Hmmmmm

Sometimes my humor elves get a little carried away with their work. 

I got this from one of them a few moments ago, with a message attached to it asking "Was that you last week or was it the week before?"

Which had me wondering, "Should I put that elf on a shelf for his impudence?"

Well I guess not.

After all, we all have to have a sense of humor, even when one is the butt of the joke.

(And my butt still hurts a little from that fall of mine!)

TIME TO PUT UP THE LIGHTS

Ahh, I remember the days in long ago North Dakota, when the Christmas season rolled around and Dad in his big heavy coat and overshoes and gloves and a cap with earflaps would be outside in the snow and cold putting up our annual holiday lights. 

That just had me thinking, "I wonder if that's why we didn't have one of those extravaganzas with colored lights covering the house and inflatable snowmen and reindeer and Santas and elves and . . ."

Could have been.

Happy and safe holiday season, everyone!

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

So, how's your week been?

<crash> <bang> <arrrrggghh> <oof> <ouch>

Mine's been about average.

Thanks to all of you who commented on my recent attempt to replicate a football tackle in my garage.

Much appreciated.

So, after being lectured by BOTH my wife and her daughter, with snide but well meaning comments on my age and inabilities, what more can I say?

Let's laugh a little, okay?

As you all know, the season is upon us.

And that's about it from the ol' Trickster this week.

Now I hope you'll all have a festive weekend.

Got to get in shape for the Big Holidays coming up, y'know.

But whether you're in the mall or fighting your way through your local shoppes or trying to get your orders done on-line, always, always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . ah, yes, it was a big bright one . . . )

HEAD OVER HEELS

Dagnabbit!

I took a header in my garage this morning.

Cleaning out the cat pan and then trying to add some litter, something about the sand pouring and the sunlight blazing through the window caused a dizziness that found me suddenly falling backwards onto a concrete floor.

Quickly taking stock, I determined that nothing was apparently broken though I did have some surface pain on my left elbow and my left hip, where I landed.

It's the second time this has happened.

The first time I managed to land in a soft recliner that's temporarily stored there.

This time not so lucky.

In my younger days I'd have just jumped up and gone on about my business but as I am now in the second half of my octogenaria that doesn't seem to occur anymore.

Judy was in the kitchen and heard the noise when I dropped the litter bucket and then silence so she came out to see if I had damaged myself.

Now she's even older than I am and more arthritic (though I seem to be catching up) but between her hoisting and me grabbing onto our car seat I managed to get to my feet.

At my age, I can't afford to have any more of these falls and potentially breaking some major part of my body.

Judy is known whimsically on this blog as SWMBO, or She Who Must Be Obeyed, and she is good at lecturing me.

So we agreed on a new method for taking care of the cat pan and more use of a cane I normally carry in the car.

All of which made this cartoon I received this morning from one my Humor Elves even more pertinent to the season.

In my case no sprain, just a couple of fresh bruises.

Not to mention the one to my ego.

THE FIRST OF DECEMBER

Ah yes, the calendar page has been turned and once again it's December.

In much of our nation, it came in typical fashion.

Snow, ice, cold weather, blocked roads and highways, air travel delays, and all the rest that the Weather Gods can throw like a flurry of snowballs.

Meantime, here in Sunny Arizona, while the temperatures have dropped into the 50's, it still looks like autumn here today.

Sometimes one wishes this season and its color would hang around forever.

POST-THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS

We had a nice, quiet, restful Thanksgiving here at Catalyst's Castle.

To those who may be interested, we feasted on roast pork loin (done in a crockpot), mashed potatoes and gravy, Judy's humongous pan of dressing, Trader Joe's mashed sweet potatoes and cranberry/orange relish, a small relish tray of celery, Kalamata olives, and sweet pickles, capped it all with a nice bottle of Argentine Malbec and finished it  (a bit later) with my pumpkin cheesecake.

That sounds like a lot for just two people but we do pace ourselves these days and while the pork and dressing categories were indeed huge, SWMBO says she'll freeze about half of them for Christmas dinner.

Now, easing into the weekend, my beloved Arizona State University Sun Devils got waxed by their in-state rivals, the Wildcats of the University of Arizona last night.

I watched the first half and recorded the rest to see today.

After that disappointment I was hooked into watching "The Game" today between the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and their rivals, the Michigan Wolverines.

After a slow start, Ohio State won and remains undefeated this year.

As the second half played out, snowfall grew heavier and heavier and the field was covered in white by the time it was over.

Then I tuned in one of the many weather channels and learned that much of the Midwest is being hammered with a November snow storm.

This made me, once again, give thanks that I live in the land of near eternal sunshine.

Here's what our sky looked like today.

In words lifted from an old Irving Berlin standard "nothing but blue skies do I see."

And our volunteer friend, Snappy the Snapdragon just keeps on blooming.

I still remember some of those snowy Novembers from my early days in North Dakota.

That weather is for youngsters.

I'll take Arizona.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Oof.

Or, as we Upper Midwesterners used to say, Uff-dah!

I trust all of you people who celebrated with a huge feast yesterday are feeling the same way today.

But remember, it's only once a year.

So you might as well have at it and eat and drink as much as your resisting bodies can hold.

I'm a tad worn out so let's get right to the business at hand.

So that's that.

Now here we are in the middle of a four-day weekend, Black Friday sales, trying to recovery from Feast Day, looking forward with dread to the onset of winter, or whatever.

But I trust in the face of all this confusion you will endeavor to have an exhilirating weekend.

And never forget to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . oh, yeah . . . )