By Alan B. Combs

A couple of weekends ago I had the opportunity for a meeting with munpastor Gary Hallock, his punster friend, Lloyd E. Dissmore of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and a couple of traveling companions, Dottie and Barbara. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting Gary, you quickly learn the ask the question, “How can you tell when he is telling puns?” The most obvious answer is borrowed from a similar maxim about politicians, “Is his mouth moving?” The same is true about Lloyd.

When listening, one is torn between the need to pay intense attention to what is being said, and the desire to come up with creative spin-off puns in reply. He who hesitates is last. The non-punster women put up with it with grace, knowing what they were getting into when they came along.

Thus, went a very enjoyable TexMex meal. We were kindred spirits, shedding routines, tall tales, and puns as my St. Bernard sheds hair, probably never to meet again — just like quips passing in the night.