The big thing about shaggy dog stories is the set up followed by a big let down. Fortunately, at least I think so, Soaring With Eagles is not in that category. The first three parts have been a set up for what I feel is going to be a very interesting rest of the story. We are currently about one third of the way through the story, and the next part rather quickly covers the next six years in our protagonists' lives. Fred worries about his best friend who communicates only through rather unrevealing emails. Angelo's parents are upset, but won't tell Fred anything. Matt and Katia are now happily married, and on their way to Matt's first assignment are buzzed by a crop duster ala North by Northwest. They are blessed with their first child before they transfer to Italy. Fred is Flying C-130s and goes to Germany; however, his outfit is moved to Aviano AFB where Matt and Katia are located. Over the next two years things heat up in the Middle East, and Matt finds hiself guarding a sand pile every few months. Fred continues to express concern over Angelo who has let on that he's looking into a flying job. Matt and Fred make captain, and Matt returns from the desert in time for Abigail's birth. And now ... for the rest of the story.
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Comments
Dull, dull, dull... Booooring -- grin --
Sounds terrible. Total crap.
I'll try not to read it.
O.M.G. Did I say THAT?
Will read... NO excuses. If not, will cut of my favorite organ with a dull knife.
My brain is my second favorite organ. Ask Woody Allen.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
x
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What borders on pure insanity?
Canada and Mexico.
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Shaggy Dog Stories?
What do you mean by Shaggy Dog Stories?
May Your Light Forever Shine
A shaggy dog story has an
A shaggy dog story has an awful lot of middle, but indistinct beginning and end, and it's hard to tell the beginning from the end (it's head from it's tail).
My uncle used to tell shaggy dog stories. He'd basically start in the middle of a story without giving you enough intro to understand what's going on. Then after spinning this long drawn-out story, loop it around, so that it ended at the beginning (with one or more minor details different), and if you asked any questions about it, he'd start the loop again with a few more minor changes. The one I remember started "So he offered her $500 for it, but she said no", by the time we gave up on the story the offer was $4000 which she still turned down, without ever quite figuring out WHAT was being sold, or why the guy wanted it, or why she wasn't selling.
Nate the Snake
Many years ago a motorist was taking a back road through the Mojave Desert. The road, barely two tire tracks, lead him through a remote area among rugged mountains and expansive dry lake beds. In one of the steeper areas going through a mountain pass the car broke down. Suddenly without air conditioning or water, the driver's predicament looked dire. The temperature was close to 120 degrees, and the bright sun was oppressive. Having traveled at least 50 miles without seeing another car or any signs of habitation, the driver decided to continue on foot in the direction he had been traveling. He waited until sundown, the temperature was now only about 100, before heading down a long canyon where the road eventually petered out.
As the sun rose the next morning, the situation looked desperate. He was without water, the temperature was rising, and he was hopelessly lost. Just when things looked absolutely terrible, he staggered out into a valley. In the distance he could see what appeared to be a lake surrounded by trees and cattails. Knowing the affects of his dehydration, heat exhaustion, and probably what was a mirage, he had no choice but to stagger on. Twenty minutes later he was waist deep in sparkling cool and fresh water. Recovering rather quickly, he took in his surroundings. The lake covered several acres, and seemed to be teeming with several varieties of fish. Ducks paddled in the shallows. The source of water was a clear spring that bubble out of the base of a nearby cliff. A few yards away was another spring of very hot water. The hot water joined the outlet before disappearing in the playa as the valley widened.
Further investigation revealed several interesting mineral deposits that indicated there might be gold or other important metals. Realizing the significance of his find, he knew he'd have to stake a claim to the area. More important though was his immediate survival. He managed to trap a rather large fish in the shallows. He had his first good meal in quite a while. In case you're wondering, he was a smoker and had a cigarette lighter.
All was good, and he decided to explore further. On the far side of the lake he came upon what looked like a large metal bar extending out of the sand. It looked a bit like a mechanical brake handle. This was rather strange as it was the first sign of anything that looked like previous occupation of the area. Starting to examine the strange lever further, he was startled by a voice, "Stop! Don't touch that lever."
Looking around, he saw nothing but a rather large snake coiled up a few feet away.
"What the hell!"
"I'm Nate the Snake, guardian of the Lever of Doom. If you move the lever, it will cause the destruction of the entire area. There will be a huge pit that will gradually suck in the rest of the world."
"Thank you for the information. I'll make sure that nothing happens to the lever."
Two days later he was rescued by a Marine helicopter from a nearby military reservation. Once back to civilization, he filed several mineral claims on the area. He also realized that there was tremendous resort potential for the area. Getting backing from several major mining and resort operators. He started construction of a road into the area, and layed out the resort and mining areas.
Nate the Snake was extremely upset and paced, well crawled, back and forth around the lever while advising any who approached of the impending doom should the lever be moved. The engineers constructed a small fence around the area of the lever with flags and warning signs advising all to stay away from the area. They even gave Nate a small hardhat.
All went well until that fatefull morning when a large earthmover helping with the site preparation for the hotel had a mechanical failure and started rolling out of control down the hill. Nate was frantic. "No, no no! Stop! Don't touch the lever. If you do, all will end." He paced back and forth, and raised up like cobra watching the large piece of equipment roll towards the lever and doom. "No, no, no! Stop, stop, stop! The world will end!" The great Caterpillar earthmover rolled closer and closer. Several of the construction people raced after it, but they had no chance to catch it as it rolled over the fence and flattened Nate into the sand. It stopped six inches short of the lever.
What is the moral of this little tale?
Better Nate than lever.
Portia
OH the PAIN!!!!
That pun was worthy of the shaggy dogs they told us back on Scouting campouts back in the early 1970s.
Such groaner punch lines like, Don't hatchet your Counts before they chicken, Let the pages do the walking though the Yellow Fingers, *Things* go better with Coke -- a cannibal groaner of top order and It's a long way to Tip a Rarey.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Shaggy dog stories have an
almost interminable beginning and middle and a disappointing end, which virtually denigrates the story itself.
The typical one goes: An advert was placed in a newspaper for a shaggy dog. A man who owned one decided to sell it to the buyer who placed the ad. Through a prodigious amount of setbacks, trials and tribulations, all of which are appallingly disastrous and are described in the longest possible terms with the worst possible outcomes, the man selling the dog finally arrives at the buyer's home. He knocks on the door, the buyer answers the door, looks at the dog, says, "Nope. Too shaggy." and slams the door in the seller's face, thus ending the story.
Shaggy dog stories are best appreciated by those who also appreciate puns as well, since as we all know, puns are the pinnacle of humor. *cringe*
Huggles 'n stuff,
Catherine Linda Michel
As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script.
Would my
Would my story be in that category?