You never know what sort of person you might meet in the course of normal, daily routines.

Last week I found myself on the big blue couch at Les Schwab, waiting on new tires for the van.

I sat quietly with my notebook, pondering what I might write about for this column when I noticed a lady sitting across from me reading a book. I thought: Maybe I should strike up a conversation, I'm sure she wouldn't mind pausing from her book for some small talk.

But then I thought better of it, she was fairly engrossed in the reading and I left her alone.

A few moments later, she got up to get some popcorn and she gave me a big smile when she sat back down. That was all I needed.

I introduced myself and asked her name

"Pat Malone, but my friends call me Fruitcake," she said.

Huh? Is this a joke?

Pat giggled and explained, "I'm a clown!" whereupon she pulled out her business card, which surely enough, proved her right.

"Fruitcake The Clown - All Occasions Clown Foolery - Parties * Picnics *Grand Openings."

What luck, I thought.

I see plenty of clowns when I'm out driving on the highway, but I've never had the opportunity to talk to one, and this isn't just any clown, as I was soon to learn.

Without much provocation, Fruitcake Pat went directly into an energetic outline of her work for me in a rapid patter, punctuated with big smiles and gestures.

"I do clowning all around the area, at nursing homes and healthcare centers, like Stafford Suites Assisted Living Center in Kent and Life Care Center in Auburn," she said.

"I visit the Alzheimer's unit at Stafford Health in Des Moines once a month."

How did you get started as a clown, Pat?

"Well, I played music at Hallmark Manor, the Convalescent home here in Federal Way for a few years and I saw a need for humor... I went to Clown School at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and studied under a number of famous clowns and later, I went to Burley Idaho to study one on one with Frosty Little...I've been a clown for eighteen years now!"

With those credentials and a teacher with a name like Frosty, this clown has to be good.

So you visit nursing homes and special schools, Fruitcake?

"Yes, I'm 75 now," she said, "so I have to cut down on the parties, but I'm going over the pass next weekend for a fiddler's workshop with my husband, Bob."

So, there's a Mr. Fruitcake?

"Oh, Bob and I have been married for 56 years and we've lived in Twin Lakes since '79...he's retired military and he's wonderful to put up with me all these years."

That's neat, Fruitcake!..You must be good at your job, right?

"I taught clowning for the Federal Way Parks Department and I'm also a musician...I play the concertina, harmonica and fiddle (I'm a member of the Washington Old Time Fiddlers) and I've played the accordion for twelve years," she said.

That's a lot of musical ability, Fruitcake.

"It's so much fun to be able to play and not have to plug anything in," she added.

I was smiling like a little kid at the circus while Fruitcake continued unabated,

"I'm an 'auguste' clown and I do a couple of different characters...my favorite is a Raggedy Ann, with the rosy cheeks and the big eyelashes...I do bubbles and ballooning...I can do a couple of hundred different balloons!" Wow... "ballooning, clowning"..these are industry terms, aren't they?

"Oh yes," she said, "we have clown conventions, with clowns from all over the world...there's the Clowns of America International and I'm a member of the World Clown Association...we have contests and games at the convention where we work on 'paradability'...we just walk around and do something silly."

I looked at her business card and wondered how much a clown makes these days.

"Oh, I don't charge anything anymore," she admitted. "I ask for donations for the Washington Old Time Fiddlers instead... we need to teach this old time music to the kids."

I decided that I love this clown.

I was daydreaming about a convention center crawling with people in fuzzy wigs, red rubber noses and floppy shoes when Pat's name was called by the tire guy.

I had one more question: How do I know you're not just clowning around with me, Pat?

"You can see my picture at BigfootClownAlley.Com, it's under the member's section."

Honk, Honk.