Patches and pieces

I've been semi-slacking on the blog posts. I'm forcing myself to do them, but I've definitely hit sort of an impasse going into month number 5. It may be because of all the other stuff I'm trying to do at the same time. Today my trip to the Depot helped me finally patch up our front lawn from an evergreen we cut down 2 years ago. It didn't take long and even though it's wearing a wig of straw, it still looks better than the great bald spot that was there previously. So there ya go. Today's post was patched together similar to my lawn but overall, not bad.

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America's Best Dance Crew

The new season of ABDC started a few weeks ago and I must say, it's been disappointing. Between Lil Mama and her incoherent ramblings, JC and his desperate pleas for levels and using the entire stage, and Mario Lopez' corny one-liners, MTV did little to revamp its trite format. They did add a bright spot to the judging with D-trix from season four's Quest Crew replacing previous judge Shane Sparks.
Unfortunately I can't say the same about the talent, as this year's crop of dance teams is mediocre at best compared to the past competitors. They all seem to be doing high school cheerleading routines instead of complicated choreography (and I should know - I was a cheerleader). Season 6 attempts some feats that hadn't been done, such as introducing a crew of pole dancers and a crew of the youngest contestants ever. Despite the attempt, the show quickly went back to their hip hop dance roots when the pole dancers were promptly kicked off. In fact, they should probably call it America's Best Hip Hop B-boy Dance Crew since those are the groups that win. This season isn't all bad; some crews, like Phunk Phenomenon, have innovative ideas and flawless execution that set them apart from the rest. Maybe MTV will take some cues and make some much needed changes to redeem the show.

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What About Your Friends?

Friends are interesting people. They lift you up when you're down, believe in your hair-brained schemes, and try not to say "I told you so" when things fall apart. They're also there to give you a swift kick in the butt when you need it, even if you don't want it. So this lost goes out to all the true friends who have listened to our ramblings & complaints, celebrated our accomplishments, cried our tears, and enjoyed being there for all of it. Love you!

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Fiber optics strikes again

Fiber optics have ruined my life. This post may be déjà vu, but this daggone fiber optic cable has me watching all kinds of craziness. Tonight dose of madness was the International Chocolate Championships, which crowns a new Chocolate Master annually. This one was held in Paris in 2009. The contestants, chefs from 19 different countries, competed in various challenges: dessert plate, chocolate hat decoration, cakes, and finally sculptures. And their sculptures were pretty hot; they transformed plain old dark, milk, and white chocolate into Louvre-worthy works of art. The winner's creation was a woman made of white chocolate seated on a platform of mixed white and dark layers wearing a haute couture dress and hat. By the way, he represented Japan. The United States came in second, and Germany took home the bronze. And to think before fiber optics I didn't know there was a Chocolate Master. Here's a link to see some photos from the show. http://www.sogoodmagazine.com/championships/view/world-chocolate-masters

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Awwww

Did you know flowers could drown?  I knew they could drown in the pot, but in the ground?  We've had record rainfall for April, but I never thought it would kill my blooming plants.  Last fall, my daughter and I replanted the flower bed with tulip, daffodil, and hyacinth bulbs after some animals munched on my old ones.   This year they came up great and started to blossom...until April showers set in.  Ground-soaking rains have flooded my driveway, and consequently the runoff killed my fledgling plants.  Did it kill them for good or for the time being?  I don't have the answer to that.  I do know the Mother Nature won't give us our next dry day until Thursday, so all I can do is wait.

SINBAD!!

The other day I watched Sinbad's It's Just Family on the We channel. Oh my goodness! Sinbad by himself is funny, but between him, his wife, and their two adult children, they are hilarious. He breaks his situation down so simply - I made money, I didn't pay my taxes, the IRS took my house, I moved back in my wife's house with my grown kids. They have your typical reality tv feel with relationship drama, power struggles, money problems, etc. but with a twist of humor only Sinbad can provide. Perfect example: they go to buy a car for his son. The salesman has him fill out loan applications and runs his credit. He comes back very grim, breaking to Sinbad the news he has bad credit. Sinbad pulls out this big bag filled with stacks of money and says "here run Mr. Franklin & Mr. Grant's credit" and shoves the forms back to him. A little arrogant yes, but so daggone funny. For anyone who thought he was dead, Sinbad is definitely alive and kicking. You should check out his show some time.

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Breaking the Fast

Happy Easter!  Today marks the official end of my forty day social networking fast.  It was tough at first, mainly because I didn't realize how attached I'd gotten to instant messaging.  Once I got going, it wasn't too bad, but I did have my moments when I felt like relapsing.  I was able to resist temptation though, and I feel like I am better because of it.  Some things I learned during my stint away from social sites:

1. Focus.  I used to lie to myself and say I could "multi-task" with whatever I was doing and IM.  I realized without the constant distraction of random conversation, I was so much more productive.  My goal going forward is to minimize my IM time and concentrate on one thing at a time.
2. There's a difference between a "break" and a distraction.  Like I said in #1, I would multi-task with IM.  Problem was, I didn't realize I was taking a break.  Now I realize the difference.  So if I'm on IM now, it'll be to take a true break.
3. Pulling away is okay.  The world keeps spinning.  I'm not missing out on anything by not being on Facebook, Twitter, IM, or anything else.  If people need me, they know my number, how to text me, email me, or heaven forbid, stop by.  I'll be ok.
4. I was on too daggone much.  I inadvertently cut off my friends' messaging when I went on hiatus.  You know why?  They love me, yes, but  I was one of the only people they could depend on to always be online.  That was a problem.  So I've been able to reconnect with them on a more personal level and leave the IM behind.

So...I think my fast was successful, at least from my perspective.  We'll see what happens in the long run.

A Penny Saved...

I was a little too late for some of the Earth day deals from Friday, but here's a few valid on Saturday, April 23 & Sunday, April 24, 2011.

Lowe's free tree event - part of a million free tree giveaway. Contact your local store to make sure they are participating and to see if there are any purchases necessary. Saturday only.

Old Navy $6 sale - it's not for Earth day, but I can't beat $6 for much needed clothes. Check out your favorite location to see what's on sale. They're also selling polos for six bucks on Saturday only.

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CerebralStew's Day Off

My company was closed today in honor of Easter (or Resurrection Day if you prefer). Much like Ferris Bueller, I rounded up a buddy (well, an indentured servant) and got to the business of my day off. Instead of Ferris' fun filled trips to baseball games and fancy restaurants, I decided I'd sleep until at least 10 then make some progress on my house. I accomplished sleeping late, then it was time to get moving. In 6 hours, we folded, washed & dried, gave away, and disposed of (4) 30 gallon bags, 5 large laundry baskets, and 3 big bins of clothes. We still have 6 or 7 more to go, but not bad for an assembly line of 2 people. Maybe someone will throw us a parade when we're finished, too.

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Extreme Couponing

I love a discount as much as, if not more than, the next person. There's a thrill I get from turning in my coupons and watching extra dollars fall off my transaction. I thought I was a decent Couponer, but after watching this show, I'm nowhere near the ranks of these people. The episode I saw last night focused on two women - different families, different parts of the country, but with the same love and passion for their coupons. These ladies spent 35+ hours a week collecting, sorting, categorizing, mapping the store, drawing up a game plan, and then finally shopping. They were the super bowl coaches of the supermarket. They hauled around 3 or 4 shopping carts, cleared out aisles, disabled check out lines with their thousands of dollars worth of groceries, and ended up with 90% or more in discounts. It was impressive, until you look at what they bought. Over 100 bottles of ketchup and mustard, 93 bags of croutons, 54 bottles of laundry detergent, 115 containers of pm headache medicine. Where is the meat? The produce? The unprocessed, unboxed food? What good is saving money if I'm buying tons of crap I don't need? To their defense, they donate some of their bounty to food pantries and various family members. But really, is my love of a good deal deep enough to have to set up my own warehouse in the basement? No. No, it's not. I'll stick with using my coupons for the things I need and leave the extreme couponing to the pros.

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Deep Fried Demerits

We've all done dumb things as kids.  Sneaking out only to tell on ourselves later when we think we've been caught; forging our parents signatures onto a less-than-great report card.  One of my shining moments was using a shovel to clean snow (and a couple layers of paint) off my dad's car.  Today, I'm tacking on a new addition to the list of "stupid stuff we did as children."  My child recently had a note sent home about an incident at school.  Apparently embarrassed and watching way too many spy shows, my "clever" offspring chose to get rid of the evidence by eating the note.  Yes, I said eating it.  I guess cartoon spies make it look easy on TV, because my brilliant child couldn't get the demerit down and was forced to spit it into the trash.  So, they fess up to the deed and not only do I have to punish, I have to do it without laughing.  You ate it?  Really?  Of all the things you could've done:

• forged my name
• flushed it
• threw it away
• burned it
• "accidentally" washed it

you chose to attempt eating it?  Who does that?

This was so crazy I had to post it to the blog.  No goofy deed should go unpunished, so I now have an indentured servant - scratch that - a slave for the next 2 weeks.  And for dinner, I decided to make deep-fried demerits.  Hungry?  

Death of a Matriarch

I saw an obituary for "Aunt Betty" in the paper today and thought the story was a good one. If we can't learn from someone who lived 107 years, who can we learn from? ;)

COLERAIN TWP. - Elizabeth "Betty" Berger was living proof of the fountain of youth - with a side of spaghetti sauce. "I don't look 105, do I?" she quipped with a gleam in her eye at her 105th birthday party, which The Enquirer covered in 2009. Spry and sharp, Mrs. Berger was known to most as "Aunt Betty." That's certainly who she was to her brother Anthony's son, Buddy LaRosa, the Cincinnati restaurateur whose pizzerias are the biggest Italian chain in the region. Her Sicilian spaghetti sauce tasted a lot like Buddy's, but she refused to give him the recipe. "I told him I wanted some of the royalties," she joked to a reporter. "He wouldn't pay me. So no deal." The Colerain Township resident died April 10 at Hospice of Cincinnati in Blue Ash. She was 107.

Mrs. Berger was born in a village near Messina, Sicily, on Feb. 4, 1904. She came to America with her mother and siblings in 1908, two years after her father, Sebastiano, started a new life selling fruits and vegetables in the West End. At the age of 5, she stood on a crate outside his West End grocery store and sold produce. And even though she wouldn't give Buddy her spaghetti sauce recipe, she did credit him with making her father's dream come true. Sebastiano LaRosa wanted to sell more than fruits and vegetables; he always said, "One day, my name is going to be all over town on bottles of pasta sauce and olive oil," she told The Enquirer in 2009. "Daddy's dream came to pass, thanks to Buddy."

Mrs. Berger simply eschewed old age. At the age of 97, she applied for and got a job at HoneyBaked Ham. In 2003, she moved to a nursing home and was the oldest resident. But she returned to her own apartment after a few months. She bluntly explained why to The Enquirer: "All nursing homes want are your money. And, the people there are too old." Mrs. Berger depended on the Council on Aging for Meals on Wheels and housekeeping help that allowed her to live on her own. At the same time, she was feisty enough to lobby state officials to install a traffic light on Colerain Avenue when she saw her neighbors struggling to cross the congested street. "She never gave up," said her longtime close friend. "Her theory was you don't quit. Whatever life brings to you, you just take it and run with it."

Good advice from someone who ran with what she had for over a century. Here's the full article.
http://nky.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20110418/NEWS0104/104190301/Elizabeth-Aunt-Betty-Berger-107

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Send In The Clowns

Yesterday I went to the circus for the first time since Barnum & Bailey in the early 90s.  Or was that the late 80s?  Anyway, my latest excursion was to the Syrian Shrine Circus to see a troupe of talented acrobats.  There were also well-behaved Bengal tigers (sorry, no lions or bears), head-standing elephants, a goat-cat-dog review,  motorcycle riders,  hula hoopers, flame jugglers, and a bunch of other circusy-type stuff...including the clowns.  I vaguely remember the Barnum & Baily clown acts, but I thought they were centerpieces of the show?  These clowns had two small skits, less than 5 minutes each, and were in and out with little fanfare.  It seemed...anemic. Here are some pictures from the show.

Ringmaster's intro

Trapeze Artists

Trapeze artists

Before the show

Jambalaya

A friend of mine was saying she and her family tended to eat out a lot because of the time it took to plan and prepare a meal. This recipe is relatively simple, takes little planning, and can be completed from pot to plate in about a half hour. My take on this dish does not include the traditional cayenne pepper or the shrimp. Feel free to add them.

You will need:
A large pot with lid
A medium sized pot with lid
1-1/2c rice (can use brown rice for a healthier meal)
3-1/4c. Water
1 can low fat, no msg chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes (can use italian seasoned or dice your own)
1 package turkey smoked sausage, diced
3 chicken breasts, cut up
3/4c. onion, diced
1/2c. Green pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4c dried parsley (can use fresh parsley)
1 tsp. Seasoned salt
1-1/2 tsp. Black pepper
1-1/2 tbsp. Garlic powder
1-1/2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tbsp. Dried basil
1 tbsp. Vegetable oil

Add rice and water to the medium sized pot. Allow to boil, then cover and turn off heat, leaving rice to steam on burner. Steam at least 20 minutes (30 if you use brown rice).

Coat the inside of the large pot with vegetable oil. Add onions, celery, green peppers, and chicken. Add seasoned salt, pepper, italian seasoning, basil, and garlic powder.Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until chicken is white throughout. Add chicken broth, undrained tomatoes, and sausage. Turn heat up to medium high and let simmer for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Mix in parsley. Pour in steamed rice and turn heat off. Mix rice in thoroughly and cover. Let sit about 5 minutes on warm burner and then serve. Enjoy!

Makes about 10 servings

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Great American Clean Up

Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere, clean up, clean up, everybody do your share! Today is Clean Up (aka Green Up) day for greater Cincinnati. My kids and I embarked bright and early on our annual journey to make a difference, one street at a time. I'm always impressed by the turn out, especially because when you're picking up trash it seems like everyone in the city is throwing it on the ground. Our group of fraternity brothers, community members, teenagers, and concerned city residents who just wanted to see a nicer Cincinnati filled at least 45 bags with random refuse in 2 hours. While I feel good about what we accomplished, I can't help but think how great it would be next year if we have less picked up because more people throw their junk away. Recycling works, too.

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How Do They Do It?

The Science Channel has a series called How Do They Do It? It takes the simple question and responds with all kinds of interesting answers to stuff we don't even think about. Making glass, soda cans, hot rods, large machines, baseballs...the list goes on and on. I find myself not only wondering how they do it, but how they streamlined the process to what it is now. Take making glass for example. Someone figured out not only the ingredients to combine to create glass, but a way to make a machine to do it for us. The ingenious of mankind is amazing. We hear of Albert Einstein's mastermind all of the time, but rarely ever about these creators of modern day marvels. So whoever they are, I tip my hat to them. Maybe my kids will stand amongst the unknown legends that made our lives easier. And until then, I'll enjoy the Science Channel revealing how they do it.

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A Dream Deferred

"The man who insists on seeing with perfect clearness before he decides never decides." - Henri Frédéric Amiel

I saw this quote and instantly thought of this poem by Langston Hughes. What's keeping you from fulfilling your dreams?

A Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore-- And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

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I Am Whatever You Say I Am

Sometimes you can't quite articulate how you're feeling at the moment.  That's when I turned to Eminem to say it best when I was at a loss for words.  I'll let him tell you.

And after I got the anger out, I listened to some Jay-Z to tell the rest of the story.

And now I'm cool. 

Funny and true!

I saw this today and could instantly relate. The sad thing is in my house, the roll just slides back on, you don't even have to take off the holder! Anyway, I hope you get a chuckle, too.

Zits « ArcaMax Publishing

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I made it to 100!

Wow!  When I started this blogging journey, my goal was to simply blog for 2 weeks, because that's honestly how long I thought I would keep it up.  But here I am, Post 100, and I've done pretty well keeping up with a post a day.  In honor of post #100, I went through my collection of daily joyrides to see which kernels of knowledge from the past 100 days are worth passing on.  These are the ones I liked (in no particular order); check out How to Get a Life that Doesn't Suck to sign up for your own.

1. I do not participate in any sport that has ambulances at the bottom of the hill. - Erma Bombeck
2. The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone. - Harriet Beecher Stowe
3. Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have. - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
4. For the most part, fear is nothing but an illusion.  When you share it with someone else, it tends to disappear.  - Marilyn C. Barrick
5. There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up.  - Booker T. Washington
6. Minds are like parachutes - they only function when open. - Thomas Dewar
7. You gotta live every day like it’s your last because one day you’ll be right.  - Frank Sinatra
8. Gratitude is riches.  Complaint is poverty.  - Doris Day
9. True friends are those who really know you but love you anyway.  - Edna Buchanan
10. As I grow to understand life less and less, I learn to love it more and more. - Jules Renard
11. Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.  - Dr. Seuss
12. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. - Stephen Covey
13. Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end. - Unknown
14. You miss 100% of the shots you never take.  - Wayne Gretzky
15. Do it NOW!  As Soon As Possible is too damn late.  - Pat Croce

and finally, this one, from Michelle DeAngelis' "dear friend Sue"

Funny thing about progress.  If you beat yourself up for not making progress, you end up not making progress.

How To Braid Hair

A lot of my friends and family ask me to show them how to braid hair, so I thought it would be good to show everyone at once. I made this video this morning to demonstrate a simple cornrow technique. The audio quality is low, so I will post step by step instructions also.

1. Wash and blow dry the hair. I like to use a leave in conditioner as well to make it easier to comb while I'm drying it. I use Parnevu or Mane and Tail leave in.
2. Have a moisturizer and/or a light grease on hand to grease the scalp and make the hair easier to work with. I use both - the moisturizer is actually a product my friend gave me that's made locally; it's a clear spray that works as a detangler. I like to use Magic gro help grease or another hemp-based product.
3. Using a comb with both large and small spaces between the teeth, start to comb out the hair. Moisturize with the spray, then use the large tooth comb to get out the initial tangles.
4. Part the hair and apply grease on the scalp along the part. Secure the hair not being used away from the part with alligator clips. Using the small tooth side of the comb, comb out the remaining tangles in the section of hair you are braiding.
5. Grab a small section of hair with one hand. Hold it between your index ring and pinky fingers. This will be piece a.
6. Using your other hand, grab 2 more sections of hair. Place one section between your index and thumb. This is piece b. Place the other between your middle and ring fingers. This is piece c.
7. Grab piece b with the index and thumb on the opposite hand. Pull piece a underneath piece b.
8. Using the opposite hand, pull piece c under piece b. You will see the criss cross braid shape start to form.
9. Repeat until the braid takes shape, grabbing more hair as you move down the braid.

It's a lot easier to see in the video, but I was moving a lot faster than I thought, so hopefully you can see it. It takes practice, but once you get the technique down, you'll be braiding like a pro. Good luck!

Check out the Video on Qik

quick disclaimer...that was my first vid I've ever posted.  I'll have to find a way to rotate it. LOL

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The Power Of Doing™

The Home Depot offers a little-known but great DIY class for kids the first Saturday of every month. They provide a kit, the tools needed, and the work area; you provide the kids and parental supervision. They build various projects, from toy cars to window boxes. And if you sign up but can't attend, they will give you a kit you can put together at home. Today my kids and I took advantage of the rainy day and built these plastic bag holders (I went green and got a bunch of reusable bags, but we keep a few plastic bags around). This pic is of their finished projects. Not bad, huh? :)

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Speaking of bugs...

Since my post earlier was about a little bug that rode in my car, it got me thinking about my favorite book when I was little, Because A Little Bug Went Ka-choo! by Rosetta Stone. Not only did it teach me about cause and effect, but it made me believe bugs could sneeze. Amazingly, I remember the book verbatim and can recite it, but I won't (you can thank me later). I'll put the picture of the cover instead.

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Bugs Need A Break, Too

For one of today's posts, I was going to take a pic of this weird hybrid bee/cricket/wasp looking insect that hitched a ride on my car on my way home from work. It flew in my window to get at my bright yellow coat, and when it figured out I wasn't hiding pollen in the pockets flew onto the door. Instead of freaking out (my normal reaction) and causing a 10 car pile up trying to get it to fly off, I decided to keep one eye on the bug and one eye on the road. It seemed to enjoy the trip - it sat quietly with its antennae blowing in the breeze. It turned around a few times and let the wind hit its other body parts (yep, I was watching it like that). It waited patiently for me to park the car, then flew off before I could get the pic. Oh well. I guess bugs need a break, too.

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Sex-aaaay!

I believe there's nothing sexier than a man who can cook.  I'm not talking about gourmet cuisine; I'm happy when my hubby whips up eggs and bacon or his signature spaghetti.  Tonight's meal was the spaghetti, which was extra good because I didn't have to cook it.  So fellas, before you spend all that money on cologne, rims, fancy gadgets, or expensive trinkets, consider making your significant other a meal instead.  It doesn't have to be some dish you can't pronounce - simple and tasty will do.  Find a good recipe on Food Network or Allrecipes and follow the directions.  Let me repeat that last line, cause it's important.  FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS.  I know it's hard for some men, but not having food poisoning is more than worth having to admit you followed a recipe.  To recap (because I know a lot of men need repetition to get the point):

1. Find recipe
2. Get correct ingredients for recipe
3. Follow recipe
4. Be the sexiest man alive.

Got it?  Good.  

Women vs. men

Women's sports are underrated. Or is it men's sports are overrated? I'm watching the women's college basketball final and within 10 minutes of the first half, they've made half of the men's ending score. This game is great - good shooting, good ball handling, decisive scoring, and a true battle between two excellent teams. It's a complete 180° from the debacle last night. Do you know some men's final four tickets went for $4000? Could you imagine paying 4k for that crappy game? If you paid it, I hope you enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime experience. I'll speak for everyone watching at home and say I was glad I could turn it off. I wouldn't pay that much for a seat at the women's game either, but this goes to show anything men can do we can do better. Women vs. men? This game proves there's no contest.

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Oven Baked Potatoes

In my 30+ years of living, I realized I've never made an actual oven-baked potato. Up to this point, I've been exclusively using the microwave. I found a very simple recipe online which I've shared below. They actually taste a little different un-nuked. Enjoy.

You will need:
Medium potatoes
Vegetable or olive oil
Salt
Butter knife
Baking sheet
Oven with at least two racks

Adjust oven racks so they are evenly spaced, then preheat oven to 350°. Scrub potatoes, rinse, and pat dry. Using a butter knife, stab all sides of each potato. Place one or two drops of oil on each potato and rub into skin to create a light coating. Sprinkle with salt and place directly on top oven rack. Put the baking sheet on the bottom rack underneath the potatoes to catch any drippings. Let cook for 1 hour, or until skin is crisp and potato is soft on the inside. If potato is not done, add 15 minutes to cooking time until they reach desired consistency. When finished, remove them from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet.

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The Mood.

It blows in softly, surreptitiously searching for its next sacrifice. It distracts me with laughter while it eases stealthy fingers around my neck. Its grip becomes a vice, snapping me from my relaxed trance into a minefield of über-irritation, set off by invisible trip wires attached to everyone around me. It sucks the life from my lips, leaving a vile attitude in its place. It toys with me, yo-yoing me back and forth from the brink of emotional abyss to the peaks of giddiness. And then it retreats to the shadows, waiting...lurking...until...

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4/02/2011

It's April, which means it's officially spring cleaning season. That's good news to some folks, but for a Clean House candidate like me, it's a cause for stress. Yesterday I looked at the piles of stuff amassed in various corners and became instantly depressed. I went to bed sad and had nightmares about the crap multiplying no matter how much I threw away. I was still feeling bummed when I checked today's emails and saw my daily joyride. This one was catered to me, as if Joan Baez was staring in my eyes when she said it. "Action is the anecdote for despair." I took her advice and spent this morning cleaning out my closet. I've got miles to go, but I feel good with my progress. I'll conquer this mess one action at a time.

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Uhhhhh, maybe?

I'm watching this silly movie Yes Man, starring Jim Carrey as a divorced curmudgeon afraid to move on with life. After attending a self help seminar, he decides to say yes to everything for a year. Of course, he instantly encounters craziness of all kinds as he embarks on his journey. The movie is classic goofball Carrey, but it got me thinking. What if I said yes to everything? I know my relatively new habit of positive thinking has made a big difference in my outcomes, but incessant yes-ing is hard to imagine. How about I start by saying yes to finishing all the projects I started. Wanna install that bathroom base tile? Yes! What about finishing your laptop bag? Yep to that too! Repaint? Yes! Yes! Yes! And I'll get right on that...tomorrow.

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Ah Well

Yesterday I wanted to blog about a Yahoo! article I'd seen on the winners of the mega millions jackpot. They were a bunch of IT folks that work for NY state and they'd all gone in on this ticket. When they interviewed them, none were sure if they'd quit their jobs. I had a bunch of quips ready about 7 new vacancies in the IT department and 19.1 million reasons not to go to work the next day. But instead, I was so busy I didn't even crack open the laptop, much less give you my 2 cents on how they'll spend their newly found fortunes. Sometimes things happen (or in my case, don't). It made me think of how life doesn't always go as planned - the guy waiting to purchase their randomly selected numbers actually was cut in front of, altering his initial plan and the eventual outcome. In his case, it probably turned out for the best. Not so much for the person who jumped in front of him. Ah well.

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