The rain threatened a little at last night's All-Star game at AT&T Park, but mother nature must like baseball.
Or, maybe she just likes the American League.
This was the first time I've been to the All- Star game, and it was a great experience. Having it in San Francisco made it even more special for me as a first-timer. There were so many people in from out of town, and snippets of conversation overhead (ok...I was eavesdropping), ranged from 'can you believe how sweet this ballpark is?' to 'the restaurants in this city are amazing...I have GOT to go to the gym when I get home' and then "geez, the price of gas is unreal." Welcome to California!
What's the infamous story people tell about you?
Submitted by Cherney.
If 'people' is defined as my family, then without a doubt it's this one: We were living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and were in the throes of the wonderful 'spring thaw'. Essentially, that meant that we were constantly treated to a barage of wintry mix weather that resulted in a muddy mess. That was usually the pretty fun part, though. Nothing like splashing through mud puddles to put a smile on a kid's face.
But, on this particular occasion, my sister and I were playing on a hill up from our home. My sister got stuck in the mud, and in a somewhat dramatic fashion, declared that she was 'sinking' and needed help fast. Ready for the challenge, I dug into my reserves of little kid strength and reared back on my heels and successfully yanked her out.
In the process however, I was leaning harder and deeper into the mud, and it started seeping into the top of my rubber boots. Trying to move my feet just made my boots sink deeper and the boots fill with more mud. Completely convinced she was witnessing my demise, my sister assured me she'd be right back and tore off down the hill to get my dad.
So, I watch my sister disappear down the hill...and wait for what seems like an eternity. Then, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, I see my dad's face cresting the hill. Inexplicably, he stops in his tracks, chuckles a little and DISAPPEARS BACK DOWN THE HILL. While I had been fairly calm, I'm now decidedly less so.
Another eternity passes and he comes back up the hill WITH THE CAMERA. Apparently, my sister had yelled that I was stuck in mud and sinking like it was quick sand. Once my father had evaluated that it wasn't life and death, he felt capturing photographic evidence was the priority.
Who taught you how to ride a bike?
Dear ole (patient) dad. I have a couple older siblings, and I remember being so anxious to ride a bike. I skipped the training wheels phase and went straight to the 'big girl' bike. Wheeee!
How do you pass the time during a flight? What do you bring in your carry-on?
Now that there are so many things I CAN'T bring in my carry-on, there's more room for the stuff I always had good intentions about bringing! While I love my blog, am tethered to my handheld and love the immediacy of email, there's something special about getting snail mail. So, I bring a box of blank cards and write notes to friends and family that I drop in the mailbox when I get to my destination. The time goes by quickly, and it's fun to get a phonecall from someone who was happy to see a personal letter among all the retail flyers.
If you came with a warning label, what would it say?
Submitted by chris.
Do you keep a journal or diary? How often do you write in it?
Submitted by Kim.
Sharing some adventures--and, answering the QOTD (of course!) on my vox blog is as close as I get to keeping a journal these days.
What's your favorite kind of Girl Scout cookie?
Submitted by My Lovely One.
mmmm....somoas....definitely.
too bad, thin mints. so sorry, trefoils (can't you just say 'shortbread'?).
it's all about the somoas. it's true that i'm a big fan of peanut butter cookies in general; in fact, one of my favorite 'learning to bake cookies' memories is baking from-scratch peanut butter cookies in the kitchen with my mom and sisters. but, the girl scout interpretation of peanut butter sandwiches just doesn't live up to the promise.
then again, taking on one of my favorite memories is a pretty steep hill to climb.
This Hallowe'en, I celebrated with my friend Sarah, her man Mike and her daughter Melanie.
We all hit the pumpkin patch and picked out some great, l'il beauties to carve up.
Melanie made a stencil of a "scary face" and I scripted the words the pumpkin was feeling...the result was a fun display and some yummy toasted seeds!
Did you dress up today? See any good costumes?
...in clothes, yes. in costume, alas, no. there are however, a bunch of spirited (slight pun intended) people at work who got into the festive mood and are all decked out...gypsies and cowboys and explorers, oh my!
What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?
Submitted by Megan.
I have to go with 'rolmops' --and not just because it's fun to say. It's a food I tried in the Netherlands and is raw herring served with chopped/diced onions. It's served ice cold, often in a lobster-type roll, and I bought it from a street vendor. Maybe not the smartest decision, but it was pretty good and I didn't get sick.
Another experience that features near the top of the 'weird food' list is a fish head soup made by some guides on a trip to Botswana. It was delicious, but I was definitely taken aback by the eyes staring up when they took the lid off the pot.
