We were away this weekend visiting delightful daughter and family, fitting in a generational pickleball game and a blowout clambake-style dinner at their house, featuring mussels, steamers, and oysters, topped off by some very respectable red snapper.
They live in northwest New Jersey, awash with either mountainous roads and switchbacks or farm after farm, and picturesque houses, some of old stone perched between forest and the serpentine road, others white frame beauties, and others new McMansions sitting in generous acreage.
With limited room at my daughters, we
stayed in a hotel. It was perfectly fine, except our room was on the first
floor, off what I soon called The Hall of Bacon.
We must have been near the
kitchen and I was awakened the first morning by the overwhelming smell of bacon,
but outwitted that wafting aroma the next day with a strategically placed towel.
And in other health news, there was an incident at a local middle school. A thermometer fell off a top shelf in a science closet. In what seems to me like an gigantic excess of caution, staff and students were evacuated. (I pity the teachers – end of the year, you’re battling to keep the kids’ attention, it’s Friday afternoon, and this happens.) Ten people were exposed, but everyone was fine, and school reconvened.
So – how many of you out there – like me - got to play with the mercury in a saucer when the family thermometer broke?
It sounds like you had a delightful weekend - and at least one of the residents here (three if you include the cats) would like bacon aromas wafting round. And yes, I did get to play with mercury as a child. Fascinating stuff.
ReplyDeleteNope, I never did have a chance to play with mercury, but I would have enjoyed it if I did. Today they take it super seriously, I guess. :-)
ReplyDeleteMy father started a collection of mercury back in the beginning of history (perhaps he inherited it from my grandfather.) He certainly augmented it. My brother inherited a pint jar a quarter full of mercury. He added to it. I have no idea how. My brother passed on. The jar was half full. My brother-in-law, the keeper of all laws known to man. asked me what to do with the mercury, not to go to jail. I called the local township fire department. They instructed us to go to the county collection place of all things unmanageable or illegal. My b-i-l was there before they opened. He had to declare it, but his name was not required. A couple of guys in hazmat suits came out and collected it and that family episode was ended.
ReplyDeleteGood Lord, Joanne! That's incredible. How does one go about getting that much mercury? Fascinating.
Deleteoh yes, we shined dimes with it. I still have a toy with a mercury bubble in it that wanders around a maze. Not dead yet!
ReplyDeleteWaking up to the smell of bacon frying would be akin to waking up in heaven — at least assuming that I could get me some of that. 😀
ReplyDeleteOn the contrary, I remember our family thermometer breaking and my mother FREAKING OUT. She picked up the little mercury balls with paper and wouldn't let us anywhere near! (I have no idea what the did with the mercury after that -- probably something environmentally damaging.)
ReplyDeleteI do remember playing with mercury, but never touching it, just moving it around with a pencil or something.
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