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May 26, 2008
My Memorial Day Misadventure....
Staying at home when the backyard needs mowing, the kitchen needs cleaning and there is a mountain of paperwork awaiting your attention is a bad idea, especially when you are getting paid to not go to work. The sun was out, and it was the perfect day for adventure.
This is me, looking for adventure.
Maybe it's not so obvious but I actually had a plan. A few months back I watched the movie "Paperclips", which is a documentary about the Whitwell, TN Children's Holocaust Memorial.
What better place could there be to find adventure on Memorial Day?
But, alas, it was not to be.
The sign said I could get a key for the memorial from the Police Department, and it just wouldn't be an adventure if I didn't somehow find myself inside a Police Station, so off I went, in search of the key.
This is my sidekick, giving me directions to the Police Department. (He does a pretty good job as a navigator, although at one point I thought he had given me bad directions and I had wound up on a NASCAR track. Then I realized the driver in front of me was merely an idiot, and probably wouldn't give me an autograph anyway, so I slowed back down to a safe driving speed.)
We found it, but we were too late. The Memorial is in the process of being moved, and is closed until the move is complete. The nice young lady behind the desk told me it would be around two weeks. TWO WEEKS! She has no idea, in two weeks the backyard will be mowed, the kitchen will be clean and the mountain of paperwork will be reduced to a mole hill.
Ugh.
I didn't come this far to leave empty handed, so I went back and took some pictures.
This is a real German cattle car, and was used in the transport of Jews to concentration, labor and death camps. (The story of how this railcar found it's way to Tennessee is here)
These butterfly mosaics line the walkway to the rail car. The butterfly was chosen to represent the Hebrew word for "life".
Paperclips were collected by the students of Whitwell Middle School to represent the victims of the Holocaust. The railcar houses 11 million paperclips, one for each victim. The paperclip was chosen because it had been worn by citizens in Norway as a symbol of solidarity when the Jews were forced to wear the Star of David. Over 30 million paperclips were donated to the project.
Posted by Anna at 6:22 PM | Comments (1)
May 25, 2008
Refreshed...
Some of you already know I ended my previous relationship with Coke at the end of February. It was a very long relationship, although a toxic one, and breaking up was tough for me. Of course there were a couple times when I thought we could still be friends, but in the end I just had to say goodbye.
Yesterday in the refrigerated section of Kroger I found myself seduced by an attractive light green bottle of "Simply Limeade". Oh merci, I am in love. I didn't realize just how hard I had fallen until this morning, my glass containing the very last serving of it slipped from my hand and spilled out on the living room floor. I felt completely dejected.
Posted by Anna at 10:00 PM | Comments (0)
May 18, 2008
Just Playin'
I think I've got this camera thing figured out, here's a picture of my evening primrose taken this afternoon.
In other news, a close personal friend of mine has started a new blog. I'm sure the seven of you who actually read me (hi mom) will want to check it out.
Posted by Anna at 8:14 PM | Comments (0)
May 17, 2008
The smaller the bag, the bigger the bill...
So, today, feeling very confident and full of hot chocolate from Starbucks, I walked into the local electronics store, fully prepared to purchase my very own digital camera. My 12 year old salesman, Chad (or Bud, not really sure on that) did an excellent job of assuring me every single camera I asked about was a great choice and would meet my requirements, regardless of the commission. I wound up buying the exact camera I thought I would buy, a Cannon Powershot, for the exact price I thought I would pay. Not the latest or greatest, not princess pink, and requiring an additional media card reader in order to work with my archaic computer system (Windows 98), but it is mine. Chad (or Bud) then packed my purchases into a bag the size of my eyeglass case, and handed me a receipt for the national debt.
Posted by Anna at 1:53 AM | Comments (0)
May 16, 2008
Six Years....
Today is the six year anniversary of my move to Tennessee. There are so many thoughts swirling around in my head, but I think one of my favorite girlpower songs sums it up pretty well.
And, in case you're wondering, the sixth anniversary is the Starbucks-and-digital-camera anniversary.
Posted by Anna at 4:04 AM | Comments (0)
May 11, 2008
Nature weekend
The scraggly plants I put into my flower bed last spring, which did absolutely nothing last year decided this was going to be their year. So much for sitting on the couch doing nothing all weekend. I think the plants should get up and get their own drink if they're so thirsty. After all, I leave the bottle of miracle grow right by the sink. But instead, I spent yesterday out in my flower bed entrenching a soaker hose (which is three times longer than the flower bed, oh well, it will be an interesting archealogical discovery for someone someday).
While I was playing in the dirt I had the opportunity to meet several interesting looking bugs. I'm sure there are more sophisticated ways of determining whether a bug is a threat to me or not, but I use a very simple system. If it keeps to itself and does not touch any part of me or enter my home it is a safe bug and will not harm me. If it touches me in any way, shape or form, or enters my house, it is a threat and must be anhialated. Yes, this does make it possible for two identical bugs from the same species to be classified in opposite categories.
I also discovered a bird has decided the perfect home for her nest is the top of my patio light. In the spirit of Mother's Day, I let her stay. I'm sure I will have to spend the entire summer watching her cavorting around with her suitors or whatever it is birds do. But, whatever. What happens on the patio, stays on the patio.
Posted by Anna at 8:52 PM | Comments (0)
May 4, 2008
Scrap the Empathy....
Sometimes my best NVC skills just don't show up. Like at Kroger today. After my shopping cart took off across the parking lot straight for the bumper of a new vehicle. After being informed rather curtly by the female passenger they had "just got the new vehicle" which my shopping cart had rudely assaulted, I just could not form the appropriate response. "When I see you spit shining the front of your new vehicle like a mother cleaning chocolate frosting from her child's face, I think you are afraid the plastic casings on every part of my shopping cart which could conceivably contact your new vehicle may have scuffed your bumper, and I am wanting to reassure you your new vehicle is just fine and will probably suffer far worse damage during your ownership than this cart could ever do." All I could think was "good god almighty lady, it's a shopping cart. If you're that afraid of getting your new vehicle dinged up, maybe you should leave it home in the garage".
The mental image of them leaving the parking lot, being cut off and unable to avoid an accident was just the PMS talking. Right?
Posted by Anna at 7:49 PM | Comments (0)