Chocolate Prayer Hands...Never Saw That Before

 At first, I thought seeing chocolate prayer hands was weird. I mean, it's not unusual to see seasonal chocolate items around Easter (and Christmas, and Halloween, and any other holiday they can sell all things chocolate...). But, I'd never seen chocolate prayer hands before.

Then I thought...

Why is that weird?

Since as long as I can remember, Easter has always been associated with chocolate and other tasty treats. Easter morning we found countless calories in a basket dedicated to each of us. We'd chow down, then save some for later, then we'd chow down again. Easter, as far as a kid goes, was great.

Of course, binging on chocolate had absolutely nothing to do with the reason for the holiday or the reason I should have been honoring the holiday. As I've gotten older, holidays mean more. I've matured, so much so, I think if I didn't get any presents on Christmas or any treats on Easter, I don't think I'd care. Those two days are not about what you get to eat, but so much more. 

I think I'd still be bummed with no candy on Halloween.

When I saw the chocolate praying hands at the store, I thought they were weird. But, I should have thought just the opposite. It's chocolate bunnies and eggs that should be considered weird on Easter, not hands closed in prayer.

Came Across An Awesome Picture...How Many Do You Recognize?

 I was posting pictures on social media earlier this week when I came across a photo. I had to stop and take a closer look. It was a picture celebrating Paramount Pictures's 75th Anniversary.

And it was awesome!

I think the first person I recognized was Charlton Heston, then Elizabeth Taylor, then Tom Cruise, then more and more, and it just kept going and going. It's odd to see so many stars in one photo. I did a little searching and I found a website that lists everyone in the photo. You can access the site by clicking: HERE.

Back in 1987 I was twenty-two. I had just begun attending classes at the University of Utah. I was just starting out--those in the picture, almost all older than me, had already been involved in their careers for years, decades. Some were nearing the end of their entertaining days, and even their lives. Others had scores of entertaining to do, movies to make, memories to create.

What I like most about the picture, is when I recognize a face, I remember seeing them in a film or show and the memories come flooding back. Deforest Kelley and the other Star Trek actors conjures reminds me of the days after school watching re-runs of the show in syndication, then later in their films. Kevin Costner, Harrison Ford, Olivia Newton John...there's just so many, each conjuring memories of the art of they created.

It also takes me back to a simpler time, a time of my youth. I know, of course, that no time is actually "simple." Every time has its challenges...I suppose it's normal to reflect of earlier times as better. Maybe it's best we forget the bad and hold on to the good. Looking at this picture, I remember a lot of the good.

Check out the website. See how you did recognizing. Maybe it'll bring back good memories for you, too.

Things Aren't Always As They Seem...

 Growing up, it was the biggest ride in the park...people would stand in line just to ride the old roller coaster. You could see it from the freeway as you flew by at 70 m.p.h., then 55 m.p.h. in the 1970s, then at whatever speed was allowed by the highway patrol.

I saw the ride everyday I worked at the park as a teenager, and in my twenties, thirties, forties, and fifties. It's an icon, a symbol of one family's dedication to having fun. When you see something everyday, you see what shape it's in. It's been years since I actually rode the ride, but I still notice, and from my vantage point, it looked like the old ride was in disrepair, as if the whole thing was one strong wind away from falling down and becoming a pile of toothpicks.

I was wrong.

Last week I had a meeting at the Biergarten. I parked right next to the roller coaster and the first thing I saw was not dilapidated old wood, but new boards holding it all together. That I didn't expect. From a distance, the roller coaster looks neglected, even though I know that's not true. I personally know many of the men and women who work on those rides and I know they would not allow an unsafe--or neglected--ride to operate in the park. Still, it just looked that way.

I realized something else as well. The reason I thought the ride wasn't up to snuff was because it wasn't white. For as long as I can remember, the coaster was painted white. Whenever they replaced boards on the ride, they were painted. I can't even imagine how much it would cost to paint that thing, and maybe I'm the only one who feels like the ride looks run down and painting it because of my opinion is a lot of money just to satisfy me.

When I took a closer look at the coster last week I realized most of the wood was new, or newer. It could be in the best shape it's been in in a long time. So, next time I drive by the park, I'll know different. I'll know the ride is in good shape. Things aren't always as they seem.

Give Thanks...Preserving History

 Before--and after--I visited my dentist who dug out an old filling and replaced it with a new non-metal one, I noticed something. In my old home town, they like to preserve history. I saw it inside the dentist's office--a photo montage of famous buildings in the city, and I saw it outside the office--restoring buildings and putting up markers.

Without history, you cannot understand the future.

One could say I've tried to preserve history, and in some small way I have. As I get older I can't seem to get enough of historical photos, memorabilia, basically anything having to do with history. I wish I had studied it more in my youth.

There's an effort to re-write history. I'm not going to get into the pros and cons, but I think it's a dangerous thing. History, even uncomfortable history (especially uncomfortable history...) must be preserved. It must be studied and known so it will not be repeated. 

It was refreshing and comforting to see the lengths at which the small town is going to preserve history. I'm sure it's happening where we now live--I just need to go check it out. I"m thankful for those who chose to do the work it takes to preserve history.

I have no idea if my blog posts or journal entries will be preserved. I mean, I'll do my best to preserve them, but once I'm gone, what will happen to them? I'll have no control at that point. Heck, every digital entry I've ever written could be erased in the blink of an eye. And all my journals could fly away in a tornado or get destroyed in a fire. The important thing is to do what we can to remember the way things used to be.

Yeah...But Which One?

 

My sons and I found ourselves yesterday in a Game Stop store. If you're unfamiliar with the store, it's full of video games, game-related items, and pop culture knick-knacks. It's Geek Nirvana. My sons were looking for things to buy. To be honest, when I go inside, I see things that would be cool to have, but since I'm not a big video gamer, I usually leave the store having bought nothing for me.

But, I did see a couple of items I thought maybe I'd want.

Mini-Pop keychain figures. Harry Dunne and Lloyd Christmas, in party attire.

Dumb and Dumber is one of my guilty pleasures. It's a classic film...crude, yes, but a classic. The fact that part of it was filmed in Utah and has some local actors in it that I know is a bonus.

I thought about getting a keychain, but which one? 

The obvious answer is Lloyd. Jim Carrey is a comedic genius. Jeff Daniels puts in a good performance, but next to Carrey, almost anyone would pale in comparison. As I held them both, I felt I could not split them up, and I didn't need, nor was I going to buy two keychains (truth be told, I didn't need even one keychain...). Plus, since it was a keychain, I was going to put in on my keyring. Two would be too many.

There were a few others from which to choose, but none as awesome at these two. My son was checking out the one thing he picked, and as an impulse, I grabbed a keychain on the rack and bought it. Was it Harry? Was it Lloyd?

Nope.

I walked out with C-3PO.

A solid choice.

Things You Learn By Posting Photos...

 I was looking for something to photograph for my "Pic Of The Day" last week and I came across something at one of our local grocery stores. 

Necco wafers.

You may have never heard of Necco, The Original Candy Wafer, before. It was a candy found in every store when I was a kid--I even remember getting mini-packs of them at Halloween. It's one of those things you may think might have disappeared because you haven't seen it in a while. To be honest, I hadn't thought about this particular brand of candy in decades possibly. Then, I spotted some packs of Necco wafers in a store and I realized, they haven't completely disappeared...they're just not in every store like they once were.

I snapped and posted the picture.

Then, the surprises hit.

People began posting comments, many of them in support of the product. Personally, I like them, too. I didn't think others necessarily liked them. I thought I'd get a similar reaction if I posted a picture of black licorice (which I also like...). Apparently, people still like the Neccos.

Getting interesting reactions to photos is nothing new. I never know how thing things I post will be taken by those who see them. It hasn't stopped me in the ten-plus years I've posted pictures or blog posts. Hopefully, people like what I post...

They way they like Neccos. ;)

The World Has One Less Place For Birds To Next...

 A few weeks back we noticed on the corner of our house a switch box up in the eaves, an uncovered switch box. We noticed the wiring and we weren't completely sure what the box was for. It's perhaps for a flood light or a security light, or maybe an outlet box to put up Christmas lights.

Don't know for sure.

We wired our last house so we're not afraid to install a light or an outlet. Sure, it's up a ways, but no where near some of the eaves on our last house. I thought it was interesting that the box was uncovered, then I forgot about it.

Forgot about it until last Sunday when we heard the birds.

That corner of the house is near the master bedroom, so when we woke up the other day hearing birds on the roof, I remembered the uncovered box. We could see the birds from the window. I saw one starling on the roof, then I saw another starling fly away and as it flew away, bits of insulation came away with it.

The bird wasn't on the roof...it was inside the eave.

Sharing a house with birds is nothing new to our family. Our last house and a place where birds nested almost every year. The opening was so inaccessible, we could never stop them. One year we had kestrel falcons. They raised three chicks and we got the see them close up. That was cool! Most of the time, starlings nested in the roof.

There's no way we were going to have the same thing happen at the new house.

I looked around for something to plug up the hole. It was Sunday morning so I couldn't (or, didn't want to...) go to the store and get a proper cover. I found a light switch we had that we were not using, so I climbed up the ladder and stopped the hole. Now, if you are in our yard and look up, you'll see a light switch in the eave, a switch that controls nothing...

Nothing, but birds, I guess.