Spanning the Chasm

Read me much? Emma had a birthday last week. She's 13 years old now. This weekend she hosted a party to celebrate the milestone.

I have to say here that Emma, at her heart, is a party planner. She loves to make plans and plans within plans. And she loves to direct the fun of anything she's involved in. She's good at it too.

Part of her party plan was a quiz (like a pub quiz, but this ain't no pub) for all of her friends. There were two rounds, one being a name the movie from this quote game, and the other being name the title and artist of this song. She tested me on the latter.

I failed.

Miserably.

Nothing points out a generation gap like trying to name your kid's tunes.

Before you jump to the conclusion that I am an old fuddy-duddy, which I may well be, I want to explain that I am often at a loss for the artist's name on any given song, even of my own "generations" music. Details like that don't stick in my head well.

But.
That's not the point.
This is.

I am setting you up to take this quiz too. It's a shortened version of her game and there will be a prize for you. You, who can name these tunes that is. And no fair googling lyrics and coming back to ace the quiz. I may have to disqualify you from the game. Or actually, I may just reward you anyway knowing that you've done all that in the name of getting a package of yummy chocolate from The Netherlands in the mail.

Yeah, that's right. Best score gets chocolate.

Let the games begin. (Name the song and the artist!)


ONE:
No more gas in the rig
Can't even get it started
Nothing heard, nothing said
Can't even speak about it
I'm a light on my head
Don't want to think about it
Feels like I'm going insane

TWO:
I swam across I jumped across for you
Oh what a thing to do
Cause you were all yellow
I drew a line I drew a line for you
Oh what a thing to do
And it was all yellow

THREE:
You've got your love online
You think you're doing fine
But you're just plugged into the wall
And that deck of tarot cards
Won't get you very far
There ain't no hand to break your fall

FOUR:
You're still in bed at ten and work began at eight
You've burned your breakfast so far... things are goin' great
Your mother warned you there'd be days like these
Oh but she didn't tell you when the world has brought
You down to your knees that...

FIVE:
Well there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me do ya
But remember when I moved in you
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

SIX:
Would you swear,
That you'll always be mine?
Or would you lie?
Would you run and hide?
Am I in too deep?
Have I lost my mind?
I don't care... You're here, tonight.

SEVEN:
No, I don't even know your name
It doesn't matter, You're my experimental game
Just human nature,
It's not what, Good girls do
Not how they should behave
My head gets so confused
Hard to obey

EIGHT:
Angel of mercy
How did you find me?
Where did you read my story?
Pulled from the papers
Desperate and hardened
Seeking a momentary fix

NINE:
I guess I just lost my husband
I don't know where he went
So I'm gonna drink my money
I'm not gonna pay his rent (nope)
I've got a brand new attitude,
And I'm gonna wear it tonight
I'm gonna get in trouble
I wanna start a fight

BONUS QUESTION: (this is MY song)

Now, I'm a napalm bomb, baby
Just guaranteed to blow your mind
Yeah, I'm a napalm bomb for you, baby
So guaranteed to blow your mind
And if I can't have your love for my own
Sweet child, won't be nothing left behind.

Music Monday hosted by Soccer Mom in Denial

Viva Cioccolato

Melt in your mouth Wednesday

Jiggety Jig

My family and I spent the holiday weekend in the city of Brussels, capital city of the European Union. Just in case facts like that interest you. Brussels is really a magnificent city; the skyline is stunning with ornamented towers and a city hall on the Grand Place square that inspires awe and reverence. I was delighted to spend some time with my new lens for the Canon. Detail gazing took on fresh meaning as I focused the zoom.

I couldn't ask for more than hours of wandering a historical city with camera in hand.

I didn't actually get that, but I couldn't have wanted it more.

Instead, I got snatches of time to shoot in between keeping track of a three-year-old pigeon chaser and keeping up with the appetite of a ravenous thirteen-year-old. Lucky thing we were in Belgium where the all-time-favorite food served at snack shops and kiosks throughout the city is this:

Though they are delicious at any time they touch your lips and slide into your stomach, the delight of eating a Belgian waffle in Belgium takes on meaning beyond explanation. It is extraordinary eating. A taste bud treat.

Of course, if waffles don't suit you then there is always this:

Yep. It's chocolate. A spinning, swirling, sloshing fountain of chocolate. Look again.

And while we are on the subject of things flowing, no trip to Brussels is complete without a visit to The Mannekin Pis. In French he is called Petit Julien, but please. Mannekin PIS is just so much more fun to say. It kinda feels naughty and that alone pleases someone like me immensely.

The legend behind the little man goes something like this. Back in the day of 1619 a nobleman lost his son and was distraught. During the search for the little guy he declared that he would erect a statue in his honor wherever he was found. And when he was found? Uh-huh. He was peeing. Thus the creation of a tiny little man whose fountain now flows 24/7/365 and people like me line up to take pictures of it.

Often he is naked, but this weekend he was in scuba gear. Word on the street is that he has a wardrobe of 600 outfits so the statue can be changed at a whim to reflect whatever his dressers please on the day. Bring on the paparazzi! Hollywood celebrities have nothing on the petite peeing man of Brussels.

The Easter Bunny managed to find us in our hotel rooms on Saturday night. When the kids woke on Sunday morning it was to the sight of baskets on the nightstands and dozens of foil wrapped chocolate eggs decorating the room. Specifically, Andrew woke to the sight of eggs scattered in the room; Emma reports that her first vision of Easter was a close-up of Andrew's cherubic face as he sat poised over her begging her to wake up. As she peeled back an eyelid, he popped a newly unwrapped chocolate egg into her mouth and said "Look Emma! CHOCOLATE!"

Now, that's an enviable wake up call.