My Cardboard Balcony

by Belinda Roddie In this corner of the universe, puppies can fly. They don't have wings, but the more they pant, the higher elevation they can achieve. Sometimes, a cold, dreary morning in the southern regions of the planet Harte, it can be uplifting to see these cruising canines as they glide in the autumn-esque air, tongues lolling out and fluffy ears flapping. It's like an aerial show of adorableness. The biggest issue, of course, is when their droppings end up on the windshield of your car. However, your car in this corner of the universe is now equipped with a personal android cleaner, so you'll only have to hear cursing in binary as it scrubs off the mess. This week's prompt was provided by Arden Roddie.

Well, then. I just finished teaching my first full year of English 10 and Yearbook at my high school. I completed my very first yearbook, which received positive reviews. I will be seeing off my senior students at their graduation tomorrow. Then I will be working as an English teacher at the district's summer school, collaborating with some former students and other students so they can make up flunked classes. I will be twenty-nine years old in thirteen days. My cousin's wedding is on July 8th. My sister's bridal shower is on July 14th. I will be returning to Yearbook camp on July 16th. Then I will be going to Seattle for my other cousin's wedding on August 4th. And after that? A new year begins. Life just keeps moving forward, doesn't it? Have a great night and a great weekend, everyone.

Hey, It's More Money by Belinda Roddie School's out for summer. Until summer school. I'll be working.

We were now waiting for the reveal, and trust me when I say that she. Kept. Us. Waiting. Oh, my goodness , did she expect us to be patient. We were all sitting around the tiny, cramped dressing room, our feet bouncing up and down and our tongues fluttering around our dry lips. It was warm and uncomfortable, and I just wanted to see the damn dress. "Leila, c'mon!" I barked. "I don't even think your bride's gonna wait this long for you!"

I Did The Best by Belinda Roddie I did the best I could - or at least, I thought I did. I slaved over this project, built each page with the photographs from my camera and the smatterings of black text that I created from my keyboard. This was not a perfect product, and I wish it had been - I know it's ridiculous to pretend that perfection does exist if I try hard enough. Still, I will try to make the next book I put together more suitable for every student. Why stop here? I could make each part much better to ensure that my work ethic is clean and my reputation will stay pristine.

Do you want to be an actor, or an astronaut, or a firefighter? Do you want a job where you work at day, or where you pull an all-nighter? Or do you feel like being a nomad on the street with a pipe and a cigarette lighter? Do you want to save the world, or cure a bad disease? Or do you want to be an idler and live a life of ease? None of these answers are wrong, you know. You don't need to actually belong, you know.