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.
“Hey, Lucy. It’s Friday. Let’s get ready to rumble.”
Friday is here and time to get ready for the weekend. This week was pretty productive. The edits are pretty much finished on the next book. Gwen Plano and I have written the sequel to The Contract and now we are trying to get to a name. The manuscript is due to the editor in January and hopefully, we will have a name by then.
Bailey is doing quite well. She is eating (Knock on wood) and appears to be comfortable.
Today’s JohnKu is about adaptability. I hope you have a great weekend.
It is Wednesday Story Day again. Last week we found ourselves back to Micki Lee’s place where we were witnesses to a full-scale flirt being perpetrated by Micki and Andrew. Make no mistake, these two are old enough to be grandparents so we better watch out since anything can happen. We also were there when Micki called up Gloria, and like she was on a 100 Mbps download, she was right there. Let’s hope Larry can hold it together. Time to get back there. Don’t forget your bottled water.
“Gloria, Larry asked me to get in contact with you since he and his colleague Andrew have run into a bit of a snag on the Sandusky case.”
“Hold on, Micki. I can speak for myself.”
“Okay, Larry go ahead.”
“Larry, dear. Before you start aren’t you going to introduce your handsome sidekick.”
“Come on Gloria. Did you have to join Micki in such foolishness.”
“I think Micki and Andrew might have some attraction to each other. Right, Micki?”
“Well, he is a fine cut of a man.”
“You two know Andrew is sitting right here don’t you?”
“We know darling. The problem is Andrew is in a state of suspended animation and can’t see or hear us.”
“What? You mean after this session he won’t know what went on?”
“That’s right Dearest. He might as well be a chair in the room for all he’ll know.”
“Where is he right now?”
“As you can see, he is sitting here with us, but for all practical purposes he could in Dubuque, Iowa.”
“So, whatever I learn here, I’ll have a tough time convincing Andrew that it is true.”
“I’m so sorry for that, love. You see there are rules. We spirits can’t just have anyone witnessing our good works. Such a thing is only for the privileged.”
“As much as I’m flattered, I wish Andrew could be here as well.”
“We are wasting time, detective. You better ask Gloria what you want to know.”
“Okay, Micki. Here’s the deal, Gloria.”
“I know the deal, Larry. You’ve got a body that looks like suicide and only one suspect if, in fact, it’s not. Forget Louis. He is not your killer. You also are very right not to think Sandusky took his own life. He was murdered.”
“Why?”
“Well now. You have hit on the million-dollar question. The why is all about the bass. All about the bass no treble, Larry.”
“You mean the motive?”
“Exactly. Think of why someone would want Sandusky out of the way.”
“Money?”
“Bass.”
“Sex?”
“Treble.”
“So, for some reason whoever killed Sandusky did it for money.”
“My love. You are definitely getting sharper in your old age.”
“You are mocking me, aren’t you.”
“Only slightly my dear. Just slightly.”
“One more question. Who did it.?”
“Oh, my poor Larry. One. If I told you this story would be over. Two. You and your hunky partner need to figure it out. Chase the money, my dear.”
“Gloria wait.”
“She’s gone, Larry.”
“So, when does the séance begin.”
“Ah Andrew, I’m afraid while you were in Dubuque, we completed the contact.”
“What? Dubuque? I don’t get it.”
“Maybe someday, Andrew. Would you care to stay for some tea? I’m sure Larry has to be running along.”
As you may know, Keith Channing has taken the month of November to craft another Na-No-Wri-Mo 50,000 word novel. So again today I am promptless. GP Cox came up with a solution. He more or less said, “Why don’t you point a finger at a spot in a book and use that as a prompt.” He recalled a prompt on a Steam of Conscious Saturday where Linda Hill proscribed just that prompt method.
So thank you, GP Cox. Here it goes. I am opening Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez to page 135. Today’s prompt is the sentence, “She was furious for three reasons:” Here goes nothing.
“I see you stomping your foot. What’s the matter?”
“You wouldn’t understand. It is one of those shopping things from which you seem to be immune.”
“Come on. I know it wasn’t me who made you angry, so let me help.”
“Do you know anything about dresses?”
“Um. I know when you look good in them.”
“Typical comment from the totally oblivious.”
“Okay you are mad, I get that. I guess I’ll just leave you to your mood.”
“Wait. I’m sorry. You are right. You didn’t have anything to do with the situation so I shouldn’t take it out on you.”
“Tell me what happened. Maybe it will make you feel better.”
“You should know that I’m furious for three reasons.”
“That is a beginning. What is reason one?”
“I ordered a new dress for the holiday party online for pickup.”
“Doesn’t sound too bad.”
“That is not a reason. I was giving you context. Here is reason one. I drove to the store and had to wait forty-five minutes until they found the dress.”
“That seems like a long time.”
“Duh. It was supposed to be in pick up.”
“Reason two.”
“I ordered a petite size, and the dress they gave me was a medium.”
“Uh oh. I’ve been in that bear trap myself.”
“Yeah until I banished you from clothes shopping.”
“How about reason three?”
“There were no petite sizes in the dress I wanted. It was on sale and a bargain.”
“When you ordered it did they say the size was in stock.”
“Of course they did, or I wouldn’t have been able to order it.”
“Did you speak to a manager?”
“I did.”
“What happened?”
“I got a refund.”
“Well, it all turned out then.”
“Except I lost out on a bargain, I wasted gas on the round trip, and I had to spend more money on another dress.”
“More money? How much more?”
“Two hundred dollars.”
“Well, do you like the dress?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Well seems like all is well that ends well.”
The other dress went with my shoes. I had to get new to go with this dress.”
This post continues the Top Ten Not to Do list with a historical background. Scholars widely assert that November 25th is the anniversary of the beginning of the great flood in 2348 BC. Pretend you were there and here is a list that will keep you out of trouble.
Top Ten Things Not to Do in the Great Flood of 2348 BC.
10 In the time of the great flood, do not mock Noah’s boat building so far from water. If you do, at best he won’t hear you. At worst, after forty days and nights of rain, you are going to wish you never had. (Good luck on treading water for a few months, Gregory. Those boat jokes seem a little lame now don’t they?)
9 In the time of the great flood, do not offer Tiny the WWF champ some help with that rhinoceros. If you do, at best he’ll pass on the assist. At worst, Tiny who has just finished his group session on self-esteem will believe you think he is incapable of loading that snorting beast into the Ark. (Now you have to worry about a loose rhinoceros and soothing Tiny’s feelings, Giovanni. I think the rhino might be an easier task.)
7 In the time of the great flood, do not ask Noah about who is playing in the show lounge. If you do, at best Noah will think you are joking. At worst, Noah will realize you think the whole boat thingy is a Carnival cruise. (I suppose you should feel grateful Noah allows you to ride in the dinghy, Graham. He could have just tossed you overboard.)
6 In the time of the great flood, do not start singing the Unicorn Song. If you do, at best Noah will think it cute. At worst, since Noah was not able to get the unicorns on board, he’ll feel bad. (Don’t forget Noah is 600 years old, Gilbert. He probably never heard of the Irish Rovers and now you are in the brig on bread and water.)
5 In the time of the great flood, do not smack a pesky mosquito. If you do, at best it will recover. At worst, you just killed one of the two on board. (Although it seems like you have done a service to humanity, Gustavo, Noah is going to be plenty pissed since he was supposed to have two of everything. I would lay low if I were you.)
4 In the time of the great flood, do not try to bring more than one carry-on bag on the Ark. If you do, at best the second bag will be floating. At worst, you’ll be caught, and Captain Noah will allow the bags to ride but toss you off. ( I don’t think the punishment is too harsh, Gustavo. What is every being brought two suitcases?)
3 In the time of the great flood, do not try to water ski off the back of the Ark. If you do, at best you won’t lose your grip on the rope. At worst, the Ark is not going fast enough, and you’ll sink like a stone. (It doesn’t do much good to signal for help, Gerard. That giraffe has no idea what you mean.)
2 In the time of the great flood, do not ask Noah for a turn at the tiller. If you do, at best he will turn you down flat. At worst, he will give you a spin. ( The fact that you don’t know North from South is not going to play well here, Gabe. Lucky the mountain tops are fourteen cubits under the water. What’s a cubit you ask? Go look it up.)
1 In the time of the great flood, when Noah asks you to release a dove, do not release that duck. If you do, at best the duck will come back. At worst, the duck will be able to float, so there is no need to return to the Ark. ( Noah is now asking you about how to determine if the waters have receded. “Wait until you see land,” is not the answer he is looking for, Gideon. Those water wings should help keep you up until you sight land. By the way that shark following you has not eaten for a couple of weeks.)
This is the poster announcing the event to raise money for the EMS Toy Roundup and The Port Aransas animal shelter. PALL stands for Port A Low Life one of the sponsors.
The sign at the Civic Center
The fire department was there.
The EMS was there.
Bud Light was there.
Look a signpost up ahead
It is Santa and not the Twilight Zone.
Th e room is ready for the party.
Silent auction is ready.
The bar is ready.
The food will be ready.
The bounce house is ready
The bandstand is set up.
Close up of a table.
As a result of this event, no child in Port Aransas goes without a Christmas. Also, needed funds are raised for the Port Aransas animal shelter. Those attending have a great time while contributing to a worthy cause.
“Not surprising since you ate enough to feed a family of five.”
“Let me digest for a minute before hauling out the lecture material.”
“I just don’t understand how you can put away that much food.”
“Easy. Open mouth, insert food.”
“You know very well what I mean.”
“Okay, the lecture is about to begin. Give me the Reader’s Digest version if you don’t mind.”
“I’m just glad we didn’t have any guests to witness this scene.”
“Alright, that is about all I can handle. This is Thanksgiving. You’re supposed to eat a lot.”
“By a lot are you talking about four servings?”
“Well, if that’s what it takes to be thankful.”
“What about the children?”
“What about them?”
“Do you think you set a good example.”
“I don’t think they even noticed. Look at them playing over there.”
“You going to help me clean up?”
“What’s to clean up?”
“You know how these carcasses attract hyenas. I hate those things. They are always laughing and at who knows what. Gives me the creeps.”
“Darling you know I’m king of the jungle, and no damn hyena’s going to mess with me. Just so you can rest easy, I’ll drag these Zebra leftovers into the underbrush. Might be good for a snack later.”
“How can you even think of a snack.”
“Don’t you have a gazelle to chase down or something.”
“You watch the cubs. I’ll be back in a flash.”
“Take your time. I’ve got a wildebeest game to watch.”
“Uh, Lucy. It’s Friday. Time to get up and party.”
Black Friday has physically arrived. It has been preceded by virtual black Fridays since the fourth of July (Obvious exaggeration). This is the only day of the year where you can save tons of money by spending tons of money. (only in America is this possible)
Today’s JohnKu explores this phenomenon. I hope you have a super weekend
“I tried to wake Lucy and Bailey but they told me to come back on Friday”
It is Wednesday Story Day again. Last week Andrew made a surprise suggestion that he and Larry consult with the fortune-teller to see if they can discover additional suspects. Andrew seems to have bought into the fact that Gloria (Larry’s deceased wife) might be a good source of information. I see Larry and Andrew going into the fortune teller’s shop now. We need to go there.
“My goodness, Larry. You didn’t tell me the shop was on this side of town.”
“Would it have made a difference?”
“No, but I could have brought something to protect myself.”
“Hello? You are aware that detectives carry weapons, right?”
“Yes, of course. I am more comfortable handling my own defense methods.”
“You know, Andrew, sometimes you are a pain.”
“Been told that before, Larry.”
“Why look at the two handsome men who have ventured into my shop.”
“Hello, Ms. Lee.”
“Hi, Larry. Please call me Micki. Who is this handsome, senior statesman with you?”
“My name is Andrew, and I must say you have brightened an old man’s day.”
“You know that in China, mature men are revered for their knowledge.”
‘So, I’ve heard. Unfortunately, we are not in China.”
“In my shop, you might as well be,”
“Excuse me.”
“Yes, Larry?”
“If you two are quite finished with this whatever it is you are doing, I would like to reach Gloria.”
“Well, Andrew. Looks like the adult has arrived. I guess I had better get to work.”
“I did enjoy the interlude, Ms. Lee.”
“Maybe after I finish with old grumpy face here, you and I could step out for tea. Better yet, old grumpy face can step out, and I could show you my ancient Chinese art collection along with some tea.”
“I’m sure your collection is quite lovely.”
“I can see you know the right things to say, Andrew. Now follow me to my back room. You too, Larry.”
“Right behind you, Micki.”
“So, have a seat and let me see if Gloria is in the mood to talk. Close your eyes, Larry. Concentrate. Do you remember how we contacted Gloria last time?”
“Yes, I sang the G-L-O-R-I-A song. Should I do that again.”
“No. Just think of the song in your head. Gloria can hear it.”
“Even if it is in his head, he is still off-key.”
“Oh my God. Gloria is that you?”
“Yes, Larry. I’m here.”
“I’m going to cry again.”
“Please, Larry. You don’t need to do that. I’m fine.”
“He might be crying for himself, Gloria. He misses you so much.”
