The big news around here is that, after several years of modern courtship, Dud and his sweetheart, Anita, are going to tie the knot.
This started an avalanche of plans among members of the Mule Barn truck stop's philosophy counter and world dilemma think tank. High on the list were mentions of showers and haircuts. We also had to come up with appropriate gifts. Dud had already given Anita a new chain saw, so that was out, and we decided we'd go see Anita's pal, Sarah, owner of the Read Me Now Bookstore for advice. But before we had a chance to put this into action, Dud came straggling in, flopped in a chair and uprighted his coffee cup with both hands in an act of pure desperation. "What's wrong, Dud?" Doc asked. "Second thoughts?" "Oh ... no ... of course not," he said. "Not about Anita. She's the greatest. It's just ... well, this wedding stuff." "Stuff?" said Steve, a famous bachelor around here. "The minutiae?" asked Doc. "Well, no .,.. It's just all this ... little stuff. I thought, hey, you get married and then it's just me and Anita and we are a couple forever and all that. But this little stuff? How am I supposed to know what an A-line is, or baby's breath, or whether the organtic ribbon should be buttercup or skimmed cream or April morning or jaunty jaundice? Hey, guys, they're all yellow! "Organtic?" said Steve. "That might be organdy," said Doc. "I told Anita, I said 'Honey, I'd marry you if you were wearing a gunny sack and hadn't combed your hair.' I would, too. But that's not the way it is. Oh no. You see, guys ...." He waved his arms around and then just grabbed his cub of coffee like a pacifier. He appeared to be temporarily speechless. "Adrift in a sea of activity, Dud?" "Hey, I'm as sensitive as the next guy, Doc. It's just all this little stuff." Brought to you by all the little stuff at Slim and Catherine's wedding last month. Go to www.slimrandals.com. | 
