THE CUBES

Roll them dice. Play the ice.

Rattle them bones. Throw down now.

Seven come eleven.

Gamble. What the heck? Go to Vegas. Bet your hard earned wages. See a show, but don't stay long. There's cash to be made. Cards to be played. Chips to be won.

Why is it that Vegas is thriving? A new hotel is going up for 16.4 billion dollars. Something like that. I wouldn't know. It's been 30 years since I was there for a conference and to visit with an old neighbor of mine.

And I have no interest in Sin City. The bright lights? Give me a break. I can't even stand to look into the sun. The showgirls? Well, no. Remember, I'm old now. But that's ok; they never held much appeal for me.

But you can stay up all night. Wanna bet (pun)? I can't make it till the 10 o'clock news most nights.

The great food? Better than Lean Cuisine? That's my steady diet these days. And I still can't shed 10 more pounds that I've targeted.

So I'll leave Las Vegas, Atlantic City, the casinos on reservations and rivers to others. I don't even like most game shows on TV.

Boy, am I out of it. How about a good board game with friends and family. Now that's entertainment.

FIRST PICTURE--NUGGETS CAPTURED ON FILM

That's right. You've long wondered, perhaps, what part of the chicken a McDonalds' nugget comes from. Well, let me tell you.

A Doctor friend of mine from Owensboro, Kentucky, was one of Colonel Sanders' doctors when the Colonel passed away. Well, I didn't say he was a great doctor. But he had just finished his internship when they brought the Col. to a Louisville hospital.

So what does that have to do with nuggets? Nothing. But it is a true story.

Now, about the picture of the little nuggets. It was captured by a telephoto lens from more than one mile away. Rumors had persisted that this farm in an unnamed locale was producing nuggets. So after several shots at dawn and dusk, I was able to get a picture of two of the little guys eating.

So there you have it. Nuggets are real. They're little, about quail size. Plus, they appeal to little kids in Happy Meals. Adults buy them, too, in 6 packs. But they're supposed to be for kids. So, if you're an adult, lay off the nuggets and let the little guys eat the little guys.

PARADING

Saturday at The Fall Harvest Festival in MTV, I marched in a parade. A former student of mine and a former boss of our son's is running for re-election as a judge. I was glad to sport his shirt and campaign for him via my feet.

The Fall Harvest takes the place of former Sweet Corn and Watermelon which also featured a parade. Why the city changed, I don't know. Sure it was hot for the Sweet Corn Fest, but hey that's when corn and watermelon taste the best. Now there's competition from an airshow and high school Homecoming and another type festival in Centralia, I think. At least it's mighty close to the famous Halloween Parade they hold every year for forever.

But a good time was had by all as they used to say when reporting family reunions. I saw a few old friends and nearly took out a toddler when I attempted to throw beads to two former teacher friends and their little ones. What a rag arm!

It's always good to get back home and see our son and our grandkids. It's also always good to enjoy October weather there. Even though there was almost no one on the golf course on Friday on a beautiful day just screaming for pars and birdies and camaraderie.

It's also always good to get back home and see new friends and cooler weather. Golf is much harder to play these days in AZ with the overseeding. So much in fact that we're teeing off tomorrow at 6:45 AM after a 45 minute drive to get there. But the other courses are closed or overseeding or cart path only. So we suffer. Poor babies.

MAYBE A NEW 'DO

would help Sarah Palin. I don't know. But the one time bump in the polls when she was announced as John McCain's mate has now turned into a thump. And I fear a trump in the election in two weeks.

I've yet to see how she's lost her credibility. Early on, when she repeated the same things she had said in her Republican Convention acceptance speech aside. But what has she done to make people dislike her and doubt her experience to take on the Number One spot in the land in case of McCain's demise? Yet, the same people think Obama's ready for Day One? C'mon. Even Biden has plenty of reservations. From when he ran against him to yesterday.

So if they think Sarah P. is a good looking woman with no substance, then maybe if she re-made herself. Rid her face of the stylish glasses and get contacts. Wear less make up, longer hem lengths. Try a new hairdo. I mean desperate times call for desperate measures.

I'd suggest the flip as pictured. Then when people would discuss their voting preferences they could just say "That girl."

WHAT IS IN A NAME?

I've recently shared about my fascination with words. I've always been that way. Some are into numbers, and given the choice, I'd take numbers.

The other day at the airport, my wife was asked my number for frequent flyer points. She rattled it right off. She also has our main credit card numbers memorized. I don't even know our pin.

But I know Al Kaline was a great ball player with a crazy name. Alkaline--c'mon. His folks had to know. And he's only one of million or so.

Perhaps my favorites come from lore in SoIl (Southern Illinois). Twins were born and named Orangejello and Lemonjello. (With accents on the second syllable in each case.) Separate them a la Kaline and you'll see where the name-challenged mother concocted them. I doubt the veracity, though I did go to high school with twins named Lee Berry and Lee Cherry.

LOTS OF FOLKS

don't like the Dallas Cowboys. It may be jealousy. It may be their self-proclamation that they are America's Team. Or that they have a hole in their roof so that God can watch His favorite team.

It may be their owner, former and current players (i.e., Hollywood Henderson, Michael Irvin, Pac Man Jones, T O). And a plethora, well maybe not that much, but other reasons. One I can't overlook. When Pat Summerall would announce Cowboy games he would almost trill his D's, not his r's as in Spanish. DDDDDDallas Cowboys.

But for the most part, I'm not that way. I really like their QB and halfback Marion Barber. Their place kicker is great as is Mr. Ware #94.

Yesterday I attended the slaughter of the 'Boys in St. Louis. And it was terrific. The carnage of the Cowboys was on display. All the Cowboy fans that paid (dearly, I hope) for their tickets were shamed and disgraced. They'll explain away how their quarterback didn't play. But as good as Number 8 is, I don't think it would have determined the winner yesterday.

It was fun to be in the Dome again, where I've spent many Sundays cheering for the Rams. Some have been worth it all. Others, I've questioned my dedication. Yesterday was one of the former.

One fan whom we've known for years told me, "You just have to come to more games". Somehow giving me credit for the rebirth of professional football in the Gateway City.

" I know. I know." Hey, it was that kind of day. Credit to go around.