April Fools' Day

In the grand tradition of April Fools' Day, Google has announced that they're changing their name to "Topeka". As Google is my homepage, I was met with this announcement immediately and, half awake, I read their explanation with growing bewilderment until it dawned on me that today is April Fools' Day.

You would think I would remember April Fools' Day. My grandmother was the patron saint of April Fools' Day. Forget about St. Patrick - no one can lay claim to a holiday like my grandmother could.

I don't know how the woman was able to find so much fake food in an era when there were no computers and we lived in Florida, for heavens' sake (there wasn't much shopping variety here in the 70s). But every April Fools' Day she delightedly fooled one of us into almost taking a bite from a sponge-and-rubber sandwich or a piece of angel food cake made from sponge. And that was just the opening round.

There was always a spectacular prank on April Fools' Day. We learned from an early age to be fully aware that April first was coming, but although we felt we were prepared, Grandma always was able to get at least one of us.

One year, fully knowing that it was April Fools' Day, I went running to answer the phone. "Saur!" my grandmother said excitedly, "Oh my goodness! Run outside and look real quick! There's a hot air balloon over your house and I can see it from here!"

What do you think I did? Yup, you guessed it. When I got back to the phone, Grandma was laughing hysterically.

Of course the apple didn't fall far from the tree, and I've been known to indulge in a prank or two myself.

One of my best friends, Pov, has a gorgeous collectible car that he's madly in love with. During the restoration process, he had become extremely annoying to all of us. We heard more about carburetors and paint jobs than any of us ever wanted to hear in our lives.

One day, when he was over at my house, I had run to the store to grab a couple things. When I came back I walked by him casually and simply said "Where's your car, Pov?"

He ran outside quicker than I ran when I thought there was a hot air balloon waiting for me.