November 2007 - Posts
Who knew?
Man, do I love lists. Forbes has come out with an interesting new list: The 25 Cleanest Cities in the World. Pittsburgh came in at number 10 (tied with Bern, Montreal, Vancouver, Boston, Lexington, Geneva and Nürnberg).
My brother Wayne lives in Ottawa, Ontario, and it came in at number 4. Top honors went to Calgary, Alberta.
Anyway, here's a break-down, if you're not inclined to read the article:
The only Asian cities represented are in Japan. There are no top-25
clean cities in South or Central America, Africa and Australia. The
U.S. has five of the top 25; Canada, a strong five, with the top spot
its city of Calgary; Europe has 11 of the top 25; and Japan has three. The 25 cleanest cities are located in 13 countries.
This line from the article made me laugh: "In the world, as a rule of thumb, the North is clean and the South is dirty."
I'm going to start calling Niagara Falls, NY The South of the North.
We have an epidemic on our hands. I'm not sure what to call it, but I know how to identify it. The symptoms are revealed in our speech. It starts with, "I can't", "I'll never be able to", and things of that nature. I'm thinking it may be a lack of self-confidence? Where does this come from? Society? Our parents? Our life experiences? I don't know.
I'm not trying to moonlight as a motivational speaker or anything, but if you read my blog and only take one thing away from it, let it be this:
What you choose to believe about yourself is more important than what you have been taught to believe.
Please, do me a favor? If you use that kind of language above, make a commitment today to stop. You will get exactly what you expect from yourself, and if it's nothing, that's what you will get. Period.
I have so much more to say on this subject, but time is not permitting at the moment. I'll write more later...
I have a mish-mosh of unrelated things to post about. I've been working longer-than-usual hours due to an impending deadline so my blog may possibly experience a bit of a content drought, or, at best, posts that have been fashioned in a harried manner and just slapped up here.
First, I need to wish my oldest friend a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY today. That isn't a dig on how old and crusty she is when I say oldest, but that we have the longest friendship. Kelly Keating and I first became friends in Kindergarten and we are still in contact. The contact may be sparse at times because we're both atrocious at keeping in touch with people, but the contact remains never-the-less.
The other cool thing I wanted to post up here is a product invented by my former co-worker and friend, Joe Vekich. Joe is a super guy, with a fabulous wife and two great kids. This product is going to make him a wealthy man. It couldn't happen to a nicer family, really. His product is called scratch-n-badge and it's simply brilliant. Check it out.
Dallas and Green Bay are playing tonight, so I'm out! Peace!
Well, my six-month contract at work was set to expire on December 11th, and I'm pleased to report that Lash Group presented me with a formal offer of employment today, and I've accepted their offer. Tomorrow morning I get to go pee in a little cup at the lab to confirm that I don't have a raging crack habit, as a condition of employment. I'm really enjoying the work that I'm doing, the free lattes from the Flavia machine, and the people I work with, so I'm very happy about the offer.
In actuality, I've been pretty much ruined for employment anywhere else. The company was ranked one the best companies to work for in Charlotte this year, the perks are great, and my bosses are super fantastic. I am truly blessed.
Best of all, the company just made the decision to adopt a casual dress code, so I get to wear jeans to work every day (except for the days when I'm wearing pajamas, 'cause I get to work from home two days a week). Woo Hoo!
I'm like a mad scientist over here. I'm loving my frozen blender drink adventures (which I'm told, in fact, is not a hobby. Hrumph).
Today I threw in a variety of fruits, juices and ice, but I added a twist; french vanilla yogurt. All I can say is WOW. It was just about the tastiest thing ever.
The only thing I like better than my new smoothie is the new car that I am going to buy. I found out today that I can get it at cost due to a relationship my company has with Ford Motor Company. Woo Hoo!
Your life is a mirror of the dominant thoughts that you think. What you think about, you bring about. Your life is a physical manifestation of the thoughts that go on in your head.
With the holiday season gearing up, I find myself pondering this saying. Have you ever really given thought to the expression, it's better to give, than to receive? I was thinking about that today and the interesting thing about this concept is that a lot of people say they believe this philosphy, but likely respond in agreement because we've been conditioned that it's the right thing to say.
What's interesting about it is that people who are always giving are coming from a position of abundance (after all, they have something to give), whereas people who are always receiving are coming from a position of lack.
When you think of it that way, being the giver certainly seems to be the more desirable place to be.
I urge everyone who is reading this to be a cheerful giver over the holidays (if not all year-round). Scan that $5 donation for the food bank at the grocery check out. Stuff a bill or two in the Salvation Army bucket. Keep your eyes open for opportunities to bless those in need. What a privilege it is to be in a position of abundance!
I firmly believe that when you give, you will receive abundantly more so that you can continue to touch the lives of those you come into contact with. Plus, God says so. 
I need a new hobby like I need a hole in the head. Yet, somehow, I've managed to pick up a new one.
Frozen blender drinks. Mmm.
Today, I made a pineapple, raspberry, tangerine smoothie. Yum, yum. This time I used fresh fruit and ice, but I'm going to start freezing the fruit going forward. That way, I can eliminate the addition of ice, and it will be more concentrated and less watery. I'm going to experiment with a variety of liquids to add to see what I can come up with. If I come upon anything especially tasty, I'll be sure to post the "fruits" of my labor here. Ha.
I'm really excited about this blog post, and what I'm about to share with you.
When you enter my parents home there is such a sense of calm, peace and well-being there. They have been truly blessed with health, love, wisdom and prosperity. Yesterday, they shared with me the secret of their success and happiness. I know this sounds cliche, but my parents have both made personal commitments not to allow themselves to entertain negative thoughts.
Why?
Thoughts become things.
The idea is that like attracts like. If you think negative thoughts; "I'll never get out of debt", "I'll never be able to afford <insert item here>", "I'll never lose weight", etc, it's very likely that you're going to get exactly the outcome that you expect.
It's one thing to acknowledge that negative thinking contributes to negative outcomes, and to see the sense in such thinking, but what are you going to do about that? Personally, I have decided to OWN it, and I'm challenging YOU to do the same. You have no idea how many negative thoughts you have until you start really paying attention to the thousands of disconnected thoughts that run through your head each and every day.
Start observing your thoughts. What do you notice about them? In the smallest things, there is negativity: "Ugh. I'm never going to find a parking space."
Nonsense!
Are you the obstacle that is standing in the way of fulfilling your God-given potential?
(My) Life is good. And it's only going to get better!
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'm posting one of the most amazing cookies I've ever had. They're actually a cross between a cookie and mini cakes. Either way, they're fabulous. I know I can at least count on Tawna Jacobs trying these out, since I know she loves to cook. Enjoy! And don't eat seconds today! BTW, these cookies were one of the winners of the Weekend Today cookie contest.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
by Robin Smith from Berryville, VA
Makes 18
INGREDIENTS
Cookies
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
Filling
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
• 4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (3 1/2 ounces) Marshmallow Fluff
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners
DIRECTIONS
For the cookies
Adjust
oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle position and heat oven to
375 degrees. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment
paper.
Stir pumpkin, eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg
together in large bowl until well blended. Whisk flour, baking powder,
baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl. Stir dry ingredients
into pumpkin mixture until well incorporated.
Using small ice cream scoop (#30 is the perfect size) or tablespoon measure, drop
2 tablespoons of dough on prepared baking sheet. (You should fit nine
scoops of dough on each sheet.) Spread dough into 2-inch rounds about
1/2 inch thick and spaced 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are just
set and bottoms are lightly browned, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking
sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking.
Slide cookies, still on parchment, to cooling racks. Cool baking
sheets, line with fresh parchment paper, and repeat with remaining
dough.
For the filling
With electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until no lumps remain, about 30
seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Add Marshmallow
Fluff and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 60 seconds.
Beat in salt and vanilla until well blended, about 30 seconds. Scrape
down bowl. Reduce speed to low and gradually add confectioners' sugar,
beating until smooth, about 1 minute.
Spread 2 tablespoons filling
on center of flat side of one cookie. Place flat side of second cookie
on filling and press cookies together to bring filling to edges. Repeat
with remaining cookies and filling. (Cookies can be refrigerated in
airtight container for up to 4 days).
TIPS
Use pumpkin puree (sometimes called packed pumpkin) for this recipe, not pumpkin pie filling.
Cool the filling in the fridge and make sure the cookies are cool so it doesn't drip out the sides when you put the cookies together. It shouldn't be runny.
I'm blogging from Ontario, Canada tonight, visiting my parents, where it's a balmy 39 degrees Farenheit, with a feels like of 30. Earlier this evening, my mother showed me the most hilarious email. I was actually wiping tears away from my eyes by the time we got through it.
Without further adieu, I give you excerpts from the J.C. Penney catalog, circa 1977. As a reflection, it's a wonder I turned out as well as I did, being exposed to this in my formative years.
Following is the verbatim email in its entirety. One note of caution: there is some mild language and rude comments, so it's best you skip this post if you're easily offended:
Last weekend I put an exhaust fan in the ceiling for
my wife's grandfather. While my wife's brother and I were fitting the fan in between the joists, we found something under the
insulation.
What we found was this:
A JC Penney catalog from 1977. It's not often blog fodder just falls in my
lap, but holy hell this was two solid inches of it, right there for the taking. I thumbed through it quickly and found my next dining room set, which is apparently made by adding upholstery to old barrels:
Also, I am totally getting this for my bathroom:
There's plenty more home furnishings where those came from, however I'm not going to bore you with that. Instead, I'm going to bore you with something else.
The clothes.
The clothes are fantastic. Here's how to get your ass kicked in elementary school:
Just look at that belt. It's like a boob-job for your pants. He probably
needed help just to lift it into place. The belt loops have to be three inches long. And way to pull them up to your armpits, grandpa.
Here's how to get your ass kicked in high school:
This kid looks like he's pretending to be David Soul, who is pretending to be
a cop who is pretending to be a pimp that everyone knows is really an
undercover cop. Who is pretending to be 15.
Here's how to get your ass kicked on the golf course:
This "all purpose jumpsuit" is, according to the description, equally appropriate for playing golf or simply relaxing around the house. Personally,
I can't see wearing this unless you happen to be relaxing around your cell in D-block. Even then, the
only reason you should put this thing on is because the warden made you.
Here's how to get your ass kicked pretty much anywhere:
If you look at that picture quickly, it looks like Mr. Bob
"No-pants" Saget has his hand in the other guy's pocket. In this case, he doesn't,
although you can tell just by looking at them that it's happened - or if it hasn't happened it will. Oh yes. It will. As soon as he puts down his matching
coffee
cup.
Here's how to get your ass kicked at the beach:
He looks like he's reaching for a gun, but you know it's probably just a
bottle of suntan lotion in a holster.
Here's how to get your ass kicked in a meeting:
If you wear this suit and don't sell
used cars for a living, I believe you can be fined and face serious
repercussions, up to and including termination. Or imprisonment, in
which case you'd be forced to wear that orange jumpsuit.
Here's how to get your ass kicked every day up to and including St. Patrick's Day:
Dear God in heaven, I don't believe that color exists in nature. There is NO excuse for wearing either of these ensembles unless you're working as a body
guard for the Lucky Charms leprechaun.
In this next one, Your Search For VALUE Ends at Penney's.
As does your search for chest hair.
And this -- Seriously. No words:
Oh wait, it turns out that there are words after all.
Those words are What. The.
F***.
I'm guessing the snap front gives you quick access to the chest hair. The little tie must be the pull tab.
Also, judging by the sheer amount of matching his/hers outfits, I'm guessing that in 1977 it was considered pretty stylish for couples to dress alike.
These
couples look happy, don't they?
I am especially fond of this one, which I have entitled "Cowboy Chachi Loves You Best."
And nothing showcases your everlasting love more than the commitment of matching bathing suits. That, and a blonde girl with a look on her face that says "I love the way your junk fights against that fabric."
Then, after the lovin', you can relax in your one-piece matching terry cloth jumpsuits:
I could go on, but I'm tired, and my eyes hurt from this trip back in time. I think it's the colors. That said, I will leave you with these tasteful little numbers:
Man, that's sexy.
I was watching the news the other night, and the story was about the whole drawn out and long overdue Barry Bonds indictment. The did-he-or-didn't-he saga is a bit long in the tooth, and so I wasn't really interested in it, but Justin, my six-year-old, had some curiosity as to why the home run king was in trouble. He started asking me questions about what he had done, and what punishment he was going to receive for his purported wrong-doings. I started to explain perjury to him, and that basically he was in trouble for lying. I told him why lying to a jury is such a bad thing, and why it's important for there to be stiff consequences for it, since our justice system must often rely on witness testimony, and without credible testimony, the exercise of gathering it would be meaningless (the debate as to whether or not the consequences are an effective deterrent is an argument for another day).
Immediately, Justin began listing various scenarios of people and circumstances in which a little kid might tell a lie. What would happen? He wanted to know. I said to him that you wouldn't go to prison in those circumstances, it would just be wrong. He stops and thinks for a moment, looks me square in the eyes, and says, "So, you'd just go to juvey?"
The boys competed in their first Tae Kwon Do competition on November 10, 2007 and I just now got around to uploading a few photos from the event. Both Tristan and Justin won the gold medal in their divisions and they had a lot of fun. I like how their instructors enforce good sportsmanship, and emphasize competing against your personal best, instead of always having to win. Anyway, you have to be logged in to view the Tae Kwon Do gallery. All of the pictures on my blog, except for my miscellaneous gallery, require registration.
o·ri·ga·mi /ˌɔr
ɪˈgɑmi/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[awr-i-gah-mee]
–noun, plural
| 1. | the
traditional Japanese art or technique of folding paper into a variety
of decorative or representational forms, as of animals or flowers. |
| 2. | an object made by origami. |
[Origin: 1920–25; < Japn, equiv. to ori fold + -gami, comb. form of kami paper]
This past summer Tristan developed an interest in learning how to do Origami. Yesterday we spent the afternoon at Barnes & Noble and I remembered he had expressed an interest in learning the art of Origami, so we went to the Crafts and Hobbies section and found a plethora of books on the subject. He sat in a chair, leafing through each book, until he decided on two;
Easy Origami by John Montroll and
Origami Classroom I by Dokuotei Nakano. I tried my hand at making a frog and found myself to be completely inept. I lacked the spacial relation skills to be able to follow the instructions, so once I started folding and flipping the paper around, I became rather disoriented. I told Tristan, "Sorry kiddo, you're on your own on this hobby. Mom can't figure these things out."
He seems no worse for the wear, since so far this morning he has made 9 forms: a pigeon, a penguin, a tulip, a pelican, two swans, a rooster, a pheasant and a water fowl. I'm glad he didn't follow my lead and give up.
I learned something new today. There is an emotionally unstable John Stamos fan lurking about the internet, and I've apparently offended her by mentioning him in my last blog post (according to the logs she was googling blogs with the term "John Stamos" and fell upon my blog). Despite the entertainment value it provided me, I've restricted post replies to registered users only. Hopefully you don't consider this too much of an inconvenience (you already have to log in to view photo galleries). We'll try it this way for a while, and if the dregs of society turn out to be a persistant lot, I think we'll just move this to a one-way communication model.
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