Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Near/Far

September 25, 2021September 24, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 54 Comments

Near my house is a beautiful waterfall that is the ideal place to contemplate life’s unanswered questions. There is a bench for sitting and even a table that can be used for a picnic or a great spot for a laptop. After a hectic morning, I decided to head over there and take some time to discover at least one answer to many questions.

The spot is about a fifteen-minute walk from the parking lot. The air was crisp for Texas, which meant it was in the 70s, so I took up a healthy stride and covered the distance in sixteen and a half minutes. (The senior citizen Olympic rate) Upon arriving on-site, I was taken back to see a family of four had taken up the table and the bench. There was no room for contemplation, let alone peace.

I turned to leave when I heard one of the kids yell about something in the sky. My eyes followed his point (his mama needs to talk to him later about pointing), and several opened parachutes were heading for the park. I knew this would not be just a simple skydiving club exercise, so I began my Q-tip shuffle toward the entrance.

Of course, one of the divers landed in front of me, blocking my exit. I decided to get into a Kung Foo stance to let him know I’m not just an over the hill, bag of bones pushover. The level of laughter coming from the diver was infectious. I couldn’t help myself, so I joined in. He then reached out and handed me an envelope. Expecting some kind of trick, I took it with two fingers. He laughed some more, and as he turned to leave, I caught sight of the patch on his shoulder. I initially thought it was a USPS patch, but I was wrong. The blue and gold Navy Seal Team Six patch told me my Kung Foo ruse was indeed laughable.

I opened the letter, and you are right. It was from Linda Hill.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “near/far.” Use “near,” use “far,” use them both if you’d like. In fact, if you start your post with one and end with the other, you get bonus points! Enjoy!

If you would like to enjoy, visit Linda Hill’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link.

https://lindaghill.com/2021/09/24/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-25-2021/

Who knows? That link could get you far.

*The sound of the register racking up those bonus points *

“Near time to hit the bar.”

“What’s the hurry?”

“You almost took the whole morning with that prologue.”

“You like it I can tell.”

“How can you tell?”

“You have a smile on your lips.”

“Maybe it’s gas. You don’t know.”

“Well, anyway, the prompt is done.”

“As are most of your readers.”

“Oh, come on. It’s not that bad.”

“Says the guy who has no life whatsoever.”

“That’s not true.”

“What do you do for fun?”

“Write.”

“What do you do to relax?”

“Write.”

“What do you do on vacation?”

“Write.”

“The prosecution rests.”

“Let’s hit the beer garden.”

“Beer garden? Where did that come from?”

“A story I’m writing.”

“Gad.”

“Let’s go. Unless you would rather not. If so, I’ll go myself.”

“Since I’m buying.”

“Yes?”

“Without me, you won’t get far.”

A note from the management. *cha-ching on bonus points.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Puzzle

September 18, 2021September 18, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 33 Comments

It was a beautiful day, and I was outside trying to remove the spark plug on the lawnmower. As I left the house, I was asked why clean a spark plug on a lawnmower that I will never use again. I pretty much ducked giving my honest answer since I didn’t have a good reason other than the fact that it needed it. However, I knew that my twisted logic wouldn’t fly, so I mumbled something about wanting it in tip-top shape to sell it. That seemed to do the trick since there was no follow-up inquiry.

I decided to sit on the patio to remove the plug. As I withdrew the dirty article, I could hear a commotion coming from the neighbor’s yard. Because of the privacy fence, I can’t usually see what is going on over there. However, I could make out the sounds of a person having some kind of stressful interaction with what sounded like a pack of dogs. Almost instantly, two hands appeared on my fence top, and I guessed that they would be soon followed by a cascading body. Sure enough, a hulk dressed in a USPS uniform landed with a thud in the center of a bed filled with vincas.

I asked if the person was okay. They had a puzzled look on their face, so I also asked if they needed me to call 9-1-1. They assured me everything was fine but wondered if I knew a John Howell. I offered that I did indeed know a John Howell and confessed that I was the very same. Without rising from the vincas, his hand shot up in the air holding an envelope. He asked that I take it, which I did. He then asked about the dogs next door, and I had to tell him that the neighbors don’t have dogs. He raised himself in a manner that could only be described as guarded. I asked him why he didn’t deliver the letter to my mailbox, and he responded by pointing out the special delivery stamp. As he was in a sad state and missing most of the backside of his pants, I decided not to ask any more questions. He limped toward the gate and let himself out. So the question of the dogs and why the unorthodox delivery remains a puzzle.

I opened the letter and inside was this note. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “puzzle.” Use it any way you’d like! If you would like to join it, visit Linda Hill’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link https://lindaghill.com/2021/09/17/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-18-2021/

“You left us hanging.”

“What?”

“That story in the intro. You totally left us up in the air.”

“Well, that does happen.”

“Yeah, but in this case, it’s not fair. What were the dogs doing next door?”

“They weren’t dogs. They were a pack of wolves.”

“Wolves. Where are there any wolves around here?”

“In my mind. This is fiction, remember?”

“Come on. Even fiction has to make sense. Why did the mailperson go to the wrong address?”

“He was new and got turned around.”

“What was he doing in the neighbor’s backyard?”

“He figured out he had the wrong place, so he was taking a shortcut.”

“What about the vincas?”

“We don’t have vincas, so everything is okay.”

“Why didn’t you put all this in the story?”

“I knew you would be here and asking me to explain the puzzle.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Yes.”

“Who’s turn to buy the beer.”

“Yours.”

“Why did you say that?”

“Cause if you knew you would have said, ‘It’s your turn.'”

“It’s your turn.”

“Too late.”

“Sheesh, another puzzle.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Where

September 11, 2021September 10, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 56 Comments

Today’s prompt. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “where.” Use it any way you’d like.

Thinking of where I was 20 years ago today, the memories came back in waves. The producer and I were helping set up a fundraising dinner and night of entertainment. This was an event put on every year to benefit children’s charities in San Antonio. We had moved to Texas in 2000 and were volunteers for one of the charities.

In the morning, we were in the process of setting up the dining tables, and slowly the recognition that the Twin Towers and the Pentagon had been hit by an airplane became clear. The news was very spotty, but eventually, it was decided to cancel the event. This was no small decision since this one night pretty much supplied additional necessary operating funding for the charities for a year. It was only after returning home did the magnitude of 9/11 become apparent. Even though I was off for the day, I got a call to come into the office for an emergency meeting, so more time was spent away from knowing the total devistation of the situation.

That night all the information came together, and I’ll never forget the feeling of sadness for those at the Twin Towers, the first responders, those at the Pentagon, and the passengers and crews of the four airplanes used as weapons. Since that time, these attacks have taken their toll on the survivors and those tasked with the twenty-year fight that followed. It is sad to see the people who supported and aided this tragedy are now back in control of Afghanistan. I have to hope that our government never recognizes this regime as legitimate. Denial of the recognition that the Taliban desperately wants would be a real way to honor those who gave their lives in the fight against terrorism.

If you want to participate in Stream of Consciousness Saturday, visit Linda Hill’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link https://lindaghill.com/2021/09/10/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-11-2021/

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – My/Yours

August 28, 2021August 27, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 58 Comments

My day started like most. I first went to the Bentley dealer and checked out a new turbo convertible for a test ride. The dealer wanted to make the whole idea more complicated, but I convinced them that as a world-famous influencer, it would be worth their while to let me drive the car. Out I cruised in a spanking clean black Saffire convertible with a fawn interior. I decided to head for the countryside, to open this baby up to see what it could do.

I turned up the Bang & Olufsen, 1500W, 16 speakers, and 16-channel amp so that I could surround myself with concert-level music. I was living the dream with beautiful sound and the wind in my hair until I noticed a huge USPS 18 wheeler was slowly moving over into my lane. It was clear the driver did not see me. If he had seen me,, he would have known it is bad to crowd someone in a Bentley. I decided to apply the ample brakes and let him move over.

Suddenly, his right wheels hit the shoulder, spraying the Bentley with what must have been a thousand rocks. I have never seen so many spiderweb cracks in a windshield before. I was forced to pull over. The USPS driver stopped as well and came walking back to where I sat. He handed me an envelope and a card. The card had a phone number to call to place a claim. The envelope was addressed to me and was from Linda Hill. The driver mentioned I should probably take my Ford to the dealer for an estimate first before making a claim. I thanked him and got out of the Bentley. Given all the dents, the Bentley did indeed look like a Ford Galaxy 500. I sighed and thanked him and opened the envelope. Here is what was inside.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “my.” Start your post with the word “My.” Bonus points if you end your post with “yours.” Enjoy!

I think I was lucky to start the post with “my.”

If you would like to enjoy it as well, visit Linda Hill’s blog and read how. Here is the link https://lindaghill.com/2021/08/27/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-28-2021/

“My brain just can’t figure out why do you go through all that introduction stuff.”

“I enjoy writing a narrative is the only reason. Talking with you all the time makes me stale.”

“Stale? Boring don’t you mean?”

“Well maybe that too.”

“What’s the prompt?”

“Weren’t you listening?”

“To be frank I think I dozed off when you brought up the sound system in the Bentley.”

“You shoulda been there. It was sweet. The prompt is ‘My/Yours.’ Start the post with ‘my,’ end with ‘yours.'”

“Okay so you nailed the ‘my’ already. Before I ask what you’re going to do with ‘yours,’ what happened when you took that Bentley back to the dealer?”

“You should have seen his face. I have to laugh every time I think of it.”

“Weren’t you nervous?”

“No, as I said while you were taking a nap I had a claim number from the USPS.”

“But still.”

“He did rant and rave a while. Threatened to put the three hundred thou on my credit card.”

“That would have been humorous.”

“Just imagine the folks at VISA when a Bentley dealer calls to charge a Bentley to my account.”

“I’m sure the decline would have burnt his ear hairs.”

“Yeah I just opened the door and walked away. I have to say, sadly that car looked like a golf ball.”

“Well alls well that ends well. How about a beer?”

“Sounds good. Who’s turn to buy?”

“I’m going to answer you with a response that you don’t dare dispute.”

“Why?”

“If you do you won’t get the bonus points.”

“How can that be. Who’s turn?”

“Wait for it. . . .Yours.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt Ode

August 21, 2021August 20, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 65 Comments

I was relaxing around the abode when my attention was drawn to the front door. Twiggy was just beginning her famous St. Louis bark, so I knew someone was approaching the house. Grabbing my Ring app, I took a look and was astonished to see what looked like a rhinoceros standing in the driveway. I made no move to open the door since I wasn’t sure what the rhinoceros was doing there. Just as I was getting ready to phone the police, the doorbell rang. Now you have to understand, the doorbell is just below a sign that says, “Please don’t ring the doorbell.” Twiggy is now apoplectic and is convinced that the aliens have landed and need to be barked to a more rural area like St Louis. Checking the app again, I see the person is dressed like a FedEx delivery employee. I ask what they want through the speaker, and the response is to the effect that the package requires a signature.

I sigh and pick up Twiggy, who now resembles the Tasmanian Devil in Warner Brother cartoons. I open the door and see the package and a clipboard. I quickly sign the clipboard and take the package while there is still some semblance of a shirt on my back. After I shut the door, I ask through the speaker about the rhinoceros, and the delivery person tells me it takes your pet to work day at FedEx. “How cute,” I respond. I put Twiggy on the floor and contemplate the package. Twiggy finally stops barking, and I see that the rhinoceros and the delivery person are gone. I open the package and find a motherload of lifesaver candies and a note. The note reads.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ode.” Find a one- or two-syllable word that rhymes with “ode,” or use the word “ode.” Have fun!

If you would like to have, fun visit Linda Hill’s blog and find out how easy it is. Here is the link.

https://lindaghill.com/2021/08/20/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-21-2021/

“And now you tell me Billy Joe McAlister’s jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge.”

“Okay, what’s up.”

“Nothing.”

“You were singing Ode to Billy Joe.”

“Yeah, I needed you to say that so I could score on the prompt.”

“Billy Joe is the prompt?”

“No, dummkopf. It’s ‘ode.’ We get to use the word or a one or two-syllable word that rhymes.”

“Oh well then. That is easy. One syllable is ‘mowed.'”

“Okay, that’s good. How about ‘owed’?”

“Yeah, that works. Try ‘shload.'”

“‘Shload’? What the heck is ‘shload’?”

It’s a combo of two words. Means a big load.”

“I get the load part. What is the sh…..Okay, I get it.”

“How about two syllables?”

“‘Bifold’?”

“Seems to work. I have one. ‘Ice cold'”

“That’s two words, not two syllables.”

“Well, still seems to be right. Like Ice cold beer.”

“Why do we always get to a pub ending here?”

“That’s where you are wrong.”

“How so.”

“I have a cooler right here.”

“I shoulda knowed.”

“That doesn’t work.”

“For me, it does. Pop one of those. Our job is done here.”

“And the beer flowed.”

“Stop.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Luck

August 14, 2021August 13, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 64 Comments

I was taking a break during my bike ride and having a sip of water. Then, looking out over the scenic countryside, I spotted a cloud of dust heading in my direction. I thought it strange that a cloud of dust would appear in a neighborhood that was completely paved. But, since I figured it would be another one of those fictional engagements, I decided to go with the flow. Sure enough, coming around the bend was a wagon train being led by Ward Bond on horseback. “Hey, partner,” he yelled down at me.”You know of a place where we can make camp for the night?” As luck would have it, our park was free of weekend activities, so I gave him directions. “Much obliged,” he said. He then gave a sign to the wagons to follow him, which they all did.

It was about four hours before the last wagon came ambling by where I was standing with my bike. A young man walking beside the wagon came over and handed me an oilcloth-wrapped parcel. I tried to tell him I didn’t expect a present, but he insisted I keep the package. Once the wagon was out of sight, I unwrapped the parcel and found two things. The first was a block of pemmican. The second, a piece of parchment paper with a message. The message read, Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “luck.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

Yes, I did want to follow the train to the park and maybe learn about crossing the plains, but I knew it was just a figment of someone’s imagination and probably would be a waste of time. It sure seemed real, though. I did try the pemmican and can tell you not to bother. The smell alone will get ya.

If you want to enjoy, go to Linda Hill’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2021/08/13/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-14-2021/

“Here we are on Saturday.”

“Yup.”

“So, what’s the prompt?”

“Luck.”

“Luck?”

“Luck.”

“What you got?”

“If it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.”

“You serious?”

“It’s a song.”

“Oh. For a minute, I thought I was going to be forced to have an interdiction for you.”

“Nope, everything’s okay. I’m going to sing the song.”

“Please don’t.”

“Why?”

“Number one. You can’t sing.”

“Says who?”

“Number two, There’s beer at the pub calling our name.”

“You got a three?”

“Yup.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Our word count allocation is up.”

“It’s that stupid intro. Eats word like they were free.”

“So let’s go.”

“Can I hum the song?”

“Sure, if you want to ride on the roof of the car.”

“Let me think about it.”

“Only you would say that.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Wee

August 7, 2021August 6, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 56 Comments

As I was finishing my cup of coffee and a wee scone, I heard what could best be described as a clatter on the roof. Knowing it is nowhere near Christmas, I had a feeling in my gut that it may be of rather large import and worthy of investigation. However, I hesitated at the back door since whatever hit the roof was now in the process of sliding from its initial point of impact to the ground. My better judgment reminded me that stepping out of the doorway into the vector of a falling object is one way for a quick trip to eternity.

I was happy I waited since the force of the falling object, even though it was connected to a parachute, made a large dent in the yard. When it was safe, I approached the container and could see the name ACME Power Rocket stenciled on the side. There was a shipping invoice attached as well, and I tore it off. You guessed it. The recipient was one Wilie E. Coyote in care of Universal Studios, Hollywood, California. You have to wonder how it got here. Maybe it came by the USPS. Also included in the invoice was a note. It read.

Dear sir or Madam,

Please forward this package to the rightful recipient should it end up in your hands. I am trying to save money, so I shipped via USPS, and as we all know, sometimes things go astray. Also, here is a message from Linda Hill. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “wee.” Use the word “wee” or find a word that contains it and use it in your post. Have fun!

Thanks in advance.

Your friend,

Wilie E. Coyote

If you would like to have fun visit Linda’s blog and read how. Here is the link https://lindaghill.com/2021/08/06/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-7-2021/

“Hoo wee.”

“What?”

“This prompt.”

“What is it?”

“Wee.”

“Oh my.”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t go there.”

“Where?”

“You know.”

“Tell me.”

“I need to go wee.”

“Go ahead.”

“No, that’s where you are not supposed to go.”

“I don’t have to wee.”

“Okay, let’s start over. What were you going to write about?”

“Little pig.”

“Wee, wee, wee, all the way home pig?”

“Yeah, but now that you have tainted the word, it sounds gross.”

“Me tainted?”

“You, Robert. Are you having a stroke?”

“Okay, I think we have been around the slapstick horn enough. Let’s go get a beer.”

“Wee.”

“Just stop.”

“Wee little Willy won’t go home.”

“I’m leaving.”

“No, wait. I’ll stop.”

“Promise?”

“Oui.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Cute

July 31, 2021July 30, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 58 Comments

I went on a long walk today to clear my head since I knew I would be challenged to complete the Stream of Consciousness prompt later. I was in deep thought about some inconsequential matter, like should I powerwash the driveway. Then, all of a sudden, my attention was snapped to fully aware as I heard someone screaming, “Help me.”

My gaze went to a rather large brown van that was caroming off what is now a collapsed lamppost. The post altered the vector of the van so that now it was headed directly for me. As it got closer and larger, I could see a wide-eyed, uniformed driver clutching the wheel and screaming his head off. This was clearly a delivery van out of control, and not wishing to find myself the thickness of a pancake, I managed to jump to the right and grab what some would say is a sissy bar connected to the driver’s side of the van.

The three of us continued down the street, which was now taking on the topography of a soapbox racer course. I swung into the van and asked the driver if I could be of some help. “No brakes,” he yelled. For the first time since seeing this run-a-way train, I grew concerned. The law of physics dictates that the vehicle velocity will continue to increase until such time as a deceleration event occurs. The speed at the point of deceleration will mean the difference between survival or not. “We need to slow this mother down,” I yelled. The driver looked at me with an expression I have seen on countless teenagers’ faces before the “No shit” statement.

Long story short, the van did indeed slow down by jumping a curb and tearing through several layers of shrubs, fencing, and into the Donavan’s pool. As we were sinking, the driver asked me my name and then handed me an envelope. Of course, it was from Linda Hill. As the water was reaching my chest, I tore it open and read the note. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “the last photo you took.”Take the last photo you snapped. What’s the first word that comes to mind when you look at it? That word is your prompt. Enjoy!

As the water rose to my chin, I thought about that last photo and remembered it was of Twiggy and Lucy. The word “cute” went through my mind, and the darkness crept into my consciousness.

“Stand up,” I heard from the edge of eternity. I opened my eyes and did indeed stand up to find I was in water up to my waist. “We are saved,” I screamed. The driver had nothing to say.

If you would like to enjoy visit Linda Hill’s blog and read how. Here is the link.

https://lindaghill.com/2021/07/30/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-31-2021/

“What’s with all the drama?”

“I just think people ought to know where the prompts come from, is all.”

“Other participants just do the prompt without the preamble upfront.”

“Maybe you ought to go talk to other participants.”

“Cute.”

“What do you mean.”

“Your snappy comeback was cute.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I was being sarcastic.”

“Well, that’s new.”

“Cute again. So what are you going to write about that’s cute?”

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean ‘nothing?'”

“I think you said it all.”

“You’re mad.”

“A little.”

“Why?”

“I don’t get no satisfaction.”

“Cute reference. Want to explain?”

“I kill myself thinking of the prompt, and you come along and make light of what I do.”

“How much do you get paid for this gig?”

“Nothing.”

“The prosecution rests. It is beer-thirty now. Do you want to continue this philosophical discussion or dump six into that ready-made receptacle?”

“You have a cute way of making my choice easy.”

“Hold on, brother. Don’t use the word ‘cute’ when describing my behavior.”

“Goodness. Hit a nerve, did I?”

“I have the street cred to maintain. We doing beer or not?”

“Lead on Mac Duff.”

“Cute.”

“Stop it.”

Saturday Stream of Consciousness – Prompt – Color/Colour

July 24, 2021July 23, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 51 Comments

I was waiting in line to use the ATM machine outside my favorite Starbucks. The line was agonizingly slow, and I could feel the little caffeine-deprived miner trying to pickax his way out of the front of my skull. The little pick, pick, pick feeling got stronger as the next customer seemed to be doing a week’s worth of transactions. Only two away from getting some cash that will allow me to trade for a grande miner killer. Suddenly, the guy behind me told me not to turn around or make a sound. Something hard was poking my backbone, and it dawned on me that I was about to be relieved of my salvation cash. I use my elbow to dislodge the hard thing and spun to face my tormentor. He had a look of shock on his face and quickly shoved an envelope in my shirt pocket and ran off.

Given the current rise in COVID cases, I did not want to touch the envelope until I could get some sanitizer inside the Starbucks. Finally, I was at the ATM, got the cash, ran into Starbucks, ordered the grande, waited an hour, gulped several ounces, and killed the miner. Then I opened the envelope. There was one sheet of paper with this message from Linda Hill. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “color/colour.” Use it as a noun, a verb, or pick a color and write about it–use it any way you like. Have fun!

If you would rather have fun than be accosted in an ATM line, go to Linda Hill’s blog and read how easy it is. Here’s the link. https://lindaghill.com/2021/07/23/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-24-2021/

“It’s Saturday, so before I say more do you have the prompt?”

“I do, and it is color or as our Northern neighbors say ‘colour'”

“What do you mean, Northern neighbors. Sounds the same to me.”

“They spell it c-o-l-o-u-r.”

“So do our previous oppressors.”

“Huh?”

“The British. They spell it the same way.”

“What’s up with that?”

“Goes back aways, I think. I’m not really sure. What are you going to write about?”

“I thought I would discuss my favorite color.”

“Which is?”

“Amber.”

“Amber is an unusual choice.”

“Does it remind you of anything?”

“A bottle.”

“Or six.”

“Right with you. You buying?”

“For you? Sure.”

” I love you, man.”

“Don’t say that unless you are drunk.”

“Why.”

“Sounds creepy otherwise.”

“You got it.”

Steam of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Least Favorite Word.

July 17, 2021July 16, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 86 Comments

I was sitting on the front porch this morning enjoying the sun and the long-running chatter of the mockingbird. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I detected some movement. Sure enough, a large truck turned into the cul-de-sac and stopped in front of my house. The driver blew his air horn which, in addition to stopping my heart, cleared the surrounding block of all manner of wildlife. Finally, the driver dismounted from the behemoth and slowly walked up to the porch. Toothpick in the way I barely understood his question. Then I caught on; he was asking if I was me. I told him I was, and he shoved a clipboard under my nose with a command to sign where marked.

Not knowing what else to do, I signed. He then turned tail and went to the rear of the huge trailer. The clanking of doors, hum of tailgate lowering, and grunt of the driver led me to believe there was something heavy now on the street. After much difficulty turning around, the truck pulled away, leaving a large box. I walked up to the box and was stunned that it was taller than me. You would think the driver could have helped move it closer to the house. While scratching my head, I looked at the other side and discovered this portrait.

I think there is more to the box story. While thinking what it could be, I discovered an envelope with a single sheet of paper and this message. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “least-favorite word.” Use your least-favorite word in your post. If you can’t decide on one, use a word that just really bugs you. Enjoy! I thought immediately of the word Awesome. If you would like to enjoy this kind of prompt, visit Linda Hill’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2021/07/16/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-17-2021/

“How’s it going?”

“Awesome. I have this week’s prompt.”

“Oh, that’s awesome. What is it.”

“My least favorite word. Isn’t that awesome?’

“Yes, awesome. What is your least favorite word.”

“It’s awesome.”

“I know it’s awesome that you have a prompt. What is your least favorite word?”

“My least favorite word is awesome.”

“Being awesome, it must be some word. What is it?”

“The word is awesome.”

“I’m sure it is. Now, if you would only tell me this awesome word.”

“Listen, Bud. I told you it is awesome.”