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.
Beem Weeks has shared his thoughts about Eternal Road – The final stop on his blog The Indie Spot. Check out the review and while there check out his excellent books as well.
James Wainwright picks up a hitchhiker and discovers two things 1. The woman he picks up is his childhood sweetheart, only Seventeen years older. 2. He is no longer of this world.
James began a road trip alone in his 1956 Oldsmobile. He stops for a hitchhiker only to discover she is his childhood sweetheart, Sam, who disappeared seventeen years before. James learns from Sam falling asleep miles back caused him to perish in a one-car accident. He also comes to understand that Sam was taken and murdered all those years ago, and now she has come back to help him find his eternal home.
The pair visit a number of times and places and are witness to a number of historical events. The rules dictate that they do no harm to the time continuum. Trying to be careful, they inadvertently come to the attention of Lucifer who…
This list was originally posted on August 18th, 2014. The inspiration came from standing in lines. I don’t think lines have gone out of style, so it may still be helpful.
* * *
Top Ten Things Not to Do if You Find Yourself Waiting Your Turn
10 If you are in line at a ferry, do not turn off your car. If you do, at best the minute you do, the line will start moving. At worst, your car won’t start, and the friendly folks behind you will figure out a way to heave your vehicle over the side of the access terminal into thirty feet of water. (I don’t think detailing is going to get those water spots out of the upholstery)
9. If you are in line at the pharmacy, do not try to eavesdrop on the confidential medical briefing of the person in front of you. If you do, at best, you may hear something that your ears won’t forgive. At worst, the store will hit you with a HIPPA violation and send you to the back of the line again. (Those dosage instructions just weren’t all that interesting.)
8. If you are in line at the ten items or less express checkout at the supermarket, do not comment on the twenty items the person ahead of you has just laid on the counter. If you do, at best, you will hear the old excuse, “Oh, I didn’t notice that this was ten items or less.” At worst, you will be savagely attacked by a seemingly quiet, unassuming person who (unbeknownst to you ) was just released from a psychiatric hospital due to the lack of funding. (It seems he has a problem with questions.)
7. If you are in line at a movie theatre, do not groan loudly when the person in front of you wants to know the movie’s rating. If you do, At best, you will need to suffer through other questions like, “How long does it run?” At worst, you will be faced with the spouse of the person in front of you wondering what your problem is and asking you kindly to cut them some slack. (The closed fist speaks pretty loudly)
6. If you are in line at a convenience store, do not make any comments about a person in front of you who wants to pick out a specific scratch-off Lotto ticket but can’t make up their mind. If you do, at best, you may have to try to logically explain your problem when asked. At worst, you will need to apologize for your impatience when you learn that the ticket is being purchased as a 60th wedding anniversary present. (Now you are unromantic as well.)
5. If you are in line at the bank, do not prompt the half-asleep person standing in front of you behind the wait here line that a teller is open. If you do, at best, a person may pop awake and think you are being fresh. At worst, the person will take offense since they were not paying attention and ask you something about “Where’s the fire?” (They also invite you to help ask the teller for all the money in the drawer.)
4. If you are in line at the doctor’s office, do not complain to the receptionist about how valuable you consider your time. If you do, At best, you will be waiting twice as long since the receptionist just had an argument with the doctor about how little she makes. At worst, the receptionist will somehow lose your place, and you will still be there when the doctor and the receptionist leave for the night. (They don’t dare to ask you to come back tomorrow.)
3. If you are waiting to be served at one of the hottest bars in town, do not wave at the bartender. If you do, at best, he will simply wave back and wait on others. At worst, the bartender will finally give you the old “What’ll you have.” He then tells you they don’t have it, and maybe they will across the street. (I think he has had it with folks who wave.)
2. If you are waiting to be seated in a trendy restaurant, do not think you will be seated without tipping the Matre D. If you do, At best, you will finally have to break down and either tip or go elsewhere. At worst, you will get a seat in the bar just as they are starting the fastest cigar smoker contest and there are twenty-four contestants all lighting up simultaneously. (You initially thought you wanted the smoked trout. Might want to change that.)
1. If you find yourself waiting in line at Starbucks, do not try to cut the line. If you do, at best, you will be chastised by the barista. At worst, your double decaf, soy, low foam latte will have a taste resembling something familiar but just not easily identified. (Do ask what that flavor is right now.)
The last three nights in Lakeway have seen temperature lows of 25 degrees F (-3.8 C). To protect plants that have problems with those low temperatures, the neighbors have used various covering methods. The reason for protecting these plants is that such low temperatures are rare, and the plants, once past this event, can continue to thrive all winter. We are going to go and see some of the methods. We are being catered by Perlas in Austin. Our entertainment is The Band Perry.
The espresso machine needs the dregs drawer emptied before making another cup. During the process, it occurred to me that this was Saturday, so I should be getting a prompt from Linda Hill’s blog. Waiting for my first cup had my mind spinning with the possibilities of what that prompt could be. Having a hot, steaming cup of joe in my hand while waiting would just be icing on the cake. Finally, it was ready, and my first instinct was to breathe in the vapors to capture that godlike aroma that only fresh brewed coffee can deliver.
The first sip had me looking out the back, anticipating a falling safe or an ACME rocket. Three more sips and nothing. It was time to go to the front. I checked the Ring camera, and there was no motion or anything else recorded. The image on my phone looked like it was taken underwater. Glancing at my watch gave me cause for concern. The prompt should have been here by now. Another sip, and I had to venture outside to double-check.
Opening the front door became a challenge in that the lock appeared to be frozen. First, a sip and then a hard pull to free the door. The door came open, and I was treated with a sheet of ice. A manila envelope and a cake were stuck to the ice, obviously placed against the door before the water froze. Speaking of water. Where did it all come from? Yes, the temperature was below freezing, but that did not explain all the ice.
Chipping the ice freed the envelope. I grabbed it, left the frozen cake, and slammed the door. Ripping the envelope open, I found a message. Here is what it said. “Your prompt for #JusJoJan and my very first birthday-Stream-of-Consciousness-Saturday is: “icing on the cake.” Write about the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the phrase “icing on the cake.” Enjoy!” There was also a little party hat that said Happy Birthday, Linda Hill.
If you want to enjoy and wish Linda a Happy Birthday, visit her blog. Here is the link.
“So that was the first thing that came to mind? Frozen water on a cake?”
“I hate to say it but, yes.”
“Some have wondered about your thought process. So now I join them.”
“Why? What would you think of first.?”
“Birthday cake with frosting.”
“if the prompt was ‘frosting on the cake’ then I would agree.”
“It’s an idiom.”
“Who’s an idiot?”
“An idiom, you idiot.”
“Oh, what’s that?”
“A group of words with grouped usage that together mean something that the separate words do not convey.”
“You sound like a dictionary.”
“Thanks.”
“How about an example?”
“Well, take ‘Icing on the Cake.’ It means something added that makes things better. The cake is good and on its own would suffice but add some icing, and it’s perfect.”
“Icing makes my teeth hurt.”
“Okay, but you get the idea, right?”
“Yeah, I get it.”
“So why so literal with frozen water on cake?”
“I just thought it would be funny. Like describing lite beer as carbonated defrost.”
“Let’s stop there because I can build a segway with your last statement.”
“A transportation device?”
“No, an intro into a new subject as in ‘How bout you and I go and drink some beer?'”
“Great subject, and you got that off my carbonated defrost statement?”
BETHEL PARK, Pa. — A football coach in Pennsylvania canceled his team’s scheduled weightlifting session on Monday after a snowstorm blanketed the eastern part of the country.
When there’s a snow day or school is closed, Bethel Park football players typically meet in the workout room at 9 a.m. But instead of hitting the gym on Monday, the team hit nearby neighborhoods to help dig people out of the snow.
“It brought tears to my eyes, and I just feel like it’s a really great thing for them to do on their day off,” said Bethel Park resident Greg Hardy.
Hardy was getting ready to shovel his driveway when he was surprised that it was already being done for him.
“My wife said, ‘You don’t have to bother.’ And I said, ‘Why not?’ I looked outside and there they were, two snowblowers and five young gentlemen,” Hardy said.
They were all players from the football team who were just following orders from their coach, Brian DeLallo.
DeLallo, who’s both a football coach and teacher at Bethel Park High School, tweeted out that Monday’s weightlifting workout was canceled and to find an elderly or disabled neighbor who needs their driveway shoveled. He specified that this was an act of kindness, saying the team shouldn’t accept any money for their service.
“If you go on Twitter, you see high schools all over western Pennsylvania doing this. I think it says more about the kids and coaches involved in our game and gets kids out to help our community. That’s what it’s all about,” DeLallo said.
The players took their workout seriously and went door to door throughout their neighborhoods.
“We have been going house to house around the neighborhood seeing who still needs their driveway shoveled, and we tell them we will do it for free,” said freshman Jack Bruckner.
It was a workout that the team welcomed.
DeLallo said his players were texting photos of each other clearing driveways, one after another, first thing in the morning.
“It’s great to see the kids buy-in and get out there. They’ll shovel all morning, and then, hopefully, they’ll go sled riding in the afternoon and get to be kids,” DeLallo said.
And for neighbors like Greg Hardy, he’s now forever a Bethel Park football fan.
“They wouldn’t take anything! And I wanted to tell them, ‘Next fundraiser, put me down for whatever they need!’ It just made my day,” Hardy said.
The good news here is a coach, and his team made a difference. Today’s JohnKu talks about service. I hope you have a great weekend.
“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.”
Here is a post from January 19th, 2015. Clearly,. I was in the Walter Mitty mood that day. I hope you enjoy it.
* * *
Mondays creep up on me sometimes. I guess I should remember how quickly the weekend goes and not be surprised. Needing to do another Top Ten list got me thinking about time and being under the gun, so to speak. So I decided to use this situation to inspire this week’s list.
Top Ten Things Not to Do When You Are Short on Time.
10 If you are short on time, do not stop to talk to sweet old Mrs. Beagly while she walks her dog. If you do, at best, the latest tale will have you captive until you are late. At worst, Mrs. Beagly will sense you are trying to avoid a long chat, and in doing so, she will believe she has cause to stick those pins she has been soaking in bat guano in that doll that has a lock of your hair on its otherwise bald little head. (That pain in your arm may be more than muscle strain)
9 If you are short on time, do not begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the neighbor who has fallen and can’t get up. If you do, at best, you will hurry the process, and the neighbor will be able to tell you don’t have your heart in it. At worst, despite hurrying the process, you have yet to get a sign of life, and because you are late and not that it matters anyway, you call the time of death about three minutes too early. (Maybe leave an apology note for the EMTs)
8 If you are short of time, do not begin surgery on a brain. If you do, a best, you may forget something in your haste to finish. (You know, like reconnecting the pleasure center) At worst, you will totally run out of time, and unfortunately, once you start, there is no good way to pack everything up and plan on finishing tomorrow. (So your foursome will just have to find another player.
7 If you are short of time, do not begin building that rocket to Mars. If you do, at best, you might finish with several nuts and bolts leftover, and the answer for this phenomenon is not “they packed extras.” At worst, you may rush through the job and actually finish only to see your beautiful rocket light up the night sky over Disneyland just in time for the Main Street Parade finale. (Who would have thought one rocket would produce a ten-minute fireworks show?)
6 If you are short of time, do not take flying lessons. If you do, at best, you will know only half of what you need when the propeller on your airplane decides to visit a local cornfield. At worst, you will have rushed through so many of the classes. While dealing with things like fuel starvation, magneto malfunction, preflight check, and navigation on your cross-country flight, you might lose track of your position. It’s not a good thing to be intercepted by two F18s flown by two very unhappy-looking pilots who signal you to follow them. (Straying into restricted space over the White House is a no-no)
5 If you are short of time, do not attempt to prepare an elaborate dinner for your boss and her husband. If you do, at best, they might overlook the rare chicken and concentrate on the bone-in potatoes. At worst, you will give your boss a bad case of salmonella from undercooked food, and although you try to deny it, everyone will assume you did it on purpose so you could have the position. (The fact that you got it underscores the rumors)
4 If you are short of time, do not start a mechanical fix on the family car. If you do, at best, you may not have time to put the car back together again in time for work tomorrow. At worst, you hurriedly fix the vehicle, and while commuting to work, you take notice of the tire passing you on the right, followed by a loud screech and sparks from the hub hitting the road. This is only the beginning since the tire went on and found its way into the front seat after passing through the windshield of the police car in the oncoming lane. ( I think the charge is going to be assault with a deadly tire)
3 If you are short of time, do not offer to help with the kid’s homework. If you do, at best, you will not finish, and the child will get an incomplete the next day. At worst, you will do the best you can in the time allowed and will be more than mortified at the failing grade your child received. A note is attached to the homework reminding parents children to do their own work. (Further insult is a P.S. that the teacher would like you to come in and discuss the issue)
2 If you are short of time, do not offer to help coach your child’s soccer team. If you do, at best, the parents will forgive a couple of your absences. At worst, the parents will blame you for the losing season, and the stigma will stick with you and your child until the child graduates from high school. (for their own good better enroll at a college in Spain)
1 If you are short of time, do not offer to watch someone else’s kids for just a moment. If you do, at best, the other parent will only be a few minutes late, and there will be no harm done. At worst, the other parent will arrive way past when you were to be at your meeting for the bid parameters on a building. The explanation will range from a “to die for” sale at Niemen’s to “I just lost track of time.” The net result is you have been excluded from the bidding on the new project whose scope has changed from one building to a whole shopping center. (So what’s a few million among friends?)
We are heading to the Justice Center in Lakeway to witness a give-a-way conducted there. As most of you know, Texas was hard hit last February with freezing temperatures which caused power loss and dangerous conditions. The Young Men’s Service League, which is made up of Lake Travis High School (in Lakeway) students, collected items to be given away to help folks prepare for these conditions should such an event happen again. We want to see this in action. We are being catered by El Naranjo of Austin. Our entertainment is James Taylor.
Menu
LOS HUEVOS
HUEVOS BENEDICTOS
OUR VERSION OF EGGS BENEDICTS; TWO LARGE POACHED EGGS OVER A CORN AND CHEESE GORDITA, CURED DRY COPPA, AND CHILE DE ARBOL INFUSED HOLLANDAISE SAUCE BUILT OVER A DISH OF SAUTÉED POTATOES AND ONION
OMELETTE
THREE EGGS OMELETTE WITH OAXACA CHEESE SERVED WITH REFRIED BLACK BEANS, AVOCADO, SALSA VERDE, AND HOUSE-BAKED FRESH BREAD
ADD: MUSHROOMS, HUITLACOCHE, AND/OR CHORIZO
RANCHEROS
TWO FRIED EGGS OVER A CORN TORTILLA COVERED WITH YOUR CHOICE OF: SALSA RANCHERA, GREEN SALSA, OR DIVORCIADOS (RANCHERA AND GREEN SALSA) SERVED WITH REFRIED BLACK BEANS AND HOUSE-BAKED FRESH BREAD
AL GUSTO
TWO EGGS ANY STYLE SERVED WITH REFRIED BLACK BEANS AND HOUSE-BAKED FRESH BREAD
Drinks of all kinds as well
So we are ready. Let’s go.
We have arrived at the Justice Center.
Hmmm. Lines of cars ahead of us.
Here is a broad view of the items.
Buckets, of course.
Blankets to stay warm. Don’t be taking more than one.
Flashlights, Batteries, and portable chargers
First aid kits, latex gloves, and hand sanitizer.
Hats, winter gloves, matches, water, paper towels, and of course, toilet paper.
Need to ask for a space heater and firewood.
There is a packet from FEMA on how to prepare for the unexpected.
Here is a list of those who donated products, time, or money. It was a heartwarming community event.
Now is time for some brunch and music. I hope you have a great week.
The day wakes like any other. Its dark curtain slowly rises to reveal hazy images of deer and trees. The cement driveway reflects the glow of the yard lamp. The effect is converting an ordinary grey slab to the appearance of polished granite. It is a rainy day.
Always welcome but at the same time disappointing the rain has come. The immaculate car of yesterday will become the spattered mess of tomorrow. The clear, undistorted windows will be rain marked, denigrating the views to impressions.
A sigh and a cup of coffee will perhaps change the attitude to a more positive view of a rainy day. As the brewer was working its magic, a sound not unlike a trumpet ran through the walls of the house. Not waiting for the coffee, I hurried to the front door. Checking my Ring image on my phone caused a lurch in surprise. A man on a horse was on the driveway looking very much like Teddy Roosevelt. The horse was snorting and seemed in a bit of a hurry. The man kept shouting for me to open the door.
Mrs. Howell didn’t raise an idiot, so I called out through the doorbell. I demanded to know the nature of the business of someone on a horse waving a bugle. He wasted no time explaining he had a dispatch from Linda Hill that was of the utmost urgency.
My response was to yell, “Leave it on the porch.” He clenched his jaw and showed a magnificent set of teeth while telling me a signature was required. I gave in and opened the door. The poor guy was wet to the skin. He handed me a clipboard and told me where to sign. He then gave me a leather pouch. The horse reared while looking at it, and when I looked up, they were both gone.
Inside the pouch were two things. The first was a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, and the second was a message from Linda.
The message read. Your prompt for #JusJoJan and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “a rainy day.” Write about the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the phrase “a rainy day.” Enjoy!
If you would like to enjoy, visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here’s the link.
