Friday Five
Today's Friday Five has some very interesting questions in it.

1. What food do you like that most people hate?

Brussel sprouts. I remember being a little girl and having my Grandma tell me that brussel sprouts are "little cabbages". At the time I didn't like cabbage so I wasn't impressed. Since I've grown up I've learned to enjoy them. They are one of my favorite vegetables.

2. What food do you hate that most people love?

Squash. There's something about the texture of it that activates my gag reflex. Every once in a rare while I'll get a piece of pumpkin pie that has a squash flavor and I can't eat that either.

3. What famous person, whom many people may find attractive, is most unappealing to you?

Martha Stewart. Just the thought of her makes me want to barf. She makes tons of money off the Stepford Wives and makes them feel inadequate in the process. I feel sorry for women who want to be perfect like Martha. They must be among some of the most insecure people in the world and they're doomed to failure because Martha isn't real.

4. What famous person, whom many people may find unappealing, do you find attractive?

Brigadier General Vincent Brooks. Remember him? He was the cool, collected, always under control, able to handle any situation General who did the morning CenCom briefings during Iraqi Freedom. Love his voice. Admire his demeanor and his intelligence. In awe of his ability to think on his feet.

5. What popular trend baffles you?

Dark colored walls. Most of them I find very unattractive and gloomy. Someday the trend will go back to whites and pastels. Then the trendy homeowners with dark walls are going to have a challenge trying to paint over those deep colors. I predict a big demand for KILZ in the future.

Final Miscellaneous Parade Thoughts
The temperature is going to drop down into the teens tonight. The high is going to be in the mid thirties tomorrow and it may snow. I had visions of walking the parade route in my newly fitting size ten jeans and looking very trim. Instead, I'm wearing a pair of sweatpants under my pre-diet jeans and I'm going to have a figure like the Mr. Snowman helium balloon in the entry behind us. Comfort before beauty. I need to be warm in order to walk over a mile smiling and waving.

There is a web site for the Kalamazoo Holiday Parade. I finally figured out that the reason Seasons of Violet has been getting so many Google search hits for Kalamazoo Christmas Parade is because there are many other people like myself who haven't made the transition to the politically correct new name for the retailers favorite season.

One of the reasons I write about this parade so often is because I can't believe I'm doing it. It's not something I would seek out to do. But Sunny and Pappy want to do the parade with all their canine friends, so we're doing it and we're going to have fun.

I was amazed at the number of people at work who thought they needed to make their excuses to me about why they aren't going to be downtown freezing their butts off watching the parade. I understand! I understand! I haven't been to a Christmas Parade since my son marched in the high school band almost twenty years ago. I dragged my mother along back then, too. She's a really good sport about things like that. Hope she is digging out her mittens tonight. It's going to be a cold one tomorrow morning.

Final Thought
I'd love to read your answer to question five from the Friday Five. What popular trend baffles you?