Fool For Thought

Ii It was a year ago April Fools Day that I published my first blog. Fluke? I don't think so. In that short year we've accomplished more than we anticipated and been very fortuitous in the process. I think perhaps with our trip to Ireland, rubbing elbows with the local folk, some of the "luck of the Irish" rubbed off on us. Maybe our good fortune continues and could be on track to launch as soon as next Fool's Day.

Hali asked me, is our "plan" foolish? I answered, we're foolish if we DON'T go for what inspires us. Just ask your friend Mark Twain(it's true, Hali has friended Mr. Twain on FB).

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

So, I have a thought. In honor of foolishness, I offer this small compilation of funny faces. 

Go ahead, your turn. Click on the mirror app on your phone or just do it in the privacy of your bathroom mirror and Go for it, be a fool, if only for the moment. You'll discover there's a little fool in all of us.

And like our Irish Spring of last year, any Spring is a good time for us to "sail away from safe harbor" and Go FoR It!

Puzzled??

The day after posting Pizza!, I hear on public radio an interview with a Puzzle Master, Will Shortz, that Za is a word. Yep(yes, also a word), it's true. I checked it out on my Free Dictionary App.*

In a way language experts call clipping, today's younger culture "clips" the word pizza leaving just a slice of that word with the newly derived Za. Before you know it, these one syllable words are adopted into our dictionary and onto Scrabble boards. 

As a player of words, puzzles, and word puzzles should I ever have that lone Z tile in my Scrabble hand with a triple word score, you bet I'm playing for Za!

C'mon man, is it too much to add the extra syllable when ordering to go?

*The word app was derived in the 1980's from the clipped phrase killer app.

A Slice Of Za

Earning Trust

At our summer garage sale we rid ourselves of what I affectionately call CRAP. The leftovers are set aside for sale on our local Craigslist. Too valuable for a garage sale, too tedious for eBay.

Karl's Knife

This vintage fishing knife belonged to Hali's Dad. Knowing Karl, he probably spent no more than $10 for it back in the 50's. Since last July I've been trying to get that ten bucks back. First at our garage sale, and for months on Craigslist. Last week I got a bite from Wisconsin. This is how I reeled in Richard.

Hello from Wisconsin. That would be a great fishing knife for me. I was wondering if you could mail it to Wisconsin for 15.00 ? Thanks for your time. Best Regards, Richard Peterson, Weyauwega, Wisconsin.

Hi Richard,

Thanks for your interest in the pocket knife. I don't normally handle CL transactions by mail, but if you have a Paypal account I would consider. I can ship as soon as Monday.

Mike

Hi Mike. My bad luck. I don't have a paypal account. My son said I live in the stone age. I guess it's coming back to bite me. I'd sure gamble mailing 15.00 in cash. Best Regards, Richard......

Gambler? Yes, I suppose so. Mail me the $15 and I'll ship the knife promptly.

Guess I'm a bit of a gambler as well sending someone in Wisconsin my address. I spent a week in Door County after a game at Lambeau a couple years ago- Good folks up there.

Mike

Hi Mike. Thanks for your trust. I think all football fans should attend a game at Lambeau. I live about 50 miles from there and have been to quite a few. Door county is especially nice in the summer time. Some Wisconsinites look at it as a tourist trap but it's all in what your looking to do. Anyway, I'll get the cash mailed Monday and thank you very much. Best Regards, Richard.......

Five days later this was delivered to our mailbox~~~

Passportsandpostcards.com

Received some cash today. I will ship tomorrow with the little box- I'll also send a tracking number. Stone Age is still alive.

Hallelujah!

Mike

Hi Mike. There is hope for old fossils like myself. Didn't need high tech. Just cash and trust and a little gamble. Looking forward to the knife. Any idea of age ?  Yeah, I know, it's not as old as me. Stone age rules, Richard...........                                                                                        

He earned my trust. I, after postage, netted a couple fins. Not to mention a momentary stone aged Penpal.

Woody-ism:

Earning TRUST is the pursuit of commonality.

Vegemite

Yesterday I cranked up my music compilation, grabbed the garden loppers , and went at it in the yards. My guilty pleasure~singing, while Edward Scissorhands-ing the shrubs.

As the clippings piled high, my token, completely silly, "escape" song played. Men at Work's early 80's pop song Down Under. I remember watching this video on MTV while in college and thinking, one day I want to go THERE and get me a Vegemite sandwich. Sounded so exotic. Here in Portland, they have yet to pull up a Vegemite sandwich cart.

Australia is probably the furthest we could travel in a single leg from the west coast. If I'm going that far, I'm gonna stay a while. Australia is nearly as large in area as the US. It's so big, it's its own continent.

Imagine being a foreigner wanting to explore the US in two weeks, a month, a year. Sure, maybe Los Angeles in two weeks. Oregon in a month is possible. A year? Yea, you could cover a lot of ground here in a year but merely scratch the surface. All the while, craving the Vegemite.

Dreaming Of Wallabies, Barrier Reefs, Slow Travel
(I believe I have swim trunks on??)

So as we contemplate our launch date, wallabies, barrier reefs, and slow travel, a trip to Australia seems to lure us. 

Until then, my weekend afternoon yard work routine will keep me dreaming(and singing)of far away places.

Take me away, Men at Work...

Passportsandpostcards.com

PIZZA!

I know it's only been a couple months since Super Bowl but I've been craving football. Remedy for this, the Grisham novel, Playing For Pizza. A story of American football played in Italy. These former third stringers love the game as much as they love pizza and gelato, played in the Italian arena.

So I've taken care of the football craving, let's get some Pizza!

Portland is loaded with top-notch pizza joints and our favorite is just a few blocks away- The Blind Onion. 

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Problem is, not only is this basement pub walking distance but the house POTW(Pizza Of The Week). Maybe they should rename their special to, Pizza Of The Weak~we're addicted. Since discovering this hole-in-the-wall, a weekly visit has become routine.

The large 16 inch is a mere $16. Yes, only a buck an inch won't slice into your wallet even if this becomes habit. But wait, with this postage stamp-size coupon that pizza is cut down to $11.

Paying For Pizza

This weeks pizza special is broccoli, sun dried tomatoes, and pesto. It simply doesn't matter what's on top, it's the crust that makes this one of the best pizzas in town. The braided edge is sweetfully airy, buttery, not greasy, and melts in your mouth like a shortbread cookie. A crust too good for the dog dish, better for breakfast.

A friendly game of backgammon and a $3 pint of Boneyard complete the deal. Today, Hali and I are playing for pizza.

Playing For Pizza

His Story

Someone once asked me, If you could have a beer with any historical figure, who would it be? I thought for a moment and said, Benjamin Franklin.

Franklin-ism

This postcard-sized plaque is posted on a tree at the local dog park and I often wonder the wisdom of Benjamin Franklin. As one of Americas first diplomats and Founding Fathers, Mr, Franklin was a well traveled statesman. Yes, it's a tall tree, but obviously he'd never seen a California Redwood or even one of these Douglas firs.

Douglas Fir

The legacy of Ben Franklin and his barrel-full of Franklin-isms(noted quotes) have been passed on for generations. Probably more so than Yankee rival down south with his Yogi-isms. We all know Ben wrote about pennies saved and how beer makes us happy. My favorite though is also a journaling mantra of mine:

Either write something worth reading or DO something worth writing.

I imagine Ben and me sitting in the legendary Green Dragon Tavern in Boston, just off the Freedom Trail, discussing his travels to Europe, maybe a little politics, of course, beer, and tall trees.

                                                        

Rebel IPA

Our beer of choice, a tankard full of Sam Adams Rebel West Coast IPA~~~ brewed for a Revolution.

                                        

 Passportsandpostcards.com

Here's to happiness, ¥~¥!!

Giant Artichoke

  

This little story reminds me of a Carli-ism from her early years...

Driving up to our local AAA office for maps and tour books, Carli asks me, 

Why do they call this place aaaaaaaaaaah?

I recently submitted this short passage to the AAA Via Monthly Magazine as a favorite Road Trip stop:

Our family has taken several road trips along the coasts of Oregon and California. Last months featured snapshot of Highway 1 near Jenner, California reminded my of these trips. The sweeping landscapes that nearly fall off into the Pacific are breathtaking. A couple hours south of Jenner along highway 1, we'll stop for lunch at the Giant Artichoke in Castroville. The deep fried artichoke hearts are a favorite as is the sampler plate. Next door you can pick up some fresh, local market produce and other snacks and supplies for the road down to Big Sur. Look for the Giant green Artichoke and the sign that reads " Castroville The Artichoke Center Of The World". 

And our theme song***

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=11GYvfYjyV0&feature=kp