-Is it me or has respecting the road gone out of the (car) window? Also, I swear folks’ driving skills have gotten worse over the years. Some examples: not having adequate space between cars while driving, unnecessarily driving with high beams on ALL THE DAMN TIME, not using signals before changing lanes, and driving slow as hell in the left lane. I always thought that my area of Virginia had pretty peaceful drivers, compared to NYC . . . I guess times have changed. I mean, I do not remember making these types of infractions when I was driving as a “reckless” teenager in the late 90s.
-Last week I tried to give the hubby a taste of Virginia by grabbing some yock and ice cream at Doumar’s. Supposedly Mr. Dourmar invented the waffle ice cream cone, and this restaurant, which served as the ‘headquarters’ for the east coast, still has and uses the original waffle cone machine. We managed to get a couple of cones at Doumar’s, but grabbing some yock was a fail.
-Yock is a Chinese-American dish that only can be found in certain parts of the US (southeastern Va, New Orleans, and Pennsylvania.). I found a dine-in yock place in Norfolk, but it was suspiciously closed at 1 pm when we arrived at the place. Since the popularity of yock has waned over the past decades, I guess most folks (if they still make yock) purchase the noodles and make the dish at home. The trick is to get the perfect ratio of soy sauce, ketchup, and chicken broth.
-Not sure if my dad thinks that I’m an idiot or was just trying to be helpful in his own way. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I edged the lawn with a manual edger. When I dropped off his mail a couple of days later, he let me know that he bought a weedwhacker for me. Actually, I’m glad that I stopped by his place because I was planning on going to Home Depot to buy one. So I guess he saved me a trip and a few bucks. However, I noticed that he highlighted and noted key instructions in the manual.
I guess he thought I would not notice the Important Safety Instructions sections or the big-ass WARNING sections with exclamation marks.
-Awwwww. Y’all know that Kwame loves love. Honestly, these two centenarians look like they are still in their 80s so I’m gonna need to use their skin regimen ;).
-I guess my voice acting career is over before it even began.
-From the book. Can you read the statement below without sounding rushed and without taking a single breath?
Come in today for special savings on all patio furniture, lighting fixtures, doorbells, and buzzers, including big discounts on hammers, saws, shovels, rakes, and power tools, plus super savings on everything you need to keep your garden green and beautiful.
For as long as I can remember, random folks have asked if I do voiceover work or tell me that I should narrate books on tape. While I was at the library the other day, I just so happened to see this book on one of the tables and decided to check it out. While I probably will not go through with this voiceover thing, the book does have some nice information about enunciating, diction, and microphone techniques.
-Good! Maybe people will stop suggesting that I adopt one of these beagles . . . just because I had a beagle TEN years ago. I would not mind getting another doggie, but I want to become a bit more settled first.
-Anyone remembers these books from back in the day? I remember the drawings in “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” were quite spooky. The short stories about someone gifting a dog from Mexico that ended up really being an oversized rat with rabies and the one where a spider laid eggs in a woman’s face still give me shivers.
-Truth!
Question(s) for the Day?
-Any plans for Labor Day Weekend?
-What random thoughts are going through your head?
-Now, can you say the copy below in a single breath?
Come in today for special savings on all patio furniture, lighting fixtures, doorbells, and buzzers, including big discounts on hammers, saws, shovels, rakes, and power tools, plus super savings on everything you need to keep your garden green and beautiful.
Social Media Plug:
Run There, Drink That 
(spouse wondering why i’m reading gardening advertisement while working in the home office.) I can get it in one breath, is there a prize? free weed whacker? 🙂
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You get bragging rights. 😉
For some exercises, the book has SoundCloud recordings of voice actors. Here’s the one for the exercise mentioned in the post https://soundcloud.com/art-of-voice-acting/exercise-come-in-today?utm_source=mobi&utm_campaign=social_sharing&utm_terms=hackedsounds.uploads_first
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Drivers are definitely worse! More people bought cars around here in 2020 and some of them should have had to do an updated road test or something. Just awful driving and never looking for pedestrians.
I told my parents in Richmond to get one of those beagles but they just got a black lab from a rescue (their usual breed).
I was able to get through all the copy in one breath, but I feel like it lacked pizzazz since I couldn’t afford to pause for emphasis.
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-Although it would be a pain in the butt, but I think that States should make all drivers take a road test every 8-10 years.
-Shucks, I realized that I forgot to include the QR/link that has a professional reading the script. Here you go: https://soundcloud.com/art-of-voice-acting/exercise-come-in-today?utm_source=mobi&utm_campaign=social_sharing&utm_terms=hackedsounds.uploads_first
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Oh bless your dad! That’s exactly what Matthew’s dad would have done – as well as tightening the screws on anything we’ve made recently, just in case (now when we make something, Matthew screws them in and I go round and check them). He’s still with us but a bit elderly now. Oh, I carry on the tradition by every time I show a funny cartoon to Matthew, inexplicably going, “You read along the panels, then the next row, don’t just skip to the end”. We are 50. We probably know how to read a cartoon by now …
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No issue with reading it in one breath. I think I sound very professional. Could also be I have the ability to parent with only a look. Must be a mom thing.
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Nice!!! Perhaps, I’ll post more of these exercises as I continue reading the book. For one exerice, you have to read text with a wine cork in between the top and bottom rows of your teeth. Of course, I was up for the challenge, which meant I had to open a bottle of and have a glass of wine. 😉
On my first attempt, I made it through the copy, but it sounded pretty strained. However, after doing the little breathing prep, I made it through without having to rush through the last few words.
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This is fascinating!!
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Shel Silverstein books remind me of library in elementary school! I will have to invest in some for Weston as he gets older.
I live in PA and have never heard of Yock.
We had beagles growing up, probably one of if not the only breed of dog that I neither fear nor get annoyed by.
That couple does NOT look their ages. Is it racist for me to say I’ve always felt black people age better than white people?
I have never touched a weed wacker as I’m clumsy and can just foresee an accident happening if I did.
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I do not think it’s racist to make that comment. On whole, Black people tend to have more melalin in our skin with provides additional protection against sun damage. When my hair is cut really low (ie when you cannot see my grey hair), folks tell me that I look like I”m in my late 20s/30s, not in my early 40s.
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I never thought about the more limited sun damage but that makes a lot of sense!
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