Solitaire Stories by Andy Hoover

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 7/27/26. In this one, a hapless fellow finds himself a loser in Vegas, despite utilizing what he thought was a elegant and foolproof system for beating the House (at roulette, of all things.) In a desperate attempt to make something of his last few hundred dollars during the last few hours in Sin City that remain to him, he enjoys (and endures) multiple haymaker-caliber swings in fortune. This is kind of a weird one for multiple reasons, but if you like sweaty, hungover protagonist introspection and/or ambiguous endings you'll probably dig it!

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 9/1/26. This is one of the ones I wrote in the mini-legal pad, but unlike others from that set this one expanded nicely in the typing phase (so no double feature this week). In this story, a professional photojournalist heads to Yearning, Montana in pursuit of a lifelong dream. He strives awkwardly to make inroads with the locals, including an attractive but acerbic coffee shop proprietress and an old lady hermit-type who seems content to dwell in a junkyard on a hill outside of town. The photojournalist suffers some expensive and embarrassing losses and reversals, but by the time the story ends he seems to have changed for the better, and/or found some inner peace (maybe.)

Apologies in advance for character name inconsistencies and the kind of bizarre, quasi-witchy voice I picked for the old lady at the end. I forgot she had dialogue and didn't really think ahead, which I hope is more fun than obnoxious. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Patreon link in case anyone wants to keep tabs on the big (not that big) update I plan to get out tomorrow, as mentioned during the outro of the episode:

https://patreon.com/AndyHoover?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 7/15/26. In this one, a waitress throws her hat in the ring for a promotion to management. She doesn't get the job but learns a lot from the man who does, a coworker she had initially feared and despised. He's clearly turned over a new leaf; will the mental wellness tips and tricks he shares with our protagonist help her deal with unexpected new tensions in her relationship with her increasingly-preoccupied food vlogger boyfriend? This one's a sort of shaggy, relatively grounded character piece. Not much of a hook, and arguably not much happens, but I like this one. Enjoy!

This episode consists of two weirdly similar Solitaire Stories I wrote in July. The first one only took about 14 minutes so I decided on the fly to double up this week (partially to make up for the travel-related late release of this episode.)

The first story (Story #136, written 7/22/26) is called "The Ballad of Lazy Mike". In this one, an IT professional known somewhat unfairly as Lazy Mike finds unexpected employment at an internet café. At first he finds this work a bit beneath him, and in time he becomes known -- somewhat unfairly, again -- as Angry Mike. It is the story of the rise -- and perhaps the very beginning of the fall -- of Lazy/Angry Mike.

The second story (Story #134, written 7/17/26) is titled "The Last Hurrah of the Impressive Reflexes". In this one, the hard-working frontman of a hard-working local rock and ska band befriends and recruits a drummer. He then suffers through the kind of drama one might expect to befall an overbooked rock and ska band. Will he persevere and soldier on, or will he accept the sad fact that his best skanking (and management) days are behind him?

This is the story I wrote on 7/16/26. From my synopsis notes: "Our protagonist seeks to flip a piece of real estate following a number of ambitious aesthetic improvements. The tile guy goes overboard, which leads to multiple clashes and an eventual (sort of) catharsis." This one is a bit shorter than most as it was a one-page (rather than a two-page) story variant, though it expanded to an (almost) normal length during the typing phase. I ended up quite liking it! (Though note I have a bit of a cold, so this performance might be a bit more lethargic than most.) Enjoy!

This is the story that I wrote on 7/10/26. In this one, an elementary school teacher, disappointed by the contents of an unearthed time capsule at his school, decides to take another run as the project... so as to do right by the schoolchildren of his day, and of the future. However, the teacher's unexpected feelings towards his own planned, "meaningful" contribution to the second capsule gives him second thoughts. Is he pointlessly sacrificing present contentment for some nebulous future benefit? (Also, it's Hawaiian Shirt Day, which doesn't help.)

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 7/9/26. In this one, a well-meaning but neurotic and somewhat aimless grandson of a famous mayor navigates high society during the city's benefit-and-gala season. He also must manage the fraught-but-loving relationship he enjoys/suffers with his semi-retired firecracker of a mother. These two challenges intersect and synchronize, first in a frustrating way and then in a restorative one.

Some dodgy pronunciations in this one! No cussin' though, save a "hell" at the very end. Enjoy!

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 7/2/26. In this one, an entrepreneur, recently separated from his wife, attempts to take advantage of an exploitable gap in the convenience-store-gas-station market outside of Verylong National Park. The whole thing seems like a slam dunk, until it doesn't.

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 7/1/26. In this one, a demolitions man looking to go the extra mile for his new employer develops a major crush on a bank teller and becomes a skilled hobbyist florist in a bid to impress her. The bank in question is a historical location known for its unconventional architecture, but it is not immune to armed robbery, as our protagonist unluckily discovers.

An introverted farmer hears an explosion out in his father's old apple orchard. He investigates and ends up rescuing a beautiful astronaut, at significant cost to his health. The astronaut does not forget his kindness, and some time later the farmer is summoned by her to Houston, where he may had a minor-but-significant part to play in a top-secret mission.