Boyle’s Double Take – Double Take

I can’t believe it. Nor will you. In fact what I have to say may break a Guinness record for people doing more double takes than ever recorded in the history of mankind.

I am not talking about the Guinness Book of Records. I am talking about a bunch of guys and gals sitting around a neighborhood bar drinking Guinness beer doing double takes as they read this story.

It is way too early in the day to start drinking the Writer’s Block wine I recently wrote about in my Westside Story column, Statistical Probability of Joe & Bill. So as I suffer with a tinge of writer’s block meaning my thinker is not able to come up with any original way to start this column, let me borrow a few classic opening words from other successful writers.

Once upon a time in a far off land on a dark and rainy day, Susanne Bacon and Joe Boyle met for espresso at Topside Coffee Cabin, aka TCC. Susanne brought her friend, Denise, a big fan of my Westside Story series. Susanne promised Denise I would give her my autograph, so I autographed a hard copy of an advance copy of the yet to be published article, Statistical Probability of Joe & Bill.

The three of us had great fun visiting as we sat at the big table. Some of the TCC customers thought our moment was like witnessing the bearded Ernest Hemingway hanging out in Key West with some of his drinking and writing pals.

During our conversation I shared the source of my motivation for having written my 2012 column titled Westside Story – Pierce Transit Fights Obesity. Essentially I described how while driving through Lakewood I noticed someone had dumped an exercise bike in front of a bus stop.

The magic of creative relationships began. My exercise bike story reminded Susanne of a recent photograph she had taken of a piano dumped in the meadow near Waughop Lake at Fort Steilacoom Park.

Immediately I asked, “Susanne, may I have a copy of your photo to use in one of my Westside Stories?”

Susanne, being the gracious individual she is quickly said “sicher”. Oh sorry, that’s German and I do not even speak German. In English Susanne’s “sicher” meant “Sure”.

The magic did not stop. We kept building our ideas. When all the brainstorming was complete and our espresso was gone, our final idea is what we call, DOUBLE TAKE.

With permission from the ever supportive and creative founder of The Suburban Times, Ben Sclair, Susanne and I have volunteered to join forces to work a new column called, DOUBLE TAKE.

Why DOUBLE TAKE? Because from time to time with an irregular publication schedule, Susanne and I are going to select a single word, a concept, a photo, a reader’s suggestion, a cartoon, an artwork, or an idea which we will declare to be the seed of our writing project. Think of it as the starting point or square one. Once we agree on square one, we will separate and move off to our own writing place to write our two columns in private.

Using the same starting point we will each write an independent column using the same subject without disclosing to each other how our column shapes up. It will be fun for us and we hope it will be fun for our readers. The process should interestingly demonstrate how two people, starting with a single point of reference can end up writing two different stories. You know; like American politics.

In fact this article is my personal effort to introduce and explain Double Take. Susanne will make her own personal effort to do the same. After reading our two distinctive columns, hopefully the combination of our separate efforts will make our scheme and titles, Boyle’s Double Take – Double Take, and Bacon’s Double Take – Double Take more understandable.

While the titles are similar, you have to read both columns to enjoy the fun.

Starting with two words, double take, Susanne and I are off and running or more accurately, off and writing.

After you finish reading The Suburban Times’ new Double Take, you may find your self doing a double take.

That Ben Sclair guy is really something, is he not? Who else would give you such a memorable opportunity to think twice about anything?

If I have confused you with my explanation of Double Take, please read Susanne’s column and I am “sicher” it will all start to make sense.

Our first starting point for our first Double Take column is Susanne’s photo below.

The first edition of Double Take may arrive as early as tomorrow.

After your first dose of Double Take, you may think of Susanne Bacon and Joseph Boyle as Double Trouble.