How's That Again?

My house in North Bittyburg, overlooking Our Fair City, came with a nifty flagpole. Instead of having a rope up the side, like a conventional flagpole, it's made in telescoping sections --- to raise and lower the colors, you collapse the sections, attach the flag, and raise the pole up again.

The fellow I bought the house from left the flag flying all day and night, in any weather, but I like to take it inside at night, or if it's raining or snowing. (Sorry, but the rules taught by the Boy Scout Handbook die hard.)

Alas, the combination of precipitation and last week's cold snap froze the flagpole solid. I finally freed it up on Saturday, but knowing that Sunday and Monday were supposed to be bitter cold, I figured I had better prevent a repeat occurence.

Needless to say, when someone asked me what I was doing Saturday afternoon, I told them I would be "outside, greasing my pole."

(Rimshot.)

We'll end on that lame note; the time and energy I otherwise use slapping together Almanac entries were spent profiling longtime Pittsburgh broadcaster Bob James for an extended piece at Pittsburgh Radio & TV Online.