Good Monday morning, friends, and welcome!  Just put your coats over there on the … oh wait … it’s 90° out, so you’re not wearing coats, are you?  So, how was your weekend?  Those of you on this side of the pond were hot, I know, but our friends across the pond are having much cooler temps!  I’m thinking next Saturday, perhaps we should fire up the Filomobile and go visit them, for there is no relief in sight this month from the searing temps and high humidity here.

I’ve set out a few snacks … since it’s so hot, I thought some fresh fruit and veggies were called for, but remember, the donut and juice box are for Benjamin!  I made a fresh pot o’ coffee, and brewed some fresh tea, so grab some and let’s try to get this week started with something fun!

HANDS OFF … this is Benjamin’s donut!

Benjamin’s Juice Box!

Four-legged long jump!

Occasionally I include somebody or some group of bodies that have made their way into the Guinness World Records, but until now, those have always been of the human species.  Yesterday, a unique bit crossed my radar when I read that a pooch had actually earned a Guinness record!  The dog’s name is Slingshot, and he earned the record by leaping 35 feet and 3 inches from a dock into the water.  Not only that, but Slingshot managed to set 12 world records in the sport of dock diving in the 2018 season, though this one is his first entry into the Guinness book.

Now, since this was the first time I had heard of a non-human in the Guinness record book, I took a quick look to see if there had been others.  There have.  From ‘fastest tortoise’ to ‘oldest manatee’ to ‘tallest cow’, animals are a class all their own within Guinness!  Even one for the world’s ‘loudest purring cat’ …

Who knew?

Flying in your hotel room?

Those of you who work, or have worked, in the business world and have had to travel from time-to-time, know how boring those hotel rooms can be.  Well, if you happen to travel to Tokyo on business, try to arrange to stay at the Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu, located near Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport, and ask for a room with a … flight simulator!

That’s right, folks, a flight simulator. You’re sitting in your room, dinner is done, nothing to do until morning … but didn’t you always dream of being a pilot, flying through the friendly skies, bringing that 747 in for a perfect, three-point landing?

I hope, though, that you are one of those highly-paid executives, for the room costs $234 for a one-night stay, but a 90-minute flight simulator session with an expert costs an additional $277.  Oh, and one other small detail … guests staying in the room are not allowed to use the simulator without supervision.

Pot Cake?

Kensli Davis of Milledgeville, Georgia, celebrated her 25^th birthday last week.  She told her mother she would like a cake decorated like a certain Disney character named ‘Moana’.  So, the mother ordered just that, a Moana ice cream cake, from the local Dairy Queen bakery.

Imagine her surprise, when she picked up this cake …

According to Kensli, when she walked into the house, her mother was laughing hysterically …

“My mama called and ordered me a cake telling them how much I loved Moana. (Because really I do) Well needless to say these people thought she said marijuana. That ice cream cake was still good though. The whole family thought it was the funniest thing ever and said it would definitely be a birthday to remember.”

On a not-so-jolly note, The Hill reports that Cassandra Walker, the Dairy Queen employee who made the cake, was terminated, even though it was her manager who actually misunderstood the order, and approved the design.

A fool and his money are soon parted …

Take a look at this bunch of grapes …Look pretty nice, eh … plump, probably juicy & sweet.  There are 24 grapes in that bunch.  Now, remember that grapes don’t have a very long shelf life … probably a week, tops.  What would you be willing to pay for that li’l bunch of 24 grapes?  Me?  Oh, I’d likely pay 50 cents, maybe.  But guess what this little bunch of grapes went for last week in Kanazawa, Japan?

Was it W.C. Fields, or P.T. Barnum who said, “There’s a sucker born every minute”?

The grapes were sold at auction to Takashi Hosokawa, manager of a chain of hot spring hotels in Ishikawa Prefecture, on the northern coast of the main Honshu island.  For $11,000.  That’s $459 per grape.  Sigh.  Sometimes people have more money than sense.

I try to include a cute animal video every Monday, and today’s, I think, will make you smile and warm your heart.  Take a look at this little guy who was born with no front legs …

And that’s all we’ve got time for today, folks!  Jolly found something he wants to share with you, though I tried to talk him into waiting until the winter holidays, but … well, Jolly can be stubborn, y’know (it’s a male thing, but don’t tell him I said so).

Please, my friends, share those beautiful smiles I see on your faces, for there’s a lot to be frustrated about these days, and sometimes just a smile can ease the angst.  Keep cool and have a great week ahead!  Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa and Jolly!