No fooling! Thirty-two years ago today, Rinpoche asked me to help him play an April Fool joke on the sangha. He thought a while and then asked me to call Vajradhatu and pretend to be some person in the San Francisco sangha (I can't remember who) and say that the Shambhala bookstore had burned down and that Sam (Bercholz) had gone to the hospital and even though it looked like he was going to be okay, could someone please contact Rinpoche so that he could "think about Sam or something" (Rinpoche's words). He thought I should put a bunch of Kleenex over the mouthpiece so that I would sound far away. This struck me as so funny, and besides I was nervous, I got the giggles. We both got the giggles. Then I had to dial the number. The Vajradhatu offices were only a few blocks away -- and when the person answered, with Rinpoche watching me, I was so nervous about blowing it that my voice trembled. It worked perfectly -- I sounded distraught. When I hung up, he wondered aloud how long would it take for the phone to ring -- it wasn't long! Hey Sam -- if you are reading this, I never asked you -- how long it it take for you to hear about it?! With love and devotion, --Suzanne/Tsondru Namkha