I assume everyone has things they’ve always wanted to do. I don’t mean significant, noble undertakings like climbing Mount Everest or saving orphaned children or writing a blog. I’m talking about trivial things, inconsequential things, like “I’ve always wanted to take a flying karate kick and bust open a piñata.” Or “Man, someday I’m going to walk by a fire alarm and just pull the sucker.”
Well, I have a few, and some of them I’ve actually done. And it was quite satisfying. To wit:
1. Walk up a down escalator. (Honolulu airport, 2002)
2. Spray a fire extinguisher. (Laboratory safety training, 2005)
3. Burn a couch. (Okay, I didn’t actually pitch it in the fire myself but I was there to witness it. Peace Corps reunion, 2009.)
But there’s one more item on my list that remains elusive, even though I’ve had ample opportunity:
4. Pull the emergency shower in the laboratory. Every single time I walk by that thing, I just want to pull it! Something about that dangling pull handle is just so…inviting. Problem is, there’s no drain underneath, so if you do pull it (so I’ve heard), tons of water rushes out and gets all over the floor and makes a huge mess. But hey, if my upcoming thesis defense goes well, let’s just say you probably don’t want to be standing underneath it when I walk by.
How about the rest of you? Any silly things you’ve always wanted to do? Leave them in the comments.
Lastly, even though it's still Thursday, here is your Friday song- two for the price of none!
Inspired by the cooking post below:
Talking Heads -
Pyscho KillerBonus track: The Beatles (not remastered) -
Michelle (see what I did there?)
Last week, I made this recipe for Jerk Pork Chops with Hearts of Palm Salad and Sweet Plantains and it was fantastic! The meal came out delicious, and best of all, it took less than 15 minutes to prepare the whole thing. I used a carribean jerk spice blend from McCormick to season the pork and it was excellent- I was worried it would be too mild but it wasn't at all- it definitely had a kick to it.
And because it's Friday, time for the song of the day:
Book: As some of you know, I'm part of a Book Club with a few other Boston-area bloggers. We've done the classic classics (Wuthering Heights) the American classics (To Kill a Mockingbird) and the campy classics (Valley of the Dolls). This month's selection solidly falls into the third category: oh yes, we're reading Flowers in the Attic, by VC Andrews. It's the terrible tale of four siblings kept prisoner in the attic of a huge mansion by their cruel grandmother and their selfish mother, whose vanity far outwieghs her concern for her children's well-being. The novel is gripping and very creepy, and I felt so bad for the kids. On the positive side, now I finally know how the Dresden Dolls got their name.
4. Pull the emergency shower in the laboratory. Every single time I walk by that thing, I just want to pull it! Something about that dangling pull handle is just so…inviting. Problem is, there’s no drain underneath, so if you do pull it (so I’ve heard), tons of water rushes out and gets all over the floor and makes a huge mess. But hey, if my upcoming thesis defense goes well, let’s just say you probably don’t want to be standing underneath it when I walk by. 
In September of 1999, I left for my Peace Corps assignment as an agriculture volunteer in Nicaragua. I was 21 years old, fresh out of college, could barely speak Spanish, and didn't really know squat about agriculture, but I was chock full of idealism and ready for adventure. The next 27 months were full of ups and downs- one day you're watching baby sea turtles hatch at the most beautiful beach you've ever seen, and the next day you've been pickpocketed on the bus and you've got giardia. But despite all of the frustrating parts, Peace Corps was by far the most rewarding thing I've done in the past ten years. I learned another language, lived in another country, and did hundreds of things I never imagined possible. I owned a horse. I swam in waterfalls and hiked in woods populated by howler monkeys. I lived with a Nicaraguan family for two years in a small house with a dirt floor. I played soccer on a team that traveled around the country in an old cattle truck. I vaccinated chickens and hitchhiked on the Pan-American highway. Most importantly, I met wonderful people and made amazing friends.