Bugs For Dinner

I don't know if it was due to the author's way with words or just the fact that I'm feeling a bit out of sorts this week, but I found myself almost persuaded to consider eating bugs (key phrase here being "almost persuaded to consider").

Article here: "Dutch Try to Change 'Ick' to 'Yum'"

I did get the sense, though, that the cook who praised the open-mindedness of children doesn't really understand children. Yes, a child might not think it's weird to eat bugs unless their parents tell them so (or make gagging noises like my mom would), but children also eat dirt and paste and stick buttons up their noses. Does that really classify them as open minded? Would you say to your son, "Well done, Tommy!! Sticking that M&M in you nose really shows that you are receptive to experiencing all life has to offer you."

I'm not saying kids are stupid (in fact, most kids are a lot smarter than adults give them credit for), but instead I mean that just because your five-year-old doesn't see anything wrong with eating bug candy doesn't mean he/she has better taste. 

If you're that desperate for protein, wouldn't it be less weird/gross/expensive to just eat some chickpeas or a handful of cashews?

Also, I discovered why the word "meal" freaks me out; because it's part of the word "mealworm."

Oddities

(door knocker)

If you put something weird or unusual outside your house, do you ever wonder if people notice? I think for me, I would hope people would notice, even if they really didn't. Even if those people were tourists or office workers trying to get away from their computers for a bit.

Unless those people were vandals or thieves, that is.

Philly Near Winter's End

Just walking around a few weeks ago made me miss all the green than can be found in the city. Yes, in the city. You would not believe how many people are shocked when I tell them that there are several parks near my office. But they exist, and many of them are quite nice in the summertime.

Everything does seem to be waking up from its winter slump, though. Only four more days before spring is technically here.

Chicago

When I was in Chicago a couple of weeks ago (Query: why do people there call it "Chicagoland"?), I went to the Art Institute of Chicago for the afternoon. It is a massive place with a lot of famous paintings (some shown below). I am more of a person who likes paintings (the impressionist section was quite nice); I have trouble really getting the super modern art (a la Jackson Pollack and friends).

There were several Monets ("Water Lillies" below) which I stared at so long the staff probably wondered if I was casing the joint.

(Water Lillies)

 

And in another gallery, tucked back in what felt like a hidden nook, I found this woman all dressed up and writing about the paintings. She was super fancy looking, and for a moment I felt like I'd accidentally wandered into a movie from the 1960s.

(A Sunday on La Grande Jatte and myself)

But the one of the best paintings I saw was A Sunday on La Grande Jatte : also seen in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. This was the only famous painting I saw that seemed to be as large as it should be. Many of the other ones were a lot smaller than I thought they'd be.

And I couldn't leave without seeing "American Gothic." That was a fun one too...even if Sarah and I got super lost in the modern part of the gallery when we were trying to find it....

(American Gothic)

What You Missed

To my Friend/Co-Worker ArgyleSockGirl:

As you were not in the office today, here is a short list of things you missed:

1.) We were without a boss until about 11:30am; no major parties were thrown.

2.) Someone brought in a chocolate bar with pretzel pieces. No, not chocolate covered pretzels; an actual chocolate bar with bits of pretzel. I thought they were nuts for about 45 seconds.

3.) The ladies' loo suddenly smells like musty basement with the occasional whiff of spoiled milk. Flowery Lysol used to cover said smell only succeeding in getting stuck in my lungs and making me cough. Fail.

4.) All of the top entertainment headlines were about Charlie Sheen and/or Miley Cyrus. Not a "winning" day for celebrity journalism.

5.) It was cold and windy.

6.) I saw Nie's new basement post; I wasn't sure what those fabric/wallpaper choices were going to look like all together, but they turned out so lovely! Never question the Nie.

So the perfect day to be home, basically. :-)

Awful Library Books

There is really a website called Awful Library Books. 

One of my professors included this website as optional reading material for this week's class. It's an entire blog about the weirdest and/or most dated library books. My favourites include (but are not limited to) "Should we Tell Children That the USSR is No More?" and the last page of the ET book which says, "Little girls are for loving you...and sometimes hiding you in closets." hehe.

Becca, the book entitled "Why Cats Paint" was clearly written for Chewy.

Happy Birthday, Sister!

Today is my sister's birthday. She is only 17, but it's hard to remember a time when she wasn't around.

Happy Birthday, SISTOR!