tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19171413183915950142024-02-07T19:03:33.573-08:00buenos burritosgreetings from camp cactuscactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.comBlogger388125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-31779248546347532252015-05-30T07:00:00.000-07:002015-05-30T09:45:48.780-07:00blog post no. 388 and another birthday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here it is, May 30th, 2015…and another year has come and gone so quickly, I've hardly had time to catch my breath! I've been a slacker around the blogosphere for a while now, and it seems Buenos Burritos has taken a back seat to other <a href="http://campcactus.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">pursuits</a>. Plus, I've <i>almost</i> run out of things to say and stories to tell. (Those who know me well may find that hard to believe)<br />
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Anyway, May 30th is the anniversary of my very first blog post, as well as my dad's birthday. My first blog post was, fittingly, about him. You can read it <a href="http://buenosburritos.blogspot.com/2007/05/tincup-times-revisited.html" target="_blank">here</a> if you like. So, even though I'm a recovering blogaholic, I'll still hold onto tradition and write about him on his birthday.<br />
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Today would have been Dad's 100th birthday. During his time on the planet he saw a lot of changes, probably more drastic changes in the world than those of us alive today will see in our lifetimes.<br />
Dad was an only child, born into a giant working class Irish family in Massachusetts:<br />
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When Dad was a kid, his chores consisted of emptying the tray under the icebox before it overflowed, and shoveling coal for the furnace. In 1915, radio was still in its infancy, electric lights were not commonplace, and whaling was still a big industry in New Bedford. People kept abreast of local and world affairs through letters and newspapers.<br />
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Dad was a big baseball fan, and his dual love of sports and writing led him to NYU and a degree in journalism, and set him off on a long career as an editor at some prestigious newspapers on the east coast.<br />
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He coached both my brothers in Little League, and turned all of his kids into lifelong baseball nuts.<br />
As a kid, I remember sitting with him in Shea Stadium rooting for the Mets in the playoffs, and that year Nolan Ryan replaced Roy Rogers as my hero.<br />
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He attended as many of his grandson's Little League games as he could, occasionally wearing one of his favorite hats (In the team colors of course):<br />
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I don't think I could ever live up to his lofty standards, (if he were reading this post now, he'd take his editor's red pencil to it, I'm sure) </div>
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but I'm also pretty sure he'd be pleased that I tried...</div>
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Happy 100th Birthday, Dad. I miss you.</div>
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You can read more about Dad <a href="http://buenosburritos.blogspot.com/2008/05/writers-almanac-with-apologies-to.html" target="_blank">here </a>and <a href="http://buenosburritos.blogspot.com/2014/05/memorial-day.html" target="_blank">here</a> .</div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-30301958757048552602015-01-23T23:47:00.000-08:002015-01-24T01:09:41.551-08:00the world's going to hell in a hand basket, and there's probably an app to track it<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I just read a short article in <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/kiddo/index.ssf/2015/01/turning_the_piggybank_into_an.html" target="_blank"><i>the</i> <i>Oregonian</i></a> about a couple of local guys who are designing an app to monitor, track and pay kids for chores. Young <strike>entrepreneurs</strike> dads Oscar Goodson, 24, and Adam Bickford, 27, are developing an app that would take the uncomfortable exchange of cash for chores and sanitize it by completely removing the human interaction between parent and child.<br />
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The article goes on to describe how parents can create a list of chores and assign a monetary value to each chore. Kids can log in and mark off the chores as they are done, and once completed and verified, the parent can transfer money remotely to the child's debit card. The parent doesn't even have to be in the same room with the kid. Goodson and Bickford have even figured out how to keep kids from scamming the system. Bickford said, "As parents ourselves, even though our children are pretty young, we knew that kids are sheisty and parents would want some sort of visual verification if they can't verify with their own eyes." So the app will allow video and photo uploads for that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpx4gb03XCiafmi9vxa0yoXOq0DyYOfae3wFEQAYKlOhp1Emt0KfPbrtV3UCajGrIAsfJknDT9JBQdtc-a6BM0fWvAHHVW6HwxR1JYR4hyINpT4997r8d8MqldBBKwtmUW_-srNeRGDrk/s1600/piggybankATM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpx4gb03XCiafmi9vxa0yoXOq0DyYOfae3wFEQAYKlOhp1Emt0KfPbrtV3UCajGrIAsfJknDT9JBQdtc-a6BM0fWvAHHVW6HwxR1JYR4hyINpT4997r8d8MqldBBKwtmUW_-srNeRGDrk/s1600/piggybankATM.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
Really, dude? Kids are <i><u>sheisty</u></i>? According to the article, your daughter is 3 years old. <u> Three.</u> If she's already scamming you, you're in for some big trouble when she's 15. <br />
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So what's wrong with this whole idea? Lest you think that I'm just an old fart and a Luddite to boot, I'll explain. It's not the fact that it's an app. I have nothing against them. There are useful apps for everything, from creating your own custom music playlists, to flashlights and compasses to help you find your way home in the dark. There are even apps to help you manage your apps<i>.</i><br />
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The big problem here is that you believe you can keep your hands clean in the trenches of parenthood with one. By using an app to monitor your child, to set up the chores, to spy on her remotely to make sure she's behaving, to track her when she's out of your sight, you are setting her up to try and scam you. She will grow up believing you don't trust her, and that she needs constant monitoring to make sure she stays in line. She will feel that she shouldn't have to do anything unless she gets paid for it. You, on the other hand, think this will make your job easier. You can monitor everything from afar, and it's only a matter of time before someone invents a punishment app that doles it out for you.<br />
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In 40 years, I have yet to see a paycheck for cooking, driving, cleaning, tutoring, and the countless other things I did just to keep the household running smoothly. Why should kids expect to?<br />
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We gave our kids an allowance every week. We didn't bribe them to do chores, homework or to behave. Sure, it was a big fat hassle to get them to do their chores. Yes, we even tried once to put a monetary value on putting out the garbage, folding laundry and emptying the dishwasher. It didn't take long before it set up an even worse situation where they started to ask how much we'd pay them to do little things. (On second thought, maybe kids<i> are</i> a bit sheisty.) It took us far away from our goal of trying to teach them to be cooperative, team players who understood the dynamic of shared labor for the good of the whole family.<br />
It wasn't an easy thing to undo.<br />
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When I was a kid, I had chores to do every Saturday. My sister and I couldn't go out to play until they were done. We didn't have to negotiate over whether 25 cents was enough for dusting or watering the plants or cleaning a toilet. We did the chores because our mother MADE us do them. We never thought it was fair. (What kid ever does?) We never had a clue that she was trying to teach us to take responsibility and help out even if there was no monetary reward in the end. The reward was supposed to be a sense of satisfaction over a job completed.<br />
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I realize that cash will soon be dead. Unfortunately, debit and credit cards really don't help kids gain an understanding that an allowance is a finite thing. If you give a kid a dollar, when they've spent it, it's actually gone. It's not gone in the "virtual" sense. It's <u>GONE.</u> In the actual sense. When they 're old enough to understand that, they're old enough to learn how to manage a debit card. Using that criteria, I know a lot of adults who are not old enough.<br />
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How about it? Got any thoughts on paying kids to do chores? <br />
I'll check in later… but now I have to go empty the dishwasher.<br />
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-31075678699779789552014-08-12T07:05:00.001-07:002014-08-12T07:05:26.828-07:00farewell, and thanks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">~ <i>Robin Williams</i> ~</span></div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-69938174987018830832014-08-11T07:30:00.000-07:002014-08-11T07:30:00.326-07:00life in portland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6BishWeBp1ngajMRcQnbXI_gVzbpqF1dTAMt0Cie-XTmENTVxmQNzCY-Q4nP_e6BErJIzTVMbxA5ot4M3e6vLlHgWw3gI49e4Z4AJmFdd1JDrpoqCG-fprqzea1NxS0fLW409Razcno/s1600/FoundChicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6BishWeBp1ngajMRcQnbXI_gVzbpqF1dTAMt0Cie-XTmENTVxmQNzCY-Q4nP_e6BErJIzTVMbxA5ot4M3e6vLlHgWw3gI49e4Z4AJmFdd1JDrpoqCG-fprqzea1NxS0fLW409Razcno/s1600/FoundChicken.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-29303546173214866402014-08-09T15:10:00.001-07:002014-08-09T15:15:40.965-07:00just a little weekend humor...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I hope this makes you laugh as much as I did. ( I think I might possibly be watching too many British TV shows)</div>
<iframe width="620" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-ssXJtzFOjA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Happy Saturday, everyone!cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-63910511497625341472014-05-30T17:25:00.000-07:002014-05-31T00:54:35.320-07:00memorial day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEink_pPc1SbdTPuDDDdjsw6n89Kh9V6Egur8ChjEP_x5LEa84uSuQOIm2XfzCa0M6wX-DyDvvPZ6fxScG47uX4L2uDDzhKTbBdKzLdoGMH9egf3cYHofvRFVSDYY3TlbEBfeu82Ky6eoA4/s1600/SmithCType.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEink_pPc1SbdTPuDDDdjsw6n89Kh9V6Egur8ChjEP_x5LEa84uSuQOIm2XfzCa0M6wX-DyDvvPZ6fxScG47uX4L2uDDzhKTbBdKzLdoGMH9egf3cYHofvRFVSDYY3TlbEBfeu82Ky6eoA4/s1600/SmithCType.jpg" height="266" width="400"></a></div>
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(<i>photo borrowed from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ObjectsOfAffection?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank">here</a></i>)</div>
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A couple of days ago I found myself wandering through an antiques marketplace and came upon an old Smith-Corona portable typewriter from the early 1960s, the same model my dad had when I was a kid. I've been thinking about Dad and that typewriter ever since.<br>
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May 30th was the traditional date for Memorial Day, back before an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Monday_Holiday_Act" target="_blank">Act of Congress</a> decided that federal employees needed more 3-day weekends. It's also my Dad's birthday, as well as the anniversary of <a href="http://buenosburritos.blogspot.com/2007/05/tincup-times-revisited.html" target="_blank">my very first blog post</a>, which fittingly, was all about Dad.<br>
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So as I sit here effortlessly typing my 384th post on a sleek, modern keyboard that goes, "clickety-click", instead of the "clackety-clack" of the old Smith-Corona, I'm thinking about my father who, though he would have marveled at how<i> efficient</i> the new world of communication has become, he surely would have hated it.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIh3xOLKnPWHhqQ4068wnZSfjOYjd3FxagYcBxdpqdbtoNG5FSs5IsFkigFxo-uTh4MfEwMX0HVR5pqTksQew8YMwzAY5x3cpEBhWrcmEJgmrE_nMcV5AF48XEMgKPD2nzcnpgSnhvIbs/s1600/DadJuniorEditor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIh3xOLKnPWHhqQ4068wnZSfjOYjd3FxagYcBxdpqdbtoNG5FSs5IsFkigFxo-uTh4MfEwMX0HVR5pqTksQew8YMwzAY5x3cpEBhWrcmEJgmrE_nMcV5AF48XEMgKPD2nzcnpgSnhvIbs/s1600/DadJuniorEditor.jpg" height="316" width="400"></a></div>
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Dad was a journalist who worked in the now almost obsolete world of print. A newspaperman to his core, he loved the smell of ink on paper, devouring the news of the world page by page every morning and evening. When I was growing up in Queens, Dad worked as a copy editor at <i>The New York Times</i>. Our local paper (<i>The Long Island Star Journal</i>, and later the<i> Long Island Press</i>) was morning reading. <i>The Times</i> came home with Dad after the swing shift. On Sundays, we'd get <i>The Times, The Press</i> <u>and</u> the<i> Daily News</i>. It's safe to say there was a LOT of reading going on in the Russell house on Sundays.<br>
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Back before Facebook, Instagram, text messaging and Twitter, people wrote letters - most of which were not limited to 140 characters. My dad was one of those letter writers. He corresponded with friends around the world just about every day, and almost always they were pounded out on that trusty Smith-Corona.<br>
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While Twitter and text messaging allows us to do all that, I can't help but prefer opening a real paper envelope, addressed in a friend's familiar hand, and reading a message that comes imbued with their very spirit.<br>
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<i>some of Dad's letters</i></div>
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In honor of what would have been Dad's 99th birthday, I plan on writing a few letters to friends this weekend, and I hope to pass on the spirit of his wit and humor.<br>
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And one last thing: If he were still around today, I'm pretty sure Dad would be writing some great tweets.<br>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-40138347957709813752014-03-29T14:47:00.000-07:002014-03-29T14:47:23.861-07:00oregon spring<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The old saying goes:</div>
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<i>March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.</i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGw0yjb-N8zAFF_4ItvGFgsDz069fxn7h2Fy2jvrpWZK166bklQaCcRls12VkG68puaj42wQrX2xS1yxbJ2avzCAazW3dj13J464tkcgVLJHowdsiBgF9WsrdJHRY8ewYq4hc9TbCbDcg/s1600/MarchRain3:28:14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGw0yjb-N8zAFF_4ItvGFgsDz069fxn7h2Fy2jvrpWZK166bklQaCcRls12VkG68puaj42wQrX2xS1yxbJ2avzCAazW3dj13J464tkcgVLJHowdsiBgF9WsrdJHRY8ewYq4hc9TbCbDcg/s1600/MarchRain3:28:14.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Going out like a lamb is not looking so good right now…</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeej8_WAWynHe0Z5rmyMPG-fKHJsRKt9xaKolzstuf1f0Za1p23A4ww_F8v_7qRK0Rl-NJ9-q1OaiBIkLuQsggRSRBlWl9noc8kVXMMYfL0TsGAoHB3i680CvqEQR2r2UiK0pN6lgMvLw/s1600/ibs_web_7-day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeej8_WAWynHe0Z5rmyMPG-fKHJsRKt9xaKolzstuf1f0Za1p23A4ww_F8v_7qRK0Rl-NJ9-q1OaiBIkLuQsggRSRBlWl9noc8kVXMMYfL0TsGAoHB3i680CvqEQR2r2UiK0pN6lgMvLw/s1600/ibs_web_7-day.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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Let's just say I'm pretty sure nobody around<i> here</i> is in a big hurry to see the new film <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1959490/">Noah.</a></i></div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-670524586185111292014-03-19T11:11:00.000-07:002014-03-19T11:11:00.491-07:00random stuff I've seen a million times and never actually noticed, no.2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I had one of those aha! moments sneak up on me the other day at work while standing at the sink washing a dish... I reached for the dish soap and suddenly my brain dissected the first word I saw:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAr6DjZWD3Qoj-D4rdrcUNXQImWXqVLdUcpOrgXZ4bU7PUIEKKzt9NH9AJEeJKEachCE_GbGAHdd98fe2BbqBr6vO2jLVj2OrxfIFQJtmSx5u8ATfUTXDZMByY8ZuDY2Pp0ZTsCRKZpv4/s1600/IMG_0209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAr6DjZWD3Qoj-D4rdrcUNXQImWXqVLdUcpOrgXZ4bU7PUIEKKzt9NH9AJEeJKEachCE_GbGAHdd98fe2BbqBr6vO2jLVj2OrxfIFQJtmSx5u8ATfUTXDZMByY8ZuDY2Pp0ZTsCRKZpv4/s400/IMG_0209.jpg" height="400" width="301" /></a></div>
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<i>Palm. Olive. </i><br />
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Why had I never noticed that? And what does it mean? Of course, I then had to immediately Google it.<br />
(What did we <i><u>do</u></i> before the advent of Google and instant gratification?)<br />
<br />
I had never even given it a thought. I'd always assumed it was just someone's name: maybe whoever invented dish soap? After all, the name of the company that makes it is Colgate-Palmolive. As it turns out, the real story is fairly simple:<br />
<br />
In 1806, William Colgate started a starch, soap and candle factory in New York. By 1848, the company was selling individual cakes of soap.<br />
In 1928, the company was bought by a rival soap company, Palmolive-Peet, whose founder, B. J. Johnson, invented a soap made entirely from palm and olive oils. <br />
Palm + Olive = Palmolive.<br />
It became the world's best-selling soap.<br />
<br />
Now, aren't you glad I cleared that up? You're welcome.<br />
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-71204452065035382652014-03-17T00:52:00.000-07:002014-03-17T01:05:11.804-07:00top 'o the mornin' to ya!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIn0gBvKyZNg0vM_u2RyAwAmyDCzjNgNgb4FY99ThAhOir5rCM1y_R1y2Ni_fH6cowSjzn3i7FrGRJbr6ZAtRQP0uuURhw6xz_STpD7oZ1NRc7_vXLvWGHyNR4UP6X5CH9O780P-VVqs/s1600/GreenDay6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIn0gBvKyZNg0vM_u2RyAwAmyDCzjNgNgb4FY99ThAhOir5rCM1y_R1y2Ni_fH6cowSjzn3i7FrGRJbr6ZAtRQP0uuURhw6xz_STpD7oZ1NRc7_vXLvWGHyNR4UP6X5CH9O780P-VVqs/s1600/GreenDay6.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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It's St. Patrick's Day, and everything's coming up green in my neighborhood.</div>
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Just a few days ago the crocuses bloomed in tiny bursts of yellow and purple. Now the daffodils are going full blast and the lemony-scent of the <a href="http://www.portlandnursery.com/plants/shrubs-vines/daphne.shtml" target="_blank">daphne</a> is everywhere. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_N_riT9Xgss17uIRn89ASM7rOPTRW697ZEEm2sAsooCL79yTKr2u0si5ixvUGvjBI5SEH2Ej3bKSDOSXJ5XB8bSqWh1xuYTiVqPN1N4ltoWm2jUjAwDqC0y7D3S9akR2OS6EuAovGXo/s1600/IMG00055-20120317-1324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_N_riT9Xgss17uIRn89ASM7rOPTRW697ZEEm2sAsooCL79yTKr2u0si5ixvUGvjBI5SEH2Ej3bKSDOSXJ5XB8bSqWh1xuYTiVqPN1N4ltoWm2jUjAwDqC0y7D3S9akR2OS6EuAovGXo/s1600/IMG00055-20120317-1324.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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May your glass be ever full.</div>
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May the roof over your head be always strong.</div>
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And may you be in heaven</div>
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half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQn6T8jb0rL-5wPuIHGrA_VoEVvMSNhbs5TMEwxDFZd4WVWsug47EGZ9kimQWs_F7bkxvoB3ml3dbYAG6rZG3BRRA6b1UNWP0NAYgmyT2WT_RcrmVBLcWZE9HcaF240aCEDcfANBwD4i0/s1600/IMG00060-20120317-1339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQn6T8jb0rL-5wPuIHGrA_VoEVvMSNhbs5TMEwxDFZd4WVWsug47EGZ9kimQWs_F7bkxvoB3ml3dbYAG6rZG3BRRA6b1UNWP0NAYgmyT2WT_RcrmVBLcWZE9HcaF240aCEDcfANBwD4i0/s1600/IMG00060-20120317-1339.jpg" height="336" width="400" /></a></div>
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xoxo, Petunia</div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-20782974399193066652014-02-27T15:22:00.001-08:002014-02-27T15:22:38.902-08:00chef george, the father of our country?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrlrXWCxjEaNdLvjT104fdvf-3CX-61ORWMcnQG26If6oIasi4hvPNU6aJvlc1edkvmxVYVok5921l87PHzOG1qku2cLOaAYIQl0CxBnRXx48yb5LVSNEPZem2_K-dZt9JcJCb4227gA/s1600/GWashingtonChef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrlrXWCxjEaNdLvjT104fdvf-3CX-61ORWMcnQG26If6oIasi4hvPNU6aJvlc1edkvmxVYVok5921l87PHzOG1qku2cLOaAYIQl0CxBnRXx48yb5LVSNEPZem2_K-dZt9JcJCb4227gA/s1600/GWashingtonChef.jpg" height="640" width="346" /></a></div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-78174155534210248492014-02-22T15:48:00.000-08:002014-02-22T15:48:55.295-08:00yet another holiday!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Today is National Margarita Day!</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhEXc9A4I5g-u9iaflfVnWVr2Q2B60UM8K_6IPhUctNn1uznxWjjMOMdEgyhp1M7V7QzuspjmW1wHT9Hj5PdI1nz-i0N7DYs_mLG0YlenzDULJlTfhvtWvdzwe52x_VjD2noASjPRUfU/s1600/IMG00186-20120501-1913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhEXc9A4I5g-u9iaflfVnWVr2Q2B60UM8K_6IPhUctNn1uznxWjjMOMdEgyhp1M7V7QzuspjmW1wHT9Hj5PdI1nz-i0N7DYs_mLG0YlenzDULJlTfhvtWvdzwe52x_VjD2noASjPRUfU/s1600/IMG00186-20120501-1913.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
Some folks think that margaritas should only be consumed on hot summer days on a patio overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Mexico. I say, what better time to celebrate a drink that says SUMMER, than in the bone chilling month of February? (Disregard this mention of bone chilling cold if you happen to live in warmer climes) I for one, am grateful for the opportunity dream about the warm days sometime in the future...<br />
So in honor of this most auspicious day that thankfully, falls on a Saturday, I'd like to share my very favorite Margarita recipe, from a local joint here in Portland called <i><a href="http://www.porquenotacos.com/" target="_blank">Por que No?</a>.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZ5yRCv7oe5vdoaTQpNbeApeRw6Muj0FdY3PLJoWpmFfBY5FeDblnwym9sqztfTmq8OXp4V6J-_HeeQ0qWtLmg-u990NrwYxBGUjCKE8-lhZ1bEPd3yMuZ305Fap3E3CQnTO7jevR_Tg/s1600/PorQueNo+Margarita+Recipe.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZ5yRCv7oe5vdoaTQpNbeApeRw6Muj0FdY3PLJoWpmFfBY5FeDblnwym9sqztfTmq8OXp4V6J-_HeeQ0qWtLmg-u990NrwYxBGUjCKE8-lhZ1bEPd3yMuZ305Fap3E3CQnTO7jevR_Tg/s1600/PorQueNo+Margarita+Recipe.png" height="640" width="586" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpO9v0OsOLKyGpLShIFc6SdM-CbA7dcmVtKY7iAKmtNp7LND6yhlDZmCfWGRHpZlPxjAPVmZMfQeQMG0y2MrDUMKinlR7J7JnpHSszhuOPIo0ygvplWXkBEenTI36TDK9kCxxBWO4BlP0/s1600/photo-9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpO9v0OsOLKyGpLShIFc6SdM-CbA7dcmVtKY7iAKmtNp7LND6yhlDZmCfWGRHpZlPxjAPVmZMfQeQMG0y2MrDUMKinlR7J7JnpHSszhuOPIo0ygvplWXkBEenTI36TDK9kCxxBWO4BlP0/s1600/photo-9.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>Cheers, amigos!</i><br />
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-78049378381634204312014-02-05T15:43:00.000-08:002014-02-05T15:43:22.088-08:00wordless wednesday no. 32<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvK2VsuV0B9HUNDXQsXGxKYPB1hh9JuUPYXJF2fFDHEnZ69hj8qULOr7Y8zeodVXnEbl1AY-tVSyY5-A9GlOyCKyoirdZBVmSNk-XmBB8_d8PvFKFCvfGTY0Kpoad9ndckLVF9rMvGDuw/s1600/HeartPotato.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvK2VsuV0B9HUNDXQsXGxKYPB1hh9JuUPYXJF2fFDHEnZ69hj8qULOr7Y8zeodVXnEbl1AY-tVSyY5-A9GlOyCKyoirdZBVmSNk-XmBB8_d8PvFKFCvfGTY0Kpoad9ndckLVF9rMvGDuw/s1600/HeartPotato.JPG" height="564" width="640" /></a></div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-88796054976888185972014-01-25T09:36:00.001-08:002014-01-25T09:36:09.861-08:00random stuff I've seen a million times and never actually noticed, no. 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5dq-Wdgx6KAZOrRuR_WWp9zhqBOesBuvwvhOpnpTq5Vdqm36Jh4klJ37bP2-b4Y-syzwD8wPU6yWjG6xq0OwchBuEe9_Z3loCErsDW3yEWCUTqPE8r2XxI2PFhVrqG5hXcOrZ1QKry9g/s1600/RocketTimer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5dq-Wdgx6KAZOrRuR_WWp9zhqBOesBuvwvhOpnpTq5Vdqm36Jh4klJ37bP2-b4Y-syzwD8wPU6yWjG6xq0OwchBuEe9_Z3loCErsDW3yEWCUTqPE8r2XxI2PFhVrqG5hXcOrZ1QKry9g/s400/RocketTimer.JPG" height="400" width="295" /></a></div>
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The handle on my kitchen timer (that I've had for as long as I can remember)</div>
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looks just like a rocket ship.</div>
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(And who exactly <u>is</u> this Robertshaw guy, anyway?)</div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-51300443989493317922014-01-16T19:25:00.000-08:002014-01-16T23:36:10.395-08:00a melancholy thursday afternoon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNR89NnDKdXRGj3AVe__Ukzk1ZbeqGPPn5UG8nJ7duuvG_ZsKvty8xVB3kK2MKiEowUtFx1eSeum6wco8A_TCz3N0qSdNjn_tRSOxbGd7E13ejfpiYN7TfObYtEBeAaKdqf6Gi9NXZCIU/s1600/Fog1:16:14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNR89NnDKdXRGj3AVe__Ukzk1ZbeqGPPn5UG8nJ7duuvG_ZsKvty8xVB3kK2MKiEowUtFx1eSeum6wco8A_TCz3N0qSdNjn_tRSOxbGd7E13ejfpiYN7TfObYtEBeAaKdqf6Gi9NXZCIU/s1600/Fog1:16:14.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fog</span></div>
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The fog comes</div>
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on little cat feet.</div>
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It sits looking </div>
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over harbor and city</div>
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on silent haunches</div>
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and then moves on.</div>
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<i>- Carl Sandburg</i></div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-35697352440397625702013-11-09T16:10:00.001-08:002013-11-09T16:10:20.178-08:00a gray saturday, and an exercise in gratitude.Some days, we all need a little reminder that our cups runneth over…
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gXDMoiEkyuQ?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<br /></div>cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-81389895433176240562013-09-14T10:30:00.000-07:002013-09-14T13:16:51.169-07:00saturday morning meanderings of an over-caffeinated mind...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqQXTbfB5tNFZ8Z2vwVH7C0ydSIMYkNZCRjrbtE8vPzQA08Tfpwlzw8tXqOnSoXyv4aRI1rFo0nRxpzNJCMmbs9XW-dMW-coHmavmktCiZ53Ch6avsD0uT-NKg-niPnpZe-O7sI0IHQI/s1600/JohnKerry+Laurel+Wreath.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqQXTbfB5tNFZ8Z2vwVH7C0ydSIMYkNZCRjrbtE8vPzQA08Tfpwlzw8tXqOnSoXyv4aRI1rFo0nRxpzNJCMmbs9XW-dMW-coHmavmktCiZ53Ch6avsD0uT-NKg-niPnpZe-O7sI0IHQI/s400/JohnKerry+Laurel+Wreath.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>(Secretary of State John Kerry, U.N. Envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. photo by Larry Downing, Associated Press)</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">I opened the Oregonian this morning, and saw this picture, which for some reason made me google the term "laurel wreath". </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b>Which led me to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_wreath" target="_blank">this entry in Wikipedia</a>:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i>"In </i></span><i><span style="color: #666666;">Greek <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_mythology" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-decoration: none;" title="Greek mythology"><span style="color: #666666;">mythology</span></a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">, </span>Apollo</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head. In </span><span style="color: #666666;">ancient Greece</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> wreaths were awarded to victors, both in athletic competitions, including the ancient </span><span style="color: #666666;">Olympics</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> made of wild olive-tree known as </span><span style="line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="background-color: white;">"</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666;">kotinos"</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> (κότινος),</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> (sc. at </span><span style="color: #666666;">Olympia</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">) and in poetic meets; in </span><span style="color: #666666;">Rome</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> they were symbols of martial victory, crowning a successful commander during his<span style="color: #666666;"> </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_triumph" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-decoration: none;" title="Roman triumph"><span style="color: #666666;">triumph</span></a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #666666;">."</span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b>Then, of course I <u>had</u> to click the link for Apollo:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">"In the <span style="color: #666666;">Illiad</span>,</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Apollo is the healer under the gods, but he is also the bringer of disease and death with his arrows, similar to the function of the terrible </span><span style="color: #666666;">Vedic</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> god of disease </span><span style="color: #666666;">Rudra<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> He sends a terrible plague (λοιμός) to the </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #666666;">Achaeans</span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #666666;">.</span> The god who sends a disease can also prevent from it; therefore, when it stops, they make a purifying ceremony and offer him a </span><span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hecatomb" target="_blank">hecatomb</a></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> to ward off evil."</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">So, what is a hecatomb, you ask? I won't go into the full description (you can click on the link above if you're <i>that</i> curious), but suffice to say it involves the sacrifice of a hundred cows, followed by a giant </span></span><span style="line-height: 19px;">barbecue and feast (accompanied by lots of wine, of course), and much singing and praying. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7jglye91VnAenIFJwNm6EeXO-rtqL0l9icFEm-5JnQDH9Ar08n3LabvHNfirkUVsJ3N8fHRbP-NeRBzpUDoLhzBw18AQnCg1kOhHdYwiTCJIxT9am3T5SrLjEczBkaLX0snNRtUVR0A/s1600/JohnKerry+Laurel+Wreath1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7jglye91VnAenIFJwNm6EeXO-rtqL0l9icFEm-5JnQDH9Ar08n3LabvHNfirkUVsJ3N8fHRbP-NeRBzpUDoLhzBw18AQnCg1kOhHdYwiTCJIxT9am3T5SrLjEczBkaLX0snNRtUVR0A/s320/JohnKerry+Laurel+Wreath1.jpeg" width="267" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;">At this point, I'm starting to get a little unnerved by where all this is going: <i>Syria > John Kerry > Greek mythology > plagues > barbecues. </i></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;">Maybe I should lay off the coffee until<i> after </i>I read the paper.</span></div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-11015222668203616962013-08-10T10:39:00.000-07:002013-08-10T10:39:43.395-07:00late night hijinks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Idea for using those giant zucchinis your neighbor sneaks onto your porch in August:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkCgZc1ke0MIEYCb1NHOjpgJJe_986xoSf_QxcF7gpd3qei8KJ_MTmykKps8P_Lg19xspS6nTO9FCbgDZa1u17l2uvOoHwF3WbqHbZdlVxFHzutuPZFgUMZxyU84bWflSlUi_UDZpmm4/s1600/zuke+babies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkCgZc1ke0MIEYCb1NHOjpgJJe_986xoSf_QxcF7gpd3qei8KJ_MTmykKps8P_Lg19xspS6nTO9FCbgDZa1u17l2uvOoHwF3WbqHbZdlVxFHzutuPZFgUMZxyU84bWflSlUi_UDZpmm4/s640/zuke+babies.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-48399330721979115852013-07-24T06:00:00.000-07:002013-07-24T06:00:07.390-07:00wordless wednesday no. 31, because there really are no words to describe this.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXArqDKwnrfpkxUsCeLInmMyLR1e7zaEHG7qnFolvxJdH8EevQQ07056tE5MkYWlIGeu19h8L0LySsDn-ece3padVkV7Yh03NuhStNkml630kpqI6hnGISTjRTcOe9GrwoN5Y1SAPBvY/s1600/Serving+Suggestion1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXArqDKwnrfpkxUsCeLInmMyLR1e7zaEHG7qnFolvxJdH8EevQQ07056tE5MkYWlIGeu19h8L0LySsDn-ece3padVkV7Yh03NuhStNkml630kpqI6hnGISTjRTcOe9GrwoN5Y1SAPBvY/s640/Serving+Suggestion1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-61155971088477976052013-07-20T13:41:00.001-07:002013-07-20T13:41:50.215-07:00almost everyone who has ever worn them has asked this question at one time or another<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Have you ever wondered what happened to all the mates to those single socks in your sock drawer?<br />
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Mankind has been pondering this mystery for...well, for as long as we've been wearing socks.<br />
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Aside from the fact that pairs or sets of objects automatically have a higher probability of being broken up simply due to the law of averages (or maybe it's Murphy's Law - I can never remember), single socks seem to disappear at a much higher rate than say, shoes or chopsticks. Everyone I know who has ever worn socks has eventually had one sock in a pair go missing, and usually they are never to be seen again. So where do they all go? And why socks? We've all seen the occasional single <i>shoe</i> on the freeway entrance ramp and wondered how it got there, but given the sheer number of missing socks people deal with in everyday life, the entrance ramps should be knee deep in them, right? Yet they're not in evidence <i>anywhere</i>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh757DicUfA4L2xz-YBJpVdhhuEvbU79WfHNBfBCZEBtMjLR8LtKYPPN9md7oymQRVfkOTHeNehn7tor7ukC3OACB8How6qgRExNG76hGMl86Vbo3zhargSkzyPqKLlinzN9mSSINni7iA/s1600/011211_9406-Resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh757DicUfA4L2xz-YBJpVdhhuEvbU79WfHNBfBCZEBtMjLR8LtKYPPN9md7oymQRVfkOTHeNehn7tor7ukC3OACB8How6qgRExNG76hGMl86Vbo3zhargSkzyPqKLlinzN9mSSINni7iA/s400/011211_9406-Resized.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(photo borrowed from <a href="http://ramblingasusual.blogspot.com/2011/01/prodigal-socks.html" target="_blank">here</a>)</td></tr>
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This conundrum has been puzzling me for some time now, so I've done what every other self-respecting person in the 21st century would do: I googled "missing socks".<br />
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It's a marvelous tool, Google. Back in the middle of the last century, my father was an editor and my mother was a teacher, and I grew up in a family where everyone was well-versed in the art of research. By around the age of six, all the Russell kids were expected to be able to look up words in the dictionary, and by the age of nine, capable of going to the library and conducting more in-depth research as needed. Fact checking is second nature to us Russells. Yet, Google did not exist back then, and Dad would have scoffed at the very notion of being able to type in a question and access more answers than you could imagine, but that is a story for another time...<br />
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So back to pondering the mystery of the missing socks.<br />
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What I found in my <strike>googling</strike> research is that there exists a wide variety of theories; some are totally out there and wild, but some sound so scientifically plausible and matter of fact that any <i>normal</i> person wouldn't even think to question them. (Any regular readers of this blog have by now come to realize that normal does not apply here)<br />
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Here's what I found:<br />
First up, the standard <i>let's be serious and grounded about this: socks do not just "disappear" </i>theories.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhhlllNKYjJ9jcRHbpErioENU9NBv7-NgwjuqPtFQmKYpJ5Rxb2KTvHOs7QJYnmC6MGU2UZyhPgCcJmU2m91YB365Ml1aZj1kWHin7B03B-dxkdMeAgklBx5FTR9YxkfeLP4dyBQYNs0/s1600/515-maytag-repairman-293nm081910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhhlllNKYjJ9jcRHbpErioENU9NBv7-NgwjuqPtFQmKYpJ5Rxb2KTvHOs7QJYnmC6MGU2UZyhPgCcJmU2m91YB365Ml1aZj1kWHin7B03B-dxkdMeAgklBx5FTR9YxkfeLP4dyBQYNs0/s1600/515-maytag-repairman-293nm081910.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So why is this guy so bored?</td></tr>
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<li><b>Scientific theory #1: </b>Socks do not get lost in the dryer. The culprit is the washing machine. Supposedly, washing machine repairmen are always being called out to disentangle single socks from washing machine agitators. The recommendation is to put the socks at the very top of the load in the machine so they won't be pushed down to the bottom and tangled under the agitator. Personally, I've never found a missing sock under the agitator and nobody I know has either. And this theory doesn't explain the continuing loss of single socks in the age of front-loaders, which have no agitators at all.</li>
<li><b>Scientific theory #2:</b> Again, the washing machine is named as the culprit. If the socks are placed on top of the load, and the washer is overfilled, the socks (and sometimes even underwear) can float over the top of the washer tub when the machine is agitating and get sucked into the pump or get tangled in the motor. Other times they find their way into the drain. Or they can permanently reside between the washer's basket and the machine housing. This still does not explain why socks go missing in houses with front loaders.</li>
<li><b>Scientific theory #3: </b>If you were to go right now and dismantle your dryer, you may find a few single socks, along with some underwear lying in a pile of lint under the dryer's tumbler. The theory is that small items like socks and bikini underpants make their way out of the dryer basket and into the blower housing via an open or loose lint screen. I'm not about to dismantle my dryer to disprove this one, but given the number of socks we've lost over the years, the blower housing would be so full of socks the dryer couldn't possibly work at all.</li>
</ul>
Now on to the less scientific, more commonly held beliefs:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxq9EpDUa4nseGPBw4X-QMO_R8Nm5WxjL1XhKbdw5oHGDDU6mxl4VN2UqTvjRvWvWd-bf5OMcHWnkxW_KBlZb_3pezbBjB6CSK5NB2kiSIXvC4y4c0SzY5z3OwETV-NS01hyphenhyphen42ThB5qiU/s1600/Dryer:Socks.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxq9EpDUa4nseGPBw4X-QMO_R8Nm5WxjL1XhKbdw5oHGDDU6mxl4VN2UqTvjRvWvWd-bf5OMcHWnkxW_KBlZb_3pezbBjB6CSK5NB2kiSIXvC4y4c0SzY5z3OwETV-NS01hyphenhyphen42ThB5qiU/s400/Dryer:Socks.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><b>Unscientific theory #1:</b> Inside your dryer vent lurks a worm hole, where individual socks are sucked in and spit out on the beach of the Island of Lost Socks. I like to think all my lost socks have been paired up in mixed marriages on a lovely beach somewhere, living happily ever after.</li>
<li><b>Unscientific theory #2: </b>Dryers can not only rearrange matter, they are also capable of short-range teleportation; single socks are transformed into coins and end up as spare change under your sofa cushions. Conversely, your lost car keys? They are now dryer lint. I'm not so sure about this one. If this theory were true, we would end up with random single socks we've never seen before.</li>
<li><b>Unscientific theory #3:</b> Weekly sacrifices must be made to the<a href="http://adventuresinjuggling.me/2011/09/03/the-laundry-gods-punishment/" target="_blank"> Laundry Gods. </a> This theory states that in order to keep things on an even keel, we must make sacrifices to the angry laundry gods, kind of like the sacrificial virgin being offered up to the angry volcano. Otherwise, by saving the socks by clipping them together or cleverly washing pairs in a mesh laundry bag in the effort to thwart the gods, you may end up inadvertently suffering their wrath. It could be a red t-shirt in a load of whites, or something worse. The laundry gods' wrath is not to be underestimated. What are a few missing socks compared to that?</li>
<li><b>Unscientific theory #4:</b> Tiny Ninjas come to steal your socks in the middle of the night. Here's a video explaining it all:</li>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wTaXI9LUugc" width="560"></iframe>
</ul>
Personally, I have three cats, and I'm still missing socks.<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Unscientific theory #5:</b> Evil Sock Monkeys are stealing socks to create a Sock Monkey Army hell bent on taking over the world. If you don't believe me, check out this photo:</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6xMOGSR3zZhxZEt9HQbrY2U_AXnrEA47u6D5-ACoXBc4Jz8Rtjpt0Qsqa_T-Z-bK6CDVMLQWCa9-TBao01a4sm5L4439CmYFfn502T9mZWe4fQoDUYgKn_6Z9k8nBPbJTetTX6sbebQ/s1600/7309-greenbriar-monkeys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6xMOGSR3zZhxZEt9HQbrY2U_AXnrEA47u6D5-ACoXBc4Jz8Rtjpt0Qsqa_T-Z-bK6CDVMLQWCa9-TBao01a4sm5L4439CmYFfn502T9mZWe4fQoDUYgKn_6Z9k8nBPbJTetTX6sbebQ/s400/7309-greenbriar-monkeys.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">(photo borrowed from <a href="http://swamplot.com/sock-monkey-palace-spiffed-up-for-sale/2008-04-09/" target="_blank">this site</a>)<br />
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In my research, I've also uncovered some historical evidence covered up for over 70 years, which seems to support this theory:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ws01dG1VOLXM_r5fP34-s36phevGBGybCZ7cyYObZTwdVxFvzYjFhPHTqPRSMwPMvaz6aF0Aoy_PGZzjiOI6LFeDXSZlaCOEWFRhUwwXaBHjjq75TVakZ_xt6238Bsu78OIIbX4Hvzs/s1600/FlyingSockMonkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ws01dG1VOLXM_r5fP34-s36phevGBGybCZ7cyYObZTwdVxFvzYjFhPHTqPRSMwPMvaz6aF0Aoy_PGZzjiOI6LFeDXSZlaCOEWFRhUwwXaBHjjq75TVakZ_xt6238Bsu78OIIbX4Hvzs/s640/FlyingSockMonkey.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And I'm not the only one intrigued by this mystery. The <a href="http://www.funbureau.com/History/history.html" target="_blank">Bureau of Missing Socks </a> is an organization solely devoted to unraveling the mystery of the single disappearing sock (no pun intended).<br />
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Of course, there is also some evidence that a new trend could be developing that could combat this age-old single sock problem:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT61F2EBPUWo17RXp90z1k7zFxypteXk06dWjOOBNthbYfiWUE8mOkcQDXTjf0fHTxYXLpEiC8mO9u2rcAppkN9JO2i_RU9kAts-NVCm4yqlwOwsRwgHh4S0eviljNZkhSCYLB1F4LY2U/s1600/s042111-socks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT61F2EBPUWo17RXp90z1k7zFxypteXk06dWjOOBNthbYfiWUE8mOkcQDXTjf0fHTxYXLpEiC8mO9u2rcAppkN9JO2i_RU9kAts-NVCm4yqlwOwsRwgHh4S0eviljNZkhSCYLB1F4LY2U/s400/s042111-socks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Once celebrities get on the bandwagon, it could no longer be a sign of absent-mindedness or a disorganized household...it's now a Fashion Statement!</div>
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I think I'll go and take apart my dryer now.</div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-2833694141713300162013-05-16T14:00:00.000-07:002013-05-16T14:04:24.152-07:00just another reason to love my town<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rEhYBkggftk?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-51630539378232922432013-04-27T18:35:00.001-07:002013-04-27T18:36:09.201-07:00life is good!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxMtHfVb7XKf2EfZNrBlNyqwm0gwXVFOYiLSHLrUS4nz1ElncLT8MpBGribilsuKva8h_6ne4Ayu3EWCX60aDcupQfgISBte1uAOKYV4XyLbW2fNva_pyKvE-8MnNUNWaerrInQUzVoI/s1600/FernCurl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxMtHfVb7XKf2EfZNrBlNyqwm0gwXVFOYiLSHLrUS4nz1ElncLT8MpBGribilsuKva8h_6ne4Ayu3EWCX60aDcupQfgISBte1uAOKYV4XyLbW2fNva_pyKvE-8MnNUNWaerrInQUzVoI/s640/FernCurl.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
The weather has been beautiful here. The sun is shining, everyone is smiling, and spring is unfurling right right before my eyes. Yes, life is <i>very</i> good. </div>
cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-74769405051319456152013-04-10T21:29:00.000-07:002013-04-10T21:29:40.815-07:00wordless wednesday no. 30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoExb3t9ydNpUi6jrnDtTtUy5xZoTAjObyiHfqRHaDMIddVDgItdWTCltAKF4aYazdbhpWu395hsF20UwtxdskyO3lTKV9qqxbCDOLiQz8Ql5DchS9mPpgqs9O9n_a0iotkCimRWxCuaQ/s1600/(!).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoExb3t9ydNpUi6jrnDtTtUy5xZoTAjObyiHfqRHaDMIddVDgItdWTCltAKF4aYazdbhpWu395hsF20UwtxdskyO3lTKV9qqxbCDOLiQz8Ql5DchS9mPpgqs9O9n_a0iotkCimRWxCuaQ/s640/(!).jpg" width="452" /></a></div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-88349450561183475292013-03-30T18:12:00.000-07:002013-03-30T18:12:48.422-07:00the rites of spring<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I know spring officially began a week or so ago, but up here in the Pacific Northwest, it ain't really spring 'till the sun comes out and the forecast looks like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZKdmOqFn1WKTs2J_MDg_EsLdfZYp63HVEP5TtLTwu0wtGPfkcOJmjY0vyEg1y234wx2-yE1IURJwb5vnx861LVz4g5I7T89Ot30IWOHd1Qpvz-_796qyDhJ_CSByryLS8A7NYwST_nk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-30+at+5.17.29+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZKdmOqFn1WKTs2J_MDg_EsLdfZYp63HVEP5TtLTwu0wtGPfkcOJmjY0vyEg1y234wx2-yE1IURJwb5vnx861LVz4g5I7T89Ot30IWOHd1Qpvz-_796qyDhJ_CSByryLS8A7NYwST_nk/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-03-30+at+5.17.29+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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there are other signs, too:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsH1RqlwWGV4NCrYxmXn27quldRoEclKhW-AB_hBKi-Q2qHdx548adk7BXAhLbyhOs3TAOpwWDqAFBLadQ7QW5c9QmMBpyOhNTUQa2pxRzumOguNC5PSS58_JauevLaMclo2tEnNiBNls/s1600/DSC_5531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsH1RqlwWGV4NCrYxmXn27quldRoEclKhW-AB_hBKi-Q2qHdx548adk7BXAhLbyhOs3TAOpwWDqAFBLadQ7QW5c9QmMBpyOhNTUQa2pxRzumOguNC5PSS58_JauevLaMclo2tEnNiBNls/s640/DSC_5531.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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the Knuckleheads basking in the sun like the matched bookends that they are,</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRI7PkCbmO6WoffgiYe_xgjdNJxQjoGIQklacAj2H3wHsVtUs7YoImo2DUqK5WtUJnu13Poi26X7p0DIpEpfzH-xUvCtZA6e_sNtkskDilTYIR3jS5KGTPYFpaUnUdNpIPG4l9X6wTt48/s1600/Plumblossoms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRI7PkCbmO6WoffgiYe_xgjdNJxQjoGIQklacAj2H3wHsVtUs7YoImo2DUqK5WtUJnu13Poi26X7p0DIpEpfzH-xUvCtZA6e_sNtkskDilTYIR3jS5KGTPYFpaUnUdNpIPG4l9X6wTt48/s640/Plumblossoms.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The plum trees are in full bloom,</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgulRuseTA_a49F5itJzuDY-O3Te_gooE8gX5fJ8hcKhaadlqF43YBo_7nWZnc1-lohPzidWsNF1qpLcl9x7VM-v6WKmIvw6TWwzDdPT1bYr__lbLyaMUqQzyQvFdWD0vtnkvPXchccspA/s1600/GiantCarrot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgulRuseTA_a49F5itJzuDY-O3Te_gooE8gX5fJ8hcKhaadlqF43YBo_7nWZnc1-lohPzidWsNF1qpLcl9x7VM-v6WKmIvw6TWwzDdPT1bYr__lbLyaMUqQzyQvFdWD0vtnkvPXchccspA/s640/GiantCarrot.JPG" width="395" /></a></div>
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I weeded the raised vegetable bed and found the biggest carrot I've ever seen</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KAk_154EfeHGwm2AigB_GT0UioWSE_Crlu0ek-ujrYkutJSKemLSOyrl_RSgWUYieH7RK8gfpHpaLdIC_hJ7CGms52w4NwaQX2fFYanxY-9DLnM0VERyBtZgxE5wuRtrZhtEcYQ4yRU/s1600/DSC_5540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KAk_154EfeHGwm2AigB_GT0UioWSE_Crlu0ek-ujrYkutJSKemLSOyrl_RSgWUYieH7RK8gfpHpaLdIC_hJ7CGms52w4NwaQX2fFYanxY-9DLnM0VERyBtZgxE5wuRtrZhtEcYQ4yRU/s640/DSC_5540.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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(here's another shot just for scale)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwTHfLdtIC2tEQw7-kIhsiq5m3wOhVAQfy0mQqaQRPPdd2oqLH09Xax6UYFuodc-V2tXXEfM5wG7D48y6ltLzNEQ2oz_foBiVpaBvdrzyXVpdvwowuZ8MCV2jHlOpjcBQgBQYaBLyTKc/s1600/IMG00897-20130330-1555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwTHfLdtIC2tEQw7-kIhsiq5m3wOhVAQfy0mQqaQRPPdd2oqLH09Xax6UYFuodc-V2tXXEfM5wG7D48y6ltLzNEQ2oz_foBiVpaBvdrzyXVpdvwowuZ8MCV2jHlOpjcBQgBQYaBLyTKc/s400/IMG00897-20130330-1555.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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and the most important sign of spring? </div>
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Walking around barefoot all afternoon!</div>
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Here's wishing everyone a warm and sunny spring, wherever you are!</div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-40696919953133786002013-03-11T17:53:00.000-07:002013-03-11T17:53:29.667-07:00it's another monday holiday!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">It has just come to my attention that today is a National Holiday. It's not in honor of a past President or Civil Rights activist, or Nobel Prize winner, or a religious observance, or a celebration of an event in history. It's not even what you might call a "Hallmark" holiday. It could be quite a Significant Day for some (many of them live in my house, and are observing the holiday as we speak) and just another Monday for others. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"> It's <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/11/nap-benefits-national-napping-day_n_2830952.html" target="_blank">National Nap Day</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">So, because I myself am not of the Napping persuasion, I'm reposting something I wrote a couple of years ago that seems a fitting tribute. To all you Napping types, I wish you sweet dreams, and to the rest of you dear readers I say, "Rock on!" And I hope this post doesn't lull you off to dreamland, unless of course that's what you were hoping for...</span><br />
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Nap Quest</span></h2>
I got into a conversation about napping the other day with a couple of friends. I know this sounds simplistic, but after taking an informal survey of a decidedly small segment of the population (do four people qualify as a focus group?) I've since come to the conclusion that the world is divided up into nappers and non-nappers.<br />
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Non-napper types generally feel that sleeping during the hours we're supposed to be awake and productive is wasteful. Time spent napping could be better utilized doing something productive, like <s>checking your facebook page </s> balancing the checkbook, or <s> reading blogs</s> emptying the dishwasher. They employ slogans such as <i>"Sleep is for the weak"</i>, or <i>"I'll have plenty of time to sleep when I'm dead", </i>along with copious amounts of caffeine to get them through the day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6GL9e0GIqY_Q3euRspjE13A-r4StSexzmba0C654xEIGW_qpDcapew_bmSAofHD4oOt38VZfUVPU5nW6ABTZGjwn4NiDg5r8Ex4XT6_-ag1UNXkOb5Y8GWhPSMOHFyJ2Mf9ncgE5EuA/s1600/Coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6GL9e0GIqY_Q3euRspjE13A-r4StSexzmba0C654xEIGW_qpDcapew_bmSAofHD4oOt38VZfUVPU5nW6ABTZGjwn4NiDg5r8Ex4XT6_-ag1UNXkOb5Y8GWhPSMOHFyJ2Mf9ncgE5EuA/s320/Coffee.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>A typical non-napper type getting her caffeine fix.</i></div>
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Nappers are generally divided into three camps: the <b><i>Unabashedly Laid Back, Guilt-Ridden Snoozers, and Master Nappers.</i></b> The <i><b>ULB's</b></i> talk of the restorative effects of the 15-minute Power Nap. They quote studies that support their theories, and insist that scientists at Harvard have determined that a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_nap">midday snooze reverses information overload. (<i>wikipedia</i>) </a><br />
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The <b><i>Guilt-Ridden Snoozers</i></b>, on the other hand, also believe in the benefits of napping but due to a childhood spent under the influence of parents who adopted a strict <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_ethic">work ethic</a> during the Great Depression, they find it difficult to nap with a clear conscience. A typical <i><b>GRS</b></i> can usually be spotted in the prone position with an open book, magazine or newspaper on his or her chest. If caught dozing off, they will insist, <i>"I was just resting my eyes!"</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGw-gW1PeWujSnPnuWbENlSGrfzTTrfX_K2PeTqU60lFMo0ddsQCCsKHIeCRxtZfKsPYGAU2q5-ZCVilsGM5KXYu0GDjlZuOGELa7a-VEXNh7p7_z8QvWvSpz4VxZv185Dbcy2zs6Xszk/s1600/GRS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGw-gW1PeWujSnPnuWbENlSGrfzTTrfX_K2PeTqU60lFMo0ddsQCCsKHIeCRxtZfKsPYGAU2q5-ZCVilsGM5KXYu0GDjlZuOGELa7a-VEXNh7p7_z8QvWvSpz4VxZv185Dbcy2zs6Xszk/s320/GRS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>photo borrowed from <a href="http://www.squareamerica.com/sl2.htm">here</a></i></div>
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And the third category of napper? <i><b>Master Nappers</b></i> are those who have achieved the highest level of <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Napology"><b>Napology</b></a>. See photos below:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyioPey3LlZqLsh0cxwSOM5tlydawCeLIaRsTmVGZk9gp4JdOU_aCw55HL2nPbVa9Kl7PjBITMkSXl0EuSkfjZNGWyqfu9loP7SZW0wfsJevVOKvqpyi84quMXWAhSFAUpLFhPc76DDvM/s1600/FriscoCatNap1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyioPey3LlZqLsh0cxwSOM5tlydawCeLIaRsTmVGZk9gp4JdOU_aCw55HL2nPbVa9Kl7PjBITMkSXl0EuSkfjZNGWyqfu9loP7SZW0wfsJevVOKvqpyi84quMXWAhSFAUpLFhPc76DDvM/s320/FriscoCatNap1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaid8M7aDc2NSdM_Wah_G3QfOl2QGwM1ZGXVlvL0R791ULjpr9sv-ntjGHAsxrw0PZapAPZGmevrTqUm7NoSdHoQKcLnuTA36EBcddmvfklr9rGQGLcnhhrwcFiUVlUgkZe6-qNjfsNFQ/s1600/FriscoCatNap2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaid8M7aDc2NSdM_Wah_G3QfOl2QGwM1ZGXVlvL0R791ULjpr9sv-ntjGHAsxrw0PZapAPZGmevrTqUm7NoSdHoQKcLnuTA36EBcddmvfklr9rGQGLcnhhrwcFiUVlUgkZe6-qNjfsNFQ/s320/FriscoCatNap2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>A true Master Napper can nap anywhere, at any time.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlH9d3p1CvIt2E3E7B6w53UxijpVF03RS9Sj4Y1S1Xf-imsyRWoSw54pNV0ZBBK5GNI8tgNSZ0sLdN0JUgCxTgUTo3hqL8PpUvm8QdnimUu36mGHbU8ZY_YIY7MZD870zxWUx9fvQ8BXE/s1600/Napportunity.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlH9d3p1CvIt2E3E7B6w53UxijpVF03RS9Sj4Y1S1Xf-imsyRWoSw54pNV0ZBBK5GNI8tgNSZ0sLdN0JUgCxTgUTo3hqL8PpUvm8QdnimUu36mGHbU8ZY_YIY7MZD870zxWUx9fvQ8BXE/s320/Napportunity.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>This is known in the trade as a <b>Napportunity</b>.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizotEitWNsDKEsRG8wL2qYKfW3GCMchR3Wf_9UuIa2WtExD0i03q87WJjK4OQ831XLw7BkJMzqFpDrk0mT6XKtt0dpc3_aVAFpKBEyF5b7pLsNf7XaKJmY7baLG6W4g_kL7QbWqfbo1C4/s1600/NapWarmer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizotEitWNsDKEsRG8wL2qYKfW3GCMchR3Wf_9UuIa2WtExD0i03q87WJjK4OQ831XLw7BkJMzqFpDrk0mT6XKtt0dpc3_aVAFpKBEyF5b7pLsNf7XaKJmY7baLG6W4g_kL7QbWqfbo1C4/s320/NapWarmer.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCUsQgPxF2WPkraGKbc_-ZGA_GwtrB4HyUun_xufTv_D4Hh36_eP1RChpjRBEypUKMSlPmaWf2nO2aPgpedn2lngp5PCKKSAHHFWrsoHuda7cUB-46VvMEnzvRMNTVU7gKsvJc1ep-50/s1600/NappersInTraining.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCUsQgPxF2WPkraGKbc_-ZGA_GwtrB4HyUun_xufTv_D4Hh36_eP1RChpjRBEypUKMSlPmaWf2nO2aPgpedn2lngp5PCKKSAHHFWrsoHuda7cUB-46VvMEnzvRMNTVU7gKsvJc1ep-50/s320/NappersInTraining.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The training to become a Master Napper </i></div>
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<i>must begin at an early age</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlgMbwDigutfULAw7OmeZL0qRmwvM9tDRK3LKlSN4B7DOS9DuFAClD8h7mA6c_lu0A29h_6F4HvwP28zzHpE8SGtSDpY3HO3Cd4QdVE4rBliOyg0PsFEe5RChZePlXNhrBoxg_w2gwQ4/s1600/NapPartners2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlgMbwDigutfULAw7OmeZL0qRmwvM9tDRK3LKlSN4B7DOS9DuFAClD8h7mA6c_lu0A29h_6F4HvwP28zzHpE8SGtSDpY3HO3Cd4QdVE4rBliOyg0PsFEe5RChZePlXNhrBoxg_w2gwQ4/s320/NapPartners2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>and is successful only if practiced on a regular basis.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2dDmaJC6XNlLq55mXJX47_R5aTtj8EYfIyQDFaWrmZbQVwedLkYUSlugVV9GNKQwM1sIkYxbnRsDzFexlPXJcNE6bmea54dVJbZrMlTlr1Ue3Rrf4Q0FOCbReDQ7-HpUrsWqnXOA-wE/s1600/NapPartners1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2dDmaJC6XNlLq55mXJX47_R5aTtj8EYfIyQDFaWrmZbQVwedLkYUSlugVV9GNKQwM1sIkYxbnRsDzFexlPXJcNE6bmea54dVJbZrMlTlr1Ue3Rrf4Q0FOCbReDQ7-HpUrsWqnXOA-wE/s320/NapPartners1.JPG" width="262" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgruJxv8N3ZSrOXYgWyLPHiAmQrAHUSCUbQXXLiXlGQZ2HS8eYQ1i1xD-1jthBdlAF-l-o8WzbcVYBOb28eHrBKgaPRyjehuqC89QM2Gxx_vZrMN8G0z6xNhz1ix0uazoXjxU3xvPNDxZQ/s1600/GroupNap2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgruJxv8N3ZSrOXYgWyLPHiAmQrAHUSCUbQXXLiXlGQZ2HS8eYQ1i1xD-1jthBdlAF-l-o8WzbcVYBOb28eHrBKgaPRyjehuqC89QM2Gxx_vZrMN8G0z6xNhz1ix0uazoXjxU3xvPNDxZQ/s320/GroupNap2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Another hallmark of the Master Napper is the Group Nap</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHyXGlfOy6_tZZcuXEwQiOrEIHspYJCfmvlOlFYcB9_XY7DwxTFCiNLsQ3AJPOqlXrYBRdGs5jQg8l2fPkNCJ-l-Kx0XIhyphenhyphenQPBT2Z5N6bc9CbIpU1uWyzWtapy8WcGHk49EOf-wVyRIQ/s1600/GroupNap1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHyXGlfOy6_tZZcuXEwQiOrEIHspYJCfmvlOlFYcB9_XY7DwxTFCiNLsQ3AJPOqlXrYBRdGs5jQg8l2fPkNCJ-l-Kx0XIhyphenhyphenQPBT2Z5N6bc9CbIpU1uWyzWtapy8WcGHk49EOf-wVyRIQ/s320/GroupNap1.JPG" width="236" /></a></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>where three or more Master Nappers</i><br />
<i>meet to practice in a warm and cozy place.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjAArIK8piglrIrvxKjS46XEIUbh5r_9eCrDCCDByUzZbyYKS8rd7heYjWzFotZygxVltoRKnvxQAA-BL-Vep21bm-sCQ1GLqEtV9zWTJO30gE-6gBErpGcwbHbBAcgsNO5Ax8AYNtO8/s1600/SynchronizedNap1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjAArIK8piglrIrvxKjS46XEIUbh5r_9eCrDCCDByUzZbyYKS8rd7heYjWzFotZygxVltoRKnvxQAA-BL-Vep21bm-sCQ1GLqEtV9zWTJO30gE-6gBErpGcwbHbBAcgsNO5Ax8AYNtO8/s320/SynchronizedNap1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Synchronized Napping </i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDtZ26Wht5s495W5CwWaxn-ylSGhSdOOjMHfNF_UPSl3Q9-LzlfXIitdV32USGjK-ew19S9ubFgcavtR5SagIc_e-F2mf5G22onp66ka8Zau7Zb_aT8VIbRY88L2W8xlhGqEvUUatCG4/s1600/SynchronizedNap2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDtZ26Wht5s495W5CwWaxn-ylSGhSdOOjMHfNF_UPSl3Q9-LzlfXIitdV32USGjK-ew19S9ubFgcavtR5SagIc_e-F2mf5G22onp66ka8Zau7Zb_aT8VIbRY88L2W8xlhGqEvUUatCG4/s320/SynchronizedNap2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>is a highly developed art form</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnfONWzKFXzezhVRvZfxGaKjz7KmevnlW_c_RzzQkh83FAr-Qy2n2lH9MEtQAi6JcAcABA8AhwFJk22Rm3fqb8GDJXH6KX1n7Cp89OVykt7XUS6uCRBMV8LWXBxaLSwYuxiU4yenUvuU/s1600/SynchronizedNap3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnfONWzKFXzezhVRvZfxGaKjz7KmevnlW_c_RzzQkh83FAr-Qy2n2lH9MEtQAi6JcAcABA8AhwFJk22Rm3fqb8GDJXH6KX1n7Cp89OVykt7XUS6uCRBMV8LWXBxaLSwYuxiU4yenUvuU/s320/SynchronizedNap3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>practiced by teams of Master Nappers.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9DoWkEsU70t6JoYJFTh95iJP1d_pL8eXeGKNwP6S4ZJ5SMKRGrrNxZX0uNluT1tWCQANC7LSAee_hNIoyfz-nmwTBYU4e6n0sII4_KsnL5zAfsD9U0wCsrnLopJ_PO3P-ckVIOQh3dA/s1600/flatChubbs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9DoWkEsU70t6JoYJFTh95iJP1d_pL8eXeGKNwP6S4ZJ5SMKRGrrNxZX0uNluT1tWCQANC7LSAee_hNIoyfz-nmwTBYU4e6n0sII4_KsnL5zAfsD9U0wCsrnLopJ_PO3P-ckVIOQh3dA/s320/flatChubbs.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>MN's take Nap Form very seriously</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-vyeJdZrn7np8o8-cTI-tCDJwmZAZ1BVM0T0pih1MwrCT-AsvUBGG4oIBIGWol9kGHelLMZxRRcLkNUAyuiQt7Z5on4dSjWY1z38cN7puAtf3zxdFZvcrB1NwRsikwm_3Q_f0PPdgv8/s1600/Peekaboo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-vyeJdZrn7np8o8-cTI-tCDJwmZAZ1BVM0T0pih1MwrCT-AsvUBGG4oIBIGWol9kGHelLMZxRRcLkNUAyuiQt7Z5on4dSjWY1z38cN7puAtf3zxdFZvcrB1NwRsikwm_3Q_f0PPdgv8/s320/Peekaboo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7By-VQ9iywjgNmL-0A7auddigZFT9884JhcbljxZ691Zooj2A0Fw8h85s4TTZW29_7GO4YKr1rV9c9h5wNy1Z1yBBvKOIBrmCdWNd9PQYiO3SWEIQ8-x_YBWHd35pkqGVSSIcQedGvqU/s1600/LaidBackNapper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7By-VQ9iywjgNmL-0A7auddigZFT9884JhcbljxZ691Zooj2A0Fw8h85s4TTZW29_7GO4YKr1rV9c9h5wNy1Z1yBBvKOIBrmCdWNd9PQYiO3SWEIQ8-x_YBWHd35pkqGVSSIcQedGvqU/s320/LaidBackNapper.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>but are sometimes mistaken for Unabashedly Laid Back Nappers.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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I hope this post has helped to illuminate the plight of all misunderstood Nappers (<i>yawn!</i>). As it is only through understanding and education that we can promote tolerance for all.</div>
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Now I really must go and get another cup of coffee, because I'm suddenly feeling very sleepy.... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeawwkFUHuv7C0WMCDqVxej_H5h9Z_Vb9PxijKKrg56UGJ9KUKsSp1ke0dadTFbhoLehWDSvWCHDXGS2u1l4wFmHpo9coqjdHU8tNRfG2W9B2Oe0ehf5jbCRRHgNmSOUnmODEMksoOdp0/s1600/NapPartners4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeawwkFUHuv7C0WMCDqVxej_H5h9Z_Vb9PxijKKrg56UGJ9KUKsSp1ke0dadTFbhoLehWDSvWCHDXGS2u1l4wFmHpo9coqjdHU8tNRfG2W9B2Oe0ehf5jbCRRHgNmSOUnmODEMksoOdp0/s320/NapPartners4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy National Nap Day!</div>
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cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917141318391595014.post-66500572546551569842013-03-10T22:26:00.000-07:002013-03-10T22:27:08.958-07:00one fine day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SdQVJ-Oee6o?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
One fine day, the sun was shining and the wind was singing.<br />
I think spring might actually come soon!</div>
</div>
</div>
cactus petuniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114194541917210679noreply@blogger.com0