Friday, January 17, 2014

Use Your Words

Today’s post is a writing challenge that I hope you find as much fun to read as it was to write. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the post will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge. Here’s a fun twist; no one participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

Use Your Words, a monthly group writing challenge | developed by and graphic property of www.BakingInATornado.com | #bloggingchallenge #MyGraphics


At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them.

I’m using: snotty ~ cursing ~ cold ~ dud ~ random.
They were submitted by: Stacy Sews and Schools

I’m not sure I can use snotty, cursing, cold, dud and random all in the same story. Oh, wait, I just used them in one sentence. Done!

Yes, I can hear your sing-song voice “cheat, cheat, never beat.”

OK, so here’s a story. This happened a few years ago.

The kids were in school and I decided to get a job. I didn’t stay long for a number of reasons; I didn’t like the job, I didn’t like the culture of the company, and once summer vacation came I wasn’t willing to have my kids sitting around the house all day alone with nothing to do. And, of course, working seriously cut into my baking time.


White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Squares | recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dessert


White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Squares

Anyway, the job was as a sales person for an on-line company. There was no store, just a web site. Obviously, no matter what callers said or did, I could not be snotty. This was extremely difficult for someone who deals with negativity through sarcasm, take my word for it. I got the most absurd callers asking the most random questions about products; a wall mounted wine rack where the wine is held upside down by its neck above the rack, someone wanted to know if you could hang them right side up below instead. Well, there’s this little thing called gravity that makes me fairly certain they’d fall and break. Duh (something I couldn't say).

When I wasn’t taking calls, I’d jump on the company web site and answer emails about products. This was much more tedious as conversations took so much longer. The good news; at least when someone asked you an absurd question by email they couldn’t hear you cursing under your breath as you were politely explaining their idiocy.

There’s one emailer who I will never forget. He was obviously foreign and didn’t have a total grasp of the English language. He was asking about these very large rocking horses. We went back and forth for quite a while. They were expensive so I wanted to be sure to answer all his questions prior to taking an order.

Finally he seemed read to order. Finally. And he would order multiple rocking horses. Score! There was just one final email, this time not a question, a request; he explained that the horses were for a special occasion, a festival of some sort and he needed me to assure him that the horses I sent him were male.

OK, more cursing under my breath and another email: you DO understand that these horses are toys, right?

His response was that we had been working together for a while and before he placed his order he wanted to be sure that he was clear that he was trusting me to make sure that he was sent males.

I’m sure this guy thought his sales person was a dud, but let me tell you this; it’d be a cold day in hell before I’d be caught in a warehouse with my a$$ in the air and my head in the nether-regions of a toy horse checking for  . . . ummm. . . cinnamon sticks and nutmeg.

So I did the only thing I could think of. I forwarded the email to my manager.

Now I know that managers were expected to do anything for a sale. And although mine wasn’t at work for a few hours the following afternoon, I’d like to think that’s because he had a doctor’s appointment.


Rocking Horse Inspection | graphic designed by and property of www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics



Be sure to click on these links and read the other “Use Your Words” posts:



Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics





White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Squares
                                           www.BakingInATornado.com
 
Printable Recipe
 
Ingredients:
1 box Yellow cake mix
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
4 eggs
½ cup orange juice
½ cup oil
1 tsp pumpkin spice
¼ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
½ cup cinnamon baking chips, dusted with flour
½ cup white chocolate chips, dusted with flour
8 oz cream cheese, softened
½ stick butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup eggnog, orange juice, apple cider or milk
 
Directions:
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 X 13 baking pan.
*Beat the cake mix, canned pumpkin, eggs, ½ cup orange juice, oil, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until well mixed.
*Mix in the cinnamon and white chocolate baking chips.
*Pour into prepared pan and bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until center springs back to the touch.
*Cool completely.
*Beat the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Frost the cake.
*Store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

34 comments:

  1. OMGOSH!!! Hilarious!!!
    I worked in retail (for a VERY short while). You just never know what people are going to say or do... CRAZY!!!!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I have to admit we laughed a lot at dinner while I worked there.

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  2. Hahahahaha! I don't even know whether or not to ask if you made the sale! If you ever had to put your junk in the air to check on a horse's frank and beans, you would deserve a major raise. Maybe to CEO of Rocking Horses.Inc
    I'm glad you decided to put your talents into blogging and baking :)

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    Replies
    1. I don't have any idea what my supervisor did. I just couldn't wait to pass this guy on!

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  3. Do rocking horses even have genitalia? I have to admit I don’t have that much experience with them but, up to this point, I pretty much assumed all rocking horses asexual.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, they are asexual. At least as far as I know. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

      Delete
  4. People are so bizarre!
    Male horses... *giggles*... what the heck?
    I think being sarcastic is a sign of brilliance.
    Baking in your tornado sounds like a far superior plan to fondling plastic horses.

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  5. You knocked the chaljenge outa the park!! Hilarious story, and the pumpkin squares look amazing. Great new writing chaljenge!!!

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  6. Cinnamon sticks and nutmeg!! I am giggling so hard my kiddo is giving me funny looks. What a great story and you seamlessly incorporated the words. So great!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. It's a true story but I never would have thought of it if it wasn't for the word prompts.

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  7. OMG!! That is hilarious…and very clever of you. You could probably write 1,000 posts from that job! How awful.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I hated the job but I loved the laughs it provided at the dinner table.

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  8. Thank God you had that job, seriously all of the writing material = NOVEL = BIG $$$$$$!! Your cake is fabulous! Happy weekend! Cheers to you! Nettie

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    Replies
    1. Ha, I wish I had a memory. I only remember about 4 or 5 of the stories. I know there were tons.

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  9. I will never EVER look at cinnamon sticks in the same way again. NOPE!
    Great looking dessert, too!

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    Replies
    1. HA, sorry, should have thought of a different analogy . . .

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  10. People in this world are so crazy at times. You should have sent him a picture of the horse upside down so he can check for himself, ha ha ha. And I wonder what sort of festival he was involved with, or maybe I shouldn't ask :)

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  11. Thanks for this!!! Definitely needed this laugh!!! Also... cannot wait to try these pumpkin squares!!! They sound amazing!!!

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    Replies
    1. Let me know if you try them, and if you take a pic I'll post it on my FB page.

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  12. I will never look at rocking horses quite the same! There's a house I clean that has a beautiful horse - one I imagine like the ones you sold - and I have to admit - part of me is curious now....I'll let you know what I find out as this house is on schedule for this week! Thanks again Karen for all you do and the work you do!!!

    And...the stories - I bet you have the best stories from that job.....:)

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    Replies
    1. LOL, let me know how that rocking horse inspection goes. . .

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  13. Ha... Enjoyed. Favorite Line: 'Cinnamon Sticks & Nutmeg.' lol

    Have a great week, Slu

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    Replies
    1. Getting lots of comments about that analogy, glad you liked it.

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  14. Enjoyed your post and the use of the words BOTH times. Clever.

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  15. I'm dying! Cinnamon sticks and nutmeg?? HAHA!!

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    Replies
    1. Well, I wanted to come up with some family friendly term, but still get my point across. Guess I did OK!

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  16. Very clever use of words. I like the idea of having assigned words to make a post. It takes me back to my writing class assignments. I really like the concept and would like to participate in the future.

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    Replies
    1. I have to admit I really love the way these writing challenges get me to push my limits. And the best part is that no one grades me at the end.

      I sent you an email about the challenge. If you think it's something that will work for you I'd be happy to get you signed up.

      Delete
  17. So funny! I love your style. I like writing challenges like this, I would have loved to engage in this one! I’ve got to get back to pushing my limits! Thanks for the awesome recipe, too!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Elizabeth. I run a few monthly writing challenges, you're welcome to join in any time.

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