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David Mitchell

Yea, well me, I'm waitin' with "baited breath". I don't care what any of people say!

Timothy Lavelle

Bless your hearts...your pea-pickin hearts as Tennessee Ernie Ford might have said. I have been chainsawing overhanging limbs in heat and smoke today and..."ass be draggin'". Plus I would like to read a couple of old articles first so my memory does not lie to you. If you want to read about a guy that figures highly in this coming tale, try Lewis Millett, known as Bayonette Millett. Medal of Honor recipient. Pardon my style but he was a man with balls so big he should have been issued a wheelbarrow to carry them in. Also, try menehune (pronounced menna-hoonie) at Fort Devens.  I was 19. Never before had I been so bone deep frightened. But let's be clear...none of this compares to what our real soldier brothers went thru in VN.

Hey Mark...Steve Royer used to tell me, late in his life, that Moby Dick was the only book he ever read completely and he reread it over and over. You're in solid company. 

Michael McLeod

Good luck with the ladies then, fish breath.

David Mitchell

While Tim is reading up on his story, let me just confirm his comment about "smoke". I was in Portland for 5 days with my son and his wife and litle boy and the forest fire smoke is quite noticeable. We could look directly at the sunset without hurting our eyes. 

By the way I was only allowed to enter "the Bridge City", (also "Stump Town" and a few other aliases) because I was granted an age exemption. You see, any male between the ages of 25 and 60 is required to have a close cut butch on top with a long beard below. You must also have a T-shirt from a local micro-brewery, long "cargo" shorts, and shower flip-flops. (Formal attire is climbing boots instad of the flip-flops). I was told that one could substitute a "Phish" T-shirt with the dates and cities of their concert tour from 2004 on the back. Curious, I asked if a similar shirt from "Wide Spread Panic" would suffice and they said "Nope, just Phish." 

David Mitchell

I'll go ahead and say it; Shame on OSU !

After practically growing up in the "shoe" and being a life-long fan, their stock just plunged in my opinion.  

A slap on the wrist is simply deplorable.  

Michael McLeod

Yeah I'm saddened to my core but not for the same reason. I don't blame the institution. That's all I'll say for the time being. 

James Hamilton, M. D.

Dave,

From what I understand the smoke from the fires in the Western USA and British Columbia have made it all the way to the East coast. It still is hazy here along the Front Range in Colorado Springs even though our state fires are pretty much out of the picture.

Although wildfires are tragic and create a lot of damage, they do often renew the forest but that takes decades to occur. Also the smoke allows for some beautiful sunsets, such as below, the evening after the Waldo Canyon fire of 2012 destroyed hundreds of homes in our city. But that is not a fair tradeoff.

Jim

Timothy Lavelle

Janie,

I wrote the story in Word and I just want to paste...an icon???...here that will allow someone to click on the icon and read the story if they want. That way I would not take up a  number of pages here on the forum. Please don't tell me to just copy and paste the story because I don't want to do that.

You all are going to be soooooo disappointed. It's all about managing expectations.

Jim, jeez man. Beautiful shots. But Trump is the only guy who could make Nixon look good......

David Mitchell

Okay Tim,

Now you're really "baiting" my breath!

Timothy Lavelle

OK Janie, I read your mind and posted "ESCAPE" on Mary Margaret's User Forum.

Dave, as Yoda woud say, "Read or Don't Read. There is no maybe." And a lot of other stuff I didn't understand.

Janie Albright (Blank)

Tim, I read every word, definitely waiting with bated breath and then it ended! I was trying to find a way to see if there was more and it copied your “Escape” under my name! So then I deleted it and it deleted yours too!! I am so sorry! Can you paste it in there again and add the ending?!  That user forum was a great idea!

David Mitchell

Tim,

Timothy Lavelle

O flip! This is rich.

As a card carrying maniac, it is in my twisted heart to just leave it hanging as it is unless Frank swears he will vote for the candidate of my choice in 2020!

How about it Frankie?

Janie, Dave, you are so kind to a hack. I just like telling these stories. I only completed what you read, leaving the experience of that horrible night for an effort tomorrow morning. "Bait on" Dave.

Lawrence Foster

Regarding Tim's story

I haven't found it and according to Janie it may be deleted for the moment.

Tim before you re-post it I would like to propose the following to us readers:  At this point Tim do not post the entire story, yet.  Just post the part that you did earlier.  As I understand it your story left the readers hanging.

In the writer's group that I have been going to for 2 plus years we once had the following prompt:  To write a story but not finish it.  The unfinished stories were read out loud in our meeting and then traded around and other people finished them in their own way.  It was a fun thing to do. 

With your permission Tim I would like to suggest that we try the same thing, just for fun.  Anyone who would like to try can read Tim's story and then can pick it up where he left off and finish it with their own version of how it could end.

Frank Ganley

My learned friend from the great north west , as others said “ wheres the ending ? Last night  a traveling wilbury song, last kiss or the last of the mohicans all have an ending. With that said i can picture the entire tale with you being played by that great hee haw star string bean. But i feel like i have been kissed and well kissed but left in the lurch waiting for the return. Lastly i am voting for your candidate since you have endorsed donld j trump as the savior of our nation. Write the god damn next installment mr dickens. 

Jim you are right on target about the positive results of a forest fire. They have occured for millions of years to clear the underbrush, allow new groth and to fertilize the forest with potash. People who build in these regions had best start to do land clearing and better forestry practices such as clearing the brush , triming trees near the house and figureing a way to store water to fight forrest fires. I know they want the trees for shade etc and beauty but people take good care of the tree rrash. With that said let us pray for those in harms way and those that are fighting the fires. 

Timothy Lavelle

Larry,

For past kindnesses to me and mine. Done.

Have at it. I'll sit back and enjoy.

Ganley, you're off the hook and this way you may get more than one ending. And please remember, potash is not a recreational drug.

Janie Albright (Blank)

Larry, Tim’s cliffhanger is entitled “Escape” and is posted in the User Forum. It’s the 7th tab down on the left. Although with people starting to use it more I might move it up to a higher position. 

I like your idea of alternate endings except that this is non-fiction - well I think it is  ;)

Lawrence Foster

Good Morning and I apologize.

I just read Tim's story.  I apologize for what I posted earlier about writing an alternative ending.  I misunderstood and thought his story was going to be more fiction than the reality that it is.   There is no way in hell I am touching this story.  It is good as it is.  And it already has an ending:  Tim is here and is able to talk about it.  That is the best ending. 

All the things that have happened from the end of this story to today are a tribute to the fact that Tim did not quit on himself, did not blame others for problems he faced or still faces, and has and is still overcoming obstacles in his life.  

Tim, you are still a role model, but damn man, it is a model that is hard for me to keep up with.  Thanks for sharing this part of your story.  

Michael McLeod

Whoa. You can take that part about not writing as well as I do out of your message, Tim.

That's plenty as good as any story I ever heard or told.

I am hoping that you just forgot to add "to be continued."

Which is pretty much the highest compliment a writer would ever want to hear.

Mark Schweickart

So there we all were, sitting around the campfire with our toasted marshmallows and our big eyes growing wider by the moment when Gimpy Tim dramatically says, "Finally the feared last day came." He then suddenly looks to his left, then to his right, hiccups, and says, "Excuse me, I've gotta take a leak." And with that he scurries off into the darkness of the underbrush. After five minutes it seems clear he is not returning. Mary Clare looks at Mike who just shrugs his shoulders. Dave, Mark, Janie, and Larry seem equally baffled. Frank says, "Well, that gets my vote for best Forum Interruptus ever.

David Mitchell

A curse be upon you Tim!

You're like the guy who took the cutest girl to the prom and then left her in the parking lot. Or the guy who took his new little puppy to the park and drove off without it. 

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loved your little "Army" anticdotal references too. There were several that I suspect will go unnoticed by many of the class readers. I laughed hardest at the one about sleeping on your elbow in class. That brought back a similar experience that I may share sometime, but I will save it for now because your piece deserves to be savored on it's own for a while. Haven't enjoyed the Forum this much in a while - thanks. 

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And finally, the story of Colonel Millett is terriffic. If you don't post that one touching "You Tube" interview with him - I will do it soon. One tough son of a bitch, but also one funny, sensitive, human being - with a great story.

James Hamilton, M. D.

Timothy Lavelle

Done. That true story is dedicated to the guys we grew up with who really put it all on the line back then. Thank every one of you for putting me to this test and making it worthwhile. Mike, I stand by what I said...if I could write like you I would be proud to call it a profession. Jim, thanks for your kindness and not getting pissed when I goad you. Mark, we're breaking camp for the night. Dave, jeez, weren't we really REALLY young once? Larry, you are one of the very good ones. Frank, smoke 'em if you got 'em. Enough. Sorry if I forgot anyone.

On the edge of tears again. Signing off. Effing 70, shit!

James Hamilton, M. D.

Mary Clare Hummer (Bauer)

Mark,

Actually I checked with Jack first to see if he was perhaps privy to an advance copy of the rest of the story before I joined you and the entire forum in the clamor for more. More please, Tim. Besides being your advisor in fashion, I’ve always told you you were a writer. Your “Escape” just reinforces my faith in the power of your pen!! (I guess it’s actually a keyboard but that spoils the alliteration.)

Clare