Shopping Penguin

This is a nice contrast to the shopping frenzy Scott witnessed on Black Friday!

There's always a way out

Check out this video courtesy of our friend, Don. He's baaaaack!!

Bigger Pictures!

Well, blogging is a new experience and I am learning as I go. Found out that if you double-click on a photo posted here, it will enlarge to a full-screen picture. (It doesn't work on the sidebar "Who's Who" pictures). You can really see the ink stains on Doug's pants with this method! Enlarge Dana and Jeff below.

After Thanksgiving

Dana and Jeff

Hope everyone had a relaxing holiday! We were very grateful to be together and enjoyed seeing Katelyn, in from Columbia College of Chicago. Devoured my Mom's specialties including oyster stuffing, creme-de-menthe parfaits, and peanut soup in addition to the traditional favorites. We played a hilarious game of Balderdash where one makes up definitions for real words. What is your definition for "funting"? "Wikicup"?

Scott was in on Black Friday after his first (and last) experience with 6 am bargain-hunting. He realized he was way too late to carry out a new TV when a woman elbowed him in the back and yelled at him to get out of the way. He was happy to make it out alive with a new drill as a consolation prize. He also reported that his sweet potatoes were excellent and shared his recipe.

Lois and Gene finally had their construction project completed. See Pat, it may be possible that your project may soon be completed too!

Gladys and Jacks's tiny great-grand-daughter, Ava, said the last word of each line of the Thanksgiving blessing, ending with "We give thanks for everything"!

Jean came in limping after the holiday. She thinks she may have injured it while performing her lively version of the Soul-ja Boy dance for her guests. Sorry I don't have video documentation of this.

Doug reported eating three meals, ending up at Jeff's, his neighbor. He rode his bike on Thanksgiving morning in preparation for all those calories.

Laura's oil light turned on and she bought 3 quarts of oil on Thanksgiving. However, the gas station attendant said he couldn't put the oil in for her. So she drove to the Catonsville Fire Station and asked for Scott and Dana. Upon learning that they were transferred to another station, she persuaded some helpful men in blue to put the oil in for her. Our Laura is resourceful!

On Saturday, one of Sam's customers (who usually takes a table of 6 for himself) left immediately after his two small tables were pulled apart and another couple sat next to him. He did leave his newspaper for the couple. However, he didn't come back today to read his paper. I was wondering if this was just a coincidence or whether his sense of privacy had been violated. Although he has never joined our group or even smiled at us, he always sat facing us and was a fixture at Sam's. If he comes back, I decided it is time to strike up a conversation and at least find out his name.

Count your blessings as the holiday season commences!

Sam's open on Thanksgiving

Sam's will be open on Thanksgiving from 7 am to 2 pm.

Design by Alicia and Dr. Mike

Paul and Jean brought in some of their unique Deodar Cedar pinecones on Saturday and Sunday and shared them with the gang. One of their trees is recognized as the champion deodar cedar tree in Maryland and sports a plaque with that proclamation. As you can see from the photo, the pine cones resemble wooden roses. When glue is added, the cones can last as decorations for many years. Dr. Mike, Pat R. , Pat F. and Bill took cones home - bring in your crafty, creative efforts made with the cones and/or photograph them for the blog. Share your talents, and the talents of your loved ones!

Sue, Bill, Paul and Jack distribute cones on Sunday

Christmas music already?

Topping this morning’s conversation was the super gigantic fish – the bona fide whopper – that Doug caught. Its massive bulk was awesome. Its scales were heavier than roof shingles. It dragged his boat for forty-five minutes before he wrestled and reeled the beast in by sheer will and force.

Doug has a photo of himself holding aloft this magnificent creature but hasn’t shared it with his blog-mates because it’s from last year (or he doesn’t know how). He’ll post a shot of his next catch instead (via Mike if he can’t figure out how). We must ponder the precise prodigious proportions of last year’s prize pescado ourselves, but considering Doug’s modesty, my bet is it was two to three times whatever size he described.

Speaking of prizes, we at Sam’s are justifiably proud of the three dazzling examples of the majestic "champion" evergreen species presiding over the front of Paul’s and Jean’s beautiful home. Each autumn, their boughs issue a myriad of rose-like cones as delicate as Faberge Eggs. Stay tuned, folks, for this week’s Bagel Art, which I understand from good sources, will feature several of these special cones prominently.

Hello Ladies:

Pat, thanks for summoning Dr. Mike back, and may your cement settle and air be clear of sawdust soon.

Sue, I hope you made it through today well and derive some consolation from hearing you look mahvellous in black sequins.

Alicia, Yay – the sun and breeze cooperated this afternoon!

Farewell to Don

Bye Bye Don

Bye Bye Happiness

Hello Loneliness

I think I'm gonna die

Bye Bye our Don goodbye!

Our loss is Florida's (temporary) gain!

Hugs for Doug

Doug attempts to protect himself from Jeff's and Don's unwanted advances

Doug showed up on Thursday morning with blue ink all over the crotch of his khaki pants. Strangely, his hands were devoid of ink. Glenn posed with a blue cereal bowl on his head to commemorate this strange blue event.

Friday Morning at Sam's

Dimitri bids a fond farewell to his favorite customer

Safe jouney to Don who left for 10 days in Florida . We should have two quiet weekends as a result.

Happy 50th Anniversary greetings go out to Bill White.

He will be celebrating on Saturday night at the Candlelight Inn.

Where is Dr. Mike?

WHERE IS DR. MIKE? WE MISS HIM. HAVE NOT SEEN HIS BICYCLE FOR A FEW WEEKS. IT HAS BEEN ABOUT A YEAR SINCE HE BECAME A REGULAR. MAYBE HE JUST COULD NOT TAKE ANY MORE. THERE IS NOTHING IN HIS MEDICAL BOOKS TO EXPLAIN US. WILL BE LOOKING FOR THE BICYCLE NEXT WEEKEND.

From Pat

Charlie's Back!

This morning's group was happily surprised from a visit by Charlie and Patty. Charlie is navigating around with a walker and even got a few zingers off at Don. Everyone was zinging Don this morning, probably because he is headed off to Florida next week and we won't have that pleasure for awhile.

I think I need to start digital recordings to capture the conversation at Sam's. I can't quite get the ebb and flow of the witticisms with the little memory I have left. Anyway, Alicia stated that she felt better after her coffee this morning, and Pat pointed out that laughter is great for the immune system. So thanks for my immunity boost everyone!

Monday Night is Pizza Night

Hi everyone,
If you purchase pizza at the Route 40 Pizza Hut this Monday (November 12th), a portion of the proceeds will benefit Jeff's son's Boy Scout Troop.

Also on Monday, Golden Corral is offering a free buffet dinner to any veteran from 5 to 9 pm. There is a Golden Corral at Arundel Mills adjacent to the mall.

Happy Veteran's Day to all!

Don S. is Looking for this Mirror

Don wants help finding this mirror. Does anyone know which Home Depot sells it?

Good News

Jim at Altuan Ha

Hi everyone,

I am very happy to report that Charlie is back home after stays at St. Agnes and Union Memorial Hospitals. He would enjoy visitors, just call ahead and make sure that it is a good time to stop by. I tried to visit him at Johns Hopkins, but he wasn't there! The fluid on his lung appears to be cardiac-related. They put stents in his artery (arteries?) to increase blood flow.....let's hope this is does the trick! Continue to feel better, Charlie, and come back to Sam's soon. Everyone has missed you.

My dear friend Jim came through his surgery at Hopkins beautifully. He had a tumor and two lobes of his right lung removed on Tuesday. He is already well enough to be walking, eating meals, and be "tubeless". He will probably come home tomorrow, and that seems like a miracle to me! Thanks for all of your prayers, I am positive they helped ! Jim has done an excellent job of using a blog to keep friends and family informed of his progress. You can check it out at http://notbymyself.blogspot.com/.

-

Treats for Troops

With the holiday season approaching, Pat R. sent information about a safe way to send gifts to our troops. She has used the site personally.

Treats for Troops was founded in early 2003 by Denver business woman Deborah Crane, who was determined to make it safe and simple for every American to send packages and messages of support to our men and women in uniform year round.
Since the Treats for Troops Gift Shops opened in June of 2003, friends, family members, groups, organizations and individual sponsors have sent over twenty tons of treats to American soldiers through Treats for Troops.

Visit the website at http://www.treatsfortroops.com

Fire Rainbow

Pat R. sent this awesome photo to inspire us. Here is what I learned about this rare spectacle.

June 19, 2006 It looks like a rainbow that's been set on fire, but this phenomenon is as cold as ice. Known in the weather world as a circumhorizontal arc, this rare sight was caught on film on June 3 as it hung over northern Idaho near the Washington State border .The arc isn't a rainbow in the traditional sense—it is caused by light passing through wispy, high-altitude cirrus clouds. The sight occurs only when the sun is very high in the sky (more than 58° above the horizon). What's more, the hexagonal ice crystals that make up cirrus clouds must be shaped like thick plates with their faces parallel to the ground.
When light enters through a vertical side face of such an ice crystal and leaves from the bottom face, it refracts, or bends, in the same way that light passes through a prism. If a cirrus's crystals are aligned just right, the whole cloud lights up in a spectrum of colors. This particular arc spanned several hundred square miles of sky and lasted for about an hour, according to the London Daily Mail.
—Victoria Gilman

5 Oaks Pool Yard Sale (from Don)

The yard sale for 27 October was cancelled due to weather. The new date and time are as follows:

Date: 3 November 8-12PM
Where: Five Oaks parking lot.
Cost: $20/space. Table space money will help fund a new playground for the pool.
Contact: Barbara at bbates@bcps.org
Dianne Bettick at dbettick@gmail.com .

Additional info: No tables will be provided by the pool.

Peanut Pumpkin

Check out this new type of pumpkin, the peanut pumpkin. I broke my best serrated knife trying to carve it. The flesh of the pumpkin was 4 inches thick, a cross between pumpkin and melon flesh. Oh, one more thing, don't bring it inside.....it really stinks!

Happy Halloween Home Haunts!

My neighbors Donna, Matt, Ryan, Nick and Katrina on our porch

Bill said several of Sam's crowd came by his haunted abode this evening.

Leatherface was very scary emerging from the fog.....