(not me, but very similar)
the Alaskan tree frog
freezes solid
during the winter
including
stopping it’s heart
and then
thaws in the spring
and
hops away!
—
image credit: snakebytestv
Mar5
Category Archives: adventure
Feb22
buy the ticket, take the ride. – hunter s. thompson
valentine’s night
was wonderful
downtown
beautiful view
of the
frozen river
shared border
between
two countries
with
cityscapes
old and new
snow falling
no worries
about driving
bitter cold
warm company
a new dress
romantic
took a cab
to a
lovely dinner
in a beautiful
historic house
glowing with warmth
and
hints of
delicious food
and then
the play
one of my favorites
sweet
musical
love story
calm
and after
ready for
the trip back
into
the
comforting embrace
of
our warm hotel
but
the cabs
were hiding
in
places unknown
staying warm inside
remote garages
and
mg rescued
a woman’s lost glove
part of a another
happy couple
and
in return
we met them
they were
in the same
transportation predicament
waiting for their car
and she said
‘don’t worry.
you have a ride with us.’
and
we uber-ed
with the
random strangers
when
the driver
finally arrived
we immediately
headed
in the wrong direction
turn signal on
lost
confused
friendly
new driver
mario
second day on the job
in over his head
from brazil
no sense of direction
worse than mine
didn’t know the city at all
using his boss’s car
so much laughter
and we had
a crazy ride
and saw
our hotel
in the
opposite direction
drove through the city
more laughter
one of our hipster
fellow passengers
and tried to
take on the role
of navigator
she had begun
celebrating early
and was
much loved by her partner
who accepted
her funny side
and her state of
altered reality
that was clear
and we all
told mario
‘look for the biggest building in the city.
the one you see in all the pictures.
head towards the river.
you can’t miss it.’
but
somehow
he did
miss it
and
even more
laughter
and
survival bonding
and i
offered her
my rose
as a thank you
for the ride
as they finally
dropped us
and headed off
for places unknown
their own destination
even farther away
and it was
like being part of
a performance art skit
and
so glad
we held on
embraced the adventure
for the ride of our lives
the perfect ending
to a magical night.
—-
be willing to step outside your comfort zone once in a while; take the risks in life that seem worth taking. the ride might not be as predictable if you’d just planted your feet and stayed put, but it will be a heck of a lot more interesting.
– edward whitacre, jr.
Jul4
happy 4th of july
freedom lies in being bold.
robert frost
Jun29
the world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful. – e.e. cummings
children and the young at heart
are encouraged to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty
in honor of International Mud Day.
a man is getting old when he walks around a puddle instead of through it. ~R.C. Ferguson
—
image credits: letthechildrenplay.com, firefliesandmudpuppies,g2goutside.org
Jun14
Sometimes, a winner is a dreamer who never gave up. – Unknown
while much of the globe is preoccupied with the world cup from june 12-july 13,
here is an alternative championship that could give fifa a run for its money.
the world toe-wrestling championships.
in 1976, when pubgoers in derbyshire, england grew bored with arm wrestling,
they began locking big toes and trying to pin their opponent’s foot to the ground.
rules state that competitors must yell out ‘toe much!’ if they want to throw in the towel.
competition is serious.
world champion, alan ‘nasty’ nash
has come home with broken toes nine times!
—
just play. have fun. enjoy the game.
michael jordan
—
credits: cameracrewgermany.com, bbc news, mental floss magazine
Jun12
balls: world cup day one.
it’s world cup time and team oz is ready.
these guys seem pretty unruffled.
and who needs shorts down under?
best of luck to team u.s.a.
let the games begin!
—
I say if you’re going to take a chance on something, you just go full balls to the wall.
Toby Keith
—
image credit: the kangaroo sanctuary Alice Springs
Jun11
I’m in competition with myself and I’m losing. – Roger Waters
what do you get when you combine the 1980s, video arcades, the guinness book of world records, human drama, sabotage, corruption, power, cheating, trash-talking, genius, ego, and insanity?
why, you get ‘the king of kong: a fistful of quarters’ of course. one of my all-time favorite documentaries. this eccentric film, released in 2007, features ‘self-proclaimed legend’ in the world of video arcade games, billy mitchell, florida hot sauce magnate and the holder of the ‘donkey kong champion of the world high scoring’ record for 25 years, and the first perfect game scorer in the history of pac-man, as he is challenged by quiet and brilliant unemployed aerospace engineer/now science teacher from washington, steve wiebe, who has never won a thing in his life.
in this film, their long distance rivalry and ultimate challenge is played out right before our eyes and under the careful watch of walter day, creator of twin galaxies, and online gaming website gatekeeper. what follows is a classic tale of good vs. evil, davy and goliath, sheer will and karma, and the suspense never stops right up until the very last second.
watching this, i spent 79 fascinating minutes glued to the screen, laughing, crying, cheering and yelling, right along with it. and most of all, i love that it was categorized under ‘sports’ in the documentary world.
film quotes:
Walter Day: This rivalry is among the greatest: the Yankees and Red Sox… Hekyll and Jekyll.
“I wanted to be a hero. I wanted to be the center of attention. I wanted the glory, I wanted the fame. I wanted the pretty girls to come up and say, “Hi, I see that you’re good at Centipede.”
Jillian Wiebe (Steve’s wife) : Work is for people who can’t play video games.
image credit: picturehouse/dendy cinema
Jun7
the aussies are coming! the aussies are coming!
and i couldn’t be happier.
part of my family lives down under.
and soon
they will be up top with us for a while.
and i will have my dream
of all of the daughters
and all of the sons in law
and all of the grand babies
in one place at one time.
and it is sure to be an adventure.
—
Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future.
Gail Lumet Buckley
Jun4
Children have neither past nor future; they enjoy the present, which very few of us do. ~Jean de la Bruyere
it is our last day today as a class.
and as we look back –
and look ahead –
we find
that a part of each of us
is still right here.
always has been.
and always will be.
—
Always jump in the puddles! Always skip alongside the flowers.
The only fights worth fighting are the pillow and food varieties.
Terri Guillemets
Jan1
nerd play
happy new year to everyone who spends their life trying to somehow make the world a better place, including those engaged in the mysterious and exciting world of genetics.
one may assume that these bright souls are born with the gift of extraordinary brilliance and purpose, all at the expense of some other area of their humanity, such as a sense of humor. in reality, this could not be further from the truth. while their comedic approach to life may not be easily apparent, all it takes is a glance at the mark they leave on their work to see their strong sense of whimsy.
after listening to a recent npr interview with one such geneticist/scientist/self-proclaimed ‘nerd’ and hearing him discuss names assigned to individual genes and their mutations, it’s clear this group has found a way to do their research, stretch their intelligent ironic imaginations, and leave their legacies – all while embracing a sense of play in its truest form.
A RANDOM SAMPLING OF SOME OF MY FAVORITES:
radical fringe
lunatic
cheap date
maniac
one-eyed pinhead
INDY – I’m Not Dead Yet (makes mutant flies live twice as long – inspired by Monty Python’s ‘Holy Grail’
i thank you for this on so many levels.
I didn't have my glasses on.... 