Birthdays

Just found out that a girl I love, across the miles, had to put her doggie to sleep yesterday. And I feel sad for her. And for him. Though I have/had never met either of them, in person.

R.I.P., Dylan.

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Today is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. ’Course, some places observed it yesterday, and some won’t ’til Presidents’ Day, whenever that is, when, apparently, Honest Abe and George Washington are honored. (Forgive me if I am not the most reverent — or is it reverant? — regarding such holidays; you get a little jaded when you only get off work for the “major” holidays.)

Last summer, I went to Springfield and toured some of the Lincoln sites. I had not done that since I was a kid, and what I remember most from that particular trip was how Paul Fleming bought a bottle of this so-called home remedy doctor’s brew crap, clearly labeled “alcohol-free”; nevertheless, Paul faked being “drunk” most of the 90-minute bus ride back home, complete with passing out just before we pulled into the school parking lot.

On my most recent trip, I took a lot of pictures. And what I remember most about the day we visited the Lincoln tomb and memorial was how the sky was this incredible blue, with all these clouds swirling across it:



Just like that.

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Tonight I learned a valuable lesson — for anyone who happens to be married and/or share a credit-card account with his or her significant other: If you wish to surprise that special someone on his or her birthday, do NOT purchase the surprise gift using that particular credit card ... or, if you must use that credit card, do NOT do so far enough in advance that the bill for that month’s cycle will arrive before you give the gift.

(Which is exactly how Karl knew he was receiving the Eddie Bauer jeans from his wife, Sherry.)

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Along those lines, from the “Things I Should Have Known Years Ago but Only Learned of Recently” department: I learned whilst driving the rental Buick LeSabre last month in the Keys that you can tell which side you put the gas in by looking at the little gas pump icon. (Some vehicles have an actual arrow pointing to which side; mine just has the hose and nozzle on the right side.)

So, no more pulling up to the gas pump, getting out, discovering that the gas goes in on the other side, stretching the hose to its limit before realizing no, it will not reach, getting back in the car and pulling it in, again, facing the opposite way.

I cannot promise, however, that I will never again drive off with the nozzle still inserted into the gas tank. (Hey, what can I say: I had a lot on my mind at the time!)

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