Hodgepodge: Mopping, Shopping, and Hopping

Volume 72 from Joyce's Hodgepodgin' noggin. Wow! And I thought *I* could ask a lot of questions!

These are my answers to her query this week. Read them if you wish, and if hungry for more variety, then click on the button above to see her answers and the links to more.



1. What's the last job you did that required elbow grease?

My kitchen has gotten more of my elbow grease lately as I've been in a spring cleaning mood. (Take my temperature; it could just be a sickness.) I've scrubbed grease off the appliances, sucked bugs and dust out of the windowsills with a vacuum , double-mopped the floor (once for clean, twice for shine) and scraped that icky build-up from around the faucet.

2. March Madness, aka the men's Division I basketball championship, is nearing an end. What sort of 'madness' has your house seen this month?

Good madness? Our son's wedding shown here, there, and everywhere.(See my past few posts. I've gone mad showing off my lovies.)
















By the way, I can NEVER hear the term "March Madness" without remembering the March when I was recovering from a broken ankle. On the last Sunday night in January, 1995 (at age 29), I wrenched my foot so hard playing volleyball that I passed out from pain. Two teen girls drove me home. I couldn't bear weight, so they carried me under the armpits up the steps and to my threshhold. My hubby was watching a Maryland Terps basketball game. The Terps were Final Four material that year.

Mind you, this was in the days before cell phones, so Paul hadn't heard how hurt I was before I got home. Nor did he really see me -- his beloved wife of eight years and mother to three small children--, when I finally did get home...crawling toward him... in pain... while those teen girls stood in the doorway commiserating. "Oh, Miss Zo, I hope you're going to be okay!" The Man was fixated on the basketball game. Fixated, I tell you. Terps fans on TV cheered so loudly that he couldn't hear my voice as I lay on the floor, swollen foot propped on the sofa next to him, writhing in agony. "Honey," I moaned, "can you pleeeeeease get me some ibuprofen?!!!"

He said, and I repeat, "Can it wait till halftime?"

My madness that January night lasted well into March. I am not sure I have yet forgiven him.
Ever since then, when I really want his attention, I hop on one foot in front of the TV and scream, "No, it can't wait till halftime!!!!"

I could be embellishing part of this story, but it's the way I remember it, so I'll stick to this version.



3. What's your favorite shop for browsing?

Consignment shops. There are a few near me that I frequent. One in particular has two levels of beautiful things--from furniture which has come from model homes and upscale homes, to designer purses and accessories, pillows and prints, a Christmas nook, and Persian rugs. It's like shopping my older sister's closet, my mom's jewelry box, my aunt's kitchen, Martha Stewart's basement, and Santa's tool shed --all under one roof.

4. Is there ever a time when giving up makes sense?

Oh, sure. The term "cut your losses" is often the best advice. Quitting is sometimes the wisest thing one can do, given the options, circumstances ,or repercussions.

5. What's a song you love that contains the name of a city, state or country in its title?

One of my favorite songs takes me back to the stage when I was in the show "The Music Man." We sang and danced the soft shoe (a tap dance) to the lyrics sung by the leading man, Professor Harold Hill: " There is just one place that can like my face--Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana, not Louisiana, Paris, France, New York, or Roooooooooome. But Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana, my home sweet hoooooooome!" (clickety-click!)

6. When did you first begin using a computer?

In college, circa 1983-84, I took a computer class using a language called Basic. Sounds easy enough, doesn't it? It was the hardest class of my college career. It was the first class after high school chemistry that convinced me that my brain doesn't fire on all cylinders and never will, this side of heaven. I ended up withdrawing from that class in order to save my GPA as an English major (a case in point for question #4).

7. Did you buy Girl Scout cookies this year? What's your favorite?

No, I haven't seen them for sale yet, which is a very good thing. I love Thin Mints, followed by Samoas. Literally.



8. Insert your own random thought here.

Please continue to pray for my brother-in-law Tony and his family. The cancer surgeries have taken their toll on his body and spirit, as you can well imagine. It's really hard living nine hours away, unable to be on hand for practical help.