I did one of my favorite things the other day–went with my husband to a home supply store. He was buying paint and fluorescent light bulbs, since you ask. I just love looking at the paint samples and the little booklets that put different paints together for a “look”. It reminds me of coloring, and you know how I love to color. I also love wandering around, looking at the fancy doors and light fixtures and cabinets and toilets and kitchen counters and doorknobs and stuff. There was this one light that looked like a headless fish with its intestines dangling down. I snapped a picture, but the light wasn’t good for that, so it didn’t come out. There was another one that looked like Madonna. Well, part of Madonna. You know what I mean. She probably gets royalties every time they sell one.

But this was the payoff for this particular trip. I came around a corner, and there were all these brass-tone fixtures, and I was like, “OMG! Steampunk!” Again, the lighting wasn’t great for photography, so I’ve futzed with it a little and that’s why it maybe looks kind of overheated. My husband was like, “What are you taking a picture of bathroom fixtures for?” I said, “Steampunk!” He gave me an odd look, but he let it pass. Upon reflection, I wonder if he thought I was saying, “Steam, punk!” in reference to hot running water or something. This is, after all, the man who thought the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were the Teenage Mute and Injured Turtles for over a year.

And speaking of Steampunk, last summer, when we went to the concert on the river in Jeffersonville, this fake steam fake paddlewheeler came by and I snapped a picture of it.

Well, I’m setting this up to post tomorrow. By the time you read it, I may be on my way, or I may still be running around in circles going, “Where’s my pills? Where’s my books? Where’s my car? –No, thanks, I know where my Chianti is….”

Have fun. I intend to.

WRITING PROMPT: Go to a home supply store or section of a department store and think about what kind of character would use this or that.

MA