Obits, anyone?

 I don’t know how many people read the obits like I do, but I wonder if they, like I, occasionally see an obit about someone who they knew way back when and feel a need to write a bit in the comments section given to those obits.  This happened to me this morning when I read about one man who I lost touch with when I began my ramblings after leaving high school.  He apparently has been here in Aiken all along, just not somewhere where I would have a chance to gain a reacquaintance.  Unfortunate, but probably quite a few others would join him if I were to see their names in the paper.  I guess personal anonymity is something most of us have whether or not it might be something we might like to change.  My comment to the obit I read follows.

 

“When Al Boni came to town, one of the first things he did, or so I think, was to look up the local Boy Scout organization and offer his services.  At the time, I was an Explorer with Post 121, and because of my dad’s involvement with the scouting program, I met Al and had the chance, along with the other Explorers in my Post, to work with him on one of his projects—putting on a camporee for scouts in the Yamasee district.  I suspect Al taught our district a few things about camporees in general, then, and I know he taught more than a few of us Explorer Scouts quite a bit too.  I appreciate all I learned from Al Boni, and I expect quite a few others in the area could say the same thing.  Thank you, Boni family:  My condolences to you for your loss.  In my book, Al Boni was one great man.”

 

This pretty much says what I might have said on the subject if someone had asked me about it.  What I wonder is, who might I see next?

 

And, who might think the same thing when it is my turn to be written about in a post to our newspaper by one of our local mortuaries.

Any ideas?

Not my poem, but a really great one

 A Visit from St. Nicholas

BY CLEMENT CLARKE MOORE

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds;

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,

Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,

When what to my wondering eyes did appear,

But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,

With a little old driver so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;

So up to the housetop the coursers they flew

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly

That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Here I go again

10:45 PM and here I am.  It seems Morningbrain may come to me most any time these days—not just as it did when I started my posts to this blog quite a few years ago, but, like I said, most any time these days.  Before approaching my friendly laptop, I found myself lying in bed thinking about one thing and another thing and, before I knew it, I realized this was the same situation that used to come to me in the early morning hours.  So, it only made sense for me to get up and try to write just a bit—something I haven’t really done very much of for quite a few months. 

 The only problem is I find those thoughts that prevented me from simply dropping off to sleep seem to have vanished once I began to type.  One helluva note, if I do say so, myself.  What to do now?  Well, guess I’ll try to write something, hopefully something useful (but what?)  Dammit, brain—come on, do what you need to do!  You brought me here when I would really prefer to be in bed. 

 Maybe it’s the light.  (Turning it off is no real problem—there.)  Well, only one problem.  Now I can’t see my keyboard,  not a good thing.  I’ll try something:  A light on the other side of the room may help.  Well, that’s a yes and a no.  Still can’t much see the keyboard, but can see it just a bit.  Guess I’ll have to work on this just a bit.  In the mean time, maybe a bit of thinking about what might have been going around in the noggin might be a useful thing..  Or so I hope. 

 Damn.  Need a little more light.  But not too much.  Guess I’ll just have to work on this a bit and try another time.  In the mean time, now, the bed is calling.  Light back on.  Need to save this, maybe I can make a new post.  Will try, in any case!  Not exactly what I wanted to do, that's for sure

11:15 PM and here I still am.  Not for long, though.  Maybe tomorrow?

Phone scam from phone scum

 I received a phone call this morning, at about 8:10, I believe, and the call was from my good old friend “Dnad” at 877-609-5704 (one of many DNA-ers on my phone list.)  This morning, instead of just ignoring the call, I decided to answer it.  I then hung up after about 5 seconds.  Guess that qualified it as a received call for me, and a made call for the DNA-er.  Which, I suspect, they get to pay for at whatever rate the phone company charges.  A good thing, I suspect, since my DNA list is comprised of phones that our “www.whitepages.com” lists as: “The phone number (877) 609-5704 is registered to Unknown . There is a High Risk this phone number is associated with Fraud or Spam.”  OR, if you get my drift, it is a phone call I’d just as soon not receive at all!  (Which is why it is on my DNA, “Do Not Answer,” list.) 

However, when I answered it, the spammer/or fraud purveyor, did incur an expense which, if enough users were to utilize this system, just might give them expenses that may even outweigh their fraudulent income.  A good idea, no?

Try it, I think you’ll like it! (whitepages.com, I mean—and their “reverse phone” directory.)  You may like it, but the SOB’s at the other end of the line probably will not!

And, of course, if you didn’t know, “SOB’s” stands for “Sweet Ole’ Boy's ” of course.  And, like I said, try it--and, let me know what you think.  If a few thousand of us figure them out, and pass on this information to our friends, having learned how to outwit them, maybe, just maybe, they might look for a real job and stop trying to swindle money from the rest of us!

And that's it, folks!  Thanks!

 

Bing, Dean, and Perry

 

You know, while lying in bed this morning, I started thinking about some of those “great” singers I remembered from my early years (really, I was thinking of our newest 14 year old, and what he probably likes to listen to.)  So, you know what?  I have no idea what nephew Dylan might like to listen to, or even if he listens to anything musical.  I have my suspicions, though, and since he is a musician, tenor sax, or something close to it, maybe a bit of sharing might be in order.

 

It being the Christmas season (for real, finally,) my thoughts began and ended with “White Christmas.”  “I’m dreamin’ of a White Christmas…  (With every Christmas card I write…,”) (Or so it goes.)  And for those oldsters in our midst, I suspect the names “Bing Crosby,” "Dean Martin", and (oh yes,) "Perry Como" just might ring a bell or two here.  Dean, better known to me as part of “Martin and Lewis,” was good.  Perry, of course was good, too!  But in my book, the top of the line was Bing Crosby. 

 

And, in today’s internet world, anyone who might want to see what I mean here is free to take a look, maybe a listen, to these three gentlemen of Yore and come up with their own thinking on the matter.  One movie, “White Christmas,” just may be worth a watch, too, although I suspect only one of my “Big Three” may show up there. 

 

In any case, “Kids,” take a look, and maybe a listen, and see what you might think!