MikeL

Podga is generous to a fault.

The clue eliminates 99.7% of everyone who ever lived. That's generous. Do Poles have birthdays?

Well, I hope we aren't losing our appeal. Each challenge has it's own appeal; some are difficult, some are easy. I considered Podga's posting date timely since it was on the subject's birthday. That's a clue.

Smile, though your heart is aching Smile, even though it’s breaking When there are clouds in the sky you’ll get by If you smile through your fear and sorrow Smile and maybe tomorrow You’ll see the sun come shining through for you Light up your face with gladness Hide every trace of sadness Although a tear may be ever so near That’s the time you must keep on trying Smile what’s the use of crying You’ll find that life is still worthwhile If you’ll just Smile Who wrote the lyrics?

acciaccatura (very short note played before a longer one)

Very timely, Podga.

Patton staggered home very late after another evening with his drinking buddy, Paddy. He took off his shoes to avoid waking his wife, Kathleen. He tiptoed as quietly as he could toward the stairs leading to their upstairs bedroom, but misjudged the bottom step.. As he caught himself by grabbing the banister, his body swung around and he landed heavily on his rump. A whiskey bottle in each back pocket broke and made the landing especially painful. Managing not to yell, Patton sprung up, pulled down his pants, and looked in the hall mirror to see that his butt cheeks were cut and bleeding. He managed to quietly find a full box of Band-Aids and began putting a Band-Aid as best he could on each place he saw blood. He then hid the now almost empty Band-Aid box and shuffled and stumbled his way to bed. In the morning, Patton woke up with searing pain in both his head and butt and Kathleen staring at him from across the room. She said, 'You were drunk again last night weren't you?' Patton said, 'Why you say such a mean thing?' 'Well,' Kathleen said, 'it could be the open front door, it could be the broken glass at the bottom of the stairs, it could be the drops of blood trailing through the house, it could be your bloodshot eyes, but mostly ....... it's all those Band-Aids stuck on the hall mirror."

Read two novels this week: Calico Joe by John Grisham; the game of baseball is the setting for an evil deed and the search for redemption and love. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys; a Lithuanian family, exiled to Siberia by Stalin, learns to survive and exchanges acts of kindness with others.

debouchure (mouth of a river or strait)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bFwGMO7gi4A

I'm not squeamish, but that was TMI, goat. Glad you're feeling better now. Thanks for the update.

zenzizenzizenzic (eighth power of a number)

I Forgot my Glasses.......... Yesterday my daughter again asked why I didn't do something useful with my time. Talking about my "doing something useful" seemed to be her favorite topic of conversation. She was "only thinking of me", and suggested I go down to the senior center and hang out with the guys. I did this and when I got home last night I decided to teach her a lesson about staying out of my business. I told her that I had joined a parachute club. She said, "Are you nuts? You're almost 79 years old and you're going to start jumping out of airplanes?" I proudly showed her that I even got a membership card. She said to me, "Good grief, where are your glasses! This is a membership to a Prostitute Club, not a Parachute Club." "I'm in trouble again, and I don't know what to do ... I signed up for five jumps a week." I told her. She fainted. Life as a senior citizen is not getting any easier, but sometimes it can be fun.

Matt obviously has something on his mind...but I'm not a mind reader.

Exactly what I was thinking...a question of attribution.

I'll jump in to say that the painting is definitely not a phoney. That's not to say it hasn't been the center of some controversy.

LOL, Nick. I admire your candor and strength of character.

raconteur (teller of anecdotes)

Neverfail, Tennessee

Ninetysix Corner, AR/USA

Marked Tree, AR/USA

Lick Skillet, Virginia http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=59bGF7v0hq0