Another tale of a precocious kid — this one's alarmingly precocious: 

Jim Skelly says, "A few years ago, my 3-year-old grandson and I were in a Blockbusters (remember those?) to rent a video for him.

"We found a whole wall of children's tapes, but he didn't seem interested in any of them. The lady working there noticed he couldn't decide, so came over to help.

"She asked him, 'Do you like Cinderella?'

"He responded, 'Not really.'

"She tried, 'Do you like Pinocchio?'

“ ‘No ma'am,' he replied.

"She tried a few others before saying, 'There must but be something you like.'

"He looked up at her and asked, 'Do you have Apocalypse Now?'

"She and I could just look at each other."

Joel d'Aquin Thibodeaux, of Baton Rouge, says, "My husband Ron was getting dressed and asked me, 'Does my stomach make this shirt look big?’ ”

Marsha R., of Baton Rouge, says mention of the Istrouma, LSU, and Minnesota Vikings football player “Moonie” Winston "brings to mind the grace and grit needed to be the wife of a popular athlete.

"Mrs. Winston was very pregnant during football season. Her doctor told me he had told her, 'Be sure to call me if you think you might be going into labor, because Moonie has some big games coming up and needs his rest.’ ”

Tales of Jack Sabin's Goal Post restaurant, which fed LSU students in my day, brought this from Shelly Strobel:

"My husband worked at the Goal Post in 1959, when we were in college.

"Alonzo, the cook, could take one potato and whip it up into mashed potatoes to serve 10.

"Don fondly remembered the time he put a generous serving on a struggling student’s plate, and met Jack on the way out of the kitchen.

"Jack’s comment? 'Son! I’m a poor man!’ ”

Sue Dupont contributes to our seminar on odd food combinations:

"In regards to 'syrup and cheese' sandwiches:

"As kids, we would dunk sticks of Velveeta or 'commodity cheese' in our Blue Ribbon syrup. Brought back lots of memories."

And Phyllis Tully, of Kenner, adds:

Cheese and cane syrup! Yum! Though never as a sandwich; we had it as a snack or dessert.

"Our father would gather all five children around the kitchen table. We would watch as he cubed a block of cheddar cheese, then parcel it onto our plates.

"Next came the syrup. We would dive into it, with French bread as spoons!"

Today's "Hint From Not Heloise" is: put your name and contact information on your umbrella. You may have an experience like this one:

Keith Horcasitas, of Baton Rouge, says, "I bought some gutter extensions at Lowe's and put them in my car.

"The sky had appeared cloudy before I went in the store, so I had my umbrella with me. After previously having lost so many umbrellas, I finally put on my name and phone number on this one.

"I got a call the next day from another Lowe's patron, letting me know my umbrella was sitting on a light pole base near where I had parked. It was still there when I went to the parking lot.

"Thanks to the caller for keeping me from getting wet."

Jackie Guidry O'Quinn, of Baton Rouge, celebrates her 91st birthday Tuesday, July 26.

A personal question from Paul C. (aka "The Kid):

"I will be retiring in about a month, and was wondering if you had any words of wisdom for me — since you basically did it when you started the column."

Happy to help, Paul. In the early days of your retirement, you might be tempted to engage in some physical activity: yard work, home repairs, jogging, perhaps golf.

Take a nap until the temptation passes.

Write Smiley at Smiley@theadvocate.com. He can also be reached by mail at P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821. Follow Smiley Anders on Twitter, @SmileyAndersAdv.

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