One Minute Ramble: Being…

…that’s all!

Not thinking, writing, doing (well… much, anyway!)

Just being…

And feeling good for it!

Enjoying the moment, loving the view, simply kicking back with nothing to do…

It’s a rap!

Here I was, happily replying to comments when I came across one from my extremely good, and gracious, friend The Laughing Housewife, AKA Tilly Bud. A present? For me? I thought. Tilly did mention that it was my birthday, which I’d almost forgotten. I’d have gotten away with it too …

Sorry… I’ve still got the mysteries on my mind.

As soon as I read Tilly’s comment I dropped everything and flew over to her blog quicker than a click of a mouse button. It’s amazing how quickly you can travel to different countries in Blogland… however Tilly only lives down the road, but I still got there just as quick. Tilly’s excellent present was a nonsense birthday poem, set to a rapping rhythm.

Now, it may come as a surprise to find that I’m not much of a rapper. I’m not much of a singer either, come to think of it, but I sing better than I rap. I think. I haven’t actually tried to rap, and now maybe a little too old to start.

But, Tilly has been very kind and provided instructions for her rap, as to how to sing it, and the reason each part is so different from the others is because it reflects the fluid and subtle changes that occur in my blog from time to time…

Here followeth the instructions, and theneth the title, and finallyeth the rap:

• Read it out loud to a rapping rhythm
• Take a breath after the first stanza, to allow for the change in rhythm
• Rush through ‘dotwordpress’ on the last line, or it won’t sound right.

For You!You!You! you you!

His name is Tom with the prefix ‘Aqua’
Read his blog; you’ll enjoy some laughter
You won’t need gin or wine or vodka

He’s a really nice bloke
And he likes to make a joke
But he also does bespoke

Christmas headers for this Tilly
In return I give this silly
Rhyme from a grateful filly

His name is Aqua with the suffix ‘Tom’
If you’d like to give him a birthday balm
See wellheregoesdotwordpressdotcom

It is only fair that I reply in kind. So, here goes my one (and probably only) time at writing a rap (it’s probably best read whilst holding your fingers and thumbs in the way that rappers do)…

In a one, one, two,
I had to do, do, do,
A rap, yeah
Rap, yeah
I had to do a rap, yeah,
A thank you rap
With beat and tap
And a yeah, yeah here,
And a do do there,
I had to do a rap,
Yeah
Rap yeah
A thank you Tilly Bud rap, yeah
So here it is,
Thanks, yeah
A do, do, do
Thanks, yeah…
Rappin’s bad yeah
Tilly Bud;
Bad, yeah… A do, do, do
Bad’s good, yeah?
A do, do, do
There, there, there…
But thanks, yeah…!
A do, do, do
Thanks
Yeah!

Tilly, I am awfully sorry, and apologise with the most immense apology I can muster. My Inner Rapper has been sent away, hopefully to never return; but thank you for my birthday rappy poem.

The Talent

With a backdrop of flashing lights and special effects
The talent reaches the end of her show
The crowd, all hyped up and hot from dancing
Now know it is time to go.

The encores all over, the lights finally go out
And the door takings show yet another good night.

It’s Illustration Friday time again. These Fridays are coming around fast, aren’t they? Actually, it’s Monday, but last Friday’s (and therefore this week’s) topic is Talent.

Slightly easier than Whisper or Wool, I suppose, but only just. I decided to go with a quick splurge of colour to create a cartoon with the star of the show reaching the end of her crowd pleasing number. You can tell it’s a cartoon by the out-sized hands and awful shoes. No real celebrity would allow themselves to be seen on stage dressed like that either. But cartoon celebrities… they have the amazing talent of being able to do absolutely anything. Even sing in front of a massive explosion.

The Superhero Diaries 2.3: Heroes, Villains and Things in the Middle

From a note inside a Thank You card sent to the Elite Force of Britain:

My Dearest EFB,
I cannot express my thanks and gratitude enough for the recent help you have provided to me and my friends, and, of course, for the wonderful gift of £15,000.00 for my work in creating the new Uniqueorn Structure, which was highly unexpected but graciously received.

Utmost thanks must go to The Diver though, for he helped to rescue my party when my yacht, Mirage, became caught on that sandbank the other week. Although none of us are sure as to how the sandbank suddenly appeared when it wasn’t there a split second earlier, it was handy that The Diver was in the vicinity to rescue us.

We were concerned to see and hear the massive explosion shortly after the rescue, and hoped for The Diver’s safety. Fortunately, we caught the news report later that day, which informed us he was chasing a submarine being used by henchmen of the Octolord, and luckily for everyone, he stopped them.

So, keep up the good work, EFB, and if you ever need another structure creating don’t hesitate to ask!

Kind Regards, and Many Thanks,
Vladimir Mirage

Saturday Simplicité

Saturday. One of my seven favourite days of the week. Quite possibly my favourite day of all, after Friday. And possibly Sunday or Tuesday. I keep changing my mind, not that I’m indecisive or anything, but each day brings with it it’s own possibilities for ways to feel good… and I like feeling good!

I like feeling good on a Saturday. A day off; a day to rest or to do just as I please. Usually, I rest. Sometimes I go shopping, but usually I rest.

Sometimes, when I don’t go shopping, I just lie back and relax. Maybe watch some TV, or snooze. Eat when I feel like, drink when I feel like and sleep when I feel like. Ahh…

No rush.

No fuss.

No mess.

No, ignore the no mess – sometimes there is one, but it’s just left until I have a hectic day, where I have to get it tidied up within five minutes, thinking that I wished I’d done it when I had more time.

I never think about it on a ‘normal’ Saturday though.

Saturday is my day. As simplistic as that.

Sideview’s weekend theme this week is Simplicity, so I went with a really simple post idea.

News of the muse…

A few weeks ago, I was stuck for something to write.

Actually, there’s nothing new there – I’m very often stuck for something to write, but one particular day I wrote about my creative juices not flowing as well as they ‘usually’ do.

Nancy, of Spirit Lights The Way, suggested that I use her Writer’s Desk contest as a prompt, which I promptly did.

I wrote a 99 word piece called A Desk Without A Chair. I posted a link to it on Nancy’s site, but only intended to enter for fun, not to actually enter the competition or anything. I suppose in actually entering my entry I’d actually entered. But, I had entered and that was that.

Until recently.

I’ve only been selected to be one of the final seven finalists! My ghast has never been so flabbered, I don’t mind saying.

The other six entries are actually better than mine, although my Inner Poet is screaming that I add ‘marginally!’ As I wouldn’t want to anger my Inner Poet, I have to comply… but don’t take my word for it. Click HERE to visit Nancy’s post to read all of the entries… and whilst you’re there, select your favourite entry in the little voting box she’s got going on there.

I’ve selected my favourite – and no, before you ask, it wasn’t my own!

February – Already?

If you’ve suddenly noticed that things seem to be a little bit on the blue side around here, please do not adjust your sets! The Ambience Engineers are in, and are pulling out all the stops to try and make this blog as relaxing and restful an experience as possible.

No, that doesn’t mean that the posts will be any more boring, although I can’t say for definite that they won’t be boring any more either. I hope they won’t be, that’s all I can say.

I’m trying to rearrange my links page, which is currently out of order. Sorry if you were featured on there and received most of your visits through my blog, but normal service will be resumed from that part of the site as quickly as humanly possible. And non-humanly possible as well, as I have ghosts and Zombies also working to get this site to have a rather unique feel to it.

I’m planning on trying something completely different with regards to the home page, in as much as using a special page rather than just the latest posts. Just what will be on that page I’m not sure yet, so, at the moment that page – like the links page – is out of order.

Does nothing work around here?

I received a delightful spam message earlier this evening, that began “Have you ever considered about adding a little bit more than just your articles?” and ended “Your content is excellent but with pics and clips, this site could undeniably be one of the most beneficial in its niche. Amazing blog!” I never realised I had a niche. Is that had or was in? I always get niches mixed up. But thank you, spammer, for your words. I’ll bear them in mind.

I may also change the name of the blog this year. It’s been Me! Me! Me me me! since it began, back in 1274. It isn’t ALL about me, but sometimes it is. I want something more catchy. Something zingy with a wow factor to the power of a hundred… something that good. Which is another reason why I hope my posts won’t be boring any more.

One thing I really intend to get stuck into is my 101 things in 1001 days challenge. I’m still doing it… I’m doing it now as I type actually, but I’m quite a bit behind. I still have about a hundred things to find to do for my hundred-and-one things, so that gives a little indicator as to how far behind I am. Sigh. But still, I feel good. There, see, I’m still doing it!

I’ve been trying out various themes, but will stick with this current one. It’s good enough for me, and I like the layout of the pages. I just need to make the widgets down the right-hand side a little more my own, and then maybe I can tone down the blue. Or tone it up. We’ll see. So, I’ll apologise now if suddenly you find yourself looking at a completely different colour to what you were used to a split second ago. It isn’t you, it’s me.

Who says change is frightening? Well, it is, but it needn’t be. It can also be fun; a breath of fresh air; invigorating; a spectacular break from the norm; a different shade of blue… and so on. If you don’t like any of my changes, please let me know and I’ll change them again. Maybe not straight away, but I’ll start to wonder why you don’t like my change, which will then make me look closer at what I’ve changed and ask myself if I REALLY like it. Then, cracks will appear, and I’ll have to change it again anyway. Better still, don’t tell me if you don’t like my changes, and gush about how much you DO like them instead. But not too much, because then I’ll wonder if you really do like them or are just saying so.

Anyhoo, moving on.

It’s February ALREADY. WHERE did January go? (White Rabbits February, by the way.) But never mind all that… Spring is on its way. It was lovely this morning. Dreadful this afternoon, but still lovely this morning – weatherwise. It’s forecast to be dreadful over the weekend as well, but that’s only the weather. The Ambience Engineers will be working wonders on this blog over the weekend so if it is bleak out, it will be nice and comfortable here.

What’s that, Ambience Engineer? You’re all having the weekend off? And you’ve decided to tell me right at this moment after I have just typed all that? Oh, OK then. I’ll have a go at doing it myself.

How hard is it to have a good blog these days anyway?

So, apologies reader and visitor alike. Not that you are alike – you’re all completely different but all welcome! – the changes may not be as quick as I first hoped. It may be blue around here for some time yet. But Valentine’s is on its way.

I think I’ll use that last line as a cliff-hanger.

Happy February! And remember (cue: sinister music) Valentine’s is on its way…