Snow Kidding!

We're experiencing our first big snowstorm of the season, which always brings back a ton of childhood memories for me. I figured I'd share a couple with you (lucky you!):

* I so remember the anticipation of a coming snow-storm, and the desperate begging to Mother Nature to blanket us in a winter-wonderland so that school would be canceled. I remember listening intently to KYW-1060 for our school number to be read from the school-closing list. When the number "4-5-0" came across, the jubilation I felt was immeasurable. And, it's not like I went back to bed. Nope, I would immediately put on my winter gear, and head outside with friends to go sledding, play snow hockey, have snow-ball fights, and build snow forts. We'd take a brief break for lunch, and then journey outside into the the heavenly snow to continue our winter frolicking. Man, I miss it!

* I always love looking outside at the fresh snow on the lawn, on the street, and in the tree. It always feels like a winter post-card. Sadly, the scene doesn't stay that way for long, and my back doesn't seem to enjoy the snow nearly as much as the rest of me does (as evidenced by the pain it registers during and after snow shoveling).

* We are fortunate to live near a bar, so it's always fun to trek to a local watering hole during a blizzard, and enjoy the company of others with cabin fever.

* Sledding has always been a big part of a snow storm. We were lucky enough to have a couple of streets in front of our house that were very hilly. We also had a great hilly park near us with a nice-sized hill called "Monument Hill." (It is named this because T=there is a monument dedicated to soldiers who sacrificed their lives for freedom during World War 1.) This was a gathering place of many of my grade-school friends - we'd have sledding races and snowball fights. These were probably some of the greatest moments of my childhood.

* Lets not forget hot chocolate! The stuff never tasted better after coming in from a long day in the snow. Our bodies were shivering and frozen from the inside out, but hot chocolate had an amazing way of reversing this!

80's Corner

Anybody remember the California Raisins? This was a huge ad campaign featuring "clay-mated" raisins that would strut around and sing like some sort of 1960's R&B group. It all started innocently enough as a few commercials, but for some reason, people became fascinated by these four shriveled-up super-stars (and now, I'm not talking about the Stones!).

From the commercials came a couple of albums, and even a cartoon. They went so far as to include a Michael Jackson California Raisin in a commercial ... I kid you not! They even did a Christmas special ... but I have no memory of what it was all about.

Heck, I remember sporting a California Raisins t-shirt at one time ... not sure if this was cool or not.

Weird News

Done my Christmas shopping!!! Let the fun begin!

1. On officers arresting 19-year-old Laura Miranda Landry for possession of marijuana after they found 49.5 grams of pot under the front seat of her car and in her bra.
"Reminds me of the Naked Gun movie line, 'Is this some kind of bust? Yes, it's very impressive!'"
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2009/12/11/pei-drug-bust-bra-584.html

2. On taxpayers paying to fix the penile erection problems of a jailed rapist:
"I can't believe we're paying taxes for such a dick! .... get it?"
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/the-monster-and-his-medical-problem-jailed-rapist-wants-erection-problem-help/story-e6freuy9-1225809559358

3. On a report that links AIDS to Ancient Tigers.
"Does this means Woods is in more trouble?"
http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/dpgo-Report-AIDS-Linked-to-Ancient-Tigers-mb-200912081260289397368

4. On a man who beat his wife for not helping to shovel the snow.
"All I can say about this is ... Snow Kidding! I'll be here all week!"
http://www.kfab.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=122285&article=6442870

5. On random drugs tests being introduced to the World Pie Eating Championships:
"Wait a minute, I've never seen anyone eat a Lemon Marangue pie so quickly ... he must be taking roids!"

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment! This week, I chose the prompt - Describe a funny or favorite gift that you’ve gotten or have given.

I remember it like it was yesterday ... I was probably around 12 or 12 years old. I got it into my head that my mom needed to expand her cooking skills a bit. Ya see, my mom is German, and most of the food she cooks is old-school German. Whether it's Gulash, Ruladen, or schnitzel, my mom can cook it. When it comes to other non-German foods, it's hit or miss. Spaghetti ... not so good. Steak or burgers? Cooked 'til they're gray. Nope, not her specialty.

So, I thought it would be a fantastic idea to buy dear old mom a Wok for Christmas. It never crossed my mind that my mother probably would have no interest in cooking Chinese food for the fam. Heck, I'd never even really had Chinese food by that point in my life, but that still didn't prevent me from purchasing a smallish wok at a store in the local mall.

I was so excited by this purchase ... I assumed immediately that this would probably be the greatest gift Inga (my mother) would ever receive in her life (again, I'm not sure how/why I came to this conclusion).

So, Christmas approached, and I eagerly handed mom the gift-wrapped wok. When she opened it, she didn't jump up and down excitedly like I anticipated. No, quite the opposite. She looked a little confused and maybe disappointed. I figured it would take a while for the excitement to set in, so I immediately turned my attention to the unopened presents for me.

At some point in the day/night, my mom took me aside and questioned why I would ever even consider buying her a wok. I asserted that mom could use this wok to create new spectacular dinners for the family. My mom immediately responded that I should never think of buying anything like this for her again. I guess I was a little disappointed, as instead of hitting the ball out of the park, I struck out on the gift.

The story does have a happy ending ... sort of. When it was time for me to go to college, I was able to bring along an unopened wok ... sigh.

80's Corner

Rick Springield ... power pop rocker? Soap opera heart-throb? Both?!?!?!? He sure was. When the mid 80's came around, there was nobody more on fire than Rick. I was still pretty much immersed in polka and Sesame Street music, but I distinctly remember my cousin Trish head over heels for this guy. She had bought the album "Working Class Dog" - I remember the album well - a dog with a tie.

He was a "doctor," on General Hospital, which brings up a great Bob Hope line from the movie Spies Like Us (ironically, a classic 1980's movie), in which he was introduced to Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroid when they were dressed as doctors, and his line was, "I'm glad I'm not sick!"

I probably shouldn't admit this, but I do own Rick Springfield's greatest hits cd ... and no, it's not an EP. It's actually pretty good, and brings back memories of Solid Gold, American Bandstand, and other 1980's memories.

Fast Food Corner

Back in the day, my dad often took me to this fast food restaurant by the name of "Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips." This particular establishment was located not far from our house. Really, the only thing I remember about this place was the green roof, and that the only thing I really liked on the menu was the french fries. My dad LOVED the fish and chips ... I guess it somehow made him feel European all over again ... even though he's German, and this is decidedly more British/Irish.

I know by the time I was 8, the restaurant was long gone, and truthfully, I haven't seen one in this area since. I'm wondering if I'd look a little more kindly on the fare at this restaurant with my .... errr ... ummmm .... advanced pallet?

Has anybody else had the experience of eating at this "establishment?" Is it still even around?

Dope or Nope

Kids wearing their pants below their hips ... this really bothers me. Maybe it's a sign of my old age. I mean, after all, when I was growing up, I wore acid-washed jeans, and sported a mullet - this was what was cool back in the day. I wonder if I would've fallen into the pants below the hips "fad" if I was growing up today. What do you guys think about it?

Song of the Week

Since we are in the heart of the Christmas (holiday) season, I wanted to share my 5 favorite Christmas songs in no particular order:

5. Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid - Just a beautiful song by a group of talented artists that included members from U2, Wham, Sting, Duran Duran, and so on - really, the main artists of the time for the most part. Makes you think about the less fortunate at a time when you SHOULD be thinking about them.

4. Father Christmas by The Kinks - A great punk-sounding Christmas song - it starts off as very light-hearted and funny, but towards the later parts of the song, the message of once again remembering "The Kids who got nothing, while your drinking down your wine" appears. It's fun, certainly has a sing-a-long quality, and thought-provoking.

3. Happy Christmas (War is Over) by John Lennon - Man, I guess I'm a sucker for songs with meaning. It is a protest song about Vietnam, or at least that's what it originally was. It has now become a Christmas staple ... and even if you can hear Yoko's voice, it doesn't ruin the song.

2. Little Drummer Boy by David Bowie and Bing Crosby - The young meeting with the old ... the harmonies bring a tear to my eye.

1. Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bruce Springsteen - I'm a fan of Bruce, and this song just REMINDS me of Christmas memories. It's jovial, and fun ... and live, which means it's not over-produced ... the part where Bruce starts laughing is my favorite for some reason.

There are others - I just wanted to point out 5 of my favorite.