A Joke

Hello William,

Greetings from the center of the universe, or rather the fantasy land of the Bushies, although my mother holds firmly to the belief that the sun revolves around Pittsburgh.

So, how is your adventure going?

I have a joke for you.

Two women meet at the pearly gates waiting to be admitted to heaven. The first one asks the second, ‘How did you die?’ The second woman responds, “I froze to death, and how about you?’

The first woman answers, ‘I came home early from work because I suspected that my husband was having an affair. I found my husband on the couch calmly watching TV. Still suspicious I ran around the house like a mad woman; I checked the closet, the basement, and under the beds, and finally I ran up to check the attic. While running up the steps I had a heart attack and died.’

The second woman responds, ‘That’s a shame, if you had check the freezer we’d both be alive.’

It’s early Saturday morning, Andrew has SAT practice in a few hours, I am planning on a bike ride to Capitol Hill. I rode down last week, but this week I want to explore. I want to ride all the way back to RFK Stadium. It’s a fairly large area. But with my trusty Bianchi Volpe distance is not an obstacle.

Einstein had it first football game last night – they beat Wheaton – 20 zip. In fact, Wheaton conceded with five minutes left in the game. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? Twenty to nothing is a thumping, but conceding with five minutes to go?

We think Mom’s infection is back. The spots are back and her leg is swollen. She started the antibiotics again – what a pain, but hopefully she caught it in time. We are waiting to hear from the doctor. No need to worry, the doctor had given her a prescription for the antibiotics with instructions to begin them immediately if the infection raises its ugly head.

Thanks for giving me permission for Facebook. It was actually a mistaken request. I joined Facebook because one of my Spanish practice groups just set up a Facebook page; and in the setup process I accidentally sent out invites or requests to friends in my address book. Andrew has ignored me, but I’m actually glad you didn’t ignore me, because Mom and I were able to see the photographs your fellow students posted on your page from Chile. Nice shots! Mom was thrilled. The photos give us a real sense of what you are up to and the environment in which you are studying. The desert is impressive; we topped it off last night by watch Motorcycle Diaries, with scenes shot in the Atacama.

Chris and Raven have accepted our invitation for Thanksgiving; so the Shields’ Shire will morph into MaraNation. I’m sure that Rob and Jeannie will come; Vickie usually goes to visit her relatives in Ashville for holidays. I’m sure the Bill, Jennifer and Nora will be here, if we’re in town and Mom is cooking; they will be here. Neil and Robin will probably be in Charlotte. Robin’s Mom is on death door. She has returned from the hospital, and they have arranged hospice care at the house. It is especially difficult on Neil and Robin since her mother has advanced Alzheimer’s so she doesn’t know where she is – I’m not sure whether or not she recognizes Neil and Robin. As difficult as it is for everyone concerned it is better the hospital, and when she understands where she is, Robin’s mother is happy.

So, that’s about it for today. Write soon, and with my usual adieu…

Love you, miss you, and take care down there.

Dad