Spring and Root Beer

The tall stranger bellied up to the counter and watched as the patrons lowered their heads and shuffled away. A wry smile turned the corners of his mouth into his drooping mustache. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a weathered dollar bill, unfolded it and placed it on the counter. He didn’t have to say a word—they all knew and they all watched.

The bar-keep reached slowly, after first making eye contact he couldn’t hold, under the counter and pulled out a clean mug, filled it, and carefully sat the still foaming mug in front of the tall stranger with the big thirst. Then he turned again reaching low, a glint of metal showed in his right hand. His hand came up quickly, but not too fast and placed a large scoop of vanilla ice cream into the glass.

The stranger nodded, pulled the paper end from his straw and shot the barkeep with the paper in the center of his chest. The patrons fell silent and moved farther from the action as the tall stranger took a long cool drink. Man-oh-man how the stranger loved the first Monday of spring—Root Beer floats, only a buck every Monday until June 1st.

Five minutes later it was all over, as fast as it had started. The glass was empty, the stranger smiled and wiped the dripping root beer flavored ice cream from his mustache with the back of his straw paper shooting hand. He stepped back as the other patrons held their breath—what would happen next.

He turned walked three steps, pushed open the glass door and walked once again into the stifling mid-day heat. Inside the patrons let out a collective sigh and ordered floats all around.

Daylight Savings Time

Well guess what? Its daylight savings time again. I lost an hour of sleep and I can feel it. I know so many people who say they love the daylight and look forward to the change each year. Not me, I say if you want more day light get up earlier, something else I will not do. Only four things that I can think of for needing more daylight:
1. The government wants it
2. Golfers like it
3. Darkness is bad
4. Old guys have something to grumble about
Hey—three of those reasons aren’t bad.

Birthday

Snowed on my birthday. I had hoped for sunshine for a sunny guy like me.

My 5 Minutes of Fame

Can’t believe the Olympics are over and I am once again watching American Idol. Every year I say I will not watch and then I do. Next year they have asked me to be a guest judge but I needed to turn them down because fame does not become me. It could have been my big break but I decided to wait a few more years for my big break. Maybe I will judge Ice dancing in the next winter games.

Spring is in the Air

Spring is in the air. All of our snow melted the last few hours with temperatures in the seventies. I hear birds singing outside my open windows. CRAP—must have dozed off for a while. Looked out and snow still covers the back yard and the birds singing were on television. Think I will go back to sleep or maybe to McDonalds, I’m hungry. I hate daytime nightmares. Daymares?

How to Beat the Snow

More snow coming tomorrow and the weekend. I went out and shoveled this morning and will use my snow blower later this afternoon. We don’t have any snow to shovel or blow from the walks but I like to stay ahead. If I have this figured correctly I am two up on the snow. I never was much good at math or psychology but I do belief that should mean that the next two snows will not fall on my walks or drive. I tried something similar this summer but it didn’t work. I mowed the lawn in the morning, again in the afternoon and once again that evening. Then we left for a three week vacation. When we got home the grass was nearly knee high. The lawn looked like no one had mowed it for two or three weeks. I know that couldn’t be it—maybe I used too much fertilizer. I’ll watch it closer this year.
-N-

Playing on a Day Off

Got up this morning and didn’t want to go to work – again. So I stayed home and played video games, ate popsicles and built a snow fort. Or that is what I would have done if I were 12 again, instead of fifty years past. So what do we old guys do for fun? Play video games eat popsicles and build snow forts, except now we do it with our grandkids.