Tag Archives: trifecta

She Traded her Meal for a Window (for Trifecta)

Posted on September 9, 2012 | 17 comments

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.

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Today, I am thankful for … well, you’ll just have to read it (Trifecta)

Posted on September 2, 2012 | 37 comments

Today’s post is simple. It’s for Trifecta. Their instructions this weekend are perfect for me.

This weekend we’re going to keep it short. Ridiculously short. The shortest it has ever been and probably will ever be. Robert Frost once said, “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” We want you to do the same. Sum up anything you want, but do it in three words. Your response should mirror Frost’s quote by beginning, “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about–.” And the last four words are yours to choose.

My kids and I are moving back home from our hurricane evacuation today … “Dave-lessly.” And before you want to kill him for leaving during a hurricane, know that it was for work and it was completely unavoidable. He was destroyed about leaving. Truly, I was a little nervous, too. And I think my boy, Dean (now nearly 13), must have sensed it all … because he has been AMAZING in his dad’s absence. As in brings-tears-to-my-eyes amazing.

And here I was thinking he was just a punky kid.

He has helped my parents clean up their hurricane-ravaged yard (a Herculean task, I might add), helped my neighbor with her kids during the power outage and helped me on countless occasions before, during and since the storm. WITHOUT ME EVEN HAVING TO ASK!

So when I read the Trifecta prompt this weekend, I knew my subject immediately.

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In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about Dean — Becoming a Man.

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I love that kid. The one who made me a mom.

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The One Where I Grouse About Monkeying Around with Trifecta

Posted on August 26, 2012 | 21 comments

Trifecta time.

The assignment? “Write a 33-word response using the name of an animal as a verb.”

The response? The latest installment in The ODNT Smart Ass Collection.

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The One Where I Grouse About Monkeying Around with Trifecta

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“DEER” Trifecta,

Please stop badgering us into outfoxing each other so you can fawn praise on three of us. I can’t bear to flounder through another assignment and I’m crawfishing out.

“Sin-SEAL-ly,”

ODNT

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The Simple Life of Anna Fiorella (for Trifecta)

Posted on August 17, 2012 | 12 comments

But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing. – A. A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner (1928)

Famous last lines. They can wrap things up or they can leave us hanging. They can make us laugh or they can make us cry. They can stir up warm, wonderful feelings or they can make us want to scream obscenities and beat the book repeatedly with a hammer until we ultimately throw it out the window.

But, most importantly, last lines can be inspirational.  And they’re exactly what we’re talking about at Trifecta this weekend. Participants are asked to write an “amazing closing line to a story in exactly 33 words.” Well, Trifecta, I have no idea if my submission is “amazing” but I do know that it’s the first thing that popped into my head. And sometimes I think you need to jump at these moments.

So here goes …

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The Simple Life of Anna Fiorella

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She turned to look over her shoulder one last time but he was already gone. And she was a child again. Her marriage? Her career? Her son? Had it all been a dream?

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The Cat & The Hamster (An Original Fable for Trifecta)

Posted on August 4, 2012 | 13 comments

Trifecta – On The Road edition. What do you do with the downtime you get at a writing conference in NYC? I mean … besides sifting through your cool, new convention swag* or buying a blingy Faux-lex watch from the drug dealer on the street corner.  Well, duh. You WRITE!

  • * swag/swag/ – According to the Urban Dictionary … an acronym created by a group of men in the United States during the 1960s that means Secretly – We – Are – Gay.
  • A Note to my Readers … Please know I am using the more traditional interpretation of the word to reference the many stress balls, t-shirts, tote bags and flash light pens that you take home from a convention and not the Urban Dictionary reference above … which would totally change the meaning of how I spent my afternoon at an all women’s convention.

Anyway, Mel at According to Mags and I are taking a little breather in our room before we head back into the madness to celebrate the closing functions. (Bet they’ll outdo the ceremonies in London.) But first … we just wanted to take a moment to work up a quick entry for this weekend’s writing challenge. “Tell us an original fable in exactly 33 words.”

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The Cat & The Hamster

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“No, you can’t fit,” argued Cat. “I’ll bet you a week of seeds.” Smug with certainty, Hamster climbed willingly into Cat’s mouth. And the chewing began. “Dumbass,” laughed Cat. “Cats don’t eat seeds.”

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If At First You Don’t Succeed … (for Trifecta)

Posted on July 28, 2012 | 23 comments

Trifecta — “Give us a 33-word opening line to your book.  That’s it.  Make us want to read the next 333 pages of your work. “

Seems easy enough. Right? (Insert canned laughter here. Befitting of the pop culture reference below.)

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If at first you don’t succeed …

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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.

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One of the many reasons I used The Gong Show as my 1977 reference …

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The Wright Way to Travel (for Trifecta)

Posted on July 21, 2012 | 17 comments

Taken directly from the Trifecta site … “Forty-three years ago today, Neil Armstrong became the first person to ever walk on the moon. In celebration of Moon Day we want you to write 33 words about someone who took a giant leap. It can mean whatever you’d like, just make sure you write exactly 33 words.”

Here’s my entry. I was moved to write it while gazing out the window at the world below me, desperately trying to look away from the girl clutching a barf bag on my left.

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The Wright Way to Travel

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We just reached 10, 000 feet.

Seatbelt signs off.

Laptop powered on.

Hats off to Orville and Wilbur for taking a famous leap on December 17, 1903.

Well done, boys.

Posted from the sky.

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Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? (Hint: Johnny Depp)

Posted on July 3, 2012 | 42 comments

Happy Fourth of July!

Trifecta challenged us to compose something between 33 & 333 words using the word and definition below. Honestly, I think I may have cheated a little since Mr. Depp did the writing for me.

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Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

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Dear Michele,

Yes, it’s true. Vanessa and I have split. This business of living on two continents and a private island has been difficult for years. And, quite frankly, when she caught me reading a website called “Old Dog, New Tits” … well, you can imagine the fireworks, right?

I tried explaining to her that we’re just friends. I told her we first met in 1990 and didn’t even really get to know each other until ’93. And she said, “What about Jump Street, Johnny? Or getting sucked into the bed during your Nightmare? She didn’t like THOSE, Johnny?” Of course, I shouted back that NOBODY liked those. I told her that you laugh at me every time we talk about those little blasts from the past … and that you call them my “Macchio years.” But she didn’t think it was funny.

So now, Lily, Jack and I are flying in for the 4th and we were wondering if you, Dave and the kids had any plans. Would it be alright if we tagged along? I promise to make my Tandoori Chicken. Yes, and the grilled corn, too.

Oh, and before I forget, I wanted to let you know how much I’ve been enjoying the blog. It’s such a great way to keep up with you guys. I promise I’ll get around to finally writing that guest post we talked about. And, yes, I know I just split an infinitive. That’s exactly the reason I’m afraid to write for you, you big grammar nerd. 🙂

Anyway, let’s talk soon. Let me know if you need anything else for Wednesday. The kids can’t wait to see you!

Johnny

P.S. Do you think Mr. Kleinpeter would take the kids on another tour of the dairy farm while we’re in town? Lily is sooooo jealous that you have a calf named after you. And Jack’s really looking forward to milking a cow. Ask Virginia if she and her kids want to come with us again. I’ll treat for lunch after.

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1993 was a banner year for my friend, Johnny. He released two of my favorite films, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and Benny & Joon, from which this tremendous selection was taken. Enjoy …

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read to be read at yeahwrite.me

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A Recap of WHY it’s called ODNT Around Here (for Trifecta)

Posted on June 6, 2012 | 21 comments

Every day I welcome new readers to the ODNT community. Readers who often ask about the blog name and have no idea how it all started here back in the summer of 2011. For that reason, I decided to go in this direction when I heard this week’s Trifecta writing prompt. Write something between 33 and 333 words using the third definition (listed here) of the following word:

NEW (adjective) – having been in a relationship or condition but a short time <new to the job> <a new wife>

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A Recap of WHY it’s called ODNT Around Here

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My name is Michele but many of you know me as Old Dog, New Tits. It’s a mouthful that often gets abbreviated to ODNT. You can call me whatever you want.

Created in August 2011, my blog gets its roots in boob job research. Yes, I said boob job. I reasoned … if Julie Powell could grab our attention by channeling Julia Child for a year … boobs would make an even bigger splash. As a mother of two, I’ve got the battle scars that so many women talk about, some rather proudly. Hats off to you vanity-less ladies. Personally, I’d rather color, wax and (eventually) lift wherever needed. But it’s not an easy decision. For anyone.

That’s why I started writing about it. I figured there were probably loads of women who wanted the information but didn’t have the time, resources or unbridled insanity to do it themselves. So … naturally … I started getting topless for different doctors around town. And damn if I didn’t get a different opinion every time. It was enlightening and, despite the discovery of a breast lump along the way, we were building some real momentum.

Until they found a tumor on my chest x-ray.

A CT scan and an MRI confirmed it and it was surgically removed in December 2011. Thankfully, the pathology was benign but it was still a harrowing experience that I often look back on as though it were someone else’s story.

Now, I’m completely off track. I write about anything. And I like to think that I can make even the most mundane subject interesting. I’m probably kidding myself. Will I ever revisit the boob thing? Maybe. When the money’s there. Boobs don’t come cheap these days, my friends. Plus, I’m hoping to afford two of them.

And, as I come up on a year in August of 2012, I guess I’ll no longer be able to call myself “new to the blogging world.” Though I’d still much rather just call myself an “online writer.”

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To see a scrapbook of some of the biggest posts

of my first year, click here.

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Troubled over a Troublesome Troubler (From the Smartass Collection – for Trifecta)

Posted on May 16, 2012 | 18 comments

It’s Trifecta time.

And this week was HARD. I just couldn’t get a handle on the one-word prompt. So I tried using it every way I could. One of them just has to be right. Dear God, I think I’m starting to channel Edward Hotspur.

RULES: Entries must be between 33 & 333 words and need to include the following word using its 3rd definition (below).

1 : the quality or state of being troubled especially mentally
2 : public unrest or disturbance <;;there’s trouble brewing downtown>;;

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Troubled over a Troublesome Troubler

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“Trouble in Paradise?” he asked.

“This latest Trifecta prompt has caused me nothing but trouble. Honestly, it’s been troubling me all day,” she answered.

“What’s the trouble?”

“The word this week is ‘trouble.’ It’s a real troubler for me. And I’m having trouble trying to figure out a way to use this troublesome word.”

“Should we try a little troubleshooting?”

“I’m too troubled to take the trouble. You see, there’s trouble afoot because of the deadline approaching. Plus, I was a bit of a troublemaker yesterday.”

“Well, now you’re in double trouble. What did you do to get into this deep trouble?”

“I caused trouble by questioning the Trifecta overlords. I told them there was trouble on the home front. And that it was so much trouble that I wasn’t sure I’d be submitting this week.”

“Well, there’s definitely trouble a-brewin’ now. Why’d you have to go and get yourself in trouble?”

“I know. I should never have made trouble. That’s the trouble with this whole thing.”

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