Writing on a Rainy Weekend

   Now covered concrete drain that usually sits three feet out of the lake behind our house 

Florida was visited by Tropical Storm Debby this past weekend, the first significant storm of the season. It rained, and the wind howled without stopping for over 24 hours.

 In my 66 years, I don't recall ever seeing so much rain at once. Fortunately, when it was all over, our house was safe from flooding or any other damage, and we had electricity for the entire time. Others weren't so lucky. 

Due to the dangerous weather conditions, appointments were canceled, allowing me to stay home for three entire days. It's been a long time since I've had that opportunity. For over 24 hours, it rained, and the wind howled nonstop. With all my free time, I would have been able to devote extra time to writing, complete chores I'd been putting off, and catch up on reading.

I did some of that, but having “plenty of time” to do something actually makes me feel less motivated, knowing that time is on my side.

Instead, I began painting, something I hadn't considered for a few months. I enjoyed it, but my to-do list remained just as long.

Isn't it funny how a change in weather can totally shake up our daily routine and mood? Here's what I ended up writing. It might seem silly and different from my usual posts, but why not share it anyway? Sometimes, embracing the unexpected can be a good thing!

Wishing you a safe weekend with some unexpected surprises (the good kind.) 

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The Case of the Missing Letters 

Six letters on my keyboard have disappeared.

I decided to paint them on, but unfortunately, that didn't last long.

It's good that I already know where the keys are located. That high school typing class with the letters taped off was a good investment of time. 

E-R-T-A-S-O 

I plugged in the letters on The Word Finder, and voila! 142 unscrambled words.

Some of my favorites are:

• orates

• arose

• aster

• soar

• stare

• arts

• tears

• rote 

Do I type those words a lot?  Not really. 

I undoubtedly use the vowel keys the most, but what about I and U? The original letter stamp on the keys looks as new as the day I bought it six years ago.  

I’m a lefty and a bit heavy-handed when I type, so it is understandable that the left side of my keyboard would wear out first. 

The letters that have disappeared due to abuse made me think about the ones that rarely are touched.  

The Q, X,  Z, J, K, V. 

The anagram finder cannot unscramble a single word from these consonants, even with the addition of a vowel.

This case of missing letters could be a sign to look for new words and give some of these overused letters a break—a Caribbean vacation.  '

Maybe I can put some of my reference books to good use:

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I asked ChatGPT to write a paragraph without using the missing letters.  It cheated a bit, but this is what they came up with:

“In the quiet night, my fingers glided effortlessly acrss the keyboard. Each click and clack seemed t resnate in the empty rm. I typed sentences filled with meaning, expressing thughts that fluttered in my mind like butterflies. Yet, with each keystroke, I missed certain keys. It was a unique challenge, but I embraced it, finding new ways t cnvey my ideas without them.”

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The E can’t seem to catch a break, and my spellcheck is screaming at me.

At least this isn’t like the old days with a typewriter when the keys got stuck or became too light to read. The letters are still there, as strong as ever, only hiding. They aren’t missing after all; they have only grown weary of being continually pounded on. 

I can understand that.  I’ll try to lighten my touch, but I make no promises.  I get excited when I concoct a good idea or a scene to type.

Unfortunately, this post wasn’t either of those, but having written it,  I feel better looking down at my missing letters. 

I like this keyboard, and I don’t want a new one. I’ll pretend the letters are on a much-needed break, be happy for them, and continue.  

Next week, I’ll do my best to work on something more insightful using this very keyboard. 

Thanks for reading.  

Keep smiling.

xx