Last night Sarah and Keith were at the house for dinner. I was telling them about the vending machine in the upstairs kitchen of the building I work in. The employees in the building have discovered that you don't always need to spend the required sixty cents to buy a soda. The machine has a tendency to reject the quarters we put in, but if you push the button anyway, sometimes you get your soda. Other times it will take your money, but when you push the button, you may get 2 or in one case, 3 sodas for the price of 1.
I told them about the time a stranger was in the kitchen, trying to get a soda. I was in the kitchen washing some dishes. I noticed her frustration had increased as she tried over and over to put her money in, only to have the machine reject it. I turned around and said, "Try pushing the button anyway."
She gave me a confused look, but shrugged and pushed the button again. To her amazement, she was rewarded with the soda of her choice. The look on her face was worth a million dollars. There she stood with her money in one hand and her soda in the other. She looked at me gratefully, and went about her business.
As I concluded this story, Sarah, Keith and I started in on a list of things I "should have done." Our list included the outstretched Jedi arm, pointing in the direction of the vending machine and with head bent in concentration, and a moment of silence before looking at the woman and telling her, "push the button again."
Another scenario was to hold both hands in front of the machine, wiggle the fingers and mumble some sort of "magic words" and then direct the woman to "push the button again."
I suppose I could have done a quick snap of the fingers, or, I could have aimed the palm of my hand toward the machine, then moved it quickly from left to right, again commanding her to "push the button again."
I could have tried the famous Bewitched nose wriggling thing. But since I can't do that very well, it may not have worked. Perhaps Jeannie's folded arms, eyes blinking and head nodding would have been easier for me.
I have to keep these methods in mind for the next time I am in the kitchen with a desperate, caffeine-deprived customer.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER
AT THE MOVIES
This morning I watched a good movie. It was one of my Netflix rentals. It was called The Shop Around The Corner. It was the original You've Got Mail.
It starred Jimmy Stewart (Tom Hanks) and Margaret Sullavan (Meg Ryan) and Frank Morgan. (He is best known as the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz--and he was also the doorman, the cabby, the guard and Professor Marvel)
In this 1941 version they work for the same company--no competition professionally. But, they don't like each other much--or so, they say. Frank Morgan is the owner of the leather goods shop they both work for. Of course in this version they exchange real letters as opposed to email. Otherwise, the story was the same. I thought it was very good.
I was in movie mode today--so I watched the entire Sarah Plain and Tall series. Then I watched the 2nd National Treasure. And now I have Apollo 13 on. But, I hope no-one gets the idea that all I did all day was sit and watch movies. I hardly ever just sit and watch TV/movies.
When I say I watch movies (or TV) what I actually mean is that I put the movies or TV shows on and then I sort of listen to them as I go about my business around the house. Often, like now, I have something on in the living room and I am out here listening while I either work on the computer, read or clean. This morning I missed a good portion of the 2nd Sarah P&T movie because I spent a good deal of that time downstairs vacuuming and moving wash along.
So, don't ever get the idea I'm a couch potato. For me to actually sit while I watch is rare. Even then, I am usually reading while sitting on the couch.
A LITTLE MORE SPRING-LIKE
It's been a little more spring-like lately. Still cold at night -- but at least the day time temps are a little more bearable--more what I expect March to be like. We still need jackets, but at least it doesn't feel like winter anymore. We see more flowers on the way out, I hear more birds and there are buds on the trees.
BOB'S B'DAY
Bob's b'day is on Sunday and we are having our family celebration tomorrow. Bob wants to BBQ on the grill. I'm gonna bake a cake and then we have some gifts. His buddies came over today for their usual pool night.
Then next weekend we celebrate my b'day. We don't normally do mine so early--but Bob and I are leaving for Denver on the 3rd and come home on the 11th--so, we are celebrating my b'day the weekend before we go.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
And, speaking of Denver, as I just said, we leave on the 3rd. I'm so excited--I am really looking forward to this trip. Neither of us have been to Colorado before. We changed planes in Denver once on our way to California--but we don't count that as being in Colorado. Bob is going to Denver on business. I'm going for pleasure--but I'm not staying in Denver. We are going early--before Bob has to be at his meeting. That is because we are driving from Denver to Durango to see Maryanna, Pat and family. I haven't seen them since Alan's memorial service. Then, Bob drives back to Denver for his meeting on Monday. I will stay in Durango a few extra days and visit with Maryanna. Then, Wednesday I fly up to Denver. Bob will be done with his meeting on Wednesday. That will give us Thursday and Friday to see some of the Denver area. We plan to get in a trip to Rocky Mtn National Forest on Friday.
This morning I watched a good movie. It was one of my Netflix rentals. It was called The Shop Around The Corner. It was the original You've Got Mail.
It starred Jimmy Stewart (Tom Hanks) and Margaret Sullavan (Meg Ryan) and Frank Morgan. (He is best known as the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz--and he was also the doorman, the cabby, the guard and Professor Marvel)
In this 1941 version they work for the same company--no competition professionally. But, they don't like each other much--or so, they say. Frank Morgan is the owner of the leather goods shop they both work for. Of course in this version they exchange real letters as opposed to email. Otherwise, the story was the same. I thought it was very good.
I was in movie mode today--so I watched the entire Sarah Plain and Tall series. Then I watched the 2nd National Treasure. And now I have Apollo 13 on. But, I hope no-one gets the idea that all I did all day was sit and watch movies. I hardly ever just sit and watch TV/movies.
When I say I watch movies (or TV) what I actually mean is that I put the movies or TV shows on and then I sort of listen to them as I go about my business around the house. Often, like now, I have something on in the living room and I am out here listening while I either work on the computer, read or clean. This morning I missed a good portion of the 2nd Sarah P&T movie because I spent a good deal of that time downstairs vacuuming and moving wash along.
So, don't ever get the idea I'm a couch potato. For me to actually sit while I watch is rare. Even then, I am usually reading while sitting on the couch.
A LITTLE MORE SPRING-LIKE
It's been a little more spring-like lately. Still cold at night -- but at least the day time temps are a little more bearable--more what I expect March to be like. We still need jackets, but at least it doesn't feel like winter anymore. We see more flowers on the way out, I hear more birds and there are buds on the trees.
BOB'S B'DAY
Bob's b'day is on Sunday and we are having our family celebration tomorrow. Bob wants to BBQ on the grill. I'm gonna bake a cake and then we have some gifts. His buddies came over today for their usual pool night.
Then next weekend we celebrate my b'day. We don't normally do mine so early--but Bob and I are leaving for Denver on the 3rd and come home on the 11th--so, we are celebrating my b'day the weekend before we go.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
And, speaking of Denver, as I just said, we leave on the 3rd. I'm so excited--I am really looking forward to this trip. Neither of us have been to Colorado before. We changed planes in Denver once on our way to California--but we don't count that as being in Colorado. Bob is going to Denver on business. I'm going for pleasure--but I'm not staying in Denver. We are going early--before Bob has to be at his meeting. That is because we are driving from Denver to Durango to see Maryanna, Pat and family. I haven't seen them since Alan's memorial service. Then, Bob drives back to Denver for his meeting on Monday. I will stay in Durango a few extra days and visit with Maryanna. Then, Wednesday I fly up to Denver. Bob will be done with his meeting on Wednesday. That will give us Thursday and Friday to see some of the Denver area. We plan to get in a trip to Rocky Mtn National Forest on Friday.
Monday, March 2, 2009
SNOW IN MARCH
We got snow. It started yesterday, continued all night long and has kept snowing all day today. When we got up today we had at least 12 inches on the ground. We never-or at least--hardly ever get that much snow. Here is a picture of our snowy woods. And a link to the rest of the pictures.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
BIRD CONVENTION
This morning I looked outside and saw a ton of birds, crows mostly, in our garden--or the area that will be our garden. It rained last night, so, my guess was they were finding worms and/or seeds. They seemed to fly in from all sections of the sky. I wondered if they came into town for a convention. There were SO MANY birds there.
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