The Rhodies got some competition last week. Thursday was the day the Rotary Club distributed roses throughout East Jefferson County to those nice folks who had someone buy a dozen or more for them or those folks who actually bought a dozen for themselves! As you might suspect, the stories generated by the delivery activity can describe the joy as well as the agonies.

My list had thirty four dozen to deliver plus three from friend and neighbor Harold Brunstad. OK, I can handle that in a couple of hours. When I picked them up I found that local dentist and Rotarian Stephen Porter had again ordered twenty dozen to be delivered to the Dove House. For the past few years Stephen had asked me to deliver them for him as I take several dozen up to The Leader and the Printery. After calling Stephen’s office and finding out he was out of the country I took the roses to the Dove House. They were very appreciative as they told me they were advised in their staff meeting that morning to expect the delivery that day. I think I need to have a little talk with Stephen.

Frank Trafton had three dozen roses to deliver to two ladies. One of them was to receive two and the other just one. He delivered the two dozen to his first stop, which was the wrong place so he had to go to QFC and buy another dozen to cover the shortfall.

As you might suspect the delivery process is rife with the problems usually encountered by your mail carrier or the UPS driver. The person is not home. Do you leave the roses since they may be home soon or do you take them since they may be out of town? Is the dog going crazy upon the ringing of the doorbell dangerous or just annoying? Did you step in the pile of dog manure on your way back to the car? (Yep, I did.) Did Mike Nilssen order a dozen to be delivered to the staff at Sound Bank but you forgot and took them to his house? (Yep.) Did Bill Dean claim that if he ordered the roses from Terry Umbreit that he would have received a discount? Yep. Terry probably would not do that even though his career was in the dusty halls of academia and he did not know how to work for a living. Were a couple of ladies who were each living alone overjoyed when I showed up with a dozen roses purchased by friends like Steven Gross or Linda Haskin or Judi Smith? It made my day. Did Steven Sklar buy a dozen for his good friend Emily who was sick and unable to receive the roses last Thursday? Yes, but I left them with her office mates who were smarter when I left because they found out that I write this column so they need to subscribe to The Leader AND they understood that Steven and I both went to Wabash College. Was former Circle and Square owner Reto Filli cutting a tree down for current owner Lloy Drinkard when I delivered roses to Lloy? Yep. Lloy called Reto his “yard man.”

Rose delivery day is full of work and annoyances. However, as you can see it also delivers much joy to the recipients as well as to the deliverers. On the subject of being delivered I am advised by the quotations page on the internet that Robert Orben noted, “Most people would like to be delivered from temptation but would like it to keep in touch.”

Love a curmudgeon and have a great week!