Visiting Minnesota

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Sgt. Howard
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

Post by Sgt. Howard »

lake_wrangler wrote:
Sgt. Howard wrote:and YES, that was our favorite over-educated moron...
Ha! Peged it! Nice to know he still has the same strength of character... :lol:

Sgt. Howard wrote:A surgican technition does exactly as described.
I can't tell if you're doing this on purpose, or accidentally...

Did you mean a surgical technician?
... ah.. yea.. just finished an Open Reduction with Internal Fixation (ORIF) of a distal forearm... base of the wrist... screws and plates to hold the silly thing together.. ready to fall down flat on my face for lack of sleep. 32 hours this weekend...

... and yes, I had to have us 'jumped' by this ldiot... how could I avoid it?
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I speak fluent Limrick-
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

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The three recovered from their little... encounter... and continued to the alleyway- Greg finally worked up the nerve to ask Monica a question that had been bugging him since they met- "... Monica, ... my Wife, Annie, has a similar... uh... 'build', shall we say?... to you, at least insofar as the bust line is concerned- I am pretty sure you did NOT buy your brassier at Wal-Mart... where do you get such a thing?"
"What? is she tiny with ginormouse knockers too?" She snickered.
"Well... she is not 'tiny', she's a big girl, but 'ginormouse'? Yeah, I would categorize her boobs as ginormouse. Bras that fit are hard to come by and fall apart rather quickly. I've often wondered if my leather working skills would do the deed, but in truth I'm not sure how to engineer such a thing,"
"Leather?" Georgette chimed in, "... sounds kinky- what do you think, Monica?"
Monica blushed at this and muttered, "Behave yourself," before turning to Greg and asking, "Have you made clothing in leather? I'm told it breaths..."
"Naw... if leather could breath, cows would leak- but seriously, where could Annie get a bra that fits- I mean, whatever it is that you are wearing, I dare say it is doing the job admirably,"
Monica stopped right there to think- "To the best of my memory, I don't believe I have EVER had a man compliment my bra... usually they are talking about my boobs. Well, Lydias' is this way, if you would like you could set up an appointment with them and bring your wife in for a fitting..."
"A fitting...?... I guess that only makes sense, after all... sounds pricey, though,"
"It is well worth it"
"Lead on, MacDuff..."
Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
the Old Sgt.
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jwhouk
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

Post by jwhouk »

---

I managed to get back heading north on Lyndale when I started to notice the smell. My sunroof was open (enjoying the warm mid-May weather), so I figured it was coming from outside.

It took me about three blocks to realize it was coming from my car. What did I run over? I thought. Then, I remembered that guy who'd run out into the street.

There was a self-serve car wash up on the right, and I pulled in to one of the bays. The wet spot on my grill and the undeniable odor confirmed my suspicions.

Fortunately, I had a few singles, so I closed up the sunroof and windows, and gave it a quick hose down in one of the bays.

At least it doesn't smell like that manure spreader stench I occasionally get off of the farm next to our apartments, I thought.

Speaking of which - I needed to get going if I was going to be able to visit the Boiler Room before I had to head home.

Traffic on Lyndale wasn't as bad as it was an hour ago, but I still had to dodge a few people on bikes.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

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The three entered Lydia's to be greeted by Gretchen at the front desk-
"Monica! You should have called first, but I'm sure Lydia can fit you in if you give me a moment..."
"No- no, that won't be ... Gretchen, this is Greg Howard... he's a friend of mine and his wife needs Lydia's help... can we make an appointment for her?"
"... oh... well, normally, Lydia would not be interested in any new clientel... but... well, let me see here..."
"Gretchen? Did I hear ... MONICA! What a suprise! And you brought Georgette as well... I am honored... and you Sir- are you this legendary Grandfather I hear about?"
Greg was listening intently to her dialect- finally he responded, "Nyett, tovarisch,"
Shock registered on Lydia's face- before she could respond, Greg added, "... that and about six other words is the extent that I know..."
"... impressive- why have you not learned more?"
"Time constraints and inherant lazyness,"
"BAH! If it is important, you make time! But... you are NOT Monica's Grandfather?"
"No, " Monica jumped in, "my G'pa died some time ago- this is Greg Howard, he is a friend of mine- his wife needs your talents, I understand,"
"You have not met his wife? Then how would you know this?"
"From my description-" Greg said, " I saw the work you have done here and was wondering if you could work your magic for her,"
"How old is your wife?"
"She turns 40 this month,"
"And YOU, sir? You are ... what?... 50? 55?"
"I turn 61 in August,"
"Even MORE impressive," Lydia purred.
Greg felt a slight blush.
"Excuse me... "Monica interjected, "What's so impressive about him knowing a handfull of words in ... what language was that?"
Lydia turned to Monica, "Russian my dear, and no, what was impressive was that he heard me speak a few words and knew I am Russian- but you DO speak other languages, da?"
"Da- Ich Deutsch verstehen und sprechen, Je parley Francious, Yo hablo Espanol, un Ik sprak Yuddishe- oh... and English, of course,"
"How could you have known he spoke other languages?" Georgette asked.
"He spoke those two words like a Muscovite," Lydia answered, " Is that the only accent you know?"
"At this time, yes... but meanwhile, can we make an appointment for my wife?"
Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
the Old Sgt.
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GlytchMeister
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

Post by GlytchMeister »

German, French, Spanish, Yiddish (?), and a bit of Russian.

I'm assuming this is true IRL and not just showboating, because you don't strike me as that kind of guy, and you definitely have the past to justify it.

Impressive, Sarge.

Yo puedo hablar un poco de español... I took three years in high school (B's and a C in the third class), and promptly forgot it all.
But then I moved back to Chicago and started working, and it started to come back to me. Apparently languages are like riding a bike. After almost a year, I can hold a short, basic customer-clerk interaction (about where I was when I finished my last Spanish class).
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

Post by lake_wrangler »

Interesting, as always. (And I do mean it...)

However...

[nitpicking]
Clientele takes an "e" at the end
[/nitpicking]


But the one that really irks me...

[rant]
"Je parley Francious"? Really?

I can understand the "Je parley" part, as "parley" may be phonetically his way of saying "parler", which is the infinitive form of the verb (think "I to speak", rather than "I speak"), though it would still be grammatically incorrect. But that can happen if one is rusty.

But... "Francious"??? Even with an accent, I could at the very least see someone say "fransay", phonetically speaking, but not "francious"! The word is "Français". Please do teach it to your spell-checker...
[/rant]

Yeah... being French-Canadian, that one hit a little closer to home... :roll: :P
No hard feelings, though. Really. Besides, that is still more languages than I speak... I only speak French, English, and Haitian Creole... (The latter I studied in 2002 and 2004, can read and write it - which is more than many native Haitians can do, but my vocabulary is still somewhat lacking, and if they speak too quickly, they will lose me in the dust... though my Haitian friends at work all seem impressed by how good they say my Creole is.)

Oh, and I also know a tiny bit of Spanish, having had the occasion to start studying it twice (but never the opportunity to complete the course... long story, and I need to leave for work...)
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

Post by Sgt. Howard »

lake_wrangler wrote:Interesting, as always. (And I do mean it...)

However...

[nitpicking]
Clientele takes an "e" at the end
[/nitpicking]


But the one that really irks me...

[rant]
"Je parley Francious"? Really?

I can understand the "Je parley" part, as "parley" may be phonetically his way of saying "parler", which is the infinitive form of the verb (think "I to speak", rather than "I speak"), though it would still be grammatically incorrect. But that can happen if one is rusty.

But... "Francious"??? Even with an accent, I could at the very least see someone say "fransay", phonetically speaking, but not "francious"! The word is "Français". Please do teach it to your spell-checker...
[/rant]

Yeah... being French-Canadian, that one hit a little closer to home... :roll: :P
No hard feelings, though. Really. Besides, that is still more languages than I speak... I only speak French, English, and Haitian Creole... (The latter I studied in 2002 and 2004, can read and write it - which is more than many native Haitians can do, but my vocabulary is still somewhat lacking, and if they speak too quickly, they will lose me in the dust... though my Haitian friends at work all seem impressed by how good they say my Creole is.)

Oh, and I also know a tiny bit of Spanish, having had the occasion to start studying it twice (but never the opportunity to complete the course... long story, and I need to leave for work...)
Yea, spell check on this thing is iffy- and I was tired last night... and my spelling in French always sucked...
Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

Post by lake_wrangler »

Sgt. Howard wrote:Yea, spell check on this thing is iffy- and I was tired last night... and my spelling in French always sucked...
Just remember: the huffing and the puffing doesn't detract in any way my admiration of your work. Your stories are interesting and keep one wanting more. :D
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

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lake_wrangler wrote:
Sgt. Howard wrote:Yea, spell check on this thing is iffy- and I was tired last night... and my spelling in French always sucked...
Just remember: the huffing and the puffing doesn't detract in any way my admiration of your work. Your stories are interesting and keep one wanting more. :D
Accurate criticism is always welcome- and inaccurate criticism at least makes me think. If you speak the truth and I am offended, who's fault is that? Never worry- the fact that you are here and reading it makes my day.

Did you check out "Nadette sings II"? It's here in fanfiction.
Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

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A date in the coming week was set, and much pleasantries were exchanged. Georgette contemplated a padded little something, Lydia showed new materials to Monica and Greg spent some time reading the educational credentials of this 'Mistress of the Brassiere'. Gretchen gave Greg an appointment card and once again the three ventured into the streets of Minneapolis in search of the Library.
Monica ventured a question- "Your wife- she's not much older than me- how ... well, maybe I shouldn't ask..."
"How did that happen? I assure you, it wasn't planned- Annie and her two boys needed a place to go. I had more than enough room. I guess it started when I would read to the boys at night just before bed time... James was seven and Andrew was three... they are now seventeen and thirteen... and still like me to read to them... understand, when they showed up this was supposed to be temporary- then slowly I realized I did not want her to go and she realized that she did not want to leave. The boys call me 'Dad'- I never requested that, it just happened..."
"Raising two teenagers? And I heard you say that you're sixty?" Georgette commented.
"Well, it's not my first time raising kids- I have two daughters older than you two, and a couple of grandchildren besides. That was from my first divorce,"
"First divorce...?" Georgette repeated.
"Not uncommon in my trade... surgery is a shoddy mistress... few women can handle it for any length of time. I don't even know how many times I've been called in because the regular call person could't or wouldn't make it... and since my time 'off call' is precious, it would invariably compromise family time,"
"But... if you're not 'on call', you have no obligation to come in, right?" Monica asked.
Greg dropped his head- "Usually, if I refused to come in, which would be my right, that means somebody might die... this would only happen in an emergency, but the call crew should not be called unless there was an emergency. The idea that a life hung in the balance kinda trumped a lot of other things,"
"How well does Annie handle it?" Georgette asked.
"Better than any other... of course, I am getting on to retirement. My land is paid off, I have a few debts to fuss with but other than that I am well off financially... not rich, but the larder's full, the roof don't leak and the lights are on. I've been with Annie now longer than I've been with any other wife and only wish we had met sooner- but I dare say, I am quite satisfied with my lot. I couldn't live in a big town- just doesn't suit me. This weekend I will put a roof on Annie's greenhouse, then I have several other 'honeydews' to fuss with, " he looked at his companions, " I AM thankful that Annie is not the mistrusting type- here I am, wandering around the 'Big City' with two delightfully pretty ladies... I can think of many women who would not sit well with this..."
Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
the Old Sgt.
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

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---

I managed to find a parking spot outside the Boiler Room Cafe. The place was an oddity, being a coffee shop carved out of the basement of an apartment building. I took the steps down to the entrance and was overwhelmed by the combined smell of coffee and pastries - and ice cream.

A gentleman with a beard and glasses greeted me - there were only one or two other people in the shop - and asked what he could get for me.

"First time here, so give me a moment," I replied, looking up at the list of calorie-busting yummies on the board. So much to choose from.

"I think I'll play it safe and just go with a double shot macchiato to go..." I turned and looked at the pastry selection. "And I'll take that chocolate muffin, there."

My purchases made, I decided to relax a bit at one of the tables overlooking 3rd Avenue South. Maybe I should try going back over to the Abbott Apartments, I thought. Get that photo of me trying to enter the Stevens side door.

I sipped on my coffee and tore off a piece of the muffin. Not the greatest coffee in the world, but decent enough.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

Post by AmriloJim »

Sarge, assuming that you are "writing what you know," your life is indeed blessed. May you continue to live long and prosper.
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

Post by Sgt. Howard »

AmriloJim wrote:Sarge, assuming that you are "writing what you know," your life is indeed blessed. May you continue to live long and prosper.
The good LORD looks out for fools, drunks and the US Army... I have had all three covered at one time or another. Three more years of this and Annie gets me full time... we are both looking forward to it.

Thank you-
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I speak fluent Limrick-
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

Post by Mark N »

Sgt. Howard wrote:
AmriloJim wrote:Sarge, assuming that you are "writing what you know," your life is indeed blessed. May you continue to live long and prosper.
The good LORD looks out for fools, drunks and the US Army... I have had all three covered at one time or another. Three more years of this and Annie gets me full time... we are both looking forward to it.

Thank you-
Just 3 more years? Retired with a 16 year old. Now that one can be a true blessing to you and Miss Annie.
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

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They arrived at the alley entrance, only to find it every bit as uncooperative as Greg had earlier that day.
"Well... THAT makes no sense, " Monica commented, "It has never failed before"
"Whatever could be the issue?" Georgette asked.
Greg kept looking down the alley- "Could it be the gent with a camera?" he asked.
The other two looked- sure enough, there was a fellow taking pictures of the outside of the alleyway. He turned to look at them.
"Does your phone take pictures?" Monica asked.
"Uh, yea... why?"
"Pull it out and do a selfie... that way, we're just another pack of tourists,"
Made sense. Greg pulled out the phone, fussed with the buttons until he got camera function- "Alright girls- all together now,"
Greg held the phone at arm's length and the two girls crowded their faces next to Greg's... "... one... two... THREE!!" and on 'three' Monica and Georgette kissed Greg's cheeks!

The fellow with the camera stood spellbound... then started fumbling with his camera in a frantic fashion.

"Ah... Jet... I think he recognized you... RUN!!"

Both girls scampered out the back way while Greg tried to absorb what just happened- one does not get kissed by a supermodel on a routine basis... unless one is married to or dating such... soon enough, he had his wits back and followed the girls.
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I speak fluent Limrick-
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

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(Oops, I thought you were going to go over to the entrance on 19th and Stevens... :oops: )

---

I decided to pull out my camera and see how my pictures had turned out. They all looked good - including the snaps I'd gotten just now of the interior of the Boiler Room.

I made it back through the card, and suddenly realized that the pictures I'd taken at the alley behind Chino Latino's was blurry.

That's odd, I thought. Could've sworn earlier that those pictures were clear. I looked down at my camera - no battery issues. Hmm.

Guess I need to head back to Uptown, then, I thought.

I finished my coffee and ditched the rest of the muffin - I'm on a diet, anyways - and got back to my car. The jaunt was a bit long - and in the wrong direction for me - but I figured I could sneak back into the parking lot, walk over, and get my last few snaps in.

I looked at my car's clock as I prepared to get out at Lund's - 1:47. I was going to be pushing it if I wanted to get back home before 5. I quickly grabbed my camera, putting my jean jacket over the iPad, and headed back over to the alley.

I'd just managed to get the settings right as I turned the corner off of Lagoon when I saw some people standing in the alley. Two girls and an older guy. Oh great, they'll think I'm some weirdo...

That's when it hit me - the older guy was the one I'd nearly run into earlier today. The one with the dropped fishing lure.

The two girls had apparently decided to smooch him just as he was taking a selfie... in front of the doorway to Chino Latinos!

The shorter of the two girls turned and looked at me.

The long, auburn hair. The face. The bustline.

Oh.

My.

GOD.

That can't be...

I found myself suddenly running towards them, looking down and fumbling with the camera. When I reached the door, they were gone - running off and around the corner.

"Wait! Monica! HEY!" I caught myself short as I got to the Lake Street side of the alley - and they were nowhere to be found.

Normally, I'm not one to cuss, but this one deserved a "DAMN."

I thought for a moment, shrugged, and decided to just take a picture of the doorway anyways.

The picture was perfect - I framed the doorway nicely, and it was definitely in focus. A thought came to me - I wonder if they were trying to help that guy get back home.

Tentatively, I reached out and grabbed the doorknob.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

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jwhouk wrote:(Oops, I thought you were going to go over to the entrance on 19th and Stevens... :oops: )

---

I decided to pull out my camera and see how my pictures had turned out. They all looked good - including the snaps I'd gotten just now of the interior of the Boiler Room.

I made it back through the card, and suddenly realized that the pictures I'd taken at the alley behind Chino Latino's was blurry.

That's odd, I thought. Could've sworn earlier that those pictures were clear. I looked down at my camera - no battery issues. Hmm.

Guess I need to head back to Uptown, then, I thought.

I finished my coffee and ditched the rest of the muffin - I'm on a diet, anyways - and got back to my car. The jaunt was a bit long - and in the wrong direction for me - but I figured I could sneak back into the parking lot, walk over, and get my last few snaps in.

I looked at my car's clock as I prepared to get out at Lund's - 1:47. I was going to be pushing it if I wanted to get back home before 5. I quickly grabbed my camera, putting my jean jacket over the iPad, and headed back over to the alley.

I'd just managed to get the settings right as I turned the corner off of Lagoon when I saw some people standing in the alley. Two girls and an older guy. Oh great, they'll think I'm some weirdo...

That's when it hit me - the older guy was the one I'd nearly run into earlier today. The one with the dropped fishing lure.

The two girls had apparently decided to smooch him just as he was taking a selfie... in front of the doorway to Chino Latinos!

The shorter of the two girls turned and looked at me.

The long, auburn hair. The face. The bustline.

Oh.

My.

GOD.

That can't be...

I found myself suddenly running towards them, looking down and fumbling with the camera. When I reached the door, they were gone - running off and around the corner.

"Wait! Monica! HEY!" I caught myself short as I got to the Lake Street side of the alley - and they were nowhere to be found.

Normally, I'm not one to cuss, but this one deserved a "DAMN."

I thought for a moment, shrugged, and decided to just take a picture of the doorway anyways.

The picture was perfect - I framed the doorway nicely, and it was definitely in focus. A thought came to me - I wonder if they were trying to help that guy get back home.

Tentatively, I reached out and grabbed the doorknob.
Excellent recovery! You know, that 'selfie' might make another worthy commission... but here I thought you would recognize Jet, not Monica... but then, as a die-hard fan of wapsi world, Monica would be hard to miss in real life.

Well done, all-in-all... we WILL try the 19th and Stevens entrance and get in that way... in the meanwhile, let me tell you that constructing roof trusses from scratch is hard work!!
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

Post by Sgt. Howard »

"What the hell was THAT all about?" Greg stammered as he caught up with the other two(who were full of giggles at the moment), "I mean, I've no objection to being kissed... but on a selfie? I mean, that amounts to people's exhibit 'A',"
"(snerk) ... it just seemed ... (giggle)... I don't know, right?... I am just surprised Jet did the exact same thing," Monica finally managed.
"Gotta admit, YOU weren't expecting it," Jet snickered, "... besides, what harm is done?"
"A world of harm to YOU if the 'National Exaggerator' got hold of it- I know what you do for a living, I don't live under a rock- Ms. Sundahl, the number of obscene stories that photo could generate... it's bad enough they speculate on a 'sex life' they can't even prove to exist, here's 'proof positive' of a geriatric ... 'menag-et-WHOOPIE!' that could plague ALL of us,"
"Hmm- and you, a MARRIED MAN, who are YOU going to show it to?" she replied.
THAT knocked the wind out of his sails... "Uh, well... huh- OK, tell me how to get home please,"
They decided not to mention the lipstick on either side of his face.
Monica led them to 19th street, and from there to Stevens- THIS time the door functioned as planned.
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

Post by Sgt. Howard »

"Now... was THIS the portal you tried to exit from before? Because this one will take you to that alley in Minneapolis," Monica explained.
"Oh... so then... which one goes to Okanogan County?" Greg asked.
Monica consulted a directory- one that projected into thin air- "Two columns south , end of the aisle- GAH! It DOES empty into an outhouse!"
"Toldya..."
Georgette turned to Greg- "... you never did say what you were doing in the Army before you were sent medical corps,"
"Yeah, we had an interruption there... idiot... well, in truth, I was in Ranger school. Having a good time of it as well,"
"Ranger? As in 'Park Ranger'?"
Greg smiled to himself- "... no.not quite... what they call 'special forces'... you drop us behind enemy lines and we become a major problem that demands immediate attention. We're used to disrupt enemy supply lines, communications, chain-of-command... anything that causes the enemy to concentrate on us instead of the front,"
"Like 'Green Beret'?" Monica asked.
"AH... yes and no... more like a professional level of underground. Beret will do recon and organize oppositional forces- we just jump in and trash whatever we find. Usually we would have a specific target, but often enough we are told, "Tango Oscar Oscar- 'Targets Of Opportunity'"- carte blanch- we find, we destroy, we move on. Easy path to follow... but usually the enemy looses interest in the chase,"
"Ah... why?" Georgette asked.
"Let's just say it gets ... brutal... and what we leave behind tends to ... dampen... their enthusiasm. But I never finished training- I never saw combat... unless... you count that one brawl at the Quantico NCO Club... "
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I speak fluent Limrick-
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Re: Visiting Minnesota

Post by jwhouk »

---

I didn't even turn the doorknob. The door opened on its own. At first, I thought it was going to be some worker from Chino Latino, leaving to take out the trash or something.

It wasn't. I was in the middle of a long, dark hallway. Remembering the last time I'd seen this door opened, I looked down to make sure I wasn't about to fall into nothing.

There was a floor. It didn't look like any hallway that would fit with the back door of a restaurant. It appeared to be a dark granite-like marble, like you'd see in...

A Library.

I peeked around - the walls were solid granite as well. I also noticed that there were no apparent light sources, except for...

SLAM!

The door shut behind me, and I was throwing into pitch black darkness. I stopped, closing my eyes for a minute. (I have discovered, working third shift, that this was one of the best ways of adjusting your eyes to the dark.) Counting down from 60, I finally opened my eyes.

I could see the edges of the walls, which led down a long, straight corridor. I thought for a moment, and patted my pocket. I still had my cell phone on me. I pulled it out, and snapped it on. The screen was bright enough that it gave me a little more illumination than just the darkness. I could fiddle with it a bit and bring up a wallpaper that would make it brighter, but all I wanted to do at the moment was to find where this hallway led.

The marble floor continued on, and there didn't seem to be any markings on the walls. This is odd, I thought. Usually, by now the Library would have coalesced into view - if Paul was to be believed.

I thought of something as I kept trying to watch my path and keep my phone lit enough for me to see.

"Hello?" I said, more tentatively than I had intended. "Is anybody there?"

A voice echoed back: "You weren't looking for something, but it found you. Someone is trying to find something, but you've kept them from finding it." It was a deep, female voice.

"Ph-Phix?" I was stammering. "Nudge? Anyone?"

"You need to find your way to the exit," the voice boomed back. "So he can find his way home."

I looked ahead, and there in the distance was a standard overhead EXIT sign, illuminated over what appeared to be a door. I slowly started walking toward it.

I was startled when I heard heavy breathing behind me - and it wasn't until I reached the doorway that I realized it was my own breathing. And, that I'd been running for the door.

Panicking, I reached down for the doorknob to exit.

It opened to bright sunshine - and a sidewalk. There were cars parked up and down the street - a one-way street.

This was definitely NOT the alley. The apartments across the street looked familiar - as did a few of the cars that were parked along the street. I walked down the sidewalk, along a cement wall, to what looked like a parking lot entrance.

I saw the sign: "HISTORIC ABBOTT APARTMENTS PARKING ONLY."

I had teleported all the way across Uptown Minneapolis - via the Library Portals!

I turned around to head back to the door, just in time to see three people entering the apartments. That last one looked familiar...

The bomber-jacket guy!

"HEY!" I ran back down the sidewalk, just in time to have the door shut in my face.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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