Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Uh-oh, Spaghettios

Here's an interesting tidbit I bet you didn't know: Some of the greatest contributions to mankind have been accidents of science.

Yes, that's right.

Important accidents, like Penicillin and x-rays, that changed life as we knew it forever.

And there were also some less-important things like Silly Putty, potato chips, and Viagra - all brought to us by accident.

Today, another accidental discovery was made, right here in my house.

It will never cure cancer. It will never redefine medical science. It will definitely never bring life back to any men suffering from E.D.

It will, however, cause me to develop a brain aneurysm.

Our scientist? She, the one I so glowingly sang the praises of a few days ago.

Her experiment?

How far spaghettios will travel when accidentally dropped from the kitchen table:


The answer, in case you were wondering?

About 12 feet in all directions.

And if that weren't enough, the spaghettios somehow defied gravity, and climbed UP THE BACK OF THE CHAIR, as though trying to return to the table from whence they came.

How many seconds before my head exploded, you ask?

About eight seconds. (I was a little shell shocked and had a delayed reaction.)

As a result of our accidental discovery, we now know that all it takes to turn me into a manic, mumbling fool is to cover half of my kitchen with tiny, little O's and sticky tomato sauce.

Please, internets, we're professionals here.

Do not try this at home.

38 comments:

mahina said...

oh, i am so sorry! just be grateful "she" wasn't eating over the carpet!

Stuart♥Maren said...

Yes, thank heavens for those pretty wood floors.

You know, we watched The Spiderwick Chronicles. I was fine with the goblins and freaky bad guy... but I just about hit the ceiling when they were using tomatoe sauce bombs to kill the badies IN. THE. KITCHEN. I get the willies just thinking about it. (shiver) And that was not even in my own home. Tomato sauce is the worst.

Thanks for all you do, in the name of science.

Annemarie said...

Yea, my boys decided to play football with a gallon of apple juice that was supposed to be on it's way upstairs...it ended up on & all over the carpet in the basement famliy room.

Unknown said...

Ha ha...the only thing we've ever measured in our house is projectile poop...it only made it 9 feet though (and only went one direction). It was poop, though. And my head definitely exploded.

Jane of Seagull Fountain said...

That explains a lot about you, Stie. That you would even notice something like that. For me, it takes a bit more liquid, a bit more sticky, and whole lot more staining action to approach my threshold.

Makes me worry that you're one of those people who apologize for a messy house when one cushion isn't lined up straight on the couch. Kinda disappointing, to be honest.

diane said...

Bummer! Good thing she's cute.

Travelin'Oma said...

The boy that lives at my house dropped a whole sack of wheat berries tonight! Luckily they will blend into the carpet (until they start to sprout.) Kids!

Kristin said...

Oh the joys of motherhood. Good thing she is so cute!

Anna said...

I hope you didn't yell at her. Spaghetti-O's are harmless. :) Ahhh... but the inconvenience of having to clean up the mess. Enough to make you head explode, I'm sure. hahaha

CJ, The Purple Diva said...

What a smart science major you have on your hands! Thanks so much for trying this experiment for me at your home!
My experiments were with projectile vomiting-not with one kid-but two! How far that stuff can go was amazing.
Hope your head is doing ok today. I would hate for that to be a new science experiment!

♥Shally said...

And even though you were a "manic mumbling fool"-- you still thought to get a picture!!

TRUE BLOGGER! :)

danandcindy said...

Who in the holy heck grabs their camera instead of a mop when a giant mess is made in the kitchen? Only my lame blogging sister Stee.

You really ought to get some help. That is really backwards.

Diane said...

Leave it to you to come up with a creative post from a kitchen mess! I'm sure "She" was grateful to have a mom who makes such fun out of spilled Spagetti-O's.

Michael said...

Every once in a while at work, someone will spill a giant pan of alfredo sauce or a gallon of raspberry vinaigrette. Let me just tell you how glad I am not the one who has to clean it up. Let it be known, however, that raspberry vinaigrette will eat the grease and grime off of any floor...and we've had to deal with some pretty grimey floors!

Lynsie said...

Ugh there is nothing I hate more than when Jaimen throws his perfectly good food on the floor, but he is only 2 so I gotta be somewhat patient. Lets see... I am sure he will try this experiment one day when he is older and wiser and knows better. At least for now I have the ugliest linolium floors, that food makes look a little better until I clean it up.

Melain said...

Oh Honey, it's BEEN DONE at home. And to add to your research, I found the results to be startlingly similar. Except, in this case, the head explosion was not as delayed, and the anti gravity response extended to the full height of the CEILING. I'll let you know if the results are consistant the next time it happens. And you know it will...

Kimberly said...

I also have a little scientist, that discovered when you drop (throw down?) a bowl of spaghettios on the table, that the spaghettios will become projectiles spraying 12 feet in all directions on the ceiling. Did you know spaghettio sauce can stain white ceiling paint? I feel your pain.

Amanda D said...

I so wish that I didn't know exactly what you are talking about! Over the years, I have been cleaning Spaghetti O's off of everything. It's a wonder I still buy them...

ashli said...

same item on our lunch menu today only we had a full cup of milk spill all over..... 5 minutes after my cleaning friends left.
great stuff!
i was a little behind on your posts and just read the one about your mean sleeper. i can't stop laughing about it. too funny!

Jane of Seagull Fountain said...

Ok, Christie, now I feel all bad because you responded so nicely to my mean commenet (I'm sure that was your nefarious strategy!).

Also, obviously I'm just jealous of your cleanliness standards (and beautiful wood floor).

Oh, and wanted to clarify also what I said about my threshold -- it takes much less than this to hit my yell-at-the-kids threshold, but more to hit the "what a mess" threshold.

You're great!

tarable said...

My three year old tried experiments like this three days in a row last week. Kills me! I put up a post about it to assuage my anger, complete with a picture of him in time-out. I wish I could keep my house as clean as your beautiful home! But I feel so proud just to put dinner on the table, and just hope everyone ignores the mess under it. Oh the joys of three boys under 4!

2happy+2 said...

Oh how I wish I would have been there. I bet you freaked!! I bet you even said a few choice words. I have to agree it could have been worse it could have been on carpet. Hang in there. Won't be the last time either.

Bridget said...

Oh those spills are the worst. I hope that little princess helped you clean up. I punish my kids that way.I am so nice. When Cole has an accident and pees his pants, he is the one to clean the floor or carpet and get his clothes to the laundry room.

mama jo said...

whoops!

Susy said...

Ah Oh spaghetti O's......

Ilene said...

Hey, we all have to make our sacrifices in the name of science.

One day it will happen to HER kid and you will chuckle away.

Kimberly said...

Okay, so we are living in Devon's parents' basement right now and Luke did the exact same thing last week. Except it spilled all over their beautiful WHITE carpet downstairs. I just about had a nervous break down. The next day, Blake was eating a popsicle outside and decided to come inside (of course, without telling me) and left his popsicle on the carpet to melt...aaahhhh! Devon's poor parents. They're going to be so glad when we're gone!

Sincerely Anna said...

I think that must be how the phrase "uh-oh spagettios" was born. I know that's not what you were thinking when it happened, though. So gross!

Lauren in GA said...

I just don't even know what to say...a great scientific discovery was made, but...I know it had to have been hard to clean up...especially for me because my tears would have washed them further away and under the major appliances.

Kristy said...

Oh.My.Word. I would've died! (Note: I have to confess my house isn't as organized & clutter free as I'd, or some others, would like, but this kind of stuff makes me want to cry when it happens. Such a pain!)

Lindsey said...

Oh Crap.. that is all I have to say... except, if I were you, I would have said a more *choice* word in my head because I love swearing in my head when things like that happen.....

Emily said...

Ahhhhh. Nothing to say but I'm so so sorry. I went into fits of screaming blended with bouts of catatonic shock yesterday when Will broke my $$$$$$$ pair of sunglasses. Pull my hair out angry but what can you do. Drive without sunglasses I guess.

Jessica said...

I know.

My kids make me so smart, too.

the wrath of khandrea said...

being the good friend that i am, i'm just going to tell you that you get what you deserve for feeding your kids that crap in the first place.

heart ya.

crystal said...

Ahem. The Scientific Method requires continual & repeated experimentation. So get back in the kitchen & drop those spaghettios a few dozen more times!

Get back to me on the results.

And have fun cleaning.

Hazen5 said...

You poor thing, how long did it take to clean up!?

Wendi said...

I love that you took a picture of it instead of sitting down and pulling out your eyelashes.
One. by. one.
A much better idea.
I would probably have gone with the lashes.
That would have been so wrong.

Laurie said...

My head explodes all the time too. Is it a condition brought on by motherhood?

That's when I'd let the dogs in, then bring out the mop.