Written by One of the best parts of summer is the sight of bins at the grocery store filled with large watermelons, our art challenge prompt today. They’re like summer’s answer to the Halloween pumpkin and come in a variety of sizes, but the giant ones are the best for sharing at family gatherings. There are many fancy ways to cut up a watermelon, but in our family, we sort of just hacked it into wedges without too much artistry involved. During the 80’s, my family was a huge fan of the comedian simply called Gallagher who had a famous routine where he mock-advertised a device known as the Sledge-O-Matic. It was actually just a large wooden mallet that was used to bash a variety of food items but the finale was always a big watermelon. This sounds perfectly stupid as I’m describing now, and it truly was, but in Gallagher’s defense he was also quite a master of wordplay and it’s tough to mock ads from that time as they were all rather ridiculous. One would need a sledgehammer of some kind simply to stand out as something truly ironic or bizarre. My family thankfully only ever used a large knife to cut up watermelon, but I still connect this to the other memory.
My family loved comedy of all kinds and I would often find the television tuned to stand-up comedians. The jokes were always rather adult in nature, not necessarily filthy, just about things I had yet to experience. So, many of them “flew over my head” as they say, but many others had me giggling for days. Also, if I didn’t understand a joke, I would ask my parents to explain it to me. I’m sure this sort of ruined the joke for them, but for me it was an enlightening experience. As I grew up, I learned to always approach life with a bit of a gleeful smirk and to never take it too seriously. I’d never wallow in a problem for very long, because I had learned to quickly spot the absurdity in it and this would just make me start laughing. I guess you could say, that the lesson I learned was that life is simply absurd, best to have fun with it. I’ve no idea if this actually good advice, but I’ve lived years with a distinct inability to ever remain sad for long, so that’s certainly a wonderful side effect.
I realize I’m quite often taking you back in time, rather than telling you what’s happening right now. If you’re curious, I’m typing this while Philippe is next to me trying to get a French CD he had delivered from the UK transferred to his computer so he can actually listen to it. This, while watching a French antiques show where people show up with odd things and attempt to make a profit. I can’t understand much of what they’re saying, but I can understand the numbers and know why this current lady is super happy. Also, one of the men on the show has a pair of blue glasses that I covet and have asked Philippe to find them and buy them for me. Yes, I often wear glasses when I’m too lazy to put in my contacts to match my avatar. Our life is fun and casual and also a bit ridiculous. It’s not austere or classy, but instead, simply a life of doing whatever comes to mind in the moment. We take routine and bend it to our immediate will. It’s a fun way to live, really, like laughing with your family during a carefree summer picnic, just waiting for that moment when it’s finally time for cutting up a watermelon.
About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Nickel Azo Yellow, Opus (Vivid Pink), Benzimida Orange, Leaf Green, and Cobalt Blue. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop! |
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The reflection in the knife is a cool touch. Appropriate for a food meant to cool you off on a hot summer’s day. I remember reading once that people in the front rows of a live Gallagher show had to wear aprons to protect their clothes, lol. To me, that was the funniest part.
Thanks, Sandra! 😃💕hehe… yes, the first row was usually decked out in ponchos, some with a logo, so this was actually the real joke. They paid for a ridiculous item just before watching one being introduced! lol
Love hearing about your daily moments 💛
Thanks so much, Jodi! 😃💕
It sounds like you and Philippe have a perfectly wonderful life! Enjoy your watermelon this summer.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕 We DO have a very lovely life! Simple and yet totally awesome!
“We take routine and bend it to our immediate will” definitely a line for the Compendium!
and I will have a large wedge of watermelon please…It looks so awesomely delicious.
Aww thanks, Sarah! 😃💕 hehe.. I will probably need you to help collect and curate this Compendium! lol Often, you re-quote me and I’m thinking… oh wow… that’s cool! Not even realizing it was one of my rambles. 😊
I’m keeping a list, Charlie. Whenever you start on that book, I’ll be glad to share my collection of Charlie Bon Mots.
Aww perfect! I honestly have trouble keeping up with anything I ramble on about. 😊But I do have a fun plan in the works to revive some of my favorite posts. 😉
We LOVED Gallagher! We laughed so hard, we’d stop breathing. He was so ridiculous and so right on funny. The near-by audience would be given giant plastic tarps to put over themselves to be protected from flying fruit, but sometimes they’d get hit anyway. A whole lot of watermelons gave their lives for Gallagher to make people laugh.
Your Doodlewash is perfect – I mean, a red and green fruit – what’s not to like? I like how you captured the reflection of the slice in the blade of the knife. No double entendre here, just a sweet watermelon, ready to eat.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕hehe… we must have been related somehow! Gallagher was so hilarious, but also extremely bright and observant. It was such a perfect blend of insightful humor mixed with crazy crowd-pleasing antics. Rather brilliant actually, now that I think more about it!
When I was in my 30s I was dating a guy who took me to a comedy club. They announced they were having a stand-up contest. My date dared me to enter it with him. Long story short, three weeks later there I was on stage doing comedy! And I took first place! I coulda been a contender.
Oh my goodness, LIsa! Best… story… ever!! 😃💕 First place?? That’s so awesome! So the real question is… what place did your date end up with? hehe
3rd I’m afraid! He was very nervous. Making people laugh is hard work!
hehe… well the top three at least! 😉 LOL
You also made me remember the giant knife my parents had to cut watermelon. I wish I had that knife.
lol… yeah, I think the knife seemed even bigger when I was a kid. Something like a Samurai might carry. 😉
Wonderful and love that reflection in the knife! I still remember the first time I saw Gallagher ‘s routine and it was hysterical.
Thanks so much, Mary! 😃💕hehe… yeah, I really loved me some Gallagher back in the day!