True LOL Moments

It's not a rule like finding something quality in the day, but I sort of always hope there will be one true laugh-out-loud moment in every day. A lot of days there is one.

If there's a rule, it has to be that whatever the "thing" is, it must produce spontaneous audible laughter from me. Since I tend to be a Dismal Desmond. Or at least a little too serious, it must truly tickle my funnybone.

I briefly thought about trying to add the moment to the blog each day, but I doubt I could regularly pull that off. But it would be nice to remember some. I'll share them from the last three days. I can't guarantee you'll find them as funny as I did.

Here is yesterday's. I stumbled onto a game called Sled Surfer. The video teaser was a better one than this, with a much longer run. But the idea is that you make the penguin on the sled have a good long run. Sadly, it's also a game you can't get rid of the ads without paying money, but I just think it's hilarious. I made a recording of a successful run, but the video was too long for blogger to deal with. The crash is funnier anyway.



Two days ago was also from a game. This game is only okay, and also has ads you can't get rid of without paying, so it went bye-bye. But their logo is... a SHARK! Actually, when you first load the game you get a splash screen with a big shark, but I can't seem to react fast enough to get a screen capture of it. Here's the Level header with the default icon for ME- the shark!

I have found one hole game (where you move a hole around the screen and it "eats" things, that I really do like, so I'm putting up with the ads. I can't believe I'm doing that, but I am. (If you care, the one with the shark is "Black Hole," and the one I like is "All In Hole.")

Today's LOL moment is really more than a moment. I saw this online. I did not write it. I sure wish I had!

I don't even know who to attribute it to, but it was posted by someone called "Michigan Field Guides"

The Michigan Secretary of State is not a government office. It is a psychological test disguised as a building. You do not simply “go renew your license.” No. You embark on a spiritual journey through time, bureaucracy and the limits of your own patience. Every Michigander knows this. The SOS is where confidence goes to die.

First you try to book an appointment. “Next available time: three Wednesdays from now at 7:14 a.m. in a town you have never heard of.” Amazing. Perfect. Love that for us. If you dare walk in without an appointment, you will sit there so long you will start forming alliances with the other survivors like it is a winter cabin scenario.

Then you finally get inside. The air is heavy with the scent of paperwork and regret. A row of chairs filled with people staring into the void, silently wondering if they will ever see sunlight again. A toddler eating Cheez-Its. A man clutching a folder of documents he definitely forgot half of. Someone’s grandma explaining she has been coming here since the Carter administration.

When they call your number, it feels like winning a raffle you did not sign up for. You run to the counter before they change their mind. The employee asks for nine forms of ID, your water bill from 1998, two proofs of residency, a blood oath and possibly a notarized statement from your childhood dentist. You hand over everything. They stare at one paper like it personally offended them. “This is the wrong version.” Of course it is.

And yet, every Michigander does this dance because we have to. We renew. We register. We pray the photo turns out okay. We walk out holding our temporary license like it is a war medal. We brag to friends that we got out in only an hour because that is considered “record-breaking.” The Secretary of State is not just an office.

It is a shared trauma.

A bonding experience.

The official Michigan rite of passage that proves we are stronger than paperwork. If you walk out with everything done on the first try, congratulations. You have achieved what scientists call “a statistical miracle.”

I hope one of these at least made you smile.

I totally blew the day off- played games all day. Sigh. Maybe I'll be better tomorrow.

See Robbery!

An Evening with Dale and Kathy

Om and I went to Newaygo tonight to hear Dale and Kathy Painter talk about their book- a memoir of a hiking life.

I've heard Dale speak before about one of his hikes (link below), but tonight's talk was more about the book. However, questions from the audience we more about the hiking.

It was great to have a little time to chat on a more personal level.

Just in case I haven't pushed it enough in other places, here is the book



I worked at shoveling out the mailbox, and puttered at things.

See Pacific Crest Trail Hiker

Photoessay in Black and White

Had a chance to go for a little walk today at Cartier Park. That is a paved trail and it was plowed, so I opted for the easy choice since we got another 5 inches of snow last night. The black-and-white theme is certainly not an original idea, but I like it.

And the full-size photos. I did not convert any of these to black and white. These are all "full color" photos!

Another busy day. Did some editing. Eye doctor appointment, this walk, then a trail meeting in the early evening.

Miles hiked in 2025: 466.9

Cartier Park, Ludington, MI. The paved trail loops. 1.8 miles.

See Skyday #3

Concert at St. Joseph's- 2025

Tonight was the annual concert of the West Shore Choir and our bell choir at St. Joseph's Church in Hart. I've showed you a lot of pictures of the building in the past. It's beautiful! But I try not to share the same stuff over and over.

Om got a pretty good picture of us playing the bells.

Most of what the choir does is from the loft at the back. I'll just remind you that this church is a favorite of the directors because it has amazing acoustics. You can't really see anyone in this picture, but it gives you the sense of how it's staged.

The decorations are always beautiful.

Part of the choir (the portion that are students at West Shore Community College) did come down in front to sing Carol of the Bells a capella. They were spot on!

We played all four of our songs. (Between the church service on the 21st and Christmas Eve, I'll get them recorded.) The choir pieces ranged from popular Christmas songs to a portion from "The Messiah" with the Hallelujah Chorus.

Everyone got to sing three carols.

And, as usual, the church fed all the musicians afterwards. We stayed briefly.

I got some work done in the morning.

See Concert at St. Joseph's- 2024

Camping Theme Ornaments

I did post once before about these in 2010, but since then I've been given a lot more ornaments for the collection. I now have so many that I didn't even put them all out. There are tents, hiking boots, paddles, canoes, skis, snowshoes, skiing and snowshoeing bears and moose, canoeing/skiing/showshoeing Santas, all kinds of camping gear, leaves, campfires. I really love the collection. Most of them have been gifts from friends. Some are hamdmade.

Over the past year I found both the green cloth and the set with the little girl and tent. That was a birthday present from Marie a lot of years ago- maybe 2007ish. I could look it up, but who cares? Anyway, I thought I lost it somewhere (not a quality event), and was really happy when I found it.

These haven't been out for several years. I decided to make it the table decoration for this year.

Sadly, you can't see the ornaments very well. I put some white lights on the tree and they don't really help the decorations show up. You'll just have to come see them yourself! Here is the left tree.

And the right tree. Can you see that the trail is the NCT? And there is a blue blaze on the tree.

Here's a closeup of the doll set. She has a tent, a sleeping bag, a pack, and a purple squirrel. The squirrel is up in one of the trees. The campfire is an ornament from National Wildlife, and the water bucket and lantern are part of a set, maybe also from NWF. The dog peeking around the corner of the tent is very like Chips. And down in front is Snoopy with his troop of Woodstock and associated campers. I'm a snoopy fan.

But Omer came home today and he plopped an obstruction down right in the trail! We'll need a chainsaw.

I continued to be somewhat lazy today, although when Om came home he got stuck in the driveway, so getting him out was my excercise for the day! Did some more cleaning in the kitchen and finished the turkey soup. Kitchens just get awful.

Back to business tomorrow.

See Camping Christmas Trees