10:52 PM |
Ok, I looked up marl pit. It is a place where marl is dug. Apparently there is a whole town or industry or something in England. There is a publication named The MarlPit which is:
Now you'd think that would pretty much be it, but there is a thing called The Bone Wars which is about some dinosaur stuff found in marl pits in New Jersey. "Few competitions in the era of modern science have been as lengthy, as dramatic or as pointedly nasty,"says one of the bunch of books on the subject. The dinosaur bones came to the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. This is the exhibit that's there now. See? All roads lead to Philadelphia.
But when I googled Marl Pit Delaware, I found that it is a road in Middletown. Thus, Marl Pit Closed. If you look at history, marl pits in the USA should all be closed. There is an article in the 1883 New York Times about a drowning of two little ones in a Famingdale marl pit. It was a sad accident, and they were clasped together, their curly locks... It was sad but I do love the writing from 1883.
A village magazine for an area of the Broads, Norfolk
The Marlpit. The community paper for the villages of Coltishall, Horstead and Great Hautbois.
That's what it says right on the front, just like that. I am now intrigued. The Marlpit is very generous in its About Us section and tells us that a marl pit is: "A pit from which marl, a mixture of clay and carbonate of lime, is excavated. Marl is used as a fertilizer, among other things. Marl is a rock containing clay minerals and calcite, commonly mixed with other components such as silt." There is a lot more explanation on the site, including the 1685 mention of its transportation. Marl pits seem to be the sites of runs and hikes. Also in the Netherlands.
Now you'd think that would pretty much be it, but there is a thing called The Bone Wars which is about some dinosaur stuff found in marl pits in New Jersey. "Few competitions in the era of modern science have been as lengthy, as dramatic or as pointedly nasty,"says one of the bunch of books on the subject. The dinosaur bones came to the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. This is the exhibit that's there now. See? All roads lead to Philadelphia.
For those of you who do not know what Peeps are, shame on you. Peeps are these marshmallowy things covered with colored sugar. They used to be just for Easter and only in yellow. If you ask me, anything else is an abomination. Peeps are made by JustBorn. As you might imagine, JustBorn JustMakes Peeps. Well, not quite. Someone else JustMade Peeps and now there are Mike & Ikes, Hot Tamales (the candy not the stuff made with cornmeal like they have in Natchez), Peanut Chews, and TeeneeBeanee. I don't know what a TeeneeBeanee is, but I've had the rest. Note to self: try TeeneeBeanees. Or is that TeeneeBeanee's?Goldenburgs's Peanut Chews are the best. They are made in Philadephia and are the official candy of the Philadelphia Soul. The Soul is an arena football team backed by John BonJovi but I think it shut down. Goldenburg's Peanut Chews were bought by JustBorn in 2003. They don't say Goldenburg's anymore, but I'm sure I've seen them labeled that way still. Maybe they've just been on the counter since 2003. You can probably get them from one of those old time candy places. It really sux when you find out the music you like and the food you eat are now "oldies." I just read that Peanut Chews are "vegan friendly" on the PETA website, but other places say they aren't now because JustBorn made changes.
Back to Peeps. JustBorn has been making them for over eight decades and three generations. That's a lot of Peeps. Actually, 4.2 million a day. The first Peeps were in 1953. Here is the life of Peep blasphemies:
- 1995- Lavender chicks introduced
- 1998- Blue chicks introduced
- 2004- Peeps decorating kits
- 2005- Peeps inside chocolate egg
- 2007- Green chicks introduced
- 2007- Sugar-free chicks
- 2007- Halloween Spooky Friends
- 2007- Cocoa Bunnies
Lots of people love Peeps. There is a fan site for Peeple (aren't I clever?). It is agreed that the best way to kill a Peep is to microwave it. This is also on the site. One of the things I wanted to do but missed was one of those paint the creature and put it all over the city so people can see that you are an artistic city but with Peeps instead of dinosaurs or something. But there is a second chance: Gaylord Hotel in Washington DC has a special package for next weekend. Pay your $209 and this is what you get:Spring into Easter Featuring PEEPS®
Springtime Fun Has Never Been Sweeter!
This Easter season, PEEPS® and Gaylord National Resort will create one-of-a-kind family experiences. Package guests can explore together on a scavenger hunt to find two-foot-tall plush PEEPS® in our spectacular atrium, make a PEEPS® craft, and go on a PEEPS® Easter Egg Hunt where one child will find the special "Grand Prize Egg" containing a two-night PEEPS® Family Dream Vacation to Bethlehem, PA to see the PEEPS® Candy Factory! You'll even have an opportunity to have Brunch with the PEEPS® character.
I don't know about you, but that two-night vacation in Bethlehem PA is awfully enticing. Suggested add-ons include brunch with the PEEP "the beloved character" and PEEPS Desserts at the restaurant. There will be "PEEPS Cotton-Candy Bird's Nest" "featuring a swirl of cotton candy crowned by a perfectly perched PEEP or "Rocky-Road PEEPS Brownie" or "PEEPS Strawberry Dream Cake" or a "PEEPS Cupcake." All quote marks theirs. You can make your own desserts though. There is an entire recipe section on the JustBorn website. One of the featured recipes is PEEPs Yum Yum Platter which looks like sushi. There is even a PEEPs Fest at the end of the year. It is a "dynamic, interactive family event highlighting the beloved marshmallow confection". By the way, Gaylord National is owned by the same people as Opryland! Bet you get a printed personalized map to your room there too.
On a more interesting note, there is a Peeps Research organization. I highly recommend their literature review. They also have all kinds of experiments like Cold Peeps and Sudden Force, Solubility Testing, and Low Pressure Peeps. This is a Peep under low pressure. Check out Peep Surgery and Peeps Smoking & Alcohol. They have been on CNN but I can't download the plug-in. This is your brain on Peeps.Don't even bother with Peepsshow. It is lame. BUT there is a great, although badly executed, list of Peeps links. Some of the links don't work. You can do to Pee Is For Peep and Peep Haiku. Please, please, please don't buy the Wham-O Peep Maker. That is a sin. Lord of the Peeps is excellent. Just what you think it is but way better. I love this video. It's kinda long but cool. Especially for anyone who likes anything office whatever. And who doesn't need to see another 13 year-old boy explode Peeps in the microwave.
Just remember, both TastyKakes and Peeps are from my part of the world. So are the Eagles. Life is good. These are my peeps.
This is a Sunshine Special which is a 1939 Lincoln used by the Secret Service. In 1942 (!) it was upgraded with a new front end. It was used by President Roosevelt and was heavily armored as someone had already tried to off him. It was called the Sunshine Special because the top was almost never closed. I don't quite know why this is, as the heavy armor would be a bit unnecessary, no? Anyhow, today called for a Sunshine Special. I wish Woody was a convertible. I took him down to see Ron the Hun at the gym. He joked about going to see my Woody and isn't that disturbing, etc. etc.
Had coupon for 6 free cookies with purchase of a dozen. I am all about cookies. This is Matt Marden, son of Elizabeth Marden the cake baker who does all the really superb cakes around here, you know the kind with fancy flowers and decorations and stuff like they have on Baker's Challenge or whatever it's called on TV. Matt is a photographer so if I need anything photographed I should call him. Also he says that these are the best cookies around. I ate six on the way home. I must agree.
Went to get appointment to have pickup inspected. Its inspection has been expired since October and since they have color-coded stickers, I don't know why I haven't been arrested. The mechanics loved Woody. This is Steve and Joe. I have a flathead. I am righteous. I'm sure they will take good care of my Tacoma.
Hit the road. Going to Pork in the Park. Stopped for gas and a burger. This is Julio. I know absolutely nothing about him but I wish I did. I also met Shane who works in the transmission store just over there. I really wish I had a photo but I forgot. He had a grey hoody with the hood actually on his head and a pair of reflective sunglasses like the serious bicyclists wear. One of those huge LED kinda sign: Marl Pit Closed. Note to self: find out what a marl pit is. Sign:
Put It In High Gear
About half way down to Salisbury, stopped for night. My bedtimes have been getting later and later since I had that awful nightmare from which I kinda woke up sobbing. I was afraid of dying alone. I usually don't care about this and I didn't the next morning. But I must care because I'm afraid to go to sleep. Anyhow, my bedtime was 4 a.m. two days ago and I ended up sleeping 12 hours last night to make up for it. I think I should keep on making my bedtime later and later until I catch up at 9 p.m. or so.
Back to Target. I bought some Peeps for Easter. They didn't have any yellow ones. Well they did have yellow ones but they are the little bunny kind and they are just not the same. Settle for original Peeps in blue but just not the same. This is Vickie. She is looking down because she is doing her job and checking things out. Not too many people do their job anymore. Vickie is very good at fitting things inside bags in an orderly fashion. That is an art. She put my Peeps on the top not underneath the tire repair kit and the jumper cables which are very heavy. I groaned when I picked up the bags. I told her what I really needed at the time was a good man. Vickie says all the good men are old and on money. As in George Washington on the dollar bill. We laughed. I complemented her on her packing skill. She said that she learned that way because she was a supermarket checker and she never wanted her bologna with the canned goods. She wants everything arranged so that it is organized for when you unpack it. Like cold things with cold things, shelf stuff with shelf stuff and so on. Me too! I can never find a checker who does this and that's why I use the self-check even though I piss off everyone behind me in line as it is my whole grocery cart full and not just the milk that you forget. I do a bang up job with packing now that I know you push Continue after the My Bag button. I use those recycled bags for my shopping. I never have them in the right car or in the car at all because I left them in the kitchen last time I went shopping. I now have an enormous stack of bags because I keep on buying them when I forget them. I put them on the doorknob when I am finished unpacking so that I know to put them back in the truck. They get all wrinkly and don't stand up at checkout. Don't you just hate that?
Picked up Woody from friend/restorer's. Wipers working! Ignition working! Starter working! Wow, you shoulda seen that old starter. Worn down and dented. They assured me it was from the former owner but I am feeling guilty that it might have been something I did. Fuel pumps seem ok. Lots of thoughts on what to do about missing hubcap. They are from the wrong year anyhow, and I am looking for the right ones. Lifted a few from my father when he wasn't home. Don't match. Tried some others. Don't fit. Turns out that my original car isn't so original after all. The wheels have been replaced to put tubeless tires in. Makes a lot of sense to me. However, hubcaps don't really want to stay on the new flanges. Beat an aftermarket (read ripped off in Argentina) hubcap so that it stays on. Doesn't match other ones though. Hope nobody notices until I get the whole set.Woody runs like butter. I don't know what was done but I love love love it. Starts up right away. Took Woods to business dinner. After the meal, no way Jose would he start. Great. Way to make friends and influence people. Usually can get him running after awhile. No dice. Call friend/restorer. Just the sound of his voice makes Woody go. Make it to last stop sign before home. Woody wouldn't. Finally would. Just having a temper tantrum. Wonder if it's the gas?
It's a banner day in the country. Or should I say city. Or I don't know what. Had to go to event in Philadelphia at the Union League. Normally, if I can't wear jeans I don't go. The Union League has a dress code. Had to spelunk in the dark recesses of my closet (you know the one that is in the spare bedroom because you can't bear to get rid of your shoulder-padded suits from your first couple of jobs even though you just know that you'll never wear them again and anyway you're pretty sure no guest will never use that closet because you'd never have a guest in the guest room filled with overflow crap) for a dress. At least something that isn't jeans. This is harder than it sounds. I've worn a real dress about twice in the last five years, once because I wanted to catch the eye of my almost-real imaginary boyfriend who now appears to be a lost cause. Had gone into business for myself largely to avoid pantyhose. Against all odds, managed to find said dress! Didn't realize I still had that one. There is, however, the shoe issue. My driveway is not paved. It is raining. Stilettos won't make high water mark and besides I have a mountain of compost in the driveway now slipping into a muddy mess on the gravel roadlet. Put clogs on and made mad dash for car and backed it up on the grass up to the kitchen door. Tried to keep hair from rearranging itself and forgot that glasses are not transparent in the rain. Managed to get myself out the door and on the road, stilettos riding shotgun. None of this makes any difference except that at the beautiful club with beautiful flowers and a beautiful coat check, they serve Tastykakes on a silver platter for the afternoon snack. I kid you not. Only in Philadelphia would there be 30 companies speed dating for the roughly $250 million in free cash present, and Tastykakes. I hope Flowers doesn't disrupt this venerable tradition passed on from our forefathers.
After a brief (okay not so brief) nap in front of Hard Time (don't you love vicariously being a bad ass inmate?), had piece of chocolate cake. Lied to supermarket checker that it was my niece's birthday. I do this on occasion. Also had mini size Carvel ice cream cake but the colored frosting was so bad that I ditched it. This says a lot because I love ice cream. Note to self: buy only Turkey Hill ice cream cakes. Anyhow, reality shows are a lot like that ad where there are sort of spontaneous connections when you Google stuff. Like Tastykake comes up with Flowers which comes up with FTD which comes up with funeral which comes up with granite monuments and so on. In this case, Hard Time comes up with locked in which comes up with Storage Wars which comes up with Hoarders: Buried Alive which comes up with, wait for it, granite monuments. It's the six degrees of Kevin Bacon applied to TV. Anyhow, I ended up with Storage Wars on while I ate my chocolate cake (2 pieces, truth be told). Ignored growing pile of papers waiting to go upstairs to office for me to actually work on. Waiting on tenterhooks for Glamour Belles. Let's figure out granite monument from that. America's Next Top Model leads to child models which leads to Toddlers & Tiaras which leads to Glamour Belles which leads to Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead which leads to...granite monuments! Six degrees. How about Rock of Love to Rock of Ages to granite monuments? It all ends somewhere people, and it is us beneath that granite monument. I wish I were that guy on Jimmy Fallon (I think) that does that free association stuff. I bet he could get to granite monument from Deadliest Catch. Nah, too easy. I claim that one for myself.
From granite to Glamour Belles... a double header again tonight! It appears that Miss Fall Fest is the big preliminary this week. The winner goes to Miss Tennessee. You know it is fall because Joann's has one of those "country" signs made in China that says:
doggie costume: $150. Paige said she needs Jared to pay less attention to the chiuahua and more on the chiffon. In an upset neither Ella Jane nor Sir Winston win. It is a sad day at the pet parade. By the way, the banner ad on the CornFest site is for pet cremation.
The CornFest has lots of stuff in addition to the pet parade:
In Joann's, Lexi has come for her homecoming dress. She is 14. The dresses make her look 24. It seems that no matter what your real age is, at Joann's you will be 24. Mom and Grandmama want her covered up. She is.
Pressley is going for the Next Level. She has already won the local state fair title, so this is a huge deal, step up. Pressley wants to wear white. Mom wants bright colors. Pressley tries on white. Paige asks if she is wearing pink underwear. She is. "It's just so obvious. We don't want the judges distracted." It's another cover your cookie moment. In this case, it's "put the lid on the jar sister." Paige says Jared sounds like he just discovered the tablet of Moses. Pressley ends up by saying that "If they did call my name at Miss Tennessee once, I would just fall on the floor and cry." No honey, that's when your mama gets the gown bill.
Then there's Shanese. She's driven all the way from Nashville with her mother and mentor Miss Tiffany (I can't hear that name without shuddering; see Biloxi MS). Miss Tiffany is with Women With Purpose. I looked it up. It is a Christian ministry founded by Danna Demetre. In Miss Demetre's blog, one entry is titled "Holy Hotties Need Strong Bones". She also gives motivational speeches and writes books. In What Happened to My Life? Danna invites readers to join her on a 40-day journey where they'll learn to
I can dig that. 40 days on the road does that too. Anyway, Shanese did not have good self-esteem until she met Miss Tiffany. Money was an issue because they had so many children under one roof. Paige says that Shanese wasn't fed with a silver spoon, more like a plastic spoon. Shanese gets a $2250 yellow gown donated by Paige so that she can compete in Miss Tennessee Teen USA. She is beautiful. She gets third runner up in her first pageant!
Then we have the obligatory "isn't mama a scream" moment. She brings donuts in and asks Jared "Don't you like donuts? It looks like you do." Paige says "We better all get an um-brella because it. is. going to hit the fan."
Next comes Madison. She is 17 and needs to look 24 (big surprise). Her dress ends of costing $2,390. Her talent is yodeling. Paige says "I don't know much about yodeling but it does seem Miss Tennessee." She wins. Then is Ellen. She was Miss Tennessee 2008 and is hosting the FallFest. She is also engaged and has a very big ring. That's what you get by being Miss Tennessee. Paige dressed her for the Miss America pageant. Her teeth look like one of those flipper things the girls wear in Toddlers and Tiaras. She chooses a red dress.
Brittny (no typo) is going for Miss Fall Fest. Paige was Miss Fall Fest in 19something so it is very dear to her. When she walks in, Paige asks how the piano is going. She's doing a lot better at it. Brittny will play the Tennessee Waltz. She was singing, but she wasn't very good and she has to have a talent for Miss America. Her dress has to look so good "that no one notices how bad I am at piano." Before Brittny bought gowns from Paige, she was placing but not winning. Now she buys all her gowns from Paige and wins. Paige says "If you perform like a 2 you have to look like a 10." Brittny says "I'll look like I can play."When they find the right dress, Paige says they "hit the rhinestone on the crown, kinda like the nail on the head." After the contest, Paige said "Brittny did all she could do on the piano and she looked good doing it." By the way, Brittny is 17 and looks 24.
Well, Joann's Gowns is "where queens shop and jaws drop. I wanna get me somma that. Look for more about Union City. Enough to break your heart. Lyrics: "We can take a trip out of this place, I get sick of it let's get away.
Paige gained 131 friends on Facebook and 2735 likes on Glamour Belles.
From granite to Glamour Belles... a double header again tonight! It appears that Miss Fall Fest is the big preliminary this week. The winner goes to Miss Tennessee. You know it is fall because Joann's has one of those "country" signs made in China that says:
Hay Y'all
It's Fall
There is also the Cornfest. It is on September 18. The Fall Fest is on September 16 and 17. I really want to go to these. If you count the Pet Parade, it is the trifecta of Tennessee pageants. Upon further investigation, I have found that CornFest is the new name for Fall Fest. Comment by "In The Know" of Martin TN: Seem like I was told that they changed it from Fallfest to Cornfest because of the Ethanol plant opening a few years back. They changed it because of all the corn that would be used in Obion County to produce ethanol.....but I could be wrong. Cornfest sounds hillbilly redneck is another comment. There are lots of mentions of cornholios. Sorta seems like loud mufflers on big trucks if you read all the chatter. Note to self: find out what a cornholio is. Found out what cornholio is. An alter ego of Beavis. Nothing to do with mufflers, well mostly.
doggie costume: $150. Paige said she needs Jared to pay less attention to the chiuahua and more on the chiffon. In an upset neither Ella Jane nor Sir Winston win. It is a sad day at the pet parade. By the way, the banner ad on the CornFest site is for pet cremation.
The CornFest has lots of stuff in addition to the pet parade:
- Chalk Art Contest
- Antiques or Juntiques?
- "Creative Chair" silent Auction Fund Raiser
- Junior Auxilliary Pumpkin Decorating
- Tyson Coummunity Feed
- 4th annual "bed Race"
- Inaugural Cornhole Tournament
- Corn Eatin & Corn Shucking Contest
- Run for the Pig
- BBQ "Corn"Test
In Joann's, Lexi has come for her homecoming dress. She is 14. The dresses make her look 24. It seems that no matter what your real age is, at Joann's you will be 24. Mom and Grandmama want her covered up. She is.
Pressley is going for the Next Level. She has already won the local state fair title, so this is a huge deal, step up. Pressley wants to wear white. Mom wants bright colors. Pressley tries on white. Paige asks if she is wearing pink underwear. She is. "It's just so obvious. We don't want the judges distracted." It's another cover your cookie moment. In this case, it's "put the lid on the jar sister." Paige says Jared sounds like he just discovered the tablet of Moses. Pressley ends up by saying that "If they did call my name at Miss Tennessee once, I would just fall on the floor and cry." No honey, that's when your mama gets the gown bill.
- slow down and make better choices
- reinterpret life and have more realistic expectations
- choose the very best from all the good
- and pursue God in a life-changing way
I can dig that. 40 days on the road does that too. Anyway, Shanese did not have good self-esteem until she met Miss Tiffany. Money was an issue because they had so many children under one roof. Paige says that Shanese wasn't fed with a silver spoon, more like a plastic spoon. Shanese gets a $2250 yellow gown donated by Paige so that she can compete in Miss Tennessee Teen USA. She is beautiful. She gets third runner up in her first pageant!
Then we have the obligatory "isn't mama a scream" moment. She brings donuts in and asks Jared "Don't you like donuts? It looks like you do." Paige says "We better all get an um-brella because it. is. going to hit the fan."
Next comes Madison. She is 17 and needs to look 24 (big surprise). Her dress ends of costing $2,390. Her talent is yodeling. Paige says "I don't know much about yodeling but it does seem Miss Tennessee." She wins. Then is Ellen. She was Miss Tennessee 2008 and is hosting the FallFest. She is also engaged and has a very big ring. That's what you get by being Miss Tennessee. Paige dressed her for the Miss America pageant. Her teeth look like one of those flipper things the girls wear in Toddlers and Tiaras. She chooses a red dress.Brittny (no typo) is going for Miss Fall Fest. Paige was Miss Fall Fest in 19something so it is very dear to her. When she walks in, Paige asks how the piano is going. She's doing a lot better at it. Brittny will play the Tennessee Waltz. She was singing, but she wasn't very good and she has to have a talent for Miss America. Her dress has to look so good "that no one notices how bad I am at piano." Before Brittny bought gowns from Paige, she was placing but not winning. Now she buys all her gowns from Paige and wins. Paige says "If you perform like a 2 you have to look like a 10." Brittny says "I'll look like I can play."When they find the right dress, Paige says they "hit the rhinestone on the crown, kinda like the nail on the head." After the contest, Paige said "Brittny did all she could do on the piano and she looked good doing it." By the way, Brittny is 17 and looks 24.
Well, Joann's Gowns is "where queens shop and jaws drop. I wanna get me somma that. Look for more about Union City. Enough to break your heart. Lyrics: "We can take a trip out of this place, I get sick of it let's get away.
Paige gained 131 friends on Facebook and 2735 likes on Glamour Belles.
Two whole hours of Deadliest Catch! I was afraid that the blessing of the fleet and memorial to Captain Phil were going to take a lot of this episode, but no, they got right into fishing. Also they kept the Bon Jovi "I'm a Cowboy" (I don't know what the real name of the song is) which I really love but the trailer for this season had a bit of a dirge for Captain Phil. So far so good.
Here's what you missed. Jake Harris passed his pee test. Cornelia Marie successfully out to sea with Captain Derek after Jake goes AWOL for a few hours. Weather sucks. Edgar is back on Northwestern. Jake went to school for captain's license. Hasn't gotten it yet. Kodiak not back. Seabrooke is new boat . Two years ago, a deckhand got caught in the line and was sucked into the Bering Sea. There is a 42 year-old greenhorn. Seabrooke captain is very safety conscious. If you happen to be working on a crab boat, keep both feet on the deck when you toss those lines that connect to the pots over. Here's the video about the Seabrooke. I can't figure out how to "embed" though, so you'll have to go to the link. Weather sucks. Ramblin' Rose another new boat. Very rusty. Very young skipper. Looks wild. Combined aged of crew less than other skippers. He likes that. 30 year-old deckhand Kato as uncoordinated as I am. I only have bruises (and an occasional something else), but he's had a broken ankle, punctured lung and fell overboard. I think there's a video of the RR on the same site. Captain fires deckhand after galley mess and beer debacle. Weather sucks. Northwestern deckhand bites herring head off for luck. Captain Phil's ashes in crab pot. Broken neck on container ship. Rescue copter heroics ensue. Tangled hoist. Pot under rudder. Oh, and did I say the weather sucks? Seabrooke captain (Junior, I think, who is young) is a rock star. Hillstrands are not. Neither is Captain Keith or anyone else for that matter. No Crab Quotes from what I can tell. I skip through the ads. Anyhow, I hate those fucking things. My question: how deep is a fathom? They fish 55 fathoms deep.
Don't call me after 9 p.m. on Tuesdays. Vicious boars are taking over our country. You can see the boar hunters on Tuesdays at 10. Enough said.
Here's what you missed. Jake Harris passed his pee test. Cornelia Marie successfully out to sea with Captain Derek after Jake goes AWOL for a few hours. Weather sucks. Edgar is back on Northwestern. Jake went to school for captain's license. Hasn't gotten it yet. Kodiak not back. Seabrooke is new boat . Two years ago, a deckhand got caught in the line and was sucked into the Bering Sea. There is a 42 year-old greenhorn. Seabrooke captain is very safety conscious. If you happen to be working on a crab boat, keep both feet on the deck when you toss those lines that connect to the pots over. Here's the video about the Seabrooke. I can't figure out how to "embed" though, so you'll have to go to the link. Weather sucks. Ramblin' Rose another new boat. Very rusty. Very young skipper. Looks wild. Combined aged of crew less than other skippers. He likes that. 30 year-old deckhand Kato as uncoordinated as I am. I only have bruises (and an occasional something else), but he's had a broken ankle, punctured lung and fell overboard. I think there's a video of the RR on the same site. Captain fires deckhand after galley mess and beer debacle. Weather sucks. Northwestern deckhand bites herring head off for luck. Captain Phil's ashes in crab pot. Broken neck on container ship. Rescue copter heroics ensue. Tangled hoist. Pot under rudder. Oh, and did I say the weather sucks? Seabrooke captain (Junior, I think, who is young) is a rock star. Hillstrands are not. Neither is Captain Keith or anyone else for that matter. No Crab Quotes from what I can tell. I skip through the ads. Anyhow, I hate those fucking things. My question: how deep is a fathom? They fish 55 fathoms deep.Don't call me after 9 p.m. on Tuesdays. Vicious boars are taking over our country. You can see the boar hunters on Tuesdays at 10. Enough said.
Now the wacky stuff. One of those doctors who makes your stomach smaller so you can lose weight without going to the gym was molesting his patients. He said he was giving them a "weight loss massage." I can't make this stuff up. A college professor taught an extra credit course on The Application of Platonic and Hegelian Ethics To Business." He hired strippers who gave the 30 students lap dances throughout the lecture. Some good business there, huh? Well, everybody knows all the deals are made on the golf course and the gentlemen's clubs so I guess this was good practice for success in business.
On my way home from the post office, there was a great big semi (I think it was one of those extra long ones) jackknifed into the ditch. All the other banana trucks (from the port of Wilmington) stopped to check it out. It was a big mess. Another situation for Hull's Towing. I really wish I could have stayed to watch but the police would probably have shooed me away. Besides which I took a picture out of my truck window and that was pretty weird on its own. And that's the way the day goes out here in the country. I really want to hit that egg hunt with Lila Rae.
I do not dress my imaginary daughter in sequins and belly shirts. She wears smocked dresses. We wore our red ones with the white smocking with those nice red english mary janes you needed to use a buttonhook to get the mother of pearl button through the hole. If you are really little you can wear a smocked sunsuit. When you're a big girl you get to wear dresses with the peter pan collars. Sometimes you could get away with sleeveless, but usually your dresses had puffy short sleeves. Your mom might make you wear a petticoat but really only for the Christmas play. A satin sash with a bow is festive but really only for Valentine's Day and your birthday.
Smocked dresses take a lot of time, patience and skill which means there is no way your mother can do it. Mine tried once after we all went to sleep. I saw her iron the blue pattern onto the fabric and had no idea how she could connect all the dots to make a real dress. Needless to say, my grandmother made most of ours except for the ones mother saved up to buy at the fancy children's store next to the antiques place. I can smock, but it's been a long time. I taught myself, like I taught myself to embroider and to cook.
Sometimes I wonder where my mom was except I know that she took us to lots of historic houses and museums. And she gardened and rode the big green lawn mower (which we were allowed to do, too, on her lap, which is strictly verboten in today's world of car seats and bicycle helmets). Hey, maybe that was the beginning of my farm machinery fetish. My Uncle Peter had a Gravely. I can't remember if he borrowed ours or we borrowed his but I think we had one between us. Using the Gravely was a man's job. My mom could paint a mean window sash and wash the grout with muriatic acid. She could caulk the deck on the boat, too. She sewed most of our clothes, but the details drove her nuts. I remember catching her sticking a beautiful ivory satin quilted bathrobe with gold threads on it after she thought I'd fallen asleep watching the TV. My sister and I sat in our big blue leather chairs watching the TV until we fell asleep at which point my father carried us upstairs to bed. I still can't put myself to sleep. Anyhow, I saw her sewing and she said it was for my sister. On Christmas morning, I opened a beautiful ivory satin bathrobe with gold stitching. "Just like Laurie's!," I exclaimed. Nope. It was always mine.
Back to the smocking, I'm sure you'd know it if you've seen it, and if you were born anytime before 1960 I'm sure you have. And if you are a nice person, you still see it, preferably on your own children. Here are some smocked stuff. Aren't they exquisite?
It takes a very, very long time to smock a dress. There must be nuns somewhere who do this for the Pope's nieces. You have to have pretty good eyesight or least a good magnifying glass. My grandma had one of those things. She could read the small print in the newspaper with it, but we found large print books at the library and then she didn't need her magnifier too much. It made her eyes look really big and kinda scary. Threading a needle takes very good eyesight. I could never figure out why everyone always asked me to thread their needles. I now understand. I wish Lila Rae were good with needles.
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