The coffee machine saluted me smartly as I walked into the kitchen. This highly unusual event made me think there was trouble afoot—maybe a better phrase would be trouble brewing. A shaking finger brought the brewing process to life. The aroma of the Columbian beans being pulverized into a powder made my nose itch and caused every salivary gland to empty faster than a bilge pump on the Titanic.
At last, the brew is ready, and one sip sends me to the clock. The setting is July 26, 1924. The destination is Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The duration is one hour. When the plunger is pulled, we watch Argentine pilot Pedro Zanni and mechanic Felipe Beltrame begin attempting to fly around the world, departing Amsterdam in a Fokker C-IV biplane named Ciudad de Buenos Aires.
With stops planned in Baghdad and Hanoi, Hong Kong, Fuzhou, and Shanghai, we now know that it was necessary to change planes after the first one was destroyed. The two would get as far as Tokyo before abandoning the trip on October 11 upon discovering that a British and American team had completed the first aerial circumnavigation on September 28.
Oh well. The champagne was warm and flat and lucky for us, the alarm dropped us onto our comfortable couch. Linda Hill texted the prompt for today, which reads.
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ends with ‘itch.’” Find a word that ends with “itch” or use the word “itch.” Enjoy!
Visit Linda’s post to see what other bloggers did with the prompt. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/07/26/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-27-2024/
Itch by John W. Howell © 2024
“So those guys gave up, huh?”
“They sure did.”
“I’ll bet they were itching to win.”
“After destroying one plane, I’m sure they were.”
“I’m glad you gave the result of the rest of the story.”
“We covered the American trip a few posts ago, so I thought everyone would enjoy knowing what happened to these two.”
“Not to switch gears, but I think my lips are cracking.”
“From the lack of bottle moisture, I imagine.”
“I also have an eye twitch.”
“Sounds like we ought to get to the pub. Uber?”
“He is already here. Look over there.”
Photo by Dan Antion
“We are going to the pub in a food truck?”
“Hey, how easy will it be to have a snack or two with the VooDoo Rangers?”
“I know, but doesn’t the guy need to keep his truck open for customers?”
“Well, I told him we would cover him for an hour of revenue.”
“We? I love how you use the royal we when you pitch an idea.”
“It will be fun.”
“They said.”
“Oh, come on.”
“Fine, let’s go.”
“Atta boy. Wait until you taste his burger. It is bitchin’.”
“Gratuitous use of the prompt.”
“You think?”
Fiction Favorites 
Ah, the heady days of early aviation. Must have been a huge disappointment to learn someone had beaten them to the record. Time for food and beer.
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i guess it was a disappointment for sure. Thanks, Dan
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Looks like you’ll get bonus points for for your ‘itch’ contribution here, John.
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Thank you GP. Now I wish I could reach that spot. Might need a back scratchier.
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Interesting historical event. How did they destroy their plane?
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Good question. I’ll have to look it up.
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Good option since the bi-plane was out of commission. They probably don’t have a landing strip at the pub anyway. Don’t forget to tip your driver, your cook, your server, your other server…
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And the server’s server. 😁
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That they kept going after losing the first plane shows their determination. They tried their best but gave up when the glory of being first went to the others..
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It does show that for sure,Tim. Thanks.
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I don’t look at the prompt word when I read your intro and try to guess which one it is. I rarely get it! But you nailed it, as per, including the last gratuitous ones.
Friends like this guy are expensive, eh? Cheers ya later!
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Yes he is very expensive. I
I’ve learned to order the wine at dinner and to forbid Port after.
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Smart man!!
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Frugal man
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Nothing wrong with frugal!
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😁
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Must have been a huge twitch (!) to them to find out they’d been scooped. But they should have been proud of what they accomplished. I think I’d like a burger and a beer from that truck!
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I think that would be perfect. Yes they should feel accomplished.
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“Gratuitous use of the prompt”? Oh, yes, indeedy!
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Ha ha ha
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Hi John, I didn’t know about this attempt. Thanks for sharing.
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I’m glad to uncover new information. Thanks, Robbie
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It’s always fun
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😁
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I love it when you use a prompt gratuitously 🙂 Not sure about your friend’s choice of Uber drivers but at least you won’t be drinking on an empty stomach 😁
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I think my friend gets a cut of the proceeds.
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😂
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😁
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This is Fantastic John. Big smiles!
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Thank you, Holly.
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Another fun travel through time and back again, John. Gotta love the food truck Uber. 🙂
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Thank you so much, Jan So glad you liked it.
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More like ‘outstanding’ than gratuitous use of the prompt! Well done, John. And a great look back at history. I love these Saturday posts-reminds me of Peabody and Sherman from The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle Show. Such fun and always entertaining and educational! Thanks.
P.S. Hope the bitchin’ burger was all you hoped for with that VooDoo Ranger brewski. Cheers.
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Ha ha ha. The Voo Doo Ranger always delivers, Monika. I’m so glad you enjoy the posts. I have been trying to find a nice mix of history and fun. Who knows maybe this is it. Thanks for the comment. It meant a lot to me.
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My pleasure, John. Being entertained AND educated in the same post is what good bloggers do.
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😊
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Cheers to gratuitous use of the prompt! Excellent post today!!
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Thank you, Jill
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Might not be the fastest ride, but you won’t leave hungry! Creative weaving of ideas. 👏🏻
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Thank you, Michele.
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“My lips are cracking” was a perfect lead-in to the food truck. Great job on the prompt, John. Loved it!
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I’m glad you enjoyed it Jennie. 😁
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🙂
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😊
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I was itching to read this post.
Brings new meaning to – which witch is itch?
Love the history lessons, John. Thank you!
Nice Uber to boot.
Okay, later skater!
🍔𝐗 🧅𝐗 🧅𝐗 🍔𝐗
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Love your play on words, Missy. You delivered a big smile today. 🥬X 🥦X🌏X🇨🇦X
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Yahoo! Love making you smile!
🥬X 🥦X🌏X🇨🇦X – Gettin’ jiggy!
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I figured a few veggies would be Jiggy.
🫒X 🌽X 🍅X 🫑X
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Nothing says wedgies like veggies!
🫒X 🌽X 🍅X 🫑X
( a bit low on rhymes)
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😂
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😂X
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You really did well with this week’s challenge word, John. That was a fun and informative read.
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I’m so glad you liked it Deborah.
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So now I have a new cure for chapped lips. All I have to do is work on that burger.
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True. Voo Doo for the lips and burger for the soul.
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It’s what makes life worth living.
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