Lightside

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Laughter is like cement! It binds and strengthens the bonds of friendship better than any glue from a discount store. Tears are at the other end of the scale.

I say this because a holiday weekend has come and gone.

The first one of its kind for this calendar year! Many of us wonder if the long-deceased queen knows, cares or even shares in the annual Canadian Queen Victoria's Birthday dedicated to her.

The laughter mentioned above spilled over me like treacle and stuck like maple syrup on an infant's bib. Messy, but so good one cannot help but want to lick the spillage.

The odd thing was that the volumes of mirth were spontaneous! No one planned to be comic and all involved were anything but intent on a day of belly laughs. It is just that we ended up in the right place at the right time.

What started the day for me was my spouse. She was definitely not interested in doing housework. Can't say that I blame her. Dusting, vacuuming and the rest are anything but a joking matter. I once offered to buy her a French maid's outfit and nearly was clobbered for my jest.

Instead of wheedling a mop and such, she turned on the television. A segment of a daily show was on and it was displaying funny videos from days past. All were everyday people doing or experiencing hilarious incidents, captured on video.

Oh, the joy my spouse derives from some poor soul making a fool of his or herself. She does not like peanut butter yet the little girl smearing her younger brother from head to toe in the brown, very sticky stuff left her giggling. Ditto for the poodle joining on the kids' Conga line. Turned out the dog was the best dancer!

While she giggled and laughed at these antics the dear lady compiled a list of odd jobs for me. Of course, they had to be done that day, and the sooner the better. If I got them all done satisfactorily she would allow me time to join Three Beer and others for a pint.

I was still running the funny videos through my mind and savouring the odd chortle when I joined with my pals later that afternoon. It seemed that Three Beer had been there for a while and was regaling the group with tales of married life.

He was dressed in old clothing, the kind one wears when performing dirty or rough work. I asked why and, before he could answer, the group broke into merriment. I noticed they were also garbed as he was. The bunch of them was playing hooky from household duties.

All had escaped the matrimonial claws with excuses such as needing something from the hardware store. One said he was out to buy a left-handed pipe wrench. Another admitted he was seeking a plastic propane torch nozzle. His buddy left home telling his wife he was trying to get a five-pound bag of ten-cent nails.

Three Beer's ploy was to get a length of eavestrough at the local Canadian Tire store.

"But they don't sell that stuff anymore," I said.

"Precisely," he replied. "I know that but my wife doesn't. So I have spent the afternoon trying to get the eavestrough at one store after another."

His buddies thought this was highly amusing and congratulated him on his genius.

However, the back of his sweatshirt told another tale. His wise and knowing spouse had glued a note on his back. It read "lazy husband goofing off."

He did not know it was there.

Now that I considered very, very funny!