Efrustrlated

See what I did there?  Maybe I should add my new word to my Writer’s Reliquary.  What do y’all think?  Would you use it if it were a ‘real’ word?  Or is it too clunky?  It’s actually not that hard to pronounce but does kinda sound like you’re trying not to drool when you get to the “trl” combo.  Go ahead, give it a whirl, say it a few times and let me know what you think.

Efrustrlated.  That’s the way I’m feeling today.  Elated because I’m fixin’ to leave for vacation but frustrated because I failed to get caught up at work.  Hell, I didn’t even come close to getting caught up even though I took almost 2 weeks off from blogging.  I doubt I’ll have time to post while I’m away, but I should be able to log on a couple of times and see what all you lovely Bloggers are up to while I’m baking in the Lousiana heat and eating good Cajun food faster than I can sweat off the added poundage.

Before I leave, I’m taking the opportunity to participate in two of the daily prompts that have sprung up in the wake of the Daily Post’s unfortunate demise.  One more thing to love about the WordPress community is the flexibility of so many of its Bloggers, like Curious Steph and the other good folks working together to bring us the Ragtag Daily Prompt and of Fandango and his One-Word Challenge.  From the bottom of my lazy, grateful heart, I thank y’all.

Fandango’s One-Word Challenge today is picayune, which instantly brought a rush of great memories flooding into my aging brain.  When I was a teenager, I was all but obsessed with Berkeley Breathed’s awesome, hilarious, poignant, timely, and witheringly satirical comic strip Bloom County.

Y’all remember it, right?  With its lovable cast of unforgettable characters like Opus the penguin; Milo Bloom, child editor of the newspaper The Bloom Picayune; Michael Binkley, Milo’s best human friend; Bill the Cat; Steve Dallas, chain-smoking defense attorney, incorrigible drunk, and lifelong bachelor womanizer; Cutter John, wheelchair-bound Vietnam veteran and Trekkie; Portnoy the groundhog; Hodgepodge the rabbit; Tulip the Basselope; and so many other great characters, most of whom had a love of politicking, philosophizing, and pontificating, Bloom County is what opened my young eyes to politics and taught me to be a conscientious observer of current events as well as a thoughtful and involved voter.

I collected all of the Bloom County books and still have many of them.  They sometimes came with bonus add-ons included.  Tales Too Ticklish to Tell came with an actual copy of The Bloom Picayune, a ridiculously funny precursor of today’s ubiquitous ‘fake news’.  In fact, if I have time tonight after I finish packing, I’m going to pull that book down and see if The Bloom Picayune is still in it.  If it’s not there, I’m going to cry out of frustration with myself for failing to preserve such an important cultural artifact.  If it is still there, however, I’ll celebrate my nondereliction of duty by updating this post with a photo or two of it.*

If y’all have never had the pleasure of reading any Bloom County comics, or if you have and my post has left you with a desire to indulge in some nostalgic enjoyment, I urge you to check out Berkeley Breathed’s Bloom County on Facebook.  I promise you won’t regret it.  And yes, Marilyn Armstrgong, it’s funny, so so funny!

I hope y’all have a lovely week.  I’ll think of you while I’m eating my weight in boudin, cracklins, crawfish etouffé, and gumbo!

*UPDATED:  Holy cow!  I still have it! I’m posting it as the featured image!

via: FOWC, Picayune

via: RDP #5, Flexibility