When I do something lame or harebrained, I'm the first to tell my family and friends all about the silly thing I did. I give great detail about how off the wall it was and am generally laughing about it. Like the time I was making lentil soup and half of it ended up all over the wall and ceiling. Long story, but trust me, it's hilarious. There's also the multiple times I've locked myself out of the house and climbed on roofs or shimmied through tiny windows to get inside and retrieve the keys. Also, my cat sort of set herself on fire (just a little) and I had to race through the house after her to make sure she didn't combust or set little fires while she raced away from the smoke that was trailing her. All funny stuff. Well, to me at least.

My husband questions why I would even admit to doing something so ludicrous as attempting to move an enormous planter with my daughter's skateboard or painting a box while simultaneously over spraying the grass in the backyard bright orange. He doesn't understand why I would tell people about my foibles. I always respond, "because it's the funniest thing ever and it's fun to share fun stories." It's hard for him to argue with that logic. He does laugh at my stories.

My dear friend Jodi has a saying, "rarely is a bad idea boring." Likewise, rarely is a boring idea any fun. I must say that there are many bad decisions I have made in my life that turned out to be quite exciting and laugh out loud hilarious. While it may not have been particularly fun at the moment, or perhaps the outcome was not like I expected it to be, there are many times I don't regret making the poor decision because it ended up to be too hilarious when it was all over.

Here are some examples of silly decisions and the great stories that resulted.

While in Victoria, BC we wanted to go singing at a karaoke bar. We sipped and nibbled and finally decided to go and sing our hearts out. We drove quite a way to get to this place that was supposedly the best karaoke in Victoria. The bar closed just as we were walking in. Not much fun, but we called a taxi and sang all our karaoke songs to our driver on our way back to our hotel. Perfectly fun evening? Perhaps not. Lots of laughs to this day? Absolutely.


As a former PTA President and supporter of the PTA to this day, we had lots of reasons to celebrate all the fun moms tend to have. After constructing a greatly profitable and fun fundraiser, a number of us moms decided to go out to a local dive bar and raise a glass. The theme of the fundraiser was "The Great '80s" and we were all dressed in vintage and pretty hilarious attire. Walking into the bar, we told fellow patrons that we were all part of a bachelorette party. It worked great until someone asked us where we were from and what school our kids attended. We decided to fib, saying our kids attended a different school in our district. When they asked where that school was located, none of us knew the answer. Funny? Well not at that very moment. It is, however, hilarious when we recall it to this day.

On a recent camping trip, we all decided to take our boat upriver to a winery. Unknown to us, the dam nearby decided to lower the level of the river. When we emerged with a couple cases of wine, our boat was high and dry. With the help of a few fellow wine drinkers we were able to rock our little boat off of the sand and back into the river. It's a great story to this day. Bonus: we met a couple of heroes who were willing to help us out of a tough spot.

Shoulder season in Wyoming can suck, and make you smile as well. While in Jackson Hole last April, we were between seasons - no snow but not enough sun to allow businesses to welcome the summer season just yet. Lots of businesses were closed and others were under construction. The restaurant at our hotel was also under construction. The bar, however, was open. After checking with the concierge, my 17 year old daughter was admitted into the bar and even allowed to dance with some authentic cowboys. It's a great story and resulted in some wonderful memories.

Like I said, don't be afraid to make a bad decision. At least you are doing something and it may turn out to be a laugh out loud good time.

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