Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. As I mentioned last week, I took a short vacation to visit my two daughters and toured the Biltmore Estates in Asheville, N.C. If you ever get the chance to go there, take the opportunity. It is an amazing place to go through. Overall, the trip was pretty uneventful. I have not flown for almost a year, so there were a few things that stood out. Number one, the airline kiosks still do not like me. I tried several times and had to finally ask for assistance from a roaming airline clerk. Another change: you now must tag your own luggage. I could not figure out how to get the tape to separate so I could glue the two ends together. Again I was saved by the clerk. I only got patted down one time, but was amazed when they told me there was something still in my pocket. I reached down, and found a single cough drop that I missed! What detail from the scanner. Of course, the airline seats keep shrinking and some seats no longer recline. I feel bad for those who are tall or plus-size. I consider myself standard size, and those seats are barely comfortable for me. There was one funny incident while we were there. We got tickets to tour the estate and found out that they had just finished their Christmas decorations. This would be the first night that they would be lighting up the house. We had just walked through the ticket entrance and were walking up to the main doors when I felt a hand grab my hand. Surprise! An older lady thought her husband was walking beside her, and instinctively, without looking, reached for his hand, when in reality he was walking up behind her on the other side. We all laughed and proceeded into the house to be amazed and mesmerized by the sights and sounds.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
– Henry Miller
THE NUMBER
The temporary Sunday school teacher was struggling to open a combination lock on the supply cabinet. She had been told the combination but couldn’t quite remember it. She went to the pastor’s study and asked for help. The pastor came into the room and began to turn the dial. After the first two numbers he paused and stared blankly for a moment. Finally, he serenely looked heavenward, and his lips moved silently. Then he looked back at the lock, and quickly turned to the final number and opened the lock. The teacher was amazed. “I’m in awe at your faith, pastor,” she said. “It’s really nothing,” he answered. “The number is on a piece of tape on the ceiling.”
That is all I have for today. As always, be good, do good, play safe and remember to double check your pockets before entering the scanner, unless, of course, you want to be patted down!
– JR
