Monday 7 November 2011

A Very Naughty Post - be warned! and a serious p.s. about Jack the cat

Rick of Life 101’s recent blog post about typos and their hilarious - and in his case more serious consequences - got me thinking of the working title of a recent short story I wrote.

The title was “The Last Shift”. I sent my first draft to a trusted critique partner who then immediately replied asking me if I was serious about the title of my story.

Bloggie friends! Of course I sent him “The Last Shift” not realising I had written the word “shift” WITHOUT the F.

Charlie says: I lie here, un-amused.


Pic of Charlie taken last Saturday, 5 November (Guy Fawkes’ Day), when fireworks were exploding everywhere and he was trying to be super cool about the noise!

Happy Autumn everyone!

**********************************************
p.s. I don't know if any of you were following the news story about Jack the Cat who was lost by AA Airlines cargo people (baggage handlers dropped his cage and he fled) in JFK airport? He was found after two months, starved and wounded. He's now gone to the Bridge. Just read the news here. I'm so sorry Jack for what was done to you. Run free now.

80 comments:

Fuzzy Tales said...

Well, Charlie apparently *was* super cool about all the fireworks. :-)

Got a real chuckle out of your title typo. Years ago when I worked at the now long-gone dept. of non-credit continuing ed at Dalhousie U in Halifax, NS, one of our course flyers went out city-wide, advertising "public speaking" without the "l". Yikes.

I had seen the blurb on the CB about Jack, but really wasn't following the story. I thought his story would have happy ending, since he'd been found, didn't realized he'd passed. Very, very sad. I don't want to read about it, truth be told. :-(

Claudia Zurc said...

OH NO!!! :( I am so sad to hear Jack died. I hope AA remunerate Jack's owner (it's the least they can do). What a sad story.
RE: your title, good thing your friend caught the typo :o

Angels Amber and Max DaWeenie and Mom said...

"The Last Shift", huh!!! I think maybe your paws were going too fast on that keyboard! BWHahahahaha

We heard the news about Jack the Cat when it first broke and he was found. But we never heard how serious his condition was. Such sad news....run free, Jack!

Cat and DOG Chat With Caren said...

I love Charlie's photo with that post about "SH--T!!" lol!!!

As for Jack, I am not only livid, my heart is broken.

Katnip Lounge said...

You KNOW I am cracking up here, scatological humor is ME! And inadvertent is ever better...

Tracy Jo said...

OK - That is hilarious about the title! So something that would happen to me. Charlie is a coooool cat. My cat Huck, gets nervous around loud noises. So sad about Jack!

animal lover, quilt lover said...

Hi there new friend,
I love that picture of Charlie. Carlie you are very handsome !!!!!!!
I don't see well and I make those kinds of mistakes a lot!!!
xx, Happy & Fern

Shawn said...

I had been keeping up with the story about Jack and I am so sorry to hear he has gone to the bridge.

dArtagnan Rumblepurr/Diego Hamlet Moonfur said...

Heartbroken about poor Jack. Fly high little one.

Esme said...

Charlie, I hope that you were not too bothered by the fireworks. They can be rather disturbing. Here is a big hug for you.

Dawn Simon said...

Sooo funny about the title! Please tell Charlie he is a very handsome cat. :) Poor Jack. That's really sad.

Joanne said...

Very funny post!
Blessings, Joanne

joanne fox said...

Oh dear - what an embarrassing typo!

That's terribly sad about Jack the cat.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Old Kitty - I think Charlie handled Bonfire nights purrfectly - well protected and loved indoors. No I hadn't heard about Jack the cat - sad story .. But your Title - yes I can believe that - proof read carefully - more haste less speed!

Have a good week .. Hilary

Brigid O'Connor said...

Typos can make for interesting reading. Poor Jack the cat, how sad!

Dave King said...

Believe it or not, I initially read it without the f - must say something about me!

Angel Ginger Jasper said...

The first bit made us smile so much lol But the part about Jack was so awful. Poor darling to be lost for two whole months and then go through so much. He was so let down. Run free sweet one.. Hugs GJ xx

Hannah and Lucy said...

We read about Jack and it is a very sad story - those people who let him escape from his carrier in the first place need locking up - the last weeks of his life must have been so traumatic for him and he must have been so frightened.
You gave mum a good laugh about your book title - in fact she's smiling about it again now!
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx

Hart Johnson said...

HAHA-on the title part, anyway. I have a young friend (16) who posted a line from her NaNo novel on FB: "I'm captain of this shit."--followed by 'I love typos. teehee.

Very sad story about the kitty, though.

Janet Johnson said...

LOL! That is hilarious! Ah, typos.

Marg said...

That Jack story is the saddest story. That poor cat sitting where ever he was for 2 months must have been horrible. I think there is a lot more to the story than is being said. Anyway it is all so sad.
Love your title to your article. LOL

Emily R. King said...

He is such a beautiful cat! I never would have guessed that he was listening to explosions. He's so calm and collected.

Angie Paxton said...

Thanks for the laugh! It was my first one of the day.

Anne Gallagher said...

Oh poor Jack. I once had a cat named Jack too, who ran away after we moved. So sad.

Brian's Home Blog said...

Typos can be so funny, and yours was just purrfect!

I was so sad to here about sweet Jack, that poor boy didn't deserve any of that, none.

Rene said...

Oooops, your typo made me laugh.

Ann Dziemianowicz said...

LOL! Hilarious! Can you image the alternate title? Perhaps it could go in the humor section.

You've got to keep your critique partners on their toes!

I have to say Charlie, I am impressed. You look cool as a cucumber.

And so tragic about Jack. I was hoping he would pull through.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I think you dropped the f on purpose.
And that is terrible what happened to that cat.

Lydia Kang said...

That poor kitty! I can't imagine what horrible things he went through.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kitty, that's so funny. Wouldn't be accepted by People's Friend, don't think Woman's Weekly would go for it either. Hope it sells somewhere. Good luck with it. Shame about Jack, so sad.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kitty, thanks for stopping by! I was beginning to develop a complex because you haven't stopped by in a while hahaha.Great to see you again at my new blog!

Simon Kewin said...

Heh. No doubt it spell-checked perfectly too!

Anonymous said...

Awh Charlie is sweet and just like Tarragon. She never bats an eyelid over loud bangs.
Funny about your typo.I knew someone who wrote on her assignment that she 'felt she was a friction writer'.

That is SO VERY SAD about Jack the cat. Absolutely appalling that the airline staff could be stupid and negligent to let that happen. So very sad. x

Golden Eagle said...

I hadn't heard of Jack the Cat before. That's so sad.

Debbie Coope said...

I liked the typo. Stuff like that is so funny. Have you ever been typing when your fav music is playing and started typing the lyrics.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I think, deep down, Charlie is highly amused...

Patsy said...

Oh dear, good thing you didn't send the story out with that title!

Sad news about poor Jack. Doesn't sound like they tried very hard to find him if he was still in the airport months later.

Stina said...

ROFL on the typo.

I haven't heard about Jack, but I live in Canada, so that might explain that.

ANGEL ABBYGRACE said...

Hi sweet handsome Charlie!!

We had been following the story about Jack since he was lost at JFK and were so sorry to learn he didnt make it.

purrs
>^,,^<
♥Abby♥Boo♥Ping♥Jinx♥Grace♥

klahanie said...

Ah yes, glaring typos. 'What the fork?' Now then, me thinks that aint a typo, but I've been known to get my 'metters lixed'....
Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet star was not amused with the human idiots who insisted on setting off fireworks in the streets...
All the beast, I mean, best :)
Gary
x

LynNerdKelley said...

First, thank you Old Kitty for the good laugh. That's super funny that you left the "f" out. LOVE IT!

Then I read the link about the poor cat. I had heard about the missing cat but didn't know that they had found him. That's so horrible that the poor kitty deteriorated like that, to the point that they couldn't save him. Poor Jack.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Oh! That is sad news about poor Jack! His owners must be so sad.

My husband and I flew my daughter's cats to Colorado when she moved thsi summer and we were required to take them out of their carry cases and hold them in our arms as we went through the metal detector in JFK airport. The cats were so scared and the one my husband was holding jumped out of his arms and ran away. Luckily the cat froze under a bench and my husband was able to pick him up. The cat I was holding gave me a six inch scratch on my arm as he struggled to get free from my grip. They were so good once we were on the airplane ... no one even knew they were there!

laughingwolf said...

fuzzy... i left halifax end of july, after 15 years [older daughter got her master's at dal]

kit: that's mild, compared to what i saw floating around, especially when i was still writing/editing newsletter for a major corp... no, i'm not gonna post any!

sorry about jack... i've seen ground crews purposely ruin a lot of luggage, they just don't seem to care

amanda said...

Hi charlie! you are a very handsome cat...its nice to meet you. hope you can visit my blog sometime. purrs, Rio from Barcelona

Susan Fields said...

That's such sad news about Jack. :(

It's a good thing you sent your story to a critique partner first and not straight to an editor!

LTM said...

LOL! Omg... this reminds me of my favorite story I like to tell about an editor friend of mine. She missed a typo in which the "L" was left out of the title under the new Director of *Public* Relations's name... It went out to about 20K English professors and alumni.

Ahh... typos. And so sorry about Jack the cat. Very sad. :o\

Jennifer Shirk said...

That is a real shame about Jack the cat. :(

But the title mix-up was hilarious.

Luna said...

That is too funny! Oops! Glad your CP caught it before you sent it on. My eyes get buggy from looking at words so much that I've been known to do that.

Hope you're having a fabulous week!

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness, I laughed out loud when I read the goof you made with your title. I also like what Fuzzy Tales did with his public speaking ad. Funny stuff!

Deniz Bevan said...

Oh no! Poor Jack.
Love the photo of your cat, though. The Last Shi(f)t, ha ha!

Manzanita said...

That title would attract attention. How can Charlie pretend coolness when fire crackers are booming? Cody goes nuts. Boo to whoever invented fireworks. A lot of countries take credit. A pox on them.

wildcatwoods said...

That happens to me to - spell check does not catch it as it is a word too. Hang in there Charlie! I was so sad to hear Jack had died - I wrote never to use AA or travel with any pets in cargo. If they can't come 0n the plane with me then we drive.

Jans Funny Farm said...

Thanks for the laugh! That sounds like something Jan would do. probably has done.

But we are very upset about Jack the cat. Airlines charge huge fees for an animal to ride in the cargo hold and then they forget to take them out when the plane shuts down and the animal suffocates in the heat, or they leave the carriers setting on the tarmac in extreme weather conditions or -- they just basically treat the living animals like they are auto parts or something inanimate.

Len Lambert said...

Kitty, the story about the mistake on the title of your short story is hilarious. However, the story about Jack the Cat is just so so so sad. It's breaking my heart.

Theresa Milstein said...

Oh, what a typo. At least it's not published, right?

One of my students has a learning disability and instead of writing 'first' he wrote another... gassier word. Poor boy had no idea.

Poor Jack.

Look at Charlie. He's very cool! My first cat would've been hiding under beds. I'm impressed!

Creepy Query Girl said...

bwahaha!

Talli Roland said...

Ha! I could see where that story was going... It would certainly make for an interesting read!

I'm so sorry about Jack the Cat. That's terrible.

RaShelle Workman said...

Wow, Charlie is impressive! Lying there like fireworks happen everyday. =D

As for your short story title - LOL - I'm seriously laughing hard. I did something similar when I was younger, only it was with the word shirt without the r. Oh, and it was in Sunday School, too.

Now, the stuff I do is much worse.

RaShelle Workman said...

And I'm so sad about poor Jack. That's just awful.

Helena said...

You never know -- maybe shift without the f in the title will sell more books.
It was so sad that poor Jack was so malnourished when he died that he never recovered. Terrible.

Ellen Whyte said...

MOL, we like Charlie's Critical face!

Cynthia Chapman Willis said...

Oh, that's horrible about Jack the cat. So sad.

But, the title with the missing "F"--that's hilarious.

PK HREZO said...

That is so sad. Poor Jack! It's amazing that no one found him before then.
Too funny about your title tho... um, yeah that just wouldn't be good. lol!

Anonymous said...

So sorry to hear about Jack the Cat. I would think there would be mice and rats for him to eat, what with JFK being in New York. RIP Jack the Cat.

RoySr said...

We all make errors in our typing this day and age my friend. No big one there, but it still is a bit embarrassing, I know, when you catch it after the fact.

Yes, we read, and posted a bit of a blather on the site of the news of Jack's passing.

Livid and heartbroken and definitely pis--d at the AA reluctance to bother with the search when little Jack first was discovered missing. I do believe with all my heart the little guy would be alive and well today if they had not looked on the incident as too trivial to be bothered with.

I'm thinking they, and the other airlines will definitely have problems in the future with the pet handling.

RIP Jack. Rainbow Bridge has gained a very handsome, much love little Cat Angel.

Hilary said...

LOL.. love the missing "F"

I didn't know about Jack.. heartbreaking!

Tracy said...

That is hilarious...I'm certain your friend was quite surprised!
And as for Charlie, why should he care or be amused to the mistakes of his elders? what a life...

Soggibottom said...

Soggibottom is a very very bad blogger lately.. Ah Charlie just look at you. Bless your paws :-)
Hope you were listening to something really cool........... and it was louder than the zip and crackle outside..

See the cat that was held by it's tail and swung... :-) SWUNG ? Hum.. the guy used the cat held by it's tail swung( I was right, still not sure )it around his head.. hey guy... PASS MY WAY IF YOU DARE ! ! ! !
Hope your hung drewn and quarterd to be honest !
Hey Charlie, your a cool lad......... love yer X X X If you ever need to chill, :-) you can travel South West :-) X X X As if your mum would let you :-) xxx

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

Charlie handled fireworks night really well!

YIKES! That would be an embarrassing mix up....

I didn't know about Jack. So sad. :(

Jayne said...

Oh poor Jack. I am so sad about that - I didn't read about it before. My heart breaks for him... So a gorgeous looking gentleman cat. :(

As for the typo - yikes!

Julia Williams said...

ROFL about the typo. That was truly funny. When you're dealing with words like Shift it is best to be extra careful.

I was so sad and cried when I heard that Jack didn't make it. I was so looking forward to seeing his happy reunion with his hoomin Mom Karen.

Teri and her Stylish Adventure Cats said...

Hahameow, and some of your comments made us all laff n laff, too.

meowmeowmans said...

That's very funny about the missing "f."

We were sad about Jack, too. Just terrible.

KarenMcG said...

Yep, you gotta watch where you don't put those "f's". Luckily, you had someone watching out for you.

Charlie looks cool, calm and collected...fireworks or not.

Oh, no. I hadn't heard about Jack.

William Kendall said...

Oh, that's a faux pas.

Charlie shakes his head in dismay...

Roland D. Yeomans said...

As a wee lad, I was asked to spell SHIRT and use it in a sentence. I did with "I hung my shirt out to dry." Yes, you see it coming. I had left out the R. The teacher was not amused!

I am very sad that Jack died, Roland

Jemi Fraser said...

Poor little Jack!

Love that Charlie doesn't seem affected by all that noise!

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry about Jack. :(

I'm glad your crit partner found the typo.

Rick Watson said...

Typos will get you every time. I hope yours wasn't too embarrassing, but it was funny.
Thanks for the shout out.

That's a sad story about Jack.

animal lover, quilt lover said...

Thanks so much for your visit and you glowing words about Zoie!! I think she is beautiful too!!!!!
I am going to do everything in my power to keep her the rest of her life.
xx, Happy(not happy), Zoie, & Fern