Thinking of Ed with laughter

[Sharion]

I'm working on the first draft of an article that has non-standard words that will surely trip a spell checker. The words are a necessary part of the article and as I was typing a particular phrase, suddenly I saw Ed in my mind's eye frowning at a phrase. In most circumstances, it would surely be taboo but this case is an exception. At least I believe it is

The phrase jumped out at me as if I were Ed and suddenly I started laughing out loud. I had to stop writing I was laughing so hard. I'm still giggling at the vision in my mind's eye.

Don't worry, it's probably several days to a week away from submission. There are three others in various stages ahead of it. I don't write anything from start to finish. I set it aside after each revision and go back to it later, sometimes days later. Ed is never far from my thoughts

[EricScott]

Come on Sharion, you can't put something out there like that and not tell us the funny phrase. I'm sure a lot of us could use a good laugh today too!

[Sharion]

I'll give you a hint: it's dog related. Dog words aren't always proper people words.

Many moons ago, long before I met my husband, I was dating a man who turned out to be a grammar nazi. I was playing a game with my dog and said, "Where's it at?" (This isn't the phrase, it's just a similar story.) She knew the phrase and got all excited as it was one of her favorite games.

Here we are, me and the dog, playing a happy dog game. Sitting on his high horse all holier than thou, the fellow butts in to correct my grammar. I'm playing a game with a dog, for Pete's sake. I know the right way to say it but it doesn't matter. Not every situation requires proper grammar.

Needless to say me and that fellow didn't last long. Love me, love my dogs and all that goes with them. Weird words, dog hair, potty talk, planned vacations, stepping on pieces of dog food... you've gotta love 'em!

[Sharion]

With the first draft finished, I set the article aside and went far away from the computer. The article didn't go far away from me however and suddenly I realized I'd committed a major no no.

The intro paragraph posed a series of issues, but not all of the issues were addressed in the article. Talk about a baddie! Ed wouldn't like that at all!

Ed is never far from my thoughts...

[Sharion]

Thank you, Ed, for a good belly laugh today! I really needed that

Battling a flooded basement (for the umpteenth time in the past few months) and sucked out somewhere between 75 and 100 gallons of water. Total misery mode.

But you brought me out of my misery for a jolly good laugh. Yes Ed, we will find a better word

(Note to self: If a word could even remotely be taken in a four letter way and there's an alternate choice, go with the alternate choice.)

LOL! I've got tears of laughter. Ed, if you were in the neighborhood I'd buy you a beer for making me laugh Better yet, I'd pour you one of my husband's homebrews, they are much more potent!

[Ed]

Awesome!

Glad you can have a sense of humor about it.

Ed

[eek]

Sorry to hear about your leaky basement, Sharion. I just had to find a bucket for a leaky roof.

[Sharion]

Two years ago we were in a severe drought with water restrictions. Now the floodgates have opened and it rains and rains. We went from severe drought to severe flooding. Last fall when it hit big, it took out the public area of our subdivision, destroying our tennis courts. I had no idea that the cement flooring of a tennis court could literally buckle up from underneath as though an earthquake hit it. The ground never fully dried out and every time we get a heavy rain, the basement now leaks. We've got a fixit plan but need good weather to make it so.

Sorry to hear you're battling it, too. Leaky roofs and leaky basements are no fun!

[Sharion]

Took the opportunity to remove my byline from it as well. What if the bosses at my day job ran across it on the internet? Would they get a kick out of it? Would it make them laugh? Or would it make them cranky...

Decided not to risk the answer.

To all newbies who have day jobs: If you write about things connected to your day job, do give thought to how your bosses would perceive it and handle your byline accordingly.

I've written two articles that I removed the byline from for this reason. The first encouraged people to "do it themselves" instead of hiring a company. Since I work for a company, I didn't think my bosses would appreciate my saying that publicly