And They Didn’t Win THAT Super Bowl, Either

Don’t you just love Fridays? Mmmm. Take a big deep breath. You smell that? That’s Friday goodness, redolent with promise.

As usual, I devote Friday’s blog to divining the future from my iPod (about as reliable as any other source, including “making plans”) and telling some random story from my life.

You know. Basically just wasting your precious time.

But what does the iPod have to say about that? Eeny meeny jelly beanie, the Spirits are about to speak!

Darling by Sons and Daughters
Magic Bus by The Who
Everybody’s Everything by Santana
Respect by Aretha Franklin
Suddenly… (I Miss Carpaty) by Gogol Bordello
London Calling by The Clash
The Distance by CAKE
On the Take by Bridge Club

But what’s it mean? Or as a high school teacher used to ask us: But how does it make you feel?

How’s it make me feel? Makes me feel like skipping class!

And here comes the weekend…

In response to the delightful economy, I and my irreverent friend Mary will be cleaning a home on Saturday. Ah! If only the home-owner knew how much fun we have while doing it. It doesn’t seem like work when you’re laughing, does it?

So! You got time for a quick one? A silly little story and then really, I’ve got to go…

My parents, back in the late 70s and during the time of the Purple People Eaters (the Viking’s defensive line – a football team, to you outlanders) hosted a number of Super Bowl parties. This in itself is a bit of a joke, as while the Minnesota Vikings have managed to play in quite a few Super Bowls, they’ve never managed to win one…

It was during one of these parties that my Aunt Pat and Uncle Mark brought their son Eric. Cousin Eric was, and is, a funny and strangely deadpan person. At the time, however, he was maybe four years old and inclined toward running small toy cars up and over things.

“Vroom vroom vroom,” Eric ran the little car up and around the TV set, which in accordance with the times, was a large piece of furniture roughly the size of a Volkswagen.

This will come as a surprise to some of you, but at the time there was no television remote as we know it today. “Remotes” back then were called “children”; and if you wanted to turn the volume in any direction you had only to shout at the nearest child and he/she was forced, by unwritten law, to do your bidding. There was also no such thing as cable – at least not where we were from. It was a horrid, mean existence. Not many of us lived.

Where was I?

Oh, yes. Eric’s car.

My dad, not particularly long-suited in patience, took as much as he could of Eric running that car up and over the screen and finally asked him, “Eric, how would you like to eat that car?”

Eric stopped what he was doing and considered it. Blinking solemnly he said, “I would not like to eat this car. But I would like to lick it.”


Have a great night everyone! Come back soon -- and tell your friends!