Chiselville: Picking Out Paint

The paint mixer thunked away while Clint tapped his finger tips on the counter. Don Dunham sauntered out to visit. Boxes of bolts, screws, washers, and bits lined the walls, rattling with Dunham’s heavy foot steps.
Tom lined up a series of color chips at the color center and shuffled them about. He originally planned […]

Chiselville 2.25.07

Chapter Four

Tom of course had none of these things. With his back to the paneled wall of his cafe, he dipped a brillo pad into an old yellowed tupper ware bowl. The oversized price tags refused to peal off cleanly from the plastic lawn furniture he intended to use in the café seating area. […]

Chiselville 2.19.07

We pick up with Chuck and Melinda at the Chamber of Commerce Office:
Looking up from the empty glass, Melinda raised her voice so Chuck could hear her in the next office over, “How about we go out for a drink once we close up? I’ll pick up dinner after that.”
“I don’t know Mel, I get […]

Chiselville 1.29.07

“Making peace?” Melinda inquired.
“Nah, war is too much fun”
“Typical male,” she sneered.
“I was actually wondering, what with all of your free time, if you had any plans for our dinner tonight.”
“Typical,” she whispered. “Well it’s Wednesday, so I guess that means chicken. I’ll pick one up at the Shop and Wait.”
Chuck dreamed of the steaming […]

Chiselville 1.6.07

No one really knew what exactly Melinda did at the small chamber of commerce office. She rarely answered the phone, stored nothing in her filing cabinets, and kept her desk meticulously, if not suspiciously free of paper. In fact, a computer, a few pens, and a slim planner kept a lonely vigil amidst a sea […]

Chiselville 12.31.06

The phone began to ring for the eleventh time but a golden glass of chardonnay demanded complete control of her mouth. Swiping her straight black hair away from slim shoulders, Melinda sipped at her 4:00 pm tension tamer. Settling back in her chair she crossed her legs and admired the gleaming high heels that peeked […]

Chiselville 12.11.06

“I’m all done with the sign Tom.”
“Thanks Clint. How’d it turn out?”
“Well, I really didn’t have a whole lot of space to work with. OK I guess.”
“Sure, but did you at least fit all of the letters in?”
“Oh, I got it all in, but I had to paint the last works about a quarter of […]

A New, New Series I Call Chiselville

I had a false start this week. I began writing a series of posts that were aiming to become a mini-novel on this blog. Yet, after mulling things over for a few days, I decided to create a slightly different story that I think will fit my purposes perfectly. Same plan, different material.
I’m calling it […]

Chiselville

It wasn’t the first time Tom intoxicated himself. Yet, he had never induced himself into such an alcoholic stupor at a wake.
He was sure no one minded all that much. He regarded Aunt Emmie in the same way as Christmas lights: he only put up with them once a year and wouldn’t come near either […]