Today in my research procedures class, we discussed systems theory. Let me tell you, "it's real exciting." I actually fell asleep in class today sitting up. I don't know how that is physically possible. It was only for about a millisecond because as soon as my professor spoke I was wide awake. My heart was racing like you would not believe. My professor reminds me of Doctor Emmett L. Brown from the "Back to the Future" movies, a "crazy wild eyed scientist." I swear someday his eyes are going to pop out of his head and he has this deep voice that periodically crescendo. So of course one of these crescendo occurred when I was asleep and hence jerked me out of my stupor. Anyway, today in class, among other things, we talked about negentropy and equifinality. Riigghhtt. Don't these words look/sound made up? It's like something out of "The Jabberwoky." (This poem, by the way, gave us the word "chortle," a made up word that actually became a real word, hmmm). The equifinality of his negentropy blankenshiped and twosting he was able to narfle the garthoc. Man, I should make up words for a living. (Alright that last phrase is from "Coneheads") Anyway, in my sleepy state, I don't think I should be required to expand my vocabulary. And no, I am not going to tell you what the words mean either. You can expand your vocabulary as well by looking them up.
Today within two seconds of each other, I saw someone wearing sandals and another person wearing a stocking cap. I love fall!
There is one in every small town. Two in mine actually. A house that is decorated to the max on every single holiday. One of the houses in my town even has the gall to be located on the main road where it is impossible to avoid gawking at everytime you drive by. As you know it is the season of Halloween. Not only are their orange lights strung about everywhere, decals in the windows, and about fouty-three pumpkins, they seriously own every lit halloween lawn ornament that has ever been made. It is impossible to traverse their lawn. Every spare piece of grass is adorned with hideous halloween decorations. What are you thinking, people?!?!? Why did you waste your money on all that crap? Halloween threw up on your lawn! I pity your neighbors.
Fall is my absolute favorite season. As you know I love football, I love that the trees change color, that it gets cool enough that you have to wear a sweatshirt. I grew up on a farm and fall is harvest time. It's when all your hard work pays off. (Not that I ever contributed to that hard work.) Fall is also the time for the Spoon River Drive. The "Drive" as it is known by locals is actually a multi-town, multi-county craft/fleamarket/amazing food festival. A dozen or so little towns near where I grew up come alive with thousands of people browsing, shopping, and eating for the first two weekends of October every year. I think the "Drive" portion refers to all the fall colors you take in when you are driving from town to town, but seriously who cares about that "Gimme the FOOD." My mom and I have been attending the "Drive" for so long that we have our own little routine. We hit four stops between two towns and always take the back roads. (The traffic is insane.) We even go the same direction through the maze of stands every year. Pathetic isn't it. Personally, I go for the unbelievable. scrumptous, to-die-for food. However, I must admit that I do enjoy looking at some of the crafts in the "primitive" catagory much to my chagrin. (Mom it's all your fault I like that crap.) There are five food items that I must partake in every year. First I must have a butterfly pork chop sandwich for lunch. Not any pork chop sandwich mind you. It has to be from the London Mills Volunteer Firefigher food stand. After that it is Carmel Apple Slices with Pecans at this booth shaped like an apple on one of the side streets in London Mills. Before we leave London Mills, it is imperative to buy approximately 3 large bags of Kettle Korn. Of course from a specific Kettle Korn stand as well. Next it is on to Farmington and the Methodist Church Ladies apple dumplings, at least eight. Finally, a newer stop on the "Drive" is a pioneer shed at someone's farm where I split with my Mom a piece of Spoon River Mud Pie. .....Heaven. Alas, now it is a whole year before I can indulge again. Yet hope remains, it's time for my last apple dumpling,...Mmm.
Since my brother was in junior high or for about five or six years, he has collected banana stickers. Why, you may ask? Who knows. All I know is that when you open one of my mom's kitchen cabinets, you will find the banana sticker collection. It resides here mainly because the bananas are usually kept on the counter below. Once my brother realized that a new bunch of bananas had arrived the first thing he would do was take the sticker off and place it on the inside of the cabinet door. There are interesting things you can learn from banana stickers. For example, every banana sticker no matter what brand has the number 4011 on it. Don't believe me, check it out. It is also very interesting that sometimes banana stickers advertise for others. The movie "Garfield" advertised on a banana sticker. The collection has also been able to track our banana purchases. My brother decided to have a race up the side of the cabinet between Dole and Chaquita. Dole kicked Chaquita's butt. I have to say my mother perfers Dole bananas as their sticker completely dominates the entire collection. I have no idea how the collection started but I hope my brother never stops. Sorry Mom.
Is it sad that tonight I watched a replay of a football game that I attended only three days ago? I really don't know how I became so obsessed with Huskie football. I have always enjoyed football in high school and as an undergrad. But now as a grad student, it is absolutely necessary to attend every game. Since my husband is attending school full time and working part time, this usually means dragging my friend Trisha to the game with me or having my poor mom drive 2 and 1/2 hours to go (as happened this weekend). I also must say that it is imperitive to sit on the student side. This gives you the real game day experience. I mean you should stand for the entire game, jingle your keys every kickoff, wonder why the band sometimes randomly yells "Touch my squirrel", and generally annoy the opposing team. My beloved Huskies are 2-0 in the MAC conference currently and I so hope they are conference champs this year. Then, Trisha, you will not have to hear me utter again (as I did when they lost a bid to a bowl game two years ago against Toledo) "I am so mad, I could eat my thunderstix."