A family once left a little girl at a garage sale we had. They were actually two families going to garage sales together that day, with the kids kind of piling into whichever car they felt like after each sale, and each driver thought this girl was with the other one. She was about three years old and only spoke Spanish, so we flagged down a cop to tell them what had happened and found a Spanish-speaking neighbor to talk to her until her parents realized and came back (which was about half an hour later.)

She was about three years old and only spoke Spanish, so we flagged down a cop to tell them what had happened and found a Spanish-speaking neighbor to talk to her

Not entirely related, but Hil's story reminded me:

A couple of years ago there was a story here on the news about a little boy around that age who left this parents' place at night (the door was apparently unlocked, or he unlocked it himself - I don't remember the details) and was found wandering the streets at an almost-morning hour. When the cops asked him for his name and address and details so they could bring him back home, he said that his parents had taught him not to speak to strangers and not to give them any details, so he refused to answer and insisted on that refusal.

In the end, the cops had the brilliant idea to bring to the police station one of the guys who hosted a tv show for little kids on one of the main tv channels. The kid recognized him from tv, and therefore he was not a stranger to him, and so he could tell him all the details he asked, and be taken back home.

I have 3 cousins on my mom's side of the family and I'm the youngest and we all have kids. On my dad's side, I have 7 cousins and I'm the eldest, and am the only one with kids.

It took until a year ago to finally be able to say I have met all my first cousins.

I feel bad for my kids cause they only have 1 first cousin and she has basically broken off all contact with us. She is a touch younger than K-Bug and despite K-Bug trying to form a relationship with her, the response has been "this is awkward, I'd rather if you didn't e-mail me any more". She just lives an hour or so from where we used to live.

That's adorable, Nilly. Also, great that the TV show guy would come to the police station for that.

Also, great that the TV show guy would come to the police station for that.

He's one of the oldest in the business (like, was working on tv shows for kids when *I* was a kid), and he always seems like such a nice guy, for reals.

On one of the shows he had when I was a kid, the first show he hosted alone, he used to bring his dog. The story I heard was that on the first show he asked for it because he was stressed about being alone, and later the dog became so loved, that when he passed away, at an old age, everybody missed his presence.

I can't watch YouTubes on this computer, so I can't check what's really inside this link, but this is supposed to show that man and his dog.

[Edited to wave at Suzi, with whom I haven't posted in forever.]

Nilly!!!! Smishes!!!!

Juliebird, so glad you cat came back. And a story I was waiting for his return to pass on:

A friend of mine had a cat and, since her husband was finicky, the cat was not allowed on the good living room furniture, wasn't fed people food or fed from the table, and generally led less indulged life than most cats manage. He was allowed outdoors a fair amount. Well, one morning the cat was gone for a long time and my friend was concerned. So she checked the yard and called and started going around to the neighbors to see if anyone had seen him. Next door, she found her cat - he was lounging on the living room couch, having had his breakfast - bacon - at the kitchen table. And it turned out that he had acquired a taste for, in addition to bacon, daytime TV.

Hee, Toddson! That story reminds me of the episode of the show "Spaced" I saw yesterday, in which Daisy's dog goes running next door all the time, and we get his perspective of what his life is like at Daisy's ("Oh, piss off, will you?!?") vs. at the dog-loving old lady's next door ("Here's a nummy treat for you! Aren't you beautiful?").

He does return home at the end of the show, even after being given the chance to live at the neighbor's instead.

He's one of the oldest in the business

Who is he? I didn't know the story.

Suzi, are you all done with the move now? Are you all settled in the new place?

Who is he?

Dalik Volinitz (goodness, I have no idea how to spell his name in English).

You probably weren't even born when they showed "shminiot ba'avir" (um, it roughly means, "shapes-of-8 in the air", and it's an expression, meaning trying-really-hard).