Keith Channing is still off, so today’s prompt was pulled from The Last Drive. The idea is to open a book to a random spot and point. The words closest to the pointing finger become the prompt. The random page today is 129, and the words are “big disaster.”
Big Disaster by John W. Howell © 2023
“Oh no.”
“What’s the problem?”
“They both accepted my invitation.”
“Both who?”
“Morey Amsterdam and Jerry Lewis.”
“Huh. How could they accept? They have both passed.”
“I know that. These are guys that impersonate them.”
“You invited them to what?”
“I’m having a party for my mom, and she loved these guys.”
“Why did you invite both.”
“In case one couldn’t do it. Now it’s a big disaster.”
“You’ll have to help me since I bearly remember them. What made these guys your mom’s favorites?
“She thought they were so funny. She would watch them on TV every week.”
“How about you?”
“I was too young to remember. I do have a couple of lines from their acts, though.”
“Okay, let’s hear them.”
“Morey used to play the viola, and he had a song with a funny title.”
“Which was?”
“Mrs. Moore started to snore and blew the covers onto the floor.”
“Uh-huh. How about Jerry?”
“When I was a kid, I said to my father one afternoon, ‘Daddy, will you take me to the zoo?’ He answered, ‘If the zoo wants you, let them come and get you.’”
“Hum. So what are you going to do?”
“I can’t have both.”
“Just tell one that you already booked the other.”
“They work for charity so one would lose out.”
“Then let ’em both come.”
“Might be overkill but I’m sure mom will like them.”
“Who is coming to the party?”
“Besides mom?”
“Uh yeah.”
“Everybody. Uncles, aunts, cousins.”
“The whole circus?”
“None of the animals though.”
“That’s a relief. I think Morey and Jerry are going to have their hands full.”
“I’ll give them a big tip.”
“I wonder if they ever worked under the big top?”
“Always a first time.”
“What’s the party for?”
“Mom has decided to retire from the trapeze act.”
“Bout time. The flying grannie bit was getting old.”
“Don’t tell her that.”
“Don’t worry.”
Fiction Favorites 
Sounds like a party for the history books.
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Seems to be a circus fixation around here. Thanks, Charles.
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Sounds like the makings of a good party to me.
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Gotta get a barrel of 11% ABV something to add some fuel.
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What makes you think Jerry and Morey couldn’t work together.? In my head, it would turn out to be a dual Friar’s Roast.
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I think you are right.
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A dual Friar’s Roast would be fun!
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I thought so, I could just hear the both of them!! 🤣
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😀
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Very well-done John. I’ll bet the happiest person in the world is the agent for the Morey Amsterdam impersonator. He finally got him a gig. Could a Rose Marie impersonator be far behind?
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Ha ha, good one, Dan!
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Thanks Liz. I do think a Rose Marie comeback would be a big disaster.
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You’re welcome, Dan. 😀
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Ha Ha Ha Dan. I also enjoyed your post. You are such a wit. 😀. Have a great day.
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Ha ha ha. Who knows. Thanks, Dan
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Ha! Ha! A big disaster indeed. Good one, John!
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Thank you, Jan
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This was the best bit for me: “If the zoo wants you, let them come and get you.”
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I liked that too.
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😀
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I’ll be thinking about a ‘flying grannie’ all day long. Good one, John! 😄
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I envision pantaloons as she goes from one trapeze to the next.
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I don’t know who would be more entertaining, the impersonators or the grannie! Fun, John.
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Thanks, Staci. 😁
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Maybe the Flying Grannie will give a final performance. She can perform to the Dick Van Dyke theme, sung by Morey Amsterdam. Jerry Lewis can surely add something to the act. 🙂
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Jerry could be the catcher.
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I am flummoxed.
So many thoughts. I loved those old comics. Jerry was crazy funny. Morey was subtle funny. You may need Phil Harris as the MC for this extravaganza.
Will refreshments be served?
Get Foghorn Leghorn for crowd control.
Have fun. Take pictures for us. Thanks
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Thanks, Tom. Yes, we have VooDoo Ranger by the barrel, KFC by the bucket, and Krispy Creme by the pallet. No cameras allowed.
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What? No cameras???? How about a police sketch artist?
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I’m sure there will be a lot of police there.
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Lol! Great job, John!
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Glad you liked it, Jill. Thanks.
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Not so much a disaster as an opportunity. Taking your retirement from a trapeze act as a granny is a big thing! I did have to google Morey Amsterdam. For some reason, he had never crossed my radar!
Fun stuff, always, John.
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A party could do a lot worse than have Morey and Jerry as headliners…even if they’re only attending “in spirit.” And, maybe we could talk Mom into one more trapeze act before she flies off into the sunset?
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I don’t know about grannie. She just had her hair done.
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🤣
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Is her hair blue or midair is it blew?
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😁
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Interesting idea, John.
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Thanks, Ron. Good to “see “you. Hope all is well.
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All is well. How about you?
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Doing well. Thank you
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I would pay for an invitation to that party!
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You are invited. Just be careful when the SWAT team arrives.
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Oh, I do love a man in uniform!
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😂
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Now this sounds like a fun party!
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Well, if that party does happen, it sounds like it event of the season!
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Or the biggest police action yet.
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🤣
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This prompt has it all, AND the flying Grannie! Way to go my man.
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Grannie is better than flying monkeys for sure.
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Anything is better than flying monkeys, no doubt about that.
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😊
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I don’t think I ever saw Morey, but Jerry Lewis was excellent and so nice. I remember him doing the telethon for Muscular Dystrophy. He raised millions for them.
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I remember he did that as well.
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This was great, John. An aside: did you know Morey Amsterdam could tell jokes on the fly? Give him a subject-prompt, and he could tell a joke about it. So talented!
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He was that, Priscilla. Thanks.
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What a hoot! I’m enjoying your finger point prompts, John, but I do hope Keith is okay and plans to return. Sorry I’m late to the party, but the weather here has been beastly!
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He will be fine. Thanks for your concern
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Well done, John. I’d go with Morey Amsterdam. I think he ad libs better.
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I think you are right, Dan
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Hilarious! Enjoyed reading this light hearted word prompt post John 😄
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Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know.
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Well done, John.
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Glad you liked it. 😊
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