wise guy, eh?

On Tuesdays, I only work in the morning. This might have been for the best today, since it was apparently "wise guy" day.

Here are two examples:
Me: "Which is the clearest, lens one or lens two?"
Patient #1: "Umm... one and a half!"

Me: "So use these antibiotic drops four times a day for one week. Do you have any questions?"
Patient #2: "Yeah, I have a question! What's your favorite color?"

I could almost hear a drum rim shot!
(But actually, truth be told, I sort of like wise guys! They do keep life interesting.)

happy mother's day...

Whoa! Here's a rather ominous looking picture for Mother's Day! What could this Grancel Fitz photograph mean?! I have three ideas:

(a) The photo suggests that the task of child rearing often seems to be a daunting one -- almost larger than life.

(b) Many moms try to do an especially good job because they realize that life is circular, and some day their kids may be taking care of them.

(c) One can do almost anything with a unique perspective and good photo editing software.

Any other ideas (or perhaps photo captions) out there?

Potato / Po-tah-to

The RevGalBlogPals are playing an "either/or" game this week. Here are their questions and my answers/preferences...

1. Mac? (woo-hoo!) or PC? (boo!)

Well, I have a PC now, but when it goes to computer heaven I would most likely make the switch to a Mac. They seem pretty darn cool.

2. Pizza: Chicago style luscious hearty goodness, or New York floppy and flaccid?

Actually I've never met a pizza I didn't like. (Travel tidbit: arguably the best pizza in the world is found in Bayrischzell, Germany.)

3. Brownies/fudge containing nuts:
a) Good. I like the variation in texture.
b) An abomination unto the Lord. The nuts take up valuable chocolate space.

Hmm...I'd have to say "sometimes you feel like a nut; sometimes you don't."

4. Do you hang your toilet paper so that the "tail" hangs flush with the wall, or over the top of the roll like normal people do?

I'll vote with the "normal people" and go with over the top of the roll. (However, the opposite way is workable... just as long as I don't have to do the Sheryl Crow one-square-only method.)

5. Toothpaste: Do you squeeze the tube wantonly in the middle, or squeeze from the bottom and flatten as you go just like the tube instructs?

When the tube is new, I happily (and yes, wantonly) squeeze it in the middle. However, when the toothpaste starts to run out, I switch to the "flattening up from the bottom" method.

Bonus: Share your favorite either/or.

OK. Slide rule or pocket calculator? (Is there anyone on the planet who would vote for slide rule??)

looking "wabac"

I've always been fascinated with the idea of time travel. My interest might have started as a kid watching Sherman and Mr. Peabody with their WABAC ('wayback') machine. I liked how they would travel back in time and "fix" various things so that events would end up happening as expected in the history books. Over the years I've enjoyed novels such as Time and Again and The Time Traveler's Wife, and movies such as the Back to the Future trilogy and Frequency.

Part of what keeps me interested in the time topic is that there is some science to think about as well. My buddy Albert Einstein showed how space is curved, time is relative, and time travel is -- in theory -- possible.

If I could travel back in time, I think my first stop would be to visit relatives/ancestors who homesteaded in the Dakotas. And, it would be nice if I could do something "useful" with time travel such as sound the alarm about carbon emissions earlier. (But would anybody listen?)

However, while it's fun to think about visiting the past, I believe it's important to live in the present and point towards the future. Since "Views from the Road" is a theo-type blog I will mention that this has been my issue with some churches (who shall remain nameless). They pretend they have a WABAC machine and it's set to 1953. It might be comfortable, but it's just not relevant.

It's time to adjust the dials, people!

this is just to say...

I was looking in the refrigerator this morning for some tasty fruit and not finding what I wanted -- which for some reason reminded my brain of this poem:

This Is Just to Say
by William Carlos Williams

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

What I love about the poem is that I change opinions depending upon which side of the plum I am on. When I am the 'plum taker' I believe that Williams should of course be excused! When 'my' plums are missing I believe that Williams is selfish and his defense is weak! It's interesting to think about the poetry vs. pragmatism interplay. And, you have the whole 'forbidden fruit' idea thrown in to ponder as well. Good stuff.

In any event, hubby is at the grocery store right now, and I think I'll call his cell phone to ask him to pick up some... yep, plums.

PARTY!!!

Alrighty! I'm going to play the RevGalBlogPal's "Friday Five" this week! Songbird is having a birthday and thinking about parties. So we're supposed to respond to these five questions "about parties, birthday or otherwise".

1) Would you rather be the host or the guest?
Wow, that's a tough one since I'm not a big "planned party" person. I like the lowkey thirtysomething approach where friends just sort of wander in, open the refrigerator, and help themselves. But if I had to answer "host" or "guest" I guess I'd pick guest -- less work!

2) When you are hosting, do you clean everything up the minute the guests go home? Will you accept help with the dishes?
I try to clean up the major stuff, and the minor things can wait until morning. I would definitely accept help with the dishes, although asking guests to push the vacuum might be going too far. :)

3) If you had the wherewithal, and I guess I mean more than money, to throw a great theme party, what would the theme be?
It might be fun to do a "come as your favorite character from a book" party. I would be Antonia from Willa Cather's My Antonia.

4) What's the worst time you ever had at a party?
Hmm... I would have to probably say the "toga party" I attended in optometry school. Optometry students can't really pull off an Animal House party that well. We came in our bed sheet togas, and then mostly sat around looking goofy.

5) And to end on a brighter note, what was the best?
I think I peaked early. The best party was probably the New Years Eve party I had in childhood with my brother and the babysitter. We decorated for it all day and ate a bunch of food in the evening. We stayed up until midnight and then jumped on balloons to make them pop. Yeah, good times.

just wondering...

I'm planning to visit #1 Offspring at college tomorrow. Might this be the view when I open the dorm room door?



Update: Change of plans! Not going until next week. That will give the laundry pile a bit longer to grow.

cartoon by good ol' Dave Walker from here