Five Minute Observations

Category: Continuation

  • Amber’s Observation (Sisters – Part III)

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    “And how do you know that?” Amber asked. “Do you have a picture?” “No. But Bud’s not a cowboy, farmer, or rancher,” she said, putting a finger down for each one of the things Amy liked that Jamie didn’t. “He didn’t wear cowboy boots.” Another finger down. “Bud didn’t own a massive rodeo belt buckle.”…

  • What’s His Name? (Sisters – Part II)

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    “I’m so happy for you, Amy! When do we get to meet him?” “I don’t know. Bud travels for work, so he’s not around much.” Amy continued to play with the grass, imagining it was Bud’s hair. “But he’s coming home for a few days, so maybe we can get together then?” “I’m a maybe,…

  • Tabitha’s School Board Fundraiser

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Marcus didn’t drink, preferring to keep his wits instead of losing control like his college friends used to. Rare occasions found him sipping a glass of Pinot Noir after learning red wine neutralizes garlic’s acidity, the reason he had heartburn after ingesting any alfredo dish. Fettuccini alfredo with white clam sauce was served at Tabitha’s…

  • School Board Fundraiser

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    Joe Class III
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    Dr. Marcus Allen spent most of his late teens and early twenties in school, attending Lousiana State University, LSU, for his undergraduate degree in education. Then, he continued his pursuit of education, obtaining a graduate degree at the University of Florida. Education wasn’t demanding. Not for him. Neither was writing or editing academic papers. For…

  • Inside Walmart

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Walking through the sliding doors, Tabitha took off her sunglasses, letting both the shoppers and employees see her eyes. Making eye contact with her? Most of the people inside avoided that as much as possible. There was a terse, tense feel behind her eyes. It made you feel awkward. And if she may glance in…

  • The Day Before Cookie Gets Fired

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Kathy hated the day-to-day business side of the diner. She looked into hiring a full-time bookkeeper and business manager on more than one occasion. But after looking at the books recognized that wasn’t an expense Janice’s Diner could afford. There were more important things she needed to worry about. The least of which was the…

  • Lawson Returns to Spiner

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Marshall hit the brakes of the SUV, Lawson almost hitting his head on the dashboard, even with the seatbelt on. Struggling to open his eyes, Lawson rubbed them, blinking a few times. “Where in the ever-loving name of all that is holy are we? And where did you learn to drive, kiddo? Holy crap. You’ve…

  • EPA Results from Jim’s Farm

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Fieldwork wasn’t for the faint of heart, Anne being one of those homebodies who didn’t like to get out much. She had two close friends, both extroverts who loved dancing, clubbing, going to movies, concerts, and musicals. Neither woman met a stranger, whereas Anne met them all the time. She didn’t want to be out…

  • Donovan’s Broken Heart

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    “It’s over now.” She leaned back in the wooden chair at the café, having explained to her boyfriend of almost six years that she was moving on. No. He didn’t do anything wrong, per se. Did he do anything right? Other than never asking for her hand in marriage? No. Not at all. But then…

  • Anne’s Master’s Degree

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Anne Jansen woke up to a high-pitched shrill sound from the hotel’s alarm clock on the nightstand beside her bed. She hated fieldwork because the best part of her job was testing inside the laboratory. Microscopes. Test tubes. Samples. Hours of waiting for results and retesting. Those were the highlights for her. Anne lived for…

  • Kathy Tells It All: Part II

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Filling up his coffee cup, she set the full carafe on the table between them, next to the ashtray with five butts from Kathy’s smokes. “Thank you,” Floyd said. Holding the mug to his lips, he blew just enough to cool down to the top of his coffee. Kathy slid back into the booth, flipping…

  • Kathy Tells It All

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Floyd sat and listened. For the first time in his life, he was silent, hanging on every word. Kathy talked about the EPA and Jim’s cattle ranch, talking about some kind of contamination in the water. And if they didn’t catch it fast enough? It would taint over a million acres of farmland, cattle ranches,…

  • Floyd Patterson Comes Home: Part III

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Kathy finished her cry, knowing it had been a minute since she checked on Floyd. “I need to check on Floyd,” she said, getting up from the crates. “I’ll go check on him,” Cookie said, wiping his hands on his apron. “Just needs coffee, right? Kinda like Jim? Drinks coffee all day long?” He touched…

  • Floyd Patterson Comes Home: Part II

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Cookie was sitting on a few upside-down milk crates, jumping up as soon as Kathy opened the swinging door. Tears streamed down her cheeks, smearing her eyeliner and foundation. No sound came from Kathy, her hand pressed tightly over her lips. The older man knew best to leave well enough alone, especially when it came…

  • Floyd Patterson Comes Home

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    “Who’re you callin’ old, you old coot.” Floyd Patterson leaned back in the booth, sipping his coffee. He hadn’t touched it in the last hour, until now. Sipping his lukewarm coffee, he looked outside the diner’s filmy window, wondering what had happened to the bacon, eggs, and pancakes he ordered. “Kath, this coffee is lukewarm.”…

  • Doc’s Final Wishes

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    Joe Class III
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    Jim hated funerals. He’d been to four in the last fifteen years, three of which Doc was also at. This time was different. This time, Jim was alone. Those who knew Doc either lived too far away to attend a funeral or wake in his honor or died. A lot of veteran pals were either…

  • Zander’s Backup Plan

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Zander wasn’t comfortable talking to another attorney about the scam connecting him to Unger and the Zaterelli family. So, instead of mentioning any names, connecting him in any way to Mark Unger or the crime family, he spoke about the shell companies and private investors that he wasn’t at liberty to discuss. Attorney-client privilege worked…

  • Melton’s Plan Takes Shape

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    Joe Class III
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    Three years ago. That’s when Mark Unger introduced himself to Zander Melton, believing him to be the right man to help him put his get-rich-quick scheme. If anyone had a reputation for being a strategic player, it was Zander Melton. As a financial advisor, Unger dealt with influential people. The majority of them were honest,…

  • Emulsion Plastics Opens in Iowa

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    Joe Class III
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    “Are we ready to open next week, Cole?” Cole Wilkes, the Global Human Resources Director, was working hard to hire new staff to open their latest hub facility, a segment of their production line that would utilize cheap U.S. labor to assemble each of the pieces needed to complete a variety of products overseas. RDF…

  • Emulsion Plastics: Now Hiring

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    Joe Class III
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    Pulling off the highway onto the gravel road leading to the new plastics facility, Emulsion Plastics, Kathy’s heart raced, thinking about the different kinds of work she could soon do if the hiring manager decided she was the right fit. Instead of wearing the uniform for the diner, she wore a very modest dress with…