Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Go Google It!

When I was a kid and asked a question, I was often told to look it up in the dicitonary, look it up in the encyclopedia, or hit the card cabinet at the library. It was tedious, but we did it. Even my first research course in college was all about getting to the library and finding out inane things through the reference materials available there.

Now my kids are kids of the New Millenium. They have Google or a million other search sites to use instead of me!

So that's become my pat answer of late, "Go Google it."

"Do foxes eat people?" says Aaron.

"Go Google it," I say. "Stop spending all your time online playing goofy games and do some research!"

It hasn't stopped the flood of questions that flow from Aaron when he's asked to do some chore. (Why is that the time when he has the most questions?!)

Why is the sky blue? Why do birds fly? How can water smell?

My go-to answer before I thought of Google was, "because God made it that way."

My God answer was a good one, I thought. But then it led to all sorts of God questions. Why did God make bad guys? Why did God make guns? What does God taste like? (My answer to that was my ultimate favorite..."God tastes like chicken.")

I wish I had thought of Google when Aaron went through his worm phase. Because telling him I wasn't a wormologist didn't stop him. Eventually, screaming to leave me alone and stop asking questions did that.

I will have to keep an eye on Aaron's Google research though. Lord knows kids don't need to go to Google to find out about sex! That's what dads are for...

Monday, January 25, 2010

One World One Heart

Photo




It's that time again. I know I have participated in this event in years past. I'm so glad to have an opportunity to do it again!

The idea behind this event is to bring together bloggers from all over the world. By offering prizes, we are encouraging people to leave comments.

And this event lends itself perfectly to what I've been thinking of this afternoon. What do you do when you're bored?

What I do depends on my mood. I might pick up something to knit. Or page through a book or magazine to get ideas for something new to create. I might just grab a book to read. I might clean up a pile on my desk. Vacuum something. Call someone.

And now I will have days and days to go through blogs of all kinds as I get to meet my fellow participants in this One World One Heart event.

I encourage my fellow bloggers to leave links to your blogs so that non-bloggers can check you out. It's not a requirement by any means, just a suggestion.

If you are signing up for one of my prizes, please don't forget to leave an email address so I can contact you if you are the winner.

All entries must be done by noon CST on February 14, 2010. I will randomly draw three numbers that afternoon and inform the winners on February 15, 2010. Prizes will be mailed within days.

(Please forgive my photography! Taking pictures of glass is darn hard work! These pieces are gorgeous and all wiring is sterling silver.)

Monday, January 11, 2010

Resolutions

Are you or aren't you a Resolutions person? Most people I polled this year had nothing but disdain for them. I'm on the fence.

Which is why I took time this morning to put my goals for the upcoming year into writing. Following guidelines suggested by Helen Buttigieg, I wrote down my goals and the steps needed to accomplish them this year. Then I printed it out on paper.

I even printed it out onto paper and have tucked it into my calendar.

The only problem? I have a tendency to never look at things once they are tucked away. I don't want to post my goals. My office is part of the living room. I don't want them to be my screen saver. I don't want them to be public at all. They are my private goals!

So how can I remember them? Or are they going to fall the way of my art journal. I did one entry, put it on a shelf, and, honestly, haven't thought about it again until today.

Once something is gone from sight, I forget about it. Doesn't matter what it is. Jewelry--unless it's out on the stand on my dressing table, I never wear it. Clothes--if they get too far down in the drawer, I never wear them. Shoes in the closet never get worn. Food shoved to the back of the cabinet never gets eaten. Books at the bottom of the pile never get read.

Maybe my only resolution this year should be to learn to look for things!

I know there are people who practice putting everything away all the time. How do you do this? How does it work? How do you know you aren't forgetting something?

I really need to know. I might want to add it to my goals for the year. If I can find the list...

Sunday, January 10, 2010

I Hate to Even Admit This...

but I think I've been getting the endorphin rush from exercising. I know, I know, my non-exercising friends, this is absolutely shocking. But I cannot control it. I cannot stop it from happening!

I'm getting to the point where I don't even think about it. On water aerobic days, I get out of bed. (I'm not so crazed that I leap out of bed at the first sound of the alarm. I still hit snooze several times!) Put on my swim suit, brush my teeth, grab my gym bag, and am ready to drive to the club as soon as Aaron is gone.

I still count the minutes during class, but less than before. Twenty or thirty minutes might pass by before I remember to look at the clock!

On non-water aerobic days I seriously contemplate heading to the club to run in the water or do some other form of exercise.

There. I'll admit it. It's addicting! I don't know if it really is an endorphin rush or just the relief of nothing really hurting in the water.

Whatever it is, I'll take it. I've even found myself pondering alternate forms of exercise.

Will the pod people please return my body?! Maybe later we'll discuss this craving I have for fruit...

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Ladies, We Have Got to Talk...

About bathroom etiquette!

Sure, this is uncomfortable for all of us, but I think some need a refresher course. Frankly, I don't care what you do in the privacy of your bathroom at home. Your home, your business. It's what you're doing in public restrooms that's grossing me out. Big time.

I'm breaking us all into two categories: squatters and sitters. If there is another category, please let me know. Personally, I am a sitter. I have short legs and squatting is just not comfortable.

Just a little lesson about the dangers of public restrooms. Urine is sterile. There, I said it. Yes, there are exceptions when people have a bladder or urinary tract infection. Then it is not sterile.

The only way you're going to get some sort of disease or infection from a public toilet is if you sit on a soiled seat with huge, gaping, weepy sores on your butt. If that's the case, we have a lot more to fear from you than you do from the other public bathroom users. Get to a doctor and get that cleared up.

Let's address the squatters first. Sure, you have strong thighs and quads and can keep yourself hovering above the toilet seat. This is fine if you aren't peeing all over the seat. However, if you do make a mess on the toilet seat, PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF! Seriously, I am getting tired of coming into the stall after you and either passing it up entirely because you've peed everywhere or having to wipe down the seat before I can even use it.

It's gross. It's messy. It's piggy. You made the mess, clean it up.

Now the sitters. Some of us sit directly on the seat, some of us put down two strips of toilet paper on the seat. Now you have a nice, clean barrier between you and the toilet. Unfortunately, sometimes you leave the nice strips of toilet paper laying on the seat as you pull of your pants and go on your merry way. Again, CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF! Remove your paper strips, drop them into the bowl, and flush. Do not just walk out of the stall and think you're done.

Personally, I don't want to deal with half-sodden pieces of toilet paper. When you dangle it into the toilet, the toilet water is wicked up and someone has to deal with that mess. Do it yourself.

Everyone, it takes mere seconds to turn around, assess the mess, and deal with it. Drips? Amazing how a little tissue can fix the problem. Spatter? Again a little toilet paper.

If you've taken your child into a public bathroom, it is your responsibility to clean up after the little one. Little boys spatter. You hate it at home. We hate it in public.

If we would all just clean up after ourselves, it would be a cleaner, healthier, happier world!

(Let's not even talk about the people who use their dirty, gross shoes to flush the toilet. Just what the next person going to flush wants--a handful of floor filth!)