Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember the existence of Dana Cole, a person who was two years behind me in college, of whom I remember almost nothing, only that we might have chatted once or twice in the dorm. One tends to assume that she graduated from college a couple of years after myself, but I really have not heard much about her since I left. These people are not close friends of mine, actually. I can barely remember their names.

Yes, perhaps I should have reserved the See's Candy for people who are actually my friends. I have found a good substitute for you, which is called "Kilwins," based in Michigan. Delicious.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I do seem to vaguely remember that some of those black or sort of blackish girls were seen to arrive at the dorm dressed in a way that might have been suitable for a nightclub, and it came out later that they had been cruising around in some low-rider district, although I do not quite understand how that could happen, and then probably CJ would have hit the roof and that would have been severe. It is better for me to let them police each other, because if white girl sticks her nose in that, what a worse mess it might have been, obviously, but I merely assume that the authorities would have dealt with the matter in an appropriate way.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I cannot seem to remember, was Mary an MK from Asia, she who married that black guy Ernie Clayton who was one of the star basketball players? Not to confuse her with Joy Bolton, another MK from Asia who was married Bill Kelly, another guy at college who was very prominent for some reason. I did not know them very well, that I would care to comment on these people. 

Asia is not something for us to talk too much about, given that Kowloon was stuck on the other side of the Communist line after the world wars, opposite to Hong Kong, so we really cannot say much about that. It is a sad story.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, that joke of yours was so lame, about getting points for running people over with a car, and then you turn around and pretend that you were not the person who suggested that in the first place. Which is another reason why we are no longer on speaking terms.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I have recently learned that Cooper was the mother's maiden name of the Stewart twins, which brings up the question of whether the Stewarts are related to someone who was at our college, Bathsheba Cooper, a black girl who often sang in chapel and was well known to all for that reason. I did not know her personally, only remember that she was considered a good singer.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember my first year at SCC, living on the seventh floor of girls' dorm, the top floor it was, that Gail Lee and Lisa Moats were in the first room next to the elevator, maybe across the hall from them was C.J. (Cynthia Jackson) from San Francisco, a couple of doors down from them was Heather Stewart [MK-South Africa] and Debbie Godwin, then my room, where my roommate the first semester was Dolly and the second semester Barbara, and a couple of doors farther down the hall was someone named Mary, a white girl, and was dating Ernie Clayton, a black guy who was one of the star basketball players who lived in an alternate universe. Whether Mary had a personality I really could not say. She kept to herself and mostly hung out with her boyfriend. Also on our floor was Vickie Fraser. Also living on the same floor were Candy Higgins and Candy Bennett, who were rooming together, and also Anne and Jayne Darosci from Chicago who were nieces of the college president and cousins to Larry Kraiss and probably also his cousin Glen Kraiss, and who were only there for one year, and various other people whose names escape me at the moment.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I remember that someone was saying that she claimed to have been a backup singer for some huge secular rock band, maybe Chicago, and also claimed to be a Motown success, although it was not clear how that could be true of a blond white person, as Motown people are all black. That was what I remember having heard someone say about her, although I never heard much more about that. The president's wife spoke of her with a chilling contempt that did bonte bode well for her proposed transition to CCM, her demo album being handed around to persons who did not seem very impressed, although I never heard it myself so I cannot really say much about that. I do not remember what her name was or what path her career took later. I just have no idea.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, but you are telling me that you are gone to Walker's Point, which means that you will just be stuck there in Peru forever and ever. Peru probably has its interesting points, but anyway, life is too short to spend all the points on Peru.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember that during my first year at SCC, there lived down the hall from me some girl named Gail Lee, whose roommate's name was Lisa, and there room was right next to the elevator, and that is almost the only sum total of everything that I can remember about Gail Lee. Beyond that, I really would not be able to comment on whatever about Lee. I have no idea. I do not remember myself ever talking to them.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, we once spent a week vacationing in Colorado, a little tourist trap called Estes Park, and we attended some Christian concerts in the evening, and during the day we strolled about the town shopping at various cute little shops. We were vacationing together with the Stewarts, our former friends who we have not seen for these many years now. Sam's girlfriend Janey Walker was also there vacationing with us, although we did not see very much of her. Janey mostly hung out with Sam and did not say much to us. At this point in time it is not clear when we would ever be on speaking terms again, due to a subsequent blizzard of magazine junk. We don't really do life that way. However, we have been instructed to study to show ourselves approved, "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Study does help us to understand whatever that meant.

And then, only this week, browsing through Wikipedia, we notice that the illustrious aristocrat Prescott Bush was married to someone named Dorothy Walker. Interesting point there. And is Janey Walker somehow related to Dorothy Walker? The thought of asking such a question had never crossed my mind before now. And even so, why should I bother to ask such a question? I seriously doubt that I would ever have any occasion of speaking to such snooty arrogant political aristocrats and/or party animals, nor would I care to entangle myself in their useless political machinations. I have enough back pains already without contributing to the mess. Who knows what criss-crossing party lines are strewn about such a useless topic of conversation? No, clearly it is better to carry on without them. They never do anything helpful anyway.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, you were reminding me that anciently the joke was that although Robert E. Lee was a very powerful man, yet he could not hope to get himself elected dog catcher in Massachusetts, that bastion of Union power. And yet more recently Massachusetts has elected for themselves one of those Mormon dog catchers, so perhaps you are saying that Massachusetts is not what it used to be. Yes, maybe so. And for that bit of supposedly humorous back door mothingness, Lee is expecting to get some sort of prize? Ridiculous.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I heard that you are from Oregon, so probably you are in cahoots with that horrid Renell who pretends to be related to me and perhaps lives somewhere in Oregon. We hear that one of those trashy Italian bimbo stole her first husband, a good reason to feel sorry for her, and we would feel sorry for her, given that we had no connection whatever to that, except that she was so mean to us online that we cannot help but not care about her pathetic life anyway.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, perhaps I did hear someone quoting the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, although her sonnets are not really written in Portuguese, but her husband's name was Robert. I do not remember much else about that. When I hear that, my brain did not connect to Camoens until maybe yesterday. And even so, so what? That has nothing to do with me.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, it is somewhat mystifying to ponder why anyone would imagine that I would need to pay or owe something to pay for the crimes of Stephanie, a person who coincidentally was in my high school class, but otherwise we had no actual conversation, that I would have any clue what was going on with her at the party. I just have no idea what that was about. 

Of course, if you want to of your own accord donate money to feed the poor, fine, I have no problem with that. Just don't imagine that I would "owe" money to them for that because hat never actually happened that I know of. You could not prove anything by me, needless to say.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I remember that when the twins were visiting us during the summer after 10th grade, in El Salvador, that Sam would always address any question or comment to "Candi and Rene," never the one or the other, only as if the two of us were one unit, and when I made some comment in protest, he made it clear that he meant that seriously, which, OK, fine, clearly nothing more can be expected from such an annoyingly immature 10th grade boy. Needless to say.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, and I do not remember myself ever watching one episode of "Dallas," only read revies that made it seem like a worthless waste of time, probably, so I did not do that.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I heard you are saying that I cannot well afford to summarily dispense with the noxious riff-raff of "Dallas," myself having to claim to a Fort Worth, my net worth being somewhere in the region of zero. You say that I have no worth, that I am nothing to you, having no value whatsoever. And yet I exist somehow. Go figure.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, it is obvious that you people in New York are spending way too much time sitting around watching old reruns of that dreary TV show "Dallas.: To think that I would ever discuss my personal business with the pathetic wretches of "Dallas" is a step too far to ask, in my humble opinion. So what are you asking?

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I think that I vaguely remember that Linda and Jill were among the most consummate gossips that I ever heard, but I only that I was not their source of original information and can only imagine where they come up with all of that snarky blend of fact and fiction.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, interesting to note that David and Bobby are still laboring under the illusion that no means yes and yes means no. I could elaborate on that point, but I probably should not say more about that. Some people just never learn.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, interesting, I did not know that they were so well connected to the Hopi Indians of New Mexico. And what does that have to do with "Hope"? None of this alphabet soup means anything to me.

Which Reminds Me

Yes ,speaking of the band, I do not think that I have a mandate on that, but I do think that I am seeing some pesky mandrakes flitting around, whatever that meant. 

Coincidentally, I learned by ancestry research that the Drakes of South Dakota might actually be cousins to the Buenos of New Mexico. Whatever that meant.

Which Reminds Me

Yes I do hope that you can think for yourself. If you can make good decisions on your own behalf, then you will not need to concern yourself about whatever Holly said. But, on the other hand, if you cannot think for yourself and make your own decisions, then you will have to do whatever Holly says. Holly will tell you about the statistics and what the social science experts are saying about you, and you will have to do whatever Holly says, you will be just another statistic in Holly's book, you will be a slave to Holly's statistical charts. So those are your choices. Think for yourself or be a slave of Holly. I do not see where I have anything to say about that. That had nothing to do with me. It was your choice.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, it is somewhat mystifying to ponder why I should care about the idiotic rantings of the pompous arrogant snooty snobs of ORU. My SAT scores are good enough I could have done better than if I had tried, but somehow ORU would not be my choice. You always seemed to me as if a pack of pompous arrogant snobs that would be David's type, certainly. I would sue you all for slander and defamation, except that I am a Christian and that is not how I operate, and also you are some dirty tricks people, obviously, on whom why should I waste my energies, always hack hack hack.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I really was not intending to put in a formal accusation as these matters are beyond my personal knowledge, but if you insist on putting me on the witness stand, I would need to defer and refer all question to Holly MacGowan, who claims to be an authoritative source of information on these matters.

Which Reminds M

Yes, ultimately, I do not remember myself ever applying for ministerial paperwork, so obviously that leaves me off the hook. I do not need to answer your wino questions because, anyway, I am not applying to babysit your flock of winos. I have better things to do than answer your silly wino questions.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, interesting how, due to a fluke of blood chemistry, I seem to belong to a different family than my own sister.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I am reminded of a time when I was 9 or 10 years old living in El Salvador, in a house where our maid's name was Betty, as also my mother's name is Betty. One day our maid Betty was reading to us a letter from a lover and somehow the way she was reading it made me think for a moment that it was directed to me, but no, at the end of the letter she explained that the letter was for her, from some guy who lived down the street. Silly me, I almost thought the letter was for me, but no, that would be ridiculous. 

Betty from Santa Ana was our maid during the first term, but when we returned for the second term my mother refused to rehire her.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, it happens that many years ago I did once read your chatterbox book but, anyway, I have no desire to have any personal connection to this type of dreary motormouth politics.

Which brings up the question of whether your ex- is somehow related to the two Johnson brothers who at one time lived somewhere near here, not that I cared about that. They were from an alternate universe that was of no interest to me. I do not wish my life to be interpreted through their blurry lens of worthless garbage.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, sorry, I had not realized that you had mistaken me for, or perhaps I should say that I am not sure when I first realized that you had mistaken me for a high school classmate, Ron-It, who, I have no idea what is going on with her, beyond her being maybe a royalist, because we really never talked. However, the little brownies seem to be very fond of her although myself not being really one of them, what would I know about that? I have not much thought of them but, incidentally, I figured out that she was Jewish and is part of the Jewish community there in that country. I read in the newspaper that El Salvador bought some new airplanes for their Air Force from Israel, so obviously they have a close relationship with the Jewish community that is understandably important to them, even if really our paths do not have much occasion to cross, ourselves being there to work with the Christian churches, obviously. If you were to ask me about that I could easily explain, but it is hard for me to get a word in edgewise with some of those people. Needless to say. 

Although now that the Arabs are running the show there, probably some things have changed, and I am not quite sure how that affects their relationship with Israel. Some people were trying to throw me to Honduras, which is a bit awkward because, although not meaning to be rude to Honduras, I was never there and do not know anything about that. Where did all of these Honduran people come from and why do they think they know something about that?

We once drove through a small piece of Honduras on our way to visit Nicaragua, but that was before the soccer war, after which time the borders were closed and it was too complicated to think of going to Honduras from El Salvador at that time. It was easier to visit Guatemala, which we did often enough. 

Which Reminds Me

Yes, someone is reminding me of the time during high school when my sister concocted a prank in which she and other girl in her class made some phony love letters signed by an anonymous lover, which they sent to their classmate Lori, and which I heard apparently really had Lori going for a while, and then later my sister had to go and apologize to Lori for the prank, thus putting a probably unpleasant ending to that. But of course none of that was my problem. I only heard about that after the fact. My mother told me about that. I do not see any need for myself to apologize for something that I had nothing to do with.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, why is this little brat always pestering me. Encouraging that only makes it worse and likewise ignoring that accomplishes the same. Either way, my life becomes a complete misery if I give in to that, and if I don't give in to that, the same result.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, you can only imagine what I might have heard, and the only thing that I have to offer is the Spanish/ English dictionary. Seriously. I am not kidding around. There is only the dictionary.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, how well we remember that the Bible warns us that salvation is not attained by comparing ourselves one to another. And yet here we are, touting the comparative literature degree as if that were somehow an acceptable field of study for a Christian girl to consider. You would need at least three languages, and then what? An endless or at least less obstructed stream of doodling perhaps may result, but anyway, whatever, I have other things on my mind than comparative literature. Literature does nothing to pay the rent.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, probably I was only imagining that I was hearing him online apologizing because, after going to ORU, he now has to skulk around avoiding ministry because his wife is a silly nitwit gold-digger always chattering about money and bogging him down with her evil head full of decadently wicked French literature, as if that were the only reason to go to college. Yes, probably I only imagined that I heard that, because anyway, what sort of "nice guy" would go around talking about his own wife that way? That would be too much to ask of anyone. Besides which, what would I know about the evil decadence of French literature? I am not very advanced in French, do not know much about it. Yes, probably I am only imagining that I heard that.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, speaking of judgmentalism, I am reminding of the Biblical adage which says that all things are lawful but not all things are expedient. It is not expedient for me to give a hoot about electoral politics. So many issues, so little time. And come to think of it, what are all of these judgmental things that I forgot to say because I did not know that? Perhaps you could fill in the blanks for me because I really had no clue.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, what was the name of that back-stabbing traitor who preferred ORU to any other of our excellent colleges? He flatters himself too much if he thinks that I will want to hear about his tedious life later.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, amazing the pompous arrogant illusions of grandeur that some persons cultivate in regards to themselves, but anyway, I digress.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, there is no "when" yet, it has yet to be determined when the dentist will be placing another crown in my aging and fragile teeth. There is a general idea of a plan but the details of that are yet to be determined. Teeth are important for the proper enjoyment of food, naturally. 

But as for crowns of the royal variety, I have not much thought of that. Perhaps you have mistaken me for that royalist classmate of whom I really cannot remember much or think of anything to say. I really have not that much acquaintance with her other life beyond the high school classroom.

Which Reminds Me

Browsing around the Internet, we stumble upon the story of Ms. Lee Roosevelt, a person whose existence would be of no interest to us, but for her father's presidential library. What would those clueless Georgia dumbbells know about anything anyway and why should I care? Not everything happens in Georgia. I would donate to them my copy of the Spanish/English dictionary, but anyway, they probably already have found that by now. They are seeking donations to build the Teddy Roosevelt Library in North Dakota, not Georgia, either place being a matter of indifference to me. What else do they want from me? I think they have enough already without stringing me along as well.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I see that Colorado is expecting me to bow down and worship their evil Jenkins goddess of the day, even though that is never going to happen. We threw Jenkins out the window long ago, why have you not gotten the message?

Which Reminds Me

Yes, it has come to our attention that you have yet failed to turn off the stupid Fawcett machine or spigot. How would I do that? I only glimpsed the TV show "Charlie's Angels" a few times, not a huge fan of that mindless type of entertainment, don't know much about it. Farrah died in 2009, so perhaps the Fawcett mantle has passed on to trashy hoe Cori. Is that what you are saying? Because I really have no idea, I remember nothing. I wash my hands of the Fawcett monstrosity.      

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I do think that I have done very well getting along with people who I do not necessarily agree with on certain various points, but of course there comes a point where the conversation is over and we go on in our various directions and do not concern ourselves ever again with their diverging viewpoints.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, easy for you to tell us to just throw away the phone and forget about it, to just be a know-nothing blank slate. And then they throw it all back at us all over again anyway, even when we were not trying to do anything about that. What would I do if all this information were not freely available on the Internet, which it was not at the time? How would I find and buy all of these books when I am completely clueless as to what the question was? 

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember that Carol was saying that the piano teacher had made some accusations against Carol's father, the details of which I have no clear memory, only that because of that they consider her their enemy. Myself not being involved in their mostly Baptist internal controversy,  I would not be able to comment further on these points.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, of course, theft is completely wrong and why would I do such a ridiculous thing. Am I losing my mind yet? Angrily you demanded that I return that book that was on your shelf and how often do I have to remind that you that I don't have your book. I only took my own books that I would happy to sell you, or even give away,  because I have too many books as it is. I won't need most of these books where I am going.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, and I am somehow reminded that during high school I was taking piano lessons for about a year or more from that Spanish lady who was a Baptist. I learned later from Carol that this piano teacher was considered an enemy of the Sanchez family but as to the details of that I cannot remember what she said. That was not my problem. I was only taking piano lessons.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, now I can see that you are expecting me to make some smart alecky remark about those Baptist dumbbells. However, for me to say that would be misleading because that would give the mistaken impression that I was ever fond of dancing. Actually not! I was never one of those dancers. How could you possibly mistake me for crazy dancer Libby? I do not think that I look anything like her. But possibly all of those redheaded girls look the same to you.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, another mystery to ponder is what to do about all of these nasty Green Card witches who are roaming about with a vengeful axe to grind because they paid for their U.S. citizenship with money and had to take various tests to get it, whereas mine is of the native born style, requiring no other proof than my place of birth, which happens to be a certain hospital in California. I suppose that I might think of asking Why should I forsake my native-born pedestal to grovel and beg with those wretched late arrivals who mock and taunt me.

But of course your warped agenda is possibly based on your having mistaken me for some other red-haired girl in my high school class, which, anyway, is not my problem. I do not care what you think about red-headed girls.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, one may have occasion to pause and reflect for at least a moment upon the mystery of iniquity, and whether Broadway has yet reached its absolute nadir with that dreary and dissonant grungy display known as "Hamilton" as glimpsed briefly in Youtube clips. Was he really an insider or was he merely the hired help? These mysteries are too high for me to contemplate. One may as well ponder how low can these dippity dim bulbs go to engineer their own crafty designs?

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember that you were asking me about the lyrics of the James Taylor song, where he is talking about a "lead pipe cinch" and what could that possibly mean, which question reveals your complete ignorance of the board game of Clue, in which the murder may or may not have been committed by Professor Plum in the ballroom with the lead pipe. Only at the end of the game is it revealed who did what, until then you are only guessing and throwing things at the wall, and rarely is anyone so lucky as to guess everything rightly on their first turn. 

And if you give them an inch they will take a mile, because as they already told you themselves, they are vultures with sharp and pointy beaks, waiting for their opportunity to tear you to pieces, and if you are dead you are fair game to them, needless to say. And if they are telling you that they are vultures, you really should believe them, because that means that they are pecking at their prey, and by the time they are through with you you will never know what happened. Obviously. Needless to say.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, there you go again, chattering away, as if I would know anything about Melodyland. I only visited there once and do not remember much about it. Melodyland certainly was huge building at that time but no longer exists due to urban redevelopment. I seem to remember at college hat Rusty mentioned that he was from Melodyland but I never really knew much about that. Probably there are those who know the inner secrets of Melodyland but I was never one of them.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, when did I first notice that interesting coincidence, which is that the children of Regina have the surname of Hernández, which is also one of the surnames of one of my high school classmates? But of course, as someone was saying, there are not that many Spanish surnames in the phone book, so they may need to formally use both of their surnames in order to differentiate themselves from the other 20 million Hernández in the phone book, not to mention the other million Fernández, Gonzalez, Rodriguez, etc. At least you can be sure that they know who they are, even when they all look the same to us. Thus, how would I know whether they have some family connection to my high school classmates? Did I marry some reprobate fleabag with a huge ORU chip on his shoulder? No, I do not think that I did that.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I do not remember exactly when it was that I got that you were trying to throw the Stones at me, and hopefully you have gotten by now that I threw them back because, anyway, I have enough problems without all of their junk. I once had occasion to say hello to them in the college cafeteria and there is nothing more to say about that. I do not wish to continue such a pointless conversation.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, you were talking about the royalist connections of the Royal Rangers, something that they never taught us over there in Missionettes, the short time that I was with them, so obviously I do not remember anything about it and thus would have no comment. would remain actually speechless at such a bizarre thought, besides which I forget who said that and now knowing the source of the tempest in a teapot, I have no idea of what to say about that. Let the Royals explain themselves, I know nothing about it. it. 

Which Reminds Me

Yes, there was another point about Spain being a monarchy, as is also England, which can be a tricky thing in America, because to us all of these Spanish people look the same, Cuban or Puerto Rican, Colombian or Venezuelan, Honduran or Salvadoran, whatever, but some of them might actually be more Spaniard than American, and they might have some royalist signals that we might not be aware of. So you might accidentally find yourself pledging loyalty to the King of Spain even when you are actually a Canadian who would rather be singing "God Save the Queen!" That was one of those points that I forget how that fits into this narrative except that my ancestors were mostly English so although I do not have much thought of the royal titulages and nobilities, given my abysmal lack of suitability for any such position, there are people who are really into that type of thing and who buy up all of those glossy magazines at the supermarket full of pictures of such people, royals and celebrities.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, it is not that I do not forgive them. I do forgive them. 

However, there is much damage done that is irreversible. If there be a slow fade to third-world banana republic with them in charge, eventually, no matter. I will be long gone from the scene by the time the consequences are fully seen. I need to study to make my exit but you stole my parachute so I still have to file the paperwork for that.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember the existence of certain people, but there was no reason for me to discuss such unmentionable and unspeakable topics with those irrelevant persons who never said hello to me anyway. If you want to hang yourself that way, go right ahead. Don't let met get in your  way.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, we all, at least many of us, have read that book, "Run, Baby, Run," authored by Nicky Cruz, in which he tells his amazing testimony of being transformed from an evil gangster roaming the streets of New York City, to a normal ordinary person living somewhere in American suburbia, by the salvation that is available freely to all, as explained to him by the illustrious American preacher , the late Dave Wilkerson, who was well known in his time and founded the famous Teen Challenge organization which ministers to and tries to rescue various drug addicts and street gang people. I think that is a nice story to read about in a book whenever you have a copy in hand eventually. They do good work, certainly. 

Someone was suggesting that Cruz has preferred not to pursue political power, he being at an end of his "Challenge" rope due to various life circumstances, because even when these people are reformed, sometimes they have lifelong problems incurred during their earlier years of rebellious living. 

Ok, fine, I get that, although that was not my thought, but whatever. I really do not need the headache of electoral politics and/or Teen Challenge.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, Oh, am I getting the idea that Patricia Cruz is wanting to scuttle her Teen Challenge idiot cousins who are talking too much online? I somehow doubt that she would want herself portrayed as need of their services, although I barely remember the existence of Patricia, who sat near me in the high school classroom, yet of whom I remember almost nothing beyond that her best friend works for the CIA. I am not making any deals on this point as I know nothing about it.

And even so, how is that my problem? I barely remember the existence of Teen Challenge. I read the Switchblade books and saw the movie, and, well, enough of that. I also have no personal communication whatever to that. I do think it is nice that they have a place to pout those garrulous quarrelsome drug addicts so that they are not wandering about the streets making too much noise, so if you are so in need of some final resolution on this point, I suggest you go there yourself. I have no need of them.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, who can forget the stirring and inspirational movie, "Ran Baby Run," in which Pat Boone played the role of preacher Dave Wilkerson and the role of Nicky Cruz was performed by the famed actor, Eric Estrada, who is also remembered for his later role as a CHIP highway officer riding a motorcycle. In El Salvador our church sponsored a special showing of the movie at the Cine Vieytez, if I remember that rightly, and there were many church people there filling the theater to see that rarely sanctioned media. So that was nice that there is a way of salvation, maybe, potentially, for all of these drug addicted hoodlums who might otherwise be roaming the streets aimlessly with nowhere to go. We read the books so we know that the Teen Challenge organization is a good thing to have in its proper place and context. If only they could hear the good news, then maybe they could get saved, if only they had ears to hear, if only there was a time and a place for explaining it to them.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, interesting how when the Internet and email was a new and fresh thing, everyone was circulating lists of jokes and funny stories to a variety of email addresses, but now that the Internet is becoming a routine matter of everyday living, the novelty is faded and no longer so interesting, especially given the lack of taste and good sense of some of the jokes circulated and the person who circulate them. But obviously some people have no sense of or forget about the issue of personal boundaries and for that perhaps there is no cure.

Which is unfortunate because I did like a good joke now and then, amidst various others that were maybe not so good. Sometimes you have to sift through the bad to find the good or something like that.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, it is always somewhat distressing to glimpse such a highly respected and publicly visible authority figure displaying such a dismally low level of abject stupidity, but, anyway, that is not an excuse for such warfare. You are welcome to peruse my copy of the Spanish-English dictionary, but somehow I doubt that would satisfy the sickness of your psychotic turner-coat minds because, anyway, it was not about me. I was only a prop in some other drama of no interest to me so I simply have to go.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I remember at the party after my high school graduation, or sometime thereabouts, John Bueno was complaining that our salutatorian, in his speech to everyone, was using the most obscure words in the dictionary that no one ever heard of or would use in everyday live. Yes, that may be true. I cannot remember what he said either.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, perhaps I should be paying more attention, whenever flying, to that steward or stewardess who is explaining to me the function of the life preserver stored under my seat and what to do in case of a plane crash. Good point. Point taken. Beyond that, given an otherwise uneventful flight, these people are not necessarily my friends. I do not know who they are and what they are scheming and plotting my back and I do not necessarily trust them to have my best interests in mind.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember many years ago, while flying on an airplane from Florida to California, there were three seats in the row, my sister was sitting in the middle, and some unknown man was sitting in the aisle seat and struck up a lively conversation with my sister, with whom he seemed quite enchanted and delighted, and to me he directed only one comment that I can remember, whether I was her chaperone. Hmmm..... That is a deep subject for shallow minds. And am I going to take my order and instructions from some unknown guy who we chanced to encounter while flying on an airplane? I do not quite see why this matters.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I am somewhat surprised when I see people converting from Protestant to Greek Orthodox. Apart from my not being very advanced in Greek, I am too old now to learn another language, I really do not feel much need for such formalities. I have my original card to prove that i was water baptized, although in El Salvador. Some people want to make an issue out of that, although I do not see the point of arguing about these technicalities.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, what was the name of Miss Fiddlesticks, who worked at the Haines City newspaper, in the advertising department designing ads. She belonged to some other very strict and severely legalistic cult the name of which I cannot quite remember. If I seemed worldly to her, well, whatever, that would not be too surprising.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, we have noticed some interesting things about the alternate universe inhabited by the Hunts, but we cannot say much about them. They lived mostly in Venezuela and other unknown places and we hardly ever saw them beyond the most superficial of distant family contacts so it is hard for us to understand why you think Mount Shasta is the center of the universe. I do not know much about that.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, this is somewhat awkward, someone wants to glue us forever to Uncle Sam's idiot children, referring to the offshoot branch founded by my Dad's Uncle Sam, most of whom live int the Bay Area of California and/or the West Coast. They are NOT my problem. They may consider themselves ejected from our "House," needless to say, given their complete lack of communication and/or actual cooperation. There is no telling what type of mutated freaks they have become by this time, so there is no reason for us to care about their idiotic online rantings

Which Reminds Me

Yes, that was embarrassing, that time during my senior year of high school, when I was singing in the shower, yodeling or doing my Tarzan yell or whatever that was that I did while washing my hair, only later to learn that Turner was standing outside the bathroom window all that time intentionally listening to this odd moment of casual happenstance. Yes, well, I was not prepared at that moment for the stage and also resent being casually written off without a proper hearing by these tone deaf persons, but anyway, whatever. If I can NOT stick my foot in your huge mess, you will get what is coming to you eventually, one would imagine, without my having to spell it out.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I have heard somehow by osmosis that some unidentified person unknown to me has placed a curse upon my children, based on the passage in Galatians about the rivalry of Hagar vs. Sarah. Their curse words would have thrown me to the Hagar garbage bucket. 

However, as it turns out, I have no children. Thus it becomes evident that I have been relieved of having to do Hagar duty, thank you very much. 

And yet some people have not yet heard the good news, still reflexively rerunning those same old cartoons from a hundred years ago without pausing to reflect upon the need for a fresh and new word from God for this present generation. 

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember that during high school the Whitaker twins had some special deal going on in algebra class, but I really could not understand what their special deal was. I only remember that they always seemed to be angry with me for some unknown reason. And, well, anyway, if I ever think of some information to report to them maybe I would do that, but I am sort of busy doing my homework and minding my own business so nothing really comes to mind at the moment.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember the during our amateur radio show, we were talking about some of the cartoons by the great American cartoonist who drew pictures of haughty arrogant snobs as somehow similar to persons of Siberia holding up their frozen noses in the air. Later reading reveals this to be an actual reference to some actual community in Siberia, and also an anti-Jewish reference, a context of which we were not aware of the time. Now that I know that, I might not be so quick to jump on David's cartoonish bandwagon, but anyway, I suppose we live and learn.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, sometimes I cannot help but wonder whether I am seeing evidence of the backdoor manipulations of that exchange student Sandra, so rich and yet so .... I don't know why I am suspecting something because really we were not very close friends in high school so how would I know that I am in her bull's eye target board? That would be unfortunate because anyway I am not intending to be rude but I really do not know how I accidentally kicked that creepy little Rivera weasel to the curb. I was not thinking about that at all, but neither was I expecting see those Rivera insects creeping through the cracks later. Ridiculous!

Which Reminds Me

Yes, all of these matters are of concern, and yet the discussions brings up the question of whether I would be able to promise you that you are never going to have another problem in terms of racial identity? I am a mortal being. I am not God. I don't know the answer to these dilemmas. It would not be fair to expect me to resolved all of these problems with a snap of the finger and say what is going to happen in the future in terms of the color wheel. I just have no idea.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I really do not feel myself under any obligation to grant free access to my personal bank account and other information that is none of their business to that pack of Saddleback peasant scum. I do not know how to tell them to go away and stop ruining my life. Tell them to mind their own business and stop trying to ruin mine.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, interesting how some people are so zealous to start with an assumption of my guilt without having to acknowledge how they contributed to that situation in the first place.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I suppose that I should express my gratitude for the opportunity of retirement with Social Security benefits, at a time when I really need that. Barring a complete meltdown of the Social Security Trust Fund, I can at least rely on the prospect of Social Security income, however humble the amount may be, regardless of whatever politicians happen to be populating the upper echelons of the governmental food chain at the moment, because obviously one would not want to have to rely entirely upon some particular politician who loves his shot of Bourbon more than he loves me. No, that would not work for me. I need my life to not be dependent in any way on the Bourbon betters of Kentucky. I simple could not care less about that. Needless to say. Obviously.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, and how would I ever learn that your distant cousin had some role in the development of the polio vaccine when I really do not know why I need to be involved in someone else's genealogical research? Wouldn't that seem sort of nosy of me to look into that? The thought never crossed my mind to think of such things. I just have no idea who these people are.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, now that I have learned that the mother of foul-mouthed wino Cori was a Jenkins, one can more easily understand why she ought to be discarded in some Colorado Jenkins dumpster, but I digress. Yes, I really am not that impressed with their worthless nonsense. The Jenkins scum are nothing to me. I have better things to do than be kicked around by the Jenkins garbage.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, interesting how I do not remember how I did that. 

 And if I cannot remember how I did that, how could I possibly begin to explain that to someone else? 

And anyway, who cares? 

Whatever conversation I originally had with that vulgar, foul-mouthed wino Cori has been completely erased from my mind, given the complete lack of resemblance to anything that I had ever thought of in the first place. 

Which Reminds Me

Yes, the thought comes to mind of how perhaps you could refresh my memory as to what was the name of that nasty little Miss Scuttlebutt who was always known to be over there in some forgotten corner fulminating and spewing poisonous tirades about how life is not fair. Yes, well, so it may be. I can barely remember the existence of some of these people who lived down the hall. I rarely ever stopped to talk to and/or be insulted by them. It just wasn't worth the effort.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, whatever happened to that nasty little broomstick Janice, who was so fond of Tim but eventually married some other guy who I really don't remember, maybe his name Steve, but whatever. I really have no memory of Janice having a personality or anything intelligent to say, that I should be bothered to comment on these characters of no interest to me.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, one can sort of wonder what history might have been if Mr. Smith had not wandered off on his own and founded his own alternative universe of no interest to me. Back in the day, all of the Smiths may have been just one happy family, but nowadays there is a separate branch of wretched Smiths who do not get a break from the church no matter hard they try. Ok, so I do feel sorry for those other wretched Smiths. Fine. But anyway they are not my problem. Why should I borrow their Mormon problem? I have enough problems of my own without that. Who can solve the mystery of whether it was an angel or a salamander who appeared to Mr. Smith? I simply have no time for these conundrums. If there were a paycheck involved maybe I could think of something to say, but otherwise, it is not my problem.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, it is mystifying to ponder how it could come about that I may have been drafted to play some role in a drama based on the Wizard of Oz, of which I saw the movie when I was about 12, the year we were on furlough, and maybe read a few of the Oz books that were in our little school library, I do not remember all of them, only that in one of the books Dorothy and her friends fly across Oz in some sort of contraption. 

Perhaps there was the point of my Dad's cousin Dorothy, who is long since dead, and her brood of Bay Area Italians completely unknown strangers to us. My name is certainly NOT Dorothy.

Beyond that, I really do not meditate very much on the point of Dorothy. It was a children's book and now that we are all grown up and gone on with our lives, we set aside these childish books and movies to focus upon matters more relevant to our ordinary lives and our spiritual well-being. Needless to say.

 

Which Reminds Me

Yes, we really cannot fault Mr. Del Rio for doing his homework on comparative religions. He spends an entire chapter exploring Salt Lake City and its Mormon traditions, and even seems to carry away some of their literature. We cannot fault Del Rio for manifesting a spiritual thirst and spiritual hunger, even though he fails to explain the Christian view of Mormonism as a pointless road to nowhere, but whatever. At least he did his research, even if the grain of salt is not very easy to find there. 

And then in his third voyage he is seen meeting with the pope, albeit for his wife's sake, but his own faith was not clear at times in his rambling narratives, so obviously this cannot be categorized as a religious type of book. It was a travel book. 

Which Reminds Me

Yes, another interesting thing that I learned while doing my genealogical research on Ancestry.com was that my cousins have quite a few Downings in their family tree, on their other side. I do not see any Downings in my family tree. So, OK, fine, I had not noticed that until doing my research, and even so, I might never have had occasion to comment or to reflect further on this point, but for their being in quite a snit about painting themselves as "UP," come to think of it, now that you mention it.  As if I should care to hear more about that. I did see the movie "Up," but I have no desire for an address on Downing Street, that I should be bothered with election procedures. Besides which, I myself have endured lifelong teasing about my own name — no I am not a candy cane, no you may not eat me, no I am not necessarily going to taste sweet if you bite me — and duly shrugged it off as the silly unserious nonsense that it really is, so I am obviously NOT going to be sympathetic to these Downing claims of martyrdom rights on the point of name teasing, given that, anyway, nobody knew that on our side. Or at least I did not know. Maybe the genealogist consulted by my Dad's Aunt Julia would know about know something more about these things, but I did not know.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, it really is very sad that Bevy stapled her own finger, but anyway, these matters are out of my control, certainly.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I do I hope you were not expecting me to write you a blank check so that you can do whatever you want to do. That would not really seem fair, needless to say.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I admit that I remember almost nothing about Tom or what his politics might be. Both he and Raymond had almost no vocabulary beyond words that start with F, so my mind goes blank when I think of them, although probably Tom has the advantage of being a little bit nicer than Raymond, besides which Raymond is dead so he is not available at present.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, we could not help but wonder who is calling who a Hagar hoe/ After all these thousands of years of commingling, anyway, who is to say whether a Sarah by any other name is still a Sarah or a Hagar etc. ? Speak for yourself, whoever you may be, because, anyway, my train of thought was not going to go there.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember that during college, one night I had a very vivid and elaborate dream in which I had flunked a test and was distraught wandering around school and various other things that I could not remember now, only that I was so distraught and depressed that after I woke up, it was several minutes before the realization came to me that it was only a dream and that I really did not need to be so depressed about that because that never really happened, it was only a dream.  

Which Reminds Me

Yes, perhaps I could have thought of a more diplomatic way to fend off the maid Mercedes' demands on my time and attention. She did not seem to have any sense of my needing to claim my own privacy rights and not being desirous of having to share every little detail of my future life plans with her. The way I did it made me seem as if I was trying to be her boss, when actually I was just trying to not be bullied by her, which was how that felt to me. Sorry, but I still don't feel like discussing my personal life with Mercedes. That just wasn't working for me.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I am somehow reminded that Mercedes was a maid of ours, who worked at our house for a few months, not really a full year. She was quite the spy, always hovering about every time you turn around, standing there trying to eavesdrop on our every conversation. That becomes very uncomfortable, to always have a spy hovering nearby.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I see that you are wondering why I admittedly could not care less about whatever happened to Anita Stone from high school. I vaguely remember glimpsing her at my club but I do not recall her ever saying hello to me that I should be bothered to trouble myself on this point. Whatever. Needless to say. No one is expecting big-time Broadway star Anita to condescend to acknowledge our existence.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I can only be grateful to those who have helped me to get out of that blocked corner in which some people had left me and gone on their merry way. At least I can see now some things about that, even though certain stubborn blockheaded persons probably can never be trusted to see that, but whatever, at least I can sort of move on with my life in spite of those bumps in the road.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember that years ago, while I was attending college, often when some people would get together and go out some place to eat off-campus, we would say that we would "go Dutch," meaning that we would pay our own way. So that was what it meant to "go Dutch." So when a bunch of us went to the Coco's coffee shop, I paid for my own order of onion rings.Of course, that had nothing to do with ethnicity.

That said, it should not be assumed that I would "go Dtuch" in every situation, especially when it comes to ethnicity. Actually,in that sense  I am NOT going to go Dutch. I am aware of there being some Dutch people here and there, especially in such places as Pennsylvania, but I do not consider myself in any way obligated to pay for their plate of onion rings, much less to go there. They should not be expecting me to go there, I have other plans for myself. 

Much less am I thinking to "go Dutch Reformed." You Dutch people eem nice, but I have other plans for myself. You were not invited to my life.    

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I am somehow vaguely reminded of something that Jesus said, when he was talking about his busybody relatives who were being somehow demanding his attention. He somehow could not seem to remember who they were, or something like that.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, another thing I learned while researching online was about my mother's Cousin Graden, who was said to be the model for a statue of an Indian chief that appears in a fountain somewhere in California. Yes, back in the old days we thought that we had a Native American ancestor somewhere back in our family tree but now that my mother has had her DNA tested, we are not so sure how that could be true. One would imagine that the DNA people would have reported at least a trace amount of Indian, but nothing. Should we try retesting? What does that say about the statue's artistic message? Was there some other meaning to that terminology? Hmmm.... Oh well, whatever, life is short and then you die.

Which Reminuds Me

Yes, the farm land was given to my grandmother's Uncle Winfred by his mother, although it is true that his sisters did retain mineral rights entitling them to royalties on natural gas, which is an entirely different subject. So every now and then my mother gets a little check for royalties on natural gas, which is not a huge amount, not like you could quit your job over that very tiny pittance, but certainly it is nice to have that little extra bit of money once in a while. But of course that is handled entirely by the law offices of the prominent attorneys of Texas. No reason to get bent out of shape over the personal lives of the other rights holders, when obviously the check will be in the mail whenever the lawyers decide.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember hearing that my Mom's late Uncle Winfred and his wife Hazel had two daughters, but what their names were I really could not tell you. Only more recently, when I did my genealogical research on Ancestry.com, have I learned of the existence of Beverly and Patsy. Interesting how their names appear in the documentary evidence, even when I had not been aware of their existence, and even so, their existence does seem somewhat a matter of indifference to me, given that we are not very close to them and do not really have any reason to go there. 

There was that letter written by my grandmother reproaching her brother Winfred for keeping the farm and not giving his sisters any percentage of that, because his mother had left it to him, being the male and the nly son who stayed on the farm and worked the farm, so that made sense in a way, but anyway, that was my grandmother's emotional pain, not mine, and she died in the 1970s, so, now that the original farm has been demolished by a rock-crushing operation, the whole prospect of going there to see the farm again grows less and less desirable with every passing year. So if I never see them again, or am ever introduced in the first place, does not seem to matter very much.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, thanks for pointing out that Scotty Kid was the street nickname of Tommy Anderson, who wrote a book telling the story of his amazing conversion from street bum to missionary. As it happens, coincidentally, the Andersons, Tommy and his wife Hannah?, were co-workers of my great-grandparents in China, and also they have similar Hawaii connections, and also the Andersons appear occasionally in the diaries of great-grandmother going out to dinner with them in Pasadena probably in the 1940s. However, the Andersons took a Foursquare path whereas we were in the Assemblies, so we don't really have much occasion nowadays to compare notes with the Andersons.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I would agree that sometimes those 19th century travel writers, when observing persons and customs of cultures other than their own, were sometimes prone to say things that sound sort of strange and even oddly goofy to modern ears, indicative perhaps of primitive systems of thought that were not yet as refined as we are nowadays in our modern glory, and when you go back to the 16th and 17th or 18th centuries, you may find even more primitive things, although not really classifiable as a systematic theory, just some guys' offhand comments of the moment, not really the final word certainly. And if you can read that with a grain of salt, you can see how far we have come from those primitive days. But if you cannot read with a grain of salt, for example, the Rev. Clark's introduction to Scotty Kid's opus on street bums and Spanish Filipinos, then perhaps that is a matter of serious personal concern for you, whereas for us, we were barely aware of these ancient tomes until you brought them out of the oblivion and called them to our attention. We might have forgotten that if you had not made so much noise about it.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, that was odd how, on the first day of high school, Heather Catto, the daughter of the U.S. ambassador, was there to greet me and announce to me me that my future prospects would be entirely dependent on whatever might be the opinion of those Italian people, the San Gio's, who, as we only later learned, work for the CIA. Ok, so at the age of 14 I sense, instinctively that they hate me, despise me, loathe me. Ok, so, fine. So that makes my life a complete. misery. Thanks, Heather, for nothing actually. Was I supposed to send the CIA a thank you card? But high schools is not forever. High school will end eventually and then perhaps I can be rid of them.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, easy for you to sit there crowing about how I should follow the Yellow Brick Road, when actually there are several places claiming to be the Yellow Brick Road, none of which roads goes anywhere of any particular interest or relevance to me, as if I should have any reason to go there. With all of these competing claims, it is enough to drive you crazy I would imagine.  

Which Reminds Me

Yes, how convenient for Irene to have a powerful husband who can throw that off of her back and onto mine, so, yes, see if I ever speak to them again. Probably not. It would just be too dangerous for me to go back there again. I have no public defender to set things aright.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, It is sort of mystifying to ponder whatever Jeff's agenda might be, given that he lives in an alternate universe. I really have no comment on that.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I do sort of vaguely remember that one day at work when Irene unloaded a pack of scuttlebutt about the boss and his family. Was that a private conversation? Did I remember to repeat that to someone else? Who would I ask to verify such matters so completely outside of my view, that I would even be able to verbalize what did she say? And then shortly afterward Irene was fired and I was promoted to replace Irene Which on the one hand was somewhat flattering to me, and on the other hand made me a bit uneasy because of what Irene said, because she seemed like a nice person. I did not want to wish her ill, whatever her scuttlebutt problem might be. I am not sure how all these things go into circulation in the ozone layer. So am I having good luck or back luck? I don't know, I am not sure which.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I hardly think that science would be a subject of interest to me, given the tedious nature of the hypothesis building process. I doubt that I would excel in that subject, and thus I tend to look toward other fields of work or endeavor where I would have a better chance of succeeding, which definitely would not be science, whoever the teacher might be, I am too old to go back now and pick up where I left off. With so many scientific geniuses hardly working over there, I doubt that my expertise would be required anyway, so I will just simply step aside and let the geniuses build their robotic replacements that will render my services even less necessary than ever.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely had the impression that you were telling me a story about Pink Floyd's "Brick in the Wall," and what that means to the British versus what it means to us who are isolated from that and do not want that here. Needless to say.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, it would sound sort of pharisaical and hypocritical for me to congratulate myself on having absolutely no, absolutely zero connection to and never was in any sense a fan of those rock stars one sees prancing about on stage, proclaiming their associations with the devil. I consider myself entirely indifferent to that, why should I bother to comment on persons who are so dangerous. Occasionally one sees glimpses of that on television but we do not waste our time and money on those worthless tickets. Needless to say. What would I know about some jetsetting Nicaraguans who go for that type of garbage? I really could not care less about that. I really do not see where this pointless conversation is going.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I know, it would sound so horribly pharisaical and hypocritical of me to express any actual thought of your horrible Filipino yippee yokels, always arf arf arf. I really would prefer not to have to suck up to your Filipino witches. Can't you just tell them to shut up? Filipino is nothing special to me. It was the husband of my great-grandmother's friend of the diaries who fought in the Spanish-American War of 1900 or thereabouts, but what happened to him? Did he go crazy/ I have enough problems already without the Spanish-American War being thrown around to haunt me. Who cares? That was a different era.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I seem to be caught in a bind, how to pay for what is required while not having enough money to pay for that, how to live on a severely restricted budget, the old conundrum of the champagne tastes on a beer barrel pocketbook, in a manner of speaking. 1.5 trillion bottles of beer on the wall, you take one down, pass it around, 1.5 trillion bottles of beer on the wall, in a manner of speaking. Yes, so what else could go wrong? 

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember that someone was referring to the nun who was said to be teaching a class at our high school, to persons a class or two younger than myself, so perhaps recently hired because I ncver had any class with her or ever saw her, that I would have any comment on the subject of the nun. I just no idea what that meant.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I must confess that once or twice during high school I walked all the way home from school, I forget why. On one or the other occasion I was accosted shortly after leaving school grounds by Tony, who happened to be walking to his club that was down the street. He came up behind me and accused me of stepping on the cracks in the sidewalk. Ok, fine. And then he chattered incessantly as he does until we parted ways shortly afterward, and there is nothing special to say about that.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember how profoundly shocked I was when you vehemently expressed your anger and jealousy because the company had granted to me a red typewriter whereas you had only the garden variety black or gray typewriter. And did I ask to be given this red typewriter? I had no thought of that mattering one way or another. A typewriter is just a typewriter, regardless of the color of it. Why so bent out of shape over nothing much?

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember hearing that joke about rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, but, yes, for what do I need that job. The Titanic does not survive, as we already know. Only a few lucky ones will find their places in the lifeboats, and the rest will go down with the ship. So what about that? I do not understand the question. Have you not read the book?

Which Reminds Me

Yes, having done my genealogical research on Ancestry.com, I see that my great-grandfather's sister, Sarah Laura, was married in 1903 to Mr. Thew. Not Mr. Threw, not sure why such a typo might be circulating in the ozone layer. He was Mr. Harry Clay Thew, and their children were Harold Thew and Mary Martha Thew. So, Ok, fine. What of that?

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember being told that when I was four years old I scolded my Dad's Aunt Dora about her tobacco habit. I was certainly way too precocious at the age of four, I cannot deny that point. Aunt Dora, who was Uncle Joe's wife, was at the beach smoking a cigarette, which was somehow alarming to my 4-year-old mind. And I have yet to hear the end of the hullabaloo she created over that. They later divorced, so obviously my Dad's Uncle Joe had many personal problems. It is hard for me to understand why all this noise. It would seem somehow a bit of an overkill to slaughter a 4-year-old child in defense of your defenseless tobacco habit. Even the Surgeon General would agree with me on that point at least. 

Which brings to mind that our college had a quad of tobacco chewers, among whom was Al Moore. And what were we going to do with all of these vices? I was trying to forget them but they make too much noise.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I suppose that I should be grateful that I am in no way connected to the boring worthless tobacco slop of South Caroline. You can't smoke me. You can't drink me. You are just nothing to me.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, it must be somewhat uncomfortable for you, always bumping into the four corners of your tiny little box. But I digress.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I had completely forgotten, why was there a joke about that overly expectant Hen Due. I completely forget the context of that. Too sick for me, perhaps, I do not remember anything. It only meant nothing to me.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember that someone was asking me to comment on Patricia Cruz, who in high school, during 10th grade Miss Marken's honors English class, was sitting at my left hand due to the alphabetical order of things. You were saying that you think that she might be your distant cousin, but it was not clear what are you asking. Are you Nicky Cruz or Ted Cruz? Knowing that would help me to know what are you really asking me. And besides, how would either of those people have my phone number when obviously I have no personal connection whatsoever to those Teen Challenge wretches.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember that years ago Walter Martin was the reigning expert on cults and the various details of differentiating their various belief systems, and if you got to that church early you could attend his Sunday morning class on that topic, although I never really did that, was only aware of that option. However, Mr. Martin died more than 30 years ago and nowadays nobody seems to be really keeping track of the various cults and what they are up to. Everybody wants to be the nice guy and nobody wants to have to say those divisive things that leave the cults out in the cold. Everybody is trying to bend over backward to be inclusive of all humanity so I am not sure why there would be any further reason for them to complain about that in future. Everyone is just trying to get along for now, until death do us part, although a more timely separation might be preferable.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember that someone, perhaps my mother, was musing on the sad condition of those people, and lamenting that perhaps their mothers don't teach them anything. But that was only an abstract thought expressed in passing, not an application for a teaching credential. Some people just never learn so why are we wasting our breath on someone else's backhanded commentary? So mangled I can barely recognize the original concept. So why bother?

Which Reminds Me

Oh, ha ha ha! Is little weasel-hypocrite Tony lecturing me about something? Come to think of it, he never did mention whether he is Moslem or belongs to one of those Ali Baba spin-off cults. There were several persons in our high school who professed themselves as belonging to the Baha'i faith, but I do not remember ever discussing such a point with Tony, that there would be any reason for me to be getting all of these emails from Tony. He just wasn't that important to me.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, what was the name of that guy, I forget, only that he was telling us a story about his exotic foreign woman convert, which, anyway, says something about where his head is at, although in other regards, was basically a somewhat trite and cliched, quite boring account of where his head was at, so whatever. That's not where my head was at. Needless to say.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I can wish that I had applied myself and concentrated on improving my math and science skills during high school, especially in Mr. Schoenberg's trigonometry explanations, rather than be distracted by the idiotic chattering of Tony who was sitting directly behind me at that time due to the alphabetical order of things. Thus, I rightly consider myself not qualified for candidacy to view your advanced science lessons. Your headset gear would probably be wasted on my undisciplined mind, probably that is what you are trying to say. Ok, so, whatever. I have this in common with millions of people on this planet, probably, so nothing special about that. No wish crying over spilt milk. What's done is done.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, someone is reminding me that my grandfather was a card-carrying Mason, although he never advanced very far in that, did not attend many meetings, just kept the membership card in case, he said, that he might need to check in to that old folks' home. We don't really know what he meant by that. We don't know anything about it.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember reading the diaries of great-grandmother, in which the personage of my Dad's Uncle Joe appears lamenting his personal problems, which is not something to be discussing on a public forum. I don't remember ever discussing anything of a personal nature with those people, that there would be something for me to discuss with the Masonic golf team,, who certainly consider themselves free to be throwing Masonic golf balls all over the place, but even so they were probably not seriously expecting poor little powerless me to champion their irrelevant cause to which I consider entirely indifferent. I really don't care.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember during high school that I heard a story about someone who was refusing to file his income tax return, which would seem so ridiculous, but I am forgetting who that person was or other details of that story, only that someone was not paying his taxes. Well, since that time there always seems to be some crazy person obsessively hammering on the point of paying taxes, even though that was not us, we always file our taxes every year. Even when you live outside of the country there is a way to you pay your taxes. So I really don't see why the tax cheats think that we are going to use us as an excuse for their tax tizzy.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, that was sort of interesting, I remember when I was 12 years old and my father was speaking at a church somewhere in California, I am thinking maybe the area of Fresco, and we were staying at some people's house who lived on a farm and they served us at dinner, among other things, pickled herring. So that sort of tasted interesting, you are serving raw fish and expecting us to like it, so we have to say the polite thing and thank you very much, although I have yet to have a second serving of that. That was my only experience of eating raw fish that i can remember.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I am NOT aware of myself being under any financial obligation to Willard's erstwhile Italian garbage people. Just because my name is Calkins, that does not make me a slave to this Italian mafia riff-raff glued to Willard's legacy, given that I am NOT a direct descendant of Willard and could not care less, actually, about his outstanding obligations. I have enough problems of my own without Willard's colossal burdens thrown upon me also. According to the Ancestry site, Willard was my sixth cousin thrice removed, a point of almost no interest to me given that various thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people on this planet, perhaps enjoy a similar distinction without giving cause for any particular notice.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I have sometimes wonder when are you going to stop running your motormouth machine long enough for me to get a word in edgewise, but that never seems to happen.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember that Mr. and Mrs. Harris were my grandparents' next-door neighbors in California. They had a daughter named Sally and also a son whose name I don't remember. As small children we once had breakfast at the Harris' house, cereal and milk, but other than that I really do not remember much about the Harris family. Those were other times when neighbors know who each other were, unlike today's transient culture, where various persons going by the name of Harris are completely unrecognizable to us. Whatever happens, I don't think I will have any need of their worthless golf money.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I remember that Linda Harrington from our college was telling us about a certain person who, with her husband, was providing room and board to a guy whose name was David who had AIDS, and how careful she has to be to clean the toilet and everything so meticulously so as to avoid herself and other persons in the house contracting the disease. Yes, what a martyr! And yet somehow I have no envy or desire to do what she does. If it is your legally contracted job, that is what you have to do, but that is not my job. I consider myself fortunate in that regard NOT to have contracted all of these diseases.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, that was sad about my grandmother's raspy voice, which she explained as the result of a prolonged case of bronchitis during which she did not rest her vocal cords and the damage resulting was typical of what happens when you abused your vocal cords and lost your  voice, but I digress. Yes, interesting that you would remember that, given that you were not the next-door neighbor.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, isn't that interesting, now after all these years, to be hearing about Heidi Baker, who was at my college although we never talked, now talking to me as if there was now something to discuss, and also hearing from Heidi Nelson's husband, although I wouldn't really know whether or not that cruise missile is related to my sister's Nelson in-laws, because anyway we are not the 7th Day people, that there would be any reason to discuss something with them anyway, given that there are so many reasons for me not to be aware of their existence.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I am a bit surprised to find myself cast as the villainess to those completely worthless and useless party riff-raff, who I keep at arm's length because, primarily, they are so stupid, but on the other hand this gives me a reprieve from having to socialize with those idiots and also an interesting opportunity to explore some points that I never would have thought of if I had not read the book.    

Which Reminds Me

Yes, that was nice, maybe I do vaguely remember being complimented by Don Haught, who as it turns out, we learned later, is a completely worthless idiot, so obviously if that is my only fan my career is not going anywhere, needless to say. So just having been complimented once or twice does not mean very much, obviously.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, that could be interesting, when are you going to finish telling us the story about what happened in the bar in Wisconsin. We have heard various hints of that here and there, but never a coherent story, as if I should care about that, when, anyway, there are drunks in bars everywhere. So what about that?

Which Reminds Me

Yes, maybe there really is something sourish about that Crabapple tree, although I actually do not remember who it was who said that. Perhaps it was just something that they were always throwing at other outside people who do not fit their particular mold, in order to exalt themselves as the untouchable exalted ones, which perhaps only a few people would be able to get that. Certainly I consider myself indifferent to this point, given that I never had much connection to San Jose. A little bird said that some of my Dad's cousins live there on the Foursquare side of it, but I don't know them. We never met.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I do apologize for busting your $20 tea kettle. You were asking why I had not thought to offer to pay for a replacement and I was speechless. Yes, why didn't I think of that? I forgot to take the tea kettle off the burner before the water boiled away and the bottom of the kettle was burned away, so obviously I cannot be counted on to remember much of anything, that's what a good cook I am. Sorry about that.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I suppose that I could think of it as somewhat deeply insulting that my high school much teacher would cast me as the villain while casting her own idiot son Tony as the hero, but anyway there is nothing that I would really be able to say to make that any better, diplomatically speaking. So I just, shrug, whatever, because ultimately nothing good can really result from this mess.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I do remember going to the fair, with my sister and her two friends, Antonio and Conchi, although it was not my idea to go there. That was their idea. And we rode on some ferris wheel and other rides and ate cotton candy, of which I am not very fond, too sticky, and also churros, which are a delicious fried thing. And that is all that I can remember about that. Fairs are pretty much the same everywhere, didn't we have a fair on school grounds in the fifth grade also, but that would be another different story.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I never did have much of an acting career. When your high school teacher assigns you the role of villain, that is not really a good sign than an acting career would end well, so somehow the absence of acting roles does not seem to matter so much. What those actresses would have to do, for me, maybe I did not need the headache anyway. Don't we all have better things to do than listen to these mentally retarded Venezuelan people screeching in our ears.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, during economics class, Stephanie and Jaime were having an emotional dialogue indicating perhaps, but I would only be guessing to say more, the intimate nature of their party encounters. But as I have said, I was not present at the party and have no idea why I should care about their private off-campus trysts. I am sitting there nearby feeling as if a bug on the wall or a pattern on the wallpaper, although there was no wallpaper in the classroom, and wondering what that all has to do with me? Actually nothing. That was not my problem. Enough said about that. 

Yes, I tend to congratulate myself on having avoided further personal entanglements with those Dummies class idiots, but I digress. 

Which Reminds Me

Yes, there was some bizarre classroom drama going on during economics class for some reason unknown to me, I cannot remember very much about that, only that the always so rude Stephanie was playing the starring role in the strange retelling of her secret party tryst with her Spanish boyfriend, that what's-his-name guy, Alvarado or something, all of which was a matter of entire indifference to me. If you cannot keep a tighter leash on your little monster, I hope you were not expecting me to "do" something about that, especially as I really could not care less and was not present at the party in question and thus have no idea what happened there, nor would I want to be bothered with trying to guess. Did you imagine that I was one of those carnival magicians who can just put an unopened envelope on my head and recite the contents of it without benefit of having seen what it contained? No, that would not be me. That would not be a test worthy of taking. Stop bothering me with your stupid tests. Read it yourself if you can.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, interesting how these people, after immigrating to the U.S., are suddenly transformed into completely different people who are almost unrecognizable from what they previously were down there. I really don't know how they do that, I claim no responsibility for their immigration paperwork. They did not get that from me.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I know, she came to our house and it was Christmas time, and there was a Christmas tree there in the living room with the lovely baubles that had been given us by the WM people and the strings of lights that twinkle and it was always such a nice thing to see, and so she was sitting there in the living room waiting for something, I forget what her errand was, and then later I never hear the end of how she is outraged about how we missionaries have a Christmas tree. So, Ok, so some people don't like my Christmas tree. Well, La De Da! Am I supposed to commit suicide because someone doesn't like my Christmas tree?

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I seem to remember that a variety of vaccines are required for travel. So that is something to remember, that if you refuse to take your shots you may find it difficult to travel later, lacking the proper documentation to show that you have been vaccinated for the smallpox, polio, measles, etc. etc. But if you are living in another country, you could not have gottten through the border without the proper shots, so obviously your medical records will simply assumed to be in good order.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I got the idea that Libby was trying to throw something at me, but I could not quite see what that was. Oh! I didn't know that.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, your rules are not for me. Thus, I can see and know that I can be fully confident and have no fear of leaving the elected leadership of the NAACP to your capable hands, along with your noble and worthy teacher colleges that contribute so well to American society.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, there really ought to be a nice way to tell these drunken party frat boys where to get off. Such an amazing facility with that speakeasy slop you dish out and yet you inspire no fond regard for that  underground slave network of bootlegger riff-raff.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, it is unfortunate for me to be held hostage by a pack of horrible men who are throwing things around willy nilly, their prime concern being to make my life completely miserable. This situation is a complete disaster as far as I am concerned.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, needless to say, not meaning to crow or boast, but my vaccination record is full of the legally required shots, I cannot speak for these other people when the privacy of medical records is a touchy subject to bring up for discussion. 

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I have noticed that you are rowing in the opposite direction so obviously I am not going to waste my breath addressing that. If only I could afford to file for a legal bankruptcy and other legal communications, then perhaps I could get away with more of whatever I want, but obviously money makes the world go round and without money there is nothing else to do about that.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, someone was reminding us of the ancient story in which Haman was hanged on the gallows that he had built for Mordecai. Esther later had Haman's family executed and also assumed leadership over Haman's house, of which nothing more is said or known. In today's world we have no idea who are the families of Haman and Esther, but it is at least good to see that we can defend ourselves from these unwarranted onslaughts to some degree, when claiming the promises of the Bible. 

Which Reminds Me

Yes, that was puzzling, how did I find myself suddenly thrown to or attacked by some George person unknown to me? I really have no personal connection at all there, so have no idea how that happened.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, that really was very nice of Steve Brown to nominate me for a position of class officer. However, I at that time immediately spoke up and asked them to please erase my name from the list of nominees then on the blackboard because, anyway, it would seem impossible for a white person such as myself to be elected to anything in such an environment, and also, why bother, I don't really need the additional headache of elected office.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember that I was talking to someone during high school about a certain girl, what's-her-name, I don't remember her name now, didn't know what she might have been going through, and I remarked that she always looks angry, her face scrunched into a permanent expression of Grouchy Cat, and I suppose, having said that, that I will never hear the end of that being thrown back in my face, because that is one of the few sticks that you have to use against me, always hammering on the same few points, and as much as you might like to have fresh ammunition to use against me, I really have been much too obliging already. Enough of you.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I have found it somewhat annoying and disturbing when people have asked me what is my Zodiac sign, as if that would make any difference. If I refuse to answer, I am made to feel unsociable, unfriendly. And if I answer the question, they might try to put me in a box that doesn't really fit. I would prefer not to think about horoscopes, and yet, anyway, horoscopes exist for whatever reason.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I think that perhaps I could be represented by someone other than myself if the occasion should require myself hiring an advocate or lawyer to speak on my behalf, in case of legal questions that I really do not understand. That often happens in courthouses, where for example I might have appeared to discuss a traffic ticket, and if there are going to be complications, certainly the lawyer will be able to speak to the judge in terms that make sense to the judge, whereas I just want to avoid going there whenever possible because I don't really see what there is to talk about.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember that the Stewart family had some special "Vanity Fair" deal, of which I have nothing particular to say. If they would prefer to look at their own face in the mirror, I too would feel the same way about that, actually, and do not like the idea of someone else staring back at me. Thus you would need to ask them about their Becky Thatcher points because I really do not understand. That wasn't my problem.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, To bee a B or not to bee a B, To Bee an A or not to bee an A. The As like to congratulate themselves on not having said things, whereas the chatterbox Bs talk too much. Which is better? Myself, an an AB, am a personification of both of these extremes. Sometimes I wish I had not said that, sometimes I should have said something but did not. So either way, I cannot win this game with all of these hackers working behind my back to ruin everything.. Thus, I am resigning my existence and would prefer not to be reminded of the miseries of high school. 

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I seem to vaguely remember that my birthday in May places me under the Zodiac sign of Gemini, which is symbolized by twins, and coincidentally I have met some few pairs of twins during my life, however I actually do not put much faith in these horoscope predictions that one finds in a certain section of newspapers. The Zodiacal signs denote our birthdays, it's a calendar, obviously. Beyond that, I am not sure what else that could possibly mean.  It is not given to us to know what may happen in the future.   

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I seem to remember vaguely that you were trying to make some very strange point about a Turnbull in a China shop, even though I really don't see your point. What crazy thing did Shari do over there in Panama, as if I would know? As if I should care about North Central. What did snowbound North Central ever do for me? But I am not interested in continuing that pointless conversation.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, there is another connection that you could explore, what is the relationship of the Hills brothers to the Cederblom brothers? I don't really understand, but I get the idea that they all know each other somehow/

Which Reminds Me

Yes, once again I am reminded that there was a divorce, Beverly and Richard are divorced, which I would imagine leaves the Klein riff-raff in the garbage dumpster, needless to say. But I am certainly such a nice and polite person who would never say that in so many words.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, it is somewhat mystifying to ponder all of these bizarre rants about how I should be giving up my weapons to some persons who I personally do not like anyway, if push comes to shove, as if I ever had any weapons to be speak of, and as if I would know why they think that I have all these weapons when I actually do not know anything about it.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I see that you are wondering why I always studiously avoid any and all mention of Share, a person whose exist4ence I would prefer to ignore and forget, given that there never was nothing of consequence to say about her anyway. The imagination could go bonkers trying to imagine a deeper meaning to all of these classroom dramas, but even so there were no solid facts to attach that to, whether imaginary or not. Thus, I really would prefer to avoid having to insert myself into Share's horrible drama of no interest to me. Whatever. If you really want to know, ask her yourself. I really don't what to hear about it.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, actually, it was a certain Spanish word that was used, that I certainly would not recommend, but I do not want to make myself the issue. Sometimes one hears these guys spewing a string of words, and parroting that mindlessly would be not a good thing. If you look that up in the dictionary, then you see that you have avoided saying something that could be construed as sort of disgusting.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I do think that I overheard that word, with which Fred hailed that other guy in the hallways of high school, and which I looked up in the dictionary and was shocked to learn the meaning of that, which I shortly afterward explained to Sharon Turner, which was probably a mistake because Turner only makes a mess of everything in very bad way. However, I cannot now remember what word that was, only what the dictionary said about that, which brings with it occasion to be reminded of the Biblical admonition to "Be ye separate."

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I vaguely remember that while I was studying journalism, I had a floppy disk that was to contain a variety of class assignments and articles handed in for the paper, so I was to put my name on it when turning it in, so I wrote on the label: Candi's Stuff, meaning in my mind "stuff" as being whatever miscellaneous things happen to be required, but which on further reflection seems perhaps too informal for a potential work situation. I should just put my name on there plain and simple, without this casual word "stuff," especially now knowing that some people undoubtedly would be placing other connotations and meanings to this word "stuff," and adding the superfluous "nonsense" of some other context although that was not my thought at the time,  and which I had not foreseen in advance of this event, but which now seems might have been entirely predictable, especially given that other people's minds are outside of my control anyway, so it would seem that almost anything that I might say could potentially construed to mean something else anyway, so, yes, why am I doing this to myself?

Which Reminds Me

Yes, it does seem odd that I would be getting all of these emails from cultic whacko Rhonda, a mere acquaintance wherein I would not be able to recognize any depth of knowledge on these matters. You were perhaps expecting me to burst forth singing that song, "Help Me, Rhonda," but then I imagine that I would have to vomit they lyrics somehow, and that would not work for me anyway, that would be so unpleasant, besides which it would seem so rude for me to unnecessarily offer unwarranted commentary on someone else's divorce nightmare when anyway that wasn't my problem.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I remember, that was so nice of Aunt Mert to send us, while we were living in Central America, packages containing many pills. Especially I remember the golden yellow gel capsules, those were Vitamin E, said to be a great thing for overall health. And there were other vitamin pills, A, B, C, D and whatever else. And after we had received the packages of pills, how could we not take the pills that were said to be so good for our overall health and well-being, even when we get plenty of vitamins naturally from our balanced diet? Anyway, I never heard of anyone taking too many vitamins, even I never was hugely fond of medicating. 

Which Reminds Me

Yes, my first semester at SCC I had an unpleasant roommate situation. I was assigned to room with Dolly (MK-Pacific Islands), who was a very troubled person in need of serious counseling. At Thanksgiving break she was in a terrible car accident and her foot had to be surgically reattached to her body and soon her college time was cut short. Later Heather was asking me about her, as if I were close friends with Dolly, when actually not really, I had never met her before college and never heard from her afterwards. If someone did drive her to the pharmacy during college to get a refill on her pills, I had not remembered that and cannot say anything about who that was. She seemed to have some health condition requiring that she take pills every day, although she did not mention, how would she know, that my mother's thyroid condition requires her also to take pills daily to regulate her metabolism, but anyway, I don't really see what that has to do with Dolly's health condition and Dolly's pills. Her explanation was rather odd.   

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I know, that is so clever the way you combine all of those points in such a clever way as to completely wipe me off the map. And yet, somehow I really don't care too much. When I think about how different my life might have been but for a fluke of blood chemistry, it does not feel as if there was anything more that I could have done anyway,

Which Reminds Me

Yes, that was quite a mouthful from what's-her-name Blondie, whether Dolly or Martha, whatever, and now I see she expects me to waste five years arguing some obscure point about "Wild Life in the Pacific Islands." Always so ridiculous!

Which Reminds Me

Yes, that was very clever of the Indians to swap for a piece of land in Coconut Creek, not far from where I live, upon which they built, what else, a casino and also a huge parking garage to accommodate all of the gamblers desirous of playing bingo or whatever it is they do over there. So how can they still be considered so pitifully poor when their games are so popular? Yes, I am sure the Indians would probably be living high on the hog by now with all of those profits to pay their own way.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I do remember back in the early days of the establishment of the welfare program, that some people were vociferously against the idea of giving free money and food stamps to welfare mothers, but whatever, We have all become accustomed to the systemic benefits of being on the dole, and whatever. I really don't think about very often, it is the system, but you already knew that.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, this word fearless is one that is often used in hyperbolic praise of heroic deeds, even if not exactly accurate. The overcoming of fear, not so much a lack of fear, is the idea in mind. A certain healthy dose of fear is a good thing to have. I fear touching a hot stove, which I did as a small child and the result was blistering, so I learned the hard way not to do that. I fear this notion of standing in front of an onslaught of incoming traffic, knowing that the certain result would be myself as roadkill. There is really nothing wrong with having a healthy dose of fear, as I would  say.  

Which Reminds Me

Yes, these continuous challenges from these vicious nasty shrill Italian witches are really getting on my nerves, as if I owe something to them, when I actually I do not remember myself ever benefiting in any way from the imaginary fortunes of the unfortunate Willard, who anyway was not directly related to me. I do not consider myself in any way connected to these pathetic mafia riffraff, apart some minor incidents there were ultimately of no consequence that I should care to be reminded of their wino conventions.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I hope that you were not expecting me to pay for the crimes of the Italian riff-raff. One day during journalism class, working on the school paper, Kathy, my co-assistant editor, hit me on the abdomen and declared that I seemed to be pregnant, because, ok fine, my belly is not completely flat. I was never anorectic. And so I just shrugged that off as the most ridiculous thing, because anyway these Italians are so incredibly stupid, as if anyone is going to believe that. Ha ha ha!

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I remember many years ago, when we were living in El Salvador, when we went to the downtown marketplace where you have to haggle about the prices, because nothing is labeled with a price, we often suspected that the price told us would be somewhat higher than that told to a native buyer, and we even had our native friend haggle for us one time to discuss the point, because there is a prejudice about white people, they assuming that all white people are rich and can afford to pay a higher price for whatever, when actually some white people are not that wealthy, but anyway, this is an automatic thing, because they have a variety of prejudices against white people, but why are we discussing this matter of finances with people who just aren't going to understand?  

Which Reminsd Me

Yes, I do remember reading somewhere that Willard Calkins ran away to the Philippines. That would have been about a hundred years ago, so no wonder that I had never heard of him. And who in their right mind would ever think of the Philippines as the place to be? Not me. Looking back on these events, I thank my lucky stars that I have no connection whatever to the Philippines.

Which Reminds Me

Yes, I remember there is a song about how Wendy has stormy eyes that flash at the sound of lies. However, I don't think I know any Wendy whose opinion would be deserving of such an outburst of song. I am more wondering about whatever happened to Mindy Anderson, a co-worker who might remember more about George and what happened to him than I would seem to recall at  the moment. It is all very fuzzy in my mind.