Personal

My father-in-law Chris passed away on April 14, 2021. He was a great guy. 

I had known him since I was 16 years old, some 47 years. Longer than most son-in laws get.

In that time I spent quite a bit of time with him in the early years, and then the later years. To say that he treated me like a prince is a gross understatement. In fact, when I was a teenager he let me drive his new car before his daughter, and my future wife. A memory that still makes us both smile.

If one word were used to describe Chris it would be (as the kids say) chill. Easy-going was, I think, his motto. Accepting of everyone and, in his later years especially, grateful for every kindness. I will miss him.

On September 2, 2020 we lost a very special man. Harold Chapman or “the Chairman” as I used to call him had been in declining health for some time but because of Covid many of us did not find out about his passing until recently.

When I joined the “Y” Harold made me feel welcome in a new place where he had been a member for a very long time. He had no reason to befriend me, we were separated by almost 30 years in age yet it was the quality of the man that he could speak as easily to someone years his junior as he could to his peers. That fact, and his ability to speak fluently on a multitude of subjects, continued to amaze me as the years passed. 

Harold Chapman was my friend. I didn’t know him as well as some, and perhaps better than others, but it was the quality of the man that made you feel that your relationship with him was special and unique. Harold was a true gentleman and will be missed by all, especially his “Y” family.

The following treatment for Head lice was developed by Dr. Moishe Ipp research pediatrician at Toronto Sick Kids Hospital.

Mix a 50/50 solution of mineral oil and vinegar. Massage it into the hair and cover for at least two (2) hours with a shower cap. The vinegar detaches the nits from the hair shaft while the oil suffocates any live lice and makes for easy smooth combing out of any detached nits and dead lice.

Dr. Ipp claims a 100% success rate using this treatment. The treatment can be repeated as often as nessessary.

THE MAN WHO SOLD HOT DOGS

There was an old man who lived by the side of the road and sold HOT DOGS.

He worked very hard, was happy in his work, and he made very good hot dogs. He had a big neon sign in front of his place telling how good his hot dogs were. He greeted each customer cheerfully and served them quickly, carefully, and with a smile.

He thanked each one for coming.

And the customers came and brought their friends, and they bought his hotdogs.

The old man increased his wiener and bun orders. He bought a bigger coffee maker and ordered a bigger stove to take care of his growing trade. He was so busy that he could no longer keep his own books, so he hired an accounting service.

And then something happened.

The young CPA was appalled, He said “haven’t you been listening to the radio? Haven’t you been reading the newspaper or the business magazines? The situation overseas is terrible. The Domestic situation is worse. Inflation rages out of control, there is violence in our cities, there is no confidence in the federal government and the war overseas goes poorly. We poise on the brink of a financial crisis. This is no time to expand!”

The old man thought,” Well, this fellow has been to college, he reads the newspaper, he listens to the radio, he talks to other business people and he ought to know.”

So he cut down on his wiener and bun orders,  cancelled the order on his new stove started closing two hours earlier, turned his thermostat down to save on fuel and turned off his neon sign to save energy.

And his hot dog sales fell, ALMOST OVERNIGHT.  By the end of the month his business was off 30%

“You’re right, young fellow,” the old man said to his young CPA, the country is on the brink of economic disaster.