Saturday, May 31, 2008

Wordzzle - Week Fifteen


What? Is there a pattern developing here? This is the second week in a row I've decided to play along with Raven's Wordzzle challenge. If I'm not real careful this just might become a habit.

If you'd like to join the fun please go by her site and check out the particulars. Even if you don't want to join the writing aspect of it, you can visit a great site and get acquainted with a host of others who play from week to week. You can find her by clicking here.

This week's words were the following: perpendicular, carpentry, garage, lute player, radishes, tin roof, wildflowers, stop light, gargantuan.

***


While sitting at a stop light, my wife noticed one of those pick-ups with a lumber rack on it and magnetic sign on the door that read, "H&H Construction...Call us first!"

Without skipping a beat she read aloud the above name and catch phrase and then said, "That would have been a novel idea dear, don't you think?"

I of course, knew exactly what she was referring to. It had only been about a month earlier when her brother Francis, the lute player, and I set out to show her what great carpentry skills we each possessed. Little did we know what a gargantuan mistake that would turn out to be. The whole process seemed easy enough at the beginning. Simply follow the the instructions that came with the kit and according to the sheet, two hours later I would be the proud owner of a brand new storage shed.

Three and a half hours into the project we both wondered who in the hell had come up with that ridiculous time frame in the first place. It took us that long just to figure out where all the pieces were. Well finally, after a series of frustrating bungles it was time to put the tin roof on this sucker. This would have been the final step had we have built the walls perpendicular to the ground! Instead our handiwork had produced something that looked more like a parallelogram and we came to the realization that we would nearly have to start all over again if this "two hour" project was going to come out anywhere close to decent.

It was about this time that my wife came out of the garage with that look in her eyes. I just stood there with my face as red as a bowl of radishes, half from anger and half from embarrassment.

"Wow, you boys have really outdone yourself this time! And to think, last year all we had to look at where this um...this a... this building is was some nice wildflowers.


***

The mini-challenge had the following words: gravy boat, cat carrier, Madison, Wisconsin, March Hare, gratitude.

***

Just before heading for Madison, Wisconsin I put Fluffy into the cat carrier. She was obviously as mad as a March Hare with the whole process. "What gratitude," I thought. I'd even let her lick the gravy boat from the previous night's dinner as a treat too.

25 comments:

Raven said...

These are both great. The first one had the feeling of a semi-true story - or am I wrong? The second was wordzzling at it's pithy best. Glad you are hooked. I'm a wordzzle pusher. Too bad there's no money in it.

Dianne said...

I'm glad you're hooked as well. I enjoy your writing.

I could see the wife's face and hear her voice in the first story. Let me think - yes I've been there!! LOL

and a good human always lets the cat lick the gravy boat but never expect any gratitude! :)

maryt/theteach said...

Jeff, I apologize that you had to go looking all over for my Wordzzle...so has everybody else! Ha! No, really I'm sorry! It is at my other blog. I put my name a second time on Raven's linky list with the right address...

Odat said...

Your brother-in-law is a lute player????? No wonder he can't build right!!!! ;-)

Great stories, Jeff, as usual.

I had fun doing mine...I just may do it again!

Peace

Jeff B said...

Raven- I can hear you now, "Hey kid, wanta try a Wordzzle...the first one's free."

Little bits of fact weaved through the fiction here.

Dianne- You wives know how to give "the look" don't you?

Teach- Thanks for the link. I thought it was like an Easter egg hunt or something.

Odat- I was glad to see you joining in. They are a lot of fun to do. Hope you'll give it a go again next week.

CrystalChick said...

Very clever. You can tell it's enjoyable for you to work out these neat Wordzzles. For now, I'll stick to Sudoku, they are hard enough!

Jay said...

Yeah, I'm thinking you were drawing on real life on that first one. haha

Great Wordzzles dude! Two in a row means you're totally hooked.

Rhea said...

Great job, Jeff! I think both of them flowed well and didn't feel forced at all. I may have to look into joining this puzzle writing...it sounds like a fun challenge.

Jeff B said...

Crystalchick- Being the numbers typ of guy that I am. I thought I'd enjoy Soduku. I've decided to stick with words!

Jay- I remember about twenty years ago trying to build one of those damn metal storage sheds with one of my brothers. (not a lute player)

Very few of the pre-drilled holes lined up which made it a royal pain in the ass.

Rhea- Thanks. Hope you give it a whirl next week. It really is a lot of fun to see how they unfold. I'm sure you'd do great.

j said...

Very well done!! That was an interesting group of words and you did great with them. I may slip over and take a look at her site!

Jen

Unknown said...

Great job...aren't they fun?! I hope you do form a habit...and once my internet problems are solved, I'll be able to read them more regularly!

Akelamalu said...

MMmm I thought the first one had some element of fact in it. ;) I loved it, well I love them both actually. :)

nitebyrd said...

Two more excellent posts, Jeff!

Jeff B said...

Jennifer- Do go by and have a look. With your cleaverness in writing, I'm sure you'd have fun doing them too.

Kim- They really are a kick to do.

Akelamalu- The big difference was that I wasn't married at the time, so I was able to avoid "the look".

Dana said...

I think I see a Wordzzle habit developing here - and a good one at that!

Jeff B said...

Nitebyrd- Thanks

Jeff B said...

Dana- This time next year I'll probably be looking for a WA meeting.

Travis Cody said...

I blame the manufacturer.

Sandee said...

You really do this very well. I know you are doing the manly shed and am wondering too if the first one had some truth to it? Just asking. Have a great day. :)

Kimmie said...

Nice job Jeff! I had the same feeling as the others, that your first story had some real life woven into it. The second one was cute! I didn't play this week, but will next week again. I think it is a lot of fun!
Smiles,
Kimmie

Ron said...

It amazes me how you come up with these, Jeff!

You're EXTREMELY clever!

I love how your stories include a "flashback sequence." I always feel like I'm watching a little movie that takes me to another time...

My opinion? Form the HABIT!

There are WAY worse things to be addicted too!

BRAVO, buddy!

Jeff B said...

Travis- I like it. That way it couldn't possibly be my fault!

Sandee- Most of it is made up, but there are some elements of truth to it.

Kimmie- Hope to see you join in next week.

Ron- You're right. At least this addiction won't rot my teeth, make me gain weight, land me in jail, or any number of other undesirable side "benefits".

Anndi said...

Did the instructions not come with pictograms?

SMOOCH

Cinnamon Girl said...

The second one made me laugh as I had a cat who did a total number on our gravy boat one thanksgiving =)

Jeff B said...

Anndi- They should have come with a warning stating, "Foul language and irritation likely to begin within one hour of opening."

Starrlight- As an owner of cats (yeah, like we ever really "own" a cat) I can totally relate!