I woke to a noise, not a clang or a gong,
It sounded more like small voices in song-
It's morning I’m sure, there is sun through the curtain
That noise I’m hearing –it’s a song I’m quite certain
But why am I awakened by this wee little song-
I’m alone in this bedroom, no, wait am I wrong?
And that is when I saw them.
It was Monday morning, a week ago that I encountered the vision. It’s taken me a whole week to process this terrifying event and encase it in cryptic verse. I was minding my own business, getting a few extra Z’s before the week started.
I usually start Monday morning by giving thanks. Thanks for the warm bed I slept in, thanks for the roof over my head, thanks for the wonderful people in my life, you know, just to start the week in a positive frame of mind.
Well, this particular Monday I woke to a wee song, it started out low, and then it started to grow, and the room was filled with the sound of a vision, and there they were.
Da hoo dor-a, dah hoo dor-a
Welcome Monday, bring your light
Da hoo dor-a, dah hoo dor-a
Welcome in the cold dark night
Welcome Monday, ba hoo ram as
Welcome Monday, ba hoo ram as
Welcome Monday while we stand
Heart to heart and hand to hand
Welcome, welcome, da hoo dar-a
Welcome, welcome da hoo dor-a
Monday morning’s in our grasp
Long as we have hands to clasp
Every Who down in Whoville, the big and the small
Every Who down in Whoville, the short and the tall
Hands clasped in a circle, the notes just a ringing
Swaying to and fro, all those Who voices signing!
They were clear as day with their holly wreaths, big furry feet, and round little faces and big buggy eyes. I could see their furry butts, long feathery fingers and goofy bow ties. They were all there, everyone prismatic- the colors so bright - striped bellies, two toned tummies and spiky hair in a rainbow of colors. (Except of course, Cindy Lou Who-who was no more than two- she was almost human looking so I have to assume she was adopted- and what’s up with her feet? Does she have any or was she put up for adoption by mutant mermaids?).
Now, I’m not one of those people who loathes Mondays. In fact, I like Mondays. I actually take a few minutes out of my Sunday to make a list of things I want to accomplish in the next week. I like to hit the ground running on Monday, because I know that the more I get done on Monday, the more wiggle room I have at the end of the week, so mid-week, when the you- know- what starts hitting the fan, I’ve got it covered. I like to start the week off in a happy fashion.
But this, this was just too much. I was frozen with fear. Terrified by the implications.
How the hell did those Whos get in my house? Was I having a nightmare or did I eat a three decker toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce from which I was suffering hallucinations? What would Freud say?
I hid under the covers and started my thanks, thank you for not making me a schizophrenic- You didn’t, did you? Thank you for my feet planted firmly on the ground, thank you for my sanity, thank you for the results of that recent brain scan that said I was perfectly normal.
I loosened the grip my lids had on my eyeballs and peeked out from under the covers. Nothing. It was quiet, they were gone, not a bistel bingler, or pan cuckler in sight to prove they had been here.
Now another Monday’s dawning, for me and for you
I hope on this Monday, you take a clue from a Who
If you’re one of those people, and get in that state
The start of the week, yes, Mondays you just seem to hate,
Take a moment to say thanks as the week ushers in
Let your heart grow three sizes and say "welcome" with a grin.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Aghast I Tell You, Aghast!
So I was real busy this past week, hardly had time to write a note to myself. In all the scuttling about I was having a bit of writers block. I mean, I was getting ideas alright, but I wasn’t able to sit right down, right then, and pay attention to them and they seemed to flutter away with indignation. When I did have time to sit down and pay attention, they were off on some exotic vacation. Yes, I jotted notes, but a note does not a blog article make.
Then, it seemed suddenly the ideas were gone. The well was dry. I was experiencing the proverbial writers block. Rather than fret I decided to take two hours off from the world and watch an old movie. Elizabeth Taylor, Paris, The 40’s, sounded just divine.
So I start watching and I realize right away this is a movie about regrets, as the star (Van Johnson) walks around Paris with a wistful look on his face. He’s remembering things lost. Well. OK, so it’s not a comedy or a light hearted romantic romp. Still, in the dark depth of someone else’s misery can’t one find redemption? (Wow- that sounded good didn’t it? I wasn’t really thinking that but hey, who would know, right? I was actually thinking dang, I picked a sad movie, it didn’t say sad on the cover). I decided to watch it anyway.
So I start getting into this movie and I am aghast (Aghast just popped in my head so I looked it up, the definition was “filled with consternation”- oh, that’s helpful. I looked up consternation, the definition was “surprise and anxiety or dismay” Perfect!), aghast I tell you, I was aghast to find that the central story line is about the failure of Van Johnson to become a successful writer!
OH you twisted fate! How could I have picked this movie? Could it be a joke of the Gods, are they sitting up there laughing?
I watched in aghast as the writer-guy typed ferociously, pencil in mouth for those frequent stops to cross out and note a change. (Can you imagine? No cut and paste? No spell check? ). Pile of crumpled papers at his feet growing.
Finally! He is finished. Celebration! Wine, song, dancing! But then, the rejections start coming in. No one wants his great novel. They all say Oh, very nice, but sorry, doesn’t fit our needs at this time.
Time passes in movie land, Liz and Van have a child, start getting older, he writes a few more novels. Rejections are raining down on him. They sprout up at every turn. They follow him relentlessly. No one wants his novel, nor his novel #2, nor novel #3. He’s loosing it. He turns to the booze.
At this point I pause the film and grab a bottle of wine and a glass- hey, at least I used a glass, he was swiggin’ right from the bottle!
In movie land the relationship is flowing down the drain; they both take up running around with party people. He can’t think of a sentence to put on paper, his well has been pumped dry from all the rejection.
OK, I’m fine I tell myself as I pour another glass, I mean, hey- I’ve only received about 168 rejections for my first book. And the second one? Well, that’s just a small handful- say 87. I’m sure my well is not dry dry; it’s just temporarily slightly evaporated. I heard that Margaret Mitchell had somewhere around 350 rejections for Gone With The Wind before it got picked up- do you think she was hitting the bottle? Wait, It’s only a movie for heaven’s sake!
So the grand finale is coming, the writer is careening around like a sports car that popped a tire on a tight turn. He gets drunk on a cold, dark, rainy, sleety, nasty weather night. The wife is out with a “friend” so he comes home, puts the chain lock in place and passes out on the stairs. She comes home, can’t get in, walks across Paris to her sisters, catches pneumonia and dies. Bummer.
Good Lord Almighty! Madre Di Dios! Is this the vocation I’ve chosen for myself? Is this what happens to rejected writers? Is this the result of the well going dry? Am I gonna end up on skid row, a rejected, alcoholic writer with an accidental murder conviction?
Calm, remain calm, it’s just a movie. A writer’s ghost, a vision from some (F. Scott Fitzgerald) twisted writers mind. I wonder how many times the MS (that’s Manuscript- for those of you who are not in the “biz”) was rejected? I wonder how many times the screenplay was rejected?
It’s just a movie. I’m sure my well is about to gush. At least I haven’t accidentally killed my loved one.
Then, it seemed suddenly the ideas were gone. The well was dry. I was experiencing the proverbial writers block. Rather than fret I decided to take two hours off from the world and watch an old movie. Elizabeth Taylor, Paris, The 40’s, sounded just divine.
So I start watching and I realize right away this is a movie about regrets, as the star (Van Johnson) walks around Paris with a wistful look on his face. He’s remembering things lost. Well. OK, so it’s not a comedy or a light hearted romantic romp. Still, in the dark depth of someone else’s misery can’t one find redemption? (Wow- that sounded good didn’t it? I wasn’t really thinking that but hey, who would know, right? I was actually thinking dang, I picked a sad movie, it didn’t say sad on the cover). I decided to watch it anyway.
So I start getting into this movie and I am aghast (Aghast just popped in my head so I looked it up, the definition was “filled with consternation”- oh, that’s helpful. I looked up consternation, the definition was “surprise and anxiety or dismay” Perfect!), aghast I tell you, I was aghast to find that the central story line is about the failure of Van Johnson to become a successful writer!
OH you twisted fate! How could I have picked this movie? Could it be a joke of the Gods, are they sitting up there laughing?
I watched in aghast as the writer-guy typed ferociously, pencil in mouth for those frequent stops to cross out and note a change. (Can you imagine? No cut and paste? No spell check? ). Pile of crumpled papers at his feet growing.
Finally! He is finished. Celebration! Wine, song, dancing! But then, the rejections start coming in. No one wants his great novel. They all say Oh, very nice, but sorry, doesn’t fit our needs at this time.
Time passes in movie land, Liz and Van have a child, start getting older, he writes a few more novels. Rejections are raining down on him. They sprout up at every turn. They follow him relentlessly. No one wants his novel, nor his novel #2, nor novel #3. He’s loosing it. He turns to the booze.
At this point I pause the film and grab a bottle of wine and a glass- hey, at least I used a glass, he was swiggin’ right from the bottle!
In movie land the relationship is flowing down the drain; they both take up running around with party people. He can’t think of a sentence to put on paper, his well has been pumped dry from all the rejection.
OK, I’m fine I tell myself as I pour another glass, I mean, hey- I’ve only received about 168 rejections for my first book. And the second one? Well, that’s just a small handful- say 87. I’m sure my well is not dry dry; it’s just temporarily slightly evaporated. I heard that Margaret Mitchell had somewhere around 350 rejections for Gone With The Wind before it got picked up- do you think she was hitting the bottle? Wait, It’s only a movie for heaven’s sake!
So the grand finale is coming, the writer is careening around like a sports car that popped a tire on a tight turn. He gets drunk on a cold, dark, rainy, sleety, nasty weather night. The wife is out with a “friend” so he comes home, puts the chain lock in place and passes out on the stairs. She comes home, can’t get in, walks across Paris to her sisters, catches pneumonia and dies. Bummer.
Good Lord Almighty! Madre Di Dios! Is this the vocation I’ve chosen for myself? Is this what happens to rejected writers? Is this the result of the well going dry? Am I gonna end up on skid row, a rejected, alcoholic writer with an accidental murder conviction?
Calm, remain calm, it’s just a movie. A writer’s ghost, a vision from some (F. Scott Fitzgerald) twisted writers mind. I wonder how many times the MS (that’s Manuscript- for those of you who are not in the “biz”) was rejected? I wonder how many times the screenplay was rejected?
It’s just a movie. I’m sure my well is about to gush. At least I haven’t accidentally killed my loved one.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Send Samples
Ok, I'm already getting feedback in my e-mail box about my favorite chocolate post. Friends, relatives, strangers...please send your feedback to the comments section- don't be shy, we are all friends here!
Apparently I have less than stellular taste. I've committed grave errors in analyzing chocolate. My taste buds are all in my head. I wouldn't know good chocolate if I saw it on the street.
Chocolate fans are a devoted bunch, and they know what they like.
Now, if you happen to think I neglected to include some incredible very best chocolate, or you think you have found a better than anything on my list chocolate- Don't just send feedback, Send samples.
Maybe my list does need revising, maybe I just haven't tried the very best, maybe I'm chocolate ignorant! So help me out here.
Please send samples of the chocolates you feel I've neglected.
I will try any samples that ya'll want to send and get back to you in a new post about chocolate. I will announce the new winners, if their are any (note the subtle challenge here) by the end of the month. OK- on your mark, set, go! (to the chocolate store and to the post office!).
PS if you don’t have my address, e-mail me, I will send it to you.
Apparently I have less than stellular taste. I've committed grave errors in analyzing chocolate. My taste buds are all in my head. I wouldn't know good chocolate if I saw it on the street.
Chocolate fans are a devoted bunch, and they know what they like.
Now, if you happen to think I neglected to include some incredible very best chocolate, or you think you have found a better than anything on my list chocolate- Don't just send feedback, Send samples.
Maybe my list does need revising, maybe I just haven't tried the very best, maybe I'm chocolate ignorant! So help me out here.
Please send samples of the chocolates you feel I've neglected.
I will try any samples that ya'll want to send and get back to you in a new post about chocolate. I will announce the new winners, if their are any (note the subtle challenge here) by the end of the month. OK- on your mark, set, go! (to the chocolate store and to the post office!).
PS if you don’t have my address, e-mail me, I will send it to you.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Get Ready for Valentine's Day Chocolate Guide
Valentines Day is upon us and as far as I’m concerned that means it’s time to talk about chocolate.
Now, I would love to be the professional writer who gets an assignment like - taste all the premium chocolates on the market and write a nifty little article about the best ones.
I’m not a professional writer, and I don’t have an editor to give me a great assignment like that but hey- as my valentine to you, let me tell you what I’ve discovered in just a little searching.
Chocolate comes from the cocoa tree, it starts as a bean and is fermented, dried, pounded and made into a paste. Apparently the first chocolaholics were the Maya. Everyone, rich and poor, drank chocolate- the trees grew in the Maya region. They mixed the cocoa paste with chili peppers, cornmeal and other spices. They didn’t have sugar, so their cocoa was a bitter spicy drink.
Then the Aztecs arrived on the scene and took cocoa beans home. Because it was a fancy import, only the rich drank cocoa. Montezuma was reported to drink 50 cups a day, and his court consumed about 2000 cups a day! (How do those smarty pants archeologists know that?) The Aztecs drank their cocoa paste with vanilla and black pepper- they called it chocolatl.
Enter the Spanish who took the drink back to Spain, threw out the spicy stuff and added sugar and cinnamon. Remind me to call Haagen Dazs, their incredibly delicious special edition chocolate cinnamon ice cream should be called Spanish Chocolate, not Mayan Chocolate!
The Spanish seemed to have kept the lid on the cocoa for quite a while, but eventually Europe got wind of it and started making their own "white bread version" with sugar and milk. Chocolate snowballed from there, countries planted cocoa plantations and the industrial revolution made manufacturing easier. Now of course the next part of the chocolate revolution is occurring as science proclaims dark chocolate good for you and designer chocolates are being made in small shops all over the world.
Chocolate has signified devotion, passion, and health for centuries, and I think that does make it the perfect way to say I love you, to your self or someone else. To assist you in choosing just the right way to say I love you with chocolate, I’ve compiled this guide of my personal favorite ways to eat chocolate. Please Plagiarize!
When it comes to plain chocolate, I like the 70% cocoa, get into the 80-90% and I find it a little bitter. For a reasonable price, I think Lindt is one of the best. Compared to the 70% bars, milk chocolate and things like mass produced “chocolate” bars with fillings and crunchy things added are like eating a big block of sugar. The real chocolate flavor is lost, so why bother?
I love chocolate ice cream, and Haagen Dazs rules. Don’t boo! Let me explain! They make a killer Mayan Chocolate and the Chocolate Caramel swirl is pretty darn good to. Now, I know you all are gonna say Ben and Jerry’s, but they put to many chewy things in the ice cream. If God meant ice cream to have chunks in it cream would naturally freeze into cubes. Ok, Ok, I know some of you are thinking Blue Bell, but that’s hard to get in some places, and I’m sure there are other regional favorites as well, but I have to say, as much as I like homemade, I don’t think anyone does creamy chocolaty like Haagen Dazs.
When it comes to chocolates- meaning gobs of sweet stuff covered with chocolate, it’s Godiva all the way. Their Key Lime Truffles are the best, followed by any of their fruity in the center chocolates. I can do with out the chocolate on chocolate (to boring) and the chocolate on nut cream filling (their most popular, but in my book to bland.) Their hot chocolate is nothing to sneeze at either.
Now if you want to make your sweetie a chocolate surprise, make a cake. I will tell you how to make it with a dash of something extra that will warm the heart and lift the libido – does this sound like a scene from that movie Chocolat? Which, by the way is the perfect movie to share with your sweetie on Valentine’s day- that movie, a box of chocolates, a glass of a good spicy red wine and you will be set for an evening of romance!
Yes, I’m going to share the secrets to an extraordinary chocolate cake.
#1 Use only the best 70% or higher chocolate. Scharffen Berger is a good one; you can buy it in a block and grate it.
#2 - Red chili. Yes, red chili, preferably Hatch New Mexico hot. For all you Yankees reading, I’m not talking about chili with tomatoes, beans, meat and (GASP!) rice and a dash of chili seasoning. I’m talking about pure red chili pods dried and ground into powder.
Chili brings out the warm, earthy, raw flavor of the chocolate. Red chili, as the Mayans knew, and New Mexicans know, warms the heart and attracts love and passion. Try adding a few tablespoons of it to the cake batter and the frosting as well, you will see what I mean. If you follow this advice and use the best chocolate and red chili, it doesn’t really matter what cake recipe you use, your cake is gonna be the best your sweetie ever tasted.
Hope you get a bunch of chocolate for Valentine’s Day. Chocolate still signifies devotion, passion and health, and these are all wishes that should come from your self to your self . If you also get chocolate from a sweetie, well that’s just icing on the cake.
Now, I would love to be the professional writer who gets an assignment like - taste all the premium chocolates on the market and write a nifty little article about the best ones.
I’m not a professional writer, and I don’t have an editor to give me a great assignment like that but hey- as my valentine to you, let me tell you what I’ve discovered in just a little searching.
Chocolate comes from the cocoa tree, it starts as a bean and is fermented, dried, pounded and made into a paste. Apparently the first chocolaholics were the Maya. Everyone, rich and poor, drank chocolate- the trees grew in the Maya region. They mixed the cocoa paste with chili peppers, cornmeal and other spices. They didn’t have sugar, so their cocoa was a bitter spicy drink.
Then the Aztecs arrived on the scene and took cocoa beans home. Because it was a fancy import, only the rich drank cocoa. Montezuma was reported to drink 50 cups a day, and his court consumed about 2000 cups a day! (How do those smarty pants archeologists know that?) The Aztecs drank their cocoa paste with vanilla and black pepper- they called it chocolatl.
Enter the Spanish who took the drink back to Spain, threw out the spicy stuff and added sugar and cinnamon. Remind me to call Haagen Dazs, their incredibly delicious special edition chocolate cinnamon ice cream should be called Spanish Chocolate, not Mayan Chocolate!
The Spanish seemed to have kept the lid on the cocoa for quite a while, but eventually Europe got wind of it and started making their own "white bread version" with sugar and milk. Chocolate snowballed from there, countries planted cocoa plantations and the industrial revolution made manufacturing easier. Now of course the next part of the chocolate revolution is occurring as science proclaims dark chocolate good for you and designer chocolates are being made in small shops all over the world.
Chocolate has signified devotion, passion, and health for centuries, and I think that does make it the perfect way to say I love you, to your self or someone else. To assist you in choosing just the right way to say I love you with chocolate, I’ve compiled this guide of my personal favorite ways to eat chocolate. Please Plagiarize!
When it comes to plain chocolate, I like the 70% cocoa, get into the 80-90% and I find it a little bitter. For a reasonable price, I think Lindt is one of the best. Compared to the 70% bars, milk chocolate and things like mass produced “chocolate” bars with fillings and crunchy things added are like eating a big block of sugar. The real chocolate flavor is lost, so why bother?
I love chocolate ice cream, and Haagen Dazs rules. Don’t boo! Let me explain! They make a killer Mayan Chocolate and the Chocolate Caramel swirl is pretty darn good to. Now, I know you all are gonna say Ben and Jerry’s, but they put to many chewy things in the ice cream. If God meant ice cream to have chunks in it cream would naturally freeze into cubes. Ok, Ok, I know some of you are thinking Blue Bell, but that’s hard to get in some places, and I’m sure there are other regional favorites as well, but I have to say, as much as I like homemade, I don’t think anyone does creamy chocolaty like Haagen Dazs.
When it comes to chocolates- meaning gobs of sweet stuff covered with chocolate, it’s Godiva all the way. Their Key Lime Truffles are the best, followed by any of their fruity in the center chocolates. I can do with out the chocolate on chocolate (to boring) and the chocolate on nut cream filling (their most popular, but in my book to bland.) Their hot chocolate is nothing to sneeze at either.
Now if you want to make your sweetie a chocolate surprise, make a cake. I will tell you how to make it with a dash of something extra that will warm the heart and lift the libido – does this sound like a scene from that movie Chocolat? Which, by the way is the perfect movie to share with your sweetie on Valentine’s day- that movie, a box of chocolates, a glass of a good spicy red wine and you will be set for an evening of romance!
Yes, I’m going to share the secrets to an extraordinary chocolate cake.
#1 Use only the best 70% or higher chocolate. Scharffen Berger is a good one; you can buy it in a block and grate it.
#2 - Red chili. Yes, red chili, preferably Hatch New Mexico hot. For all you Yankees reading, I’m not talking about chili with tomatoes, beans, meat and (GASP!) rice and a dash of chili seasoning. I’m talking about pure red chili pods dried and ground into powder.
Chili brings out the warm, earthy, raw flavor of the chocolate. Red chili, as the Mayans knew, and New Mexicans know, warms the heart and attracts love and passion. Try adding a few tablespoons of it to the cake batter and the frosting as well, you will see what I mean. If you follow this advice and use the best chocolate and red chili, it doesn’t really matter what cake recipe you use, your cake is gonna be the best your sweetie ever tasted.
Hope you get a bunch of chocolate for Valentine’s Day. Chocolate still signifies devotion, passion and health, and these are all wishes that should come from your self to your self . If you also get chocolate from a sweetie, well that’s just icing on the cake.
Speaking of Chocolate...
Remember that line from the movie Forrest Gump, where Forrest says his momma told him life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get? Well, I think it’s missing something-the second half of the line.
I recently bought a big box of chocolates. They were all pretty and yummy looking and I knew I was gonna love some of them and I would probably not care for some of them, but I was going to bite them all just the same.
And I did. I bite every one of them and I never did know what I was gonna get. Sometimes I was thrilled to find raspberry, mint, or caramel, some of my favorites. Other times I took a bite and found something that was good, but not great, like vanilla or chocolate cream. Those I put back. Then some times I got a bite of something that I really didn’t like, such as hazelnut or peanut or strawberry nougat, UCK. I spit out the bite as fast as I could and placed the rest of it back in the box.
Yes, back in the box. I was living every kid’s fantasy of taking a bite out of every chocolate in the box and being allowed to put the ucky ones back. When I was done with the box, which didn’t take long because I only ate what I really liked, about a third of them, I felt really happy with the candies I had eaten, and I was fine with the fact that I had tossed the rest of them out.
And I had discovered the missing line from Forrest Gump.
The complete line goes like this: Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get, but you can always spit it out if you don’t like it and pick another one.
If you need to practice letting go of what you don’t like, a big box of chocolates is a good place to start. Remember, just because you picked it up and took a bite doesn't mean you have to eat the whole thing. Now, spitting isn't always pleasant, in fact, you might consider it gross while you are in the process. Spitting often upsets the people around you, but don't you feel better after you "spit it out!" - Whatever it is?
In life, if you don't like the result of your choices, you can choose to move onto something that suits you better.
Oh, and if you liked Forrest Gump, try the 1970’s version, “Being There” starring Peter Sellers.
I recently bought a big box of chocolates. They were all pretty and yummy looking and I knew I was gonna love some of them and I would probably not care for some of them, but I was going to bite them all just the same.
And I did. I bite every one of them and I never did know what I was gonna get. Sometimes I was thrilled to find raspberry, mint, or caramel, some of my favorites. Other times I took a bite and found something that was good, but not great, like vanilla or chocolate cream. Those I put back. Then some times I got a bite of something that I really didn’t like, such as hazelnut or peanut or strawberry nougat, UCK. I spit out the bite as fast as I could and placed the rest of it back in the box.
Yes, back in the box. I was living every kid’s fantasy of taking a bite out of every chocolate in the box and being allowed to put the ucky ones back. When I was done with the box, which didn’t take long because I only ate what I really liked, about a third of them, I felt really happy with the candies I had eaten, and I was fine with the fact that I had tossed the rest of them out.
And I had discovered the missing line from Forrest Gump.
The complete line goes like this: Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get, but you can always spit it out if you don’t like it and pick another one.
If you need to practice letting go of what you don’t like, a big box of chocolates is a good place to start. Remember, just because you picked it up and took a bite doesn't mean you have to eat the whole thing. Now, spitting isn't always pleasant, in fact, you might consider it gross while you are in the process. Spitting often upsets the people around you, but don't you feel better after you "spit it out!" - Whatever it is?
In life, if you don't like the result of your choices, you can choose to move onto something that suits you better.
Oh, and if you liked Forrest Gump, try the 1970’s version, “Being There” starring Peter Sellers.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Jimmy Buffett, Margaritas and Beaches
OK, Y'all know I was thinking of beaches last week ( if you don't, go back and read TGIT? ) and the funny thing was, that very evening my friend called me and warned me that she was gonna drop by on her way home from work. Then she started talking about listening to Jimmy Buffett at work and how she was thinking about the beach and margaritas.
Talk about two people being on the same wave length!
Maybe we were having some kinda psychic connection or something, or maybe it's true that great minds think alike. Anyhow, she showed up at my house after work and had a couple of adorable margarita glasses in her hand- you know, the kind with the big cactus stem? Too Cute!
Anyway, I just happen to have a bottle of tequila, triple sec, some key lime juice, margarita salt and ice! Isn't that a strange concidence! Is this some amazing psychic phenomenon? Is it a case of the second sight? Some kinda leak of information from a parallel universe?
Is time just like a big old stack of pancakes that we can sometimes glimpse through and see the future? I don't know, but after a couple of margaritas we had all kinda theories.
Anyway, this post is for my friend and for everyone out there who is having a beach of a day. Come on back anytime ya feel like seeing the beach, and enjoy my photos of some of the beaches I've visited.
Big Island, Hawaii
Kona Coast Big Island, Hawaii
Long Island, New York
Oahu, Hawaii
Galveston, Texas
Cancun, Mexico
Key West, Florida
Isla Mujeras, Mexico
Oahu, Hawaii
Talk about two people being on the same wave length!
Maybe we were having some kinda psychic connection or something, or maybe it's true that great minds think alike. Anyhow, she showed up at my house after work and had a couple of adorable margarita glasses in her hand- you know, the kind with the big cactus stem? Too Cute!
Anyway, I just happen to have a bottle of tequila, triple sec, some key lime juice, margarita salt and ice! Isn't that a strange concidence! Is this some amazing psychic phenomenon? Is it a case of the second sight? Some kinda leak of information from a parallel universe?
Is time just like a big old stack of pancakes that we can sometimes glimpse through and see the future? I don't know, but after a couple of margaritas we had all kinda theories.
Anyway, this post is for my friend and for everyone out there who is having a beach of a day. Come on back anytime ya feel like seeing the beach, and enjoy my photos of some of the beaches I've visited.
Big Island, Hawaii
Kona Coast Big Island, Hawaii
Long Island, New York
Oahu, Hawaii
Galveston, Texas
Cancun, Mexico
Key West, Florida
Isla Mujeras, Mexico
Oahu, HawaiiPensacola, Florida
Friday, February 1, 2008
Mensa Quiz- are you ready?
I've been fortunate in my life to collect a lot of friends. In fact, I've got so many friends I could probably easily spend the next 3 years just bumming around, sleeping on couches, raiding refrigrators and not doing nothin' at all, and I would see a large part of the world in the process.
Lucky me.
I was contemplating my friends the other day and in particular, my Mensa certified friends. Yes, you know, the smarty pants club. Some of my friends are members.
I'm thinking of one friend in particular. Very unassuming, you would never know looking at her that she's a genius. However, if you ask her a few hard questions and listen carefully you will get the idea there is something above average going on here. You do not want- I repeat- do not want to challenge this gal in a puzzle contest.
If you knew the number of times I've ignored good advice from this friend, you would understand why I'm not Mensa certified.
My mind meandered from her to all my genius -but -didn't -take -the -test friends, like my friend who is a rocket scientist. I just love going out with her (" well Mr. Smart Ass, as a matter of fact, she is a rocket scientist- and I'm a doctor, what do you do?") and the guy I know who figures out how to bounce lasers off weather systems and the guy who teaches advanced mathematics at the university level and the physicist who works with optics. All of them could be certifiable- oh, I mean certified.
Then I meandered on to my non-certified friends, the ones that wouldn't even think about taking the test but are "all smarty" just the same.
Like the entrepreneur who juggles 3 small business ventures, 2 teenage girls, 327 immediate and extended family members, 2 cats, a household, a church youth group, one ex-husband and a long distance relationship with a charming motor head. This lady still has time for prayers in the morning, home cooked dinner parties for her 327 immediate and extended family members ( on, I must add, 327 cute -as -a -bug vintage place settings), planting sunflowers, tending the garden and harvesting the seeds to store for winter baking projects.
She might not pass the Mensa exam, but put her eye to eye with a stranger and in five minutes she can ferret out a rat if there happens to be one hiding there. Does Mensa have a question to test an ability like that?
Well, that got me all curious, so I went out and got "Mensa Brain Bafflers" by PJ Carter and KA Russell. (" The Official Mensa Puzzle Book"! )
So, here is an example of what I found- This is gonna be fun, I mean, we are bright, aren't we?
Question 1: "How Old Is Mary?"
The combined ages of Mary and Anne are 44 years, and Mary is twice as old as Anne was when Mary was half as old as Anne will be when Anne is three times as old as Mary was when Mary was three times as old as Anne. How old is Mary?
Um, could you repeat the question? Is this an open book test?
Ok, let's move on, the next one looks easier-
Question 2 :"Dishes"
How many guests are there?" said the official."I do not know" said the cook, " but every two used a dish for rice between them, every three used a dish for broth between them, and every four used a dish for meat between them."There were 65 dishes in all, how many guests were there?
You gotta be kidding. Where are the warm up questions? Can I use a calculator?
Pretty much the whole book is like this. No, I did not find any questions to test your ability to negotiate a hectic lifestyle. No, I didn't find questions to measure you ability to be compassionate, although I find my Mensa friends seem to have both qualities.
I did not find questions that would measure your ability to answer the big important questions in life. But who knows? Maybe being able to ponder these comlicated problems, reguardless of whether or not you get the answer, can effect your ability to ponder your maker, or the reason you love someone, or how to handle the stress in your life. Maybe it's not the answer, but the pondering that really measures your intellegence. Or maybe it's just the fact that you would take the time and effort to ponder at all.
Then I start looking at my friends as a group and they all have a few things in common. Like a predilection for dry humor, and the ability to laugh at themselves. Like adventurous natures, open minds, and a willingness to take risks. They are comfortable with change and have the ability to empathise with others. They seem to ponder a lot. My friends are generous in nature, and certified, certifiable, or not, they are a bunch of smart, interesting people.
So, I will say it again, Lucky me.
PS Mary is 271/2 years old, and there were 60 guests (65x12/13=60)
Anyone with an IQ score in the top two percent of the population can join Mensa
(yes, they test you)- for more info go to www.us.mensa.org
Lucky me.
I was contemplating my friends the other day and in particular, my Mensa certified friends. Yes, you know, the smarty pants club. Some of my friends are members.
I'm thinking of one friend in particular. Very unassuming, you would never know looking at her that she's a genius. However, if you ask her a few hard questions and listen carefully you will get the idea there is something above average going on here. You do not want- I repeat- do not want to challenge this gal in a puzzle contest.
If you knew the number of times I've ignored good advice from this friend, you would understand why I'm not Mensa certified.
My mind meandered from her to all my genius -but -didn't -take -the -test friends, like my friend who is a rocket scientist. I just love going out with her (" well Mr. Smart Ass, as a matter of fact, she is a rocket scientist- and I'm a doctor, what do you do?") and the guy I know who figures out how to bounce lasers off weather systems and the guy who teaches advanced mathematics at the university level and the physicist who works with optics. All of them could be certifiable- oh, I mean certified.
Then I meandered on to my non-certified friends, the ones that wouldn't even think about taking the test but are "all smarty" just the same.
Like the entrepreneur who juggles 3 small business ventures, 2 teenage girls, 327 immediate and extended family members, 2 cats, a household, a church youth group, one ex-husband and a long distance relationship with a charming motor head. This lady still has time for prayers in the morning, home cooked dinner parties for her 327 immediate and extended family members ( on, I must add, 327 cute -as -a -bug vintage place settings), planting sunflowers, tending the garden and harvesting the seeds to store for winter baking projects.
She might not pass the Mensa exam, but put her eye to eye with a stranger and in five minutes she can ferret out a rat if there happens to be one hiding there. Does Mensa have a question to test an ability like that?
Well, that got me all curious, so I went out and got "Mensa Brain Bafflers" by PJ Carter and KA Russell. (" The Official Mensa Puzzle Book"! )
So, here is an example of what I found- This is gonna be fun, I mean, we are bright, aren't we?
Question 1: "How Old Is Mary?"
The combined ages of Mary and Anne are 44 years, and Mary is twice as old as Anne was when Mary was half as old as Anne will be when Anne is three times as old as Mary was when Mary was three times as old as Anne. How old is Mary?
Um, could you repeat the question? Is this an open book test?
Ok, let's move on, the next one looks easier-
Question 2 :"Dishes"
How many guests are there?" said the official."I do not know" said the cook, " but every two used a dish for rice between them, every three used a dish for broth between them, and every four used a dish for meat between them."There were 65 dishes in all, how many guests were there?
You gotta be kidding. Where are the warm up questions? Can I use a calculator?
Pretty much the whole book is like this. No, I did not find any questions to test your ability to negotiate a hectic lifestyle. No, I didn't find questions to measure you ability to be compassionate, although I find my Mensa friends seem to have both qualities.
I did not find questions that would measure your ability to answer the big important questions in life. But who knows? Maybe being able to ponder these comlicated problems, reguardless of whether or not you get the answer, can effect your ability to ponder your maker, or the reason you love someone, or how to handle the stress in your life. Maybe it's not the answer, but the pondering that really measures your intellegence. Or maybe it's just the fact that you would take the time and effort to ponder at all.
Then I start looking at my friends as a group and they all have a few things in common. Like a predilection for dry humor, and the ability to laugh at themselves. Like adventurous natures, open minds, and a willingness to take risks. They are comfortable with change and have the ability to empathise with others. They seem to ponder a lot. My friends are generous in nature, and certified, certifiable, or not, they are a bunch of smart, interesting people.
So, I will say it again, Lucky me.
PS Mary is 271/2 years old, and there were 60 guests (65x12/13=60)
Anyone with an IQ score in the top two percent of the population can join Mensa
(yes, they test you)- for more info go to www.us.mensa.org
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