I started learning the German language in Middle School, eighth grade to be exact. I loved German class even more than I thought I would. After all of this time, I still remember some of the conversation examples used in the book, like “Wo ist Monika?” (Where is Monika?) “Im Boot.” (In the boat.) “Wo ist der Hut?” (Where is the hat?) “In der Stube.” (In the living room.) (Truly not literary masterpieces, but they helped us learn.) The following year I was a High School freshman in German II class and I was able to compete at the state level. (Yes, a state-level German competition.) Categories in the competition…
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Vintage.
When I was a kid, I collected rocks. Just plain old rocks. I used to delight in the acquisition of a rock that was slightly sparkly, or a small stone that had a smooth side or an interesting shape. Heart-shaped rocks and stones were my favorites, as were “worry stones”, of which I owned several. (They were plentiful when I was a kid in the 70s!) When I grew up, I started collecting two things: menorahs and cobalt blue glass pieces. Menorahs these days are so much more than just the traditional “U” shape: they are available in all shapes, sizes, and themes. I have a New York City skyline…
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Missing A Sensitivity Chip
Back in the 80’s, I was a very typical teenaged girl, music-wise: I was completely over-the-moon about the (Second) British Invasion, especially the music groups involved, and especially Duran Duran. In fact, two years ago I wrote a whole post about my love for “D-squared”, and it covered the white-hot intensity of my obsession pretty well. (Click here to check it out; you won’t regret it.) Unfortunately, I never got to see them perform live. Fast forward to October of 2011. Duran Duran is touring, and yesterday I had to turn down free tickets to see them. I know. I KNOW! The tragic nature of that statement alone is beyond…
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Chicago’s Water Tower: Small But Mighty
This Saturday marks the 140th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The fire, rumored–but never confirmed–to have been started by Mrs. O’Leary’s cow, not only razed just about the entire city but also set the stage for its rebirth into the world-class metropolis it is today. (If there ever was a silver lining to a disaster, that would be it.) The fire even jumped the Chicago River (more than once) on its way to burning an area four miles long by a half mile wide. It was one of the biggest disasters to occur in the United States in the 19th century. The Water Tower, at the north…
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Happy Days
Tuesday nights in the early 1970’s meant one thing in my house: “Happy Days”. I wasn’t the only one who loved the show: my parents, having spent their teenaged years in the 1950’s, were also huge fans of Richie, Potsie, Ralph Malph, Joanie, Mr. and Mrs. C, and–of course–The Fonz. A couple of years after “Happy Days” premiered, “Laverne & Shirley” spun off and joined the Tuesday night lineup on ABC. I always wanted to be Laverne: assertive, outgoing, and sassy. One Halloween I even dressed up as Laverne, and a friend of mine who was cuter and much smaller than I dressed up as Shirley. Seriously. So, knowing that,…