{"id":6840,"date":"2020-12-22T13:37:05","date_gmt":"2020-12-22T18:37:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.laserfarm.com\/?p=6840"},"modified":"2020-12-22T13:46:48","modified_gmt":"2020-12-22T18:46:48","slug":"2020-lego-advent-calendar-day-twenty-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.laserfarm.com\/?p=6840","title":{"rendered":"2020 Lego Advent Calendar: Day Twenty-Two"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s a dark winter night. The air is as sharp as needles. I’m on my eighth cup of coffee as I sit in my car waiting…and waiting. The radio crackles and cackles a Christmas song sung by a long-dead crooner. I wait. Merry Christmas? We’ll see.<\/p>\n

The waiting is the job. The chasing? That’s the fun. It’s been two hours without a sign. But I know better than to give up. I check my watch. I check my pistol. I check my knife. It’s habit.<\/p>\n

Then a flash of headlights. I hear the wet grumble of filthy street snow as the weighty van approaches. I stiffen. And then I relax. No good getting tight. You get tight, you get killed. That’s the rule.<\/p>\n

The van stops. The driver steps out. I don’t know him. And if it all goes as planned, I never will. But sometimes the plan fades away in the fog of a discharged firearm. Not today. Today is a good day.<\/p>\n

I see what I need to see. I see it all go down. I’ve seen enough. I start the engine. I drive away casually. No cause for alarm. I reach my favorite pay phone, the one at Reggie’s Diner where the food all tastes like nicotine and regret.<\/p>\n

I send a dime into the phone. A woman’s voice answers on the first ring. This dame is frantic. I tell her to take a drink. I tell her to take a breath. And I tell her what I saw.<\/p>\n

I saw the package.\u00a0And her item has been received by the local post office. It should arrive tomorrow<\/p>\n

It’s gonna be a merry Christmas…for someone.<\/p>\n

And I go back out into the night. Another box to hunt. Another gift to spot.<\/p>\n

I’m a package tracker.<\/p>\n

It’s the job.<\/p>\n

I don’t carry a badge. I carry scars. And a scanner.<\/p>\n

Excerpt from my hard crime novel Death on a Doorstep: The Gavin Hurlock Files.<\/em><\/p>\n

Anyway. Lego!<\/p>\n

Today we get…<\/p>\n

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A lil’ boat.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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It’s green. It fits nicely on the truck bed from yesterday.<\/p>\n

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It also came with more microphones. Now I have 175 microphones. Want one?<\/p>\n

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It’s a good lil’ boat. But it’s not my favorite boat this month.<\/p>\n

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PRAISE CHRISTMAS BOAT! OUR ONE TRUE GOD!<\/p>\n

They prayed a merciful Christmas Boat would bring a good year and a good harvest.<\/p>\n

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The lil’ green boat is a good green vehicle. But it’s not my favorite green vehicle.<\/p>\n

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Battle Cat.<\/p>\n

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It’s He-Man’s mighty mount! Battle Cat was the Millenium Falcon of He-Man. And that sentence was so much fun to write, it felt like candy!<\/p>\n

Battle Cat had armor pieces at one time but those have been lost before most of you were born.<\/p>\n

I love Battle Cat. He’s no Christmas Boat, but he’s close. Damn close.<\/p>\n

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Day 22 Rating:<\/strong> 2.2 out of 5 (Points deducted for it is a false prophet!)<\/p>\n

See you tomorrow!<\/p>\n

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This blog is brought to you by Blogging Twilight: Viper Edition<\/a>. It will make you a better, more attractive person.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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