Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Gold Medal Hodgepodge Volume 85

Welcome to the weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge...answer the questions on your own blog then add your link to the bottom of my post. The more the merrier!


1. The summer Olympics begin next week and London is playing host. If you had the chance to go in person what (non-Olympic) London site would you most like to visit?

I think we all know I'm not going to be able to answer this question.

If I can only choose one thing I'm going to Marks and Spencers by way of Covent Garden. I'll browse the shops then pick up a picnic lunch and head over to Green Park. I'll sit on one of the chairs they let you rent there and I'll slip off my shoes and admire Buckingham Palace peeking thru the trees.


I'll hear that lovely British accent all around me while I eat crisps with my cheese and 'pickle' sandwich followed by a biscuit and a cuppa.


And the sun will shine.
And I'll feel lucky.

2. What is something in your life right now that feels like an Olympic event?

Answering that first question?

Okay, I guess I'll say figuring out where we want to settle when we retire and all the logistics involved in making that happen including the financial piece of the puzzle. It's still a few years away but not that many years away, and we like to have a plan.

The only thing we know for certain is that we will not retire in NJ.
One word...T-A-X-E-S

3. What's your favorite supper to prepare and serve when it's too hot to cook?

Cold chicken salad. If I don't have leftover chicken and don't want to turn on the oven I buy a rotisserie chicken from the market and use that. I add sliced almonds, sliced green grapes, chopped cooked egg white, and chopped celery combined with a little mayonnaise. I like this meal even when its not too hot to cook.

4. July 18th is National Get Out of the Doghouse Day...when was the last time you were 'in the doghouse?'

I honestly can't remember. I associate that phrase with 'in trouble' like forgetting to pay the electric bill or dinging the car or losing some important document. I don't think I've done anything recently that would land me in the doghouse.

5. What television commercial do you find particularly irritating or inappropriate? You may not answer with 'all of them'. I know some of you were thinking about it.

This one. The Vlasic pickle commercial where the guy eats a pickle at a funeral. I think it's in extremely poor taste.

6. Share one interesting piece of news from the year you were born.

The Summer Olympics were held in Rome the year I was born. Rome had originally been set to host the games in 1908, but Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 1906 so they were forced to pass the games on to another city, and coincidentally that city was London. Rome finally got its turn the year I was born-1960.

In other big news, JFK was elected President.

So essentially it was Presidential election politics and the Summer games. Kinda like now only with less advertising, pundits, and over the top media coverage.

7. What's the best part of your average day?

I love the early morning. The quiet, my coffee, and figuring out what the day holds.

Anytime of day my girls phone home.

I still love to hear the garage door going up signaling hubs home from the office.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

There is nothing on our calendar this weekend.
Other than napping I mean.

Some people would find that depressing.
We are not those people.

We haven't had a blank page on our weekend calendar since May 19th.

38 comments:

  1. I was so right with my answer to #1. Your answer sounds perfect. When do we leave? :)

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  2. Were you born in England? Where did you live when you were there? My mom and grandpa were both from Cambridge and moved to California in the late 60's. I have been to London but i have no memory since i was only 3 years old. I would love to go back sometime.

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  3. 1. Your answer was way more specific than mine. As it should be.
    2. Oh future plans. We have had that same conversation here.
    3. Yum! Chicken Salad. Yum!
    4. National Get Out Of the Doghouse Day? Who comes up with these things?
    5. I agree. Tacky commercial.
    6. Great research!
    7. Early morning? We all know what I think of that. :) But the hubby coming home? We agree on that!
    8. Yay for a quiet weekend for you!

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  4. I think you need to come back to England to visit and we can tour around :)

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  5. I can't think of the last time I was in the doghouse either. I guess we are good girls!

    Have a good day, Joyce!

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  6. I agree NJ and taxes....why would anyone retire there....I would love to retire and spend a year living in various cities throughout the world. We rarely watch commercials but I agree that is in poor taste. I think your weekend sounds perfect and well needed! Enjoy!

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  7. Your salad sounds great! In terms of politics, 1960 sounds better too!!

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  8. Why...you're so young!! I love the whole scene you created for us where you'd love to be in London. And chicken salad....I love it too, but I use leftover chicken and add pecans celery and dried cranberries. DEEElicious. And I know just what you mean about TAXES when retiring. Arizona was high in taxes too, and they also had state income. That's why Texas appealed to us. No state income. LOL

    SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMERS is my link for Wednesday. Have a great day and week ahead.

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  9. So much would love to go to London!! Chicken salad sandwich-forgot about that one. Enjoy your quiet, relaxing weekend.

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  10. I hadn't seen that commercial before! I said Chicken Salad, too, but I make mine a little differently. Enjoy your weekend! You deserve it! :)

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  11. How the world has changed since 1960. :( I love those early mornings, too. Enjoy your "blank" weekend!

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  12. Your upcoming weekend sounds just perfect to me and so does your chicken salad.

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  13. that commercial... haha... totally inappropriate!

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  14. Somehow, I managed to get linked up rather early (for me)this week. I just don't understand how that's possible. Your questions are always such fun! Will you and hubs be settling in East Tennesse after he retires? We get a lot of northen retirees, but with your DH's roots here then I would conclude he would want to come back home to the Tennessee hills again. Thanks for hosting!

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  15. Retirement plans loom large in our lives, too. Ours is much closer than yours, and this crazy economy is ruining even the best-laid plans :(

    Enjoy your quiet weekend. Sometimes they're the best kind. We'd planned to go back to the beach, but will post-pone until I'm feeling better.

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  16. That commercial is quite tacky ... I didn't think of it when I was answering.

    DH and I planned to retire somewhere warm and on the beach of course!! But when it came time to retire, we couldn't bring ourselves to move away from the grands, so we're still here in Illinois. ;-)

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  17. Birdie and her boytoy are in London right now- having a blast and eating fish and chips that looked absolutely delicious in the picture they posted! So, now I want to go to London for fish and chips. LOL Have a great day!

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  18. Your upcoming weekend and chicken salad both sound amazing... bliss!

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  19. I think you should retire in England . . . . I think you miss it there! :) :)

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  20. Very interesting information about the year you were born. I like all your best parts of the day. Our weekends are almost always quiet. It is wonderful that you usually have so much to do on the weekends. Enjoy! We are getting closer to retirement and we talk about it often.

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  21. I loved that answering #1 felt like the answer for #2. : ) I can totally relate to enjoying a weekend without something scheduled. This weekend is going to be extremely busy, but then Sunday night after church, Indiana and I are running away for a few days. I can't wait!

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  22. I thought I watch too much TV, but I haven't seen any of the commercials that I've seen mentioned so far. Maybe I should watch more. :-)

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  23. Your day in London sounds lovely. Enjoy your nap this weekend :)

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  24. Hi Joyce,
    Your chicken recipe sounds yummy! Have a great day!

    Sherrie
    Food for Thought
    http://100sweets.blogspot.com/2012/07/wednesday-hodgepodge.html

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  25. Your day in London sounds like something a navtive would do and not a tourist. ;)

    Ugh. t a x e s

    As my youngest likes to say these days... 'not in this economy' Which is ironic coming from the child who wants for nothing. Ha.

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  26. I hadn't seen that commercial before I watched the clip. Agreed--for a tasty pickle, the ad is in poor taste! But I bet your chicken salad is tasty! Sounds like a lot of work compared to mine, but I'm sure it's better than mine, too.
    Hmmm...where to retire. Guess it really depends where your daughters will seem to settle down, perhaps?

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  27. Nothing on my calendar is my favorite thing. Enjoy!

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  28. i love chicken salad too--but never make it for some reason----that is so sweet how you still like to hear the garage door open when your husband is home :)

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  29. Love your answers! Isn't London amazing!

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  30. Your random thought describes my weekend as well. FInally, some time to nap, I feel like I've been on the merry-go-round. LIke chicken salad too, but for some reason I always end up making tuna salad. :)

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  31. Jealous of your open weekend! I have one in August still... I keep pretending we are busy that weekend in hopes of keeping it that way!

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  32. You have a weekend with nothing to do?? Well something must be wrong - enjoy that. I am a morning person as well and NH has low taxes, just in case you may want to retire here!

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  33. Agreed on that commercial is pretty awful! I should post a photo of me near Stonehenge if i find it. :)

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  34. I am going to have to look that commercial up on you tube, but it does seem inappropriate. Have a great weekend relaxing at home.

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  35. I don't find #8 depressing at all! It's the kind of weekend I prefer!

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  36. Joyce,
    You've been nominated! http://adventuresofamiddleagemom.com/2012/07/18/fabulous-blog-ribbon-winner-me/

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  37. Sure hope nothing happens to change your weekend plans. Think you need a blank weekend.

    Oh, I love the early morning too. I was up at 5:15 this morning enjoying my coffee, reading my devotional and seeking direction for this day. I love it!

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  38. See? I knew you would know where to go in London!
    I understand about the full weekend thing. We have had entire summers like that. All good stuff, but sheesh.

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