Thursday Thirteen #9

Thirteen Things I Haven't Done/Seen/Smelled/Watched/Whatever In Years 1. Charlie Chan Movies. When I was young, these movies were on TV all the time. I love classic mysteries. They made a whole bunch of them in the 30's and 40's, but they are considered politically incorrect now. That's the inspiration for my calling my daughters Number One Daughter and Number Two Daughter on my blog. Charlie Chan had more sons than he could remember names for and referred to them as Number One Son for the oldest, Number Two Son for the second oldest, and so forth and so on. 2. Mimeographed Handouts In School. Back in the olden days, there was this big round machine in all school offices, that kinda looked like a giant Rolodex with a handle on the side, which the teachers used to crank out copies with for tests and handouts and such. The sorta-purple ink had a wonderful smell. When tests were handed out, everyone picked up their copy, and held it to their face to inhale a deep sniff of that wonderful smell. Of course, those days are gone, but I would love to smell a mimeographed sheet again. 3. Pixie Sticks. Years ago, I saw a 'concert' on tv wherein the commedian Sinbad, talked about growing up in the 1970's. In it, he said, "Pixie Sticks was OUR crack!" I laughed so hard. Because for me, it was true. I remember trying to make coolaid out of several of them and it was terrible. But I especially loved the HUGE ones in the 2-3 foot long plastic straw. Jet fuel for an 8 year old. 4. Lifting Weights. In my teens and early 20's I loved to lift weights. I loved the way I felt after working out, and then the way I felt overall from being in shape and strong. That was a lot of years and four back surgeries ago. I'm thinking about taking it up again, on a lesser scale of course, but the inertia of not going to a gym has the upper hand right now. Blast Isaac Newton and his "objects that are at rest tend to stay at rest..." maxim! If he hadn't discovered that, I would SO be at the gym all the time. (And if he hadn't invented gravity, I might be able to fly too.) 5. Sainted Mother's Fried Chicken. It's been a long time since I had some of Mama's fried chicken, gravy, and rice. I can't talk too much about this one, I'll get all verklemt. 6. Don C.'s Smoked Sausage. My Dad (Don C.) knew how to make the best smoked sausage EVAR. When he couldn't make it, he knew other people who did and bought it from them. It has been years since I've had a decent, lean, smoked sausage. It's a small thing, I know, but I would love to have some of his. Believe me when I tell you that I have tried every brand on the market, wherever we have lived, and NONE come even close. 7. Darkroom Chemicals. Yeah, I guess I could go down to a local photography store and take a whiff of the stuff there, but the curious vinegar-ey smell of the classic black and white darkroom, is something I would like to smell again. It's not a good smell, really, but the associations ARE good. 8. Memories of My Daughters. When they were little, they said and did so many wonderful/cute things that I thought, "No way will I ever forget that." Well, I know now I've forgotten a bunch of stuff. And I regret not writing them down. 9. Vacation. It has been years since we've taken a road trip, even for a few days, to have a real vacation. I've totally forgotten what it's like. 10. Mountains. Ok, being from Louisiana, mountains have not been in my life very much. But our time in Georgia, and visits to Utah when my brother was alive, made me appreciate the beauty of hills and mountains. I'm more of a beach person than a mountain person, but I'd still like a stay in North Georgia with some crisp cold air... 11. Cold Weather. Again, being from Louisiana, winters were usually pretty mild. But after almost 10 years far enough down into Florida that I no longer own a coat, makes me long for a nice cold snap. All I have is a hoodie. It IS funny to see people down here when the weather drops below 70 degrees F. I've seen Parka's in 50-something degree weather, I kid you not. 12. Receiving A Hand Written Letter. I have more communication with loved ones now, in the days of email and 'free' long distance on cell phones, than ever before, but receiving a hand written letter is a great feeling. 13. Family and Friends. Lastly, but most importantly, there are a bunch of family and friends I haven't seen in a long time. This list ended up being too morose, but I really do long to see family and old friends again. This list went from light and frivolous to woe-is-me, when I meant to keep it light. But I don't feel like doing it over, because it IS truthful. 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