ERIC APPRECIATION DAY

Eric is the gentleman who started cooking for Amalie and me several years ago. He continues to do so now for Clifford and me, bringing meals he cooks at home (he lives here in the park) that’s good for 4 days each for the two of us. He performs other tasks for us, as well. For example, Am and I used to make our bed each morning, but I had reached a point where I could no longer do that. I’d said that I wanted an automatic bedmaker. That shouldn’t be too hard, I insisted. And so, in addition to the other tasks he was doing for us, Eric became our “automatic” bedmaker.

About once a month he drives up to Napa in the north bay to visit his father, and it is on those days when Amalie and I (then), and Cliff and I (now) have to fend for ourselves. And when those days occur, I refer to them as Eric Appreciation Day, for it is when he is not here that we really appreciate his efforts. About a month ago, Eric informed us that a client of his wanted to bring him along on a two week cruise to the Mexican Riviera -- all expense paid. Well! Eric had never been on a cruise before, and he could scarcely say “No”. So Eric is now off on the cruise of his lifetime, and while he will be gone only two weeks, I have dubbed this Eric Appreciation Month!


Funny:

Now if you thought you knew all about this sort of thing, think again. The following photo came to me labeled:

HOW TWINS ARE MADE

IT ‘S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE, IT’S A ...

Balloon? No, balloons (plural). We should all give thanks to my various friends who send me some of the most intriguing emails! A dear couple who live nearby are off to New Mexico for, among other things, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. And they are emailing photos to me (among others). And so we (my readers and I) my enjoy them. So please do. Enjoy, that is.








































































































































































































































Humor --

Three men were arrested with 600 pounds of pot. Suspicions arose at a Burger King when they ordered 12,000 cheeseburgers and a large coke.


***
The graveside service just barely finished, when there was massive clap
of thunder, followed by a tremendous bolt of lightning, accompanied by
even more thunder rumbling in the distance.
The little old man looked at the pastor and calmly said, 'Well, she's there.

Three fascinating stories

A friend of mine subscribes to the Reader’s Digest Condensed Books, and a few years ago she loaned me one in particular because there was a certain story she thought I would enjoy. And enjoy it I did. But I also read the other stories in that volume, and one in particular struck me -- Barbara Delinsky’s THE SUMMER I DARED. I was so taken with that plot that I went and bought the book.

Our Mobile Home Park clubhouse has a collection of books donated by the residents. I frequently avail myself of this library, and a few weeks ago picked up another of the Reader’s Digest Condensed Books. This one also contained a most unusual story by Will North, entitled THE LONG WALK HOME. I want to read that one in its entirety.

Then today I read yet another gripping Reader’s Digest Condensed Books story entitled THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE by Kristin Hannah. Found that one at a good price at Amazon, so I will be reading that story in its entirety.

The story lines of these three books are not at all similar; yet each resonated with me. They are all fiction, but the characters in all these stories feel like real people. And while the stories are all different, they each have a thread that, to me, links them together. That link is love, expressed in different ways in each of the stories, but somehow the same.

If any of you have read any of these authors, I’d be interested in your comments.

This video is funny:

FALL COLORS

Once again I have photos sent to me that you may enjoy. A short while back there was something on Alison’s blog about fall colors, and whaddya know! I was sent some gorgeous fall color photos. Enjoy!


















































































































































































































On the other hand ...

Some friends were on a trip to the Great Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado), and they emailed some photos they took. Fall colors -- so labeled by them:
















Fun:

A youngster is out walking his dog. “Say,” says a neighbor, “is that a new dog you’ve got?”
“Yup,” replies the youngster, “this is my $50 thousand dog!”
“Fifty thousand!” says the neighbor. “How could you afford a $50 thousand dog?”
“Easy,” says the youngster. “Got him for two $25 thousand cats!”

BUSY DAY

Every year, for many years, Amalie and I had bought season tickets for the Community Concert Series in Los Gatos, about 20 minutes away. This year, although Am is no longer with me, I once again bought season tickets. There are several people I know who enjoy these musical events, and as it happened, I was chatting with one on Saturday when she said to me, “Don’t we have a concert tomorrow?” Oops. “Hold on. I’ll go check the tickets.” Sure enough, Sunday afternoon was the appointed day. Cliff acted as chauffer, and off we went to hear the Canadian Tenors, four fellows with remarkable voices. Quite an afternoon!

Then after dropping said friend off at home, Cliff and I drove over to Milpitas, also about 20 minutes away, in a different direction, to have dinner at the Red Lobster. Delicious! I couldn’t finish the whole thing, though Cliff packed his away like a trooper -- a hungry trooper. Never fear; I brought the “remains” of mine home.

My only complaint, if you can call it that, is that I didn’t get my afternoon nap. Tsk, tsk. I’ll sleep well tonight.

Humor:

Two elderly gentlemen from a retirement center were sitting on a bench 
under a tree when one turns to the other and says: 'Slim, I'm 83 years 
old now and I'm just full of aches and pains. I know you're about my age. 
How do you feel?' 
Slim says, 'I feel just like a newborn baby.' 
'Really!? Like a newborn baby!?' 
'Yep. No hair, no teeth, and I think I just wet my pants.'

SCOOTER UPDATE

"They are presumably ordering the correct part to be shipped overnight, and then I can have it on Tuesday. I’m not holding my breath." That's what I wrote several days ago.

It's a good thing I didn't -- hold my breath, that is! Tuesday arrived, but the part did not. I was told that it had been shipped by air, but I think they used a flock of carrier pigeons who had to walk part of the way. It -- the part -- and the pigeons arrived on Wednesday.

Poor birds were pooped, but they brought the part in good shape. I'm glad to have my scooter back.

Fun:

Scientists say they have discovered the missing link -- a little monkey that lived mostly on twigs and berries. That makes it the direct ancestor of today’s supermodel.

THERE, I FIXED IT!

That was the subject line on the incoming email.I really didn’t have anything else to write about, but these photos came in this morning. Thought you might enjoy them.






















































































My favorite!















Note to Diana Troldahl:
Glad to hear you're a Gabaldon fan. There are a number of us around here who made it to her appearance. If you ever have the opportunity to hear her, please do so. She is at least as funny in person as in her writing. Very dry humor. Have you finished AN ECHO IN THE BONE?
I think it's the best of the bunch, and that's saying something! (You can respond at my email:
chippep@earthlink.net

Other fun -

A train station is where the train stops. A bus station is where the bus stops. Now there is a workstation on my desk.

Patron to bartender: “I’ll have what the fella on the floor is having”.

A 2006 study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year.
Another study found that Americans drink an average of 22 gallons of beer a year.
That means, on average, Americans get about 41 miles per gallon.