Wordzzle #18

The words for this week's ten word challenge were: solitaire, pathological, grackles, alternative life style, manifest destiny, polarization, ugly duckling, folding chairs, flibberty-gibbet, and hand grenade

And for the Mini Challenge: marathon, the butler did it, curtain, hand cream, flatulence

I have to work some today, but found time to introduce you to Thomas McCool, Ace Comfort Advisor. See you all in the funny papers.

Go by the Raven's Nest to read the other stories.

Adventures of Thomas McCool, Ace Comfort Advisor - Part 1

Thomas McCool stepped out of his retro minivan into the 100 degree heat of Hickory, NC. He knew his manifest destiny was to bring coolness to those in need and he was pathological in his determination to help his hot and uncomfortable fellow citizens.

The ugly duckling minivan was his symbol of defiance against the forces of heat and humidity in the summer and cold and damp in the winter. Even though the exhaust note resembled mechanical flatulence, he loved his CoolVan as he called it, and wouldn't use any other vehicle on his marathon rounds as Comfort Advisor and alternative life style guru.

The polarization of Hickory and the surrounding area's population during the Bush years had been severe. There were those who actually thought for themselves and those who blindly followed BushCo's propaganda. No one was sure if global warming was here to stay, but all knew it was hotter this year than last. Like a hand grenade at a debutante ball he made his prospective clients aware of the need for conservation, life style change and of course coolness.

He felt at times that he was just playing Solitaire in life's big card game. So many just didn't get it. When he explained that R-22 was being phased out in 2010 to help save the planet's ozone layer (and our increase our atmosphere's ability to deflect harmful skin cancer causing radiation) some of his clients looked at him like he had the grackles. (A skin disease and partial dementia from medieval times.) And when he stated that his systems only used Puron, a non-toxic coolant, they at times went all flibberty-gibbet and complained that could only be more expensive for them.

Yes, McCool would say; if you want to build your home's comfort system on a foundation with the stability of folding chairs, buy a soon to be obsolete system. If you like the idea of something more lasting and more earth friendly, then look to the future. (The very near future)

Thomas reached into his bag and applied the bacterial hand cream he used before shaking hands. He would never risk his customer's health by exposing them to the things his hands came into contact with when inspecting ductwork and air handlers.

If one of his clients should succumb to one of the various diseases lurking there would he shrug it off and proclaim (like an old Hollywood murder mystery), the butler did it? Not hardly, McCool would never risk the health, safety and comfort of those he was charged to bring out of the dark ages of household discomfort and indoor air pollution. No, McCool would fight on to bring down the curtain on all things hot and sticky, dusty and dingy and of course all those sad and unsuspecting homes filled with VOCs and bacteria.

Fight on McCool, fight on!

RT