Tom Flanders

100 Words – Torture

I laughed as she squirmed, fearing the needle’s sting. I clamped her arm down and injected the harmless solution into her vein. Ten minutes later she told me everything I wanted to know. Everything she wanted me to know.

The charade of torture is often so rewarding. The “victim” wants to cooperate. The sin of collusion is tempting. They don’t really believe the lies they were raised on. Any alternative, any truth, any rebellion will do.

Now what to do with her? Killing her would be too kind. It would deprive her of the horror of living a traitor’s life.

Tags: lies,torture | Comments (0) | Author: Tom | Published: August 17, 2019

Tom Week – Back to the Driveway

8/2/19 – Back to Wormtown Driveway

We’re back at my sister’s for the weekend at least. Pulling into her driveway I cut the corner too tight and got a scrape on the side of the RV. Not too bad. Should polish out.

8/3/19 – Family

Family get-together tonight. Lots of fun. Got see people I haven’t seen in a long time.

8/4/19 – Shots

Took Abigail to get her shots today. She was barking at all the dogs and even nipped at a few of them. She’s never done that before.

8/5/19 – New Laptop

It came today. Time to retire this tired old machine that I love. Time has wielded it’s hoary vengeance. The case is falling apart. Time to move on. Tomorrow I will test my new writing device. Pray that it understands me as this machine has.

Got to see many of the siblings again today. Nice dealing with them one on one rather than in a maddening crowd.

8/6/19 – Moving, not moving

Ann needed access to the garage so we had to move the RV out onto the street for an hour.

I started setting up the new laptop. Tedious, but it is very fast. I am still writing on the old laptop. Haven’t moved my files over yet.

8/7/19 – Work work work

I forgot how mush work it is to set up a new computer. Years of settings from the old computer must be duplicated. Configurations and data file must be copied. Pain in the ass but worth it for the new computer is so much faster and has a friendly keyboard. I think it will be a good writing machine.

Hung out with three of my sisters tonight. Good talk about parents and movies and everything.

8/8/19 – Goodwill

Lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse. Shopping for junk at Goodwill then for food at Shaw’s. Such an exciting life we lead.

8/10/19 – The no comedy show

Went to a comedy show tonight that didn’t happen. Just as the show was about to start the band next door started to play and drowned out the comedians. All seven of us got our money back.

8/11/19 – GO KARTS!

We drove to either Marlboro or Marlborough, depending on which welcome sign you chose to believe, and went to a go kart track. Very nice track but lots of hills, which are not conducive to speed to those of us near 200 pounds.

As we got orientated and put in karts I was worried that I’d be in people’s way. I was one of the few who hadn’t raced there before. My worries proved unfounded. I wound up lapping everyone and half the field a second time.

My best time was three seconds off the fastest time of the day. Just five seconds off the best time ever. Not bad for a gravity-challenged first-timer. Getting out of the karts one of the crew asked me, “Who are you?” Ego all good now, thanks.

8/12/19 – Redneck Dumping

I checked and it’s legal, but I don’t think the neighbors would approve. Not a trace, they’ll never know. If my math is correct I carried 490 pounds of waste water from the RV to the sewer. Such fun.

8/13/19 – A Miracle

Pat’s meds finally made it though the system and into our possession. Thanks to all those who helped and curses on the families of those who didn’t.

8/14/19 – New Hampshire

Back in the woods. We’re doing a two week loop through the upper states then back to Worcester for Labor Day weekend. Instantly relaxed.

8/15/19 – The Pendulum Swings

Nice bike ride today. It help my mental health so much. Afterwards I got to shower in a “rustic” bath house. The spiders seemed to enjoy watching me.

PIX

Pat and the mighty Emmett

Nestled into Ann and Jenn’s driveway

Tonya and Minnie sharing a recliner

Tags: driveway,new hampshire,wormtown | Comments (1) | Author: Tom | Published: August 15, 2019

100 Words(or less) – Movie Oops

All I wanted to do was make a movie. I know that’s little comfort to the families of the recently deceased, but it’s true.

The thing that bothers me the most is now I have to pay extra to have the “no animals were harmed” message removed from the credits.

Tags: movie | Comments (0) | Author: Tom | Published: August 10, 2019

Tom Week – Worcester to The Land of Moss

7/26/19 – In Worcester

We’ve parked the RV in a lot of different places. This is our first alley. Only in Worcester. (AKA Wormtown)

We spent the day at my sister’s. Taking real showers and watching real cable TV. The lap of luxury.

7/27/19 – Laundry Day

We spent most of the day doing my sister’s laundry. I did get in a bike ride though. I found a round with nice wide bike lanes and it coincidentally took me past the cemetery where my parents are buried. I’m not big on cemeteries, but it was right there so I stopped.

I went to Ralph’s tonight. Whenever I come to Worcester I have to go there to remind myself how old I’ve become.

7/28/19 – Tired Morning

Helped Ann pump up some tires this morning. Then Pat and Tonya and I went to lunch and shopping at WalMart. That’s about it.

7/29/19 – And I Helped

Helped my sister move some stuff around in her old warehouse so the movers can come and move it to the new warehouse.

7/30/19 – Into The Woods

We are in Phillipston MA in a heavily-wooded campground. It’s called Lamb City but we’ve seen no sheep. It’s very relaxing. (And there’s a pool across the road.)

7/31/19 – Relaxiland

Woke up at 10. Too lazy for a bike ride. Tonya and I went to the pool for a while. Then the thunder came. Had a good nap. My goal is to be awake less than 12 hours today.

We are in the kind of woods that kill boy scouts. The moss covers both sides of the trees and when it’s over cast you have no idea which way is which.

8/1/19 – The Hills, The Hills

Went for a bike ride today. For once Google Maps was pretty close distance-wise, but was once again way off elevation-wise. Instead of just over 300 feet of climbing I did 964 feet. Had a good nap afterwards.

PIX

Abigail loves her aunties’ couch.

Made some new friends on my bike ride.

Tags: Moss,worcester | Comments (0) | Author: Tom | Published: August 1, 2019

Tom Week – Heatwave and Rain Storms

7/19/19 – Rain Surprise

This morning was much cooler than expected. The extreme heat warnings said it would feel like over 100 today. Not this morning.

OK, now it’s afternoon. We had a rain storm that did not appear on the radar. Afterwards walking outside was like being in a swimming pool with no flotation. The weather warning was correct.

7/20/19 – Bainbridge

I am not impressed with the quality of New York’s back roads.

Every new town I look up on Wikipedia. Upstate New York is basically the history of the destruction of the Iroquois. Very sad.

7/21/19 – Last Hot Day

It’s only 7:00PM and we have the windows open and the air conditioner off. We’re safe until the neighbors build their fire.

One more stop in New York then it’s back home to Massachusetts. A state which, if not for spell-checking, I always spell wrong.

7/22/19 – Mud Hill

We are parked in a field with no support underneath and on a significant slope. It’s raining heavily and we’re slowly sliding down the hill.

When we arrived there were two cars parked in our spot. They moved one but the other wouldn’t start so we’re hooked up with the car between us and the electrical supply. Such fun.

Trying to find a level spot I knocked over an invisible fence. The park guy was pissed but I managed to right the fence without much effort.

7/23/19 – Space Zero

Pat called the office and got us moved to a less horrible spot. Still unlevel, but better than the other spot. We’re right next to the bouncy house. Oh Boy.

7/24/19 – Worm Town

Sitting in my sister Ann’s driveway. We have electricity and water in the tank. If we go light on the waste water we’ll be OK for a while. So far only Ann and Jenn know we are here. Due to running from the heatwave we’re here weeks earlier than expected. I’ll email everybody tomorrow.

PIX

The neighbor kids paddle up the imaginary river

Our neighbors across the way appear to be insane or lazy

This is the fence I didn’t break

The disabled car in our assigned spot

This zen pump. No dial, no hose, no gas.

Tags: heatwave,rain,worcester | Comments (0) | Author: Tom | Published: July 26, 2019

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