Auntie Anne's Desperate Plea.

In a direct and unmasked response to the 2007 aunt and uncle standings, last place finisher Aunt Ann delivered to McBone headquarters this week a freshly baked apple pie and a gift bag filled with assorted goodies.

Needless to say, Auntie Ann was barking up the right tree. Knowing my weakness for pie and groveling, my mother's sister made an ingenious attempt to improve her placement in next year's standings. While this year's results are etched in stone, McBone strikes the modifier "typically execrable" to describe her 2007 performance, which we gladly ugrade to "poor."

However, if Aunt Ann can sustain this style of aunting over the course of a year, chances are she'll climb out of the cellar for the first time in the history of the Aunt and Uncle Standings. Let this be a warning to the others: don't get complacent.

The delicious pie was quickly devoured (after testing on the dog--can't be too careful) by myself, Alex and Mom.

nwb

Pictured above: an inconsolable Aunt Ann begs forgiveness and delivers her warm apple pie to McBone HQ.