After spending yesterday at home with my kids due to the schools being closed for extreme cold, I saw this map and had a good chuckle. HONESTLY. How many times do I have to say “SHUT THE DOOR!” when it is in the single digits outside? I said it to G when he went out in the garage to look for a plumbing snake. I said it to Vivi when we came in the house, left the house, went out on the deck, came back in from the deck. I even said it to Carlos but he gets a pretty wide path (having just figured out doorknobs). If only I could train Huck to kick it closed with his back leg when he passes through.
It reminded me of a story my dad tells. Back when he was a country veterinarian, driving from farm to farm, he used to stop by this little crossroads grocery store in Meriwether County, somewhere between Luthersville and Hogansville (down the road from Hooterville). The owner kept an old myna bird as a pet. The myna sat on a perch by the front entrance and every time someone walked through the door, the myna squawked, “Shut the Got-dam DOOR!”
Whenever things get crazy at Daddy’s house–between the dogs and the kids and the comings and goings–Big Gay says, “All we need is a monkey and myna bird and we could charge 50 cents admission here.” Amen.
I am in the market for a myna bird if this weather doesn’t warm up and these kids don’t get back in school!
Amen, Loved the Hooterville reference.
“Olivah? Vat are you shusshting at?”
Good accent. I miss some of those old shows. No Gabors anymore.
After thinking about this, I remembered that my Mom used to sing it. She tried various voices — alto, high soprano, an occasional bass when she was ready to lose her cool, and various 3-note tunes. Or sometimes she just said it very loudly; Notice I didn’t say yell.
That was back when flies were a problem and there was always a folded newspaper ready to attack, and the flies would gather on the screen door waiting for a kid to let them in.
She would PROJECT.
Oh, Ashley
How wonderful!!!! Now I want to get a myna so I can yell at my kids less.
We had friends in Yorkshire that had an African Grey parrot. Whenever anyone knocked on the door he would say “Come In!” in a thick Yorkshire accent…much to the consternation of the plumber who arrived to an empty house and a locked door one day. I think he and Roti (the parrot) went around for several rounds before he left steaming mad. Also in Roti’s repertoire a perfect imitation of the tea kettle whistling (cause of many false alarms and sudden tea cravings) and a rather nasty noise reserved for our friend’s mother-in-law.
Oh, I LOVE IT!!!!
Love the map by the way. Frosty 21 degrees in South Louisiana and the kids are still wearing shorts to school. I however looked like I was ready for an arctic expedition just to walk the dog.
My Yankee friends laugh at me because I don’t see the point in putting on a coat and hat just to run from my car to the office.
My Myna bird has red hair.
Does it answer to the name of ET?
No, Tracy!!!