Up a tree

Don't you just want to climb up in it? Look! It's for sale! Who cares about the house...

This tree lives on the corner going up into Grafton center from where I live. When I had my dogs, I used to walk under it sometimes to avoid the street and potential clipping by hell-bent commuters whipping around the corner on their way home. I don't know how old it is, but it looks like it's seen a lot of changes in this town. Maybe some family with kids will buy the place and they can climb it, unless kids aren't allowed to do that anymore for fear of falling. Anyway, this time of year it offers welcome shade to anyone fool enough, such as me, to go out walking in the heat of the day. Back before air conditioning and year-round rushing around, I imagine that shade trees like this one were much more appreciated.

9:30:55 PM      trackback [] 

DWI – driving while ingesting

You gotta love how families never let you live down anything you’ve ever done in your life, from your first amusing mangling of the language to adult faux pas. When I was a teenager and first driving – apparently with all of my family members in the car, although I don’t remember the exact circumstances – my father or brother (can't remember which) chastised me for trying to drive with one hand while eating an apple in the other. Hey, at least it wasn’t a stick shift and this was well before cell phones, though probably not before McDonald’s drive-through. Anyway, my answer, as remembered and trotted out whenever someone feels the inspiration, was: “I can eat an apple with one hand!” My feeling is that, per usual, they just never let me finish what I was saying. Probably I was about to say “…and drive with the other.” But they were jumping on me, “We know you can eat an apple with one hand, we’re worried about you driving with one!”

So this was, what, 25-30 years ago? Anyway, yesterday my brother sent me this story from the Des Moines Register, “Teen says eating corn not factor in crash,” with the subject line, “I can eat corn with one hand.” Today he sent a picture of Kerry on the campaign trail somewhere, presumably in Iowa, sticking his head out the window of the campaign bus holding an ear of husked corn in each hand. The subject line reads “Kerry prevents bus crash” and the made-up story is, “Bus driver says, ‘I can husk corn with one hand...’” Yuk yuk. And this afternoon, not to be undone, a photo of Bush wielding an ear of half-eaten corn at the photographer: "Bush shows he also can eat corn one-handed."

Hmm. Well, I suppose it's good we're getting along again. And keeping the politics at this level might prevent future crashes.

5:48:23 PM      trackback []