In Keith’s words, “Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here.
Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.”
The photo
DYI by John W. Howell © 2019
“Hmmm. This looks interesting.”
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, hi. I’m just getting my outdoor light installed.”
“Is this going to be your patio?”
“Yeah. I have all the support bars in place. The concrete guys are coming tomorrow, so all I have to do is wire up this lamp.”
“Oh, I see. It is a pole lamp, and you are wiring the base.”
“Yup.”
“I didn’t know you were an electrician.”
“I’m not.”
“My goodness. You sure you know what you’re doing?”
“I have my instructions right here.”
“Can I look?”
“Sure. Here.”
“These are in French.”
“Yeah, I know. I got this terrific deal on Amazon. Free shipping too.”
“But, the instructions are in French.”
“Yeah, they didn’t say that in the description.”
“How are you going to do this?”
“Normally I don’t read instructions anyway so I’ll just hook it up the way I think it will work. Look at there slots. I’ll just match the slots on the base with those on the lamp. Easy peasy.”
“Doesn’t ‘Installation professionnelle requise’ mean professional installation required?”
“I don’t know. I don’t read French.
“I think I would call an electrician. You could cause a short which could cause a fire.”
“Oh, stop. I’ve done this a hundred times. So there all hooked up. Now to test.”
“Well, at least you have a tester.”
“No, I don’t. I’m just going to switch on the light.
“Be careful.”
“No problem I’ll just throw the switch here on the lamp. There see. Great light. Whoops. What happened?”
“You better turn around. I think I see smoke in your garage.”
“Whoa. I see smoke in a lot of garages.”
“Nice job. I think you took out the grid. I hear sirens. This could be bad.”
“Why did you let me hook that thing up? You knew it was dangerous.”
“Well, see ya. I gotta get home and put out a fire. Call if you need bail.”
Fiction Favorites 
Your first line is exactly what I was thinking. Well don, John!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jill
LikeLiked by 1 person
Way to go, John.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, GP.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love it, love it, love it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Liz.
LikeLike
Nicely done, John. Excuse me while I go check my garage.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I smell smoke. Thanks, Dan 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice one, John. As I recall, I wired the lamp in and took out half the house electrics.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can only imagine. Fun one, Keith.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I looked at that photo and thought “Now, what the heck is he going to do with that?” I should have known you’d come up with something clever!
And I loved the “terrific deal on Amazon.” Too bad he couldn’t get an electrician there, LOL!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe if he was a Prime member. 😂 Thank you, Mae.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Buahahahaha!
How you do say “I’m screwed” in French?
LikeLiked by 2 people
J’ai screwed
LikeLiked by 2 people
Merci.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Je suis screwed… 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course.
LikeLike
Any neighbor kids he can blame?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha. If only. Thanks, Charles
LikeLike
Just tell the cops your electrician did it. You’re sure his name is on the building permit. Then act amazed when there is no permit. Blame Yelp and Facebook.
LikeLiked by 1 person
All good ways. Of course, one could blame Trump
LikeLiked by 1 person
That seems to cover about anything these days.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Used to be Obama but I think there is a new blamee in town.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Comes with the turf.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yup.
LikeLike
All my training on you gone to waste. Ha…..
LikeLike
It would only appear that way in fiction. I just finished wiring a light with three switches (Two three-way and one four-way) after the dimmer I installed failed. So your lessons are still intact.
LikeLike
Just like a man…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Said with love, of course. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course. ♥️
LikeLike
Good one John. I’m happy to say we are fire free here in home electrical projects so far!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent. I could see you set off a couple of redwoods and then it would be trouble.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I avoid working around the big trees…lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
There you go.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well done, my friend. When it comes to electrical projects, I think it’s best to call an electrician. In our household, that’s a necessity. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes I think that is best.
LikeLike
LOL! I know some people who’d tried similar (though thankfully ‘only’ with shorts – and one minor electrical fire – in their own garage … ;)).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice and contained. Good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL. Not what his wife thought.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll bet
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, those DIY projects — gotta love ’em! Nicely done, John. “Bail” — heh heh!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Debbie.
LikeLike
Oh dear! A DIY gone bad!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yup. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was funny!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] DYI by John W. Howell © 2019 […]
LikeLiked by 1 person
‘Terrific deal on Amazon’ – famous last words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha haha.
LikeLiked by 1 person