I have been working in business for over forty years and now have the time to work in special areas of interest. My passion has always been to create compelling stories of fiction. I have authored six novels and am working on my Seventh. The first novel is still in manuscript form and being utilized as a door stop in the laundry room. The second is a contemporary fiction novel of 89,000 words and is complete and I am currently seeking a publisher. I also write poetry but have not had the guts to share any with anyone. The one time I read a piece to a person their only comment was, “it doesn’t rhyme.” I will continue to write and hopefully my blog, Fiction Favorites at www.johnwhowell.com will provide some entertainment and an interesting thought or two.
I live in the Austin area with my wife Molly and an assortment of loving pets.
“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 on 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 time.”
This post was published on September 12th, 2016. Let’s hope it has legs.
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The inspiration for this list came to me while watching a few shows where people compete for money, a hosting berth on a food show, to see if they would like to sell or list their house, or just want a new place to live. I did not know what to call these shows, so I labeled them competition shows. Anyway, I think you get the idea.
10 If you are watching a competition show and it involves food, do not think you need to match bite for bite. If you do, at best, you’ll be too full to sleep. At worst, your doctor will conduct an intervention and perhaps admit you to a sanitarium to lose weight. (Man, that first 100 pounds came quick, didn’t it?)
9 If you are watching a competition show that involves racing from one place to the next, do not think you need to rush to the store after it is over. If you do, at best, the kindly officer will let you off with a warning after he hears your story. At worst, your insurance company will not reinstate your policy in spite of your promise to get rid of the racing gloves. (You would have been okay had you not slid sideways into the 7-11.)
8 If you are watching a competition show and the players are all on an island with no food, do not plan your vacation while watching. If you do, at best, your room choices will seem luxurious when in fact, they should be condemned. At worst, you’ll arrive at your destination and realize that primitive camp living might not have been the best option. (Especially since your family considers roughing it to be no room service.)
7 If you are watching a competition show and the favorite day of the show is demolition day, do not tackle that small home improvement. If you do, at best, you will spend three minutes on demolition and ten days on reconstruction. At worst, your demolition fever will go unchecked until you realize you have no more bedrooms. (That night sky is sure filled with stars, isn’t it?)
6 If you are watching a competition show and the principles pay for rundown houses with cash, do not make an offer on a house. If you do, at best, you will overlook some needed repairs. At worst, you will realize there is no one to help you with what has been described as a “tear down.” (It looked so easy on TV, didn’t it, Bunky?)
5 If you are watching a competition show and the homeowners are asked if they love it or should they list it? Do not call an agent to list your house. If you do, at best, you will have second thoughts about your beloved home. At worst, your house will sell in two days with the new owners wanting to move in a week, and you have nowhere to go. (How come everything for sale is higher priced than what you got for your house? Huh?)
4 If you are watching a competition show and there are judges eliminating chefs, do not decide you can cook better than all of them. If you do, at best, your offerings may not be enthusiastically received. At worst, you will have a food walkout at your house, and you’ll be the last chef standing. (Seems kind of lonely, just you and that pot of stew.)
3 If you are watching a competition show and it involves food trucks, do not think that may be an easy way to make a buck. If you do, at best, your first week will be a killer. At worst, after you spend all that money to buy the truck, you realize you can’t sell the truck. (Kind of cramped to live in, right?)
2 If you are watching a competition show that involves two guys giving the homeowner a complete makeover for $30,000, do not ask for bids on your remodel. If you do, at best, you’ll never get a price low enough to proceed. At worst, you will find someone to do the job at your price and have to hire another contractor to redo the job at twice the price. (All looked good until the ceiling fell. Right?)
1 If you are watching a competition show that involves selecting a home from three choices of houses, do not think you will be that lucky. If you do, At best, you will need to see more. At worst, you will look at three, pick one, and discover that a better house has come on the market and is cheaper. (So much for being in a rush, huh, Rube?)
Since it is fawn time again, it seems we should check to see how the deer are getting along. Today we are catered by Paperboys in Austin. Our entertainment is Big and Rich.
A nice sit on the back porch and a concert by the cardinal intent to broadcast his availability is interrupted by a tone on my phone. (I didn’t mean that rhyme.) A quick look on the screen shows a large box on the porch. Thank heavens it didn’t fall into the backyard, is my thought while going through the unlock process.
A gate of steel rolled back, four bolts unlocked, two crossbars lifted, and the front door is thrown open. A mental note is made to replace all this stuff with a security sensor. There is nothing on the box to indicate the contents or sender, but the assumption is it’s from Linda Hill. A walk around the box reveals nothing.
All of a sudden (Love that), a whirring noise accompanies the slow rise of the top of the box. The decision was made to step back just as the top fell to the driveway. Inside the box, a strange green color glows as a hand clutching some kind of gun rises from within.
Soon a green helmated character in a green skirt follows the hand. “Where’s the kaboom? There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom,” says the character. The realization comes to me that this is Marvin the Martain in person. I immediately apologize for the lack of a kaboom, and Marvin hands me an envelope. (Of course)
Marvin continues to rise and disappears in a large fluffy cloud. I open the envelope to find a message. Here is what it says, Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “make a note.” Do with it what you will. Have fun!
A 6-year-old who realized after disembarking that she had lost a tooth aboard a plane was desperate to get it back.
Seeing this, a passing captain, with his jacket, cap, and epaulets, stepped in to write a note to the Tooth Fairy explaining the situation.
Lena and Laura Larmon were at the tail end of a long travel period, with a return leg from Norway to Greenville-Spartanburg Int. Airport, South Carolina, interrupted in New York with a 36-hour delay. Finally, stepping off the plane must have felt like bliss, until at the baggage claim, when 6-year-old Lena realized she had lost a tooth.
“We tried to walk back to the airplane, but security was closed. It was 2 a.m.,” mom Laura told Good Morning America, adding that Lena was “crying and very emotional” when she realized that, without the tooth to place under her pillow, there would be no corresponding visit from the Tooth Fairy.
That’s when United Airlines Captain Josh Duchow, seeing Lena’s distress, stepped in to help. With his captain’s bearing and official uniform, there would be no doubt that a quick written explanation from “Captain Josh” would be an acceptable receipt for the Tooth Fairy’s records.
“Dear Tooth Fairy, Lena had a tooth fall out on her flight to Greenville,” wrote Duchow, who piloted the flight. “Please take this note in place of her tooth.”
Note to Tooth Fairy – courtesy Laura Larmon
Mother Laura later shared the story on Instagram and Facebook as a break from “a world of bad airline stories.”
United Airlines released a statement on Duchow’s part, declaring: “we’re proud to see moments like this that underscore our commitment to going above and beyond for our customers and creating an airline where Good Leads the Way.”
The good news here is it doesn’t take much to show kindness. Thank you, Captain Josh, for your kindness toward Lena. Today’s JohnKu talks about being kind. I hope you have a great weekend.
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 on 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 time.”
This is the day before the Fourth of July. So I thought it would be interesting to see some decorations around town. We are being catered by Better Half in Austin. Today’s entertainment is who else but Lee Greenwood.
A quiet Saturday morning with the sounds of birds adding to the peaceful feeling. Inhaling the aroma of freshly brewed coffee as it is being made adds to the overall feeling of contentment. The temperature is below the blast furnace level, so an excellent opportunity exists to sit on the patio and enjoy the morning.
Twiggy and Lucy decide to come with me to the outside. They are busy reading their nose e-mails, and I’m occupied with mine. A fairly loud noise interrupts us all. Lucy and Twiggy do the instinctual reaction to warn the noise that the suburbs of St Louis are closer than they think. To be barked to St. Louis is a treat no intruder should miss.
The noise repeats, and this time the location is determined to be from the front yard. If this is another Warner Brothers character, I’m going to demand a royalty, I think, as I amble to the front door. After the disarm and unlock process, I’m standing on the front porch face to face with a mule.
Not knowing how the thing got there, I look around for a note. I’m assuming this is another delivery of the prompt from Linda Hill. I go around the back of the mule, and for whatever reason, I lift its tale. “Watch it, buster.” The words seem to come from a loudspeaker somewhere. Moving around to the front, I say maybe the dumbest thing that has ever been said under the circumstances. “Who said that?” Were the words.
“You must have seen movies in your day and know you are in the presence of Francis the Talking Mule.” I look around, thinking that maybe there is a camera somewhere. “Just pay attention, buster.” I look the mule in the eye and puff my cheeks. “Who you calling, buster?”
“The one who needs a prompt I have in my pocket.” The mule drops an envelope on the walk and ambles down the driveway. Not knowing where the envelope came from, I was reluctant to pick it up. Finally gathering the courage, I did a two-finger pick up and opened it. Of course, there was a note from Linda Hill which said:
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “—amble.” Add letters to the beginning of “-amble” to make another word or use it as is in your post. Enjoy!
If you want to enjoy, visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link.
