One of the Best Ways to Start a Work Day

opening your email and finding this…

One Good Deed…

My faith in humanity has been restored… at least for today!  My coworker was telling me this morning that she is bummed that she will have to walk to her car in the rain.  Why?  On her drive in, she sees two kids running through the pouring rain from home to school… just over a mile away.  Being a mom herself, she can’t stand to know these kids are getting drenched, so she pulls over and asks them to take her umbrella.  “But we’ll have no way to get it back to you,” the little girl says.  Still, she insists.

I have a feeling the skies will clear when she needs to make the trek to her car this afternoon.

First Day of School

It’s the first day of school for the majority of public schools in the area and there is a certain buzz in the air.  I am not a teacher, nor do I have any children, but man can I still feel it!  I’ve always thought of the first day of school like a new beginning; the day when you turn a new leaf and drop all the negative stuff that’s built up over the last 12 months.  Maybe it’s the shiny new shoes or the pink eraser with no imperfections.  Or maybe the sure sign that summer is over and fall is on it’s way.  Either way, let’s have a fresh start and make it a great year!

Continuously amazed by technology!

I mentioned that I bought a new camera last week, so I have spent the last couple days trying out all its features.  WOW!  This is by no means a high-end camera, but it packs some pretty cool functions.  I’m a novice when it comes to photo-editing… don’t even have a photoshop program.  This camera allows for all sorts of editing right on the device, but at the time of taking a picture and after the fact.

One of the cool modes is what they call “Make-Up.”  When taking a picture of yourself or others, the camera detects human faces and actually touches them up!  Seriously.  Shinyness gone.  Freckles faded. Redness toned down.  I think even my teeth might be whiter!  Who needs to fart around with real make-up anymore??  I’m still looking for the “Make me look Skinnier” mode.  Must be on the more expensive models.

What happened to the art of selling?

I have been in the market for a new camera.  I had a pretty good idea about a few features that were a must… compact size and at least 7x optical zoom.  Other than that however, I am completely lost.  So I visited several electronics stores, trying to get someone to SELL me on a particular model.  Remember the day when someone would actually do that?  You know, teach you about their product and explain the pros and cons of one model over another.  Well no more… at least not where I was shopping.

I went specifically to a camera/photofinishing store thinking the employees there should have the best handle on what’s out there.  WASTE of time.  The employee I encountered could barely be bothered to unlock the showcase so I could play with the samples and try to figure out how to turn them on all on my own.  Do these people not work for commission anymore??  I did find one model that met my needs and was on sale, but how can you just buy something without being able to compare it to anything?

Next I went to a big box electronics store, not really expecting to get much better service, but hoping they might have a different selection.  Wow, what a difference!  I was greeted, asked what I was looking for, he inquired on why I wanted certain features, etc, etc.  The sad thing, they didn’t really carry what I was looking for.  I would have spent MORE to buy the same camera from this guy because he made such an effort.

So of course I had to turn to the internet, to educate myself.  I read some reviews and decided that the sale model at the first store was probably a good fit.  I stopped back another day, when there were different employees working.  Hmmm, let’s see if these guys will try to sell me something.  SAME thing!  I must have been taking away from their time spent prying on people’s one hour photos as they zoom by.  I bought the camera anyway… where’s MY commission?!  Hmm, need a camera case, maybe a memory card??  Obvious questions, right?  Nothing!  Guess I’ll be going back to the big box store.

Am I THAT old?

My computer was purchased maybe three years ago… not that long ago, but long enough that it came with a mouse with a roller-ball in it.  I have been thinking that maybe I should at least upgrade to optical… maybe it would improve my Bejeweled score after all!  So I went to Best Buy today to purchase a new mouse.

At work I use an optical mouse that is NOT wireless and I love it!  I never have to scrounge the supply closet for batteries and you will never see me beating my mouse against the desk like many of my cubicle neighbors.  Really, me and wireless are not friends.  I believe in plugging everything in, and voila! it always seems to work.

So the young whippersnapper at Best Buy approached me to see if I needed help finding anything, like they always do in that store, and I explained that I was looking for an optical mouse with a cord. 

“A what?” he says. 

 “Yes, a cord.” 

“Ummm, why would you want that??”

I wanted to say, “Don’t ask why, just tell me where they are!  Maybe I will need to strangle some young whippersnapper with that cord someday!”  But instead I explained the battery fiasco that goes on at work and how I did not want to find myself in that same situation… scoring my all-time highest round of Bejeweled and having the mouse die just seconds before hitting the ultimate detonator!  Ah, the agony!

In the 12 foot section of mouse choices there were exactly two options that had a cord and they had capabilities way beyond the typical mouse.  So I bit the bullet and picked up a wireless.  I bet this is a conspiracy with the battery companies and I have just succumbed to the pressure!

I want to be “that” mom!

I just finished reading a blog about a mother of 7 children who has no interest in being “that” mom.  You know, the one that volunteers in the classroom and joins the PTO.  The one that attends every one of her child’s sporting/dance events and has all the badges sewn on in the proper position on the scouting vests.  The one that scrapbooks and makes crafts and bakes treats for all occassions.  (http://alphamom.com/parenting/not-that-mom/)

I’ve lived the first part of my adult life with a similar attitude… that I will never be “that” mom.  I am a hard working professional, that spends far more time at work than taking care of my home.  I eat out way more often than I actually cook for myself.  (In fact, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have cooked in the last 2 months.)  I make comments about “those” mothers to my friends.

But the truth is… I REALLY want to be one of “those” moms.  I could totally be into scrapbooking if I had someone to scrap about other than the cat!  I could really enjoy making a homemade dinner every night if I was cooking for someone other than myself!  I think I could even really enjoy playdates and dance practice and football games if I didn’t have to work such long hours all the time.

I can see myself driving the mini-van with the corny stick-figure family decal on the back window.  I’m almost tempted to get one now, just because I think they are too stinkin’ cute.  But really?  Is this the message I want to send out??

What the Heck is THAT??

Anytime I see a particularly weird, or ugly, or gross bug/critter, my first thought is, “Grab the camera so I can show someone else!”  While doing yardwork on Saturday, I came across this guy.  He was at least the size of my middle finger when he was completely stretched out and he could move along at a pretty quick pace.  What the heck is it??  Some kind of caterpillar?  I don’t think I want to see what it morphs into… probably will be the size of a pterodactyl!

 

I flipped him over with the stick... wanted to see what kind of legs could make him crawl so fast

 

Another Game, Another Win

Had tickets for another Brewer game today.  This time, complimentary tickets from a vendor at work.  Great seats!!  We were in the club level, where all the suites are located.  Wow, those people really live it up in there.  The game was great too…. Brewers won 11-6 and swept the series from the Astro’s.  It was absolutely a beautiful afternoon for baseball in Milwaukee.  (A bit hot actually, but that’s the plus side of the club level…  The hallways are completely air conditioned!)

And another positive… I came out $1.25 ahead in the side game that we play.  Each person chooses one Brewer player.  When your player is up to bat, you collect a quarter from each of the other participants for each base reached on their at-bat.  Single = 25 cents, triple = 75 cents, homerun = $1, and so on.  We don’t care how they got on base, so walks and hit batters count too.  That’s good for the Brewers since our batters get hit by more pitches than any other team.  Ridiculous!!  How could you purposely hit another person like that?  I guess I would never make it as a major league pitcher, because if my coach instructed me to bean the batter, I would have to ignore him.  Then again, I can think of a few hundred other reasons why I wouldn’t make it in the majors!

Tomorrow starts a series against the Diamondbacks and we’ll be at Tuesday’s game.  Let’s hope this winning streak continues!  Go Crew!

A Teeny Bit Ashamed

So, I have to admit that I am a bit ashamed to say that I have been faithfully patronizing the local BP gasoline stations all summer long.  Not sure if this is just in WI or if they do this elsewhere, but for each time you fill up with 8 gallons or more you can collect a stamp from BP.  Once you have six stamps, you redeem them for one free Brewers baseball ticket.  There are a dozen or so games through-out the season that you can redeem for.   We have a group of four of us that have been collecting stamps and redeeming tickets all summer long.  By the end of July, we had secured tickets for all four of us to all of the available games.  On top of all these free games, we have been buying tickets just about anytime a good deal comes up.  I’ve been to about 10 games so far this season and have tickets for another 10 or 12 games. 

I can’t exactly pinpoint the draw, but I just love seeing the Brew Crew live in action.  To me, it’s American, it’s wholesome, it’s family-friendly, it’s summertime in Milwaukee… The smell of brats being grilled, serious parking lot bean-bag tosses, striving to appear on the jumbo-tron, the crunch of peanut shells underfoot, high-fiving the stranger next to you when your team clenches a win with a bottom of the ninth walk-off homerun!

I saw a great game tonight.  We trailed for the majority of the night, but only by a few runs. Then, in the bottom of the ninth, down by three, we made a comeback for the win!  Fireworks, cheering, Bernie’s victory slide, and 33,952 happy fans.  (Ok, I did see a few Houston fans in attendance, so let’s call it an even 33,900 happy fans… don’t want to exaggerate!) 

Getting back to my point about the shame… it sickens me to see all that is lost due to the oil spill in the gulf and I really am looking forward to the day that I can sever my loyalty… Aug 30th to be exact!  Until next spring anyway :-\