The Guinness World Records book wouldn't be a book if people didn't enjoy being surprised by trivia. For example, a woman in Illinois can pop her eyeballs .43 inches beyond her eye sockets. A dog in Hungary can open a crank-style window in 11.34 seconds and a man in England can balance a 352 pound mini car on his head. Now don't you feel different about your life?



Tabloid newspapers wouldn't be at supermarket check-outs if people didn't like to read trivia. People want to know Elvis has been spotted at a 7-11 in New Mexico, Elizabeth Taylor is going to marry a priest and aliens have taken over Washington D.C. Okay, some of us weren't surprised by the alien invasion; but I admit it. I like to surreptitiously read the tabloids when I'm in the check-out line. I like to find out there are people with worse problems than I have. It makes me feel better about my dog having worms - again.

Sometimes, however, I'm surprised by what surprises other people. I'm surprised people are still shocked by a woman marrying a younger man. Okay. Maybe some women want trophy husbands and maybe some are trying to recapture their youth, but I think most women are just trying to be practical. Women live an average of five years longer than men do. If a woman doesn't marry a man at least five years younger than she is, she might have to train another husband.

Weather causes who-knews all the time - unfortunately, even for weather forecasters. I live on the West Coast because the who who knew it could snow in April on the East Coast had too often been me.

When I was a teenager and my mother was in her thirties, I thought she was over the hill. Who knew that when my children were teenagers, they'd think the same thing about me? Who knew I could have children who could be so wrong?

I never expected to live right - by the beach. Persuading John to move wasn't easy; but in spite of the 50% divorce rate, our life is beachy keen. Who knew?