THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 We made it.

We got through that snowstorm alive.

It was a struggle.

I saw one place on the web that said the courthouse in downtown Prescott got 16 inches of snow!

I guess we were lucky where I live then.

Supposedly only 5 inches fell here.

But yesterday, the same day that we woke to all that snow, it was sunny and in the upper 30's and much of it melted away.

So it's Friday and time for some Funnies.

And in keeping with the weather this week let's start with this one.

All right.  Consider yourselves amused.

Now the rest is up to you, i.e. have yourselves a simply grand weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . oh, he's occupied with that mouse again . . )

MARCH

 For once the Weather Gods were correct.

Remember the old expression, March comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb.

This is how my ARIZONA neighborhood looks this morning, on the second day of March.

That last shot shows the tracks of a "poor kitty" looking for someplace warm and dry.

I can't wait for the end of March and a departure "like a lamb".

WEATHER REPORT

 Prescott Valley, Arizona - 5,055 feet above sea level

A wee bit of snow on rooftops and in shady areas this morning.

More snow predicted throughout the middle of the day and into the evening hours, turning to snow showers late.

Tomorrow generally sunny.

WHAT A DAY!

 Oh, my, I remember it well.

Well, maybe not so well.

Back in the day, I used to consume a moderate(ly large) amount of a weird coffee liqueur known as Kahlua.

It was sweet.

It was tasty.

It was good.

It was good over ice cream.

It was good mixed with cream in a cup.

It was just damned good.

And guess what I found out.

Today is National Kahlua Day!

Really!

You could do it like Jeff Bridges in the movie "The Big Lebowski" and make a simple White Russian.

Or you could make . . . a . . .

Oh hell, I'm going to the bar.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Well, I guess winter isn't through with us yet.

We've got snow out there again.

But I'm refraining.

No more post titles like "It's S'no Fun" or "Drifting Along" or "Celestial Dandruff" or "Bank Up Your Problems".

Nope.

No more punny post titles like that for me, ever again.

Instead, I'm giving you some truly intellectual memes and cartoons and jokes and humor today.

So, let's get started.

And remember, no puns anymore.

So there you go.

No puns, right?

Whaaaaatttt?

Okay, so I lied.

Maybe I'll run for Congress.

Oh, no, I also promised awhile back that I wouldn't do any politics either.

Well, what can I say except that I wish you and yours an extravagantly wonderful weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Now for the cat who NEVER commits "pun-itry".

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(. . . oh no . . .)

PAST GLORIES RE-LIVED . . . AGAIN

 Yesterday, as promised, a handful of former colleagues and friends gathered once more at the Pie Place, i.e. the Rock Springs Cafe.

There were the once young, then those older and then a couple of the really old.

The ages ranged from 67 to 86, those two in the middle being the ones at the high end.

I will show you the requisite photo of the attendees now.

From left to right they are Rick DeBruhl, Wally Athey, Karl Kindberg, my ownself, Carol Lynde, and Steve Torbeck.

Others were invited but for a variety of reasons were unable to attend.

Scandalous and hilarious tales were told, much laughter abounded, memories of those who have gone on into the haze of time were renewed.

Food was consumed though, oddly for this group of former revelers, no alcohol made itself known.

All in all a rather calm Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday assemblage.

Not for all, I gather.

EAT UP!

 Today is Mardi Gras.

Or Fat Tuesday.

Or Pancake Tuesday.

Or Shrove Tuesday.

Whatever you call it, if you observe these kinds of things, it's a day to pig out because tomorrow the Christian period of Lent begins.

Lent means giving up stuff.

Stuff like chocolate and wine and for one particular friend of mine: cheeseburgers.

I'm going off to the Pie Place to have lunch with a group of friends and former colleagues.

Not as any observation of anything connected with Lent, it just happened to be on this day.

Now my beloved SWMBO doesn't observe this period of "wanting" either but she did prepare a delicious meal the other day that could have been served to the observant today.

It was a delicious bacon-topped pork roast with an orange marmalade glaze.

Hungry yet?

Well, don't let me stop you.

If you want to "pig out" today, have at it.

ANOTHER HOLIDAY

 

FAMILY HUMOR

 When I think about my sense of humor I think it must have come from my parents.

I can remember listening to radio programs such as "The Great Gildersleeve" with them, as well as "Amos and Andy" and "Jack Benny".

Dad did a wonderful rendition of Harold Peary's raucous, rolling  Gildersleeve laugh.

But way, way back . . before either my older brother or I had been born . . Mom and Dad obviously had fun during their courting days.

Anyone who says the early 20th Century was dominated by stern, serious men and women obviously never met my parents.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Oh, it's warming up.

Here it is 7:30 and already it's 19 degrees (F).

Well, yesterday it was 10!

And they say this is Arizona, where the birds fly backwards to keep the sun out of their eyes.

Well, you have to have a sense of humor, right?

Aha!

Well since it's Friday, let's see how many of y'all have a sense of humor/humour. 

Pick your favorite spelling.

Or is that favourite?

Yikes!

All right if your roaring, laughing, chuckling or even smiling . . you're okay.

You have a sense of humor.

Now let's really put ourselves out for the next couple of days to have a stupendous (or at least pleasant) weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . .

(. . . oh, yes sir . . .)

GENEALOGY

 Out of the blue the other day, I was contacted on my blog by someone who said she thought she was related to me and left a phone number.

It was anonymous so I was suspicious. 

So I went to the internet and searched for that number to see if it maybe came up as a spam caller.

But it didn't.

Instead it gave the name of an attorney in Seattle, Washington and a street address.

After a lot of over-thinking this I dialed the number and a woman answered.

After some momentary confusion we each learned who we were and discovered that we were indeed related through our grandmothers, who were sisters.

She had found me when she was searching on the internet for the name of an ancestor and discovered the picture of my late uncle who shared that name.

That led to my going through a massive collection of family photographs and learning (or relearning) some of the history in my family.

One story that leaped out from a scrapbook of newspaper clippings my grandfather had kept was about yet another of the sisters.

She had been out walking on the outskirts of Northfield, Minnesota one day back in 1876 when she met a group of horsemen who pulled to one side and tipped their hats to her as they headed into town.

A few minutes later she heard gunfire as this was the James-Younger gang who robbed a bank and got into a shootout with towns-people.

I was telling Judy about this and she reminded me that her father's family from back in Virginia had been related to the James family.

So our family lines had crossed way back in those wild old days.

But getting back to reality, I just had to show you the photograph of my great-grandfather that I share with my new-found cousin in Washington state.

He was a well-off banker with the great name of Frank Augustus Berry.

This photo was taken on his 77th birthday and he may have been out of the banking business by that time but that steely-eyed glance seems to be saying "You want me to loan you money? And just what are you going to put up for collateral?"

Ah the past - what a trip.

BI

 This could also represent the views of many Central Arizonans.