Random Post

OK - I am still feeling a bit - well let's face it - CRAPPY. All I do is cough. It sucks.

Here is my lame post for today.

Inspired by Segue's post "The Greatest Dayton Picture ever" (or what I like to call Indiana proof of hillbillies in KY), I thought I would show the greatest picture from Duncan, SC.



A year ago I spent 6 weeks in Duncan, South Carolina on business.

Each day on my way to work I passed this roadside phenomenon.

This is a photo of an ACTUAL roadside vending machine found in Duncan, South Carolina. I am not making this up. Hell who could?

It's a 24 hour milk vending machine.


$3.00 will buy you a gallon of Whole, 2% or skim milk. 24 hours a day - 7 days a week. No need to locate a 24 hour supermarket at 2am to get your milk.

Convienent - yes.
Fresh? Not so sure.

I passed this machine everyday for 6 weeks - at least 4 times a day. I never once saw anyone insert dairy products into the machine.


Why do you think that is? Well I would suspect the reason is: there were not one, not two, but three 24 hr supermarkets within a 10 mile radius of this machine.

Funny - this is a machine I would expect to find in rural Indiana or Iowa. But alas, it was found in a fairly populated area in South Carolina.

Do you have an odd photo to share? A local oddity? Find it - and share!

The Formation of the Princess

OK - 2 days ago I started a blog about my parents and their creative side.

I should continue that blog - however I am a little loopy from the drugs. Bronchitis. FUN.

I will add one photo and call it a night.

This one shows of the start of the decline of the "Kiddie Parade". OH - don't get me wrong - the "floats" got better and better as I got older. This however led to putting me deeper and deeper into costume.

Nope - I don't have an older brother. A younger sister. My first taste in cross dressing.

Giant section of chicken wire to change into a giant flag: $15
Costumes for children: $10
Turning my sister into a princess because she got dragged in the rain so my parents could win the KIDDIE Parade: Priceless

(wonder if they found that section to fight those nasty squirrels WriterMom is so worried about)

Hopefully I will have more spunk tomorrow.

Ciao.

Pepper's little adventure....

If you haven't already figured it out - my husband and I don't have children (either that or I don't like them much because I have never mentioned them)
I do however have a dog.

Meet Peppercorn.

She's a 3 year old Miniature Schnauzer and she's like my baby.

She has a "house" (otherwise known as a kennel) next to our bed and she sleeps in it each night. We don't force her - she chooses to sleep there.

My husband (for whatever reason) must close the door to the bedroom when we go to bed. I guess he thinks if someone breaks in - that if the door is closed - they can't get in. "OH well the door is closed - guess I can't go in there..." Whatever.

Anyway - last night I went to bed after my husband and the house was dark. The dog followed me to the bedroom - but apparently did not follow me in. She spent the night - out of her comfort zone. Here is her story:

10:30pm on couch with master.

Ahhh....that one smells like dinnner....see what she thinks of that one.

Blah blah blah does she EVER stop trying to talk that blogger lady into moving to Iowa? Does she ACTUALLY believes anyone will move here? OK sounds like she's done. Finally time for bed.

**Lights darken**

SHIT - where did she go? I was just behind her. She actually almost stepped on me. Damn it's a good thing I'm fast. *BAM* Shit. Door. How do I get in? **rattle rattle** Shit - can't hear me.

I think I'll sit here at the door. Maybe she'll check on me. (5 minutes pass) Well I had best find someplace else to go. This floor is cold.

Couch. Mmmmm...not as nice without mom. Chair! I like the chair. Mmm....smells like....eww I was farting over here. Still smells. Can't stay here.

Maybe I'll check the bathroom. MMMM toilet paper. I had that once. It's fun. I ate it. I pooped it out for 3 days. The masters gagged every time they cleaned up the caca from the yard - that was great. OOhhh but it stopped me up something fierce.

Check the kitchen. Cool stuff in the kitchen. OOhh potatoes. Ate those once too. Threw them up. Smart. Not Smart.

Nevermind. I'll just wait. Right here. By the door.

And that's where she was when the alarm went off at 5am. At the door. Like nothing happened. The unconditional love of a dog. It's great.

The Cardboard and Duct Tape King

As I mentioned in Homemade Halloween my parents were the creative type. They put some time into Halloween costumes but took great pride in what our town called "The Kiddie Parade". Here is a little backround on the event. Held over Labor Day weekend kids of all ages ride bicycles, drag wagons or walk down main street dressed in little outfits trying to win ribbons for the best costumes.

I'm not sure how my parents got so involved in this "Kiddie Parade" maybe it's because I was barely able to walk when I first entered. I think I won - and my parents being the competitive types they are wanted to win again - and again.


It started off simple. I am guessing from the looks of this photo I was about a year and a half.

Mom dressed me as Raggedy Ann, turned my wagon into a block and had me pull it down the street.

I think we won.

And so it began.




Little Bo Peep
I dragged my sheep
To the end of the street.
I was 3
Yes that's me
Oh yeah - and we won - SWEET!




This was one of the last times I got be a girl at the Kiddie Parade and by far one of my favorite "floats".

I even got to ride my tricycle. For those of you who care the wings were made of chicken wire and those little squares of tissue paper.

I believe this photo was taken in 1979.

My parents diassembled the wings LAST WEEKEND to use in their garden to protect their bulbs from being eaten by squirrels.

And Writermom thinks her parents keep things for a long time. I will say one thing for my parents - they did ACTUALLY need it for something!

Homemade Halloween

After reading WriterMom's post about how her costumes from this year erupted - I was inspired. As I think back - there is only one year I can recall where we had storebought costumes. Mom never took photographs of that year. Come to think of it - mom didn't take a lot of pictures of Halloween. My parents had another fasination - one which I will address at a later time.

For starters let me just say that I always wanted to wear those store bought costumes. I always wanted to be like everyone else (didn't most kids?) However; as I look back I realize my parents were extremely talented and actually did me a huge favor in molding my creativity.



1983 Age: 8

Scene prior to a Halloween costume contest at the local park.

Chep: "Snowmen in October?"
Mom: "Yes! You will be most entertaining"
Chep: "But MOM it's so BIG! The head keeps falling down!"
Mom: "It adds to the character - it is SO cute!"
Chep: "Well why do I always have to be the BOY" (this will be seen in future posts)
Mom: "Because your sister is smaller and makes a better girl. Now quit arguing and get your father some candy!"

Fast forward to 1985. Age: 11

We went trick or Treating with friends. Who (obviously) got to wear store bought costumes.

Mom: "So what do you want to wear?"

Chep: "I'd like to be a witch"

Mom: "Your sister's being a witch. How about the Statue of Liberty?"

Chep: "WHAT? Why would I want to be that? I don't think so"

Mom: "It will be COOL! We can make you a crown and a torch out of a flashlight!"

Chep: "I don't like the sound of that. M and D are going as Star Wars characters can't I do something cool like that?"

Mom: "What is cooler than the Statue of Liberty? You don't have to go at all you know. You are a BIT old"

Chep: "Fine. "

Mom: "Great! You will be SO cute!"

And ya know? She was right. It was creative - I had a flashlight built into my costume so I didn't have to wear one of those dorky blinkers like everyone else did!

As I got older I started working with the parks department and was an active participant in the Haunted Forest. It was a chance to use this creative energy given to me by my parents. I will admit - my costumes did get a bit - well - more horrific as you can see here.

I don't look down on those that do the store bought costumes - however I must admit - that being a child of the "Cardboard and Duct Tape King" made for an interesting childhood!

Arranger vs Pack Rat - Part 2

If you got the paper today - you may have notice an article closely related to a previous post of mine Arranger vs Pack Rat. There have been other posts that also dealt with this issue (see October posts at Writer Mom's website). I am doing what I can to help the masses.

Hopefully this article will help you help others (or yourself if needed). America's "Orgy of Consumption" (yes that's really what it's called) deals with our growing obsession of collecting crap. Are you unsure if you are a clutterer? Take the test sponsored by Clutterers Anonymous. Sadly it does not appear they have an organized meeting in NWIN yet - so my mother will have to find another means of assistance for her growing problem.

See photo below for examples of a few more of her "collections".

**Note: faces have been altered to protect innocent bystanders.**

If anything this article got me thinking about items I need to post on e-bay. Ah - maybe tomorrow. I have football to watch!