Our writing prompt for today is from Trifecta. In 33, one-syllable words, complete the story that begins with “The first time I saw …” After considering a few different ideas, I went with non-fiction.
The first time I saw …
… it, I threw it in the trash. I knew it would say no.
They all said no.
Hours passed. He looked at it.
“I don’t think it’s a no” was all he said.
Friday, February 12, 1999. The Day My Infertility Died.
What about YOU?
Can you finish the story in 33 one-syllable words? Here. I’ll start you off. The first time I saw …
At long last, I give you the ODNT Great Online Record Sale of 2013. (There will never be another one, by the way.) Remember how my parents moved out of my childhood home last Spring? And how I was put in charge of selling off their old record collection? (Plus a paltry few of my brother’s and mine.) Well, I’m finally getting organized and am ready to share the list with you. Honestly, I don’t expect to sell many (if any!) here at all. I just really wanted to feature the list to demonstrate what colorful people my parents are. If you’re interested in anything below, we’ll figure out the details.
In the meantime, I’m also responding to a very short writing prompt from Trifecta asking me “for 33 of your own words about a famous trio.” So, I scanned the list. Easy. Here we go.
Performing since 1968, this trio was one of their favorites for as long as I can remember. “Spinning Wheel,” “And When I Die,” “One” … all great. But this song was always my favorite.
Oh, Yeah. And I guess I should post the albums for you. If you see anything you’re interested in, please comment below or you can email me at olddognewtits.com.
Blues/Motown/R&B/Soul ( I really have no idea what I’m talking about here.)
The George Benson Collection
Peter Brown – Do you wanna get funky with me?
Ray Charles – Yes, Indeed
Isley Brothers – Between the Sheets
Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life
Broadway/Theater (This stuff I know. Ask me anything.)
A Little Night Music (original cast recording)
Annie (original cast recording) – two copies
Fiddler on the Roof (original cast recording w/Zero Mostel)
Fiddler on the Roof (original Broadway cast recording w/Mostel) (different album cover)
Godspell (Arista version)
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls (original cast recording)
Into The Woods (original cast recording)
Little Shop of Horrors (original soundtrack recording)
Man of La Mancha (original cast recording)
Music from the Motion Picture West Side Story & others (Ferrante & Teicher)
My Fair Lady (w/Rex Harrison & Julie Andrews)
The Mystery of Edwin Drood (original cast recording)
Oliver (original broadway cast recording) – two copies
Porgy & Bess (original soundtrack recording)
Rodgers & Hammerstein Deluxe Set (Oklahoma, Carousel and The King & I)
Showboat
The Sound of Music (original soundtrack recording)
West Side Story (The Columbia Treasury of the American Musical Theatre)
West Side Story (original soundtrack recording)
Children (More children’s stuff can be found under Christmas.)
Disneyland’s Peter Cottontail
Monster Mash Sounds of Terror
Walt Disney’s Happiest Songs
Walt Disney’s Merriest Songs ‘
Christmas
The Bells of Christmas (Eddie Dunstedter)
Best of Christmas, Vol. 2
The Chipmunk Songs (The Bunnyhoppers)
Christmas Present (Andy Williams)
Christmas with the Chipmunks
A Festival of Carols in Brass
The Great Songs of Christmas by the Greatest Artists of Our Time
The Great Songs of Christmas (Album 2)
The Great Songs of Christmas (Album 4)
The Great Songs of Christmas (Album 8)
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (Jimmy Boyd)
Ira Ironstrings Plays Santa Claus
Little Drummer Boy (Songs for Children)
Merry Christmas (Bing Crosby)
Merry Christmas from Sesame Street (1975)
Noel en France (Jacques Brison)
The Organ Plays at Christmas (Ken Griffin)
Pops Goes Christmas (Arthur Fiedler & the Boston Pops)
That Christmas Feeling (Bing Crosby)
Classical (Questions? I’ll ask my mom.)
24 Preludes, Op. 28 – Chopin (Pollini)
25 Most Beloved Melodies (from Operas, Symphonies & Ballet)
The World’s Favorite Concertos – Grieg & Rachmaninoff (Van Cliburn)
The World’s Favorite Piano Music (Van Cliburn)
The World’s Favorite Tchaikovsky – 1812 Overture (Ormandy)
Comedy (Loosely defined)
Bill Cosby – I Started Out as a Kid
Steve Martin – Wild & Crazy
Richard Pryor – Craps (After Hours) – even filthier than I remember
Smothers Brothers – Curb Your Tongue, Knave
Smothers Brothers – It Must’ve Been Something I Said
Compilation Albums (Lots more of this type can be found under Christmas.)
Best Songs of 1968 (Longines Symphonette Society)
Best Songs of 1969 (Longines Symphonette Society)
I Love Music – Original Hits by Original Stars (Ronco’s As Seen on TV 1976)
Tele House, Inc. presents Easy Listening
Theme Songs of the Big Band Era (Longines Symphonette Society)
Roger Williams – Songs of the Fabulous Forties, Pt. 1
Everything I Just Couldn’t Friggin’ Categorize
Nora Bayes (Snoops, the Lawyer) (I think this record was manufactured in 1919.)
Dance to the Best of (Irving) Berlin (Al Goodman & His Orchestra)
Carmen Cavallaro Plays his Showstoppers
Carmen Cavallaro Serenade (Italian Folk Songs)
Martin Denny – The Sounds of Martin Denny – Exotica (rare)
Martin Denny – The Exciting Sounds of Martin Denny – Exotica, Vol. 2 (rare)
Martin Denny – The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny – Primitiva (rare)
Earl Grant – The Ebb Tide & Other Instrumental Favorites
Mills Brothers – 14 Karat Gold
Mills Brothers – Till We Meet Again
The Music of Johann Strauss (Andre Kostelanetz) (recorded in 1942)
Joe “Fingers” Oshay Plays Honky Tonk Piano
Peggy Donaldson Smith – Shady Grove (dulcimer/banjo music – don’t all come running!)
The Sound of Tomorrow Today (Soundproof)
Spirit of 176 (That’s just GOTTA be a typo) – John Philip Sousa-style music
Sweetheart of Sigma Chi – Ivy Hall Glee Club & Orchestra
Billy Vaughn – Blue Velvet & 1963’s Greatest Hits
Exercise (Why does working out to a record seem totally hilarious to me?)
Linda Fratianne – Tune up with the Hits
Good Housekeeping’s Musical Plan for Reducing (dullest thing ever recorded = awesome)
Folk Music
Folk Music – Compiled by Harold Courlander (appears to be way rare)
The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio – From the Hungry
Peter, Paul & Mary
The Best of Peter, Paul & Mary – Ten Years Together
Foreign … or Foreign-ish
Aloha Kauai – Songs from the Garden Island
Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass – Whipped Cream & Other Delights
Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass – Going Places
Baja Marimba Band – Watch Out!
Juliette Greco – Les Grandes Chansons (French)
Claudine Longet (French)
Jazz/Ragtime/New Orleans/Dixieland
Best of Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong Hit Parade
Louie and the Dukes of Dixieland
Oscar “Papa” Celestin – The Dixieland King
Best of Dixieland
Best of the Dukes of Dixieland
Dixieland from the Famous Door
Dixieland, My Dixieland (Rampart Street Paraders)
Dukes of Dixieland
Pete Fountain’s New Orleans at Midnight
Ahmad Jamal Trio at the Pershing – But not for me
Henry Mancini – The Music of Peter Gunn
Mr. New Orleans Meets Mr. Honky Tonk (w/ Pete Fountain)
The Music of New Orleans (music of the streets/music of mardi gras) (Samuel Charters)
Wally Rose – Honky Tonkin’
Chuck Sagle & his Orchestra – Ping Pong Percussion
Sweet Emma & the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Lawrence Welk’s Ragtime Gal Joanne Castle
Johnny Wiggs – New Orleans Jazz
Teddy Wilson & Red Norvo – Improvisations
Movie Soundtracks
The Big Chill
The Eddy Duchin Story (w/Tyrone Power)
The Eddy Duchin Story (Carmen Cavallaro)
Gigi (Original Cast Soundtrack)
How the West Was Won
A Man and a Woman
Music of 2001: A Space Odyssey
Saturday Night Fever
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
The Wizard of Oz (original soundtrack recording)
Opera
Aida Highlights – Verdi (Torino)
La Boheme – Puccini (Renata Tebaldi)
The Mikado featuring Martyn Green, Barbara Troxell & James Pease
Opera Without Singing – Puccini’s La Boheme & Madame Butterfly (Fielder & Boston Pops)
Suite for Orchestra from Carmen – Bizet (St. Louis Symphony Orchestra)
Pop/Rock (From the 1950s until DVDs killed the Phonograph Star)
The B52s (self-titled)
Abba – The Album
The Backbeats – All The Fun in the World (NOLA band featuring Vance DeGeneres)
The Beach Boys – Endless Summer
The Beatles –Alpha Omega (4 disc anthology)
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears Greatest Hits
Boston – Third Stage
The Carpenters – A Song For You
Chicago Transit Authority (who would later become Chicago)
Eric Clapton – Slow Hand
Chris Deburgh – Into the Light
Def Leppard – Hysteria
The Drifters Greatest Hits
The Fifth Dimension – The Age of Aquarius
Haysi Fantayzee – Battle Hymns for Children Singing
Thelma Houston – I Got The Music in Me
Michael Jackson – Thriller
Elton John’s Greatest Hits
Journey’s Greatest Hits
KC & the Sunshine Band
Don McLean – American Pie
Ohio Players Gold
Elvis Presley – Golden Records
Psychedelic Furs – Forever Now
Queen – A Night at the Opera
Linda Ronstadt’s Greatest Hits
Boz Scaggs – Silk Degrees
Paul Simon – Greatest Hits
Simon & Garfunkel Greatest Hits
Cat Stevens Greatest Hits
Styx – Crystal Ball
Styx – Grand Illusion
James Taylor Greatest Hits
Three Dog Night – Naturally
Best of Jethro Tull
War Greatest Hits
The Windows – Runnin’ Alone (Handed to me by a radio DJ who drove by my school)
Woodstock – Music from the Original Soundtrack and More
WRNO The Rock Album, Vol. 2
Solo Artists I like because of my parents
Bing Crosby’s Greatest Hits
John Denver – Back Home Again
John Denver’s Greatest Hits
John Denver – I Want to Live
John Denver – Rocky Mountain High
Judy Garland & Liza Minnelli – Live at the London
Olivia Newton John’s Greatest Hits
Barry Manilow Live
Liza Minnelli – It Amazes Me
Liza Minnelli – Liza with a Z
Liza Minnelli – New Feelin’
Anne Murray – You Needed Me
Barbra Streisand – My Name is Barbra
Barbra Streisand – My Name is Barbra 2
Barbra Streisand’s Greatest Hits
Barbra Streisand’s Greatest Hits 2
Solo Artists I tolerated because of my parents
Andy Williams – Call Me Irresponsible & Other Hit Songs from the Movies
Andy Williams – Days of Wine and Roses
Tom Jones – Live in Las Vegas
Wayne Newton – Live in Las Vegas (Danke Schoen is not on this one.)
Swing/Big Band
Benny Goodman & His Orchestra – A Treasury of Immortal Performances
The Great Vocalists of the Big Band Era
John Keating & Band – Swing Revisited
45 records
AC/DC – Back in Black/You Shook Me All Night Long
Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock – Joy & Pain/Times are Getting’ Ill
Louis Bertignac & les Visiteurs – Ces idees-la/Les bêtes (French)
Bread – If/Mother Freedom
Black Sabbath – Iron Man/Paranoid
Shaun Cassidy – Da Doo Ron Ron/Holiday
Shaun Cassidy – Teen Dream/Do You Believe in Magic
Corynne Charby – Pile ou Face/Elle Part (Dans ses Reves) (French)
Patsy Cline Crazy/Your Cheating Heart
Phil Collins – Take Me Home/Only You Know and I Know
Sam Cooke – Another Saturday Night/Send Me Some Lovin’
Chris De Burgh – The Lady in Red/Fatal Hestitation
Dirty Dancing – I’ve Had the Time of My Life & Love is Strange
Erasure – A Little Respect/Like Zsa Zsa Gabor
Falco – Rock Me Amadeus (American Edit)/Rock Me Amadeus (Canadian Version)
Happy Birthday/Peter Pan (Book & Record) (no book) (children)
Dan Hill – Longer Fuse/Sometimes When We Touch
Jackson 5 – Ben/I Wanna Be Where You Are
Howard Jones – New Song/Conditioning
Howard Jones – No One is to Blame/The Chase
Kon Kan – I Beg Your Pardon
LL Cool J – I Need Love/My Rhyme Ain’t Done
Led Zeppelin – Hey, Hey What Can I Do/Immigrant Song
Les Innocents – Jodie/Un Reve en Radio (French)
Manfred Mann – Blinded by the Light/Spirit in the Night
Don McLean – Vincent/Dreidel
The Meters – Mardi Gras Mambo/Jambalaya
The Models – Fool to Try/It Isn’t Over
Motley Crue – Smoking in the Boys Room/Home Sweet Home
Anne Murray – You Needed Me/I Still Wish the Very Best You
The Platters – My Dream/I Wanna
Tony Orlando/Dawn – Tie a Yellow Ribbon/Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose?
Elvis Presley – Can’t Help Falling In Love With You/Rock-A-Hula Baby
Lionel Ritchie – Truly/Just Put Some Love in Your Heart
Lionel Ritchie – You Are/You Mean More to Me
Sounds Orchestral – To Wendy with Love/Cast Your Fate to the Wind
Superbowl Shuffle (Chicago Bears)
Thin Lizzy – The Boys Are Back in Town/Jailbreak
Three With Spirit – Deniece Williams/The Emotions/Ramsey Lewis (plays at 33?)
The Tokens – The Lion Sleeps Tonight/B’Wa Nina
The Troggs – Wild Thing/Love is All Around
The Turtles – Happy Together/She’d Rather Be With Me
Van Halen – Jump/House of Pain
Van Halen – When It’s Love/Cabo Wabo
Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl/T.B. Sheets
Billy Vera and the Beaters – At This Moment/Peanut Butter
Von de Paradiesvogeln – Heute gehn wir nicht nach Hause (German)
The Who –You Better You Bet/Don’t Let Go the Coat
Wind – Lass die Sonne in dein Herz/Immer Dabei (German)
Stevie Wonder – Saturn/Ebony Eyes/All Day Sucker/Easy Goin’ Evening (plays at 33?)
See anything you like? Comment below or shoot me an email at olddognewtits.com. I’m using eBay to estimate average values. And, after a short while, I’m turning all the boxes over to a friend of mine who’s way better at all of this stuff than me. Thanks for indulging me. 🙂
ODNT, Jr. and her PAL made it for me yesterday. They could have created it about absolutely anything … but they chose this subject.
It’s meaningful, it’s imaginative and it’s completely covered in Ketchup.
I can think of no better way to spread the word … or the ketchup …. about the offbeat writing link-up I co-host with Mel on the 1st and 15th of every month. Thanks to Viv and Alex for creating this great little video for us. And thanks to Trifecta for serving as a great mentor for fledgling link-ups like Ketchup With Us. Truly, we relish the fact that we mustered the courage to launch this saucy little experiment at all.
My boy and me on his 7th grade trip to D.C. last February. With Lincoln, with Washington & with the very residence where I’ll be visiting him about 40 years.
He’ll be the nicest one we’ve ever had.
Congratulations, Dean. Class of 2013.
* * * * * * * * * *
This weekend’s Trifecta assignment? “We are asking for exactly 33 words, 30 of your own and three of the following: topple paradigm underneath nerve honey loop”
Well, ladies and gentlemen …. THE SHOES HAVE SPOKEN!!
So now, in a spectacular display of womanly multitasking, I will reveal the winner of the contest while also answering Trifecta’s current writing prompt: “This weekend we’re asking for 33 words about a new beginning.”
Putting the Shoe on the Other Foot
In an effort to cleanse the souls (or should that be soles?) of these ill-begotten shoes and give them new purpose, I have elected to award them to my daughter’s fifth grade teacher.
Here she is now. Enjoying them in all of their newly-emerged-butterfly purity.
The Trifecta writing assignment this weekend asks for “33 of your own words that exorcise a demon. One of your own, or one from your imagination.” My response is either perfect for this prompt or I’ve descended into hallucinatory, oatmeal-for-brains madness.
I can never be sure.
* * * * * * * * * *
Flu
* * * * * * * * * *
Her body stiffens. She is simultaneously hot and cold. The blanket antagonizes her skin. Breathing is labored. Involuntary attempts at expelling the impurity only heighten the pain.
The Trifecta writing prompt for the weekend was pretty straightforward. Write exactly 33 words about rebellion and/or revolt. Interpret it as you will.
I found an old picture and I just had to act on it. Thanks for the inspiration, my boy.
* * * * * * * * * *
His Stand Against Brussels
* * * * * * * * * *
Once upon a time, there was a little boy. He was an excellent eater. Until the day his mother tried Brussels sprouts. “NOOO!” he slammed his tiny fist. “I NOT eat that, Mommy.”
Trifecta gave a great writing prompt for this time of year. Well, in my opinion anyway.
“In 1959, Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote the music for the Broadway production, The Sound of Music. One of the most famous songs from the musical is “My Favorite Things.” Since its inception, the song has been covered by countless artists, and we’re asking you to follow suit. Give us a few of your favorite things, in whichever form you want, in 33 words exactly.”
Easy. Feel free to sing along with me …
* * * * * * * * * *
My Favorite Things
* * * * * * * * * *
Christmas, theater, cheese, spa days and warm cookies
Family, friends, travel and writing a bookie
The love of my children and when my girl sings
These are a few of my favorite things
* * * * * * * * * *
A grainy albeit very special blast from my family’s Christmas Past.
Take one of your former 33 word entries and build upon it with another 33 words.
I haven’t taken on Trifecta in a while but this weekend’s prompt spoke to me. It said …“Get off your fat ass and join the party, slack jaw. People are going to forget you even EXIST if you don’t get back into the game again. Seriously, freak show, put down that apple-sized ball of cheese and get out of bed.”
I know! That’s what I thought, too. This weekend’s prompt is a total jerk.
Still, it got me thinking. And the gears in my tired brain started turning. Rustily, yes. There was even a little smoke for a few minutes there. Then, it finally spat out the following idea: If At First You Don’t Succeed. I wrote it in July 2012 for the Trifecta prompt that asked us to “Give the first 33 words of your book.” Here’s how it went:
He woke to the smell of a hot breakfast. Opening his eyes, he saw the walls of his childhood bedroom. The Gong Show desk calendar said 1977. He was 8. “Not again,” thought Henry Beckett, 43.
It seemed like the perfect story to continue for this weekend’s prompt. And so I did.
He leapt down from the top bunk, panic-stricken. The deposition, his anniversary dinner, his son’s championship game … he’d miss all of them again if he didn’t think fast. “Henry … breakfast!” called his mother.
Actually, the title is ironic when you consider the fact that I’m taking a second shot at writing the same story. Thanks, Trifecta. You’re helping me finally get moving with this writing thing. I’ve got 66 words under my belt now. And the average novel length is only about 80,000 words. (laughs like a buffoon) Shoot. I should be done by Tuesday.
Says Trifecta – “For this weekend’s challenge, we’d like you to read the 33 words below and then add 33 of your own words to move the story along.”
Says Me – So that you can read it fluidly, I’m not separating the 66 words. Just know that the first 33 (in italics) are theirs and the last 33 are mine.
The last strains of sunlight lingered in the corners, grasping every available point of refraction. She slid her fingertips along the glass wondering if this was all there ever was. Or could be.
And, as she watched her final sunset, she heard the guard slide the door open. “They’re ready for you,” he said. And she stood, to begin her walk down the hall of retribution.
Just writing about the daily dumbassery of life. The good, the bad and the so-utterly-mundane-that-you'd-think-I-wouldn't-even-bother-to-write-about-it.
