"A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on." - Samuel Goldwyn

"What? You never saw a gerbil in a jar before?

On our walk this morning Jack and I crossed paths with a coyote. He shows no interest in rabbits that are 10' away, but as soon as he spotted that coyote 15 yards in front of us his ears went straight up and he strained at the leash. If I had let go, Jack would have had that coyote in seconds, no matter how wily he was.
Zero to 35 mph. in five strides.

Pam made mystery pudding for last night's birthday dinner. (Steve's was Friday and Josh's today.) She made  bread loaf-size pan for each of them to take home and I get the leftovers from last night's fete. I'm tellin' ya, this stuff is to die for. More calories per ounce than anything on the planet and rich enough to put Romney in his place. Mmmmm!

A long tradition says former Presidents refrain from criticizing their successors. They know the pressures of the office, the no-good-options decisions that must be made, and the secrecy that prevents them from explaining the actions they take.
As a life-long conservative now in my seventh decade (!) I wasn't thrilled when Jimmy Carter was elected President. But I took comfort in the fact that as an evangelical (in this case a Southern Baptist) he'd approach his duties with a strong moral compass, a biblically informed understanding of righteousness, justice and wisdom.
OK, his presidency didn't work out like anyone hoped, including, I'm sure, President Carter himself. His time in office is perhaps best known for forever tainting the word "malaise" (which, prior to his use of the term, most Americans thought was a variety of sandwich spread).
But what disappointed me more was his conduct during the Republican administrations that followed him, especially that of President Bush. He was a harsh critic of Bush's actions in several areas, especially foreign policy decisions, appearing frequently on the Sunday talk shows and other venues.
Why? He certainly knew the unwritten policy re. successors. And he had President Clinton as an example of a President who must have disagreed with almost everything Bush did but who did not speak publicly about his views, pro or con, for eight years.

I can't explain why, but as I was getting dressed this morning it occurred to me that we haven't heard a peep out of President Carter for - oh, what's it been? - almost four years. How come? Could it be that he agrees with everything President Obama has done in every area, including foreign policy? Afghanistan? Gitmo?

Where are you, Jimmy??

Tomorrow I'm going to make serious work of resolving the hinge issue on the trailer. I've got some options, and I will find a way to either get the old one out or grind that puppy down.
And yes, I'll wear eye protection.