Here it is May 10…a thundering wake up call to those delusional enough to believe last month’s blanket blog fiesta on the 1st was the beginning of a new reality.

Don’t get me wrong. I admire a strong work ethic a little more than the next guy, but hard work delivered punctually usually brings long term results. I don’t have the time or patience for that nonsense. The Friedman Philosophy is simple – hard work may bring happiness and financial success eventually, but LAZINESS PAYS OFF RIGHT NOW!

Speaking of which, remember my long-rumored sequel to Chasing Rainbows? Oh, it’s still coming but I am now adding the phrase “possibly within your lifetime”.

In a matter some may view as a bit unrelated, today a friend and I pondered the most baffling aspect of our education at Cleveland Heights High School in Cleveland, Ohio (the Buckeye/Ariel Castro State) in the years 1962-1965. Our mandatory swim class required us to swim nude. To this day we don’t know why. What reason could there possibly have been? That our runaway acne couldn’t possibly have been contained by something so skimpy as a swimsuit?

The girls weren’t required to swim nude in their class and out of class we couldn’t begin to get them naked despite incredible lies to the contrary. You couldn’t get these girls clothes off with a crowbar and believe me we tried.

The girls got to waltz around their swim class wearing the latest in trendy swimwear from Jantzen and Catalina. Did the boys get to wear adorable little cabana outfits? I don’t think so. The swim class bell rang and suddenly we were all transformed into aquatic nude lap dancers. You had to feel really sorry for the fat guys and and all eyes were rigidly trained to gaze only waist up – God forbid you should be caught sneaking a peek at a penis. I speak for thousands of soul-scarred Cleveland Heights High male graduates when I say we want answers.

If this doesn’t bring us seamlessly to our May Blanket Of The Month, I don’t know what does. A treasure from the Danny McFalls Collection is this exceedingly rare and early pictorial wool blanket from an unknown manufacturer. The same pattern in different colors appears on page 34 of Chasing Rainbows.

While you’re enjoying the blanket it happens to be a very hot afternoon here in Phoenix, Arizona and I’m going swimming. Fully dressed, thank you.