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Monday, July 9, 2012

Monday Musings.

I went to open a can a couple of days ago and it took me forever to locate my can opener.  I realized that I haven't opened a 'can' can for months and months.  All this cooking from scratch and putting up my own has just crept into my life and taken over!!!  What a nice thought.  I just had the last of my chicken and rice soup this past weekend and will have to can some more.  There is nothing like it - just the right amount of seasonings, you can make it ricey-thick or brothy-thin.  I have the comfort of knowing that, if the zombies take over everywhere else, I will be just fine for quite some time.  And I have to agree with OFG on who the real zombies will be/are.

Another topic high on the Musing List is that there seem to be either Givers or Receivers in the world, but very few who can both give and receive.  I have friends (you know who you are) who are very happy to give me almost literally the shirt of their back, but, when it comes to receiving anything in return, you have to chase them down, tackle them and force them to take it.  I mean, really.  That comes to receiving compliments gracefully - something with which I am completely uncomfortable.  You know the type:  "That shirt looks wonderful on you!"  "What, this shirt?  OMG it makes my arms look fat!"

Back in the OL (Other Life) in Ohio, I ran with a wild crowd.  It was not unusual for us to gather for unfettered nights of ....bowling.  Now, these people were very serious about their bowling.  I found that being serious about bowling was sort of an oxymoron, but they tolerated my flippant attitude and complete lack of talent and athletic ability.  I imagine it was because I was always the one who had everyone over afterwards for food and drink.  However, one night shines out in its own fabulous light.  The night I won a prize for my bowling.  Not only was it a prize, but it was the only such prize every bestowed by this particular bowling alley that we frequented.  I won the "Worst Adult Bowler" prize!  It was a bottle of Cold Bird.  This, for you wine aficionados not familiar with the more obscure vintages, is about seventeen levels below Cold Duck.  Which is about twenty levels below Asti Spumanti.  Which is about another fifteen levels below cheap bubbly wine.  You get the picture.  I wore this badge proudly.  But it became a game to see who could get rid of the bottle by foisting it off (unbeknownstly - word?  should be) on someone else in the group.  We referred to it as "Pass the Bottle".  That bottle of rotgut made the rounds for over a year.  It was slipped under dog beds, left in the back seats of automobiles, disguised as other objects that were not as disagreeable - at one Halloween party, the passers had wrapped it up in swaddling cloths and left it, to all intents and purposes a small, stiff baby, on the hosts bed.  Sadly, it was accidentally dropped on a patio during a rather rambunctious summer cookout, and that was the end of that.

7 comments:

Sue said...

You hang with a good crowd. And I won an award for Worst Bowler myself! Never got the hang of it, but what a fun bunch they were!

Mama Pea said...

Methinks it is the females who are the bulk of the givers and reluctant receivers in our society. Why is that? I am guilty. I have a terrible time receiving a compliment with a simple "thank you" rather than, "Ugh, I rarely wear this because it makes my hips look so big."

I just want to warn you that should we ever find ourselves in a bowling alley together, I once bowled a 260-something game on a New Year's Eve . . . at 2 a.m. . . . after we'd left a very boring party given by my date's company. (Picture me in an emerald green cocktail dress and bowling shoes. A real fashion statement.) No Cold Bird was involved. (That I remember.)

Unknown said...

That's funny about the wine bottle! I loved OFG's post about the storm and the weird, non-thinking people out there...

Candy C. said...

Isn't it fun to not "need" a can opener most of the time! :) This cooking from scratch thingy gets to be addictive! LOL!!

Susan said...

Sue - So, not only do we share a name, but bowling 'skills' as well!

Mama Pea - I would give an arm and a leg to have seen you decked out in your party attire, bowling ball gripped in your hands! I have been trying to be more gracious, but find it's hard to accept compliments.

Nancy - It IS scary to think that those useless folks may be knocking on our doors come disasterville.

Candy - Isn't it? I find myself thinking - Hey! I can MAKE that!

LindaCO said...

I love your word choice in "unfettered night of...bowling". I grew up in Ohio, too. East side of Cleveland. Kudos on not getting out the can opener so much.

Erin said...

HOWLING in laughter! 17 levels below Cold Duck...bahahahaha!!! Now I'm teary eyed because my grandma always had these huge holiday parties with everyone in town it seemed and they would always drink Cold Duck (before switching to Windsor Waters YUCK) .... so that drink has some nostalgic memories for me...heehee still laughing!! Nobody down here even knows what the stuff is!