Newsletter September 6, 2015

A local business was looking for office help. They put a sign in the window saying:

HELP WANTED
Must be a good typist and be good with a computer.
Successful applicant must be bilingual.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

A short time later a lovely golden retriever trotted up to the window, saw the sign and went inside. He looked at the receptionist and wagged his tail, then walked over to the sign, looked at it, whined and pawed the air.

The receptionist called the office manager. He was surprised, to say the least to see a canine applicant. However, the dog looked determined, so he led him into the office.

Inside, the dog jumped up on a chair and stared at the manager expectantly. The manager said, "I can't hire you. The sign says you must be able to type."

The dog jumped down, went to the typewriter and proceeded to quickly type a perfect business letter. He took out the page and trotted over to the manager, gave it to him, then jumped back up on the chair.

The manager was stunned, but told the dog, "That was fantastic, but I'm sorry. The sign clearly says that whoever I hire has to be good with a computer."

The dog jumped down again, went to the computer and proceeded to demonstrate his expertise with various programs. He produced a sample spreadsheet and database, then presented them to the manager.

The manager was dumbfounded! He said to the dog, "Hey, I realize that you are a very intelligent applicant and have fantastic talent, but you're a dog. No way could I hire you."

The dog jumped down and went to the sign in the window and pointed his paw at the words, "Equal Opportunity Employer."

The exasperated manager said, "Yes, I know what the sign says. But the sign also says you have to be bilingual."

The dog looked him straight in the eye and said, "Meow!"


	A Note from the Dude		Chatter News		Prayer Requests		Vaca Blog


	Sharoot	Sharoot's featured pictures can be found at the end of each newsletter, under Photos of the Week. She says that since they are located at the end, then "Sharoot's the Caboose!" Today Sharoot shares with us photos of a cutie and a beauty.


	*Elsalynda*	Elsalynda's latest column entitled Nature in the City: 'Dead in Good Company', is available online here: http://waltham.wickedlocal.com/article/20150828/NEWS/150826842 Elsa also shares with us a link to a video with this explanation: "This is the full version of the video of the book launch for Dead in Good Company, in which I have a poem, at the Bigelow Chapel at the Mt. Auburn Cemetery on August 9. You can see my 'group' at the front on the left, with Michael King at the back, and me wandering about amongst the din!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NI-LR2VCI8 Here's a photo of Elsa's group at the book launch. She's the one in white and orange.


	Littleguys	We received this from Littleguys: For those of you that only know me via the internet, or have not seen me in years and years....I am the one in the turquoise blouse. http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Residents-Donate-Artifacts-for-Cedar-Fire-Monument-314003781.html

	We'd love to include more news of VacaChatters. If you have something you'd like to share (something about you or your family) or if you know of exciting news about another chatter that they're just too shy to share, please send it to us! (We won’t run it without that chatter’s permission, however.)


	BonnieSparrow	We received this news last week (Saturday, August 29, 2015): I have some very sad news this morning. I just rec'd a call from Alan, BonnySparrow SH husband. She passed away this morning at about 5:30 AM. She was so hoping to come to the MOD meet. Her daughter was trying to work it out. I talked to her a few weeks ago and she was very hopeful. She went downhill rather quickly this week Alan said. She told me that she was just getting tired of fighting for her health. She wasn't doing well on Wednesday and Alan called the ambulance and she went to the hospital. He spent a lot of time with her there. Thursday night when he went to go home, she gave him extra kisses on the lips.(that's the way he put it). Friday night he and her daughter stayed at the hospital all night with her. He said he thought the time was near because of her breathing. Like I said, she passed this morning at 5:30 AM. He ask that we keep him in our thoughts and prayers. Rest in Peace Bonny! You are so loved and will be missed.

	*Jes*	Jes has requested prayers. She has lost a close friend and is also facing some rather daunting medical tests and procedures. She is, of course, worried and stressed, and in need of all our prayers and healing vibes.

	*KSBorn*	KSBorn has sent us an update. She writes, "I’m still in the midst of chemo and hormone blocker every day. In 2008 I had breast cancer and it returned July 2014 same breast cancer in my lung now and 2 lymph nodes positive. I’m getting ready to have a surgery to get a port. I will probably be on chemo for life. I have numerous tests monthly. Thank you so much for the prayers and please continue."

	*Marilyn Crabb*	UPDATE: Hi! I survived six months of chemotherapy. I'll have my breast tumor and left axillary nodes removed on Friday, Feb. 13. Radiation will be next. Please pray that the surgeon does a good job and all my cancer is removed! My screen name was/is MarilynLA on UStream. (Marilyn from Los Angeles)

	*Littleguys*	UPDATE: We received this from Littleguys this week: I am recuperating from a minor thing, but wanted to share with you folks, especially those of you that know I have not been able to show my horses "in hand" for over two years. I have sciatica. That is the sciatic nerve causing trouble. In my case, the hole in the vertebra that the sciatic nerve goes through was filling up with arthritis. Knee and hip joints are fine, though I have been limping as if they bothered me. I wanted to take care of it over a year ago when the MRI showed us what the actual problem was, but the doctors INSISTED on taking care of the Stage Zero Breast Cancer last year instead. (Cancer is gone and since it was Stage Zero, never had to do chemo) Finally, last Thursday morning, I went to Kaiser and got some shots "in the right place." Camera and all. Good friends of mine insisted I stay at their place so they could make sure I followed instructions, take it easy, don't bend down, lean over, feed my horses, trim trees, etc. Yep, you country girls know what I mean. And I got to watch their Direct TV with the RFD channel. That was icing on the cake. By the afternoon after the 6:30 am procedure, for the first time in over six months…after sitting or laying down, I did NOT have to first stand and steady myself and then have 5 - 10 painful steps. That alone was worth the procedure, that I can now stand and walk normally.

	*Elsalynda*	Keep Elsalynda in your prayers as she struggles with health, computer and weather related issues.

	*GentleDoe*	Latest update from GentleDoe (as of 9/6). The hearing was held on Thursday morning. Her sister didn't bother to show up and it was found that her sister had withdrawn money from the accounts that she was not to have and that she had not paid the bill for her parents' assisted living. The guardians ad litem for both parents recommended that the parents be placed in GentleDoe's care in their own home. This is not a totally done deal but it sounds good. There is another hearing next week that may help Doe get back some of what her sister has take from her and her parents. We'll keep everyone posted. Keep up the prayers!

	Shari in Memphis	UPDATE!!! We heard from Shari recently. She is now on the VacaNews mailing list, so we'll be able to keep in touch with her more easily. She tells us, "Hi guys! Shari in Memphis is alive. I've been having tons of health problems, so that's tons of doc appointments! I have moved to northern Arkansas, for health reasons, and looking forward to hub moving up here in a couple of years, when he retires. It's gorgeous in the country, and I love that we were able to find a place on a stream. Lots of wild animals around! I miss you all. Shari (no longer in Memphis) (Shari Sides on FB)"
	Shari in Memphis


	Thank you for your prayers and good thoughts for owl our wonderful VacaFamily members! If you have any prayer requests, updates or news of answered prayers, please let us know. Email us with the information so it can be included in the next newsletter.

	Check out VacaDude's blog! Don't forget to send VacaDude your comments to let him know how much you appreciate him, his time & his talent! (No recent updates)
	http://vacadude.wordpress.com/



	Vaca YouTube
	Be sure to check out the Dude's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/splinesmith/videos


	A Message From Zorro		StoryTime News		StoryTime Archive		Recipe of the Week

Southwest Florida Eagles

Oops!

Dance With Me?

Wiggle, Wiggle, Wiggle

Gotcha!!!

Potty Training

You Gotta Watch Out for Those Sneaky Cucumbers!

	Hello Vriends,
	Happy Labor Day Weekend to you all! I hope you are with families or celebrating the labor movement, or BBQ'ing some hot dogs, or whatever strikes your fancy on this fine holiday. Personally, I am looking to BBQ some hot dogs tomorrow, and I might even be able to eat one. We shall have to see. You see, as of last Monday my doctor put me on a 2000 calorie diet, so between that and avoiding all the foods that might be triggering these gout flare-ups, I am reduced to nibbling on tofu. Luckily it is so malleable; with a little sculpting and some food coloring, I can make a slab of the soy by-product look like a Porterhouse steak. Yes, last week I had more blood tests done, and got a partial physical with my new doctor. He seems a nice enough fellow, but I'm afraid he has made me into a calorie counter. I've lost about three pounds already, but I suspect that is just water weight. Other than that, I have been busying myself with some work projects, some self-promotion, and some photography. In fact, I have even done a little film developing--the first I have done since around 1978! So I trust there will be a fair amount of discussion about that in my broadcast tonight. I will also be showing some of the photographs I have taken in these last few weeks. Also, I have been doing some more cartooning on the "Laughing Outside the Box 2015" strip...in advance of the 2015 MOD Meet that is coming up in just a few weeks. So it has been a busy week, and now I need to finish getting ready for the VacaChat tonight. Hope to see you there!!
	Cheers, VacaDude

	Hello there, Everbuddy!
	Zorro the Mouse here. Things have been very exciting in the days leading up to the MOD Meet in Minneapolis this month. It looks like on Saturday night I will be making a special appearance via Skype to the shin-dig! This should come as a surprise to many of the attendees, especially the ones who had not seen me since the night of my daring escape from the clutches of Molly and her babies. I'll bet some of those folks don't even know that I've been living up here in Northern California! I also got a chance to pose for a couple of more pictures, as the Dude tried to finish up some of the banner drawings for this newsletter. And now I have a banner for the StoryTime news!! This is my chance to be like Rocky and serve as a cub reporter. Heck, maybe I can even write a few reviews on some of my more favorite brands of cheese! I can see it now--and then someday I'll get syndicated, and then it will be Zorro all over the world! Well, speaking of StoryTime, I need to go put some finishing touches on my act for tonight's broadcast. I am going to be performing several scenes from Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus." Actually, that's not true. But I'll be thinking about the play. Because the play's the thing. So until then...
	Yours Most Whiskerly, Zorro


	*Next StoryTime*	TODAY!!! Sunday, September 6 3:00 PM PST/6:00 PM EST

	*Title*	Vobble Plays Ball

	*Invitation*	We need story writers! Please consider dropping in and checking out the fun we have writing the stories. Honestly, it's not at all difficult to join in and you'll surely be glad you did.
	*Invitation*

	Upside-Down Caramelized Apple Pie

	Ingredients:
	Pastry for Single-Crust Pie ⅓ cup sugar 4 teaspoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel 1 tablespoon lemon juice ¼ teaspoon ground ginger 6 to 8 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (6 cups) ¼ cup butter ⅓ cup sugar

	Directions:
	Roll pie crust dough between 2 pieces of waxed paper forming a circle about 10 inches in diameter; set aside. For filling, in large bowl stir together ⅓ cup sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, lemon peel, lemon juice, and ginger; add apple slices. Toss until apples are coated. Set aside. In 10-inch oven going* skillet melt butter. Add remaining ⅓ cup sugar and cook until mixture is golden, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Arrange apple slices in skillet. Remove waxed paper from pastry. Place pastry atop apples. Cut slits in top of pastry. Bake in a 400°F oven for 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Using a knife, loosen sides of crust from skillet, if necessary. Invert onto serving plate. If some of the apples stick to the skillet, lift them off with a spatula and rearrange them on top of the pie. Spoon any remaining syrup over apples. Serve warm (with ice cream or cheddar cheese). *Note: To make skillet oven-going, cover handle with aluminum foil.


	Candied Apple Bites
	Ingredients:
	1 package cinnamon candies (1 to 1½ cups) 4-5 apples, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups chopped) ¼ cup butter

	Directions:
	Place apples in a large skillet. Pour candies over them and add butter. Place over medium high heat and cook, stirring often, until candies are all melted. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer until apples are fork tender. Serve hot or cold.


	Apple Pecan Cobbler
	Ingredients:
	8 cups thinly sliced apple, such as Braeburn 1½ cups sugar, divided ¼ cup golden raisins ¼ cup dried currants ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¾ cup chopped pecans, divided 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1 large egg, lightly beaten ½ cup evaporated milk ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted

	Directions:
	Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place apple in an even layer in prepared pan. In a medium bowl, stir together ½ cup sugar, raisins, currants, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ½ cup pecans. Sprinkle mixture evenly over apple. In another medium bowl, stir together flour, remaining 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, evaporated milk, and melted butter. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Pour batter over apple; sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup pecans. Loosely cover with aluminum foil. Bake 35 minutes. Uncover, and bake until topping is lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes more.


	Apple Spice Muffins
	Ingredients:
	1¼ cup self rising flour** ¾ cup sugar ½ cup chopped nuts ¼ cup quick cooking oats ¾ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg 2 eggs 2 cup peeled, cored, and chopped apples ¾ cup vegetable oil 1½ tablespoon water

	Directions:
	Prepare muffin pan by spraying with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, nuts, oats and spices. In separate bowl, mix beaten eggs, apples, oil and water. Pour egg mixture all at once into flour mixture: stir just until flour is moistened. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes at 400°F or until tested done. Makes one dozen. **To make your own self rising flour, simply add 1½ teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt for EACH cup of all purpose flour.


	Caramel Apple Cake

	Ingredients:
	2 cups self rising flour (see note above) 2-3 apples, peeled and chopped 2 eggs 1½ cup sugar ½ cup vegetable oil ½ cup water 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon vanilla For Icing 4 tablespoons butter 8 tablespoons heavy cream 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 2 cups confectioner's sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla

	Directions:
	Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand with a wooden spoon until well blended and smooth. Spread into a greased 9x13 cake pan. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Cool completely *For icing* Stir together butter, cream, and brown sugar in a sauce pot. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Turn heat up to medium high and stir constantly until it comes to a rolling boil. Once boiling, cook for 2 minutes and then remove from heat. Stir in confectioners sugar and vanilla until smooth. Work quickly and use a wire whisk or electric mixer if you prefer. You can add up to ½ cup more confectioner's sugar if needed to thicken. Ice cooled cake as soon as possible.


	Owl Cams		Other Bird Cams		Other Nature Cams		Video Picks of the Week		Inspiration

Barn Owls
	Nicassio Owl Box Salt and Pepper	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nicasio-owl

	HOP - MAGC Barn Owls	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/magc-owls

	Owlceanside Mel and Sydney	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/owlceanside

	Felix Neck Owl Cam Martha’s Vineyard	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/felix-neck-owl-cam

	The Owl Cam	http://www.ustream.tv/owlchannel

	Barn Owls in Minden, Nevada	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/barn-owls-in-minden-nevada

	Port of Stockton Barn Owl Cams	http://www.portofstockton.com/owl-cams

	Hosted by Cornell Lab of Ornithology Located in Texas	http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/42/Barn_Owls/ First Owlet hatching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MimLJZYHkXY&feature=youtu.be

Other Owls


	OwlGuy Lake Okeechobee, Florida	OwlGuy is now broadcasting again as Mrs. Barred Owl laid her first egg of the season on January 18. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/owlguy

	Savannah Bird Cam @ The Landings		http://landingsbirdcam.com/ https://www.facebook.com/LandingsBirdCam?fref=nf

	Athena Eastern Screech Owl Houston, Texas		http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mark-s-owl-cam http://www.facebook.com/groups/AthenaOwlcamFollowers/

	The Caring Owl in South Africa	http://www.thecaringowl.co.za/

	PPO (Potted Plant Owl) in South Africa	https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pot-Plant-Owl/148721154229

	Alessondra’s Owl Cam in Oklahoma City	http://ustream.tv/okcowlcam Three owlets: Java, Malaya and Caspian have all fledged. Old style chat link: http://www.ustream.tv/channel-room/10626225

	Rusty and Iris in Houston, Minnesota	http://www.internationalowlcenter.org/ourowls/rustyandiris/livecams

	Burrowing Owls Tri-Cities, Washington	http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildwatch/owlcam/video_burrowing2.html

	Project Snow Storm	http://www.projectsnowstorm.org/

Puffins
	Shetland Islands Puffins	http://www.shetland.org/puffincam/

	Sea Island, Maine Puffin Burrow	http://explore.org/live-cams/player/puffin-burrow-cam

	Sea Island, Maine Puffin Loafing Ledge	http://explore.org/live-cams/player/puffin-loafing-ledge-cam These pages also contain links to numerous other nature cams.

Eagles
	Southwest Florida Eagles	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi6DdvVbbi8

	Black Eagle South Africa		http://www.africam.com/wildlife/black_eagle_webcam We have a new chick!!!

	Decorah Eagles Decorah, Iowa	http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

	Berry College Eagle Cam Mt. Berry, Georgia	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/berry-eagle-cam

		http://www.pixcontroller.com/eagles/index.htm

Peregrine Falcons
	PA Falcon Cam Harrisburg, Pennsylvania	http://www.pacast.com/players/falcon.asp

	Commerce Tower Peregrines Kansas City, Missouri	http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/wildlife-cameras/peregrine-falcon-web-camera Cam not live now but should be returning soon.

	Pitt Peregrine Falcon Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	http://www.aviary.org/PF-NestCam1

	Gulf Tower Peregrine Falcon Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	http://www.aviary.org/PF-NestCam2

	Emily Falcon Cam Caloundra, Australia	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/emily-falcon-cam

	RFalconCam Rochester, New York	http://rfalconcam.com/rfc-main/

Talking Birds
	Watch the Birdie Bibi, the African Gray	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/Watch-the-Birdie

	Disco Talking Parakeet	https://www.youtube.com/user/MsJumpinJude/videos

Other Birds
	Hummingbird University of Arizona		Marmou (Marilyn) sent this from her new home town in Arizona. This little lady built a nest on the end of a data cable for a future wireless access point. http://www.pdc.arizona.edu/webcam/ENR2_HummingBird.aspx

	California Condor San Diego Zoo Safari Park San Diego, California	http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/cams/condor-cam

	KC Zoo Penguin Cam Kansas City, MO	http://www.kansascityzoo.org/penguincam

	Whidbey Island Back Porch Whidbey Island, WA Rufous hummingbirds and other assorted birds	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/katersch

	Hellgate Ospreys Missoula, Montana Sponsored by Cornell	http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/27/Hellgate_Ospreys/

	Ostrich Chicks (Live Again! New Chicks!)		http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ostrich-egg-cam-live

	Streaming Bird Cams List of many cams	http://www.beakspeak.com/

Pandas
	San Diego Zoo Pandas	www.sandiegozoo.org (click on live cams) or http://www.ustream.tv/sandiegozoo. Zoo's blogs: http://blognew.sandiegozoo.org/category/animals-and-plants/giant-pandas/

	Twin Pandas at Zoo Atlanta	http://www.zooatlanta.org/1212/panda_cam#ff_s=aDIEl

	Giant Panda Cam National Zoo Washington, DC	http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/webcams/giant-panda.cfm

Bears
	Kansas City Polar Bears Nikita and Berlin	http://www.kctv5.com/category/244581/nikita-berlin-polar-bear-cam

	Brown Bears and Salmon Katmai National Park Alaska (off season- will return)	http://explore.org/#!/live-cams/player/brown-bear-salmon-cam-brooks-falls (lots of other cams at this site, as well)

	Black Bears Ely, Minnesota	http://www.bear.org/website/live-cameras/live-cameras/holly-bears-den-cam-live.html

Other Animal and Nature Sites
	Golden Paw-Prints Classic Golden Retrievers Oshkosh, Wisconsin		http://www.ustream.tv/channel/golden-retriever-puppy-cam The puppies have all gone to their forever homes.

	San Diego Zoo and Safari Park	http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/

	Wild Earth Safari Cam		http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wildearth-safaris

	The Pet Collective (many live cams)	http://www.thepetcollective.tv/livestreams/

	Critter Chat Cams Multi-Critter Site with Chat	http://critterchatcams.org/

	Friends of Felines Rescue Center Defiance, Ohio	www.ustream.tv/ffrc

	Little House Prairie Village, Kansas	http://www.tomnliz.com/Livecam/

	CC's Page of Links (scheduled for updating)	http://chatterchopz.com/links/camslinks.htm

Other Sites of Interest

	Fascinating Information about the Jeweled City
John has talked about the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition (PPIE). Tzunamie found us this link:
http://home.comcast.net/~sgsanders/index.html

Mother Owl Takes On Snake—and Wins
Ketaki sent this in. She says, "I saw it live when it happened and it was so fast. It's too bad she didn't kill it and feed to the owlets. They could have used the food, and the snake, a rat snake, is non-venomous. But she was intent on protection. They run it in slow motion at the end so you can see her, and the inset window shows the snake coming down from the top."
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/150514-owl-snake-video-animals-fight/

This Bird Song Collection Will Get You In Tune With Nature
http://www.ba-bamail.com/content.aspx?emailid=15112

Help in Identifying Birds
Try www.whatbird.com It's helps identify lots of birds.

Meet Zeus
http://kittensdaily.com/meet-zeus-blind-owl-gorgeous-eyes/

Some Interesting Information About Someone We All Know Well
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1511369/


International Space Station Links
During a recent broadcast the Dude talked about the websites where one can view the spacestation and the view that the astronauts have. Here are the links: This one has the map, but no chat. http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/HDEV/ This site has a chat room. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/iss-hdev-payload

									Zorro's Word of the Week
	Just for the Fun of It		Fun Animations		Photo of the Week		Kyle's Jokes of the Week		Zorro's Word of the Week

	Kyle's well known among his friends for his "triple groaner" riddles and jokes. Now he shares them with VacaFamily. Enjoy!


	Why can you dive 300 feet into a bottle of Coca-Cola without getting hurt? Because it’s a soft drink

	What kind of criminals wear suspenders? Hold-up men

	When my daughter was in kindergarten, we would walk the three blocks to school. Every day, she would bring Piggy (her favorite doll) and another stuffed animal in a plastic bag for the short walk. Each stuffed animal had their turn traveling in the bag to school with Piggy. One morning she chose her small T-Rex for the trek but T-Rex was in the bag and Piggy was in her arms. "Sarah, why isn't Piggy in the bag with T-Rex?" "Piggy doesn't like the way it smells in there. T-Rex is ex-stink."

	Why was the efficiency expert in the pretzel factory fired? He tried to straighten things out.

	A local business was looking for office help. They put a sign in the window saying: HELP WANTED Must be a good typist and be good with a computer. Successful applicant must be bilingual. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. A short time later a lovely golden retriever trotted up to the window, saw the sign and went inside. He looked at the receptionist and wagged his tail, then walked over to the sign, looked at it, whined and pawed the air. The receptionist called the office manager. He was surprised, to say the least to see a canine applicant. However, the dog looked determined, so he led him into the office. Inside, the dog jumped up on a chair and stared at the manager expectantly. The manager said, "I can't hire you. The sign says you must be able to type." The dog jumped down, went to the typewriter and proceeded to quickly type a perfect business letter. He took out the page and trotted over to the manager, gave it to him, then jumped back up on the chair. The manager was stunned, but told the dog, "That was fantastic, but I'm sorry. The sign clearly says that whoever I hire has to be good with a computer." The dog jumped down again, went to the computer and proceeded to demonstrate his expertise with various programs. He produced a sample spreadsheet and database, then presented them to the manager. The manager was dumbfounded! He said to the dog, "Hey, I realize that you are a very intelligent applicant and have fantastic talent, but you're a dog. No way could I hire you." The dog jumped down and went to the sign in the window and pointed his paw at the words, "Equal Opportunity Employer." The exasperated manager said, "Yes, I know what the sign says. But the sign also says you have to be bilingual." The dog looked him straight in the eye and said, "Meow!"

	Upcoming Holidaze!
	September 6 National Fight Procrastination Day Read a Book Day September 7 National Neither Rain nor Snow Day National Acorn Squash Day Salami Day September 8 National Date Nut Bread Day (or December 22) Pardon Day International Literacy Day Physical Therapy Day September 9 National Teddy Bear Day Hug Your Hound Day Weiner Schnitzel Day Wonderful Weirdos Day	September 10 Swap Ideas Day TV Dinner Day Sewing Machine Day - the day the patent was issued (also June 13) September 11 National No News Is Good News Day “I Want to Start My Own Business” Day Make Your Bed Day Patriot Day September 12 National Chocolate Milkshake Day National Video Games Day