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.

THE DAY AFTER

 How was your Valentine's Day?

Swell, I hope.

We combined on our meal.

I made Cajun Spicy Shrimp and Fettucine Alfredo.

Judy made a delicious salad and Cinnamon Apple Tarts.

Then we watched some of "Cunk on Earth" on Netflix until the power went off for about 3 seconds and upset our internet connection.

So why, in Sunny Arizona, did the power go off, you ask?

Because, he responded, a quick winter snowstorm smashed through.

Actual Photograph of Arizona Winter Snowstorm in Progress

But coming in the evening, people were enjoying it - out walking through it, throwing snowballs, laughing, a neighbor's little dog yapping his head off as he raced back and forth.

But as you can see, the ground was quickly covered with an inch or two of the fluffy white blanket.

Actual Photograph of Snow covering Your Correspondent's Front Yard

So this morning, as the temperature (Fahrenheit) hovers in the high teens, the week goes on.

But there is good news this morning.

Behold!

But beware in your shopping.

As one spoilsport reported yesterday there's actually more plastic packaging than actual chocolate in those boxes.

A SUPER(IOR) DAY!

I know I'm old but still it may seem a bit strange for me to be expressing a wish for a happy 111th birthday, but that's what I'm doing today.

Arizona officially became the 48th member of the United States of America on this date in 1912 when President William Howard Taft signed the bill granting statehood.

It had been the U.S. Territory of Arizona for 49 years before that.

So, let's all say it again: Happy Birthday, Arizona!

Oh, and there's something else going on today.

Lessee, what was it?

Oh, yeah, Happy Valentine's Day!

Love you all!

ATTENTION SPAN

 Sheesh!

For football fans, yesterday's Super Bowl game was a great game, decided by a field goal kicked with 8 seconds left.

But most of the talk today is about someone who goes by only one name (as many pop idols do) and about her appearance during her halftime performance and whether or not she was pregnant.

Rihanna proudly displayed her "baby bump" and it was confirmed after the game that she was indeed pregnant with her second child with her partner who goes by the name (?) of A$AP Rocky.

But give the girl credit: with her smart business decisions and the apparent loyalty of her fans, she's become a billionaire.

As for me, who has let the current music scene evade him, I wouldn't have recognized Rihanna, pregnant or otherwise.

As for that other event, the football game, some Philadelphia Eagles fans and some pundits were growling about a penalty called in the waning moments of the game that gave the Kansas City Chiefs new momentum.

But even the Eagles player they called it on said after the game that it was indeed holding.

"I grabbed his jersey", he said, "but I was hoping they'd let it get by."

They didn't and the Chiefs went on to their second Super Bowl victory in four years.

So that's that and I promise I won't ever write another word about the Super Bowl.

At least until next year's game.

GUEST POST

 Yup. She's back again.

I hereby turn the blog over to SWMBO.

Back in the late 80's we moved to Mexico.  

We loved most everything about our life there, but there were some exceptions.  

My love for a breakfast English muffin was thwarted by the absolute unavailability of them in the local stores.  

"Ingleesh que?"   

Also,  with chorizo  everywhere who needs American country sausage?  

I do, for my meatloaf!   

On a trip back to the States I whined to a close friend about these missing items on our table.  

She immediately dug through her old copies of Bon Appetit and rescued me with two recipes.  

One was for Country Sausage and the other was for English Muffin Bread!

Hundreds of loaves have been made from that recipe since that time, even after we moved back to the States.

Today, Super Bowl Sunday, there was no English Muffin Bread to be found and toasted for breakfast.  

Now, most men would have said something like, "So what.  Eat oatmeal."  

Not my guy.  

Before I knew what was happening the kitchen was buzzing....and the house smelled wonderful.  

It was too late for today's breakfast.....but beggars can't be choosers.

The big game has just started.....and tomorrow....and tomorrow......

WELL, ISN'T THAT SUPER!!!

 The big football game of the day is scheduled to start in about 45 minutes and I just received these cartoons, all captioned "Too Late".

But it's never too late for some good humor so here they are!

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 So for those of you who were confused by yesterday's post, River got it right: Spring is just around the corner.

But that was yesterday and today is today.

Er, I mean today is Friday!

Oh, by the way, yesterday was National Pizza Day and I learned that right after I had suggested to SWMBO that we have pizza last night.

So we did.

Now, on to today's business.

Okay Ladies and Gents that's the humor for this week.

Now your mission is to mix well this weekend, with company, snacks, food and drinks and try seriously not to get into any fierce fights over Sunday's Super Bowl.

In other words, have a great time and always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . oooooohhh, that must have been a shock!)

UNTITLED FUN

 

SWMBO ROASTS!

 It occurred to me that every time (rarely) I bake or cook something I have to post on this blog bragging about it.

Regardless of the fact that I have oft boasted about my wife's abilities in the kitchen, I rarely have shown the results of her work.

So I won't do that today either.

But what I will show you is a sheet pan recipe that she prepared.

The photo is as it was ABOUT to go into the oven.

Left to right what you see here are some mini potatoes, quartered white onions, carrots, red peppers, yellow peppers, chicken breast pieces marinated in an Oriental sauce, and slices of red onion.

And wonderful reporter that I am, I didn't get a photo as it came out of the oven and before I pounced on and devoured most of it.

Will it suffice for me to say it was delicious?

A SIGN OF SPRING?

 The temperature has risen around these parts into the 50's and low 60's for several days now and I just spotted this rascal in my driveway.

He was very still.

He didn't even move as I bent over to photograph him.

I'm not sure whether he's frozen solid or just enjoying the sunshine-heated pavement for awhile.

But when I blew up the photo he looked positively prehistoric.

Behold!  The mighty grasshopper!

If he be here can Spring be far behind?

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Oh, man, I just checked and learned that today is National Carrot Cake Day!

What could be better than that?

Well, I suppose the fact that it's also Friday.

Okay Trekkies, you got your wish once again.

Now not just you guys but EVERYONE, here's your mission:

Enjoy yourselves and have an absolutely artfully accident-free weekend!

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(awww, I don't think you're trying . .)

ADDENDUM

 I just had to add this late arrival to the previous post.

I think Elvis would have liked it.

THE SECOND OF FEBRUARY

 

Yes, it is Groundhog Day!

The day we find out whether we will have another six weeks of winter or an early spring.

To those of you who don't know it dates back to the 19th Century when a group of Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants in Punxsutawney celebrated their superstition with a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil.

As the superstition goes, if it's a sunny day and the groundhog thus sees its shadow it retreats to its den for another six weeks of winter.

If he doesn't see his shadow there will be an early spring.

This year Phil saw his shadow.

So does the superstition hold?

We could ask the groundhog.

Meantime, another tradition of this day has locked in.

Watching the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day", in which he is fated to reliving February 2nd over and over again.

So enjoy your day, your predictions, your weather, your early or late spring and whatever else comes your way.

ROBINS!

We got a tremendous surprise yesterday.

I opened the door to see the two huge trees in our front yard were absolutely filled with robins!

On January 31st!

I figured there were at least 50 of them and Judy said they apparently were migrating, though she said it seemed early for that.

They were very bold.

Quite a few danced around on the roof right over my head and were not scared off by my presence.

And when I went to the mailbox out by the street one flew off the roof, underneath the mailbox only about a foot from the ground and closer than that to me and up to another tree across the street.

I found a website this morning and read a lot about them and a flock like this is not unusual during migrations.

They can cover up to 300 miles in a day before stopping for the night.

We had not seen the birdlife we were accustomed to at our previous home and were despairing.

But earlier in the week when I opened the blind a tiny bird landed on the patio and walked almost up to the glass door where I was standing.

I think it was a goldfinch but I couldn't be sure.

Now, with this huge group of robins passing through, can Spring be far away?

I hope so and I hope the birds will be back to entertain us.

For those of you who don't know, that song was performed by a man born in Lithuania as Asa Joelson.

But after he came to the United States, he entered the world of entertainment as Al Jolson and had a legendary career before his death in 1950.

Hopefully, his song will lure some more robins to our area.

AM I PARANOID?

 

A POEM

 A good friend who supplies much of the comic material on these posts sent me a poem this morning.

It was a poem that he wrote was "just for me".

But knowing the meaning of poetry as defined by the Mighty Google: "It can . . . allow writers to express their emotions and allow readers to connect to those emotions . . ." I thought I could and even should share the poem with all of you.

I hope you can appreciate the angst that brought forth this poem from a troubled (and anonymous) soul.

So I shall share it with you now.

It is titled "A Winter Poem".

AN OLD FAVORITE

 

The clafoutis!

Fresh from the oven.

I hate it when they cool because they sink.

But SWMBO says they taste just as good.

I made this one with blueberries.

I've made the same recipe with cherries and with plums.

Any fruit seems to work well.

And SWMBO is right.

Of course.

They all taste wonderful.

Thank you, France.

THE VALLEY

Today's lesson about my state is about what we here call "The Valley", more formally "The Valley of the Sun".

The facts are thanks to a posting by my old employer, KPNX-TV, on its website 12 News today.

 

What is the Valley?

“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest. 

The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:

• Mesa
• Chandler
• Scottsdale
• Tempe
• Glendale
• Surprise
• Peoria
• Gilbert
• El Mirage
• Avondale
• Litchfield Park
• Goodyear
• Buckeye

Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.

The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.

How big is Maricopa County?

Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.

The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).

One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.

The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.

By the way, where I live is another valley - Prescott Valley.

It's population is 48,188 at last count.

Prescott, about 8 miles to the west of us, has a current population of 46,833.

Prescott Valley used to be considered a suburb of Prescott.

Who's the suburb now!!!