Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Honeysuckle

Just got back from a lunch errand. I parked near a patch of blooming honeysuckle vines. The smell is WONDERFUL. It reminds me of when I was a kid. The house on the corner had a waterfall of them on their retaining wall. We'd stop there while biking around the neighborhood and pick the blossoms. We figured out that the flowers that had turned yellow had sweet nectar inside. Kind of like a ripening fruit, the white flowers were too young and hadn't produced anything nectar yet. Over time, I mastered using my thumbnail to pinch the bottom of the flower hard enough to break the petal wall, but gentle enough to keep the stamen in tact. The top of the stamen has a cap-like structure. It works well to scrape down any nectar as you pull the stamen out. You can get a nice drop of sweet taste. Yum.

I ran into a scheduling conflict yesterday. I know what the "right" thing is to do... but I'm still hesitating. Three months ago, I spent some three tedious hours on the phone and Internet trying to reserve a campsite in Yosemite. By the time I got through (after several half processed attempts - argh), there were only sites available in Wawona, which is at the south end of the park. I really want a valley campsite so we could hike Half Done.

Now, I learn that my friend's bridal shower is scheduled for that June weekend. ACK!!! That also affects two people who were planning to join me for camping. And what about the other two people? I'm frustrated that I now must consider throwing away a campsite reservation that I spent so long trying to get. Ugh.

Speaking of bridal showers... so, man, marriages get expensive. I mean I'm already planning to spend a bit of money on the wedding gift, AND now, I need to dig up money to pay for a shower gift plus contribute to the party itself (I think we're going to a spa)? I mean, I'm not poor, but this just seems like a lot when you add it all up (okay, I'm a little cheap). This is why I think weddings and all the related stuff are just one big scam. [Sigh]

Tonight, we're all going swing dancing. The beginners will be doing East Coast swing while the other half of the group will be getting in some lindy. It's been awhile, so I know I'll be panting after just one dance. Still, it'll be fun to hang out and enjoy the music. I can't wait to see the newbees in action. I hope the guys have fun.

1 comment:

teahouse said...

Yeah, I've spent thousands upon thousands of dollars celebrating my friends' weddings and babies! There's a Sex and the City episode about this