Read the Zapfic serial #GHAWG on LeoThreads to follow the transformation of a courier into a Harley-riding tool of God.
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Cover image is a screen capture of LeoThreads edited with MS Paint
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TL;DR
What is GHAWG?
Zapfic Entries 43-49
4️⃣3️⃣ 2023-April-16 00:17:13
4️⃣4️⃣ 2023-April-17 00:08:28
4️⃣5️⃣ 2023-April-18 00:38:50
4️⃣6️⃣ 2023-April-19 17:49:13
4️⃣7️⃣ 2023-April-20 00:08:23
4️⃣8️⃣ 2023-April-21 01:38:55
4️⃣9️⃣ 2023-April-22 00:10:30
Story Arc So Far
Next Week
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What Is GHAWG?
#GHAWG is short for "God's Hog: A Watchful Guardian." This fictional story tells how David Guardia, a courier and business owner from Bayonne, New Jersey, US moved into the next phase of his life after spending the final ten years of his ailing father's life helping him.
More details can be found in the first post of this weekly recap.
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Zapfic Entries 43-49
4️⃣3️⃣ 2023-April-16 00:17:13
We exited the diner for the next stage of my ride to Sturgis: the companion stage. Manny Rey's bike was in even worse condition than the rat bike I left. "It's a Honda," he said. I nodded; after all, how can I argue with facts?
🏍️ When David Guardia was still working as a courier while taking care of his father, his motorcycle was a Honda. Due to Honda's well-deserved reputation for making products-- of all types-- with high-quality engineering, the expression "It's a Honda" became part of motorcycle culture. Honda products are made to operate under adverse conditions, and that even included owner neglect.
🏍️ A rat bike is a fully-functional and fully operational motorcycle which is nevertheless in beat up condition. As long as they were good enough to get a rider from A to B, appearance was not a concern.
4️⃣4️⃣ 2023-April-17 00:08:28
While riding on the state roads we saw other riders and their rides. We gave thumbs up to riders of Harleys, Hondas, Ducattis, an Indian, a Royal Enfield, and even a Vespa. Riders respect other riders' rides. That's what we do.
🏍️ Harley-Davidson motorcycles are American. Hondas are Japanese. Ducati motorcycles (typo in zapfic entry couldn't be edited at the time) are Italian. Indian is another American brand. Royal Enfield is a British brand of motorcycle. Vespa isn't a motorcycle, but it's Italian.
🏍️ Riders of motorized bikes are a different breed from car drivers, so the mindset and culture are different. This zapfic entry was made to show an example of solidarity between motorcycle riders and riders of non-cars.
4️⃣5️⃣ 2023-April-18 00:38:50
We had time, so we agreed to take US HWY 24 from Toledo to Defiance. Manny Rey said it was my kind of place: lively downtown, good meals, hearty people. Defiance, OH is real, unlike Defiance née St. Louis in that sci-fi series.
🏍️ Defiance was a science fiction series which aired on The Sci-Fi Channel (rebranded as "SyFy") from 2013 to 2015. Numerous races of extraterrestrial aliens arrived to Earth, and after initial hostilities they settled on Earth to coexist with humanity. Most of the series took place in the town called Defiance, which was built on top of what used to be St. Louis, Missouri, US. The Defiance in the zapfic is located in Ohio.
4️⃣6️⃣ 2023-April-19 17:49:13
While in Defiance I needed quarters for parking meters. Manny Rey suggested I get 3 rolls from the first bank I saw. I noticed through clear plastic that one roll was very old. It contained $110 in silver. I pocketed this roll.
🏍️ 1964 was the last year in which circulating coins in the United States were minted using silver. Special issue coins or commemorative coins are made in silver, but those don't see daily use. So 1964 is the last year for 90% silver coinage. Occasionally a coin from this era can be found in a roll of coins, and it's one reason coin-roll hunting is a popular hobby. To this day pre-1964 coins can be found in pocket change.
🏍️ This zapfic entry was written as foreshadowing of later events. Once such event has taken place; another may be written later.
4️⃣7️⃣ 2023-April-20 00:08:23
With no wind, Manny Rey and I
played UNO in a park.
"Would you rather get DRAW25
or a gift from a bird?"
"The gift," I answered.
"Bad move."
A large dropping from a bird
hit my yellow vest.
Sometimes it's not about winning.
🏍️ It's the first time we see David Guardia playing UNO after his father died. Not that he hasn't since then, but we wouldn't have known.
🏍️ A couple of days before writing this zapfic entry I discovered DRAW25 meme of the UNO player who ends up with 25 extra cards. Since I already mentioned UNO earlier, I thought it was a good idea to include this meme reference here.
🏍️ Manny Rey's uncanny predictive powers are on display. Then again, he may have been facing the bird while David had his back to it. Which is it? I went with the former.
4️⃣8️⃣ 2023-April-21 01:38:55
I stopped channel surfing in our
motel room when I found the series
about Vikings. Manny Rey saw why.
"The shieldmaiden," he said.
"Yes."
"You'll find yours."
"I wish!"
"She's out there. You'll find her,
or she'll find you."
🏍️ This is another callback to earlier inthe zapfic serial, this time to when David Guardia dn his father were discussing "the shieldmaiden."
🏍️ Vikings are known for their raiding expeditions in the centuries before 1000 A.D. We expect to see men on these expeditions, but a few women had joined them. These women were the equal of the men along whom they fought. Although they weren't necessarily virgins or even single, they were still known as shieldmaidens.
🏍️ This is another example of Manny Rey's uncanny predictive powers. Long ago, in time pre-dating the zapfic serial, David had given up on finding a mate or partner. Manny Rey is suggesting that it will happen.
4️⃣9️⃣ 2023-April-22 00:10:30
I picked Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon" at the jukebox as a very tall redhead entered. A Sinatra hater let me know with a slug to the face. Once on the floor in my submission hold, I screamed at him "Say it! SAY IT! SAY IT!"
🏍️ David Guardia and Frank Sinatra have a New Jersey, US connection. Sinatra was from the very small city of Hoboken. David is from Bayonne, 2 cities south of Hoboken. Between both is Jersey City. East of all 3 New Jersey cities is New York City.
🏍️ Sinatra sang "Fly Me to the Moon" in 1964. The big-band sound accompanied Sinatra in his version. Many versions of this song have been recorded, in all kinds of styles. The version I heard first (and which I prefer) will appear later in the zapfic serial.
🏍️ Although it's the first time the very tall redhead appears in this zapfic serial, it's not the first time she appears in zapfic on the blockchain. Nor will it be the last time.
🏍️ Two scenes went through my mind as I wrote this zapfic entry:
The end of the climactic fight scene in Bloodsport (1988) when Frank Dux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) forces Chong Li (Bolo Yeung) to say the word indicating a fight's end by submission;
Source: Internet Movie Database
The scene in Back to School (1986) where Professor Terguson (Sam Kinison) finishes his frenzied speech to millionaire student Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) with the emotional plea "Say it! SAY IT! SAY IT!" Being an older student, Melon had to courage to give the Vietnam Veteran instructor the genuine answer. While he liked the answer Melon gave him, it wasn't because he was a student sucking up to his teacher.
Source: imgflip.com
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Story Arc So Far
David Guardia and Manny Rey ride together through Ohio. Along the way they learn more about each other, although it's more like Manny Rey learning about David. Personal and humorous moments take place. A few scenes take place to give us a better idea of who Manny Rey is. David ends up flying off the handle after he gets punched in the face by someone who disagrees with his taste in music.
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Next Week
The next post will feature GHAWG entries 50-56 and explanations for each entry. Act 2 continues.
GHAWG itself continues at LeoThreads, where Act 3 is in its early stages. David Guardia made a literally miraculous recovery and is discovering that his life had changed forever.
Although these zapfic entries were recorded to blockchain as threads using LeoThreads, the switch to the 2023-May-1 interface has made the thread URLs inaccessible. Going forward, I will use long form post URLs for those entries until the microblogging URLs pick up again.
Catch the latest zapfic entries for GHAWG at LeoThreads. Get caught up with GHAWG with these weekly summaries at LeoFinance and at the Scholar and Scribe community.
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GHAWG Navigation
To find other weekly summary posts such as this one-- or to read the serial without annotated commentary-- use the GHAWG Navigation threadstorm at LeoThreads. Within LeoThreads, hashtag #GHAWGnav brings up the navigation.