'Tis Haiku Monday.
Gonna write in five minutes.
Well, almost midnight.

Life is so busy.
Chicken, bacon, and pasta.
Go well together.

Italian food.
Something I really want now.
It's almost midnight.

If it is midnight,
It would be Haiku Tuesday.
But, really, it's not.

One, one, five, five, brah.
Meaning five more minutes left.
Last day of first month.

Chicken noodle soup.
Something else I really want.
Pizza first, though, brah.

From The Somewhat Perilous Plot of the Patriotic Mosquitoes

There wasn't really a lot for the kids to do for a while. Hide and seek might have been the best option, even if the kids are at least twenty years old. Other games, like football, flying disk war, and other games were possibilities as well. But there were some people who wanted to play hide and seek.

Or reverse hide and seek. Where only one person hides, and everyone else seeks. A game that has been played before and proven to be quite fun, the kids thought that would be a better idea than plain old hide and seek. Why not change things up a bit? What's wrong with being different for a little while? Being conventional could wait for another time.

When they had all counted to thirty, they heard Levi running. But they weren't quite sure where he was headed off to. All they heard were his fast footsteps that probably led to a small house with a porch.

"Well, it looks like he's gonna go for it," Caleb said after they all counted when Levi ran to his hiding spot.
"Where do you think he is?" Bradley felt compelled to ask.
"It would be interesting to find out."
"Probably not in an easy place."
"Oh, absolutely not," Caleb remarked.
"I don't think he's that....you know...." Bradley tried remembering a certain word.
"Um....what word are you thinking of?"
"I can't think of it."
"He's bold."
"Well, yes. He's very bold and stubborn."

There were quite a few buildings around the area. They just figured that the small house with the porch was where he might be. The roof was a gable shape, with clapboard siding. The porch looked nice enough. But there was absolutely no way Levi could have hidden here. The only door leading into the house was locked. And all of the windows were locked as well. There was absolutely no basement.

The kids didn't really know where to look next. The small house with a porch was out of the question. They moved on to the next small house, but without a porch. The house looked a little similar to the previous house, but the siding was made of some weird off color of lavender vinyl. It was a cool house nonetheless, but it didn't seem to be a possibility either. However, with this house, there was a basement. But Levi could not be hiding in the basement. He is way too smart to pull that off. Because of this, the hide and seek game could take a while. That was for sure.

Fifteen minutes later, and the kids still could not find Levi. They knew he had to be around here somewhere. That was the rule of the game, to not go farther than the end of this so-called park. If it is even a park. More or less a bunch of small houses just thrown on some vacant land that dates back to 1982. Maybe the year is a bit off, but one would get the idea. But Levi was here somewhere, but he was most likely going to shock everyone with his hiding place. There were at least ten houses around this area, and Bradley, Claire, Brody, Caleb, Jack, Andrew, and David had only looked at two of them. Twenty percent completed. Eighty percent more to go.

On to the third house. A small house with a porch, this place had a hip roof that looked like it had just been renovated. The porch also looked renovated, with a soda machine just outside the front door. The pop machine did not look renovated, however. It most likely dated back to the 1950's or 1960's, so basically when soda machines were so popular.

There were so many cool things about this house, including the kelly green shutters, the scarlet red roof, and the royal blue door. It was locked, as everyone had figured. And there was absolutely no basement. So Levi could still not have possibly gone into the basement. But, did anyone really know if Levi was hiding here?

No one could find him.

A few minutes, however. That changed. The seven kids were wandering around aimlessly in the area when they heard some feet jump off something. Whoever made this sound did not jump hard. It sounded like he or she might have taken some time to get closer to the ground before making a jump. The seven kids turned around to see who might have made that noise to their dismay.

It was Levi. He was bent over with his hands on his knees, with his head facing the ground. Very similar as to when someone finishes their morning run. Only it wasn’t morning. And he wasn’t running.

Levi’s chest was heaving once he was able to get back on the ground. He didn’t want to just jump off the roof because it was high enough that he could hurt himself if he had done that. He sat up against a large boulder, which happened to appear out of nowhere, according to the eight twenty-some-year-olds.

​"Levi! Where did you hide?" Jack questioned his best friend.
"I climbed up on a roof after running up that hill," Levi replied.
"You okay, man? Wanna relax a bit?"
"I might need to. I was so shocked that you didn't see me."
"You hid yourself well," Jack said.
"I was nervous, man," Levi remarked. "I was watching you guys keep passing where I was, and I was trying to keep my breathing to a minimum."
"Oh wow."
"My body wanted me to breathe hard, but I didn't want to breathe hard. So I tried to hold my breath as long as I could, but it didn't work as well as I wanted it to. And my heart was pounding so hard while I was trying to hold my breath. I was that nervous."
"Does your chest hurt?"
"My chest is a little sore, but I need to actually breathe."
“You gonna pull through?”
“Absolutely.”

From Rockybado 4: Running Up a Hill

It was then 10:30 at night, and the boys’ mom came home from the holiday party. She found Brody sleeping on the sofa when she walked in. He was wearing what he had worn that day: a blue quarter zip, a purple t-shirt, and jeans. He still had his white socks on, and, surprisingly enough, he was asleep on his back with his face buried into a pillow by his side. Even though Brody normally sleeps on his stomach, he still looked very comfortable.

“I’m home, Brody,” Mrs. Ingram said.

Brody moaned and stayed where he was. His mom walked into a different room and looked for a warm blanket to cover him, since he didn’t already have a blanket. Honeybunny was cuddled up next to him. When Mrs. Ingram returned with a blanket, the cat jumped off the couch. However, Brody was in a pretty deep sleep. How could he have possibly fallen asleep so early at night?

His last final was today, and he had spent most of the previous day studying as much as he could to ace the final.

Mrs. Ingram put the blanket over him, and leaned over to hug and kiss him. When she hugged him, she was so close to his chest that she could hear his loud heartbeat. She smiled and realized the love that she has always had for him. Mrs. Ingram then kissed her son on the cheek and left to get ready for bed. 

Tis Haiku Monday.
And the day after Sunday.
Yes, it is Monday.

Thai food's pretty great.
Pineapple curry, of course.
I want some more now.

And some crab rangoon.
Can't go wrong with crab rangoon.
Sweet and sour sauce.

Tis wishful thinking
That I want to go today.
To get some more Thai.

Mouth is watering.
Crab rangoon, egg rolls, and stuff.
Pineapple curry.

It was January 18, 2017. And Brody Ingram had his current girlfriend, Julia Jaconetti, over at their apartment in Merrillville, Indiana. For a little while, he, Julia, and his other friend, Andrew McCalsky, and his girlfriend, have been talking about moving to San Francisco next year since that is their favorite city. But they still have some planning to do. Today, Brody and Julia could not have cared less about that. All they cared about was having a good time tonight. Brody invited Julia over to play video games. Julia wanted to order pizza. No one else was in the apartment right now. It was just the two of them.

"I haven't played video games in a while," Julia remarked.
"I'm more old school, to be honest," Brody replied.
"I would never have guessed!"
"My friends and I go to arcade rooms all the time."
"That would be something fun to do some day," Julia said.
"Come with us next time," Brody remarked.
"I might. So, when is David finalizing on his house with Olivia?"
"Summer."
"Excellent. That is when my lease is up on the apartment with Courtney and Kelly."
"It's coming up soon."

Julia does not have a problem with her roommates at all. Even though they are all from Crown Point, they decided to live together, since they are friends. After the end of the lease, Julia is moving in with Brody. Courtney Salas, one of her roommates, is moving to St. Charles, Illinois, since she is looking for a job out there. And Kelly Carson, her other roommate, is moving in with her older sister on the other side of town. It wasn't that they hate each other. They love each other, but they have just decided to go different directions with their lives. 

Brody turned the game console on, and they both recognized the more old school logo. He wanted to play a car racing game. Julia didn't care; she was pretty open to anything. 

And then Julia started giggling. Brody wasn't quite sure why. Maybe it was because Julia thinks he's super attractive? Or maybe she was trying to relive some memories from not so long ago? Or maybe a little bit of both? 

Brody and Julia hadn't had their fair share of the Prosecco yet, but they thought the idea of it would be great with pizza. But Julia couldn't help but giggle about absolutely nothing. With that in mind, Brody couldn't help but giggle either. Something was really funny and really cute. 

Julia and Brody looked at each other and giggled. They couldn't help but giggle just because. For the next few minutes, the two kept giggling and giggling until they couldn't anymore. 

And then Brody and Julia started hugging each other and giggled some more. This hasn't happened in a while, especially since Brody, his older brother David, his younger brother Toby, and Andrew had been to San Francisco for a week. 

Brody and Julia definitely could not get enough of each other. They ignored the video game music playing in the background. They just continued to giggle and hug and kiss each other. Especially since Brody and Julia thinking each other is cute is beyond mutual. And they were probably living in not so distant memories as well. 

For several more minutes, this did not stop. It was a great night for the both of them.

From The Magic Video Game 4: The Upbringing of a New Comedian

There wasn't much question as to what Levi Cranston and Mackenzie Burbanks had wanted to do. They both had their hearts set on going to their favorite park in Valparaiso, which is only a few blocks due north of where Levi's house is. Levi wanted a relaxing date. And, for that matter, so did Mackenzie. They didn't want to do anything too extravagant today, even though Levi's shirt might potentially indicate otherwise. And Mackenzie's dress as well, since it is a nicer dress. All Levi and Mackenzie needed to do was grab a thin sheet from the hall closet so that they could have something to lie on, as opposed to just the grass. Once they found a nice blue sheet, they left for their favorite park. They wanted to walk a little as well. However, they were really hoping to just lie on the grass and think positive thoughts.

Levi and Mackenzie lay on the grass and stared at the sky. They didn't really want to talk right now. Instead, they just wanted to enjoy their time together. Mackenzie took her right hand and put it on Levi's chest, so that she could feel his heart beating and breathing. This was quite relaxing for Mackenzie, and this was definitely relaxing for Levi. She was enjoying feeling her boyfriend's chest pulsing against her hand, and he was enjoying his girlfriend's presence. A few minutes later, Levi took his left hand and put it over Mackenzie's hand, so they could both feel his heartbeat. Levi was thinking long and hard about something that has been on his mind for a while. However, he was trying very hard to push it out if his mind. Even though this might have been the case, he felt as if he needed to get it off his chest.

​"Hey, Mackenzie?" Levi got his girlfriend's attention. It took her a little while to get out of "the zone" because she was in it for so long.
"Yes?" Mackenzie asked, a few seconds later.
"Have you ever thought about actually getting married?"
"Not really. Have you, Levi? Be honest."
"To be honest, not at all," Levi remarked, and Mackenzie could feel Levi's pulse speeding up.
"I think we are on the same page," Mackenzie semi-joked.
"I honestly just don't see the point in it. My mom is encouraging us to get married some day. My dad doesn't care. And I don't see how it's worth it."
"I totally agree."
"And, besides, I think I'm already married to you."
"You stole my heart, Levi."
"No. You stole my heart."

It's Haiku Monday.
Oh boy. It's been quite a day.
Restaurant mapping.

It is a project.
One that keeps me occupied.
During tax season.

I am still writing.
On my blog at least for now.
Thinking about lots.

Marketing is great.
Specially with the haiku.
I am still writing.

Chicken alfredo.
Is what I will have for lunch.
With a mimosa.

On a Saturday.
Because weekends are so rad.
​I am still writing.

Hey everyone,

Hope 2017 is treating all of you very well, and you are excitedly anticipating some great new changes for this year. Whatever that might be, whether you decide to do a lot more traveling than last year, whether you decide to buy a home, whether you decide to move to a different city, whether you decide to go back to school, whether you decide to pursue a different career, the possibilities are endless. 

I am anticipating some great things happening to me this year.

If you are in your mid-20's, then chances are great that you are hoping to make some changes to your lifestyle. You may figure that you're in a good place right now, but in a few months, you want to be in a FABULOUS place. We all want to be fabulous, right?

Hope so.

Well, I'm sure we can all relate. We do not want to stay in the same place forever. So, today, while I am thinking about all of this, I have been writing some excerpts that are up to date with my writing projects, in terms of the kids involved. I would like to share with you some of their aspirations and where they see themselves in the next few months, year, two years, five years. Who knows?

As of now....

David Ingram (Rockybado) is engaged to his fiancee, Olivia Flavenshevich. They have great jobs in Northwest Indiana that they love, and they don't see the need to leave them any time soon. They have decided that they want to buy a house in Crown Point very soon. David is currently living in an apartment in Merrillville with his younger brother, Brody, and their friends, Adam Levistad and Andrew McCalsky. When David leaves the apartment, Brody's girlfriend, Julia Jaconetti, will be moving into the apartment.

In the next year or two, Brody, Julia, Andrew, and his potential girlfriend, want to be able to have enough money to move to San Francisco, California, where they have always dreamed of living. They just have to find jobs out there first. And it is very unclear where Adam wants to end up, as he has not really been open about what he wants to do.

Andrew Grzedek (The Jazzy Island of Dinosaurs) has a great job in Chicago and does not mind the commute from Valparaiso to Chicago and back. He loves living in Valparaiso with his cousins, Matthew and Harrison McCarthy, and he does not see himself anywhere else as of now. Eventually, he and his cousins will consider moving to Chicago, but that probably won't happen for another year at least.

Andrew's younger brother, Caleb Grzedek, currently lives in an apartment in Merrillville with his friends, Mark Davis and Tad Beruve. As much as they are both happy with where they are right now, they want to make something of themselves in San Francisco, California, within the next few years. All of them are into this idea because they love that city.

Levi Cranston (The Magic Video Game) currently lives about five minutes away from his parents in Valparaiso. He lives on his own with his girlfriend, Mackenzie Burbanks, and two of his best friends, Jack Andrews and Asad Prejesh. Levi loves his job a lot, but he, his girlfriend, and his best friends are definitely looking at moving to either Philadelphia or the Boston/Rhode Island area in the next year or two. They are leaning more toward Rhode Island since they all really like it there. Jack and Levi are considering going back to school to obtain their Master's degrees in Information Technology. They just have to look at schools for right now, but this won't happen most likely until they make the move.

Levi's sister, Olivia, currently lives with her boyfriend, Cameron Sedley, in Northwest Indiana. They are planning to move to Philadelphia later this year when they find good jobs out there. And Levi's other sister, Victoria, is staying in Valparaiso with her fiance, daughter, and daughter on the way. They have their own home about ten minutes away from Victoria's parents. Victoria is seriously thinking about going back to school to pursue her MBA. Levi's younger sister, Evelyn Maeve, is still in high school. And Levi's two half sisters, Louise and Elizabeth, are still in the area as well. Louise lives five minutes away from Levi's parents, and she has her own family. And Elizabeth lives in Crown Point with her husband.

Different people have different ambitions, and we have to embrace each of our goals and try to make things happen.

That is all I have to say for now. I just wanted to highlight that there is more to life than what we currently have, but we need to enjoy the moment and strive to make plans for the future. As I said before, it doesn't matter what your goals are in the near future, you just need to keep them in mind and work toward them.

Have a great weekend, everyone, and make your goals happen!

You Know Who

From Rockybado 3: The Invasion of the Naughty Blue Aliens (took place in summer 2014)

Brody Ingram has been dating Candace Seales for a little over six months, and their relationship is going strong. David Ingram, Brody's older brother, on the other hand, had a long-term relationship with former girlfriend Cera Berringer; however, they went to different schools, and both thought that it was next to impossible to continue the relationship. Now, David has been seeing Olivia Flavenshevich for a little over a year.

Brody had his eye on another girl, Olivia Paragnotti, for the longest time. Until he found out that she already had a boyfriend from his high school baseball team. And they are still dating after four years. Since Brody knew that he didn’t have a chance with Olivia, he decided to find someone else with whom he had a lot in common.

It happened to be Candace, with her blonde hair that goes above her shoulders, bright blue eyes, and light brown eyebrows. She goes to the same university as Brody. However, Brody is a computer engineering major and marketing minor; Candace is a communications major with a concentration in human resources, as well as a French minor. The nice thing about their relationship is that Candace does not live far away from Brody; she lives in Lowell, and Brody lives only twenty minutes north of her. As a matter of fact, Brody has ridden his bike to her house in the past.

And, as for David, he dated Cera until they started college. Cera and David are still friends, but they go to different colleges. When David was a sophomore in college, he noticed Olivia, who looks somewhat similar to Cera. However, she is a little shorter than Cera, and her hair is longer than Cera’s.

The catch of this relationship? David and Olivia graduated from the same high school and did not know each other until they started college. However, Olivia graduated in Brody’s class. In high school, Brody knew who she was, but they were only acquaintances.

“It seems as if Candace got a kick out of the stuffed bear that you got her,” David remarked after a few minutes of awkward silence.
“I think she did,” Brody said, blushing.
“Didn’t it have a recording of a heartbeat in it?”
“Yes.”
“Was it yours?” David asked.
“Could have been,” Brody replied slowly, smiling and letting out a deep sigh. “Could not have been.”
“Was it really?”
After a few seconds….
“Yes.”
“After all those years in high school when all the girls liked you.”
“I don’t even want to think about that, David.”

January 9.
This month is halfway over.
Oh no. What to do.

It's time for a change.
Maybe not right now, later.
Later in the year.

What will happen next?
I'm honestly not too sure.
We'll play it by ear.

Maybe a small change.
Maybe even a big change.
Okay with either.

Serious haiku.
Most serious of them all.
Still writing this blog.

No writing projects
At least for this year, there'll be.
Possibly next year?

I am still writing,
At least on my blog, ya know.
And I'm going live.

Once a week, I'll try.
To go live on the socials.
Serious haiku.

Chicken alfredo.
Steak and shrimp and pastrami.
Bacon's good for me.