Friday, January 25, 2013

"it seemed like a good idea...." --a Friday Five

Over at the RevGals we're being invited to ponder things that seemed fun, but weren't. I'm sure I have a whole list of those, but mostly I appear to have blocked out those memories. Ha!

Let's see...

Camping. I don't camp. I'm sure the whole tent-wilderness-bugs-stories-around-the-fire thing has its charms, but for the life of me I can't figure out what they are. Why not just have a fire and roast marshmallows someplace where you can go sleep in a bed afterward? (I probably had some kind of scarring tent experience at some point...the only camping I remember is going to summer camp (aside--I discovered there's a facebook group for people who went to the same Camp Fire Camp), where we slept in bunk beds in cabins. Though when I was maybe 8 or 9 my bluebird group went to spend a night in the 3-sided cabin, open to the bugs and bears wilderness. I'm sure that was a thrill. In high school I went to music camp, which is the same idea but with rehearsals and practicing instead of archery and polar bear swims)

Almost any of my adult summer enrichment activity ideas...like one summer I took ballet class for adult beginners. supposedly. Except everyone else in there was a dancer using the class to augment their workout. I cried like a little girl either during or after every class for 7 weeks. I was 27. (aside: I'm starting today one of those ideas that couldn't fit into the summer, so is becoming a winter activity...this afternoon I'm taking my first ever horseback riding lesson. whether or not this is an actual good idea or a never-again idea remains to be seen.)

Just about anything involving change in the church. It's always so much harder than it sounds...

Cake decorating. I know that's supposed to be fun, but seriously? It's a pretty stressful, detail-oriented, tiring process. I'm glad for people who have that gift, because I'm not doing it. If you get a cake from me, it'll be baked from a box mix and you'll be lucky to have canned frosting spread over the top. And it'll probably be Funfetti, because that is one thing that sounds awesome AND lives up to its potential.

Google Plus. (haha!)

And you? what are some things that seemed like a good idea, had so much potential for awesome, could have been the most fun ever...but now you know to never do again?




7 comments:

  1. Yes, exactly. Google plus. And google circles or whatever those annoying things were that I stopped dealing with because they made me crazy.

    Horseback riding, eh? I hope you love it. My daughter is about to leave the farm she's been at for five years, moving south with her boyfriend (south Chicago-land), and will begin at a new place. Are you riding at one of the stables in Palatine? But, you know, if you have questions, you can talk to her...she's pretty good at it and has been teaching for a long time...(well, considering she's only 24, long time)...

    and, I am right there with you regarding camping. ick.

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  2. I taught riding lessons for a while as well and know Terri's daughter (Hi Jess!) - so when you come waddling into service on Sunday I'll be laughing inside my head, just so you know...because I know the pain you're about to endure.

    I tried about every sport in the world as a child and thought they were all stupid, until there were horses. I felt the same way about school (hated it!!!) but that's not like soccer, you can't just throw the ball to someone else and eat your oranges on the sidelines alone. But I digress...

    My friends tease me for trying new things, hating it midway, then saying, "(bad word here) it." and just relishing in the fact that I don't need to be good at anything. Or, many things, for that matter. I have a very small list of things I'm REALLY good at....so I just stick to those. Mostly it's eating, writing, and loving Bill. I am great at those three. The rest of my life is questionable.

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  3. I cried at my lesson today. I don't think there will be pain, because it was very calm riding on an old horse, which was exactly my speed. There was a moment when the teacher was explaining something and said "when you go faster" and I just about jumped off. I don't think there'll be "faster." My goal for this enrichment adventure is to overcome fear and maybe learn something...

    Jess, you seem to be good at any number of things, so don't sell yourself short!

    The purpose of google plus, in my opinion, is to video chat with multiple people at the same time. When we can do that some other way, I'm out. lol.

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  4. I have had a good giggle at your comments about cake decorating. The last time I made and decorated a cake in a way that *I* thought was fancy, someone saw it and asked if my daughter had decorated it. She was 8 at the time. And in hindsight, she probably would have done a better job. I hope your horse back lessons go well and you have a gentle old soul of a horse who is used to taking care of beginners. :) Thanks for playing!

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  5. Teri, your camp comments reminded me of the summer my parents sent my brother to camp (something he hated!) and took me to a resort (a place I still love to go). He was so rightly mad. I think the experience soured him not only on camp but also on travel. Your post gave me new insight into my brother. Thanks.

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  6. Ah! A kindred spirit! I refer to my "unfortunate encounter" with cake decorating! I dropped out of the class.

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