[For those of you just tuning in, this is based on the 301 Lists that Darren Rowse’s List Group Writing Project brought together. You’ll find Chapter 1 here –> A List Becomes 301 Links in Story — Chapter 1 ]

In Paris at Last

Finally, Lizzie was in the Paris Hilton. She was overjoyed to find that her room had been upgraded. That, of course, required a room tour to see what was there.

The room was so cool. It was Beyond YouTube and Google Video: 5 Great Video Sites on the Web were in the bathroom!

The desk had 10 Things You Find in Every Office. A note by the interactive television offered Ebay Scam/Hoax Avoidance Tips and 10 Everyday Items You Can Buy with E-gold.

A case in the library included the framed hotel plans and The architects Pen. The writer’s desk included a book that invited visitors to add to My Top 10 Favorite Desperate Housewives Moments. (The first entry was signed by Prince Charles.)

The bar was stocked with Sam Adams Top Ten Beers.

Lizzie grabbed a cold one and cracked it open. She sat back to contemplate. “Boy this really underscores 10 Things I hate about budget Traveling.” Then Listless Lizzie couldn’t quit laughing. I’ve landed in The Budget Travel Wishlist of Moi.

To Lizzie, camping and budget traveling always involved room service and chocolate-covered strawberries.

Memories and Hot Chocolate

Once she could breathe again, she realized a nap was in order. She’d flown all night and needed some sleep. She called up A Short List of Lists, but it was too short. Then she tried AAA list of 11 important advantages to list writing, but she couldn’t remember them all without the paperwork. So she settled on repeating the name of A List of Lists for Listing as a mantra.

By the beautiful bed, Lizzie found more reading material to calm her — 11 Ways to Improve Clarity and Start Getting Results. She thought she would meditate on that for a while and she would read 10 Ways to Improve Your Energy when she awoke from her nap.

As she was falling asleep her last thought was, “I remember Top 7 Freebies I’ve received,” she sighed. I miss that Photo Project that empowered me so. I miss Jay Leno and the other boys, who wanted to drive The Top Ten Hybrid Cars in my garage. She’d always thought those cars were the best test and trial in her plan of How to Find the Perfect Man. She thought back on 5 things I wish I knew when I bought my first motorcycle. Laughing she realized they were the same 5 things she wished she knew when she dated her first boyfriend too.

“Yeah,” she thought. “I should write a book on that. It would be like Extended Car Warranty Do’s and Don’ts for relationships.”

But whenever the idea of the perfect man arose, so too came the 10 Things: Married or Single. One of which is 10 Steps to a Happier Mealtime with Kids, then there was What to Bring on a Roadtrip with Kids, and not to mention the stuff her friend, Georgio, called “College Planning, Suffering, and the Avarice of Ray Charles; The Top 5 Things My Kids Have Said That Still Make me Laugh.” The little girl shook her head. She thought most guys were kids themselves. She knew for sure that she was.

When Lizzie awoke she was ready for an adventure.

On her way out of the room she saw a brochure that said, “Get More Done in a Day: Do Little Things, Achieve Big Things.”

“Exactly,” she said out loud.

She left the hotel and started wandering aimlessly.

In the Coffee Bar

It was in the Coffee Bar near Maxims that Lizzie met Jean, he was 5 foot 9 inches tall. His hair and frame were both wiry. His eyes were black and fiery. There was no doubt he was both romantic and creative. Jean had “You Must be an Artist If… “ written all over him. [Read more…]

[For those of you just tuning in, this is based on the 301 Lists that Darren Rowse’s List Group Writing Project brought together. You’ll find Chapter 1 here –> A List Becomes 301 Links in Story — Chapter 1 ]

Money Flowers

As the plane landed, Lizzie heard Fred finally snoring. The sound he made made her think of Five Happy Dog Movies. Fred wasn’t such a bad guy after all. He just wasn’t one who would be on her list to share the Asian Beaches to See Before I die.

Fred was still asleep as she got off the plane, but Lizzie left him a good-bye note that wished him well and offered a few things she had up her own sleeve: 7 Personal Finance Tips, Ten Ways To Spot A Scam, 5 Secrets to Fabulous Financials, 15 Government programs we don’t need, and How to Organize Your Debts.

She’d always thought of the last title as funny. Imagine little debts all in line just like soldiers.

Our creative young lady took a minute to fold those five sheet into an origami bouquet of flowers. She took the blue satin ribbon from her hair and tied them together just so. Then she added a note that said, “Have a wonderful life, Fred.” on the back of Top 10+ ways to Save Money and Help the Environment.

Then she made Fred a wallet from Your Very, Very Best Money Saving Tips. Inside the wallet she put Fifteen easy ways to save fifteen bucks. Lizzie is good at so many things.

Listless Lizzie was brightening a bit. She was finally at her destination.

Paris!

On to Baggage

Paris. This was Paris

As Lizzie went through customs with her documents, she had the typical Lizzie response Something Funny, Something New. As our young, tired traveler stood on the airport floors waiting her turn, she wondered about slipping How Not to Lose Your Ass – Customer Satisfaction in with her passport for customs, but somehow she knew that they wouldn’t consider it a helpful gesture.from an American. So instead Lizzie concentrated on 9 Steps to Transform Stress into Strength. By the time it was her turn, she was ready to give the nice looking man at the desk advice on How to Achieve Peak Performance and 10 Tips on Leading a Balanced Life.

Needlessly to say, our young lady was smiling a most charming smile.

Her smile was so charming, in fact, that folks were noticing and the French were deciding they might make an exception for this one American. . [Read more…]