First of, I recently found out about The Grand Haven Musical Fountain from newly-discovered blogger Tick Tock Vintage. You should check out her blog if you love everything vintage and enjoy following people's life stories. Her style is definitely cute, but back to the fountain!
Courtesy of Schaefer Pyrotechnics
The Grand Haven Musical Fountain is a fountain in Grand Haven, Michigan that coordinates its sprays of water and lights to music. The fountains shoots up as much as 4,000 gallons a minute during shows from a water basin that holds up to 40,000 gallons! Not only that, but the sprays reach 125 feet, and 200 lights are used, shining in colors like red, blue, amber, and white. Don't care about all that? Then try this excerpt from Wikipedia on for size.
"Each minute of show performance requires approximately two hours of computer programming. New shows can feature over 5000 lighting and or water commands in a 20 min. performance."
Holy. Cow.
In reality, I've seen Disney Sea do something like this, and it was extremely impressive, but it seems like fun anyway! And maybe just a tad bit romantic. ;)
OH. AND IT TALKS TO YOU TOO. Totally not creepy.
The second place on the list I knew a long time ago but never really cared about until recently. The Blarney Stone is a large rock fixture in the Blarney Castle in--can you guess?--BLARNEY, IRELAND! What creative naming! Applause! Applause! But wait! Blarney apparently means "flattering or coaxing talk." Which gives us a great segway into it's history! Applause! Applause!
Courtesy of Riley Jones
The Blarney Stone is, yes, a huge tourist attraction in Ireland. Kissing the stone upside is suppose to endow the kisser with "the gift of gab." In other words, kissing a great, big Irish rock is gonna make you eloquent and a great conversationalist.
How does kissing the Blarney Stone give you the gift of gab? Well, long ago in 1446, a dude named Cormac Laidir McCarthy had to go to court (Ooooh!) and plead his case. He asked the goddess Cliodhna for help. Her advice? Kiss the first rock you see. Infallible logic milady.
Anyway, McCarthy goes out for a stroll and does so. Then when he finally goes to court, he's able to plead himself OUT of the case! Astounded by this, he took the heaving rock and made it a permanent fixture of the castle. And they lived happily ever after. The end!
Now why do I want to go visit Ireland just to pash--upside down mind you--a big rock in a castle that's probably germy from all the other people smooching it? Simple.
I'm an awkward child.
I think people who meet me in person don't think I notice it, or assume I'm disinterested. But I know when I'm awkward. I wasn't graced with great social skills or patience. Many a conversation went like so...
"Hey Renee! How are you!"
"Good."
"Cool, cool. Did you hear?! There was a knife fight outside G building!"
"Oh."
"Yeah! It was pretty wild!"
"I think fighting is stupid."
"...Oh."
"Yeah."
*Awkward silence*
"...WELL! Imma gonna get some lunch! Bye Allegra!"
"Bye."
"Good."
"Cool, cool. Did you hear?! There was a knife fight outside G building!"
"Oh."
"Yeah! It was pretty wild!"
"I think fighting is stupid."
"...Oh."
"Yeah."
*Awkward silence*
"...WELL! Imma gonna get some lunch! Bye Allegra!"
"Bye."
This happens all. The. Time. Though to be fair, I talk too much around the people I'm comfortable with, but that's few and far between. Otherwise, I'm taciturn as a rock, so maybe kissing one would help me out.
Long post is long, but hopefully enjoyable. :) ~Renee, over and OUT.
