Feel Good Friday

I haven't participated in this before, but thought I would today since I seem to have a mental block lately. If you don't know what Feel Good Friday is, visit The Girl Next Door Grows Up to find out about it.

So, I make a list of 5 things that made me happy this week. I will also say these things might have made me laugh, which always makes me happy.

1. I recently created an etsy store (is that redundant?) and within like an hour of putting up an afghan that I had been making, it sold! I am still blown away. This probably makes k-ster happier than it makes me because I spent like forever making this thing because I was using random colors and balls of yarn. I was happy to have it go to someone who wants it AND I made a little money in the process!

2. We had girls game night last night and played 2 games. The first, Apples to Apples didn't make me happy or laugh. Sorry, Apples to Apples creators, but it just wasn't fun. Do any of you enjoy this game? Maybe we were playing wrong. Then we played Taboo, a game I LOVE because I am quick with words when it comes to the describing part. Not so quick with the guessing, but I'm a good giver. I was monitoring the other team and my sister was giving. She had the word PAR but thought it was PAIR so she gave all the wrong clues. I was hysterical. She said you can eat these (thinking PEAR) or have one or two of them..... Somehow her team didn't get the word.

3. Laugh #3 involved Taboo again, but this time it was my mother. She was supposed to give clues for the word POLO and with so many taboo words she was having trouble. Her clues were "men play this in the water...with long sticks... wait did I say water? I mean they play it in the grass... with long sticks....Oh, pass!" We were dying. She said she said water because she was thinking of the game Marco Polo. That was a very good one.

4. I am the scholarship chair of a business group for women and we are giving 6 scholarships this year. Yesterday, we chose our 6 recipients who will get $1500 each and I am so excited because I get to call and tell them the fantastic news. Best part of my title!!

5. I used a different kind of saddle when I rode on Wednesday and though it was like starting all over again, I didn't fall off. I was able to do what she asked, for the most part, though not as smoothly as I have been. We were able to go out in the woods and I still had control. Maybe I have learned something about riding, after all.

Now pick your own Feel Good Friday fun stuff and link up!

Back On Track

Earlier today(like 3 minutes ago), I had a silent melt down because my ipod wasn't working and I had to go teach a class and needed the music. This wasn't quite the crisis it would have been if the class was a spin class where you MUST have music. Pilates can be done with nothing. But, I am in the middle of a book on tape that I need to finish listening to, plus, I couldn't figure out how to shut the damned thing off(hate no on/off buttons). This was my plea to the world:

My ipod has the white screen of death!! Everyone I know seems to have iphones so they don't know what to tell me. It's a little ipod nano that does marvelous things for me in the fitness world. I plugged it into the computer to recharge and it came up with a white screen but itunes recognized it. When I ejected it, it still didn't come to life. I tried to turn it off but can't. Nothing is working. I replugged it in and now itunes doesn't recognize it. Suggestions? I am off to teach pilates with no music. It's not so awful since it's at the beach and there is plenty of background noise. But I must have my ipod working!!!

Then I blogged white screen ipod and came up with the right answer. This site told me what to do and it worked! (once I figured out which two buttons they meant, that took a few minutes). Now everything is just dandy everything is being recognized and I still have to go teach that pilates class. You might remember, it's at the beach. A lovely concept, not so lovely in its execution. Some things are not meant to be done in the sand.

Ew, Ew, Ew, Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

This year, I decided to grow ground cherries in my garden. There is some technical name for them but I have forgotten. I chose to do this because a few years ago, someone had the plants for sale at the farmer's market and it looked interesting. Though the fruit was not yet ripe, she explained that they grow in sort of a pod/husk thing like this.

Then, when they fall on the ground (thus ground cherries), the husk with be papery and brown and you just open them and pop them in your mouth. They have a citrusy sort of taste, she said. This is what they look like when you open the husk.

They turn an orange sort of color and look like a tiny cherry tomato, like this. About the size of a marble.

How fun, I thought, to have a little paper bag for these little fruits. I'll just open the husk and "pop" them right into my mouth. This is what it looked like when I popped one in.


I wonder if I can describe the experience. I found all sorts of them on the ground, under the plant. I picked one up, removed the papery husk and thought "I don't even have to wash it since it's been in this husk the whole time." I popped it right in my mouth. First, I couldn't really bite into it. It was kind of like biting into one of those little rubber balls you use to play Jacks (remember that?). It was kind of a rubber ball feeling. You know when you eat a grape and there's that nice crisp burst as you eat it? Yeah, this didn't do that. But, I was determined to taste citrus from my very own garden, so I persevered. And then I tasted the citrus. Covered by foul. I do mean foul. It was like chicken grease meets citrus meets tomato.

In case that one was just a bad one, I tried another. Same thing. I couldn't even finish chewing, I just spit it out right there. And then I had to try just one more because it might have been that they were bad. No, they just taste awful. I have read that the taste is "different". Yes, it sure is. I have read that you can make a jelly. Why on earth would you go through all of that effort?

Therefore, I will never grow ground cherries again. I have a million of them on this one plant. I'm going to be THAT person running around to everyone going "Hey, taste THIS" and everyone will run from me in fear. They are like little balls of duck a l'orange growing in the garden with a texture that you can only discover by trying it yourself. But I hardly recommend it.

All Was Fair With Bucky

We went to the county fair to see Bucky Covington. I didn't know how much I enjoy his songs until he started singing them. I mainly wanted to go because I thought I liked him and it was only $10 to get in, so that's a pretty cheap concert.


The other thing that drew me to the fair was the promise of kangaroos. I like kangaroos. It was pretty hot, so they were pretty lazy.


Then there was this hideous thing. An albino kangaroo. I didn't know kangaroos really looked like rats, but this one sure did. For $10 I could hold a baby kangaroo but that seemed silly so I just took picture for free.

Then we looked at all the animals, k-ster indulged me so, and watched some horse pulling and some western riding. I used to think the horse pulling was really mean but my mother always tried to convince me that they love it. They do seem to get so exited as they are being hitched up and they sure don't look bothered afterward. I didn't get any pictures of the horses, not sure why. They were pretty impressive Belgians. Very large with hooves the size of my head, I am not kidding.

It was about 5:30, so we claimed our space on the lawn with our chairs. I had my fabulous circus chair which promised several times to snag my hair with the velcro until I put the top up on the chair and it was fine. We saw someone else with a solid color one. Then the thunder came but I pretended it was the military base next door. Then it got really dark for early evening. Then my sister texted to take cover fast. We debated and decided to move into a large tent and wait it out. While there, we were accosted by the man selling hot tubs in it, trying to give us the best deal ever since it was the last day of the fair. But I will not entertain the idea of a hot tub, so that was that. We got sick of him and moved on to another building with flower arrangements. It was a long wait there and k-ster kept suggesting that the show would be canceled but I could see bright sky. Then I called the main office, which I could almost see from the door but wasn't about to run through the rain and they said it was on. And just a half hour before the show, it stopped raining. It was a good show. He's funny and has a twin brother who plays the bongo drums. They are identical. I don't pay attention to American Idol, but I guess both brothers were on but only Bucky went somewhere with it. Looks like they are having fun anyway.


That's him there but my phone wasn't zooming enough.


There he is again, I swear.


One more, why not.

Definitely worth the $10 to get in, the $5 I spent on fried dough and the ugly pink dress I bought that looks like a little kid's dress I'm trying to squeeze into. That was not worth the $20 I paid. Remember when you were little and you had those fun summer dresses with the little spaghetti straps and the stretchy top? They've come back and I think they are fabulous on everyone else.

Not so fabulous on me. Maybe I saved this from when I was 8 and I'm trying to fit my adult body into it. I feel very fat and squished into this dress. I thought it would be my default dress for the rest of the summer but now I'm not so sure. Of course it's pink. You might remember my fascination with pink. I had seen other varieties of this dress all over the fair but wouldn't shell out $20 for one. Then I saw a pink one and I was SOLD. Fatty Patty must have made that decision for me.

5 Question Friday

Unable to come up with my own creative post for the day, I'm linking with Mama M for 5 Question Friday.

1. What were your school colors?

HIgh school: Green and White. I was always very happy about this because some schools have the GOD AWFULEST colors that no one looks good in. People look pretty good in green.

College: Black and gold. No one looks good in that pea-gold color they use for clothes. I hated those colors.

Masters: Who knows, I never went to the campus!

2. What's the best compliment you ever received?

People seem to like my teeth. I like them too. They are pretty straight though big and not yellow or nastified. I have a thing about people's teeth, it's one of the first things I look at. It's a good thing I have a decent set of my own.

3. Do you buy cheap or expensive toilet paper?

El Super Cheapo for me. I try to get recycled which is even rougher than rough, but I don't care. Recently I visited my sister who had, what I was pretty sure was a quilt on her toilet paper roll. I have never felt such thick toilet paper in my life and was truly not sure if I should flush it. Shocked at her lack of thrift, lack of concern for the septic system and blase attitude about the amount of paper being used, I commented that I was quite surprised. She claims that in the frenzy of moving, they ran out and were at The Home Depot and this brand was all they carried. My nether regions have NEVER seen such softness.

4. Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? Or have you had one for someone else?

Sadly, I have had 2 surprise parties thrown for me. I DO NOT like surprises. I'm not one of those people that says I don't like surprises but then secretly hopes you will surprise me. I really really really can't deal with surprises of any sort. Both were in college. The first totally blind sided me. We were having a meeting on our hall and everyone was out sitting on the floor and then halfway through some presents were produced and I just about DIED. Just about crawled through the floor. I tried to be cordial and explained that it was nice but DO NOT EVER do this again. I guess they thought I was kidding because they did it again next year. This went over much more poorly and I was not nice about it. I know, I was supposed to smile and say that it was so nice. When I tell someone I don't want them to do something, I expect them to respect my wishes and not do it. THinking that I really meant I wanted a surprise and doing it anyway is just disrespectful.

I have thrown a couple of surprise parties. You may find it odd that I condone this behavior toward anyone but myself, but really, I do find that most people enjoy the surprise. Permit me the luxury of telling this story, it's a bit long. If you have to go away and come back, I'll understand.

The best was our parents' 25th wedding anniversary party. We TOTALLY shocked them. It also showed how easy it would have been to lie to our parents for all those years and they'd never have known. Hindsight.... We had a big party in our yard and there were some guests that were quite unexpected, including a couple from out of town that we'd always heard about but never met. This was in the early internet days, so it was hard to just go look up strangers, but I managed to do it by phone and invite them out. That was surprise number 1 but our parents didn't know we had anything to do with it. Now, they were total strangers to us, but we asked them to help with the surprise, so they were very game and did an outstanding job. My parents had taken them down the river on the boat to show them a few things and as they started to come back (way too early), they used some great stalling tactics. At one point, the wife called me on the phone, and as I think of it now, this was really pre cell phone. We called them "car phones" back then and they were NOT common, so I have no idea how she called us. But she called to tell us they were coming back and early and WHAT SHOULD THEY DO?? Remember, this woman was basically a stranger. So, she feigned interest in some birds that are rare here. Then, I guess my father had been going ON about his truck, so they next thing they know, the husband JUMPS in the truck and says "Hey, I'll take it for a spin and see what it's all about" and somehow managed to slow things down. I guess this meant that my mother and the wife were in the car and I'm not sure what she did to stall them. when they came back, somehow together, they walked in to find the back yard full of people. This was really great.

I was just out of college and my sisters were pretty young, but we managed to get the food and decorations together without help. The coolest part for us was a video we had put together. Yes, it was a VIDEOTAPE. We took a million pictures that people sent us from when our parents were growing up and we had them put to music on a "movie". Then we somehow finagled borrowing a VCR and played it out on the deck for everyone. It seems like this kind of thing is so commonplace now, but digital pictures were just beginning, so slide shows like this were a phenomenon. The amazing part was that not one person spilled the beans. Later, my parents said there had been some strange things going on but they never put it together until afterward. We thought we were done for when an old man called my parents to wish them a happy 25th. Did I mention the party was a full month before the actual date? They thought that was the strangest thing of all but didn't know why he'd do it and thought he was having some kind of moment.

I have had a few little surprise parties for people but nothing compares to that. I think the thrill of doing all the sneaking around is what I like. It freaks me out that I like the sneaking and leading people astray. Does this mean I am a serial killer in the making?

My sister is DYING for a surprise party. She tells us every year how she would LOVE to have one. For her 30th, I really was going to have one. But I forgot! How could I forget that??? So her friend had one instead. I don't think it was as grand as she was hoping for: no sneaking around for months, creating elaborate settings and such, but I think she was happy. And I had nothing to do with it if she wasn't.

5. What is one material possession that you "can't live without"?

Books. Not a particular books, but reading material. I get panicky if I finish a book and then have nothing to read.

In case you were trying to read behind the lines, I REALLY DON'T LIKE SURPRISES. If you think I am just saying that and try to have a surprise anyway, you have been warned.

Demands

I received this notice in my mailbox today. I realize that I should be thankful that I get mail delivered to my house. And that it's not at the end of my driveway, but about 3 steps from my door. However, I'm REALLY annoyed that I have to either make sure no cars are in the driveway or move it to a more suitable location so the driver doesn't have to get out.

Imagine if everyone could just give out notices like this in their workplace. Mine would look like this:

Your Child Needs Attention:

Educational regulations require customers to provide and erect, at their own expense, children which meet official standards. A recent inspection disclosed the following failures:

1. your child has not been approved as a human being
2. your child needs attention
3. child must be able to speak loud enough that teachers do not have to crawl down on the floor in order to hear what he is saying
4. your child is dirty/smells
5. your child's hair needs to be cut as it is forever in front of the eyes and one does not know if he can even see through the mess
6. your child cannot return to school until his glasses are in clean, wearable order; shrugging the shoulders and saying "I can't find my glasses" will not be tolerated
7. your child's mouth is out of control
8. your child's butt crack/thong/boxers are exposed far too often
9. your daughter's breasts need to be wrangled in and housed in appropriate clothing where they will remain throughout the day

Please help us provide you with better service by correcting these faults by (date). After this date, educational services may be suspended until the faults are corrected. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

The Olden Days, When Traveling Was Fun

I went to help my sister move over the weekend and this involved a 1 hour flight. Living where we do, you must drive 1.5 hours to an airport, 2 to choose from, so it seems so absurd to drive for longer than I will fly. This trip inspired me once again to visit memory lane, where flying used to be a cinch. Remember when:

-you could arrive 20 minutes before take off and actually get on the very plane you wanted to travel on
-taking off your shoes was unheard of and probably considered unsanitary
-no one stood in security taking their clothes off
-people could actually smoke on planes
-people could actually fit in their seats on planes
-people could visit the pilot during the flight (ok, I don't remember that but I've seen it on TV)
-liquids over 3 ounces were allowed through security
-you just put your bags on the security belt without thinking about taking everything out first

I never ceases to amaze me when I watch people in the security line. Business people, people who clearly are dressed to get off the plane and attend a meeting right away, stand their in their socks/nylons, taking off belts, jackets, jewelry. It's amazing to me that society has caved and actually does what security wants. I remember when you could just breeze through. My father would take out his wallet, coins and pocket knife (can you IMAGINE???) and put it in the little bowl so he didn't set off the alarm and then pick them up , put them in his pocket and get on the plane.

This time, I experienced a new phenomenon at security. The full body scan. The part I found the most absurd was what you have to do with your hands. There you are, barefoot and in some cases, half dressed, and you have to face this booth with a curtain (that I kept expecting a magician to pop out of) with your hands over your head forming a triangle. They show you what to do and then tell you not to let your hands touch your head and then you stand there. Then they tell you to move over to the mat with the footprints painted on. And stand there until they tell you. But they don't tell you to stand there until they tell you to move, you stand there in this limbo wondering if you should move and should should your hands still be in triangle position over your head. The girl after me tried to leave the mat before being told she was allowed to. We never saw her again. I'm kidding, they told her she had to go back. And then a voice on a small radio gave the ok and I was allowed to get my stuff, put my shoes back on and be on my way.

Then on the plane itself, everything is just so tight. I am a small person and I still have trouble fitting properly. I'm mostly amazed that the flight attendants' unions haven't put their foot down(with no shoe of course) and demanded that the aisles be wider and things go back to being slightly more spacious. Imagine how few people would be disgruntled on planes if they had some space to move!

My experience on both flights was peculiar. In this age of super vigilance about tickets, and IDs matching names, etc. I was allowed to just hop on an earlier flight going out. I literally said "I'm on the next flight, I'm not on standby yet.." and she grabbed my boarding pass without even looking at it and told me to just get on this one. Then I had nothing to hand the guy at the gate and he yelled over to her and she just waved her hand. There were 27 people missing from the roster of that plane and they called everyone by name and when they didn't appear, they actually said that if anyone wanted to get on this flight they could and that's how I got away with it. This was a very 1970's airport scene, not 2010.

Coming home was also weird. After being told it was a full flight, they closed the door and did their seatbelt/lifevest spiel. Then we sat. Then someone knocked on the door. I'm serious, knocked on the door. And the flight attendant opened it. I was sitting in the very front row so I saw it all. He said they would be bringing on more people and then walked away. No one knew who or why. Then the pilot came out. He looked more like he was on his way to a frat party than piloting through the friendly skies. He asked why the door was open and no one knew. So he got on the mic and said that he was not sure why but he would make up a story that he thought was right and then go check it out. So we sat for about 15 more minutes while about 5 people got on and then we left. He never checked out his story and that made me annoyed. This was another scene from what seemed like a different decade. It was more like we were on a bus than a plane.