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Friday, July 10, 2026

July 10th, 2026

 

      It depends on the laugh.

  A laugh can tell you a lot about a person. From giggles and snorts to cackles and full-bellied laughter. The way someone laughs offers a little glimpse into their soul. Genuine laughter is hard to fake.

  As for me, there is another test I have trusted for years. Never trust someone that dogs don't like. Dogs have a way of reading people long before we do. If a good dog wants nothing to do with someone, I usually pay attention.

      Today happens to be National Piña Colada Day.

 Most people immediately think of that Rupert Holmes song from 1979. It is actually a strange little story about a bored husband and wife, each secretly trying to meet someone else through the newspaper personals. They unknowingly answer each other's ads, show up for the same date, and discover they already possessed the very qualities they had been searching for in someone else. They had it all along, but I was always curious… did they ever question each other for attempting an extramarital affair?

   We have come a long way from the personal ads in the Sun-Times. Today there are dating apps with endless profiles, algorithms, and swipes. Different technology, same search. I like my gramma’s advice. If you want to meet a good person, go to mass!

    For me, though, piña coladas mean something else. They remind me of my honeymoon in Aruba.

   Funny how one song from the seventies, a honeymoon and one tropical drink can carry an entire chapter of your life. For some people, they represent romance. For me, it is a reminder that not every story ends the way you imagined it would.

      These days, I think I will stick with bourbon.

           Bourbon has never promised me forever.

      Here is today's Chalkboard advice: Drink bourbon. Pet dogs and pay attention to how people laugh.

             Gusto and astonishment, you gorgeous Chalkheads.