Sow There! 2-1 Take your chicken to work
I am increasingly convinced that Rubber chickens are the universal symbol of good fun.
Whether you’re in downtown Chico, in an airplane, deep sea fishing or exploring hidden caves, a rubber chicken is a welcome addition to any outing.
I met a woman named Sunset recently at a New Year’s party hosted by my friend Shelley.
Sunset rides a Harley Davidson and has a rubber chicken named Henrietta. Sunset often tucked Henrietta within the safety of the storage compartment on her bike.
Sunset got inspiration for the bird companion from her buddies at Jill’s Elegant Dog Boutique on Mangrove (in the shopping complex near Kinko’s). I haven’t checked out the shop yet, but am told they carry a wide selection of “Henriettas.”
The point of this is that once you meet one person who enjoys rubber chickens, it leads to another person, and then another person ... Soon you do not feel so alone in this world.
There is a kinship in rubber chickens — something that cannot be aptly expressed in words.
Sunset sent me a timely Internet link to the Twisted Oak Winery near Angel’s Camp where the staff have been long-time fans of the rubber chicken.
As luck would have it, the winery is holding a contest Feb. 4-10 called “Take Your Rubber Chicken to Work Week.”
http://www.elbloggotorcido.com
Who knew?
People are encouraged to submit photos and video of their rubber work mates, and prizes will be awarded for the best entries.
The only thing that bothers me about this impending contest is that I did not think of the idea first.
For details, I phoned up Jeff Stai, Twisted Oak Winery big-wig, who said the rubber chicken has been a staple in his business operation since 2002.
One day Jeff and his buddies were brainstorming to choose an idea for the back label on the bottles of their first wine release.
Various ideas were bandied about and they decided on the slogan “Enjoy this bottle of wine with a group of friends and rubber chicken.”
Since then, the rubber chicken has been an integral part of the company’s appeal.
“Rubber chickens are serious business to us,” Jeff said.
Official rules to the contest can be found at: www.twistedoak.com, including some inspirational photos of the chicken at work in the winery.
Stai agreed the rubber chicken is an international ambassador of good, clean fun.
However, I suppose discretion must be exercised by some.
There is likely little room for a rubber chicken at a job as a Secret Service bodyguard. Likewise, the chicken might get in the way at certain jobs where accessories could interfere with job performance, such as professional mud wrestler.
The chicken might also not be appropriate for jobs that require extreme sensitivity, such as international diplomacy or hostage negotiator.
For Christmas we gave a rubber chicken to my dad who took the gift with him on his vacation to Hawaii. (See photos online at www.norcalblogs.com/sowthere).
Dad took photos of the chicken snorkeling on the beaches in Hawaii, swimming in a yacht-filled harbor and drinking umbrella drinks at sunset.
Jeff said there are not immediate plans to host a “Take Your Rubber Chicken on Vacation” photo and video contest. However, he said he would be happy to collaborate with Sow There! fans on the idea in the future.
http://twistedoak.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/01/28/three_chickens275.jpg
Comments
Great stuff. I think you could give Jeff a run for his money for the seriousness of rubber chickens in ones life. I know I'm feeling a shopping trip to "Jills" coming up. Keep up the fun and thanks for the laughs.
REPLY: I do not know if Jeff really knows what he is up against.
Posted by: Marcia | February 1, 2008 06:22 PM
I saw a rubber chicken as one of the toys in today's Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet. I think they're becoming mainstream :)
ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
Yes, that's the aim. Trend-setting.
Posted by: Kristina | February 3, 2008 03:43 PM