Blog
Bits’n’Pieces
Welcome back to Bits’n’Pieces, a weekly look at some of the interesting, funny, comical and sometimes outright weird things that happen in and around Montgomery County. Have something you think should go into Bits? E-mail it to us at [email protected], won’t you please?
* * *
IT’S A BIG week for those Little Giants – and Crawfordsville. This is Monon Bell Week and our fair city will play host to thousands of fans from both Wabash and DePauw Saturday. That means a little extra congestion around campus for traffic. But it also means a wonderful chance for some extra business – as well as a chance to show off a bit! After all, where would you rather be – beautiful downtown Crawfordsville or gloomy Greencastle? OK, we jest . . . a little.
* * *
SPEAKING OF beautiful downtown Crawfordsville, it’s only been a couple of weeks, but we’re already looking forward to spring and the return of the Farmer’s Market!
* * *
THANKS TO several of you for the thumbs ups you gave us after doing our Sunday “Halloween Revisited” page featuring multiple photos from the large crowd of trick or treaters. Truth to tell, there were just so many cute little ones that we couldn’t resist.
* * *
WHILE WE are on the subject of Halloween, wonder how long it’s socially acceptable for decorations to stay up? At Christmas, we generally think somewhere around New Year’s – although that seems to be changing.
* * *
WE NEED a modern day Miss Manners or Hints from Heloise that answers questions like that. However, the new version would need to be well versed in social media and a lot of new things that their predecessors never had to deal with. For example, what’s the proper etiquette for taking a phone call and speaking loudly in a restaurant? Here’s an idea – don’t take the call! Hmmmm, maybe there’s a future in this etiquette stuff?
* * *
WONDER WHEN we’ll see the first Christmas decorations go up? No silly! We’re talking residential, not stores. Those people don’t seem to have any understanding for what the definition of “too early” is. (And for the record, after we wrote this, we have indeed seen three residences already decked out for jolly ol’ St. Nick’s arrival.)
* * *
JUST LAST week we reported in this space that a couple of you said the mercury dipped to the freezing level. No sooner had we typed that and the doggone stuff just kept dropping – into the 20s! As we said last week – Brrrr!
* * *
AND TO BE clear, no, we have not missed scraping windows in the morning one bit. Not one tiny bit!
* * *
ACCORDING TO the Indy TV weather folks, we could see some of the white stuff this weekend – when the predicted highs are supposed to be in the 30s!
* * *
WE OFTEN kid around in this space, but we’re not kidding on this one. All indications are that the flu season could be a bad one this year, and that could well have a very bad impact on a blood supply shortage. So if you are so inclined, please consider giving blood. The folks in the know say they need all types, but especially type O. The American Red Cross is offering incentives like Amazon gift cards and freebies. Versiti has some Colts gear to giveaway. In short, there are great reasons to give. We hope you will consider doing so!
* * *
OK, WE all know there are WAY TOO MANY silly holidays. As such, Monday (Nov. 15) is National Clean Out Your Fridge Day. Granted, a lot of us could probably use that. But who comes up with this stuff – and why? Perhaps we need to ask who benefits from these, and that probably would give us a strong idea of who helped create it!
* * *
WHILE WE are on the subject, a quick search told us a few more of these days. Today, for example, is USMC Day. Now that’s one we can get our arms around! Oorah! Saturday is Sadie Hawkins Day (a lot of us will remember that – google it millennials!). Sunday is National Pickle Day – what a dill that is! Sorry – we couldn’t resist! Tuesday is National Fast Food Day – although judging by the lines at the drive-thrus, it seems that’s become a daily thing. The list goes on, farther than our attention span did.
* * *
WE’VE SAID it in this space before, but please do patronize advertisers in The Paper. If it wasn’t for them, there would be no daily edition. We truly appreciate local business and we hope you do, too!
* * *
MUMOCO! Mask Up, Montgomery County!
* * *
VUMOCO! Vax Up Montgomery County!
* * *
OK, IT LOOKS like the state is extending health precautions for a while longer. And while some folks try to make this a political issue, we applaud everyone who understands that politics have nothing to do with germs and a pandemic. Yes, we all live in a free country. That means you get to make your own choices. We at The Paper are not at all in favor of government mandates forcing everyone to be vaccinated. But neither are we in favor of others continuing to infect the rest of the population. If you don’t want to get the vaccine, that’s fine. Just stay away from everyone else. Remember, your rights only go as far as the line where your neighbors’ rights start.
* * *
FOR OUR riddle this week: Ellie, George, Kathleen and Jeffrey are sitting around having a cup of coffee. At a nearby table, Ken, Mollie, Dave and Beth are drinking hot tea. Elizabeth walks in and sits down. With logic as your friend, what will Elizabeth be drinking?
* * *
OK, CONTINUING the knock-knock jokes (and getting in the “spirit” of the season . . .
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Norma Lee.
Normal Lee who?
Norma Lee I read The Paper, but at Thanksgiving I really read it so I can find out all the holiday events!
* * *
HERE’S AN interesting and timely tidbit from one of our favorite publications (besides The Paper of Montgomery County, of course), the Farmer’s Almanac. This one seemed appropriate since this weekend we’re barely missing a Friday the 13th. The Almanac tells us that no year is without one Friday the 13th and no year has more than three. For the record, 2021 only had one (August) and 2022 only has one as well (May).
* * *
CONTINUING our official countdown . . .
Party Night – 17 days
First Day of winter – 41
Christmas – 45 days
First day of spring – 130 days
First day of summer – 223 days
* * *
THE ANSWER to our riddle: Coffee. Each person drinking Coffee has two E’s in their name. Those drinking tea only had one.