WhaHappen?

This Hump Day I’m not focusing on anything in particular, which is easy with my bad eyesight. So here we go:

• I hate all insects, except the adorable ladybug. Until I saw pictures of one in its larva stage and one in a kung fu stance.



• I go out of my way to not walk under the trees near my office, just in case a pigeon decides to drop a payload on me. It happened to a co-worker so I’m not taking any chances.





• Do any kids REALLY need to be on a leash? I haven’t seen it in awhile, but I remember when it was popular.
• My cat Trixie weaves in and out between my feet every morning as I’m walking down the stairs. So, if I’m ever found with a broken neck at the bottom of the stairs, suspect feline foul play. Also, while I pour her food into her bowl, she sticks her face in it to start eating, which causes me to pour food on the back of her head – every time.
• (And for Jim at CoolStuffForDads.com) Should foxes be re-classified as belonging to the cat family, instead of dog? Who do we have to petition? This is one cool fox. He should have a pipe in his mouth and be wearing a smoking jacket.

Bobby McFerrin – Don’t Worry, Be Happy

GOOD NEWS! I extended the deadline for you to submit a photo until Sunday, May 3. That way, you’ll have one more weekend to get outside and unleash your inner kid. Some places are still having cold, wet or tornado weather. Wouldn’t want anyone getting sick with the swine flu. Or injured while trying to do a cartwheel in rough weather. Hey, maybe a tornado might even help you out with that cartwheel!
Get energized and creative. Click here for the original post.

The winner’s photo will be posted on my left sidebar AND there’s going to be a new page on this blog displaying any other photos submitted. [See tab at header] “At the Playground” will show off adults who aren’t afraid to act young. Never stop being playful or the Claws of the Geriatric Geezer will get you!

Also, I’ve come up with additional suggestions that could still score you a choice of DVD, CD, or Book valued at $20 from Amazon, so listen up:

1) Blow bubbles

2) Play any of those yarn games like Cat’s Cradle.

3) Use a Cans-with-String telephone

4) Get cross-eyed

5) Play Rock, Paper, Scissors

6) Ride Piggy-Back

7) Cannonball into a pool

8 ) Wear a funny hat

9) Wear funny glasses

10) Any goofy thing that you wouldn’t expect a full-grown adult to do!

So, get with it – Chop Chop! Send those photos to HERE.

And this is a great example of what you can do! (Photo of my brother-in-law Todd jumping rope.)

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I admit that alot of things scare or worry me. This video of my cat Bengal scares me because, I swear, I didn’t create it. I merely inserted his picture on a software program to create a cute video later of him talking. Then, the next time I started up that program, this video was already on it!

So onto my fear of snakes. On Easter, my family went for a hike to enjoy the warm weather and glorious sunshine. Well, guess who else likes to bask in the sun? That’s right, Mr. Snakeatelli and his ilk. It’s just one of the perils of sharing nature with the underworld.

So as we walked back towards the parking lot, a guy approached and warned us that there’s a rattlesnake at the entrance. What the hell kind of a snake hangs out at the entrance of a hiking trail. Is he a prankster-type that’s going to leap out, scare park visitors and tell his fellow snakes in the bushes, “Ha! Did you hear that one guy scream like a girl?” Sick bastards, those snakes.

So, upon hearing about said jerk-snake, I immediately start commanding the troops. I yell out to my son Ryan, “You – go 10 meters ahead and take point!” To Husband, “Jace, clear that quadrant of the hillside!” To daughter Jordan, “Cover the rear, while I call in air support. We’re gonna need reinforcement!”

No one batted an eye and everyone just kept moseying along, oblivious to the lurking danger ahead. They all know that Mom over-worries everything. “Fine then,” I shrugged. “I’m not sucking any venom out of anybody today!” But I did set my bionic ear volume to high, just in case.

So with all these scary things going on lately, I REALLY want to go back to the sweet days of childhood, where all I had to worry about was – Nothing. Now there are pirates, swine flu, the end of the world in 2012, deadly kidnappings for ransom (in Mexico and U.S. border states), and sharks.

To make me feel better, Jace snagged a vintage 1972 lunchbox for me off E-bay. I first saw it on Joe’s site, 70s Child. It’s so “me”. When I look at it, I’m reminded to not worry about stuff and just enjoy today. Because someday, these will be the moments I”ll be reminiscing about, probably while I’m hiding out in my bomb shelter in 2012.

I LOVE how it says “Women’s Lib”. Hahaha. I haven’t heard THAT in a long time.

One of the first things I notice about someone is their laughter. I love to hear and see people laugh because everyone has a distinct style. At the train station this morning, there were people nearby chatting. One guy laughed easily throughout their conversation. I couldn’t really tell what they were joking about, but it seemed really hilarious. Hmm…Hopefully, they weren’t talking about my wardrobe.

Anyhoo, this one guy would heartily chuckle, but he’d do it for exactly 4 seconds – then stop abruptly. It was like a laugh faucet that shut off automatically after 4 seconds each time, which made me giggle quietly every time he did it. I once worked with a woman who had the coolest laugh. It sounded like 3 people laughing.

When I read humorous blogs and the witty comments left on them, I totally crack up, and yet – the only way I can express my appreciation for all the funnies is: LOL! Ha! Heheheh. And sometimes AAHAHAHAHHAHA!! – which could also mean I’m walking across hot coals.

And then I wonder how everyone online sounds when they laugh. I feel deprived in not knowing. So I fill in the sound without knowing much about the blogger/commenter, especially those without photos.

I’ve categorized some of the laughter-styles I’ve noticed through the years and I just plug in the best-fitting sound in my mind when someone writes LMAO.

1) For me, I do a combination guffaw/giggle with a mini-snort finish. Sometimes I do that exhale thing that winds up into a big laugh. Kinda like a car trying to start on a low battery.

2) The Silent Laugh. Very mime-like. The laugher is clearly amused, but no sound comes out. Why, hold back, Silent One? Just release the laugh energy and you’ll feel much better. It’s like passing gas. Noisy and thunderous brings relief. The same goes for people who cover their mouth when they laugh. No, no. I want to see the gold and silver crowns (and fillings) on the wisdom teeth.

3) The Inhale Laugh. Think Arnold Horshack from Welcome Back, Kotter. Or an asthmatic person.

4) The Nasal Laugh. This is a snickering sound or like an air-compressor puff.

5) My favorite laughter to hear is The Screaming Laugh. I’ve heard this laugh many times among drunks. You can’t hold it back. It starts as a high-pitch yell and ungracefully explodes into a full-blown, head thrown back, eyes rolled up, laugh carnival.

But the kind of laughing that’s really charming is when people are cracking up about something – and they make direct eye contact with others, especially strangers. It could be when you’re watching a movie, at a game, anywhere where people are being entertained. This kept happening when Husband Jace and I were at the comedy club. Every time we’d laugh at a joke, we looked at the people nearby us and whenever we made eye contact, we’d all laugh even harder. It’s the ultimate connection among strangers.

What does your laughter sound like (do you like it?) or do you hold back and just heheh or lower-case lol? And here’s the most distinctive laugh of all – Woody Woodpecker

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