A lovely place to live, but make sure the burners are turned off!  Wait a minute, that’s a different kind of range.  Never mind.  I got confused, since I was thinking of the west.  (As in “Westinghouse!”)  Where was I?  Oh yeah, the range…  where the deer and the antelope play (play what?)  where seldom is heard, a discouraging word (only a few bad jokes) and the skies are not cloudy all day.  (just at night)

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED the spectacular peaks and rugged valleys of Yellowstone Park, but I was expecting to meet Jerimiah Johnson.  (or at the very least, Robert Redford!)  Well, instead of attending a “mountain man” seminar, we got to visit a genuine fake Indian village.  These native-Americans were all lawyers!  (“Sioux” Indians!)  Naturally, the poor heathens were greatly amused by my racist humor.  (We got good tickets from a “scalper!”)  Good thing we had “reservations” for dinner, because the tribal elders kept mention something about tying me to a good steak.  (Did I spell that word correctly?)

I really enjoyed ingratiating myself to my red-skinned brothers, even though we witnessed a minor tragedy.  It was a very hot day and one of the chiefs drank 30 gallons of iced tea!  (He drowned in his “tea pee!”)  I’m not sure why, but none of the braves found this joke amusing.  In fact, just before we left the res, I was given an Indian name…  (which was quite an honor)…… my Sioux name is “Dumbwhiteass,” which speaks for itself.

Anyway, one of the Indian maidens found me borderline hysterical.  She loved my animal jokes….  I told her I saw a donkey look both ways before crossing the road.  (He was a real smart ass!)   A weasel walks into a bar and the bartender asks “What can I get for you?”  “Pop,” goes the weasel.   (come on, that’s funny!)  Have you noticed that people are making apocalypse jokes like there’s no tomorrow?  (That joke went over big at the cave of St. John on Patmos last summer!)

So after barely escaping from some hostile Indians, we drove down to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which was settled in the early 1800s.  (A fitting date, since most clothing items cost about $1,800!)  Jackson Hole is a favorite watering hole for the rich and infamous, but I must admit, it was quite lovely.  If you’ve got an unlimited amount of cash (or borrow my wife’s credit card) you can participate in many fun activities….  hiking, fly fishing, rafting, horseback riding, or hot air balloons.  I went to a wine-tasting event, which was rather memorable.  (I think)  I drink a lot of wine only because my psychologist told me not to keep things bottled up.  (Hey, the guy has a bachelor’s degree, so he knows what he’s talking about.)

In case you’re wondering, I only drink wine because my relationship with whiskey is on the rocks.

Well, before I close, let me mention that I will soon be heading for the Bahamas for one of my wonderful family outings/book signings.  If you should find yourself at the Atlantis Resort next week, please look for my book table in the lobby.  (If you buy enough books I can stay longer, so please keep that in mind.)  Also, I shall add some more fascinating photos at the end of this hilarious blog, so please scroll down to view.

If we learn from our mistakes, how come I’m not a genius already?

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Love to all,

Doc Yanoff