Well, can you blame her?

From Kare 11 news: One of the stars of the old Gilligan's Island has been busted for pot possession. Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on the show, is serving six months' unsupervised probation after being caught with marijuana in her car.

Well, can you really blame her? If I had to spend any length of my adult life in the company of Gilligan, The Skipper, and those freaky Howells I'd probably need a little toke now and then too just to help erase the trauma. Loved that show as a kid but what did I know? I didn't have any idea what dreck and drivel was! I listened to the Archies and thought Bobby Sherman was hot. Ginger was my first impression of how a desirable woman was supposed to look and act. Some twisted crap going on there.

Poor Mary Ann, never quite Ginger.

Ewwwwww on so many levels.

Big news - Naked Sushi has come to the Twin Cities. The Temple Restaurant is hosting the event where for $75 a pop you can eat your raw fish and seaweed off nekkid models.

I don't get it. I don't want my sushi anywhere near someone else's uncovered skin and hair except the hands of the chef. This time the Emperor REALLY has no clothes. I'd almost pay money to watch bizarre wealthy people eating that sushi and pretending this isn't the most insane, pretentious, and downright weird thing they've ever done. Guess it's all the rage in Japan. Well, they can keep it. I'll stick with a plate, thank you.

A Happy List Challenge! Yea!!!!!

From Kirelimel who correctly has turned my thoughts to happier things:





Favorite childhood swimsuit
Mine was also red, white, and blue. One of those one-pieces doing an impression of a two-piece.

Favorite summer thing to do in Elementary school
Swim at the local pool and buy root beer barrels at the concession stand. Also get together with my extended family for picnics. I and some combination of cousins would end up doing weird things that we found wildly entertaining, like fishing using cigarette butts as bait. We never caught a thing - wonder why?

Favorite summer thing to do in high school
Lay around - what a lazy lot we were! Of course I had a job, but my free time was my own. We liked to show up at our friend AA's house right around lunch time because her Mom made the most amazing food. Anything that involved my friends and laying around.

What smell really takes you back to summers gone by?
Sun tan oil.

What's the first thing you'll grill when it warms up?
Chicken breast, pounded thin and marinated with some pineapple slices thrown in - if you haven't grilled pineapple yet what are you waiting for? Or some juicy rib eyes.

What is your level of gardening and what will be first in the ground this spring?
My level of gardening can best be described in one word: mediocre.
I've got some great stuff going, and considering I started with a bare lot, that's not bad. I always choose things you can't kill and that don't need much attention. Therefore I love hostas, lilies, flowering bushes, etc. However I might try my hand at an actual tea rose this summer.
First thing in? That would be tomatoes, basil, peppers, and cilantro into my patio barrels. I make great bruschetta, and that fresh basil makes all the difference.

OK, I'm just plain bored now

Am I bored or really depressed? That's the big question today. I'm sick of this weather - more single digits. I'm sick of being cold. I'm sick of making dinner for kids who complain no matter what I cook. My clothes all bore me stiff. I'm ready to burn my parka. My van is just plain dirty and gross, but it's too cold to clean it out. I've got a small migraine that won't go away. Pinching pennies is starting to hurt my fingers. All I want to do is curl up on our comfy couch and nap until late April.

Addendum: it's a whole 6 degrees right now. It was 7 BELOW when I went to work this morning. Will someone please dial up Minnesota and let it know it's MARCH?

My boring weekend, but I like it that way.

Dr. Monkey posted a blog about his fun weekend traveling, browsing antique shops and scanning old ads. He then made the mistake of asking about everyone else's weekend. You asked Dr. Monkey! Here's a run down of the most boring weekend on record, but I kind of like it that way.

I've had a bit too much drama in my life during the last 5 years, and boring has taken on a whole new meaning. Boring means no one has cancer. Boring means no one is in the hospital. Boring means my entire family is safe and sound. Boring and I have an entirely new relationship.

Saturday I took two daughters to Rochester, Minnesota. There we met my brother-in-law Aunt Mike, cousin #2 (happy birthday), and two of his friends for lunch at Culvers and to exchange a laptop. Culvers is an interesting midwest/southern fast food place. Home of the butter burger. Now those are two boring words I like to see together; butter and burger. They actually have a waiting line for tables.

That afternoon I did laundry while trying to establish a wireless connection with the new laptop. Only one chore was successful. I made boring leftovers for supper. The rest of the night had my youngest and I painting each other's toenails and watching the boring Harry Potter marathon on Disney Family channel. I also sprinkled rock salt on the very boring ice that's continuously forming on our front step.

Sunday morning twin #2 and I headed out for the very boring Volleyball Warehouse for a day-long tournament. Besides volleyball, this institution's main purpose is to separate me from my money. They charge admission and don't allow outside food or drink, so I am forced to purchase their expensive and unhealthy concession stand choices. Lately I've started stuffing my "purse" with my own food and drink. Screw em and their boring greedy ways.

Between daughter's volleyball games, which are not always boring, I read the very un-boring book "Stiff. The Curious Life of Human Cadavers". Our blogging pal MG, who thinks he's boring but isn't, recommended this book. It is a fabulous choice - really interesting in a morbid but very funny way.

Sunday night we were all tired and had the boring Sunday night blahs. We all, yes all 5 of us, sprawled on the couch watching Food Network - we love BBQ contest programs. We ate our usual Sunday night dinner of hubbys frozen pizza or popcorn, than all retired early.

Yes, boring, all weekend long. But I'll take it.

59 Banjoists Play Foggy Mountain Breakdown for Guinness

A little something really happy for a gray winter day.

John Hartford

Just took a little car trip with my kids, and on the way we listened to John Hartford. He was a major celebrity in my little corner of the world. He was an amazingly talented musician - banjo, vocals, fiddle, dance, you name it. His music was all over the map from classic oldies and gospel to the avant garde lyrics of his own composition. My family adored him. We got close enough to hear that marvelous one-of-a-kind voice in conversation at a performance in Stone City, Iowa in the early 1980's. We were all slack-jawed in awe and respect. Sadly John Hartford died a few years back. I sure miss his music, but at least I have my memories.