Sunday, a miracle happened. I actually convinced Tara that our yard would be better off with a few flamingos.
Not real ones, mind you (though, if they could survive the harsh South Dakota winters, I’d totally be down). As you might recall, I recently suggested that we add plastic pink flamingos to our landscaping, an idea that she quickly shot down.
I also learned that, blog title notwithstanding, not all flamingos are pink. Talk about a revelation.
In any case, we made a trip to At Home Sunday evening. Tara was on the lookout for garden pots. I thought I was just along for the ride, until I spotted the flamingo decor.
“Ooh!” I proclaimed excitedly. “Can I get some flamingos for the garden?”
“It’s your money,” my wife replied, which is about as close to a ringing endorsement as I could hope to get.
$27 later, I emerged from At Home with the following flamingo paraphernalia.
Lest you think my flamingo obsession is limited to the garden, guess again. A weekend trip to Kohl’s netted me the following score:
In case you can’t discern the pattern on my shirt, here’s a close-up:
In fact, I wore that shirt to work on Monday.
Guys. I don’t know exactly when and where this obsession took root, but I’m just going to run with it. Flamingos are cool. I suspect it may date all the way back to the 1980s. I was a huge fan of Miami Vice, and the opening credits feature…you guessed it…flamingos. In fact, I remember fondly watching the show in my room (nobody else in the family was into it) right here in South Dakota as a teenager. Proof that life comes full circle, I suppose.
And though I’m loathe to admit this, I thought Sonny Crockett was so cool, I bought a pair of white pants and a pastel shirt and actually wore those to school. Despite this fashion faux pas, I still managed to land a girlfriend, so I suppose the ol’ Mark charm was enough to overcome my poor clothing choices.
I wish I had a photo of me dressed in this outfit, but alas, I have never been able to find one. That’s probably a good thing, come to think of it.
And yet here I am, umpteen years later, going out in public wearing yet another questionable fashion item. They say those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. Apparently I didn’t get the memo (or worse yet, I’m choosing to ignore it).
Or maybe I’m just at the stage in my life where I have zero fucks to give.
Have you ever made any regrettable fashion choices? Are you obsessed with fowl? Are there any TV shows from your youth you aren’t afraid to admit you loved?
Inquiring minds want to know…
Mark My Words 
My mom ADORES flamingos. She has figurines, yard ornaments, outdoor dishware, you name it. My sister and I got her a flamingo purse for Mother’s Day and she absolutely loved it.
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Once, as a kid, I mentioned in passing that I thought toucans were pretty cool. Every birthday and Christmas for years afterward featured some kind of toucan paraphernalia. The funny thing is, my appreciation for them was very fleeting. I finally had to confess that I just wasn’t into them anymore!
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I actually don’t mind the flamingo planter… the others however…honestly not a fan. Now if you did have real ones wandering around the yard, I’d be down for that!
I do enjoy hummingbirds, but not enough to adorn myself with them. And sadly I had a parrot once attach itself to me by biting through my fingernail because I was attempting to remove it from an unlit fireplace. I will always dislike parrots after that experience.
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Ha! I was eyeing the planter, too! 🙂
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I got comments about the planter here at work, too!
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Parrot? Unlit fireplace? If you haven’t blogged about this yet, Deb, you should. I’m curious to know the backstory!
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Holy crap. It wasn’t until you mentioned Miami Vice that I realized the default image of flamingos I have in my head came from the opening credits. Weird.
I have a pair of flamingos in my yard, but they’re Oregon Duck themed. One’s green and the other is yellow, proving your point that not all flamingos are pink.
i seem to recall some sort of Christmas decorations with a flamingo theme. I think it was a flock of them in someone’s yard, wearing Santa hats. Maybe in Peacock Lane? Not to give you any ideas …
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OMG. Thanks, Lisa! Now I know how to decorate the yard for the holidays. Tara thanks you, too! (Not really. She’ll probably curse you for planting that seed, ha.)
I remember your backyard from one of your famous equinox parties. You have such a nice oasis back there!
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My friend and I have this thing with flamingos ever since playing Hoopla where I had to get people to guess flamingo only using clues that started with the same letter. I chose B thinking this would be a cinch. I said, “Birthday bird,” and waited for everyone to shout, “Flamingo!” but was instead met with blank stares. Is putting flamingos in someone’s yard for their birthday only an Ohio thing? At any rate, now whenever one of us comes across something flamingo-y, we snap a pic and send it to each other. I wholeheartedly approve of your yard and fashion choices, as would my friend.
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Umm…I lived in Ohio for three years and have never heard of this “Birthday bird” tradition. Is this something you’re making up? Have you been freebasing Chex Mix lately??
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LOL. I had to call my parents after this incident. They too were slightly confused but told me it was likely central to the town of Parma, not all of Ohio. Or maybe it was Independence. Either way, it’s quite clear I was as wrong about flamingos being “birthday birds” as you were about your stoop being a porch. 😉
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Oh, God, no.
Let the flamingo
Go.
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I’m all for the whole “born free” movement, but my flamingos are staying anchored to my yard!
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The plastic and pink, it burns us!
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That’s so Parma, as they would say in these parts! As long as it’s not a religious icon in the garden, I’m okay with it. There’s just something creepy about those Virgin Mary statues to me.
I had some ugly clothes in the 70’s, like flower embroidered jeans. I wanted boy’s Levis but my mom insisted on buying me more feminine attire.
Embarrassing tv shows? How about the Facts of Life? I remember thinking it would be about sex and be sorely disappointed!
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You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and then you have Tootie, Natalie, Mrs. Garrett, and all the rest. Hey, I watched The Facts of Life, too. There’s no shame in that. At least Jo was cool.
Never heard the phrase “That’s so Parma.” This is the second comment that mentions weird Ohio traditions, lol.
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I liked the little garden gnomes. My grandmother at the time was horrified. 🙂 I still like them but I don’t feel ‘settled’ enough to put them out, and then the wildlife might destroy them and…well, you can’t fight with wildlife.
One day during the height of the Walking Dead show (season 3 or 4) I saw an ad for zombie/walker gnomes. I really REALLY regret not getting some then. 🙂
On the fashion side, I think I’ll keep my preferred clothing options/choices/decision to myself. For now. 😛
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A vendor/friend gave me one of those Travelocity gnomes right before I moved. I’ve been debating about whether he deserves a place of honor in the garden. Maybe I can have him ride one of the flamingos?
The Walking Dead set sounds awesome! Maybe you can find them on Electronic Bay or something? (Ron Swanson’s name for eBay, lol.)
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Probably. I’m sure someone will sell them…;)
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Bravo, Mark! As you know, I love the color pink AND flamingos, so this post made me smile! I especially love the flamingo planter because I have never seen anything like it.
And your shirt is faaaaaaaaaaaaaabulous!!
“I was a huge fan of Miami Vice, and the opening credits feature…you guessed it…flamingos.”
Yes, I clearly remember that because it was a show I watched religiously. I even had a jacket like Don Johnson!
My love of flamingos started when I lived in South Florida because they’re on everyone’s front yard.
Have a great rest of your week, my friend!
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The flamingo planter has definitely won over a lot of people. The best part is, I didn’t walk into At Home thinking, “Boy, I really hope they have a flamingo planter!” Flamingos weren’t even on my mind—patio chairs were.
Speaking of…I wonder if they make patio chair cushions decorated with flamingos?! Hmm…
Thanks for stopping by, as always. Have a great week yourself!
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I like a plastic flamingo or two tastefully strewn around the grounds. Adds a touch of whimsy, even though every time I see them the theme from Miami Vice becomes my ear worm for the day. But other than that, they’re cool beans.
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The splash of pink is a great contrast to the deep green in the backyard. I think two of them out there like we have is just perfect!
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You would fit in well in all of Florida except some areas with the flamingos. They do the yard well. Not even sure if people still put them out but I think they do.
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I’m not really the Florida type though. The heat and humidity would kill me. On the plus side, I’m sure I could capture some killer lightning shots!
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I feel like sloths are really having their day, but perhaps you could start a flamingo movement and knock them off the top spot.
Regrettable fashion choice? Oh yes. In my (very) early 20s I found a T-shirt at the mall that I thought was hilarious. It was an array of two cartoon dogs in different, uh, sexual positions. I’m not sure how long I wore that shirt (yes, out in public, too) thinking it was funny, but eventually I woke up to the fact that it was not only NOT funny, but also very juvenile and in poor taste. Into the Good Will pile it went. (I wouldn’t want to deny someone else the opportunity to have their own sartorial journey from pride to shame with my “doggy style” shirt.) Nowadays, I only think about that embarrassing phase of my life when someone reminds me of it, so thanks a lot.
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Haha! I love that you wore the shirt out in public more than once. My brother bought a Michael Jackson jacket (the red one, with all the zippers) while a freshman in high school. He wore it once, got mercilessly teased, and relegated it to the back of his closet after. I kinda wish he’d kept it…that could be worth something today.
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Reminds me of the husband’s “leather jacket with fringes” story. I need permission to tell it…
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The flamingo shirt is cool. I love it! Also the decor ones are nice. My mother has those, too. If I find some, I might just add it to our garden.
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Thanks! I think I like your mom’s style, ha.
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1. The entire 1980’s was a regrettable fashion choice for me. I physically cringe when I see photos of myself from that decade… and now that you mention it? I see a future blog topic here.
2. I am obsessed with fowl, although a slightly more domesticated breed than your exotic pink choice.
3. Wear your flamingos proudly. If anyone looks askance, just tell them you’re supporting breast cancer awareness.
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How domesticated are we talking here? Chickens? Parrots? Carrier pigeons?
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My avatars are always chickens. A most under appreciated bird…
🐓
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I do enjoy hummingbirds, but not enough to adorn myself with them.
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Ha! Fair enough.
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Not just ordinary flamingos, Mark. Very impressive flamingos! I haven’t given TV shows from my youth much thought until just now. “The Monkees” – just looked it up and still streaming. “Tarzan” “Batman” “Lost in Space” and many others. TV was a big thing when I was in elementary school. By the way, great looking shirt!
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I really like the plant stand flamingo!!!!
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You sure got some style, Sir!
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