Bart Simpson's Influence on my Son . . .

I picked up Loula Belle and her friend from volleyball practice on Wednesday evening and then headed up to the golf course to pick up Bug. On the way home in the car, he told us about the prank that his friend pulled when making their tee time for the next day.

It all started on the bus home from junior high. As Bug and his golfing buddies didn't have a cell phone, they asked to borrow one in order to set up a tee time for the next day. The boy who let them use his phone did so on one condition -- that they have to put the reservation under an obnoxious name.

The guys tossed around some really dumb ideas, so Bug piped up with something he'd heard on The Simpsons. He told his buddy to call the golf course and set up a tee time and when they ask for the name say, "Last name of Rotch." Then, when they ask for a first name, tell them "Mike."

So when the golf course employee calls out the reservation on the P.A. system the next day he'll say something like, "Mike Rotch teeing off on #1." (If you're not getting the junior high humor of this, try saying 'Mike Rotch' outloud a couple times.)

I busted a gut laughing at their stupid antics. But I also told Bug that he'd better hope that their golf coach wasn't near the club house the next day when the tee reservation is read off. He might not think it was very funny, and Bug and his buddies might get in a bit of trouble.

What was Bug's response? He decided that he didn't need to go to the golf course after school on Thursday. (He did have a foursome set up with his dad and grandpas later that evening.) I told him that he could just call and change the name, but he didn't want to.

I guess that Bug really isn't cut out to be a Bart Simpson. I'm guessing it will be a while before he pulls another stunt like that.

(I am going to grill him when he gets home from golfing tonight and see if the golf course guy ever did read off the bogus name. The Simpson side of me is hoping he did!)