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What would you expect my reaction to be,

When something unexpected happens to me?

I have high expectations and you may agree,

That when expectations are not met, the result is mediocrity!

Quite ironically, my response to this is to act as not expected,

At which point I am questioned and my actions are dissected!

So I ask: Do I lower my expectations, or do I expect perfection to a certain degree?

I will await your answers which I expect in the comments I will see!

I expect that this was written in response to:

Fandango’s one word challenge

#fowc

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Their long awaited trip to Italy had finally come. Laura knew this was a trip of a lifetime for her and her family. How often does a family of 5 have the opportunity to see this part of the world, or for that matter how do they manage to plan it around all of their schedules?

With 3 kids, aged 11, 14 and 17, and their activities including baseball, dance recitals, marching band practice and work, it was a miracle pretty much analogous to the parting of the Red Sea as far as she was concerned! Bags were packed, schedules were cleared, and off they went on their adventure.

Their trip began in the Northern region of Italy; Milan, Venice, and Verona. They took the train from city to city and visited all the popular places of interest and even went on a gondola ride at night. They worked their way down south and hit the beautiful cities of Bologna and Florence and eventually made their way to the Amalfi Coast. So far, 2 and 1/2 weeks into their 3 week trip and everyone seemed to really be happy for the most part. Sure, there were food mishaps, power struggles here and there, and personality conflicts which is common when families spend long amounts of time together. But overall, it was turning out to be a memorable trip. When they planned it, everyone did research and gave their input. The goal was to cater to each person’s likes and interests and she and her husband were hoping that at the same time, to open minds and hearts to new experiences.

The one thing that they all wanted to do, was to explore the Blue Grotto on the Island of Capri. They read that when the sunlight passes through the cavity it illuminates into a breathtaking color of blue and purple. Funny, she thought, some of them wanted to see museums, a few of them wanted shopping, her youngest wanted pizza all day long, but they all wanted to experience the natural beauty of this grotto!

They took a boat tour of the surrounding area which got 2 of the kids a bit seasick and Laura began to wonder if this was going to be worth it. But, as soon as they transferred to a rowboat and entered the small opening into the grotto (they had to duck their heads it was so small) it was a completely different atmosphere; calm, cool and peaceful. The colors were out of this world. They were on their final leg of their vacation and she was so glad they saved this tour for last. Suddenly, in the bluish-purple cast of light, she stopped looking at the scenery. Instead she turned away from the views and gazed upon her husband and children and she felt as though her heart would burst. Of all the amazing things she had seen in the last few weeks, nothing could compare to what she saw at that moment: her family. With all of the craziness of their day to day lives and the struggles of marriage and parenting, she still wouldn’t trade it for anything. She realized more than ever that her reason for being was right there with her; and moreover, it didn’t matter where she lived or vacationed, her “home” was wherever her and her family were. She knew that she would remember this moment forever, and carry it with her for the rest of her life.

Then, suddenly, her 11 year old uttered sheepishly, “Mommy, I don’t feel so good,” as he proceeded to vomit in the water. She threw her head back and laughed as she thought, At least he leaned over the edge to avoid throwing up in the boat!

~Well, what did you expect? For goodness sake! This is supposed to be a comedy blog! 🙂

This is written in response to Sadje’s what do you see prompt #7

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It’s that time of year,

To indulge and partake,

The champagne will be flowing,

As will the egg nog, pastries and cake.

I strongly recommend,

That you do not despair,

Simply put away your scale,

And just don’t give a care!

Enjoy every wonderful delicacy,

Enjoy all the holiday cheer,

For why else would there be a need,

To make resolutions in the New Year?

Eugenia is the host of the brew n spew weekly prompt #3

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Was it really worth it?

One evening our small synagogue held a fancy fundraising event to benefit the synagogue’s preschool. It was held at our local Ritz Carlton resort and it was the gala event of the year. Not only did they charge a hefty sum per person, but entire tables were being sold for $1,000.00! This was a very spectacular event. We looked forward to getting dressed up in formal wear and eating delectable foods, while benefitting a good cause.

When we arrived at the event it was amazing! The entire ballroom was decorated, they had a roaming magician, extravagant items for auction and open bar. It was very classy! One of the highlights of the evening was that on every table there was a huge platter of very pricey beluga caviar. We had no idea how our synagogue pulled that off so we figured that it was donated. My friend happens to absolutely love caviar, while I am not really fond of it. She was over the moon when I gave her my portion, especially since it was beluga. Everyone at the table enjoyed it immensely!

That’s when the trouble began!


The waitstaff started to clear the unfinished caviar on the tables to prepare for the first course. It was then that my friend noticed that the table next to us which was bought by Natasha Sokolov, was completely empty. As a matter of fact, Natasha had not been seen since the evening began. Maybe she was running late we thought, but my friend was not going to let the caviar on the empty table go to waste! So, without hesitation, my beluga loving friend sauntered over to Natasha’s table and took the platter of caviar. The minute she turned around to come back to our table Natasha appeared out of nowhere, shaking her finger in my friend’s face and said eerily in her thick Russian accent, “That was not nice, you will regret this!” My friend, who has a phobia of confrontation, stammered, “Natasha! Where did you come from?” To which Natasha sarcastically replied, “Moscow.” She then walked away and my friend proceeded to eat the caviar anyway. I felt uneasy, it seemed as though Natasha put a hex on my friend, or a Russian version of a fatwah.

Natasha strikes back

Suddenly, the lights in the ballroom went out. It was only momentary but in that time there was a slight panic, people started murmuring and stirring in their seats. When the lights came back on, Natasha was no longer standing next to her table. It was then that we heard a scream from across the ballroom. We looked over and saw that on the far wall, something was written in Russian with smeared caviar! It was then that Irving Zelensky, a member of our synagogue who majored in 18th century Russian literature stood up. He was waiting all these years for the moment to actually be able to put his degree to use. He said, “It reads: ‘Give us what we want and nobody gets hurt.'” Irving continued, “This looks like Natasha Sokolov’s handiwork, everyone knows she has ties to the KGB and she’s an heiress to the Russian beluga caviar empire, where do you think all of this caviar came from?” (Everyone knew, except us apparently) I looked over at my friend who had caviar hanging from her lip and I said to her, “Look what your obsession with stupid fish eggs has done!” My friend replied, “I know what she wants, she has been nagging my brother who is in the export business to export items that are very hard to find in Russia.” At that moment, my friend’s phone rang, it showed up as unknown. She answered and a man’s voice was at the other end. He said in a heavy Russian accent, “Have brother send items to Russia and no harm will come to anyone and you will be forgiven for stealing the Sokolov family’s beluga caviar.” He then listed the items to be sent: “12 boxes Stove Top Stuffing, 15 boxes of Rice a Roni the San Francisco Treat, 10 cases Root Beer; the one with no caffeine, 20 boxes of Mike and Ike candy, 3 pairs of women’s Levi jeans in sizes 27, 29 & 32, 13 jars of peanut butter and 25 tubes of Preparation H extra strength. These items must be sent every 3 months until we say no more.” With that, my friend spoke to her brother and to this day he is still exporting those items to Russia. Also, my friend has not eaten nor gone near caviar since!

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The Frenchman says, “I’m tired and thirsty. I must have cognac.”

The Russian says, “I’m tired and thirsty. I must have vodka.”

The German says, “I’m tired and thirsty. I must have beer.”

The Mexican says, “I’m tired and thirsty. I must have tequila.”

The Jew says, “I’m tired and thirsty. I must have diabetes!”

Author Unknown