A great Saturday morning to you; mine is since I have a mug of steaming coffee next to me. Tomorrow is my ‘prep’ day. And while it’s still dark on Monday morning, it’s off to my appointment.

Since it was St. Patrick’s Day yesterday, I can’t help but share:

What do you call an Irish proctologist?

Colin O’Scopy.

Then the best comment actually made by a patient;

”Could you write a note for my wife saying that my head is not up there?” ~ Anonymous

The bottom (pun) line is– a colonoscopy is no joke; just remember that it’s the prep that kills.

Planning – Our little condominium building has a series of ‘Lilliputian’ balconies which extend out from the kitchen door – one on each floor and one on each side of the building; six total.

Weather, age, and some poor rework in the mid-eighties meant that the time had come to do a re-build. So far so good. Until we hit the top floor that is. Here we found that the supporting joists were in such a shape that they had to be replaced.

Engineering plans were redone and submitted to the City so that a new permit could be approved. That is where they disappeared.

So mid-week it occurred to me that maybe some direct involvement was what was needed. Hence it was that I headed off to the 5th floor of the city building in downtown. My cynical curmudgeonly self fully expected the worst.

In reality I could not have been more wrong. These people handled my situation professionally and I got the information I needed. The next morning at 7:45 I had the inspector on the phone. He had our permit approved and ready for pick-up ($$ — it’s always about the money). By 1:30 our contractor was on the job.

By 2:30 Marcia was going bonkers listening to the sawing and hammering above our kitchen. All in all, an excellent day.

Zips Cafe – has been around since 1926. It’s tiny. Its menu is sparse. It’s always packed. It’s always like you’ve been coming there for ever, and the service is always great. Plus, near the ceiling there runs a large (‘O’ scale) model train around the cafe’s single room and the kids love it [me too].

When we lived in Hyde Park we’d walk there every so often for their “Zip-burger”

Now it was Dinah who’d had a birthday and who suggested we go there. It’s great how the next generation gravitates towards that which they remember as their good memories. And, she was so right. 

Finis – Dave P. wishing you a speedy and total recovery!

After several weeks of great warm weather, the bottom dropped out. Near freezing in the daytime, and as low as 19 in the morning. Yesterday we could hear hail slamming into the windows. Now it appears we’re in for a slow climb into spring. Yes!

Make it a great week everyone.

Cheers.

Dirk