The Belated Swiss Days Post

I have been meaning to post about this for a while and then forgot all about it.

There are all sorts of Festivals throughout our state all summer long.  One of these happens to be Swiss Days in the little town of Midway.  In case you didn't know, many of the little towns in Utah were settled by Swiss Immigrants.  Midway is one of them.

One of the things that makes this festival so popular is the number and variety of vendors.  I would describe it as an arts & crafts fair, a holiday boutique, and home decor show, with lots of food and treats to choose from all rolled up into one tiny town's big festival.

Throughout the past 14 years of living here, I kept hearing about Swiss Days.  It seems like the thing to do the weekend going into Labor Day is for women, their mothers, sisters, friends, etc. to attend Swiss Days.  And it never failed that whenever I'd see someone with great wall art or a fabulous piece of clothing, they'd always say, "Got it at Swiss Days."

I posted on FB in August about how I was contemplating venturing down to Swiss Days this year, as I had been a Swiss Days Virgin up to that point.  Well, that started a thread of conversation, which led to my friends Mel, Meesh and I planning our Swiss Days excursion.  Mel (and her daughter Syd) had been before and Meesh & I approached it like children experiencing Christmas for the first time.

I had a list of some things I hoped to find.  I had desperately needed a new purse and had the money set aside for that.  I was also on the lookout for certain Christmas gifts.

So with my list and money in hand, we left home early Saturday morning and got down there before the parade started.  I noticed a few parking lots just outside of town which provided free shuttle service to and from the center of Swiss Days.  However, Mel, being the veteran of the group, poo-pooed that as she had the inside scoop.  We drove on into town and at the very edge of the action there was a small private cul de sac of about 4 homes.  Apparently, these neighbors open their driveways, yards, and curbs for Swiss Days Parking, for a fee of course.  It was worth it to pay the $10 vehicle charge and be parked close, especially if one of use wanted to purchase a big item.  What a pain that would have been to lug around.  I had heard from others who went that at times they had to wait 40 minutes for a shuttle.   We counted the cars that were parked in the circle at any given time and figured they easily brought in $1000 each day of the festival...  divided by the 4 houses, that's not bad.  We noticed that the husbands were the ones running the parking operation.  We joked that the wives were over at Swiss Days spending the parking money.  Probably not far from the truth.

Anyway -- we saw lots of fun things, some odd, some unique, and some way over-priced.  The grossest thing I saw was a booth selling baby dolls with REAL HAIR.  They were promoting this by showing that since the hair was REAL, you could actually style the doll's hair, then wash it out, etc.  The thought of the buying locks from other people, and then transplanting it into these doll heads made me nearly lose my breakfast.  I throw up in my mouth again now just thinking about it.  Bleh.

I had the chance to listen to artist Jon McNaughton speak about a month before and was impressed by his (controversial) artwork {{McNaughton Artwork}}.  Let's just say he mixes politics and religion in his art and many people do NOT like it.  His belief is that our Constitution was Divinely Inspired, and that our government and society have seem to forgotten that over the years.  Regardless what you believe, I think it's interesting at how much controversial attention his work draws. I mean, people can paint nudes and put them in museums and call it "art" and yet, they cringe because this guy chooses to display his political and/or religious beliefs through his work?  Something doesn't seem right about that.  Anyway -- back to the post...  This artist was there, signing his work.  I was so excited and had to buy one of his prints.

I found the Christmas gifts I was looking for and for much less than I expected to pay, which was awesome.  I would show you, except it would ruin the surprise for the recipients.

Previously, I had seen some handbags I loved online, priced anywhere from $50-$120.  I didn't want to spend that much. I looked at nearby retailers (Kohl's, Tarjay) and purses were still $40-$60, although none were the right size or style I liked.  I have always done smaller purses.  But, this time I wanted a larger handbag.  Something big enough to conceal my gun (when needed) and something I could stuff a notebook in for class. I also wanted something red.  I love red.

Then I saw it -- the bag I wanted  NEEDED was at Swiss Days and it was just under $40!  They had 1 red bag left, so I took that as an Omen and bought it before someone else could snatch it up.

As many of you know, I also have a thing for spoon rings.  Well, the price was right for this little diddy, and I couldn't resist.  I love it.  It was truly the one "splurge" for me.

For lunch, they had everything from Navajo Tacos (fry bread) to anything else greasy on a stick and deep friend you can imagine.  But, I was good and had a grilled chicken breast and a bowlful of fresh berries.  My only food-splurge was the caramel apple we split at the end of the day.  Oh sooo good.

So, there you have it.  My review of Swiss Days.  Will I go again?  Definitely.

Thanks Meesh, Mel & Syd for making it so much fun!

{{More on Midway Swiss Days HERE}}

Is It Just Me, or What?

Sometimes the best thing you can do is laugh at yourself. I wish I would have learned that in my younger days. Over the last few years especially, I have learned not to take myself so seriously all the time, not to worry about what others think about me (or at least not like I used to), and that laughter really can be the best medicine. What's that movie quote?? "If you can't laugh at yourself, life's gonna be a whole lot longer than you like." Besides, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

I've taken the color personality test before. But recently I took it again for kicks and giggles. Most everyone has a primary and secondary "color code". My primary is yellow, and here is the gist of what that means....

"Yellows are motivated by FUN. You are instinctively happy and gravitate to people and situations that provide carefree adventure and playful interactions. Even under the most serious of circumstances or daunting tasks, you and your YELLOW (buddies/girlfriends), will seek an element of personal fulfillment and spontaneous enjoyment in the experience. Spontaneous play and genuine "in the moment" FUN are not merely important to you - they are as essential to your very being as eating....

you are inviting and embrace life as a party that you're hosting. You love playful interaction and can be extremely sociable. YELLOWS need to be adored and praised, especially by their partners. While you are carefree, you are quite sensitive and highly alert to others' agendas to control you. You carry within yourself the gift of a good heart, and are happy to share it with your significant other...

You are happy, articulate, engaging of others and crave adventure. Easily distracted, you can never sit still for long. You embrace each day in the "present tense" and choose people to be around who, like you, enjoy a curious nature.

You are not a boring person. In fact, you are often the life of the party wherever you go and whatever you do. You always have something to talk about, and you are constantly getting yourself into unbelievably funny situations. Potential partners love this about you because they know that there will never be a dull moment and that they will never have to worry about a lack of entertainment.

One of the greatest gifts that you have to offer is that you have an amazing heart. You tend to reserve it for those by whom you feel adored, but you give it so freely when you find that special someone. Not only do you have a great heart, but you are able to create romantic moments and memories. You are easy to fall in love with just as you love easily and openly. Your partner will know that you would do anything for them, which is very endearing."

So, yes... I'd have to say that about sums me up! lol... well there's more. But like I said, that is the gist of it. Anyway, as I find myself in "unbelievably funny situations", I wonder, "Is it just me?" or "Why do things like this always happen to me?" or "Do my yellow spidey senses make me more prone to stuff like this???

Case(s) in Point (just this past week-week and a half):

#1) Recently, I was sitting in the library doing homework. The guy at the table directly to my left bent over to get something from his bag. Total plumber's crack. So, then I sort of shift my chair to the right a little and that guy didn't even NEED to be bending over for me to glimpse his coin slot! So, in an effort to regain any ability to focus, I just faced my chair straight ahead. And I am 100% dead serious when I say that right before my eyes, Comb-Over-Man BENT OVER and was totally wreaking Crack-Havoc! So, then what did I do? I logged on to Facebook of course, to post that "Crack" was the free feature in the library that night and a warning to kids everywhere to say "no" to "crack"... **sigh** I totally crack myself up over how clever I am :p

#2) A few weeks ago, I headed to the library to take a test for school. When I got to the parking lot, I realized that my shirt was on INSIDE OUT! And it was waaaaay obvious. After much debate on whether or not to jaunt across the parking lot and dodge in the ladies room before being apprehended by the fashion police, I pulled my van into a far corner of the lot and quickly fixed my shirt.

#3) Recently, I was getting ready to go somewhere, but needed to put a new coat of polish on my nails. I figured I'd drive real carefully so as not to mess them up. Problem was, as soon as I got outside, I realized my keys were in the front pocket of my jeans. I had to ask my neighbor to fish them out for me.

#4) While at the library a second time this week, I realized - once I got there of course - my PANTS were INSIDE OUT! Doh! Who DOES that? (tee hee... me, i guess)

#5) Friday, I was shopping for school clothes for the kids. And when I shop, I don't mess around. So, there I was, walking briskly through Tar-Jay, when somehow, all of a sudden, my purse grabs hold of a clothing rack and, well -- "Nothin' to see here folks...move along... just a semi- crazy lady picking up the rack of clothes she just knocked over."

and Finally...

#6) Saturday night, I get in the van to go down to meet a friend in American Fork. I notice a total string of bird poo all down my window. Bleh. I know it's harmless since it's on the outside. However I also know myself well enough to know that it will distract me! So, I make a quick play for the car wash. I put my window down, pay the guys, and then ...uh, oh. Power window will not come back up. Uh-oh... line is forming behind me. Usually, if it "sticks", I just wait about 10 seconds and then it just fine. But, not this time. The guys had to have the ENTIRE LINE of cars BACK.UP. so I could get out of the car-wash "track". Then, I drove around to the back of the line! Luckily by the time I got up to the front again, the window had gone up. The guys were just sort of shaking their heads, laughing.

And that is just a SAMPLING of my life over the course of about 10 days! lol! In the words of Kaye Kaye... I know y'all are jealous and want to be me :)

So again, I wonder.... is it just me? Is my personality somehow a catalyst for these types of situations? Or is it like my one friend says, that while "things like this may happen to others, they are not able to laugh at themselves and put a humorous spin on it."

Who knows? But I will say this about me and my big, bad yellowness...

I AM happy (even in all my dorky-glory). I DO enjoy my "adventures". I CAN laugh at myself and I WILL always invite others to laugh along too!


For more about the color code personality test, go {here}.

The Somethingeruther Or Whatever-it-is

Just how many men does it take to haul a big somethingeruther or whatever-it-is from one town to the next???


First, you need a driver to haul the big somethingeruther or whatever-it-is...
Then you will need a member of the Utah Highway Patrol to escort you both in front and in back...

Next you will need a handful of Utah Power workers to hold up the power lines to make room for the big somethingeruther or whatever-it-is...

And Finally, you will need about a bajillion spectators to pull over to the side of the road, waiting for this entourage to pass, while gawking ridiculously at it inches by that you forget you CAN GO when it's CLEAR!!!!! ... sheesh....

Saturday Schedule

• Marinade Steaks for BBQ party.
• Drop niece off at her house after a movie and sleepover night.
• Make Marshmallow-Fudge Brownies for BBQ party.
• Make Citrus-Shrimp Salad for BBQ party.
• Get Notes prepared for Sunday Meeting.
• Finalize lesson I am teaching for Relief Society on Sunday.
• Assign PrettyPrettyPrincess to use Magic Eraser to "erase" her name from old dollhouse.
• Assign FunnyMan and LittleDuckling to load doll house into van.
• Drive to see old college roomie.
• Unload old dollhouse for old college roomie's daughter.
• Stay and visit with old college roomie for BBQ & slip-n-slide (kids, not me!) par-tay.
• Eat salad, steak, a smidge of a brownie and her Authentic Japanese Potstickers!!!!!!!!!
• Drive home stuffed and tired and ready for beddy-bye :)

Yep... should be a good one!

Family Vacation: The End

Day 4 of our vacation was mainly the day we packed up and left for home. We slept in till about 9am, did the breakfast thing at the hotel, and I was able to get everything packed up and loaded neatly in the van by 10:40. We checked out and then said our goodbyes to Cedar City.


The night before I visited the RedBox and checked out a handful of DVDs for our trip back. My car stereo has an auxilliary input where I can use an AV chord to plug in my iPod or phone or laptop and get hands free surround sound. It's way cool. So, we hook up my laptop (which is postioned between the 2 front seats, on top of cooler #1) and we are set for movies with surround sound! Oh, and I also have a power cord adapter with 3 input areas, so I can charge my laptop, iPod and phone all at once too. Again, waaay cool!


My oldest got to drive about 30 minutes (on a stretch that I was comfortable with!) from one rest stop to the next, so he thought that was cool.


After a brief pull-the-car-over-and-have-a-discussion moment with the 2 youngers, they all behaved extremely well the rest of the way home.


I have to say that I really enjoyed our visit, and I would recommend it to anyone. As far as the shows at the Shakespeare Festival, those were fun. I was glad I researched the shows ahead of time and picked the ones I thought my kids would enjoy. I was also glad I bought the matinee tickets and not tickets for the evening performances. They were a little cheaper, which means I could afford the seats I wanted. Although, my kids noticed there were a lot more "blue hairs" at the afternoon shows, than what the lines revealed for the evening shows. I told them that was because they had to be done in time to eat dinner at the 4:30pm early bird special! lol!


I would also have to say that I'd recommend the Abbey Inn of Cedar City to anyone.


Normally, I despise staying in "motels". Many times in Motels, even though they tell you it's a non-smoking room, you can smell the smoke in the walls and carpets. The blankets are thin, the mattresses lumpy, and they scrimp on the number of pillows they give you (I always pack a few extra). Once I stayed in a motel for a quickie passing-thru-town-and-need-a-place-to-crash night. The "continental breakfast" the next morning consisted of Little Debbie Honey Buns and coffee. The pool, if they have one sort of looks like a cess pool and there just doesn't seem to be enough bleach to kill what's floating in there. Also, once housekeeping stole a digital camera I had LOCKED in the room "safe". So, yes. I really, really, really hate staying in Motels. I much prefer HOTELS to MOTELS. Or better yet a bed and breakfast or really nice cabin!


However, like I said, I would recommend the Abbey Inn to ANYONE. It is newly remodeled and just feels luxorious. Classy looking rooms with fine linens (850 threadcount Egyptian Cotton sheets), brand new pillowtop matresses, 4 feather pillows per bed (good for my knees and hips!), granite countertops, Bath & Body complimentary products in the bathroom, an indoor pool and hottub, a cute little "Breakfast House" with a full service breakfast where you can get waffles, biscuits & gravy, eggs, sausage, oatmeal, muffins, bagels, toast, fresh fruit, or cereal. My kids loved the 42" Flat screen TVs too and they brought their xBox so we could play games and watch DVDs at night. The management staff and housekeeping were clean and friendly and ALL of them spoke English (a plus!). Also, ALL of the rooms are smoke-free. I never caught a whif of cigs and I never so much as even heard the guests on either side of our room. Oh, and they also had free Wi-Fi, so it was really easy to upload my pics each night and keep up with blogging! =D


I did happen to walk past the Honeymoon suite while they were cleaning it one morning. It looks verrrrry nice and would make a cute anniversary getaway too! Oh, and they also have a 4 bedroom house just north of the Inn that they rent out too, for larger families or groups.


So, all in all we had a lot of fun playing and relaxing and eating! Thanks for coming along with us on our virtual journey with us!!!

Family Vacation: Shakespeare & Maggie Moo's

Day Three of our vacation was even more relaxing than Day Two, if that is even possible. I sent the kids to breakfast before it closed at 10, and then we sort of lounged around before going to lunch at The Pizza Factory, which by the way always "gets" me with their divine BreadTwists and fabulous Salad Bar. We have one in Salt Lake and are even more excited they are building one in our town!

Anyway, after lunch we went to see Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing". We had third row seats on the side, which was really nice. The kids enjoyed being that close to the stage and the actors did such a fabulous job bringing out the characters that in spite of the "language" they really understood what was going on, especially the boys. I had to explain a few things to my daughter, but even she enjoyed it. It was lively and super funny. My middle one, who is the quiet solemn one even said to me yesterday, "Thanks mom. Both of the shows were good." The fact that he even SPOKE about them means he enjoyed them.

After the show we walked a little around the campus and took a peek in the "Shakespearian Theatre". (our shows were in other theaters) There was a rehearsal going on, so we couldn't take pictures, but it was cool to see the outdoor theater and the architectural design. We took a few pics of the campus, and I may have just sold my son on the idea of coming here for college in a few years.

Of course we came back to the hotel and relaxed and swam and ate dinner and then watched movies until we fell asleep. It was a good day! Here are a few pics!

Family Vacation: Ninjas, 39 Steps and a Lighthouse!

For day two of our vacation we ate lunch at a place called Ninja's Japanese Steakhouse. The kids were sad they don't fire up their tables until dinner, but with my budget, we are doing sit down restaurants for lunches, not dinners. It was still fun. We watched the Sushi chefs at the sushi bar and we got our fill of good food too. We especially enjoyed their Tempura Roll, Beef Negimaki, and Chicken Yakitori.

Following the Ninja Steakhouse we went to see the Providence Lighthouse. It is a landlocked REAL lighthouse here in Cedar City. The developers of the new shopping center plaza were asked to create a "buzz" and make this shopping plaza unique. They had a lighthouse disassembled in Europe, shipped over here and reassembled. It is the "Providence Lighthouse" and "lights the way" to the shopping. You can see it from the freeway too, so I am sure it definitely created a buzz!

That afternoon we went over to our matinee performance of Alfred Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps". It was totally hilarious as 4 actors played roughly 150 different characters. The scene changes were uber quick as were the costume changes. This is, hands down, one of the best plays I have ever seen. The kids absolutely loved it and we all laughed and laughed. We had front row seats to this performance, which was even better!

Afterwards we took a quick peek around SUU campus and then headed back to the Abbey Inn for dinner and swimming. It was a nice day and very relaxing! Here are a few pics!

Family + Friends + Food + Firepit = Fun!

I hope the weather cooperates! Thunderstorms are afoot, so I hope they either hurry and come today and be gone by tomorrow, or hold off until Sunday altogether. I've got a cookout planned for tomorrow - and it's gonna be awesome!

By the way ~ who says grilling is just for men? Even when I was married I did the grilling. FunnyMan did express interest though, yesterday. He requested that I teach him how to grill as he is getting older and feels it is part of manhood to learn, LOL.

I am planning Italian Pesto Chicken Skewers, Steak Shish kabobs, Fruit Pizza (or brownies if I run out of time), and Homemade Rootbeer! The others are bringing the chips and other drinks and goodies. My mouth is watering already just thinking about it. I was only going to do the chicken skewers but the New York steak was on sale the other day. So, I got a pack of 3 steaks, and figured if I cut them up and used them for Kabobs, they'd go further. I will have to let you know how it all turns out.

In other news... my kids wanted a firepit for the backyard, to roast marshmallows. (Don't know where they get THAT from!) Last year I said no. But this year, I was sort of pricing them out. Still out of my price range. I paid for my books and tuition and had a smidge of grant money left over for misc. living expenses. I put that towards 2 months' rent and a few extra groceries, which freed up some of my funds from my regular working paycheck. I went back to one store where I saw the firepits. They had come down in price a little more. Hmmm...Tempting. I wondered if I waited if they'd be all gone. Just as I was contemplating my options, the store manager walked past and asked if he could help me. I asked him if they had any more of the firepits. I was thinking if they still had tons, I'd wait another week or two and see if they came down any more. Instead the manager says, "Actually, I think this one [pointing to the floor model] is our last." "Oh..." I sort of let out softly. He could tell I was slightly disappointed, although I think he misunderstood my reason. He quickly adds, "I'd be happy to take another $10 off if you want to go ahead and buy this one." This man had himself a deal!

The kids were excited when I brought the small firepit table home. And all I have heard for 3 days is, "Can we roast marshmallows tonight?" I advised them that we had yard work and housework first. Finally, last night they got their wish and we started a fire and they made S'mores. Our backyard neighbor kid even hopped the fence to join us, as did some of FunnyMan's friends. They all had so much fun - I foresee MANY S'more making nights this summer.

Oh, and on a side note to my side-yard neighbors... I will just go ahead and apologize right now for any and all smoke that blows your way... **sheepish grin** However, just know that anytime we are out there, you have a standing invitation to come on over and have some S'mores with us!!! No need to ask!

My back yard pretty much sucks and I have a nightmarish tree that poo-poos branches all over the place anytime there is the slightest breeze. Somehow the firepit makes the backyard suck just a little less :)

So, there you have it! I am all excited now! I will have to let you know how it goes.

Emma Thinks...

Sometimes I'm a copy cat. I'd never, ever , EVER cut someone in line. But would I steal an idea for a blog post??? You betcha! Thanks Rhondalue for this one...

I went to google and typed, "Emma thinks"... apparently this is what I think...

Emma thinks the sun is too bright.
true...only if I don't have my shades on and I am driving towards the sun. hate that.

Emma thinks she's a big dog.
someone is probably just jealous... seriously though, don't start calling me E-Dawg...

Emma thinks she's pregnant.
wow... i mean i have eggs, just no "egg-cooker", so this would be like miraculous!

Emma thinks that a Cougar on the TV is real and she keeps trying to touch it.
must have been when I was on my xanax and sleepwalking or something!

Emma thinks they're fountains.
hey - if it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck...

Emma thinks this rock makes a pretty good chair.
only while backpacking or hiking and needing a well-deserved rest!

Emma thinks that she must be the daughter of a gentleman.
now this i know... my father IS a gentleman!

Emma thinks on her life and the hardships she went through to become what she is.
I ponder this one a lot! my trials have certainly helped define me.

Emma thinks that he feels the same
yeah. i DO think that he feels the same... just hasn't figured it out yet...


Go ahead, replace YOUR name in the google search and see what YOU are thinking!

Finish It Friday (A Meme)

If you wanna play along, just copy and paste (changing the answer to reflect you) into your own blog.

Finish these Sentences...

1. I’ve come to realize that my last kiss……
was freaking awesome!!!

2. I am listening to…
John Mayer...his Live Album - yummo!

3. I talk…
as a way to sort out the jumbled randomness in my head.

4. I love…
too easily.

5. My best friends…
love me for who I am, in spite of my incessant talking.

6. My first real kiss….
included a lot more slobber than I was prepared for. I wasn't sure if he was trying to kiss me or drown me! lol!

7. There is no…
place like home.

8. Marriage…
is something I'd like a second chance at.

9. Somewhere, someone is thinking…
what the heck happened to that quirky girl that used to talk so much? I wonder if she blogs... (yeah, right! hehehe)

10. I’ll always remember…
my first love...[sigh]...I was 15 (no - he is not the same as #6!)

11. The last time I really cried was because…
my heart ached.

12. My cell phone…
is on 24-7.

13. When I wake up in the morning…
I hit snooze (several times), and then have to make a mad dash to avoid being late.

14. Before I go to bed…
I pray.

15. Right now I am thinking about…
love.

16. Babies are…
all grown up in my house. :(

17. I get on MySpace…
about as often as I file my annual taxes! :) (i really prefer FB)

18. Today I…
ate fresh Bing cherries.

19. Tomorrow I will be…
doing my "long run" at the gym.

20. I really want to be…
thinner.

21. I am allergic to…
Penicillin.

22. I am annoyed by…
egotistical people who think they are also smart.

23. One food I refuse to eat is…
squid.

24. The most recent thing I’ve learned is…
I need to pray until something changes (the "something" could mean the situation, my attitude, or my heart).

25. The number one thing on my bucket list is…
to finish school.

26. Something I’ve always wanted to learn to do is…
play the guitar really well.

27. I have a high tolerance for…
the truly underprivileged.

28. I have a low tolerance for…
lazy people and plebs.

29. I wish…
I was a published author.

30. The one person I would happily make a fool out of myself if I ever saw in person…
well, it is not unusual for me to "happily make a fool out of myself" in front of anyone. I wouldn't change that for anyone else. I just have to be me.

My Many Names

I've done these before. This one is slightly different, but still fun. Give it a go!

WITNESS PROTECTION NAME:
(father and mother's middle names)
E. Leigh

NASCAR NAME:
(first name of your mother's dad, father's dad)
Ray Samuel

STAR WARS NAME:
(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name)
Panemm

DETECTIVE NAME:
(favorite color, favorite animal)
Black Dog

SOAP OPERA NAME:
(middle name, town where you were born)
Christine Elkhart

SUPERHERO NAME:
(2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning)
The Red Tahitian Treat

FLY NAME:
(first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name)
Empa

STREET NAME:
(fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie)
Black Cherry No Bake

SKANK NAME:
(1st pet's name, street you grew up on)
Popeye CR 18

GANGSTA NAME:
(first 3 letters of first name plus 'izzle')
Emmizzle

YOUR GOTH NAME:
(black, and the name of one of your pets)
Black Kiddo

STRIPPER NAME:
(name of your fav perfume/cologne, fav candy)
Tommy Boy Caramel

A Game of Tag ala Bookworm!

How about a game of Tag for today's Festive Friday with Fun on the Blog!

Here is how to play:

1. Open the book closest to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment.

2. Turn to page 56....

3. Write out the fifth sentence, as well as the two to five sentences following.

(I am at work, and the ONLY book I have here is "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis.)

'Not at the moment,' said the Hard-Bitten Ghost. 'But I never saw one of those bright mornings that didn't turn to rain later on. And, by gum, when it does rain here! Ah, you hadn't thought of that? It hadn't occurred to you that with the sort of water they have here every raindrop will make a hole in you, like a machine-gun bullet. That's their little joke, you see.

So, there you have it. Sort of fun, eh? I love things taken out of context sometimes. (whew! It's a good thing the 'closest' book wasn't some smut-romance book!)

Ok - You're Turn! Tag, you're it! Let me know if you plan to play, and I'll be over to check your blog! Or, you can just post the lines from p. 56 of your closest book here in the comment forum - heck it might even be more fun that way! Can't wait!

Would You Rather...

Ever played that game "Would You Rather...?" Y'know the one; You are given two HORRIBLE choices, and you HAVE to choose one - no exceptions. The other night I roped Big-D into playing this. Perhaps it was the Night-Time, Make-You-Drowsy Cold Medicine that made it particularly enjoyable. Nonetheless I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants.

I figured why not permit my "bloggy fans" the same degree of entertainment? So, for your bloggy pleasure this is today's segment of Festive Fridays with Fun on the Blog - here we go! Just leave your answers in the comment forum.

WOULD YOU RATHER...

1) Poop your pants in public OR Have someone throw up on you?

2) Make out with Ted Kennedy OR Verne Troyer?
(or for the opposite sex, you can pick between Roseanne Barr or Rosie O'Donnell)

3) Eat a bowful of worms OR Lamb's Fry (click here to see what Lamb's Fry is)?

4) Be stranded on a deserted island Alone OR with someone you hate?

5) Lose your Arms OR your Legs?

6) Have 1 billion dollars OR find your true love?

7) Never have a hot shower OR never be able to sleep?

8) Hit your thumb with a hammer or shoot your big toe with a nail gun?

9) Go a whole day without brushing your teeth or without wearing deodorant?

10) Play this game or get back to work?

Go Team!

With the Pro Football and Basketball seasons in session, I started looking at some of their cheerleaders/dancers the other day. A few things seemed to stand out... 1) The uniforms have definitely gotten smaller 2) The moves have definitely gotten sexier 3) The girls aren't even that cute (but who cares when the spectators are just watching their sexy moves in small uniforms anyway). I had 3 cousins who were cheerleaders and my sisters and I were all on the drill team and danced every half-time show too. So, I don't have anything against cheerleaders. I did laugh however, when I remembered that one of my "dreams" as a little girl was to be a cheerleader; Right up there with Ballerina, Teacher, and President I suppose. Anyway - Here is my Bloggy Tribute to Cheerleaders...

Look how long those skirts are! And they even had boy cheerleaders back then too!

I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE the "beauty pageant" wave these cheerleaders are all executing so well! Skirts getting a tad shorter.
And of course you can't have a cheerleader tribute without the SNL cheerleaders. Go Spartans!

Poor kid. Perhaps a prerequisite should be weightlifting before you can become a male cheerleader.

This has got to be photo-shop, eh?

Ha ha! This gal's cheering for the WRONG TEAM! Look at the other girls look at her!

Look at the "spotters". While the one on the right is perhaps "spotting" funny underpants, the one on the left is faced with either some funky stainage or perhaps no underpants at all. Either way, she is totally grossed out.

And shame on that boy on the left...

What a GREAT summer camp skit! There are 4 girls "backstage". Two girls did the hands and heads, while 2 others did the feet! hilarious!

"We are the cheerleaders, couldn't be prouder

If you can't hear us, we'll yell a little louder!"

Go! Fight! Win!

What's Your Name?

I think we have all heard the "scientific" way to determine your "porn-star" or "stripper" name. [Please note the authors view: I do not condone stripping/performing nude on camera or for anyone outside the bonds of marriage - - and even then...hmmm, he'd better catch me in a good mood!]

Anyway, so you're supposed to take the name of your childhood pet and combine it with the name of the street on which you grew up. Since the only memory I have of Popeye the Beagle, is watching him run down the dirt lane only to meet his fate with the UPS truck, I will use the name of the next pet, Pepper. (I think Pepper - the big black dog - bit my sister's hand, so we gave her back after only three days.) Anyway. Pepper it is. I first lived on CR 18, so, I will go with "18". Hence, my porn-star name is "Pepper 18". Nice. What's your porn-star name?

Now for some more "Scientific" fun for this Friday's Segment of Festive Fridays with Fun on the Blog... check out the following!

1) What is your Pro Wrestling Name? Mine is Velvet Priestess
click here for male version
click here for female version

2) What is your Gangster name? Phat Chinaman
click here for gangster name

3) What is your Pirate Name? First Mate Emma Dirty-nose, the filthiest scourge that wears pantyhose in or around the Black hole of Calcutta.
click here for pirate name

and finally...

4) What is your Superhero Name? The Sensational Samurai
click here for superhero name

Engrish

For today's Festive Friday with Fun on the Blog - it's the final segment of our making-fun-of-English Tribute week!

Probably the funniest thing about the English language is when it is translated from another language. About 7 years ago I ran across this website Engrish.com A man had been traveling back and forth to Japan so often and started to notice all of the errors in English advertisements (mostly due to the Japanese confusion of R's & L's). He decided to post them online. Here are some of my favs... oh - and it is funnier if read out-loud.

Hmmm.... perhaps virtual bowling is virtually boring!

Infectious Laugh - not Infections. And he is a hot item, not that he is a hottie! tee hee!

I think they mean "smells" refreshing...
How many wishes does one exactly get with his lunch? Let's not be Greedy!

Personally, I like to Lub Rotion on my dry hands.

I always feel re-fleshed after drinking lemon.

(double click to read print)

so - what you're saying is these are diapers?

Oh good... cuz I trined others that weren't so plentiful taste.

Trying to eat pizza which delivers various tastes always eases my anxiety!

hmmm... I'll leave this one alone.

I am assuming this is next to a fire extinguisher?

Hmmm - Dericious!

too funny!

Will someone please order the car to stop eating??? oh - you mean Odor-Eater!!!

Stay away from the brown ones.

Maybe you could wash it down with chunky milk too?

By the way - this is a package of men's boxers.

Bottled?

because batteries are always so tempting...

"Spray on teenage son before letting him leave for date"

Headlines

One of my favorite things about The Tonight Show is when Jay Leno does Monday night headlines. Granted, it's not Monday night. However, in celebration this week of improper grammer, misspelled words, incorrect use of punctutation and perhaps English taken out of context...what else makes sense? So - here we go... Headlines!