R. O. M. P.

When Beth and I lived in Milwaukee, from 2003 to 2006, we actively supported  an organization called R.O.M.P. – Residents for Off-leash Milwaukee Parks. We were very much in favor of having areas in the city where dogs could play freely, without being restrained by a leash, and not be a threat to other citizens. Obviously, while living there, we got on the R.O.M.P. email list.

When we moved to Searsport, Maine, the emails continued despite all my good efforts to have them remove my name. In all honestly, they are not like spam attacks… I’d only get 5-6 emails a year, but it was just enough to put my “undies in a knot” whenever I got one of their news items.

I had resigned myself to reacting only with a big “sigh”, and then hitting the “Delete” button…. until last week.

The latest email mentioned that R.O.M.P. needed more members for the Board of Directors and they were accepting applications for several open positions. I replied with gusto, and listed my address in Searsport, ME.

Shortly, I got a lovely reply from someone named, Amy. She attached a short application form and mentioned they’d love to have me as a Board member, but my address seemed to indicate the travel requirements for attending meetings might be a bit “troublesome”.

I replied to Amy, that I was really only trying to get the attention of ANYONE who could remove me from their  e-mail list. Even though I support their efforts in “spirit”, it would be very unlikely that I would ever move back to Milwaukee…. and I would like to STOP receiving their periodic emails. I told her if she could accomplish this feat I would do three things:

      1)      I would withdraw my name for Board Member consideration

            2)      I would be eternally grateful to her

      3)      I might even be inclined to include her in my will

Amy replied saying she was not in charge of the email listings, but she knew the person that was, and she was fairly certain she could get my name removed. She also indicated she is always delighted to be named in any will, as long as you don’t leave her a cat. She’s a dog person.

I replied, thanking her in advance for taking care of my miniscule problem, and telling her that if I ever decide to add her to my will, it will NOT be to bequeath her a cat. I am a dog person, and don’t have any cats. Dogs Rule!

Only time will tell, but I think Amy will successfully get my name removed from the R.O.M.P. e-mail list, and I will have eliminated one “pesky” internet problem.

Now this wasn’t my biggest internet problem… in fact a lot of them go way beyond “pesky” status… but attempting to become a Board Member seemed to work out fairly well….  So I got to thinking…. I wonder if Facebook needs any new members for their Board of Directors?

Surprise!

Several times in my lifetime I have tried to throw surprise parties for people, and never had much success. This Saturday, however, I was part of the best surprise party ever, at the coffee shop.

It didn’t start out as a surprise party… quite the opposite.

A few weeks ago, we found out that several of the “regulars’ were having birthdays in mid-September. We frequently celebrate birthdays at the coffee shop, and decided to have one BIG party for all the September birthday folk. Karen (Coastal Coffee Co-Owner), Barbara, Martha, “Teacher” Tim, and my brother-in-law, Eric, were those we designated to celebrate their recent free trip around the Sun. Eric lives in the Washington DC area, so we planned the party for a Saturday when he would be visiting us.

I was in charge of the cake, so I went to Tozier’s, our local supermarket bakery and ordered something appropriate. Karen was in charge of getting cards for everyone to sign, and we spread the announcement through word-of-mouth. Nine-thirty in the morning was tabbed as the “bewitching” hour.

I brought the cake in a few minutes before nine, and the crowd of well-wishers began to gather. The “birthday people” wandered in as well…

Just after I brought in the cake, Jim, from Monkton, MD, and his partner, Karen, came in. They were sightseeing and decided to make a pit-stop for breakfast and coffee. He was wearing a Baltimore Orioles t-shirt, so we chatted with him a bit about the plight of his favorite baseball team. 

Well, just before the bewitching hour arrived, in the course of our talking with Jim and his partner, we learned that it was Jim’s birthday. What a surprise he got when we came out with a birthday cake and headed straight toward him. We yucked it up with him about how his partner loved him so much she arranged this whole party JUST for him… and we were all actors… and well paid, at that…. LOL...  She had spared no expense…

When Jim got sufficiently red-faced from humility, we told him he had the good fortune of walking into a “planned” party. We apologized for not having a birthday card to give him, and that’s when he finally believed us, and that we were genuinely delighted to welcome him into our pre-planned event.

Everyone enjoyed cake (and coffee, of course), and well wishes were spread around easily. As the old saying goes, “A good time was had by all”.

For Jim, I’m pretty sure it made his day.

It sure did make ours!

I Never Saw It Coming

This story has nothing to do with the coffee shop, but everyone there wanted me to put it on the blog, so here goes….

I’m “borrowing” this from Bob Lacey, co-host of the Bob & Sheri syndicated morning radio show. Although Bob now lives and works in Charlotte, NC, he grew up in New Haven, and this story piqued his curiosity when he saw the byline from his old home town. Here’s the gist of the news item from the Aug. 26^th edition of the New Haven Register.

A woman texted her boyfriend telling him it was IMPERATIVE that he call her as soon as he got out of work.

He failed to do so.

She hunted him down and found him at his apartment, and a shouting match began.

He wanted to escape her, so he jumped into his car and drove away. She followed, and a high-speed chase ensued. They both went through red lights and stop signs, and bystanders notified the police.

The police finally located the pair at a suburban shopping mall, and she had him at knifepoint.

The police did not take kindly to the knife in her hand and wanted to arrest her. She would have none of it, and got into her car and sped off, and ANOTHER high-speed chase occurred…. through more stop signs and more  red lights.

The police finally captured her and arrested her on over a dozen violations.

She was 82. He was 80.

I never saw that coming… and you probably didn’t either… but it sure seems to tickle everyone’s funny bone when I tell it.

It sort of made me wonder what ticked her off in the first place...  Perhaps he winked at someone he shouldn't have at the Senior Center? ... or it might have been they had a date and he jilted her? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and all that.

I guess “craziness” has no age limit…. and in a crazy sort of way, I’m glad to see them still enjoying the full range of life’s emotions in their “golden years”. I know the “knifepoint” thing was a little “over-the-top”, but whatever got her “started”, I hope they patch it up. The “crazy” gene inside me seems to be saying they just might be very happy together.