Today is Thursday and for me it’s still Saturday.  Late on Saturday, but still Saturday.  I, personally, still haven’t gone through Monday.  You might remember, Monday was Mary’s birthday.

I was going to take the day off, but we have an exercise on Tuesday … from your perspective, we had an exercise on Tuesday … this is weird … so I have to be at work on Monday because I have things I have to do.

Izzy also is working on Monday.  I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s a thing.  We went through the whole look at eternity on Monday, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t miss her while I’m experiencing my dot.

So, while I sit here and try really had not to cry because I’m so incredibly lonely right now, let’s go ahead and 

This is the perfect spot to put in this story that Steve sent to me.  I’m going to put it in here exactly as it was sent to me.  If it doesn’t bring a tear to your eye, either you are not a fan or you are not human.

I know many of you are Calvin and Hobbs appreciators, and perhaps you will get as much satisfaction out of this little story as I did!

José Luiz Verta  Calvin and Hobbes

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“Calvin? Calvin, sweetheart?”

In the darkness Calvin heard the sound of Susie, his wife of fifty-three years. Calvin struggled to open his eyes. God, he was so tired and it took so much strength. Slowly, light replaced the darkness, and soon vision followed. At the foot of his bed stood his wife. Calvin wet his dry lips and spoke hoarsely, “Did… did you…. find him?”

“Yes dear,” Susie said smiling sadly, “He was in the attic.”

Susie reached into her big purse and brought out a soft, old, orange tiger doll. Calvin could not help but laugh. It had been so long. Too long.

“I washed him for you,” Susie said, her voice cracking a little as she laid the stuffed tiger next to her husband.

“Thank you, Susie.” Calvin said.

A few moments passed as Calvin just laid on his hospital bed, his head turned to the side, staring at the old toy with nostalgia.

“Dear,” Calvin said finally. “Would you mind leaving me alone with Hobbes for a while? I would like to catch up with him.”

“All right,” Susie said. “I’ll get something to eat in the cafeteria. I’ll be back soon.”

Susie kissed her husband on the forehead and turned to leave. With sudden but gentle strength Calvin stopped her. Lovingly he pulled his wife in and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. “I love you,” he said.

“And I love you,” said Susie.

Susie turned and left. Calvin saw tears streaming from her face as she went out the door.

Calvin then turned to face his oldest and dearest friend. “Hello Hobbes. It’s been a long time hasn’t it old pal?”

Hobbes was no longer a stuffed doll but the big furry old tiger Calvin had always remembered. “It sure has, Calvin.” said Hobbes.

“You… haven’t changed a bit.” Calvin smiled.

“You’ve changed a lot.” Hobbes said sadly.

Calvin laughed, “Really? I haven’t noticed at all.”

There was a long pause. The sound of a clock ticking away the seconds rang throughout the sterile hospital room.

“So… you married Susie Derkins.” Hobbes said, finally smiling. “I knew you always like her.”

“Shut up!” Calvin said, his smile bigger than ever.

“Tell me everything I missed. I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to!” Hobbes said, excited.

And so Calvin told him everything. He told him about how he and Susie fell in love in high school and had married after graduating from college, about his three kids and four grandkids, how he turned Spaceman Spiff into one of the most popular sci-fi novels of the decade, and so on. After he told Hobbes all this there was another pregnant pause.

“You know… I visited you in the attic a bunch of times.” Calvin said.

“I know.”

“But I couldn’t see you. All I saw was a stuffed animal.” Calvin voice was breaking and tears of regret started welling up in his eyes.

“You grew up old buddy.” said Hobbes.

Calvin broke down and sobbed, hugging his best friend. “I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry I broke my promise! I promised I wouldn’t grow up and that we’d be together forever!!”

Hobbes stroke the Calvin’s hair, or what little was left of it. “But you didn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“We were always together… in our dreams.”

“We were?”

“We were.”

“Hobbes?”

“Yeah, old buddy?”

“I’m so glad I got to see you like this… one last time…”

“Me too, Calvin. Me too.”

“Sweetheart?” Susie voice came from outside the door.

“Yes dear?” Calvin replied.

“Can I come in?” Susie asked.

“Just a minute.”

Calvin turned to face Hobbes one last time. “Goodbye Hobbes. Thanks… for everything…”

“No, thank you Calvin.” Hobbes said.

Calvin turned back to the door and said, “You can come in now.”

Susie came in and said, “Look who’s come to visit you.”

Calvin’s children and grandchildren followed Susie into Calvin’s room. The youngest grandchild ran past the rest of them and hugged Calvin in a hard, excited hug. “Grandpa!!” screamed the child in delight.

“Francis!” cried Calvin’s daughter, “Be gentle with your grandfather.”

Calvin’s daughter turned to her dad. “I’m sorry, Daddy. Francis never seems to behave these days. He just runs around making a mess and coming up with strange stories.”

Calvin laughed and said, “Well now! That sound just like me when I was his age.”

Calvin and his family chatted some more until a nurse said, “Sorry, but visiting hours are almost up.”

Calvin’s beloved family said good bye and promised to visit tomorrow. As they turned to leave Calvin said, “Francis. Come here for a second.”

Francis came over to his grandfather’s side, “What is it Gramps?”

Calvin reached over to the stuffed tiger on his bedside and held him out shakily to his grandson, who looked exactly as he did so many years ago. “This is Hobbes. He was my best friend when I was your age. I want you to have him.”

“He’s just a stuffed tiger.” Francis said, eyebrows raised.

Calvin laughed, “Well, let me tell you a secret.”

Francis leaned closer to Calvin. Calvin whispered, “If you catch him in a tiger trap using a tuna sandwich as bait he will turn into a real tiger.”

Francis gasped in delighted awe. Calvin continued, “Not only that he will be your best friend forever.”

“Wow! Thanks grandpa!” Francis said, hugging his grandpa tightly again.

“Francis! We need to go now!” Calvin’s daughter called.

“Okay!” Francis shouted back.

“Take good care of him.” Calvin said.

“I will.” Francis said before running off after the rest of the family.

Calvin laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. The time to go was close. He could feel it in his soul. Calvin tried to remember a quote he read in a book once. It said something about death being the next great adventure or something like that. He eyelids grew heavy and his breathing slowed. As he went deeper into his final sleep he heard Hobbes, as if he was right next to him at his bedside. “I’ll take care of him, Calvin…”

Calvin took his first step toward one more adventure and breathed his last with a grin on his face.

Credits: samuraitiger19 – from reddit

Note from the author – on reddit: “Wow… just wow… I am speechless here guys. I did not expect such a reaction to my story or prompt. I am not worthy of your praise or your gold. I am truly humbled. Thanks so much! I’m truly glad so my story touched so many people”.

There were two guys working for the city. One would dig a hole — he would dig, dig, dig. The other would come behind him and fill the hole — fill, fill, fill. These two men worked furiously; one digging a hole, the other filling it up again.

A man was watching from the sidewalk and couldn’t believe how hard these men were working, but couldn’t understand what they were doing. Finally he had to ask them.

He said to the hole digger, “I appreciate how hard you work, but what are you doing? You dig a hole and your partner comes behind you and fills it up again!”

The hole digger replied, “Oh yeah, must look funny, but the guy who plants the trees is sick today.”

16 Signs From This Week That Made Me Snort-Laugh, Shake My Head, And Faint

50 Terrible, Dark, And Shocking Things I Learned Not That Long Ago

Oh, dear Lord how true, how true!

Far away in the tropical waters of the Caribbean, two prawns were swimming around in the sea – one called Justin and the other called Christian.

The prawns were constantly being harassed and threatened by sharks that patrolled the area.

Finally one day Justin said to Christian, “I’m bored and frustrated at being a prawn, I wish I was a shark, then I wouldn’t have any worries about being eaten…”

As Justin had his mind firmly on becoming a predator, a mysterious cod appears and says, “Your wish is granted”, and lo and behold, Justin turned into a shark. Horrified, Christian immediately swam away, afraid of being eaten by his old mate.

Time went on (as it invariably does…) and Justin found himself Becoming bored and lonely as a shark. All his old mates simply swam away whenever he came close to them.

Justin didn’t realise that his new menacing appearance was the cause of his sad plight. While out swimming alone one day he sees the mysterious cod again and can’t believe his luck. Justin figured that the fish could change him back into a prawn. He begs the cod to change him back so, lo and behold, he is turned back into a prawn.

With tears of joy in his tiny little eyes, Justin swam back to his friends and bought them all a cocktail.

(The punch line does not involve a prawn cocktail – it’s much worse).

Looking around the gathering at the reef, he searched for his old pal. “Where’s Christian?” he asked.

“He’s at home, distraught that his best friend changed sides to the enemy and became a shark”, came the reply.Eager to put things right again and end the mutual pain and torture, he set off to Christian’s house.

As he opened the coral gate the memories came flooding back. He banged on the door and shouted, “It’s me, Justin, your old friend, come out and see me again.

“Christian replied “No way man, you’ll eat me. You’re a shark, the enemy and I’ll not be tricked. ”

Justin cried back “No, I’m not. That was the old me. I’ve changed.”…

…..”I’ve found Cod, I’m a prawn again Christian”.

That is true so much more often than we ever realize.

One night at an economy motel, a business man ordered a 6 a.m. wake-up call. The next morning, he awoke before 6, but the phone did not ring until 6:30. “Good morning,” a young man said sheepishly. “This is your wake-up call.”

Annoyed, he let the hotel worker have it. “You were supposed to call me at 6:00 AM!…. he complained. “What if he had a million-dollar deal to close this morning, and your oversight made me miss out on it?”

“Well, sir,” the desk clerk quickly replied, “if you had a million-dollar deal to close, you probably wouldn’t be staying in this motel!”

A group of friends who went deer hunting separated into pairs for the day.

That night, one hunter returned alone, staggering under a hugh buck.

“Where’s Harry?”, asked another hunter.

“He fainted a couple miles up the trail,” Harry’s partner answered. “You left him lying there alone and carried the deer back?”

“It was a tough decision,” said the hunter. “But I figured no one is going to steal Harry.”

I’ve heard of the difference between these two, but this little piece by Lynn lays it all out very nicely in words and pictures.  Thanks Lynn.  Quite scary really.

UK Fanta gets its color from carrots, pumpkins, and orange fruit, while the US version gets it from dyes (red 40 and yellow 6). 

Also about 3 times as much sugar in the US version versus the UK version, and the US Fanta has high fructose corn syrup while the UK version has sugar. 

Also there’s no orange juice in American Fanta.

I used to like Fanta, when I could still drink carbonated drinks (that’s a long story that we don’t need to go into right now), and I don’t believe I ever had a UK Fanta while I was stationed there, but I am really curious to try one now!

That’s it folks.  That puts Thursday’s issue in the box.  Let’s now get started on next Monday’s, shall we?