Old Man’s Scar (031/366)

“Because nobody goes through life without a scar.”

Carol Burnett (American comedian, actress, singer and dancer, b.1936)

TIME:  8:22 PM
PLACE:  Home
SUBJECT:  Scar on HandsomeHusband

Today the HH turns 56.  Fifty-six! Wow. Just wow.  Along with his horizontal wrinkles by his eyes, is this scar by his left eye which cuts across the wrinkles vertically.  He received this scar waaaaaay back when he was in kindergarten (1962) from his cousin Greg and a baseball bat (Later in the 1970’s, Cousin Greg took a break from beating up HH and played guitar in the metro-area band Faustus).  Apparently, after seeing the bloodshed and damage, Grandma S--- ran around like a chicken with her head cut off screaming “He’s gonna die!  He’s gonna die!”  Well, unluckily for me, he didn’t.  Happy Birthday my love!

Net (030/366)

“To leave a living name behind,
And weave but nets to catch the wind.”

John Webster (c. 1580-1638), British writer. The Devil's Law Case (l. 15-16). . . Oxford Book of English Verse, The, 1250-1918. Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. (New ed., rev. and enl., 1939) Oxford University Press.

TIME:  7:29 PM
PLACE:  Indoor soccer arena
SUBJECT:  Netting over field

MonkeyBoy has been attending a soccer camp on Monday evenings for the past few weeks.  Normally HH takes him and picks him up, but he had a meeting tonight, so I drove out there to collect him this evening.

I Can Never Have Anything Nice (029/366)

A catholic priest opened a tub of margarine and saw the face of Jesus. He showed it to his mate from Tibet. His mate said.....I can't believe it's not Buddha.

Bad joke

TIME:  6:10 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Butter spread

This is the carnage that my family does to a container of Shedd’s Spread Country Crock.  Not only is it not butter, it’s not pretty.

At The Finish Line (028/366)

“The true runner comes to the finish and receives the prize and is crowned.”
 
Plato (c. 427-347 B.C.), Greek philosopher. Republic, 613 C....

TIME:  9:30-9:46 AM
PLACE:  Lindenwood College
SUBJECT:  MonkeyBoy & DramaQueen

The kids participated in the 2nd Annual ChiroMed Winter Luau 5K Run/Walk this morning.  DQ’s friend, Erin also ran in the race.  It was much colder than the race they did in December and that made it a little more difficult for them.  They made it though.  Way to go guys, I’m very proud of you!

Red Wall (027/366)

“Something there is that doesn't love a wall”

Robert Frost (1874-1963), U.S. poet. Mending Wall (l. 1). . . The Poetry of Robert Frost. Edward Connery Lathem, ed. (1979) Henry Holt.

TIME:  7:49 PM
PLACE:  Wasabi Sushi Bar
SUBJECT:  Restaurant wall
(another cell-phone picture)

StellaDella had a bad afternoon.  It mainly had to do with being unwanted and told to go away by the older sister and brother.  There was a whole lot of crying and hurt feelings going on when I walked into the house after work.  Poor baby.  I feel your pain SD.  I really do.  See, I had two older brothers who did the same to me when their friends were around.  So to cheer her up, HH and I took her (all by herself-no older siblings!) out to eat and then to the bookstore.  It seemed to have done the trick.

Vending Wall Of Delights (026/366)

Maggie Sibley: Well, I know that if you think life is a vending machine, where you put in virtue and you get out happiness, then you'll probably gonna be disappointed.

"Time Flies." Six Feet Under. 27 June 2005. Television.

TIME:  12:53 PM
PLACE:  Chinese buffet entrance
SUBJECT:  Vending machines
(taken with my cell phone)

I met the HH for lunch today at a nearby Chinese buffet. (We get the “date” time together when we can!)  During lunch I asked him if he like my photo yesterday and it was then that I realized my photos over the last 3rd days have been of something either on or against a wall.   Well, I guess since I have I theme happening, I need to name it - Week of Walls – all rights reserved (ha!) and need to keep it going.  Here are vending machines against the wall in the entrance area to the restaurant.  I was very tempted to part with 50 cents for one of those string dolls in the upper left machine.  But I didn’t.

Fun House Dryer (025/366)

Mr. Salt: What is this, Wonka? Some kind of funhouse?
Willy Wonka: Why? Having fun?

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Writ. Roald Dahl. 1971. Warner Bros.

TIME:  8:35 PM
PLACE:  Target bathroom
SUBJECT: Xlerator hand dryer
(taken with my cell phone)

DramaQueen had freshman orientation at the high school this evening.  I cannot believe that my oldest will be in high school this fall.  I DID manage to embarrass her several times during the evening.  That’s my job.  After, we went to Target to pick up a few items.  I had to use the facilities before we started to shop.  I’m looking like a Weeble in this reflection.  That is NOT what my physique is like – honest!

Gymnasium (024/366)

“The moment I felt sure I had everything under control would invariably be the moment right before the principal called to report that one of my sons had just driven somebody's motorcycle through the high school gymnasium.”

Mary Kay Blakely (20th century), U.S. journalist, essayist, author and mother. American Mom, prologue (1994).

TIME:  5:02 PM
PLACE:  A junior high school.
SUBJECT:  Metal Gymnasium letters

MonkeyBoy had his first volleyball game at a rival junior high school this evening at 5:00pm.  (They won.)  I was a little late getting there from work.  And once I arrived, I was then even a little later because before I went inside, I stopped to take a photo of the metal letters spelling out G-Y-M-N-A-S-I-U-M on the brick wall outside.  Yep, I’m mother-of-the-year.  Well, anyway, I am excited because now it’s still light out at 5pm.  Yippee!

Retro Wall (023/366)

“If you are calling from a rotary phone, simply stay on the line until an operator returns, and then provide the operator with the next number you want to call.”

TIME:  7:12 PM PST
PLACE:  My brother’s house, California
SUBJECT:  Birthday presents and wall clock
(photo by said brother)

My brother John, has been into mid-century modern before mid-century modern was cool.  Like, way back in the late 1980’s/early 1990’s.  It’s true.  The home he recently purchased is quite retro as well.  When I saw this phone at our school’s rummage sale in October, I pounced on it knowing that it would be perfect for him.  Then in December, I found the pepper mill at a local thrift store.  These two items along with a couple of vintage books from our childhood and a retro decorating color wheel were Priority mailed to him on Saturday.  I was just a couple of days late from his b-day on the 20th.  He texted me this picture this evening.  I guess that means he likes his gift.

Dog Food (022/366)

Homer: Well, crying isn't gonna bring him back ... unless your tears smell like dog food. So you can either sit there crying and eating can after can of dog food until your tears smell enough like dog food to make your dog come back, or you can go out there and find your dog.

"The Canine Mutiny." The Simpsons. 13 Apr. 1997. Television.

TIME:  11:03 PM
PLACE:  Home
SUBJECT:  Oreo’s dog food

When she’s not eating the cat’s food or getting into the trash can, this is what Oreo scarf’s down.  I’m glad I’m not a dog.

Condiments (021/366)

“Americans can eat garbage, provided you sprinkle it liberally with ketchup, mustard, chili sauce, Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper, or any other condiment which destroys the original flavor of the dish”

Henry Miller quotes (American Author and Writer, 1891-1980)

TIME:  5:58 PM
PLACE:  Kretzer's Grill & Bar, Hoyleton, IL
SUBJECT:  Condiments on table

The HH and I had dinner with a friend of his and his wife to celebrate HH’s and his friend’s upcoming January birthdays.  HH took this photo while we were seated at our table and waiting for our friends to arrive.  He and his friend ordered the all you can eat crab legs for their entrees.  I think the restaurant lost money on that order.

Suitcase Packed & Raring To Go (020/366)

Jeff: Why would a man leave his apartment three times on a rainy night with a suitcase and come back three times?
Lisa: He likes the way his wife welcomes him home.

Rear Window, James Stewart, Grace Kelly, perf, Alfred Hitchcock director, Paramount Pictures, 1954.

TIME:  6:34 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  StellaDella’s Suitcase

SD was supposed to go with her friend Mikayla to an overnight at Mikayla’s church.  She was so excited about this.  I swear that’s all I’ve been hearing about for the past couple of days.  The anticipation built and built until she was just about to burst.  When I arrived home from work, she was all packed and ready to go.  About 30 minutes before we were to leave, the phone rang with the bad news that the event had been cancelled do to the icy road conditions we have.  SD was devastated, until she received the invitation to spend the night at Mikayla’s house instead.  It’s her first “official” sleep-over at a friends house.  All is right with the world once again.

Red Boxes (019/366)

“Thanks to my mother, not a single cardboard box has found its way back into society. We receive gifts in boxes from stores that went out of business twenty years ago.”

Erma Bombeck (U.S. humorist, 1927-1996)

TIME:  11:00 PM
PLACE:  Dining room
SUBJECT:  Boxes

I finally took the nativity set down this week (slacker!) and placed all the figures in their individual storage boxes.  That was as far as I got.  I need to get a storage container for the boxes.  Boxes need to be stored in boxes don’tcha know.  The one they were originally in broke apart while we were retrieving it from the attic back in December.  Looks like a trip to Target is in my future.

Bristles (018/366)

Kevin McCallister: Is this toothbrush approved by the American Dental Association?
Clerk: Well, I don't know. It doesn't say, hon.
Kevin McCallister: Well, could you please find out?

Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin, Ann Whitney, perf, Chris Columbus director, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp, 1990.

TIME:  9:41 PM
PLACE:  Bathroom
SUBJECT:  Toothbrush

The American Dental Association recommends that you change your toothbrush every three months.  I usually replace mine about every two, ‘cause that’s how I roll.  Tonight, my new toothbrush makes its big debut.  Please, try to control your excitement.

Letterman (017/366)

“Faster than a rolling "O"! Stronger than silent "E"! Able to leap capital "T" in a single bound! It's a word, it's a plan, it's Letterman!”

"The Adventures of Letterman." The Electric Company. Narrated by Joan Rivers. Children's Television Workshop. PBS, 1972.

TIME:  9:08 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  MonkeyBoy

This evening at an awards ceremony at the junior high school, MonkeyBoy received his letter for playing basketball this season.  Way to go MB!

50 Pints (016/366)

“However, one cannot put a quart in a pint cup.”

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (American Writer, Economist and Lecturer an early theorist of the feminist movement, 1860-1935)

TIME:  6:42 PM
PLACE:  Basement
SUBJECT:  50 Pint Dehumidifier

You know you need to re-examine your life when a new dehumidifier purchase and the fact that you-don’t-have-to-empty-it-because-you-sprang-for-the-hose-attachment-so-it-empties-directly-into-a-floor-drain makes you giddy.  It almost makes up for not being able to get tickets for the sold out February 22nd Jane’s Addiction show at the Pageant in St. Louis.  Almost, but not really.

Snarol (015/366)

Aunt Martha: For a gallon of elderberry wine, I take one teaspoon full of arsenic, then add half a teaspoon full of strychnine, and then just a pinch of cyanide.
Mortimer Brewster: Hmm. Should have quite a kick.

Adair, Jean, and Cary Grant, perf. Arsenic and Old Lace. Dir. Capra Frank. 1944. Warner Bros. Pictures.

TIME:  4:24 PM
PLACE:  Front Porch
SUBJECT:  Vintage Snarol box

I had spied this box of Snarol meal about a year and a-half ago at a local antique store and fell in love with the graphics.  I’m an odd one, I know.  It was in the bargain basement where everything was 1/2 of the marked price.  Even so, I couldn’t justify spending $20 on a vintage box of metaldehyde-arsenical bait.  This past November, the owner of the shop told me that he was getting rid of the 1/2 price basement in order to be able to rent the space out to dealers; he’d give me a good deal on the box.  Things got busy and I never went back to take him up on the offer.  SD had a birthday party at the movie theater downtown today, and while waiting, I decided to check out the store to see if the box was still there.  It was and I was able to buy it for only $8.  And you know what?  It had never been opened.  What could one do with all of that arsenical goodness…hmmmm…do you think HH would get suspicious if I started insisting he eat a powdered-sugar donut every morning for breakfast?  (I’m kidding of course!).   *Sigh* Now, I need to find out when the next hazardous waste collection is happening in my area, so I can dispose of the contents properly.  I’m keeping the damn box though.

Salty (014/366)

Reg: Welcome to the Salty Spitoon. How tough are you?

"No Weenies Allowed." SpongeBob Squarepants. Mar. 2002. Television.

TIME:  2:30 PM
PLACE:  Home
SUBJECT:  Jeep tail light

Obviously, I did not join the extremely long line at the car wash to rid my Jeep of the road salt it gathered as a result of Thursday’s winter storm.  Maybe tomorrow.

Paperweight (013/366)

Darwin Mayflower: History, tradition, culture... are not concepts! These are trophies I keep in my den as paperweights!

Grant, Richard E., perf. Hudson Hawk. Dir. Michael Lehmann. 1991.

TIME:  11:18 PM
PLACE:  My desk
SUBJECT:  Jack

Jack likes to keep me company when I am on the computer.  That usually involves him lying on top of any and all papers on my desk.  He makes a good paperweight.

Saputos (012/366)

Capt. McCluskey: How's the Italian food in this restaurant?
Sollozzo: Good. Try the veal, it's the best in the city.
Capt. McCluskey: I'll have it.

The Godfather (Sterling Hayden, Al Lettieri performers, Francis Ford-Coppola-director, 1972)

TIME:  2:12 PM
PLACE:  Springfield, IL
SUBJECT:  Neon Sign

I had a meeting at noon in Springfield today.  And just to make the day even more special…we had our first accumulating snowfall of the season this morning.  It was very windy and the snow was blowing across the highways, obscuring our vision for much of the trip, making the drive a fun and exciting challenge (hmm, not sure if the sarcastic tone is coming through – note to self, locate a sarcasm font for future posts).  The silver lining?  I was able to eat some very delicious Italian food at lunch. Complimenti alla cuoco.

M&M OCD Rainbow (011/366)

“The neurosis in which the search for safety takes its clearest form is in the compulsive-obsessive neurosis. Compulsive-obsessive to frantically order and stabilize the world so that no unmanageable, unexpected or unfamiliar dangers will ever appear.”

Abraham Maslow (American Philosopher and Psychologist, 1908-1970)

TIME:  about 2:45 PM
PLACE:  Work
SUBJECT:  M&Ms

I took this photo with my phone camera.  Yes, I arrange my M&Ms by color.  I ate the brown ones first (as you can see, they are not in the picture).  Then, I eat any extraneous colors.  For example, there were 12 orange and 15 yellow M&Ms, so I ate 3 orange ones and 6 yellow ones so that they would be even with the 9 green M&Ms.  Since the red and blue M&Ms were on each end like bookends, the fact that there only 6 of each was not a problem.  Finally, I ate a row of M&Ms from each end…for example: a row of red and blue; a row of red and blue; a row of orange and green (3 times), then finally the yellow ones in the middle.  That didn’t sound too obsessive-compulsive, did it?

Powers Out Stains (010/366)

"Pain is not the cleanser"

Bart Simpson, Chalkboard gag, The Simpsons, “The Last Temptation of Krust” Episode #193, Feb 22, 1998

TIME:  8:02 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Ajax Cleanser top

With the exception of cropping to a 5”x7” size and adding my watermark, this is a SOOC (straight out of the camera) shot.  Is there any significance to this photo?  No.  I had just finished cleansing out my porcelain sink and needed a picture for today.  The top of the cleanser canister seemed as good as any!

Cricket (009/366)

“Shall we be merry? As merry as crickets, my lad “

William Shakespeare (1564-1616), British dramatist, poet. Poins, in Henry IV, Part 1, act 2, sc. 4, l. 89. Hal and his companions at the tavern in Eastcheap.

TIME:  10:08 PM
PLACE:  Home
SUBJECT:  Cricket

Every couple of weeks, Blade the gecko gets crickets put in his cage as part of his diet.  In addition to being gecko nourishment, they also provide a source of entertainment for Jack the cat.  Although we’ve had many crickets in house since the week before Christmas, tonight was the first time I heard them chirping merrily away in the aquarium.

The Great Pumpkin Collapse (008/365)

“Greatness collapses of itself: such limit the gods have set to the growth of prosperous states.”

Marcus Annaeus Lucan (39-65), Roman epic poet. Pharsalia, 1. 81-82.

TIME:  1:38 PM
PLACE:  My sister’s front porch
SUBJECT:  Pumpkin

According to my brother-in-law, this pumpkin set a record and was still good and solid until the weather turned warm on Friday.  Now, it’s soft, soggy and squishy.  A shovel is now required for its removal.

Winter Twilight (007/366)

“I stand penciled against the winter twilight, a silhouette for dreams.”

Anonymous

TIME:  5:16 PM
PLACE:  South of town
SUBJECT:  Fence & Tree

HH and I abandoned left the children in DramaQueen’s capable hands this evening to attend an annual membership dinner for one of HH’s clubs.  On the way, I snapped this silhouette while we were sitting at an intersection, waiting for the light to change.

Curlicue (006/366)

“Comedy has to be based on truth. You take the truth and you put a little curlicue at the end.”

Sid Caesar (American, Actor, comedian, writer, musician, b 1922)

TIME: 4:47 PM
PLACE:  Front yard
SUBJECT:  Ornamental grass

We reached a high of 68 degrees here today.  It was beautiful.  I managed to make it outside this afternoon and play around a little bit with my new lens.  Looking at my endeavors, I can see that I need a lot more playing time.  The grass stem was difficult to capture with the warm winds we had.  But I’m not complaining – I can live with the wind if it means having this warm weather during the month of January.

What I Wore Today (005/366)

“A women who doesn't wear perfume has no future.”

Coco Chanel (French Fashion designer who ruled over Parisian haute couture for almost six decades, 1883-1971)

TIME:  4:46 PM
PLACE:  Front porch
SUBJECT:  Bvlgari Black Eau de Toilette Spray

I’d like to be all flirtatious and say that I wore this and nothing else, but that might cause my readers to conjure up an image that will haunt them for the rest of their days.  (And my dad reads this blog; I gotta keep it clean.)  So, um, yeah, I wore clothes too.  This is my favorite fragrance and I cannot locate it in stores anymore.  That’s typical for perfumes that actually smell good on me – they get discontinued.  The good news is that it seems to be available in abundance online.  That’s fortunate, ‘cause otherwise I would be a very sad and not-as-good-smelling girl.

Soaking (004/366)

“Beans, beans, the magical fruit
The more you eat, the more you toot
The more you toot, the better you feel
So have some beans at every meal!”

~Schoolyard saying

TIME:  10:06 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Great Northern Beans

Ham and beans is on the menu for tomorrow night.  I picked up a bag of dried Great Northern beans on my lunch hour today.  Before he went to bed, HH put them in my favorite red Pyrex bowl (#404, 4-quart) to soak overnight.

“A” You’re Adorable (003/366)

“I adore simple pleasures. They are the last refuge of the complex.”

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Anglo-Irish playwright, author. Lord Illingworth, in A Woman of No Importance, act 1.

TIME:  6:27 PM
PLACE:  Living Room
SUBJECT:  StellaDella and Blade

I came across this photo-a-day challenge list of things to shoot for the month of January.  I saved it on my computer for those times I am in need of an idea.  It’s the 3rd day of the year and I’m already utilizing it.  *shakes head and rolls eyes*  Today’s suggestion was “Something You Adore.”  Well, SD most certainly adores Blade.  I am adoring the smile that has been appearing on her face each time she holds him.

Needle Avalanche (002/366)

“Beware the pine-tree's withered branch! / Beware the awful avalanche!”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (American, 19th century Poet, 1807-1882)

TIME:  12:40 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  Artificial tree “needles”

Whoever said that artificial trees don’t shed was a liar.

Uncle Al (001/366)

“Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts.“

~Author Unknown

TIME: 6:16 PM
PLACE: Uncle Albert’s house
SUBJECT: Uncle Albert

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a clear shot of him when he was wearing the complete outfit of a Santa Snuggie along with this hat and Santa-face earmuffs.