Things That Flip My Picnic Table (in a good way)

Remember the theme song to the Patty Duke show? The part that says "a hot dog makes her loose control"? I've always felt that applies to me. It doesn't take much to flip my picnic table and I've had a hot dog make me loose control a time or two. Here's an incomplete list of Things That Flip My Picnic Table (in a good way) … as of today. I hope that this list is always incomplete because you never know when some new gizmo is going to come along and well, flip your picnic table.



1.  Sunshine. Had to mention sunshine first. It's the very end of November. Sunshine is quickly becoming a rare and hot commodity, but it's streaming in my kitchen windows as I speak type. I'm gonna let it hit my back and bask in it while I have the chance.


2.  Hats. With earflaps. Snicker if you will, but me and my trusty ear flap hat stayed nice and toasty at 3:30 am outside of Target on Black Friday. Okay, toasty warm is a bit overstated. A more true statement would be that I didn't die of exposure. Mornings like that one make you stop and think "Would I be caught dead in this?" because it could happen right there in line at Target. Apparently I would be caught dead in my earflap hat.


3.  Pop music. Preferably the 80s, but really from any era. There are people that will scoff and say "Even from the Disco era?" and I boldly say "YES! Ever heard of KC and the Sunshine Band? The Bee Gees? Yeesh!" Pop music isn't supposed to change the world. It's supposed to make you smile as you groove along through life.

4.  My kid's art work. I'm not one of those pack-rat moms that saves every art project and many of them, after careful perusal and loud praises, go straight into the recycling bin. Gasp! Oh no! It's not that I don't love the projects, I just don't have the space to store them all. I save the extra special works of art (like the picture one daughter drew of herself eating a carrot while wearing nothing but electric blue underwear - priceless!). Some I frame and hang up in my house, kinda like we live at the Louvre.


5.   Clearance racks or aisles. Aisles are even better! What can I say - I love a bargain. The sight of a bright orange sticker just churns my butter. Know what makes a clearance rack even better? A sign that advertises an extra 50% off the lowest sticker price! Whoopee!


6.  Googly eyes. They are funny in a crazy, demented way. Oddly enough, I don't like looking at an entire package of googly eyes. That's creepy and weird. Those eyes need a home. Then they are funny again.   

7.  Nutella. Chocolate the consistency of peanut butter. Oh hons! Toast some bread, load it up with Nutella, top it with banana slices and you've got yourself a little slice o' heaven. Makes me swoon just thinking about it.


8.  Bobbleheads. Classy, right? Yeah, I know. But I love those little suckers. They are a smile. Well, except the dog ones that ride in the back window of a car. Those are disturbing. Other people collect Hummel figurines or African tribal masks. Sue me. I like bobbleheads. 


9.  The Peanuts gang. The whole gang. Even Lucy. Tell me you don't get a bang out of watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" every year. Liar. You know you do. I love the Peanuts so much that the ringtone on my cell phone is the Vince Guaraldi song "Linus and Lucy".  linus and lucy
What? You expected a Bananarama tune? Well … that is a good idea.


10. Funny stories v. jokes. Never been much of a joke person. I'd rather hear the (mostly) true story of how you ended up in the dentist's chair with your pants on backwards and inside out than a knock-knock joke. Afterwards, I will tell you the (mostly) true story of the Hillbilly Toilet of Thanksgiving 2010. Or maybe the story of When a Mouse Pooped in my Elvis Purse. Both are funny and funny stories get me every time.


Oooooh, a Charlie Brown bobblehead with googly eyes? On clearance? Well, let me put down my Nutella banana sandwich, readjust my hat,  turn off the Go-Gos, and take a peek. This has the makings of a (mostly) true funny story. And that's the way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it! Pin It Now!