Monday, February 28, 2011

The (Liquid) Rock

One of my friends recommended that I try "rock" deodorant. You can do an Internet search for this and see the different varieties, but basically the idea is that rock (also know as crystal) deodorants are all natural and usually free of bad normal deodorant additives like aluminum and paraben. While I've only tried one brand of rock deodorant - "Liquid Rock" by Kiss My Face - I found it ineffective and in a word, wet. While I can appreciate the natural nature of this deodorant, I felt dirty after I put it on as it doesn't dry right away and I would have to hold my arms up and let my armpits dry for about a minute. I don't know about most of you, but when it comes to my morning rituals they need to be as short and easy as possible as I'm always pressed for time. While I recommend a natural deodorant - Kiss My Face makes others that aren't of the "rock" variety, as does Jason and Tom's of Maine to name a couple more - I'm not so sure the rock deodorant is right for me. Then again, maybe one of a less "liquid" constitution would work better for me. Either way, natural deodorants are the way to go and I've even found that they work! 

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Letting go of Martha again

The Academy Awards are on in about eleven minutes so I have to post early! Today, I find myself letting go of a Martha Stewart Living from last April. It's basically the Easter issue. It has lots of tips on how to entertain for the day and how to make special cookies and make really cool Easter eggs. I'm tearing out some of my favorite pages - and definitely the four free recipe cards - and will then recycle it [insert weeping sound here]. I leave you with some of Martha's Taste Test Winners - a piece on page 72 of this edition - for reflection.
Honey: Rare Hawaiian Organic White Honey
Cocoa:Valrhona's Dutch-process formula
Vanilla: Tahitian (this is true!)
You've just gotta love the eye for detail!
Oscar picks: Best Actress - Natalie Portman; Best Actor: Colin Firth (even though Jeff Bridges is awesome in True Grit, but the movie wasn't nearly as good as the original.

Cheap floss = abused gums

You know that thought stream I had about generics versus brand names (I think it was a couple of days ago)? A very good example I failed to remember at the time was dental floss. Generic dental floss is terrible. Even if you buy the waxed kind, it's ridiculously tough to get through your teeth. I bought some generic dental floss some time ago and thought I would keep it as a back up; tonight I discovered why it's not even a suitable back up - just awful. I will have to make sure to simply by good floss two at a time so as I never run out of it!
Thus, in the trash it goes. I hope my gums recover!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Cheaper is usually not better

There is one thing I have learned over the years: most things that are cheaper are not better. For example, generic macaroni and cheese, generic Oreos, and cheap shampoo and conditioner. But, every now and then I get dragged into the under a dollar shampoo and conditioner and I buy it. Well, I used to do this. I have vowed that unless it's something top shelf - like Paul Mitchell - I'm not buying it. While this may sound snobby, it's true. My hair rats all up when I use the cheap stuff. Thus, in the beloved hallway closet I found a bottle of V05 conditioner. It was not good to me. I was trying to save some money and I dealt with it - at least half a bottle - until I couldn't take how long it took me to comb out my hair after a shower. I just don't have that kind of time. Thus, this product is eighty-sixed.
Note: There are some things I've found that are better cheaper, but I'm too tired to think of them right now! Good night!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Smile pretty

There seems to be quite a fascination with whiter teeth. Sometimes, I meet people and there teeth are such an untoothy-like, white color, I'm just amazed. We've been no stranger to this. One of the last failed efforts was Crest Supreme Professional Whitening strips. I think Mark got these at the dentist since it says "only available through your dental professional". I say that as I know I didn't buy them. They are simply awful. You put one little flimsy strip on the top and one on the bottom. They are supposed to stay there for thirty minutes, but they're slipping off your teeth after one minute. They foam and make you drool. They taste bad. Overall, I think if you're going to get your teeth whitened you should just pay the dentist to do it while you're there. I say this knowing that almost all attempts I've made to whiten at home end poorly and with frustration. It seems I've never wanted to pay a dentist the two-hundred bucks or so to whiten my teeth, but perhaps I've wasted that much already on things like these Crest whitening strips?
Anyway, even though there are a lot of them left, they are going in the trash.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

No-brainer

Today's source of eighty-sixing: the kitchen tensil drawer. I swear I have more places to look than the kitchen utensil drawer and the hallway closet, but these places are really ripe for eighty-sixing. If you remember an earlier post I did, I made brief mention to the fact that I was pretty sure there were pipe cleaners in there. Well, there were. There are actually ten of them, white in color, and wrapped in a plastic bag. I simply have NO IDEA why these are in the kitchen utensil drawer. At least they could be in the catch-all kitchen drawer, right? I find this post to be a no-brainer and there isn't that much more to say - when you have pipe cleaners in your kitchen utensil drawer you really do need to eighty-six some stuff!
For your amusement (put on your glasses as this pic is really small!):

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Paraben-free is the way to be

There they were, buried deep in the hallway closet, another remnant of my I-can't-stop-buying-another-facial-cleansing-product past. For some reason, I thought the No.7 Beautifully Balanced Purifying Cleanser would be a miracle. That I would have less blemishes, that I would have clearer skin, that I would look, well, refreshed, as the product suggests. I used all of one ounce of the randomly sized 6.6 ounce product to learn that it wasn't going to be the miracle product I had built it up to be in my mind. Now that I look at the ingredients, I see that both the toner and the cleanser contain five different parabens individually. I didn't even know there were that many parabens! I even see what I never see - that one of the parabens is listed way up on the ingredient list, which is really uncommon as a paraben, in any form, seems to a last ditch filler/preservative as it appears the end of nearly all ingredient lists. Parabens have been linked to breast cancer, and my life is just too short to deal with any risk of breast cancer. And yes, there is debate on both sides - that parabens do cause breast cancer and that they don't - but any nod to causing breast cancer is reason enough for me to not use products with parabens. Thus, this eighty-six is to the point and the case is closed.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Thinning the herd

Today's blog features a useless product: Diet pills [insert huge sigh here]. College was definitely the highlight of my diet pill buying career. It's amazing how one can think that a pill will make them thinner. Oh, and college was a time when I didn't need to be any thinner. But, I fell back into the trap a bit in law school and I just located a bottle of half-used diet pills buried in the hallway closet - way behind a few other things I didn't know were there. I opened them and there are only a few left inside - this makes me laugh as I then think to myself that I actually took about fifty of these pills thinking they would work. They probably did "work" and now I have some sort of residual problem that hasn't fully presented. And another thing about the pills: they really stink. I would say what they smell like but there is no comparison. Once you pop the lid open you can smell them from a foot away...gross. Thus, the eighty-six today has thinned out our hallway closet (sorry, I couldn't help myself).

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Why?! (probably won't be the last time I use this subject line for a post)

I have a propensity to keep things I know I won't use again. About five years ago - and I know this because the expiration on the lid says "May 24, 2006" - I decided to keep a jar that once housed black cherry jam (again, I know the latter fact because the top also says "Black Cherry"). I kept the jar because it is a very pretty glass with pretty fruit impression on it. Also, I like it's shape. My thinking was probably that I could use it as a storage container for leftovers, but I have never done that. I guess this could be due to the fact it isn't in my cabinet that houses these storage receptacles. That being said, it has been dormant for some 5 years in my corner kitchen cabinet - which is freestanding and contains all of my speciality cookware - and I have not used it. Thus, I found myself wondering why I've kept it. I suppose it's the slight hoarder nature in me that was thinking I can eventually use this for something down the road, right? Wrong. If it's been sitting there for five years I haven't used it, it ain't gonna happen. Thus, the way of eighty-six it goes.
I tried to get a good photo - this is all I came up with and it doesn't show much detail.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Expired

I know the military has done some tests on old medicine. The tests I'm thinking of were focused on the effects of medicine that had expired. I was reminded of these tests when I found a seven year old bottle of Robitussin-DM in our hallway closet. Surely this stuff is too old to take! I smelled and it smells like Robitussin should, but there seems to be some kind of weird undertone I can't place. I haven't tasted it yet as I'm a bit afraid. I found this great article on expired meds and their potency:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/460159

It seems that there is some validity - there are other articles out there, too - to old drugs' usefulness even years after the expiration date. And, I looked online and this isn't the Robitussin they recalled not too long ago for some kind of odd issue. But, the fact is this stuff really is old and it doesn't contain any kind medicine I can't still get over the counter without signing my life away (thanks meth heads). While I'm tight on cash, I think I can afford another bottle of this stuff that doesn't crack when I twist the cap to open it from years of Robitussin caking along the rim.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Maine event

I love Tom's of Maine products. They are right up my earth mama alley. They use lots of good ingredients, that don't include animal parts, and they don't test on animals, either. I found myself drawn to their "children's silly strawberry" toothpaste. Because I don't like mint, I thought it would be a good idea. Also, I've tried their other toothpastes and liked them even though they were of the mint variety. Well, this strawberry toothpaste doesn't work for me. I'm hoping it's just because I'm not a kid. I tried it once and thought it tasted bad. It reminded me more of bubble gum than strawberry, which I do admit when I was a kid this would've interested me. I thought maybe I should try it again. Well, I just did and it's just not gonna happen. It's a shame as with most things that are better for you than others it's fairly expensive. I don't really think I can give a used tube of toothpaste to one of my friends or family so I think this just has to be eighty-sixed. The good news is that the hallway closet is getting cleaner from day-to-day.
Tom's of Maine need not worry - I will still be part of its loyal customer base.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Blinded by the light

I'm not sure when I decided it was a good idea to amass a large number of eye covers. Well, I guess that's what you call them. You know, the things you put over your eyes to block the light out while you sleep. I found three the other day and thought that maybe I should keep one of them -which I'm doing - but why would I need three? Plus, I rarely use them anyway. It's like I put them on and they just feel unnatural, as they are so that makes sense, and I just feel like they're a bad pair of contacts that I can constantly feel. Additionally, there is something really weird about opening your eyes and not seeing anything but black fabric. Oh, and you know when you can feel a shadow through your eyelids, like you know when someone is near you or over you, well you can't do that with an eye cover so for some reason that creeps me out and makes me feel uneasy. While most of this post is simply a neurotic stream of consciousness, two of these things are getting tossed
Sleep tight!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

There's no gold in them there hills

There's nothing like finding an old VHS tape that reminds you that technology has come very far. We don't even have a VHS player so any VHS tape in our home is useless. Mark found - and I saw it the other day so I claim partial eighty-sixing rights - a VHS tape we've had for quite some time. The title, now brace yourself as this one is pretty funny, "Gold Prospectors Association of America Sure-Fire Panning Methods". Yes, that's right, at one time someone in my home - not me - was a member of the Gold Prospectors Association of America. I would watch a bit of this tape if I still had the capacity, as I'm sure I would find it humorous, but I really don't care enough to find a garage sale so I can buy a VHS player just to do that.
Needless to say, we never became rich off gold panning - at least not yet - and this tape has just become part of my eighty-sixing history.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

To tone or not to tone

I have a problem buying lotion. The problem is that I buy too much. Then, I use it for a week or so and I'm over it. I've stopped doing this in the last couple of years, but there is still a lot of overflow in that infamous hallway closet.
One phase I went through was the "toning" lotion phase. You know, the lotion that promises to improve your skin's firmness and elasticity. The truth is that all of the toning lotion in the world won't help you if you don't do anything else but use the lotion. Because I work out and eat mostly good foods, I don't count on toning lotion for life-changing results. That beings said, the problem is that you shouldn't count on it for anything as all it really does - at best - is hydrate your skin.
Like most of the lotions I'm over, I will take the two toning lotions I found in the closet and take them to work and place them in the restroom. The brand is really pointless as from the cheapest to the most expensive toning lotion none of them seem to fulfill their taut promise. I know they will be better used by the people I work with instead of wasting away in our closet.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Share your love (with a shelter pet)

Today has been exhausting so I'm at a loss to find something to eighty-six at the moment (believe me, there's lots of stuff, but today I just don't want to delve too deep into any thoughts). However, I did think of something fairly small a minute ago that I want to get rid of, so I'm going with it.

When we adopted our cats we got a book-like magazine titled "New Parent Guide." It contains articles and info for new pet owners. Apparently, I filed this away with the other cat records and didn't plan to do anything with it. I think this is mostly because we owned a cat before the two we have now and I guess I felt seasoned. I found it a couple of days ago when I was looking for something else - how I find most of my eighty-sixing material - and I don't want to keep it. To be fair, at one point it may have been useful as there are some coupons in it (which are now over two years expired). And, it might be useful to a true, first-time pet owner. But, overall, I don't find a guide very helpful. I once worked with a guy who said something like, "Why would I have kids? I can just give my cat the plastic ring off of the top of the milk jug and she's entertained for hours. I don't think I could do that with a kid." So, just like those that have kids, I've taken the knowledge of those that were pet owners before me in taking on the task of owning pets; thus, a "New Parent Guide" isn't really necessary.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Blown

It seems like every year or so I need a new hairdryer. And, each time I get a new one, it comes with attachments for the end. It's usually a diffuser, which is a big round thing that has soft spikes that stick out from it - it's to dry your hair to make it look curly - and the other attachment is this weird thing that gets narrow at the end. Here it is:


At one time, I found three of these under our sink. It's odd, because I don't think I've ever used any of them. And, or course, they are not universal - kind of like a cell phone charger - so each time you buy a hairdryer you get a new one. Well, I found this one under the sink today when I was looking for something else and I just know I'm never going to use it. I did check and it does go to my current hairdryer, so I guess I've at least thinned out the herd of ones that I used to have and no longer had the matching hairdryer.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Failed Product #42 (and counting...)

I think I'm a typical woman in that I've tried a lot of skin care products, particularly those that promise less blemishes and clearer skin. Probably three years ago, I bought and tried Boots "expert anti-blemish" line. I always say something like this is my last ditch effort before I go to a dermatologist whenever I purchase a new product. I never follow through on my promise and just keep trying more products. I thought only the teenage years were for blemishes - "blemish" just sounds so much better than "acne" or "zit" - but I had wonderful skin in my teens. Anyway, I found the Boots line in the hallway closet where it has been sitting unused for a long time. I started looking around and noticed this won't be my only eighty-six on this type of skin care product. I've wasted tons of money on this stuff. Perhaps this Boots product line actually worked for somebody, but I didn't find it useful and it's full of parabens so it gets the big eighty-six this evening. Last year, I actually started a resolution where I told myself I wouldn't buy any new skin products, including lotions, for two months and I would simply use up what I had. I actually did do this and managed to get rid of a lot of products, but it seems I've fallen off the wagon.

Side note: Other useless brands I've tried include: Proactive (way too harsh), Arbonne (too expensive and didn't do anything), No. 7 (I can't even remember who makes this); Aveeno (didn't do much), Clean and Clear (minimal results), and lots of others I can't think of off of the top of my head. Plus, most of these products are tested on animals and contain parabens, which is just bad!

Friday, February 11, 2011

Lesser of two evils

What is it about TV...it's like if we don't have it we might die. When I tell people I spent a whole weekend reading, writing, and I didn't turn the TV on once they look at me like I've been dropped on this planet by an alien leader. But, alas, even I must have TV. The biggest issue is which provider to go with as they will all take your money and provide you with a vast array of TV shows that you won't watch. The ones you really want to watch - the ones that provide any kind of true educational and personal growth value - don't come in the "cheap" package and one must always upgrade. We used to have dish Network. Overall, we had one of two satellite problems - where it rained really hard and we couldn't watch TV - but otherwise the actual service was good. The worst thing about dish Network was that once we were their customer they wouldn't upgrade us or make our service better without a ton of cash and a DNA sample. They told us we had to leave for 6 months and then come back and then they would treat us like the new customers they treated so well - so much for customer loyalty. So, when U-verse became available I thought, why not? So, we now have U-verse. I think the actual services they offer - like being able to record a million things simultaneously - is pretty awesome. But, like with all TV providers, U-verse isn't right for everyone. Our place was built in 1960 so the wiring is old; thus, we have suffered dearly at its hands. I think we've met at least five or six AT&T employees and none of them have truly fixed the problem. There for a while it was a running joke - what man (not to be sexist but the repair workers were always men that came to our place) would be at our house when I got home from work. Sigh. Anyway, as always I've taken a very circuitous route to get to my eighty-sixable object of the day. I found in the coffee table next to our couch in the living room - which is where our TV is - an old Channel Directory for dish Network. As I've already set forth our entire TV provider history, we obviously don't need this anymore. I guess now I'll go watch one of my many useless channels. Perhaps I'll choose Wealth TV. That's right, a channel all about rich people and all the stuff they have that most of us will never see and all the places they go that are out of our reach. Come on, man!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Do you smell what I smell?

We all have the kitchen cabinet that's so tall we can't see all the way back on the top shelf. Some of us even have the cabinet over the fridge we haven't looked in for years - I can't wait to get to that as there should be prime eighty-sixable objects there. In one of my too tall cabinets on the top shelf way in the back I found some old macadamia nut pieces. When I found them I thought when was the last time I even baked anything with macadamia nuts? I asked myself that as this particular top shelf cabinet is in my baking cabinet area. After extensively searching my brain, I couldn't think of any time at all that I've cooked with macadamia nuts. I wouldn't make brownies with them, or candy, or even include it in cake icing. It's still a mystery to me. But here they are - sad to admit they are over one year expired - eyeing me with contempt as I've been so wasteful. I made the mistake of opening the bag - old nuts have just an awful smell. I don't think I'd eat one of these tiny pieces on a dare (unless a large monetary amount was tied to it). I wish this page was scratch and sniff so you could really experience what I just did. Ew. Needless to say, these nuts are toast.

Useful tip of the day: Did you know that eying and eyeing are both correct? I've always used the latter, but I found this fact interesting as spell check tried to correct me which took me to one of my most visited sites - merriamwebster.com. I just thought I'd share the knowledge.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Pressed for Space

One thing I love to do is cook, well, bake more than anything, but I really do like to cook, as well. Like most people who like to cook, I love to watch great chefs (I use the word "chef" knowing there's a possibility some have not actually been trained as a chef but are what a chef may call a cook, but whatever). The Food Network is like a drug to a good foodie. I must admit I've had entire Saturdays eaten away (ha ha) by an endless stream of thirty minute make-this-or-that cooking segments. But, in the all the time I've loved the Food Network, I've never seen Giada de Laurentiis, Mario Batali, Gordon Ramsay, or Ina Garten actually use a garlic press. A good chef will smash the clove of naked garlic with the flat side of a good solid knife - usually a santoku-style blade - and then chop up the piece of garlic into fine remnants. They will then carefully gather the tiny pieces of garlic on their blade and use their index fingers to push the garlic from the knife into the skillet or dish they are preparing. I've heard many a chef even make a comment about how smashing the clove with a flat side of a knife blade really releases the garlic's true flavor. I suppose my knowledge base is too small on this - as I don't even pretend to be at a chef level - but I bet it's fairly difficult to find a chef that uses a garlic press.
This long introduction brings me to what I dug out of our utensil drawer this evening: none other than a garlic press. It looks completely untouched. I smelled it and sense nothing of the garlic variety, which seems hard to believe knowing the pungency of garlic even in it's natural state. I thought to myself about this particular garlic press and I can't remember the last time I used it. I think it's something I used once. If you've never used a garlic press the mechanics are easy - you simply place a cleaned clove of garlic in the inside receptacle and pull the other receptacle in on it. The pressure crushes the clove of garlic. But, if you've done this you've experienced what most everyone does - that it's next to impossible to get the garlic off of the device as it gets caught in the nooks and crannies. I did see that my garlic press was made in Italy. I suppose that was to give it more authenticity as Italy and garlic go hand-in-hand. That being said, this garlic press is useless to me. In looking at it, I'm sure I paid top dollar for it, too, but that doesn't matter. That which is not used must be eighty-sixed. That's the resolution and I'm sticking by it.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Regularity Redux

It seems unbelievable, but in the cavern I call our hallway closet I found yet more acidophilus. If you look back at my January 7th post, you will see that at one point I really fell in to the trap of the" benefits" of acidophilus.  I cringe - again - at reading the purpose of the product on the bottle: "Acidphilus Aids in Reestablishing and Reinforcing Intestinal Flora". While I'm not going to say it doesn't work - as it has a huge following and it seems to really help those that need it - it just made my life a lot worse and my story is more of a cautionary tale than a  product testimonial. At to this bottle of acidophilus, it looks nearly full - there are 120 pills and it looks like all but two are in there - and the contents expired in 2003! Say what? I lived mostly in another apartment until 2005 so that means I actually brought back with me expired, useless acidophilus. Why would one do that? Even if this product still worked, it's so old its potency has been severely compromised at this point. Anyway, it's getting trashed and the bottle recycled!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Satellite feed

I got a pair of earrings from my friend Diane. The problem for me is I'm allergic to nearly all earrings so I just don't wear them. Plus, this pair is way too big - each earring measures 2.5". I felt like I might take off when I put them on or that perhaps I could get a satellite feed if I held my head just right. So, I'm sending these off to the Goodwill. I would re-gift them, but the thing is that during my girls' Christmas every year one of the people who re-gifts with me is Diane so she may get her own gift back, which would not be in good taste.
While Diane is one of my dear friends, I know she'll understand that these earrings aren't going to work for me. I feel they have a good future with someone else, which Diane would also understand. Thus, they are eighty-sixed.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Little Green Men

Since the Superbowl is tonight, I thought I should post before that starts. I plan to eat so much junk and drink a few beers which will most likely render my brain useless.
I found a package of "Bendable Alien Toys" in the catch-all basket on our kitchen table (which holds so much crap we rarely eat at it - I mean, does anyone use their kitchen table to eat?). Anyhow, there's no point in keeping these. As you will see, they are still in the wrapper. While they are somewhat endearing, and I think Mark and I got them as I gag gift, some little kid will probably like them a lot and actually remove them from the package and play with them. Thus, the eighty-six is easy today! Plus, the Bendable Alien toys are green, which is very fitting for tonight's game - GO PACK!

 "We come in peace."
 - Bendable Alien Toy

And yes, eventually I'm going to figure out how to make photos larger.

Sometimes old is better

There are some inventions that withstand the test of time. The good, old-fashioned can opener is one of them. You simply place it over the can and crank the the mechanism with your other hand and the perforated blade cuts the tin can. Some people have tried to improve upon this. For example, this "handy" device pictured below that I got several years ago from a family member - I'm thinking it was my mom or grandma, but I can't remember.



Unfortunately, I have never liked this can opener or found it useful. Each time I tried to use it, I would be frustrated. It would take me three attempts just to get this thing to work and I have a doctorate (and I taped the directions to the top of it). Thus, I will take the batteries out - which probably have nearly all of their charge left because I didn't use this device more than two times - and I will send this can opener off to the Goodwill. If any of my family or friends is reading this and wants it, I will bring it to you if you text or email me. Either way, it's outta here!

Friday, February 4, 2011

5-7-5

This evening, I went to our hallway/linen/medicine closet for eighty-sixing inspiration. I'm always overwhelmed by the things I find there, like expired medications and lotions with defunct pumps, it's like I don't even know where the space begins and ends. But, then, I saw it. It's a bottle or perfume made by Avon called "Haiku". I've had this bottle of perfume for a long time. I even remember who got it for me - my Aunt Cathie. But, what happened to it? It was placed along with a bunch of other junk in the closet and lost forever and I forgot I even had it until just now. I sprayed it and I get the feeling - after all of these years - that it once smelled much better than it does at this point. The ironic thing about finding it was in the same area was an instruction booklet for one of the many thermometers I eighty-sixed at the onset of this resolution. Thus, this eighty-six is kind of two part by happenstance!

I leave you with this haiku about Haiku:

It is not your fault,
You were lost amongst the stuff,
Off you go, Haiku.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Diet - Cola - Other

Sometimes you have to go back to the same well for eighty-sixing material, so that's what I've done this evening. I've realized our utensil drawer needs help. If you're one of those people that keeps all of your utensils orderly, good for you, but this is not us. Our utensil drawer is a repository for all things random that may have something to do with cooking. So, I was digging around in there tonight and found a myriad of weird things, which I'm sure I'll get to later in this blog, including a plastic lid to a to go cup container. I took it out and thought long and hard about why I would have this in the utensil drawer. For one, it's not a utensil. Second, it's useless without the cup that goes with it. Then I realized that the cup that matches this lid is in the cupboard. It's been there for at least a year and I've never once used this lid with it. Thus, why keep the lid? The answer is easy - there is no reason to keep the lid. The lid simply made its way into the drawer for some reason and has remained pushed to the back for over a year doing nothing but taking up space.
I think the utensil drawer should be afraid of what the future holds - lots of eighty-sixing. It sounds crazy, but I swear I saw pipe cleaners in there.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Prediction

Groundhog Day started out well. Phil didn't see his shadow; thus, Spring will be here soon (I'm predicting March 21st). This was good news to start the day, but then I fell on the sidewalk just before getting in my car to leave for the day and my whole body, neck, and right side are currently suffering. It seems that where I work was the only place open in the entire state. It was ridiculous. Anyway, I'm not gonna type too much as I need to soak in the tub to see if I can prevent any morning muscle spasms or stiff neck syndrome. Plus, it hurts to hunch over this keyboard.
Anyway...for Christmas, my best friend, Lynsay, got me an iPhone 4 cover. At that time, my goal was to get an iPhone in the new year. As it so turns out, I wasn't that keen on the iPhone and I went with a Windows phone, which so far, I adore. But, that leaves me with a useless phone case. It just so happens that Lynsay plans to get herself an iPhone this month, the month when Verizon becomes AT&T's fiercest rival and also offers Apple products, so she can put this case to good use. I will give it to her Sunday when I see her for Superbowl. Perhaps she'll even have her new phone by then!
Stay safe and warm everyone (if you live in a warm state, I don't care what you do!).

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

"People like blood sausage too, people are morons"

So far, we have survived the weather. I was not a pretty sight this morning as I cursed at every person and thing I could think of as I dug my car from its ice encasement. Just as I had calmed myself - with images of kittens and puppies - my ice scraper broke. "Now this means war!" I shouted out as I tried to think of my next move - break something or regain my composure and not wake up the entire neighborhood with my ranting. Mind you, this is already twenty good minutes into Operation De-ice. So, I composed myself and remembered a baby ice scraper I had buried deep in my trunk's recesses. It took me a good bit of searching - which I had to do with one hand so I could hold up the ice-ridden trunk which weighed so much it could cleave my head off if my neck were to make its way under the latch. And there it was, the baby ice scraper. I thought of my old ice scraper - it eclipsed the baby ice scraper in all ways - and wished I could will it back together for just ten more minutes. It was magnificent, with a large brush and long handle, so useful and handy. The small ice scraper - one of those you see at a gas station convenient store - was hard to use because one simply can't get that much leverage behind something so small. But, it is what it is.
Then, it occurred me - I will have to do the same thing again tomorrow! And, while this upset me, I realized it's so fitting as tomorrow is GROUNDHOG DAY! I just love this day. Also, if I actually do stay home tomorrow due to inclement weather I will be able to watch Groundhog Day the movie, with Bill Murray, until my eyes fall out and I quote all of my favorite scenes (title of this post is an example)! So really, something good has come out of all of this bad weather.
Enjoy your Groundhog Day and remember to watch the movie if you haven't seen it yet. Bill Murray is truly genius.
And, in case you didn't get it by now, my old ice scraper is the eighty-sixed item of the day. Here's a pic of it - post glory days, of course.