Smiley Anders for Feb. 3, 2012

Here’s a story, said to be true, from Ivy L. Alford, of Denham Springs:

“A friend of mine (I’ll never tell who) was returning home from a fishing trip with his teenage son, who was sleeping in the back seat of the car.

“Suddenly a tire on the boat trailer he was pulling went flat.

“He pulled over to the curb, jacked the trailer up and removed the tire.

“He had no spare, so he decided he would carry the tire down the road about a mile to get it repaired at a gas station he had seen earlier.

“After walking for about 10 minutes, suddenly his son drove up in his car (with the boat trailer detached), pulled over to the curb and yelled, ‘Hey Dad, why didn’t you take the car?’”

The cruelest month

“February at last! Alleluia!” says Angela H. Angelloz:

“No, it’s not the anticipation of Mardi Gras and the Lenten season, nor the enjoyment of the springlike weather that precipitates the rejoicing.

“Instead, it’s sheer relief at the end of a most painful month in Louisiana history…one in which we gained a new understanding of the biblical phrase ‘wailing and gnashing of teeth’.”

Do you suppose Angela has football in mind …?

Control freaks?

I’ve never noticed this personally, but Inez Landry, of Donaldsonville, says persons of my gender seem to be hung up on cellphones and TV remotes:

“Did you notice how men are hooked on cellphones? But when those phones were mounted on walls, they would ring off the wall before they answered them.

“Men are also hooked on remotes. One minute you are looking at Green Bay, and before you know it the Atlanta Braves are on.

“I just use my remote to mute commercials for reverse mortgages and cars.”

The music man

At 7 p.m. Tuesday, the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame inducts S.J. Montalbano at the Cadillac Cafe.

Jan Chevalier-Gallo says a jam session features such musical legends as G.G. Shinn and Luther Kent, celebrating S.J.’s birthday (never mind which one) as well as his induction.

From his days with Montel Records to his present gig with brother Mickey on the “Jukebox Legends” Saturday radio show on WBRH and KBRH, S.J. has brought good rockin’ music to the masses.

Jan calls it “a once-in-a-lifetime event — 40-plus years of talent on one stage!”

His foxy neighbor

I know, it’s a good movie title.

But it’s also the name of a true story from Doug Treadway:

“When I went out one morning to wander the backyard (in Southdowns) and see what chores needed doing, I spotted a red fox.

“Maybe it was the same one I saw running around here last spring.

“I reckon pretty much all foxes look the same — except maybe to other foxes.”

No-frills education

Dr. George Bourgeois, of Opelousas, comments on our seminar on school soap:

“When I was in school, we were not required to wash our hands in the lunchroom with green liquid soap.

“We didn’t have a lunchroom.”

Nostalgia Corner

Sue Conran adds to our Florida Boulevard memories:

“I recall the soda fountain at the Borden plant, and being taken there as a child on a school field trip.

“And one of the first dates my husband and I went on was to a telephone company Christmas dinner at Spinosa’s.”

Special People Dept.

• Elrie Earl Booty celebrates her 100th birthday Saturday with a gumbo lunch.
• Lt. Col. Phil A. St. Amant celebrates his 94th birthday on Friday.
• Shelby Glen Allen, of Amite, celebrates his 93rd birthday on Friday.
• Lillian Hahn celebrates her 93rd birthday Sunday at the Lutheran Church Of Our Saviour.
• Sidney Brouillette, of Simmesport, celebrates his 90th birthday on Saturday.
• Ed and Hilda Guedry, of Brusly, celebrate their 72nd anniversary on Saturday.
• Joseph and Bena Sotile Matassa, of Donaldsonville, celebrate their 65th anniversary Sunday at a Super Bowl and anniversary party in Darrow hosted by their children.
• Al and Betty Langlois celebrate their 63rd anniversary Sunday.

Thought for the Day

From Marvin Borgmeyer: “When someone tells you that something defies description, you can bet he’s going to have a go at it anyway!”

High on the hog

Jim Bickett says he shouldn’t read his Advocate at lunchtime, when he’s hungry:

“After reading a headline the other day, I decided to enter as the Republican nominee for president. (Stop laughing, Buddy did it!)

“I read ‘Romney wins pig in Florida.’”

Jim had visions of a cochon de lait — until he told a fellow pork lover, who pointed out that the word was “big,” not “pig.”

Weather report

From Sarah Stravinska, of Chestnut: “It’s not true when they say that Louisiana doesn’t have four seasons. It’s just that we have all four in a 24-hour period.”

Write Smiley at Smiley@the
advocate.com. He can also be reached by fax at [phone] or mail at P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821.