writing

Sunday Scribbling’s prompt – Code

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Who knew code could be a big deal.

Sunday Scribblings  is hosted by Peckapalooza: The Confusing Middle.  This weeks prompt is …

Code

Wow, I didn’t realize until I started taking stock; code has been a huge part of my life, all of my life. I’ll bet you’ll find it has been a large part of your’s too. Count up all the ways if you don’t believe me.

So here we go. Counting the ways.

Area code: my first full time job was telephone operator back in the day before direct dialing. We had to use route codes and area codes to connect you to your favorite aunt in New York city. Direct dialing (or maybe I should say partial direct dialing) did come in soon after I started this job. One or two of us (depending on traffic) would sit at a table with a key pad and when a bee-beep sounded in our headset we would say Number Please. looking for the number they were calling from. We were often tempted to say Rubber Knees. just to see if anyone actually listened.

Banking codes: My second full time job was bank teller, also back in the day. We were on the cusp of computerized bank branches but when I started things still had to be done manually. Accuracy was a big deal and we had to know the codes and get it right, every time. It was good training for future experiences, I’ll tell you that. I did like the job but motherhood (and a move to a different city) cut my working days short.

Invoicing codes: I won’t even try to list all the ways these have affected my life over the years, both from the employee aspect and the consumer aspect. Small print and codes – very important. I shy away from grocery store self check out. I can never find the codes for avacados and green bell peppers.

Computer code: another back in the day story. Back when personal computers were a new thing and you had to be able to write simple code to accomplish anything with it. Luckily, I had a young son who knew more than I did about such things. That, and it wasn’t long before software became a thing. These days – my son writes computer code for a living, I’m grateful for software and Google.

10 Codes – Ambulance: my third paid occupation was in a small town where the unit chief recruited me because of my flexible availability. Ambulance was not on the list of things I might like to be one day. I did get to like code 3 – lights and sirens, especially if I was driving. 10-7 was nice when we could stop for lunch after a long transfer and a hospital drop off or 10-19 going home. I did come to love the job I thought I would hate.

Codes, codes and more codes: my fourth, fifth and sixth occupations all proved to be challenging but rewarding when it came to codes. Post office/retail, printing/manufacturing, and administrative/with client interaction. I’ve enjoy all of my jobs but this sixth one has lasted the longest. Thirteen years and counting. In this electronic age things keep changing and it never gets boring.

Genetic code (DNA): of all the codes, this one has had the greatest impact on my life. Both from without and within. Family dynamics on the outside, and the way I cope with the aftermath of those dynamics on the inside. Hopefully I’m learning to live a more positive and healthy life no matter what my code says.

Code. Who would have thought…

It has definitely made life interesting!

Story Prompt – Fallout

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This is week ten (I think. I missed a few) in the Sunday Scribblings  prompt hosted by Peckapalooza: The Confusing Middle.

I’ve decided to hook these challenges together to make a chapter story. Might as well make something out of it if I can. Besides it helps with inspiration, having a starting place.

The earlier chapters can be found here to bring you up to speed on the whole story.

Carly was in witness protection but her cover was blown and her life threatened.

With her protection team, they were on the run for weeks unsure of the seriousness of the threat, not wanting to take a chance with her life.

Now, Bella (new place new name) is working to settle into a new life.

Here is this week’s installment and challenge.

 

Chapter Eight

Fallout

Bella was frustrated. Two weeks. Two weeks had gone by and she was not one step closer to a cover story she could live with.

The fallout would be catastrophic is she couldn’t get it right. Why was this so hard?

Her house was settled and fully furnished. The office was set up and the appropriate business legalities were all in place. She was stalling. Advertising for clients could happen this minute if she wanted it to. A plausible cover story was the only thing holding her back.

She was experiencing major writer’s block with life threatening implications if she couldn’t figure it out. Maybe that’s why it was such a big issue to begin with. First hand knowledge of what could happen with a slip up was impeding her progress. Not that she had been at fault in her last situation. She hadn’t but she could see how it would take only one innocent comment in the right place to ruin everything.

Truthfully? She was terrified.

How do you live a lie when you never have? This was her biggest fear, as she honestly thought about it, fear that she would forget, tell the truth and her cover would be blown all over again.

This whole thing could have been left in the hands of the authorities hiding her but there was danger of an unidentified leak like last time. No one could live with the possibility of it happening a second time.

Somehow, she had to come up with a story that felt true. True enough that even her new friends would accept it without question. True enough that she wouldn’t stumble in the telling.

Maybe she needed to approach this like a fiction writer creating a story. The emotionally detached perspective may work better for her, it was worth a try. Up to this point nothing else had worked.

Thinking about the many books she’d read it seemed common for parents, young or old, to die in horrific car crashes. Readers readily accepted that scenario. She could handle having her story sounding like that.

Only child seemed to be another common detail. It left the plot with enormous flexibility. Army brat with moves every two years would be useful in solving issues arising out of the “where are you from” question with all it’s pitfalls.

All alone in the world, from no particular place, could serve her well in avoiding dangerous fallout.

Bella could hardly wait for Monday morning to arrive. It was time to launch her new life.

Random thoughts for July 18, 2020

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This is a random thoughts, no books, kind of day. It was good in so many ways.

It started early, to make the hour trip into the city in time to meet up with the rest of our writers group. An impromptu picnic in a beautiful and popular park was the plan. With covid, it’s been a long time since we last met, the first Saturday in February in fact. The extroverts among us couldn’t bear to wait any longer and so, The Picnic.

Usually at an event like this we have pot luck lunches, we bring all sorts of interesting dishes to contribute to the meal.

We behaved well during this social distancing time. Most of us just brought a sandwich and a drink of some sort. Betty, the lady I traveled with, was highly disappointed with the food situation. She likes things to be an event not the ho hum I could do this at home routine.

By the time it was over she had forgotten her thoughts on food and was reliving the good time we had visiting with friends of like mind. Not everyone in our life gets our love for writing. Sometimes we forget and fail to appreciate how much encouragement we gain from time spent with our writer friends. The aftermath of Covid has been a good reminder for us.

We  (Betty and I) don’t see each other all that often even though we live in the same small city, and it was nice to catch up on the drive to and from. When I dropped her off we said our good byes suggesting we should do lunch sometime.

Sometime came sooner than expected. Her coffee mug was left in my car and that had her dropping by to retrieve it.

The forgetting turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

For some reason it felt like a downer when I got home after the day away. I was tired and feeling crummy. Blaming it on the early morning I took a nap that made only a marginal difference. It wasn’t too long after my nap there was a phone call about the neglected and forgotten coffee mug.

Sometimes it pays to go ahead and do things even when desire is not there.

With minimal enthusiasm on my part we went on an adventure to find somewhere interesting to have supper. Neither of us go out for meals all that often so we have no clue about where’s a good place to go.

We tried one new place everyone was talking about but it was take out only. Not what we needed. There was one more place we had both heard about and hoped they had inside seating and no line ups.

The pizza at the golf course’s new restaurant was delicious and the view of the golf greens next to our patio table added to the ambiance.

I think our outlook on life had improved considerably with the experience. We seemed to be in agreement on that.

It was a wonderful day all the way around and now group plans are underway to meet next month too.

**************

Well, there were no new books today but there’s no shortage of reading material with all the offerings we’ve had lately.

I’m almost finished Cold Shot and it’s still a bargain. I think it’s worth the $1.99.

I learned something new with this book. Cold shot is sniper terminology and you have to be good to pull it off. Not sure this will be useful info but it is new.

Cold Shot

In college, Griffin McCray and his three best friends had their lives planned out. Griffin and Luke Gallagher would join the Baltimore PD. Declan Gray would head to the FBI and Parker Mitchell would go on to graduate school as a crime scene analyst. But then Luke vanished before graduation and their world–and friendships–crumbled.

Now Griffin is a park ranger at Gettysburg, having left life as a SWAT-team sniper when a case went bad. The job is mostly quiet–until the day he captures two relic hunters uncovering skeletal remains near Little Round Top. Griffin just wants the case to go away, but charming forensic anthropologist Finley Scott determines that the body is modern–a young social justice lawyer missing since spring–and all evidence points to the work of an expert sniper. When FBI agent Declan Gray takes over the case, past and present collide. Griffin soon realizes he’ll need to confront some of the darkest days of his life if he–and those he cares about–are going to escape a downward spiral of murder that crosses continents.

****************

I may go to a lighter read next. It’s still a bargain too, at $0.99

A January Bride (A Year of Weddings Novella Book 2)

A January Bride

What will happen when novelist Madeleine Houser’s “pen pal” friendship with a lonely widower takes an unexpected turn?

*****************

Sorry I didn’t get any pictures of our day.

I always mean to but get talking and forget.

One of these times…

I’m just happy I managed to find something to say after all.

I hope you had a good day too.

Happy Reading!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Story Prompt – Number

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This is week nine in the Sunday Scribblings  prompt hosted by Peckapalooza: TheConfusing Middle. 

Typically, I use the weekly prompt to write another chapter in the online story I have going. Except for this week. Too many distractions and I’m not ready.

I do have a prompt submission though, having thought about number for a while.

If I had to say the first thing to pop into my head when I heard the word Number it would be I’ve got your number.

Meanings change so fast I wasn’t expecting to find it still means what I think of at the sound of those words. I guess a good definition is worth keeping.

Google says it means –

Search Results

Featured snippet from the web

to understand someone or realize the true purpose of their actions. I’ve got your number – don’t think you can fool me.

******

So hopefully, saying No, I’m not interested in buying the Brooklyn Bridge still means the same thing today too.

I was thinking today’s usage of the phrase would be more like…

“Give me a call sometime”

“Sure, I’ve got your number”

On further thought though, I think both meanings apply today.

“I’ve got your number (1-800-123-4567) and no, I’m not interested in the scam of the week.”

Numbers are a wonderful thing.

Story prompt – Occupation

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This is week eight in the Sunday Scribblings  prompt hosted by Peckapalooza: The Confusing Middle.

I’ve decided to hook these challenges together to make a chapter story. Might as well make something out of it if I can. Besides it helps with inspiration, having a starting place.

The earlier chapters can be found here to bring you up to speed on the whole story.

Carly is in witness protection but her cover has been blown and her life is threatened.

They have been on the run for weeks unsure of the seriousness of the threat, not wanting to take a chance with her life. Things were about to change.

Now, Bella is about to settle into a new life. That’s right. She’s left Carly far behind.

Here is this week’s installment and challenge. I missed a week so it’s only chapter seven.

************

Chapter Seven

Occupation

Bella couldn’t help the pleased smile as she let her gaze roam around the new house. John and his team of US Marshalls had done an excellent job orchestrating a smooth transition for her relocation.

They didn’t waste any time, that was for sure. In fact, her head was still spinning at how quickly it had all come together. And who knew they could come up with such a perfect plan. Her new life couldn’t possibly look any better than this.

The house was situated in a nice but ordinary part of town. It wouldn’t have won a Best-In-Town award yet to her it was beautiful and above average. The previous owners had obviously loved the house they built and the choices they made at every turn were what made it special. Their upkeep was also exceptional. Normally new buyers were planning changes the minute they moved in. Bella couldn’t see anything she wanted or needed to change which was a blessing. Upkeep on a house was not a skill placing high on her list of talents.

Another blessing was the lay-out. Clients needing to visit her house was not an ideal situation but it could work out alright as a last resort. There was a comfortable seating area near the front door. It could be used for a meeting and still protect her privacy if she managed it well.

Her meeting with the Chamber of Commerce was beneficial. They offered a wealth of information that would go a long way toward helping her get her new endeavor off the ground. The monthly luncheon for Chamber members would be a good networking opportunity. Hopefully she would find clients in need of her services among the attendees. If not, they had knowledge of the business community and could provide valuable leads on where to look.

Taking another sip of coffee, she realized her cup was empty. She wasn’t exactly sure how that had happened but it meant it was time to get moving. There was still a lot to do if she wanted to get a good start on Monday morning. Her cupboards were bare and her office computer still needed set up.

Saturday mornings on Main Street looked like fun. All of the shops were open and bustling with people determined to get things done. It was really good to see actually. It’s not ideal shopping at the most popular time of day but seeing the healthy indicator about the business community gave her hope for her future.

It looked like the population has doubled in size compared to the rest of the week. Bella wondered what was going on to bring out this many people.

It didn’t take long to figure out. As she continued down the street looking for a parking space, she spied an open-air Farmer’s Market. Wow, it was huge. Bigger than any she had ever seen before. And crowded. If she thought the shops were busy, they had nothing compared to this.

It was three blocks before she could find a parking spot and hurry back. The market looked even better close up. There was everything one could imagine. The usual – garden produce and fresh meat – but it was all the extra things that caught her eye. Homemade everything. The entrepreneurial spirit was alive and well in this town.

Her job security was looking better all the time. Maybe her favored choice of occupation was going to pay off well, above any of her initial expectations.

Now if her personal life could only do as well. All alone in a new town knowing no one was daunting. On the bright side, working with small business would be more personal that corporate business. She may be able to make friends among her clients.

And then there was shopping. Maybe this Farmer’s Market would be the perfect place to meet new people. She might meet a new client and make a new friend.

The hardest part was going to be remembering to introduce herself as Bella rather than Carly, not to mention remembering her new occupation.

She couldn’t keep herself from smiling as she approached the first booth.

Chapter Six Moon

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This is week seven in the Sunday Scribblings  prompt hosted by Peckapalooza: The Confusing Middle.

I’ve decided to hook these challenges together to make a chapter story. Might as well make something out of it if I can. Besides it helps with inspiration, having a starting place.

The earlier chapters can be found here to bring you up to speed on the whole story.

Carly is in witness protection but her cover has been blown and her life is threatened.

They have been on the run for weeks unsure of the seriousness of the threat, not wanting to take a chance with her life. Things are about to change.

Here is this week’s installment and challenge.

 

Slow but good day.

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It’s been a slow day for book suggestions but it was a good day for blogging suggestions. A fellow blogger always has funny, entertaining, and sometimes, even wise things to say. (I’m kidding, he often has wise things to say.) Today was no exception. It’s his seventh blog anniversary. If you aren’t following him you should be. Check out his birthday blog post, you will be glad you did. Paul, The Captain’s Speech

I took to heart one piece of advice he had in regard to blogging. Say something even when you have nothing. Even if it’s only one line. So that’s what I’m doing.

The usual sources of book suggestions were bare today. On top of that I was busier than usual with my day job. (A pleasant state of affairs.)

I normally spend time browsing Amazon but warm weather was calling me. I had a deadline to clean some flower beds before the tree man comes to remove old stumps. I need them gone so I can replace the less than healthy bushes I cut down last fall.

It was a pleasure working warm but not too hot and 3 1/2 – 4 hours was good for progress.

I’m stiff after all the bending and squatting but I’m happy. Clean looks good and I’ll sleep well tonight, guaranteed.

Well, there you have it. One line turned into more somehow.

Chapter Five Light

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This is week five in the Sunday Scribblings  prompt hosted by Peckapalooza: The Confusing Middle.

I’ve decided to hook these challenges together to make a chapter story. Might as well make something out of it if I can. Besides it helps with inspiration, having a starting place.

The earlier chapters can be found here to bring you up to speed on the whole story.

Carly is in witness protection but her cover has been blown and her life is threatened.

Here is this week’s installment and challenge.

Chapter 5

Light

Maybe there was light at the end of the tunnel. Carly felt encouraged with that thought. It’d been exhausting. Days and weeks filled with constant travelling to stay ahead of discovery by those threatening to do her harm. John, head of her security team, mentioned a meeting at breakfast this morning. He didn’t give any hints, just that it would happen after supper.

That announcement, all by itself, was enough to make her day of travel feel less like torture. It could be bad news but Carly chose to take the high road and expect good news. Why look for trouble until it stares you in the face, was her motto.

It turned out she was right to expect good. John said they were making progress on neutralizing the threat on her life and it was time to start planning her future in hiding. They had a few weeks yet before settling in could happen but it would take at least that long anyway, to plan and execute a new life for her.

John’s opinion was that she should have input this time. Maybe her cover story would be less contrived and there would be a smaller chance of something going wrong. Part of his reasoning also came with the mystery surrounding her discovery. There was no proof yet but it was still possible the information leak was internal in the US Marshall’s office. The future chance for such a thing needed to be eliminated.

John has connections with outside trusted sources needed to build a fool proof and secure identity. The input he needs from Carly is in regard to her life style choice. He’d had time to think about this during the days and hours on the road and was convinced he’d come up with a good plan.

As he shared what he was thinking, Carly’s mind was off and running. She loved what he was visualizing and could totally see it working. She wouldn’t even have to be that great an actress to sell this story to the locals.

His idea was to set up a small home-based business. One that required low overhead and no employees. A service that would be useful no matter where she lived.

Avoiding the curious questions brought on by daily contact with a boss and co-workers, would be an added benefit to such an arrangement. Her clients would have questions too but with limited interactions they wouldn’t feel like they were part of her life and deserved answers.

Carly didn’t have to think too long. She knew instinctively what to pick. Bookkeeping. Small business owners were known for their expertise at whatever service they were providing. They were also known for a certain lack of skill when it came to the financial side of things. Carly could help with that.

Her excitement was boundless. The boredom of the last few weeks only added to her passion. She figured she could start the minute she had internet access and a laptop. There had to be online courses easily available. She’d do whatever it took to be ready to hit the ground running. Her previous business experience wouldn’t hurt and she was good at public relations. It shouldn’t be too hard to get started.

With this plan there was even opportunity for advancement. If she liked it well enough, she could go for her Chartered Accountant degree. That would improve her ability to attract clients and keep her business afloat.

There would be an added bonus with this plan. A safety shield from discovery. Everyone knows accountants and bookkeepers are boring, working with numbers all day. What exciting secrets could they possibly have in their life?

Her heart was suddenly light for the first time in weeks. Maybe there were better days ahead. She could hardly wait to get started.

************

 

Chapter Four Revolt

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This is week four in the Sunday Scribblings  prompt hosted by Peckapalooza: The Confusing Middle. 

I’ve decided to hook these challenges together to make a chapter story. Might as well make something out of it if I can. Besides it helps with inspiration, having a starting place.

The earlier chapters can be found here to bring you up to speed on the whole story.

Here is this weeks installment and challenge.

Chapter 4

Revolt

Carly sighed. Waking up in a different bed every morning had gotten old. Fast.

They’d moved every single day in the last two weeks. Slept in every imaginable accommodation possible. From rustic campsites and cabins to high-end houses and hotels. It seems the US Marshall’s office has a wide network of contacts and options.

As she prepared to meet the day one more time, Carly wondered what surprises were in store for them. She was sure it would be wishful thinking to hope for a final destination.

Her lack of knowledge about progress toward a safe goal should come as no surprise. No one was talking to her… well, except for necessary communication. “What would you like to eat?” “We will be leaving early tomorrow” “Are you OK back there?”

The whole team was hyper vigilant and closed mouthed. If they knew anything they weren’t sharing with her. Which left her wondering… Are they with holding to protect me? Or. Maybe they don’t know anything yet? That was a scary thought.

Not knowing could be good except she had an active imagination. It was possible her imaginings were worse than the truth. At least she trusted her guardians. That’s got to be worth something.

It’s not just information though, they were withholding themselves too. They were polite and considerate but that’s about it. At the beginning of all this Carly expected she would get to know the team protecting her. Not happening. There were three guys and a young woman trading off on guard duty shifts. John seemed to be team lead. Beyond that she barely even knew their names.

A sudden flurry of activity said it’s time to move out. She’d gotten that much figured out at least. They hadn’t had breakfast yet though. That’s new.

As she entered the closed-in garage for loading, there was no surprise in seeing an unfamiliar van. She’d lost track of the number of different vehicles, never mind modes of transportation, used to keep her safe. They were obviously taking this whole threat on her life seriously.

With the high level of danger they seemed to be expecting, the size of their team could be a little scary. Carly would be worried except she knew they had at least one, if not two, other teams travelling with them. They were very good at what they did. She knew they were there but she’d never seen them.  Hopefully the people out to get her were not seeing them either.

Someone had been thinking ahead. Breakfast was waiting for them on the side of the road. They just had to pull over long enough to grab it.  Her empty stomach was grateful.

After a long and exhausting day and Carly’s stomach was starting to rumble with hunger all over again. Hopefully supper would last her a little longer than this mornings take-out had. It was good and all but not a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. She was dreaming of a nice meat and potatoes dish with a side salad and dessert.

The anticipated knock sounded on the door. The designated food procurer was back with meals for the hungry crowd. Noses began to wrinkle. What was that smell?

One of the guys opened his meal and the smell increased ten-fold. What was he eating? Ewww, it looked like something you’d find on the reality TV show Fear Factor. On second thought, maybe it’s better not to know what it is. Her stomach might revolt at the visual a description would bring.

Supper alone in her room was looking better and better all the time. At least her roast beef smelled yummy.

Chapter Three Wrinkle

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This is week three in the Sunday Scribblings  prompt hosted by Peckapalooza: The Confusing Middle. 

I’ve decided to hook these challenges together to make a chapter story. Might as well make something out of it if I can. Besides it helps with inspiration, having a starting place.

Chapter one can be found here and chapter two here.  Reading them first will help today’s installment make more sense but isn’t totally necessary.

I’m enjoying this new adventure, writing fiction, it may even prove to be addictive. If it wasn’t for The Confusing Middle and his challenges I may never have made the first attempt. Thanks!

Here is this weeks installment.

Chapter 3

Wrinkle

 

Carly stood in the doorway of her new room and looked around with a profound sense of relief. She was safe and exhausted. Someone had the foresight to provide the necessities she’d had to leave behind in the mad life saving flight for her life. She was unprepared for the depth of gratitude rising up at the sight of a toothbrush and tooth paste.

They were successful. The promised signal came through and she was able to leave the office as if on an errand. A request for her participation in the company dilemma was never made so it wasn’t as though she was leaving in the middle of a task. It could even be a while before any eyebrows were raised over her absence.

John’s tech support group was awesome. They identified an above ground connection with the next building over. The hallway emptied into a large and crowded food court area where they were able to access an elevator to an underground parking garage. A motorcade of SUVs was waiting for them and after loading, with practiced stealth, they slipped out into traffic.

The SWAT team and local police officers, mobilized as backup, were unable to discover any snipers or other threatening individuals. They had no way to know if the enemy was not yet present or the backup teams were noticed and scared them off.

First things first though. Carly had not eaten since breakfast, many hours ago, and someone had promised food would be arriving shortly. Back in the living room Carly found she was not alone.

Everyone was starved after such a nerve-racking day. Thankfully, John let them eat their fill before announcing debrief.

Carly watched the team interact together. They appeared to be professional and well trained. They seemed to like and respect each other. A cohesive group was a comfort in the face of dangerous situations.

She hasn’t had a chance to get to know anyone but John and even that contact has been slight in recent years. She knew this would change in the days ahead as they took turns protecting her. She was also sure there would be many weeks, maybe even months, before she could be settled into a new secure life. Unless they could figure out who was after her. Sooner rather than later, hopefully.

The first order on John’s debrief agenda was to announce this stay would be short. They would move out first thing in the morning so please be ready.

The touch-downs would be brief in the days ahead. Without the knowledge of who or how, they would need to keep moving to avoid detection. Various modes of transportation would be used and, at times, unconventional places of refuge. Don’t be surprised at anything.

The support team back in the office was working feverishly to figure out who was behind this threat. A separate group was planning an escape route and another was building a new identity.

Once the office involvement was covered everyone wanted to talk about the excitement of the day’s events. Action was not an everyday experience and needed to be relived. A few times. They all added their bit to the conversation.

After a thorough rehashing – they were no further ahead than they were when they started. The day started, and finished, with two pictures and an unsigned threat.

Carly was surprised she slept as well as she did. It was a little rough having to wear the same clothes another day but somehow gratefulness to be alive changed her perspective. Clean could wait awhile.

The team was ready and waiting to move out. It was early, they could travel several hours before stopping for a meal. At least they had hot coffee and doughnuts left from last night to tide them over until then.

They were about to leave when John felt the text notification on his pocket cell phone.

“Hold up a minute guys.”

Well, this adds a new wrinkle to the situation.

John asked for a volunteer. Someone would need to go out and bring back breakfast for the crew. There would be no leaving until they re-evaluated and maybe changed the escape plan.

It was too early to share details of the new information with the team. He needed time first to figure out what it all meant.

***************

Hope you had fun.