Overheard At Manuel's

I stopped into a favorite watering hole, Manuel's, last night. Ostensibly to drink a beer and unwind. Actually looking to run into Vernon Jones and interrogate him on this whole running for congress rumor. Manuel's is a great spot for run-ins with local pols.

Sadly, no Vernon. But I did hear a great story that I would like to share. Names are changed to protect the not so innocent.


A gentleman related that he and his ex-wife had been living together for several years. They had been married but after divorce and brief separation they re-coupled. However, they never legally remarried. The wife came up with the idea that for legal reasons such as health care they should probably get married again. The husband agreed and they drove to visit the local magistrate.

Now, unless you are gay, getting hitched in Georgia is ridiculously easy. It takes about 10 minutes and it's usually in the same place you obtain a gun permit. I kid you not.

The couple in question, after filing the appropriate paperwork, were shepherded into a court room with several other expectant about to be newly weds. As the man at Manuel's described the process, the judge calls out the names of the intended, they rise from their spot, some legal mumbo jumbo and voila! Married.

So the judge went around the room calling out Alan Williams and Jill Smith, Fred Jones and Ethel Rogers, Derrick Murphy and Elizabeth Jordan and so on and so on.

Then he got to the couple of the story.

The judge called out, "John Campbell and Betty Campbell".

He peered up over his spectacles and inquired of the couple, "Brother and sister?"

There was much laughter in the courtroom. There was much laughter at the bar last night. Great thing about bars. Even if you go in looking for one thing, you usually come out with another.