A weekly challenge it is to find a suitable topic for this post. The best weeks are writing about Queenie and Pa duty, maybe next week – you’ll have to wait and see.

But there are weeks when nothing readily comes to mind.

Coincidentally, there are weeks with major observances – such as Independence Day – that are the basis for a post.

Days such as Mother’s or Father’s Day naturally occur on Sunday, which our devoted reader knows is the day I post. Easy peasy, one Sunday post…

Every national Holiday seems to fall on a Monday though, and in that is a quandary: Keep the Sunday post, post a day late on the actual Holiday, or do two posts?

For example, the weekend of May 29th featured two posts: A Sunday remembrance of our great friend David on his first Deathiversary, and a Memorial Day tribute to the service of our fallen heroes.

Gosh darn if that situation isn’t upon us again this week.

How to proceed?

I worked that through my noodle as I beach walked this week, and resolved to make my July 4th post on Sunday, potentially upsetting the fragile balance of the time and space continuum.

Just seemed like the easy way out…

Knot so fast, knucklehead – doesn’t seem right to post early. I’ve never turned in an assignment early my entire life. I still have an incomplete from graduate school, which makes me nervous when I renew my Driver License.

Let me think. There has to be a way I can do two posts this weekend… but other than tomorrow’s explainer on the history of American independence, I got nothing.

My Captor had a great idea: What about an acrostic?

Now that was thought provoking – but what’s an acrostic?

Often I’ve been labeled as caustic, but that wasn’t it.

Perhaps Google Chrome could help, so I searched there.

Quite the dictionarial resource, it explained that an acrostic variant is what you’re reading. But it didn’t mention the game we used to play: A through Z are written down a page on the right, and a random sentence used for the letters on the left, e.g. CA, LB, AC, etc. You then had to find a famous name that matched the letters.

Rough though, when I learned Google had sold my personal info to the Chinese. In exchange, I was given a free Mao tattoo.

So this week is really a bit of a gimmick, don’t you think?

The so what of that is, not every post can be a message about how important it is to live in the moment and appreciate the gifts we’ve been given.

Unless of course you’re able to decode the secret message that is hidden in this post.

Very clever. Or very tricky? Try removing all the vowels and see what the post really says.

What’s that? you’ve removed all the letters and now you’re drawing a blank?

Xavier, St. Francis provides the thought of the day: “The better friends you are, the straighter you can talk. If you are on nodding terms, be slow to scold”. Or even better, as my Father In Law said, “You can count your true friends on one hand. And have some fingers left over.”

Your take away from all that?  Your family and true friends know you best, keep them close.

Zero complaints, and maybe even a few positive comments.  That’s what you get when you’ve delivered an enjoyable, possibly thought-provoking post!

For 109 more posts like this –all alphabetized – go to beersatthenifty.com

At the site, leave a comment on this post, and then check the box that says “Please notify me of future posts” and you will be sent the newest Sunday update automatically.  

Or just forward this to everyone you know. Forward it to those you aren’t fond of twice.

TO ENHANCE YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THIS POST, PAIR IT WITH THE FOLLOWING SONGS:

L-O-V-E   Nat King Cole  My favorite male vocalist

L is for the way you look at me

O is for the only one I see

V is very, very extraordinary

E is even more than anyone that you adore can

Love is all that I can give to you

Love is more than just a game for two

Two in love can make it

Take my heart and please don’t break it

Love was made for me and you

L is for the way you look at me

O is for the only one I see

V is very, very extraordinary

E is even more than anyone that you adore can

Smartest Monkeys  XTC Should have used this last week…

Well, man created the cardboard box to sleep in it
And man converted the newspaper to a blanket
Well, you have to admit that he’s come a long way
Since swinging about in the trees

We’re the smartest monkeys
The smartest monkeys
The evidence is all around
Our brains are bigger, this we’ve found
The smartest monkeys

Well, man discovered the park bench can make a transition
And the rubbish tip makes a valid form of nutrition
With discoveries like these
Civilization agrees to give itself a pat on the back

We’re the smartest monkeys
The smartest monkeys
The evolution’s plain to see
We’re the dominant of the species
The smartest monkeys
(Smartest monkeys)

We’re the smartest monkeys
(Smartest monkeys)
The smartest monkeys
(Smartest monkeys)

We brought the caveman from the stone age
To the subways of the modern world
How they pack so many in
Quick call the Guinness Book of Records

Well, you have to admit that he’s come a long way
Since swinging about in the trees

We’re the smartest monkeys
(Smartest monkeys)
The evidence is all around
Our brains are bigger, this we’ve found

Stardust  Nat King Cole 

My favorite Nat song. Written by Hoagy Carmichael, who also wrote Georgia On My Mind, among a whole bunch of others

 And now the purple dusk of twilight time
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we’re apart

You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by

Sometimes I wonder how I spend
The lonely night
Dreaming of a song
The melody haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you

When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
And now my consolation
Is in the stardust of a song

Besides the garden wall
When stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale tells his fairytale
A paradise where roses grew

Though I dream in vain
In my heart, it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love’s refrain

White Castle Blues The Smithereens  Thinking of Hoagy made me hungry. The Smithereens were a great 80s band, White Castle is a Northern Krystal.

Saturday night and it’s gettin’ late
I’m gettin’ hungry, I just can’t wait
Not just any kind of burger will do
I’m being hit by those
White Castle blues
White Castle blues

I think I’ll get some crisp onion rings
To compliment 10 of those little square things
An orange soda or a milkshake will do
I’m being hit by those
White Castle blues
White Castle blues

I was first introduced to those bastards by Duke
On a hot summer night when we went out to cruise
But memories such as Bobbo and puke
Are just part of the White Castle Blues

Swingin’ The Alphabet The Three Stooges

B—A—bay
B—E—be
B—I—bicky-bi—B—O—bow
Bicky—bi—bow—B—U—boo
Bicky—bi—bow—boo

C—A—say
C—E—see
C—I—sicky-sigh—C—O—sow
Sicky—sigh—sow—C—U—sue
Sicky—sigh—sow—sue

D—A—day
D—E—dee
D—I—dicky-die—D—O—doe
Dicky—die—doe—D—U—due
Dicky—die—doe—due

F—A—fay
F—E—fee
F—I—ficky-fi—F—O—foe
Ficky—fi—foe—F—U—fu
Ficky—fi—foe—fu

G—A—jay
G—E—gee
G—I—gicky-gi—G—O—joe
Jicky—ji—joe—G—U—jew
Jicky—ji—joe—jew

Rat-da-da-da

H—A—hay
H—E—he
H—I—hicky-high—H—O—ho
Hicky—high—ho—H—U—who
Hicky—sigh—ho—who

J—A—jay
J—E—gee
J—I—jicky-jigh—J—O—joe
Jicky—jigh—joe—J—U—jew
Jicky—jigh—joe—jew

K—A—kay
K—E—key
K—I—kicky-kigh—K—O—co
Kicky—kigh—co—K—U—coo
Kicky—kigh—co—coo

L—A—lay
L—E—lee
L—I—licky-lie—L—O—low
Licky—lie—low—L—U—lou
(Curly’s a dope)

M—A—may
M—E—me
M—I—micky-my—M—O—moe
Micky—my—mow—M—U—moo
Micky—my—mow—moo
Hey!

The Connells “All I want is a Coke with a little bit of ice” (have to have a Coke with a burger)

An 80s band from Raleigh, but I can’t find the song from whence this lyric came. Stuck in my head now, unfortunately