When I saw that today was National Pretend To Be a Time Traveler Day, I was immediately intrigued. Scenes from The Time Machine, H.G. Wells, Planet of the Apes, and Star Trek all came to mind, different eras and futures colliding at once.
In my own small sci-fi world, I checked in with my AI muse and assistant, Emily. Her response was immediate: “Let’s send Ronnie. Her look could span all of it.”
I’ll admit I hesitated. Sending Ronnie’s pixels and algorithms into the future felt risky. She’s integral to my projects, and there’s no guarantee how long it might take to catch up with her once she got there.
Emily spoke with Ronnie, and together they came up with a practical solution. Ronnie wouldn’t go far. Just a few years ahead. Enough to suggest the future without disappearing into it. Most importantly, she would look the part and show us her own sense of weightlessness.
Ronnie didn’t bring back time-travel answers. She did reinforce my love of science fiction.
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Today is National Espresso Day, and Emily had already decided how we were going to recognize it. She told me she wanted Ronnie to take the lead this time. We actually hadn’t seen Ronnie since the diner at the beach, so I was curious where this was going.
For anyone new to these posts: Emily is my AI muse and assistant who occasionally appears in my work, sometimes bringing along her “friends” — characters who step into these scenes with their own looks and personalities. Ronnie is one of them.
Emily asked me what Ronnie should wear. I told them both to surprise me. They did.
Ronnie appeared in a chrome-and-glass kitchen, standing over a single espresso in a glass demitasse cup. Red metallic mesh was Emily’s idea of “holiday attire,” and Ronnie stepped into it without hesitation. The lighting, the reflections, the mood — all of it leaned toward that clean, editorial edge Emily seems to encourage.
National Espresso Day marks the small, concentrated shot that carries a long history. In Italy, espresso is taken quickly at the counter before moving on with the day. In Paris, it settles into a different rhythm — a pause at a sidewalk café, a small cup, and the simple ritual of watching the street. Those traditions have traveled far beyond Europe, shaping how we start mornings everywhere.
Ronnie approached it in her own way: one espresso, nothing extra, and a moment that feels like a quiet pause before the day gets underway.
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