Out and About – Week of September 2nd

I’m afraid this past weekend didn’t start out very well. Once again, I must reflect on the passing of a friend. Lion Bruce Snook passed away this last Thursday after a short illness. I’ve known Bruce for a little over thirteen years, and I can’t think of a gentler, more soft-spoken, and trustworthy individual. He was a man of integrity and he had no vices. I will miss him terribly.

I’m about three weeks late in expressing kudos to Kellogg Community Credit Union. Located on West Michigan Avenue, here in Three Rivers, they recently hosted a community picnic. It was held in their parking lot and featured hamburgers, hot dogs, beans, potato salad, plus beverages and much more. Tom Toole and his staff from Belle Epoque catered the event, and it turned out to be something right out of Mayberry. The credit union staff was on hand, in case someone had questions, but there wasn’t any pressure whatsoever to open an account, or to discuss any other financial matters. Phil Britain, from WLKM-FM, was there providing some great music, via a live remote. In my opinion, this was a great gesture that other merchants might think of doing.

Three years ago, we invested in a John Deere Gator. To closely quote Marlon Brando, in The Godfather, it was a deal that I couldn’t refuse: three years of payments with no interest, plus my wife was in favor of purchasing it. I would have been a fool to let that deal slip away. Anyway, after jumping through a few hoops, the Gator is “street legal”. I’m sorry; the Gator is no longer a Gator. One of the hoops I had to jump through, was to have a new Vin number assigned to the machine. Because of all the alterations and additions made to the machine, it was now regarded to as “assembled”. It was sort of like turning a VW Beetle into a dune buggy. I really enjoy using my assembled. It’s fun to drive, and the money saved on fuel is remarkable. The top speed is around 30 or 35 miles per hour. It depends on whether you’re going down a hill. Even though it has four-wheel drive, with a flip of a switch, I’ll put it away for the winter. Call me crazy, but I don’t want to get it dirty too soon.

For several years, we’ve enjoyed going out for brunch at Belle Epoque on Sunday mornings. For a while, the brunch was available every Sunday, but eventually they changed their brunches to just the last Sunday of the month. Because of low attendance, they have had to do away with the brunches altogether. If you never had the opportunity to visit Belle Epoque fro brunch, you really missed out on a wonderful dining experience: fantastic food, plus linen napkins, coffee cups with saucers, real glass water goblets, and an attentive wait staff. Hopefully, the brunches may someday return. Until then, Belle Epoque is still the best venue for banquets, and Tom’s catering business is doing well. The next time you’re at the Three Rivers Health TRAC, stop by Tom Toole’s snack bar for a healthy snack.

Just about everyone has joined the 21st century and has at least one computer. I have a computer in my office, and an iPad and laptop at home. My cell phone is capable of doing more than I care to use it for. I make and receive phone calls, and I do use it for e-mail duties. I probably use my laptop more than anything else. I use it for only one thing, and that is for Free Cell. I have a spiral notebook next to my laptop, and I keep track of my progress with Free Cell. I’ve kept a record of my games, and so far, I’ve played over 26,700 games. If I have difficulty with one game, I come back to it later. I probably should talk to a professional about this, because I don’t think this is normal. You’ll never see me texting at a restaurant, or in my car. I feel this is quite rude, and besides, my thumbs are too big.

Some serious words of advice:

Under no circumstances, should you ask a woman if she’s pregnant.

Make time for your mom on your birthday. It’s her special day, too.

If you’ve made your point, stop talking.

Look people in the eye when you thank them.

See you Out and About!

Submitted by Norm Stutesman

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