Chetspeak on Sunday
Bernie turned to me. “I think the party’s over.”
It was? I didn’t see why, but if Bernie says the party’s over, the party’s over. We took our leave, more accurately high-tailed it out of there, my tail raised its highest, and what was this? All at once Bernie had a tail, too, a real tail and raised up high just like mine? But it was only a shaft of light, shining at a strange angle through the trees. There’s all kinds of beauty in life, and sometimes it takes you by surprise.
– from Tail of Vengeance, the new Chet and Bernie e-short, coming July 8.
Tags: Chetspeak, Tail of Vengeance
This entry was posted on Sunday, June 8th, 2014 at 8:00 am and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
8:13 am on June 8th, 2014
Good morning all. Do we get to be first? Happy Egg Day, Chetspeak Sunday everyone.
8:15 am on June 8th, 2014
Good morning. Happy Chetspeak and Happy Egg Day!
We love that line about Bernie’s tail. And this:
“There’s all kinds of beauty in life, and sometimes it takes you by surprise”. That’s the way we think!
Thanks, Chet.
Oh…Zeus the Goose keeps adding to Pop’s chore list. Another day, another screen. That guy! We’re still laughing!
8:15 am on June 8th, 2014
Whoa–I’m first? Cool–and I’m now really looking forward to the new e-short. (Is Chet not any girl’s dream guy? A tough guy who can see all kinds of beauty in life…)
It’s also past time for an overdue Thankyou for the brief D-day bonus of Friday.
Everyone–have a wonderful Sunday, Egg day, find-the-fawn-day…
8:15 am on June 8th, 2014
Hah! So much for being first–didn’t type fast enough, I guess…
8:17 am on June 8th, 2014
Maggie, Mom just read about Lily’s Reserve Champion win! That is a very big deal!!! Mom still talks about the time when Shiek won reserve champion of the show.
8:34 am on June 8th, 2014
Howlers, Don’t tell Lily, but we think your Reserve was a bigger deal. Remember this was a Fun Show for the boarders and students at the stable. They had some real classes, but also egg and spoon, cookie race, best costume, etc. In the cookie race, you had to canter your horse down to a barrel, stuff a cookie into the mouth of your parent who was sitting on the barrel, and then wait till they could whistle before cantering back.
They also had a drill team performance honoring our service men and women. There were about 16-18 riders dressed in red, white and blue leather outfits and carrying flags. They were a highly skilled group of adult riders. One of the songs they rode to was Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA”. It was wonderful.
8:37 am on June 8th, 2014
When y’all get time, could someone also explain “fireslippers” to me? Thanks.
8:38 am on June 8th, 2014
Good morning, everyone (OH, B&M, DianeC and probably B by the time we post)! Life IS grand: Chetspeak, Egg Day, Sunday, prize for Barb’s grand and Zeus’s screen ability.
Have a find the “all kinds of beauty” Sunday 🙂
8:50 am on June 8th, 2014
DianeC. Mr. Fireslippers (and his new to him) Deere mower is Staff’s husband. Long story short: he was doing a burn in the yard in his slippers and singed them.
9:43 am on June 8th, 2014
Greetings!
Happy Egg Day!
LOVE Chet’s last thought! Happy Chet Speak Day!
Garcia: May I borrow your Cone of Shame? I am very busy today licking all the cuts and bruises I have. : (
O’Howlers: Maybe Zeusikov doesn’t see the screen. Does he need glasses?
When I was about 11 or 12, I bumped right into a screen door on my friend’s deck. She was having a birthday party, and I was completely mortified. I wore glasses . Hmmmmm, maybe I needed a stronger pair.
9:51 am on June 8th, 2014
Wose, I did the same thing when I was in my 50s. I was riding a motorbike in Bermuda and fell over with the bike on top of me. I was bruised from head to toe.
10:09 am on June 8th, 2014
You were probably confused, trying to remember to drive on the other side of the road and navigate those round-abouts!
I think the roofing is going to be started today. Those nail guns are going to send me right into the closet or bathtub again!
10:19 am on June 8th, 2014
Chet…The Jet…Cannot Wait for the eStory!!!
Wose: Don’t Feel too, too Bad. MollyPop’s Mom, along with many a 2-legged (including Someone here..who ran into a tree to avoid speeding down a steep hill), has suffered this same humiliation at one time or another.
Diane: California Chrome is Greatly Loved by all his many fans.
We haven’t seen the interview with his owner who went off the deep end after the race, only that of Espinoza. This is Victor Espinoza’s 2nd bid (and loss) for the Triple Crown.
10:21 am on June 8th, 2014
Good morning Chet and all.
10:35 am on June 8th, 2014
Raise high thy tails, waggers! Anticipation is also high, waiting on the e-story.
Zeusikov: 10 innovative ways to take out a screen. Heh, heh. Keep ’em coming, Zeus!
Congratulations to Lily! Barb, what is the name of her horse? It has slipped my mind.
Wose: Hope your road rash heals quickly. I’ve tried to walk through plate glass windows before. Embarrassing plus it hurts!
Barb&Maggie: Those screaming nail guns can get on your nerves.
I’m smelling beauty in the lilacs today.
10:50 am on June 8th, 2014
Barb loves the smell of lilacs. Nothing better.
Iowa is the horse’s name.
BSD, you can catch the rant on Google. It is even more amusing to watch the second or third time. Just keep watching his wife in the background. First she tells him to stop, then she pokes him in the back, then she leans way over and says something to him. He is getting more irritated with her as the minute goes by. One headline calls him Part Class, part ass! Funny.
11:15 am on June 8th, 2014
Mom has said the California Chrome’s people are California rednecks. She rests her case. Oh, oh, there she goes, back to the weedy, imperfect garden. Wish we could help; what fun we’d have 🙂
11:23 am on June 8th, 2014
Yaaaaaawwwnnnn – grump. Good (almost afternoon) morning from an exhausted sleepyhead.
Today we are cleaning out the not so spare room for brother to stay when he is out of the hospital. If we find any antique sewing machines, we will send them to Staff. If we find any unidentifiable and mysterious objects, we will send them to Rio. He can tuck them into his soft, warm bed.
11:44 am on June 8th, 2014
Royals: If you find my eyebrows, please let me know.
12:15 pm on June 8th, 2014
I thought of another thing that I find interesting about the English language: After the Norman invasion and conquest, the Normans were the “aristocrats” and the English were the “peasants.” Thus, we use the Old English word for the animal–pig–since the English worked with the animals, and we use the French word for the meat–pork–since the Normans ate the product. The same is true with cow and beef.
12:28 pm on June 8th, 2014
Boeuf or porc?
Nada on the roofing today. Guy who is going to help Josh thinks the roof is too damp from the last night’s rain. Probably have to wait till next weekend. Did you know Barb is very impatient?
12:29 pm on June 8th, 2014
Barb&Magpie: IMHO the Owner may have had a valid point, but his heated comments post race were definitely Sour Grapes.
Hounds: Yes, the owners are Rednecks who bought CC for $10,000. Co-owner Coburn, sadly, has lived up to the name of his stable/partnership name: “Dumb A$$”.
Trainer Sherman said the Thoroughbred had not seemed his usual self during the race and noted a hoof injury (not serious) when leading him back to the stable.
Plans are for him to return to California to rest up before The Breeder’s Cup in the fall.
Wish he had come in at least 3rd…in the money…but
Still a Big Fan here.
12:35 pm on June 8th, 2014
Our local hero, Michael Matz, called it a case of sour grapes. We have not seen it yet.
If you don’t know Michael Matz, look him up. His is a legendary life.
12:39 pm on June 8th, 2014
B: We saw this yesterday:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/science/whats-lost-as-handwriting-fades.html?_r=3
It was particularly interesting because someone had commented on my mom’s cursive writing a while back.
12:51 pm on June 8th, 2014
Thank you Masquers. I read that article in the NYTimes. It is interesting.
12:59 pm on June 8th, 2014
We agree, California Chrome’s owner may have a valid point, but he certainly didn’t present himself well. It was an adult version of a temper tantrum.
Grass is cut, now it is time for a little nappy.
1:04 pm on June 8th, 2014
DianeC. Here is a link to the reason Mr.Staff is called Mr.Fireslippers by some. Rio (of course) started it.
http://2knitwits.blogspot.com/2012/08/exciting-times.html
1:17 pm on June 8th, 2014
In my defense, I love my people and if they are inside, well then, inside is where I want to be. Who will protect them if I’m not there? I ask you.
Today was supposed to be my big day at the dog park with Awesome Dawgs Steve. But Mom is being lazy lolly gagging on the front porch. Pop? Well, youse know what he is doing. Heh!
1:22 pm on June 8th, 2014
B&M: What happened with your lawnmower? Did Josh fix it or did you have to buy a new one?
Zeusiköv: Are there curse words being spoken?
1:28 pm on June 8th, 2014
Masquers, no curse words here. Those guys just keep laughing though. Wonder why they are so silly?
1:42 pm on June 8th, 2014
Heh, heh. It’s not hysterical laughter is it?
btw: Your mom and pop are the best.
2:14 pm on June 8th, 2014
Wose: The cone has your name on it. Literally, your name on it. Belle Starr spent the night bedazzeling it so there is no question the cone belongs to you. It is very understated.
2:20 pm on June 8th, 2014
Wose: My sparkly, pink backpack is stuffed with all my pink bandaids. I also snuck some of that Damn Pixie’s silver, sparkly bandages and the Giant’s boring, run of the mill bandages. I am on my way with my first aid kit of bandaids and Swedish Fish for medicinal purposes only.
2:56 pm on June 8th, 2014
So, DianeC, Ya see I sent ya the short virgin of Mr. Fireslippers 🙂
3:02 pm on June 8th, 2014
I drove up to Fairbanks yesterday. I virtually waved to Belle Starr as I past Mile 69 on the 350 mile trip. Forgive me for not stopping but I got a late start and still had 5.5 hours to drive.
When I get home the next item on the agenda is to send photos to Rebecca for the auction.
O’Howlers: Denali is open and busy but the mountain was hiding.
Love the glimpses of the upcoming eBook. Wish there was also a way to get a paper edition.
bBL
3:14 pm on June 8th, 2014
Garcia: Thanks for lending me your cone.
Belle Starr: Thank your for being the Sparkliest of the Smoochers. You have the key. (whispering) There are many belly rubs waiting for you.
3:19 pm on June 8th, 2014
HOH, who you callin’ a short virgin?
3:24 pm on June 8th, 2014
Masquers: From kindergarten until part of 5th grade, I went to school in Paterson, New Jersey. Cursive writing was so important, we had a class dedicated to only that. We could not write with a regular ball point pen, we all had to write with fountain pens. (I love fountain pens!). We had warm-up practices before we started writing. Every letter had to be exactly as the alphabet chart that circled above the blackboard. We never printed.
When my family moved back to NY, I had to teach myself to print so that I could take notes faster. I wish I had a sample of my dad’s writing. It was a work of art.
3:38 pm on June 8th, 2014
Macy, oops mom meant VERSION, not virgin 🙂
3:39 pm on June 8th, 2014
Wose, Patterson N.J. is where all the Andy Carpenter series takes place.
Masquers, Josh got the lawn mower fixed. The other day I borrowed my neighbor’s little riding mower and Josh came over as I was driving it around my front yard. He got out of his car and started yelling at me (as he was laughing) saying he worked so hard on my push mower and now I was cheating on it! Today I walked the back yard and got a good workout. It actually does a better job, because it mulches as it cuts.
3:40 pm on June 8th, 2014
Anyway Macy, you are NOT a virgin!
3:45 pm on June 8th, 2014
Heh
3:58 pm on June 8th, 2014
Rose: We love them too. Do you do the calligraphy style writing with the fountain pen? Our Grandpa is a master at it.
The younger person that commented on Mom’s cursive handwriting said one rarely sees it anymore. Now she is wondering if anyone can read her cards.
4:00 pm on June 8th, 2014
Riö: Please check your SDD.
4:18 pm on June 8th, 2014
HOH And Abbie–thank you for the information; I am now up to speed on the fireslippers thisng. (Sort of sorry HOH corrected the typo–I like the whole “short virgin” idea…
BSD–Sorry Mr. C. wasn’t a bit more sportsmanlike. disappointment is one thing, but…
Wose!(and also apparently BSD and Dawson)–The point about Zeus possibly not seeing the screen is well-taken as you all can attest from your own experience. I would add that on two occasions I have walked right into a closed full-length glass slider because I thought it was open. (I attribute this to my superior, but infrequently-exercised, window-cleaning skills.)
Wose and Masquers–I also love fountain pens but don’t use them as often as I might of late–too bad.
4:20 pm on June 8th, 2014
Masquers, My dad’s handwriting was more in the calligraphy style. My uncle wrote that way too. My cursive is not as beautiful as my dad’s or his brother’s.
My dad wrote with a fountain pen that he filled with a little jar of blue ink. I don’t know if he still had it when he died or not. I wish I had it. I miss my dad. sob.
4:22 pm on June 8th, 2014
B. Stover–I had never thought about it, but what you say about the english v. French words makes a power of sense (and would also explain “sheep” v. “mutton/mouton” and “calf” v. “veal/veau”).
I was struck when hearing an explanation for some legal language–“will” and “testament” mean the same thing, as do “give” and “bequeath”, but they doubled up on the terms to ensure that everyone in the courtroom–Anglophone OR Francophone–would understand. Early multicultural inclusion? (Plus how often do I get the chance to actually USE “Anglophone” and “Francophone”? You tell me.)
4:24 pm on June 8th, 2014
Warnings!…It has been an afternoon filled with Tornado Warnings….grunt!…Guess who planted Tomato and Strawberry plants this morning?…snort!…She threw her hands up and said “I give up!” That’s when we came downstairs. She does not want to see when the hail hits….sniff!
4:25 pm on June 8th, 2014
B&M: Yes, I read one of his books and took note of that. I know he talked about Eastside Park where there were very large and beautiful homes. When my family move back NJ, Paterson was still nice, but gradually started to change. My sister was Class of 69 at Eastside HS.
Most of Paterson is very bad. I lived at 595 East 23rd Street, and then 611 East 23rd Street. It is not a nice neighborhood now.
I wonder what part of Paterson Andy Carpenter lives in.
4:26 pm on June 8th, 2014
Maskers!…Checked and re-checked and then checked again…grunt!
4:27 pm on June 8th, 2014
RIO! DUCK!!!!
4:53 pm on June 8th, 2014
Maskers!…This time i really did check…snort!
4:57 pm on June 8th, 2014
My Lady came in to the room I’ve been using for my afternoon nap. She said, “Hey, tail wagger.” Was she talking to me? It turns out she was. I love it when that happens.
5:00 pm on June 8th, 2014
Awww, Garcia!
5:04 pm on June 8th, 2014
Barb, Mom finally finished Sycamore Row. She really enjoyed the book, once she found time to get back to it. She is a summertime reader.
5:09 pm on June 8th, 2014
Diane: Yes, that’s interesting.
I thought of another thing. Some of our words are spelled the way the French thought the English sounded. I can only think of one example: Knight is the spelling of the Old English cniht. The “c” was probably the hard “k” sound. (And actually before the Great Vowel Shift, the “i” would have been pronounced our long “e.”)
There is a long poem by William Carlos Williams titled “Patterson” and it’s about the city.
5:32 pm on June 8th, 2014
Cows make beef. Sheep make mutton. Pigs make pork. What do chickens make? (sorry Fern)
Bee – most cultures do take over the spelling of words they are not familiar with. Look at how many place names were converted by the English from Native names.
For example – the river in our area was called by the local tribes as “long tidal river” or Quin nen tukkit. It is now pronounced Connecticut. Not nearly as musical, is it?
5:33 pm on June 8th, 2014
Howlers, Barb is currently reading The Silent Girl, another Tess Gerristen book in the Rizolli and Isles series. She always has her nose stuck in a book, as the saying goes.
Wose, Another Andy Carpenter book is due out this summer. Barb has read all of them.
5:40 pm on June 8th, 2014
Maggie, I can’t remember the name of the book I read, but I did enjoy it.
I love this interesting history about words and their pronunciations.
I can report that Belle Starr that she has secured the sparkly Cone of Shame around my head, and has covered all my cuts and bruises with her sparkly band aids. We are now having pork chops for dinner.
5:46 pm on June 8th, 2014
Sprakly burps from me sitting on Wose’s lap. Pork chops—Delish!
5:56 pm on June 8th, 2014
Mom changed her ipaw’s name to Titanic, It’s synching now. (we know…groan)
6:06 pm on June 8th, 2014
Hounds: Wherever DO you find them?!
Belle Starr: Pork Chops sound Delish to me too.
6:14 pm on June 8th, 2014
BSD: I will share my pork chops with you, but I call dibs on Wose’s lap.
6:21 pm on June 8th, 2014
Rain!….Delay of the game….grump!gurgle!…This might be good because the Rockies were getting pounded by Kershaw and the Dodgers….sniff!
6:30 pm on June 8th, 2014
Tupper and Gilly, eggs!
Rio, we don’t even talk baseball this season … as usual as our team is having yet another awful year.
6:40 pm on June 8th, 2014
We are having a healthy dinner – romaine lettuce and red onions from the garden for a Caesar salad topped with parm. cheese and a grilled chicken breast (sorry Fern).
6:44 pm on June 8th, 2014
RIO! I am worried about all this crazy weather passing through your way. I hope youse are all safe.
6:46 pm on June 8th, 2014
Belle Starr is now accepting loving belly rubs as her reward for being a most excellent nurse.
6:49 pm on June 8th, 2014
Mariners, Rockies, Yankees, Nationals all in 3rd place in their divisions.
Still plenty of time before the series to hit it out of the ballpark.
(hope springs eternal)
6:52 pm on June 8th, 2014
BSD, There are a couple of pork chops with your name on them.
Masquers, Third place for the Yankees is unacceptable .
7:00 pm on June 8th, 2014
BSD, we have spied (and eyes) in low places 🙂
7:02 pm on June 8th, 2014
Fern, I love eggs. I just started on the egg plan at the artisan and farmers market. The dozen eggs that I first bought there before the plan was $4.60. On the plan it becomes $3.85 a dozen. I had to bring my own egg cartons and then I picked out the eggs I wanted from the cooler.
7:20 pm on June 8th, 2014
I think that “short virgin” is worthy of inclusion in the next edition of the Plunderer Dictionary.
I was going to say eggs too, but I had to read all the posts first.
Pug, if there is rain with your weather, send it on this way please.
7:23 pm on June 8th, 2014
Auntie MPM, if you were close to us, you could get those eggs for free!
We need gardening help. Mom planted some herbs for the first time ever. They are in a pot, up in the garden. She planted basil, oregano, and thyme. She does not know when or how to harvest them, nor how to use them once harvested.
In other gardening news: we are going to have a boatload of potatoes, and beans. The lettuce and onions are still going strong. Peppers are getting flowers, and tomatoes have appeared on all 3 plants.
7:33 pm on June 8th, 2014
Wose: Mucho Gracias. It’s so nice Not to Worry about Supper on a warm summer’s eve.
7:50 pm on June 8th, 2014
OH, just pinch off leaves of the herbs you want to use. Use less than dries as they can be quite pungent. Experiment, live it up, try basil chopped up on the tomatoes. (Sorry herb Kats if any of this sounds painful to y’all.)
7:55 pm on June 8th, 2014
OK, HOH. So just chop up the leaves. Got it. Thanks.
8:23 pm on June 8th, 2014
Min-Pin!….There has been rain all afternoon…snort!…We have been downstairs catching up on shows we usually miss during baseball season…heh!heh!….One of the best so far is “Halt And Catch Fire”….Wooow!….Very interesting characters and the story is spellbinding. My friend is extremely interested in this stuff…chuffle!
8:25 pm on June 8th, 2014
History!….Now for our history-buff side we are watching the first episode of “Turn”…snort!…The story of the first Spies in this country….wheeze!
8:45 pm on June 8th, 2014
Howlers, Basil is an annual, so just use it as it grows. Oregano and thyme will come back each year, so you may even want to transplant them to an area where they can keep growing. Usually plants in a container will be killed off over the winter. Chives are best planted in the ground and not a container. Cilantro is good in a pot. Dill also is an annual but self seeds.
8:56 pm on June 8th, 2014
Howlers, I love to go out into the garden and cut some leaves off the herbs, bring them in and rinse them, and then put them in my food. It is so much fun. So the first raised bed nearest to the back door is my herb bed. And my oregano came back this year. Thyme usually does not for me, but lemon balm has. I did plant 3 thyme plants this year so we will see if it comes back.
9:13 pm on June 8th, 2014
Mom has planted tv dinners near the door. Hopefully they will bloom soon.
9:20 pm on June 8th, 2014
Snort!…TV dinners…chorkel!
9:23 pm on June 8th, 2014
Planted!…This reminds me. Someone bought some ice-cream with groceries today…sniff!…I’m hoping she goes and gets us a dish soon…wuffle!….This is when I stare at her with pleading eyes and breath bad breath on her….heh!heh!
9:27 pm on June 8th, 2014
herb garden 2014
From the North end. HOH you will see some milkweed plants in there also.
9:29 pm on June 8th, 2014
Oh and that alien looking thing in the lower left corner is a Peony bud…snicker.
9:47 pm on June 8th, 2014
Staff!…Whats that weird thing in the lower right corner with the blue crew-top?…grunt!
10:26 pm on June 8th, 2014
Staff, Do I see some sage, parsley, a couple of viola, and possibly a milk weed plant in there? Where can we find milkweed seed?
11:10 pm on June 8th, 2014
Checking back in – Macy, you do crack us up.
We are pretty hopeless at gardening. This year we finally convinced Gramp to only get 4 tomato plants instead of the 8 to 10 he always tries to squeeze in. And we have a bush style cucumber and a bush style zuke plant. Not holding out a lot of hope for those, but it kept Gramp from going hog wild at the garden place.
It has been a long day here. Brother has developed pneumonia after surgery. And he is very confused because of that and the drugs. Last night, he pulled all his tubes and plugs out, today he was just nasty and rude to everyone. The nurses say they understand, and they are ignoring his manners. Poor Gramp was mortified when he was at the hospital. Brother is now on antibiotics and hopefully will be better tomorrow – meantime, Mama is the only one who can control him, and order him to behave. So, she is on call with the hospital, and hopes she doesn’t have to go back down there tonight.
Sheesh – isn’t it time for someone around here to be healthy?
11:29 pm on June 8th, 2014
Night all. Hope brother feels better by tomorrow.
12:02 am on June 9th, 2014
Rio, that weird blue thing is a butterfly feeder. HOH and I bought them when we were at the butterfly museum. So far I haven’t seen any butterflies. But the tiny iridescent flies seem to love it.
Barb and Maggie, I have tons of milkweed seed. Would you like some? It needs to have a cold treatment before planting so you should store it in your fridge and then plant it next summer or, I suppose, plant it in the fall.
I save milkweed pods so the birds can use the silk for nesting and get a lot of seeds that I don’t need. If you look at the center section on the left of today’s garden picture you will see a lot of volunteer milkweed in Mr.Staff’s flower patch. We have been discussing its fate.
12:04 am on June 9th, 2014
Dear Amalia, I sure hope brother is feeling better soon. I hope you get some rest also. Hugs from Alice, Abbie and me me me.
Nighty noodle all youse guys.
12:32 am on June 9th, 2014
The dreaded nasty patient, we know him well. Glad to know you can control yours. We want ours back…
1:39 am on June 9th, 2014
Golinka: We are going to blur to your brother so we can wrap our tails around his wrist. Waking up to a pair of lovable miscreants is enough to distract anyone from not feeling tip top even for a brief moment. We will keep an eye on his tubes, too. Head bumps and wrap the Quilt around you and brother.
Nightly noodles.