Learning a Little

It’s that time of year again.

2011 was a year of learning little things. No great truths were uncovered. No startling and life-changing insights into the universe were gained. At least not any that I care to share with an audience.

Not on the list, because it should have been something I knew I knew, is not to wear boots with heels when walking down a steep path to the beach. Also not on the list: the awesomeness of killing zombies, defeating the Geth and running through dungeons – that deserves a post all on its own.

Anyhoo, in no particular order, I give you 10 lessons of the past year.

Speed Racer, Cotton Candy and Sticky Buns

Day 25 of the 30 days of giving thanks. It’s a Friday and if you know the slogan “Saturday is Zern’s day and now we’ve added Friday,” we may have passed each other on the sticky floors of Zern’s Farmer Market one weekend in the 70s or 80s.

For those of you not from the Gilbertsville area, Zern’s (open Friday and Saturday nights only) offers a hodge podge of butchers, bakers, candlestick makers (seriously), quasi-antique stands, produce, camouflage gear and tons more. I don’t think they hold a livestock auction anymore.

It was a regular destination during my childhood, making it an appropriate recipient of thanks today. Penny and I would accompany our dad for the weekly run. He’d pick up sticky buns for breakfast the next day, and Penny and I would get cotton candy and comic books. I grabbed Supergirl and Batgirl, and I think Zern’s introduced me to the George Perez run of Teen Titans.

Those things alone earn Zern’s several thank-yous. But what I remember most about the trips is Speed Racer.

Reject the Norm(ie)

It’s day 21 and today I choose to be thankful that I’m a geek. This should come as no shock to the rest of you. Heck, I’ve worked in a couple of geek references during the 30 days of giving thanks project. BTW, the answer to day 19′s trivia question is Miri and Kim Darby. One of my favorite ST:TOS episodes.

A Dash of MacGyver

Day 15 – Today I am thankful for ingenuity.

I thought I was finished with thanksgiving entries related to my recent vacation, but I’d forgotten the valuable lesson I learned during the drive from Los Angeles to San Diego:

Using a dollar bill, you can open an untwistable bottle cap. True story.

Museums

Once again, I’m late, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t thankful for museums on day 13.

This photo is from the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. While the tar pits themselves were underwhelming, the museum was not. We spent a good 3-4 hours looking at all the exhibits.

No photos from the Getty Villa in Malibu, but that took up about 5 hours of my L.A. vacation. So much to see in terms of exhibits, plus the building itself was amazing. You stand a little straighter when you’re walking on antique marble that’s been painstakingly laid out in a geometric pattern.