Folks,
Old Dux:
Great news. Soon we shall meet Olga who sounds a lot like a lady (using the term somewhat generously) beside whom a buddy of mine once woke up. Having gotten completely blotto the night before he claims that he was not even aware that he had a sleeping companion.
He awoke with the pitiless indiscretions of the night before maliciously toiling away form the inside using jackhammers against his throbbing skull. Finding the new morning still a whiskey colored blur, he rubbed his red, swollen eyes and got his first real good look at his female companion. According to him it was a face that would curdle milk.
As he cringed in horror at the thoughts of what he might have done overnight, she smiled at him hopefully with a mouth he could best describe as looking far too much like a barn door smeared with cheap red paint and filled with only the black piano keys. Cooing softly, the young woman snuggled much closer making several extremely friendly overtures. From that point on my friend claims that her body was willing but his spirit was much too weak.

OT:
I have read you say that you were once an avid bird watcher. We have several feeders and a rather larger flock of indigenous species living in the woods and forest around us. They, our squirrels and other woods critters are a treat to watch. There is a family of racoons sniffing around in the backyard right now.
This year we have really enjoyed several richly colored male Cardinals and their more muted colored companions. The Cardinal is the state bird of NC, by the way and they are quite common here. One bird in particular stood out. He was quite large with especially brilliant colored feathers even for a male cardinal.
Never opposed to anthropomorphism in any form (particularly when applied to our nearest human neighbors) we named this handsome fellow and followed his comings and goings with great interest.
When the snow came he fought off the Blue Jays single handed (footed) and he had uncontested pick of the females this spring. Our feathered Romeo was a sight to see all puffed up, scarlet and strutting about the backyard. He knew it too.
We named him SNAFU after the HWH founder (no, not because Mark is a bird brain) because we like SNAFU. And the acronym fit so well: Situation Normal All Fluffed Up.
This morning I found poor SNAFU (the bird, not the man) lying stone dead in the yard, his body ravaged by some scavenger or predator. It is sad that such a beautiful life is so easily taken. Nature is impartial yet it often seems so cruel.
Hurry with "Olga" I need cheering up.
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"Blessed are they who expect nothing.
For they will not be disappointed." - Edmund Qwenn, "The Trouble with Harry"
[This message has been edited by Jolly Roger Too (edited 03-25-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Jolly Roger Too (edited 03-25-2002).]