Category Archives: brilliant ideas

As the Pumpkin Turns, Ep. 2

Posted on November 12, 2011 by wendy| 2 Comments

I know. It’s been hard to sleep, hasn’t it?

What with all the pumpkin decomposing going on.

When we last joined our garbage on the porch story, Vampire Kitty was looking a bit saggy, a bit un-Botoxed British actress-y. And Dog Pumpkin had its dark side growing from within.

Let’s see how they’re doing…

DAY SEVEN
What a difference a day makes, eh? Poor Vampire Kitty, she seems so deflated.
DAY EIGHT
I did not see that coming! Bat lost a wing! Although, in bat hindsight, totally predictable since he was sitting by the front door a metropolitan runway with his wings all vulnerable, hanging out there.

Meanwhile, Vampire Kitty has some nasty stuff happening internally. It almost looks like my shower drain hair growing in there. Zombie pumpkin hair?
DAY NINE
There’s really no magic serum to save Vampire Kitty in this story. (As an aside, those smiling pumpkins seem to be holding up. Perhaps it is all attitude? Or that they were carved most recently…)
DAY TEN
Bat got a little triage, see? But Vampire Kitty is turning rapidly into Pancake Kitty. And she’s leaky.
DAY ELEVEN
Okay, this is just plain gross.

Which is what the Hubs finally said.

Leaving us with this:
Aw. I miss their slimy, leaky, stinky pulpiness.

(Which is also what I said about the cancellation of As the World Turns.)

Well, you laughed, you cried you were grateful not to live with me or have to come over this past week.

Thus concludes our little gourdy drama…

Pumpkin bread, anyone?

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Posted in aging, Bainbridge Island, WA, brilliant ideas, events, food, growth, outside, weirdo

As the Pumpkin Turns, Episode 1

Posted on November 5, 2011 by wendy| 2 Comments

Here at Chez Let the Dog in! we have certain lazy people issues. Particularly around throwing things away. You may recall a certain pot on the deck that sat and sat and eventually got a shiny, new girlfriend in the spring!

Well, it’s November 5th, and guess what?! We have some gourd-ous decomposing activity happening on our front porch.

Hi, neighbors and hot UPS guy!

So, the pumpkin goo writing is on the wall. It’s time for an experiment, doncha think?

If I avert my eyes, how long do you think these puppies will remain melting on our porch?

I’ve already taken a few days’ worth of snaps. Here’s where we are:

DAY ONE — HALLOWEEN
Everyone looking pretty fresh.

DAY TWO FIVE
(Yes, I skipped a few days; once in a blue moon ocassionally I do have a life!)
What’s that? We have some action, people! Notice the black mold happening in the dog pumpkin. Mmmmmm.

DAY SIX
Uh-oh! Vampire Kitty’s looking a slumpy, isn’t she? So deflated and sad….

Who’s gonna come out looking good? Will Vampire Kitty flatten before Dog Pumpkin bites it? Betcha can’t wait to see! My money’s on the bat. What do you think? Also, what day will the Hubs finally notice and say GROSS!?!

Isn’t science fun, kids?!

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Posted in aging, brilliant ideas, education, events, food, outside, weirdo

Honk Me Sweetly

Posted on October 27, 2011 by wendy| Comments Off

It’s a fact of life: cities are noisy and towns are quiet except for my dog barking all the time. We all accept that, don’t we?

But no! New York is trying to keep the noise level down now by reminding its cab drivers that their horns or “claxon” (really, cab drivers barely speak English and we’re using that term??) should only be used in cases of “imminent danger” or be slapped with a $350 fine.

“Imminent danger”?? That’s supposed to cut the honking? Seems like in New York City, imminent danger in relation to taxis would cover pretty much all the time.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not in favor of honking. Not that long ago I spent a sleepless night in downtown Victoria, B.C. (population what? 412?) in a building, with windows permanently sealed closed, on the 4th floor, and still the street noise drove me nuts.

Yes, I am that princess.

Meanwhile, NYC is working with Nissan to come up with a “less offensive” horn for cabs.

What would that be? They don’t actually know. What would get your attention but in a sweet, friendly way? Maybe a British voice, like the British GPS lady, with speakers outside on the car. Lovie, could you scoot your bottom out of the way, please?

But because it’s all about me, can that technology be applied to make a dog’s bark less offensive? Or maybe a kid’s whine? That’s where the money is, Nissan.

Got any less offensive honk sound suggestions?

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start your engines

Posted on October 19, 2011 by wendy| Comments Off

Time passes, seasons change (heard any leaves pop off lately?), and as if part of the natural course of things, the Kid has gotten craftier.

One thing of a gazillion around here that she ignores me on is that all-time kid-favorite activity: brushing her teeth.

Luckily, her haphazard dental habit has not yet caused any ulcers in me cavities. She won’t work hard at cleaning her room, or picking up her stuff, but man-O-man, will she get creative in avoiding this daily habit.

Yesterday I yelled, are you brushing? I don’t hear the toothbrush going!, and she compliantly turned it on.

Unfortunately for her, I walked by the bathroom a minute later and saw, to my utter shock and amusement, a dry toothbrush buzzing away on the counter.

Too bad her mouth was in the other room.

I confess I had a hard time not hyperventilating from laughing punishing her.

Points for creativity, right?

If she gets more crafty, I’ll have to sell her to a mustached foreigner fill every corner of the house with third grader- nanny-cams.

Are you getting crap pulled on you? Tell me I’m not alone!

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Posted in Bainbridge Island, WA, brilliant ideas, creativity, education, growth, kid

Port Townsend’s Kinetic Sculpture Race

Posted on October 6, 2011 by wendy| Comments Off

Hey, y’all! You’ll never guess where I dragged the fam last weekend!

Oh, that’s right, I changed the title of this post…duh.
Yes! We went to the Port Townsend Kinetic Sculpture Race!

It was my first time. I was a kinetic sculpture race virgin.

And what is a kinetic sculpture race?

Just what is “kinetic,” you may wonder if you chose to grow up and not live in academia for decades like moi?

Dictionary.com says this:

ki·net·ic [ki-net-ik, kahy-]
1.pertaining to motion.
2.caused by motion.
3.characterized by movement: Running and dancing are kinetic activities.

So, this doesn’t actually say anything about “goofy” or “ridiculous” or “drunken” or “silly” or “goodoletime,” but it was. All that.

Contestants built their unique sculptures and raced on them through the streets of Port Townsend, as well as traveled on the water.
All kinds of themed sculptures competed.

Sure, many looked similar to not-so-disguised bikes with pontoons.

Fros N Peas ended up leading the water leg of the race we saw.

(“Fros,” get it? I only did just now.)
Some worked a little harder than others.
Some even carried dead weight passengers.
The pumpkin team had a smooth operation. We decided they must be engineers.The race was a bit surreal, but in a fun way.
So, you could understand why some spectators were a tad perplexed by the outlandish behaviour…
Watching all the drunken racers, we had a good laugh while the Hubs mentally designed his sculpture for next year.Check back with us next year…maybe we’ll be in race photos on someone else’s blog.

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Posted in brilliant ideas, creativity, events, outside, regional, weirdo

Literally Funny

Posted on September 30, 2011 by wendy| Comments Off

This photo has been going around and it cracks me up. Have a laugh to start your weekend!

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Posted in brilliant ideas, creativity, life is good, weirdo

Getting Discovered

Posted on September 24, 2011 by wendy| 6 Comments

Lots of bloggers like me folks online are waiting to be discovered, hit the big time, be rich, be applauded be given free maid service and car detailing for life.

Well, years have passed with this here blog…and I’m still waiting.
*fingernails tap tap tapping*

In fact, this week officially marked another one, a birthday for little ol’ me. Okay, perhaps it should be just “old me.”

While having a margarita with a couple of friends, they surprised me with “birthday speech!” “birthday speech!”

Just ask the Hubs about me and impromptu words (hint: when surprised by our rent-a-minister saying “you can now add your own vows” during our marriage in Belize, a stunned and speechless me let the Hubs go first. And what jewel did I say after? “Uh, can I ditto?”).

There’s a reason I take improv classes…

And what wise morsels did I, a more mature Wendy, dish out for my birthday well-wishers this week?

Errrrr, the older you get, the less you know!

and

I realize now how little control you have over pretty much everything in life!

Uplifting stuff, yes? That might explain the silent, disappointed gazes…

Years ago, I thought life was a learning curve, steep at first and then totally flattening out, and then you just are.

But again I was wrong.

I’d say now that life is more like a dig, for discovering things, mostly things closely related inside you, like yourself.

And everyone is doing it, whether you are hammering with a chisel on that rock that is you, or just sitting by a river that flows rapid and rough during storms or calm and peaceful on summer days. Excess rock gets removed to reveal more of your true form in every moment, in each breeze.

So, surprise! Maybe, if you’re lucky and live long enough, you are getting discovered.

By you.

And, birthday friends, now that I’ve had time and no tequila yet today, that is my birthday wisdom for you.

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Posted in aging, brilliant ideas, growth, me-me-me