Pizza Toppings

1. Feta cheese.
2. Salami.
3. Italian sausage.
4. Anchovies.
5. Macaroni.
6. Garlic.
7. Caramelized onions.
8. Basil.
9. Grilled chicken.
10. Broccoli.

Midwestern Way

A blank card, an empty room, and a forgetful parrot were the only clues I had. It wasn't much, but maybe it was better then nothing.

I'd been hired to find the lost prince of Paladansia; who'd vanished while visiting a neighboring kingdom. The queen was certain that her son had been killed by "those horrific midwesterners". I was less certain.

The midwestern kingdom was actually a bunch of city-states, who'd apparently fooled the larger surrounding kingdoms into believing that they had some mighty destructive power that only one of midwestern blood could control.

Those larger kingdoms bought this snake oil with only a fancy bit of flimflamery involving creative use of a nest of sparkadders as proof.

How do I know this?

Because I'm a midwesterner.

One of the foolish kind that think they can make something of themselves out in the kingdoms. I found myself an investigator from one of the local barracks, and convinced her to take me on as an assistant.

Now, I'm back in the midwestern kingdom, pretending to be the investigator I was recently fired by, looking for a lost prince with only his pet bird as a real clue.

Another shot rang, and I ducked as the parrot squawked, "Bang! Bang!"

Did I forget to mention that despite having next to nothing to go on, someone was already trying to kill me?

Well, I guess that's just the midwestern way of saying welcome home.

Lunch Ideas

1. Garlic chicken dumplings with rice.
2. Black olive, salami, and provolone calzone.
3. Bacon and feta cheese salad.
4. Turkey and swiss lettuce wrap.
5. Macaroni and cheese.
6. Scrambled eggs with sourdough toast.
7. Tuna salad sandwich.
8. Tomato soup.
9. Mashed potatoes.
10. Spaghetti.

Caught in the Rain

Running down the road with only a thin magazine to protect you from the rain is no fun. Slipping on a patch of mud and losing your magazine to the mud? That just makes it even worse.
Still, at least the cold rain will eventually wash off the mud. It shouldn't take too long at all to become completely soaked.
A hard downpour can be a lot of fun to watch from the safety of a warm house, but in isn't particularly fun to be in. It won't be for too much longer, though, for home is just around the next block.
Home always seems farther away when the weather is bad.
It wasn't so bad earlier. When you first peft for the park, the day was beautiful. Warm sun in a cloudless sky, and a lazy haze of contentment in the air.
It was the best kind of day to walk.
But you fell asleep, and the clouds chased away the sun while you slept.
If it were a different kind of rain, you wouldn't have minded being caught in it. But it cold, and stinging, and soaks you down to the bone.
There. The light of home beckons, and the front porch offers a slight protection from the rain as you unlock the door.
Inside, there is no rain smacking your head, no wind howling in tour ear, and no mud to slip in. Now, you can get dry, and warm, and watch for the storm to pass from the more comfortable side of the window.

Backgrounds for Your Fantasy Protagonist

1. A simple farmer. There are a lot of options here. Vegetables, cotton, magic, all sorts of fun things can be found on a farm.
2. A rancher. Related to the farmer, but with a focus on livestock off of the farm. Cattle could be run from one town to another for auction, or perhaps your rancher helps handle the dragon migration in the winter.
3. Innkeeper. All your protagonist wanted was for those adventurers to take their decaying magical artifact outside, so there would still be an inn for other travelers. But apparently that was too much to ask for.
4. A student. Old or young, everyone can have a chance to learn. Some knowledge could send you off on a deadly quest outside the school library though, so be careful what you read.
5. A royal. Maybe you just lost your throne, or just found out you have one. Or perhaps after years of preparing to get married off to strengthen relations with the neighboring kingdom, your family's kingdom was just invaded by the very kingdom you were about to be married into.
6. Surprise! You are the dragon.
7. You're the one in charge of cleaning all the magical objects scattered throughout the land. Too bad you always have to run from adventurers trying to use you as a shortcut to those magical objects.
8. You're a witch's familiar. And you're pretty sure she did something wrong with that last potion, because you not meant to be a human.
9. Your name is Jack, and so you are cursed to suffer from all the crazy magical problems the world hasn't gotten around to fixing yet. Why? Because fixing all those problems is Jack's job.
10. You are a shoemaker, stuck in a kingdom that just outlawed all footware but socks.

Makes You Feel Old

Some things make you feel old.
Taxes.
Sore backs.
Little kids you knew suddenly becoming teenagers.
But one sure way to know you're getting old is when something new with technology either blows your mind, or causes you to shake your head and wonder, "How do I get rid of that notification?"

Yummy Snacks

1. Jello.
2. Tortilla chips.
3. Jerky.
4. Brownies.
5. Granola.
6. Sliced cheese and summer sausage..
7. Fruit punch, or some other flavored drink outside of your usual beverage.
8. Chocolate, the darker the better.
9. Frozen waffles.
10. Bread sticks.

Matter

Left alone, you need not be lonely. For confort can be found in simple things: a pet's adoration, a family recipe, a saved voicemail, or the memory behind a photograph.
In a group, at times you might not feel as though you are a part of it. A close friend may be focused on another they are close with, a new person may delight and draw the group's attention with their new stories, or you may find a lack of interest in your input.
There are times when we don't fit in, and times when the changes in our personal lices seem of little note. Whether it be good or bad, whether it leave you happy or sad, it matters.
For you matter.

To Freak Out

1. Someone scared you.
2. Because it entertains the cat.
3. You just made something amazing on your first try.
4. You saw a mouse.
5. A bird pooped on your head.
6. Someone threw you a surprise party.
7. You caught something that was falling.
8. Your sibling did something exciting.
9. You won a prize.
10. One of your favorite things that was discontinued is back!