I sleep well anywhere. My cot below deck aboard The Constellation was no exception. I woke instantly when a steward made rounds for wake up calls at first light. I dressed and ducked out into the narrow passageway. Lally stepped out of his own compartment and we saw each other as we secured our respective … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 14)
Thonotossasa, FL - I started at the trail head at Trout Creek Conservation Park (mile marker "0" on the map) and hiking north/northeast along the upper half of the 15 mile loop (Hillsborough County, FL). Some pics from the hike: It's beautiful out there.
Lally made three attempts with his fork to spear a tender sea scallop in buttery white wine sauce without tearing his eyes away from the distant table just in case the rare event (aka Mesa's smile) should recur. He feared missing it a second time. "I've never seen him smile," Lally lamented. Attention arrested as … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 11)
The sleek luxury schooner The Constellation sliced through the open seas with full sails, as close to flight as the ocean-going vessel could ever be. From the moment the anchors were weighed until the sun plunged into the western horizon, Captain Gisela Koning maintained a grueling pace with the help of her first mate Mr. … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 10)
“Mesa! Always on time!” a woman crowed down at me from the deck of a twin-masted luxury schooner emblazoned with the words ‘The Constellation’ visible clearly in the first warm rays of morning. On deck, a half dozen deck hands were prepping the shop for launch. “Good morning, Captain,” I said. Lally and the others pause … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 9)
Captain Helias dragged Cayn by the arm until he walked on his own, however once his arm was free, he began to hang back immediately. “I’m supposed to remain with the humans,” Cayn insisted, “until the King sends Celia for me. ” “We’re not going far." Helias stopped midway down the corridor in a spot … Continue reading The Dragon King’s Medic (pt. 7)
Captain Helias had been present at the crowded Lord's Meeting when Dragon King Vanentin excused himself from the stately room in the same breath as his ruling, resulting in a tumultuous stir among the attending lords and nobles. Vanentin's sudden exit alarmed Helias. Where are you going? Something's happened. He straightened from where he leaned … Continue reading The Dragon King’s Medic (pt. 5)
The strong scent of operating-room grade disinfectants didn't faze Mario Zikmund as he followed the last of the chatting medical assistants through the darkened office, shutting off the remaining lights and closing doors as he went. I love closing on Fridays. As the office manager, it was his duty to balance the needs of the … Continue reading The Dragon King’s Medic (pt. 1)
"Your mother was very specific!" cried Lester, the babysitter. "You two need to be in bed by 8:00 PM!" Two boys, ages 9 and 5, sat one behind the other astride a saddle upon a massive iguana which, like the babysitter, was falling from the sky. The 5-year-old pouted, hugging his brother about the waist, … Continue reading Child’s Play
I spent a little time this afternoon going through old word documents to delete, move, and rename things in order to make my files easier to navigate. More specifically, I scrolled through for files the titles of which gave no helpful clue as to what could possibly be inside, and then took care of those. … Continue reading A Surprise Among the Scraps
Duri Rolvsson 