Watercooler Stories

364 Elizabeths gather in namesake town

ELIZABETH, Ill., June 30 (UPI) -- Organizers of the Gathering of Elizabeths in Elizabeth, Ill., say 364 women bearing the name showed up for this year's event.

The organizers of the event, held at Apple River Fort, said attendance was down from the 436 registered Elizabeths last year but the influx of women traveling with their families to attend the event still means an economic boost for the town, the Dubuque (Iowa) Telegraph reported.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was not in attendance at the gathering, but a lady-in-waiting sent a letter on Buckingham Palace letterhead thanking organizers for the invitation.

"Her majesty was interested to learn that you hope to set a world record at this year's gathering," she wrote.

Organizer Helen Kilgore said that while this year's event fell short of the world record set by last year's gathering of Elizabeths, she and other organizers are hoping to try again next year.

"I feel sure we'll try again," Kilgore said.

Worm charmer, 10, sets new record

WILLASTON, England, June 30 (UPI) -- A 10-year-old girl set a world record by bringing 567 worms up from the ground during Britain's World Worm Charming Championships.

Sophie Smith of Willaston, England, won the competition in her village Saturday by besting the previous world record of 511 worms, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, The Daily Telegraph reported.

A number of techniques were employed to try to coax worms from the ground during the light rain Saturday. One man strummed rock tunes on his guitar, a woman tap danced to the theme from "Star Wars" and a man played the xylophone with bottles.

The most common method was sticking a garden fork into the ground and smacking it with a stick to create vibrations.

Kenneth Catania, a U.S. neuroscientist specializing in sonic phenomena, said in research published last year that worm charming is at its most effective when competitors make sounds that emulate those of the mole, a natural predator of the worm.

"We carefully compared the frequencies," Catania said, "and it's moles every time. When it rains the worms come out slowly, but with charming and moles they come out as if they were running. That's if worms could run."

Car going strong at 558,000 miles

ORLANDO, Fla., June 30 (UPI) -- A 90-year-old Florida woman said the Mercury Comet Caliente she purchased in 1964 is still going strong 558,000 miles later.

Rachel Veitch of Orlando, a retired nurse who volunteers several days a week at an Orlando Police Department office, said the car, which she calls "Chariot," has lasted her through 45 years and three husbands, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

"I'll tell you something: This little Chariot has never lied to me, never cheated on me, and I can always depend on it," Veitch said.

She said the secret behind her car's longevity is simply taking good care of it.

"I was never a destructive child," she said. "I still have the first doll I was ever given. I've taken care of most everything I've ever had, except for husbands."

Veitch, who dutifully has Chariot's oil changed every 3,000 miles, said she looks forward to watching the odometer turn over to 600,000 miles.

"I'll make that," she said, "if I live long enough. I tell people, 'Except for the congestive heart failure, a stroke and a double mastectomy, I'm in great shape!'"

Collectors seek dateless pence

LONDON, June 30 (UPI) -- British coin collectors are paying top dollar for 20-pence (33-cent) pieces mistakenly printed without a date.

The coins, which were created using the old "heads" print for the coin and a new "tails" side, were not noticed to be lacking a date until an estimated 50,000 to 200,000 were put into circulation, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The London Mint Office, a private firm specializing in dealing rare coins, said it is offering $83 per coin.

"We believe this extremely rare error will certainly get the public looking at the coins in their pockets again and noticing the excellent new designs launched by the Royal Mint last year on our coinage," said Nick Hart of The London Mint Office.

A spokeswoman for the Royal Mint, which issued the coins, said they are still legal for regular use.

"The fact of the matter is they are still legal tender but if people want to pay more it's up to them," the spokeswoman said.