Pepe Le Pew

Last night my sister and I were on our way home from DT Minneapolis after seeing Wicked.  We were almost to the point that you call "we're almost home".  You know the place....where you've been on vacation for a week and you're heading back into town and it's the place where you EXIT OFF the freeway.  We're almost home!

Getting off topic here.  Anyhow we weren't even 15 minutes outside Minneapolis and we smelled a lovely? smell.  Skunk.

First I was a little shocked that there were skunks so close to the cities.
Second thought was we're not in the cities anymore.  We're just on the same freeway.

This led to a discussion for the rest of the 10 minute trip home.  Would you rather?

Would you rather smell skunk or manure?
Would you rather smell cow or pig?

Being that my parents live Up North in farm country, I heard my mom complain about all the smells that waif into her kitchen.  It kind of ruins the excitement for the brownies.  Her answer would never be manure. 
My mom's dad had a pig farm and I believe his answer would be pigs.
Um...I think I'll take skunk and cows this time around. 

So...I just proposed an interactive question with my readers.  Which would you rather?

The 10 Year

I didn't realize how grown up I was until Friday.  Sure there may be times when I still act immature but for the most part I am an adult. 

Seeing everyone at the high school reunion was eye-opening.  Some people changed, some people didn't.  Both with their looks and their behaviors.  I've heard that people had a blast.  I wouldn't say that at all.  I know people put a lot of work into making it happen and I very much appreciate it.  I'm not saying that it wasn't a nice spread.  I'm saying that it was weird and awkward.  People stayed within their social circles and didn't venture out.  With the exception of a few people, I would include myself in the previous statement. 

I loved high school.  The people, the extra-curricular activities, the socializing and a teensy part of the curriculum too.  I've thought up until Thursday that I wouldn't mind going back to high school.  There were some things that I had never done or didn't do enough of.  Like going to a hockey game or wrestling match.  Going to a football game that wasn't part of homecoming.  Getting into trouble...the worse that could happen was getting suspended.  Now if I do something defiant, I'd probably go to jail.

I remember a time when I had an opportunity to throw a history book outside a 3rd story window into the courtyard.  Many people did it but only one got caught ( Miss Samara!).  It would have been the perfect time to do it because there were bigger fish to fry in the office....ie. senior food fight in the cafeteria.  Samara got off without a slap on the wrist.  Lucky girl!  Now all I can say is that the one time I got detention, it was because my ride to school never came making me late for school.  It was even a well earned detention. 

Now I don't think I'd survive.  Mainly because that I don't give a $h!+ about most of the people that I went to school with.  Where before I cared what everyone thought or did and I wanted to be a part of everything.  There were only a hand full of people that I really wanted to catch up with.  It'd be boring.  I much prefer where I am in life now.

I know that the friends I have from high school are keepers.  We've been through much during the past 10 years and I wouldn't trade you for anything.  You guys like me for me and I for you.  You are more dear to me than ever.  Thank you for letting me call you friends.

Ripple Effect

This weekend is Immaculate Conceptions Fun Fest.  It's usually the second weekend in August and it is always hot, hot, hot.  When I was younger I would volunteer to work some booths with my mom.  I remember one year mom let me go in the Moon Walk Jumper after my ity bity shift.  It was so humid and I was so hot that I got dizzy and sick on the way to the car.  Mom thought I had heat exhaustion.  I never attended another Fun Fest since.

So you can imagine my face when my sister said that she wanted to go today.  I was less than enthusiastic.  We had plans to be out on the town so we just made a detour to Heights.  I wanted to see the Silent Auction items.  I placed two bids.  One on a pair of tickets to see a Wild game on Black Friday.  I've always wanted to see a professional hockey game but they are so expensive.  The other was on a basket of bakeware and cake mixes/ pie fillers.

After that we headed over to the BINGO tent.  Found a place in the shade and shared a couple of cards.  We played about 10 rounds and as luck would have it, Jean won.  She always wins.  I don't get it.  But I asked if she wanted to get a ice cream cone on the way home.  She said yes.  I said "good 'cause it's on her".

I suppose the only part I'm leaving out is the drama that occurred when we first arrived.  We tried to park in the church parking lot but it was full.  So we circled around the block so we could park in front library.  We got out and had to back track to the crosswalk near the Greater Life Tabernacle.  A car was coming eastbound but yielded to us so that we could cross over into the school parking lot/ playground.  We were probably 10 feet into the parking lot talking about what we wanted to see first when BAM!  We turned around and I'm still confused about what happened.  The car that had yielded to us was now facing south on the lawn/sidewalk of the Greater Life Tabernacle.  The driver must have been wanting to turn left (north bound onto Quincy) but happened to do in in front of an oncoming SUV.

I was the first to call 911 because none of the driver's seemed too concerned about getting help.  The car that yieled to us was driven by a younger gal....in her early twenties.  The two people in the SUV were middle aged ladies.  The younger girl was dazed, slow on getting out of her car.  I was relieved when I saw that her only injury was a little stream of blood coming from the bridge of her nose.  And the two other women bounded out of their SUV, yelling at her.  Obviously they were okay.

It kind of made me angry.  Yelling at someone and deciding blame right after an accident isn't gonna do anybody any good.  They didn't ask if she was okay...is everything all right?        Hello!!!!  She's bleeding!!!!
There was glass everywhere....as the windshield of the car was totally smashed, her bumper and side mirror were laying in the intersection.

Did I really want to get in the middle of this? Um...no.  I did my civil duty.  Got help on the way.  Made sure everyone was okay without life threatening injuries.  We did stick around until the first squad got there and then went on our way.

I can't help but think.  If we had walked in the other direction, towards the crosswalk near the Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapel....could everything been avoided?

Inspiration...

Part II of Matt Damon.

Last night I watched Invictus.  It was way better than The Informant.  (The theory is right.  A handsome Matt out wins a goofy looking Matt any day.)

I don't remember too much about apartheid from Ms. Kane's 10th grade literature class.  Only the definition of it.  I know very little about Nelson Mandela; he endured much oppression for far too long and that he inspired a country to evolve and change the way it's seen throughout the world...(and of course what Oprah Winfrey thinks of him too).

And Francios Pienaar....an unknown in America in the mid-90's but after seeing this movie....a household name similar to the likings of Michael Oher (The Blind Side), Jim Morris (The Rookie) or Lane Frost (Eight Seconds).

And I find myself noticing that I may be at the early stages of being infatuated with rugby.  It's seems like an interesting sport.  Fit men with massive biceps and huge thighs don't help matters either.  Does the USA have a rugby team??

I am feeling inspired to go out and buy "Rugby for Dummies" this week.  Hmmmm.  Or maybe a poetry book too.

Invictus....by William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me, 

Black as the Pit from pole to pole, 

I thank whatever gods may be 

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade, 

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matter snot how strait the gate, 

How charged with punishments the scroll.

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.