The other night, the gang was invited around for Red and Jen’s weekly BBQ. Joining us on the lanai was their treasured parakeet, Geoffrey Dingle. Kim and Sarah arrived with Leia the dog and our little family was complete. Geoffrey Dingle is not your everyday parakeet. For one thing, he has his own web site. For another, he has the vocabulary of your average 4-year old. There are few things finer in life than sipping wine on the lanai and listening to Geoffrey yell “Hotstepping Bastard!” at the neighborhood ducks. Needless to say, Jen is fond of her bird.

Kim and Red were the designated chefs for the evening. Steaks and grilled mushrooms were cooking along nicely when the drip pan caught fire. As smoke began to fill the lanai, Big Red turned on the ceiling fans in an effort to dispel it. The fans, however, served the exact opposite purpose, and sucked the smoke into the lanai. Soon it was getting hard to breathe. As Red and Kim tried to control the flames, Jen quickly grabbed Geoffrey and ran into the yard. Sarah quickly grabbed Leia and ran into the yard. I quickly grabbed my wine and ran into the yard. I was immediately praised for my keeping my cool head in a crisis.

To learn more about Geoffrey, go to www.geoffreydingle.com.