An Old Dog and New Tricks

My education has been advancing nicely these last few weeks, like say, since I took up blogging. I discovered this is another good way of utilizing the ol' brain cells to help ward off senility, which is good since working Sudoku puzzles has lost its charm.

Not all of what I've learned recently concerns blogging, though. Several things have contributed to my continuing adult education.

Here is another one of my unscientific lists. This one is about things learned, or re-learned this weekend:

1. People will give trick-or-treat candy to anyone, including boys who go around dressed as themselves. Or maybe the Bear was actually dressed as his friend, Eric, and Eric was dressed as the Bear. Awesome!


2. If a boy hides his candy, it will take his dog roughly 30 seconds to find it.


3. When the dog finds hidden candy she will most likely grab a Kit Kat bar, because she has made it her life mission to destroy anything having to do with a kat, er, cat or maybe because she just loves chocolate. Who knows? We asked her (in an attempt to be scientific) but she wouldn't comment. She is still undecided, too, in whom she will vote for in the election tomorrow. She just knows that since she lives in Ohio it is her right as a resident to do so. The fact that her state issued "license" is for a canine should not be a problem.


4. Adults trick-or-treat! This astounds me. Really. I'm not talking about people holding bags for their children. I'm talking about a loud, obnoxious, rude lovely woman shoving a bag up under my nose politely asking for a piece for herself. I have a suggestion for adults like her: buy twice as much candy as you expect to give out to the neighborhood kiddies and keep the leftover half for yourself. Make sure to get a nice variety. Works for me!


5. I learned how to make letter strikethroughs. What? You already noticed?


6. I thought my fat black cat, Lucy, died about a year ago, soon after we acquired the dog, but I found out that she is living in Iowa with Darcy of "Life With My 3 Boybarians!" Don't believe me? Go over and watch her You Tube video called "My Video Blog." I was at her site learning "blog things" and came across the video, which I watched, obviously.


7. If someone has a hurricane come through their area unexpectedly it is against the law in our municipality to burn the resulting tree debris in a galvanized drum but it is perfectly acceptable to burn it in a rusting outdoor firepit on your driveway while handing out trick-or-treat candy. Said municipality was supposed to send a truck around to grind up the branches into mulch but didn't. We don't need it now, so don't bother.


8. Giving a child a cell phone does not guarantee that his mother will be able to reach him to ask where he is but does guarantee that his friends can always contact him to ask the same question.


9. I learned that taking a DNA sample is not as easy as it looks on CSI. It takes 3 swabs to 3 different parts of the mouth for a total of 90 seconds to get an acceptable submission. My dad had agreed to take a DNA test so that I can participate in a genealogy surname study. I think Dad is still speaking to me, but I'm not sure. Dinner at Bob Evans might've helped make amends.


10. Moving the clocks back one hour does not guarantee an extra hour of sleep. Um, can we try it again next week? I promise to do better!