Nobody asked us, but ...

Today is Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday ... does that mean we have six more weeks of winter? Oh, no ... it's six weeks of Lent .. .and it's our last chance to get fat ... like that's ever been a problem ... and what are you giving up for Lent?

We're giving up writing about dead birds ...

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Justice of the Peace John Tatro turned 50 (or was it 60) this week ... he doesn't look a day over 29 ... (does this give us a "get out of jail free" pass? Signed: Always Hopeful)

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AAA has published a report that drivers over 65 are more of a danger to themselves at this age, because of declining perception and motor skills .... We both feel that driving tests should be imperative every four years after 65 ... even though it's a bone of contention among seniors ....

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And, many thanks to Roger Maillard for being the only one to respond to our flagrant Valentine's Day plea for candy and flowers ... he came through with candy and cards ... xxx's and ooo's to him ....

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If you missed last week's political cartoon by Ed Stein on Thursday showing John Kerry with his medals and George W. Bush with his silver fillings, you missed a doozy ... it cracked us both up ... as the computer would say ... LOL ... and before the Republicans get riled ... we laughed at Clinton, too ....

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Advice to restaurants ... if you're serving food on the Atkin's Diet ... don't offer bread to Carolyn ... it's sort of like offering the apple in Eden ....

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And speaking of restaurants ... we're happy to say Adele's, the Station Grille, and the Crackerbox have reopened ... yummy, yummy, yummy ... and soon, Ming's will open, too ....

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Congratulations to the Carson High School wrestlers ... and the Lady Basketball Senators ... great year, guys and gals ....

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Nancy Carnahan, an animal humanitarian, had squirrels in her back yard. She wanted to get rid of them, because they were wreaking havoc in her garden, but in a humane way, of course ... so she took her problem to the Highway Department where she works ... wrong move, since there are a plethora (get out the dictionary, Dan) of nuts and squirrels who work there (tee hee)...one told her about a squirrel problem at the airport in Amsterdam, where they put the excess beasties in a paper shredder (yuck); another baked her a Marie Callender's pot pie and tucked a toy squirrel tail into the crust ... the final solution? A humane trap that carried them out to the river (we hope they can swim) ... oh, dear ... the bird lady will really be on us now ...

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We're hoping Donovan Osborne can put it together and make the Yankees this year ... it's always nice to see a local boy make good ....

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Our city manager, Linda Ritter, is earning bonuses by completing certain goals set forth by the city supervisors .... While it's admirable to succeed in attaining those goals, it brings to mind the question, what does the $99,000 of her regular salary buy us? Inquiring minds want to know ....

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How come they can erect an 86-story office building in Shenzhen, China, in 14 months ... but we can't build a freeway or a hotel in twice, or thrice (or "throw the dice") that time?

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Nevadans are rightfully concerned about the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste depository ... or as we prefer to call it, Yuck-a Mountain ... so we were glad to hear Bob Loux, executive director for the Governor's Agency for Nuclear Projects, stating that nuclear waste in Nevada is "not a done deal" .... "It's not going to happen ... you can take that to the bank." For additional information, you may call him at 687-3744 ... it's nice we won't be glowing like little green men 100 years down the pike ....

Carolyn DeMar and Maizie Harris Jesse are longtime Carson City residents. Contact them at editor@nevadaappeal.com.