_____ of the Week

Well.....technically there are a few days left to vote on the _____ of the Week poll...but I'm so excited about it I'm starting anyhoo. Besides, yes is winning. :o) Phew, this is going to be a long post.

Joke-of-the-Week (blonde joke, sorry to Mr. Lego Guy and vickychick, but they're the funniest of all.)

A double-decker bus was riding through Chicago. On the lower deck were all brunettes. The upper deck was all blondes. The brunettes were laughing, singing along with the radio music, and chatting. But up above, the blondes were screaming for their lives and holding onto each other fearfully. A brunette finally walked up to the second deck and asked, "What's wrong with everyone here?"
A random blonde answered scornfully, "You'd be this scared too if you didn't have a driver!!!"

(Anyone who doesn't get that, post. :o) lol)

Chapter of the Week--I'm going to be posting a story about mermaids. Please keep in mind the following things.

#1. I am NOT as good of a writer as Phoenix, so please do not compare works.

#2. I haven't gone over the story and perfected it yet, so some parts are a little corny and need to be changed.

Anyhoo...

Chapter One

What a problem. I stroked my hair absently, the long auburn locks cascading down my shoulders. Glancing into the small mirror I held in my hand, I scrutinized myself. Freckles dotted my face, and my long purple mermaid tail flipped back and forth. I sighed and wondered how I would ever get out of this one. The colony I lived in was doomed, for the ruler’s right-hand man was a traitor. And I was the only mermaid who knew it. I had been forced to flee. It was the only sensible thing to do, considering if I ever went back the man whom I had witnessed murdering would kill me. Suddenly filled with rage, I slapped the mirror down and pumped my tail furiously, eager to get away and think. Why me? Why now? And especially, why Mergorn? He had been a trusted friend!
I sulkily picked at the vibrant pink coral next to me, wondering what could be done. Mergorn was seething with rage; he would track me down eventually, even if it meant giving up his standing in my colony. I hadn’t been doing anything wrong…at least it was an accident that I saw! I was only swimming with my dolphin! Scuffling had erupted from behind a nearby rock, and of course, like the unthinking mermaid I am, I looked. What I saw was horrific. Mergorn had positioned a knife above Ramon’s head!
Ramon was a renowned member of the mermaid colony. He had also been my guardian after my parent’s death. The knife went down rapidly and the blade flashed in the cool sunlight. Ramon went limp as the blade punctured his chest, and he slumped down in some seaweed. I gasped, and immediately Mergorn whirled on me. “Get away! What are you doing here?”I froze to the spot as Mergorn swam closer, his green tail whipping back and forth. Suddenly I panicked. I began swimming like I never had before. Although I didn’t turn around, I knew the evil merman was pursuing me from the frantic splashes behind me. I ducked and weaved furiously through seaweed and coral. All I knew was that if Mergorn caught me there was no telling what he would do. After all, I would ruin his standing in the colony if I ever went back. Then I felt clammy hands on my tail, and everything was slow-motion. I struggled to swim faster, but he had a firm grip, and twisted me around easily. Mergorn clasped my shoulder and pulled me to a grinding halt as I looked up at his face. The madman’s face was distorted with fierce anger, and his eyes seemed to shoot flaming sparks. But the one thing that drew my attention was the knife in his calloused hand. He began hissing through barely clenched teeth, “You little brat! What were you doing watching me?” “I-I was swimming with my dolphin-“ I glanced around for support from my fish friend, but she cowered behind a rock. “Do you think I believe that?” Mergorn sneered. The glinting blade moved up a bit and I winced visibly. Mergorn smiled evilly at my fear and twitched again. I closed my eyes tight as the weapon raised above my head and poised to strike. Mergorn cackled madly and tensed to kill. But the touch of the blade never came. I dared to squint at the murderer gripping my shoulder, and my eyes stretched wide. His face had gone deathly white and he was staring behind me. “What?” My voice shook with terror. The one word that was uttered from Mergorn’s mouth sent a chill crawling up my spine. “Shark.”

Give me your opinion!

Story/Thought of the Week

This is a story I read in a dog book my mom has. It's not directly dictated, but it was such an amazing story I remember it very well. It actually brought me to tears the first time I read it, because I'm such an animal-lover.

In small town around Utah/Colorado area, there was a Samoyed dog by the name of(I don't remeber his name, we'll call him Snowball.) Snowball had a wonderful, loving family. Every day his master drove down the road to work in the lumber yard. Snowball always disliked this time, because he was not able to go along. He whined, and begged, but the man was firm. Each day around 5:00 Snowball trotted out to the end of the yard and sat down under a cherry tree. Down the long dusty path he would look. The mother and young daughter always knew that Snowball could tell when his master was returning, because even before the old pickup truck was in sight, the Samoyed would stand up and begin wagging his tail. Then his master would pull into the drivewa and Snowball would greet him with licks and tail-wags. This venture was repeated on and on. The faithful dog never missed a single day.

Then, on one of these occasions, Snowball's master drove away and never came back. He died working in the lumber yard, although we don't know how. That horrible day Snowball went out and sat at the end of the driveway, waiting as usual. But his master never came home. Into the night, he waited, and the mother could see the confusion in his big eyes. Finally Snowball went to bed, but the next morning he was back at the same stance. He never saw the old, dusty pickup. Week after week Snowball went to his post. Month after month he sat, waiting for what would never come. The woman and her daughter tried to convince him to come inside, but his stubbornly refused to obey. Two years later, Snowball was still waiting. His bones were old, and he limped with great effort. But he never gave up watching. Then slowly it got worse. His owners had to help him stand up, for he was too weak. They helped him walk out to his spot every afternoon. He never ever stopped, even when he was too old to move and they had to carry him. Finally the wife, holding her sobbing daughter, decided it was time to end his pain. They took him to the vet, and she held his head in her arms as he recieved the shot. Just before they gave it, Snowball lifted his head calmly and broke into a 'doggy smile', then he slipped away quietly in her hands. The faithful dog never stopped hoping that his master would return.

That's is so sad. My goodness....it's true that isn't dictated, but several of those phrases I did remember. And that's exactly how it happened. :`o(