From: gwb
To: Hank Blakely
Sent: Monday, May 7, 2001
Subject: Up at the Texas White House with the gang
Man, yesterday was a busy day! Seems like ever'body was up here in Crawford. There was Poppy and Jeb, Tom, the Two Dicks (Dick C and Dick A), Mr. Helms, Trent, Denny, Colin and Condie Rice, Just about ever'body.
The men were all sittin' around the dinin' table, drawin' up my post-100 day agenda - what Jeb likes to call "the real deal". As usual I was down at the other end 'a the table, workin' the TV Guide crossword (a real hard one this time - I can never remember if its "NPDY Blue" or "NDYP Blue").
Colin and Condie was at the kitchen table, talkin' about how to get even with the U.N. Colin was kinda' arguin' with Condie (a gal who's got her mainspring wound just a little too tight, if y'ask me). And right then neither one of them looked very happy with the other. Some trouble brewin' there, I'm tellin' ya.
Poppy was goin' on about how this time we would "hit the ground runnin'". And Jeb looked at him sideways and said "yeah, I wonder if we can get all the way around the track this time". And Poppy shot him one a'them looks Poppy can shoot you. Things got kind'a tense there for a while. They was starin' eye to eye, but Poppy just kept starin', and Jeb looked away like he always does.
Then, I don't know how it all started, but someone, I think it was Jesse, started a joke. He turned to Dick C, and said, "well, what do you think about that, President Cheney?". And Dick C picked right up on it and answered, "I don't know, What do you think, President Helms?". And Jesse said "Well, I don't know, what do you think, President Lott?". And then they were all callin' each other "President" until Tom said to Jeb, "And what do you think, President Bush?". And right away he looked like he wished he hadn'a said it. Jeb got this funny, strangled kind'a look, sort'a like he'd swallowed a whole apple. The room got very quiet, and I thought Poppy looked kind'a sad for a minute.
Just then, as she got up for a cup of coffee, Condie bumped into the table. She started gigglin' and said, "Excuse me, President table". And right away ever'body was laughin' again and callin' this, that and the other thing "President": "President Chair", "President Door", "President Fireplace Log". Then Tom got 'em laughin' hysterical when he said "President Fencepost". The joke was there wasn't any fenceposts in the room!
I thought it was all funny at the time, but now that I reflect back on it, it makes me feel a little strange. Kind'a bad somehow. I don't know exactly why.
Y'know, these are all my friends - more'n that, they're kinda my teachers too -almost like coaches, in a funny kind 'a way. But, y'know, I'd be less than honest if I didn't tell you that sometimes, sometimes, when I'm around them, I can't help feelin' a little like a fly at the frogs' picnic.
Oh well, "say la vee", as the French will have it.
Yours,
W
From: gwb
To: Hank Blakely
Sent: Monday, May 7, 2001
Subject: Up at the Texas White House with the gang
Man, yesterday was a busy day! Seems like ever'body was up here in Crawford. There was Poppy and Jeb, Tom, the Two Dicks (Dick C and Dick A), Mr. Helms, Trent, Denny, Colin and Condie Rice, Just about ever'body.
The men were all sittin' around the dinin' table, drawin' up my post-100 day agenda - what Jeb likes to call "the real deal". As usual I was down at the other end 'a the table, workin' the TV Guide crossword (a real hard one this time - I can never remember if its "NPDY Blue" or "NDYP Blue").
Colin and Condie was at the kitchen table, talkin' about how to get even with the U.N. Colin was kinda' arguin' with Condie (a gal who's got her mainspring wound just a little too tight, if y'ask me). And right then neither one of them looked very happy with the other. Some trouble brewin' there, I'm tellin' ya.
Poppy was goin' on about how this time we would "hit the ground runnin'". And Jeb looked at him sideways and said "yeah, I wonder if we can get all the way around the track this time". And Poppy shot him one a'them looks Poppy can shoot you. Things got kind'a tense there for a while. They was starin' eye to eye, but Poppy just kept starin', and Jeb looked away like he always does.
Then, I don't know how it all started, but someone, I think it was Jesse, started a joke. He turned to Dick C, and said, "well, what do you think about that, President Cheney?". And Dick C picked right up on it and answered, "I don't know, What do you think, President Helms?". And Jesse said "Well, I don't know, what do you think, President Lott?". And then they were all callin' each other "President" until Tom said to Jeb, "And what do you think, President Bush?". And right away he looked like he wished he hadn'a said it. Jeb got this funny, strangled kind'a look, sort'a like he'd swallowed a whole apple. The room got very quiet, and I thought Poppy looked kind'a sad for a minute.
Just then, as she got up for a cup of coffee, Condie bumped into the table. She started gigglin' and said, "Excuse me, President table". And right away ever'body was laughin' again and callin' this, that and the other thing "President": "President Chair", "President Door", "President Fireplace Log". Then Tom got 'em laughin' hysterical when he said "President Fencepost". The joke was there wasn't any fenceposts in the room!
I thought it was all funny at the time, but now that I reflect back on it, it makes me feel a little strange. Kind'a bad somehow. I don't know exactly why.
Y'know, these are all my friends - more'n that, they're kinda my teachers too -almost like coaches, in a funny kind 'a way. But, y'know, I'd be less than honest if I didn't tell you that sometimes, sometimes, when I'm around them, I can't help feelin' a little like a fly at the frogs' picnic.
Oh well, "say la vee", as the French will have it.
Yours,
W
Fencepost
Quick! What's a four-letter word for "joke"?
© 2001- 2, Hank Blakely
