Published: May 08, 2008 10:48 am         

In these otsego hills

Someone once said to us that we must spend a great deal of time each week writing this column. We took that as a compliment as it seemed to indicate, at least to that reader, that we spent a great deal of time each week on the column. If the truth be told, we tend to think that is not the case. Granted, some columns fairly seem to write themselves. Others are a bit more of a struggle. And with those columns, not even our tricks of the trade seem to be particularly helpful.

We always try to add any thoughts we might have that could be included in a column to the list for the upcoming column. If an item is used, it obviously is removed from the list. If not, it is added to the list for the following week. Our assumption is that eventually each and every idea will be used. However, even that is not always the case. We have been carrying forward three ideas, which we think first surfaced back in January of this year, that we have never used. And as we review them again this week, we think we know why.

The first is noted as “fortune cookies.” At this point we don’t even know what that means so it is most difficult to write about it. The second concerns a questionnaire we were asked to fill out before a doctor’s appointment at Bassett. If we remember correctly, we thought a question regarding our level of education was somewhat odd as we did not understand what difference one’s level of education would make. We were informed, when we asked about it, that it helped the doctor know how best to explain something to the patient. We recall being outraged at this explanation. We feel that when it comes to medicine, our master’s degree in costume design and construction from the University of Michigan is of little value. In fact, we would tend to think that in terms of neurosurgery, we do not even have an eighth grade education. So, if we encounter the question again, we shall claim we never graduated from anything in hopes that we will get the simple medical explanation. And the third item we have been carrying over is entitled “health insurance” and no doubt refers to all the difficultly we encountered in changing health insurance polices at the beginning of the year. However, we have decided that since so many people do not have any health insurance, we should probably not complain that we do. Consequently, given the nature of these three items, we can well understand why we have never used them in the column ... until now that is. Another item which made it to our list more recently concerns the annual spring pothole problem. We willingly admit that there are some streets in the immediate area that one would do well, at this time, to avoid. However, we hasten to point out that Cooperstown has not cornered the market on potholes, something which our spring journey to the Midwest pointed out only too well.

In fact, while we were in Michigan, there was a headline in the April 8 edition of The Grand Rapids Press which read “No city wants to claim pothole contest winner.” Evidently the pothole in question was on a street which marked the border between two different communities. And thus neither community would claim it.

Interestingly enough, the person who submitted the pothole in question received a $318 prize which, according to the article, is the average amount it costs each Michigan motorist, courtesy of taxation, for pothole repair each year.

And while we were amused by the fact that neither community would claim the pothole, we were impressed by the comments of a representative of one the communities who said: “It’s no secret that this has been an awful, awful pothole season ... There’s no shame in potholes ... Everyone’s got potholes, the proof is in how you fix them.” We couldn’t agree more. Having the potholes is not the problem. Not fixing them is.

In closing, in the course of a week, we receive a goodly number of e-mails some of which are e-mails which are circulating the internet on a wide range of subjects. We do tend to read them all, although we rarely forward them on. But every so often, one arrives that we are tempted to pass on. One such e-mail, entitled “How to use Your IRS Rebate check ...” arrived in our inbox this past week.

The e-mail pointed out the eventual destination of one’s rebate depends on how one spends the money. And, since, according to the email, most of the possible purchases would result in the money’s final destination being outside the country, the e-mail reached the conclusion that in order to keep the money, at least temporarily, in this country and thus stimulate the economy as planned, one should only spend it at yard sales.

We remain, In these Otsego hills, The Ellsworths

The Ellsworths may be reached by mail at 105 Pioneer St., Cooperstown, N.Y. 13326, by telephone at 547- 8124 or by e-mail at cellsworth1@stny.rr.com. They look forward to hearing from you.