Don't change who you are, but let's be real...this isn't a sprint, it's a marathon

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The concept of not being too weird to early is not foreign to me, I generally refer to this strategy as "time-releasing the crazy."  You don't want to go full Monty before people realize they can handle and enjoy your weirdness.  When I started dating my husband (and I knew that I would marry him very early on), I waited a whole month before I put a little statue of a sleeping gnome in the back of the fridge.  When he finally saw it, he stood there staring at it muttering, "What the...?" in front of an open refrigerator door.  That gnome has lived in our butter drawer ever since.  I knew the hubs appreciated me for being a little nuts when he made a straight-faced joke one day about how high the gnome's cholesterol must be (living by the butter and all).

When I started a new job last year, it took me almost two months to start hiding mini rubber chickens in peoples stuff.  And it took everyone else a few more weeks to figure out just what was going on.  Seeing as I have hidden over 500 chickens in the world, they have some catching up to do at work.

It's not that I advocate people being anything but themselves, because I don't.  But, as a curator of weird shit, I have learned that it is an art and a good strategy to not put all the weirdness out at once.  Hopefully by sharing a little at a time, I can help bring joy to my day and to others, and quietly convince people that it is okay to be funny, and carefree, and weird, and unique, and yourself.  I think that I learned it was okay to be a little weird by one person in my life, and I am glad I came to the realization that being myself would be enough.

If you are feeling unsure sometimes about being yourself and letting the weird out, just do a little bit at a time.  You can also surround yourself with at least one person who really is comfortable with being a little weird.  All the right people will appreciate you for you, not in spite of you.

Why Nicolas Cage makes the best pranks...

Via 9gag.com

I am not sure where the trend started on the internet, but there is definitely an underground population of funny people that know that using pictures of Nicolas Cage is one of the funniest and creepiest pranks one can pull off.  I find it is important to bring light to this lovely idea, as a service to society.

Other fun Nicolas Cage activities for daily life:

• Tape Mr. Cage faces on your friends' magazine covers when you visit their house.  This is particularly comical if they subscribe to O Magazine.
• During work meetings, start your day off with an icebreaker where everyone names their favorite Nicolas Cage movie.  I am willing to be National Treasure and The Family Man will be frequent mentions.
• Quote movie lines (ahem, movie quotenese) only from Nicolas Cage movies and then immediately mention the name of the movie you are quoting to the unsuspecting person next to you.  To the guy at work whose first name only you know, say "The last time this document was here, it was being signed. [Chuckle, chuckle] That's from National Treasure."

In the meantime, enjoy these well designed Nick Cage Girl Scout cookies:

Via imgfave.com

Halloween? We don't dress up, we prank.

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The hubs and I aren't much for costumes.  We don't go out to party on Halloween night, or make a point to find a place to wear a costume.  Say what you will about us being old or boring, but it has never really been all that fun to me.

What did happen this year though is a string of good pranks, the victimless crimes that I often recommend to add fun to life.  We collectively got into a mischievous mood, and the brainstorming was very productive.  I am really looking forward to that date in the future when the fruits of our labor pay off.

Today we visited an open house, and the first rule of open houses is that you don't actually give them your real name.  We were all ready to sign in as Orlando Broom and Princess Consuela Bananahammock, but in a game time decision we just decided to be a real person we know.  They might wonder why realtors are calling them.

I can't give you any more details about the other pranks, because that would give away all of the fun.  Just you wait...and when in doubt, hide mini rubber chickens in people's stuff.

Signs for my office?

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Here is a list of the top five signs that I think would be fun to put in my office.  I don't think they would go over well, but just the same, it would be fun to see the reaction.

#1: Complaint department is...somewhere way over there...

#2: Seriously, Peter Pan was right.

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#3: Inferences can be made, even if we never make mention of the sigh again.

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#4: Is it my job to annoy you or your job to annoy me?  Either way.

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#5: Even better than silence? The honest truth.

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I might be the reason that USPS still can afford Saturday mail delivery.

I LOVE getting packages in the mail.  There are few things in the world better than getting really great mail!  This week, I am so very excited to get home, actually check the porch or the mail, and see what treasures abound.  I have an unhealthy connection to Etsy and Amazon to feed my illness.  So far this week I have received a book, a custom bracelet, and I am impatiently waiting for a new scarf.

 

Now, the hubs knows this about me, and he tragically likes to play a joke on me by sending packages to the house from work.  I get excited, open it up, and find only bubble wrap and an ice pack.  I am on to him now though, and I am suspect of any square-ish box of a familiar size.

 

This is the time of year that kicks off my mail obsession because the e-commerce universe knows when to start filling my mailbox with glorious catalogs to kick off the holiday shopping season.  I look forward to doing all of my holiday shopping online so that I have so many packages coming I don’t even know what is in them.   Especially if I employ my “one for you, one for me” shopping strategy.  I don't even care if they are for me, I just like boxes full of treasures.

 

I am considering recycling the bubble mailers into fake presents to send to the hubs at work.

The worst advice I may ever give you.

Via gsprn.com

Ah, the funny things that we can do to friends that can take it.  This may not be the most sound advice, but for the tens of people who are going to read it I assume that you can exercise good judgment.

 

I like to only surround myself with people who can take a good joke.  The most edgy comedic friends that I have of course occasionally cross the line, but that is what makes them so funny 99% of the rest of the time.  These fun ideas are only for those friends that can hack it.  And if you don’t find these things amusing, perhaps you need to get funnier.

 

I love these friends here – these are the people that you need to get you through the tough things like 13 or more miles.  These are not my friends, but I think that we would be if we knew each other.  You could give comedic support at lots of other events, but try and avoid weddings and funerals because people take that shit very seriously.

Via tumbler.com

A nice way to show your friends your funny side is to write well-crafted passive aggressive notes.  Here are some tips to hone your writing skills.

 

Via themetapicture.com

Now, I cannot reiterate enough that this advice is only for funny people, and I am not responsible for broken relationships because you tried something edgy with a marginally funny person and they got mad.  You have been warned.  On the flip side, please maximize your funny with those who can take it!  You will be funnier for it.

Leaving treasures for others.

This is my kind of activity. Not a prank, really, but a dash of shenanigans. Posting funny or thought-provoking things in the middle of the mundane creates a sense of paying it forward with a moment meant for someone else. How very lovely.

I love to place the humor and then watch from an undisclosed location nearby. I once left a gnome peeking out from the bushes in the Ducal palace gardens in Florence and then watched from several benches over as people walked by, did a double take at the gnome, and then would point and laugh. I so enjoyed watching people walk by and smile at the little friend, Norman, pictured below:

I realize that because this is a picture of a picture, that this just looks like a creepy Sasquatch-looking gnome photo, so you will just have to trust me that it was cute and not horrifying.

Try it, it is very fun! Do it with your friends, or kids. Or you can really go for the gold and make a city scavenger hunt where you go around your city and do all sorts of fun activities like a tourist in your own city. No matter what, though, have fun and pay it forward.

How to drum up the best kind of nonsense

I do like nonsense.  Color is better than black and white, funny is better than serious, and joyous shenanigans is better than the status quo.  Sometimes I have to temper my nonsense for those who are not prepared to handle it, and that is ok.  However, a good friend today reminded me about the importance of "just being myself," and I appreciated the small nudge that I have the free reign to bring nonsense to other people, even if they aren't sure how to receive it, and we are probably all still better off.

I think back to one of my favorite moments of nonsense, a prank that is only meant for joy.  Years ago I lived down the street from a house that was clearly inhabited by a lady that REALLY liked flamingos.  I have never met her, but it was clear by her yard that this was her collection of choice.  One night once it was dark, I went down and put a family of new plastic flamingos in her yard that I bought from the store for this exact reason.  I would have loved to see her face when she noticed them.  (Incidentally, this is also a good harmless prank to do to your friends' yards, but this lady would have genuinely liked them)

The idea of bringing small pieces of joy and nonsense to peoples' lives is best illustrated in one of my favorite films. If you haven't seen it, get over your fear of subtitles and get with it:

Via fairy.blogcu.com

This is also where my love of gnomes comes from.  Amelie takes her dad's garden gnome in the middle of the night and sends it around the world with a flight attendant friend in order to convince her dad that the gnome was traveling the world, and so he should too.

Via chelseairl.com

The point is, strike up some nonsense.  And yes, I am going to take my own advice.

How to chicken someone, and other good pranks

In the spirit of inserting more fun into work or home, I suggest that you start upping your game on pranking.  It is awesome.  You are missing out if you are not pranking people.  To be clear, I do not mean pranks that are harmful or embarrassing, because then you will just feel bad about it later.  But the harmless ones on people with even a small sense of humor is a hobby worth cultivating.

First, as I have mentioned in other posts, my favorite calling card in the rubber chicken.  In the most amazing showing of love and appreciation for my antics, the hubs bought me Santa Chicken (pictured above) as a stocking stuffer last year.  This is of course something that is hidden, often under pillows or in the shower, all year long.  I usually accompany the prank with a verse of the song "Santa Chicken," also know as the "Santa Baby" tune with different words.  Once the hubs got me back really well when I slept unknowingly on top Santa Chicken for hours and then screamed when I realized that I was under attack.

My day to day prank, though, is of course hiding miniature rubber chickens in people's stuff.  Or adding it to a tip for a funny waitress.  This prank runs in the family, and my sister usually gets me at the holidays when I am distracted and she puts chickens in my shoes.  Curses, just when I am feeling full, and tired, and safe.  The first time I chickened the hubs I put one in his bag of Chex Mix and he almost ate it.  That would have been a tragic and early end to our love affair, and he was not amused.

Here are some other good ideas:

Jello:

Putting things in Jello is as awesome as it looks.  I did not pull this one off, but someone did it to me, and I was impressed.  Yes, that is a gnome.  I leave gnomes in my office so that they do my work at night when I am gone, but so far they appear to be the laziest bunch of garden freaks I have ever met.  Don't Jello anything valuable, that violates the "do no harm" rule, as that gnome could not be saved.

Office reversal or foiling:
We once covered everything in my boss's office with aluminum foil, and I mean everything. Piles of papers on his desk, chairs, even the push pins on the bulletin board were individually wrapped.  The sweater on the back of his door looked like left-over pork chops still hanging up.  I only wish I still had a photo to show you.  On a separate occasion, we completely reversed his office and all of the furniture, pictures, etc.  He either was lazy or liked it, because it stayed that way for years.  The challenge is to get everything as close to mirror image as possible.

Hotel mummy:

Can't wait to try this one on my next hotel stay.  While I won't be there to see the maid's reaction, I can relish in my imagination that it will be immediate fear, followed by confusion, followed by laughter.  This could be equally funny if you ever stay overnight on a visit with your parents.

Saran wrap:

Saran wrapping anything is funny.  Best choices are an office desk, car, or other things around the house.  I hope to do all of my husbands' shoes next.  I hope he didn't read this.

Other than this, you could always leave funny things in public places around town.  Lionel could bring people joy anywhere...