What’s the appeal of sitting in front of a dead tree and eating candy out of your socks?

In response to last week’s question, “What’s the appeal of sitting in front of a dead tree and eating candy out of your socks?”, my Parrothead friend Sam wrote, “You are eating candy... enough said!” My dad’s beach buddy Bob was a bit more selective as he wrote, “Not if you have a live tree and there is a box of Godiva Chocolates in the stocking.” My cousin Wes added, “The appeal is obvious: Candy. It also explains why people dress up in costumes and extort candy from neighbors on Halloween.”

My dog rescue friend Kate asked, “Who does that ?????” My cable marketing friend Megan shared, “Just for the record, we sit in front of a fake tree and at least the socks are pretty and personalized!” This is more appealing than my friend Swany who wrote, “Actually the tree isn't dead, it's on life support. But I guess in a lot of homes, the tree is artificial so it's a prosthetic tree. But in either case, candy is good no matter where it comes from and no matter where you are eating it. And as long as it's your own sock, then OK unless of course your toenails are full of those cartoon, yellow, brown spotted, nail fungus creatures.”

My former colleague Chris, who is typically a non-conformist, suggested, “Everybody else's doing it so it must be right!” My organizational behaviorist friend Marya explained, “I believe it depends on the number of spiked eggnogs you consume!” My friend Royce countered, “too much Prozac.”

My neighbor Bob observed, “At the very least, it means I am not sitting at work like I am now or home with my never ending list of domestic chores. Just sitting in front of a tree would be good enough for me. Dead or alive.” And my friend Richard suggested, “it is better than sitting near a live skunk or badger, and it’s certainly better than eating anything out of your socks!”

My college roomie John reminisced, “Some years we had a live tree that had a root ball that we planted in the spring. Some have even lived. Now I have my version of an artificial Charlie Brown tree. We used to get small checks in our stockings since the pin would give out and the stocking filled with candy would fall off the mantle. So a live tree and money appeals to me.”

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ”:

   Should you make a New Year’s resolution about something you’ve already accomplished?

Live well...laugh often and heartily…. have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Hal

The toe nail fan from above, Swany, reminded me that I always thought I was a “fun-gi.” What more can one say besides enjoy all that the holiday season has to offer --- family, friends, pets, volunteering and colleagues.

My dad, Hank, let me know that this Saturday, 1/1/11, marks the 100th birthday of Hank Greenberg, “the Jewish Babe Ruth.” Interesting article below when you have 5 min to read about a great athlete who maintained his values and love of his country.

Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?

In response to last week’s question, “Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?”, my friend Patrick explained “that a good vacuum really sucks because when you’re finished, it’s full of crap.”

My college roomie John declared that his “mind is in the gutter - there are a few things that are good if they suck.” John, agreeing with my cousin Wes noted that “A vacuum definitely is one thing in life that you want to suck” to which my friend Richard added, “If it didn’t, I’d take it back and demand a refund!” My English expert friend Marlene agreed, “If it does not suck, discard it!”

My neighbor Dick queried, “Would that mean that a "central vacuum system" sucks for the whole house?”

But then my dad’s beach buddy Bob leaves one wondering, “It depends on the type of vacuum.......”

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ”:

    What’s the appeal of sitting in front of a dead tree and eating candy out of your socks?

Live well...laugh often and heartily…. have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Hal

Courtesy of my musical friend, Eileen is The Christmas Can-Can by Straight No Chaser: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1909243034?bctid=53156488001

Why does an alarm go off by going on?

A ponderable with the humor in the vein of George Carlin, Steven Wright and Demetri Martin:  In response to last week’s question, “Why does an alarm go off by going on?”, my comedic friend Bruce responded, “I wouldn’t know. My alarm goes to snooze.” 

My cousin’s brother-in-law’s wife, OK, we refer to her as Celina, sounded off this week, asking “after the alarm goes off and after you are awake, do you turn it off?” To this, my birthday bud Jon queried, “And then you shut it off. So did it go off, or did you make it go off?” Note: Celina “likes to default back to her European traditions and prefers to open the alarm clock and then to close the alarm clock.”

My dad’s beach buddy Bob concluded, “because it can never go off if you never turn it on.” In agreeing with this, my change management guru Marya added, “and that makes for one interesting day! ” My sailing friend Kurt observed, “I can think of several things that go off by getting turn on.”

My friend Royce concluded that this is a result of “a bad installation.”

My sailing and writing friend Rich observed, “I don't know, but when the alarm goes on too long, my wife goes off.”

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ”:

        Is it good if a vacuum really sucks? 

Live well...laugh often and heartily…. have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

You can be overwhelmed and underwhelmed. When are you just "whelmed"?

In response to last week’s question, “You can be overwhelmed and underwhelmed. When are you just "whelmed"?”, my dad’s beach buddy Bob wrote, “It’s when the pleasure is not mutual.” My friend Vivian, however, stated confidently, “it’s when you have been taking your appropriate "medication" regularly.”

My friend Swany shared, “I was only whelmed once. I had to pay more to get whelmed twice.”

My friend Chris then explained, “It is simple, you are just whelmed most of the time of the day...you go through life whelmed, it is an Old English word and it is just a shame that nobody says "I am whelmed" anymore. It was mainly used to describe poor people’s lives.”

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ”:

           Why does an alarm go off by going on?

Live well...laugh often and heartily…. have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Why don’t the leaves all fall at the same time?

A ponderable with the humor in the vein of George Carlin, Steven Wright and Demetri Martin, in response to last week’s question, “Why don’t the leaves all fall at the same time?”, my first cousin-once-removed Greg, in between his classes at Oregon figured it is “to make room for the apples that don't fall too far from the tree.” However, my friend Kevin observed, “Just like people, some have a stronger will to live than others.”

My neighbor Al’s research revealed that “It's all part of a government plot to subsidize the leaf rake manufacturers. If all of the leaves fell at one time, everyone would only need to rake leaves once. Therefore less need to buy rakes.” My college roomie John didn’t think it was the government’s plan, instead, “It is nature's version of the Fall season busy work program! If it keeps us busy; maybe we’ll get in less trouble?”

My dad’s beach buddy Bob shared the practical answer, “Because the season lasts 3 months.” However, my friend Royce daringly explained, “Leaves are like women...they have their own schedule.”

My friend Chris responded, “it is the same reason our hair doesn't all fall out at the same time...irony...life changing, long lasting irony.” In this vein, my writing and sailing friend Rich explained, “Trees are so much sexier when it comes off one leaf at time. Why do you think they call it leaf peeping?”

My cycling friend Ted recalled, “Usually you spend an afternoon raking and admiring your work afterward. Two days later, the same tree dumps all over your fine work (usually at your spouse’s command), and she now yells down the hallway ‘when are you going to rake those leaves?’ “

My innovation friend turned photographer David ( http://davidmurray.org), ““I’m sure that there must have been trees that dropped all their leaves at once. But the dubious feat probably killed them instantly (think "micro burst"), making them evolutionary dead ends.” David then added, “I have often wondered about this and a similar question: what would happen if all the popcorn in the frying pan popped at once?”

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ”:

     You can be overwhelmed and underwhelmed. 

   When are you just "whelmed"?  (from my eldest niece Trace)

Live well...laugh often and heartily…. have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Hal

Consider finding something to be thankful for this week (maybe it will become a habit).