The Necklace

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  “SHE WAS one of those pretty, charming young ladies, born, as if through an error of destiny, into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no hopes, no means of becoming known, appreciated, loved, and married by a man either rich or distinguished; and she allowed herself to marry a petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education. . . .  She had neither frocks nor jewels, nothing. And she loved only those things. She felt that she was made for them. She had such a desire to please, to be sought after, to be clever, and courted.” —THE NECKLACE Guy de Maupassant    France, 1884 (pic by Grok) Read this short story here:  https://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/the-necklace

USMC Ultimate Challenge Mud Run 2014

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"Before" and "After" pics (thanks, Kennedy!). Difficult to get cameras down on the course of 6.2 miles and 36 obstacles, so here's all we have. The rest is burned into our memories.

It's early, the sun is coming up and the mud is warmed to just above freezing . . . and believe me when I say there was mud.


The following are "post" pics and any remaining mud has dried.


His shirt was white when we started!




 This was in my shorts. Lots of it.









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