vicar of dibley to alice

A similar joke was once told by the Vicar to her lovely, though literal-brained, asistant, Alice. When I saw this in my email, I had to share!
(The little fang-toothed git shown above is a pumpkin I carved several years ago. It's a "permanent" pumpkin, residing in my pantry almost year-round.)

Two nuns, Sister Maureen and Sister Julie, are traveling through Europe in their car. They get to Transylvania and are stopped at a traffic light.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a tiny little Dracula jumps onto the hood of the car and hisses through the windshield.
"Quick, quick!" shouts Sister Maureen. "What shall we do?"
"Turn the windshield wipers on. That will get rid of the abomination," says Sister Julie.
Sister Maureen switches them on, knocking the mini-Dracula about, but he clings on and continues hissing at the nuns.
"What shall I do now?" she shouts.
"Switch on the windshield washer. I filled it up with Holy Water at the Vatican," says Sister Julie.
Sister Maureen turns on the windshield washer. The little Dracula screams as the water burns his skin, but he clings on and continues hissing at the nuns.
"Now what?" shouts Sister Maureen.
"Show him your cross," says Sister Julie.
"Now you're talking,' says Sister Maureen. She opens the window and shouts, "Get off the car, you fang-toothed git!"

celebrate, with fireworks

Make a wish!
Galaxies colliding!
UFO!
So many wonderful fireworks patterns!

The university was celebrating its alumni past, present, and future, this past weekend and culminated the event with the first-ever, on-campus, fireworks display extraordinaire.
Nice!

I had finally decided that I would, after all, throw myself out of the house, and southward, on that chilly Saturday night.

So, in typical short-notice style, I had invited my first niece and her current kids to join me there for the event. After all, we all enjoy fireworks!

Amazingly, she and the two boys were able to meet me there.
Yeah!

And such a fabulous show it was!
I think it may have lasted twenty minutes - maybe more!






Afterward, we stopped for some FRESH! HOT!
You know what I mean!
But in between the fireworks and the doughnuts, we met the firefighters who were there to chase stray embers.
The younger boy really enjoys meeting firemen and police officers.
They all shook his hand and he was able to climb up into the cab of the fire engine and pose for pictures of him "driving".

We must have visited with them for almost thirty minutes.
Thanks, Bobby, for your cheerful patience!
And for the toot of the siren as y'all left campus - you made a 7-year-old so very happy!

bwah ha ha!!! Count Pumpkinula!

I think I may be getting the hang of this pumpkin-carving thing.
Today, I attended my second party to do so this month.
I seem to be leaning toward lopsided grins, with or without fangs.
Probably because I have I have one of those.
Lopsided grins, that is.
No fangs...yet.
BWAH ha HA!

candy cornucopia

This was the card for my first great-niece. I, of course, just had to add the silly lines of dialogue!
Tomorrow, I'll hand-deliver the card to her at the pumpkin-carving party.
I'll have to make sure my eldest brother is standing close at hand.
After all, he is the candy corn fanatic!

brandy, you're a fine girl

MOMS IN GROUP THERAPY


A psychiatrist was conducting a group therapy session with four young mothers and their small children.

"You all have obsessions," he observed.

To the first mother, Mary, he said, "You are obsessed with eating. You've even named your daughter Candy."

He turned to the second mom, Ann: "Your obsession is with money. Again, it manifests itself in your child's name, Penny."

He turned to the third mom, Joyce: "Your obsession is alcohol. This too shows itself in your child's name, Brandy."

At this point, the fourth mother, Katie, quietly got up, took her little boy by the hand, and whispered, "Come on, Dick, this guy has no idea what he's talking about. Let's pick up Peter and Willy from school and go get dinner.

hap haphaphap py bir birth th th d d d da y

Dear Tony,

I know you can't hear him, but this otter is singing "happy birthday" to you! So, when he puts his little paws down, you'll know he's done and you can look thrilled and clap for him. Okay? But he's a very slow singer (English is not his first language), so it may take a while. Just keep checking to see when he's done!

Me, I think his earnest expression is priceless. What a sweet little otter!

Meanwhile, here's a vocabulary quiz! Joy!

slurve is:
A) ice cream drink.
B) automobile stunt.
C) baseball pitch.

chillax is:
A) ice fish.
B) calm down.
C) rudely insult.

liger is:
A) liquid measure.
B) midnight snack.
C) big cat.

Now I'm torn between writing the answers on the back or waiting until next time I write to you.

Hmmm...well, this time I won't make you wait. But next time...bwah ha ha!

slurve is a baseball pitch which combines a slider and a curve ball

chillax is to calm down, which combines chill and relax

liger is a big cat which combines a lion with a tiger

Happy birthday!
(Is that otter done yet?)

sea creatures from the garden

These are two gremlin gourds from another place in north Georgia.
Although these vegetables grew in mountain country, their yearning for life in the sea is obvious.
That's why I brought them back to marsh country with me.
Time is not on their side, in reality.
Time works quite nicely for them in the virtual world of the ethernet.

straight on till morning

As Peter Pan told Wendy, that's how you get to Neverland.
But that is not where I was bound this morning.
As I told folks, I was off to visit my youngest brother in north Georgia.
But I had stayed in a motel overnight.
As I told folks, he didn't have a place where anyone could stay overnight.
But his birthday was coming and I wanted to see him.

There have been far too many deaths this year of those I know.
Since the sixth of July, five people in my life are no longer on this planet of sunrises and sunsets.
Since the sixth of July, I have lost three family members, a work colleague, and the father of a close friend.
For my youngest brother's birthday, I wanted to hug him at least once.
This was the first time this year that I could visit him.
This may well be the only time this year I will be able to visit him.

To visit him this one time, I drove for six hours.
I waited for more than two hours in the cold of a mountain morning before it was my turn to enter the security room.
I had fortunately brought a jacket and worn socks with my shoes.
I already knew I was not permitted to wear shorts or a dress.

I had arrived at 8:55 this morning, knowing that visitation would open at 9 AM.
After waiting in line, outside in the chill breath of the mountains, I signed in on the visitors' log at the security room at 11:16 AM.
By the time I entered the visitation room, the time was 11:30 AM.
"Count" was in full swing and I would not see him until after it was completed at 1 PM.
I sat there and cried.

I had hoped they would permit him to come earlier.
After all, he was the crew leader who had installed the new tile throughout the visitation center.
He was the one who had suggested laying the tile on the diagonal in the visitation room.
He was the one who implemented that design, brightening the space where families and friends shared time.
I had hoped he, and therefore I, would receive special consideration on this first visitation day this year.
I had hoped.

Eventually, when it became obvious that it would be at least 1 PM before I would see him, and knowing visitation would still end at 3 PM for all there, I determined to make the best of this horrid situation.
I had already bought hot wings and a sloppy joe sandwich from the vending machines.
I had planned ahead and brought my twenty dollars' worth of quarters in a clear ziploc bag.
I decided to go ahead and heat the food before he came out, so our time together would not be spent with me waiting in line for use of one of the two microwaves.
So our time together would be time together.

Of course he arrived in the doorway just as my turn finally came for the microwave.
The woman behind me held my place as I rushed to greet him.
Then he waited in the yellow chair until I could join him.
I sat in the black chair after getting one more hug.
I had left my glasses in the other black chair while I was in line at the microwaves.
More visitors were coming in and I wanted to hold our spot.
I had the seats we usually used for our visits, near the front and center.
It was good to be able to sit there with him and talk.

He had not known I was coming.
He had not yet received the letter in which I wrote that I was, for sure, coming for this first visitation weekend this year.
I had mailed it earlier that week, but Columbus Day had interfered with its passage to him.
It had not arrived there in time for the last mail delivery on Thursday.
He was surprised and happy that I had come to see him.
He was more surprised and happier that I had come to see him for his birthday.

I had surprised him with a birthday visit last year, too.
That had been a happier occasion and we had visited for five hours.

Our visit this time was not quite two hours.
I know that he prefers to not be part of the mass strip search after the visitors leave.
I know he prefers that we part just a little earlier so he can have a less-stressful strip experience.
When the guard announced that visitation was ending in thirty minutes, we began our goodbyes.
When the guard announced that visitation was ending in fifteen minutes, we stood for our last hugs.
Definitely plural hugs.
Then I left and retrieved my jacket.
Then I retrieved my keys and driver's license from the security room.
Then I sat in my warm car and drove away, drove south back to the main highway.
There I bought food and stopped just long enough to check in with the first niece, the peace Guy, the bff.
Then I drove nonstop back to my own driveway.
I checked in once more with those three who know and love me.

And I feel better now than I have felt for some time.

prettier than it has to be

This is a simple plate of hummus and grilled pita.
But look how beautiful it is!
I do so enjoy food that is presented well. Then again, you may have picked up on that from quite a few of the photographs I've posted here over the years.
This was part of my dinner last night. I had met with the squirrel mistress for an unexpected dinner. She had phoned to say she was going to be downtown and would I care to join her for dinner before she returned to the 'burb "where it's cooler." (Local joke, y'all.)
I had suggested Kayak Kafe, as the food is good, inexpensive, and located right on the main drag. This place has become one of my favorites anytime I'm in the area.
She had never been and jumped at the chance to check it out.
The above dish is one of the appetizers, but I like it with a bowl of soup. The combo makes a very nice dinner (or lunch), filling enough without being too heavy. Just what you need on a hot summer night!
Satisfying to the body and the soul.

1 in a 1,000,000

On the 10th of this month, I received good news in my email:
Kiva just hit the 1 MILLION lender mark! You are now officially one in a million inspiring changemakers, pioneers, and poverty fighters! We can't thank you enough for helping Kiva get to this point.
On behalf of our borrowers and all of us at Kiva, thank you -- and congratulations on being one of the first!

I joined Kiva in July of 2012 because the Nerdfighters group was having a membership drive. (I no longer recall how I stumbled upon the Nerdfighters. The important thing is this: I did.) The deal was this: an "angel" (an unnamed sponsor) would provide $25 to each new member. The new member would then "donate" this money toward a loan for a struggling business owner in some country. The business owner was then responsible for repaying this loan, with the money going back into the lender's acoount. The lender could then make anothe loan to a new business owner.
So, for no cost to me, I was able to do a good deed.
Hey, life doesn't get better than that!
Do a favor for a stranger for free?
That's easier, and faster, than giving blood. Why wouldn't someone participate?

At that time, I had also invested $25 of my own money to fund someone else's dream of a better life. On September 21, 2013, that loan was repaid in full and I again had $25 to invest. On that very same day, I selected a group in Bolivia to receive that amount from me, towards their loan.
When I did, here's the message I received from Kiva:

"Dear Faustina,
Thank you for making a Kiva Loan!
We're so excited that you've chosen to give a hand up to entrepreneurs working towards better lives.
Best wishes,
The Kiva Team
www.kiva.org
Loans that change lives"

You can change a life, too.
And you can do so the very same way I first did.
For free.
Using the money of an angel.
Just use this link.

Become 1 in the next 1,000,000.

be a GOOD cookie

Trick or treat?

Why not perform a good trick of giving life-saving, renewable blood?

In return, Keebler will provide free cookie or fruit treats.

Trick and treats!

hat trick, redux

Yesterday, I had dinner with the bfe. Yeah, once upon a time that seemed to be a fairly regular thing, but not these days. Our schedules have gone awry, but maybe that will change soon.
Tonight, I had dinner from him - and that was good. It had been a long day and I was relieved to not have to think about what was to be my dinner. The Smoked Mozzarella Chicken was at least as good, if not better, than it had been the night before. No, not leftovers - this was a full portion, part of their current promotion, "Buy One, Take One". So, he and I were able to enjoy a meal there, complete with soup and breadsticks, then each have a free meal to eat another night. Minus the soup and breadsticks. And minus each other's company.
The dinner had been his idea and his treat.
A very nice surprise. To be honest, I had thought we might be splitting the check. We once took turns picking up the tab, as friends do, but I had certainly lost track of whose "turn" it might be. Perhaps it was his turn? Still, it was a nice treat to not have to pay and to have another night's free dinner.
So, as I was dining tonight, I was inspired to do something nice for others.
And I realized that I have been doing so for my three brothers.
Another hat trick.
Unlike that previous occasion, when I had accomplished the feat in a single day, this has been spread out over slightly more than a week. Also, the trio of deeds will not be completed until Sunday, so, technically, I should have to wait until then to write about it. Right?
Probably. But I choose to do so now. I have time now.
As it is, I have truly only completed one task at this writing. Last Thursday, for my eldest brother, I worked for him for four hours. I had only intended to be there at his office for an hour or so, to prepare his monthly sales tax and his federal and state quarterly taxes. Well, that turned out to be a greater task than either of us had planned. So, after close to two hours had passed, he went off to another meeting and I stayed to continue wrestling with numbers.
By the time I had completed my initial goals, as well as updated his inventory and written some needed invoices, I thought I would catch up on some data entry for his subcontractors. You know, just do a little good deed, get that caught up, too.
Instead, I found he had not yet entered any of that information. For the entire year. And it's now the tenth month. Jeez.
Well, in for a penny, in for a pound, as they say. I slogged away at the task given myself until all of the checks written to labor subcontractors had been entered into the program. Done! Four hours of my time spent to better his work load and keep his business more organized. Definitely a good deed.
Yesterday afternoon, I spoke to my middle brother. I have bought a new phone for him for three months running. For three months in a row, he has lost his phone. I had told him the last time that he needed to keep better track of his phone, as I am only working part-time right now and cannot afford to spend $100 on a new phone (including month's service) evry month. After all, that sum represents almost half of a week's pay for me.
So, as I was saying, I spoke to him yesterday afternoon. One of his friends had called me, then put my brother on the phone. I was determined not to relent and pay for yet another phone for him...but, tomorrow morning at ten AM, that is what I will do.
After all, he needs to be able to keep in touch with family and that will not happen without a phone. He needs to be able to keep in touch with former employers, so they will know he is available for work. He needs to be able to have a lifeline.
I am the one who decreed it to be so, ever since he had a TIA during the summer of 2010. Thank God he was with his girlfriend, so she was able to call for an ambulance. Of course, she was also part of the problem, as they were both smoking crack at the time. Still, she did call for help, so I give her props for that.
That transpired during a period when he was not paying for a phone. Other materials demanded his money, other fun trips away from the reality of the world. If she had not been with him, he most likely would have died. he would have had this ticking time bomb that no one was aware of and he would have had no means of calling for help.
That was a reality check for him, and also for me. I found I would rather pay for him to have phone service than to risk losing him from my world. So, ever since then, I have made sure he had a phone.
Lately, though, he has been losing phones and aggravating me greatly.
Still, when I neet him tomorrow for this new phone and service, I will probably take him to breakfast, too. I think I can definitely plan on that. And I will take the time to enter his contacts into his phone, so they will be ready for him to use right away.
I am also going to require him to check in with me and his daughter every week, just so we can hear his voice and know he is alive. And so he can hear our voices and know that we care. That way, the phone will be a benefit for all of us, but mostly for him.
As for my youngest brother, I will see him on Sunday. This will be the first time this year that he has been allowed visitation. The prison he is housed in has been on lockdown ever since the beginning of this year. Three inmates deaths in as many weeks, an ineffective and dirty warden, about two hundred (!) cells with nonfunctioning locks, dangerous men able to come and go at will. Very scary stuff.
I have tried to do my best to send him comfort and love this year. Still, nothing beats seeing someone you love in the flesh, you know? To be able to give them a hug and receive one in turn...nothing beats that for comfort. So, I will take the six-hour trip to see him. I will visit with him for the four or five hours we will be given: sharing hugs, eating snack-machine lunches, catching up on sights and sounds to store in memory until the next "live and in person" event. Then I will drive the six hours back home, happier than before.
Hat trick, done.

got pumpkin?

At first, it was simply a pumpkin, growing in a sandy patch of ground, soaking up sunshine and drinking sweet rain. It was a pumpkin in the wild, not yet separated from its tether to the great Earth on which it grew. It was living the good life, unaware that a change was coming with the crisp coolness in the air and the lengthening nights.

One sunny fall day, change came. No more would the pumpkin bask in sunshine and wake to morning dew. Workers arrived with blades and severed the pumpkin from its strong green lifeline. They gently placed it into the harvest truck, mindful that pumpkins have tender flesh which, like that of all living things, will bruise if treated roughly.

As soon as the truck arrived to the hillside by the highway, the workers quickly, and ever so gently, tossed the pumpkin and others like it onto the ground, forming neat rows, much like those in which the pumpkin once grew. The pumpkin felt more at home, especially as the sun was still warm on its firm rind. People admired its warm color, too.

The woman had sought The Great Pumpkin, but had not found it. She spotted the pumpkin with its deep orange skin and warty veins. Only five dollars? She picked it up, careful of its remnant of a stem. She cradled the bas-relief flesh close to her side, then stowed the unique pumpkin into a cloth bag. Soon, it was the belle of the ball at a carving party.

Carving?!? The pumpkin's rind was pierced repeatedly near its stem until finally the stem could be used to lift the separated circlet away. Pumpkin innards streamed down, entangled pumpkin seeds gleaming whitely in the sudden light of the afternoon sun. The creamsicle-hued inner flesh was firm and moist.

As the pumpkin was divested of its seeds and the stringy goop in which they existed, another woman was already at work on its companion from Burt's Farm. The pale, green-tinted skin had hidden a deeply orange interior, which was now being revealed by the deft strokes of the knife. A ghost kitty face was in the making.

What design would be carved into, and through, its flesh? The purchaser started with one design, but changed to better accommodate the quirks of the warts on this shapely pumpkin. Some slow cuts through the rind, some quicker knife scrapes to the spongy inner flesh, and the work was done. A rotund face with one eye open and one eye gone, wearing a crooked, narrow-lipped grin, now animated the pumpkin's surface.
And when the lights go out... Boo!

company of strangers

I attended two very different events tonight.

The first event was planned and was based on an interview read yesterday. "The Luck of the Draw and Other Tales of Unnatural Selection" starred 7-fingered Liz Gibson. She is a very inspirational young woman, making lemonade from her birth to two drug-addicted parents. As a direct result of their addictions, she was born with only a thumb and single finger on her right hand. Now, she has a master's degree and four characters to help others learn how to appreciate "defects" through her deformance art.
For the deformance this evening at the small gallery, she had chosen her teenaged persona, Ben Wa Betty, to catch and hold our attention. And that she did, from the green-fur-covered chair with its red "flowers" before her appearance to the very last words of her song encouraging us to "pick the full-petaled flowers". Although the focus was on her current actions to inform and educate the world, I don't believe she is truly aware of what a difference she has already made simply by existing out in the open. She was educated in public schools, so every child and every adult that ever was in her presence was affected in some way.
Hopefully, those people touched by her existence are more open to acceptance of others' physical differences. Maybe, just maybe, they are also more accepting of the less-obvious, internal differences which all people have.
She told four stories, from her own life, of the trials of teenaged girls with physical defects. There was the olderly asian woman who wanted to touch her malformed hand "for good luck". There was the football hero who asked her out, then was appalled on the date when he saw her hand (which had been in her jacket pocket) and couldn't wait for the date to end. There was the man who wanted to date her simply because she had a deformity. There was the bank teller, with her own malformed hand, who was so relieved to meet another pretty girl who had grown up with a defect.
Except for the nature of the defect, her stories could have been those of any teenager. In those sensitive years, any difference from others is perceived to be an insurmountable hurdle. Wrong color of eyes or hair or skin, wrong religion, wrong economic level, wrong grades...with wrong being defined as "different than desired".
Like I said, I did enjoy the talk very much and was glad I was there and not sitting at home in front of a one-eyed monster. (Admittedly, though, without this modern Cyclops I could not post this.)
With that salley forth successful, I decided to go see a movie. So, just a little later, I was off to see "Baggage Claim" at the Spotlight, courtesy of Groupon. At first, I noticed some folks at the back of the cinema and was concerned that they might chatter throughout the movie. No worries! When they heard me laughing, they moved up closer and turned out to be two friendly ladies glad to see someone openly enjoying the story. Enjoy it I did, too. It was a very fun movie, eliciting lots of much-needed laughter, and it was nice to have the companionship of strangers.
Odd, but sometimes I need that.
These past three months have taken a toll on my mirth level.
Strangers allow me a respite from hard times.

visible trees

Sleeping while driving.
Y'all, please take notice.
What a needless loss of a man who seemed tireless.
Only 53 and already gone, healthy and in the prime of life.
According to the police report, his car hit several trees after leaving the highway pavement.
Perhaps he had the car on "cruise control" mode, so the gas pedal remained depressed until the engine was finally damaged enough to cease running, allowing the car to do the same.
We can only hope Mark Finlay felt no pain.
Unlike those left behind to mourn his loss.

level one csi agent!

This has been my final day in Las Vegas and I had one more Groupon to use.
Off I went to the MGM Grand, for the Lion Habitat, a stroll through the Rain Forest Cafe...
and a journey into "CSI: The Experience"!

I opted for this nifty keepsake of my adventures as an agent in training.
Major Coolness, that was my name.
(smile)

The case I worked was titled "Who Got Served?" and it was a doozy.
A young woman's body had been found in an alley.
A tire tread was across her belly and a torn photo of her was nearby.
Who had done such a deed?

I analyzed the data from the lab report, including her DNA and stomach contents.
I analyzed the types of vehicles that had that tire tread.
I analyzed the fingerprints on the ripped photograph.
And I successfully solved the crime!

I have an official certificate, too!
I am now a graduate of "CSI: The Experience" school of hard knocks!
836274 is my Level One CSI Agent Identification.
Woohoo!

That was great fun - and made good use of my skills as an analytical chemist, too.
Do you guess that means I can write this trip off on my taxes?
(smile)

musubi snacks and moonwalks

Before I left for Fall Break in Las Vegas, I visited groupon to see what deals I might want. That was a great idea! I found out about the 8th Annual Pure Aloha Fall Festival and Concerts at the Rio! I found out abour the MJ LIve: Michael Jackson Tribute Show at the Rio! And I was able to coordinate the two events for one grand day and evening on this sunny Sunday in October. Sweet!!!
I knew today would be the final day for the Pure Aloha Festival, so I had thought things might be winding down, some of the vendors gone, perhaps no more stage events. Wrong, wrong, and wrong! True, I had arrived fairly early - hey, my "$8 for two tickets" voucher said 11 AM as the start time and I had arrived about 11:15. Still, this IS Las Vegas, home of nocturnal creatures. The entertainment hadn't yet begun, but the merchandisers and food vendors were already displaying their wares.

First up was this SPAM concoction. I had already made the outer circuit of vendors and was cruising the inner lines when the word "SPAM" leapt out at me. Kama'aina Kravings' menu listed several variations of musubi and when I asked the young woman behind the register about them, she described them as "Hawaiian comfort food". Good enough for me! At $5 for two, I decided I could eat one there and save the other for later.
I opted to NOT get the deep-fried version. As it was, the musubi was roughly palm-sized, with a thick block of white rice and healthy seaweed paper. And you know what? It was quite tasty! The fishy taste of the seaweed combined surprisingly well with the hammy taste of the meat. I can certainly understand why it's called comfort food!

For my main entree, I ventured back to a booth that billed itself as healthy food, but...seriously? If you offer barbequed pork and grilled sausage, that isn't quite healthy, is it? No. But it was tasty! Also, as you can see, they offer heapin' helpin's of food for only $8. They even let me split the meat portion into half chicken and half sausage and didn't charge extra. Nice! My favorite part of this meal, though, was the Hawaiian corn. The man said it was his grandma's recipe and that she liked to have it for dessert. Corn kernels with shredded coconut and some coconut milk, that's all it was. Delicious, too, especially with the spicy sausage!
While dining, I spoke to several visitors at the table. Like me, most happened to be in Las Vegas and had stumbled upon the festival, but some regular attendees were there, too. After all, where else will they eat island food in this landlocked part of the world? I even had some Portuguese doughnuts (malasadas) later from the Hula Halua Kaleo O'Kalani booth - a baker's half-dozen! (They were good as not-too-sweet desserts for my next few meals in that neon-bedecked town.)

Seven drummers had been entertaining all of us as we ate beneath the canopied tables. Then, at 1 PM, the dancing began! The Hupa Hula Overall Competition began, with the winners from the previous three days now dancing for the grand title. Most of the dancers were women, some teenaged, some in their twenties and thirties, and one each in the categories of forty and over-fifty year old. Believe me, those older women certainly had the moves!
But what I liked best were the male dancers. Shake it, shake it, baby, aahhh, shake it, shake it... Ah, pardon my drool, but if you had been there, you would know exactly what I mean. Just in case, the photo above is of one of those young men. Very nice!
Next up was a six- (or was that seven-)man band called Mele Ka Mana. Some of the songs were definitely danceable, some seemed to be ballads, most were not in English. A group of dancers happened upon the scene during the last few songs and that was very entertaining.
But I was starting to flag. The morning sun had taken its toll on my energy level, so I decided to catch the free shuttle back to Bally's on The Strip. Maybe I would take a nap, maybe not, but I would definitely get out of the sun for a while.
I didn't take a nap, but I did take a cool shower and that revived me. Plus, I ate my other musubi and one of the malasadas and that recharged my energy levels. Back up the road to Bally's I walked, making it there just in time to take the last seat on the shuttle - whew! There are distinct advantages to traveling solo and this was definitely one of them. Most groups didn't want to be split up, so singles could usually get lone seats as the vehicle filled up. Yeah, me!

I made it to Rio just in time to get in line for the show...which meant almost ninety minutes before the doors would open. Whoa. I had not expected that. Good thing I had already exchanged my groupon voucher for my ticket, as that line was already long, too.
The show was very good. If I had not already seen the Meat Loaf event, I may have enjoyed it more. And if there had not been a microphone/mixer issue during the first song, that would have helped, too. But by the third song, I was suspending disbelief and was dancing in my seat to Thriller, Billie Jean, Black and White - oh, yeah! Then he started doing some of the old Jackson 5 numbers and I was loving it! By the time all was sung and danced, I'd had a great time.

By 9:30 that night, I was on the shuttle (last single seat again!) back to my side of Sin City. I had promised myself that I would venture to Twin Peaks to check out their venison chili and bread pudding. I had noticed those two items on their menu a couple of days earlier and was intrigued. First of all: venison chili? Oh, really? And we all know how crazy I am about bread pudding, don't we?
So, as it was on my way "home" to Polo Towers, it was a natural to stop by. I had one of the best waitresses ever. Attentive, friendly, helpful... and she wrote such nice things on my receipt! The food was very good, too, and I look forward to having the bread pudding in the morning for breakfast.
I gave her the ice cream.

must have been whle you were kissing me

... you took the words right out of my mouth!

The next man I ever kiss needs to see the romance in the Meat Loaf.

The next man I ever kiss needs to believe Steinman wrote some of the best love songs ever.

The next man I ever kiss has some pretty big shoes to fill.

football schedule

This was sent to me by my long-time friend, one-time chemistry professor, and all-the-time British man, Cedric Stratton. Enjoy!
**** **** **** **** ****

Two 70-year-old men, Mike and Joe, have been friends all of their lives.

When it's clear that Joe is dying, Mike visits him every day.

One day Mike says, "Joe, we both loved football all our lives, and we played football on Saturdays together for so many years. Please do me one favour, when you get to Heaven, somehow you must let me know if there's football there."

Joe looks up at Mike from his death bed," Mike, you've been my best friend for many years. If it's at all possible, I'll do this favour for you."
Shortly after that, Joe sadly passes on.

At midnight a couple of nights later, Mike is awakened from a sound sleep by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calling out to him, "Mike..... Mike."

"Who is it?" Asks Mike sitting up suddenly. "Who is it?"

"Mike - it's me, Joe."

"You're not Joe. Joe just died!"

"I'm telling you, it's me, Joe," insists the voice.

"Joe! Where are you?"

"In heaven", replies Joe. "I have some really good news and a little bad news."

"Tell me the good news first," says Mike.

"The good news," Joe says, "is that there's football in heaven. Better yet, all of our old friends who died before us are here, too. Better than that, we're all young again. Better still, it's always spring time and it never rains or snows. Our wives are there too, and young and pretty as ever! And best of all, we can play football all we want, and we never get tired!!"

That's fantastic," says Mike. "It's beyond my wildest dreams! So what's the bad news?"

"You're in the team for this Saturday".

**** **** **** **** ****
This one's for you, Frank, George and David.

he stopped loving her today

Rest in peace, cousin David Kopek and Gwen Ladd.
Separated in July by her death.
Together again, forever.