There Once Was A Gator Named Izod........

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/07/alligator_discovered_in_front.html
I must say, I love taking the newspaper. Birmingham is extremely lucky to have a daily newspaper of the quality of the Birmingham News. Most of the time I transfer the folded paper from my driveway to my recycling basket without taking it out of its plastic sleeve, simply because I rarely have the luxury of sitting down long enough to enjoy it - particularly during the summer. However I am never disappointed by what I find in its pages when I do take time out to actually read the thing. For example, I learned in the religion section last year, that Kirk Franklin was scheduled to play a concert in Birmingham. I was so excited, I sprang for tickets for the whole family. I was a little disappointed when the concert got rescheduled, but hey - it happens, no problem. I was a little less thrilled when the show was cancelled without an explanation - but at least I got a full refund. Ok, maybe I would have been better off had I not opened the paper that day, but it was exciting news for awhile.
Tuesday July 20, 2010. The front page story was entitled, "See you later, Alligator," and included a picture of a nine foot alligator being removed from the yard of a Jefferson County resident. It was a little bit unusual I suppose, but we live in the south and maybe it was just a slow news day. Then I discovered the very best part of the story, buried all the way back on page5A.
(Read the following out loud, using your best southern accent:)
"It didn't take long for a crowd to gather, most taking snapshots and videos with their cell phones. Laurence Breeland, who lives nearby, showed up to see if it was the same gator that used to live in his pond and was hand-fed fish and chicken. He hasn't seen that gator in 12 years. "His name was Izod," Breeland said. "You could holler his name or whistle and he'd come out of the water."
I am so glad I read the paper on Tuesday. Doesn't that just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I don't know where to even begin deconstructing that particular item. I will say this - the next time you see a gator - make sure there is a fence between you before you even try to utter the name, "Izod".
Just reporting the news.....