Today on the way to work I witnessed a really heartwarming scene: Emerging victoriously from the pawn shop, a bedraggled, toothless bum carrying a Fender Squier practice amplifier in one hand and a green Stratocaster in the other. His ginormous, tooth-barren smile was the kind that a child gives when they get their first puppy, or when an octogenarian wins the lottery. Dude was stoked to get his gear out of hock; if he had a free hand I would have given him a high five right there on the spot.

The spare-changers have been on the grind lately. Whether its the recent Obama-spawned goodwill, the nearing ThanksChristmas holidays or just the fact that it’s mid-November and it’s still a sunny 75 degrees in Chico, folks are in a good mood. The free change flows like beer from a freshly-tapped keg.
The young, well-dressed, earringed dude who ran into me at 2 PM in downtown who just “ran out of gas and is waiting for his girlfriend to borrow a gas can. I just need to get home, could you help me out?” was just as friendly wen I ran into him later at midnight at the AM/PM in the north side of town. “Hey… I thought that was you!” he exclaimed as he quickly jingled up to me. I asked if someone ever helped him out to, you know, get back home with his girlfriend. This garnered me a happy-ending story about some nice old lady. Thwarted from 2nd attempted spanging, he took refuge around the corner with his other young pal and waited for me to take my leave so he continue saving up for whatever their poison. AH, hard at work.

These are the heartwarming stories that make my day. Here’s to your own successful derelict wanderings.

According to my calendar, Sunday marked the beginning of “Make Someone Smile Week,” a week of beautiful gestures designed to make the flower industry some cash. My calendar was, of course, manufactured by Teleflora, a flower company. Which is a brilliant idea. I wonder how many other flower-centric holidays these guys have created to boost their industry.

From the mouth of flowers:

At Teleflora, we love making people smile. That’s why during Teleflora’s Make Someone Smile®. Week, July 20—26, we’ll be working with thousands of Teleflora florists nationwide to deliver over 40,000 Teleflora Be Happy® Bouquets to hospital patients, children in foster care, nursing home residents and many other people who do not usually receive flowers but whose day will be brighter because of this surprise gift.

Since Teleflora created this program in 2000, it has grown to become one of the floral industry’s leading charitable projects. It is made possible by Teleflora florists who contribute their time to create these cheerful bouquets in the Be Happy mugs donated by Teleflora with flowers provided by local wholesalers and growers. To learn more about this exciting humanitarian program, please visit www.teleflora.com/makesomeonesmile.

Wait, if this is a charitable project, why are they selling the bouquets? Especially if local wholesalers and growers are giving the flowers to the shops? How wily. But hey! anything to stimulate the United States sagging economy. I say, let them have their flowers. I am particular to irises. In the meantime, this makes me smile: