Miscellany

Health update ...


Well, I did the dirty deed. I actually got five hours of sleep continuously. That, combined with the three acquired in my long nap last night, and having eaten only a piece of cheese around midnight, I figured my tummy was empty enuf to take the dreaded pill.

It's a teeny tiny little thing. Any fool with a throat and a glass of water should be able to swallow it, right? So, I confidently put it on my tongue, take a large sip of water, and swallow. All of a sudden my tongue decides to inflate to ten times its normal size and blocks the pill's access to other regions. I take another sip of water and try again. This time the pill is rolling around in my mouth, already dissolving.

I'm getting frantic now. The Do not break, crush, suck, or chew the tablet before swallowing directive is echoing loudly in my ears. What to do? I take a VERY large sip and grit my teeth in my effort to get the **** thing to remove itself from my mouth. In the process of gritting my teeth, I accidentally crack the pill. Well, shoot! Did you hear it? That was the unidentified sound you heard at 7:24 this morning, Houston time. Now you know what it was.

I quickly swallowed the pieces, drinking all 8-oz. of water as required, and waited for the heartburn (whatever that is) to hit. Nothing. It's now an hour and a half later. Still nothing. No reaction at all, which could be either good or bad. I figure I ruined everything by cracking it. More next week.


Astros update ...


They won last night, 2-0. My, my!


Did you know? ...


... that there's a Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin? Baraboo is the former headquarters and winter home of the Ringling Brothers circus.

Well, in cruising the net earlier this morning, I came across this site, which talks about a 40th anniversary clown college reunion to be held at the museum in September. If any of you are going to be anywhere close to there, it would probably be fun to take in.

Did you know that there is a clown college? I never actually thought about the fact that there might be. I mean, I know that professional training is available for Santa Clauses, why not clowns? Just look at all the schools, colleges, and universities out there today! Why, one could even train to become a teacher or a doctor, for crying out loud! The possibilities are endless!!


While looking up info on Baraboo, WI, and giving a side glance to the nearby Wisconsin Dells, located on the Wisconsin River, I was reminded of a story Paul Harvey told just a few years back on one of his radio shows.


It seems that there had been rumors of some people swimming nude in a river not many miles outside of this small town in Wisconsin. The townsfolk were horrified and appalled that such a thing might be going on in such close proximity to their genteel little community. Scandalous!

As the rumors continued to circulate and even expand, the State Police were called in to investigate. The officer had difficulty reaching the presumed location. The closer he got, the more traffic slowed -- until finally, he had to come to a complete stop.

Frustrated beyond belief, he exited his vehicle and inquired of the occupants of the next car ahead what all of the traffic was about. (There wasn't an accident, or he'd have heard about it.) Where was everybody going?

Said occupants replied that they lived in this small town just down the road, and had heard the rumors of these awful people swimming nude in the river. They were just going to check it out and see if it was true.


Paul Harvey figured that, once the townsfolk had checked it out for themselves, then they could be added to the list of those who were, quite properly, "horrified" and "appalled".


As usual, Paul would end a story like this with a pause and then, "Have a good day!"