Wurstmart (031/365)

 
"At the table of a gentleman living in the Chausee d'Antin was served up an Arles sausage of enormous size. "Will you accept a slice?" the host asked a lady who was sitting next to him; "you see it has come from the right factory." -- "It is really very large," said the lady, casting on it a roguish glance; "What a pity it is unlike anything.""

Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), Physiologie du goût (The Physiology of Taste), 1825. English translation by M. F. K. Fisher, 1949.

TIME:  12:47 PM
PLACE:  Christ UCC
SUBJECT:  Wurstmart entrance sign

First off – HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY HANDSOMEHUSBAND!  I am so sorry that today was filled with so many non-birthday type events.  Your birthday tart will be made later this week when you will be able to relax and enjoy it.

The day started off with a visit to the Boy Scouts all you can eat Pancake and Sausage breakfast where MonkeyBoy proceeded to set a personal record of 13 pancakes consumed.  Then HH asked me to help him walk the cold neighborhood distributing campaign literature.  After we returned, he and I headed to a Wurstmart, intending to sit and eat.  Unfortunately, there was a long wait and HH had two other meetings he needed to attend.  So we adjusted our plans, picked up our bratwurst plates as carry out and brought it home.  We ate, then he left for his afternoon events.  Not such a fun birthday for HH.  Better than last year though, when he was a sick man.

Faux Steel (030/365)

“There are three things extremely hard:  steel, a diamond, and to know one's self.”

Benjamin Franklin (American, Founding Father of the United States of America, polymath, author, printer, satirist, political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, soldier and diplomat. 1706 – 1790)

TIME:  4:45 PM
PLACE:  Hometown skating rink
SUBJECT:  Skating rink exterior

DramaQueen went roller skating this afternoon.  She skates at the same rink that I patronized when I was her age.  The outside of the rink looks very different from when I skated there.  The inside of the facility though, hasn’t changed too radically.  The admission area, the counter where you rent your skates, the snack bar, the beginner rink and the main rink are all pretty much as I remember them.  I even think the disco ball in the middle of the rink is the exact same one from when I was younger.  They were just finishing up with a couple skate when I went in to pick her up.  I immediately thought of a boy in my 6th grade class that had sweaty hands when he and I skated together.  Ahh, memories.  Looking back, it seems to me like those were simpler times.  I wonder if DQ, when she is my age, will think how simple her life was at 12 years old.

Eye Of The Tiger (029/365)

 
"Who can believe that there is no soul behind those luminous eyes!"

Pierre Jules Theophile Gautier (French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and literary critic, 1811 – 1872)

TIME:  6:44 PM
PLACE:  Master bedroom
SUBJECT:  Tessa

It has been a cold, cold day with a high of about 20 degrees Fahrenheit.  On days like this, I wish I could be like the cat, curling up on my master’s flannel shirt he left on the dresser, sleeping most of the day.  The only time I would get up would be to eat or use the litter box.  Then I would return to my nest, and seeing my mistress with her camera, give her a good stare.  After she takes my photo, I will give her another look which says, “Did you get what you wanted?  Fine, now quit bothering me so I can go back to sleep.”  That would be the life.

Bricks (028/365)

“A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.”

David Brinkley (American television Journalist, 1920-2003)

TIME:  8:16 AM
PLACE:  SE side of the house
SUBJECT:  Patio bricks

Bricks can be the hard blocks like those pictured above or a bad shot that clanks off the backboard or rim in basketball.  We saw many of the latter at DramaQueen’s game this evening.  Our team lost 28-8.  2 of the 28 points for the other team was from one of our girls, when she became confused and shot at the wrong basket (this was right after half-time when we switched sides) – God love her.  HandsomeHusband is the coach again.  God love him too!

MonkeyBoy (027/365)

 
“And all your future lies beneath your hat.”

John Oldham (1653-1683), British poet. Lines to a Friend About to Leave the University

TIME:  3:36 PM
PLACE:  The Jeep
SUBJECT:  MonkeyBoy
(taken with my Samsung Propel 1.3 megapixel cellphone)

It’s Wednesday and that means the kids get out 30 minutes early and MB has music practice from 2:30-3:30pm at the junior high school.  He is bussed there from his school in the afternoon and I pick him up afterwards.  It was snowing this afternoon – big wet clumpy flakes.  While waiting the kids were having fun sliding on the sidewalk and throwing snow at each other.  MB was wearing his “Uncle John:” hat and the brim had collected the falling snow.  There was actually a whole lot more on the brim, but the car was so warm that it started to melt as soon as he sat down on the seat.

January Tree (026/365)

 
“The most ordinary of prospects caused her to stop and stare. The last of the leaves dropped from the trees, and the bare branches made lace against pale skies.”

Pilcher, Rosamunde. *The Shell Seekers*. St. Martin's Press, 1987.

TIME: 3:26 PM
PLACE:  Front yard
SUBJECT:  Red Sunset Maple tree

This is the first picture in an experiment inspired by Janasworld Fotoprojekt: zwolf2010.  I found out about this from bentonflocke’s blog.  I did not officially sign up, but I am using the idea in my Project 365 this year.  What I will be doing is this:  During 2010 on the 26th of each month, at around the same time, I will take a photo of the tree in my front yard.  It will be interesting to see the changes each month.  I chose the tree because it is right here at home and easily accessible.  I’m placing the camera at the base of the trunk (same place each month) and just pressing the shutter.  Easy peasey.

Mr. Doorknob (025/365)

 
Alice: [looking through the Doorknob's keyhole] There he is! I simply must get through.
Doorknob: Sorry. You're much too big. Simply impassable.
Alice: You mean impossible.
Doorknob: No, impassable. Nothing's impossible.

Alice in Wonderland. Directed by Clyde Geronimi and Wilfred Jackson. Written by Winston Hibler, adapted from the novels by Lewis Carroll. Walt Disney Productions.1951.

TIME:  7:05 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  Doorknob face

Ever since my "Unhappy Toast" picture on Saturday, I’ve been keeping an eye out for faces in other inanimate objects.  This face in the doorknob was neither difficult, nor surprising to find.  Ever since I was young, even before I ever saw Alice in Wonderland, I always thought these types of doorknobs looked like faces and if I turned them too hard, they might yell at me.  I know, I’m strange.  HandsomeHusband would be the first to tell you that sometimes,  I’m just not right in the head.

Walking The Dog (024/365)

  
“A dog is one of the remaining reasons why some people can be persuaded to go for a walk.”

Orlando Aloysius Battista (Canadian-American chemist and author. 1917-1995)

TIME:  12:09 PM
PLACE:  Union Ave.
SUBJECT:  Oreo

Confession time.  The dog does not get walked nearly as much as she should.  That’s why she is more of a Double-Stuffed Oreo than a Regular one.  I did take her out today for a quick jaunt, although I think it was more her taking me for a walk than the other way around.  Apparently, there were a tremendous amount of good smells on our journey as she stopped and had long sniffs every few feet.  The circuit we took wore her out – she’s been pretty quiet since we came back to the house.

Unhappy Toast (023/365)

  
"There was an Old Man of the Coast,
Who placidly sat on a post;
But when it was cold,
he relinquished his hold,
And called for some hot buttered toast."

Edward Lear, English artist, writer; known for his 'literary nonsense' & limericks  (1812-1888)

TIME:  11:13 AM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Toast with sad butter face

Just as I was beginning to relax and believe that, maybe, just maybe we were going to skirt by the season without a stomach virus, I jinxed myself.  While in the bathtub last night, StellaDella told me that her stomach hurt a little.  A few hours later, she emptied the contents of her cheese pizza dinner and cinnamon stick dessert into our bed.  Bath #2 was given a little after midnight.  About 2 hours after the second bath, the remainder of what didn’t make it out the first time showed up in her bed.  Then she crawled back into our freshly made bed and we all had some sleep.  This morning, she asked for something to eat, so she’s on the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) diet, along with plenty of fluids until tomorrow.  Technically, the toast should have been un-buttered, but I did several loads of bedclothes in the laundry today…and doing another load wouldn’t have been a big deal.  She didn’t eat it anyway.

Butt-Heads (022/365)

  
“Please don't throw your cigarette butts in the urinal.  It makes them soggy and hard to light.” 

Author Unknown

TIME:  1:51 PM
PLACE:  Route 15 & 11th St.
SUBJECT:  Cigarette butts

I will start off by saying that I have nothing personal against anyone who chooses to smoke cigarettes.  You all are keeping a whole industry alive and a large segment of the population employed because of your habit/addiction.  And I appreciate that.  However, I do have a bone to pick with some of you smokers.  *clears throat*

THE WORLD IS NOT YOUR ASHTRAY! 

Quit throwing your butts out of your car window and don’t empty your car’s ashtray in the turn lane while you are waiting for the light to change.  That’s called littering and it’s disgusting.  The next time I’m behind someone and they do that, I’m so tempted to pick it up, knock on the window and hand it back with a smile while sweetly saying “I think you may have dropped this.”

Little Cat Feet (021/365)

  
“What's the difference between a cat and a comma?…One has claws at the end of its paws, and the other a pause at the end of the its clause!”

Unknown

TIME:  7:58 PM
PLACE:  My desk
SUBJECT:  Jack’s paws

These are paws that, when they come across a glass of water, have to knock it over.  Jack does enjoy watching the water as it flows off of the table or counter or wherever the glass was and drizzle to the floor.  Many a piece of mail, homework paper, magazine and even the occasional public library book has  been drenched by Jack’s actions.  I remind the kids that they cannot leave glasses of liquid sitting about – they are all considered fair game to the cat.

Foggy Days (020/365)

“An absolute
patience.
Trees stand
up to their knees in
fog.”

Denise Levertov (b. 1923), Anglo-U.S. poet. "The Breathing."

TIME:  3:41 PM
PLACE:  Ross Lane
SUBJECT:  Trees in the fog

This has been our world the last couple of days.  Foggy, overcast and just blah, blah, blah.  The forecast for the next few days? 

Thursday: Rain, areas of morning fog.  A little rain in the evening; otherwise, rather cloudy
Friday: Mostly cloudy and mainly cloudy at night.
Saturday:  Cloudy and mild; rain possible in the afternoon.  Rain and a thunderstorm in the evening; considerable clouds.
Sunday:  Breezy and mild with variable cloudiness.  Partly cloudy and breezy at night.

Not very encouraging - we MIGHT see sun on Friday (probably not) and we MAY see some sun on Sunday.  I shall take the cautiously optimistic stance that I will see the sun by this weekend.  I’ve got to believe!

R.I.P. (019/365)

 
“And they were singing,
’bye-bye, Miss American Pie.’
Drove my Chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', ‘this'll be the day that I die.
this'll be the day that I die.’

They were singing,
’bye-bye, Miss American Pie.’
Drove my Chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', ‘this'll be the day that I die.’”

McLean, Don. "American Pie."  Lyrics.  American Pie.  United Artists, 1971.

TIME:  7:39 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Dell notebook & rosary

Monday morning I awoke to a blue screen and a whole bunch of words on my Dell notebook.  I was on my way to take a shower so I didn’t even read what was there, I just pressed the button to do a hard reboot.  It never regained consciousness.  Later that morning, I took it to a computer repair shop for diagnosis. They called today.  The motherboard had expired.  That’s the bad news.  The good news is, we use an on-line back up service (Carbonite) for our documents, pictures and music files, so those are not lost.  And, my hard drive is still accessible - so I will be able to get to all my programs.  The other good news is…Now I will get a new notebook!  It’s definitely going to be another Dell.  This one lasted over 5 years and until yesterday, didn’t give me an ounce of trouble.  Rest in peace my electronic friend, you served me well.

Ravioli Pin (018/365)

Plankton:  …Remember: Ravioli, ravioli, give me the formuoli.

"Imitation Krabs." SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 2, Episode 24b. December 28, 2000.

TIME:  9:13 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Ravioli rolling pin & recipe

At our family reunion in October, we talked about getting together in February to make the family recipe for ravioli.  Making ravioli in our family is usually a huge undertaking as the recipe makes approximately 5,000 at a time.  Tonight, we met at a local restaurant for a “Ravioli Planning Meeting.”   I handed out copies of the recipe, which was handwritten by my late Aunt Phyllis, my dad’s older sister.  We decided who was purchasing which ingredients and the date, time and place of the ravioli-fest.  Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 27th, 8am at the same place where the reunion was held.  It’s on.

First-Second-Third (017/365)

 
Ricky Bobby: Wait, Dad. Don't you remember the time you told me "If you ain't first, you're last"?
Reese Bobby: Huh? What are you talking about, Son?
Ricky Bobby: That day at school.
Reese Bobby: Oh hell, Son, I was high that day. That doesn't make any sense at all, you can be second, third, fourth... hell you can even be fifth.
Ricky Bobby: What? I've lived my whole life by that!

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Dir. Adam McKay. Perfs. Will Ferrell, Gary Cole. Columbia Pictures, 2006.

TIME:  1:40 PM
PLACE:  St. Mary’s Cafeteria
SUBJECT:  Pinewood Derby

It’s January and that means it’s time for the Cub Scout Pine Wood Derby.  This year, MonkeyBoy’s car came in second in the consolation round (5th place overall).  It was a tight, exciting race between his yellow #39 car and the #10 red car.  In the end, the #10 car prevailed.  My other Webelo ended up winning the whole Derby – Woo hoo for my den!

At The Car Wash (016/365)

“Woo
You might not ever get rich
But let me tell ya it's better that diggin' a ditch.
There ain't no tellin' who ya might meet. .
A movie star or may be even an Indian Chief.

(Workin' at the) car wash.
Workin' at the car wash yeah !
Come on and sing it with me car wash.
Get with the feelin' y'all car wash yeah.”

Whitfield, Norman.  "Car Wash."  Lyrics. Perf. Rose Royce.  Car Wash: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.  MCA, 1976.

TIME:  3:47 PM
PLACE:  Super Wash
SUBJECT:  Wash Bay Interior

Since the temperature was above freezing, I and about a ka-jillion other people decided to wash the salt and yuck off our automobiles.  I emptied out the trash (I couldn’t believe how much there was – wait -actually with 3 kids, I can) and even vacuumed the interior of the Jeep.  There was quite a line for the touch-less, automatic wash, but it moved pretty quickly and I didn’t have to wait long for my turn.  I wish I would have framed the shot to have the complete sign in it. *shrugs*  Oh well, there’s nothing I can do about it now, this is the picture I have for today.

And admit it, that song pops into your mind whenever you are at the car wash.

Fish And Poultry (015/365)

   
“One fish
two fish
red fish
blue fish”

Dr. Seuss, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, New York: Random House, 1960

TIME:  3:23 PM 
PLACE:  1517 Bond Ave., East St. Louis, IL
SUBJECT:  Sign

I ended up taking both DramaQueen and MonkeyBoy to the pediatrician this afternoon.  DQ had not been feeling well the past two days and probably has a viral infection.  Just ibuprofen and rest for her.  MB has had ringing in his ears for awhile.  They ruled out an ear infection and gave me a referral to make an appointment for a hearing test.  On the way home, we passed by one of my favorite signs.  I noticed that it has sustained some damage since the last time I drove by it.  Bummer.  I still stopped and quickly took this picture from my car. 

Inverted (014/365)

“Much of a man's character will be found betokened in his backbone. I would rather feel your spine than your skull, whoever you are. A thin joist of a spine never yet upheld a full and noble soul.”

Herman Melville (1819-1891), U.S. author. Moby-Dick (1851), ch. 80.

TIME:  7:23 PM
PLACE:  The living room
SUBJECT: HH on Inversion Table

HandsomeHusband has a bad back.  And lately, it has been causing him some major discomfort.  He visited the chiropractor for an adjustment tonight, then before he went to bed, he stretched out on the inversion table to help decompress his spine.  I feel so bad for him – I wish there was a way I could eliminate his pain for good.

Hanging In There (013/365)

 
“Lord save us all from old age and broken health and a hope tree that has lost the faculty of putting out blossoms.”

Mark Twain. Letter to Joe Goodman. April 1891.

TIME:  4:06 PM
PLACE:  Front flower bed
SUBJECT:  Rose

Despite the cold and snow that we’ve had around here, this flower was still attached to the rose bush when I went outside this afternoon to get the mail.  Although the blossom is past it’s prime, it still provides a nice little spot of color in an otherwise drab and dreary winter landscape.

Sled (012/365)

 
[first lines]
Charles Foster Kane: Rosebud. 

Citizen Kane. Dir. Orson Welles. Perfs. Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton. RKO Radio Pictures, 1941.

TIME:  3:56 PM
PLACE:  Backyard
SUBJECT:  Sled

My “day off” today.  I returned an item to Best Buy, went to the mall to get my refund from another return earlier this month (I had originally paid with a check, so they issued a voucher which I could redeem after 10 days) and then came home and attacked the dust bunnies that have invaded my bedroom.  As I was cleaning the cat nose prints off the window, I noticed the sled sitting in the yard.  It provided the perfect excuse to take a break - “Sorry, I can’t clean anymore..I must go take a picture for my blog.” 

Catapult (011/365)

 
“If you lived in the Dark Ages, and you were a catapult operator, I bet the most common question people would ask is, 'Can't you make it shoot farther?' No. I'm sorry. That's as far as it shoots.”

Jack Handey. *Deeper Thoughts*. New York. Hyperion. 1993.

TIME:  6:29 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  Catapult

The Webelos (all two of them!) are continuing to work on the Engineering Pin requirements.  Today, we built a catapult using large tongue depressors, a rubber band and plastic spoon.  Then they flung pompoms to see who could get the most into a plastic container.  The directions that were provided by in the Leader’s Handbook weren’t the clearest to follow.  I should have made a prototype to work out all the bugs before the meeting, but I completely forgot that we even HAD a meeting until this morning.  Luckily, I had most of the materials, and with a quick trip to Home Depot before work, I was able to procure what I was missing.  Crisis averted.

Making Tracks (010/365)

“The enormous lake stretched flat and smooth and white all the way to the edge of the gray sky. Wagon tracks went away across it, so far that you could not see where they went; they ended in nothing at all.”

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. *Little House on the Prairie*. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1935. Chapter 1.

TIME:  8:15 PM
PLACE:  Driveway
SUBJECT:  Tire tracks in the snow

HH cleared off his desk today and I assisted him, at least, I hope I was of some help.  Although, when he cleans HIS desk, many papers and items immigrate over to MY desk and end up covering its surface.  Funny how that happens.  This wasn’t a busy Sunday, but I am worn out for some reason.  I am just really tired…I think the cold weather has something to do with it.  After I post this, I believe that I will head on up to bed – 8 hours of sleep sounds really good to me tonight.

Grocery Carts (009/365)

 
“You've got bad eating habits if you use a grocery cart in 7-Eleven.”

Dennis Miller (American stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, sports commentator, and television and radio personality, b1953)

TIME:  6:16 PM
PLACE:  Schnucks – West end of town
SUBJECT:  Grocery carts

I went grocery shopping this evening, something I get depressed doing these days.  The combination of the higher prices and the increase in food consumption of our family (darn those pesky kids of ours!) makes getting out of there without spending a fortune quite the challenge.  I try to stick to what is on sale and use coupons, but it still seems to cost quite a bit even when I do that.  If we could just all stop needing to eat, we’d have a lot more money in the bank.

The Unknown Comic (008/365)

 
Unknown Comic:  [calling to Chuck Barris] Hey Chuckie-baby, where are you Chuckie?  Chuckie! Aaah, I knew it was you, ‘cause I never forget a face…but in your case I’ll make an exception!

The Gong Show. Dir. John Dorsey, Terry Kyne. Performer: Murray Langston. NBC. 1976-1978. Syndicated. 1976-1980.

TIME:  7:11 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  StellaDella

Another snow day for the kids today.  I went into work for awhile in the morning.  This evening we picked up supper from a fish stand that we like to frequent.  The Styrofoam containers were packed in this paper bag, which SD decided need to be made into a mask.  She drew on the features and DramaQueen and I cut them out for her.  I tried to get her to tell me some jokes, but she was too interested in watching Animal Planet on TV.

Snow Topped (007/365)

 
“long long
The snow has possessed the mountains.”

Unknown. The Grass on the Mountain (l. 1-2). . . Favorite Poems Old and New. Helen Ferris, ed. (1957) Doubleday & Company.

TIME:  8:56 AM
PLACE:  Front porch
SUBJECT:  Snow covered solar light

It snowed last night and school was cancelled today.  I finally get them out of the house and back to school after the holidays and all too soon they are back.  *grumbles*  It was mainly cloudy, with some sunshine and very windy today, with negative wind chill factors.  Definitely a day to stay indoors and try to get rid of the “Hoarder” look that has attached itself to certain areas of my home.  Wish me luck!

Afternoon Light (006/365)

 
“The eastern light our spires touch at morning,
The light that slants upon our western doors at evening,
The twilight over stagnant pools at batflight,
Moon light and star light, owl and moth light,
Glow-worm glowlight on a grassblade.
O Light Invisible, we worship Thee!”

T.S. (Thomas Stearns) Eliot (1888-1965), U.S.-born—British poet, critic. "Choruses from 'The Rock'...."

TIME:  3:12 PM
PLACE:  The living room
SUBJECT:  Light & shadow on secretary hutch

I generally do not care for winter – the shorter periods of daylight contribute to this dislike quite a bit.  However, I do appreciate the late afternoon sun streaming through my windows and the warmth it spreads into the front of my home.  Shadows seem longer and the light seems more ethereal during January afternoons.  It whispers of the promise of longer days to come.

Where Santa Spends The Off-Season (005/365)

 
“I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat and a gun.”

Raymond Chandler (1888-1959), U.S. author. Philip Marlowe, in Farewell, My Lovely, ch. 34 (1940).

TIME:  1:59 PM
PLACE:  The attic
SUBJECT:  Vintage stuffed Santa decoration

I had put away all of the Christmas decorations on Sunday, well, all except the two 4’ lighted trees that graced the front porch.  The temperature shot up to 16 degrees and the sun was shining after lunch today, so I ventured out to the porch, quickly unplugged them, brought them inside and packed them in their box.  I pulled down the stairs to the attic and climbed up with the trees.  This sight greeted me as I entered the attic.  Rest up Santa.  You only have 353 days until Christmas!

Brown Sugar Cookies (004/365)

 
“Sometimes me think what is love, and then me think love is what last cookie is for. Me give up the last cookie for you.”

Cookie Monster

TIME:  3:19 PM
PLACE:  The kitchen
SUBJECT:  Brown sugar cookie

HandsomeHusband printed out a cookie recipe from Nosh With Me in December and asked me to make them for him.  This afternoon, I finally fulfilled his request and I’m glad I did.  Two reasons; One: Using the oven heated up the kitchen nicely on this cold day and Two: These are damn good cookies.

Hair Raising (003/365)

 
“Thy knotted and combined locks to part,
And each particular hair to stand on end,
Like quills upon the fretful porpentine.”

William Shakespeare (1564-1616), British dramatist, poet. Ghost, in Hamlet, act 1, sc. 5, l. 18-20. Hinting at horrors he will not describe to Hamlet; "porpentine" means porcupine.

TIME:  3:53 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  StellaDella’s hair

StellaDella has the worst static-y, fly-away hair these days.  I actually used a dryer sheet on her hair this morning before she went to Sunday School.  As I was taking the tree down she stood by the front window and her hair was sticking out all over the place.  I guess we need to turn on the humidifier and to add hair conditioner to the shopping list.

Salt & Pepper (002/365)

Never trust a skinny chef

Unknown

TIME:  5:52 PM
PLACE:  My sister’s kitchen
SUBJECT:  Salt & pepper shakers

The Bean turned 4 (going on 32!) on December 29th and my sister had her birthday party this afternoon.  These figures stand about 7-8 inches tall and are part of a set of 4 shakers.  The other two shakers are labeled “SUGAR” and “FLOUR”.  The caricature is one of a swarthy Italian (or Sicilian) chef.  This set of shakers originally belonged to my paternal grandparents and now sit on a shelf in a corner cabinet at my sister’s house.

The Present Game (001/365)

It is in games that many men discover their paradise.

Robert Lynd (Irish Essayist and Journalist, 1879-1949)

TIME:  5:36 PM
PLACE:  Uncle Albert’s basement
SUBJECT:  The extended family

I woke up this morning with a pinched nerve in my right shoulder blade.  Owie.  I took some Aleve and lay on the heating pad for an hour.  It felt a little better, but I’m still having trouble turning my head to the left.  Looks like I’m making a call to the chiropractor tomorrow.
We went to my uncle’s house (my mother’s brother) for a New Year’s Day get-together.  We play what we call “The Present Game”.  Everyone brings at least 3 gifts per player.  We roll dice – a double allows you to choose a gift, if you roll a triple, you get to choose two.  When all the gifts are distributed, we set a timer and roll to steal.  Same rules.  Then we open.  The gifts are usually pretty crappy.  Think 2 pistachios lovingly wrapped in a small jewelry box, or scratched off losing lottery tickets taped to the bottom of a large shirt box.  It’s goofy and can get cutthroat for certain gifts.  We’re dorks.