Quantum Leap to 1971

It is Tuesday and the wild windstorm that took down two of our 50 foot lodgepole pines yesterday is over.  I will have to post on those events later when I am not so mad about it all.

Let's hop on my blog express and take a quantum leap instead. That should cheer me up.

Ready?

Here we go traveling through space and time. 

Hang on. It may be a wild ride!

Well, we safely landed in Oklahoma circa 1971.

My mom took this picture before church.  Don't we look like extras on the set of the Brady Bunch? I love my dad's aviator glasses. He was too cool. Back then, my brother had a mini dirt-bike, my sister had an easy bake oven and I inflicted my will on everyone else. I was the littlest one but the best at getting attention.

These were the good old days before David came into this world with the intent of taking away my spotlight. Um, excuse me. I am meant to be adored with my Shirley Temple curls and dimples. All eyes on me, please. Life is cruel. I begged my mom to take him back to the hospital.

Don't you love our dresses? Throughout all the ups and downs in life, my mom always made sure we had the cutest clothes. Almost any occasion called for a new dress. Friend's 6th birthday party? New dress.  Piano recital? New dress.  Grandma is coming to visit? New dress.  Funeral? New dress. First day of school? New dress. School play? New dress. And on and on and on. I remember my childhood in terms of what dress I was wearing.

My mom made sure we had the latest footwear fashions as well.  A couple of years after this picture was taken I was in first grade. In Oklahoma, the elementary school kids annually re-enact the great Oklahoma land rush.  We were to dress as pioneers on that day.  We were supposed to wear boots. I knew when my mom sent me to school wearing a pair of white patent leather go-go boots that it somehow wasn't right.  Yet, no one seemed to notice my Granny Clampet meets Goldie Hawn look. It was on that playground that I learned one of the most useful fashion truisms to be known. No matter how ridiculous your outfit, wear it with confidence and people will think you are hip.  This was 25 years before Sex and the City. Thanks Mom!

Quantum Leap to 1971

It is Tuesday and the wild windstorm that took down two of our 50 foot lodgepole pines yesterday is over.  I will have to post on those events later when I am not so mad about it all.

Let's hop on my blog express and take a quantum leap instead. That should cheer me up.

Ready?

Here we go traveling through space and time. 

Hang on. It may be a wild ride!

Well, we safely landed in Oklahoma circa 1971.

My mom took this picture before church.  Don't we look like extras on the set of the Brady Bunch? I love my dad's aviator glasses. He was too cool. Back then, my brother had a mini dirt-bike, my sister had an easy bake oven and I inflicted my will on everyone else. I was the littlest one but the best at getting attention.

These were the good old days before David came into this world with the intent of taking away my spotlight. Um, excuse me. I am meant to be adored with my Shirley Temple curls and dimples. All eyes on me, please. Life is cruel. I begged my mom to take him back to the hospital.

Don't you love our dresses? Throughout all the ups and downs in life, my mom always made sure we had the cutest clothes. Almost any occasion called for a new dress. Friend's 6th birthday party? New dress.  Piano recital? New dress.  Grandma is coming to visit? New dress.  Funeral? New dress. First day of school? New dress. School play? New dress. And on and on and on. I remember my childhood in terms of what dress I was wearing.

My mom made sure we had the latest footwear fashions as well.  A couple of years after this picture was taken I was in first grade. In Oklahoma, the elementary school kids annually re-enact the great Oklahoma land rush.  We were to dress as pioneers on that day.  We were supposed to wear boots. I knew when my mom sent me to school wearing a pair of white patent leather go-go boots that it somehow wasn't right.  Yet, no one seemed to notice my Granny Clampet meets Goldie Hawn look. It was on that playground that I learned one of the most useful fashion truisms to be known. No matter how ridiculous your outfit, wear it with confidence and people will think you are hip.  This was 25 years before Sex and the City. Thanks Mom!

Gaper Day and a Quantum Leap

Thursday was "Gaper Day" here in Summit County.  It is an informal event that happens every April 1.


A gaper is a term to describe a tourist who embodies the stereotypical general clueless nuisance.  Think of the dumb ass that wears his ski boots in the grocery store even though there are 10 signs warning against it and despite the fact that the floor is wet from melted snow and it is near impossible to walk in ski boots.  Yes it happens and they do fall down. You know the type, Texans with bad outfits that stop in the middle of a trail or road and gape at the scenery.  We used to call them "tourons" back in the day (tourist + moron).

Anyway, local kids dress up as gapers on April fools day and just generally act stupid and sometimes get out of hand and get arrested.  It is also a good fun for the locals who typically work in the tourist industry and are worn out by the end of the ski season.

My friend Elizabeth snapped this picture at Breckenridge of a local  dressed as a gaper.

I was looking through some photo albums recently and came across these gapers.

Kelley's in Breckenridge, CO  circa 1983

We were clueless Texans but I think we looked pretty cute : )

Update:  my Mom informs me that this was 1982. 

Gaper Day and a Quantum Leap

Thursday was "Gaper Day" here in Summit County.  It is an informal event that happens every April 1.


A gaper is a term to describe a tourist who embodies the stereotypical general clueless nuisance.  Think of the dumb ass that wears his ski boots in the grocery store even though there are 10 signs warning against it and despite the fact that the floor is wet from melted snow and it is near impossible to walk in ski boots.  Yes it happens and they do fall down. You know the type, Texans with bad outfits that stop in the middle of a trail or road and gape at the scenery.  We used to call them "tourons" back in the day (tourist + moron).

Anyway, local kids dress up as gapers on April fools day and just generally act stupid and sometimes get out of hand and get arrested.  It is also a good fun for the locals who typically work in the tourist industry and are worn out by the end of the ski season.

My friend Elizabeth snapped this picture at Breckenridge of a local  dressed as a gaper.

I was looking through some photo albums recently and came across these gapers.

Kelley's in Breckenridge, CO  circa 1983

We were clueless Texans but I think we looked pretty cute : )

Update:  my Mom informs me that this was 1982. 

Southern Fried Satuday

I bought a 4-pack of canned biscuits a week or so ago. Turns out I do not like canned biscuits (or these particular biscuits at least).

This morning when I saw them in the fridge, I thought of the doughnuts that my dad used to make using our beloved Fry Daddy and canned biscuits. For those of you who don't know, the Fry Daddy is a giant bucket of grease that you store with a lid and then plug in when you want something deep fried. Every decent Southern momma has both the Daddy and the Fry Baby.

No, I do not own a Fry Daddy or a Fry Baby. But I did manage to make these.

 YUM!

I wish you could have been here to have one of these and a cup of coffee with me.

PS: I glazed these. They are not dripping in grease : )

Hope you are having a great weekend.

Southern Fried Satuday

I bought a 4-pack of canned biscuits a week or so ago. Turns out I do not like canned biscuits (or these particular biscuits at least).

This morning when I saw them in the fridge, I thought of the doughnuts that my dad used to make using our beloved Fry Daddy and canned biscuits. For those of you who don't know, the Fry Daddy is a giant bucket of grease that you store with a lid and then plug in when you want something deep fried. Every decent Southern momma has both the Daddy and the Fry Baby.

No, I do not own a Fry Daddy or a Fry Baby. But I did manage to make these.

 YUM!

I wish you could have been here to have one of these and a cup of coffee with me.

PS: I glazed these. They are not dripping in grease : )

Hope you are having a great weekend.

Let's Take a Quantum Leap

One really cool feature of my blog is that it has the ability to travel through space and time.

The Quantum Leap Time/Space Blog Button  is a super saa-weet high tech widget that I added.

Are you feeling adventurous????


(Okay, in reality it is really just an old photo album, my scanner and my memory).


But here we go. You never know where we might land.

This is us, traveling through time and space:  Quantum Leap style.

It was a quick journey, and here we are . . .

Oklahoma circa 1974

How can we be sure that we are in 1974?

Well, 5 out of 6 subjects are sporting polyester outfits.  The little girl in the front (that's me) was the lone holdout.

How can we be sure we are in Oklahoma?  Well, you are going to just take my word for it.  These guys can't talk, but if they could,  ya'll would get a kick out of their ta-wwwangy drrraaaaawlllllls.

While we are here,  let's meet the family shall we?

Standing behind me is my brother, Mike .  He lives two blocks away from me with my sis-in-law Moraima and my hilarious 8 year old niece Sierra.  Their older two kids (Tara and Mia) are away at college.

The little guy in the front is my brother, David, whose elementary school dream was to be "rich."  Well he is, but it required a pact with Satan.  You know, to marry his daughter.  We have not spoke in 10 years.

David is sitting in the lap of our mom, Mary Tyler.  She is not married to our dad anymore.  But she did serve almost 30 years under that regime.  She is remarried to a nice guy named Eric and  they live nearby in Breckenridge.

To her right is my dad, Gene Kelley.  He  lives in Cozumel Mexico and  is the great visionary behind  my  hilarious birthday cake featured  in a previous post. He is remarried to a sweet lady named Alma.


Finally, the girl standing up is my sister, Sherry.  I am saving her details for a future novel I plan on writing.  She is currently on an extended escape from reality living  in Cozumel with my 13 year old nephew, Calvin. She also has two daughters that are in college (Brienna and Samantha).  Sherry recently un-friended me on facebook for a second time.

Well, I hope you enjoyed your visit.  I look forward to taking another trip with you soon.

Let's Take a Quantum Leap

One really cool feature of my blog is that it has the ability to travel through space and time.

The Quantum Leap Time/Space Blog Button  is a super saa-weet high tech widget that I added.

Are you feeling adventurous????


(Okay, in reality it is really just an old photo album, my scanner and my memory).


But here we go. You never know where we might land.

This is us, traveling through time and space:  Quantum Leap style.

It was a quick journey, and here we are . . .

Oklahoma circa 1974

How can we be sure that we are in 1974?

Well, 5 out of 6 subjects are sporting polyester outfits.  The little girl in the front (that's me) was the lone holdout.

How can we be sure we are in Oklahoma?  Well, you are going to just take my word for it.  These guys can't talk, but if they could,  ya'll would get a kick out of their ta-wwwangy drrraaaaawlllllls.

While we are here,  let's meet the family shall we?

Standing behind me is my brother, Mike .  He lives two blocks away from me with my sis-in-law Moraima and my hilarious 8 year old niece Sierra.  Their older two kids (Tara and Mia) are away at college.

The little guy in the front is my brother, David, whose elementary school dream was to be "rich."  Well he is, but it required a pact with Satan.  You know, to marry his daughter.  We have not spoke in 10 years.

David is sitting in the lap of our mom, Mary Tyler.  She is not married to our dad anymore.  But she did serve almost 30 years under that regime.  She is remarried to a nice guy named Eric and  they live nearby in Breckenridge.

To her right is my dad, Gene Kelley.  He  lives in Cozumel Mexico and  is the great visionary behind  my  hilarious birthday cake featured  in a previous post. He is remarried to a sweet lady named Alma.


Finally, the girl standing up is my sister, Sherry.  I am saving her details for a future novel I plan on writing.  She is currently on an extended escape from reality living  in Cozumel with my 13 year old nephew, Calvin. She also has two daughters that are in college (Brienna and Samantha).  Sherry recently un-friended me on facebook for a second time.

Well, I hope you enjoyed your visit.  I look forward to taking another trip with you soon.