Yes, it's that time of year again! Home-made apple cider, pumpkin carving contests, and old zombie movies. Click the link below for Bo & Chicken's first Jib Jab Halloween adventure.
Happy Halloween from Bo & Chicken!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
The Grapes of Wrath
Chapter 1: The Golden Postcard
Ashes: First, it's important to note that Bo hardly ever gets her mail out of the mailbox- so the fact that she actually picked it up is a feat in itself.
Bo: True. I was going through my mail and as usual it went something like this . . .
Bo was just about to put the pile of mail aside until payday, when a small postcard slid out of the pile and caught her eye.
Under closer examination she saw. . .
Could it be?
No, it was impossible, and yet. . .
Under closer examination she saw. . .
Could it be?
No, it was impossible, and yet. . .
Suddenly the sun came out, birds began to sing, and angels sang in harmony with them- for there was not just bills in the mail today. No, today there was a postcard from Country Moon!
WARNING FLASHBACK AHEAD!
Bo remembered all the fun and joyous times she had in years past picking grapes and assisting in the creation of sweet red wine at this quaint family oriented Noblesville winery.
FUN!
JOYOUS!
PICKING GRAPES!
WINE CREATION!
Bo then had a mission.
A mission to find a grape picking accomplice.
She went to Chicken, but sadly she had to work.
She called Lishes, but then she remembered that she lives in Ohio.
So then Bo called Miss D, but she was going on mini vacation.
And after double checking that Bo could not bring Rosie because dogs weren't allowed on the premises- she called Ashes.
Ashes: Yeah, you went with your silver medal. . .Me!
Chapter 2: The Smell of Success
Upon arriving, the fresh scent of manure stung our nostrils. It was a beautifully overcast morning- which meant hopefully no sunburns!
We were greeted by the friendly owner of the winery and were equipped with gloves, clippers, and tubs (to fill with grapes).
Then we were assigned to Crescent 5 because we were going to be picking grapes for their white wine.
We picked, and we talked, and we picked.
Bo: It went a little like this:
pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little,
clip-clip-clip, talk a lot, pick a little more.
pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little,
clip-clip-clip, talk a lot, pick a little more.
Ashes: Uh?
Bo: Sorry, I just had to get a little Broadway in here.
After about 2 hours of picking, we stopped for a lunch of home-made chili and pink lemonade.
We ate our lunch on the porch of the most gorgeous log cabin you've ever seen, and enjoyed a nice conversation with the winery owner. Everyone there treated you like family!
Chapter 3: The Grapes of Wrath
Ashes: After resting and refueling at the log cabin, we set out for another round of grape picking.
Bo: You mean, we set out to: pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, clip-clip-clip, talk a lot, pick a little more.
Ashes: Enough of Broadway Bo! Let's get back to the story. Any way, after receiving new empty tubs from an adorable pint sized helper, we found our pink marker ribbon and began to finish the row we had started before lunch.
It was around this time, when we had just started up again, that we saw some young chit-lins trying to stalk us through the grape vines. They were holding large grape leaves in front of their faces and pretending to be camouflaged or invisible. Possibly both.
The teacher in Bo said to foster the creativity in them.
Bo: Do you hear that Ashes?
Ashes: I heard something but I don't see anything.
Bo: I think there might be invisible grape alligators about.
The children, pleased that they had successfully "hidden" from us, trotted away giggling merrily. Then Ashes and Bo smiled at each other thinking those kids were SO adorable.
And then they came back.
They started with the same gimmick. "Hiding" in the grape vines, taunting us with their laughter, but this time their giggling was followed by the sound of grapes being pulled off the vine.
Without having time react, Ashes felt a stinging sensation on her back. 'Was that a grape or a bee,' Ashes thought. But no, those kids were too sweet.
Ping!
Ping!
Ping!
Then with three more shots to her head, Ashes realized she WAS being pelted by grapes by those formally sweet and adorable children. She also knew how Lincoln must have felt.
The hits just kept on coming and Ashes' patience was wearing thin; grape-by-grape.
Just when things had reacted their worst and Ashes had snapped, a shrill mother's voice stopped the assault.
"Go tell them at the barn we need a grape pick up!"
The children ceased their assalt and scurried off to comply with mother's demands.
And the kids scurried off, Ashes turned with a feral look in her eye and picked up a handful of grapes.
'Those bast***s are mine!' Ashes thought.
Ashes gripped the handful of grapes in her fist, juice running down her arm. She had her targets in sight and a shoot to kill order in her heart. Then she thought to herself, 'wait, weren't their parents in the same row as us?'
Ashes cringed and slowly turned around to see the parents staring in her general direction. So she slowly released the grapes, one finger at a time. Only one thought kept her going, 'I'll get those bast***s next time.'
Chapter 4: White Wine in Blue Bottles
Before leaving we were given a bottle of red and white wine from last year's grape harvest.
With no one injured or fatally maimed, we deemed it a successful white grape harvest.
Bo was even able to help with the weighing and de-stemming of the grapes.
Bo was even able to help with the weighing and de-stemming of the grapes.
We left bottles of wine in tow and scent of manure again stinging our nostrils. Looking forward to returning in October for an exciting bonfire and wine tasting.
Ashes: And a chance for revenge.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
A Blog Named Blog
Bo: So you're telling me that we're writing this blog.
Ashes: Yeah.
Bo: And it's a blog about writing a blog?
Ashes: Yeah.
Bo: So what is the purpose of this blog? What is it all about?
Ashes: That's the best part. . . it's a blog about nothing.
Bo: A blog about nothing?
Ashes: Yes! Can you imagine it?
Bo: If you're asking if I can imagine nothing. . then yes. Yes, I can.
Ashes: Okay so this is how it works.
And so began the epic blogging adventures of
Ashes, Lishes, Chicken, & Bo.
Stay tuned to hear stories of life experiences,
observations,
and not lame shenanigans.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Fine Dining Without Class: Speedway Gas Station
Bo: Hey, you may have won the blog poll- but I get to pick the restaurant of MY choosing for the meal.
Chicken: The gas station is NOT a restaurant.
Bo: Ashes' friend swears by their pizza. Says it's the best you'll ever have.
Chicken: If I get salmonella or some other freaky gas station disease you're paying the doctor bill.
Bo: Deal!
Do you have tons of extra spending money?
Do you have so much class,
that you raise your pinky when you drink a soda?
If you answered no to both of those questions then you are ready to enjoy fine dining - without class.
The Speedway Gas Station
We visited the Speedway Gas Station on State Road 38 on a Saturday afternoon about 12:30, which is NOT a good time to go if you're trying to avoid the lunch-time rush.
Chicken: Or all the people trying to fill up their gas tanks.
Anyway,
there is lots of natural lighting because one entire side of the building is windows.
Speedway serves Coke & Pepsi products and features 4 different kinds of icees.
We ended up getting the nachos, Chex Mix Muddy Buddies, and two 32 oz. sodas.
The cheese was hot, and the chips were fresh.
Chicken added a bunch of jalapenos to her nachos- they were too spicy for Bo.
Plus the Chex Mix was A-MA-ZING!
Chicken: Yeah, it was definitely the best part of the "meal."
Bo: I'm putting your air quotation marks in the blog.
Chicken: Okay Bo, I "believe" you.
Bo: I'm serious Chicken. When you finally read this blog is going to be full of your air quotation marks.
Chicken: Whatever. Pass the Muddy Buddies. "Please."
Since Bo had a coupon (and a Speedy Rewards Card) our lunch for two only cost $6.71 - talk about a great savings!
Bo: I said the meal had to be under $20- but I was shocked it was so cheap.
Chicken: It was so cheap, I could taste it.
Overall Rating:
Chicken gives it 0 sporks out of 5 and 1 billion dirty napkins: because she couldn't believe Bo was actually making her eat at a gas station.
Bo gives it 4 sporks out of 5: for variety of food and friendly cashiers
and
1 dirty napkin because of the lack of artwork and the smell of gasoline.
Don't Forget: To follow our blog so you are always up-to-date on our latest shenanigans.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Anger Management
Calm blue ocean. . .
Calm blue ocean. . .
Calm blue ocean. . .
Everyone has been angry at some point in their life; but everyone handles their anger a little bit differently.
In our family a big way to get out your frustrations is cleaning.
Now I'm not talking about a little sweeping or dusting. . .I'm talking grab the bucket of suds and scrub from the ceiling down-maybe this ceiling could use a new coat of paint-rearrange the furniture seven or eight times-is that dust in the vent of the television-Endusting each individual picture frame-I'm not leaving this room until I find a bag full of stuff to throw away- cleaning.
Another way people handle anger in our family is cooking. Nonie, our grandma, is famous for her cooking.
"Your Nonie's cooking is so good- it'll make your tongue slap your ears off!" - Papaw
Just the other day Bo & Nonie were talking about the disrespectful nature of their neighbors from behind the woods Nonie ended up baking a chocolate caramel cake, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and-
Bo: Let's just say I earned myself an extra half-hour on the treadmill. . .
Bo's Strategies:
"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal
with the intent of throwing it at someone else,
you're the one who will get burned. " - Buddha
When I'm angry, which is VERY rarely, I resort to one of 3 avenues of releasing this anger.
And I do mean the entire series. I'm a major book worm and I currently have a small library to call my own. So I pick out one of my larger series books (one with at least 7 books in it) and go to town. I get so absorbed in the plot and characters that I let the anger slip away, page by page.
I find something that I find interesting (outside if the weather is nice) and paint or draw to my hearts content- it's very calming (or irritating if I can't get it to come out the way I want it too).
Because by the time I'm done bathing the cats, dogs, and chickens I've completely forgotten why I was mad in the first place.
Chicken's Strategies:
"Anybody can become angry- that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way- that is not within everybody's power and is not easy." - Aristotle
Chicken: Well, it's easy for me!
Parents and everyone in the Psychology field will disagree with me but, if you're angry and you need to blow off some steam I find playing a game or two that allows me to take out my frustrations on villains really helps me deal with real life villains.
Take out your frustrations by scrubbing out a stain instead of punching somebody in the face. . . you'll burn the same amount of calories (without the fear of being arrested).
Take the time to read the recipe and measure everything out exactly- it forces you to slow things down and find your inner peace.
So, you have to ask yourself-
Is it really worth putting on that ring?
The One Ring of Anger?
What's your anger management strategy?
Is it taking a cat nap?
Cleaning?
Share with us in the comments section!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Garden Wars: Kickin' It In The Corn
Garden Wars Update
Bo's Update:Knee high by the 4th of July. . .
that's how you measure whether your summer sweet corn is on track for fall harvest. This year Bo's corn is reaching new record heights!
I also brought in my first garden harvest:cherry tomatoes, zucchini, peas, and lots of jalapenos!
However this has not deterred me, in fact it's made me even more determined to win this garden war! I've had many compliments on my tomato bushes and the height of the corn. Looks like the ways of old are winning. What do you say about that Chicken?
Chicken's Update:
Well Bo, I think if you mess with The Chicken you're going to get the feathers.
The things that have been the hardest to work through have been the severe heat- we're talking 112 degrees and the rainstorms.
The last storm really beat up my tomato plants.
I harvested some banana peppers, jalapenos, and Anaheim peppers, tomatoes, and peas.
While chopping up the jalapenos so I could freeze them and save them for later, some of the juices ran down my arm and I broke out in hives. I've eaten them before and haven't had a problem, but I guess now I'm allergic to jalapeno juice.
This Garden War is far from over!
Stay tuned for more Garden War updates by becoming a blog follower.
Do you have any gardening tips?
Leave them in the comments section below.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Midnight Movie Magic: Harry Potter 7 Part 2
FLASH BACK!
Shenanigans from July 2011!
played Lego Harry Potter
watched the first part of the year 7 movie
tested out our magic skills
and took a nap.
This was all before noon so it was a long wait until the movie.
10:30 pm Thursday July 14
Downtown
Great Escape Theater
We're definitely not the most clever witches of our age- because we thought by arriving at 10:30 we would be guaranteed a good spot in line. But upon arriving we found ourselves surrounded by the world of Hogwarts.
Once there we were divided into one of 4 theaters.
We were sorted into theater 5. . .we thought all was well as we took a seat in the second row from the front with the few SANE people in the theater.
Chicken: It's not like we had a choice. At 10:30 the theater was already full- at least the front three rows were pretty much empty.
Bo: I think we had the best seats in the house. . . the Hufflepuff wizard sitting next to us had the Sword of Gryffindor.
Once we had gotten settled with our popcorn and . . .oh sh*t!
Darth Vader & Luke Skywalker are having a light saber fight
in front of the screen!
Oh, wait, Harry Potter just broke up the fight.
Thank goodness.
(And no, we're not kidding.)
Chicken: Man, I need to start carrying my light saber with me.
Bo: I brought my wand. Accio Cherry Coke!
Then there was a lovely shadow puppet show featuring mostly rabbits and walking fingers provided by the crazies sitting the the back of the theater.
10:52
The shadow puppet people were stopped by the theater staff from continuing the show.
After the light saber battle and shadow puppet show, we decided we were sorted into the "most Slytherin house" of the movie theater.
Chicken: Yeah, cause we were surrounded by dumb a**es.
Bo: Which really stinks because I'm a Ravenclaw.
Chicken: And I'm a Gryffindor or a Ravenclaw. I'm not the sorting hat so I'm not going to pick sides without a proper sorting.
Sitting and waiting for the movie to start was like riding on the train to Hogwarts: stuffy, crowded, food littering the floor, and full of crazy witches & wizards.
It is now 11:10 and Chicken is close to loosing it.
We just discovered Draco sitting behind us and we are now concerned for the mudbloods and muggles in the audience.
Bo: I'm totally feeling out of the technological-loop because we are surrounded by people who are texting and tweeting. . .and all I can do is talk and type.
Costume Contest!
The winner was a gal who had the PERFECT Madame Trelawney outfit- complete with carpet bag and cup to read tea leaves. She announced to the audience after reading her tea leaves, "I see a man with a mustache which means. . .DEATH FOR EVERYONE!"
Bo isn't concerned.
Bo: I brought my wand.
Chicken. . . well
Chicken: I could only hope that prediction comes true.
11:29
Enter the trolley candy lady.
Chicken questions whether or not she can magically swipe her credit card with her wand.
The following is the ACTUAL conversation
of the teens sitting directly behind us. . .SERIOUSLY.
"What are the main points in the past 7 movies?"
"Wait. What?"
"You know, what are these movies about."
"Well, I guess it's mostly about trying to kill Voldemort."
"Okay. Hey did you get my tweet?"
"Is your name all lower case or are there some numbers in there?"
"No, it's all lower case- no numbers."
"In the name of all that is holy- did you see what (girl's name) has been wearing to gym?"
"I know, right."
"I wonder where this stuff all happened."
"What stuff?"
"The Harry Potter stuff. You know that no one just comes up with all of this stuff. It has to really happen in real life. There's no way she just came up with all of the stuff to write all these books. She saw it happen somewhere."
11:40
Chicken was hit by the Sword of Gryffindor-
she survived and there was much celebration and applause.
11:43
Three girls returned after getting popcorn and candy. . .there was much celebration and applause by the male muggles in the back of the theater.
Bo checked her phone for the um-teen-th time to see how much longer until the movie starts. . . 16 minutes and counting.
11:45
Chicken starts REALLY loosing it. She begins wondering if there will ever be a Harry Potter 7 Part 2.
She also starts plotting to steal the Sword of Gryffindor.
11:46
The Hufflepuff wizard with The Sword shows off his Elder wand. Chicken chickens out of stealing The Sword - Bo offers to lend her wand to Chicken. Chicken declines wand and states she will take things into her own hands.
11:47
Bo learns "Accio Sword of Gryffindor" doesn't work if you're a Ravenclaw- drat.
We also learn that there are only 13 minutes until the aforementioned Hufflepuff wizard's childhood ends.
Audience members start randomly clapping.
11:49
Our Hufflepuff neighbor tests out his sword skills. . . not bad.
10 minutes until the end of the the Hufflepuff wizard's childhood.
Chicken: Okay, I think the professor's prediction (from the costume contest) will come true.
11:53
7 minutes until the end of the the Hufflepuff wizard's childhood.
Chicken: 7 minutes until I end the life of the Hufflepuff wizard and take the Sword of Gryffindor.
11:55
Bo offers Chicken a hanky.
Chicken: Thanks I'll need this to clean up the blood.
Bo: What?
(Lights Out!)
APPLAUSE!
. . .and action!
We were in suspense throughout the entire movie
(even though we have both read all the books).
We laughed.
Bo cried.
It was tremendous!
A definite MUST SEE MOVIE!
As we left the theater the night sky was clear and the full moon lit the way to our car. It was then Bo noticed. .
Bo: Where did you get that sword?
Chicken: What sword?
Bo: The one you're holding? Chicken, did you take it from Hufflepuff guy?!?
Chicken: Me? No! Never!
Bo: Chicken. . .
Chicken: I swear I didn't do it by the Sword of Gryffindor!
Chicken: Darn it!
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