Our March classes are filling up fast. Snatch up the last available spots by calling 323-333-2954 or emailing marilyn@writingpad.com before they are full! Here's the latest on what's happening at the Pad:
- Hello World, Welcome To My Blog (Sat. Mar. 20)--Only 1 spot left
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Writing Prompt: Make a list of 3 times you got caught doing something (or your character got caught doing something). For example, did your parents ever catch you sneaking back in the house after curfew? Or maybe you were pulled over by a cop and received a speeding ticket? Pick one item off of your list and write about it for ten minutes. Have fun with it!
Post on the comments of this blog! What did you (or your character) get caught doing? If you post in the comment section of this blog, you could win a free class!
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During the transition of selling one of my parents restaurants, they moved all the remaining alcohol inventory to a closet in the basement of our house. There were hundreds of different bottles of alcohol from cognacs to vodkas and rums. So periodically throughout my college years, I'd sneak home and grab a bottle or two for whatever party I was headed to, always thinking that they would never notice a bottle or two missing.
Not sure if the alcohol killed my brain cells, because I stopped keeping track and never noticed how much inventory was dwindling until the last party my roommates and I threw, right before graduation. I wanted to get more alcohol because this was going to be our final hoorah. So, I went home and did a double take. More than half of the alcohol was gone!
Thinking I was being slick, I figured, I might as well take it all. Then they might think it was never there? It had been years since they moved the alcohol. So I emptied out the entire closet and went on my way, thinking, "Damn, I'm good."
Three days later, I got a call from my mom telling me to come home and get the jacket that I left in the basement liquor room and by the way, how did I like the all the alcohol? Yikes! Turns out, my parents had been taking bottles out too, and that's why so much alcohol was missing. That night, they had gone down there to get a bottle of wine to take to a friend's dinner party and noticed that the entire room was empty, except for my jacket!
Yesterday I got caught. After nearly 19 years of knowing me, Seen finally found out something I'd managed to keep from his this entire time.
He left our apartment around 2:30 to head out to a 3pm meeting. This meeting was supposed to last 3-4 hours and I was looking forward to a little Amy time. About 1/2 hr after he left, I decided to take a break from writing and chill out.
I ventured into the kitchen and popped open a bag of chocolate chips and poured about 2 tablespoons onto a plate. Then I grabbed the jar of peanut butter and a spoon. Yup, this was the snack I'd snuck since I was a little girl. When I was little it was hard for my Mom to trace disappearing choc chips and peanut butter and my now my husband was clueless to my junk food fix.
Goodies in hand, I sat down on the couch, pulled out a spoon laden with yummy creamy peanuty goodness and began to dip it into the plate o' chips. At that precise moment, a key turned in our front door and in walked Seen. I had no where to run or hide, he'd seen me. I had to come clean.
Now we have no secrets left. The chips are otta the bag.
Serena and Amy--I love these pieces. They are hilarious!
Serena--I love the story of the "hundreds of different bottles of alcohol from cognacs to vodkas and rums" that got dwindled down to an empty room. I love that the narrator got caught by leaving her jacket behind and the last image of the empty room with the jacket. Fabulous!
Amy--Your opening paragraph is so intriguing! I also love the description of the junk food snack that hearkens back to the narrator's childhood. I love the image of the narrator's husband walking in early. I can hear the sound of the key of the lock and see him catching her!
Thanks for posting!
Marilyn
In seventh grade, I discovered the cathartic power of cursing a blue streak. Always a good girl, I had never experimented with anything stronger than "oh golly;" but a mixture of Jr High, new friends and a yearning to be cool introduced me to the most unladylike of words. Words that I knew my parents strongly disapproved of. So, I said them at school, in the quad at lunch. I whispered them in class, when the teacher wasn't looking. I flipped my friends off, as a joke. I felt grown up and powerful. I felt like one of the cool kids. I had no idea that I sounded like a twelve year old truck driver wearing neon and skinny jeans.
I never even realized I'd turned a fun flirtation with bad language a bad habit until one foggy day, after school. We were rushing out the door to piano lessons and my mom was nagging me to hurry. I trailed behind her, grumpy and resentful. I hated piano lessons. As my mom rounded the corner towards the driveway, I was hidden by a large jasmine bush. The perfect opportunity! Without even thinking about it, I flung my hand in the air, raised my middle finger nice and high, and stuck out my tongue. Turns out, my mom had forgotten something, and as she wheeled around the jasmine to go back inside the house, she came face to face with me in all my rebellious glory.
Needless to say, we were late to piano lessons. And later on that night, when everyone calmed down, I got nice long lecture as to why bad language is indeed unladylike; complete with full and colorful definitions of the words I was saying. Totally grossed me out and scarred me for life.
I learned when I was in the sixth grade to never, never mention anything about the Ouija board in Catholic school.
I had a few friends of mine over for a sleepover one weekend, and we tried it out. Of course, those things never really work. You never know whether you're pushing it or it's moving. Anyway, that Mon. in school, our teacher asked the class to share what we did over the weekend. I had the intelligence of mind to pipe up, "we played the Ouija board!", thinking this was unique. I just remember looking over at my friend and her shaking her head and mouthing the word "No". The look on my teacher's face, to my surprise, was that of horror and alarm. I trailed off with something to the tune of, "I don't think those things really work".
And so, my teacher informed the principal of my debauchery. The principal, a nun mind you, then ended up writing my mother a letter that she was concerned I was into witchcraft, voicing her disapproval of the Ouija board. I was in huge trouble later. My mother broke the Ouija board in half (over her knee!). Mortified, I did not come out of my room again until dinnertime. That's what happens when you're caught for being too imaginative in Catholic school!
Hi Dahlings,
Thank you so much for posting! I will read your fabulous stories and give you likes and remembers hopefully by tonight.
Marilyn
Kristina--Your story is hilarious. I love that the music was "CRANKED," the crappy mix of "Peace and Love Inc.," and the golfers that gave the narrator the thumbs up.
Julie--I really enjoyed your story! I love unladylike words, 12 year old truck driver wearing neon and skinny jeans, and the detailed description of the narrator giving her Mom the finger and the tongue simultaneously!
Erin--Fantastic! I loved the look of horror on the teacher's face, the letter about witchcraft, and that the mother broke the Ouija board in half. Oh my goodness!
Thanks for posting, everyone!
Marilyn
At the age of 16, I was dating a guy that attended a private catholic all boys school. Monthly, the school would host dances. During one dance that we both attended, we desired to leave due to boredom. Both of us got into a beat up '84 Honda civic, and drove to a near by dark and secluded park to "make out!" As the windows got steamy, and the buttons on my white blouse came undone,there was a sudden bright light and a knock on the window.
Two police officers stood outside of the car demanding us to get out. Frantically, I tried to cover my exposed 16 year old breasts and button up my blouse. My poor boyfriend stood beside me shaking trying to put on his shoes. We both begged and pleaded with the officers not to call our parents. After a brief lecture on safety and indecent exposure in a public place, they let us go!
Hi Goddess Hikes--I love your story! I love how the buttons came undone, there was a sudden bright light and a knock on the window. It was a descriptive but succinct way to get us into the action! I love that the narrator was trying to cover her 16 year old breasts and that the boyfriend was shaking as he put on his shoes. Fabulous!
Marilyn
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