Best and worst Sept 29

 

Hayter for September 29, 2024

A survey about the best and worst of things

            One of you will recall that three weeks ago I asked you to complete a survey about the best and worst of some of your life’s experiences. You know, stuff like your favorite movie, place to vacation, worst motel or hotel… Personal stuff.

I’ll have you know that the only person who responded to my article was none other than the wonderful Karen! I told Karen that I would not include her last name just in case a weird person from her past was looking for her.

To help Karen out, I asked eight of my family members to complete the questionnaire and three of them agreed. That caused me to ask Kay and my buddy Brad Meyer to complete the survey. So, I’ve not got responses from six people. And, as it turns out, that’s plenty.

With the intro out of the way, here is the first question. -- “If you could get rid of one particular specie of insects, which would it be?” – Rhonda, my niece, chose “The Fly”. The girl lives in Washington State on a  hill surrounded by orchards. Flies are big at harvest time of any kind of fruit. The last time Kay and I visited, I left the back door of the guest house open, and when I returned, flies were in each room of the house.

Karen’s worst insect is the cockroach. Good choice. -- Jill is anti-mosquito. -- Kay chose the stink bug. I have no recollection of the stink from stink bugs, but the name does make it sound like a stinking bug. -- Brad has issues with fire ants. My kid brother, Big Al’s worst insect is “the worm in India that crawls up a guy’s private part, while he’s in the Ganges River.” That now becomes my 87th reason that I don’t care to live in India.

The next question dealt with the worst place you’ve ever visited. Karen’s worst visit was to India. Perhaps her husband took a swim in the Ganges. I apologize, sir. – Brad’s worst place to visit was the bathroom at the old Dairy Queen on North Frazier. He told me the details, which I choose not to share. There is a new Dairy Queen that I’m sure has a much nicer restroom.

Kay’s worst place was the Dairy Queen in Rosebud, TX. DQ is really taking a hit this morning. Kay reminded me that the time we were there, we didn’t see a smile in the place. Some of them had possibly just returned from the restroom.

Moving right along: If you had to move, where would choose to live?”  Kay chose Scotland. – Rhonda chose heaven, because she never wants to leave Still Hill. I’ve been there, and I can understand her choice. – Brad would move to Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. The guy was a manager of numerous hotels in the Caribbean. Only he knows how he got the jobs.  

Jill would live in a small cabin in the woods, surrounded by waterfalls. But no bigfoots. Her kid brother Big Al wants to live in a cabin in the mountains by a stream where a sasquatch swims. Karen doesn’t want to move, but if she had to, she would move somewhere that actually has four seasons. Wouldn’t that be great?!

Next question: At what age were you at your happiest? Karen, Kay, and Jill are there right now. Brad wrote something about every age having its own “unique pleasantries and vexations.” What a load of hoo-ha. But thanks for sharing the depth of your thoughts, Bradford. Big Al would like to be five years old again. That was back when his brothers and sisters were at school, and he was home with Mom. I never experienced that, so I can only imagine. By the way, I don’t remember Mom ever spanking Big Al. She must’ve worn herself out on Dennis, Jill, and me

As for your favorite cartoon character, Big Al chose the Tasmanian Devil. You know, the thing spun around while running. Brad chose Bugs Bunny. Jill went with Beaker from Sesame Street. Kay chose Snoopy, and Rhonda picked Winnie the Pooh. (He was a favorite of mine, too. “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” Winnie the Pooh)

And your favorite movie?”—Jill chose “The Searchers.” -- Brad picked four favorite movies, so I picked my favorite out of his four --“Citizen Kane”. – Kay picked “A Fairy Tale”. A sweet movie.  –Karen chose any movie with Denzel Washington in it. I’ve gotta say, “Denzel never disappoints.” Al chose “Two Buddies and a Badger” He has watched the animated movie a few dozen times with his two great-granddaughters Piper and Lacy. Both of them are cuter than cute.

What’s next? “Oh, yeah, “Favorite two athletes.” -  Karen chose Astros’ Jose Altuve and golfer, Scottie Scheffler.  You didn’t ask, but my dad’s favorite golfer was Sam Snead. – Brad picked Bruce Jenner and Fran Tarkington. – Rhonda chose Colt McCoy and Intangibles (One of you look that up for me) – Al chose Pistol Pete Maravich and Larry Bird/Magic Johnson. – Jill went with Chris Evert and Art Howe. – Kay picked JJ Watt and Simone Biles. I think Simone could probably beat ‘em all. 

 

Our last question had to do with your scariest dream. I’m going to share only one of these with you, because the others are too scary and would take up too much space. However, there is room for Big Al’s dream. He wrote that he doesn’t remember his dreams, because he’s always asleep at the time.

 

And now, I think it appropriate to end this week’s article with something that Winnie the Pooh said to Christopher Robin. “If we’re in each other’s dreams we can be together all the time.”   --  Till then.

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