100 Words – Cardiologist

Six hours ago my doctor first used the word cardiologist. Thoughts of denial jumped to mind. I quickly took inventory of family members with heart problems. My imagination ran off in every direction at once. From I'm going to die to maybe the doctor is an idiot. Then my slavery to logic interrupted. I feel fine. I have no symptoms. Yeah, that didn't last. Panic rules all. Suddenly sorry for not reading all those articles with title phrases like "silent heart attack" and "common foods that can kill you." The next day the cardiologist explained the not-to-worry about minor problem. #100words

The post 100 Words – Cardiologist appeared first on Tom Flanders World.

100 Words – Crossroads

I sat waiting for midnight at the crossroads. People came and went knowing better than to look me in the eye. They've heard the myths about me. The new myths, the modern myths woven from ignorance and fear. The old truth lost in time. She arrived, right on time, head held high looking me right in the eyes. Proving Papa wrong. I pointed to the road from which she came. I told her that road was comfort. To the left, contentment. Behind me, boredom. To the right, danger. Without hesitation she chose the road to danger. She will be rewarded.

The post 100 Words – Crossroads appeared first on Tom Flanders World.

Tom Week – Detours

Medical Detours and Adventures

2/8/19

We are official Floridians. Thank you Janet. We all have our new IDs. The RV has a new title and tags. We're registered to vote. Yee Hah! Unfortunately, Abbie was barking and running after a dog and she hurt her leg. It's looking a little better this evening but we may going to see the vet tomorrow.

2/9/19

No sleep last night. Random acid reflux. Usually this only lasts a couple hours before fading, but last night it lasted all night. The new lights arrived today. No more wandering around with flashlights.

2/10/19

Slept much last night. Only woke for a while cause Tonya was having a conversation with someone who wasn't there. Abbie got me up at eight for food and a walk, but went back to bed for a couple more hours. I installed the new ceiling lights today. They are SO bright! We went to a seafood place for supper. The waitress brought Pat and Tonya the kid's portions and it was still way much food.

2/11/19

Great touristy bike ride today. Lot's of funky pictures. Then it was laundry time. My weight is down to 189. Yee Hah! That's 76 pounds gone so far.

2/12/19

Good news: Abigail won't need surgery for her leg. More good news: New diabetes meds are working. Bad news: There was something odd about my EKG so I have to see a cardiologist.

2/13/19

Up at 6AM to get to Jacksonville for Tonya's 9:30 Social Security appointment. Some traffic but we still got there early. Surprisingly we were done before 9:30. Amazing. Lazy afternoon. Some of us took naps.

2/14/19

Visited the cardiologist today. It seems that I'm going to be OK. One the what the doctor called fibers is misfiring. There are many things that can cause this. Most likely an imbalance of electrolytes, which may be caused by my blood sugar issues. So no more tests needed and I don't have to go back for a year. And no, I'm not unaware of the irony of going to the heart doctor on Valentine's day.

PIX

[caption id="attachment_3833" align="alignleft" width="300"] How many plots have been plotted in this old building?[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3834" align="alignright" width="300"] My bike seat has been pollinated.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3835" align="alignleft" width="300"] I appear to have cycled into an Italian neo-realist Roadrunner cartoon.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3836" align="alignright" width="300"] Up close, this is one sad old bull.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3837" align="alignleft" width="300"] If you need bike insurance you're double out of luck.[/caption]

The post Tom Week – Detours appeared first on Tom Flanders World.

100 Words – Old Bar

I went to meet you at the old bar. I got stuck under a street lamp, watching the neon pulse down the alley. Then I saw you in the window drinking Rolling Rock and laughing. Then I was there with you only you were young and I was old. I wanted to kiss you, but you wanted to go see the band. They were wild, hiding fear behind noise. You were right. They don't yet see the glory they will obtain. We danced and I became young and awkward again. Watching you glow and move. I wanted to touch you.

The post 100 Words – Old Bar appeared first on Tom Flanders World.

Short Story – Camping Karaoke

Camping Karaoke

The sunset on the lake made me sad. Another day and no alligators spotted. What's the use of camping next to a swampy Florida lake if there aren't any alligators? Music from the bar up the road tempted me out. My friends' arguments about how drinking in bars isn't part of camping did nothing to deter me. I left them to their smokey, burnt marshmallow sharing of tales of their decades-gone glory school days. The road back to the highway was starlit and noisy. The insects and frogs seemed to be in tune with the twangy guitars ahead. It was one of those weird moments when I knew I was supposed to be afraid of the deep dark woods, but I wasn't. Too much noise and vision for that. The roadhouse was across a four lane highway that wasn't all that busy but the cars came fast out of the growing dark. They didn't all have their headlights on yet. It took a while for enough of a break to sprint to the medium. On the medium the fear hit. I was surrounded by speeding cars who had no expectation of a person being here. I could almost hear the thump of my body bouncing off a hood. Finally there was a break and I made it to the dirt parking lot. Oddly, the music seemed no louder as I got closer. That changed when I opened the door. The music blared with all possible noise then stopped. It wasn't for my presence, just the end of the song. Or maybe it was me. By the time I made my way to the nearest bar stool I noticed that I was the only man in the place. I had wandered into that rarest of rare bar experiences, the Lesbian Country Music Karaoke night. Surprisingly, nobody seemed to be bothered by my presence, so I took the same attitude. I successfully ordered, payed for and drank a beer. Listened to some loud off-key drunken sing-sobbing. Had another beer and realized that I was having a good time. Didn't know any of the songs being sung, but so what. Then it happened. This tiny little woman came up to me and said that I had to do the male part of the song she wanted to sing. I told her I didn't know the song and she said, "That's why they have the words on the screen you dumb breeder." I looked around for support but found none. So I followed the little woman up to the stage. The woman in charge set up a second microphone and pointed out the back-up singer's monitor. I didn't know such a thing existed. The music began and the little woman sang, badly. I'm talking raccoon in heat bad. Then words appeared on my screen. I more spoke them than sang them. I sounded like William Shatner on an off night. The lyrics were somewhere short of Dick and Jane on downers. It was hard not to laugh. The song ended and the audience clapped. The bartender came up to the stage and dragged me out the front door. She gave me a shove and said, "OK, we're done with ya." She shut the door and I heard it lock. I was halfway across the scary though now mostly empty highway when I realized that there was no music. Apparently nobody wanted to follow our train wreck of a duet. Back at the campground everyone was already tucked in. I sat watching the dark lake, trying to figure out what I had done to earn the karmic punishment of that bar. Then my mind wandered off into the universe trying to figure out everything else. At some point it got very cold but I didn't notice. Then the sun came up. It was beautiful. I wished for the next adventure and climbed into my sleeping bag.  

note:

Comments and critiques are welcome. Please be cruel but not abusive.

The post Short Story – Camping Karaoke appeared first on Tom Flanders World.

100 Words – Shotgun Tire Change

Did you ever have the feeling you were being watched, only instead of being watched there was a shotgun pointed at your head? I parked the truck kind of behind a big tree. Across the dirt lot was a two story house with a maze of gates and fences defending it from intruders. After a few steps the upstairs window opened followed by a man appearing at the front door. Surprisingly, the man was very friendly and after he agreed to sell me a used tire to replace my flat the upstairs window shut. I love it here in Florida.

The post 100 Words – Shotgun Tire Change appeared first on Tom Flanders World.