This Local Voices columnist straddles a bar stool at one of his favorite watering holes.

Noriega: Oh no!

Me: What's the matter with you?

Noriega: You've got that deer in the headlight/column due look in your eyes. The usual?

Me: A mind reader and a man with a good memory. Yes on both accounts.

Noriega: What's the problem? It's Thanksgiving. That's got to be easy for someone like you (rolls his eyes).

Me: Did you just roll your eyes?

Noriega: Nah, I was just checking out that fly.

Me: There aren't any flies in November. Getting back to the Thanksgiving thing. Everybody does it. I have to be different.

Noriega: (Under breath) Mission Accomplished.

Me: What did you say?

Noriega: I said, "let me help you accomplish that mission."

Didn't you have one of those Encore thingies last week?

Me: You never fail to amaze me with your knowledge of local, state and national activities. Yes, we did. Ruth Firestone's review hit the nail on the head. Except, she said the intermissions were too lengthy. I enjoyed both of the intermissions.

Noriega: How can you "enjoy" an intermission?

Me: As Dottie and I were walking in Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center, we noticed Byrnell Figler was in line to get a ticket. We had an extra ticket, and he accepted our invitation to join us. Byrnell is a great pianist, and we've seen him perform throughout the years. The two 15-minute intermissions were spent visiting with him about his history. It was truly a great time.

Noriega: Do you have any of those small-town stories about Hays?

Me: Funny you should ask. A month or so ago, one of my listings was going to close on Monday. On Friday afternoon, the couple purchasing the home discovered an inordinate amount of water usage. It didn't take long to figure out a stool was running. On a Friday at 4:50 p.m., I needed the water turned off. Mark from the water department showed up in less than 5 minutes and stuck around until well after 5 p.m. while we made sure that was the only thing causing trouble. Did I mention this was on a Friday afternoon? Then, I left a message for my plumber guy, and he had it fixed before 8:30 a.m. the next day, a Saturday morning. The house closed on schedule.

Noriega: Now, that's a nice story about a city department. Not funny like your last column, though.

Me: I can't be funny all the time.

Noriega: (Again, under breath). More truth.

Me: What did you say?

Noriega: I said, "I need more vermouth."

Me: Another city employee I always liked and respected was the assistant city manager, Mark Loughry. Mark and Laurie were good friends of ours with great kids, Wyatt and Kayla. Mark accepted the public administrator's position in Basehor. If I was a betting man, I would wager he will do a great job for Basehor.

Noriega: So, let's say you were going to write a traditional Thanksgiving column.

Me: I've probably said all this before, but I enjoy working with the good folks in my insurance office and my real estate office. Hays isn't perfect, but it's probably as close as you can get for a home town. And friends. More friends than I deserve. And most important, a great family. And ...

Noriega: And? Is that a tear in your eye?

Me: Allergies.

Noriega: Huh. Allergies in November?

Me: As of Tuesday, I can say all my kids (and grandkids) all live in Kansas. I'm really, really thankful for that.

Noriega: Ready for another?

Me: Better not. I've got an early deadline.

Glenn Staab, a lifelong Hays resident and former city commissioner, sells insurance and real estate and is the Democratic Party chairman for Ellis County. glenn_staab@yahoo.com