Happy Thanksgiving with Stuffing!

Earlier this month, an OBXer posted a notice that began: “LOTS OF BAGS OF STUFFING FOR SALE!”

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you see the word “stuffing” this time of year?

source: https://mclib.net/blogs/history/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/stuffing.jpg 

Of course I realized that my first impression wasn’t correct when I read the notice further: “Great for crafts and sewing projects.”

Whew – I wasn’t the only person to mistake what kind of stuffing was being sold. At least two other readers mistook the fiberfill stuffing for turkey stuffing. I am glad the OBXer sold the stuffing, but imagine this scenario:

You’re cooking the Thanksgiving turkey and about to stuff the bird when you grab this:  

source: https://www.etsy.com/listing/152013140/corn-fiber-toy-filling-eco-friendly

Happy Thanksgiving Olney!

A Lovely, Quaint Intimate Setting

Olney was beautiful tonight. I was driving into Olney from Dr. Bird Road at night and it felt magical... bigger than I want to remember and smaller than a typical DC suburb. We are growing and expanding and hopefully we would not lose sight of the lovely quaint intimate setting.

To the City of Light

Credit: news.com.au

Our hearts go out to the victims of the recent Paris attacks. OBX founder Linda Silverstein suggested people gather to create sidewalk chalk art to honor the sidewalk chalkers in Paris. This wonderful idea brings together the Olney community in support of the Paris community.  I hope we'll see some of the artwork in a later post.

The other night, my daughter unintentionally made another connection between Olney and Paris. As we drove on Route 108 through the "downtown", out of the blue she commented, "I keep forgetting Olney is like a small city of light!" 

God bless the true and big city of light.

Credit: adventure.howstuffworks.com

What's for Dinner?

Day 1 of my blog... the first ever. Let me start with a simple topic, and I promise, I will get more complicated.... and hopefully, more interesting.

When you live in Olney and have kids, we all know that we are thirty minutes away from most things... so it is lovely to have a nice big car... for car pooling, for the many errands, for hauling stuff.... all those things we tell ourselves that we cannot live without.  

So I was off to a mission this weekend. To find that perfect big car with the family package - either standard or as an option... to help us with a more active life style, to help us conquer life in Olney and beyond!

Alas, it did not work as planned. The crossovers (from Sedan to SUV) ... well, I won't name them so I won't be sued... but the third row was a joke or for some unfathomable reason they discontinued it for most popular brands.  And oh, the moon roof (which at least for one brand is to die for) does not come with the family package (don't ask me  why! -- may be the kids stick their heads out of the car and that is too much of a liability for the car company? or they figure us parents don't know what we are doing... hmmm...). 

So after a day of looking and being confused, off to the next big decision. Food! What to eat for dinner and where? And can we make it light? We were tired and hungry... I had a hankering for a nice, spicy cuisine. We went up and down Rockville pike for a bit in search of spicy food with no luck... So we decided to come back to Olney, where our hearts and homes are... stop by at Panera at the Olney Town Center for a bite (it was quiet and lovely compared to a few other places) ... we had a turkey chile and a sandwich... and just remembered what a lovely quiet and relaxed little spot in this world we get to live in and enjoy...! We are very very very fortunate to be here - only in Olney!

It Felt Like a Modern Family Episode....

Remember the lazy cat Halloween decoration? Contrast that prone pussycat to this poised-to-pounce one:

Before Halloween, my neighbor planned to put this menacing blow-up cat on top of his garage. While hoisting the cat onto the roof, he first rested the ferocious feline atop of his SUV. 

When I saw this gigantic grimalkin crouching on top of the car I joked, "Hey, you should keep the cat on the roof of your car and drive around town!" Then I remembered the Modern Family episode when Mitch and Cam tied giant stuffed animals onto their car's roof.

Well, a single cat couldn't create such a hilariously obscene scene.The blow-up cat's only movements would be inflating when the engine was on and deflating when the engine was off. I suggested to my neighbor that he plug the cat into his car's DC connector to keep the fan going.

Sadly, he declined my suggestion: he didn't want to tote around a cat that blew up and delated as he drove around town.

Signage Sport

Anyone driving around town can't miss the plentiful signs along roads hawking handyman services, sports classes, high school shows and more. Although I’ve posted signs only a few times, I quickly learned that signage placement is a competitive sport.

For example, one time I dodged Georgia Avenue traffic to reach the center island, waded through waist-high weeds and endured winds whipped up by cars whooshing by in order to place my sign in the perfect place ... only to find three other signs already planted in the prized, most visible spot. Another time when I actually claimed prime real estate by a traffic light intersection (where drivers can't help but read signs even if they don't want to), the next day I drove back there only to see that four more signs sprouted up around of my sign, blocking it from view! 

No matter where a lucky marketer sticks his or her sign, nothing can beat the most eye-catching sign. Of all the signs I’ve seen so far, I think this is the winner.

Who could miss this neon pink sign with adorable white eyeballs peeking over it?  I remember where I was (the Georgia Avenue-Route 108 intersection traffic light) and what the sign was for (a yard sale). I even looked at it long enough to read the time and place. Now that’s what I call eye-catching advertising!

Walking/Running Man

Last month on the OBX, members discussed a legendary walking man spotted not only around Olney but also in other parts of Maryland and even DC. The first writer described this man as having blond hair…. then another person thought the man had blond dreadlocks… and finally someone thought this walking man was an Asian guy with dreadlocks!  This discussion reminded me of the Asian male who frequently ran around the greater Olney area during the summer of 2009 – naked except for sneakers.

Gray-haired Asian streaker

At that time, my husband -- who is Asian -- also jogged, sometimes shirtless. So whenever he ran in nearby woods, any thicket and undergrowth blocked the lower half of his body and shorts… making him look like the streaker. Whenever he jogged in the neighborhood streets alongside parked cars, shrubbery and garbage cans, anyone on the sidewalk would see only his bare chest. I joked with friends that my husband was the Asian streaker.  

Eventually the naked Asian runner (not my husband!) was apprehended by a friend of mine (a clothed female runner).