Battling the Bumblebeeto Bandito

My son made his first trip to the library this week. He wanted to read Peter Pan. I was surprised we didn't have a version of this classic in our house, given all the children's books that we have -- until I started reading it to him. The first two chapters are a bore, which my son confirmed when he began softly snoring last night while I read to him.

The highlight of our book selections is Skippyjon Jones. Sent to his bedroom for a timeout, the Siamese cat becomes the great sword fighter El Skippito who takes an imaginary trip to Mexico to battle the Bumblebeeto Bandito and become hero to a band of chihuahuas who call themselves Los Chimichangos. We sing the songs about Skippito to the old Frito Bandito jingle, dance to Chuck Rio's Tequila when we get to the fiesta page, and I try to use my best Spanish accent in just the right places. It never fails to set my 4-year-old to giggling. High praise -- indeed-o.

Of course, we're still waiting to get to Captain Hook.

At a Holiday Stationstore

While redeeming my Cub Foods fuel rewards at the Holiday Stationstore the other day, the store clerk commented on how she loved it when people used the coupons to save a few dollars on the cost of gas. And she had been seeing more and more people using them.

I found myself telling her I had joined the ranks of the unemployed. "Oh, hon," came her response, with the sincerity of someone who knows financial hardship and wants to do something to help. "Holiday's always hiring. Just go to their Web site on the computer. Do you have a computer?"

She asked me where I had worked and for how long. "The newspaper," I replied. "Nineteen years." She looked at me, a bit incredulous the paper would lay someone off after so many years. "It's that bad down there?" she asked. "Well, take some time off. You deserve a break."