...and a good time was had by all.

In the small towns throughout the Midwest you're likely to get a call once a week from the local busy-body asking for your news. I do not mean to use that word, "busy-body," in any derisive manner, I mean it simply as a statement of fact.

The local news column writer tends to be someone who enjoys knowing what is going on and who is doing what. They call and ask if you've had any visitors or had any events occur recently and then they write it up. A typical entry may be something like this:

Denny and Florence Bergquist were visited by three of Denny's four children this week, to celebrate Denny's seventy-second birthday. Present were Mary Bergquist from Florida, the Denis Bergquists from Alabama, and the Charles Bergquists from down in the cities. Absent was Denny's son, Don, who is in London on business. On Sunday, the couple hosted their annual spring party with guests from the family relations all over the state. There was a picnic lunch and a good time was had by all.

This last few words will be in every article of this ilk. The party may have ended in a loud and obtrusive slanging match (not that any of my family's gatherings ever has) and the article will still end "...and a good time was had by all." It is absolutely obligatory in the medium of local papers to use this phrase.

My weekend was quite nice, thanks for asking. On Friday night I mowed the lawn before heading out for a bike ride and in to the pub. The only thing special about this was my brush with a stinging nettle that left me itchy and sore for most of the weekend no matter how much antihistamine and witch hazel I used.

Saturday was fairly uneventful, I cleaned-up the house after my co-workers left and did some general around-the-house stuff. It rained most of the day, so I was glad to have things to do inside.

Sunday was just gorgeous and I went over to Molesey for a friend's birthday celebration. Monday, though the day started out miserable, it turned out quite nicely. I helped a friend move a piece of statuary he had acquired into his back garden, rode my bike a bit and then hit the pub.

Basically, I had a full and uneventful weekend, and a good time was had by all.

I hope this past holiday weekend, you had a good time, wherever you were!

Don Bergquist - 30th May 2006 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, United Kingdom