He said he'd come at moonrise.

It was the last thing he said to her before he ran into the crowd and disappeared. She knew he was hiding something, knew there was more to his job than fulfilling orders and filing papers. Many times she would open her mouth to say something, a question at the tip of her tongue, but then chicken out at the last minute hoping he'd eventually tell her his secret in his own time. Tonight had to be it, right? He had to know she saw those men following him and the worried look on his face when he realized it. Yes, tonight he would tell her the truth.

As the moon appeared high in the sky she found herself holding her breath, waiting for him to appear from the shadows. In the distance she saw movement and hoped it was him. She knew she should probably stay in the car, but she couldn't contain her excitement. As she began walking toward him she noticed he was slumped over a little. Worried that he might be hurt she took off in a sprint then quickly halted when she could see him clearly. With the moonlight shining on him his secret was now out in the open staring her in the eyes, and it terrified her.

Group

Prompt: You have an opportunity to switch places for a day with a member of a group that is subject to discrimination, to understand them better. Who will you be for a day?

A gay man. Although I think they're fabulous there are others out there who don't. I'd like to better understand what they go through on a daily basis. Then I'd like to make a positive impact in some way--to let everyone know that there's no reason to be afraid of what they don't know.

10 Things that Make Me Cry

In no particular order:

1. Sports movies: I'm such a sap. Give me a good underdog story and I'm bawling like a baby. I even tear up when I read SI or ESPN features. There really is no drama like a sports drama. Those overcoming-adversity stories get me every single time. I'm going to be a blubbering mess during the Olympics. Eh, who cares? Bring it!

2. Mean people: Why do people have to be so mean? What's the point? I never did anything to them.

3. My grandma: When I see pictures of my her now and think about the way she was when she lived with us my heart breaks a little. I wish there was something I could do for her, but she probably doesn't even remember who I am.

4. August 13, 1998: Not much to say about this date.

5. The ASPCA commercials: Images of rescued or injured animals + a Sarah McLachlan song = buckets of tears. I cannot sit through one of those commercials.

6. Hurt or starving children: Much like the ASPCA commercials, I can't sit through the sponsor-a-child commercials either. There's this one about a little boy in Africa whose parents died and he now he has to take care of his younger siblings. Every time I see it, I tear up.

7. My family: They have this weird ability to push the right buttons that will being on the waterworks, especially my sister. She's a pro.

8. Pain: Excruciating pain or consistent pain will make me cry. Hell, if my motion sickness is really bad then I'm crying like a baby. I don't have a high tolerance for pain.

9. A song: The right lyrics will trigger something in me and I'll find myself reaching for the box of tissues. It's amazing how much power music has over human emotions.

10. Something really funny: Happy tears everywhere if I'm laughing my ass off. That's the best way to cry.

A new puppy, someone's blog and a poem.

Thought I'd try something different. Here's my lame attempt at a haiku:

New puppy I love
Found on someone's blog this fall
Inspired a poem

The smallest creatures in life make the biggest differences.

I'm so glad I got this picture today:

This statement is so true. During the holidays I was able to spend a lot of time with the dogs in our family. I think part of the reason I feel so relaxed and happy when I'm at home is because of these sweet creatures. I love my family to pieces, but they can really drive me crazy sometimes. These puppies, well, one look from them and I'm smiling. When they do something wrong, it's difficult for me to be angry for a long period of time. Minutes later they're in my arms while I shower them with kisses.

I often wish it was this easy with humans. I mean, how great would it be to see a cute boy and just go up to him and give him hugs and kisses? Even better--cute boy goes up to you and showers you with hugs and kisses. OK, maybe that's a little to psycho, but you get what I'm saying.

I think the answer is that these small lovable creatures are much simpler than us, and I mean that in a good way. They eat, sleep, play and love unconditionally. They don't know anything more than that nor do they need anything else. Hmmmm...maybe they're on to something. Perhaps they're the smarter creatures after all.

"Did You Turn It Down?"

"I turned it off."

I'd asked him a million times to turn it down, but each time he ignored me, pretending as if he couldn't hear me. Oh, he could hear me. The whole neighborhood could hear me! He was doing this to get a rise out of me. It was his favorite pastime. He knew I hated his type of music so he always turned up the volume to make sure I could hear it. Normally I wouldn't bother to pay him any attention, but today I needed the peace and quiet. Today I need to buckle down and focus on writing this paper. The loud, pounding music did nothing to help.

After repeatedly asking him to turn it down in every way possible, I burst through his door and just turned it off. The loud bang of the door as it bounced off the wall made him jump in his seat. One look at me and he knew I meant business. After almost knocking his iPod on the floor in my crazy flurry, I stormed out of his room and slammed the door on my way out.

As I settled at my computer I couldn't help but feel like I'd won a battle. That feeling last about five seconds because that's when my walls began to vibrate...again.

Back to the Routine

I know the goal was to keep this up continuously, but the holidays always have a habit of ruining my plans. OK, maybe I shouldn't blame it entirely on the holidays. I suppose if I had more self-discipline I would have maintained this writing exercise throughout the month of December. Anyway, here's my attempt to get things back on track.

Today's One-Minute Prompt: Cold
Parts of America have been experiencing record-breaking low temperatures. Think of a product you could invent to help people stay warm.

One of the things I hate about cold weather is all the bulky jackets. Yeah, there are thinner versions, but they never seem to really work. I would invent a thin jacket that kept you toasty--the kind of toasty that makes you sweat. That way I wouldn't have to be squished on the bus with all the big puffy jackets.