From djs2@cec.wustl.eduFri Apr 26 09:08:44 1996 Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 23:24:09 -0500 From: Dale Sanko Subject: Stranded Engineer >> STRANDED ENGINEER >> >> There was this male engineer, on a cruise ship in the Caribbean >>for the first time. It was wonderful, the experience of his life. He was >>being waited on hand an foot. But, it did not last. A Hurricane came up >>unexpectedly. The ship went down almost instantly. >> The man found himself, he knew not how, swept up on the shore of >>an island. There was nothing else anywhere to be seen. No person, no >>supplies, nothing. The man looked around. There were some bananas and >>coconuts, but that was it. He was desperate, and forlorn, but decided to >>make the best of it. So for the next four months he ate bananas, drank >>coconut juice and mostly looked to the sea mightily for a ship to come to >>his rescue. >> One day, as he was lying on the beech stroking his beard and >>looking for a ship, he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. Could >>it be true, was it a ship? No, from around the corner of the island came >>this rowboat. In it was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen, or at >>least seen in 4 months. She was tall, tanned, and her blond hair flowing in >>the sea breeze gave her an almost ethereal quality. She spotted him also as >>he was waving and yelling and screaming to get her attention. She rowed her >>boat towards him. >> In disbelief, he asked, "Where did you come from? How did you get >>here"? >> She said, "I rowed from the other side of the island. I landed on >>this island when my cruise ship sank" >> "Amazing", he said, "I didn't know anyone else had survived. How >>many of you are there? Where, did you get the rowboat? You must have been >>really lucky to have a rowboat wash-up with you?" >> "It is only me", she said, "and the rowboat didn't wash up, >>nothing else did." >> "Well then", said the man, "how did you get the rowboat?" >> I made the rowboat out of raw material that I found on the >>island, replied the woman. The oars were whittled from Gum tree branches, I >>wove the bottom from Palm branches, and the sides and stern came from a >>Eucalyptus tree". >> "But, but, asked the man, what about tools and hardware, how did >>you do that?" >> "Oh, no problem," replied the woman, "on the south side of the >>island there is a very unusual strata of alluvial rock exposed. I found >>that If I fired it to a certain temperature in my kiln, it melted into >>forgeable ductile iron. I used that for tools, and used the tools to make >>the hardware. But, enough of that, she said. Where do you live?" >> At last the man was forced to confess that he had been sleeping >>on the beach. >> "Well, let's row over to my place, she said." So they both got >>into the rowboat and left for her side of island. >> The woman easily rowed them around to a wharf that led to the >>approach to her place. She tied up the rowboat with a beautifully woven >>hemp rope. They walked up a stone walk and around a Palm tree, there stood >>an exquisite bungalow painted in blue and white. >> "It's not much, she said, but I call it home. Sit down please, >>would you like to have a drink?" >> "No, said the man, one more coconut juice and I will puke." >> "It won't be coconut juice, the woman replied, I have a still, >>how about a Pina Colada? Trying to hide his continued amazement, the man >>accepted, and they sat down on her couch to talk. >> After a while, and they had exchanged their stories, the woman >>asked, "Tell me, have you always had a beard?" >> "No", the man replied, "I was clean shaven all of my life, and >>even on the cruise ship". >> "Well if you would like to shave, there is a man's razor upstairs >>in the cabinet in the bathroom." So, the man, no longer questioning >>anything, went upstairs to the bathroom. There in the cabinet was a razor >>made from a bone handle, two shells honed to a hollow ground edge were >>fastened on to its end inside of a swivel mechanism. The man shaved, >>showered and went back down stairs.. >> "You look great, said the woman, I think I will go up and slip >>into something more comfortable." So she did. >> And, the man continued to sip his Pina Colada. After a short >>time, the woman returned wearing fig leafs strategically positioned and >>smelling faintly of gardenia. >> "Tell me, she asked, we have both been out here for a very long >>time with no companionship. You know what I mean. Have you been lonely, is >>there anything that you really miss? Something that all men and woman need. >>Something that it would be really nice to have right now." >> "Yes there is, the man replied, as he moved closer to the woman >>while fixing a winsome gaze upon her, "Tell me ... Do you happen to have an >>Internet connection?" >> > > > > > \|/ (@ @) ----------------------------oOO--(_)--OOo----------------------------------- ``` ''' Dale James Sanko djs2@cec.wustl.edu or Miel55@aol.com Washington University http://www.cec.wustl.edu/~djs2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------