Non-football related stuff that really makes your day

[Panoptes]

No...I'm guessing the milk man missed his calling.

Stand proud pops.

[Islair]

Ben is now on the honor roll, a math all-star, a reading all-star and is frequently going to the 2nd & 3rd grade classrooms because the 1st grade work isn't challenging enough.

He's also 2nd in his class on the amount of books that he's read to this point. His teacher did point out to us that even though he's only read 56 books compared to the other kid's 112, the books Ben has read are bordering on the early 4th grade level.

He's got my looks and Momma's brains!

Sounds like a great kid. More kids his age should strive to be like him.

[The Cat]

I guess it's never too early to extend best wishes for the upcoming holiday season...I only have the email addressess of a few forum members, and as I want to extend my best to all, I am posting my email greeting here. all the best crew


It's the holiday season, so pack in a few more memories. HO! HO! hO!....MERRRYYYY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!



When I was a very young lad, or as I was colloquially described back then "about knee high to a grasshopper" .....

My Santa was Jack Cook.

Mr Cook, lived across the street from my house and every year he dedicated two weeks of his life to Children. He was Santa to

thousands of kids every year. He was not one of those department store Santas who gets paid to pose, but a real honest to

goodness St Nicholas.

Nothing, Not even cancer, (in the end) kept him from his self-appointed duties. And though he may have greeted children for

two hours straight in a church hall or school gymnasium, the last was received as jovially as the first,.

I had the inside track on Santa and I kept that secret to myself for many years. I discovered his identity late one evening, while

looking out my bedroom window. Santa was standing beneath the Street lamp talking with my father, when suddenly to my

shock his beard came off and there stood Jack Cook.

When Mr Cook wasn't busy being Santa, he tended to his downtown upscale shoe store.

He had a personal life too, a good part of which involved sitting in our living room with many other friends on Sunday mornings.

The bacon and eggs, toast, rye whiskey and beer festivities always began just a few minutes after the eleven o'clock Mass had

ended at the Church .......on the hill .....on the corner....... a mere 50 yards from where we lived. The company would entertain

each other with bawdy stories and humorous tales of everyday endeavours.

My Santa was well over six feet, wore real spectacles, and laughed more in real life than the character he played. Particularly

after a few. Santa really liked the juice, but he truly was a merry old soul. The more he drank, the more he laughed, and the

more he drank the redder his nose would get. Rudoph was no match.

In costume or in his business suit, Mr Cook always had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. He was my hero.

Often, after parking his car in his driveway, he would lumber across the street, hand me a nickel and instruct me to

"go. keep Mr Wilson in business." Mr Wilson was the owner of a tiny little store with sawdust on the floor that sat across the

street from the Church on the hill..... on the corner...... on the street where I lived. A nickel could buy you a popsicle, a small

bag of jelly beans and a couple of double bubble chewing gum....Enough to keep a kid stocked for few hours or in a great

position to barter for other stuff with the neighbourhood kids.

Mr Cook passed when I was 24. I saw him just days after his last Santa sitting which happened to be just days before he died,

As I grew older, he would often remind me to look in the eyes of a child who had just seen Santa. "Nothing in his life":, he said,

could ever give him more joy than staring back at the joy-filled eyes of a child looking at Santa..

Mr Cook was a very special Santa and an even better man. How else, could I explain why I smile each time I think of him?

And I think of him every year at this time.

And to bring yourself a little extra joy this season, try looking in the eyes of some children who are eagerly awaiting

Santas arrival. If you look closely enough, maybe, just maybe, you'll see a reflection of Christmases long long ago.

It's my wish for you this holiday season that you have a Mr Cook you can think back on. A Santa, who made your life great

in a much simpler time.


Best wishes

[Islair]

Heck of a story there, Merry Christmas back at you.

[-Deborah-]

Very sweet, Bill. Merry Christmas!

[Kansas]

He indeed doesn't care about labels. He marches to his own tune and doesn't care who knows it. He's popular, smart, athletic and all the educators love him.

Uh oh. That's what the parents of all the mass murderers say.

Distraught mother: "<Sobs> I don't know what made him gun down all those people at the mall, Geraldo. He's just a great kid. He indeed doesn't care about labels. He marches to his own tune and doesn't care who knows it. He's popular, smart, athletic and all the educators love him. Why, Geraldo? Why? <Breaks down>"

I'd get him some professional help pronto, YT. Any kid that perfect is a ticking time bomb.

[DanO]

" Turned it in and never even heard so much as a thank you from the guy."
------------------------------Turned it in???? If by turned it in you mean turning it in to authorities he probably never saw the money. The person you "turned it into" was then $1700.00 richer. I always do my own leg work and when the person is surprised to get the wallet back with all the mony in tact they always offer a stipend. I simply tell them I'm not interested in that but if they really want to repay me then they can do the same when they come across a similar situation.

Very nice Bill.

[bimmer84]

Thanks for sharing Bill.

[CGVT]

Tonight! Six rows from the stage.

[DanO]

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!

[Tony G]

I hope he's sober for it

[bimmer84]

CG, or Prine?

[Islair]

LOL

[kayrone]

JEALOUS!!

He never comes anywhere near me, so I've never had the opportunity. Have a GREAT time!

[CGVT]

Stopped for oysters and beer. Waiting for the show to start. I'm pretty sober.....