LUCY BURDETTE: First of all, Judi is the winner of Sheila's new book, CRUEL WINTER! Judi, email Sheila sheila328 at aol dot com to make arrangements. Congratulations!
Second, welcome to silly topic Sunday! Two events last week got me thinking about the subject of interesting things our particular bodies can or cannot master. One, as I mentioned earlier this week, is our Spanish class. In this lovely language, there is a lot of rolling of R's. John rolls a lovely R, however, and can't understand why I don't try a little harder. Truth: I could not roll an R if there was a gun held to my head.
The second event came when I was leaving the farmers market last Thursday. Musicians were playing in the little gazebo in the center of Bayview Park, and I left with the song "Brown-Eyed Girl" in my head. A man leaving at the same time began to whistle that tune. Beautifully whistle. I cannot whistle at all—not a tune, not a call for a dog, nothing!
But what I can do – and don't try this at home – is spread my toes. Spread them so there's at least a half an inch of air between each. And if you ask me, I will show you how I can cross my legs and interlock those toes as if they were fingers.
How about you Reds? What special oddball talents do you have or are you missing?
HALLIE EPHRON: I cannot spread my toes. There. Does that make you feel better?
I can roll my R's Spanish style. And French style. I can play bridge. Oh would I love to whistle like loud and emphatic. Or whistle a tune. And I cannot ice skate. But I can body surf... or I used to be able to. My husband can play his head.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: No toes. And I'm trying not to picture that. I cannot carry a tune, at ALL, except in the shower when I am Linda Ronstadt and Patti LuPone put together. It's strange, because I can instantly tell if someone else is off tune. No whistling, unless I blow IN instead of out.. But I can roll my tongue in both directions. Bubbles, with gum? Sure. Surprise: I'm a good ice skater! AND I can sing songs using only the first letters of the words. OSCYSBTDEL. Is: oh say can you see. Try it!
RHYS BOWEN: Nope. Can't do anything spectacular with my toes. Not even good at rubbing my tummy and patting my head. But I can whistle, and hum and sing, much to John's despair. I walk around the house making some kind of noise all the time. I hum to myself in the car.
And I can roll my rs, having lived in both France and Germany.
But as for hidden talents.... I used to be quite a good tennis player and also I used to love boogie boarding. In fact I was at a beach in Southern California once and I saw two teenage boys standing with boards in the surf. I kept riding a wave past them, then walking back out. As I passed them for the fourth or fifth time one of them approached me and whispered, "Can you show us how to do that?" Score one for the old broad!
DEBORAH CROMBIE: Oh, I am so handicapped. I can't whistle. I can't blow bubbles. I can't snap my fingers. I can't do anything weird with my eyes or my ears or my tongue. Or my toes. I grew up feeling so deficient, I can tell you. BUT, I can roll my Rs, have grown up with Spanish. (Can you say "ferrocarril? That's two sets of RRs to roll.) I can carry a tune, sort of, although my hub, who plays guitar by ear, might disagree. I have no athletic talent whatsoever. But I can make the Vulcan peace sign (Live long and prosper.) Does that count?
INGRID THOFT: Whistling? We had to go there? I can’t whistle, and my family loves to tease me about it. I can make one noise, which doesn’t even qualify as a note. I can roll my tongue up, but not down, and my attempts at the Vulcan hand peace sign look like I'm suffering from a hand cramp! I can’t wiggle my ears, either. I can carry a tune, and when I was younger, I was a good ice skater, which really comes in handy nowadays! Good thing I’m good at other things!
JENN MCKINLAY: Whistle? Check. Sing? Check. Like Rhys, I sing to myself all the time. Hub calls it my greatest tunes showcase. Roll R's? Check. Wiggle my ears? Nope. Ice Skate? Check. Vulcan greeting? Check. Snap my fingers? Only my right hand. I fake it with my left. Blow bubblegum bubbles? Check. I have gotten the gum stuck in my bangs on multiple occasions. Spread my toes? Nope. No can do. Very annoying in yoga. But how cool are you, Lucy to be able to lock them together like fingers? I can curl my tongue up like straw. I heard once you have to have a gene for that but I have no idea if it's true.
Red readers, what are your special oddball talents?
