Wednesday's Hodgpodge

1. What is something that bothers you if it's not done perfectly?
 Not much really.  I'm not a perfectionist.  One thing I dislike is crumbs on a countertop.  How anyone can walk by a countertop with crumbs and not stop to clean them us mystifies me.  It is so obvious.  But I seem to be the only person in my family that is disturbed by it, so I am usually the one to do the cleanup.  But, I hardly call that doing something perfectly.  I guess I don't get too bothered by minor details.

2. Do you think a 6th sense exists? Explain.
 As in ESP or something?   Yes, I do believe that there are people with a keen sense of reality and who are blessed with an uncanny ability to look into the future.  Some people seem to be much more "in tune" with their surroundings and appear to "pick up" on clues that the rest of us don't recognize.  I like to think of these people having a more developed set of sense than the rest of us for whatever reason.  I have read that people will develop parts of the brain that are not used in the future.  Who knows if everyone will know the future then?

3. Do you say your goodbyes slowly, quickly, or not at all?
 I like them to be quick and they are never, "Goodbyes forever."  I always add, "Until next time,"  or "I'll see you soon."  And then I make a point to do just that.

4. On a scale of 1-10, with ten being hot hot hot, what level of spice do you like in your food? What's your favorite 'spicy' dish?
No where near a 10, I'm afraid.  Perhaps a 4 or 5 at the most.  Spicy Tofu is my favorite "Spicy" dish.  It is a Chinese dish with hot chili's, minced pork, and tofu.  I am addicted to it. P.F. Chang's has an amazing spiced tofu.  However, the best I ever tasted was prepared by my Ayi, Shau Gau, in Shanghai, China.  Fortunately, she gave me the recipe.

                                                                Nestle Dog, Farfel


5. What is one of your all time favorite commercial jingles? 

Well, one that has stayed with me throughout my life was the old Nestles commercial.  A dog would sing, "N-E-S-T-L-E-S, Nestle makes the very best......chocolate."  Then, he would snap his mouth shut and it would sound like two boards hitting one another.


 I have no idea why I remember it, but the jingle stayed with me all of my years.  I love chocolate and Nestle makes very good chocolate so I am always remembering this little ditty from the commercial back from the early 60's.

6. Plane, train, boat or auto...your preferred method of travel?
Planes are so much faster, so it is my preferred method of travel.


7. What is something you take for granted?

Health, and I am quickly learning that if I don't take better care of myself, my health may not be with me in the future.  I've made some lifestyle changes because of it.  Time to get my head out of the sand.





8. Insert your own random thought here.

We bought the boxed set of "Mad Men" here in Germany.  We've watched Season One and just started Season Two.  Of course, seeing so many people smoking in public places was awkward, but to see how many cigarettes they smoked at one sitting was shocking.  Yet, I remember my mother smoking constantly when I was a child.  She did give it up, cold turkey, in her 50's, but she would have smoked a couple of packs of day in her prime.  


Another odd thing is watching a pregnant woman drink alcohol.  Then again, who knew the dangers of drinking while pregnant back in the late 50's and early 60's?  But it is interesting how I cringe today when I see it and it was socially acceptable and not considered a health hazard for the baby at all back in the 50's and 60's.  It makes you wonder what else we are doing today that is unhealthy that one day our ancestors will cringe at.  I'm guessing it will be the hormones in our beef, the pesticides in our food, and the pollution in our air.  One day, I hope people will be aghast at our heedless attention to the environment and our food supply.


I guess the most disturbing part of watching "Mad Men" is the attitude of the women in their 30's and older.  It is as if they exist as mere extensions of their husbands.  Their lives are filled with shopping and housekeeping and mostly making their husband's" happy."  This attitude spills over into making sure that they are attractive as a way of "Earning their keep."  What a sad notion. 


 Do women today still think that way?  It was horrifying to watch, but unfortunately, I recall my own mother and aunts doing the very same things to "Keep their husbands."  I would hope that we females have evolved more than that since the 60's. Have we?