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I'm Not a Gross Person, Really I'm Not
Heidi Shenk "birthday" "cards"
I have to preface this post with this fact: I'm really not that gross of a person. I'm pretty mature, and when I was younger, I was always mature for my age. But my latest birthday card would probably beg to differ, so I have to give fair warning so you won't judge me. So you won't judge me? Agreed?
Honestly, this is how it went down. I was in the car with Andrew and our friend Marshall on our car ride back from Syracuse last month. It was the weekend before Valentine's Day and I was lamenting about how slow my shop was going to become after Valentine's Day. I needed a solution.
Andrew and Marshall thought that the best solution was to come up with a really great card for a year round occasion, such as a birthday. "But I'm really bad with coming up with things to write on cards," I complained. "I mean, the funniest thing I can come up with is 'Happy birthday you old fart!'" Andrew and Marshall then proceeded to make fun of my lack of creativeness. They continued to say I should make that card, but figure out how to include a sound effect. Their next idea was a butt shaped card. That also got nixed. Finally Andrew was like, "Really all you need to do is draw some butt cheeks on there with a fart cloud." The jokes were endless, which is to be expected when you're stuck in a car with two guys that are in their late 20s and are old college friends.
A few weeks passed. Then Sunday night I was working on a bunch of hand drawn projects. I finished a few and showed them to Andrew with his half nod of approval while he sat on the other side of the couch zoning out on the tv. While he wasn't paying attention, I made a quick sketch of the birthday card idea complete with butt cheeks and fart cloud as a complete joke. I immediately began cackling as I looked at my creation. Andrew cocked his head and raised his eyebrow at me as if I had lost my mind, until I showed him the sketch. At that point, we both laughed so hard until we couldn't breath and nearly fell off the couch. From that point on, we conclusively agreed that I had to make the card and sell it in my shop. If we thought it was that funny, then someone else MUST have to think it's funny to. So here goes...
The polls have opened. Hilarious or gross? What do you think?
Honestly, this is how it went down. I was in the car with Andrew and our friend Marshall on our car ride back from Syracuse last month. It was the weekend before Valentine's Day and I was lamenting about how slow my shop was going to become after Valentine's Day. I needed a solution.
Andrew and Marshall thought that the best solution was to come up with a really great card for a year round occasion, such as a birthday. "But I'm really bad with coming up with things to write on cards," I complained. "I mean, the funniest thing I can come up with is 'Happy birthday you old fart!'" Andrew and Marshall then proceeded to make fun of my lack of creativeness. They continued to say I should make that card, but figure out how to include a sound effect. Their next idea was a butt shaped card. That also got nixed. Finally Andrew was like, "Really all you need to do is draw some butt cheeks on there with a fart cloud." The jokes were endless, which is to be expected when you're stuck in a car with two guys that are in their late 20s and are old college friends.
A few weeks passed. Then Sunday night I was working on a bunch of hand drawn projects. I finished a few and showed them to Andrew with his half nod of approval while he sat on the other side of the couch zoning out on the tv. While he wasn't paying attention, I made a quick sketch of the birthday card idea complete with butt cheeks and fart cloud as a complete joke. I immediately began cackling as I looked at my creation. Andrew cocked his head and raised his eyebrow at me as if I had lost my mind, until I showed him the sketch. At that point, we both laughed so hard until we couldn't breath and nearly fell off the couch. From that point on, we conclusively agreed that I had to make the card and sell it in my shop. If we thought it was that funny, then someone else MUST have to think it's funny to. So here goes...
The polls have opened. Hilarious or gross? What do you think?
Six Degrees of Separation in the Mail
Heidi Shenk "six degrees of separation"
Remember my request for volunteers for this fun little snail mail experiment? Well I finally got my butt in gear and have gotten all of the cards ready.
One crappy phone photo later, and there's proof that they're in the envelopes, addressed, and stamped. I'll be dropping them off in the blue post box tomorrow morning on my way to work. And while I only needed ten volunteers, I got a few more than that. However, I wanted to let everyone in on the fun so all that got in touch should find a card in their mailbox in the near future! I'm not quite sure what to expect, but I'm super excited to have finally got this experiment off of it's feet and traveling through the mail. And of course, I'll keep you updated on any news of progress I may receive on my end! Happy letter writing to all!
One crappy phone photo later, and there's proof that they're in the envelopes, addressed, and stamped. I'll be dropping them off in the blue post box tomorrow morning on my way to work. And while I only needed ten volunteers, I got a few more than that. However, I wanted to let everyone in on the fun so all that got in touch should find a card in their mailbox in the near future! I'm not quite sure what to expect, but I'm super excited to have finally got this experiment off of it's feet and traveling through the mail. And of course, I'll keep you updated on any news of progress I may receive on my end! Happy letter writing to all!
Metropol Parasol
Heidi Shenk "architecture"
I've been meaning to share this awing architectural design for quite a while when I stumbled upon it a few months back. This structure, designed by J. Mayer H. Architects is incredibly unique in that it is the world's largest wooden structure. Located in Seville, Spain, the Metropol Parasol is a complete makeover of the Plaza de la Encarnacion. Complete with bars, restaurants, and a plaza below, and a terrace on the top of the structure, this piece of architecture leaves me longing to make another trip to Europe in the near future.
Photo sources J. Mayer H. Architects / HomeDSGN
Photo sources J. Mayer H. Architects / HomeDSGN
Weekend Ski Trip? and the Time I Thought I Was Hermann Maier
Heidi Shenk "skiing" "snow" "travel"
It's Friday which means time for another weekend adventure! This time we're headed to western Maryland for the weekend to go skiing. We're going with a group of friends and staying together at a house we rented for the weekend. The only problem (hence the title "Weekend Ski Trip?" with the question mark) is the weather. With a ridiculously warm winter we're a bit worried that snow will be an issue. And while it's supposed to snow there tonight, the forecast for Sunday and Monday is sunny and 52 degrees!
And even if there is snow, we're expecting horrible, icy snow. Or we're expecting to be pelted in the face with the snow-makers the whole time we're skiing. Neither which I am looking forward to. And I was spoiled with the powdery, fluffy stuff from early on, thus quickly coming to hate the East Coast ice. The second time I ever went skiing, I was tackling this mountain, above treeline, at Arapahoe Basin in Colorado.
Not to worry, you must be thinking, she must be a stellar athlete with natural skiing abilities. Don't let the photo fool you, as probably a mere three minutes later, I sustained the worst ski crash I've ever experienced. Let's just say, I flew sideways through the air much like Hermann Maier did in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.
Hermann and I had a similar, yet different crash. Hermann flew sideways through the air. I flew sideways through the air. Hermann's skis popped off like they're supposed to. My right ski didn't, twisting my knee with my foot (still in ski) next my head. Hermann flew through two snow fences. I was stopped by a snow fence on which the other side was a steep side of a mountain. Hermann was hospitalized and severely injured. I landed on my left hip and had a contusion the diameter of a volleyball on my outer thigh and hip. Hermann didn't ski for quite a while after his crash. I skied down the rest of the mountain without another crash. And somehow, despite my entire body aching worse than I can remember in a long time, I went skiing again the next day.
Ok. So maybe it really wasn't like Hermann Maier's crash, but in my head it played out that way. But I really did fly sideways through the air, really, I did. You can just ask Andrew who saw it all go down and had to take his skis off to hike back up the mountain and help me get out of my tangled mess.
Crazy? I blame Andrew and my sister's boyfriend at the time. I believe their last words (both as experienced skiers) were, "Don't worry, you'll be fine up there. You're super athletic and shouldn't have a problem."
So tomorrow I will go skiing down the icy mountain like a granny. Make fun of me all you want, but my normal, go get 'em attitude toward sports changes slightly with skiing. Instead, my main objective is to have fun, but leave the mountain for the day without a single crash. So far, since my wipe out at A-Basin, I've done pretty well with a few bumps and bruises. And so far I'm undefeated against Maryland's mountains.
And even if there is snow, we're expecting horrible, icy snow. Or we're expecting to be pelted in the face with the snow-makers the whole time we're skiing. Neither which I am looking forward to. And I was spoiled with the powdery, fluffy stuff from early on, thus quickly coming to hate the East Coast ice. The second time I ever went skiing, I was tackling this mountain, above treeline, at Arapahoe Basin in Colorado.
Not to worry, you must be thinking, she must be a stellar athlete with natural skiing abilities. Don't let the photo fool you, as probably a mere three minutes later, I sustained the worst ski crash I've ever experienced. Let's just say, I flew sideways through the air much like Hermann Maier did in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.
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Hermann and I had a similar, yet different crash. Hermann flew sideways through the air. I flew sideways through the air. Hermann's skis popped off like they're supposed to. My right ski didn't, twisting my knee with my foot (still in ski) next my head. Hermann flew through two snow fences. I was stopped by a snow fence on which the other side was a steep side of a mountain. Hermann was hospitalized and severely injured. I landed on my left hip and had a contusion the diameter of a volleyball on my outer thigh and hip. Hermann didn't ski for quite a while after his crash. I skied down the rest of the mountain without another crash. And somehow, despite my entire body aching worse than I can remember in a long time, I went skiing again the next day.
Ok. So maybe it really wasn't like Hermann Maier's crash, but in my head it played out that way. But I really did fly sideways through the air, really, I did. You can just ask Andrew who saw it all go down and had to take his skis off to hike back up the mountain and help me get out of my tangled mess.
Crazy? I blame Andrew and my sister's boyfriend at the time. I believe their last words (both as experienced skiers) were, "Don't worry, you'll be fine up there. You're super athletic and shouldn't have a problem."
So tomorrow I will go skiing down the icy mountain like a granny. Make fun of me all you want, but my normal, go get 'em attitude toward sports changes slightly with skiing. Instead, my main objective is to have fun, but leave the mountain for the day without a single crash. So far, since my wipe out at A-Basin, I've done pretty well with a few bumps and bruises. And so far I'm undefeated against Maryland's mountains.
Happy Presidents' Day
Heidi Shenk "holiday" "Presidents' Day"
How do you get back into blogging after leaving your readers hanging for an entire week? By nerding it up big time and talking about cool presidents. I just can't quite help it. I teach U.S. History and get into this kind of stuff, and since I'm at home on my butt instead of teaching today I thought I'd share some silly little things about U.S. Presidents.
Bill Clinton is my favorite President from my lifetime. He may be a player, but he's a player that can reverse the national debt. And as far as smarts go, he's one of the most fascinating people to listen to talk about current day politics. I always make sure to tune in when he's got an interview somewhere on tv-- this guy still knows his stuff.
Do you know Grover Cleveland? I like this guy only because he's got a pretty neat thing to boast about. He's the only President to have had two terms that weren't back to back. That means that people must have hated him enough to give Benjamin Harrison a go, but then realized that even he wasn't as Benjamin Harrison. So they let him come back for a second term. (That's how I like to imagine it went down, but then again, I'm probably wrong.) Another interesting fact? This guy was a bachelor-- and the White House, I must say, is one pretty big bachelor pad. But not for long. He's the only President to have gotten married while in office.
How about Rutherford B. Hayes, on the grounds that he knew the beard would be in before Brett Keisel.
Without Teddy Roosevelt, we wouldn't have the National Parks we do today. So I'm pretty thankful for that considering my love for the National Parks!
And what about a shout out for James Garfield and William McKinley, the other two Presidents that were assassinated. We all know about Lincoln and JFK, but most Americans probably don't even know that these guys had a similar fate.
Happy Presidents' Day to you all! Hope you have a day off to enjoy! And P.S. don't forget to join me tomorrow for my Tuesday Music Link-up Party! The topic is favorite Grammy artists from past or present.
Bill Clinton is my favorite President from my lifetime. He may be a player, but he's a player that can reverse the national debt. And as far as smarts go, he's one of the most fascinating people to listen to talk about current day politics. I always make sure to tune in when he's got an interview somewhere on tv-- this guy still knows his stuff.
Do you know Grover Cleveland? I like this guy only because he's got a pretty neat thing to boast about. He's the only President to have had two terms that weren't back to back. That means that people must have hated him enough to give Benjamin Harrison a go, but then realized that even he wasn't as Benjamin Harrison. So they let him come back for a second term. (That's how I like to imagine it went down, but then again, I'm probably wrong.) Another interesting fact? This guy was a bachelor-- and the White House, I must say, is one pretty big bachelor pad. But not for long. He's the only President to have gotten married while in office.
How about Rutherford B. Hayes, on the grounds that he knew the beard would be in before Brett Keisel.
Without Teddy Roosevelt, we wouldn't have the National Parks we do today. So I'm pretty thankful for that considering my love for the National Parks!
And what about a shout out for James Garfield and William McKinley, the other two Presidents that were assassinated. We all know about Lincoln and JFK, but most Americans probably don't even know that these guys had a similar fate.
Happy Presidents' Day to you all! Hope you have a day off to enjoy! And P.S. don't forget to join me tomorrow for my Tuesday Music Link-up Party! The topic is favorite Grammy artists from past or present.