Not Beginnings

On Sunday we do beginnings, taking a look at the start of a Peter Abrahams novel, including those written under the Spencer Quinn moniker. But today, not quite. On the recent virtual tour for Of Mutts and Men (and thanks to everyone who virtually came!) we only read from the beginning on the first night. On all the others we just opened to a random page and tried our luck. Wild and crazy! Here’s what popped up on one of those nights.
 
“Wow. See what that dog just did?”
“Chet? Can you give the Frisbee back please?”
“Is that your dog?”
“We’re more of a team.”
“I can’t believe he jumped that high. Does he have a YouTube channel?”
“Don’t give him ideas. Chet? The Frisbee, please?”
Why, certainly! It wasn’t my Frisbee. I knew that very well. I’d just been sharing it with these college kids. College kids were the greatest. Bernie said it was exam week now, so they’d probably be studying in their rooms, but this time – maybe for the very first time in his life! – Bernie was wrong. The college kids were all doing their studying out on the quad, learning about catching rays, smoking weed, chugging beers, and lots of other stuff they had to – what was the expression? Get their heads around? – before exam time. Plus, on top of all that, mastering the Frisbee, too! So much work for the poor kids. Thinking it over, I realized that I’d only been trying to help. Not to criticize, but that last throw, the one I’d snagged, had really been pretty wild, totally uncatchable. Although not by me. So picking that Frisbee right out of the air just as it fluttered away over a food truck was going to help the hollow-chested pipe-armed kid who’d thrown it with his confidence. And maybe now would be a good time to build up his stamina by having him chase me around a bit. Suppose I went up to him and almost gave him the Frisbee, but not quite, instead smoothly backing away just as he reached for it and –
 
“Chet!”
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This entry was posted on Sunday, July 26th, 2020 at 7:57 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.

7 Responses to “Not Beginnings”

  1. B. Stover
    10:38 am on July 26th, 2020

    Chet is making me laugh!

    Good morning all.

  2. Hobbit
    2:52 pm on July 26th, 2020

    One of my favorite scenes.
    I dare everyone to take this very difficult quiz:

  3. dawson
    3:24 pm on July 26th, 2020

    Great excerpt!

    Hobbit: With travel being restricted these days, I’m going with “A”

    Rio: I’m more of a morning person though I did watch a few innings of a ball game last night.

  4. Wose-The Small and Meek
    4:19 pm on July 26th, 2020

    Greetings!

    OFA read this excerpt on the tour night Grizz and I attended!

    Hobbit: Tough decision, and I am known for not making decisions!

    RIO! Like Dawson, I am early to bed, early to rise.

    Good afternoon to all!

  5. Riõ - The Evil Pug
    8:04 pm on July 26th, 2020

    C!..C!</strong…I would choose C! C! C!…snort!snort!

  6. Riõ - The Evil Pug
    8:05 pm on July 26th, 2020

    Whooops!…My html is showing…guffle!…The answer is C!…yeeep!

  7. Hobbit
    3:08 am on July 27th, 2020

    Rio I was sure you’d pick C!

    I think in my fantasy world I would go with B especially since I sometimes “slip” into a book while reading.

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