Good Luck

Checklist: A list of words will be accompanied by a scenario in which to use them.

discount, faulty, compose, half, cabbage

Tell us about a good luck charm.

Singular Store

In the News: This category features news-related prompts.

"All _____ All the Time" Grand Opening This Thursday

You are opening a new store that sells only one item. Tell the interviewer what that one item is and why so they can write an article for the newspaper.

Cinderella

Take Two: Given a second chance, how would this be different? Rewrite the ending to a book, movie, scene, fable, quote, etc.

At the end of Cinderella, the prince slips the glass slipper onto her foot and they live happily ever after.

Or not - write your own ending to the classic story.

Eavesdrop

A Thousand Words: Photo day!



Eavesdrop - what's going on here?

Source: Spaarnestad Photo

Matchmaker

So I Have This Friend: Give your best advice to this friend.

So I have this friend... Roy has a great working relationship with his coworkers, especially his boss. The problem is that his boss keeps trying to set Roy up with his daughter. The boss's daughter is twenty years younger than Roy and he's certain it could only end in disaster. How does he tell the boss to stop the match-making?

Dents

Letters: Given either a first line or a set-up, write a letter appropriate to the situation.

Leave a note for your parents, explaining that dent in the side of the car.

Wildcard: Award Show

Wildcard: This category can be absolutely anything. Absolutely. Anything.

You are in charge of creating a new award show. What industry or group will you choose and why?

Weekend

Checklist: A list of words will be accompanied by a scenario in which to use them.

tutor, fourth, equate, regrettably

Tell us about your weekend.

By the way - Beth and Inspired Dreamer are BOTH just one win away from having all seven. And they both are missing Day Two! Don't go easy on them!

We Have A Winner! 02/09/10

"We should have stopped when we had our fourth", I regrettably told my wife on Saturday. In school, they don't teach you how to deal with large families. You don't get a tutor to tell you when you stop when you're ahead. The constant noise, smell and mess my living room has become does nothing but equate a hole in my wall. Not to mention a boxing fracture on my dominant hand. My wife has been crying all day. She said that I am mean and hurt her and the children. All because I can't control my anger.

Who the heck calls cats "their children" anyways?

Winner: Eric
Reason: In addition to including all words in the prescribed scenario, he included a bit of a twist at the end. I do SO love a twist!

Amazon $20 Giveaway Winner

By my calculations, I had 73 entries. Given 1-73, Random.org chose:

#24.

And according to my spreadsheet of entries, that is Ryan Ashley Scott (@ryanashleyscott).

Congratulations to Ryan Ashley Scott! The girl with three names and I never know what to call her so I usually go with RAS. And then I think about raspberries. Not the fruit, the plllllllllllllllbt kind. She also has some sort of magical powers over random.org. So drop me an email with the email address you want the $20 Amazon gift certificate sent to and I'll make it happen!

Stay tuned for more giveaways in the future. The next will probably be based on participation so get in the habit now!

Chicken Playing Chicken

In the News: This category features news-related prompts.

Chicken plays chicken with drivers on busy street

Write the story behind the headline.

Source

We Have A Winner! 02/09/10

You know the old joke, "Why did the chicken cross the road?" I know one chicken that was going to find out the reason once and for all! He slowly stepped onto the street and was almost hit by a car. Every time he would try to run across the street, some vehicle would try to take him out! He's was so frustrated, he gave up. As he was walking back home, he did find a cross walk, so he decided to give that a try. Apparently, he didn't see where the sign said "Don't Walk" so once again, cars tried to take him out. He gave up, he was NEVER going to make it across the street, so back home he continued. When he arrived home, his neighbors confronted him, "You have so much to live for!" they cried out. He explained that all he was trying to do was find out why the chicken crossed the road. When he finally walked inside, he had left the tv on CNN and they were reporting some chicken was playing chicken with other cars on a busy street. To this day, no one believes him when he tells people that he doesn't know why the chicken crossed the road.

Winner: Silver Star (@silvrstar)
Reason: It's always the simple things that are over-dramatized in the news.

February 1st

Take Two: Given a second chance, how would this be different? Rewrite the ending to a book, movie, scene, fable, quote, etc.

Take a moment to consider the goals you set for 2010. Think of the progress you have made as well as the things you haven't started yet.

Tomorrow is February 1st but let's pretend it's a "take two" of January 1st instead. What would you do differently?

Cue idea submitted by Autumn (@autumn_in_jeans)

We Have A Winner! 02/09/10

I think I would have prepared better for the arrival of the 1st. I had vacation at the end of December but didn't make any huge progress towards setting myself up to really get things started on 1/1. Still, it's taken til 2/1 for me to know what to expect this year so maybe it was ok that January was just about trying to find a routine in which I could somehow get to all the things I need and want to do.

Winner:TMC @ Return to Rural (@returntorural)
Reason: That seems to be the key for most of us wanting a "take two". Better preparation.

Late Night

A Thousand Words: Photo day!



They've had plenty to say about each other. Now it's your turn to put words in their mouths.

Source: SFGate.com

We Have A Winner! 02/09/10

Conan: "Can you believe the SIZE of his chin??"

Jay: "Can you believe the SIZE of his forehead?"

Winner: SheShe
Reason: Everyone's probably thinking it...

Gaming Husband

So I Have This Friend: Give your best advice to this friend.

So I have this friend... Her husband works long hours and insists on "unwinding" when he comes home by playing video games until bedtime. When she calls him to the table for dinner, he gulps down his food so he can return to "relaxing after a stressful day". As a result, she feels their relationship is suffering. How can she get his attention?

We Have a Winner!!! 02/09/10

The wife should dress up as his favorite gaming system and suggest "unwinding" with her.

Winner: Isabella
Reason: Dirty!!!

Debt Collector

Letters: Given either a first line or a set-up, write a letter appropriate to the situation.

Dear (you),
You borrowed $500 from me a year ago and promised to pay it back by the first of January. I haven't seen or heard from you since then. I may be old and hard of hearing but my memory is just fine. Where's my money?

-Aunt Edna

Respond to Aunt Edna with a note of your own.

We Have A Winner!!! 02/09/10

You were serious about wanting it back?! I went on a cruise and stocked up on beer. I mean, when was I ever going to be able to do either of those things, being out of work and all..

Winner: Pamela
Reason: I know a lot of people who operate that way.

Trunk

Now What?: Write what comes next.

"I found this in the trunk of your car. How could you?"

What was in the trunk of your car that caused so much drama?

We Have A Winner!!! 02/03/10

Mom asked me holding up the bag of jeans I'd cut into all shapes and sizes. "I thought your scissors phase was done with your teen years!! These are good pants, Autumn! You can't afford to go around cutting up your jeans!" I tried not to smile because she was really working herself into a tizzy over nothing and didn't realize it.
"If they don't fit you, you could have giving them away. Or sold them at least!"

Finally I couldn't help it anymore and I burst out laughing. "Mom, mom, I love you, but you've got this wrong" I said trying to calm myself down enough to explain. "These are the jeans that no longer fit the kids or me and were way too worn out to give away. I'm using them for quilting and crafting and a few other things." I told her softening my smile a bit. "These aren't the jeans I was telling you about on the phone, these were basically trash to begin with."

I reached into the trunk and pulled out a second bag. "These are the jeans that are in good condition. I was wondering if you would want them."

Winner: Autumn (@autumn_in_jeans)
Reason: Nothing like a good scolding from mom - especially when you can tell her she's wrong!