Wish I'd Said It

Weeds are flowers too - once you get to know them.

- A. A. Milne

Saturday, November 03, 2012

Still Alive - Still Not Funny (#245)

A couple of months ago, a friend wrote that while she enjoyed the pics I posted in my Canon Fodder blog, she missed my writing. Especially from way-in-the-long-ago when I used to be funny. As a reminder, she pointed to the sample column on my website - posted half an eon or so ago. I hadn't read it in several years so I went to the site and, despite sore lips from tackling the sports pages the night before, I perused the whole darn thing.

Yep. Not much doubt. I used to be funny. In case that posted piece was a fluke, I checked a few other oldies. (Hilary was kind enough to compile my first few years' worth of columns into a book, so the checking was pretty easy.)

Muttering, reading, and flicking pages, there was no denying it: that Frank Baron was an amusing dude.

Concerned, I turned to the people who know and love me best.

"Son #1, when's the last time you thought I was funny?"

"Looking? I'd have to say now. Ha-ha-ha!"

I should have known better and turned to Son #2. Same question.

"You mean funny looking? Right now! Ha-ha-ha!"

 Strange how some apples roll quite a distance from the tree.

 I could depend on Hil, pretty sure. "Hil, think before you answer: When's the last time you thought I was funny?"

"Um...I guess it was this morning when you were sleeping. Your hair was sticking straight up on one side and drool was puddling into your beard. Although ... that wasn't as funny as yesterday when you tried to button up that old jean jacket. You looked like a blue sausage! Ha-ha-ha!"

Now, I didn't just tumble off the turnip truck yesterday. I'm not as dumb as some people, probably. And if nothing else, even though I may have lost my sense of humour, I still have the hard-won maturity that comes part and parcel with 61 years on the planet. In other words, I can accept reality.

So folks, if you want a chuckle from me, drop me a line and I'll send you a photo.

UPDATES

 - We're still looking for a waterfront home. We thought we found one last month but it didn't work out. We're checking out a couple of new possibles next week.

- Remember when I was trying to lure you folks to the message board I set up? Well, I'm still in lure-mode. Some of you have joined. Some of you visit as "guests." But MOST of you are still reluctant to check it out. Consider this a nudge. (The full-fledged, all-out whining, begging, guilt-tripping and crying will occur when we're settled in the new place.)

All you need do is visit http://www.runboard.com. To join, just make up a user name and password. (I use my real name there but most folks use a nickname.) Once you've joined the overall Runboard community, you can visit any of the message boards set up there, including The Nest. The URL for it is: http://bwritersnest.runboard.com/

I hope to see you there.