SUNDAY FUNDAY - MARCH 26, 2023

 SUNDAY FUNDAY - MARCH 26, 2023

SPRING IS (FINALLY) HERE (OFFICIALLY)

Next Saturday is April Fool’s Day.  I LOVE APRIL FOOL’S DAY!!!

Here are some pranks!!

Place bubble wrap under an area rug or a bath mat for a rude surprise when a passerby steps down. This one’s particularly effective first thing in the morning, before your unsuspecting victim has had any coffee — nothing like a loud, unexpected noise to wake someone up real quick!

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If you have a baby in the home, smear a diaper with chocolate candy or peanut butter; then call in a spouse or child to observe with horror as you taste the mess.

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This one came from a friend - Dr. B (many years ago when you could do something like this).  Jim was a dedicated student - but trying to get an education while working the night shift at a local factory was tough on him.  My friend had Jim in an 8:00 class, so Jim would hustle over from working all night and run into class about 6 minutes late.  (It was a fairly small town and you could make it to any place in town in six minutes).

And, invariably Jim would fall asleep in class.  One day before Jim arrived, Dr. B told the class to quietly sneak out of the room about ten minutes before the class ended.  He would light a string of small ladyfinger firecrackers and then would turn out the lights as he left the room.  

As the class was in the hall, Boom, Boom, Boom - as the firecrackers went off.  Jim woke up in a dark classroom - wondering what had happened.  He yelled - and getting no answers he made his way to the door when the door opened the class and Dr. B yelled “surprise”.  

*****

I wore my academic gown on April 1st.  And a lot of people asked “why are you wearing your cap and gown" and I would tell them it was “Academic Apparel Day”.  Some of them figured it out and knew it was an April Fool’s Day joke.

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My friend Tom and I were both jokesters.  In our classrooms, there was an outlet behind the ceiling tiles (to be used to hang a computer projection device).  I got a cassette tape recorder and a cassette tape with about 20-minute blank tape at the start and then some bombastic music and put it in the ceiling.  The ceiling outlet was controlled by a wall switch.  So, as I finished my class and Tom was coming in for his class, I turned the ceiling outlet on.  The tape recorder played its 20 minutes of silence and then went off with the music.  It took Tom about 10 minutes to figure out what was going on.  (Yes, he got even).

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This was Tom’s joke on me.  I had been at an academic conference and arrived home late on Sunday night.  On Monday I went into my office at about 8:30 - my regular time - opened my door and my office was filled to the top with wadded-up newspapers.  (I knew exactly who to blame!!!)

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My father was a prankster.  My mother asked him to get some milk at the grocery store.  She asked him how much it was, and he answered “Don’t you think three dollars is too much for a half-gallon of milk?”.  My mother told her friends and they said, “Milk is about a dollar for a half-gallon.”.

She went home after teaching and confronted my father who said, “I didn’t say I paid three dollars for a half-gallon of milk.  I asked you if you thought three dollars was too much for milk.”

**

My calm, sweet mother replied “You bastard!”.  That surprised my father who said where did you learn that? She was taking a Shakespeare class for recertification and King Lear had a bastard son!!!!

*****

NATIONAL DAYS:

NATIONAL SPINACH DAY - March 26, 2023 - National Today

I have grown spinach on my patio.  I am reminded of Popeye - “I’m strong to the finish cause I eat my spinach, says Popeye the Sailor Man”.  I have spinach, kale, and swiss chard on my patio and I use them for my salads.

QUIRKY COUNTRY MUSIC SONG TITLES DAY - March 27, 2023 

I’m not much of a country music person, but some country songs are really quirky.  “She thinks my tractor's sexy” is a catchy title!!

NATIONAL BLACK FOREST CAKE DAY - March 28, 2023

I like to pick at least one food on National Day.  Yes for chocolate shavings accompanied with maraschino cherries and white cream. (And, in some recipes alcohol).

WORLD PIANO DAY - March 29, 2023 - National Today

I remember “real” pianos. We had a second-hand upright piano as my parents thought my sister and I would take piano lessons from our neighbor (Elaine).  It wasn’t always in tune, but we plunked away.  I wished I would have stayed with it!!  Nowadays electronic piano keyboards are the normal learning device.  

TAKE A WALK IN THE PARK DAY - March 30, 2023 - National Today

Yes - take a walk in the park.  It is the end of March - and if March came in like a lion, it should be a much nicer day today and a good day to take that walk in the park.

TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY - March 31, 2023 - National Today

I don’t frequently get serious on Sundays - but this day is significant to me.  I don’t want to overdo it, but in some regards being transgender is a form of mental illness.  (I spent four days in a mental hospital four years ago). 

There are more suicides among transgender, gay, lesbian, and bisexual people.  They are not accepted by their families.  (My children, grandchildren, and ex-wife do not speak or communicate with me).  Depression about being unloved can be terrible.  (I am still on an antidepressant).  With my gender-affirming surgery, I am generally happy and most are.  I do write about LOVE WINS.  If you know of LGBTQ people - be nice to them.  Their struggles can go very deep and the hatred that seems to be building politically is hard on “us”!!!

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LOVE WINS

Karen White - March 26, 2023