Book excerpt: Phil and Muriel move into a homeowners association-controlled community in Florida. Their one-eyed dog, Bennie, enables them to have the last laugh on an annoying committee. Widower George Wilson moves into an adult community in Florida where the widow-widower ratio is three to one. He also meets Adriana via his computer. Life is good for a widower at the Ocean Dunes, or is it? Captain Vince Sullivan takes R & R from Vietnam in Perth, Australia. There he meets a blue lady who changes his life. Regina Kelsie leaves the cold of Worcester, Mass, to experience spring break in Panama City, Florida. Fellow Worcesterite, Jim Rancourt, rescues her from hell; but things are not as they seem. Margie ORourke decides to cremate her deceased husband, but her plans for his ashes are bizarre, frighteningly bizarre. Little Adela spends her first of many nights in a harem when she is only five. Grandma is led to believe that her stool is self-combusting. That is quite disturbing information for Grandma. Barney and Herb, two octogenarians, discuss cisgender and transgender issues in Dunkin Donuts over coffee. It is quite the hilarious conversation. These are just a few of the tales that make the Committee and Other Stories so uniquely enjoyable. It is a journey into the depths of the human spirit, illustrating the importance of laughter and the miracle of love.