FOUR TO GO

 

FIVE DAYS AWAY

 

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Yikes! What happened to our balmy weather?

Well, at least here in the Central Highlands of Arizona.

The mercury is dipping dangerously close to the freezing point overnight and is hovering in the 50's in the daytime.

I know, I know, but for we Arizonans that's brrrrr weather.

And it's been rainy for days which prompts me to revive an age-old sardonic line of mine.

"Doesn't the sun ever shine in Arizona?"

Well, it does, more even than in the so-called Sunshine State over on the southeast coast.

But enough about my angst.

There are more important events on the horizon.

Some interesting culinary choices for National Eating Day coming up, aren't there?

Well you have a weekend to prepare for your grandiloquent feast.

So make it a good one.

Practice, practice, practice.

And always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . oh, she's been practicing . . . )

ANOTHER COUNTDOWN

The clock is ticking . . . . . . . . .

TUESDAY ODDITIES

Just a couple of things that have ME scratching my head this morning.

You've probably heard about the flares from the sun that have made the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, visible in parts of the world much further south than normal.

Even in Arizona were they visible.

One of my prolific elves sent me a photo of the Northern lights in Phoenix!

(The photo was taken at an intersection with Northern Avenue.)

Then there's another oddity.

Our cat Sweetie-Pie has found her voice after many months of just murmuring.

Now it's a raucous squall most of the time.

She uses it to wake me up to feed her in the morning.

She uses it to announce her entry and exit from her litter tray.

She uses it seemingly from boredom when she's patrolling our home.

But most annoyingly she uses it when she's about to settle in for her morning nap.

That takes place on my bed, up against a pile of pillows.

You can see here there, behind me, just after a series of squalls that I have ignored this morning.

Usually I call out "Hey!" or turn around and pat the bed, whereupon she comes over for a petting before going back and curling up.

But today after several of her yowling squawks she gave up and just went to sleep.

These are some of the oddities in my life today.

How about yours?

THE CHIEF ELF

Longtime readers of this blog have often praised me for brightening their day at the end of a week with the Friday Funnies.

While accepting such adulation in my usual modest way ("I am the best humorist the world has ever seen!"), I have on various occasions pointed out that I have a coven of humor elves who supply me with much of the material that makes you all giggle, guffaw, smile or scratch your heads.

My main supplier, who I have nicknamed Wacky Wally, got his own treatment recently.

But first let me show you how I first new Wally many years, actually decades, ago when he was a photographer (or videographer, as they came to be known) at Channel 12 in Phoenix.

Now there's two things you should take note of in this picture.

First there is that impish grin on his face.

Second is the slogan on his shirt, which notes that this was taken on a work break at the Republican National Convention in Detroit, Michigan, in 1980.

That's 45 years ago, folks.

Now Wally's birthday is December 30th, which his daughter says is a silly day for a birthday.

Which made it simple for her to stun him recently with a surprise 80th birthday party.

Photographs of the photographer as he entered the room tell the story.

Among the crowd there to greet him were relatives from Tucson, Texas, Louisiana and Wisconsin as well as a few former co-workers.

Here's the honoree and his daughter, Susan, who put it all together.

I wasn't able to get to the party to honor my old pal but I can still extend my best wishes with a slightly older picture that may have given me the reason for his nickname.

Wacky Wally, indeed!

On behalf of my blog readers who appreciate the humor you supply to keep me going every week, Happy Early Birthday, "old" pal.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Well my longtime and newtime friends and neighbors, today is the day you've all been looking forward to with dread.

The day when your tired old Catalyst says, "That's it, I'm retiring, no more Friday Funnies."

Hahahahahaha!

That's the first one!

And it's not even April Fools Day.

Here we go once again,

Now if you've figured out all of those mind benders on the first time through, congratulations to you!

If not, just get back it and no fair looking at the comments until you've got them.

After that, you can take a rest but only briefly because I want you to have an exquisitely exciting and exhilarating weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . oh, I'll just bet I can imagine . . . )