The Musings of a Small Town Paper~

A while back “Little Buddy (LB)” and I decided that we would make a game of finding fantastic news stories. We would amuse ourselves with our own commentary and add ins. We didn’t have to look too far to see we had a goldmine in front of us. LB in all her glory is a subscriber to the Walla Walla Union Bulletin (UB) (see online here http://union-bulletin.com/).  In this loveliness of a goldmine there is a section called “Emergency Services” which is just entertaining as hell. Over the past few months LB and I have trolled and loved this section. You will too once you have a taste.  Now upon reading these you will wonder if: 1. If someone at the UB has too much time on their hands or 2. Has a sense of humor perfect for two giggly gals.

For example. PURE GOLD!

Or this one. I mean we all love hot cheetos

These are just examples of the brilliance of UB writer Luke Hedgall (whoever you are, you have secured a place in our hearts and if you hear of our love for you, we would love to buy you a beer). If you find yourself trolling the UB site and you find a golden nugget of glory please share in the comments below.

Cheers,

Am xoxox

Disclaimer: It's humor people. All good fun.

P.S. All public posts as they appeared in the UB - the UB did not write the notes - I repeat the UB did write the posts but not the notes.

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS

Books of 2012 –

 

 

*The Fault In Our Stars – John Green.

Shadow of Night – Deborah Harkness (Book 2 in the All Souls Trilogy)

*Experiment in Terror Books – Karina Halle

Insurgent – Veronica Roth (Book 2 in the Divergent Series)

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity -Katherine Boo

The Brontes: Wild Genius On The Moors: The Story Of A Literary Family - Juliet Barker

House of Stone -Anthony Shadid

11/23/63 – Stephen King             

*The Sea of Tranquillity -Katja Millay

The Art of Fielding - Chad Harbach

Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir - Jenny Lawson

I've Got Your Number- Sophie Kinsella

*Overseas - Beatriz Williams

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith

 

Albums of 2012

 

 

 

*Justin Townes Earle -Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now

 

*Of Monsters and Men – My Head is an Animal

*The Lumineers – The Lumineers

*Imagine Dragons – Night Visions

*Family Of The Year – Loma Vista

Shovels & Rope – O Be Joyful

The Avett Brothers – The Carpenter

The Shins – Port of Morrow

Beach House – Bloom

Mumford and Sons - Babel

 

Movies of 2012

 

 

*The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

The Hunger Games

Breaking Dawn – Part 2

Les Miserables (I already know)

 

TV Shows of 2012

 

 

 

Nashville

Elementary

Beauty and the Beast

Catfish

 

What are yours?

 

Cheers, Am xoxoxo

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em

The other day a couple friends and I were talking about cars and if we named our cars. The consensus was that most people do not name their car. Which I thought was fascinating because I have named every car I ever had. Now, I could write a whole section in a book about the cars we had growing up and all the adventures we had.

 

Growing up our car always had a name and that name was always BETSY. I’m not sure why it was always Betsy. Maybe because it was easy to scream when it caught on fire and you had to dash out or Bets was a lovely nickname for when it was running good. Either way, all our cars were Betsy. So I made a vow (yes, I use that word in its serious sense) that I would not be naming MY car Betsy when I grew up. So now my cars name is Brit. I couldn’t quite get away from the B names.

 

Anyway, over the years we had a lot of Betsy’s. Mostly cars that my dad brought home (kinda like a lost pet) where he spent most of his time either working on Bets, cursing Bets, or figuring out how to trade it for a new Bets.

 

And over the years, they would start on fire at the grocery store and we would have to abandon ship. I don’t remember ever towing any of the Betsy’s home I learned very young that when a car started on fire you just grabbed anything you wanted out of it and started the walk home. If we ever asked where Bets went my dad would always reply “The Farm” which was pretty much his go to for lost things. I always imagined this incredible farm kinda like the land of lost toys where all of our stuff disappeared to, our old cars, our pets, socks, my Cheetos, relatives we didn’t see that much.

 

Most of the Bets were old cars but we did have a gold Toyota van once. I loved that van and would always want to sit in the way back. It was a 2 rower which was awesome and came in handy when my brother and I discovered hand to hand combat. From the outside the van was perfect, not a dent on her and shiny gold. However, as time went on we had to push start her to get her going. I remember in the winter in Colorado the neighborhood kids would all come over and help push her. Snow can be a bitch in these “situations”. Pinky always had a candy dish full of butterscotch and ribbon candies for payment.

 

BUT, there are certain ages when having a famous car has its advantages and then there are ages when having a famous car……is…what’s the word?…NOT COOL!!! For example, Junior High.

 

Setting the scene. It was a dark fall day and my brother and I were still at school (I know…it gets weirder) when my dad pulled up in front of the school to get us. Now, normally this wouldn’t be an issue because you see this school has a hill out front which is as pretty awesome as it gets when you have a car that needs to be pushed to start. So there we are out front and we see dad coming and haven’t got a worry in our heads because of that hill and it doesn’t matter to us that other kids are outside because we have that damn hill and that hill will be our saving grace. I think me and my brother even did a little “we got this” head nod to each other. Well my dad stops in front of us and takes his freakin foot off the clutch. Now imagine our faces here. But we remain calm, we are in junior high and we are experts at remaining calm in all situations at this point in our lives, we have been trained well.

 

So we get in the van with a few choice words to our dad and say ok, “Hill it, Pops”. Well here is the thing…..it won’t go…..no movement. It doesn’t have enough momentum to roll at a speed acceptable for popping the clutch. Sheer panic comes over both my brother and I and we must make a decision, abandon ship and my dad all together, wait it out until all the kids, the janitor and the neighbors go to sleep or push.

 

Before we can even decide, dad makes the decision for us by yelling “Get out and push and I will jump it”. Loud enough for the townspeople 2 towns over to hear. So my brother and I get out. I go to the back and start pushing and I realize that it is not moving, so I am yelling what the hell I can’t move it and I hear my dad laughing and laughing and I think he is laughing because I am a bad pusher so I get even more mad and start pushing with all my might..And all I hear is his booming laugh. Having enough I start walking toward his window to tell him to get out and push Betsy and that is when I see my brother in the front of the van. HE has been pushing from the front while I was pushing from the back……seriously, this is my life. Anyway, we finally got Bets rolling and we were off, not long after we got another Bets a gold (we like gold) Corsica with Zebra seat covers.

 

Anyway, the point of this is you gotta name your car.

 

 

 

Cheers,
Am xoxoxo

Happy Bread Balls To All~

In the true spirit of the holidays I wanted to take a minute and share one of my favorite childhood recipes known affectionately as "Bread Balls".

Now allow me introduce/or reacquaint you with “Bread Balls”.  I understand that a lot of you think you know what bread balls are or you may have heard of them. I know there is a lot of talk on the internet with recipes and such. However, I don’t think these are the bread balls you think you know (unless you are related to me..then CHAAAAA you know..who the hell am I to question YOU).

From my understanding this recipe was passed down in my family for many generations and finally it was my parent’s time to teach us about bread balls. Now bread has always been huge in our house and a sign of wealth. Now, that may seem funny to some folks but they don’t call dough “money “ for nothing. Oooookkkkk.

Anyway, I remember being about 5 and my brother 6 when my mom (Pinky..seriously..can't make this shizz up) laid out the logistics of bread balls (this was around the same time that we were told snack/meal time was up to us). I will demonstrate to you in the pictures below. Now, my brother always being somewhat fussy in nature never came to love crust the way some of us did and was always determined to cut it right off. So, I want to add in right now that you can do this * crust-less or *crust-included. *Actual terms when referring to the crust that lines bread. I also want to point out at this time that you can use any kind of bread you want but our liking was always for white Wonder bread. (I know I know..no mas the Wonder…go on a mission for a substitute and stat. R.I.P Wonder).

We always made sure to get a good pile going, because my lovely's presentation is half the battle and it’s called “Bread Balls” not “Bread Ball”. Once you have a nice plate full. Dig in, share a conversation with a loved one or complete stranger and finish with your favourite drink (or water if that is all you got, but your gonna need a bev for this). I paired my gorgeous plate of bread balls with an 09' PBR.

If you are feeling frisky because you just got paid get crazy and add some sugar on top or sprinkles with butter. Really, this dish is about YOU, the enjoyer of bread balls.

 STEP 1- You are going to need bread for "Bread Balls" (if you are just joining us here at paragraph 5)

 

 

STEP 2 - Put said bread on plate.

 

STEP 3 - Take said bread in hand and make a fist. You can make bread as mashed as you want at this point and roll. Also a good time to make a decision about crust.

 STEP 4 - Add said now "Bread Balls" to plate and get a pile going, depending on level of hunger of course.

 

STEP 5 (and the final step..unless you want to make more then continue as instructed above).

 

Writing Process of a Procrastinator - Mer hits up the Bus Stop!

Hello Everyone! How’s it goin’? I’m Mer. I am a lover of beautiful things, great design and funny stuff. I am big fan of  vintage stuff and love in general in any form. Also, Commas, I really like to use commas and then obsess over them. I am a very well rounded lovely person in most aspects of life (not to toot my own horn, it’s true). However, I have a huge flaw. I live life with Procrastination. Every.Day. There are only three things a person like me can do when asked to be a guest blogger at The Bus Stop.

 1. Obviously, PANIC. Self doubt rises, it grabs a hold and hangs on to your back like a child that wants something from you.

2. This is really key in the process: Procrastinate. So much happens here, I will go into that more later.

 3. You’re gonna wanna field the texts from Amber in a way that makes her giggle, because she likes to laugh and she’s more likely to forgive you for being unreliable if she is giggling. Maybe send her a present, she likes them.

Say what you will, but it works for me.

The Procrastination phase is the one that’s going to last the longest. During this time I will want to catch up on all my shows but also be thinking of everything I can possibly ever blog about and then just go blank. When I finally think of a gem  I try not to write it down, because then I might remember it. I also like to do a few crafts, maybe clean the house from top to bottom (trying  to be inspired), there could also be an excursion into the movie theatre. Don’t judge me, I crack under pressure. Shut up. Anyway, In the end I have to come to grips with the fact that my unconscious or not so unconscious mind is putting great effort into avoiding the fact that I have something to do.

When this happens, I head straight back to number one and then just avoid all contact with the human race for a few days. I feel like they can see through me and know I am a bad person in some way because I can’t even make an effort to shower much less write a thought down. Crazytown is not far away at this point. Just around the bend. I have to jump off this train or I’ll actually get to the station and I’ll never be able to get back on the train out of crazytown because I’ll be procrastinating the whole time. So I do what any self respecting procrastinator would do... I jump ship and write this.

Peace and one, Ya’ll.

MER

 

 

And If We Get Together Don't Let The Pictures Leave Your Phone

In the spirit of full disclosure let me just say that I wanted my first official post to be something really meaningful like an exposé on spreading world peace or how YouTube literally changed my life but the truth is I was listening to One Direction’s (1D) “Take Me Home” and I got inspired. With 1D’s sophomore record hot off the presses I am having a hard time concentrating on anything else.


First things first, if you know nothing about 1D…errr….*cough* *cough* how is that possible?

Any--Ways, if you know nothing, please spend a good 20 minutes on Google. Or maybe you are familiar with 1D’s previous hits such as “What Makes You Beautiful”, “One Thing” and my favorite “More Than This”.  So, before some of you start rolling your eyes and talking shizz…THEY ARE ALL LEGAL AND BY LEGAL I MEAN OVER 18 AND FOREIGN. Let me just say that aside from these guys being total cutie pie’s they are also talented. I mean, they sing, they play instruments… they …dance. They….somewhat dance..and if that fails to draw you in they are English/Irish. In my experience sometime’s that’s all it takes.

Take Me Home is an ambitious 17 tracks.

Starting out strong with the already classic “Live While We’re Young”. This song is extremely catchy and let’s be honest we all want to live while we’re young. BONUS – awesome video. See HERE.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbPED9bisSc

Some of my favorite scenes include: Sofa in tent sleeping, Green hoodie Liam, Niall jumping up all cute, Harry riding a banana (seriously…was that improv..genius), Louis dressed like a weird uncle, Zayne’s singing..seriously boy can SING, and of course the 1D choreographed dance blip.

Live While We’re Young sets the mood for several dancey/true 1D songs like “Kiss Me” “C’mon C’mon” , “Back For You” “She’s Not Afraid” and “Still The One”. Now, listen closely to the lyrics on some of these gems..not sure who is writing them but I am guessing there is a team of 30/40 year old men involved. I picture this board room full of these dudes brainstorming what teen girls want.

WEIRD ALERT – “Little Things”…First things first, SEE HERE for video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGPeNN9S0Fg

Black and white loveliness. I watched the vid and was like..wait…what are they saying? Then came a fit of nervous laughter..followed by an SOS text to MER who decided it must have been written by a 35 year old weird uncle.  I wish I could have been there when they recorded this..or when they had the convo to decide to make a video..It’s just bad but it’s the bad you can’t stop listening to. Side Note- Harry’s voice is changing…just sayin..
Note – “I Would” and “Over Again” also has a flair for entertaining lyrics. ;)

In true Direction fashion they are also a number of slow jams.

My favorite’s are:

“Rock Me” –  Starts out with…..“do you remember summer 09”. ;) Yes, yes, I do.

“Back For You” – totally an “I’m with the band” song. I think it’s safe to say we have all lived this song.

“Summer Love” – No explanation needed.

“Loved You First” – My inner stalker sways…

At the end of the day I don’t love “Take Me Home” as much as ID’s debut but I am still committed to this relationship and can’t wait to see where it next takes us.

What do you all think? And by all I mean the 3 people who are reading this. 

Cheers, Am xoxox

Welcome

Hello there! If you have somehow found yourself on this page and were expecting a bigger opening, I apologize. In my head a circus is appearing before you...but I have no idea what is appearing in your head.

The Bus Stop has been a vision of mine forever...not exactly a blog..more like a British club where I spin awesome music and we watch French films together over whiskey. I know I know....snap out of it..it will still fun.

So go with me and Esther (my lovely lady of a laptop) on this escapade of random shizz. Pop culture, music, books, the black box..... There will also be guest posts so if you are interested in contributing to the blog..HOLLA.

Cheers,

Am xoxo