Like Riding A Bicycle - Like Writing A Blogg

The question needs to be asked. Is returning to blogging like riding a bike? You truly never forget how to do it.

Next question on my growing list is: What if you were never a great (good or even mediocre) bicycle rider to begin with or for that matter that great (good or mediocre) writer/blogger, how much worse could you be upon returning for yet another attempt? Right. Who really knows and for that matter who really cares?

Not all blogs are of that important a nature or their writer's that concerned with who is reading it or even why. Maybe the reader just can not sleep and doing something is better than tossing and turning. It is said that reading can put one to sleep. (Little known fact, sometimes writing has the same effect.)

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Sorry about that. Where was I? Oh, yes. Bicycles and Blogging.

I really loved my bike as a child. Was never a good bike rider but loved the bike anyway. It did give me a small feeling of freedom, but when you are only allowed to ride around two small city blocks, what is there to love. I was also known to have extremely skinned up knees, elbows and what ever else met hard sidewalks and/or stony alleyways.

I really love my blog. Granted it is just a bit off center (yes the pun is intentional) as well as all over the place, which is just like my thoughts. (Could be caused by the fact that I am a Gemini or at my advanced age a suffer of undiagnosed ADD) Which ever it proves to be, I do find some solace in seeing my thoughts written out before me.

I do not intend to impart offence to anyone by blogging these random thoughts, so please accept this apology now, in case you are offended. I would highly suggest that you search (Google) for a blogg or bloggs that will more mirror your personality and "ditto" your thoughts. This is not a blogg for that.

Been many years since I have attempted to ride a bicycle and it will be like never again in the future that I will attempt to ride one. As I tell my Honey-bun (husband), I am not completely stupid here.

Seeing that it has been a year since my last post and now here I am attempting this once again - well, not being completely stupid, there are times I have been known to be a complete nut-job. This may just be one of them.... Anyway, here is to a return of Thoughts that are Just a Bit Off Senter.

Traditions and Memories

Most, if not all of our fondest memories relate in someway to food.Food, that is essential to life, is what life is built on and around.As many prepare for the Annual Thanksgiving Day food orgy we remember not only family and friends from past feasts but the dishes set before us.Aunt Bea's braised beans, Dad's Deviled Eggs, or even Busha's Lime Jell-O molded salad...

Recently my cousin Patty, reminded my of this holiday tradition and wondered if I had the recipe. Not wanting to seem ungrateful to our Grandmother and our shared memories I assured her I did... Well, I didn't but I hoped I could find one close to Busha's that it would pass.A search for Lime Jell-O recipes led me to a very unlikely source and to the exact recipe...

Google led me to www.ashtry.com I know the name almost turned me off as well and I am a smoker.To my surprise I found the exact recipe I was looking for and more. The site supposedly belongs to a Léon Brocard, aka Acme. But all of these links just seem to deepen the mystery of this site and the person or persons responsible for all the wonderful and delightful food and memories to be found here.How Léon managed not find and collect the links to all this wonderful food and then give us a way to search for our memories not only by name but by ingredient is amazing and awesome. Like me, so often we only know what was in a dish and then more often then not, just one or two items. You can not even do that at the Food Network. So if you are searching for that one dish that mean the entire holiday to you or your family but can not recall how to make it... check out the recipes at Léon's, who knows you may just find Aunt Bea's Braised Beans there as well.From where I sit, Just Off Senter, it is true what old Will Shakespeare said, "A rose by any other name will smell as sweet." Remember not to judge a site by it's first page.

Oh and while you at it....

What Time Is It? Check the Pug Clock!

My husband and I have been toying with the idea of tossing out all our clocks. Not such a big thing to some people, but Tom seems to have collected a stash of time pieces over the nearly 4 decades we have been together.

There is at least one clock in every room of our home and possibly as many as three or four. Twice a year I have to hear his litany of the "Changing of Time," Spring Forward, Fall Back, but that is not a reason to rid ourselves of a mean of measuring the passage of the day.

For the past 20 months our lives have been blessed by AJ our Pug. He is the Pug Extraordinair, who has tried to teach his humans some form of table etiquette with a certain amount of success. He has also been laboring to teach us how to properly tell time.

In case you did not realize, as we had not, there is our time (human time) and there is Pug Time... and Pug Time is always the right time. Somewhere inside his trim, muscular physic, perhaps stuck tightly within the curls of his tail beats his "puggy clock."

With just seconds to spare, each morning he is ready to announce that our alarms will soon begin to spill early morning news and traffic reports into our sleep filled ears. With the patience of Buddha, he allows a time for us to do our personal morning things, before his puggy clock sounds the alarm that it is now his turn to greet and do his morning rounds of the neighborhood.

He also gives us the, "Do Not Disturb the Pug"look when it is puggy nap time. Allowing the proper amount of rest between activities such as dining, walking neighborhood patrol, and naps, he does manage to squeeze in "play ball time", along with "Hey, it's treat time!"

Precisely at 9 p.m. Central Time, (Daylight Saving Time as well) he begins to announce it is time to prepare to retire for the day. His Pug Clock has never been off or wrong. He knows that we will scowl and beg that "it is too early yet," but he continues his prodding none the less.

On evenings when he is somewhat more tolerant of our behavior, or sensing the baseball game has not yet ended, he has allowed us another ninety minutes of "play/snack time."

We have come to accept that without fail, this Pug Clock is far more accurate and attuned to not only his needs but ours.

Pugs seem to need a great amount of restorative time. I was even told that Pugs sleep nearly 18 hours a day. I can not prove that true, but I know if I were to follow closely my personal Pug Clock I would more likely feel far more rested and ready to meet life's challenges.

We can tell you this, we would save a ton of cash on batteries along with the frustration twice a year of setting or resetting each timepiece we have if we just would learn to rely on the self winding Pug Clock, who keeps waggin', lickin' & waggin'.

Which by the way the perfect way to begin and end each day is with ... Pug Hugs and Kisses ....

Etiquette 101: Fine Dinning (It Pays To Have Manners)

Hi, this is AJ HoosierHugPug ;o]

As the Pug of the Realm, I know how to present myself in public. It is always best to have impeccable table manners. A lot can be learned about your character by how you conduct yourself in public and around food. And with more restaurants adding Out-Door Dinning, the chance of being invited to one of these finer establishments have increased greatly. It is our hope that all Pugs and pups can learn a valued lesson and be included in the family's night out.

"Thank you, this table is perfect."

When taking you seat at table try to make eye contact with the person
who is responsible for seating you. It is also wise to look around so you will know exactly where your table is located in case you have need to leave and then return. You do not want to seat yourself at the wrong table. After placing your order, you may continue to examine you surroundings and your table.

When being served, thank the person who brought the food you ordered and remember

Give Thanks for you Blessings!

Choose a portion of food, trying not to look as if you are playing at the table, enjoy you meal.This means no scarfing of your food. Remember you're not at home, no food fights.

It is proper to end you meal with a relaxing tummy rub and even to catch a few "ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ".

Now we hope you will not only be invited to enjoy an
evening of fine food and company, but that you will be known as a Pug Extrodinaire!

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***Disclaimer for ASPCA:
No Pug was harmed in the process of making this instructional and informational seminar.
No food or treats were wasted in the making of this instructional and informational seminar.
See Slide Show at right for full detail pictures of a AJ's dinning tips.
Thank you and we hope you will watch for future instruction and information on Pug & Pup manners!