Photograph courtesy of Doug MacIlroy
It’s time for Friday Fictioneers again, (even if it is Wednesday) and thanks to Rochelle for hosting every week. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
This seems to be the only writing I’m doing these days as I work my way through a particularly grim fallow patch. 😦
“It’s not you…it’s me,” he says, perspiration forming on his upper lip.
I glare at him; people are looking at us.
He tries again. “To be fair Angelina, you knew I was married. I never promised you a rose garden…”
Sanctimonious hackneyed sap; can’t even find any words of his own to kiss my ass goodbye.
“Don’t cry for me Angelina.” He touches my hand. “This too shall pass.”
Jerk!
The coffee-shop door closes after him, and I stare down at my cup .
Oh well, another one bites the dust. I had some dreams, but they were clouds in my coffee…
It’s been a couple of years or so since I set up this site, and this week I’ve been working on setting up a separate photography-based blog. I’d quite forgotten the frustration of trying to puzzle out WordPress, where requests for support disappear into the ether, the help pages are near unintelligible (to one such as I), and where the WordPress for Dummies book bounces off the wall at regular intervals. Still, if you’d like to see how far I’ve got with it, take a look at Fur Feathers and Flora.
castelsarrasin 
Dear Sandra,
I love the irony in her irritation at his cliche’d good-bye speech and ending with the Carly Simon line. It fit together well.
Hope your fallow time passes soon. This story certainly blossomed and flourished.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you Rochelle; I hope to recover shortly. I’ve been hoping so for some time. 😦
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well enjoy the new blog journey
while she enjoys her coffee (good to the last drop)
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Thank you!
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In my mind, I slapped him before enjoying a delicious coffee! So well written, Sandra.
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Thanks, glad you liked it.
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The coffee sounds more promising than the guy! I like how you’ve used the prompt.
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Thanks Gabriella; the guy’s a loser! 🙂
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I thought this was hilarious! The cliched lines were well-used – like nails on a chalkboard. What a jerk!
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Thank you! 🙂
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A great combination of clever lines, Sandra and a fantastic ending. If this is a fallow patch, you must roar through the good times.
One little concrit, if you’ll forgive it, but Angelina seems like an awfully long name for a boyfriend to still be using. Unless he’s being overly formal because he’s breaking up with her… But I think overall I’d probably still expect him to be saying Angie or (to save the Argentina line) maybe he could just use it less often. Anyway, I’m rambling, but that’s the only thing which jarred for me in an otherwise impressive piece.
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You always unerringly find the one bit of the story that I’ve been back to time and again, Jen. 🙂 She was originally called Eunice, then I renamed her Wilhelmina when I thought of the Argentina line, and then changed it to Angelina. At the time I’d been looking for an abbreviation of Wilhelmina, but I didn’t think to shorten Angelina. Thanks!
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He was rather hackneyed, wasn’t he? Your stories are always well-crafted and good, so don’t worry about the fallow bit. Fields lie fallow so they can renew and grow stronger crops the next time. Writers need that time, too.
janet
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I think I need some strong fertiliser Janet. 🙂 I hope to come back stronger. Thanks for your encouragement.
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Enjoyed her inner dialogue. 🙂
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Thank you!
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Sandra, if you fancy more writing challenges then join me at http://www.trifectawritingchallenge.com/ – Some great writers over there!
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I used to contribute over there Paul, (and on YeahWrite Speakeasy, Five Sentence Fiction and 100 WCGU) but gave up a couple of months ago when I found I was spending all day reading and commenting. I might look in again some time soon.
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Hi Sandra,
You probably think this comment is about you. This story is wonderfully amusing. Just following the references is great fun. Congrats on your new royal baby. As for your fallow period . . . this too shall pass! Ron
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🙂 🙂 Well done. The royal baby energised the media in a way that took my breath away. I never heard such vacuous, speculative rubbish spouted over such a prolonged period before. I was pleased everything went well though, and now we can look forward to three kings… well I can’t, but others can. 🙂 Thanks for commenting Ron.
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She’s so vain! lol
Good luck with the new site. It is excruciatingly frustrating. And this new drop down links in all our posts and comments are driving me nuts!
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I sometimes wonder whether it’s me, but on searching the internet I found that several people have had a go at writing their own instruction manuals for WordPress. Here’s one link I found useful. http://easywpguide.com/ Thanks for dropping by.
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Thanks Sandra.
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Good work, Sandra. Hot coffee in the face would been justified. ; )
~Chris
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🙂 Thanks for reading and commenting.
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HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Superb, Sandra! I LOVE the approach. I liked the “Don’t cry for me, Angelina.” Hysterical! Thanks for giving me the first laugh of the week! I needed it.
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Glad I could make you laugh Kent. Have a nice weekend!
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A splendid read… quite an interesting tale.
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Thank you!
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LOVED IT!
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Thank you!
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hahaha loved this. particularly the “Don’t cry for me Angelina.” haha.. yuck. she’s better off without him ^^ lol
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Thanks kz. 🙂
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Nice denouement! I kind of worked with a song motif too this week.
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Thanks Perry. I see you did, nice one.
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Loved this. And reading the comments is almost as entertaining. Some people always keep their long names, so Angelina is fine as far as I’m concerned. As for the royal baby, I think they must have subconsciously wanted a girl as George Alexander Louis abbreviates to GAL. But what’s in a name? A rose would smell as sweet. 🙂
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Yes I was disappointed with ‘George’. Perhaps they’ll use the middle name – that would have been a nice break with tradition. Thanks for reading the story.
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Nice one, Sandra!
He’s so vain, he probably thinks this story is about him….
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🙂 Thanks Jan.
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Hi, I’m new a newbie. Just wanted to say I really enjoyed your story, great one liners….
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Thanks Helen, and welcome.
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Ha. Perfect ending to her relationship with him. I would like to think she was being wry but it’s even funnier if she doesn’t see the irony.
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Yes, I had her as not seeing the irony. Glad that occurred to you. Thanks for reading.
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Ditto Jan Brown’s comment. Randy
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Thank you Randy.
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Clouds in your coffee…Love it!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who requires more help than the Help Pages can offer. Trying to learn how to use some apps on my smartphone has increased the number of gray hairs, or made all the dark ones fall out.
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I spent hours trying to insert a gallery of pictures in a post. All I could see was a big square with a camera in it. Read and re-read the instructions, tried several other sources of help. All of them missed out one vital bit of information, In the edit mode all you CAN see is a big square with a camera in it. You need to save it and preview it to see whether it’s worked. Sometimes I think it’s me and the way my mind works. Or just, as my husband says, a general incompatibility with instructions. 🙂 Thanks for dropping by.
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Great writing – loved the idea of clouds in the coffee cup!
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Thank you!
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As always, Sandra, you impress, and come up with the goods. Personally, I find it best to go with the flow, creatively, and to remember that, for a writer, no experience is ever wasted! 🙂
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I’m trying not to panic yet! 🙂 Thanks for calling by.
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“Don’t cry for me, Angelina” – best, line, evah! Loved this piece. 😉
Here’s mine: http://unexpectedpaths.com/friday-fictioneers/free-flight/
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Thanks Maggie!
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Sorry about the fallow patch Sandra. If it helps, I’m in there with you somewhat, certain that we’ll come back round in due time. I loved your 100 this week, and the use of all the song lyrics/titles was simply genius!
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I hope it passes for you soon too, Troy. Thanks for dropping by.
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Excellent! I have a friend who is a walking juke box and he never fails to somehow insert a song title into our conversation. It’s irritating and damn funny how contagious it is.
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🙂 Thanks Honie. I could get used to talking this way too….
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I liked this Sandra! It was very Walla Walla Bing Bang oh e! 😀
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🙂
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I wish I could write like that. I can never remember songs or words to songs. Heck I have trouble remembering my own name sometimes. Yet I can remember numbers. Sigh, and I hate numbers. I liked it Sandra. Even in your fallow time you write damn good stuff. 🙂
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Thanks Jackie. I appreciate your comment.
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This reminds me of a movie I watched recently called ‘And Now a Word from Our Sponsors’ where the man can only speak in ad slogans. Great last line.
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Thanks Erin.
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Well done – as usual.
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Thank you!
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Loved Erin’s comment :-). Great story, really clever!
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Thanks for dropping by Tina.
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This prompt is definitely producing some interesting stories. Great job.
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It certainly seems to have been an inspiring prompt. Thanks for dropping by.
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Ah, time for her to get angry.
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I think so.
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This week’s best read.
Brilliant!
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To be left with a song. So sad, but at least I get to go through the day singing “Your So Vain.” Most addictive song EVVVVVVVER!
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Thank you!
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