Resolutions: Checking In

It's been a while since I've given any updates on my New Year's Resolutions. Not that any of you are particularly interested, but knowing I'll report on them here keeps me somewhat honest and slightly more motivated. Of course, not too motivated, because I know there's several I won't achieve and a few more teetering on the edge of oblivion.

1. The Year of Nonfiction Writing
So. Not. Happening. More like The Year of Talking about Writing.

2. Start a business with Keith
Check! Bloom Web Solutions is a registered Limited Liability Corporation, we've had several clients (including one that actually pays us!) and our website is up.

3. Read 50 books (8 classics, 6 biographies)
Similar to last year, I think I should do okay with reaching 50 books (I'm at 39 now), but my classics and biography goals are in jeopardy—I'm currently at 4 and 3, respectively. Now that Harry Potter is out of the way, I'd better get cracking ...

4. Run sub-30 min 5k
Check! I'm pretty excited about this one. After trying—and failing—to achieve this for 3 years, I race a 5k in June and finished at 29:15ish. Even better, I ran a 5k on Monday morning in under 29 minutes, so the first one wasn't just a fluke. I may actually be getting faster!

5. Lift 6 times/month, keeping track on Fitday
Nope. I managed to keep this streak alive until August, when I only did 5 strength training sessions. I'll still aim for 6x/month for the rest of the year, but sadly this resolution is kaput.

6. Visit 12 new places in Cleveland area
I think this shouldn't be a problem. I've got 9 or 10 checked off already. Mostly all restaurants, but there's nothing wrong with that!

7. Actually stick to a budget for 4 months
I'm ashamed to say it, but this one is also in question. We've managed to be in budget 2 of the past 8 months. Can we squeeze in two more months before the end of the year?

8. Volunteer/give money to charity
My friend Halle found the perfect volunteer opportunity, helping middle-school students with literacy. Unfortunately, I just don't think I can commit the time with started our own business. We have given some money to charity, but it's been sporadic and spontaneous and I'd still rather formulate a well-organized giving plan. I'm guessing this resolution will not be accomplished.

9. Visit Sara and Jason in Toledo
Check! We had a great time seeing their house and hanging out with them. Dare I resolve to do this two years in a row? That's probably asking too much.

So, out of 9 resolutions, 3 are already accomplished, 2 definitely won't happen (#s 1 and 5), and 4 are possible. Not too bad for September, I think.

The End of Harry Potter

So I finally finished. In the space of a month, I re-read books 1-6 and then devoured book 7.

I'm very sad to have finished. To know that Harry, Ron, and Hermione won't be having any new adventures. To know I won't be taking the Hogwarts Express with them, suffering through Snape's classes, and cheering at the Quidditch matches.

I don't want to say much more, because I'm actually not the last person in my group of family and friends to finish the book (Moms, I'm looking in your direction). After managing not to have the ending or any major plot points revealed, I don't want to be that spoiler for someone else. Interestingly enough, I was impressed how hard it's been to find spoilers online. Since I've finished the book, I've been trying to get others' reactions to and thoughts about it, and I've had difficulty finding articles that discuss the actual events in the book—not just the hoopla surrounding the initial release.

I've also found myself being very jealous of J.K. Rowling. I would love to create a character like Harry, whom millions of people around the world have followed diligently and have incorporated into their lives. I would love to actually write full-time, instead of trying to fit it in around everything else that's going on.

Oh, and living in a castle outside Edinburgh and having a million kajillion dollars wouldn't hurt, either.

Grocery Store Epiphany

*Sorry this post is so long in coming. I really did start it on the 28th, but never got around to finishing this or the next one. Like potato chips they might be slightly stale, but still enjoyable!

Walking down the frozen foods aisle yesterday made me realize how much our eating habits have improved.

Junior year of college is the first time I really remember having to fend for myself in the way of nutrition. Until then, I had been living at home or on the university's meal plan. But with living in a house, I went off the meal plan and started to cook independently.

I use the word "cook" very loosely, however. Junior and senior years of college, we thought a home-cooked meal meant that you took pizza/pasta/stir fry out of the bag or box and heated it up. The amount of sodium I consumed over those years is probably enough to rid a third-world country of iodine deficiency. Plus, we probably ate delivery pizza at least once a week, and Coke was one of our main food groups.

Once I got an apartment, I worked at "cooking" a little harder. I upgraded from box meals to frozen meals--the main difference being that the frozen meals also contained meat and vegetables. I also started packing healthy frozen entrees for lunch. This is when the cycle of addiction to / deprivation of soft drinks started. (And, unfortunately, continues to this day.)

Before our wedding, Keith and I worked hard to get in shape and eat more healthfully. I think that was the biggest turning point for us. Since then, our eating habits sometimes slip, but overall I think that they have changed for the better.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, all of this came to me at the grocery store. It's a strange layout--a very small store with anything requiring refrigeration packed around the perimeter. The first few aisles are the frozen foods, and I realized that I was passing right by them without picking up one prepared entree or ready-made lunch. I did get some soy crumbles for tacos, and also some fudgsicles as a low-cal treat, though.

I also walked right past the prepared, non-frozen foods. I spent most of my time in the bread and cereal aisle (getting actual cereal NOT cereal bars, which were an old staple) and picking out fresh fruits and vegetables.

I know there's still room for improvement. If I could ever completely break my addiction to soft drinks, it would be a miracle. But it was a really good, concrete reminder that I've made a lot of progress!

Bumbling Scientist

Yesterday, while weeding in the front flower bed, I was stung by a bee.

I had noticed this bumblebee hovering around, but I was hoping that if I just ignored it, he'd go away. Instead, he started to climb up my shorts. I found this situation unacceptable. I swatted at my shorts, desperate to get rid of him before I got stung in an unmentionable place. Instead, he stung me just under the nail on my middle finger, which I find infinitely preferable to the alternatives.

Especially since it's meant that, over the past 24 hours, I've often eagerly held up my two middle fingers to Keith for comparison, saying, "Doesn't it look swollen?" And then I giggle.

But I also think it's strange that, after the initial pain and annoyance, I'm fascinated by the fact that I was stung by a bee. I haven't been stung since I was a kid--if I've ever been stung at all. This is all new to me.

I started observing my own symptoms. The immediately affected area turns red and swells? Fascinating! And, of course, I started looking up information online. Did you know that, according to a WebMD article, there's no antidote to bee venom? You can only treat your symptoms--antihistamines for itching, ibuprofen for pain, and ice for the swelling. Very interesting!

Today my finger is still red and swollen, although not as bad as yesterday. I think it's safe to say I won't be having a major allergic reaction. But that won't stop me from holding up my fingers to Keith when he gets home tonight and asking how they look. Then giggling.

It Was A Dark and Stormy Morning

I can't avoid it anymore—I have to admit that the days really are getting shorter.

Of late, when Beckett and I have gone for a run before work, I've noticed that it seems a little darker out. But I always managed to blame it on the weather. It's been raining a lot lately. Or, if not rainy, then at least overcast.

But not today. We walked outside into the dusky pre-dawn light, and I could see enough to know that it was a clear sky. No clouds to block the light. Daylight just hadn't arrived yet.

It's interesting because Fall has always been my favorite season. But that was before I started getting up to run before work. This new habit has definitely changed my outlook on the weather, and the seasons. I remember last Fall, how short the days were by the end of November.

I quit running, pretty much, after the Thanksgiving Day race and didn't start again until March. But even so, I still had to get up and walk the dog. And I found the dark mornings utterly depressing, not to mention treacherous if I was running and happened to miss an uneven sidewalk in the dark.

So this year I'm conflicted. I'm looking forward to the changing of the leaves, the crisp, cool air, and apple cider. But I'm not looking forward to the dark mornings.

New gadgets!

My cell phone has been dying for a while now. Sometimes the battery charges. And sometimes, it just ... doesn't.

The battery used to fall out, but Keith solved that with an attractive piece of duct tape, slapped across the back of the phone. Yup, the phone's getting old.
We'd talked before about getting new phones, but that would mean signing another 2-year contract, and we didn't really want to commit.

But a couple days ago, the battery wouldn't charge. Again. And all of the tricks that had worked in the past failed us. On Keith's initiative, we went to the local Radioshack, signed a new 2-year agreement (which, to be fair, is the same monthly rate and better terms than what we'd been doing), and walked out with two shiny new phones.

It takes pictures! It can text! But, most importantly, I can charge it. Something I hope never to take for granted again.

Poetic Justice at the Office

I was trapped. This is why I never bother bringing a book to read at lunch. Because I look forward to it all morning, and then don't get to read because I have to listen instead.

Not even take part in conversation, because I rarely say anything. I just listen to other people drone on. One guy in particular is notorious for telling and re-telling the same stories to the same people many, many times.

This time, it was a story that was new to me, yet still incredibly boring. Everyone was leaving the lunchroom and I was getting ready to pick up my book. I was looking forward to Harry Potter and I having the lunchroom to ourselves for a full 15 minutes. But he stopped on his way out and turned. "Did I ever tell you about my son's marching band drums?"

I froze. What's the right answer? If I say "yes," even though the true answer is "no," can I get away with it? Will he leave? I don't remember what I said, but whatever it was, apparently I gave him enough encouragement that he gave up all pretence of leaving and talked away the whole 15 MINUTES with an inane story full of details I couldn't care less about. It was so painful. My book was inches from my right hand, sitting closed up on the table. So close! And yet so far.

Anyway, it's poetic justice because another co-worker slipped out right after "Did I ever tell you about ...?" giving me a grin and a waggle of the fingers as he escaped. The next morning, he came over to my desk to glumly inform me that, after his joy at escaping the lunchtime lecture .... he got caught AFTER work and had to listen to this guy drone on for an hour. AFTER WORK. Not that I would wish that on anyone, but he was very gleeful about leaving me in Chatty Cathy's clutches, as it were.

I didn't bring my book to lunch today. I wasn't even going to risk the despair. Instead, I spent lunchtime staring off into space, dreaming about when I get home and sit on the couch and read uninterrupted. No matter how talkative Gomez is, I won't let her keep me from Harry's adventures.

Travel Envy

I think I meant to blog about this last week, but forgot, and was reminded again by a recent phone call.

Last week, my friend Laurie emailed me a link to her honeymoon pictures from Ireland. The pictures were gorgeous. They went to nearly all of the places I'd visited, and more. It gave me a severe case of travel envy and I was depressed for the rest of the day. I wanted to be seeing these fabulous places, and having these amazing experiences! I wanted to log onto a travel website and buy a ticket to some exotic destination. (Asia, perhaps?;)

But I got over it. I've had many amazing trips, and I'm sure I'll have many more. We didn't travel far this summer, but we had a LOT of trips, and I got to see Louisville and New York City. There's quite a few reasons that we can't have a big trip every year—financial, logistical, and more.

And then today, I had to call a contractor about an inspection service. And the person I spoke to was from the UK. Not just from the UK, but he was from Northwest England, near Liverpool. Talking to him brought back all the memories from our amazing* trip last Fall for Elaine's wedding. This time the travel envy was even worse—and I was jealous of myself! Right now I'm incredibly jealous and wistful, remembering that at this time last year we were planning everything. And knowing what a wonderful trip it would turn out to be, I want to be there again. Experiencing the anticipation and the trip itself.

But I've looked through the trip photos in Keith's Picasa album and reminisced enough. I need to get out of the travel envy funk and remember that we chose to put in a deck instead, plus we had enough small trips that a big one really wasn't an option. I think once I get home from work, and have a glass of wine and read for a bit on the deck, the travel envy will abate.

These trips are so amazing in part because of their rarity, right? So if I traveled all the time I couldn't really appreciate it like I do now. I just have to remind myself of that from time to time.

*I know, I'm totally overusing the word "amazing." I just can't help it! It's the perfect adjective.

The Net Effect of Knowing Net Worth

I had originally written the post below as a guest post on a personal finance blog. But it was supposed to appear sometime in July ... so I've given up waiting on the other blog and just decided to post it here.

Since reading personal finance blogs, I've noticed that the author often updates readers on his or her net worth status. If it's gone up (and it usually has, since the person cares enough about personal finance to blog on it), or if it's gone down, and why. There's even an option of getting a free account at NetworthIQ so that your financial health is displayed in all its chart and graph glory.

I'm lured by the pretty colors and many, many tables. But still I hesitate. As I see it, there's two main reasons for me to not go down the NetworthIQ path.

1. My blog readers are mostly composed of family and friends. People I speak to on a regular basis, and with whom I have a personal relationship. My blog often deals with random incidents and thought-provoking questions (think Jack Handey-esque) that occur to me throughout the day. I mention personal finance, but it's not a big topic. And I don't think I'm comfortable sharing my net worth with everyone. I think it could get awkward.


2. But wait! You say. You can get a NetworthIQ account and keep it private. So really, it's just for my eyes only. Top Secret. And I thought about doing this for a while. I started to think about where my net worth might fall .... and it's not looking good.

I'm pretty young—"nearly 30" as my Mom helpfully tells people—but I'm not quite there yet. And, like most people my age, I have a lot of debt. Between my husband and me, we're shouldering a substantial amount of student loan and mortgage debt. Supposedly "good debt," but a negative number just the same. And assets? Do my cheerful smile and wicked sense of humor count? No? Well, not a whole lot of assets then.

So I'm afraid that, if I took the time to sit down and figure out my net worth, it would be very depressing. It just might make me give up on the little bit of saving that we've managed to be doing and throw in the towel on this whole "personal finance" thing. Blow my Roth IRA on a trip around Asia.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm underestimating our assets. We've both been contributing regularly to our 401(k)s and/or IRAs since our early-20s. Maybe I'd be pleasantly surprised by a positive number for our net worth. But what then? Maybe it makes me think I don't need to save so much. Maybe I stop saving, and instead I blow that money on a trip around Asia.

For now, I think I'm going to avoid the temptation of putting an exact number on my net worth. We'll keep paying down our debt and saving for short- and long-term goals. Maybe someday I'll figure out my net worth. Maybe right after I finish financing that trip around Asia.

Board Bash

I finally took the plunge, and met some of my Internet friends this weekend.

I've been posting very sporadically on the boards at woxy.com since 2004. I had never gone to any of the previous Board Bashes, where boarders meet up in person, because I'm not really a joiner. But then the station was going off the air last Fall, and I figured it was either now or never, so Keith and I met some Cleveland-area boarders to drink and mourn the passing of a fabulous, unique radio station.

And then the station came back! I'd kept in touch with one boarder, who is even the one who invited me to her writers' group ... so I had, unwittingly, become a joiner after all. And this past weekend was the Cleveland bash, organized by Sushi. Somehow Keith and I ended up hosting a few people, and shuttling them from one place to the next. How did this happen?!?

But it was a good weekend. It was great to put some faces/real names to the board pseudonyms. AND we went several places in Cleveland that I'd been meaning to visit, but hadn't gotten around to yet--the West Side Market, Great Lakes Brewpub, and Edgewater Park. It was also good to see Cleveland from a visitor's perspective, and hear all the good things they had to say about our city.

I don't know what this means for my future participation on the boards. Does this mean I'll start posting more than once a month or so? Maybe. Will I go to another board bash? Probably. Will it be the one that takes place in Brazil or Europe? That would be nice ...

The Deck Finale

Even worse than having to clean the house (and that's saying a lot), Keith and I were both disappointed that the weather's been so crappy that the writing group last night spent the whole time in the air conditioning, instead of enjoying our gorgeous new deck.

Keith had been working nearly every night on the deck, to get it ready in time for our meeting. And then: 60% humidity and temperatures in the 90s. Never mind about being outside, then!

But the writing group meeting went well. And--with no prompting on my part, I swear--one of the members asked for a tour of the house. Of course, I was more than happy to show off our abode--especially the deck. Everyone was jealous about our full attic, big bathroom, and partially finished basement. I even heard the term "house envy" a few times. It was great!

Now if only the weather cools down/dries up, we can have our inaugural cook-out on the deck.

Dinner Party of Writers

I suppose it would be more correct to call it "munchies, finger food, and writers" but the other title sounds more dignified.

I'm hosting my writing group for the first time tonight. It's been a while since we've had anyone new over to the house, and the novelty of showing off Our House has not yet worn off, so we both ran around like ninnies yesterday to clean all the "public" areas (our room is still a complete mess) and present our best foot forward tonight. And I must say, the house looks fabulous.

I think I'm excited to have people over, but mostly I just feel tired from going to sleep at 1 o'clock last night and getting up at 6 o'clock this overcast, gray morning to run 4 miles with the dog. Who apparently is completely immune to humidity, because whereas I was gasping for breath, he was still jauntily tugging my arm off at full throttle.

After work I have to stop by the store because I somehow completely forgot to get French bread last night (grr), and then whip together some scrumptious food. Food that's good enough, they don't even notice that I didn't get a chance to read the piece we're discussing tonight--to be fair, it was only sent out late Monday night. Food that keeps them from being offended when my eyes droop, because I really, really just want a nice long nap. Or to be in bed by 8 o'clock. I guess that's asking a lot of the food, though.

Baby Carrots Demystified

I was talking about this to someone last week, and promised to send them a link to the article. For the life of me, I can't remember who it was--Sorry!--but I'm hoping if I turn it into a blog post, I'm covered.

We eat baby carrots all the time. The process is something like this. I'm in the grocery store, wandering through the produce section. I think to myself, "We really need to eat more fruits and vegetables." Then I take a look around. What's easy? Because I know if I have to spend time preparing it, we'll avoid it and end up letting it go bad and throw it out. I'm not proud of this tendency, but I know it well.

So I see the baby carrots. Already peeled and washed! Conveniently finger-food size! I grab them and go.

Even though I do this often, I always had a sneaking suspicion that this was just too easy. Surely that meant either I was overpaying for the convenience or that, possibly, the baby carrots weren't as nutritious? According to some, both counts are true.

At the Wise Bread blog, this baby carrots entry tells the history of the baby carrot, which I found very interesting. It also argues that baby carrots as they currently exist are wasteful, less tasty, and less nutritious. The Reno Gazette-Journal says that baby carrots have less beta-carotene than normal carrots.

I have been swayed by the tales of waste and loss of nutritional value. Last time I was at the grocery store, I picked up a bag of normal carrots instead of the babies. But I'm still concerned that my lethargy when it comes to the kitchen might prevail. I thought about packing carrots in my lunch several times last week, but stopped when I remembered I'd have to wash, peel, and cut them.

However, this morning I did prepare a couple of carrot sticks and am looking forward to munching on them later. If they're tasty enough, perhaps the baby carrot and I have parted ways.

July Budgeting Quirks

As one of my New Year's Resolutions, I wanted to stay in budget at least 4 months this year. Which should be easy, and yet ... we're in the 8th month and it's only happened once. Yikes!

July was particularly bad for a couple reasons. In the realm of personal spending, we both went to the dentist a few times. This is money that should be coming back to us from insurance (at least most of it), but we had to pay upfront and they wait a month or so and then reimburse us. For the house category, well, you've seen the fabulous deck. And in the miscellaneous and transportation categories, wedding-related expenses pushed us over the edge.

Strangely enough, the ONLY category in which we didn't blow our budget last month was groceries. I can't figure it out. We're generally TERRIBLE at sticking to the grocery budget. We've only stayed in grocery budget 5 of the last 12 months--and one of those was because we started shopping with a calculator and putting things back. That month we stayed within budget by a slim $1.74 margin.

And yet, by some miracle, in July we were under budget by a whopping $39. For us, that's huge! I'm wondering what made the difference. I don't think we ate out any more than usual, and we bought our usual foods too (not just 100 packets of Ramen noodles). We weren't out of town any more than usual (which is to say, we were still gone a lot).

I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the fact that I did a lot of the grocery shopping at the store that's on my way home from work. Is that store really so much cheaper? Or is it because I'm in a hurry so I don't throw as many random purchases into the cart? Maybe something about one person shopping instead of two--we can't talk each other into needless buys?

Obviously, it's too soon to say just based on one month. But I'm interested to see how August shapes up. And somewhat nervous--I'm already thinking about how I'm hosting writing group next Wednesday, people will be visiting the weekend after that, and of course we have to have a cookout! Maybe I'll consider myself lucky if we stay within grocery budget by $1.74 again.

The Home Improvement Edition

Keith has been very busy of late. I'm pretty excited--our first real home improvement project! Ever since moving in last summer, we've discussed many, many ideas. But there was always those pesky issues of "money" and "time" that seemed to get in the way.

But, with our 2nd summer in the house waning, we threw caution to the wind and decided that we'd just go ahead and build the deck, and figure out how to pay for it later. So far it's only taken him two weeks, with being gone last weekend even, and it's just about finished. My Dad helped out tremendously with the purchases and framing, otherwise we'd still be standing at Home Depot, scratching our heads and trying to figure out how to get everything transported home.

Since taking these pictures, we've filled in the frame with gravel to suppress the weeds, covered the top with boards and screwed them all in. All that's left to do is cut the top boards to the octagon shape. Then we'll leave them for a few weeks to dry out/settle, and then stain them.

Last night we even ate dinner on the deck for the first time. It was fabulous! Keith also saw Beckett reclining on the deck later that evening, so I guess he's given his seal of approval, too.

The hyper-organized, task-oriented part of myself can't resist asking, now that the deck's nearly done, what the next project will be. But I'm trying to ignore that voice, and spend some time just appreciating our fabulous new deck.

10-Year Class Reunion

Even though it's already Wednesday (and August!) I'm still sitting at my desk, fondly remembering this past weekend.

One of my high school friends, Ellen, decided to organize a get-together, since we got shafted on our 10-year reunion. Conveniently, her parents had recently bought a lakehouse in Indiana so way back at Christmas we all agreed on a weekend in the summer to meet. In the past few weeks, Ellen has been busy with email updates--she even sent actual mail through the post office! That's how organized she is.

And her organization paid off. There were 19 of us total--11 ALHS grads, 6 significant others, and 2 wee offspring named Audrey. I can't remember the last time that we've all been in the same place at the same time. It was wonderful, relaxing, fun, and reinvigorating.

It was just a reminder of how lucky I was and still am--to have had this great a group of friends in high school, and to still be in touch with them over 10 years later. I also feel the need to quantify this--we're not just in touch because we all moved back to our same hometown after college. Only 4 of us are currently in the Cleveland area, and only 2 of us have made the commitment to buying a house here.

We all grew up, went in different directions for college and after, but still have enough of a friendship to drive 3-4 hours, to a lakehouse in nowhere Indiana, to spend a weekend together. It was an amazing weekend, and one I hope we get to repeat soon, and many times in the upcoming years.

A Self-Reflective Post

Loyal readers that you are, you may have noticed the addition of labels on the left-hand side. They may move on the page (I kinda want to see them on the right, instead) but I think the concept is here to stay.

I wonder sometimes what happened why Right Gapesnest makes it big. Somehow, someway, it gets linked to from Salon or some other site that's ridiculously popular. All of a sudden, I'm flooded with new readers, eager for my words of wisdom. Where will they go? What will they do?

Now that I've finally become a blog reader myself, I realize how useful labels can be when you arrive at an existing blog and want to wander around previous posts. So, to help my hapless future readers, I'm adding them here. So far I only have a few months' posts labeled. If you can't find your absolute favorite post, never fear. And if you have any suggestions for labels, let me know! (Keep it clean, kids.)

Dollar Dog Night

For my dad's birthday yesterday, we (me, Keith, and my parents) went to an Indians' game. Although it rained earlier in the day, it turned out to be great weather in the evening--cool, with a slight breeze.

The Indians lost a close game to the Red Sox. But it was enjoyable because the stadium was full and the crowd was rowdy. Of course, the reason we were all there: Dollar Dog Night.

After last night, there's two things I'd like to share with you:

1. My friends, I ate wayyyy too many hot dogs, all covered in spicy stadium mustard. Seemed like a good idea at the time. And probably will next time a Dollar Dog Night rolls around. I have a short memory for the ill effects of a food coma.
   
2. Just in our small section, we saw two women wearing pearls with their t-shirts and jeans. What's the deal with that?
   

Geeked Out on HP

Friday night, we did go to a small local bookstore for the arrival of Harry Potter Book 7. And I loved it!

Originally, we had planned on going just to experience the HP book release mania for the last time. (Well, our first time, but the last chance.) But on Friday afternoon, Keith broke down and decided to reserve a copy of the book. I pre-ordered mine from Amazon.co.uk about 10 years ago, but it won't arrive for another week and he decided he just couldn't wait that long.

So we weren't just spectators--we were also participating in the big event. And it was a big event, I thought. Hundreds of people were there. They showed the first HP movie on a large outdoor screen, on a grassy hill between a school and the library. A nature center brought several owls and other large birds. There was a Sorting Hat, a House Cup trivia tournament (Slytherin won, unfortunately), hat making, and more. My friend had finished judging the costume contest when we arrived, so the three of us got some food and meandered a bit.

The best part was all the people wandering up and down the street, many in costume, all talking about the book and its characters and what will happen next. I've heard people argue that the books aren't well written and they're bad for society (because, you know, anything that the masses enjoy is bad for us). But seeing everyone there enjoying themselves, I just wondered how this could be anything BUT great news for bookstores and libraries. I doubt the bookstore owners had ever imagined, in their wildest dreams, having hundreds of people queue up at midnight waiting for a book release.

But actually, that wasn't the best part. The best part is that we got in line super early since 1) we're geeks, and 2) we had all brought reading material with us, so reading in line was just as good as reading anywhere else. This meant that my friend was #2 in line, and Keith and I were #3. For quite a while, it was a sad, short little line. But slowly it grew until, by midnight, we couldn't see the end but had heard rumors it wrapped around the end of the block.

Right: So, the best part was when they counted down the seconds, opened the door, and ushered us in one by one to pick up our books. All of the first few customers (ourselves included) had prepaid for the book. It was just a matter of walking up to a little folding table, surrounded by boxes of pristine copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and giving your name, receiving your copy in return.

When we left, Keith and Susan clutched the mammoth tomes tight. We had to walk by the entire line to get to our cars, and were joking about the chances of someone in line tackling us to get the books. I mean, we were mostly joking, but also keeping an eye out.

As we walked past the line, a murmur went through the crowd. Hundreds of eyes behind fake Harry Potter glasses turned to us. "They have the book!" Someone shouted. "Hold up the book!" Susan did, and people cheered.

So this is what it feels like to be famous, I thought. It was absolutely crazy. Everyone was watching us. Everyone was jealous because we had The Book.

Of course, this lasted about 3 minutes, until we passed the end of the line and continued onto our cars. But it was a great feeling, and a fantastic night. Even though I'm not what you would call a "joiner" I'm glad I did it this once, and got to experience the full Harry Potter mania once.

Now I just need to read the book.

The End of Harry?

Even if you're not a fan, it's hard to avoid hearing about how the last Harry Potter book comes out tonight at midnight.

I am most definitely a Harry Potter fan. I think I started reading about when Book 4 came out--ever since then, it's been hard to wait for the latest books to be published. But of course, the wait for Book 7 has been bittersweet. And it will all be ending shortly.

I may have to wait a bit longer, because I ordered the Adult Edition from amazon.co.uk. But it will arrive soon, and I'm torn. I don't want to read it right away, because I want to make the anticipation last as long as possible. I keep saying I'll re-read the first 6 books before I read 7 ... but I haven't started that yet, so once the new one arrives the temptation might be too great.

But I'm also quite swayed by the argument that Harry Potter is currently a cultural phenomenon because we're all readers waiting to find out what happens. Once that's gone and we all know, it'll change. I think that's true to some extent, and that makes me feel like I should really be a part of it and read it as soon as the book comes out, when the rest of the world does.

So maybe I should read it right away and go to the party and participate in the Potter festivities, because I have the opportunity to and my children won't. A friend is judging a costume contest at a small local bookstore, so we'll probably head over there. My Mom had The Beatles, and I have a book party for Harry Potter. Such memories!

Plus, if I wait to read it, there's a very good chance that I'll find out what happens. Who dies?!? I don't want to know that in advance. But how can I avoid it? Stay off the Internets? That just won't happen.

Or maybe it should .... I have been pretty terrible about blogging lately. Maybe A Right Gapesnest will dark for a while, while I try to maintain the illusion that the wizarding world of Harry Potter is real, and I'm not a muggle after all.

Good Web Design

Whew! After that last post, I'll keep this one short.

Keith and I have been hard at work on our web design/development business, and it should be ready to officially "launch" soon.

I think one of the areas that--how shall I put it?--offers me the greatest growth opportunity in terms of knowledge and skill. (aka my weak point) is web design. So I've been reading up on it, experimenting, and also spending a lot of time looking at other websites to see what works and what doesn't. The majority of my design experience is in print, so it's been challenging/interesting to learn how to apply that to the web, and also finding out what doesn't translate.

I was just wondering: In your opinion, what makes a website attractive or professional and why? What are some examples of your favorite site designs? What are the worst designs?
* I know the image doesn't have a lot to do with this topic, exactly. But when I searched in Microsoft Word on "design," the results were all sorts of cool, abstract images. This was one of my favorites.

Save Net Radio

Okay, this is a post I've been meaning to write for ages, but I kept putting it off. Mostly because I don't feel qualified to address the issue in a holistic way.

But I need to try anyway, so here it goes. As most of you know, I'm a big fan of Woxy in particular, and the concept of Internet radio in general. It has introduced many people to all different bands and types of music that they may never have heard through their limited, terrestrial radio stations. Personally, since I've started listening to Woxy, I've pretty much stopped listening to normal radio because I only really like maybe one song an hour or so, and it's just not worth it. With Woxy's niche audience, the playlist can actually be tailored to what this group enjoys and is also not tied to payola and just repeating the top 20 countdown playlist.

This would seem like an excellent development for the recording industry. More people listening to more music = more music sales, right? With the Long Tail theory of economics, even bands with a very small listening audience should be able to get played on Internet radio and attract enough worldwide listeners to make a decent profit. Everyone wins!

Except the recording industry doesn't see it that way. I don't understand all of the nuances of this issue, but from my reading it seems that the industry is not concerned with these smaller webcasters who have a limited audience. They're just focused on huge ones, like Yahoo, Pandora, AOL, etc., and all of the royalties they could be getting from these huge web streams.

So in comes SoundExchange, who collects and distributes musicians' royalties. They proposed a different fee structure for terrestrial radio and Internet radio. Traditionally, terrestrial radio stations pay NOTHING to play songs on the air, because it's considered advertising for the artists and is, therefore, exempt.

Presumably due to the vast audience (aka revenue) that can be reached by the Internet, the RIAA chose not to view Internet radio stations as exempt but instead is attempting to charge the hell out of them. Directly from the Save Internet Radio website:

• Broadcast radio, an industry with $20 billion in annual revenue, is exempt and pays no performance royalties to record companies or recording artists.
• Satellite radio, which has approximately $2 billion in annual revenue pays between 3 and 7% of revenue in sound recording performance royalties.
• The six largest Internet-only radio services anticipate combined revenue of only $37.5 million in 2006, but will pay a whopping 47% (or $17.6 million) in sound recording performance royalties under the new CRB ruling. In 2008 combined revenues will total only $73.6 million, but royalties will be 58% or $42.4 million.
• Small Internet radio services are essentially bankrupted by the CRB ruling, with most anticipating royalty obligations equaling or exceeding total revenue.

What it comes down to is: small Internet radio stations cannot afford this rate increase. They would cease to exist, and the offerings on Internet radio would end up being the same as what's available on terrestrial radio, because only the largest corporate Internet radio could pay the royalty rates and continue operating.

I really, really don't want this to happen. There's currently legislation for consideration by both the House and the Senate to repeal these new royalty rates. Because the Copyright Royalty Board has approved these rates and denied any appeals, legislation is the only option left. Visit Save Internet Radio, call your representatives, and ask them to sponsor the legislation. I'm also writing a letter this weekend, so if you would like me to send you the letter to copy and put in your own contact info, I'd be happy to do that.

For more information, visit:
"Save Net Radio" blogs at Wired
Save Net Radio: About

The Croc Discussion Continues

Why is it that people only seem to remember the posts where I rant and rave on completely inane topics?

Almost a year ago, I blogged about my hatred of Crocs. Surprisingly enough, even though I pronounced them an abomination, they're still around and ridiculously popular. And people are still writing articles about them (including me, I guess) and I've received a few links lately.

I was reminded of them when Keith and I went to Cedar Point this past Saturday. As we walked up to the front entrance, I began scanning the crowd to play one of our favorite Cedar Point past-times--spot all of the couples who have dressed alike. Why is this so popular? I don't know. But it always happens at Cedar Point, and it gives you something to think about while waiting in line for rides, which is very, very important.*

This year, Keith also suggested we count all the pairs of Crocs that we see infesting the park. I was surprised to notice that most of them were sported by young (adolescent and under) kids. Does this mean that adults have seen reason, but that Crocs will continue to live on because the younger generations have embraced them whole-heartedly?

Either way, they're still ugly and I hate them. Recently Amy sent me an article from the Washington Post called "By Executive Order, Crocs Aren't Chic." If Bush wears them, that is NOT changing my attitude.

After Croc-spotting at Cedar Point (which is a sport, unlike line jumping), Keith saw an article this morning at Slate.com about "How Crocs Conquered the World." Apparently everyone agrees that they're ugly. The real question is whether the comfort is worth it. But this article quotes podiatrists as saying they're not good for your feet--their fabulous comfortableness is just an illusion of supportive footwear.

So, in conclusion, Crocs are still the ugliest footwear around and now you don't even have the excuse that they're good for your feet. Don't wear them. End of story.


* Surprisingly, we didn't see all that many couples dressed alike, or a platoon of Crocs. Instead, everyone was wearing shirts with "Hollister" emblazoned across their chests. Who knows what will be the de rigueur Cedar Point garb next time we go?

No Need for Novocain

I had a dentist appointment the other day. The dentist is a really nice guy--coincidentally, also the husband of my boss. It was kinda a risky move, going to him, but I think it worked out for the best. He really is good at what he does, and my boss has definite proof that, when I say I have a dentist appointment, it's true.

I had gotten the semi-annual check-up a few weeks ago, but had to go back and get some indents at the tops of my teeth filled in/smoothed over. I won't get into the dental mechanics, but pretty much I clench my teeth a LOT and that's made some of the enamel break off at the tops of a few of my teeth, near the gumline. Because the uneven surface could gather germs / cause decay, he wanted to fill it all in and smooth it over.

He commended me on taking excellent care of my teeth. (Anyone who needs some pointers, read the comments on this post. My former co-worker's tip about flossing just the week before your visit has worked like a charm!) He said they were in such good shape that he didn't even need to clean them before the procedure. In fact, it would be such a simple procedure that I wouldn't even need Novocain.

If your dentist every tells you that you don't need Novocain, in my experience, you should politely disagree with him. I didn't. I figured no big deal. By the time it was painful enough that I decided I REALLY wanted some numbing action, it was too late. I don't think he noticed the grimace of pain on my face as I tried to tough it out.

I didn't cry at least, which is something. But next time you're at the dentist's, TAKE the Novocain. I know I will.

Honeymoon Envy

I have to admit, this is a tough week for me. Sunday Jessi and Jeremy left on a fabulous honeymoon in Mexico. But not just in Mexico--they're staying at the same resort Keith and I stayed at for our honeymoon.

We had an amazing time on the honeymoon. We loved the resort, and the beaches. I loved getting to sleep in, take an afternoon siesta after laying on the beach all morning, and reading by the pool in the afternoon. I don't know if there's ever been a time where I was as relaxed as I was on the honeymoon.

So all this week, I come to work and think about the resort and being on our honeymoon. I know that Jessi and Jeremy are having a great time; I picture them laying by the pool or eating in one of the restaurants, and think about how I wish I was there. (Not with them on their honeymoon of course, that would be creepy.)

Jessi did have a great idea--we all go back to that resort in 5 years. We've also been working on Keith's brother and fiancee to honeymoon at the same resort (It's a tradition!) but I don't think they're going for it. So while I'm jealous this week, I'll console myself with thoughts of being back on that beach and by that pool 5 years from now.

Running in Louisville

The wedding ceremony was beautiful, taking place in the garden pictured on the left. And of course the reception was a lot of fun.

But for me, I really enjoyed getting to see a bit of Louisville. I've only been there twice before, and both times we didn't get out much--just hung out with friends or family.

This time, we had plenty of free time during the days. Friday morning, several of us went for a run in a nearby city park. We got a little lost, as happens, and it took us a while to even find our way into the park. But once we were there, it was gorgeous. We ended up asking a local runner for directions to find our way back (I had visions of the mother-of-the-bride being unable to attend the ceremony following heat stroke from an accidental 10-mile run).

He kindly told us the right direction, and even left off his run to escort us to the right place. We learned that he lived just outside the park and had been running in it for 30 years. We were all jealous--how wonderful to have this amazing green space right outside your door.

Friday afternoon I went to the zoo with some more family. Then Saturday evening there was a casual wedding reception at a local bar in downtown Louisville, right by the Bats' stadium. It was a gorgeous evening, and we enjoyed sitting outside in the city. Sunday morning, Keith and I got one more run through the park in before leaving for the drive home. Hopefully we can get back to Louisville soon so we can see more of the city, and get to run in that park again.

Wedding in Louisville

So apparently I've been a very bad blogger of late. Apologies! We can all hope it's not a trend starting, but one never knows....

As many of you are aware, we were in Louisville last weekend for Keith's sister's wedding. It was a really beautiful ceremony and it was great to see all of his extended family. Even better, his brother is getting married in October, so we'll see everyone again in just a few months!

As Jessi was working through the details of wedding and reception planning, I remembered just how much work goes into planning a wedding. Keith and I said to each other several times, "I'm so glad we're already married and done with all of that."

But then, when it came to the ceremony, it brought back so many good memories of our wedding that it made me want to do it all over again. Jessi compared it to childbirth--once it's all over, the pain and anguish fades, and you just remember the beautiful result. I would have to agree with her about the wedding planning, although I can't speak to the childbirth experience.

Maybe we'll have a rededication of vows ceremony at some point. Nothing too big; maybe just 50 people, I'm picturing something indoors this time, with a live band ....

Congratulations to Jessica and Jeremy, the newlyweds!

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

As happens in the summer, our backlog of TV shows to watch has just about dried up. So last Sunday night, we were relaxing after the cook-out and cruising the channels for something to watch.

I saw "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" on the guide, and asked Keith to stop. There was only about 15 minutes of the show left, but I wanted to check it out. I knew the basic premise--something about good people in bad situations and Ty shows up and suddenly they have a brand-new, fabulous house. But I'd never actually seen the show.

I thought I'd like it. I like home improvement shows, and through in the angle about helping these worthy people .... it's the sort of thing that would bring a tear to your eye, and get you hooked on both interior design tips and feel-good emotion.

Yeah, I hated it. They tore down this family's house, and actually BOUGHT the lot next door because the existing lot wasn't big enough for the ginormous palace they created in its place.

The whole thing was just so ridiculous. Hard wood everywhere. Recessed lighting. One daughter's room had a "boutique" theme, and all of her clothes were hung on a revolving rack. The other daughter's room included a life-sized dollhouse built into the room, complete with three floors and furniture. The son's room included a lot of camouflage and a slide. (The picture here is from the show's photo gallery--there's many, many more pictures if you're interested.)

I understand that the wife/mother is a cancer-survivor, and she has dedicated her life to eradicating cancer. That is, indeed, very touching. But I couldn't be happy for the family about their new house. I just kept thinking that the show seemed to say that rampant consumerism is the answer to all the world's problems, and I'm just not convinced.

So now they have a house that's roughly 3 times bigger than their old home. I'm sure I'm not supposed to mention this, but ... they still have to pay the utility bills. Which are going to be substantial. And what happens when dollhouse daughter gets older? That "life-sized dollhouse" is built into the room. Not very easy to remove. Nor is the moving closet, when it breaks.

What is this family's children learning? That if you're a good person, you'll be rewarded in this life? That's not necessarily the case, and often the opposite is true. Or have they learned that spending lots of money always makes you feel better? That may be true, but it's usually not sustainable.

In a way, I was glad to realize that my tolerance for reality TV can be exceeded, and that's one show that's off the list.

Cook-out

On Sunday, we had a cook-out. It served dual purposes--to celebrate Keith's birthday and also the fact that we've been in the house for a year. Saturday I realized that it also served a third, important purpose: to get me to actually clean around the house and the yard.

Between working full-time, starting our business, joining the writing group, and the everyday busy-ness that is life, I don't think I'm very good at just taking time to relax. Whenever I sit and watch TV or read a book, I feel guilty because there's so many tasks left on my to-do list. I really should be more productive.

But on Sunday, with the cook-out, I really did relax. We'd done most of the prepwork on Saturday, so on Sunday we slept in and still had a leisurely morning to do some light cleaning and cooking before guests arrived. The music played in the background, good food was plentiful, the dogs (Beckett plus Erin's golden retriever and chocolate lab) raced around the backyard, the cornhole competition heated up, and the conversation flowed. And I relaxed.

I wish I could claim that I actually took an entire day off. But I did sneak in some writing and business time before getting ready for the cook-out. And, after it was all over, I of course felt guilty for all the lost hours of productivity.

But I think that the delicious food, great company, and relaxed atmosphere of the cook-out was good for me. I need to better about taking time off to slow down and enjoy life .... It's on the to-do list.

Happy House Anniversary!

It's hard to believe, but we've now been in our house for over a year. Just 29 more years of payments to go!

That picture is actually from move-in weekend last year. The house doesn't look very different from the outside; we took out the two bushes next to the front steps, and trimmed the rest. And a UD flag is proudly flying from the front porch.

It's a great feeling to have been there a year, and also know that we'll be there for many more. Ever since graduating from college, we've spent so much time and effort moving from one apartment/city to the next. I'm ready to be settled in the same place for a while. I hope to one day be here long enough to only receive mail addressed to us and resident--no more missives for former residents.

I know! It's probably just a pipe dream. But I can dream....

Business: Full Speed Ahead

Okay, maybe not "full speed," but we're making some progress.

A few months ago, I posted about possibly starting a web design/development business with Keith. We decided to go ahead and give it a shot because it's the kind of business that doesn't take a lot of money/dedication to start. You just kinda tell people you're open for business and see what happens.

That was how I thought of it, anyway. Of course, it's required significantly more effort than that. We've been busy re-designing the websites of three family/friend guinea pigs, so we can offer a portfolio of successful sites to prospective clients. I've also been really busy on the business end, registering our business as an LLC (still in the works), creating a basic contract, coming up with rates and standard packages to offer. Oh, and we still need a website of our own--minor detail.

Our original goal was to be "open for business" as of July 1, so it was a clear split for tax purposes between working from home and not. I don't know about that date anymore--I'm thinking it'll still be sometime in July, but not by Sunday. Definitely not by Sunday.

I'll let you know when there's more news. I know you all can't wait to hire us and pay us lots of money so I can quit my day job!

Financial Blogs

I've decided that one of the reasons I've been such a slacker on the blog lately is because I've been too busy reading other people's blogs.

Specifically, personal finance blogs. I'm addicted! You get financial advice, which I crave even though 93% of it doesn't apply to me in any way, shape, or form. But you also get a glimpse into someone else's life, as they tell you about the trials and triumphs of their own financial dealings.

Right now, my two favorites are The Simple Dollar and An English Major's Money. So when I don't post, go check these out because I was probably too busy getting caught up here to keep track of my own blog.

Virtual checking

So I've been pondering switching to virtual checking because of better interest rates. We currently bank where I've been a member for the past 7 years. Really, we've only stayed out of convenience and have never really considered our options.

Our current checking account has a flatlined 0% interest rate. Our savings gets a whopping .2% interest and has a $300 minimum or else we're penalized. Last year we made an anemic $9.41 in interest.

On the other hand, ING Direct offer Electric Orange accounts (aka checking) with 5.3% Annual Percent Yield and savings accounts with 4.5%APY.

However, you don't have paper checks readily available. If you want to write a check, you have to go online and fill out the information and the check will be mailed out. So check-writing is no longer a spur-of-the-moment activity. In the past year, we've probably only written a handful of checks, and I can probably count on one hand the number of those that needed to be filled out and handed over immediately.

But still. It makes me kinda nervous. Also, they pointed out at the Well-Heeled: 20something Money blog that Washington Mutual offers a similar APY AND instantaneous transfers between savings and checking accounts. Which I guess means that ING doesn't offer that.

Has anyone taken their banking complete online? Good idea or bad idea? (Bob B., I'm looking in your direction since you're my finance buddy.)

anyone done it? Advice?

Real Simple

For Christmas, I asked for a subscription to Real Simple magazine. My parents gave it to me, and .... 4 months later .... I started receiving it. (How can it take 16 weeks to activate a magazine subscription?!? But that's a whole different blog entry.)

I remember reading the magazine a few years ago and liking it. Their instructions on knitting a scarf is what first inspired me to try knitting. Now, countless scarves, one shawl, and two baby blankets later, it's one of my favorite hobbies.

So I was excited to get the magazine again. Their tagline is "Life made easier" and their "about" page says that the publication's:

concise, useful strategies, coupled with a clean, inspiring design, focus on making busy women’s lives easier, from preparing a fast, healthy breakfast to getting a good night’s sleep. In essence, Real Simple helps its readers do what they need to do, so they have more time to enjoy what they want to do.

I always thought this translated into bringing simplicity in your life. Focusing on what you have and making the most out of it. But after getting this magazine for a few months, I realized I was wrong, wrong, WRONG.

Apparently your life is easier if you buy LOTS of stuff. All the magazine offers is suggestions on what to buy in different categories of your life. In the most recent issue, I heard what I should buy to make traveling with pets easier (including a tent for the dog), what kinds of wine I should purchase, which brand tooth whitener is the best, and how to eat ice cream without drips (cake cones are a no-no, they say). Really? This is really supposed to make my life easier? Simpler?!?

And there was a Hummer ad on the back cover.

Ahead and Yet Falling Behind

Firstly, sorry I was such a slacker last week on the blog. No good reason--I just didn't get around to it. Sorry about that--this week will be better. As a matter of fact, by virtue of this post it already is! Isn't it great to set low expectations?;)

But on a much more productive note, I had a fabulous weekend. Saturday we ran errands and hung out. And Sunday morning we had a race--the 17th Annual A Most Excellent Race. I was pretty nervous about it for several reasons.

Ever since I started running 3 years ago, I've had a goal of finishing a 5k under 30 minutes. This isn't a particularly fast time by any stretch of the imagination, but to me it was a challenge--and obviously a difficult one as, 3 years later, it still stands. I thought I had a good chance with this race because the course is about a mile from our house. It's the same streets that we run every day. They're flat, and I know them like the back of my hand, which can be a huge psychological advantage, I think, when you actually have a sense of where miles 2 and 3 will come up.

However, I've been sick and pretty much out of commission for 2 weeks prior to the race. On Wednesday morning, Beckett and I ran the course to get an idea of what to expect. Shockingly, we finished in 28:50--clearly under 30 minutes. Even granting that I may have been slightly off in my route plotting (e.g., cutting a corner here or there), the test run showed that I should be able to finish in under 30 minutes.

I kinda did the test run to show myself that it wasn't going to happen, and take the pressure off for race day. But obviously, I had the opposite result. Luckily the weather on race day was gorgeous and it all went well. I managed to keep up a good pace and finished in 29:14. Yay for me!!! I finally met my running goal--which is also another check on the New Year's Resolutions list.

Of course, being the person I am, as we sat in the shade by the side of the course, waiting for others to finish, I felt a little bereft. Adrift. What would I do without that goal? I suppose I have to come up with another one now. But doesn't this mean I can never again be satisfied with a race over 30 minutes? I just don't know how to feel!

Other than the angst of a goal-reached, it was a fabulous day. Especially the part where we walked the dogs and stopped for some gelato. Mmmmmm .... so last week I fell behind on the blog, but met my running goal for the first time ever. You can't have everything, right?

P.S. And everyone should wish Keith a "Happy Birthday" today. Now he's old, just like me!

Camping Pack List 2

After work tonight, we'd headed off on our second camping trip of the year. Two weekends in a row! Unfortunately, this is the last camping trip we have planned, but hopefully we'll be able to fit in one or two more.

Last weekend, it became apparent that Keith and I haven't camped by ourselves very much. Most often, we camp with our families, who tend to provide some of the basic necessities that we forget about, like trash bags or water. We're still learning what we need to pack, and what we assumed we own, but really don't--we've always borrowed.

A week ago, Keith and I were the first to arrive at the campsite. We eagerly set up the tent and Keith got a great fire going. We sat down, ready to roast some hot dogs .... and realized we didn't have any cooking sticks to roast the hot dogs on. Problem.

My parents arrived shortly, however, and we used theirs. Last night, I went grocery shopping for the weekend and bought some brauts to cook over the fire tonight. On the way home from the grocery store, it occurred to me all over again--we don't have any way to cook them. Unless we cut them up and put them in the pie-iron pizza cookers, which just isn't the same.

Probably Jen and Ben have sticks. They camp a lot more than us, and are just generally more prepared. (I mean, they're parents--they have to be prepared, right?) So probably we can just use theirs. But it's the principle of the thing! Some day, we're going to camp on our own. And we're going to want hot dogs, and marshmallows, and all sorts of other things that are cooked over a fire on sticks. We should be ready for that situation.

So I've been trying to figure out where to get these things, and exactly what they're called. First I tried Dick's Sporting Goods--no luck there. Then I tried Cabela's, who is--according to their website, the "World's Foremost Outfitter." No luck there either. This is crazy!!

Finally, I found them at Summit Camping Gear. According to this site, they are Camping Forks. And ready to be shipped today. Which is great news but, sadly, will probably not help us out tonight. But at least if I put an order in when we get back, for the next camping trip we'll be one step closer to self-sufficiency.

The Cleveland Accent

Keith has been claiming for years now that there's a Cleveland accent. Something about the vowels in "milk" and "pillow" that seems to grate on his nerves.

I can't say I ever really noticed a Cincinnati accent, other than the peculiar use of "please" instead of "excuse me" when a person didn't hear something.

This morning I took a quiz: What American accent do you have? I was surprised to learn that Cleveland is considered a Northern--rather than a Midwestern--accent.

My results are below. Other Clevelanders--are you the same?

Northern

You have a Northern accent. That could either be the Chicago/Detroit/Cleveland/Buffalo accent (easily recognizable) or the Western New England accent that news networks go for.

Overindulged Pets ... on a Budget

I often think our pets are overindulged. Spoiled rotten. Pampered beyond repair.

Beckett gets walked/run twice a day. He gets treats every morning. We've installed a second waterbowl on the back porch, so when he's outside 12 hours a day, he doesn't even have to come inside to replenish his fluids. Did I mention that I put a CD on for him every morning when I leave for work?

And of course, Gomez is not left out. The house is littered with her toys. She gets her food dish topped off and fresh water every morning and night. And it's generally understood that we spend all our time praising the animals, telling them how wonderful/intelligent/amazing they are. They just take it in stride.

But even though our attitude may be overindulgent, it could be a lot worse. Beckett's daily "treats" are a handful of cereal or some peanut butter. And Gomez's toys are all twist ties, milk jug rings, or twine. We may overindulge our pets, but at least we don't break the bank doing it.
Hopefully we'll be able to say the same thing about the kids, someday.

Camping Pack List

I like packing for camping. I realized this on Friday afternoon, as we hurriedly threw everything into bags for a weekend camping trip with my family. There's no worrying about having brown and black shoes to match all of your outfits, or if people will be wearing skirts or pants to a dressy event.

Jeans, shorts, sweatshirt, a few t-shirts. Just the basics. And after the first night, everything smells like campfire smoke anyway, so you might as well just wear the same clothes all weekend.

Obviously camping has its own set of specific necessities--bug spray, sunscreen, matches, shower flipflops. But even with all that, it feels much more low maintenance than packing for a civilized trip. At least, that's my story until we show up at the campsite next weekend and realize we forgot the tent.

Room for Resting

Two days in a row now, this lady has completely freaked me out.

In my normal routine, I head out to lunch about 12:30. I stop by the restroom on my way to the lunchroom. After diligently washing my hands, I go to eat lunch.

But for the past two days, I open to door to the restroom and there's a woman right there, apparently passed out on the couch. (To clarify, the door opens on a small sitting area, separated from the toilet stalls and sinks by a wall partition.) I have several problems with this:

1. Obviously, she can't really be dead to the world. I mean, the door opens noisily about 2 feet from her, if that, and people must be constantly going in and out. So she's just pretending to be asleep.
2. Who actually rests in a restroom?!? I don't actually find it to be a very relaxing place, even with a couch and sitting area. You take care of business and get out of there.
   

It's just very alarming to open the door, your mind on other things, and to have this dead body a few feet away. If she's still there next week, it might be worth walking to another restroom in the building. I don't think my heart can keep taking the shock of finding a person resting right there.