2016/2017 Tag

/ Karina Pinella / 4 Comments

I got tagged by Shay-lon at Fitnessgrad perhaps for hanging around the locker room too much. Thanks for bringing me back to 2016 and re-thinking what I should do for the rest of 2017 with the 2016/2017 Tag!

As always, I tend to lag when responding to tags and awards. Even though we’re halfway through 2017, it’s not too late. Let’s do dis.

RULES:
1.  Mention Creator of tag
Thank you to David for creating this tag

2.  Use the image in the article
See above

3.  Mention blogger(s) who have chosen you
Woot, woot, check out Fitnessgrad

4. Answer the questions
See below

5. Tag 9 other bloggers & let them know
You know already I don’t do dis ‘cuz I don’t want to dis those who didn’t get chosen.

Describe your 2016 in 3 words
What a blast!

Write the name of 2 people that have characterized your 2016
To protect the innocents, I shall simply say him and her

Write the most beautiful place you’ve visited in 2016 and why you liked it so much
It’s impossible to pick just one out of all the beautiful palaces I visited in Bavaria. See why for yourselves:  https://karinapinella.com/2016/11/05/better-schlosses-and-gartens/

Write the most delicious food you’ve tasted in 2016
Fried carp

Write the one event in 2016 that made the greatest impression on you
It’s a toss-up between the family reunion and visiting the Dachau concentration camp in Germany.

Write the finest purchase you’ve made in this 2016, and if you want to link a photo
Chocolates from Germany – they’re all gobbled up by now. Erp

Write 3 good intentions for this 2017
To turn off the lights after midnight
To bottle up my road rage
To share my popcorn

Write 1 place you want to visit in 2017
Portugal, here I come!

Write 1 plate/food you want to eat in 2017
Prawns in fried garlic

Summer Reunion

/ Karina Pinella / 19 Comments

The Garden Hall Room at the Radish Hotel is brimming with activity. Laughter and excited conversations rise above the music. A classic color-changing jukebox is playing a 1960s song by The Platters, Under the Boardwalk. Atop a long banquet table is a generous spread of various foodstuff. A variety of fruits are gathered together, focused on their own animated chatter among themselves, as the following snippets are overheard:

Bananas: We about peeled when we learned we won for doing the best split.

Grapes: You know some people think we’re just a bunch of winos.

Pineapple: I hope you know that you’re always welcome to visit.

Watermelon: My doctor planted a seed in my mind to make me think it’s all water weight.

 Cherry: So one night my young lover and I agreed to go for it . . . for the very first time.

Peaches: We swear by the brand of that blade, which will cut through any fuzz.

 Oranges: Everyone thinks we’re so irresistible they can’t help but squeeze us.

 Kiwifruit: We prefer not to be called Chinese gooseberry anymore.

Pear: Okay, so I’m not from a shapely lot. So eat me.

Strawberries: We were left out in the fields . . . seems like forever.

Create Your Own Haunted House

/ Karina Pinella / 6 Comments

You’re invited to attend a haunting event. Share your haunted house experience. Feel free to express your fears at SlasherMonster Magazine. Oh, there’s also a prize giveaway. Check out the details!

Here’s my contribution:

Riddle Me Boo
A riddle for you
That may keep you up at night;
Think until you’re blue.

What creaks in the dark,
Harbors slithering creatures
And abhorrent pasts?

Makes way for spirits,
But drives the living away.
A haunted house — BOO

Dead Donovan's avatarSlasherMonster Magazine

Before we start our new event, congratulations to
!!! Megaeggz !!! 
He won Ali’s Mini-Monster Hama Bead Painting.

Boo! Turn on your proton pack, and don’t cross the streams, because we’re gonna kick the haunted house’s door down! Are you ready? Wait…have you ever been possessed? Don’t worry—you’ll start to like it after a while. Watch out for a poltergeist hiding inside a television. Keep your eyes off the flickering screen. Trust me. They say a little girl somehow, someway, was lured inside the television, but that’s a bunch of silly nonsense. You’ll just go insane. Not too bad. Oh! Stay away from the light.

Wanna play a game? No need to sacrifice your quarters.

Choose 1 out of 4 Darkcade SMM games.

  • Is your house haunted? Tell everyone about your scary experience!

  • Write a frightful story or poem.

  • Suggest a movie about a haunted house.

  • Tell us about a historical haunted house…

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When Carts Cry

/ Karina Pinella / 8 Comments

Six-word story version:
Cartwright realized he will never sail.

 Expanded version — 12-word story:
Land bound, Cartwright accepted his destiny — never to sail the high seas.

Haiku version:
The cart that couldn’t.
On the boardwalk with no sail,
Only treads for wear.

Mumble

/ Karina Pinella / 5 Comments

“Ya got a big mouth on ya is yer problem, Eddie. How many people ya ate? Ya gotta pace yerself or we’ll get caught. I gotta do somethin’.” Royal, Eddie’s best friend glares at his shack mate, who is moaning at every chew.

Eyelids half closed, Eddie is too preoccupied savoring the last of his ill-gotten meat. There’s nothing like a good summer barbecued shoulder. Granted, it took him a few hours to wrestle it out of his prey who outweighed him by 65 pounds, but he triumphed, making him especially proud of his latest kill.

“I just looove tourist season,” Eddie mumbles, trying to keep in food from spilling out of his mouth.

With pressed lips, Royal saunters off to get his leather sewing kit. As he approaches his friend from behind, he says, “Sorry, buddy; this is fer yer own good.” Royal takes a swing at the back of Eddie’s head with a big sock filled with heavy rubber balls.

With Eddie stunned, he quickly proceeds to sew his friend’s mouth. As he almost finishes, Eddie’s lids flutter open. Eyes looking panicked, Eddie grunts, “Mmmph . . .”

“Oops, I forgot to ask if ya had any last words,” Royal mumbles, feeling a little guilty as he locks the stitches.

Close to Closing

/ Karina Pinella / 12 Comments

Solve a problem now?
Late afternoon humdinger
Just before closing.

5 ‘til 5 P.M.,
Weekend about to begin;
Leave it for Monday.

Why am I still here?
Should have left right after lunch;
I woke up too late.

The Blue Sky Tag

/ Karina Pinella / 4 Comments

It’s a long time coming to thank Suzanne of adventuresofsweetmonday for nominating me (back in March) for the Blue Sky Tag. Please visit her blog.

The rules for the Blue Sky tag are:

– Thank the person who nominates you
– Answer the 11 questions
– Tag 11 people
– Give them 11 questions to answer

As many of you know, I tend to change the rules. In this case, rather than nominating just 11 people, I encourage each of my readers to add their blog link, describe an awesome sky scene you witnessed (sunsets, thunderstorms,  night scenes, beautiful beaches, UFOs – you name it) and note where you were when inspired. We’ll have us a real “Blue Sky” tag. My picture, by the way, was taken at Kecskemét in Hungary.

My answers to Suzanne’s 11 questions are written in red below.

  1. What is your favorite holiday?   Christmas
  2. If you can go anywhere in the world, where would it be?   Jerusalem
  3. If you had only $5 to spend for something special for the day, what would you buy?   Trader Joe’s Chocolate Covered Almonds
  4. What is your favorite dessert?   Tiramisu
  5. Coffee or tea?   Tea
  6. What is your idea of a relaxing day?   Doing whatever I want – read, eat, watch a movie, lounge
  7. Have you ever been to Disney Land?   Yes
  8. What is your favorite season of the year?   Summer
  9. What is your all-time favorite movie and why?   It changes every time I see a better movie – no all-time for me
  10. What is your favorite Disney movie?   Too many versions out there of different stories – PASS
  11. What is your favorite quote and why?   “Do not be afraid.” This is written 356 times in the Bible. The message is clear to me that with God assuring us not to be afraid, then I can meet each day being fearless.