Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Bowl

A picture of a string with drops of water- the logo for SoCS

The coffee machine has a mind of its own today. While waiting for the life-saving potion, a bowl of store-brand raisin bran crunch is making a poor substitute. Before long, the machine decides a strike might not produce the best result and coughs up the brew. Abandoning the bowl in favor of the mug, a sip reminds me that today is safe blow-up day.

The security system is already down, and Wile E Coyote is busy in the backyard placing packages around the perimeter of the safe. Joining him and seeing he is using ACME C4 charges. All wired to a plunger, and Wile slowly walks away from the safe with it in his hand. He is allowing the wire to slip from the coil around his arm. “Everything okay?” My question catches Wile by surprise. “Of course,” he says. “Where’s Yosemite Sam?” Wile pulls on his chin for a mini-second and responds. “I locked him inside the safe.”

The statement causes my eyebrows to join my hairline. “Is he safe in the safe?” My hand immediately goes to my mouth but too late cause that awful question is already out there.” Wile rolls his eyes. “He’s a lot safer in there than we are out here.” Another statement that threatens to send my eyebrows over the top of my head. It is clear that Wile is about to push the plunger as he gets down on one knee and yells, “Fire in the hole.”

“Just a minute.” The words hit Wile like a baseball headed for an infield double. He rises and walks to meet me. “Let me explain,” he drawls. For the first time, his Texas accent comes to prominence. Must happen when he is angry, my brain tells me.” Look, friend.” He pauses, then continues. “You and I have a contract, and how this goes down is entirely up to me to execute. Why did you stop me?”

Other than cold feet, I didn’t have an answer. My mind calculates the amount of C4 under the safe and comes to the conclusion that there is enough to send it into orbit as opposed to just lifting it over the house and onto a truck. “You think there is too much C4?” is the only response. Wile walks back to the plunger, shaking his head in that I know what I’m doing butt out sort of way. Rather than pushing the plunger, he picks up an envelope from the ground. He comes back and hands it to me, and says, “Some gal left that for you.” He walks back to the plunger and looks at me as he gets down on one knee again.

Opening the envelope, the message from Linda Hill tumbles out. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “bowl.” Use it as a noun or a verb—use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

If you want to enjoy, visit Linda’s blog and see how easy it is. Here is the link https://lindaghill.com/2022/10/21/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-oct-22-2022/

Bowl by John W. Howell © 2022

“At least you snuck the prompt in there.”

“Yes, I did. Smartly too, I thought.”

“I’ll give it to you. It was smart. Now, what are you and I going to do with it?”

“Yeah, I see what you mean. Talking about a bowl of beer might not be a good thing.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Doesn’t sound so bad from here, but I get what you’re saying.”

“We could talk about going to the lane to bowl some frames.”

“We could, but you and I have never been bowling.”

“No one needed to know that.”

“Tell falsehoods to your readers? Tsk, tsk.”

“Not falsehood. . . . Fiction.”

“Okay, I guess that is a rationalization you can live with.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Let’s get back to that bowl of beer.”

“Well, at least a pint.”

“You’re buying.”

“Wait a minute. I bought last time.”

“You need to atone for your sins.”

“What sins?”

“Fiction sins.”

“Okay fine.”

“Calling Uber.”

 

75 comments

  1. I am worried John did Wile plunge the plunger? Is Sam safe….are you safe?
    💜

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Another tune in next week hanger, Willow. 🙄 Dang me.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Oh! Gosh…not sure my jagged nerves can cope 😟😟😟😟

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Apparently ale bowls are actually a thing. Vikings used them a lot. They should make a comeback.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I could see a 32oz for sure.

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  3. A bowl of beer? That might get difficult after a few, don’t you think?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Gotta watch either side of the mouth and the tip angle.👀

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Nicely done. With the inclusion of a bowl of cereal and Looney Tunes characters, it felt like a Saturday morning from my youth. Of course, my cereal of choice in those days would have been Cap’n Crunch P’Nut Butter Crunch, not Raisin Bran Crunch (although that’s a good current choice).

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Cap’n Crunch is a great choice. Those Saturdays were fun. I enjoyed them with my kids. Thanks for the visit.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Marketing genius. Bowling alleys serving bowls of beer, adorned with various pictures and images of pins and balls. Just don’t issue them near the lanes themselves. Wouldn’t want the playing service to get too slippery or sticky. Of course, you’d have an issue after slurping down a few of everyone “staying in their lane.”

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ha ha ha. The nearest I ever came to a bowl was a 16oz schooner which required two hands to lift. Thanks, Bruce.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. I’m guessing you’re going to have a large bowl-shaped crater in your yard, John. Maybe you can fill it with ice and beer.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ha ha ha. It will be about six feet square but you are right about the ice and beer.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Is that a mixing bowl or a cereal bowl? With a straw, either could work. Happy Saturday sung to the tune of Linda-Lu by Ray Sharpe.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Great song, Jill. Happy Saturday to you *sung to the tune of Geenfields by the Brother’s Four.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. hahaha. Two stories for the price of one! The safe saga will continue . . .

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Pamela. I’m worried about Wile’s ability to pull this off.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Might want to visit the pub in Alberquerque today. I’m lifting things off the shelves in Idaho for when Wile E. touches that thing off.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ha ha ha. I have the same worries. Thanks, Craig

      Liked by 1 person

  10. A bowl of raisin bran should get things moving, and bowl of beer would be the finishing touch. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ha ha ha. Thanks, Tim

      Liked by 1 person

  11. A bowl of beer? Should I be worried about your character and his drinking? Oh yeah, it’s just fiction. 😄

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You can worry anyway, Gwen. He may be my alter ego 😳 😁

      Like

  12. Good story. You threw me with Wille having a Texas accent. As I recall there were simple hand held signs involved. Though I am not sure if both Wille and the Roadrunner used them. At this juncture the only logical and sane action would be to pour three fingers and at least feign pondering. Enjoy the Voodoo Ranger !

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I would also get as low as possible. Thanks, John

      Liked by 1 person

  13. I’m thinking you two best hop into that Uber before things go boom!
    I’m thinking a bowl of beer would be unwieldy… I’ll take the bottle, instead!

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    1. There is more in the bowl though. Glad you caught up. 😁

      Liked by 1 person

      1. This is true 😉 Me too. Well not completely… I think I might have a Thursday or two I missed 😉

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Working on it!
        After I finish writing a post… Yes! I am finally writing something…

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  14. Definitely not falsehood! Cheers to fiction 😀

    Liked by 1 person

  15. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of that safe.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yeah. That’s what worries me, Liz.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I hope your house is fortified against flying debris.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Another worry. Not sure I’m okay with shrapnel

        Liked by 1 person

  16. Bwwwwaaaahhhhh! Fiction sins. 🙂 Too funny, John. And the safe is still there. Or is it? Guess we’ll have to wait to find out.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes it is still there. Thanks, Jan

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    1. Thanks for sharing the post, Michael.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. My pleasure, John! xx Michael

        Liked by 1 person

  17. What a tension, and you left us in the insecure, John! With a bowl of beer i think the thing will be forced. 😉 xx Michael

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You have to be sure Wile is a risk. 😁

      Liked by 1 person

  18. John, you bowl me over with your imagination. And, just out of curiosity, if you did have your beer in a bowl, what is your favorite ale to fill it? I’m guessing an IPA.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Never had beer in a bowl. Had some big schooner glasses but not a bowl. Favorite is VooDoo Ranger Imperial IPA. Thanks for asking Steve.

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  19. So, we’re taking the plunge next week?
    I was so hoping for a big KaBoom today. That would bowl me over!
    Blow, as in blow up, is an anagram of bowl.
    Pretty clever locking Yosemite in the safe. Although I feet the best part of the plan is that the safe goes up over the house, and lands in a truck.
    This plan can’t go wrong!
    Oh yeah, the walk and talk and beer worked out nicely today. Say hi to your pal for me!
    🐂💋

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I liked the anagram analysis of the story. It seems everything is connected. My pal says hi right back.🐂👀🐂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Sweet! Well, I’m always looking for an angle!
        🐂💋🐂💋

        Liked by 1 person

      2. That’s cause you are so bright. I’m always looking for an angel cause I’m so bad.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. LOL!
        You may have heard, I have always had a penchant for bad boys. That’s why I hooked up with a guitar player!
        Okay…… I was NO angel myself!
        xoxoxo

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Yes you told me you liked bad boys.😁

        Liked by 1 person

      5. It’s more fun! 😁 xo

        Liked by 1 person

  20. In my younger days, it would have come down to drinking beer out of a bowl LAST.

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Hi John, you did sneak that bowl of cereal in very slickly. And you have slickly left us with another cliff hanger.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know, Robbie. I wanted to get on with it but hit my word count maximum for these posts.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Ah, the all important word count!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I don’t want my readers falling asleep. I try to keep each post under 500 words.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. I absolutely, positively dislike 1600 word posts. I just don’t have the time to read them.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Yes, that is true, John. I have learned, however, that bloggers who write long posts, often don’t share often and that evens it out for me. Also, sometimes long posts are really interesting. I read such a good one today.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Yes you are right, Robbie. There are some interesting long posts out there. I just don’t think I could be one of them. 😊

        Liked by 1 person

  22. Is that bowl of beer equal to a bowl of cereal? Good one, John, as your incredible imagination takes us to places of humor and hop. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The bowl of beer has more fun side effects than the cereal. 😊

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I would have to agree with you. 😉

        Liked by 1 person

  23. Not to worry, Wile and everyone around him, always survives, no matter what. You’ll live and be sipping that bowl of beer before you know it. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for that assurance.

      Liked by 1 person

  24. And he never pushed the plunger…yet. I think a bowl of beer was in order!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes. Make it a large bowl. 😁

      Liked by 1 person

  25. […] of Consciousness https://johnwhowell.com/2022/10/22/stream-of-consciousness-saturday-prompt-bowl/ The coffee machine has a mind of its own today. While waiting for the life-saving potion, a bowl of […]

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    1. Thank you Traci

      Like