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 October 31st is National Knock-Knock Day, a day for telling Knock-Knock jokes, chosen, of course, because dozens of pint-sized goblins are likely to come knocking on your door. Because “Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it,” can be good advice at least some of the time, we thought we’d take knocking as our theme of the week. We hope you are finding these offerings fun and perhaps useful. We welcome your feedback. (Kathy@WiserNow.com)
 The Quote
At left.
Do your aw-robics today.
The Quirky Observation
Knocking can be good or bad. On the bad side are the school of hard knocks, “It’s a hard-knock life” (from the 1977 Broadway musical “Annie”), knocking your head against a brick wall, getting knocked for a loop, getting knocked out (unconscious), a knock-off (fake), knocking someone off his high horse, his perch, or down a peg, a knock down drag out fight, and telling someone irritating you to “Knock it off.”
On the good side are knocking ‘em dead, knocking his socks off or knocking his spots off, knocking it out of the park, you could have knocked me over with a feather, and being knocked out by a beautiful sunrise.
On the semi-neutral side are being knock-kneed (Does anyone care?), knocking around on a lazy day, and knocking back a drink.
But if it’s opportunity knocking, open the door.
The Quirky Fact
The poem I most associate with knocking is Edgar Allen Poe’s eerie “The Raven,” although the relevant lines are slightly different:
 While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
Here’s what you may not know: Poe wanted a talking bird as the main character and chose the raven because as “the bird of ill-omen,” it was “infinitely more in keeping with the intended tone.” It certainly wouldn’t have had the same impact if he had stuck to his first choice of a parrot.
 The Quiz
Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Wicked.
Wicked who?
Wicked make beautiful music together.
Now put on your vampire costume and let’s do a Count Dracula imitation.
Can you match the joke to its translated punchline?
1. Knock, knock
Who's there?
Vault
Vault who?
_____
 2. Knock, knock
Who's there?
Venice
Venice who?
_____
3. Knock, knock
Who's there?
Ivan
Ivan who?
_____
4. Knock, knock
Who's there?
Vassar
Vassar who?
_____
Choices:
- I want to suck your blood
- What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?
- Waltzing Matilda
- When is your father coming back?
The Request
If you’re enjoying this weekly missive, please share it, and if you’re willing to say something nice I might put on my website, send me a note at Kathy@WiserNow.com.
The Question
If you are a caregiver for or work with someone with dementia, have you checked out my weekly Linked in column? Here’s the latest.
The Kiosk of Resources
 We’ve added free excerpts from my slide shows for fall and the coming holidays. Click here to enjoy them.
If you’d like to read the complete poem of “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe, access it here.
Here’s a source for knock-knock jokes online.
Quiz Answers:
1. c 2. d 3. a 4. b
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