When we last left off here in the House of Memes, there was a new prompt: therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1199140.html  and a Twist Reveal that didn't reveal much: therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1198875.html  or did it? You can't really count on anything being straight forward these days!  

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Remember to make sure to send in your Accusations!!  There is/are still Killer(s) out there!  We know someone else was poisoned, and we know an antidote was given out. But what we don't know is it if made any difference.  I guess we won't know until someone else drops dead!!!

Accusing people is the only way for you to stop their evil deeds!!!

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How are YOU doing?  What have you been up to?  Seen anything cool lately? Done anything cool lately?  Done anything that wasn't as cool, maybe not lately but any time at all? 

 The wheel is back in motion to determine your fate in this new week. 

What will it decide? 

*spins* 

Twist!  

But which twist Wheel, which twist...

Oh, this one actually is from an Idol contestant. Two of them actually ...  something both of them were trying to convince me to do for years!!

Voting this round is going to be a little more interesting.  I'll tell you about it when we get to that part. But I will say your past is going to come back to haunt you!

A few words from clauderainsrm:

A Killer has been caught, but the game continues! Ths week was a Quck Fire, where contestants had less than 48 hours to write an entry! I haven’t read everything (yet) but what I’ve seen so far has been really good! Maybe we should have short deadlines all the time! ;) *runs*

Seriously though, it wil be a shame to send anyone home with what I’ve seen so far, but isn’t that usually the case?

How many are leaving us? I don’t know! Let’s ask the Wheel!

*spins the wheel*

One contestant will be leaving us.

So, that’s good at least!

The poll will close Friday Sept 5th at 8pm ET. It's a short turnaround time for voting as well! So make sure to Read, Comment and Vote for your favorites!!

Good luck to everyone!

 Just a reminder that the deadline for this week's entry is TOMORROW (Tuesday) at 8pm ET.  therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1197779.html

It's another gift from the Wheel! therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1197527.html

This also means you only have until then to get in your accusations! It's been 8 weeks, maybe this is the time you will bring them to justice!!  If you are a current contestant, send me an email with who you want to accuse!

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How was your extended weekend? 

 It's time to spin the Wheel to see what sort of fun we are in for... 

*spins* 

There IS a twist this week!!

But what is it? 

*spins the second wheel* 

QUICK FIRE!

Oh this is going to cause some chaos.  :)   Because it's already so late I won't make it a 24 hour deadline as originally written out on the Wheel. But I will make less than 48.  

 You've turned the castle upside down, but there is no sign of any activity from the Killer(s).  Are they even still around?  Or are the signs being wiped away from view by sabotage? Could they be in the room with you RIGHT NOW, plotting your doom? 

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But that's not what we are here to talk about. Because there are Killers, and a Wheel to contend with. But the ultimate enemy is always the Poll. 

And this week is no exception, taking a partnership down. 

Which means it's time to say goodbye to garnigal and tonithegreat 

Thank you for coming out and braving the Wheel of Chaos!!

I hope that should it spin in your favorite that you will return!! (and home game until then!!!) 

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Edit to add - As noted elsewhere. hafnia and share in their fate.  She joined inkstainedfingertips and xeena

Hi.

Remember me? ;) Just wanted to remind you that the poll closes TONIGHT. So if you haven't gotten in your votes, someone is going to be very disappointed. Two someones actually! So don't disappoint them - Read, Comment and Vote for your favorites!
therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1196686.html
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So where were we? I promised to tell you about my trip! Which means I haven't given you a real life update in about a week!

I've been trying to "Say Yes" to the opportunities that are being offered. Which is how, the night before I was going on my trip I ended up at a Glow Gala charity event for the local children's museum.

Me, in a room with a bunch of rich people "dressed up all fancy". My friend Sara had been the Creative Director years ago and based on the all of the staff and Board Members coming up to her during the event is still a "STEM celebrity" in the area from all of her work in teaching and expanding access to STEM education (including having a recurring spot on the news where she lives! She just invested in a STEM bus and will be talking it on the road to various stadiums throughout baseball season. She just made arrangements with the Red Sox to come up... none of that is about ME, but it's cool to see old friends being so successful! It's like if I brought a friend to an Idol Gala!! Or... *thinks*, nope, it would pretty much have to be an Idol Gala! ;)

I'm not sure how much experience anyone here has being in a room with people who are spending thousands of dollars at an auction on a whim. But it's very surreal.

I looked over at one point and realized a few tables away was the CEO of my former company. You know, the person who pulled the trigger on firing me. (Because there was absolutely zero chance that it was done without her approval) After the auction I walked over to say hello. When she realized who was coming toward her, she legitimately looked like a deer in the headlines looking for a place to run. It was a pleasant chat. She gave me a side hug and said it was good to see me, and introduced me to her husband. I told her that I was glad to see that things were going so well with the company now. She seemed relieved when I said that, and relaxed. Maybe this will result in people no longer being pulled into meetings and threatened with disciplinary action just for talking to me!

Anyway, you haven't lived until you see a bunch of white rich people dancing to 80s and 90s hip hop. That incompatible image is one you can't unsee. :)


Anyway, so I didn't get back to the house until after midnight. My flight to Dallas was at 7:20. I slept for a couple hours. Literally a couple hours, before I had to hop back in an Uber and head to the airport.

Slept some on the plane. As much as I could.

Got into Dallas. Met up with my friend Rachael and walked around. More of a recent friend so it was the first time we've met in person. It was nice getting to hang out, it was a shame that she wasn't able to make the show! We saw the giant eyeball in downtown Dallas, the farmer's market and this place called Thanks-giving Chapel.   www.dallasadex.org/lost-and-found-contemplating-thanks-giving-square/

That place is really special.  Afterward we were going to go somewhere else, but cut through a hotel and ended up in the lobby sitting and talking for a couple hours until our friends Shelley and Eileen showed to take me to the concert. 

We drove down to Waco.  The show was great but I was EXHAUSTED!  My seats were great, but my friends were on the floor of the stadium.  At one point toward the end I look over and Shelley has joined me... and asks if I'm ready and I'm too tired to know what she's talking about.  She grabs my hand, and positions it so security can't see that I'm not wearing a wrist band, and then moves my hand so it's around her so the second series of security can't notice the lack of a band either!  :D  She's obviously a pro at this.  Note to security - just let her do it! It's for a good cause!  :) 

Honestly, that moment of her knowing that I was feeling alone - even in a sea of people - and wanting me to feel included, that meant more than I can possibly express. She's a really good friend (she was the one who gave me the ticket in the first place, and then kept getting more tickets from people and traded up several times!)  Standing much closer to the action definitely improved the show.     crescentvale.com/2025/08/boys-from-oklahoma-concert-turnpike-troubadours-cross-canadian-ragweed-and-more-rock-waco/

The main acts were Cross Canadian Ragweed and Turnpike Troubadours.   Throughout the show there were guest stars who came out. They saved the biggest one for the end - Robert Earl Keen!!  (If you don't know who that is, that will make no difference. If you do though, you KNOW how big of a deal that is for him to just appear out of nowhere unexpectedly!)   


Afterward I went back to Dallas in an Uber and tried, unsuccessfully, to sleep in the airport that was already opened and busy by the time I got there! I was pretty much a zombie when I got back to Tampa!  (Slept most of the flight) 

All of this happened because I've been saying "Yes"... I may need to set up a "Say Yes" fundraiser though because that's going to get a lot more difficult in the coming, rest of my life.  :D 

Seriously though, it was a really good weekend, and I really needed it. 

***
Things are the house are decent. I love being around Cynthia and she seems much happier without having to be "the wife" role on her. It's nice to see her smile again. Not sure how much longer I will be living here (lots of variables at play) but I want to enjoy the time we have together. 

A few words from clauderainsrm:

The Wheel declared that this week was an intersection, two writers pairing up (one prompt each) to interweave their talents to create something bigger than them both!

(Or in one case, one writer pairing up with herself to do the same!)

There are a number of different ways to handle intersections as far as voting goes, and this one that came up was very specific that the vote totals of the partners were going to be added together. The writers with the fewest number of votes will be eliminated, both of them!

So it’s more important than ever to read, comment and vote for your favorites - and spread the word to tell others to do the same!

This is a great chance for people to be exposed to your partner’s work, and the work of all of the fantastic writers we have assembled here!

The poll closes Sunday, August 31st at 8pm ET.

Good luck to everyone!