Anybody remember that? During the Vietnam War, when the Nhus were chased out of the South Vietnamese government overnight, this was the pun on the New York Times’ coverage of the event.

And then there was the story of the bear wearing a young man’s shoes who stole the valuable vase collection of the Chinese billionaire – Boyfoot Bear with Teaks of Chan.

Now why am I repeating these two puns, neither of which are worth repeating? I have no idea.

Moving on…….

Tonight we leave for Portugal. Our plane (containing not only the two of us, but one of our daughters and one of our son-in-laws and our 8 and 2 year old grandchildren) doesn’t leave Dulles until 10:45 p.m. And of course we will all be flying overnight. First, the 7 hours to England, and after a stop of about 2 hours, another 2 and 1/2 to Lisbon. You would think that our bodies would have enough common sense to sleep soundly last night so that we will be rested for tonight’s venture, right? Not on your life – maybe we slept 3 or 4 hours last night. The report from Hannah’s house is similar. So what will tonight bring?

And not only that, will I be able to cope well with it? Already, at 11 a.m. today, all I can think of are teaks of Chan and sprinting Nhus. What will it be like 12 and then 24 hours from now?

Another joke I saw yesterday, equally not worth repeating. One old man says to another old man: “I think it’s amazing after all these years that you always call your wife Honey, or Dear, or Sweetie. How is it that you still do that?” The other old man answers: “It’s not “how”, it’s “why”. A few years ago, I wanted to call her by her name, but I couldn’t remember it, so I called her Honey. I’ve been too embarrassed since to ask her what her name was so Sweetie it will be.”

Yes, this is how my mind is working this morning.

We will be gone just under two weeks. I know there are things we have forgotten to do. Usually, in that case, we simply call one of our kids and they do it for us. But they are all going to be with us, so we have to think of everything now. If anybody knows what we have forgotten, now is the time to tell us. In four or five hours, it will be too late.

This is really a family trip. Ten of us will be in a house in Foz da Arelho for a week (that starts tomorrow) and then Edie, Hannah, Joan and I will be in Lisbon for four days. I have made no plans. I don’t care what we see, or if we see it. I think I will be happy just sitting around the house if it comes to that. And eating sardines, I guess – isn’t that what you do in Portugal?

I am bringing Thomas Mann’s “The Magic Mountain” with me (my Penguin edition). It seems the appropriate thing to bring if you may be spending a lot of time in a house while your two year old grandson is napping. The house will be the equivalent of the TB sanitarium in the book. The first (and only) time I read this book was in 1968, when I was in basic training at Ft. Ord in California, lying on the top bunk, able to see both mountains and the ocean from my perch, craving the few hours of quiet time I could grab. Edie, on the other hand, read the book when she was in the last days of pregnancy – also a time when her mobility was limited.

I put another book in my bag, too, just in case. “Aaron’s Rod” by D.H. Lawrence. That one I haven’t read before. But I have never read anything by Lawrence that I haven’t really liked. The two books should cover my 12 days abroad.

You know, I try to make these blog posts educational or entertaining. I am not sure that this one meets either of those standards. Not sure that tomorrow’s will be any more insightful, but after that…..just wait…..