DUCK!

I know it's a goose. Duck just seemed to be more polite.

So you may have read the rudiments of my vehicle woes in concert with my coffee drinking buddy Jeff Stroh. But if not, let me do a quick recap.

Well no holiday season is as wonderful as we tell everybody it is. You can't have this many things happening out of routine without something going awry. Well we are a two car family, and while that might be wasteful for a retired couple? It is what we are used to.

So this past week my OIL LIGHT came on. (That part of the story will require another blog entry.) Anyway, to get to the point, Peggy and I have been a one car retired couple for five days.

So I get her car Friday morning to go enjoy my ritual coffee with Jeff Stroh. We've known each other for 35 years and have a lot of war stories to relive. But to tell this part of this saga I need only go back to said Friday.

I pull into the parking lot at an agreed upon coffee house (they don't need any additional advertising.)

I pop out of the car, and according to my nearly lifelong ritual, I pat myself on all my pockets to make sure I'm carrying all my necessities. Yep, you guessed it. For maybe the tenth time in memory I forgot to pack my wallet and my cell phone.

Well, my tale of woe was covered by Jeff's pre-paid coffee card. We shared a glance I didn't totally understand as I returned to the table with my Soy Chai. I didn't need to nudge him much to get the whole story. Turns out when Jeff showed up at un-named coffee house, he had this sinking feeling he'd left his wallet at home.

"No problem, Paul will cover me."

And I would have, could I have. But hang on. This story is far from over.

We always talk a little politics, some sports, and then toss in the personal stuff of the week. So I shared with Jeff the sad news my oil light came on, and that so far it had cost me two hundred dollars and the tab was rising. He countered with a similar woe involving his wife Janie's vehicle.

Well, fully exhausted from our weekly therapy, we part. He has to stop at the facility before heading home, so I'm out of the parking lot before he leaves.

I get home and Peggy and I attempt to organize our one car priorities. Those plans were interrupted by my cell phone vibrating from another room. So I'm assuming I've got a message. I did and it was date lined about five minutes after I left the coffee shop. Guess who?

"Hey, Paul. It's Jeff. Just thought you'd like to know my engine light just came on."

My guess is it is the work of the ghost of a county commissioner whose life Jeff and I tried to destroy (for good cause) thirty years ago.

I'm sure there will be more to this story, but enough for now. I do want to add some thoughts about being a one vehicle retired family. Sure you get closer. You discuss (fight) priorities. You rediscover eye (daggers) contact. And you ultimately resign yourselves to compromise and sing together,

" 'TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY!