Merry Christmas everyone! Got to go do my Santa imitation for the kids down the road later today. This year they'll probably recognize me 'cause they're getting a little wiser. I wish I was.
Merry Christmas to all! Time to run the red-stripe cars again...Regards, Randy Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
CHRISTMAS ROCKS A true anecdote I had almost finished my morning bicycle ride and decided to stop at the Naples FL airport viewing stand to catch my breath and have a drink. The viewing stand is a deck at the end of the runway with picnic tables and seating for folks to watch planes taking off and landing. Also present were a couple of codgers who brought three boys – maybe seven or eight year-olds, probably their grandkids. These gents did not have the best grandparenting skills and spent their time talking loudly, spilling their beer on the table and largely ignoring their kids. The children, for their part, had long since become bored with watching the planes come and go every few minutes and soon resorted to climbing the railing and going down under the deck to play. Occasionally they would make some noise like rocks banging against the metal pillars of the deck. After being chastised by “gramps” to “keep it down and behave” the kids made a few more “klinks” of rocks on the posts. One of the “grampas” walked over to the railing and looked down at the kids. Here is how the conversation went: “Hey, what are you kids doing?” “Collecting rocks” “Why are you doing that? What are you going to do with a pile of rocks?” “Sell them.” “That’s nuts. Nobody wants to buy some rocks.” It was at this point I had an idea. I walked back to my bike praying I had some coffee money left in my bike bag. Thankfully I did. I got the boys attention and asked them a couple of questions. Here is how the dialog went: “Do you boys know where I could buy a rock?” They looked at each other with surprise and one pointed to another and said, “We do.” “Great! But since I’m wearing cycling gear I have no pockets. Do you think you could find me a very small rock I could carry on my bicycle? But it has to be a very pretty one.” Off they went and after a minute they came back, one boy opened his hand to reveal two very pretty crystalline marble sized pebbles. “How much?” I asked. One whispered in another’s ear; the other whispered something back; the first shook his head and said, ”Nah, that’s too much”. “How ‘bout two-for-a-dollar?” “Perfect!” I said and handed them a dollar. And off I rode. As I was pedaling away one shouted out to me, “Thank you, Merry Christmas.” I’d have loved to have heard the conversation between the boys and “gramps”.
I've been doing the Santa deal for some time, pretty much ever since the beard started turning white.
The Jalopy Journal
