIS CHALLENGE! BWAHAHAHA!

Because of that, I’m turning “finishing” into my boring thing I’m writing about as comforting.

The Comfort of Finishing

It’s seriously a comfort to be done with finishing stuff. Seriously. And this week, I’ve finished (or will have finished) a lot of things. I got a lot of paperwork turned in so that I’ll be making money this summer (yay!), I’m going to be finishing a class in literature, I’ve just finished a paper, and all sorts of other things.

Those are now no longer hanging over my head, and have freed me up to think of random questions! And other topics!

So, I do have a question. What would a bird bath for Phoenixes look like? Would it still be water? Or burning oil?

Also, if there are emergency defibrillators, are there normal defibrillators? And do defibrillators remove all deceptions, or just minor ones?

You lost me on that one.

Well, a fib is a small lie. So a deFIBrillator would be something that removes fibs, right? But what about larger lies? Does that require a heavier duty delierillator? (Would a Delyrerelator get rid of stringed musical instruments?)

Any thoughts, Fluffsters?

Anyways. I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Happy Friday!

Comfortable Scenes

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Something that I enjoy doing is going back through old pictures. And I found one of a subject that makes me really comfortable: Lovely scenes at sunset. So today’s post is short, but here’s a pretty picture I took, that I like. Or 4. You know.

bright orange sunset with a few sparse trees

a bright orange sunset with a few sparse trees

A vivid sunset with the sun peaking through a few trees

The sun peaking through is pretty

Some white trees against a pretty sunset.

Pretty sunset and white trees.

A pretty landscape with trees and a vividly stunning sunset

A pretty landscape with trees and a sunset

Comfortable Places to Read

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Hello, Fluffsters!

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a fan of fantasy. I really like reading. One of the hard things, though, is finding a good place to read. That’s really hard!

You can come up with questions about muffin flavored shrimp, but finding a place to read is hard?

We all have our strengths and weaknesses.

But as I was saying. It’s sometimes hard to find a good place to read. But I have my own preferences. And they fall into two main categories.

What, places that fall into a nice category, and those that don’t?

Oh, hush. Anyways.

Places to read.

inside

If I’m reading inside, it needs to be a squishy place. A couch chair with arms may be optimal. But sometimes on my bed is another good place. Basically, as long as I can lean back, and not need to exercise my arm muscles in order to read, I’m happy. In other words, lounging is best.

Outside

I’m a lot pickier for outside reading. A good location must fit several criteria.

First, it can’t be too populated. Actually, this sort of goes for any reading spot. But yeah.

Second, it needs to not be messy. I can’t be really comfortable if I know that I’m ruining a set of clothing, and might need to take a shower just because of reading.

Third, it can’t be too hot or cold. Or wet. After all, you really can’t read a book in the rain. (At least, not very well.) So, yeah.

So, these are the criteria for my reading spots! How about you, Fluffsters? What makes a comfy reading spot for you?

Comfort in a Storm

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Greetings, Readers! Or Fluffsters, as I guess we are calling you now.

Yes!!! I’ve gotten something to stick!!

Maybe that’s why you’re called “webmaster”?

But I digress.

Since this blog is supposed to be talking about Comfort for each day, and today I’m filling in.

Today’s topic of comfort is both night-time rituals, and storminess. Where I’m from, some magicians have special affinities. One family of wizards in particular has gone down in history: The Storm Mages. I don’t know if they really existed or not, but their story has been preserved in some of the plays we did.

One of the scenes involved a dramatic face off between them and all their enemies! There’s a really tender moment, because the heroes have just had their first child. And just a couple days later, the other wizards gathered to try to fight. And so the family must raise a storm for defenses. As the storm is being raised, the mother sings to the new child the Stormbringer’s Song. It’s really haunting, when sung well!

Here’s a segment of:

The Stormbringer’s Song

Oh lay down my child in the wings of the night
And pay thee no heed to the storm.
Although there are enemies coming to fight
You’ll stay in this bed safe and warm.

The thunder will lull you to sleep, oh my Dear,
For it is designed to protect,
As I have designed to stave off all fear,
For it will all evil deflect.

Oh lay down my child in the wings of the night
And pay thee no heed to the storm.
Although there are enemies coming to fight
You’ll stay in this bed safe and warm.

The rain and the hail will not harm thee, my child,
As long as thou art in this bed.
The water will keep out the things that are wild,
So safe in these walls, rest thy head.

Oh lay down my child in the wings of the night
And pay thee no heed to the storm.
Although there are enemies coming to fight
You’ll stay in this squall safe and warm.

And then, of course, because my family grew up knowing this one, my mother would sing this one to us when a fierce storm was out there. It’s sort of comforting thinking that the storm is necessary for protection, and living with the notion that it’s harmless to you. That fantasy is fairly comforting.

Anyways, Fluffsters, happy Friday! What do you do to gain comfort in a storm?

Comforting Foods (NaBloPoMo 6)

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Hello again, Fluffsters! Happy Monday!

Now, I understand that Mondays can be a trying time. But we can get through this… together!

Brassicae, now you’re just sounding like one of those cheesy shows our competitors put on!

Uh… Well, I haven’t seen any of your competitors’ shows. So I don’t know how to respond.

But anyways. As I was saying. Mondays can be trying, but there are some things we can do that bring us comfort.

Oh, so that was just a way of reminding everyone of the challenge you’re trying to do for a month, then?

You got it! And today’s question is:

What is your biggest comfort food? Share the recipe if you have one.

So, I’m not entirely sure how to take that. There are two ways, really. Is the question about Big as in Size? Or Big as in most emotionally Impactful?

Is “impactful” even a word?

…That doesn’t really matter. And it is now.

That doesn’t answer my question though.

So go with both.

Oh. Right.

In that case.

Biggest Size Comfort Food

Mom’s Hamburger Stroganoff. Or her Chicken Noodle Soup. Definitely. I could eat a huge serving of either of those and still want more. I unfortunately don’t have the recipe immediately available, but they’re really comforting for me.

I’ve always loved her chicken soup. It’s just a taste of home, and something she would try to make when we were sick to make us feel better. And then we’d have chicken salad the next day for lunch, with fresh chicken. That was always amazing. Especially with grapes. Or maybe apples.

And the stroganoff? That actually has a bit of a funny story behind it… For a while, my parents were trying to do the “low carb” diet. I sort of objected, since I loved pasta. (I still do, actually.) But we sometimes went to potlucks. And the stroganoff is a fairly easy dish, and the best part is that it calls for noodles. (Egg noodles especially.) Sometimes for dinners at home, Mom would make a stroganoff casserole that was pretty good, but it didn’t have pasta. And so that was never as much a favorite for me. But when she made stroganoff for the potlucks, she would always make the egg noodles to go with. Because of that, I really loved the stroganoff. It’s also just really good. I mean, really. Ground beef, sour cream, mushrooms, and onions? How can you go wrong with that?

Biggest Emotional Comfort Food

That is so much harder. I’m a fan of many chocolate desserts. I’ve already posted the recipe for my variation on chocolate chip cookies, which I love. But cheddar cheese and apples are another one. There’s something just really comforting about having that for a snack. Or anything dark chocolate. Nuts, dark chocolate M&Ms, and raisins combine to form a great trail mix. And my flourless chocolate cakes are also very good! If I do say so myself. Oh, and most Mexican food. Or any food that involves HUGE amounts of melted Cheddar. (Except cheeseburgers. I do not like those.)

So in other words, I’m not at all sure about the second category.

So, Fluffsters, what’s your favorite comfort food?

Favorite family stories (NaBloPoMo 5)

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Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone!

In continuation with the BlogHer “write-for-a-month” challenge, I’m going to tell you about another thing I find comfortable.

My Dad is a story-teller. It runs in the family. And there are some stories that we love to hear him tell time after time. It doesn’t matter that we’ve heard them a bajillion times before. It just matters that he’s telling that story. And so, without further ado, I present a retelling of:

The Real Story Behind the May 5 holiday

A long time ago, when Spain was still colonizing the New World, Mexican used to have sandwiches for lunch, every day. They would have turkey sandwiches, ham sandwiches, chicken sandwiches; you name it. If it had meat, they would make a delicious sandwich out of it.

What made these sandwiches so delicious, however, was the wondrous white substance that would be shipped over from the motherland. It was a marvelous substance, that successfully moistened the bread and provided extra flavor. No sandwich was complete without it. One of the wondrous things about the substance was its lasting abilities; it would never go bad. As long as it was in the jar, it was useable.

So the colonists would receive a shipment every year, with enough to last them for a year. And so, every year on 5/5, the yearly shipment would arrive. This day was a celebration amongst the colonists, for frequently they would barely miscalculate, and they would not have perfect sandwiches for the first five days of May.

And then one year, disaster struck. Again on May 5, the citizens were gathered to welcome the shipment. They spied the ship. And there was great rejoicing.

But then, to their utmost dismay, they watched as the ship spontaneously combusted. Somehow, someone had sabotaged their ship. With utmost horror, the citizens watched as the ship, and all its supplies, fell to the bottom of the sea, where the load would forever be irretrievable.

But all was not lost. The colonists learned to make due without sandwiches. And in time, they even looked back on that event with fondness, and created a holiday. And from that day on, a celebration occurred on May 5, to celebrate the sink-o’ de mayo.

 

…Really?

One of your favorite stories is based on a pun?

Yup!

Anyways, happy Sunday! I hope you have a wonderful week.

My Most Comfortable Movie: Star Wars

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Hello, Fluffsters! Mind if I call you that? Anyways. Happy Star Wars Day!

“Star Wars Day”?

And what happened to the NaBloPoMo thing you were doing?

Yes, Star Wars Day. “May the 4th be with you.”

…Seriously? A day is devoted to a mispronunciation?

I think we use the term “word play.”

And yes, I’m still doing the blogHer thing. And here’s why this topic is relevant.

Star Wars as Tradition

When I was young, my Mom & Dad declared Sunday Afternoons to be the time they would take a nap, and my older sister and I would be quiet. That often meant playing outside or watching a movie. More frequently the latter, sometimes both.

So we would get back from lunch after church, Mom & Dad would go to take a nap, and my sister and I would a video.

I don’t quite remember how we decided what movie to watch, but I feel like I probably got my choice movie accepted more often than she did.

Anywho. My favorite movies were Star Wars, and Return of the Jedi. Especially Return of the Jedi. Seriously, I loved that movie and made my sister watch it so often. I think she can still quote the movie. Like, the entire movie. From start to finish. With only a word or two missing.

Even now, there’s something so comfortable about watching Star Wars on a Sunday afternoon.

So as you can see, both the theme of the month and Star Wars Day go together quite nicely. It would be perfect if this were a Sunday and my sister was here. But this still works.

So how about you, Fluffsters? Do you have any favorite movies? Favorite stories about Star Wars? Or anything you’d like to share?

Five uses for blankets

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Hello, everyone! Happy Friday! How has your week gone?

Anywho, as you probably recall, I’m participating in a Blogher Month-long challenge. And apparently Fluffy wasn’t being overly honest yesterday when she claimed I was “sleep-typing”. I thought that didn’t make sense!

I didn’t expect you to actually believe it.

Hmpf. Anyways, it’s the Third of May. And I’m participating in the challenge. So that means that it’s time for the prompt:

Which would you rather have: a super-soft pillow or a warm, fuzzy blanket?

Oh. That’s really easy. The Blanket, without even a shadow of doubt.

Uh, that was emphatic. Why? I’d probably have gone for the pillow. They’re so squishable!

Because, Webmaster dear, blankets essentially are pillows. They’re just waiting to happen.

…What? That made, like, no sense.

Oh. Sorry. You can use a blanket in a lot more ways than a pillow. Does that make more sense?

I suppose, but I’m still not buying it.

No, seriously. Blankets are basically just like pillows, only better.

What? You don’t have any proof of that.

Sure I do. Here are:

Five ways blankets are better than pillows.

1) Soft covering for going to sleep. Pillows can’t do that.

Sure they can! Haven’t you seen full-sized body pillows? Those things are amazing!

They still don’t cover you as well as blankets. And they’re usually not as fuzzy.

…Ok, maybe.

Thankyou. Moving on…

2) Props for children of actors. There’s nothing like a fluffy blanket to imitate a cloak of invisibility.

And it keeps them out of trouble. After all, you can’t do anything naughty or your cloak of invisibility gets taken away.

That, Fluffy, sounds like the voice of experience talking…

My blanket only got taken away once. But anyways, pillows can’t be cloaks of invisibility. I’ve tried.

3) Protection from the elements. It’s much more flexible than a pillow, and it makes a lot more sense to place a protection spell on something that is more flexible.

Wait a second. What elements are you referring to?

Fire, water, and earth, primarily. For some reason, because blankets like to flap in the wind they aren’t as effective against the air. It can still be done, but it also doesn’t look as impressive. Why do you ask?

…You come from such a different world from mine. We think of the elements very differently. And there isn’t magic to worry about.

Oh. That must be sorrowful for you.

But I digress.

4) Using as a rope. All you need to do is twist it up, and tie it. Voila, instant rope.

5) As a pillow.

Ok, now that is definitely something that a pillow can do better.

No. A pillow comes predefined as to how fluffy it is. And it’s big and bulky. A blanket can be turned into a pillow, just by filling it with other fuzzy blankets and rolling them up together.

And that, dear Webmaster, is why blankets are superior to pillows. Anything you can do with a pillow, you can do with a blanket. Because blankets are just larger, easier to manage, unformed-pillows.

…Maybe. I still think I’d take a super soft pillow. Depending on the circumstance.

And I think you’re just arguing for the sake of arguing.

And you’re not?

Anyways, have a great weekend, everyone! I hope to see you tomorrow.