No Cake for You

Z had a nice birthday and got an R/C helicopter. Technology is cool!

I found that recent study on obesity. It's pretty interesting: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/4/370

I figured the media was misinterpreting what it really said, but apparently not. We are really that connected. Be a good friend and be healthy.

------------------------------------
Stupid things to do: Dumpster diving at the bakery.

------------------------------------
Mashup I am not going to make: Brother Louie Marmalade

Incredible Shrinking Human

Last night I took my little one to Toys R Us so he could use his money to buy a birthday present for his brother. I was looking around at all of the stuff that doesn't really work for a boy who's turning 13 on Sunday. The store is getting smaller and smaller because there are really only 3 areas left to shop. I was pretty melancholy last night about how it's all about to change.

Woke up this morning on the flip side. You know, the whole time we've only had about 3 areas to shop. I wasn't sad when I could only buy Fisher-Price but the Match Box trucks looked cooler!

It is what it is and we are where we are, and that's exactly how it needs to be. Treasure!

------------------------------------
Mashup I am not going to make: "Yesterday" and "You Are My Sunshine"

------------------------------------
Superpower of Marginal Utility: Wobbling without falling down.

Give It If You Got It

Obviosity: People give what they have.

------------------------------------
Funniest thing that happened today: I was slightly panicked when my boss emailed me about the same thing twice in one day. The upshot came later though when I got to mark the little flag complete... twice! : )

------------------------------------
Mashup I am not going to make: "Savages (Part 1)" and "Fish Heads"

------------------------------------
Touche Cliche: All snowflakes are made of snow, so they're sort of alike.

Snow Code

We've been sick with this silly summer cold. Lots of sneezing and whatnot... and you know what I mean.

I was thinking about what Paul Simon said that I posted about in June... Paul said when you start out, it starts out simple. As you study something, it becomes more and more complex. Then you reach a point where it becomes simple again, but you approach it with the complexity you've gained.

I can see that things become more complex. As you go along and you gather experience, you gather responsibilities. More things land on your plate so you get more plates to make room and now you've got your own buffet. (Come and get it!)

To put it another way, how big can a snowball get and still be able to roll?

How _do_ you reach the point where things become simple again? Do you need to be a millionaire and take a few years off?

Well, I don't just want to rant, I want a real solution. Or at least a method to tackle it.

One thing they say to do if you're too busy is to cut out extra-curricular activities. (Blogging for instance.) This seems counterintuitive to me: Let's make life better by cutting out fun. Whoop-de-doo.

What I'm working on is limiting my view of the snowball so I'm just focusing on the little patch of ice that needs melting right now. Excel is my friend.

Oh well, that's how I roll!

------------------------------------
Mashup I am not going to make: "Let's Go Outback Tonight" and "Slip Slidin' Away"

Stand and Deliver

This morning I was telling my kids about last night's episode of Last Comic Standing and debating the ethics of referring to another comic's joke in a showdown and my little one asked me about the difference between doing stand-up and telling jokes. I told him stand-up is like an oral essay where you make funny comments about life and telling jokes is like when you say "Did you hear the one about the elephant that walked up to the zoo...?"

A joke started without a punchline is just not right, so we finished it:

A giraffe, a kangaroo, and an elephant walk up to the zoo. The giraffe says, "Hey, guys, there's food in there!" The kangaroo says, "I'll jump over the fence and open the gate for us." He does and the giraffe walks in the gate. The elephant tries but he can't fit through. So the zookeeper comes out and lets him in the back way.

Dragonfly

My mom called me tonight. She told me a dragonfly landed on her screen. She watched it and looked at its wings and told it "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." She said it was there for an hour. Then a bird swooped down and grabbed it and flew away with it.

Gosh, I need to take her out to dinner. Take care of your folks.

Quick Tip

Touche Cliche (contributed by my 12 year-old, Z):
"When Nature calls, don't let the machine pick up."

Infusiastic

Note: Here's how to spell the word you want: enthusiastic

Today I painted the trim on my pool-shed. (I don't have a pool, but a metal shed that used to accompany a pool decades ago.) When I came in my little one said, "Mom, you'd better look in the mirror." I did and saw that I had spackled my face (and hair). I had also given myself a reverse French manicure. The guy at Home Depot this morning...

You know the Home Depot commercials where it looks like they'll give you a full lesson on your DIY project? I really wasn't expecting that. Normally they treat people with respect as if they aren't imbeciles. But if you ask enough stupid questions and make it clear that you really, really don't know what you're doing, they will go ahead and give you the full treatment. Thanks, Home Depot! : )

Anyway, the guy at Home Depot said that the only thing that would get out this oil-based paint was paint thinner and he brought me some mineral spirits. I took a second to think well, we'll be really careful and not spill any... right!

So when I came in and saw myself, I washed my hands and arms with the mineral spirits. But I did not want to wash my hair with mineral spirits. So here's the good news for you. Noting the oily texture of the mineral spirits I figured I'd experiment and wash my hair with NEW! Caress Exotic Oil Infusions cream oil bodywash. (Mine's "Japanese" scent and it smells like Shalimar or Emeraude.) I washed my hair and face with it and they are paint-free! So since new products come and go, I'd recommend picking some up and keeping it on hand for a better smelling personal paint thinner.

------------------------------------
Mashup I am not going to make: "Brady Bunch" and "Chicken Dance"

------------------------------------
Touche Cliche: Eggs come first because nobody eats chicken for breakfast.

Stuffy in Here

I've been thinking about the topic of decluttering. I must have at least 5 different books on the subject. I read them but I don't follow their rules about what to throw away. Like the six month rule. Yeah, right. Heard of seasons?

Since I haven't been able to ever completely do it I think I must finally come to the conclusion that I don't agree.

I tried to look on the web for pro-clutter resources and there are like, none. (If Google leads you here someday, Hi! : ) Our Pastor even did a sermon about decluttering last month. If he reads this he'll know I'm thinking about it. Working it out.

If I don't jell on it, why not? It's not that I'm an extreme case that has relationship with stuff. I'll let you throw away my favorite gum wrapper.

Possessions are expressions of our intentions. Equipment for our possibilities. And if I purge that thing I've lost that potential. If I get rid of those jeans, will I really lose 10lbs? If I sell my suede pants, will I ever rock again? Sure, I've read those books but won't my kids need to read them? Sure, I have 3 bottles of mildew remover, because I forget I have it and I really, really don't want to get mildew. We've got four bibles now...

I'm still working it out but here's one thing: Treasure your treasure and trash your trash!

------------------------------------
Funniest thing I saw "today": A car had a temporary tag taped up in the back window. Next to it, they had taped up a paper plate.