Smiley: Student’s thoughts on digital math

Another example of “things kids say:”

Mariano Hinojosa, of Baton Rouge, says wife Bertha had this experience on the first day of summer school:

“She was assessing her students’ math skill levels.

“One 6-year-old shared a recent revelation: ‘You know, I would have a hard time counting to 10 if I didn’t have thumbs.'”

Try to remember

Two views on memory:

Robin Roshto, of “Baton Rouge, I think” is amazed that column contributors “can vividly remember so many things from 50, 60, or even 70 years ago.

“I am 74 and have trouble remembering what happened yesterday.

“Heck, I can’t even remember what the last thing I forgot is. I hope I can remember to email this note to you.”

Harvey Pashibin, of Upper Lafayette, has a different view:

“Was in the backroom doing stuff. Heard Johnny Cash singing ‘I Saw the Light,’ then some crowd-cheering noises.

“I immediately recognized that it was a ‘Columbo’ episode.

“Sure enough, as I ventured toward the living room TV, it was a ‘Columbo’ episode, originally aired in 1974, now on the COZI TV network.

“Just wish my old bones were as precise as my memory.”

Invisible rope

Sonny Punch, of Lafayette, tells this tale from the past:

“One evening after a long day marsh rabbit hunting, we were at our hunting/fishing camp in Lafitte, relaxing after supper.

“I had to go outside for a call of nature, so I walked out on the darkened pier, feeling for the edge with my foot, took one step too many, and — SPLASH!

“I surfaced, scrambled out of the ice-cold bayou, and heard my dad say, ‘I can’t believe you did that!’

“I came in, changed, and lied to cover my embarrassment. ‘I tripped over the rope tying the boat to the pier,’ I said.

“We went on playing bourré. Soon, my oldest son got up to also go on the pier. SPLASH!

“‘Aww!’ my dad said. ‘Don’t tell me!’

“Son Troy came in, dripping wet and really mad.

“’I was feeling for the rope!’ he said. ‘There ain’t no boat rope!’ At that my youngest son, Joshua, laughing, said, ‘Look!’ and turned on the porch light, illuminating the bare pier.”

Initial reaction

Peter Dassey, of Kenner, adds to our tales of dining adventures:

“I have fond memories of late night/early morning feasts during my college years at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, at the Cabin Boy on La 1.

“After making the rounds at the Colonel’s Retreat, the Iron Horse, and the Foundry, a ‘CBC with C, hold the C’ at 2 a.m. was a sobering delight.

“Cabin Boy Combination with Cheese, hold the Catsup.”

Lost in translation

Speaking of fine dining, John Thibodeaux recalls this event:

“In 1970, my widowed mother married a rice farmer named Oran Guidry. When I visited them, there was often a pot of gumbo with strange things in it, like turtles or chicken feet.

“He usually caught what he cooked and used everything. Once he was trying to use a store-bought chicken, but asked me to go to the store to see if they had any chicken feet I could buy.

“The clerk looked at me in a strange way and suggested I go down the street to the feed store. The feed store clerk gave me a bag of chicken feed.”

Popcorn surprise

“My husband proposed to me at the Tiger Drive-In in Baton Rouge in 1965,” Elaine Gauthreaux says. “He put the engagement ring in my box of popcorn, but got worried, grabbed the box, fished out the ring, slipped it on my finger, and asked me to marry him.”