Out walking in the park…

I was out walking in the park just the other day, the ground crew was out getting things ready for some big event (to which I was not invited, for whatever reason) when I stumbled across this tree stump with a note on it.

It seemed a bit odd to me, I thought perhaps it was two star-crossed lovers trying to communicate to each other like the hero and villain in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’…Closer inspection revealed something else entirely.

Now I’ve highlighted the words here, because they’re a bit blurry on the original, but this is what it said: “Place Tree Here”.

That got me to wondering, so I spent the rest of the day trying to push trees down around the park.

And that got me in trouble with the groundscrew.

Global warming may be the crisis with the most news, but falsification of greenery in parks may be the bigger issue.

Homer’s on the case.

The Problem

I know that this post is several months in the coming–apologies for the lateness.  However, in the wake of the tsunami in Samoa and the earthquakes in Haiti, this attitude seems like a real problem to me.

I understand that the cast of Survivor are Americans, and therefore they are “special” to us in some way, but let the headlines focus on the real issues, not the contestants of some “reality” television show that were probably shipped out hours before the wave of true reality hit.  I’m not contesting that if they had forewarning they should have moved to a place of safety, I’m contesting the fact that they were and that they still made headlines.

Save it for the people who are dealing with reality.

Gingerbread ideas

So about that gingerbread I mentioned earlier–yes, I’m still eating it for breakfast.  Blondie and I had a competition last night to see who could make the most creative (when she first said it, she said “best”) gingerbread shape.

Here are the results.  I know which one I’d vote for, and it doesn’t have the chunkiest Statue of Liberty I’ve ever seen

Turkey has been on my mind with the upcoming festivities, and apparently a road trip has been on Blondie’s mind–probably to see the Rockefeller tree get lit up.  Vote and let us know who the winner was (remember, she started with the qualification of “best”)

Contributions?

I was reading in the paper this morning over a healthy breakfast of gingerbread cookies that while the national debt is a huge problem (questionable, okay–it seems like a huge problem) there’s actually something that you and I can do about it.

Pay it off.

“Ha ha!” you laugh, “if only it were that simple.  I’d just write a check and we’d be in the black.”

And I would reply with a level face that they will also be taking PayPal donations as well in the near future.

Currently the Bureau of the Public Debt’s Office of Public Debt Accounting receives about 5 donations a week, ranging from regular donations to estate donations.

Why?  Because whether you spent it or not, the debt is help by you.  You (though you may not feel much [or anything] like it) are the government.

Want to donate?

“How do you make a contribution to reduce the debt?

Make your check payable to the Bureau of the Public Debt, and in the memo section, notate that it is a Gift to reduce the Debt Held by the Public. Mail your check to:

Attn Dept G
Bureau of the Public Debt
P. O. Box 2188
Parkersburg, WV 26106-2188″

[Source http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/resources/faq/faq_publicdebt.htm]

“Sink me”

One of the fun things about courtship and marriage is finding out things that you have in common.  Ricky and I found a fun one on the 4th of July.  Somehow or another the topic of the movie The Scarlet Pimpernel came up.  We both got excited because we hadn’t seen it in so long and we remembered  loving it a ton.

Off we went to find an online version to watch landing one on Youtube (you know the type…part 1, part 2, … , part infinity).  And so we began to watch.  Every 10 minutes or so, however, one of us would make the comment that went something like this “I guess I don’t remember this movie as well as I thought”   Finalmente, after an hour into the movie, the show had crossed our threshold of moral appropriateness and was deemed no good.   We weren’t sure what to do.  Here we had sought out a movie we both loved and happened upon a long, drawn-out, smutty show.  Best solution?  Off to imdb.com to find our if there was another version.  Turns out there are quite a few…

Thus the quest began.  Which movie was it that we both loved growing up?  Where was it?  And, most importantly, how could we watch it?  We finally figured out that it was the 1982 version (Jane Seymore, Anthony Andrews, and a younger version of Magneto).  We couldn’t find it anywhere online (to watch) so we decided to order the DVD from a store in China.  Two weeks later it appeared on our doorstep.  It was as marvelous (if not more marvelous) than we remembered it being.  In addition to its incredible-ness we really enjoyed the “catch phrase” on the front cover of our DVD (imagine this being said with a movie announcer voice:

“A whale of a yarn, crammed with adventure, lavish, and sumptuous”

And a whale it was!  Here’s a picture so you’ll know which one to pick up when the time comes

The "lavish and sumptuous" Sir Percy Blakeney and his wife Marguerite

You pick: 72 Years or 12 minutes

In my efforts to keep up with Mickey on current events and current odds and ends I was reading the yahoo news highlights.  That’s when I came across this article:  Happiness: 3 amazing tips from the world’s oldest case study.  Apparently, 72 years ago they got 268 Harvard Sophmores to sign up for a “happiness” study that is still going strong.  What were the 3 tips?

1.  Have a healthy outlet
2.  Don’t take yourself too seriously
3.  Happiness must be shared

What I hope to do now is show you the beauty of latter-day prophets.  That way you can make your pick:  72 years or a 12 minute conference talk?  You don’t even have to look back into the archives to hear/read these.  I’d bet that (with the exception of those who have moved recently) that the Ensigns with these talks in them are still out and about showing up here and there.

1.  “…find some time for yourself to cultivate your gifts and interests. Pick one or two things that you would like to learn or do that will enrich your life, and make time for them. Water cannot be drawn from an empty well, and if you are not setting aside a little time for what replenishes you, you will have less and less to give to others, even to your children. Avoid any kind of substance abuse, mistakenly thinking that it will help you accomplish more. And don’t allow yourself to be caught up in the time-wasting, mind-numbing things like television soap operas or surfing the Internet. Turn to the Lord in faith, and you will know what to do and how to do it.”  M. Russel Ballard (April 2008)

2.  ” The first thing we can do is learn to laugh. Have you ever seen an angry driver who, when someone else makes a mistake, reacts as though that person has insulted his honor, his family, his dog, and his ancestors all the way back to Adam? Or have you had an encounter with an overhanging cupboard door left open at the wrong place and the wrong time which has been cursed, condemned, and avenged by a sore-headed victim?  There is an antidote for times such as these: learn to laugh.”  Joseph B. Wirthlin (Oct. 2008)

3.  “My grandson Joseph has autism. It has been heartbreaking for his mother and father to come to grips with the implications of this affliction.  They knew that Joseph would probably never be like other children. They understood what that would mean not only for Joseph but for the family as well. But what a joy he has been to us. Autistic children often have a difficult time showing emotion, but every time I’m with him, Joseph gives me a big hug. While there have been challenges, he has filled our lives with joy.  His parents have encouraged him to participate in sports. When he first started playing baseball, he was in the outfield. But I don’t think he grasped the need to run after loose balls. He thought of a much more efficient way to play the game. When a ball was hit in his direction, Joseph watched it go by and then pulled another baseball out of his pocket and threw that one to the pitcher.  Any reservations that his family may have had in raising Joseph, any sacrifices they have made have been compensated tenfold. Because of this choice spirit, his mother and father have learned much about children with disabilities. They have witnessed firsthand the generosity and compassion of family, neighbors, and friends. They have rejoiced together as Joseph has progressed. They have marveled at his goodness.”  Joseph B. Wirthlin (Oct. 2008)

hmmm…that’s a hard one…

Worst Cities for Economic Recovery?

“New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa.

GDP at start of recession: $988 billion
End of 2010: $950 billion (-3.9%, projected)
Unemployment: 7.6%
Median home/median salary ratio: 7.2

“The failures of Wall Street led to an unprecedented stumble for New York City, which by the end of 2010 will have lost 4% of its GDP to the recession. Unemployment has risen, driven by losses in the financial sector. Some of the most expensive real estate in the country will make it difficult for the housing market to recover, even if the job market stays better than many parts of the country. Moody’s anticipates it will take three years, until the third quarter of 2012, before New York City’s economy returns to its old peak.”

(from The Best and Worst Cities For Recession Recovery)

Just think: now is the perfect time to begin a three year degree in the shadow of the Empire State Building…by the time you graduate the economy would be on the upswing! (Four years would be even better!) Just something to keep in mind–like anyone actually LIVES in those areas

A despicable use of letters!

Cleo and I were riding the bus to the airport (we’ve actually passed this sign several times, this is just the first time that we actually took a picture of it as we passed) and she pointed out this sign to me.  The one side says “Add Little Spice to you Life.”  At first I laughed thinking about the Spice Girls (and then shuddered to think they might be making a comeback with Little Spice), and then I laughed because it seemed they had forgotten to put an ‘a’ in.  But it’s not uncommon with signs for them to run out of letters, which was my next assumption, until  I saw the back of the sign.  You can view both below, but I wonder if the extra 2 ‘a’s in ‘way’ really makes that big of a difference

MiracleGro Weed Starter

Well, with a new year comes a new chance to plant plants on our little windowsill.  Beans, carrots and peas this year.

As we were walking through Lowe’s to buy some soil to get the seeds started, we stumbled across this bag of “Weed Starting Potting Mix” with, you guessed it, Dandelions growing in the bottom left hand corner.

Actually we just had too much time on a rainy day, and this was the most fun thing we could come up with after several rounds of Yahtzee! (turns out we have a dice with 5 on all six sides–made it difficult to get a Yahtzee with anything else)

Our plants are doing well in their makeshift containers.  We’re excited for whenever they decide to put little beans and peas out for us!  Bonnie can’t wait. (Actually, I can’t–who wants to know, anyway?)

Futbol!!!

Here’s a math question for good health:

Super Cool Soccer Field Around the Corner
+ Super Incredible Gift Card at Target
____________________________________

Yep! You guessed it! Super amazing Franklin Soccer Ball. We got the duller finish (with a nifty design on it) to avoid the cheese factor of having a shiny ball. The best part of the whole purchase? I went to find the ball pump hole and found some of the oddest things that together formed “the label”.  I’ll list them in order from top to bottom:

1. Anti-Fungal Treatment.   Apparently fungus comes from the outside in (not the inside out like I had presumed). I can just see a scientist somewhere saying “I bet I can make an anti-fungal treatment for soccer balls and if I try to sell it to people it would make them feel like soccer balls were grimy and in need of such a treatment”? As I write I’m feeling a little bad thinking…oh, there’s probably kids playing without shoes somewhere…asking Dagwood he says that kids in Africa play soccer barefooted and do have problems with fungus but he “doesn’t know if it’s because of the soccer ball.”  Perhaps they’re onto something…perhaps they’ve found the cure…in which case I’m all for it.

2. AFT apparently such a treatment has an acronymn…just so you know for your next visit to the doctor’s office.

3. Manufactured without child labor…always a comfort, but an interesting fact to display when you have only a small pentagon to fit all of your information in.  Keep in mind that this font is at least two times the size as 4 and 5 below.

4. If soft, reinflate with a hand pump.  Now I’d laugh at this, but sometimes I’m grateful for simple instructions on things that I should know intuitively…so I say, “Thanks go out to the designers who believe in giving seemingly intuitive instructions for those less intuitive”

5. Moisten Needle, Inflate 6-8 lbs.   I always thought this part was gross.  Anybody else ever have a ball growing up with part of the needle stuck in it?  I personally enjoyed the rattle.

6. Name ______________________

7. Team___________________

K- this is the part that really made me laugh.  It’s got to be font size 10 (just eyeballing it).  You’d have to use a pen to write that.  At least now I’ll know where to look if I ever find a stray ball (perhaps everyone else already knew that was where it was)? Growing up our name was always thick sharpie over the top of about 3-4 hexagons and pentagons…hard to miss, though admittedly somewhat ugly. My sister had a pink one that didn’t need labeling…one of a kind.  That didn’t stop the sharpie from coming out…you better believe we still labeled it. Huge letters too!

Moral of the story and reason I began to write? Soccer is very straining on the body. Back, arms, head, legs, calves…I guess I just don’t remember it hurting this much. Either my pain tolerance has gone down or my calves have become a bigger target to be hit by (more frequently and more painfully).

Welp…off to the library for a less physically intensive evening activity.