Did you know that we can actually thank a woman for Father’s Day?  Dad’s special day was promoted by a Sonora Smart Dodd, the daughter of an American Civil War veteran!  (She wanted to honor her father, and she hopefully had some shares in the Hallmark Card Company!)  I say hopefully only because over 70 million Father’s Day cards are sold each year!  Oddly enough, George Washington, the celebrated father of our country, had no children of his own.  (Which might explain why he died a wealthy man!)  In any case, let me wish each and every dad a happy and healthy day, and on behalf of our children, let not your heart be troubled.  (They will eventually move out!)

You might be interested to learn that the only father-daughter collaboration to hit the top spot on the Billboard pop music chart was the 1967 hit single, “Something Stupid,” by Frank & Nancy Sinatra.  (And no, the song was NOT written about me!)  I mention this small bit of trivia as a segue into another topic…. the passing of DJ Fontana, the man who played drums for Elvis Presley for over 14 years.  I got to meet him during a research trip to Tupelo, Mississippi, back when I was writing THE GRACELAND GANG.  He was a very nice gent, and one of the pioneers of rock ‘n roll.  An amazingly talented fellow.

So what else is new?  Well, my book presentation at Longhorn Village was a HUGE success, thanks to Ms. Terri Hallenbeck, their Events Manager, and Miss Pat Hime, my newly hired publicity person.  I spoke about the Garfield assassination, and introduced the audience to my book, THE SECOND MOURNING.  I met a lot of wonderful people, sold a bunch of books, and had a marvelous time.  What more could any author ask for?  Did you say free wine?  Yeah, we had that, too!  I will teaching a creative writing course at Longhorn Village in the fall, and I’m sure that will be a great experience for me.

And speaking of great experiences…  Last night was truly special for me, as some of my dear friends helped me celebrate another milestone… my 39th birthday.  (Hey, you’re as old as you feel!)  The party was at the lovely villa of the Princess of Portugal, who created a special seafood dish that was simply out of this world!  (A delicious Portuguese specialty that contained every known fish in the ocean)  OMG, was that yummy!  And get this, Baron Lee, the noble husband of the Princess, took the time to bake one of his most famous desserts for me…. a seafood tart, filled with…..  Just kidding….  he baked a marvelously delicious rum cake covered with succulent pecans.  What a treat!  I greatly appreciate all the effort they exerted to make my birthday so special.

I would also like to thank Countess Connie, who allowed me to massage her knee.  (I told her I was a doctor, and she fell for it.)  Actually, she fell earlier, and I was just trying to help.  When I was a lad, I wanted to be a masseuse, but I rubbed people the wrong way.  (Ouch!)  By the way, I would also like to thank Barbara & Max Talbott for the sweet “Aloha Cup” that they brought from Hawaii.  (I only wish they had emptied the volcanic ash before giving it to me!)  More about Hawaii next week…  I will soon be following the advice of Horace Greeley, who said, “Go west, young man!”    (No more hints!)

In closing, I would like to present this week’s trivia contest question…  What is the MOST popular Father’s Day gift?  Be the first to supply the correct answer and you will win a gift card from Home Depot.  Incidentally, this would be a very appropriate card, as the other popular gifts given to Dad are hammers, wrenches, and screwdrivers.  My father, after studying his children, always needed several screwdrivers.  (Sometimes he just drank straight vodka.)

Dasvidaniya comrades!  Have a great week and keep smiling!

Love to all,

Doc Yanoff