Tag: best lines

Apple Tasting- Thanks for playing along, House Crew!

This weekend was spent hanging out at a high school theater with a bunch of students running almost everything. The parents just tried to stay out of the way, helping where the Kid In Charge told you to work, and when they found down time? To keep them from hazing the new students- it is fine for the make up girls to take a willing freshman boy and do him up, but not fine if duct tape is involved.

Sarah and and a Student-Who-Shall-Remain-Nameless!
Sarah and and a Student-Who-Shall-Remain-Nameless!
Toju contemplates how much he disliked that Ambrosia...
Toju contemplates how much he disliked that Ambrosia…

I bugged the kids to eat a bunch of different apples with me so I could cram in a new thing for the day. I deny going “on and on about a blog,” Student-Who-Shall-Remain-Nameless, but will happily try to embarrass you by posting photos of you and your friends, ha.

We had in our lineup the following varieties for the students running the front of the house and concessions to try:

Ambrosias- “oh gosh, that’s nasty!” and (indicating one of their friends) “she likes it, I bet she has a ‘refined palate’ and likes sophisticated foods,” and ” isn’t ‘ambrosia’ supposed to mean ‘food of the Gods’? Blech!”
Jazz- good
Cripps Pink- a favorite of several
Piñata- yum, but had a big bruise
Cameo- yuck, mealy, (insert soud of spitting into the trash… drama students can be dramatic)

Ambrosia wins for the best lines, Cripps overall.

I’m tired, the show is over, all the students are crying with post-show depression and this blog post is late.
It’s been a great weekend!

Throwing in this extra photo because these are great people!
Throwing in this extra photo because these are great people!

Big Goal Reached- First 5K is the Hot Chocolate Run!

Me peeking into the photo, about to run...
Me peeking into the photo, about to run…
Why wouldn't you learn to run if at your first 5K they hand out chocolate at the halfway mark?!?
Why wouldn’t you learn to run if at your first 5K they hand out chocolate at the halfway mark?!?

Holy cow, this was fabulous! Especially since my Official-Running-Coach-turned-Official-Chauffeur joined me… can’t beat that at 5:30 in the (fill in your preferred explicative) morning. “Yes, dear. Drive me to Padre Stadium at the crack of dawn, thank you.”

A supportive spectator along the way is WordPress blogger and Jubi Kitty teileifortunes.wordpress.com. Hi and thanks for the kind words!
A supportive spectator along the way is WordPress blogger and Jubi Kitty teileifortunes.wordpress.com. Hi and thanks for the kind words!
More awesome supporters, cheering on family and more..
More awesome supporters, cheering on family and more..

There were all kinds of people running or walking the San Diego Hot Chocolate 15/5K– I loved seeing the kids and parents! The DJ pumping up the crowd at the start line tried his best to keep up with congratulating children running their first race. My favorite thing (besides the chocolate) was the comments I overheard. Overall winner- the guy who asked volunteers handing out water “No thanks, I’m looking for the Chardonnay!” Close Second to the couple calling out to other volunteers and supporters with the bells and noisemakers, “Needs more cowbell!” Honorable Mention to the college girls who couldn’t believe they were there at 6:30, “That’s it, walk time, we are so not even running this!” Makes you wonder if they were just ending a long night without any sleep! You know why teen girls don’t go out in groups of three, five or seven? Because they can’t even. Ha!

Forget the goodie bag, here's the goodie bowl!
Forget the goodie bag, here’s the goodie bowl!
Ready for snarfing down hot chocolate and a banana to dip into really good chocolate...
Ready for snarfing down hot chocolate and a banana to dip into really good chocolate..

I’ve been using my family’s activities for an excuse not to do much for myself. Don’t get me wrong- I LOVE the organizations, projects and competitions that my children and husband have chosen to challenge themselves. The teachers who led The Boy’s Academic Decathlon? Gold standard. Our community’s Rec Soccer? The best parents and coach. Don’t get me started on The Girl’s high school, I have several posts lined up on this blog for them alone. And The Husband’s work and biking friends? I thank God for them in particular. I just enjoy going along with everyone else’s plans and needs. You need a Helper Bee and not another leader? I’m there, just ask.

But, along with the theme of this blog, it is time to start branching out and learn new tricks for me. I wonder what next month’s project will be and where it will lead me? :oD

Happy day to you all, and thanks for reading!

What Would a Haunch of the Devil’s Ass Taste Like? Giles Coren Has an Idea…

After running the gamut of errands, house work, and emotions, I plopped myself down and thoroughly enjoyed Giles Coren in “The Million Dollar Critic.” If you have access to BBCA Network, and are looking for something other than the usual sitcoms and Reality TV (LOL… I can hardly mention that poorly-named genre with a straight face), you might appreciate this show.

I enjoyed Giles Coren and comedian Sue Perkins in “The Supersizers…” The series, in which for one week they wear period costumes, live in close to or completely authentic settings, and eat the foods from different eras throughout history, was full of great banter and crammed in a lot of interesting facts. I caught “The Supersizers…” on American TV several years after it originally ran in the UK, from 2007-09, and I was happy to see Giles Coren on a new foodie show for North American audiences.

A lot of self deprecating humor in “The Million Dollar Critic” helps to balance the fact that he really is a highly regarded critic with much riding on his reviews. When dining with Eva Avila, the season four Canadian Idol winner, he shares “People imagine that having dinner with a restaurant critic is going to be informative, thrilling, and sexy. But in fact, as I’m demonstrating to Eva, it is as boring as having dinner with any other tedious, self obsessed middle-aged man who loves the sound of his own voice,” and then proceeds to embarrass himself with the cutlery.

Best lines included:

“An amuse bouche is something that restaurants that think they’re fancy give you because they’ve seen it on the TV… just the sort of thing that makes you wish you’ve gone for a burger instead.”

On trying seal meat- “This tastes like death. Like a small haunch of the Devil’s ass.”

On observing the chefs and owners of a popular restaurant- “Chefs should never be drunker than I am. That’s just showing off.”

There are about 120 other great lines, go watch this show. Great television viewing here, folks, it doesn’t get any better that this.

January Book and Project Wrap Up

I’ve been so focused on daily business that I rarely have done or tried anything new or challenged myself in what felt like YEARS. Bottom line is, running a blog about trying something new daily has become my way to get over the freezing effects of anxiety, to force myself to make decisions and not be afraid to try new things.

After only one month I’ve learned:

  • Trying to coordinate with extended family to attend a theatrical performance is even harder than trying to coordinate an appointment with my son’s ortho and dentist.
  • it is not easy to make Indian food, actually ANY food look good in a photo. Maybe February’s project will help?
  • Family is totally fun to mess with by dragging them into this project!

January’s Project has been to learn how to use WordPress, and although there are a few things I’d still like to figure out (how the heck do I hook up the Twitter and Facebook feeds in the Widget bar? How do I link a “featured image” to its original site? Dianne Parks has beautiful artwork that she graciously allowed me to feature but maybe feature images don’t allow it), at least I have learned the following-

  • How to upload my photos
  • How to link up within a post the web pages to my photos or to those that should be connected to an original site- like the Comic Pearls embedded in my post here.
  • inserting links wasn’t that hard, either,  like this!
  • The tech support chat really does work!
  • I love that I picked a layout for my blog titled “2015,” reminding me of the blog’s overall goal.

January’s Book of the Month, The Happiness Project,” by Gretchen Rubin… I get a kick out of statistics and studies, I’m weird like that, so I’ve enjoyed reading her summary of literature and philosophies, as well as the 12 months of tasks that she chose to explore.

These are a few of the great lines and quotes I found in the book-

  • “I’d often wondered why anger, along with pride, greed, gluttony, lust, sloth, and envy- were the seven deadly sins, because they didn’t seem as deadly as lots of other sins. It turns out that they’re deadly sins not because of their gravity but because of their power to generate other, worse sins. They’re gateway sins to the big sins” p. 47 (italics and bold are mine)
  • Oscar Wilde observed one is not always happy when one is good, but one is always good when one is happy.” p. 54
  • “Like grief has five stages, …happiness has four stages. To eke out the most happiness from an experience, we must anticipate it, savor it as it unfolds, express happiness and recall a happy memory.” p. 108

…and many, many more favorite passages could be listed, because I enjoyed this book tremendously. I definitely recommend “The Happiness Project” to anyone.

In one month I’ve banked two really enjoyable experiences- a new read and and a new skill. Here’s to the anticipating eleven more of each to come!

Headache + Nagging Adolescent = Agents of Shield

This morning brought me a headache, so I am having quiet time watching a show that is new to me:

http://www.netflix.com/search/agents%20of%20shield
Netflix

My son’s friend has been nagging me to watch this show since the pilot aired. Looks great from the pilot! At least it gets the middle schoolers off my back. For awhile. This kid has good taste in movies and is a walking encyclopedia of Marvel Comics info, and has half a dozen more movies lined up for me to watch to bring me up to speed in the Marvel universe!

Best lines:

Doc-“This is a disaster.”

Mike-“No. It’s an Origin Story.”

And can I have Coulson’s special car… was that a Corvette? Yow!! This series will be fun just to see the return of Coulson!