Adventure Of A Lifetime

The black clouds rolled in at a frightening pace, so close now that the lightening and thunder arrived simultaneously. His boat pitched up and down with such force, the hull strained at the seams and might break apart at any moment.

Gordon used the anchor line to lash himself to the railing. Sailing around the world had been his lifelong dream. He expected to spend his retirement visiting exotic ports and using the solitude to work on his memoir. But here he was fighting for survival in open ocean.

His remarkable life deserved something more than such a futile end.

Seminal Rock

“What’s this old vinyl record,” I call to Dad.

We are in the middle of downsizing him for his final move to a retirement facility. This is a painful exercise on many levels.

“Which one?” he replies.

“There’s only one…by Iron Butterfly. How do you pronounce the title?”

“In-a-ga-da-da-vida.”

“Is it English?”

“It’s a piece of seminal rock and roll.”

“Yeh? What does seminal mean?”

“You were conceived to it.”

“No.”

“Yes. After dinner with a bottle of good red wine, that was the record your Mother played…well, you know how these things end. You were conceived…seminal.”

From Guest Contributor Barry O’Farrell

Barry is an actor living in Brisbane, Australia. The acting experience has inspired a latent desire to write. Barry is enjoying the challenge of writing in 100 words.

The King's Club

The last thing you need when you're a new king is the old king looking over your shoulder. Sure, a lot of kings die of old age, or are poisoned, but some simply abdicate because they're ready for some peace and quiet.

And that's why we opened the King's Club, a top flight, luxury facility where former kings are treated as the royalty they used to be. When monarchs retire to the King's Club, they are fully fed, dressed, washed and groomed. We do everything we can to keep them distracted.

And if that doesn't work, there's always poison, right?