It’s all in how you look at it ~ Late Evening Thoughts …

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Let’s file tonight’s story as “It’s All In How You Look At It” … OK?
My good friend, also called Bill, and I were out visiting friends in low places. At the end of the evening, we stopped at the 59 Diner for some really great food and fun service. (diner waitresses you know…). We got the same waitress we had last time, who I swear is Inspector Gadget with the decaf coffee pot permanently attached to her hand….. The other waitress in our section came by the table and I asked about the big party that had left shortly before we arrived. Found out it was a party of 27 college kids, complete with their bongos (was I transported back to the 60’s?) … I could ONLY imagine how much fun that part would have been. And yes, I’m being serious – it would have been fun …
bongo2
In the meantime, four fellows who had visited in even lower places came in and took a booth not too far from us. Well, took a booth is perhaps the wrong description … It involved pouring one of them into the booth.
Alas, this same one reached the end of his night and his head crashed onto the table. At this point, two phones came out and the scene is being video taped.

diner3

Now, here’s where how you look at it comes into play. All I could think of was 1) this is most likely going to appear on Facebook/twitter and 2) this kid is going to have a tough time living it down. My friend and I had some good chuckles over what he was going to be teased about when he finally “came to” and then – then – it happened.

Yes, that moment when ALL the alcohol consumed and bar snacks decide they need to come up and out for air.

At that point, I realized that his name had instantly changed to “Mr. Throw-up” and he was going to have a more difficult time dealing with that one.
Remember I mentioned diner waitresses? Well, one cardinal rule: Don’t make their life more difficult than it is. Don’t, just don’t.
Betty-Murphy

She was there in a flash and informed the three to get him out of there…as in now. It was fun to watch them try to get Mr. Limp Body out of the inside of the booth, out the exit door and into the car. The three came back in and she’s standing there with a large take-out box and informed the three that THEY were to put the “excess protein evacuation”* (my words NOT hers) into the box and clean it up to not to make more work for the rest of them. LOL
She also had their food on another table already boxed up, and (diner waitresses again) asked if they wanted THAT box in a bag to remind Mr Throw-up in the morning… LOL
Meanwhile, those around are quite conscious of what happened and were chuckling some in amusement and some with rueful memories no doubt.
Here’s my point (and the world sighs – thank God) … We could have been upset, offended and Lord only knows what else…demanded to be accommodated elsewhere and a discount on the check (really – I’ve been in restaurants where that happened) But seriously, it didn’t really effect us or our meal. I know there are those who ARE but much of that is simply in their mind.
We would have had to disrupt our meal, conversation etc. and would have missed watching Diner Waitresses in action. >shrug< seems pretty simple to me.
OH, yes – as we were leaving the four were somewhat standing outside and yes – the kid was being referred to as “Well, Mr. Throw-up over there”.

________________

“protein evacuation” was the term at Disneyland I heard only once to explain why we were being held up in line.

Pictures:
Seal Picture – NBC San Diego
Diner Waitress Leftatthefork.net

And It’s That Day, Once Again ~ Early Afternoon Thoughts ~

First off some thoughts in picture …..

blog April Fools Day1

blog April Fools Day2

There, now that I’ve gotten that out-of-the-way ….

Along the years, I’ve gotten to enjoy some really bizarre “conspiracy theories”.   Some are in the category of >banging head on keyboard> while others actually make you stop and go “Hmm.”  This is one of those.

In spite of what my Grand-kids might think, cell phones are a rather new invention … or are they?

the way back machine

[NOTE: the two videos that follow have NOT been doctored, they are as they were … ]

OK, let’s set the way back machine  to the year – well close to the year – 1928 and Charlie Chaplin’s The Circus … watch and you might think that Dr. Who had been there ….

Really? A cell phone in 1928(ish) …. To quote the infomercials: “But wait there’s more…..”

Skip the record ahead just a few years to the somewhere toward 1938(ish) ….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iasKNUhDc_w

Totally flummoxed? As always, there are some explanations….. I’m just not going to include them now.  I’ll post about it tomorrow after you’ve dealt with them ….

Happy April Fools Day everyone ….

An Elegant Time-Waster ~ Early Afternoon Thoughts

Let us leave the world of children’s toys in space .. (AKA “Kid’s Toys In Space”) and enter another time-waster. This is titled Snake Squad.  It’s an interesting combination of several game themes but just like Mario – remember to “gather” the money!!  It’s totally controlled by your mouse …

Failure to remember to “collect” the money will result in a fairly low score ..,..

As always, I’m not responsible for time wasted, broken keyboards, or smashed objects (in frustration) .. ENJOY!!!!

http://www.freeworldgroup.com/games9/gameindex/snakesquad.htm

Through The Eyes Of A Child ~ Early Afternoon Thoughts

This absolutely made my day ~ with thanks to the blog Towel Road …..

I’ve had this video for a few days but haven’t had a chance to post it. Ron Fugelseth wins a ‘Dad of the Year’ award imho:

On Aug 24th 2012 we sent my son’s favorite train “Stanley” to space in a weather balloon with a HD camera and an old cell phone for GPS. He was recovered 27 miles away in a corn field and we got some great footage of the trip. This video documents the journey from liftoff to landing.


My 4-year-old and Stanley are inseparable like Calvin and Hobbes. He’s been attached to him since he was two, and they play, sleep and do everything together. I animated Stanley’s face with After Effects and Photoshop to bring him to life how I imagine my son sees him. [added emphasis is mine]

Early Evening Thoughts ~ Tomorrowland ….

 

No, I’m not talking about Disney this time, but rather one of the most amazing parties in the world!!! This has been called Burning Man for people who like to bathe … whatever, it still looks like a heck of a party. It’s world party staged in Belgium since 2005.  This year was HUGE with 180,000 tickets completely sold out.  Here’s a description of the party:

The 2012 edition took place on Friday, July 27, Saturday, July 28 and Sunday, July 29. The line-up consisted of 400 DJs, such as Skrilles, Avicii, , Skazi, David GUretts, Nervo, Hardwell, Swedish House Mafia, Afrojack, Steve Aoki, Carl Cox, The Bloody Beetroots, Paul van Dyk, Martin Solveig, Chuckie (DJ), Fatboy Slim and Pendulum playing on 15 stages per day. Because of the enormous success of Tomorrowland and the fact that it is a Belgian festival, ID&T decided to give Belgians an exclusive chance with a presale (80,000 of the 180,000 tickets) on Saturday, March 24. In less than one day, all of the tickets sold out and at some moments there were 2,000,000 people on the online waiting list. The worldwide sale started Saturday, April 7 at 11am. Within less than 2 hours, the other 100,000 tickets sold out. The event became the most international one as yet, attracting over 75 nationalities. More than 35,000 people used the camping option at the so called “Dreamville.” [bolding is mine]

This is actually the first time I’ve heard of this party … and even though I’m slightly (ahem) above the age of most of the participants … I’d still LOVE to go.  ‘

Here’s the official “after” video ….

 

Early Afternoon Thoughts ~ The Day You Think You Are Too Old To …

When I flew up to Montana several years ago to conduct my Mother’s memorial service, I stayed at her house.  On the coffee table was a book whose title I believe was “Getting Old Isn’t For Sissies“.  As I glanced through the book one statement struck me and has stayed with me since.  Part of the statement is the title of this post:

“The day you think you are too old to do something, is exactly the day you should do it …” 

That has governed a lot of my thinking over the past few years.  I love the statement “I will get OLDER, there is nothing I can do about that.  However, I refuse to get OLD.”

At my current … ahem …. age,, I know that I’m no longer 21, 31, 41 or even 51 … but I have developed a love for life and living that I pray I never lose.  That’s why, when I saw this video today, it really struck a chord with me.  I have admit I laughed and laughed while watching this.  This fellow is amazing and so are those around encouraging him.  He’s certainly not lost his love of life!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvKERIKT8eI

(sorry that it’s a link…for some reason it won’t embed!!!)

Which got me looking for some of my favorite quotations and some new ones…

Getting older is no problem. You just have to live long enough.
Groucho Marx
The great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.
Madeleine L’Engle
Part of getting older is realizing that you can integrate all these different areas of your life, rather than the adolescent mindset, which for me lasted a long time, which says, ‘It’s all or nothing.’
Chris Robinson
The minute you’re born, you’re getting older.
Doris Roberts

This one is probably one of my favorites:                                                                                           Do not regret growing older.  It is a privilege denied to many.  ~Author Unknown

The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball.  Doug Larson

Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years.  We grow old by deserting our ideals.  Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.      Samuel Ullman

I still have a full deck; I just shuffle slower now.                                                             Author Unknown 

What are some of your favorites?

And The Competition Starts Now ~

I enjoy some of the singing/dancing competition shows, but it’s no secret to those that know me that I prefer the non-US versions of most of them.  X-Factor Britain, Australia’s Got Talent and, amazingly enough, Ukraine’s Got Talent … To me – when the idiotic 90 second time constraint is removed – the depth of talent can shine forth.  Also, most of the time the judges are secondary to the talent.  In other words, it’s not the judges show – it’s truly a T A L E N T show.  Of course, there’s always the acts that aren’t going to do well – but that’s to be expected.  It’s the unexpected treasures along the way that make the viewing so worth while.

Let me preface this clip with ~ First, I “lurve” me some Etta James. I’ve heard so many lousy covers of her work … THIS clip was a revelation!!!! Secondly, NEVER judge a book by it’s cover … when I first saw him, all I could think of was “OMG, Pee Wee Herman.” Not by a long shot – I agree with Louie… A Star has been born!!! (BTW, notice the complete lack of buzzers!!!)

I also like the idea that these contestants stand on their own – their looks are not part of the package…the talent is what makes the deal.  This clip also resonated with me because I’m such a firm believer in the importance of arts in the schools.  As someone said to me today –  “When we lose the Arts (in Public Education) we lose our humanity. We lose our ability to build bridges.”  Listen carefully to the story on this clip…when I realized just what he’d managed to accomplish with his music .,.. I’ll admit it, I cried.

And one last clip ~ Auditioning for a show is stressful enough, but imagine doing it completely on your own.  This fellow is a London chimney sweep who wants to sing…and actually is darn good at it!!! (Evidently, he’s a good sweep as well!!!)

I’ve got a few more clips to share, but I’ll do that tomorrow …. enjoy!!!

Mid-Morning Thoughts ~

Hopefully, everyone’s weekend was somewhat better than this one …

(h/t to partyfails.com

For my part, I had a delightful weekend…I connected with a dear, dear friend that I had not seen for a number of years!! You know it’s a dear friend when you can catch up on the fly, and not feel as if there’s been a huge space since you’ve been together!!!

Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.
Albert Camus
A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.
Arnold H. Glasow
A good friend will bail you out at 2am.  A true friend will be sitting there with you saying: “Damn, that was fun!!! – (unknown)

It also reminded me that life is indeed short, and our purpose is NOT to arrive at the grave all pretty and posed – to be lowered gently into the ground.  Life is to be lived so that at the very last minute you slide in all tattered, worn saying: “What a ride!!! WHAT A RIDE!!!”

And My Life Goes On And On ~

As you’ve discovered here, I’m pretty easy going and have a pretty good sense of humor.  Today, however, I wasn’t so sure I was going to be able to keep it … Read on McDuff!!!

OK, first up was a Dr’s appointment (good report) followed by a trip with a friend to Bath and Body Works – for the sale (things up to 75% off) and I had a coupon for an additional $10 off. Sounds simple enough, right? Um … this is me we’re talking about!!!! So, braving the sales crowd at the store, I find the “flavor” of wall air-freshener I like ~ Eucalyptus Mint, if you must know…. 4 for $20. Not a great buy, but OK none-the-less. Leaving that station RIGHT NEXT TO IT is another station filled with the same fragrances packed 2 to a box instead of being single in a bin. Should cost more, right? Wrong. These SAME fragrances are now marked $6 for a two pack. — So, instead of $20 for 4 they’re now $12 for four.


At the check-out, the “kid” (and I do mean kid) ringing me up almost panicked when it rang up at $6. Before I can say anything there is an immediate call (on headset) to manager (who was probably only 6 months older than he was). I mentioned the price difference, which causes her to grab the box and repeat, as if to a first grader: “This is a two pack”…giving me the impression she was going to charge me $6 PER bottle. I’m telling her the sign said “2 pack for $6 and she’s clutching the box (as if it were pearls she was clutching in horror) repeating “This is a two pack.”

Realizing this is going no where fast, and I’m beginning to get really, really irritated – I said to just ring it up. With one more attempt to make sure I understood this was a 2-pack and possibly realizing I was about to render her visual aid to be extremely painful, she left with one totally confused clerk and one totally confused customer in her wake.

And yes, they rang up at $6 for a 2 pack leaving the singles at $5 for one, in faded memory.

Moral of the story, if Bath And Body Works employees can’t figure it out, it’s best left alone … right? LOL ….

I Know ~

I said I was going to take a ramble through incivility, etc. It seems that every time I decide to do so, something either gets in the way or something new (who knew?) causes me to re-think some of what I’ve been thinking.

In the meantime, have the kids been pestering your for a vacation to Disneyland this summer? I did the Disney World experience two summers ago – and at times I’m still recovering.  Here’s a simple solution – 30,000 photos taken over the course of a year.  Sit the little (or not so little) ones down in front of a big screen and show them this video.  They’ll experience it all – minus the long lines, long waits and heat …. Problem solved!!