Happy Birthday Rich!!

Rich had a milestone birthday last weekend! Happy Birthday Rich!! Malek, you did a fantastic job as the hostess! I have and will always love your cooking! John, thanks for "walking" me to my car on such a dreary and rainy night!

IF

by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about youAre losing theirs and blaming it on you,If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,Or being hated don’t give way to hating,And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;If you can meet with Triumph and DisasterAnd treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spokenTwisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winningsAnd risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,And lose, and start again at your beginningsAnd never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinewTo serve your turn long after they are gone,And so hold on when there is nothing in youExcept the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minuteWith sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son.

An Angel called Bill

I've had a miserable morning. On my way to my client office, my rental car had a flat tire. Great!! I put on my hazards and tried to get to the side of the road. After being honked to death, I rolled to a stop close to a Dunkin Donut. I dug into my purse and to call my boss and it conveniently went dead right after a minute. Great! I looked around and saw a Shell station waaaaaayyyy in the distance. So here I was, on a New Jersey highway, in high heels and a skirt making my way to the nearest gas station.

I had to make a call from a *gasp* pay phone! Avis Roadside assistance - who I could barely hear due to the traffic and was of no help. He said in a too oh-so-helpful voice that it would take them an hour to get a tow truck over to where I was. He happily stated that it would be best if I could fix the tire myself or find someone to help me. At this point, my world was spinning faster... and faster...

I remember feeling numb. I hung up and walked in the gas station. I explained my situation to the man behind the counter and asked if I could recharge my cellphone. At this point someone behind me said, "How tall are you? Five feet?" I smiled and corrected him, "Four-ten" and returned my attention to the attendant who was busily looking behind the coffee machines, nacho dispenser and hot dog warmers. He did find one underneath the pay counter and plugged it in.

The stranger couldn't help but overhear my plea for help and said that, if I had a spare, that he would help me change the tire. This person turned out to be an angel in disguise, named Bill. I had found a Good Samaritan. Bill helped change my tire. The jack that came with the rental was new and we couldn't get it to work. He dug around in his truck and found the equipment he needed to get the job done.

I ran into the store to get money out of the ATM. However, Bill wouldn't take anything from me, save a handshake. Thank you, God, for this person and I hope he is blessed this holiday season!