“He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.” ― George Bernard Shaw

I don't have a cheer or anything like that but I am happy-happy that we have made it to Friday, April 27, 2018. What say you? One thing about being a serial blogger, I do have an idea what I was up to ten years ago. How? I wrote about it: "Today it's back to the real world where I will be very busy getting ready to get ready for my surgery later this week. I have the cardiologist this morning and will need his blessing before they can put me under for the knee scope. Tomorrow I have my primary care guy who has to also sign off a sheet with about 100 boxes that need to be checked. The surgeon told me that 80% of the people who have this surgery have little or no side effects and can return to their normal activities immediately. The other 20% end up with some minor complications, swelling, slow healing, and other stuff. In this case, I have built my schedule around the 80% rule, therefore, I intend, with God's help, to have the surgery on Thursday and be back at 100% bright and early Friday morning." That was my torn meniscus experience. I well remember the surgeon. He was a young fellow who was very proud of his work. When I called to let him know that I was still experiencing a lot of pain, he made it clear that whatever was happening, it had nothing to do with his wonderful surgical procedure. I believe he reminded me that it just takes longer for some people. Looking back, I can't say I appreciated his arrogance, but, he did fix my knee and after a few weeks, it has never bothered me again. I think I heard that doctor referred to as the 'Italian Stallion'. Maybe that's because of his long black flowing hair. He drove a Ferrari. And, I remember he had a troop of adoring female assistants that trailed around behind him taking notes. See there? You may not have known that I was worked on by a celebrity doctor. I guess when someone asks if I have had 'work done' I can tell them I did. It was my knee.

I try not to write too often about my off-season Santa experiences but it has become an ongoing part of my sojourn. One of my favorite things is to see people light up when I give them a business card sized souvenir. It's just a photo. The other day I was working with this very large African American fellow. He was trying to help me locate the person I was supposed to see at a Company that is in the process of moving from one location to another. We walked here. We walked there. Then, we walked some more. We finally found the fellow I was looking for. He was tied up with all kinds of stuff going on around him and he told the big black guy just to take care of whatever it was. So, we walked back out to my truck. We both were out of breath. After giving him the paperwork to sign, I handed him one of our cards. Suddenly, this fellow who might have been 30 years old, became a little boy again. He was so excited. He told me he had a special place at his home where he was going to put our photo. The same story at the Whataburger drive through the other day. The lady was probably in her fifties. As she leaned out of her cashier window, she looked like the weight of the world was bearing down on her. After paying, I handed her one of our cards. She nearly dropped the money. She was so excited. It was almost embarrassing. She told me she would treasure that card. My point? Folks, first of all, I can't make this stuff up, and lastly, I've said it before and I'll say it again, it doesn't take much to help make life a wee bit better for someone we meet along the way.

Okay. In doing the full disclosure thing I will go ahead and say this. Yes. I am often asked about the lady, the other half of the Santa photo. She is very popular. When I tell them she is my wife for nearly 54 years. Look out! "You are one lucky man!" Thank you. "She doesn't look like she's even 54, much less married for 54 years." Thank you. I guess I should be glad she allowed me to tag along the day that photo was made. The other day at the luncheon we had to honor her birthday, one of the grandkids was talking about some of the photos he had recently seen of the wife and me when we were dating. He said he could still see her, but, he was having trouble connecting the current me to those photos. Now I know exactly how the late Rodney Dangerfield felt. No respect. But, I will say she deserves the accolades she gets. And, she, by the way, is an excellent cook as well. I came in Wednesday evening to find that she had made cornbread dressing. It was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Literally. Granny Mac would have been proud. Talk about good! The chicken was cut up in the dressing. It was served with jellied cranberry sauce and English peas. That was the best I have eaten since this past Thanksgiving. That was the last time she made it. I've tried to find a hotline where a Santa Claus who ends up playing second fiddle can call to get some counseling. If you know of one, let me know. Have a really great Saturday and I hope you are already looking forward to Lord's Day Sunday, anticipating a time of worship of God, and fellowship with other believers. Until next time, I wish everyone a God blessed day and to all a good night. Or something like that. Amen. ....More later.