My guest for this post is...me! because I will be using multimedia. Hilaw writes a lot of fictional stories, and recently she wrote several 100-word fiction entries. She talked about reading sometime, and somehow I ended up promising to do a reading someday. Hey, even I can handle 100 words! So this is that day. See original text below.
Audio:

Video:

Text:

The Harmonica Player (by Hilaw)

(100 words)

She gives me a quarter and a buck-toothed smile, and it isn’t as bad as her mother said, which made her cover it as they walked past because her mother sounded sure it was something she needed to wear braces for - this beautiful girl, who faces me, unlike others who turn away like my mother did, whose eyes would land on all things but the side of my face my father said looks like a burning paper in slow motion when I move it, like the lit up Monopoly hundred-dollar bill someone laughing dropped into my bowler hat once.

Drew finally lived an old dream of his, and took some great pictures of his journey. Take a look at his post, and go say hi

Since all the stuff with Bryne started going down, I’ve finally been taking some deliberate space for myself. And that culminated in my trip to the Adirondack high peaks. Just me, and everything I could fit in my pack, walking into the wilderness. A resurrected idea from long college drives, NYC to Potsdam and back – I always swore to myself that I’d just park the car one day, and go. So I did.

Tahawus is a place the road ends. So that’s where I started from. And hiked in to Lake Colden, where I would pitch a tent and take day trips from. That was the original plan anyway.

I made the 5.7 mile hike, set up camp and listened – to the wind in the trees, to the loons on the lake. There were maybe 10 people in the whole area. I fell asleep with that wind, but woke up to rain, so the morning journey was put off for a while to dry everything out. But then it cleared a bit, though still cloudy, so I set off.

It was STUNNINGLY beautiful.

The hike got continually steeper, on more rugged trails.

And then it started to rain. The rest of the day would be somewhere between a heavy drizzle and a drenching downpour. That’s where the pictures mostly leave off, since I was fearing for the camera.

I hit a confusing junction, a couple trails crossing and side trails to campsites, plus water running everywhere thanks to the rain. After getting pretty turned around, taking a compass bearing, and checking the trail map, I started up a trail. Or, something like a trail – I was actually on an unmarked trail, up a mountain, that ran parallel to the one I was looking for. But, I was following water that was flowing from uphill so I kept going.

It turned into more rock climb than hike. And the rain poured on. By this point water was literally running down my body. I finally made the top, soaked, cold, and pretty tired out.

That was without a doubt the wildest place I’ve ever been.

The wind blew the rain sideways into my face, so strong I thought it would take me right off the mountain top. My first thought was that I was there in defiance, shaking a fist in the face of Mother Nature.

My second thought followed the first closely. Mother Nature didn’t give two shits that I was even there at all. Standing on the top of the mountain, or lying in a shattered heap at the bottom – She still wouldn’t notice me regardless. The only significance to my being there was that I had brought myself there.

It was about that time it occurred to me that climbing an unmarked mountain trail in the pouring rain might not be the hottest idea I’ve ever had. I started down.

There was one moment on the descent where both my feet went out from under me descending a rock face and, in mid air, I thought, “You know, people die doing this.” Then, contact with both shins – which felt bone crunching, but fortunately wasn’t – and I caught myself and continued down.

The rest was a miserable slog all the way back the way I had come. Every trail was now a stream of water running over and through mud. I finally hit my campsite filthy, exhausted, drenched, and found that once again almost all my gear was soaked. I stripped down, dried off as best I could, got into my sleeping bag atop the dry island that was my foam ground pad, and went to sleep for a couple hours.

When I woke up the rain had finally stopped. I went to refill my water bottle at the lake and found the entire area was deserted – the rain had scared everyone else off, and I was entirely alone. I moved everything into a lean to, hung things to dry, and considered.

I gave up the second mountain I had planned on. My only plans now were eating, resting, and letting everything dry out.

I took a Sabbath.

The sun was in and out of the clouds, with a steady breeze all day. I stayed in the lean to, leaning on the wall. I watched the shadows of clouds moving up Mount Colden.

For hours.

As I stared at the mountain across the lake, I felt like raveled knots were being pulled loose and made straight. It was just happening, and I was just watching it happen. I couldn’t affect it if I wanted to, and I didn’t want to. And I cried – for pain, for loss, but mostly because it was just so beautiful.

And finally I felt – it’s okay.

All the fighting, raging against things I couldn’t change, just dropped away. And at long last, I found some peace. I went for conquest, but at the last I came back with peace.

And the next day I hiked back out.

Guest post by assassynative, check her blog out! She says this falls under "getting something back I've lost or finding something I've never had."

I grew up without a father
He was too lazy or something to show his face
and I never realized til now how much a dad could affect a daughter
maybe that's why I hate
and feel so out of place.

I grew up without a TV but it was pointless, you see
The violence was still there
from my mother to sister
and within me.

I grew up with poverty's ice cold stare.
and mom would promise
"it's only for a bit longer"
but the signs were always still there.

I grew up with a dying heart, watching my family fall apart
Even though it had already happened, long before I was there
I just saw the after effects where
everything just had a scarring effect.

I just wanted to be away from it all but at the same time
needed someone to call stability
But even outside I was alone
and only books filled the empty.

And I was told or maybe lied to about dreams.
I read that you could do anything, anything
if you put your heart, everything, into it.

But how could I
find my passions
become success
a future brightened,

when I was thrown into such a deep pit
where money, family, love and self didn't exist.
It was like telling the blind to see
or the dead to live.

It's a sad cycle, 'cause lacking money
will lead to problems within the house
and consequently, ultimately within one's self
where the real dream killer lives.

No, you don't get it.
Some dreams have expiration dates
so it IS too late.
Discouragement kills desire
tired, she reaches for that streetcar

misses,

as dreams

turn

to ashes.

(I reference the works of Tennessee Williams and Langston Hughes if you picked up on that.)

Another guest post--an artist wrote in and offered his work, and I do love artistry, so... take a look!

Ever since I was really young, I've had an inclination to be creative. The fridge door was never empty with me around. As I got older my artistic talents grew with me. When I got to high-school I took every art class offered. By my senior year I had to do independent study and take classes at the local community college because I was out of classes.

My college experience was really good. I of course, got an art degree. I used what talent I had and got myself a job as a graphic designer. In case you didn't know, graphic design is less creative than fine art art. It's true that I use my atheistic instincts when designing things such as a brochure or poster but there are usually constraints on what you are allowed to do.

With this in mind I've always made it a goal to keep the “fine art side” of me happy. I do projects that tap in directly to my traditional art skills. Here are three of my most recent projects (with video links).

1.My Self Portrait
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KstRah1hKvs

2.Painting a dried out gourd to look like an apple
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gqyW5cbep0

3.My Comic Book (Graphic Novel)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohg35HNRmtU

-       Taken a drink of your soda to realize it wasn’t your soda?

-       Bonus if it’s a stranger’s next to you and it’s at the movie theaters?

-       In fact, it might of not been soda at all?

-       Looked on the wall where the clock used to be to see the time?

-       Looked all over the house for said clock even though the microwave says the time?

-       Even if you had a watch on?

-       Sent a message to the wrong person?

-       Bonus if it had awkward content in it?

-       Mistook a phone number as someone else’s and called them to say something just as awkward?

-       Stared off into space only to realize that that space is occupied by a person?

-       That’s wondering why you’re staring at them?

-       Greeted an old friend to realize they weren’t an old friend but you thought so because they looked similar from the behind?

-       - Thought someone was attractive from behind and would’ve hit on them but realized they were a family member, an acquaintance’s parents/kids, or someone way too old/young from in front?

-       Had something that was broken that caused you to change your ways of doing things?

-       But you kept doing things the “changed” way even after you got it fix?

-       For instance, the front car door wouldn’t open, so you’d have to slide out the back door.  But even after it was fixed, you slid out back still?

-       Popped the cap entirely off of a spice because you expected there to be plastic with holes to pour protecting it from all spilling out at once?

-       Only to realize after gagging there wasn’t?

-       Taken a bite out of bread and realized just then it was moldy?

- Same with drinking spoiled milk?

-       Returned to the movie theater after getting popcorn, sat down with your friends, and realized they were one row over?

-       Turned on the radio or a CD to realize you had your music up too loud last time?

-       Took a step on flat land because you could’ve sworn there was a step there last time?

-       Laughed at something that happened yesterday during an inappropriate time?

- Like a serious lecture or funeral?

-       Heard the music to a song and sang along to the lyrics to realize it was the wrong song? Both just had similar beginnings?

-       Complained about Jeff to James and accidentally called James Jeff?

-       Complained about Paige/Pete to Sam/Steph only to realize they’re dating?

-       Or related?

-       Or Sam/Steph’s relative’s dog’s spider’s dentist is the same as Paige/Pete?

-       Wrote “2009” as the date three months after New Years?

-       Said something that could’ve been taken as innuendo or creepy even though it was innocent?

- Especially if you said it to someone that thinks you're creepy anyway?

-       Talked to someone while you had a big crumb on your teeth?

-       Thought someone was hitting on you, smiled back to hit/confess something to them, and realized they weren’t?

-    -   Mispronounced something that made it seem racist or bad, realized your mistake and laughed, and then realized your laughing makes it seem more intentional and just laughed more?

- Thought you were in a scary situation with someone creepy when in reality the person wanted nothing to do with you?

-       Forgot what movie you were seeing five minutes after being seated?

-       Walked into a door or a wall that wasn’t there five minutes ago?

-       Missed hearing about school/work being canceled because of the snow and arrived early / waited for the bus anyway?

-       Thought there was an April 31^st?

-       Fell up the stairs instead of down them?

-       Forgot to reset your alarm clock, woke up late and thought it was early, and then went back to sleep?

-       Realized you walked into the wrong restroom?

-       Wore two left or two right shoes?

-       Told a hilarious story to a friend only to realize they were the ones that told you said story a week ago?

-       Bonus if it’s a story that you said occurred to you but it was really someone else’s?

-       Made a promise to avoid something – as in diet – for a week and accidentally broke it because you forgot?

-       Sang a song out loud because you thought no one was there, but of course they were?

-       Mistyped a word and the typo came out as a cuss word?

-       Bonus if it was an assignment?

-       Wrote/told a “Your Mom” joke somewhere and someone’s Mom took it to be directed at them?

-       Walked into a car and had the alarm go off?

-       Got out of a car while waiting for someone when the alarm went off?

-       Randomly made noises or faces when you thought someone was looking and they did?

-       Had a huge stain on your clothing during an important meeting and no one told you?

-       Tripped over nothing?

- Tripped over the damn shoe?

- And still trip over it because you haven't moved it?

-       Leaned against an emergency fire exit and set it off?

- Woke up on the weekend and remembered it wasn't the weekend? Or reverse?

- You thought tomorrow was Friday because today is Thursday when it's really Wednesday?

- Wandered into a room and forgot why an average two seconds later?

- You can't remember their names but you can remember something they said or their dog's names?

- Someone stumbled in on you when you were talking to yourself or madly pacing and you try to make it look like something else?

- Picked up something you thought was really heavy but was actually light? Or reverse?

- Have a friend that remembers something that happened to you that you don't remember exactly yourself?

- Raved about how passionate you were for something but couldn't remember the name so you seemed really dumb?

- Wrote something inappropriate in a fit of rage or randomness as a way to vent but realized you used sharpie to write it?

-       Were told not to do something and absentmindedly did it anyway?

-       Woke up and didn’t notice the new paint on the walls or that the furniture was rearranged?

-       Thought you were taking a picture but your digital camera was on the video setting?

-       Remembered just how large that cavity was after you took a bite of a chocolate bar?

- Got a migraine from eating ice cream but of course you still kept eating it?

-       Felt like an idiot for forgetting a really common word?

-       Even more after you tried describing what that was word?

-       Threw the silverware into the trash and the plastic container in the sink?

-       Bonus if your keys/camera/sunglasses/phone/homework/important legal document went into the trash with it?

-       Something fell out of your pockets and into the toilet?

- Complained about a television show or anything else and found yourself watching it sometime?

- Bonus if you actually grew to like it?

-       Forgot your chair was farther back then realized and fell on the floor trying to sit on it?

-       Got on the wrong bus and might not have realized it until yours was gone or you were midway through the ride?

-       Lost a flip flop or something else while on a roller coaster?

- Found a mysterious vault of magical lost items underneath your bed? Including money?

- Complain about never finding a pen or a remote anywhere but yet you lose it constantly yourself?

-       Promised to give people rides, but left someone – namely a sibling – behind on accident?

-       Tried getting a closer view of something and bumped your nose into the window?

-       Closed your eyes at the scary part in the movies where the music is dramatic only to open them at the goriest scene yet?

- Told yourself not to to forget a few items and to make a list but you forgot the list?

-       Called someone a baby and screamed bloody murder when you saw a spider five minutes later?

Man, you’re weird. Sarcasm.

I guess you're human.

What's the last dumb thing you did?