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Monday, October 12, 2009

A Big Ol' Softball Right Down the Center

I was thinking the other day about being "set up".

I love being there when things get witty, when someone is confronted with the perfect set up, being there the moment "opportunity" meets "clever".

I saw the movie District 9 with T a couple weeks back. While we’d been in the theatre, a sudden thunderstorm had moved through, winds awhistlin’ and ahowlin’, trees falling over, buckets and buckets of rain. It was a big enough deal that both of us had texts on our phones from family asking if the tornado heading toward Minneapolis was in our neighborhood.

Well, not that we’d known, anyway.

All we saw of the storm was the aftermath. The theatre parking lot was practically under water.

And that was enough to ruin my old black flats. Poor old shoes. They had served for four years, and they had served well; but by the time I was done walking through the puddle-ridden parking lot, the little heel on the right shoe had become unmoored from the sole and took on water.

Rather than continue to walk on a mostly-detached heel, I leaned down and tore it off.

The brave little shoe – Rightie, I used to call him – having given his all, walks no more.

And T grinned, the light-bulb of connection blazing over his head, and sang.

“You picked a fine time to leave me loose heal!” *



And that’s what we call the perfect set up.



* For those outside the U.S. who do not know, there is a Kenny Roger's song entitled "You Picked A Fine Time to Leave Me Lucille". It was quite popular at some point, long ago...

33 comments:

Christine Gram said...

Nice! Very clever. I am never that clever. I've learned to leave the cleverness to others.

Ms Sparrow said...

I love puns and that was a doozy!

Pearl said...

Christine, oh, I don't know. I've read your blog. I think you're pretty clever!

Ms. Sparrow, I'm with you. I love a good cheesy pun. :-D

Irisheyes said...

Oh my goodness!! Gotta love that "T" friend of yours. Now everytime I hear that song, those are the words I will be hearing in my head, just as I still sing "Reverend in Blue Jeans" as opposed to Neil Diamonds "Forever in Blue Jeans"!! Thanks Pearl and T.

Irisheyes said...

Or what about the Tesla song "Little Suzi" where I like to sing "Little Suzi's throwing up" instead of "Little Suzi's on the up". Oh, I could do this all day..but I digress.

http://howtobecomeacatladywithoutthecats.blogspot.com said...

R.I.P. Loose Heel!

Pearl said...

IrishEyes, You know the song "Who Are You?" by The Who? John Mickelson used to sing "Blue marlin! Blue, blue! Blue, blue!"

:-D

Cat Lady, a moment's silence, please! for a pair of shoes that went so far above and beyond what one expects of a pair of $12 shoes!

Suzy said...

I love a clever guy and an unself-conscious woman!

Pseudo said...

That was a good one. I love when song lyrics are reworked for a perfect pun.

Roshni said...

real good one! Have heard the song.... was crazy about Kenny Rogers at one point of time!

Unknown said...

what a beautiful tribute to a loyal
sole...err soul

peace - rene

ellen abbott said...

I wish I was that quick.

Linda said...

Love puns and that was a perfect one!

Maureen@IslandRoar said...

Oh, that is sooo good!

The Retired One said...

Hilarious!!!!

Madame DeFarge said...

Do you think he'd been saving that for just the right moment?

ICKY said...

Suzy.....I also cook !

Madame Defarge....I had that one loaded for about a decade, just waiting to use it.

Kandi said...

You picked a fine time to leave me loose wheel
We went threw the windshield now we're dead in the field

Put in the wagon
our guts just a draggin
our identities are well concealed
You picked a fine time to leave me loose wheel!

I love making song parodies! :)

SweetPeaSurry said...

AHHH and opportunity waxes clever once again. Well done!!!

Bill Lisleman said...

Excuse me while I kiss this guy - was always a favorite redone song line. Good one.
Hey I just happened to post some song related stuff today. Take a look and let me know.
thanks

Everyday Goddess said...

Applause.
Loud applause going on over here!

Kate Coveny Hood said...

I was going to say that I'm the perfect straight man and set myself up for innuendo jokes all the time (and I'm also a tad prudish which makes it extra funny for everyone having a laugh at my expense). But this was funny AND G rated. Love it.

Kim said...

Ha! That's a good one.

The Jules said...

You set 'em up, he knocks 'em out of the park!

Joanna Jenkins said...

There's noting like a great old pair of shoes. Sorry you lost yours but the punch line was perfect.
xo

Unknown said...

Now that song is stuck in my head! And I can only envision a single black shoe lying in a puddle...and I'm totally giggling!

Joanie said...

Ok, now that song is stuck in my head. thanks.

That Janie Girl said...

Somebody's taking their smart pills!

Anonymous said...

This is kind of not topical yet...is.

I was visiting friends this weekend who have a tiny three month old baby. I was trying to entertain him but the only thing that made him smile was singing "LUCILLE" in a stupid voice to him. It came on in the car on the drive down and had been in my head all day. So you know...Lucille helped someone out I guess. :)

Kavi said...

Clever ! now i am kind of looking lost all around. That was a touchy subject. Especially when i am not that clever...!

hmm !

Green-Eyed Momster said...

Sorry about the storm and the little black flats that were ruined. I hope you'll go shoe shopping soon and bring T. What a riot, huh?

Hugs!!

Kevin Musgrove said...

Like the man sang: "with four hundred children and a crock in the field."

Bill Lisleman said...

hey that what links to this really works - check out FIGMO