5: Like Magic

Ever have one of those days when things just don't go right and then, bam! Things go exactly right? For me, this morning: I overslept (something I very, very rarely--almost never--do), so I was running later than normal to work (also something I never do, but, if possible, do even less often than oversleeping, because I have a lot of extra time built into my morning, so I can usually skip stuff and make up lost time). Then I couldn't find anything clean and ironed to wear. And I had to take my second cup of coffee to go. And I almost forgot to feed my cat. And, and, and...I was still on track to get to work early, just not as early as usual. I was walking up to the office building, past the parking garage, which was rather noisy. Because all of my coworkers were standing around in the garage. Because there was an electrical fire in the building. We stood around for a while, then decided to grab breakfast while we waited. As we finished, we got word that... no work today. The fire blew out the transformer, so there's no power to the building. And, no work from home, because...there's no power to the building, which means the server room is down. So, I magically have a day off. I know, not really magic, but it feels that way. And, I realized that I use "it's magic" to describe a lot of things I can't explain. Which reminds me of Clarke's third law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Although, I use it for stuff like: Why's it snowing? But, my favorite "magic" items:

1. My iPhone. I feel guilty, being "one of those people," but I freakin' looooove my iPhone. Like, don't know how I lived without it, love it. I never felt the need to have a cool phone before it, but, but... now I can call people and check my email and look at stuff online and play games and find the name and artist of songs on the radio and check the news and the weather and, and, and... awesome. Who'd've thunk, even ten years ago, that I'd be able to do that from a tiny little thing like the iPhone. It's magic.

2. My automatic coffee maker. Another thing in the thought-I'd-never-want/need-it category. Sure, I have to feed it the coffee grounds and water the night before, but when I get out of the shower, there's hot coffee waiting for me. The genius that thought of that has my undying affection.

3. DVR. I can pause TV and fast forward through commercials. Sure, you could do that before with a taped show, but this is possible before the show is even over. And, I don't have to remember what night a show is on, because the DVR will and it'll magically appear on my list. It's like it can read my mind. Which, I'm okay with, because TV is an essential part of my existence.

4. Cameras. Now I'm kicking it old school, but... it just freezes a moment in time. Or, if you're Amish: it captures your soul (or something like that). But really, it's better than memory, it's what actually was there at that moment in time. I swear, I'm not high right now (or ever), but that just blows my mind, in a lot of ways.

5. Cloning. Yeah, like Dolly the Sheep. It seems to make sense that, if it's been done once (the original), it can be done again (the clone). But, it's not that simple, huh? After the invention of copying machines for paper...came the technology for living things. Weird, but not: all rolled into one.

13: Christmas Cookies I Have Loved

Not all of these are inherently Christmas cookies, per se. Some are just cookies that, for some reason, my friends and family make only around the holidays. I should point out: I love cookies. Especially my mom's cookies, but pretty much all cookies. In fact, I took a day off work to go to my mom's house and bake cookies all day. I had cookies for lunch and cookies for dinner (yes, an entire meal, both times...it's amazing I didn't lapse into some sort of sugar-imbalance coma). So, cookies = good, in my world.

1. Peppermint bark. Mint cookies are more Christmasy, I think, for some reason. Because it's cold outside? And mint is cooling and refreshing? That logic seems to point to summertime mint cookies, but...peppermint bark is decidedly Christmastime, in my world. Dark chocolate, white chocolate, peppermint candies...delish!

2. Peanut butter bark. It closely follows its peppermint cousin. Same general concept, same level of awesome. Every year at Christmas, there are two containers in the fridge: peppermint and peanut butter bark. I don't think I'd know what to do with myself without them. Seriously, barring all other cookie baking (which I consider important, but not essential), the barks must. be. made. Every year.

3. Apricot confections. They're a legacy of my paternal grandmother. They've got dried apricots and almond slivers and a sugary sweet glaze thing going on. And, for as long as I can remember, they've always been made in the same holly-patterned mini-muffin liners. A classic sign of Christmas.

4. Pecan sandies. Enough of the not-quite-cookies for the list, pecan sandies are cookie delightfulness. I love nuts (that's a loaded statement...), and powdered sugar. And these are often made just bite-sized enough. Plus, you can never go wrong with shortbread, which leads me too...

5. Checkerboard cookies. Chocolate and vanilla shortbreads, two of each, it a four-square shortbread cookie. They're one of my mom's favorites, and with good reason. Like I said, shortbread is amazing (other than all that butter...or because of it, I suppose). And these cookies aren't overly sweet, so they're a good compliment to other treats that are.

6. Peanut butter surprises. Y'know, the little peanut butter cookies with a mini peanut butter cup in the middle. Again, there's really nothing that screams "Christmas" about these, but that's when they get made in my world.

7. Rolo cookies. Chocolate cookie with a rolo in the middle, rolled in pecan pieces. So that you get a caramel filled cookie. I have no idea who came up with the idea, but I'd like to thank them. That person is a hero among heroes. I have a cousin who does a big Christmas cookie baking project every year, and these are among the cookies they make. So, now I associate them with Christmas cookies.

8. Star brownies. Another favorite of my mother's (aw, who am I kidding, we both love cookies, pretty much all cookies). This is a special brownie recipe that only comes out at Christmas time and a special star-shaped cookie cutter that is really a brownie cutter, since it's used for nothing but these brownies. And, each little star has a red or green M&M in the middle.

9. Snowballs. A new classic. And the snowball thing fits the Christmas theme, so we know when to make 'em... Maraschino cherry, with shortbread cookie coating, white chocolate layer and rolled in coconut. The things seriously look like little snowballs. But, they taste much better.

10. Thin mints. Not the Girl Scout cookie, but fashioned after it. My best friend's mom made these one Christmas in high school and I've been a fan ever since. Once again, it's minty, so it gets that Christmas designation for some unfathomable reason.

11. Mint candies. I have never met the person who makes these, but they're buttery little mint candies and they're probably the most unhealthy thing on the list (and that's saying something). Oh, but they melt in your mouth and taste oh so delightful.

12. Gingerbread cookies. The classic. And, I just got ABC (already been chewed) cookie cutters for Christmas. They're gingerbread men with bites out of various body parts. I might have to break some rules and make some post-holiday gingerbread men.

13. Molasses cookies. I saved the best for last. Oh my goodness, I'm not sure I can begin to explain my deep, deep love of these cookies. Here's an example: I told my mother I wasn't coming to Christmas if there weren't molasses cookies. And we both knew I was serious. I mean, it's not that there was ever any question and I ended up making them myself when I was over there on my marathon cookie day, but...LOVE. And they're molasses so they're wintertime only. But I love them so much (in case you hadn't picked up on that). In fact, excuse me, I need to go get one...

11: Orbitz Flavors I Have Tried and My Opinion Thereof

I'm back! I've been busy with work and life stuff and trying to find time to get enough sleep. And during that, I've been chewing a loooooooot of gum. It's a stress relief/oral fixation thing for me, but I've been so obsessively chewing gum for the past three weeks that I think I need to take a break, because my jaw is sore and I don't want to aggravate my TMJ.

1. Bubblemint. Possibly my favorite gum ever. It's like chewing an adult version of childhood. It tastes like bubblegum, but has a refreshing mint tinge to it. And it lasts forever, like mint/bubblegum-flavored stuff does.

2. Raspberry mint. My second favorite. I didn't actually mean to list these in preference order, but those're the first two that came to mind. Sadly, this one doesn't last too long, but it's lovely while it does.

3. Wintermint. I forget if it's peppermint or spearmint or both or something else. It's a regular mint-type gum.

4. Crystal mint. I'll admit, I bought this one because the name makes it sound like some sort of illicit drug, but that was only the initial attraction. The ongoing attraction? It tastes like the white Lifesaver mint things. And a adore those.

5. Strawberry mint. It's a limited edition, which makes me nervous, because I rather like it. It's fruity and most fruity gums don't last too long while you're chewing them, but this one has lifespan. And it's tasty.

6. Citrus mint. Disappointing. I really wanted to like it, but it had a weird flavor. And lost all flavor pretty quickly.

7. Sangria fresca. The only one without mint in its title. And, I just tried it because a coworker had some. And it's disgusting, so he was trying to give it away. It has an absolutely bizarre flavor at first, but then it sort of tastes like citrus mint after a while. And that's not a good thing.

8. Mint mojito. It kinda makes me feel like I'm drinking. I know there's no alcohol in the gum and it's probably mostly that I know it's called "mojito," but, still....tastes like an adult beverage. Not bad, but not good for chewing at work. I'd imagine trying to explain that you weren't drinking on the job, just chewing gum could be dicey.

9. Sweet mint. Weird. Not really good or bad, but...odd. Very, very sweet. Which isn't unexpected, given its name, but still... odd flavor for a gum.

10. Spearmint. Kind of delightful. I tend to forget how much I really like the spearmint flavor. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

11. Peppermint. Eh, okay. Just sort of mint gum, in my mind. Sometimes you want that, but I think I'd pick spearmint for my plain mint gum needs.

3: Wacky Things People Do

Yes, yes, people do wacky things all the time. It's part of what keeps me smiling. But some of the wacky things people do fall outside of the norm and make me feel the need to chronicle them.

1. Wear shorts and a tank top. Okay, in and of itself, not weird. In 31 degree (Fahrenheit) weather? Downright nutty. I ran a 5K on Sunday and it was, literally, freezing out. And running is one of those thing that, although it might be miserably cold out, you need to keep in mind that you'll be working up a sweat and don't want to wear too much clothing, because then you might get chilled if you sweat too much. But, I was fine in my pants, three shirts, jacket, ear-cover thingy and gloves. The dude in shorts and a tank top? I dunno how he fared, I just saw him at the starting line, but... I hope he didn't get frostbite. Seriously, short-shorts, tight tank top (it was an old guy, natch, with spindly legs and arms) and he looked like he was already sweating. Maybe... yeah, I've got nothing.

2. Park halfway on the sidewalk. Heading home from the 5K, we're stopped at a stop sign and look to the right. And there's an old, beat-up, low-end two-door sedan (not that any of that is pertinent, other than that it made the car stand out anyway) parked at the close end of the block. And, it was parked just about halfway on the sidewalk next to the road. Like, it was at a 45 degree angle to the road. Maybe...it was dark when the driver parked? So dark that s/he couldn't see the road?

3. Sing loudly while walking. Coming home from work last night, I was rather exhausted and just wanted to get home, grab a bite to eat, curl up with a book and fall asleep early. So, it wasn't the most peppy walk home. At about a block from my apartment, I hear the dude coming in my direction singing. Loudly. Like, shout-singing. Some sort of hip-hop/rap type song, but I could tell what. Interesting. As I get to within about 10 feet of him, he busts out: "I'm not always there when you call, but I'm always on time." Dude was belting out some J. Lo. Totally, totally awesome. I'm glad it was dark out, because I grinned the whole rest of the way home (which was about half a block).

5: Reasons I Love Snow

I'm a "grown-up" now and, thus, I think, supposed to dislike snow. This, along with many, many things I'm "supposed to do," is not the case. And I feel the need to defend my adoration for snow. It snowed last night and I was delighted. Others, not so much. So, I'll now lay out my case. I only cover the important, hard-hitting topics here.

1. Snow is pretty. I feel pretty, oh, so pretty... Okay, not like that. But really, snow is rather majestic in its first-fallen, covering-everything-ness. A fresh, clean blanket. I'll concede that it then gets shoveled and plowed and peed in (by dogs, hopefully not humans...) and isn't quite so pretty. But everything has its moments. I think snow's prettiness is... pretty. (See how well I make an argument?)

2. Snow is cold. I like cold. Much better than hot. Cold you can bundle up against and, if you're still cold, come inside and eat soup or drink hot chocolate or cuddle under a blanket. Plus, with snow, which is cold, you can build igloos that are warm. Very awesome.

3. You can go sledding in snow. Okay, so you also need a hill and a sled, but those are easily enough found. Snow--snow is unique. Playing in the snow is such a good workout, too. But, moreover, the joy of sledding down a hill? That's unmatchable.

4. You can have snowball fights in the snow. Not mean, hurtful snowball fights, but fun, light-hearted battles. Or Buddy-the-Elf attacks. I'm not so good at the latter, but enjoy snowball fights (when not caught off guard or attacked, say, on my way to work).

5. I don't have to drive in the snow. Okay, so that's not a reason I like snow, but more of a reason why I don't dislike snow. I think that, if I had to drive in it, snow might lose some of its joy. But, I walk to work, so I don't have to worry about cleaning off my car or driving or delays.

5: Things I Have Come Across This Week

A bug, money and three signs.


What, you want more? Fine.

1. A bug. I'm innocently sitting on my sofa watching TV Monday night and one of those creepy thousand leg creepy, creepy, creepy bugs (did I mention it was creepy?) went running across my floor. Now, bugs don't generally bother me, but for some reason those thousand-leg thingies FREAK ME OUT. So, I called over my cat. Who proceeded to PLAY WITH THE BUG. Not kill it, like I wanted her to. No, no, I had to do that. Sigh.

2. Money. Ten dollars in the back pocket of a pair of work pants. All folded up into a tiny little square. I have no idea from whence it cometh. Y'know how usually when you find money in a pocket or somewhere, you remember putting it there after you find it? Not this. And I'd just worn the pants like a week before, so...'tis a mystery!

3. A sign. In a window on my way to work is a stop sign that says "Santa! Stop here!" I have no idea why, but it cracks me up. Like, kid: Santa comes down the chimney. Not through the front door. C'mon, now.

4. A sign. At the PA border: Mile 0 0/10. Okeydoke, I guess that's where Pennsylvania starts. But couldn't you put a sign that says, like "Pennsylvania/Maryland Border" or something like that? Also, the Mason-Dixon line is about 50 feet farther south. Weird. Isn't THAT supposed to be the state border? Were Mason and Dixon wrong? If so, why is this not more widely know. I mean, 50 feet here, 50 feet there, next thing you know, I live in Canada. (Okay, that might be a bit of a stretch...)

5. A sign. (I saved the best for last.) "Do-It-Yourself...Dog Washing" WHAT?!?! Are you serious, random building along Route 1, because... I have one of those at home and I don't even have a dog. It's called a bathtub-and-a-bottle-of-shampoo. Or a hose-and-a-bottle-of-shampoo, depending on the time of year. Sigh, to what is this world coming?

2: Oddly Timed Questions

I went to the bank today. Exciting, right? Well, actually, I went to outside the bank: the ATM. I needed some cash and, well, the ATM had what I needed. I've been to this ATM before, we're friends (it's the closest one to work/home for me). I did my thing, stuck my card in, entered my pin, selected my withdrawal, etc. Then I was getting ready to be done and BAM! Wacky question.

1. "Would you like to buy stamps?" From the ATM? No, I think I'll go half a block down and buy them from the Post Office, thank-you-very-much. I mean, I suppose, if the Post Office were closed, maybe. But, I rarely have stamp emergencies. And, the lobby of the Post Office is always open with their own stamp dispensing machine, so that's always an option too. So, no, when I'm making an ATM withdrawal, I just want cash.

2. "Would you like bacon with that?" From the Wawa hoagie ordering-machine (yes, that's the technical term for it). This has bothered me for years. No, I.do.not.want.bacon.on.my.tuna.salad.hoagie. Or on my roast beef hoagie. Or cheese hoagie. Or Italian hoagie. Are we detecting a pattern yet? No bacon on hoagies for Sara. I like bacon and all, but...there's a time and a place for everything, folks.

17: Things For Which I Am Thankful

Okay, so Thanksgiving was yesterday, but I was busy cleaning my aunt's yard and then hanging with my family, so this post is a day late. I'm still very grateful for all of the following. And, we're talking broad-brush thankful list: nothing is too big or too small, too important or too inconsequential. And, there are plenty of things that didn't make the list, but are still very important to me (my cat, Wawa, etc.), but I didn't want to go on forever. Here goes:

1. My family. Since I mentioned I spent the day with them yesterday, they top the list. They're wacky and a bit nuts (so: I come by it honestly) and I absolutely adore 'em. Sure, there's drama sometimes, but when we're together we laugh to hard we cry, we eat great food, we share all the good and bad stuff. I love my family.

2. My mom. Yes, she's technically a member of my family and, thus, already been mentioned. However, I feel she deserves separate recognition. Yeah, she drives me crazy sometimes, but I honestly don't know what I'd do without her.

3. Goldfish (the crackers). I've always liked goldfish, but my obsession with them began in college, when I'd go to BJ's and get a big three pound box of them. I got one of those again the other day. I can eat goldfish as an entire meal. I dunno what it is, but...mmm, goldfish.

4. TV. I watch way too much TV, it's true. But, but...it's so awesome. Comedy, drama, dramedy, police procedurals. TV has 'em all, in half or one hour chunks. Glorious!

5. Cookies. I make it a personal mission never to say no to a cookie. (Hopefully I'm never assassinated with a poisoned cookie.) They're a couple of bites of awesome: sweet, chewy/crunchy, chocolatey/not, nuts/none, etc. Delightful!

6. Coffee. I promise, no other foodstuffs, but coffee needs a mention. I drink my coffee black, which I learned from my grandmother. I actually started drinking coffee with her because I liked the flavor. I'll admit to being addicted at this point--gotta have my morning cup--but I still enjoy the taste. It's never just about getting caffeinated, for me. If I wanted to do that I'd grab a Red Bull. Nope, I enjoy sitting with a hot cup of coffee, contemplating my day.

7. The interwebs. What did people do before Google and Wikipedia? I guess that's why the world had travelling encyclopedia salesmen back then. I can be happy without internet access for brief spurts of time (up to a couple of days, even), but not for too long. How else am I supposed to keep in touch with...everything?

8. Martin Luther. Or, really, any historic or current figure who has the will to do awesome things. And I don't mean awesome like totally cool, I mean awesome like absolutely awe inspiring. I don't think I've ever been tested in the same way that any of them have been, but I often wonder if I'd have the ability to do something big and important and world-changing if I needed to.

9. Snow. I'll lighten the mood a little bit here. Even as a fully grown adult (well, at least I'm told I've reached that point), snow still brings out the little kid in me. Yeah, it's annoying sometimes to have to clean off the car or shovel the driveway or sidewalk or deal with unplowed roads and all that inconvenient stuff. But: it's snow! Snow is pretty and serene and cold.

10. My job. It's good to have a job, just in general, but it's also nice to have one that is enjoyable. I think that no job is perfect, of course. But I dig mine.

11. Running. I didn't really start until college, or really, after college. And, I'm not a serious runner by any stretch of the imagination. But, I really like it. Sometimes I love to hate it, when I'm really pushing myself, but I enjoy it. Getting out and just...going. There's something powerful about that.

12. Baseball. If you know me, you know I love baseball. I'm not stats-obsessed and there are plenty of people who know the intricacies of the sport better than I do. But, I know my baseball, don't get me wrong. There's no better sport in my opinion. When I go to games and I sit in the stands and look around at everyone else there and the field and just take in the sport...that's one of my happy places. Oh, and the Phillies won the World Series this year. That was amazing.

13. Puzzles. Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, jigsaw puzzles, brain teasers, anything I love a challenge. Which isn't to say that I don't get frustrated sometimes; I certainly do. But when you finish it or finally figure it out...that's a great feeling.

14. Books/magazines. Along the same lines of a good think. Like The Economist advertisement: Great Minds Like a Think. When you curl up with a good book (or magazine) and just completely lose yourself in it, there's something about that. Of course, not all books and magazines are what you might call high-brow, but I enjoy those, too. Not everything can be deep and meaningful and weighty, sometimes it's nice to just enjoy.

15. Baking. I mentioned that I love cookies. I also love creating cookies. And muffins and bread and cakes and cupcakes and brownies and anything else baking-like. There's a rhythm, a pattern to it that just clicks for me. Like knitting or quilting, which I'll lump in here so as not to sound too much like an old lady by listing them all separately.

16. Open spaces. I like cities and towns for their walkability and their people watching and all that jazz, but nothing beats a wide open space in my book. The peace and possibility of an open field or hilltop or creek bed is endless. It's one of the few things in the world that just is. There's no trying to be something or someone else in that space. There's no hustle or bustle or rush or pressure or anything. There's just....existence.

17. Friends. I'll start and end with the two most important things in the world: family and friends. I'd argue that neither is more important than the other: they're both insurmountable to me. I know that some people struggle with either or both, but I'm lucky enough to have incredible friends. I wouldn't trade anyone for anything. And I'm incredibly thankful for that.

3: Love, Hate, Love/Hate

Minimal preamble, the title's rather self-explanatory.

1. Love: ice cream cones for dinner when it's 35 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside. Being an "adult" is awesome. I get to pick my own dinners! And some nights I make my four-year-old self proud by reaching for the ice cream cones and mint chocolate chip ice cream. It's dairy and...bread? It's like a grilled cheese sandwich, right?

2. Hate: that I can't wear sweaters to work. The above-mentioned 35 degrees outside means it's a sauna in my office. And I love sweaters! My winter might be ruined. I'll have to make the choice between sweating all day and only wearing sweaters not at work. Sigh.

3. Love/Hate: the Killers' new song "Human." The album dropped today and I'm already in love, but they've been playing the single on the radio for a while. And the lines: "Are we human? Or are we dancer?" ...wha? Are we dancer? Does that make sense? Am I missing something?

2: Wacky Doormats In My Hallway

It's the weekend and I had absolutely no plans the whole weekend. Which means that I did lots of chores around the apartment: laundry, dishes, cleaning, baking, grocery shopping and taking out the trash & recycling. It's the last one that brings my latest observation. The easiest way to get to the trash/recycling area, is to go down the hallway the opposite direction I usually go to the stairs at the other end. I've done this before, it's nothing new, but I guess I was just... more observant this time around. There are about half a dozen doormats (side note: I've never understood why you need a doormat in a carpeted apartment building/hallway...). Only two have writing on them.

1. "Come Back With A Warrant" This gem is actually my next door neighbors (not that I've met them). I'm going to go ahead and give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that it's meant as a joke, but, still...classy (note: heavy sarcasm). I mean, they're quiet enough (although they did get a little rowdy with their Election Night party, but oh well). And I've never seen police around. It does make me wonder, though...would it stop the police from knocking on the door? How legally binding is a doormat?

2. "Welcome/(upside down)Goodbye" Heh. Like, when you're entering, it greets you. And, when you're leaving, it bids you farewell. What a sweet doormat. It would actually almost make me feel guilty to wipe my feet on it. Good thing I don't know those neighbors, either (or anyone else who lives in my building...). I do appreciate their doormat though, so maybe I should knock on their door and try to make friends. Would it be creepy to introduce myself like this: "Hi, I like your doormat, wanna be friends?"

5: Favorite Daily Routines

I am a creature of habit. I enjoy having a schedule, knowing what's coming next. Which isn't to say that I don't enjoy the occasional spontaneity (it's more spontaneous if it happens less often, right?) and I enjoy breaking routine for vacations and other stuff. I guess what I'm trying to say is: I'm not totally rigid, but I enjoy the everyday stuff. And, since it's the weekend, I'll try to convince myself of all the stuff I like about the week. (Maybe I can look back to it as inspiration on Sunday evening...)

1. My morning bowl of cereal, cup of coffee and email checking. I've become more of a morning person as I've gotten older and now I get up early, shower and have my breakfast routine. It's quite lovely. My desk in my apartment sits below a window, so I can look out an enjoy the sun rising (or, like yesterday, the lightly falling snow).

2. The walk to work. I walk past a row of townhomes that, for some reason, remind me of a mid-20th century British village (not that I was ever in a mid-20th century anything, let alone British village, but I've seen movies and stuff... I tried to explain the look to a friend once, as we were walking past...apparently it's just me that sees it that way). For some reason, I find the look comforting. Plus, I love being able to walk to work (as I'm sure many are sick of hearing about).

3. Feeding my cat when I get home from work. It's ridiculous, but she just gets so excited to see me and even more so when I feed her. It's hard not to smile. Plus, it's good practice for when I become a crazy old cat lady some day.

4. Checking the mail. Most days, I actually have mail, but not always. Still, I get a kick out of checking my mail. Even when I know something's coming (like my weekly magazines) or if it's a bill (PECO seems to want me to pay for my electricity) I still like getting mail.

5. Checking Facebook. I'll admit it: I'm rather addicted, so it's more than a daily routine, but...ah, the f-book.

2: Woah. Just... Really?

So, my intentions aren't to make this a regular roundup of interwebs links that amuse me, but...the news is wacky. Well, here we go:

1. Gremlins! There are gremlins, for real. Out there, little _gremlins_ are running around. http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20081118/sc_livescience/gremlinsthoughtextinctfoundafter85years;_ylt=Am5mJ1B9Kh8sdthoeJlzKams0NUE

2. TV does not make me unhappy. Not even in the tiniest little bit. I'm not an unhappy person. Well, I mean, everyone's unhappy sometimes, but I don't think I'm an overly unhappy person. I call shenanigans. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081118/tv_nm/us_misery;_ylt=AsE1jPc8dPEo.msPzcPCfe.s0NUE

5: Shows You Should Not Watch While Eating

I'm just trying to help, here. Learn from my mistakes and all.

1. Fringe. I'll start with the mistake I made last night at dinnertime: Don't watch Fringe while you've got a plate full of crab cake, asparagus and baked potato sitting in front of you. It could make that delicious crab cake slightly less appealing.

2. Bones. It's a show about a forensic anthropologist. So, it's all about nasty crime scenes and blood and gore and...well, bones.

3. CSI. Again with the crime scenes and the blood and gore. And the CGI makes it very...graphic. Not dinner fare.

4. House. Not quite as bad as the above, of course, but I don't do medical stuff very well. Surgery--cutting people open is probably my biggest issue. People puking, bleeding, other unpleasant things. Mysterious medical conditions don't mix with food.

5. The Food Network. Okay, not technically a show and not really upsetting, but... For some reason I don't enjoy watching other food being made while I'm eating something else. Perhaps that's just a quirk of mine.

3: Things That Baffle Me

I spent most of the week in kind of a funk. One of those nothing's-really-wrong-but-nothing's-all-that-great-either sort of moods. It was rainy all week and, while I love the rain, I think that has some deeper psychological effect. I didn't get to sleep in or stay home and watch movies to enjoy it (which is how rain should be enjoyed, I think). And, work was kind of blah. But, when I got home from work on Friday and checked my mail, there was a package. Hmmm, I thought, I didn't order anything...wonder what it is. So, I went to the office to pick it up. It was from my uncle, which made me smile. I rushed back to my apartment and opened it. It was a Phillies World Champs t-shirt. Totally awesome. And it broke through my funk and allowed me to observe these things last night:

1. A bizarre looking car that was...and ugly new Jaguar. Seriously, people? Aren't Jags supposed to be sleek and prestigious? This was just...sorta fugly. Well, the trunk/back half anyway. I didn't get a good look at the front, but the car just looked like a non-descript/sorta ugly sedan. So much for the Jaguar.

2. This one requires a little setup: I volunteer as an ESL (English as a second language) tutor. I was tutoring last night and we started by going over a list of short vowels/long vowels words. It's a stumbling block for him--understandably so, I think--and something we'll keep working on. That's not the baffling thing, though. Later we were going through a list of things that required identifying people and writing "the lady in picture c" or the kid in picture a," etc. So, he's writing this list and starts using the " notation for the-same-as-above. Which was kind of awesome, but I find it amazing the things we pick up on and remember and the things that can be more complicated. Learning is weird.

3. Then I went to the grocery store and walked through a solid aisle of Christmas candy. It's November. Mid-November, not post-Thanksgiving November. I know that there's not generally a lot of Thanksgiving candy, but c'mon people. It's still a little early for Christmas stuff. And, we just got over the glut of Halloween candy. Plus, I didn't know there was so much Christmas candy out there in the first place. I mean, you've got red/green M&Ms and red/green wrappers for all the traditional candies and maybe Christmas tree shaped Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (mmmmm, yummy), but...this was more. Like a variety back of mint-themed Hershey's Miniatures. And all sorts of bell-shaped candies. And...I don't even know. I was a little overwhelmed.

2: Work-Related Blogs that Amused Me Today

I'll be the first person to admit that I have a bizarre sense of humor. And I enjoy finding the humor in things, even if others, well...wouldn't. Now, these are meant to be humorous, albeit rather dry. But for some reason, today I thought both were laugh-out-loud funny. Thankfully, I didn't actually, though, as it was quiet in cube-land at the time.

1. A haiku. I tend to think haikus are...weird. They're rarely well done, in my opinion. This one, though? Teh awesome.

Fannie and Freddie
Private Gains. Public losses.
Whose idea was that?

From: http://cafehayek.typepad.com/hayek/2008/11/fannie-and-fred.html

2. This from the department of "Funny 'cause it's true"/"Sad, but true." Sorta like the first one, I guess.

With apologies to Michael Myers’ “Coffee Talk” character Linda Richman, we’ll give you a topic: the Troubled Asset Relief Program no longer involves Troubled Assets, does not provide any Relief, and does not seem to be a Program. Discuss.

from: http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2008/11/12/paulson-punts-and-short-term-yields-fall/

11: Time Travel (Sort of...Well, Not Really)

Okay, so, here's the setup: Yesterday, I was in a small, quiet room, tutoring. And there was a clock on the wall. A clock that has not been working for several weeks, at least. But last night, I could hear a (rather loud, I thought) ticking coming from behind me. I turned around. The clock: it moves. But, it said something in the neighborhood of 4:30. It was about 7:45pm at that point. Did I mention I also found the ticking annoying? So, I pulled the battery out of it. All well and good. I went about tutoring. Then, as I was leaving, I decided to do the right thing and put the battery back in the clock and set it to the appropriate time. So, I stuck the battery back in and the clock...it took off! Just started ticking away. I turned it over and saw: a small digital readout on the back. The clock was catching.up.to.the.right.time. Freaky. (Although, if that were the case...why was the time incorrect in the first place? I do not know.) And it got me to thinking: it's like a mini time machine. I know where I was at 4:30pm yesterday, and it wasn't in that room. But there I was. Reliving 5pm and 5:15pm and 5:30pm and...you get the drift. For some reason that amused me and got me thinking about time pieces. So, the following is a list of time tracking devices without which I would flounder.

1. My wristwatch. My mom gave it to me as a high school graduation present. It took me an inordinately long time to figure out how to read it and it still catches me up sometimes, but I love it. (It only has tick marks at 12, 3, 6, and 9.) When the battery dies, I still wear it, sometimes for weeks, until I get a new battery. It's an accessory. It's useful.

2. My iPhone calendar. I know, it sounds a little ridiculous to me, too. But, I take my phone everywhere with me, so I always have my calendar. It's very useful for the scheduling of thing. On several occasions it's saved me from double-booking myself. That's worth something to me.

3. My grocery store calendar. It's just a regular 12-month wall calendar that I got from the grocery store around, well, probably this time last year. It's got grocery store promotional stuff on it and it's nothing spectacular. But, it's what hangs on my wall by my desk in my apartment, reminding me of important life events (weddings, family gatherings, etc.). I only put the big stuff on there, so it's just the highlights. Forgetting to go to a wedding would be bad, right?

4. My work desk calendar. About two months ago, I spilled coffee on it. So, I get to remember that morning for the rest of the year. (It was a morning I'd rather forget and not just because of the spilled coffee.) But, it reminds me of when stuff is due. That, too, is rather important.

5. The clock on my VCR/DVD player. (Yes, I still have one of those.) I've had it for about six years now, so it's still programmed to the old daylight savings calendar. It switched over early this year. I just let it go, like a parent letting their kid wander, knowing they'll pay attention eventually. And now, it reads the right time. It reminds me to go to bed at a reasonable hour. (Well, it doesn't actually remind me, but seeing it is a reminder.)

6. My radio alarm clock. It lulls me awake to the dulcet tones of KYW 1060 every morning. Until my other alarm clock starts beeping rudely at me and forces me out of bed to shut it up.

7. My coffee maker clock. Because it's the most accurate clock in my kitchen (the microwave thinks it's in a race to win the fastest time device and the stove clock is broken altogether). I spend a decent amount of time in the kitchen, so it's important to know what time it is. Plus, it allows my coffee maker to start making my coffee in the morning, so it's ready when I get up. Gotta love that.

8. The birthday calendar. It's an old calendar in which I wrote everyone's birthday (so: exactly what it sounds like). I try to keep it up to date, and use it to remember to wish people happy birthdays. Yep, that's pretty much the sum of it.

9. The computer clock. Mostly, I suppose, the one on my work computer. It marches through the day (sometimes not fast enough, though) and takes me to leaving time. Again, simple, but useful.

10. My cat. Seriously, I'll never oversleep with her around. It's is of the UTMOST importance that she be fed in the morning. And, if I try to oversleep, she makes sure I'm aware of that. She's like my third alarm clock. Unfortunately, she's a little delayed, so if I wait for the cat-alarm, I still might be late for work or rushed or whatnot, but, I'll never waste the day away with her around. Well, it doesn't prevent me from crawling back into bed and wasting the day away, but at least I had the option to get up.

11. The sun. Corny, I know, but wasn't the sun the original time-tracking device? It's in the east? Morning. Straight above? Noon. In the west? evening. Simple, accurate, useful. Plus, it provides warmth and helps plants grow and all that jazz. It's the ultimate multi-tasker, and that's a job I can appreciate.