It seemed like old times this week. Suddenly as the deadline approached, early at that, there was this “hole” to fill on the Opinion page. And how is it like old times? Guess who gets to fill it.

Back in those olden days, the ‘Cuff usually evolved when there was a “hole to fill” and the rush to fill it filled my brain with....... well....... I won’t go into that. But there is this hole to fill, so here goes:

I am crouched over the old Underwood typewriter that has served me since high school days.

But I love it. Pounding on these old keys gives me a sense of power, I suppose, nothing like the gentle touch of a computer keyboard.

I never liked an electric typewriter. It was too easy to hold my finger down on a key, unintentional, of course, and a letter or punctuation mark would brrrrrrrr all the way across the page and start another like it before I could be jerked back into reality.

That last paragraph was really unnecessary, wasn’t it? However, it did involve several lines that are helping fill up this space. But let’s get down to important topics.

I mentioned last week of often writing predictions in the ‘Cuff and I ended the dissertation with one simple prediction. I won’t bore you with what that was because, frankly, here goes, I feel a trance coming on and, of necessity, here are a few predictions for good old/new 2013. Read ’em and........

◊A most unusual event will occur in Decatur in July that will attract national attention.

◊A six-inch snow will blanket the area the day after Valentine’s Day.

◊A special film involving a site near Gentry will be shown on a nature program sometime in October.

◊The police will be called to quell a riot during a football game in Benton County sometime this fall. No, it won’t be in any Eagle Observer town.

◊A lady who lives west of Gravette will enter the national turkey calling contest. She won’t win. Her entry sounded more like a cackle.

◊A meteorite will land in the backyard of a Gravette family.

◊A new athletic director will be named for the U of A.

◊Gas prices will plummet to less than a dollar sometime this spring. It’ll only last for one day. Make that half a day.

◊A wheel will fall off an airplane bound for XNA. It will land in a field near Highfill. No damage; however the plane will slip off the runway.

◊The summer will be warm and wet. Not at all like 2012.

◊A Hiwasse man will be attacked by a flock of crows.

◊Several business buildings in Gentry, Decatur and Gravette will have new occupants before the end of the year.

◊A South American nation will startle the world when it is discovered they are attempting to build a nuclear device.

◊Congress will actually get some work done. Of course it will be late in the year.

◊It will be learned that turnip juice, mixed with carrot juice, can be used to remove warts.

◊The Bulldogs, Pioneers and Lions will have good football records this fall.

◊Lightning will strike a barn near Sulphur Springs. No fire, but an animal will not fare so well.

◊An area dentist will repair a broken denture caused by a cherry pit.

I will soon evolve from my trance. Oh, there it goes.

One final prediction comes to mind, one that I have made perennially for the past umpteen years: Postal rates will rise.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 01/02/2013