marius

marius had much fun re-visiting her childhood and wishes to share:

Last night our thirteen year old grandson stayed overnight. We picked him up, ate dinner out, watched a video, played rummi-cube, and then for some reason marius remembered she can "hypnotize" people. Jake was entranced and readily volunteered to be hypnotized.

In case some folks are not familiar with this, here's how it works. You get two old dinner plates, light a candle and let the candle flame soot cover the bottom of one plate (except where the sides of the plate angle upward). Then put the sooted plate on one side of the table and the clean plate in front of you. For dramatic effect, turn out all lights except for a lit candle that is placed between you and your "victim." You have said victim maintain steady eye-contact with you, and say that the plates will be used to help relax him/her into the hypnotic state.

While engaged in eye-lock, talk in that silly "hypnotic" tone of voice, and have the person copy everything you do. You say, "Hold the plate with your left hand, now with your right hand, gently rub the bottom of your plate . Feel the relaxing warmth. Now take your right hand and gently soothe your temples, now soothe your forehead." When you can see that the person "needs more soot," you have them rub the bottom of their plate again, then have them "soothe" their nose, chin, cheeks, wherever more soot is needed. When the subject's face is black enough, you turn on the lights, show them a mirror and everyone laughs.

That's what I did to dear Jake last night. He LOVED it. Of course he immediately wanted to try to hypnotize someone and the only subject available was spouse. Hahaha, spouse played along. He knew what was happening as I've told him about all the kids my siblings and I hypnotized when we were kids. It was quite funny. Jake got his cell phone and took a picture of soot-faced grandpa!

If there are some who've never done this, would advise newspaper to catch candle drippings when you are sooting the plate. Also, grandma is somewhat responsible and made Jake swear to get adult permission before he attempts to hypnotize others as duh, candles and flame can start fires. Jake readily agreed to this but to be sure about safety issues, marius called Jake's parents while spouse drove Jake home. [Since the parents forgave marius for teaching grand kids how to make doughnut socks, she trusts they will forgive this too. They did.]

Must say, it's probably been forty-some years since I hypnotized anyone and it was wonderful fun to do it again! I added some extra mood-setting devices like using a blindfold to bring the kid to the table, having him remove all metal (jewelry etc. because metal interferes with hynotic states ...well, it could), making him take a few deeply relaxing breaths and repeat a silly chant: omma-nonah-zap-tu-pour-ee.

It was such fun that I'm rather in the mood to hypnotize someone right now. Think this is the only practical joke I know where no one has ever gotten upset. One time I put way too much soot on the bottom of the plate and was found out instantly. Otherwise, just hypnotized with abandon and everyone always laughed.

Baldur

(Baldur makes a mental not not to let marius near his Spode with a candle...soot does not come out of table linens very easily).

Baldur got involved with another discussion group today, but only momentarily

The group is called Steampunk Empire and one of the discussion threads is called:
'So why are we carrying all these weapons anyway?'
Generally Steampunks create personas, all with characteristics that make them seem both Victorian and Adventurous.
One of the 'looks' that seems universal is the use of outlandish weaponry as a costume accesory.
Finally a voice a reason mentioned that she never carries weapons, and Baldur added to her point in agreement.
Stating that he would never appear bristling with weapons, if I were to cart anything around at all it would be my tea accoutrements.
So far there has been no response at all.
I also brought up the point that wearing weaponry to a social event is an affront to one's host.
It is generally considered in poor form.
I will check back later but it appears that Baldur's comments have been buried by other topics.

Baldur

not +e =note

marius

Baldur, marius only uses OLD plates as in ... not NICE and LOVELy plates. Your Spode is safe.

Is Baldur unappreciated at Steampunk Empire? Perhaps their wits are dulled by carrying all that heavy weaponry? (giggle) Well, let us know what reponse, if any is given. Am laughing heartily at picture of Baldur carrying his tea accoutrements to visit others. You're welcome to bring them over here any time, but ahem, it would be most pleasant if a few biscotti managed to come along with them.

Robindcr8l

Robin is back at work tonight, wishing she were home sleeping instead. First time in a long while that I am not the charge nurse. It's refreshing to just take care of patients and not take care of nurses. LOL

I ventured out to the melee on Friday morning as soon as I got out of work. I get off at 7:30, so it was close to 8am when I arrived at my first store. The lines of people waiting to get in the checkout line were wrapped clear around the entire store! Now, this was 3 hours after the doors opened for the Door Buster sales, so those really fabulous sales were long gone by then. That meant that people were willing to wait in that long line just to save like $10 on some obscure item! Everyone was pleasant and patient (except maybe me) as if they just EXPECT to wait 2 hours in line to pay for their stupid christmas toy! I got a real kick out of it, but left to go to the next store. That store barely had lines at all, but all of their big-ticket items were sold out. So off I went to Walmart. All I really wanted there were some groceries, LOL, but did ask about their IPOD they were selling as a door buster. Of course it was gone within the first hour. Alas. But it made for short lines, too. 2 more stores later and I was home with only a few groceries and these darling little miniature loaf pans which were ceramic and oven safe! I will bake some banana bread and give the bread in the cute pans as gifts.

All in all it was a very unproductive Black Friday event, but I didn't mind. There was nothing I was dying to buy anyway, and I just sort of enjoy the spirit of the day. I missed out on the trampling when the doors are first opened. Darn that work schedule!

In the newspaper on Friday, there was a story about a couple of the Griswold houses in Boise. I mentioned them before, I know. Thought you might enjoy reading the details and seeing the pic. (The paper had several pics, but the online only has 1) Here's the link... http://www.idahostatesman.com/life/story/988003.html

Robindcr8l

So, on the middle school thread, Marius told a fun story of what she did with her second graders. This made me think of a story of what I did with my son's fifth-grade class. I hope I haven't already told this story...I do that sometimes. So if it rings a bell, let me know of my senility and then just ignore what I've written here.

So, a couple of years ago, when Jake was in 5th grade, I was volunteering in his class every week. His teacher happened to have a zillion stuffed animals around the room, mostly pigs for some reason, but at Thanksgiving, she had an array of stuffed turkeys. About a week before thanksgiving that year, I STOLE 2 of her stuffed turkeys. They were about the size of beanie baby turkeys. I took them home, and put them in this miniature roaster pan that I have. I set them on the oven with a can of Stove Top Stuffing next to them and took their picture. I then created a new username on my AOL account called TomTurkeyNapper. From Tom's account, I emailed the picture to the teacher, along with a ransom demand!

Robindcr8l

My demands were that the kids get an extra recess every day, and no homework until after the Thanksgiving holiday, or the turkeys would be roasted! The teacher showed the email up on the smart board to the students. Everyone was SHOCKED (except Jake, who was in on it from the beginning!) The teacher wrote back and said she would need assurance that the turkeys were ok. I took a picture of them sitting on that day's paper with the date showing, and with my black cat LOOMING over them ominously! (10 pts). I wrote poems, sent videos of cartoon turkeys singing "I will not be Stuffed", and continued to send pics of the turkeys in perilous predicaments. The kids and the teacher were stumped at who the kidnappers could be.

Robindcr8l

Now, this is where the proof comes in of what a great teacher Jake was lucky enough to have! She took that practical joke, and turned it into a teaching opportunity for these kids! She made some kids defense lawyers, some kids interrogators, some kids suspects. They had to make a list of questions based on the clues they already had in the pictures. For instance, in one of the pics, the countertop showed. They thought it was granite (it was quartz) and that became a question for the suspects. "Do you have a black cat? Do you have granite countertops?" When the suspects were being questioned, they had their defense attorneys present. They even questioned other teachers in the school. No one suspected Jake and I!

Robindcr8l

The teacher complied with the demands of TomTurkeyNapper, and those kids got extra recess and no homework for a week! On the day before Thanksgiving, my neighbor (whose kids went to a different school) took the turkeys to the school and left them anonymously in the office to be delivered to the classroom. I put the turkeys in a little basket that looked like a nest, and stuck a couple of hard-boiled eggs under them! LOL

Robindcr8l

No one ever did figure out who kidnapped the turkeys. I kept it a mystery until the very last day of school that following June. On that day I sent the class another poem confessing that it was Jake and I! We weren't even on the suspect list, so it was a great surprise! One of the most fun practical jokes I've ever played!

The end!

Qsilv

THAT is a HOOT!!!

(and you've just held ME spellbound, clicking/waiting/clicking/waiting for each new installment here... pff)

; D

marius

Robin, THAT is a great story!!! Am sure you've not told it here: I'd would remember something like that!

Can tell you one thing, I KNOW you are/were appreciated by teachers cause parents like you are not common! Bet the teacher and all the kids had great fun with that. They will remember it forever!

And gee whiz, you little stinker, it's clear that YOU had fun. What on earth possessed you the day you kidnapped the turkeys? Was it a slow plan in the making or did you just happen to look at those turkeys one day and move into action? It is also hysterically funny that the teacher met the kidnapper demands; let the kids have extra recess and no homework!

Incredibly fun story! Thanks!

Normal

Love the tale of turkey-napping. Hurray for such a wise teacher as well.

I'm totally with Marius on the avoidance of excess scents. Daughter used a plug-in for a while - I would much have preferred the odor of old, damp dog! Guy across my hall leaves an after-shave trail, so I always know when he has recently come or gone. Ick, ick.

Dragon

Rule of thumb - if you can smell your own aftershave/perfume you have way too much on!

Robindcr8l

I agree with the scent issue, too. For one thing, scents are such a personal like or dislike. So a scent that I like might be something a guest of mine would cring over. I happen to HATE the smell of coconut. Will NOT buy lotions with coconut oil because of this. Can't hardly stand the beach where all the bathing beauties have slathered it on themselves. So last thing I want to do is walk into a house with a coconut scented candle, or even vanilla! Just can't stand those sweet smells. I have a few of those no-burn candles that you melt the scented wax. I always think they smell ok when I just take a whiff while they are cold. Then you heat them up and that same OK smell is overpowering and assaultive on the senses! No no no!

Marius, as for how I came up with the turkey napping, it actually originated a few years earlier when I was working a more administrative job at the hospital. I went to a girl's office and she wasn't there, but here really cute beanie baby turkey was sitting on her desk. I REALLY wanted to steal that turkey, cuz it was so cute and I thought it would look better in my office than in hers. But I have a conscience, and knew I couldn't just TAKE it. So I kidnapped it and did a very similar thing with the picture in the roasting pan. I can't remember what my ransom demand was there, but her whole department had fun trying to figure out who stole it! Unfortunately, I was much better known as a practical joker at work, than by Jake's teacher, so I was "found out" pretty quickly!

Anyway, when I saw that teacher's turkeys, the whole idea came back to me! The thing is, though, I didn't really know that teacher very well yet. Wasn't sure she would find the whole thing funny, or even go along with it. CERTAINLY didn't think she'd mett those unrealistic demands! I can't tell you how much her response endeared her to me. Not only did she run with the whole thing, but to actually use it to TEACH! Brilliant! Those kids all went home and told their parents. Entire families were trying to guess who the nappers were. This was a big deal in the 5th/6th grade GATE program at Valley View elementary that year!

When it got closer to Christmas, another student stole my idea and kidnapped one of her stuffed pigs. Sent her a picture of bacon and made similar ransom demands. The kids realized this could be a way to get extra recesses and no homework for a long time to come! But alas, the teacher said that unless they came up with an ORIGINAL idea, she would not be playing along this time! hahaha

Jake was in the GATE program (Gifted and Talented Education) at that time, and the classes were combined. So he had one teacher for 1st/2nd grade, another one for 3rd/4th grade, and luckily had this teacher for another year after the turkey incident.

And Marius, when you were telling of your 2nd grade teaching stories, I thought of what a great teacher you were. That's what made me think of this turkey-napping story. You would have run with this, too, I can tell! I bet all the kids in your school HOPED they would get Miss Marius for their second grade teacher! There was always one teacher in the school like that...everyone hoped to get that teacher! How lucky those kids were!

Robindcr8l

Now, Robin is secretly thinking of doing something that goes against her general work ethic. I have a lousy schedule this week with only 1 day off due to some training. I am hostessing a cookie exchange on Friday, and have much to accomplish between now and then with no time off to do it, since my one day off will be spent sleeping. So I believe I might be calling in sick tomorow and giving myself a mental health day. I will check the schedule tonight to make sure there is someone else to charge and enough staff that they won't be left short, so I won't have a guiltier conscience than I already would have for doing this. If staffing is ok, and the stars are all aligned, I might take tomorrow night off. Anyone out there willing to validate my decision???! LOL

Dragon

I don't know if this validates your decision Robin, but I once called in tired. I hadn't slept well all week and I knew we had almost nothing for appt's the next day. If we had been busy I never would have done it but I just couldn't stand another day of being exhausted from lack of sleep and having nothing to do but stand around all day long. So I called up my co-worker and said I was just too tired to work that day. I knew it'd be ok 'cause the owner of the clinic is incredibly cheap and probably would be happier not having to pay me that day when we weren't making any profit anyway.

Baldur

Baldur is glad that you are all managing without my intercession (+4 points. I'd get more if I hadn't been raised a Roman Catholic).
My internet connection has been worse than horrible today, things that normally happen quickly are taking ages and ages now.

marius

Baldur, we have missed you - since your profile pic is still one of mayhem I figured you were still recovering. : )

Robin, another great story telling how the turkey-napping story happened. I'd love working with you. We'd have a lot of fun!

I did love teaching second grade but only lasted two years as introverts are not made for full time teaching jobs. : ) Who knew? But, still got to teach when I moved to outdoor ed. That provide enough teaching (people-time) and enough alone office-time.

marius

Mental Health Days! marius could not have lived without them! Have NEVER understood those who do not take, and perhaps don't need, mental health days. Of course, one should not abuse use of mental health days and ideally, should make sure things are covered when one takes such a day.

However, there were times where I took a mental health day when I knew it would be hard on other folks. I never did it lightly, only when needed. The way I figured it, other folks were always taking off for family things, kid things, babies arriving etc. and those events were not "scheduled" for the convenience of others.

I had done a great deal of covering for these folks so the few times I badly needed a mental health day I figured they would survive without me just like I survived without them. Guess what - they did. Not once did the world come to an end when I took mental health days, even when things were not covered. : )