> Here's the first point that would have tipped off any person who really knew Sam well that this wasn't Sam. Sam SWEARS the Rt 4 to I93 route is the quicker way.

If it's any consolation, it's not quicker by much. Even if it weren't, I'd go that way anyway, because Rt. 16 to North Conway is possibly the single most boring road in this country, outside of the cornfield roads of the midwest. It's a slow road and winds FOREVER through crowded trees, not a landmark to be found. I-93 is a little more open, a lot faster, and has stuff along the way.

> Here's the second clue. Sam and Leen *hate* Friendly's. They'd NEVER stop there for dinner, even if it was the last place to eat.

Specifically, although the food is decent, we hate the service, which ranges from bad to terrible, no matter which Friendly's we go to. Leen likes their ice cream enough to want to go anyway sometimes, but we generally regret giving in. Maybe when the job market isn't so rich, they'll be able to be more discerning about whom they hire.

> This is a ludicrously obscure reference to what I *used* to think the Quebec licence plate said. I took two years of High School French, and this was the best I could do. :-)

That makes about as much sense as what it would seem to mean: "I remember myself." Picking at the nonsensicality of the literal translation sounds just like me.

> > Lady was peeing rapidly in the back seat...

For the record, the only time Lady ever did that submissive peeing thing was when she was already excited and when someone bent down to pet her. She's rapidly getting over that, now, though, doing it only when she hasn't been outside in a while, when she's *really* excited -- abnormally so even for her -- and when someone bends down to greet her. I don't think she'll be doing it anymore at all for very much longer. Thank heaven. But, yeah, whatever.

> He was doing about 80 (MILES PER HOUR, not
> >KILOMETERS FRENCHIE!)
>
> This would give it away in a heartbeat if you knew what Sam and Leen drove for a car. If I had said "truck", that might have been a different story, though.

Hey I've done 85 in our car! I coulda caught him!

> Sam is many things, but "observant driver" isn't one of them. This was another subtle dig at Sam.

I'm not?

> Caring more about his dog than his wife. A Sam trait or not? You be the judge.

No. Lady's membership in this family is still tenuous.

> >They wanted to give me a chair, but I
> >told them Leen already had one of those dumb
> >papasan chairs, we didn't need any others.
>
> I'm the one who hates papasan chairs, not Sam.

And we have TWO! Needless to say, when Dave comes to visit, he sits on the couch.