On Jan 3, 12:15*am, "john b" wrote:


If not yours, whose?

Larry's, to be precise....and legalistic. I make the latter
distinction because ownership has been long and hotly contested by
various rodents, birds, bugs, lichens, and other lesser critters. The
courts have not yet taken notice (let alone rendered a decision). So
much for the property as a whole. The cast of characters vying for
ownership of the house is somewhat smaller.....mice, flies, and Asian
lady beetles being the principle contenders.....and legal hassles on
this issue are much diminished by the fact that I simply kill the
pretenders to the throne about as fast as they appear. Harsh,
perhaps, but expedient and fairly efficient for all that.

Granted, they are not mine....but they are across the
road from *me and I sweep that portion of the road and keep it clean and all
those know that by god if they knock off a bunch of bananas they had best
leave a few on the table on my porch.

Sounds eminently fair and reasonable to me

My immediate neighbors know me and smile.....

as do we.

the rest think I am some crazy
white man

A point of view not entirely lacking in merit, some might suppose.
Those of us who have spent (and much enjoyed) time in your company can
hardly demur. The problem would seem to be that some combination of
"crazy," "white," and "man" is seen by some as problematic. Go
figure.

who is best not disturbed

Well, way too late for that, eh?

and I rather like it like that.
Although I could picture it, it was with great difficulty - white coat and
dissecting lab rats and all...flannel shirts and red suspenders - Paul
Bunyanesq - come to mind quite easily.

Neither as tall as Bunyan nor as single-mindedly work oriented, I'm
afraid. Other than that, though, yeah, sounds familiar.

You may, if it pleases your paisley ass, picture me as dang near clean
shaven, shorn of my locks, wearing flip flops and walking along the beach

Picturing you clean shaven and shorn of locks stretches credulity.
The flip flops and beachcombing is as easy to envision as my ass
giving up paisley in favor argyle.

trying to entice young maidens to my cabana.....

Some things never change. This is as it should be.

...and if I have somehow managed to ruffle your feathers

Infuriated.....as always.

while bringing that grin to your lips...

You've always picked the easy tasks. We admire that.

...it's going to one heck of a new year....

Well, it is now officially off to a roaring start.

john

Good to hear from you, my friend. We dread the inevitable day that we
are informed you have been done in by a jealous lover.....or enraged
parent.

giles
y'all old enough to remember thinking there's somebody or other you
always thought/wished you could have/should have met? yeah, this is
(or should be) one of them.