Tony had a coupon from Chick-Fil-A, a restaurant that we’ve come to really like for their healthier chicken food than other places. The coupon for tonight was to buy an adult meal and get a kid’s chicken nugget meal free. Since I’m a small eater, the coupon was perfect for our needs — he gets the adult meal, I got yummy chicken nuggets. Real chicken, too, not that processed crap that other places serve.
In my kid’s meal a toy was included. Tony asked what toy I got. Holding up the as of yet unwrapped plastic-encased plastic toy, I replied, “I don’t know… looks kind of like handcuffs to me.” He raised an eyebrow, I grinned. I knew just how incongruous that sounded. Turns out the “handcuffs” were actually a compass, although they kind of look like Mickey Mouse ears all unfolded like that.
We played with the wobbly kid compass for awhile and I learned that, all this time, I thought north and south were this way and that way based on the way the major freeway runs past these parts. Apparently “true” north is a smidge further this way and “true” south is a smidge further that way… which makes perfect smidgey sense given the direction the sun comes up and sets every day.
Which then reminded me that I recently discovered a freeway on ramp where, if I want to go northbound on one freeway (which I always do), I have to get on a southbound freeway for just a bit to get to the northbound freeway. Which just seems so counter-intuitive to me. Who goes south to go north?
I’m learning that’s kind of how life is these days. Counter-intuitive. To go the right way, you have to go a completely different direction than you originally intended.
Flowers from my back yard.
Jammie J's Quest 
Your compass is not reading true north but magnetic north. Magnetic declination in your ‘hood is about 12.5-degrees off true north, so if you visualize your compass atop your wristwatch and let the needle point to the 1, true north will be closer to 12.
That was a very scientific way of saying smidgey, right? 🙂
Love the flowers, what type are they ? Do you get seeds from them ?
They’re off my Double Delight rose bush. The one I need to learn how to properly prune, because I have one spindly stalk with a bunch of roses on it. I’m suspicious I shout have about 12 sturdy stalks with one or two roses on each?
Handcuffs sound much more fun than a compass.
When I lived in Virginia Beach, the only way to make a left was to go past where you need to be, make a U-Turn, and go back. They thought divided roads were a good thing. In NY you learn that U-Turns are for people that don’t know where they’re going.
*laughing* Now THAT is what I’m talking about!
There’s a few places like that (divided roads) around here. They’re annoying. Traffic control is bothersome. The south to go north thing really bothers my sense of correctness, have to say.
The trick with roses is to prune them hard.. but at the right times of the year. As you have flowers already I have no idea when is the right time in your neck of the woods… they also like to be fed well.
But they are stunning, do they smell good too?
Oh hell, I have no idea when they’re supposed to be pruned here. I try to pay attention to when I see them all stubby in the stores and then rush home and cut mine back.
The smell is one of the main reasons I bought this shrub, it smells exactly the way the rose perfume my grandma used to wear smelled. Absolutely divinely rose scentish!
I love love love love love love love the roses!
They are so wonderful! 🙂