"Twice As Much Caffeine?"

Today's group from left - Randy, LuAn, Susanne, Anita,
Lucy and Mark.

Absolutely Perfect

Paris:- Thursday, 16. May 2002:- Last week's report here about doctors getting enough money to go golfing, if there were enough golf courses, was premature - and the weather 'report' was somewhat confused.

'Grizzly' was forecast and grizzly is what we got so it wasn't actually 'confused,' it was 'grizzly' which is the same as confused, weatherwise.

This week, today, I have very bad news for everybody who hasn't been in Paris today. Today is perfect weather. Perfect for May. Perfect for Paris. Absolutely perfect. If you are not, weren't here, you missed a good chance for the most perfect Thursday, 16. May in recorded history.

It has been like man's first step on the moon. You only get one of these, and today has been it. If you want perfect weather in Paris you can forget Thursday, 16. May right now. It has been a one-time thing for the lucky 12 million people here.

When a good thing happens, even if it is only once, you have to give it credit. Today will stand like a unique moment in the entire history of the whole world, especially as I am calling attention to it here, where it will stay online for everybody to wonder at, forever.

At the same time since it is a Café Metropole Club day, it becomes this report's first 'First of the Week.' My walking all the way to the club's café, La Corona, is not a 'first,' or a 'second,' or even a 'third.' Seconds and thirds don't count anyway as everybody who has read 'About the Club' knows full well.

The second 'first' of the week is new member Randy McIntosh's heroic effort involved in bringing a mint print-out of 'About the Club' to his first meeting, bringing it all the way from Tulsa, Oklahoma, on several different airplanes - perhaps via Cairo - arriving this very morning, and carrying it all the way across Paris from the too well-known precincts of the Rue Cler in the 7th arrondissement, to La Corona.

During the meeting held on Thursday, 21. June 2001 Tulsa was mentioned, but not as 'City of the Week.' For that meeting, Tonkawa was the winner. Although unheard of, it was 'pinpointed within a triangle between Wichita in Kansas, Tulsa and Oklahoma City.'

So, close - but no cigar! Therefore, after running a careful check of over 134 club-meeting documents, I solemnly declare Tulsa to be this week's 'City of the Week' for the first and only time.

LuAn Sills, who has come all the way with Randy, also helped to bring a jar of peanut butter to their hotel's owner - plus! - yes, there's a 'plus!' to this - plus some little peanut butter treats for the hotel lady's poodle.

Because I do not have my super search thingee with me at the meeting, Randy offers his home town of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, as a back-up 'City of the Week,' if necessary. It is not, but is recorded here in case anybody else ever shows up from Sapulpa OK and proposes it for 'City of the Week.' I will know it is waiting for its 'first.'

Randy used to print Oral Roberts' books for him but is now in the natural gas business. He offers the useful information that regular gas only costs $1.19 a gallon in Tulsa, and adds that this is the reason that local ladies all drive Kenworths instead of puny SUVs to the country club.

LuAn is totally against this wasteful expenditure of natural resources and is content with her plain Jeep. She does admit it has the luxury item of air conditioning, which does not actually work too well with no roof on it.

In fact, except for coming to Paris as often as they can, they both claim to be cheap, and happily survive on standard café ham and cheese sandwiches - which reminds them both that they are jetlagged something fierce, and they immediately order what becomes the 'Food of the Week.'

They have kind words and fond memories former Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton and when Mark Kritz arrives, Randy says, "San Francisco is the prettiest city in America."

You can't fool the Kritz. "I notice you've come here instead of San Francisco," he says.

I ask him where he's been - besides San Francisco - and he says, "It must be May - here's Mark Kritz."

Randy then says some words in Oklahoman to find out if we can figure out what he's saying. He says, "Po-iem." I ask him to spell it, but he doesn't know how. So he might not have said 'Po-iem' exactly. It's the best I can do.

The 'Question of the Week' is LuAn's - "Does a double-express have twice as much caffeine?" She thinks not.

Kritz thinks she may be right. It has to do with making a pot of coffee and brewing it a long time as opposed to taking a large clump of finely-ground strong coffee and blasting hot water through it for 15 seconds.

My next note reads, 'Foods - puluer - mcII,' so I will just skip it.

With all the talk of the trips to Cairo, Kritz asks, "How can you call yourselves Okies if you're never there?"

"They only let you leave so many times," Randy replies.

At this point, and my notes are very clear about this, Anita Bennett who has just arrived with Susane Farah, says, "We've just come from a Turkish bath."