Same ol', same ol'!

I'm pretty much a recidivist (repeat offender) on this Fall leaf raking issue. Now outside of your suspicion that I'm just lazy, I will come up with yet another angle on "NO LEAF RAKING" syndrome.

Actually looking for justification for my inaction on leaf removal is a process I'm quite used to performing.

I had a reputation as a reporter as being someone, good or bad, who could turn almost anything into story. And so I, among a few others, became SEASON man. "First Snow? Send Paul!" "First Crocus? Send Paul!" "First Rain? Send Paul!" And yeah, "First Fall Leaf? Send Paul!"

So I got used to working with Artists who'd travel here from Seattle, and New Orleans, and other home bases just to capture the changing of the Aspen. And the only drawback they voice to their appreciation of our bounty is the one many of us express.

"There are TOO MANY people here to get a clear view!"

Take a look at Fall travel brochures. People are paying tons of money to wander through Maine, and Vermont, and New Hampshire just to be embraced by the leaves.

Check out a Fall Wedding sometime. Bridesmaid's colors? Rust, yellow, orange, and beige. Am I right, here?

But here we are on our tree lined urban and suburban streets, and the minute the first leaf hits the turf, what do we do? We start looking for the rake, don't we?

If we were a little bit smarter we would invite travelers to cruise our Aspen Leaf Avenues and Ways in October and November. We would set up little toll booths to tax those who want to share our bounty. And you know what? Were we to leave the leaf alone, in the Spring it might save us a few bucks at the nursery looking for mulch.

And yet, as always, while I'll likely be last, I'll succumb to the pressure and bag the poor little guys up, to be sent to a landfill to become METHANE.

(Maybe that is why Wolf Blitzer couldn't distinguish a "Hot Air" balloon, from a "Helium" balloon. He was thinking Methane, wasn't he?)

And with that clever transition I want to share a fun story with you. I had written a very extensive blog posting the day after the Balloon Boy hoax was exposed. It was all going to be shared under the title, "Well, Well, Well."

WELL....as it turns out blogger, or blogspot error, the d__ thing got erased. I, with angst aboard, was about to re-create my treatise when an odd thing happened.

I started hearing from many of you with responses to the title, "WELL, WELL, WELL" that said for instance, "Uh Huh!", "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah," "Got That Right!," "Might Have Guessed!"

It was a tough reminder that we often waste words. less really can be MORE. I did want to say that in my religion what the Heene parents did with and to their children is an unforgivable sin. I think they should be made to hover for life in a "Hot Air" balloon filled with methane.

SUBJECT SWITCH

I like choice. I like that in this country we have more of that commodity than most others. But I think we need to tone it down a bit, don't you? And you may be surprised that I'm not talking about "PC," versus "MAC." I'm not talking about "Dish" versus" "Direct" TV, or "Cable" versus "Satellite." No, I'm talking about a recent rare trip through Mac Donalds' drive thru. This time I'm picking up a quick evil non-vegan breakfast for me and Peggy.

"May I help you sir!"

"Yeah, I'd like an Egg Mac Muffin, and a Sausage Egg Mac Muffin!

"That's an Egg Mac Muffin, and a Sausage Egg Mac Muffin. Would like EGG with those sir?"

I'm sorry. I don't get it. Maybe if I went and raked a few leaves.