Dropping Stuff in PA for the New Year

Emily and I went to the festivities in Harrisburg to ring in the New Year. The fireworks were spectacular. I've never seen such a concentrated bunch of sparkling lights in the sky. A+ central PA. I didn't think you had it in you.


Did you realize that Pennsylvania has the weirdest bunch of goofy things that we drop out of the sky every New Years? We've got a pickle, an anchor, a Hershey kiss, a strawberry, two roses, a frog, a stuffed goat, a lollipop, a spring, and a wrench to name a few. My favorite by far though has to be the annual bologna drop. Yep, in Lebanon, because they are famous for their Sweet Lebanon Bologna. Watching a bologna drop out of the sky to bring in the new year seems a little crazy to me. At least they donate all the meat afterward.

Here's a nice listing of how PA kicks every other state's butt when it comes to New Years celebrations. Never been so proud.

Party like it's 1999

Happy New Years!

Well, technically New Year's Eve, but today is the day everyone celebrates the new year anyway. Or is it the old year that is being celebrated? Either way, I hope you had a wonderful 2008, and are ready for an even better 2009!


Cheers.

Black Friday

It's that time of year again. The day that shoppers have been waiting for since last year's day-after-Thanksgiving. The day that true bargain hunters strap on their running shoes to brave the freezing temperatures, bustling crowd, and early-set alarm clocks. It's going to be mayhem in the stores today. Everyone and their uncle has gotta hit the sales.


My mom grabbed us a newspaper yesterday so we could look through the ads inside. It appears that most stores are opening at 4 AM this year. Seriously? I always considered ourselves a serious shoppers, but not THAT serious. We'll be sleeping in at least until the sun comes up. Geez.


I have always secretly wanted to go to a store on Black Friday where crazy shopper-people are stealing merchandise from each other's cart, pushing and shoving to grab the new hottest toy, and weeping in ecstasy over the biggest deals they found. Not that I want to BE one of those people, I just want to witness it. American consumerism at its finest.

We Salute You

Thank you to all the veterans who have fought for our country.

For our lives.
For our hope.
For our freedom.


I personally think of my grandfather who fought in WWII and I am proud of his service to our country and proud to be his granddaughter.

To all of the veterans on this Veteran's day, we appreciate you today, but also on every other day of the year too. There is no just one veteran's day.

Day of the Laborers

Happy Labor Day (which might be more accurately termed Laborless Day since most of us have off work)!




Don't forget that you can't wear white shoes anymore. Not to say I will obey that rule. I will probably end up donning white shoes around around Thursday of this week.

Who made up the arbitrary shoe-color rule anyway? No black after memorial day? No white after labor day? Foolishness I say. Does anyone even go by that antiquated fashion nonsense anymore?

Fried Chicken and Fireworks

I spent my 4th of July with Emily and her family. Thanks Em! It was lovely day. We drove to the middle of no where, namely Bear Valley, for a picnic. We ate ridiculous amounts of food from fried chicken to watermelon. Yum. We took a walk into the woods, found a random bra along the side of the road, played with Wally and Oscar (her dog and her sister's dog), and sat on lawn chairs in the middle of the creek.


Then after we got back to Emily's house we played her Wii until it was time for the fireworks. Her brother-in-law set them off in their back yard, and we were not disappointed. They were poof-poofing and zing-zapping like crazy.

Some of them scared me, I'm not going to lie. Neon fire and trees seem like a disaster waiting to happen...but nothing did. We had a safe and fun 4th of July!

Independence Day

Happy 4th of July!!!!


Hope you have a super day celebrating America's Day of Independence!

(And for all you pyromaniacs out there, take it easy with the fireworks...)

Daddy, Daddy, Look What I Made For You

Happy Father's Day!

Since I made my mother a gift for mother's day, it only seemed appropriate to make my father a gift for father's day.

As such, daddy will be getting a 16 X 20 painting that I did of his trumpet. I posed it and painted it when he wasn't looking (mostly because I am not allowed to touch his baby). I zoomed in really close, changing it's shiny silver body to gold, but it's still recognizable, right? The golden yellow tones just seemed so much warmer for a painting. And the browns in the background will be much better able to match the decor of our living room where it will likely be hung. It's the thought that counts. Right? Not the resemblance.

Well, I hope Dad likes his present!

Flag Day

The holiday everyone forgets.


Well, I didn't forget, because now I get to post another cool flag photo of mine. Whooo. Happy Flag day.

Oh, and just for fun I will share another photo of a Ben Franklin impersonator from Philadelphia. Mr. Franklin was sitting on a bench talking to a little boy and I just thought it was so adorable. But then, soon after, the situation started to disturb me.

It turns out, this pretend Benjamin was sitting next to the real Ben's grave. Hello? Creepy. Especially for the kid.

Mr. Franklin, didn't you die in 1790? and aren't you buried in that grave right there? How is it then you are sitting next to me right now? No, that kid won't grow up with issues.

Friday 13th

Survived another Friday 13th. Who was it that said they were so bad in the first place? This article says:

The sixth day of the week and the number 13 both have foreboding reputations said to date from ancient times, so their inevitable conjunction from one to three times a year portends more misfortune than some credulous minds can bear. It may be the most widespread superstition in the United States. Some people won't go to work on Friday the 13th; some won't eat in restaurants; many wouldn't think of setting a wedding on the date.

Just how many Americans at the turn of the millennium still suffer from this condition? According to Dr. Donald Dossey, a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of phobias — and coiner of the term paraskevidekatriaphobia — the figure may be as high as 21 million. If he's right, eight percent of Americans are still in the grips of a very old superstition.

Come on. I don't know about you, but I like Fridays any numeric day of the month. Nothing bad happened to me today.

Although, on second thought, there are still 11 minutes left until Friday the 13th officially becomes Saturday the 14th...

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day!

Today we celebrate and honor all the service members who have fought and died for our freedom. America is grateful.

***
I have found a new obsession. I am now in love with "vintagizing" my photographs in Photoshop like the flag one above. Ohhhh, somebody better stop me.

Don't Be a Sucker Today

Yeah, today is April Fool's Day.
Don't let anyone play any nasty tricks on you!

I remember circling April first on my calendar when I was younger so that I could beware. I grew up with two older sisters.

One year I put Tabasco sauce in my mother's Burger King cup that was in the fridge. Then, about an hour later the guilt caught up with me so I dumped out the soda in the sink. I popped open a new Coke can and dumped the thing into my mother's cup and replaced it in the fridge.

The next day my mother told me that when she took a drink of her soda she about died. Her mouth was on fire. Apparently, a few drops of hot sauce is really potent, and rinsing the cup does not help. I don't think she believed that I had tried to not trick her. I still kind of feel bad for that. I don't play April Fool's jokes anymore.