An Idea
Okay, I’m gonna admit that I woke up this morning a little down. Down, dooby do down down, comma comma, down dooby do … oh good lord, I’m so depressed that I’m having a Neil Sedaka attack.
The thought of facing a resurgence of 3,000 deaths a day (think about it – that’s a 911 every damn day) and being locked in my house for three more months just made me crazy.
I was doing a housecoat rant this morning about all the things I want – I want to go to the farmer’s market and feel the peaches to see if they are ripe. I want to take a nap in the hammock with my grandson. I want to go to the eye doctor for new glasses – and this time I’m gonna get some with rhinestones. I want to go to the theater for a musical and slug the person behind me if they think it’s a sing-along. I want to eat crawfish for hours with a whole bunch of people around the table. I want go somewhere at night with my fancy clothes on. .
And there is my idea.
I think I’m going to put up my Christmas lights and I’m going to invite my friends to come drive by my house at night and see some damn joy. I think you ought to do the same thing. I think this should be viral so you can drive around at night to see the lights. I don’t know about foreign states, but in Texas we can do tacky and extravagant with sublime perfection. Some people even hire other people to do their lights professionally, which is a job and goodness knows we need jobs.
We could just leave those suckers up until December. We could add a flag for the 4th of July, some political signs for election day, you know, keep it topical.
The only downside I see is that if a hurricane comes, you gotta haul all that crap back into the garage, but face it, you ain’t got nothing to do anyway.
That’s my idea. I think it’s a pretty good idea considering all the other ideas I’ve heard lately.
Or, you could be like Glen and build a chicken coop and bird feeder in your backyard made out of old political signs.
See, I told you we can do tacky with perfection in Texas.
I’m there with you -I’ve got such a mullet I could sing Achy Breaky Heart, but I have to see his majesty say everything is ok, even though 65,000 have died. I want my 401K back, I want my g-kids back, I want travel back – but mainly I want no one to face unexpected death from this virus. My birthday in 2021 is on January 19th and I’ve been planning an inauguration party – ya’ll please vote on November 3rd so I can Have my party!
1ummm, about that.. I plugged mine in for the Light up event here in SD (haven’t taken them down yet due to the snow just melted) and they drew so many midges and mosquitoes that the dog was being carried off and needed rescue…
2The plunger holding up the bird house is what makes it art.
3Thanks for a good laugh. They are rare these days.
4Great idea for Texas. But in Anchorage Alaska, today the sun rose at 5:37 am and will set at 10:16 pm. Not many people would see the lights. You can take that any way you want to.
5respite |ˈrespət rēˈspīt
noun
a short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant: A short list, for me anyway.
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– Gestures: Baking a pound cake with a side of croissants containing red grapes for the father of two sons who gave me a ride to the Ubreakifix computer repair shop as my car is a bicycle. Delivering canned goods and apples to a woman and son who lost her job and can’t collect unemployment.
– Mind off matters : videos
– Quirky Western not seen since 1990 – Quigley Down Under: Tom Selleck 1:59:57 stream
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khh2qONCihk
– Astronaut Chris Hadfield Debunks Space Myths | WIRED 11:32 stream
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6rHHnABoT8
– The Red Shoes 2:15:29 1948 restoration – stream
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1ga6wgQjNU
– NOVA – Cat Tales 53:40 – stream
6https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/cat-tales/
Greeting from NV where we’re doing fine “locked up” with 3 of my most favorite people and 30 or so other wonderful folks. Enough of us that we ‘draw lots’ as to who makes those required trips off the ranch resulting in isolation from the rest of the group for two weeks (only 2 so far). In many aspects we’re kind of real happy – no trips into Carson City for gubmint bizness since it’s closed except to electronic stuff, ergo fewer varmint induced headaches. We haven’t turned into either the Donner Party nor the Spahn Ranch; that’s a plus. We’re having fun with the differences between essential and non-essential; guess we’re “essential” because we’re still plenty busy so meeting payroll has not been a problem. Lucky that, ’cause I’m the guy that gets lynched if the guys run out of beer money. No one has been into town for over a month, so we’re playing baseball, swimming in the creek, that sort of stuff for fun.
And, we promise you not one ounce of prime beef will leave these premises if there’s a .0000001% chance it would end up in a hamberder for Donnie*. Now if we should know there’s a 100% chance it would end up in a certain hamberder, there are meat substitutes we’d be happy to contribute.
7We’re sitting and looking out our window at lots of wildlife including the occasional Bald Eagle. We get our groceries delivered or make biweekly trips. We are in the woods near Lake Superior and are thankful to be where we are.
I miss BBQ, country dancing, Holmes Smokehouse Pecan Smoked Jalapeno sausage, and good Rellenos and the wonderful sane people of Texas. I don’t miss batshit crazy idiots like Dan Patrick and Gregg Abbott.
8I don’t think I wanna put up lights but slugging somebody has a certain appeal.
9I was feeling that same way yesterday. Binge-watched the new Star Trek Picard series and that was good (for me a dose of Patrick Stewart is a happy thing). Rediscovered some music I’d liked that I forgot about and that was good. And now the temps here in Dallas will be in the 70s and low 80s for days in a row, so working in the yard will be a pleasure and that is really good. To my knowledge neither my hubby nor I nor my kids or friends have COVID and for that I am supremely grateful. Of course we don’t know for sure because … testing. But whatever it takes to keep going, because I’m sure not going to be out shopping for stuff I don’t desperately need. And kudos to our local Costco, which really has done everything it can to keep us all safe.
10Here is how we do it in Kansas.
11My neighbor took every damn inflatable he has (And he goes overboard for every holiday) and inflated them all (Christmas, Halloween, Easter, etc.) and put a floodlight on them. Some are even animated! Hard not to feel perked up with that down the street!
One day at a time, Ms JJ.
12Good idea about the lights.
Rhinestones are always a good idea.
https://www.facebook.com/playlistbyphil/videos/222592659156877/UzpfSTE1ODQ3NDY2MTY6MTAyMjAyMTM2NjQ5MjM1NDA/
Here’s a fun dancing video compilation from old movies. If you can name the movies, I sure wish you’d post a list, because I’d like to watch them all.
13Great minds! A bunch of the folks on the next block over from us have put their lights back up, including candles in the windows and wreaths on the doors. It makes us smile when we take our evening walks, so it’s working.
14And that yard art is mighty fine. It’ll make some birds very happy. He must have laid in quite a store of bright colored paint before the poo hit the ventilator.
Lots of love and virtual hugs to you, Juanita, from beautiful Albuquerque NM.
15Please give Glen my best regards.
We have lights on our bushes. From Christmas
16Light them every night.
And we are not going to stop.
In case you don’t know, I love you SO MUCH!!! One of these days I WILL drive down to Texas to meet you in person!
Here’s a little good thing: Today we finished up doing election judging for our local hospital board election. The best part was enjoying a team of five great women working together on something complex and important without a snark, gripe or serious boggle!
17Have had solar twinkle lights up for a year and a half. They come on every night like magic lighting up the flag now hanging on the porch. It’s nice, real nice.
18Indeed, that plunger is a prime example of good old American can-do.
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