Friday Donuts

Dear Members and Constituents, How about that weather we’ve been having? From cream-puff tree tops to rocky road ice cream streets to TV static on the scenery... it’s all quite surreal! We’ve skipped red and sepia and gone straight to arctic shades of white. I'm having a hard time picturing the pointy hatted Winchells and green monsters from the black LaMar's freezing their sticky buns off as they make the obligatory door-to-door pilgrimage for sweets. I'm still trying to decide whether it’s a trick my eyes are playing on me or a treat for ski aficionados (perhaps it’s both). If fall sped by too quickly, the current donut rotation did not. Austin Hurt (our newest "donut boy") puts a golden finishing touch to the cycle Julian Kiss began in August of last year. Quite a trick to pull-off. So go ahead, treat yourself to a delicious donut and appease that monstrous craving. If you don't, it might haunt you all week. Happy Friday!

Dear Members and Constituents, What is it about the wrong things that makes them feel so right? The allure of the forbidden and dangerous is something a rational mind should easily overcome. Yet, quite often, we don’t. Like a moth flying into a 1,500 watt light bulb at the World Series, we want things that can harm us. As I was contemplating this apparent contradiction, my thoughts started coalescing to the tune of “My favorite things”, from “the Sound of Music”. Take it away, Julie Andrews… From trans-fats to sugars to way-too-large servings Speeding while texting and dangerously swerving Flirting with girls, who knows where that might lead? Being so bad might just lead to fatigue Drinking a bottle of scotch while time passes Hot girls in tight clothes, I look at their… glasses Smoking a stogie or two, what the heck Living the good life with debt ‘round my neck Minding my business ignoring the needy While others go hungry I just get more greedy Yell at co-workers who get on my nerves

Dear Members and Constituents, It’s been 14 months since we launched the current donut rotation and I must admit it was beginning to feel like a Bernie Madoff pyramid scheme. Alas, like yesterday’s helium-filled experimental aircraft which (fortunately) was not carrying 6 year old Falcon, this rotation is finally coming to a soft landing. As has become customary, I will be creating the new rotation over the next couple of weeks. In order to ensure a continuous Friday supply of donuts I would like those of you whose name appears on the “To” line to check your calendars and inform me of any known scheduling conflicts you have between now and, well… 2011 (!?!). Now may be a good time to plan for all those vacation days you never end-up having time for. In order to help you think more clearly, Greg Friedman (donut boy) has delivered five dozen delicious Winchell’s donuts to my desk. Grab a couple as you contemplate your future recreational activities. Happy Friday!

Dear Members and Constituents, You know that item that’s been on your to-do list for far too long? We all have them. From Mr. Obama taking his sweet time deciding how many troops to add in Afghanistan to the college kid pulling an all-nighter to do that project assigned three months ago. We all have our reasons. It may be because you can’t decide what the right course of action is; it may be you’ve been letting it soak, in order to think it through thoroughly or it may simply be you’ve been dreading doing it. Whatever the reason, it’s important enough to still be on the list and chances are, it’s not going to take care of itself. You know the one. I challenge you to do it today. Why not make it your goal for the day to cross-off that one item from the list? You know you’ll feel better when you do. Need more than just one challenge today? Here’s another: decide whether you’ll have a Krispy Kreme or a LaMar’s donut this morning. This latter challenge comes courtesy of Cheryl Hennesey (do

Dear Members and Constituents, Have you ever wondered whether the Universe is trying to tell you something? I’m not going to try to chime-in on whether divine intervention helped atoms partner into molecules, making organic compounds which self-arrange into amino acids to form proteins assembling strands of DNA, creating cells that partnered with each other to form us. Whether or not you believe in the divine, chances are you wonder (or at least I do) whether there are subliminal messages all around, waiting just for you. This narcissistic tendency to read “tea leaves”, if you will, manifests itself in many unexpected ways. For example, I’ve been seeing my initials in a disproportionate percentage of license plates lately. Each time that happens, I wonder whether the plate that reads 639-JPF means my son Francisco (the “F” on this actual license plate) and I will be nine minutes late to our 6:30 appointment. (6:39). Who knows? What I do know is that if those are truly messages meant fo