Saturday Wordzzle

The Views from Raven's Nest is where you'll find the rules, next week's words, and today's participants. Click the badge and you're there. I hope you'll read mine first. :)
(I didn't see the revised set of words. I used the original list.)

Here is my offering for the ten word challenge:
Climbing in the Jeep and fastening her seat belt Liz was making a last minute run to the store. Her doctor had told her she could take some over- the-counter meds for her current allergies and she wanted to get some for her trip. While she was there she would pick up moisturizing cream, dog biscuits for Fido and some of those Flip-Flop crunchy pickles she liked so much. Tomorrow she would be a computer programmer on the move up – yes siree she thought – ready or not here I come Chicago!

Here is my mini challenge:
Tom was taking his wife on holiday. Because of her mercurial nature she couldn’t decide among the many places he had offered to take her but had finally persuaded him to visit Pompeii. Personally Tom had no urge to see bodies preserved in what was once molten lava. He’d much rather buy her a diamond tennis bracelet, anchor the yacht in the Bahamas and partake in drunken gluttony. Now that sounded like a holiday. However, his lovely wife usually got her way so this time it would be a Pompeii getaway. Tom just hoped Mount Vesuvius was content to lie dormant during their stay. He’d certainly be keeping his fingers crossed.

And, my mega challenge:
Tom and Liz rarely had time for a family picnic. Their respective careers, his as a doctor of allergies and hers as a computer programmer for a huge Chicago conglomerate, took most of their time and energy.
On this beautiful sunshiny day the children left their usual mercurial twists of temperament at home and each could hardly wait to get their seat belt unbuckled once the car came to a stop in the park. The sound of their flip-flop sandals echoed on the concrete as they ran for the swings. Grabbing a bag of dog biscuits Tom escorted Fido to a nearby doggie rest area.
Liz headed for the nearest empty picnic table with a basket of treats to enjoy when the kids got the munchies. Lately the whole family had succumbed to gluttony when it came to pickles and she had made sure that morning to pack a huge jar to go with the lunch sandwiches. They had even stopped and picked up Chili’s Molten Chocolate Cake for dessert. Liz hoped it would survive on the ice in the cooler until it was time to be eaten.
As she stood rubbing the moisturizing suntan lotion on her arms her eyes fell to the tennis bracelet with the gold anchor on her right arm. Tom had given it to her after a long ago visit to Pompeii after which they had spent days anchored off the coast of Naples. He had told her it was the best vacation he had ever had.
The sound of her children shouting ‘Mom, can we play hide and seek around the trees like we used to do’ brought her back to reality.
‘Yes, she answered, you two go hide and I’ll find you.'
She covered her eyes and began counting. At the number ten she yelled, ‘Ready or not here I come!’