My Cardboard Balcony

Mulling the Future Over Dinner by Belinda Roddie Mashed potatoes, avocado, cayenne pepper on my lips, love stains on my fingertips. Winter winds are few and slight. Apple cider, sparkling red wine, bubbles dancing in my throat. Think I'll build a tiny boat so I can sail the world tonight. She drinks soup and rum together. He'll only touch jasmine rice, sugar, spice, and everything nice, argue 'til you know he's right. I just eat my avocado, garlic salt sprinkling my tongue. There's enough for everyone to get fat on before they fight.

There was a faint glimmer of moonlight painting the horizon, and I took that as a sign that we should slow down our walk and find a place to settle. We pitched the tent to the growing sound of crickets, like thousands of violin bows squeaking against stone in the night. As I set about opening cans of rations, I watched as my wife strolled toward an outcropping of rock, singing an impromptu tune between sips of canteen water.

No OneWord update today. We'll see what Groundhog Day brings! Happy February!

by Belinda Roddie "Chocolate chip cookies are not a toy." "Sure they are. They can be." "No, they can't. It's a sin. A sin, I tell you!" "Aaron, these cookies are burnt. Like, super burnt. So why not dress up as ninjas and throw some overcooked dough shurikens?" "You are unbelievable." "You didn't let me dress up as a ninja for Halloween. I may as well do it now." "I didn't let you dress up because the party was at my mom's place." "She would've loved my costume!" "No, you would've attacked the family dog with nunchucks and sent my father chasing after you with a fire extinguisher after sneaking up on him with a fake katana. I know you too well." "Why would he chase me with a fire extinguisher?" "Because we have a fire extinguisher at our house? John, my hometown is super fucking dry. There are wildfires all the ti...

Doctor Manscroft: It is Essential - with a capital E - that you report to the lab tonight, at eight o'clock on the dot, to meet with the chief inspector. She is not entirely thrilled with the level of experimentation that you have partaken in during the past six months. The amount of risk she sees from such developments, you will have to hear from her directly. Do not be late. - Professor Budwas

A few weeks ago, I mentioned how I was going to start doing a lot more with myself to progress in my careers and my passions. I mentioned book blurbing, teaching, seeking a secondary job, writing, reading, the works. I was very determined to put things into action, and for a while, I did, improving my productivity while reducing a lot of my anxiety. This week - and it's more a weird feeling than a bad one - everything's just sort of...slowed down. A couple of times, when asked how my life's been, I've confessed that I don't have much to talk about. True, that can be a good thing - no news is better than bad news. But as a part of my personality, I revel in being able to tell new stories and explore new ideas. When I mentioned how tired I was last introspection, I wasn't kidding - I had done a lot physically and mentally. Hell, since December, I've put myself into an exercise regimen and have already started toning up. I actually have some biceps now! T...

Dibs by Belinda Roddie "The world is mine!" he screamed. "Nope. Mine," she replied.