My husband is obsessed with Zombie movies. The moment he sees and ad or hears about a new one coming out - he makes a point to see it sometimes dragging me, and my 11-yr-old stepdaughter and 11-year-old niece along - no matter how inappropriate. I think he is slowly turning them into ‘fans’ although they watch with ears and eyes covered.
He even collects books on Zombies and complains about the plots - explaining how the people could have barricaded themselves better, or how they should have used this or that for weapons. I’ve encouraged him to write his own Zombie stories and he says he plans to do so.
Meanwhile, while he is still working out his plots and escape plans I’ve decided to tell my own story - my real-life encounter with Zombies. One day on my way to work - I catch the train and the bus, I encountered several Zombies.
These Zombies were not much different from the ones I’ve experienced in the numerous movies I have been subjected to. They all stared straight ahead, not appearing to have any particular item in focus, some leaned and slumped over in their seats and others walked in a slow mechanical way, sluggishly as if they were being commanded by some unseen force against their will.
My first Zombie encounter was on the train. There were actually several of them. Some stood in the middle of the doorway, or blocking the aisle and apparently, just like in the movies, their brains were not functioning well.
I say this because when the train operator said to clear the doors to let other passengers board, or to move to the center of the train, they never made a single move. They continued to stare straight ahead. After squeezing around these creatures, who were a mix of male and female by the way, I managed to find an empty seat on the train.
I was happy and relieved to find a seat on the crowded train, but didn’t notice until I sat down, that I actually sat beside one. I was sitting next to a ‘live’ Zombie. This one was a male.
Apparently he had lost all function of his limbs, because he couldn’t keep his leg from sliding over to my seat. And although the train wasn’t moving fast at all, he couldn’t manage to keep himself from sliding of off his seat.
He made several attempts too, as he started to slide down he would push himself back up in an attempt to sit straight only to slide down again. I don’t think he could speak either, because each time his leg bumped into mine I would look up expecting an ‘excuse me,’ ‘my bad’ or something, but he never said a thing - just like some of the ones I’ve seen on film.
The other Zombies that stood closest to the doors - making it an obstacle for new passengers boarding to pass by also had lost or were losing their common sense skills. Clearly, it was printed on the sign that they were facing - no use of radios without headphones.
There was even a picture of a radio with the little lines coming from it representing music with an X over it. But, I guess either they could not read or they didn’t understand this meant cell phones as well, because several of them had their cell phones out with loud music coming from them.
It was particularly strange, because they were all playing different songs. None of them said a word, they just nodded their heads I guess in unison to the music on the phones that they held or the ones closest to them.
Again they stared ahead at nothing in particular, not even noticing the glares from other passengers signaling that they should turn the music off or at least down. I also noticed something else that these Zombies had in common.
Apparently they did not have sense enough to wear belts and/or pants that could fit them. As the train rolled on every once in awhile they would have to pause their head nodding to pull up their pants - even some of the female ones. I was happy when I reached my stop, between the loud garbled music and the abuse from the leg of the one who sat next to me, I couldn’t take it anymore.
As I walked toward the escalator to catch my bus, I ran into a few more of these Zombies. These were wearing uniforms - I guessed that they were heading to school. Some had backpacks, and others simply carried cell phones or MP3 players.
Maybe some had lost more brain function than others since they had forgotten their school supplies. As I reached the top of the escalator one of them decided to turn around in front of me and proceed to walk back down in the opposite direction that the stairs were moving - he had totally lost his mind.
I was actually surprised that he was able to accomplish this without falling - so maybe he hadn’t lost all brain function and he too had to pause every second or so to pull up his falling pants. When I reached the street platform, there were a couple of Zombies waiting at my bus stop.
One was actually talking! He was pacing back and forth, talking to no one in particular, about how the bus was late. Although he was talking, he kept repeating the same thing over and over as he paced, and paused to pull his pants up.
While others, including me, ignored him there was one lady who tried to give him some assistance. She asked him where he was trying to get to - not that she didn’t hear like the rest of us the "all I need is to get up the street" but I guess she was just trying to ease into conversation.
He did stop pacing for a minute, and repeated his need to get up the street. She told him that he could actually catch any bus, because they were all going in that direction. There was only one way out.
Of course, just like the others who didn’t really have all or no brain function, this Zombie again stared straight ahead, like he didn’t hear a word she said and went right back to his routine of pacing, fussing and pulling his pants up.
He continued to do this while three or four more buses going in his direction passed by. Finally, my bus had arrived. Again, I was relieved, just as those poor victims in those movies are when they find a closed-in shelter where there appears to be no Zombie in sight. But, just like those poor victims in the movies, my hopes were shattered - three of them boarded the bus with me.
One of them had the same brain trauma as those who blocked the doors of the train. He had his cell phone out, playing loud music. It was truly baffling that he would do such a thing.
This time the bus driver herself called to the back telling him to shut the phone off. Right then it was apparent that he hadn’t lost all brain function, because although he did not shut it off, he turned it down and so low that he had to put it to his ear to listen.
The next Zombie had again lost his brain function, because after he pulled up his pants to sit on the seats designated for senior citizens in the front of the bus (and the bus wasn’t crowded by the way) this one proceeded to pull a blunt out of his pocket and roll it! I guess he had lost so much brain function that he forgot he was on a bus and thought he was home behind closed doors somewhere.
The last Zombie, one who sat in a seat directly in front of me was a little different. He got a few stares and side eye glances when he first boarded the bus because he was wearing a very red lip tint. His pants were also low, but they were not falling because he was wearing a belt.
He was also listening to music, but had ear buds in his ears. I guess he hadn’t lost all brain function, although some may say he had because every once in a while he would sing/shout out a single lyric I guess from a song he was listening to - it was something by Beyonce - because he said aloud, "sing it ‘B’."
Also, every once in a while he would snap his fingers a couple of times. This wouldn’t have been too strange, except for the fact that he would raise his arm up high to do so, I think he must have thought he was at a club. His French manicured tips were on point, I must say.
As the bus moved on a few more of these Zombies boarded the bus. The man I was seated next to, who also works in the same building as I do, said teens today are so lethargic. Lethargic, I thought - state of lethargy, physical or mental inertness, listlessness, a deadening of the mind and senses... I guess he noticed the Zombies too.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Run-Ins With The Law
Okay I decided to take a break from telling stories about my brother and I ( although the best ones involve him :o) - and tell a few about myself.
When I was growing up I had two interesting experiences with "the law". My first story actually involves a bunch of other kids, so it really isn't my sole experience. I think I was about 11 or 12-years-old when this took place. Me and some other neighborhood kids were outside 'bored' and someone came up with the idea to make slingshots (I don't remember what my brother was doing that day, but he wasn't with us and he wasn't really into 'crafts' anyway :o).
We went to the rental office - we would always go there for our supplies, drawing paper, paper clips, pencils etc... (don't ask why the people in the office would give us these things - maybe they just wanted us to hurry and leave them alone - who knows?). But we went to the office and asked for some hangers and rubber bands and they gave them to us. We took the hangers apart and bent them to break them and re-twisted to make out slingshot base then we tied on the rubber bands. We had to get some old material from one of the kid's houses - some jeans or something to make the little holder for our rocks.
We decided to go to the back of the apartment building, where there was a huge hill that faced the woods, to shoot our slingshots. As we stood on the hill shooting/slinging our rocks into the trees, of course, it turned into a competition. But because there were so many trees we could not really tell whose rock went the highest or farthest. So once again, someone came up with the idea for us to face the other way so we could sling our rocks over the apartment building. Of course, at that time, nothing sounded wrong with this idea, but as I now type this I realize all types of 'bad' things could have resulted :o(
So we began shooting/slinging our rocks high above the building noting the ones that landed on the roof or disappeared into the sky. Later that night, there was knock on our apartment door. My mother answered and it was the policeman who lived in our complex. He had several of the kids that I had been playing with earlier that day with him, and they did not look happy. He told my mother that some of the kids in the neighborhood thought it was a good idea to use slingshots to shoot rocks onto the roof of the building.
He proceeded to tell her that little did they know that these rocks did not just land on the roof of the building, but they flew over the building landing in the parking lot - of course, the lot was filled with cars. He even went on to say that as some people arrived home from work, they had to run to dodge rocks and some even thought it was hailing! Coincidentally, one of those falling rocks landed on and put a small scratch on his girlfriend's car window and he was collecting the names of all kids involved just in case the scratch turned into a crack.
After my mother listened to this story in horror, she shook her head from side to side in disbelief and automatically yelled over her shoulder for my brother to come to the door. Needless to say she was even more surprised to hear the police officer say, "No, ma'am, I am actually hear to get the name of your daughter." :o( I really didn't get in too much trouble for that and as far as I know the scratch never turned into a crack :o)
Earlier run-in with the law:
The very first incident I remember is when I was about 5 or 6-years-old. This story takes place in the grocery store. My mother and I went grocery shopping one day - by the way, I do not like grocery shopping at all I'd rather walk around a mall for hours and not pick up one thing than go to a grocery store :o( - Anyway, let me get back on topic. So we were in a grocery store shopping. I was following behind her while she was picking up things and putting them into the cart. As we walked around the store I noticed the Brach's candy display.
I knew not to ask for anything, but I really wanted some of that candy. It was a bulk candy display - the kind where you could bag your own individual pieces. There was sooo many types of colorful pieces and each one was calling my name. I just had to have one or maybe two pieces. Before I knew it, I looked up and my mother had moved on and was heading down the next grocery aisle. Hey, she didn't even notice that I was still standing there looking at that candy. Not once did she look back to see my hand reach up into that display, grabbing a handful of delicious pieces of candy. So after I had my stash hidden securely in my pocket, I hurried after her.
Once the shopping was done, and the groceries were packed nicely in the back seat with me. I began to eat my sweet treasures. I quietly, but quickly unwrapped a piece, tossed the evidence out of the window and popped it into my mouth. I did this routine for each piece of candy. As I was enjoying the sweet sugary goodness and bopping my head to the radio I was in a state of utter happiness, but all of a sudden my happiness turned to terror. That terror came in the form of a loud police car siren. I thought somehow the grocery store people knew I took their candy and they had called the police.
I swallowed what was my last piece of candy. My throat began to burn and my eyes began to fill with water as I thought about how mad my mother was going to be once she found out about the stolen candy, not to mention the fact that I was headed to jail. I don't remember my mother pulling the car over, I just remember the loud sound of my heart pounding, drowning out the sound of the radio and my mother mumbling (she was actually yelling) at the police officer saying something about trash coming from the car window. I vaguely remember her asking me if I was throwing paper out of the window as she started driving again - of course, I said no.
I'm sure she said some more words about the policeman pulling her over for 'nothing' - but I don't remember. All I do remember is that I was relieved that I did not get in trouble, and I never stole anything again! - At least I learned my lesson :o)
When I was growing up I had two interesting experiences with "the law". My first story actually involves a bunch of other kids, so it really isn't my sole experience. I think I was about 11 or 12-years-old when this took place. Me and some other neighborhood kids were outside 'bored' and someone came up with the idea to make slingshots (I don't remember what my brother was doing that day, but he wasn't with us and he wasn't really into 'crafts' anyway :o).
We went to the rental office - we would always go there for our supplies, drawing paper, paper clips, pencils etc... (don't ask why the people in the office would give us these things - maybe they just wanted us to hurry and leave them alone - who knows?). But we went to the office and asked for some hangers and rubber bands and they gave them to us. We took the hangers apart and bent them to break them and re-twisted to make out slingshot base then we tied on the rubber bands. We had to get some old material from one of the kid's houses - some jeans or something to make the little holder for our rocks.
We decided to go to the back of the apartment building, where there was a huge hill that faced the woods, to shoot our slingshots. As we stood on the hill shooting/slinging our rocks into the trees, of course, it turned into a competition. But because there were so many trees we could not really tell whose rock went the highest or farthest. So once again, someone came up with the idea for us to face the other way so we could sling our rocks over the apartment building. Of course, at that time, nothing sounded wrong with this idea, but as I now type this I realize all types of 'bad' things could have resulted :o(
So we began shooting/slinging our rocks high above the building noting the ones that landed on the roof or disappeared into the sky. Later that night, there was knock on our apartment door. My mother answered and it was the policeman who lived in our complex. He had several of the kids that I had been playing with earlier that day with him, and they did not look happy. He told my mother that some of the kids in the neighborhood thought it was a good idea to use slingshots to shoot rocks onto the roof of the building.
He proceeded to tell her that little did they know that these rocks did not just land on the roof of the building, but they flew over the building landing in the parking lot - of course, the lot was filled with cars. He even went on to say that as some people arrived home from work, they had to run to dodge rocks and some even thought it was hailing! Coincidentally, one of those falling rocks landed on and put a small scratch on his girlfriend's car window and he was collecting the names of all kids involved just in case the scratch turned into a crack.
After my mother listened to this story in horror, she shook her head from side to side in disbelief and automatically yelled over her shoulder for my brother to come to the door. Needless to say she was even more surprised to hear the police officer say, "No, ma'am, I am actually hear to get the name of your daughter." :o( I really didn't get in too much trouble for that and as far as I know the scratch never turned into a crack :o)
Earlier run-in with the law:
The very first incident I remember is when I was about 5 or 6-years-old. This story takes place in the grocery store. My mother and I went grocery shopping one day - by the way, I do not like grocery shopping at all I'd rather walk around a mall for hours and not pick up one thing than go to a grocery store :o( - Anyway, let me get back on topic. So we were in a grocery store shopping. I was following behind her while she was picking up things and putting them into the cart. As we walked around the store I noticed the Brach's candy display.
I knew not to ask for anything, but I really wanted some of that candy. It was a bulk candy display - the kind where you could bag your own individual pieces. There was sooo many types of colorful pieces and each one was calling my name. I just had to have one or maybe two pieces. Before I knew it, I looked up and my mother had moved on and was heading down the next grocery aisle. Hey, she didn't even notice that I was still standing there looking at that candy. Not once did she look back to see my hand reach up into that display, grabbing a handful of delicious pieces of candy. So after I had my stash hidden securely in my pocket, I hurried after her.
Once the shopping was done, and the groceries were packed nicely in the back seat with me. I began to eat my sweet treasures. I quietly, but quickly unwrapped a piece, tossed the evidence out of the window and popped it into my mouth. I did this routine for each piece of candy. As I was enjoying the sweet sugary goodness and bopping my head to the radio I was in a state of utter happiness, but all of a sudden my happiness turned to terror. That terror came in the form of a loud police car siren. I thought somehow the grocery store people knew I took their candy and they had called the police.
I swallowed what was my last piece of candy. My throat began to burn and my eyes began to fill with water as I thought about how mad my mother was going to be once she found out about the stolen candy, not to mention the fact that I was headed to jail. I don't remember my mother pulling the car over, I just remember the loud sound of my heart pounding, drowning out the sound of the radio and my mother mumbling (she was actually yelling) at the police officer saying something about trash coming from the car window. I vaguely remember her asking me if I was throwing paper out of the window as she started driving again - of course, I said no.
I'm sure she said some more words about the policeman pulling her over for 'nothing' - but I don't remember. All I do remember is that I was relieved that I did not get in trouble, and I never stole anything again! - At least I learned my lesson :o)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Hooray Inauguration Day
Just a short post in celebration of Inauguration Day! I decided to stay home and flip through the various channels to watch, but I did go out to the Lincoln Memorial Concert on Sunday and attempted to get tickets for a concert on Monday - the huge crowds beat me to it, but still met some wonderful people in town for the weekend events.
Check out my pictures - some are a bit blurry, due to my excitement, taking pictures with my niece on my back and not to mention the cold :o)
Trying to get closer to the Lincoln Memorial
Super long lines heading towards the memorial
We settled for a spot under a monitor - we weren't too far away...
Taking pictures of the monitors :o)
Sheryl Crow
Will.i.am - It's a New Day :o)
Bono
Jaime Fox
Our New VP
Check out my pictures - some are a bit blurry, due to my excitement, taking pictures with my niece on my back and not to mention the cold :o)
Trying to get closer to the Lincoln Memorial
Super long lines heading towards the memorial
We settled for a spot under a monitor - we weren't too far away...
Taking pictures of the monitors :o)
Sheryl Crow
Will.i.am - It's a New Day :o)
Bono
Jaime Fox
Our New VP
People were up in the trees
Usher, Shakira and Stevie Wonder
Hooray - Obama! Of course the crowd went wild :o)
Beyonce, John Fogerty and others closing...
Despite the cold and the crowds the concert was a wonderful experience.
Despite the cold and the crowds the concert was a wonderful experience.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Introducing The Firestand Band
When we were younger, my brother and I started several bands. I don't know if it was too many episodes of The Partridge Family, Donny & Marie Osmond, The Brady Bunch (remember those Sunshine Day episodes? - you can see them on YouTube - too funny :o) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaCCG7QkM_c) or my favorite The Jackson Five http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9h4qUsojyE - but starting bands was one of our pass times.
We only had one band with 'real' instruments though, we usually would use household items like pots and pans or my mother's Tupperware dishes (the Tupperware dish/pot band was our most popular because of this guy named Maxi who was on the drums - well, I mean pots - he would draw huge crowds, but best believe those crowds disappeared before my mother got home :o)
But the name of this particular band was Firestand Band. We named it so because 'Firestand' was the name on the drum set my brother received one Christmas. That Christmas I also got a set of maracas and a tambourine. We were so physced. Along with my brother and I we enlisted a neighbor to be in our band, he was one of the background singers and was in charge of putting on the record (yeah we played along with records most of the time) and the lighting - which consisted of him turning the bedroom light switch on and off really fast :o)
We had one original song entitled "Oh!" - too bad I don't have a recording - but "Oh" was actually the only lyric as well. It was a fast song that went something like "Oh - a few drum beats and tambourine/maraca shakes - Oh - more beats on the drum and tambourine/maraca shakes, then a longer Ohhhhhh." Then repeat until tired and/or out of breath. With the loud drumming and lights flashing, I tell you it was straight pandemonium!
Along with "Oh!" one of The Firestand Band's covers was Diana's Ross' "Love Hangover" ( check out this performance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEIC423qO9k) Of course, I was Diana Ross. That one started off with the lights off until the end of the final slow "Overrrrr" then it was on! Lights began flashing (complements of our lighting man) I picked up my maraca/tambourine combo and my brother went wild on the drums. Again, straight pandemonium! Not to mention how we would occasionally put the record on a faster speed - we'd be on fire!
As we got a little older and bolder, during summer breaks we got more creative with our setup. We had costumes, show programs, and we incorporated more performances from other groups (neighborhood kids of course). My mother's fur coats, wigs and high-heeled boots were great for our Prince, DeBarge and The Time performances.
The living room was transformed to an auditorium, decorated with Christmas lights to separate the audience from the stage (yep - we had an audience and charged a 10 cent admission - only one person paid though and, of course, someone was posted outside just in case mom decided to come home early).
Ahhhh those were the days :o)
We only had one band with 'real' instruments though, we usually would use household items like pots and pans or my mother's Tupperware dishes (the Tupperware dish/pot band was our most popular because of this guy named Maxi who was on the drums - well, I mean pots - he would draw huge crowds, but best believe those crowds disappeared before my mother got home :o)
But the name of this particular band was Firestand Band. We named it so because 'Firestand' was the name on the drum set my brother received one Christmas. That Christmas I also got a set of maracas and a tambourine. We were so physced. Along with my brother and I we enlisted a neighbor to be in our band, he was one of the background singers and was in charge of putting on the record (yeah we played along with records most of the time) and the lighting - which consisted of him turning the bedroom light switch on and off really fast :o)
We had one original song entitled "Oh!" - too bad I don't have a recording - but "Oh" was actually the only lyric as well. It was a fast song that went something like "Oh - a few drum beats and tambourine/maraca shakes - Oh - more beats on the drum and tambourine/maraca shakes, then a longer Ohhhhhh." Then repeat until tired and/or out of breath. With the loud drumming and lights flashing, I tell you it was straight pandemonium!
Along with "Oh!" one of The Firestand Band's covers was Diana's Ross' "Love Hangover" ( check out this performance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEIC423qO9k) Of course, I was Diana Ross. That one started off with the lights off until the end of the final slow "Overrrrr" then it was on! Lights began flashing (complements of our lighting man) I picked up my maraca/tambourine combo and my brother went wild on the drums. Again, straight pandemonium! Not to mention how we would occasionally put the record on a faster speed - we'd be on fire!
As we got a little older and bolder, during summer breaks we got more creative with our setup. We had costumes, show programs, and we incorporated more performances from other groups (neighborhood kids of course). My mother's fur coats, wigs and high-heeled boots were great for our Prince, DeBarge and The Time performances.
The living room was transformed to an auditorium, decorated with Christmas lights to separate the audience from the stage (yep - we had an audience and charged a 10 cent admission - only one person paid though and, of course, someone was posted outside just in case mom decided to come home early).
Ahhhh those were the days :o)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Houdini's Assistant
One afternoon while minding my own business I was called downstairs by my brother. As I slowly walked down the stairs annoyed because I was interrupted from pretty much doing nothing aside from being left alone, he shouted, "Come on, I have something to show you."
He sounded really excited and went on to say he wanted to show me something in the basement. "What is it?" I replied. "Come on, I have to show you," he said ignoring the unamused sound of my voice. He proceeded to walk through the living room toward the basement stairs only glancing back to make sure that I was still following.
As I followed I wondered what he could possibly show me that was so exciting. I hoped it wasn't a new pet he had trapped in a shoe box or one of my mother's dishes (years before he had actually tried to capture a possum in one of her pots). When we reached the bottom of the stairs instead of turning to walk down the hall to his room he headed for the laundry room. He stood in front of the washer and dryer and said, "Watch this."
As he proceeded to climb into the dryer, contorting his - what I'm sure at that time was at least five-foot body to squeeze into the opening I asked, "What the heck are you doing?" "Just watch," he insisted. As I let out a deep breath and rolled my eyes toward the ceiling - still pretty much unamused he pulled his remaining leg in. "Okay, I'm leaving now," I said thinking that 'that' was the trick.
"No," he shouted. "Now close the door." "I am not going to close the door. Have you lost your mind?" asked turning to leave. "Come on just close it," he insisted. "Fine," I said and swung the door to the dryer closed. Just when I thought the trick was finally coming to an end I heard his now tunnel sounding voice yelling from inside of the dryer, "Now turn it on."
"Okay, you have really lost your mind. I am not turning it on," I yelled back to his voice. "Come on just really quick," he again insisted. I'm sure I must have thought something like, "Oh well, if he wants to do something stupid who am I to stand in his way?"
So I pressed the knob to turn the dryer on. Not two seconds after pressing the button I heard him screaming, "Turn it off! Turn it off!" I turned the dial to off, but the dryer did one last rotation. "Turn it off! Turn it off!" he yelled again. "I did. It is off!" I yelled back.
The next thing I knew, before the dryer came to a complete stop my brother kicked the dryer door open and quickly struggled to get out. "What happened?" I asked. "It was hot!" he responded. "Oh," was my reply and I turned to go back up the stairs.
Years later, I guess about ten or so, something reminded us of this incident and we retold it at a family gathering. What we thought would be an amusing story turned out to be a horrific tale to our audience and for some reason, I was the one who got fussed at.
"Why did you let him do that?" "What if he would have got burned and died?" - were among the questions I made out from the yelling. I couldn't understand why I was being yelled at - I guess I 'was' the oldest, but only by two years, and I guess he could have been burned, he was only wearing a pair of shorts - swimming trunks, I think, no shirt, shoes or socks, but that was his craziness not mine :o)
As we have retold the story over the years, one of the main questions people ask us is how old we were and they are awestruck when we say we were about fifteen and seventeen. Too bad Jackass wasn't around those days - we would have surely gotten a part on the show or movie. Too bad we did not have a video camera - we would have surely won on America's Funniest Videos not to mention YouTube - I'm sure we would have millions of hits. Maybe we could reenact it :o)
He sounded really excited and went on to say he wanted to show me something in the basement. "What is it?" I replied. "Come on, I have to show you," he said ignoring the unamused sound of my voice. He proceeded to walk through the living room toward the basement stairs only glancing back to make sure that I was still following.
As I followed I wondered what he could possibly show me that was so exciting. I hoped it wasn't a new pet he had trapped in a shoe box or one of my mother's dishes (years before he had actually tried to capture a possum in one of her pots). When we reached the bottom of the stairs instead of turning to walk down the hall to his room he headed for the laundry room. He stood in front of the washer and dryer and said, "Watch this."
As he proceeded to climb into the dryer, contorting his - what I'm sure at that time was at least five-foot body to squeeze into the opening I asked, "What the heck are you doing?" "Just watch," he insisted. As I let out a deep breath and rolled my eyes toward the ceiling - still pretty much unamused he pulled his remaining leg in. "Okay, I'm leaving now," I said thinking that 'that' was the trick.
"No," he shouted. "Now close the door." "I am not going to close the door. Have you lost your mind?" asked turning to leave. "Come on just close it," he insisted. "Fine," I said and swung the door to the dryer closed. Just when I thought the trick was finally coming to an end I heard his now tunnel sounding voice yelling from inside of the dryer, "Now turn it on."
"Okay, you have really lost your mind. I am not turning it on," I yelled back to his voice. "Come on just really quick," he again insisted. I'm sure I must have thought something like, "Oh well, if he wants to do something stupid who am I to stand in his way?"
So I pressed the knob to turn the dryer on. Not two seconds after pressing the button I heard him screaming, "Turn it off! Turn it off!" I turned the dial to off, but the dryer did one last rotation. "Turn it off! Turn it off!" he yelled again. "I did. It is off!" I yelled back.
The next thing I knew, before the dryer came to a complete stop my brother kicked the dryer door open and quickly struggled to get out. "What happened?" I asked. "It was hot!" he responded. "Oh," was my reply and I turned to go back up the stairs.
Years later, I guess about ten or so, something reminded us of this incident and we retold it at a family gathering. What we thought would be an amusing story turned out to be a horrific tale to our audience and for some reason, I was the one who got fussed at.
"Why did you let him do that?" "What if he would have got burned and died?" - were among the questions I made out from the yelling. I couldn't understand why I was being yelled at - I guess I 'was' the oldest, but only by two years, and I guess he could have been burned, he was only wearing a pair of shorts - swimming trunks, I think, no shirt, shoes or socks, but that was his craziness not mine :o)
As we have retold the story over the years, one of the main questions people ask us is how old we were and they are awestruck when we say we were about fifteen and seventeen. Too bad Jackass wasn't around those days - we would have surely gotten a part on the show or movie. Too bad we did not have a video camera - we would have surely won on America's Funniest Videos not to mention YouTube - I'm sure we would have millions of hits. Maybe we could reenact it :o)
Friday, January 2, 2009
Happy New Year! - Short Update on things to come
I really need to keep up with this blog :o)
During the Holiday's, families gather and people began to reminisce. My brother and I took a walk down memory lane and shared all sorts of stories about some of the crazy things we did when we were younger, bee catching, starting bands with my mother's brand new Tupperware, making up stories why things were broken in the house because company was not suppose to be over, and crazy Houdini antics like getting into the dryer (not me, of course :o). I plan to write about a few of those stories during the upcoming week to get me back into the flow of writing.
So stay tuned...
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.
Peace and Blessings
During the Holiday's, families gather and people began to reminisce. My brother and I took a walk down memory lane and shared all sorts of stories about some of the crazy things we did when we were younger, bee catching, starting bands with my mother's brand new Tupperware, making up stories why things were broken in the house because company was not suppose to be over, and crazy Houdini antics like getting into the dryer (not me, of course :o). I plan to write about a few of those stories during the upcoming week to get me back into the flow of writing.
So stay tuned...
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.
Peace and Blessings
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