Haiku Friday #55 - Mental Musings of the Morning and 40PC - On Wheels (generating memories)

I'm trying out a slogan today ...

Make Room for Small ReflectionsI appreciate
everyone's suggestions for

slogans ... Decisions

occasionally elude
me so assistance
is always welcome.
~ ~ ~
I'm enjoying my
new computer with Vista,
but mysterious

glitches have occurred
creating confusion and
disruptions ... so please

bear with me as I
sort things out. I promise I'll
visit when I can.

Last night Dell Support
Technician assisted ... we
opened in 'Safe Mode' ...

ran a program there
to 'repair' whatever's wrong
so hopefully now

everything will work.
Keeping fingers crossed, makes it
challenging to type ;--)

~ ~ ~

Friday's 40-0r-less Photo Challenge returns ... On Wheels! Robin writes:

"Come on...what are your thoughts when you see a herd of bicycles on the beach? You've got 40 words (or less, hence the title) to describe the scene, suggest a caption, wax poetic, or tell a VERY short story based on the photo above. Write your post anytime between now and Friday, then be sure to come back then to link your response. "

Familiar sight
living at the beach as I
do ... this brings back so

many memories
but foremost is the
time I rode from home

to San Diego
on my bike with my sister
& her family.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Okay ... that's 36 words but I'm sure you have questions so I'll add the following ... just because. You're welcome to ignore the rest of the story if you choose, but the name of this blog IS Small Reflections ... and this is one of mine.

Slice of Life Sunday
(on Friday)

I was in my mid-50s and in the habit of riding my bike daily for exercise along the beach (sometimes with my sister, but often alone). I don't recall how it came up, but one day someone suggested a bike ride to San Diego ... and it 'caught on' ... so without any real preparation or training, we set out early one Friday summer morning in a group of six (my sister, her husband, their 2 young boys, my friend Mark & me).

We stopped for breakfast in Laguna ... (resting our tired rear ends briefly) ... then headed south again. I've driven this route many times, but until this ride I had no idea how many HILLS there are along the coast between here and Sandy Eggo. By the time we reached Camp Pendleton, I felt like I was going to pass out from heat exhaustion and realized I needed salt ... so we stopped in the next town for p-nuts and Gatorade (to re-balance electrolytes).

Soon we were on our way again, but we decided to stop in Oceanside and spend the night ... called my brother & his wife who lived in the area. They met us for dinner and we enjoyed our visit ... swam in the hotel pool and sat in the jacuzzi to soothe our aching muscles. The next morning we started out bright & early even though our muscles were screaming, but soon we adjusted our rhythm and made excellent progress ... enjoying the spectacular views along the way. However, in Del Mar ... my young nephew lost control of his bike and collided with me ... splattering me all over the asphalt.

Fortunately we had a first-aid kit with us and shortly ...(with bandaged knees and elbows)... I got back on my 18-speed bike only to discover it was damaged and couldn't be ridden. Mark walked with me into the business area of town (carrying my bike) while my sister & family stayed behind. Fortunately we found a bicycle shop and within an hour or so my bike was good to go ... eventually (after a couple of hours) we were on our way again, though my knees hurt with every stroke. We did finally arrive in San Diego ... found a hotel with a pool & jacuzzi ... soaked for a while before and after dinner then slept. On Sunday we went to Sea World and had a great time, but instead of riding our bikes back home ... after a brief discussion, we opted for Amtrak ;--)

Click for Slice of Life Sunday participants and posts.

Although I started this post MUCH earlier, it's now 9:22am. I apologize for the delay, but hope you find today's post worth the wait. Thanks for visiting ... and remember

Small Reflections Smile Back!

~ ~ ~
HF #54 has been up at Sacred Ruminations for a while now.

For others participating in Haiku Friday this week, go to A Mommy Story or Playgroups are no Place for Children. Click to see my previous Haikus here at Small Reflections and at Sacred Ruminations, or click the Haiku Friday link in the About Me section of my sidebar for a Directory of all my Haiku Friday posts.

Click for others participating in 40PC this week.

Thought for Today
"For disappearing acts, it's hard to beat what happens to the eight hours supposedly left after eight of sleep and eight of work." Doug Larson

HF#43, OSI Week 13, 40PC - Later than usual because I'm multi-tasking today with Reflections, Perspectives & Priorities -- Tennis Anyone?

Recently Karen
mentioned she looked forward to
my 'tennis' updates

yet I have not shared
anything specific on
this year's French Open!

Rain delays slowed the
progress of participant's
matches early on

and my schedule
interfered with viewing much
on the DVR.

More than 18 hours
over the last few days wait
there for me to see

and I'm hoping to
multi-task ... watching as I
write & publish here.

~ ~ ~

American men
doing better than last year
in the 1st two rounds.

Blake, Rogers, and Fish
Ginepri and Odesnik ...
alive on Day 5!

Sam Querry lost to
Roger. Young & Spadea
'out' in the 1st round.

Andy Roddick pulled
out because of injury ...
didn't play at all.

~ ~ ~

Roger and Rafa
played at the same time but on
two different courts

yesterday it seems
and both have advanced to the
3rd round easily.

Sharapova has
struggled in early matches
but pulled through in three

sets. In last night's match
(one I'm watching now) she took
the 1st set 6-2,

but as it grew dark
play was halted at 2-3
... Mattek in the lead.

Ginepri battled
back to defeat Andreev ...
taking it in 4!

Leyton Hewitt took
Mardy Fish out in 3 sets
and Kuznetsova

won in her match with
Vana King ... Williams sisters
each won two matches.

I don't know much more
at this moment ... but perhaps
later on I will.

If you're following
the French Open please don't tell
me what I don't know

yet because I like
to find out myself without
knowing the results.

~ ~ ~

Week 13 - The prompt is Reflection

Thirteen weeks of prompts ...
I've responded with 18
Haiku images

6 Small Reflections
12 Sacred Ruminations ...
this will make 19

~ ~ ~

Visiting others
making new 'virtual' friends ...
blessings every one!

~ ~ ~

Taking 'stock' of my
progress in this morning's 'ku
leads me to conclude

I'm delighted with
challenges like OSI ...
S T R E T C H I N G perspectives

opening our minds,
hearts and imaginations
Sandy and Andrée

I appreciate
all you each contribute to
this community!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Of this week's challenge, Robin writes:

"So maybe I should've opted for the shorter title, "An ant's eye view", but since I've been away from the ol' blog, I'm trying to set titling records. I think I won.

This week's Friday's 40-or-less Photo Challenge is wide open for interpretation. All you've gotta do is come up with no more than 40 words to describe a response to the photo prompt."

Robin continues:

"Originally taken for "Project Looking Through", this picture never got posted, but I LOVED it! It would've been fun(ny) for someone to photograph ME lying on my back underneath the goal trying to line it up "just so".

Does it make you think of a neighborhood pick-up game? Playing a game of H.O.R.S.E.? Nothin' but net?? Or, perhaps your thoughts are more abstract--perspectives, triangles and circles, games people play.... You can be as literal or as figurative as you'd like; fun, creativity and an easy post are your goals (hehe, I did NOT mean to pun!).

Poem (my favorite, no matter the form...no pressure or anything!)? Caption? Shortshortshort story? Click the badge above for all the details, write a post over the next few days, then come back here on Friday to link your response."

And finally ... here's MY (rather distracted) 36 word (51 syllable) response:

Bird or ant's eye view?
Other issues vie for my
attention today ...

Tennis anyone?
French Open not basketball ...
nets and fuzzy balls

plus great 'shot' angles
on the red clay courts keep my
focus on the ground!

~ ~ ~

Seriously, I'll try to do better next time, Robin ... but I've got 3 days of recorded unwatched matches on my DVR (and it's recording more matches right now) and am trying to watch as I type this morning so it won't erase them to add more, but I did want to 'play' ... so just call me crazy.

~ ~ ~

Click for my other OSI Week 13 Reflection (and HF #44)
at Sacred Ruminations and for

others participating in OSI this week)

(Click for others participating in Pensieve's 40PC this week)

For a Mr. Linky to other Haiku Fridays
go to A Mommy Story or
Playgroups are no Place for Children.

To see more previous Haikus,
click on the Haiku Friday label below this post
or in the sidebar under About Me.

Thoughts for Today
"Success is only another form of failure if we forget what our priorities should be." Harry Lloyd

HF #41 & Pensieve's 40PC

What is happening
to our weather? ... Last week we
experienced a

HEAT WAVE in So Cal
now it's cold & rainy with
'tornados' ... mud slides

even snow & hail
thunder, lightning ... gusty winds
challenging traffic!

Memorial Day
weekend plans in flux for most ...
I'll stay close to home.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I shared more of what
I learned in my Photoshop
Elements class this

Wedn'sday here and here
and may share more during the
weekend but today

I shall join Pensieve's
40 Photo Challenge ... the
picture below is

what we're focused on
this week ... and my response will
appear underneath.

Pensieve writes: "An ordinary Charms Blow Pop, two treats in one. Labor your way through the hard, sugary lollipop shell and find a sweet bubble gum reward. What I've always taken for granted as a right of childhood is really a bit extra ordinary given a bit more thought--might you agree?

Either way, I'm curious...what thoughts and memories does this photo conjures for YOU?

As with every Friday's 40-or-less Photo Challenge, take a few minutes to pen a poem, offer a title, coin a caption or simply write the first thoughts that pop in your head. It doesn't have to be a literal interpretation of this picture but maybe about your favorite treats or if you ever actually counted the licks it took to get to the center.... The only rule? Keep it under 40 words.

What could be easier? Invite your readers to join in and we'll have one whiz-bang of a party!!"

~ ~ ~

Red lollipops were
fav'rites of mine long ago
especially when

filled with 'Tootsie roll'
centers ... chewy ... delightful!
Wish I had one now ;--)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Click for others participating in 40PC

Click to see my Week 12 One Single Impression
shared in Volume 42 at
at Sacred Ruminations

~ ~ ~

For a Mr. Linky to other Haiku Fridays
go to A Mommy Story or
Playgroups are no Place for Children.

To see more previous Haikus,
click on the Haiku Friday label below this post
or in the sidebar under About Me.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thought for Today
"Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get." Mark Twain