After our recent snowstorm, Tara mentioned how artistic our driveway looked. I glanced outside and laughed. It does sort of resemble a work of modern art!

Totally my doing, by the way. I’ve always been a backer-inner, so when I come home, I pull into the driveway, swing my car toward the detached garage, then back into the regular garage – as evidenced by those tire tracks in the snow.

I’ve gotten so good at this, squeezing into my spot while avoiding the large metal support pole, I could do it in my sleep. Even Tara is impressed with how smoothly and confidently I execute this maneuver. She attached a pool noodle to the pole “just in case,” and while I appreciate her looking out for my car, I’ve never come close to hitting it.

Eat your heart out, Dale Earnhardt Jr.!

For the record, I’m also really good at parallel parking and turning left against oncoming traffic (something Tara avoids like the plague; she’ll turn right and go blocks in the opposite direction just to get out of doing it). To be fair though, roundabouts are my Kryptonite, while she navigates them with ease. If you combined our skills, we’d be one kick-ass driver.

By the way, what a stupid place to put a pole. I get that it has to hold the house up and stuff, but it really limits our options. Tara’s pickup won’t fit in there, and if I didn’t back in, I’d have to clamber over the passenger seat to get out because the pole would block the driver’s door.

And parking on the other side isn’t an option because we have a freezer there and will one day have a beer fridge, true Sconnies that we are.


If you’re like me, not only are you an excellent backer-inner, parallel parker, and left-turn maker, but you also keep a running list of potential blog topics. I use an app called Keep Notes, jotting down ideas as they come to me. Here’s my current list:

These ideas don’t always make it onto the blog, for a number of reasons: I might lack the motivation to follow through, or be unable to flesh them out. Sometimes they’ve been on the list so long, I can’t remember what I wanted to say about them in the first place. (Grey Poupon and ice fishing are perfect examples.)

Occasionally, I’ll purge ideas from my list I don’t think will ever see the light of day. Most of these have been languishing a long time, so help a brother out:

Which of these topics are you most interested in reading about?

The top three vote-getters will get posts and I’ll eighty-six the rest. TIA!


61 responses to “The driveway is my canvas.”

  1. Hilarious! But seriously…I seem some pretty distinct Celtic swirls and perhaps a new Petruska family coat of arms?
    And topics? I’d like to dispute the chopsticks theory…I just don’t see it. Paul’s handy with the chopsticks. I lack all coordination. Give me a big spoon. 😜

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hey, I have been wanting a tattoo for some time. Perhaps the Petruska coat of arms would work!

      Thank you for your vote. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  2. AMERICAN CHEESE, I’M A WRITER NOT A PRONOUNCER & GROSS TALK DOESN’T BOTHER ME WHEN EATING 😁

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Two of those are in my personal top three!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. I’m going with chopsticks, motion activated and because I live in Maine… ice fishing.
    I’m not a good backer upper. Our garage is old and smaller than average… stuff it with all my husband’s extra useless crap and there are times I have trouble pulling in forward.
    🥴

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ha! Even I would probably find backing into your garage challenging.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. I tend to believe I cannot parallel park well, then when forced things actually turn out okay. Yet I really cannot remember the last time I actually had to parallel park… How about Wrong Burner Knobs, American Cheese, I’m a Writer…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’ve only recently discovered I know how to parallel park well. There weren’t many opportunities in Rapid City, but Madison is a different story!

      Liked by 1 person

  5. I think you should hire yourself out as a driveway artist as a side gig. there is a guy that does leaf raking art, so there is clearly a market. love the list, and yes, I have one. some of it is so dumb when I read my ideas back to myself.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s not a half-bad idea. I am sure I’d be the only driveway artist in southern Wisconsin, and as such, would have a monopoly on the market.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. While I am an excellent parallel parker, I don’t enjoy turning left when there is a lot of traffic going both ways. Roundabouts can be challenging, especially when there are a lot of lane options. Sometimes I think I’m just turning into an old lady driver.

    I keep a list of possible blog topics too. The only problem is when my notes are so unclear that I have no clue what my brilliant topic idea was.

    I pick American Cheese and Motion Activated. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m so weird, I will sometimes go out of my way to make the difficult left turn against traffic. I love a good challenge!

      Like

  7. The writer but not pronouncer one! That is so me! 🤓 I’m also curious about the No Soup for you.

    I have not seen a metal pole in a garage since the home I grew up in had one. It was a ranch house with the garage underneath (house sat on a small hill). Is your garage under the house, too? Now I’m curious if those are the only garages with the metal pole? I’m not engineer-oriented!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes, that’s exactly the case: our garage is under the house…specifically, our bedroom and Tara’s office. But you know what? Our Rapid City garage was also under the house, and there was no metal support pole there. Makes no sense to me!

      Like

  8. Wrong burner knobs! Anything with the potential for fire and destruction gets my vote. Although I am intrigued by Grey Poupon–too bad about the amnesia. I have parallel parked and done roundabouts (aka rotaries) in Boston and England; our Seuss-off will now have to include rhyming while driving.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Parallel parking – that’s my jam
      I’m Hall of Fame on the traffic cam
      But roundabouts? Now that’s a scam
      Can’t get through those worth a damn

      Liked by 1 person

      1. How can roundabouts be your Waterloo?
        You yield at first and then push through
        It’s not hard to be a rotary ace
        Unless your name is Chevy Chase.

        Liked by 2 people

  9. I’m tempted to be a punk and only vote for the two you already said would be excised. Clearly the last one has to be a winner. I’m also intrigued by the burner knobs and no soup for you.

    Why is there only snow in the places you DID drive on the driveway? I would’ve thought it would be the opposite. Sorry. It’s been a long time since I’ve lived in snow country. I hope that isn’t a stupid question. But, yes, very pretty.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Feel free to vote however you’d like. I figured there would be at least a couple of you intentionally trying to throw me off by choosing the topics I said I’d struggle with. I’d do the same if I were in your shoes.

      You really aren’t used to snow, huh? When you drive over fresh snow, your car is obviously heavy, so the tires compact it onto the pavement. The fluffy stuff is easily shoveled away, but you really have to scrape/dig at the tire tracks. It’s just not worth the effort.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you for explaining the tire tracks. I didn’t have a clue!

        Liked by 1 person

  10. Ice fishing is a peculiar lunacy that is surprisingly fun.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I agree with the first half of your statement!

      Like

  11. I’m a writer, name change both seem interesting

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Maybe motion activated. I’ve thought about that topic way too much

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you. Obviously so have I!

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Let’s see: Motion Activated Chopsticks for Wonton Soup heated up using the Wrong Burner Knobs . . . accompanied by Grey Poupon dipping sauce for Cabbage Rolls that look like {insert gross talk here}.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think you’ve just written my next blog post for me!

      Like

  14. Your parking pattern is beautiful even if I am baffled by why you need to back into your own garage. But you do you, Boo. I despise roundabouts, too. I have to go through one in particular that has drivers coming off the interstate highway circling into drivers on small town city streets, or vice versa of course. It is hellacious. So ill-conceived.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Well, as mentioned, if I don’t back in, I can’t get out of (or into) my car from the driver’s side. But honestly, even if the pole wasn’t there, I’d still back my car in, as I did in my last house (no pole) and townhouse (no pole). It’s just what I do!

      Liked by 1 person

  15. I will drive MILES out of my way just to avoid turning left into oncoming traffic.

    As someone who uses the Notes app for blog topic ideas, I think they all sound interesting.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. (Tara has actually driven miles out of her way too. I was trying to be nice, ha!)

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Your driveway is like an impressive brand logo pitch.

    Gross-talk while eating? Coincidentally, while eating supper together last night, I listened to my friend describe his tooth implant. No problem for me, but someone else at the table was like a turtle retreating into her sweater to barf. IMO, you’re on to something with that topic.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Ha! I’ve heard much worse talk than tooth implants…and I kept right on eating anyway!

      Like

  17. I’ve always been a naturally good parallel parker, too. And while I love having a backup camera in my car, I actually parallel park worse when I use it!
    My vote is for “gross talk…” Let’s see where this takes us, shall we?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Same! The camera is too distracting (but it does come in handy when backing up, so mine gets a lot of use!).

      Like

  18. I’m with Tara; I’ll turn right and then backtrack in order to avoid turning left.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The beautiful thing is, three rights make a left. You’re bound to get where you’re going eventually!

      Liked by 1 person

  19. I’ve become a great backer upper. I used to parallel park an older Chevy Caprice on a regular basis. And I’m not afraid to make a Pittsburgh left! Watch out!

    Fabulous artwork on the driveway. Take strategic pics, make prints, and sell them. People will buy anything artsy.

    No soup for you. I’m a writer. And gross talk. Wondering where your brain will go with those. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’ve heard of a “California stop,” but a “Pittsburgh left” is a new one to me! Care to elaborate?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I looked up a California stop – I try not to do that, but I know I do.

        A Pittsburg left. You are stopped at a traffic light. There is traffic opposite you, also waiting at the red light. You want to make a left turn. As soon as the light turns green, you hit the gas and turn left before oncoming traffic makes it to the middle of the intersection. It’s an art.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Ahh, gotcha! Apparently that maneuver is not reserved specifically for Pennsylvanians, because I see it here sometimes. I try not to do it myself. Rolling through a stop sign, though? Guilty as charged.

        Liked by 1 person

  20. 1. Pronouncer
    2. Burner knobs
    3. Hmmmm… I can’t decide which one to put here

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Doesn’t matter. The two you picked were in the top three overall! Thank you for voting.

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Oh, I love the driveway patterns! I’m a big fan of backing up so I’m all in.

    Grey Poupon caught my eye – but then I saw that you don’t remember the inspiration. So feel free to discount the vote!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ha, yeah…I really don’t know what I wanted to say about Grey Poupon, other than it’s one of my favorite condiments (and I still bust out the famous “pardon me” line from the old commercials)!

      Like

  22. fearless5a5a717b5f Avatar
    fearless5a5a717b5f

    ice fishing, American cheese (a mystery to Brits) and wrong burner knobs – a worldwide problem

    Why not do ’em all?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I can at least elaborate on two of those. Thank you for voting!

      Like

  23. Sounds like you’ve mastered the art of backing in! I’m impressed—those tight spots and poles can be tricky. I had to deal with some mold damage in my garage recently, and it made me realize how much we take our parking spaces for granted. Also, I’d love to read more about Grey Poupon and ice fishing—sounds like a fun combo!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I do tend to show off a little by backing into those tight spots a little more quickly than I probably should. But hey…I haven’t hit anything yet!

      KNOCK ON WOOD.

      Like

  24. […] my last post, I shared a list of outstanding blog topic ideas and asked y’all to vote on the ones that […]

    Like

  25. Wrong Burner Knobs, I’m a writer, not a pronouncer, motion activated?

    Team Roundabouts here! I wonder if they had the pole in the garage with the mindset that they’d not park a car in that spot? Or it would be a One car garage? Hmmmm….it is convenient for that roof to stay in place though.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’ve already tabulated the winners and begun publishing the posts, lol…but I’m happy to report that two of your three choices made the cut!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I can’t seem to keep up with my blogging friends—I’m gonna need everyone to take at least a week off. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. LOL! It doesn’t help that I’ve been wordier than usual lately. 🙂

        Like

  26. […] promised, here’s the topic that received the second-highest number of votes on my recent poll: American cheese. I was thrilled that you chose this one, ’cause American cheese holds a very […]

    Like

  27. […] my post-snow driveway art? Turns out the floor of the garage (the one with that wacky center pole) also functions as a […]

    Like

  28. […] Back in January, when it was roughly 300 degrees colder and there was snow on the ground, I inadvertently created driveway art. […]

    Like

Leave a reply to Bijoux Cancel reply

THE LATEST SCOOP