Tuesday 9 February 2010

May you all have the body of a 29 year old or at least may all your ironing be wet!

I was intently listening to an interview on the radio this morning about Extreme Underwater Ironing. I clearly need to get out more.

Apparently there are groups of people from Buenos Ayres to Berlin who can’t wait for the weekends to drag their ironing boards and irons to the bottom of the ocean for a photo opportunity. Just for a bit of harmless fun ......you know ....like watching paint dry. The better staged the shot, either with props or location, the more extreme it is. Originality is the key, and a warped sense of humour can play a big part as well.

How can I look at an ironing board in the same way again?..Well the truth is I've never looked at an ironing board for a long time....I believe it’s too much of an extreme sport on dry land let alone thousands of feet under. C’est la vie. I did notice though that 99% of the divers are men. They clearly see the ironing board as some kind of novelty.

Maybe we need to turn household chores into extreme sports to increase the take-up rate. Put your thinking caps on....

Speaking of a warped sense of humour, I haven’t done an update about The Des in a while (my dear old Dad).

Unlike everyone else in my family he doesn’t mind getting exposure on my blog. He's had another birthday since you last saw him and he's now 83.

The great thing is, he’s still experiencing some firsts.

There he is – in his skinny jeans. G-o-r-g-e-o-u-s! I had to edit my mother out, she's less inclined to enjoy the free publicity.

So what's so special about the jeans?

I bought them for him for Christmas and....they are actually Des’ first pair of jeans! He’s a Virjean no more! Hard to imagine, in this day and age isn't it?

He reckons he never really had the figure for them before now. It was the topic of conversation among his grand kids all over Christmas (especially when a few of them realised he takes a smaller size than they do!) and they are taking bets as to when he will get his first tattoo (or take his first Extreme Ironing dive perhaps).

No matter the state of his health his sense of humour continues to burn bright. Take today, for example, I caught him bragging no end about his wife (yes, my lovely Mum). I heard him telling a neighbour that he is married to a woman with the body of a 29 year old. My jaw dropped. No, he hasn’t swapped his wife for a newer model. His current wife had some heart tests done last week and the doctor said she had the arteries of a 29 year old. And true to form, Des had to put a spin on it! Perhaps it’s true what they say, laughter is the best medicine.

I don't know about you but since I've been blogging I take happy snaps everywhere.
I cannot even go to the supermarket without taking photos. In fact I took so many this week that I had to explain to the store manager that I really wasn't spying for the opposition. I just needed them for my blog..... even though I never use 95% of the pictures I take. But hey, this chocolate made me smile. Sorry its so blurry - store security were chasing me at the time. It's called The Marital Bliss Bar - 50% for her (pink) and 50% for him. Looks like a fair distribution to me!


And finally, I will leave you with a question -

There is a billboard (this is true) along I-35 near Wyoming, Minn., with a huge photo of former president George W. Bush and this question:


"Miss Me Yet?"

Well do ya??

37 comments:

  1. Um...that would be a NO from me.

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  2. Leave it to a man to take ironing to an exteme! In my family just plain old land ironing would be a feat for any male! About the George Bush thing... NO!

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  3. Oh, it's a definite yes from me - just the way I'd miss having a hole in my head! Jerk!

    Great post and I'm glad Des is clearly getting younger all the time (just like me).

    I solved the problem of ironing years ago... apart from a few "special" items and clothes that need dry-cleaning, I wash new stuff, hang it carefully to dry and, if it needs ironing after that, I throw it away or give it to charity. Result: totally non-iron wardrobe!

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  4. That is so cute about your Dad no longer being a VIR-JEAN:)!

    And I like his 29 year-old thought process. If all men thought like that, we women would like ourselves better.

    No, I don't miss George Bush.
    I do however Miss Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and F.D.R.

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  5. The apple (you) did not fall from the mom and dad tree!

    Tell your dad he looks spiffy in his jeans!

    AND, I know Wyoming MN well .. it's on 35W heading north out of the Twin Cities and only a few miles from Forest Lake where friends live. Nothing would surprise me about this conservative part of the State!

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  6. first pair of jeans at 83 - wow you should contact the company and get Des up on a billboard ad.
    Hey thanks for that bit of billboard news. Do you have them all over downunder like we do? Some are interesting but I would rather not have them at all.

    No I don't miss him but he has been pretty quiet unlike his evil VP (IMHO). They should put that billboard up in Afghanistan since he gave the extremists a rallying object.

    On this politically subject - have you heard of the Tea Party? Did you see the Sarah Palin's note taking technique ? It's a sleight of hand.

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  7. Nope - don't miss any of the Bushes!

    Your dad cracks me up - and he looks good in those skinny jeans.

    As for that chocolate ... hilarious!

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  8. Lilly,

    Ironing underwater is so easy ! What would really be challenging is folding clothes underwater, and emerging out with them folded. And maybe the man in the Billboard can take it up as a post retirement sport.

    And I hope all your nieces and nephews realize that the most rocking person amongst all is Des with his new jeans. Though I am pretty sure he prefers to don the flannels, and hit sixes. Whoever heard of batting in jeans ? My best wishes to Des.

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  9. Ironing? What's that? Keep it away! I do not iron. That was understood in the contract of marriage with Greg. Hehe. He knew it prior to the wedding vows! That said, I'm very diligent about taking his work shirts to the dry cleaners and picking them up timely. :)

    Your Dad looks great! He has a wonderful smile and wow - skinny jeans! Geaux Des!! :)

    Ok, I had to laugh about the billboard. I've seen pictures before of it and it does make me smile. Of politics itself, not touching that with a ten foot pole!

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  10. Love the update on your dad! He´s hilarious! Does he read your blog? He´s looking good for 83! And so young, with his new jeans! :)
    I don´t iron either, but I do pay someone to do it....the best way! :)

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  11. 1. I'm ecstatic that you're back.

    2. Look at Des in his jeans. He's adorable.

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  12. I needed to return because I just spotted something that reminded me of your ducks post.
    I don't know if you know of a blogger/reader friend, Dave H. but you should check out his blog.
    Here's a funny one about ducks.
    ducks

    let me know what you think.

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  13. Underwater ironing: Ridiculous (everyone knows electricity and water don't mix).
    Des the Virjean: Impressive (both in the fact that he's tried something new at 83 and his new rock star look rocks!)
    50/50 chocolate bar: WTF? (those percentages are off - it should be 100% pink)
    George Bush: Not in the slightest.

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  14. Extreme underwater ironing? They surely must have more pressing things to do...

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  15. What a hoot of a blog!! I laughed through every section of it. Thank you. And the billboard at the end -- I can just hear Sarah Palin saying, "You betcha!" But I'm not Sarah Palin!

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  16. Well, no, I don't miss him either!

    Love the choccie bar pic - I need one of those!!!

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  17. and i thought MY dad was old when he wore HIS first pair of jeans... at age 50! hahaha!

    cute!

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  18. I would like to say your dad is cool! And how sweet of him to say that her Wife has a body of a 29 year old. I bet they love each other so much. They really have this billboard? Is he endorsing something? This is funny. Thanks.

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  19. hi to dad...
    and ok mom too :)
    (so cute that she wanted edited out)

    now politics in a humor and life blog? lol.... you ARE a brave woman...
    LOL

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  20. Don't miss Bush, do enjoy ironing, always have. Also enjoyed hanging clothes on the line when I was a wee-child. Your Dad is great. He's wearing out not rusting out. Too bad about his just discovering jeans. With his tall, thing frames, they would have been lovely on him.

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  21. So glad to see your Dad looking so great Lilly. Hard to imagine those are his first pair of jeans but I bet they become his fave pair of pants now that he's tried them.

    The Extreme Underwater Ironing is crazy. I'll stick to sending my to the laundry.

    The candy bar looks like something my grandfather would have come up with. If we bought my grandmother and him a box of chocolate, they'd eat half and the he'd put "HIS half away" :-) I hadn't thought of that in years so thanks for the happy memory.

    Hope your week is going good.
    xo

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  22. Nooooooooooooooo! I don't miss Bush at all! How can they even ask that? It makes me afraid for my country that there are people who would put up a billboard like that. Sheesh!

    Now Des... he's still quite young, frankly. I keep telling my mom the same thing. I think he looks wonderful in his jeans. I'm glad to hear he's doing OK. He is OK right? Such a sweetheart! I love the virjean thing.

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  23. I have to tell you, you started with that whole underwater ironing and then the picture of your dad. At first glance, because of the way it is cropped, I thought you had a picture of him with his arm around an ironing board. lol. No insult intended to the dress, but if you look at it.... lol

    Hey, did you know that we have your Dr. Duckett here trying to "fix" our health care system? Do you miss HIM yet? lol

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  24. The answer to that question at the end? NO! Not for a millisecond do I miss Mr. Bush!

    Your Dad is quite incredible. He is so slender and what fun that he has his first pair of Jeans....And so happy about it, too!

    That your mother has the Arteries of a 29 year old is FANTASTIC! Do you think it is Genetics? Or is she very careful about what she eats? Or Both?

    Always good to visit you, my dear Lilly....!

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  25. Hi Lilly-Schmillie! I've missed you so much! Glad to see you've been posting more.

    Give Des a big ol' Texas hug from Juls. Tell him to check out my snowman on my blog and comment coz I don't get many ;) AND I'd love to see what he has to say {like his DD}!

    I think you should get him a fake tatoo for his arm and a fake tramp-stamp for your mom - like a pretty faerie for her and skull cross bones for him!! ;))) hehehehe He may like that! He's sounding frisky!

    The George Bush billboard - too funny - bless his cotton socks. I will say for dear ol' George that he stood his ground on protecting the US and other countries around the world from the bad guys - so for that I am proud of him. But I really think he spent way too much time at the ranch instead of working on our economy. I'm no politician but wow - look at where we are all at today. Don't get me started, I had to delete a post I wrote about banks! I should copy it and email it to you ... not sure if it's still there but I was on a roll!

    Okay, girl!

    {xoxoxoxoxoxo}

    Juls~

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  26. Yeah, a huge NO from me too, Lilly :))

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  27. reality does take us away from blogging and that's a good thing because the real world is more important than virtual blogosphere.
    I just wondering what the shortest post you ever did was. Maybe you could go for a six word contest or something short like that.

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  28. HI Lilly
    What is an ironing board ??
    Des you look fabulous.Pity you're spoken for . Are you going to have any body piercing ?

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  29. If you have a moment stop by - I'm looking for suggestions.
    thanks

    oh I wouldn't leave multiple comments on one post if you had newer posts, but that's OK if you don't mind.

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  30. No, I do not miss Bush, but find it mind blowing that anyone could be "happy" with current politics. People do not realize that all White House politicians are simply playing out the same game in disguise.

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  31. btw, I'm still trying to figure out the wet ironing thing....

    :))

    Lilly I'm comin' over again!! I think the bottle of red needs to be in PERSON :)) Let's see if I can swing it this time....

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  32. 1.Oh to be that *cough* "board" in life that I would have time to perfect and photograph my ironing skills underwater (and are you kidding me??)
    2.It took my dad a good 50 or 60 years to get some jeans (it was a nice surprise to know he wasn't actually the last man on the planet).
    3.I believe the manufacturer of that candy bar has made a most heinous error; it should be 10/90 (its creator is quite obviously an unmarried male :o)
    4.Yes I do, most definitely.

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  33. Don't worry George, I'll take better aim next time.

    xhenry

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  34. Ironing for me now is a very bad word, time was, in the dim and distant past (when Adam was a boy) that I ironed clothes - hehehehe... now?? no way ... It's got to have creases on top of creases before I deign to remove the iron and ironing table from the cupboard (where they live quite comfortably!

    I learned the trick or not having to iron when I spent the year in Norway..wayhay! They don't iron there (they are really quite intelligent these Noggies). That was in 1987 and to be honest I think I have only retrieved the iron from the said cupboard about 10 times since then.

    Your wee Dad reminds me of mine (only Des has hair) My Dad had a twinkle in his eyes too..

    Give him a hug and a x from me - God love him ! Cheers, Kate x.

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  35. I love your accont of Des and his first pair of jeans. It really is a generation thing, my Dad never wore jeans in his life...or took an Extreme Ironing dive either.:)

    xhenry

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  36. Underwater Ironing - My goodness, is that what people with money to spend and boring lives do? :) Yikes.
    Virjean - Hilarious term. To think it was his first pair of jeans seems so strange, but good on him for learning new tricks. :)
    The Billboard - I saw this on the internet and thought it was hilarious. I love his expression, and yes, I will bravely say I DO miss him.

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Thanks for your comments.