What is a childhood memory that still haunts you?
I was 4 years old. The house that we lived in had just been completed, and we had moved in about 3 months prior. We had just returned from visiting my grandparents for the weekend. I carried my stuff from the car to my bedroom, flipped on the lightswitch, and turned around to close the door. Resting about 2 inches above the switchplate on the wall was this:
I screamed bloody murder, and mom and dad came running. I was quickly ushered out of the bedroom while my dad "took care of things". I like how they have the quarter for a reference in this picture, but the one in my bedroom was much bigger, honestly. (And not just in my 4-year-old mind!) My dad had to use a yardstick to get it off my wall! If I recall correctly, most normal ones in Arkansas are about the diameter of a plum. This one was more like the diameter of an orange.
I was terrified and scarred for life. No, I don't run from spiders anymore, and as long as they are outside, I'm actually an advocate of leaving them alone and letting nature's insect repellent do its work. But I will never forget seeing that dark spider on the newly painted white wall. My mom has told me in the years since that time that the first year in their house was the worst for insects...we were infested with spiders, crickets, and roaches who were displaced when my parents decided to build on their very wooded lot. I'm glad I don't remember more!
I'm probably in the minority camp on this, but I don't understand why we have to update everything. I think it would be very fun to play with my future daughter and our collections of strawberry shortcake dolls and Barbies. I played with some of my Mom's dolls when I was younger, and I had lots of Holly Hobbie stuff that had remained unchanged. Even the Weebles/Little People collections are different now.I just don't see why everything has to be updated to be relevant. I believe that one of my neighbors did a post not long ago about the changes in the Girl Scout doll (I can't remember exactly, so please excuse the lack of details) and this is just more of the same.
Eh. Maybe I'm just getting old and becoming a fuddy-duddy like my parents used to be to me. But if they are going to be re-inventing the more lucrative brands, somebody please bring back Poochie and Monchichis!
/End Rant.
Okay, I don't post to newslinks very often, but this is too bizarre not to share.
And Mr. Whipple had to rescue her!!!
In honor of Johnny Appleseed Day, show us a tree.
My grandpa died suddenly when I was 11. I was the oldest grandchild, and therefore had the most memories of him. He was a dentist in a very small town in the Ozarks. One summer when I was visiting, we drove across the White River to a large granite clearing. In the middle of this massive slab of rock, a tiny tree was growing. The tree was about 2 feet tall at the time, but it was still managing to find enough water, soil, and other nutrients in the middle of a slab of rock to grow and prosper. We got out of the car and hiked to the tree. When we got there, he explained, "I found this tree when I took a drive after a bad day. It just kind of appeared. So now, when I'm having a rough day, and I want to throw in the towel, I drive out here and look at this tree. If the tree can manage to keep growing, day after day, while living in a slab of granite, I figure I can find the strength to keep going, too."
This isn't my grandpa's exact tree, but this picture was taken within a few miles of the real tree's location.
I promise...generally I'm a happy and easygoing person. (Right, neighbors?) I'm really not an old codger who continually rants about weather, despite recent evidence to the contrary.
When I lived in Florida, and working for the World's Largest Single Site Employer, I found it interesting that I rarely saw the commercials for Walt Disney World that my family saw. You know, the ones that evoked all the emotion about how the little kids were so excited to be going to WDW, etc. I rarely even saw the "I'm going to Disney World!" commercials after all the big sporting events...locals were obviously not the target market. The commercials that I saw were targeted toward natives...they advertised Florida resident ticket packages and special deals, and always tried to make you consider going away for a weekend on property.
However, since moving to the Cornfield, I've seen the national commercials that tug at the heartstrings...and the purse strings. I've seen Eli Manning announce that he's going to Walt Disney World a dozen times by now.
But, it is just downright mean to keep showing commercials advertising this and this. It's in the teens right now, and I'd give up M&Ms for life just to see a palm tree or sunset right now. I wouldn't even complain about a traffic jam on I-4!
Have you ever been on either end of an unrequited love?
Submitted by 怒涛の鮫.
Absolutely. Of course he's immortal, so that might pose a problem.
26 Years is a long time. I will wear my #5 McFadden jersey tomorrow in honor of the next Heisman winner!
Woooooo Pig Sooie!
Woooooo Pig Sooie!
Woooooo Pig Sooie! Razorbacks!!!
What television show stands the test of time?
This show was one that my dad would watch when he came home from work every day. They showed the reruns at 5:30pm on Channel 13. (Yeesh...my memory for trivial details amazes me sometimes!)
The show also made a lasting impact on other members of my family, as they now own and operate a bed and breakfast that pays homage to The Andy Griffith Show. (And before you ask...yes, I've stayed there. And yes, the attention to detail is amazing, especially in the living and dining rooms, and the kitchen).
Show us a self-portrait.
It didn't have to be mine, did it? This has been a favorite of mine for a long time. What cracks me up is that he's painting with his glasses on, but the portrait does not have them.
Audio: Show us the most embarrassing album in your collection.
Inspired by Jay.I have a tie:
Knee Deep in the Hoopla was the first album ever bought with my own allowance money. So I'm sentimental about it, and someday, I will be able to tell my offspring about the responsible and long-lasting purchases I made with my allowance when I was their age. And Europe? Well, who wasn't mesmerized by the intriguing lyrics, "Rock Now, Rock the Night, Oh-oh, Oh-oh" ???
I blame the hair.
