Wednesday
Jul302008
TIME’S UP! Hidden talents contest
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 at 6:45AM
Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start.
This is my favorite movie:
I've seen it at least fifty times. Even looking at these pictures warms the cockles of me 'eart.
Remember the part where Captain Von Trapp and the Baroness Schrader throw the party? It's where the Captain and Maria realize their feelings for each other, and where the Baroness manipulates Maria into leaving.
At the ball, one of the heads of the Nazi party speaks to Captain Von Trapp and remarks on his family's upcoming performance at the music festival. Captain Von Trapp says, "I, too, am a man of hidden talents." Of course, he says it with a smirk that's masking his anger, as he hates how the Nazis have claimed his beloved Austria.
We are all people of hidden talents, I believe. The focus of this contest is HIDDEN talents, something few people would know about. If you're an excellent knitter and make gifts for people far and wide, that's a wonderful thing, but it's not a hidden talent.
For example:
What can I say? It's a gift.
Did you know that hairspray will remove ball point pen from clothing?
Or that if you place wadded up wet newspapers on the soil of your houseplants, it will keep them from dying while you're on vacation?
I did.
What are your hidden talents? Leave a comment to this post telling me at least one thing you can secretly do, and you could win a skein of yarn. Not just any skein, either. You choose the yarn base (anything we have instock), and you choose the colorway. We'll make it for you. YAY!
You have until Friday, August 1st at 8pm Eastern to tell me all about your hidden talents.
This is my favorite movie:
I've seen it at least fifty times. Even looking at these pictures warms the cockles of me 'eart.
Remember the part where Captain Von Trapp and the Baroness Schrader throw the party? It's where the Captain and Maria realize their feelings for each other, and where the Baroness manipulates Maria into leaving.
At the ball, one of the heads of the Nazi party speaks to Captain Von Trapp and remarks on his family's upcoming performance at the music festival. Captain Von Trapp says, "I, too, am a man of hidden talents." Of course, he says it with a smirk that's masking his anger, as he hates how the Nazis have claimed his beloved Austria.
We are all people of hidden talents, I believe. The focus of this contest is HIDDEN talents, something few people would know about. If you're an excellent knitter and make gifts for people far and wide, that's a wonderful thing, but it's not a hidden talent.
For example:
- I can eyeball liquid measurements quite accurately. I can tell the difference between 1/4 teaspoon and 12 cups with ease.
What can I say? It's a gift.
- I can imitate a dolphin's clicky sounds. I have no idea why I know how to do this, but my children find it really very remarkable.
- I have a freakishly bizarre ability to remember household hints. Not because I am such a fantastic stain remover, but because I remember all the tips I read. It's like the file for household tips storage is extra large in my brain.
Did you know that hairspray will remove ball point pen from clothing?
Or that if you place wadded up wet newspapers on the soil of your houseplants, it will keep them from dying while you're on vacation?
I did.
What are your hidden talents? Leave a comment to this post telling me at least one thing you can secretly do, and you could win a skein of yarn. Not just any skein, either. You choose the yarn base (anything we have instock), and you choose the colorway. We'll make it for you. YAY!
You have until Friday, August 1st at 8pm Eastern to tell me all about your hidden talents.
Reader Comments (76)
I have a really good eye for what size plastic container I need to fit leftovers, it drives my husband crazy because he always picks the wrong size and gets 3 containers dirty.
I can get almost anyone to tell me anything, whether they know me or not.
If I can see a person's eyes (who is not under the influence), I can tell if they are lying in repsonse to a direct question. I have actually won a contest using this method before.
I have a superkeen sense of smell such that I can identify (and usually I can tell you what it is) when someone puts on scented lotion before comoing to work or while at work even if they are in a completely different part of the building and this building is over 15,000 sq feet and areas are separated doors.
I really am enjoying reading about other people's talents!!!
When doing the laundry, I always hang everything to dry, except undies, towels, sheets ... you get the idea. Anyway, although I never count how many items need to be hung, when I get the hangers from the closet, I always grab the right number. Even tho' it happens every time, I'm still amazed by it.
My hidden talent is that I can remember large amounts of numbers for an incredible amount of time. Given the fact that I'm an English person, this is a deep, dark secret.
I can fit stuff into spaces very efficiently. I can load a huge number of items into the dishwasher - with no overlapping. I can fully pack a suitcase or a shipping box more efficiently than anyone - everything fits, no holes or spaces. I packed my son's entire dorm-roomful of stuff into a Jetta (the older, smaller model - not the new, large one) -- without covering the rear window and with room for two in the front seats. Needless to say, I'm great at playing Tetris.
Not being from the UK this is odd but I know an absolute TONNE about English/Irish history even though its not "my" country, I can tell you all about the kings and queens but couldnt tell you a thing about Captain Cook landing in Australia? Odd Hey!
I never forget a face. Names, always, but faces, never. I often see people I know or have known and they have no clue who I am.
As head cashier for a hotel, I've learned to count money by touch. I can grab what feels like 50 bills off the top of a large pile, count it and be dead-on most of the time. Cut a stack of bills in half (like cutting cards), count and they're even. Grab a handful of change from a big pile and get exactly enough to fill one coin wrapper.
I have been called the Baby Whisperer. I can calm a crying baby or put a fussy baby to sleep after several people have tried, including the Mom.
'Tis a talent I treasure!
My talent is that I can remember the words to every single song I have ever heard.My kids are fascinated by this because I have quite a wide repetiore including bluegrass,heavy metal,country,you name it.But I can't seem to remember what I had for breakfast or if I have even eaten breakfast.Go figure.
Oh man! Questions like this are always fun. Whoo Hooo! My hidden talent is my sense of direction. Even without a map, I can always find my way around! I cannot tell you how many major US Cities I have navigated through, while my ex-DH sat in the passenger seat! It works in the middle of no where too. No map? That's ok, just put Meg in the driver's seat!
Hmmm, I can curl my tongue two different ways. I can wiggle my nose which is great for entertaining babies and small children in grocery store lines. And I can remember pretty much every phone extension in my huge school building, but can't remember most days if I took my vitamins. go figure
So, Sharon, how do you get out collar ring/stains? Any tips on getting pink gunk off of a plastic shower curtain? :)
My hidden talent is that I have no hidden talent. I am a very non interesting person.
Or... I guess... I can put my finger all the way down my throat and not gag (I know this because a friend used to make herself throw up to be sent home early from school, so I tried it too but it didn't work).
I guess I'm also sort of good at making up meals out of whatever is in the pantry (to feed my loathing of going to the grocery store - Amazon Fresh how I love thee!).
Hi! I am impressed by your talents. If only we all could remember the helpful household hints. :)
My hidden talent is that I can remember funny movie quotes. In conversation, someone will say something that will remind me of a quote. When I say the quote, most people have no idea what I am talking about.
Another hidden talent is that I can put a baby to sleep like no other....well except for my own babies who like to stay wide awake. Whenever I hold someone else's baby, the baby conks out in no time.
I am a phone book. I can memorize phone numbers like nobody's business.
I lasted 5 years at a job that I was perpetually late to every day, and I don't mean just a measly 5 minutes. I quit this job after the birth of my 4th child.
My dad is a baby whisperer. He can pick up a baby in any part of the world, any child and get them calm in a matter of mere minutes. He says it is because he sings very softly in their ears. I think it's because they know he's a goofy guy who loves kids.
My talent is related. I get along really well with kids and can usually work out any situation with them. I understand little kids that cannot communicate as well, too. It helped immensely when I was a teacher. Every case of child neglect or abuse I suspected, and hence reported, was true. I don't like that but it's my hidden talent.
It's fun reading everyone's hidden talents.
My hidden talent is that I can figure out complicated electronics. Hubby always passes the instruction book to me cause programming a vcr drives him crazy!!
Let's see... I can curl my tongue. I can flip my tongue over to the left or the right. I can make a water drop noise and make people think something is dripping. That took years of practice. I can imitate almost any cat's meow. You'd be surprised at how annoyed cats get when they think you're mocking them.
ok, not so hidden, but I can silence teenagers with a look-just years of experience and works on not only my own, but strangers teenagers.
My other talent is cat bathing. Yes, I bathe my 5 cats every month. I have learned to do it and still keep all my fingers. Now that is a talent.
Hidden talent - I must be kin to Agnes - I trip or stub my toe on anything. An original hidden talent... I can correlate any set of random facts - the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon for trivia if you will - but not people.
I have to say, I really enjoy reading your blog. It always makes me smile.
Ok, so a hidden talent...well, I can remember every address my family or I ever had. I can even remember my families' current addresses and the addresses of my in-laws. I can remember my address from the house we lived in when I was in kindergarden, and I'm 37. I haven't really found a good use for this talent though....
I love Sound of Music too! I wanted my wedding march to be the one from the movie, but DH said no. I also love Mary Poppins (great to work out to...)
I have a talent of seeing faces on TV or in the movies and I can tell you what else they've been in (not by name but "that movie about the Revolution where the family blah, blah, blah"). Ex "oh that's the murderer from CSI" etc. I can also recognize actors by their voices.
hmmm... neat blog post...
Although, I'm left speechless. I'm sure there must be *something* I do well....
Let's see....
I can 10-key like crazy... super fast, and pretty much 100% accuracy.
This is a good blog post! My hidden talent is that I type one-handed most of the time. I'm usually breastfeeding while surfing the web! I can also remember birthdays and phone numbers very well. My mom calls me a walking rolodex. LOL
Hmmmm...I have the hidden talent to stuff clean dishes in the drying rack. By the time I'm done, there are far more dishes on the rack than were ever intended. They balance there precariously until you try to remove one. It's like Jenga with breakable stuff.