Incoherent Scribblings

The Places I have Visited

A couple of years ago I did something I had always wanted to do. I printed out a blank map of the United States (from National Geographic) and colored in all of the states where I had lived and/or visited. I did this after I made my cross-country move from Mississippi to Oregon and after my honeymoon to the American Southwest. Needless to say, I have been in about half of the United States. Some days ago, I discovered that you can do it online and so now I can share my travels with the whole world! (You too can do it! Just click here.)

The United States

The Rest of the World

Mary, Mary quite contrary…

Sometime last week (Thursday or Friday, I think) 18 cockle pickers were killed by rising tides in Lancashire’s Morecambe Bay. (In case you wonder, Morecambe Bay is in England.)

When I first came across this news I was just browsing the BBC’s headlines and didn’t click through to read the news. However, I asked my self, “What the hell is a cockle picker?” Honestly, the first thing I thought of was that it must be some porn term that I was unfamiliar with and then I went on about my daily business.

But I just couldn’t get the word “cockle” out of my head, for some reason I felt I should know it (aside from the porn connotation). Later that day I happened to watching CNN International when they did a report on the “cockle pickers.” It turns out that cockles are shellfish! And from what I understand a mighty lucrative business…

Then I remembered! The nursery rhyme…

“Mary Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.”

AH HA! Mystery solved…

The Case of the Missing Laundry Detergent

I just went downstairs to do a load of laundry and found that my laundry detergent is MIA. How odd!

Here in our apartment building we have a laundry room, but I must mention that it is different than any laundry room in any apartment building or complex in the US. Here you install your own washer and dryer in the laundry room and in order to make sure the creepy guy next door doesn’t use your machine, the outlet is equipped with a lock. However, this doesn’t preclude someone from stealing your machines, but I guess since everyone in the building has their own machines anyway, it isn’t an issue.

Honestly, I must admit I was a little nervous with this system at first. If such a system existed in any apartment building in the US where I have lived, my washer and dryer would have been stolen, so I guess I should be happy that only my detergent has gone missing.

Anyway, every time you do laundry you unlock your outlet, plug in your machine, turn on your water, and you are good to go. And almost everyone leaves their laundry detergent on top of their machines. I have done so for almost two years with no problems… until today.

The odd thing is that I just did a load of laundry yesterday afternoon and my detergent was there then. I guess sometime in the night either a.) the detergent was unhappy in the cold basement and grew legs and walked away or b.) someone stole it. Hmmm…