5.13.2009

A Photo Extravaganza & Some Life Lessons

Good morning. This is graduation week, so the blog will probably be a little erratic. For starters, I am going to skip the 'Country of the Week' this week; it will be back next Monday.

Yesterday was quite a day of excitement; whoa! A baby shower, a lunch with some wonderful Wartburg friends downtown, witness to a bizarro verbal assault between 2 strangers, and a fun-filled evening of babysitting, Guitar Hero World Tour, and American Idol (I'd never watched it before!). Here are some things I learned yesterday:

1) Babies are not as scary as I had previously thought (the more I hold them, the less scared I feel). Though still, they are quite small.

2) People can get very, very, very, excruciatingly mad at a very, very, very rapid pace. The owner of the sandwich shop where my friends and I had lunch yesterday totally freaked out at some people who were sitting at tables that were apparently only reserved for HIS customers; and NOT Subway customers. One of the people he asked to move was a woman; she felt his approach was somewhat 'lacking' in tact (I'd definitely have to agree). So she told him her feelings in an angry way. Then he shared his feelings in a super duper angry way. Lots and lots of swears being thrown around. And lines that were so ridiculous it was almost comical. Like: "You are an a**hole." Which led to the classic response: "No I'm not. You are the a**hole." My friends and I continued to eat and observe. I'm kicking myself for not just saying, "Okay, well, I am a paying customer of this sandwich shop, sir, and you are 100% ruining my dining experience by verbally assaulting this woman, so maybe let's just let it go." Instead, I just sat frozen (of course). I was actually quite scared that it was going to become a physical attack. If I hadn't seen the sweat actually dripping off of their furrowed brows onto their completely red faces, I would've thought the whole thing was a made-for-tv set-up. Someone easily could have come out and told us that we were being filmed for a new tv show, "Awkward Fake Public Assaults." Instead, it was real. And really sad and pathetic. There are two things that never cease to amaze me: 1) People's capacity to hate and 2) People's capacity to love.

3) I am probably the least fun person on planet earth to watch America's Funniest Home Videos with. The kids I babysat last night really wanted to watch. Oh my goodness! I hate the videos where people get injured! I can't laugh; I just wince! Ouch, ouch, ouch. People falling down, people getting hit by random objects, people running into walls. Why can't I just laugh like a normal person? This is a great mystery to me.

4) I love Guitar Hero.

And here are some pictures to share from last weekend. First a series of signs that made me giggle at a zoo-type place in Oelwein, Iowa. My mom, brother, and I went there on Mother's Day. We also went to look at lawn mowers.

I'm not sure why, but for some reason I thought this combination of signs was a little silly.

Wouldn't you be honored?

I felt that the 'electricity' blob looked really, really scary.
In fact, that's basically what the angry guy from the restaurant looked like.


Mom on her future lawn mower.

Josh in the lawn mower lot.

Me riding the lawn mower 'side saddle.'

Shadow family.

Duck date. Awww. So sweet.

Yikes.



6 comments:

  1. Great photos as usual, Em! What a charming family you are!

    Also, I hate America's Funniest Home Videos. Videotaping your children hurt or embarrass themselves, then sending it to a tv show? Ouch is right.

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  2. Thanks for the day brightening blog.

    I can't watch Funniest Home Videos either. It hurts too much.

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  3. I don't usually think they are that funny... they usually seem a bit mean.

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  4. you are an inspiration!! love your words!!

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  5. First, I must say that babies are SO much tougher than we think/feel. They seem so small and fragile....neh! They are tough stuff. Feel free to come hold Benen ANY time ;) (which reminds me we need to set up a dinner date...are you around the last week in May??)

    Second, I think the electric blob is hilarious and when I read your story about the scuffle in the restaurant, that is exactly how I pictured the owner looking as he was gettin' all in a tizzy. (not that I thought the scuffle was funny...just the blob look-a-like)

    Thirdly, I LOVE guitar hero...however when I'm playing, no one can talk to me or expect me to interact with them. I concentrate that hard ;)

    You are in our prayers for peace and comfort in your continued time of patience with the call process (although I would secretly love it if you were south with us :) )

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  6. i hear riding side saddle proves you are a lady lol ;) at least that is what i always tell ryan.

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