My name is Bob. Some people call me a hustler, but my official title is “Rail Yard Engineer.” My company moves freight by rail. When I first got hired, my boss told me that my career was really on the right track now! Yeah, I know, it was an eyes-rolling comment. Anyway, my main job is to organize the railroad cars before they leave the switchyard here in Kansas City, Missouri. According to my contract, I’m entitled to free personal train travel (via freight train), but only if I do my job flawlessly. It’s jaw-dropping that my company would be so strict about this. After all, is anybody perfect? Of course not! I really want to escape hectic Kansas City and chillax with my family back in easygoing Reno in time for brunch on Christmas Eve. I can’t wait to return to my home zip code of 89512-3476. My parents, my sister Anna, my aunt Hanna and her kids are all expecting me. They have already purchased the Christmas turducken and egg nog! Not only that, but the homemade Christmas kringle always blow my mind and my diet! And who cares about calories at Christmas? Not me! Yum! I can’t miss this! I’m sure you’ve heard of Reno, my wonderful hometown! We call it the “Biggest Little City in the World.” Yep, sometimes you’ll see a coyote sauntering right down Keystone Avenue! Reno is certainly a town of stunning beauty. Tonight’s midnight train is my last chance to make it home on time this year. I did not make it home last year because my wallet fell underneath a train car the day before Christmas. Yes, my identification cards and my hopes of going home for the holidays were crushed. Here’s my current problem: My boss, Ken O’Del, is a spaced out fuddy-duddy. Hmmm, that reminds me of a great novel… but I digress. Anyway, my boss won’t let me board the last train to Reno tonight unless I get all nine freight cars into the correct order by noon today, but he says I need to figure out the correct order myself. That gives me only one hour to figure this out! I even complained to Les Terr, our general manager, but he wouldn’t help me either. My management’s unwillingness to help made me blood-boiling angry but I decided I would just take a breath and try to organize the mish-mash myself. Here are the names on the side of the nine train cars (listed in alphabetical order): Break Your Word Words, Multiprons, Palindrome Words with Multiple Letters, Pangrams, Portmanteaus, Puns, Zeugmas, Zingers and Zubble Doubles. At one point I thought I had everything figured out, but my train of thought has since gotten derailed. I’m feeling a little frenzied because this is so nerve-wracking… I have no clue on how to arrange these nine freight cars into the proper order. I don’t often ask for help, but I could use your help now. Because of the time constraint, this has become an urgent matter. Thankfully, I am confident that you, a problem-solver, will find this to be easy-peasy. I know you’ll do your civic duty and come through for me. I’m so sure of this that I’ve just packed a box with a dozen quality Christmas gifts. Yep, I’m ready to travel home! I think the caramel chocolate Christmas angels will be a hit! I bought a yoyo for Hanna’s girl and a racecar for her boy. I know my mom will love the vase as soon as she sees it. Yes, I am a shopaholic who bought lots of gifts for everyone! Please do not dilly-dally on solving this head-scratching puzzle, because the consequences here could put me in jeopardy of missing Christmas. That would give me a gut-punching loneliness for the holidays! This stress is giving me my first strands of grey hair! I think I’m going to dye. Anyway, thanks in advance for helping me get home and avoid a disaster! The train car order needs to be absolutely exact, so please do not guesstimate on this mind-boggling puzzle. Now it’s time for you to tally ho and zip to it! The first readers to respond correctly to my plea will certainly receive a special reward! How shall I order the nine cars?!?!
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