SURPRISE!

Most people enjoy being surprised.

Being informed by a teenage son that he had just totalled out the new car is probably not among them.

Fortunately, I never endured such a surprise but, a son's decision to hold one of the biggest parties Penn Hills had ever experienced, while his parents were away, was not among my favorites.

Last nights misguided efforts of ESPN to contact all the known Heisman Trophy voters, to ascertain the recipient before the ceremony, was another "surprise" I couldn't support. By looking away from the restaurants TV screen and watching the show at home I was surprised.

I was not above providing surprises.

I once walked into my Mom & Dad's bedroom late one Friday night while they were sound asleep. I dumped our 4 young kids on them as I hastily explained their Mom and I were off on an impromtu weekend trip to New York with two or three other couples.

Dad said, "Have Fun!",(probably planning some retreats of his own that weekend) while Mom was busy looking for her rosary beads.

I've been fortunate enough to have been the recipient of a few surprise parties and had mixed reactions.It depended on my mood at the time.

One of my favorite surprise stories had to do with a cheating husband who, in order to relieve himself of his guilt, confessed to his wife that he had been sleeping with her best friend.

Her response was not so much surprise as an opportunity to respond with her own confession, "Now, that's irony. I've been sleeping with her husband for over 5 years - and he's a much better lover than you."

While attending a small employee Christmas party, the entertainment
that evening was a guy doing some amazing close up magic.I observed one of our female employees who kept looking away from the magician.

When asked about her supposed indifference she confessed, "I can't stand to watch that stuff because I don't know how it's being done."

Some people just don't like surprises.

A few moments ago I left my blogwriting as I remembered my unfulfilled promise to take our Chihuhua out for her morning constitutional. Walking down the hallway heading for the room that led to our our back yard I heard the loud rustling of paper.

To my surprise I discovered Bella, our normally well behaved dog, had pulled out and tore a bag of newspapers from the recyling bid.

Her goal was to retrieve my erroneously discarded aluminum foil pan formerly holding the remains of last nights take-out pasta.

I was surprised - but not angry - and didn't scold her. I was laughing too hard at this unusual act of mischief.

I'm sort of having the same reaction to Newt Gingrich's increased popularity in the polls - and laughing more than attempting to promote fear mongering like the media and his Republican opponents.

Yeah, it's a Lazarus like surprise - but one I can live with.

Most of my political observations will probably go into a mayonaise jar on Funk & Wagnals back porch.

Nobody comes up with well researched political surprises than my well informed pal, Harry, the self-described "Old Thinker".

You are encouraged to give his folksy blog a try:

http://harry2335.blogspot.com/