Fifty-five
He said, "I think Arizona would be nice-"
A lump formed in her throat. Was he asking her to move back with him? She dared not speak. All she'd prayed for was coming true; tears of joy pooled in her eyes. She thought of their daughter Jenny.
He finished, "So, maybe I'll call you sometime."
Lathe (With apologies to Tom & Chet)
Why did I have to open the dictionary to the page with "lathe" as the first noun? I’m using a small dictionary, a Webster’s paperback. It tells me a lathe is "a machine for shaping wood, metal, etc. by holding and turning it rapidly against a cutting tool." I don’t know anything about lathes or woodworking. My dad used to do a lot of woodworking down in his little makeshift workshop in our basement. I don’t know what kind of machines he had down there or if he had a lathe— guess I should have paid better attention.
This is all that darn Tom’s fault— he’s the one who is out there writing novels, poems, short short stories about Hindi, and lord knows what else. I’m sitting here trying to "let my imagination soar" (as Chet said it would) by trying to figure out two measly paragraphs to write about a lathe. Then again, maybe it’s all that darn Chet’s fault— yeah, she’s the one that posted this idea. But I digress, okay, here’s a final thought… I wish they had a lathe for writing, a machine that would help me shape my thoughts into coherent and interesting stories.
Latrine (This one's for you Tom!)
I know something about latrines or their counterparts in regular civilian life. In the office building where I work, the "ladies latrine" has had an "Out of Order" sign on it for the past two days. What a drag. There is another ladies latrine, but it's way down the hall, around the corner, straight back by the building manager's office and to use it, you must go in and beg to borrow the key (and hope 16 people aren't waiting in line before you.)
I know it's not really a latrine-- I didn't have to go out and dig it or anything. It's generally quite nice, when in working order: large, clean, with good lighting, well-stocked with paper and soap products, handicapped accessible. Now if only they would fix it, I would be so thankful. I guess I have to admit, I usually take it for advantage but no more. Hoping when I go back into work on Monday, the "Out of Order" sign will be gone and things will be back to normal. A working latrine can be a wonderful thing, don't you agree?
