Happy first birthday to our column

"Happy Birthday to us ... " It's our first birthday writing our column in the Nevada Appeal ... so where are the flowers, cake and presents? Many thanks to our readers for being kind (most of you, anyway) and encouraging during the past year.

We've had lots of fun, and we now know that Editor Barry Smith reads the column and has found us a ride in the Nevada Day Parade ... hooray ... although nothing has been said about money or our trip to Monaco. Of course, he's coming off a big win in the Nevada Press Association awards for Best Editorial Writing ... which shows he's a lot better than we are, since we weren't even in the running ... or do you think they're holding us out for the Pulitzer? Well, of course ...

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Now for the cultural segment of our column from our friend Mel Rappaport in New York ... "After much careful research, it has been discovered that the artist Vincent Van Gogh had many relatives. Some of them are: Verti Gogh, his dizzy aunt; Gotta Gogh, his brother who ate prunes; Wellsfar Gogh, his nephew who drove a stage coach (and now owns a bank); and his magician uncle, Wherediddy Gogh." Isn't it nice to know that the family goghes on?

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Lots goghing ('er, going) on this week: Our friend, Virginia Ramirez, is willfully moving to Florida, land of retirees and hurricanes, to be near her sister and brother-in-law ... we will miss her and wish her well. That's where the first presidential debate will take place on Thursday, as long as a hurricane doesn't wash them out ... so watch it live and see how the boys do ... can't be any worse than their canned commercials ...

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Coming up this weekend is Oktoberfest put on by the Carson City Library Foundation on Friday night from 6-11, and Saturday from 11-6 at the Pony Express Pavilion in Mills Park. It features music, food, drinks, games, books and crafts ... das ist sehr gut ... and we can only hope Carl Dahlen and Rory Hogen will be doing their classic German stomp dance ...

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The Democratic Picnic will be at Fuji Park on Saturday from 11-4 ... cost is $6 each, with children under 10 free ... it will have candidates, a raffle and food, not necessarily in that order ... for info, call 883-8495 ...

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Deputy Pat Tracy retired this week from the Carson City Sheriff's Office after 25 years of duty (plus seven years with the Highway Patrol) ... our congratulations to him ... and may he enjoy many years of a fun and "cougar free" existence (it's an "inside" joke) ... many nice things were said about him, so his retirement is well-deserved ... enjoy ...

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Carolyn just returned from a vacation in California at the Fensalden Inn, a B&B in Albion on the Mendocino coast ... her hosts, Lynn and Bob, treated her beautifully, unlike "birthday boy," Al Robinson, who argued his little Republican heart out over "Georgie" and "Johnny" ... she had a great time with the group that she goes there with every year ... and wants to tell Al she "still loves him" (in spite of his anti-Kerry right wing tendencies) ... at least he has a sense of humor ...

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Speaking of ... isn't it amazing how, when you agree with somebody, you are "right-thinking," smart, noble, etc ... but when you disagree with someone, you become a stupid left- (or right-) wing whacko, who can't or doesn't have the sense God gave a rock? Mercy ... we unleashed Pandora's Box a week or two ago when we mentioned we didn't like the expiration of the assault weapons ban ... we were accused of using "hate" words and being a "hate" rag ... so it was interesting to find that we "hate," when in actuality, we said we didn't "like" it ...

Hey, folks, we don't think alike, any more than we look alike, and, just because we don't see things exactly your way, doesn't mean we "hate" ... Maizie is a former member of the NRA, earned her letter at KU on the rifle team, and grew up in an Army family respecting guns ... neither one of us "hates" them ... we think you have a right to own them responsibly (repeat ... responsibly), but we don't think you need to have Uzis or AK47s in your family closet ... we don't like the color puce this week either ... so rag on that for a while ...

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The Carson-Tahoe Hospital Auxiliary had their annual "honor their past presidents" luncheon at Genoa Lakes recently ... Michael Blair, chief financial officer, escorted each past president up to the front of the room and "crowned" them (we thought he'd "done 'em in," but Sue Morrow explained he did it with tiaras ... so much for a hot scoop).

The lovely ladies were (and still are) Lucille Petty, Shirlee Veverka, Joan Andreas, Ingrid Rooker, Jane Beckett, Joanie Richards, Ann Peoples, Nancy Yamamoto, Lila Brown, Maxine Butler, Rosemary Smith, Kathy Stading, Liz Skogerson and Maudie Long. Congratulations to all ... and thanks for heading up such a worthy group ...

We end our first year with these famous words, "There are two theories to arguing with a woman ... neither works."

Carolyn DeMar and Maizie Harris Jesse are longtime Carson City residents. Write to them at editor@nevadaappeal.com.