13 Thursday: Over the Top
1. On the Fourth of July, I made a red, white, and blue dessert for my house guest: strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream!
2. I actually had two house guests over the weekend, one who wore American flag boxers, and the other wore Red Sox ones.
3. I found myself being thankful that it doesn’t take any gas to walk to the mailbox after I made several trips back and forth when the mailman was late.
4. The Rhododendrons on the Blue Ridge Parkway are in peak bloom and my long driveway is lined with them, which makes the walk to get the mail enjoyable. After my last walk, I checked the Wikipedia and found that the word Rhododendron comes from the Greek words for rose and tree. There are over 1000 species, including azaleas. It’s the national flower of Nepal. Photos coming soon …
5. When emails and blog comments come into my mailbox, a bell rings that I imagine is saying “Cha ching.”
6. Every time Mara called over the weekend, my friend who I was providing respite foster care for and who likes to answer the phone, handed it to me after answering, and said, “It’s your sister, Maria.
7. He also said, “I bet you wore bib overalls in high school.”
8. How wrong was he? I teased my hair and wore black fish net stocking.
9. June emailed me THESE very cool creative painted hand photos. And THIS was my attempt at the same.
10. After posting about thrift shopping while listening to Warren Zevon’s Werewolves in London, I did some research and listened to some Zevon songs because anyone who writes lyrics like: I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand … walkin through the streets of Soho in the rain … gonna get a big dish of beef chow mein … is interesting to me.
11. Zevon, who experienced a range of successes and failures, rehab, and more than one comeback, wrote lyrics like John Prine, but darker. With prophetic songs like “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” and an album called “Life’ll Kill Ya,” Zevon was diagnosed with inoperable cancer in 2002 and died in 2003. His insight on facing death, coined on the David Letterman Show: Enjoy every sandwich.
12. I know THIS is over the top. But I’m posting it for my Asheville Potter son Josh (who at one time wore smiley face boxers) because it’s his birthday, and I think he’ll find it almost as funny as the Napoleon Dynamite talking birthday card I sent him. Happy Birthday, Josh!
13. And THIS is only almost over the top: Seems Jim Carrey recently went to the beach wearing his girlfriend Jenny McCarthy’s bathing suit. (Scroll down for the up close view.)
Thursday headquarters is here. My other 13’s are here. View more 13 Thursday’s here. #141
July 10th, 2008 10:45 am
I looked at the painted-hand photos. Cool!
July 10th, 2008 10:47 am
hahahah go Jim Carrey!
I, of course, wore bib overalls in high school 😉
July 10th, 2008 10:50 am
I remember Zevon well. Has your sister written any poetry lately? I’m in super bad Bryce withdrawal pictures???I told June my favorite wild flower is what we in the Virginias called wild honeysuckle bush (flame) but I guess the proper name is wild azalea. When I lived there it was havily fined if you dug one up..Did they make a comeback? Oh how I loved them. Mostly pink but every now and then a yellow or dark orange??
July 10th, 2008 10:55 am
Does my sister write poetry? I saw Bryce yesterday and we went for a stroller walk in the neighborhood.
We have wild azaleas in our yard. They bloom in spring with the dogwoods. The rhododendron’s bloom in July. I’m trying to figure out what the pink flower is all around now that looks like a sweet pea or snap dragon. I’d like to get them growing around here. But we are more wooded and less sunny, which is probably why they aren’t already here.
July 10th, 2008 12:12 pm
ROFLOL!!! Jim Carrey is too funny!!
Thanks for making me laugh
Happy TT!
July 10th, 2008 2:43 pm
Cha Ching! 🙂 Sounds like you are having a wonderful summer – yippee for that! Are you waiting on a book contract? That’s a lot of trips to the mailbox. My fingers are crossed – let me know when to uncross them!
July 10th, 2008 3:01 pm
I think I was waiting on pictures from Walmart that I sent online. I also would make two walks to get the newspaper, especially when I have a story in it. No book deal at this point. In fact, my email have been more exciting than my post mail.
July 10th, 2008 3:22 pm
I didn’t know all that about rhododendrons…though I did know azaleas were related. I don’t know why I thought they bloomed in the spring? Might that be the mountain laurel? I always have a time of it trying to tell them apart. I know the leaves are different, but when you’re driving by it’s not always easy to see.
Your hand art is right up there! 🙂
Werewolf in London…now there’s a song that I remember howling to!
Will be going to the book club tomorrow, so will look for your story in the FP.
July 10th, 2008 3:32 pm
Hi June,
We’ll I just checked and Rhododendrons and Mountain Laurel are in the same family. Mountain Laurel does bloom in spring and they do alike but Mountain Laurel is more clustered and Rhododendron leaves are bigger. Make some time to ride the Parkway (best going south) to see them. They are gorgeous and plentiful right now.
July 10th, 2008 3:33 pm
I had red rock and blue sky. Does that count?
July 10th, 2008 5:43 pm
I am surprised by the rhodendron. I thought it bloomed earlier than this. I know when we were in Asheville in June it had bloomed and gone.
July 10th, 2008 9:13 pm
You have guests with fun underwear, Colleen!
And I love that you wore fishnets.
Fun list. Thanks.
July 10th, 2008 9:52 pm
Those Hand paintings are really FANTASTIC! I had seen a few before, but not like these! These are so complex and you truly forget sometimes that your looking at a HAND that is painted!
I cannot seem to Download that Adobe Flasj Player thingy…I have tried about 6 times….Oh Well.
As always, a rich TT, my dear!
July 11th, 2008 5:36 am
I wouldn’t have pegged you for teased hair and fishnet stockings either. Good for you for keeping people guessing.
July 11th, 2008 9:13 am
Here I am a little late. Another great TT.
Happy Birthday Josh!!!!!!
July 11th, 2008 9:45 am
4. you’ve just increased my knowledge base by 800%
8. people change a lot from high school.
10. ooh yes, I was going to check out our neighbourhood store last time you mentioned and still haven’t. maybe today.
July 11th, 2008 11:43 am
I love the hand photo- that’s fun! And I hope Josh had a fun birthday…..now, how do you get your inbox to ‘ping’ when your messages come in? That would be handy for me…:)
bella x
July 11th, 2008 11:45 am
It just does it automatically. Just did it as I typed that last word.
July 15th, 2008 3:26 pm
I think Jim and Jenny make a good pair. THAT was funny.
I also think Zevon’s advice was absolutely brilliant.
~S 🙂