Friday, August 15, 2008

Hot Dog! It's Food on a Stick!

Today's Wonder of the World is...Food On A Stick! (UPDATE FOLLOWS...)

Flickr photo by hijinx400
There are few things more wonderfully weird than carnival Food On A Stick!
Why make today Food on a Stick Day?
It's my daughter's idea.
Well, sort of. I'm just following her example. Allow me to explain:

This summer Sarah went to a pre-med camp at the university she'll be attending. This surprised us all because we were so sure the poor thing inherited her mommy's squeamishness and tendency to faint at the mere idea of throbbing blood. (Oh dear I shouldn't have written that.)

Anyway, after a week at camp, she came home gushing (another bad choice of words) over how thrilling it was to dissect a part of a real human, and how they passed around plasticized actual body parts, and how she put her whole hand into the side of a cadaver and how squishy it was in there.

As I put my head between my knees I asked her, "Sarah, how in the world did you do it? How did you keep from feeling faint?"

"MULTIPLICATION TABLES!!! Mom, I discovered that whenever I'd start to feel faint, I could start doing multiplication tables in my head and I'd be fine! It was amazing! It gave my squeamish part of my brain something to do, while the other side could concentrate on whatever the doctors were saying! I had absolutely no problem! Isn't that great?"

So today, as I take my first child to college, Food on a Stick will be my multiplication tables! Math is fine--I actually enjoy it--but who can turn down a deep fried stick- o- Twinkie?

So if and when I start to feel the least little bit of a catch in my throat today, I will start reciting inside my head:
Corn dogs
Scotch egg on a stick
Cotton candy
Shrimp on a stick
Fruit on a stick
Fried Snickers bar on a stick
Frozen cheesecake on a stick
Et cetera.

Watch this video and you'll see what I mean!
I'll let you know how it all works out.
If all else fails, I can always go back to

Have a Wonder-Full Friday, y'all!
Love, Becky

UPDATE:
She's in!
Sarah is all set in her brand new home!
See?

Here she is sitting on her bed, next to her ticklish brother Sam, at the one moment when he wasn't bored out of his skull and asking when we'd be done!
(We discovered that when you're nine years old, moving your sister into a dorm is not exactly thrilling after the first 30 minutes is over. :))
But Ben was pretty happy. Especially when confused college girls thought he was an incoming freshman!

He looks wistful there, but believe me he's smiling on the inside!
Sarah is happy and we're happy, and so far, there have been no tears or food-on-a-stick recitations.
(Though I fully expect them to come later!)

Right now I'm just thankful for all the new things coming her way.
And I'm thankful for a roommate that is just right for her.

Aren't they a cute pair?
Katie and Sarah met last spring in a Facebook group for her dorm, got to know each other online, and decided to room together. I'm so glad they did!

So yey for college life and experiences to come!
And yey for you friends out there and all your sweet well wishes for our family!
You're a Wonder yourselves!
Love, Becky

27 comments:

Suzie said...

Good luck today if making cron dogs will help you could send some my way. Im helpful like that.

Anonymous said...

Time to go eat a fudgsicle and celebrate "sticky" foods.

Jamie @ Bungalow Bee said...

That video was funny. So many things on a stick...deep fried things. And (most of) it looked good! :)

I'm glad you have a distraction today! :)

Rosemary said...

Good Luck today!!!
I have been there, so I know what you are going through. It isn't an easy thing at first. It does get better.
Eat something good today, on a stick or not.
Love,
Rosemary

Liz Harrell said...

That's hilarious Becky. Good luck today... we're all thinking of you.

LW said...

I will be thinking about you today…Good luck…

Louise

May Vanderbilt said...

Wow. I thought I knew all the stuff on a stick but some of those were new to me. Scotch egg on a stick!

Good luck today. I thought about it last night and said to myself, "Oh my goodness. Tomorrow is the big day!"

Anonymous said...

It amazes me that these things smell so good. You're right.....it is a WONDER. There is nothing like a corndog at the fair!

Attic Rat said...

Take a deep breath and have some chocolate and you will be fine!

I remember last October when I went to the Texas Renaissance Festival seeing an interesting item on the menu. It was Steak on a Stake. I guess everything is bigger in Texas - even the serving stick.

Alexandra MacVean said...

hahahahah...your title alone made me bust out laughing! :) I cannot tell you HOW MUCH I love coming to your page. I never know what I will get and it always makes me smile and laugh.

Thank you!

Susan said...

I loves your blog and I hopes you are feelings better. Seriously though, I watched the video and it reminded me of the fact that I don't care to watch people eat, especially food on a stick. I couldn't use this as a means to conquer queasiness, quite the opposite. 5 x 5 =....

Susan Sandmore said...

They have a mighty big state fair!

The blend of cadavers and corn dogs on your blog today is sheer genius.

Gina M Smith said...

Hi- thought I had you listed on my blog, but now I do for sure! We Virgos must stick together. And hooray for medical school!

Tara said...

LOL! Everyone has got to try one of those deep fried candy bars at least once. I did and once was enough. ROFL I love chocolate but it was a little like sugar overkill. I think I went cold turkey on sugar for a month after that.

What a great post Becky!

Tara

Barb said...

Hi Becky,

Hysterical!

You are all in my thoughts and prayers. It is difficult to have the first one leave the roost. She'll be fine, you two have done a great job.

hugs,
Barb

Anonymous said...

I am glad to hear that things are going well! I have been thinking about you today.. Bittersweet and beautiful. Hugs!

Attic Clutter said...

Just checking up on ya Becky (:)
I always Love coming to see you at your pretty site..always something fun and interesting to see..Blogging is a good thing~~
Hope you are having a great weekend (:)) Hugs, Patty

Attic Rat said...

I am sure that Sarah will have a wonderful year! I was so busy looking at her that I didn't see what was hanging on the wall behind her. Thanks for pointing that out to me. I am honored. I'm going to have to get on a different computer so that I can see the video. Something happened and all I see is a big blue Q. It's a pretty Q, but that's it.

Big cyber hugs,
Teresa

Kristin said...

haha I love food-on a-stick, but that was really funny about the muliplications while touching human parts..love this post..made me giggle..

FrenchGardenHouse said...

Becky, so I'm dying to know if it worked. Me, I cried all the way home after bringing my first girl to the dorms. (ofcourse I didn't have your trick, then!)

I agree with Rosemary, eat some cake or ice cream today.:)

Thinking of you,
xo Lidy

Gina M Smith said...

Hi Rebecca- Check the drawing results on my blog!

CC said...

Wow! Your daughter is off at college! What a momentous and wonderful and scary time! She's lovely and good luck to her! :)

Anonymous said...

Oh, I've had you on my mind. I remember my three hour ride in the back of my parents car as I headed to college. I cried all the way there. I cried for about a week--then I found out how much FUN I could have and I didn't want to go back home. Well, I wanted to go back home, of course, but I didn't cry anymore! You see, I was a very sheltered little country girl and this was a whole new world. I envy the kids starting out in college--they do have such great times and adventures ahead! I am proud of you that you didn't have to recite any stick stuff or your tables. Proud of ya!

Susan Tuttle said...

oh my-- you have a very brave daughter. I too have the squeamish gene. Thank goodness some of us don't, or else the medical field and human race would be in trouble.

Hot dog on a stick -- Yum -- you know how much I love carnival food!

Susan
xo

CREEKSIDEMOM said...

Love the college pictures!

Am I the only one who thought of sex when I read your first few paragraphs? Does that mean I'm not getting enough? Definitely not too much. Did I MEAN to discuss my sex life on your blog? lol
Jill

Rebecca Ramsey said...

Jill, get your mind out of the gutter, missy!
You are too funny.

Cathy ~ Tadpoles and Teacups said...

Looks like she's settling in nicely. May it be a wonderful experience for her.
:)