This weekend is a holiday weekend in Canada, originally in honor of Queen Victoria's birthday. I'm not sure what it is in celebration of now, as the ever politically correct Canadians keep changing things -- including our National Anthem. Most school children don't know all the words to the anthem because it keeps getting "tweaked" so as not to offend anyone. So, I'm not sure if we are still celebrating Queen Victoria's birthday, or if it's just an excuse for a long weekend. In most parts of Canada it is now called May Two-Four in honor of a case of 24 beers (a "two-four"), which gets consumed during the long weekend. To me, it's just called May Day weekend. My brain is definitely in three-day weekend mode, and I thought I would share with you some of the bits of flotsam and jetsam that have been meandering through my thoughts this weekend.
Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that when you use a hand-dryer in a public washroom, your hands seem to be wetter when the dryer turns off, than when you started? How does that happen? If I subscribed to conspiracy theories, I would think it's a conspiracy. There's a camera somewhere in the corner of the washroom, and we're human guineau pigs. Somewhere, someone is laughing at the puzzled looks on our faces. We could stand there all day, and our hands just will not get dry.
Ree Drummond - Pioneer Woman or Stepford Wife? The jury is still out for me. I guess the woman has made a fortune writing about the "womanly arts", but she has a university degree and had planned to attend law school. Her most recent Facebook entries consist of: "Today I shall endeavor to: Take the nail polish off my toes, plant the rest of my vegetables, detangle my necklaces, detangle my hair, detangle my children's hair, find my brain, exercise, and forgive myself for going to bed tonight without exercising. Wish me luck! ... Today I shall endeavor to: Make my bed, kiss my children, finish unpacking, spell words correctly, find my missing boot, find my missing earring, find my missing brain, find my missing camisole, find my missing mascara, and breathe." And now Columbia Pictures is making a movie of this. The description is; “how a detour on a trip from L.A. to Chicago led her to Oklahoma. There, she met the cowboy of her dreams and transformed from spoiled city girl to domestic ranch wife.” This must be what happens after the happy ending in the Harlequin romance, when the heroine rides off into the sunset with the cowboy who rescues her. I'm sure she is a lovely woman, and this is not meant as a criticism of her, but I think there is a sociological study to be made of the way the pendulum has swung so far back in the other direction in the past decade or so. It's very interesting.
Caught on tape...! Poor Sarah Ferguson -- she's done it again. She was caught taking a bribe, offering access to Prince Andrew in exchange for money. She requested a payment of £500,000 and told a reporter for News of the World: "That opens up everything you would ever wish for and I can open any door you want and I will for you. Look after me and he'll look after you ... You'll get it back tenfold." I feel sorry for Fergie. I always liked her, and I preferred her to the melodramatic, histrionic, over-the-top Diana. Fergie is sort of a klutz, but rather loveable in her awkward way. Now, however, she just looks deceitful. This will be hard for her to live down. I guess celebrities are only as good as their last scandal. Right Tiger?Well ... it's a slow weekend, and my brain is in vacation mode. Have a great weekend, everyone.
25 comments:
My country's national anthem is offensive to musicians - beastly difficult to sing because the notes are all over the place.
I suspect those non-drying hand machines are bacteria factories, and usually just wipe my hands on toilet paper or my jeans and shake them a lot.
I have never thought that Fergie had any business being a royal. As for access to Prince Andrew - haven't they been divorced for years?
It boggles the mind that anyone could make a movie of someone who blogs about removing nail polish. If they are trying to portray the emptiness of some women's lives and minds, though, it's a good place to start. Another Meryl Streep triumph, maybe?
A three-day holiday by any other name would smell as sweet. Enjoy it!
Jo, I hope you enjoy your May 2-4 holiday. In Bellingham, I've noticed some places have installed SUPER dryers, and they actually work! You stick your hands down and inside an incredibly loud machine and in mere seconds they come out dry! As for Fergie, I'm totally neutral about her. I agree with Heart: our national anthem is totally un-singable!
I had no idea that Canada's anthem has been tweaked over the years. That would really mess with our minds if they did that to the US national anthem. As SF and DJan have said, it's already hard to sing.
Those hand dryers manage to dry your skin while leaving your hands wet. It's really quite the engineering feat.
I have never followed the Pioneer Woman, mainly because I think she has more than enough fans without me. =)
As for Fergie, I felt awful for her - and more so for her daughters - when I saw the video this morning. I've always sorry for her, largely because she is so self-destructive. I hope this doesn't interfere with her relationship with her girls.
Hi Jo
Very interesting information about "May Day".
Enjoy your weekend.
i am not so lucky....LOL
MAYDAY is a distress call.
Entertaining post filled with conspiracy theories and indiscretions. You've relieved our distress on a holiday weekend.
Re hand drying machines - I always take folded paper towels with me when I leave the house, and use those - hate the sounds of those dryers as well.
Re Pioneer Woman - I used to read her blog, but getting past all the myriad of photographs of the same subject and her constantly showing pictures of her husband's rear end (complete with her remarks about his tight a.....), made me sick.
Frankly, I think she's still that spoiled woman and very self-centered.
Re Sarah - too bad; my it's almost unbelieveable isn't it.
May Day in America is the first of May; everyone takes flowers to friends and family, but 'no days off' - I think that's because we have Memorial Day for the 3-day holiday.
Oh dear, oh dear, when will Mrs. Ferguson learn? Such a foolish mistake to make...and you're very brave stating your opinion on Princess Diana. My, if anyone dared say that in England, the Daily Express would go insane! Good for you, one should never let their honest viewpoints be suppressed :)
I tend to agree with your about the hand dyers. I can blow on my hands and get them dryer - lol.
But about PW, she makes so many of us "moms of many" seem so inadequate. I see no way ONE person can conceivably do all she claims to do. I think in theory, she's lovely, and maybe in person too, but there must be a PW staff at work, seriously.
Yep, wipe your hands on your pants and leave. You have a lot of good stuff here to read. Have a great May Day.
Diana had more class in her pinkie than Sarah Ferguson ever had or ever will have. Yes, I like Fergie too and Diana could be a bit of a kook but she raised two wonderful sons and did it her way.
As for Ree Drummond, she is a wonderful person. Although I haven't met her in real life, I have shared e-mails with her. She is a kind and generous person. And she loves her life on the ranch.
And as far as another commenter's remarks about her husband's tight a--, that is something PW never said in print. I have never seen a curse word on her blog.
You know, you're right about Pioneer Woman being the time beyond the Harlequin romance - I read her series of posts about meeting her husband & it reads just like a Harlequin. I actually enjoyed it a lot because she's VERY funny. But she is an interesting case of choosing an old feminine style. And apparently her cinnamon roll recipe is killer!
About hand dryers - I KNEW there must be a conspiracy! The only ones that work are those super powerful that make your skin move around on your hand and FREAK ME OUT. Heh.
Wow, you covered some serious ground here, a potpourri of various subjects. Think I'll go open the weekend's 23rd beer (well the weekend's almost over) and go back and read it all again.
But shame on Fergie, how foolish... sheesh... and who in their right mind would pay 500000 quid just to get to meet a royal ?
I thought your title was a call for help....that you may have capsized! But, ant excuse for a three day weekend is okay with me!
Poor Fergie, she tries so hard to
hang on.......
Hate hand driers. I think you get more germs, since your hands are wet when you leave the restroom and then everything you touch wants to cling to those wet hands.
Susan, if someone asked me to stand up in front of a stadium full of people and sing our National Anthem, I couldn't do it. And I believe they are in the process of changing -- again. *sigh*
Djan, I still opt for the toilet paper if I see one of those machines. They never seem to work, and I end up with a lineup behind me, waiting to "dry" their hands. :-)
Single and Sane, That's a good work for Fergie -- self destructive. Why does she keep going these things? I would have thought she had learned her lesson ages ago, but it seems she hasn't. Silly woman!
IP, yes, I am enjoying my long weekend -- immensely. :-)
KrippledWarrior, I know. :-)
Paul, well thank you...! I'm very glad I did. :-)
Diane, yes, I believe your Memorial Day is next weekend, isn't it? Enjoy your weekend!
Sam, Diana was like a bright sun that burned out too quickly. She was self-destructive too, and unfortunately, she self-destructed. I always preferred Fergie.
J, I am sure she is a lovely person, and very bright, I just don't understand the whole "June Cleaver" thing.
L.D. yes, I just grab a piece of toilet paper and use that. Those hand dryers are just too frustrating. *heh*
Kate, I think PW must be a lovely person, too. I guess it's because I'm Canadian, but I just don't "get" the whole domestic goddess routine. Something doesn't ring true, or perhaps I am missing something.
Bug, I hope I have not offended anyone with my comment about PW. I just don't understand all the hoopla, but as I said, maybe it's because I'm Canadian. Cinnamon buns?
Owen, that's what I didn't understand. Didn't she realize she was being set up? Andrew is already fairly accessible, without having to pay £500,000.
Kathy, I know! Not to mention chapped hands from not being dried properly. I'll reach for the toilet paper instead, thanks. :-)
We have way too many public holidays in South Africa. I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong, its just that the economy tends to suffer a bit. *busy looking on the calender when the next public holiday is*
Jo I remember May 24th as a great holiday when I was a kid as there was the town parade and we always got stiff little flags on sticks to wave during the parade. Some were the old Canadian red ensign and others were the British flag. It was always on May 24th so relating it to beer must be something new. It was the day as kids we got to wear new summer white sandals for the first time in the year.
I also take my own paper towel from home when I go to the sports centre washroom. Their electric dryer sits on the wall but doesn't work so there isn't that problem there.
I also liked Fergie better just because she seemed so gauche, but this time she's made a bad mistake in judgement, no matter how hard up she is for money.
I enjoyed reading some of PW's stories in the past but found her recipes too rich in butter and definitely not good for the waistline.
I can never keep up with our national anthem and would still sing it as we did in the 1950s LOL!
Have a good week Jo.
Happy 3 day weekend! I'm slightly jelous, but with a 3 day weekend coming up I won't hold it against you.
As for Fergie, my heart broke just a little when I saw that on the news this morning. She has a way of steping in it doesn't she.
And to Pioneer Women I think we all get to chose how we live our lives. While I am a working mother, if the stars were to align and I were to get married to someone who could support me I would quite my job. I'm pretty sure my days wouldn't doing my nails and finding my brain, but then I suppect that PW's life isn't really like that either. It does say something about the way the pendulum swings doesn't it.
They changed the Canadian anthem??? It isn't "O Canada?" I LOVE "O Canada"! LOL! I impressed my husband, stepdaughter and stepsoninlaw (yikes!) last year when we went to an NHL game...and I could sing along when they played it. It is far superior to our crazy national anthem.
I think PW is funny and kind of interesting...but I agree with the person who said there has to be a "staff" involved. She's kind of like the Martha Stewart of the Prairie.
Hey Jo, Hope you had a glorius week end...today included with lots of sunshine. Just wanted to let U know Jim just finished his successful surgery for liver cancer and is doing well! thanks for all your goood wishes.....Carol in TN
The UK 'May Day' bank holiday is sometimes thought of as a sort of political 'Labour Day' celebration or, more usually, as an age old religious holiday, with crowning the Queen of the May, dancing around a 'maypole', Morris dancing (huh) and stuff like that. Just another excuse to take some time off work..;-)
Re Fergie. How thick can one get!!! A real plonker. Not that I blame her for trying to make a few bucks by using her 'rank', so to speak (she's not a 'Royal' now) but simply can't believe she was so naive.
If it had been a genuine 'deal' and not a sting I wonder what the newspaper would have got for their half-million quid? And who, in general, could have given a damn?
She should stick to having her toes sucked. It might stop her from putting her foot in her mouth!
JO! the first picture is glorious!! the clouds.. my goodness.. =0D May Day has such a nice sound to it i think we keep it just to say it! =0P
I just had to read this post to see why anyone would want to stop reading your blog, because of it, Jo. I thought that it was a fabulous post and it made me laugh quite a bit, too. Guess some people just can't take a joke. lol Happy May Day!
Not a clue what would offend someone to the point of not following you, Jo. Not a clue.
I am in full agreement about Fergie. For one thing, it's rather appalling that evidently her divorce settlement was so stinging that she had to do things like flog Weight Watchers.
That said, the poor woman has a positive gift for screwing up. It does make her seem delightfully human, but at this point, aren't her children grown? I could understand her more desperate scrambling when her children were younger. She wasn't granted enough money to keep children with ties to the royal family safe, for one thing.
Anyway, now she unfortunately just looks greedy.
As for Ree Drummond, well there's nothing wrong with being a housewife. It's a legitimate choice even for well educated women.
It isn't what choices we make as women that are important, or defining, it is that we must have the full range of choices available to us.
Having said that, Ree Drummond is a business woman, not a housewife. She earns a substantial living from that blog, her cookbooks, her speaking tours, he TV appearances.
In other words, she packaged and sold herself as Pioneer version of June Cleaver, but she's actually a very savvy business woman, who figured out how to make money while stuck in Oklahoma.
Hats off to her, I say. Although I do cook, and whereas I like many of her recipes, I often end up tweaking them. They are also only occasional things as nearly everything she makes is high fat.
But truly, she's a housewife in the same sense that Julia Child would have been. She's getting paid for her gig on the web and elsewhere.
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