–Despite repeated warnings from the CDC, millions of people jammed airports across the nation to travel for Thanksgiving. Let’s hope this doesn’t cause a gigantic COVID-19 spike in early December, but it seems inevitable. With hospitals already bursting at the seams, it will be an enormous burden on the medical world to care for even more of those infected over the holiday. All we can do at this point is observe the guidelines about wearing a mask and social distancing and hope a vaccine is available soon. Be careful and stay well.
–If you have HBO, and you’re not watching “The Undoing,” you’re missing one terrific mystery thriller. Academy Award-winner Nicole Kidman stars as a psychiatrist married to a pediatric oncologist played by Hugh Grant, who is terrific in the part. They have a young son and appear to be a Hallmark family until… . Well, that’s enough. The program airs on Sunday evenings, and previous episodes are available. Treat yourself, and don’t miss this one.
–Let’s hear a cheer for the deer! A guy who once lived across the street from me was an avid hunter, and during deer season, he brought his dead victims home and butchered them in his garage. I always thought the deer were at a disadvantage during hunting season, and I often infuriated some hunters I knew by saying the deer should be issued guns so they could return fire when hunters came calling. But if the deer can’t shoot back, how about teaching them to disarm their adversaries. That’s what happened recently in the Czech Republic near the Horni Plana village. Authorities said a man reported to them that he had been hunting near the woods when one of his dogs frightened a large buck, and the terrified animal charged the hunter. As he tore by, his antlers ripped the man’s sleeve, became entangled in the sling of the guy’s rifle, and subsequently absconded into the woods with the weapon dangling from his antlers. Fortunately the gun was not loaded, but the Czech Republic’s Firearms and Ammunition Act mandated the hunter to report losing his rifle. Later police said another hunter told them he saw a deer with a rifle in its antlers close to a mile away from the incident. Definitely a victory for the deer population!
—The Thanksgiving That Wasn’t, But Then Was! I grew up during the 1950s, a period to which my adult offspring sarcastically refer as the “GenaricAge,” and considering the technological advancements from then until now, I must agree that their assessment has some merit. After all, when I was a child, my friends and I used to play Dick Tracy, and we all ran around speaking into an imaginary two-way wrist radio because the famous comic-strip detective actually had one of those. Back then all we could do was simulate wearing such a gadget as we spoke into our bare wrists. After all, who ever heard of a watch that could be used as a phone? Just ask Apple! Today the Apple Watch with amazing technology (including use as telephone) has become ubiquitous. We are living in age in which technological advancements are rampant, and for that my wife and I are very thankful. Here’s why. We have three adult children and six grandchildren, and we are incredibly fortunate in that they all live in close proximity to us. In Thanksgivings past, from the time the grandchildren we’re all babies until the present when the oldest is a graduate student, everyone would gather in our house for a wonderful dinner followed by the traditional tree trimming gala. Not so this year! Even though all of them live so close by, we all decided to comply with the CDC’s recommendation, and everyone stayed home. My wife fixed a delicious meal, but the two of us dined in an eerie silence. However, we shared the sentiment that everyone was well, and we were considering our options on television when our younger son called and hooked us into an incredible bit of technology called Zoom. Suddenly my computer screen was divided into six different windows housing all the grandchildren and their parents. They could see us, and we could see them and talk with them just as clearly as if they were sitting in the room beside us. We had a wonderful visit, and when it was over, my wife and I agreed that the day had turned into something really special because we were able to see everyone and more importantly to see that they were all well. And with what’s going on around us these days, if that’s not something for which to be thankful, I don’t know what is.
Ponder this: “Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck.” – George Carlin
