I just thought of a really good explanation; the fact that I could have used it fifteen years ago when it was relevant doesn’t make it any less entertaining. We were at the time in our second year renting an apartment, and the thought of a year three in said apartment brought no joy to our hearts. Then we got a call from a real estate agent we knew. He had two apartments to show us that were for sale, one with three bedrooms and the other the five-bedroom apartment we’re in now and will sadly be leaving sooner than I’d like to think. He questioned why we were interested in the bigger place, as the only occupants would be three of us (plus Mimi, our one cat at the time). Barbara explained that I had a lot of stuff and therefore needed more room than your typical family. A more inventive answer would have been that we had only two bears to work with instead of the normal three!
Month: September 2024
The Dreaded ‘M’ Word — Part 14
To all of you who told me I would never amount to anything because I’m always procrastinating: Just you wait! I didn’t think of this pithy remark myself. I noticed it on a T-shirt being offered on Facebook, and I thought it would be a perfect lead-in to my article.
The Dreaded ‘M’ Word — Part 13
Our first attempt at ‘Let’s Pretend’ went so well, that I’m encouraged to give it another go. So let’s do it. Your significant other is hell-bent on taking an ocean voyage, something that doesn’t float your boat – if I may use that expression. You’d rather remain where you are, enjoying the comfort and security of terra firma. But of course S.O. is going to prevail; you know it; S.O. knows it; anyone who’s paying attention knows it. You grudgingly agree to the premise – as long as certain conditions are met, so you won’t be too put upon. You sign up for a cruise that meets both of your needs, and to save some money, you sign an agreement to let another family stay in your apartment while you’re gone. So far, so good.
Don’t Step in It — A Cautionary Tale
Unlike some other exchange of views (see below), this one was the kind of discussion that could take place even at the breakfast table, not needing the sense of acuity it would have had at a late-night pontification session when you’re trying to be profound but it’s past your bedtime, nor the sense of giddiness it might have had at a kiddush over an overload of assorted beverages. It would never have turned into an argument, since neither disputant felt the sense of certainty that turns a difference of opinion into an all-out war of words. It started out as an after thought about something that had happened the day before.
The Official Book of Excuses
How about we begin with a little game of ‘Let’s Pretend.’ You’re walking in Gettysburg National Park (which is in Pennsylvania, for the non-Americans reading this), and you stumble on the name tag of George Wilson, a Confederate soldier who must have been killed on the battlefield during the Civil War. It’s been raining a lot, which is probably why this item has come to the surface after all these years. You put it in your backpack and walk away. About an hour later, the thought occurs to you, can I keep it; is it worth anything? You do the requisite Google search and learn that there are folks out there hunting for these relics in Civil War sites, usually using metal detectors. (You just got lucky!) Yes, what you found might be worth something to a collector, and, most importantly, the name tag is yours to keep and do with it as you like. No one from the Parks Department, the State of Pennsylvania, the U.S. government, the Daughters of the Confederacy, or direct descendants of the fallen soldier will come knocking on your door in the middle of the night, demanding you hand over your treasure.
alittlebiteast 