A public thank you, a Thursday to do, and a service opportunity for me

EDIT: a change in the performer lineup!
Justsmilechild works at Liberty Elementary School in Omaha. This is good work in a tough neighborhood, 20th & St Mary's. It is a public school, and some public schools are created more equal than others, and this one would not be one of them. I want to say a public thanks to her for being brave enough to follow through on what you believe in and teaching there when you could have just as easily gone and taught somewhere else.

And on a related note, there will be a benefit for Liberty Elementary on Thursday at Mick's in Benson, information below, justsmilechild says "Come help support our students!"

Liberty Benefit Show
Thursday, May 31, 2007
9 pm @ Mick's, 60th and Maple
Featuring Dylan May, Bill Hoover, and Liz Matson & justsmilechild
$5 cover, 80% of proceeds go to Liberty Elementary

And on another related note, I was driving home from downtown today and was on St. Mary's. I knew that justsmilechild was working, and there were no kids there, so I decided on a lark to stop in and say 'hi!' I immediately got put to work by her and Liz (who she teaches for) cleaning up the classroom for the summer. Yeah! Service opportunity for a tall guy! I helped out for about an hour or so pulling down and putting away high up and heavy things ... well I hope I was helpful and not intruding.

OnionBoy Knowledge, the Answers

And now for the moment a half dozen people have been waiting for: the winner is Viv, who will NOT get a fabulous prize (inside joke) from me, but will get dinner on me at the restaurant of her choice. I will announce all the scores to a comment on this post (the scores are not with me right now). I was disappointed by the lack of participation *sigh*, so phooey on you if you didn't take a stab at it.

Here are the answers to the OnionBoy quiz:

Easy (1pt):
1a. My favorite drink is Diet Pepsi.
TRUE, if there was a 12 program for this drink, I'd be in it.
1b. I love to see movies.
FALSE, the count is at seven this decade and holding.
1c. My favorite condiment is ketchup.
FALSE, gross, grosser, grossest.
1d. I think dancing is for losers.
FALSE, dancing is sweet.
1e. I hate doing laundry.
FALSE, laundry is my favoritest chore ever.
1f: I'd rather be MAKING OUT. this is from the Omaha Jitterbugs, but it's got to be the right girl.

Not as easy (2pts):
2a. One of my regular readers was my first girlfriend.
TRUE, You Get A Life was my first girlfriend, the relationship ended when she attacked me with a comb while wearing a bikini ... my brain was too confused.
2b. I was born in Chicago.
FALSE, I just lived there for a large portion of my life. I was born in Toledo, Ohio.
2c. I think rats are cool pets.
TRUE, I had two fancy rats, Mandy and Sis. I miss them bunches.
2d. The spicier the food, the better.
FALSE, some like it hot, some just are hot.
2e. My roommate won't tell people his real name.
TRUE, I'm unsure what his real name is ... let's just call him Schmendrick.
2f: The onion fascination comes from a Native American word for CHICAGO.

Getting tougher (3pts):
3a. I have been to every continent except Antartica.
FALSE, however, I was on four continents in a 24 hour period once. (North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia)
3b. My mother is 5'3".
FALSE, try 5'10 1/2".
3c. I have been to New York City.
FALSE, what is there I can't get in Chicago?
3d. My current car is my fifth Saturn.
FALSE, my current car is my FOURTH Saturn.
3e. Prime rib (medium rare) is one of my favorites.
FALSE, I don't each much beef at all.
3f. BABY therapy is a great way to cheer up. No one got this right, I know you have heard me espouse the joys of holding a baby or small child ... and then giving them back.

Hard (4pts):
4a. I lived on the 13th floor of building.
TRUE, Presidential Towers just west of the river in Chicago, apt 1305, $605 / 485 sq ft.
4b. I named a cat after a Charles Bronson movie character.
FALSE, okay, kind of a trick question, Laramie was named after a Jill Ireland character in a Charles Bronson movie.
4c. My 2nd birthday was spent in a body cast.
TRUE, at 20 months I broke my left femur.
4d. I met my ex-wife when I tripped over her at a concert.
FALSE and way worse. Laura was on a date with another guy, and left him to go to a party with me.
4e. I have two cousins named Fritz.
TRUE.
4f: My dog is named after Cherokee Parks. For those of you who are not sports fans, this was Laura's favorite basketball player when we found him.

Seriously (5pts):
5a. I broke my cheekbone while playing softball.
FALSE, it was football.
5b. I have a speech impediment.
TRUE, I'm just very efficient at covering it.
5c. I am 1/8 Native American.
FALSE, only 1/32.
5d. I played 'The Artful Dodger' in Oliver in high school.
FALSE, I was in Oliver in high school, I just didn't have a part.
5e. The first concert I ever saw was Journey.
TRUE, Greg Kihn opened, nanana nana na na naaaa.
5f. On my fifth birthday I watched men walk on the moon! - for the first time

OnionBoy Knowledge

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Current top score: 62!
2nd place: 50 - 3rd place: 48
as of 1116ct 5/24

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Time to test your knowledge of the old OnionBoy. Inspired by a similar quiz on the Jannaverse, (which, by the way, I won)I have prepared a list of statements below, you must decide which are true, which are not, and which require fill in the blank answers. The contest will run through 0200 Saturday, May 26, all answers must be received by then via email at e7onions23@yahoo.com, my usual home email address, or just post it if you think no one will cheat off of your answers. The winner will receive an appropriate prize, OnionBlog acclaim, and be able to be the absolute envy of the entire universe.

Questions a-e are true/false, and f. is fill-in-the-blank. 90pts possible. Revised answers are allowed and encouraged. Your last entry will be the counted one.

Easy (1pt):
1a. My favorite drink is Diet Pepsi.
1b. I love to see movies.
1c. My favorite condiment is ketchup.
1d. I think dancing is for losers.
1e. I hate doing laundry.
1f: I'd rather be ______ _____.

Not as easy (2pts):
2a. One of my regular readers was my first girlfriend.
2b. I was born in Chicago.
2c. I think rats are cool pets.
2d. The spicier the food, the better.
2e. My roommate won't tell people his real name.
2f: The onion fascination comes from a Native American word for _______.

Getting tougher (3pts):
3a. I have been to every continent except Antartica.
3b. My mother is 5'3".
3c. I have been to New York City.
3d. My current car is my fifth Saturn.
3e. Prime rib (medium rare) is one of my favorites.
3f. ______ therapy is a great way to cheer up.

Hard (4pts):
4a. I lived on the 13th floor of building.
4b. I named a cat after a Charles Bronson movie character.
4c. My 2nd birthday was spent in a body cast.
4d. I met my ex-wife when I tripped over her at a concert.
4e. I have two cousins named Fritz.
4f: My dog is named after _____ _____.

Seriously (5pts):
5a. I broke my cheekbone while playing softball.
5b. I have a speech impediment.
5c. I am 1/8 Native American.
5d. I played 'The Artful Dodger' in Oliver in high school.
5e. The first concert I ever saw was Journey.
5f. On my fifth birthday I watched _____ _____ _____ _____ _____.

Good luck!

Fire is cool

I bought a little fire bowl. Here is the first fire in it, and I lit it all by myself ... well actually Schmendrick criticized the way I stacked the kindling, but I'm sure he was right. It should make for some good late night conversations. Yes, I checked it is legal, and also notice that Mr. Safety is prepared with a bucket of water.

80s Party

There was an 80s dance at the Jitterbugs on Friday night. A good time was had by many, meaning of course, those who showed up.

The only picture of me that showed up from the 80s party, it was on my camera. This is how I dressed in the mid-80s, dual colorful polos with the collars straight up in the air, spiked hair, and 80s style pants (although they would have been more pastel). Mae was totally gnarley.


Spanky & KPikop give the lesson in, um, 80s east coast swing.


Cornstalker & Viv try to make JennyJitterbug look tall ... wait, JennyJitterbug is tall.


Your 80s contest participants!


And your winner, Viv, who won a very strange prize, a spam coin bank!

Much thanks to both Cliffo, you can see all 20 photos in his set here, and Cornstalker, you can see all 12 photos in his set here for allowing me to borrow pictures with more or less implied permission.