Doggie Treadmill: When a Leash Is Too Low Tech

There are a lot of things I see on tv that make me go "What???"  Most of those things are reality tv shows, but occasionally you come across a commercial that has the same effect.  Enter the dog treadmill by Cesar Millan.  Just watch:

What???  We have really reached a new laziness low.  Granted, there are some people who have health problems that preclude them from walking their pets, but for Most people, taking their dog outside isn't beyond their capability.  I love that this is a tv commercial too.  It's like he's saying "I see you there, sitting on the couch, your fingers orange from cheese puffs.  I know you don't want to get up and take your pooch outside to walk.  I've got your solution!"  If he had only offered a free ironing board attachment he could have upped sales, really cover all the reasons for having a treadmill.

Someone is going to buy this though.  They are going to spend a great deal of money on a doggie treadmill when they could have modified the treadmill they have (or a neighbor or relative because those things don't get a lot of use) or just gotten up and gone outside!!  I wish I could sale something to these people.  The world, it has a limitless capacity for silly inventions.  This one barely scratches the surface.  People people people *shaking head in awe*.

Mini Cooper Radio Commercial

Have you heard the new Mini Cooper commercial?  I searched to find it and link it here, but I can't find it.  It's on the radio; I hear it on Pandora a lot.  The commercial says that it is spring and time to clean out your garage.  It goes on to say that it is a perfect time to get rid of your old dirty car and put a new clean, shiny Mini Cooper in its place.

This commercial kind of ticks me off.  Our economy has still not fully recovered from the recession of 2008.  A lot of people are still struggling to make ends meet.  A commercial like this seems to send the message that you aren't "successful" if you can't dispose of your car like outgrown clothes and excess junk.  I heard (on Mad Men, I think, so obviously a totally reliable source) that advertising's purpose is to make sure we are never content.  This is a perfect example.  There are a blue million car commercials and they are all trying to get people to ditch their old car in exchange for a new ____ whatever kind.  This one just seems over the top.  It sows those seeds of discontent in a deeper, more in your face kind of way.  It just seems offensive.

I always thought Mini Coopers were cute cars and I've heard good things about them, but I think I would be hesitant to own one now just because I don't care for their advertising strategy at all.  There is putting a desire for a product in someone's mind and there is this and this seems excessive.  Shrug, those are my thoughts.  Notice the commercial next time and see what you think.

The Socks Are Ending the World

Today I went shopping for socks because, well... this

 I love brightly colored socks and I found these on sale.  I was Just about to buy them when I noticed.  Do you see what the problem is?

They don't match.  They are six mismatched socks.  What is the world coming to when we are too lazy to be bothered with matching socks!  It boggles the mind.  Wouldn't the wearers being worried about wrecking in them?  My Momma always told me if I was wearing dirty underwear and wrecked then the EMS wouldn't help me.  Can't you just see that?  Horrible car wreck, before the injured person is taken from the car the first responder notices the person's socks are mismatched:  "Uh, sir, I don't think we should hurry with this one, this is obviously natural selection at work.  The socks aren't even matched."  

I think it just really hurts my OCD or a genius plan to make "normal" people buy two packs of socks in the hope of actually making a pair.  Don't buy into their messed up worldview where either matching doesn't matter of they are milking you for money!  Buy regular socks!

Before I Go to Sleep

Guys.  I just finished a book.  Wow.  It was amazing (and awesome timing considering my post from earlier this week).  It is the book club book for this month:  Before I Go to Sleep by SJ Watson.  The book club passed it around for everyone to read the inside jacket, but I somehow didn't read it so I didn't have any preconceived notions.  It was so good!  Also it was reviewed by Tess Gerritsen who wrote Rizzoli and Isles (now a tv show that I really like) and that gives it a big plus.

The book is about a woman who has amnesia in sort of a double dose because she can't remember past events or retain new memories.  Every morning she wakes up and doesn't know where she is or who the man sleeping beside her is.  She doesn't even realize she is twenty some years older than she thought.  It sounds like 50 First Dates which sucked, but it is more of a thriller.  It is fast paced and I think I read it in two days, I seriously could not put it down.

Okay, I already stayed up to late reading now I have to go to bed.  Go check this book out though.

Pinterest Pictures

Today was a craptastic day at work.  One of a string of craptastic days.  The crap is falling all around.  I am feeling completely emotionally drained from work and from crazy hormones (no, I'm not pregnant, it's a surgery side effect and it SUCKS).  Because of all that I don't have a real post.  What I have instead is a series of pictures from Pinterest that make me happy because I need a little happy.

How cute would these be in my kitchen?  I'm trying to come up with a few more and then I'll work on that project.

Are these not gorgeous?  If you say no, then I'm not sure we can be friends anymore.  You would look like a Mafia member anytime you wore them, in the best kind of way though.

My two fandoms collide to make one awesome t-shirt.  I would wear that and people would look at me and think "she is awesome and has wonderful taste".  And if they didn't get it, I would feel ever so sad for them.

Jedi Ariel because Disney buying the Star Wars franchise could give rise to something like this.  I know die hard Star Wars fans would die a hundred deaths, but it could be fun to see something like this!

And finally, you cannot look at these precious elephants (and one hefflelump) and not smile.  I think I'll make it my profile pictures.  I do so love elephants.

 Tomorrow will be a happier day.  Until then, think about cartoon elephants!

Clockwork Angel: Snobbiness and Disappointment

I read this book.  And I want to blog about it, but I kind of feel bad because I didn't like it and I feel like I complain a lot about popular books.  Josh says it is because I don't like books that most people do.  There are books I like.  You should know that.  I blogged about them here, here, and here.  Okay there.  My guilt/snobbiness is assuaged.

What is up with people copying the Twilight format?  This book was almost exactly the same.  The only difference, and why I was reading it to begin with, was a steampunk flair.  I liked that, though I didn't think it was handled adeptly.  It was like the author had never had any mechanical experience before.

Otherwise, let's look at the similarities:

Girl with unique powers-Bella has the ability to not be bent by the powerful Vampire Roman people (Venturi?), Tessa has the ability to "Change" and yet not be a conventional warlock and no one knows why.

Love triangle-These books are HARDLY the first ones to exploit a love triangle, they just seem to do it so poorly.  In both books there is the brooding handsome one with some secret buried deep down who alternately loves and scorns the heroine.  The other guy is much nicer and more constant, though also magically different (werewolf and demon blood addict [unfortunately I am not making that up]).  Despite the fact that everyone is warning the heroine that the brooding handsome guy isn't good for her, the heroine is more attracted to him than the nicer, safer guy.

Predictable plot-Okay, so let's say you have the two elements above, you can still redeem yourself with a really good plot. Both Twilight and Infernal Devices have "twists" that you can see a mile away.  Then they belabor the point by explaining the "twists" over and over.

Group of people to make up a "family"-Twilight has the Cullen's and all the "siblings" in that group.  Infernal Devices has The Institute with all the Shadowhunter minors.

Then of course there are the mythical elements, all the werewolves, vampires, etc.  I'm disappointed.  I had heard such good things.  I can't make it through this series like I pulled through Twilight.  Speaking of series, I did finish the Hunger Games series and I'll update you on my thoughts on that series soon.

   

How to Drive Around a Stupid Roundabout

There are certain things that can be difficult about driving-parallel parking, 5:00 traffic, an enormous number of idiots, but there are some things that should not be very difficult.  Case in point:  roundabouts.  It should NOT be that hard!  There is a roundabout as you enter my neighborhood and there are several more in the downtown area.  They are single lane roundabouts so there is nothing wild and hairy going on.  It's literally a circle.  Drive around it without hitting anyone!

But no.  No.  Just no.  It can't be that simple.  For some reason, people cannot understand how to navigate them.  Here is what the Washington State Department of Transportation says (I don't know why them, they just pulled up on Google):

As you approach a roundabout, you will see a yellow "roundabout ahead" sign with an advisory speed limit for the roundabout. 

Slow down as you approach the roundabout, and watch for pedestrians in the crosswalk. 

Continue toward the roundabout and look to your left as you near the yield sign and dashed yield line at the entrance to the roundabout. Yield to traffic already in the roundabout. 

Once you see a gap in traffic, enter the circle and proceed to your exit. If there is no traffic in the roundabout, you may enter without yielding. 

Look for pedestrians and use your turn signal before you exit, and make sure to stay in your lane as you navigate the roundabout.

Okay of those, almost all of them should be common sense.  The only thing you really need to know is that the person to the left has the right of way.  Also, not included in this:  Do NOT Freakin' STOP in the middle of the roundabout!!!!!  People!  That is an awesome way to get hit!  I hate when people who should have the right of way are just sitting there looking at you all annoyed and you are wildly gesticulating that they are a moron who cannot drive and you wish with your whole self that they would just go!!

Finally, while we are on this topic, let's talk about giving directions when a roundabout is involved.  A roundabout (particularly here) has four outlets.  If I say, go halfway around then I mean go 180 degrees from you are you, if there was no middle planter thing that there is usually in the center then you would go straight through, take the second outlet.  All these things really mean the same thing.  Yet you would  not believe the number of people who struggle with this.  Eye roll.

Okay I'm going to climb down off this soapbox and end by saying, if the French can safely (relatively speaking) drive around the massive, crowded, multi-lane roundabout around the Arc de Triomphe, then SURELY to Goodness we can master a single lane, no traffic one.  Get it together Americans, get that $#&( together.

Gallery Style Pictures for My Living Room

I made a wall collage of pictures.  It makes me happy to see something on the wall instead of blankness!  I took out all these pieces of glass and cardboard and the little fake family pictures they put in.  Then I didn't put them in any sort of order.  Why oh why did I not?  It was much more difficult to match up the glass with the frame than I thought it would be.  Silly me!  

I got Eli to spray paint the frames for me.  Apparently spray painting requires more skill than I give it credit for so it was better to hand it off to the expert.  I got all my photos done in different shades and intensities of sepia.  The tone really ties into the chocolate on the opposite wall and doesn't clash with the paint.  Then I spent three forevers laying out the pictures and frames the way I wanted.  I can't make a decision about what to watch on tv so deciding on a layout and pictures and paint color was a major test of my abilities!  Then, because we were having people over, Josh hung the pictures for me.  Having people over gets stuff done quickly!  I got el cheapo frames (seriously from the dollar store) so they weren't weighted correctly and hung helter skelter.  My OCD was going CRAZY!  

Then Josh got it all fixed up and I stopped hyperventilating when I walked past haha.  Doesn't it look nice?  I think so.

 Here is a close up of the color.  It is Aubergine.  Surprisingly Josh agreed to this color.  I didn't figure that he would since it's purple.  I got a green that I really liked too because again with the decision making.  It looked great as well and I thought about using both colors, but it looked exactly like Barney.  Yeah a we have a thing for big purple dinosaurs wasn't the statement I was trying to make.  I'm going to use that green for another craft though, another craft in another room!

Passion Prayer Week Recap

I remember what I forgot to blog about yesterday!  Wait, that was pretty much a null sentence. Okay, anyway, how did Passion Prayer Week go for you?  If you don't know what I'm talking about then go read this post. Ugh, husband has to be all studious with the computer all the time. :P

It went pretty well for me. Even though I knew in my head how much time people spend on their phones it is a LOT when you are using all that in prayer!  If you commented on my post, then you should know that I prayed for you last week. It was definitely a better use of my time. It was peaceful though, really calming.  I don't think I really knew how often my attention was divided by fooling around on my phone. Ideally, I would cut back in day to day life, but it would be hard. It is such a habit to pick up the phone and play and game or surf Pinterest. The prayer time was great, I felt much more focused and prepared to hear the message by Sunday. All in all, I'm calling it a success and we should all meet up here next year to do it again!

Easter, April, and Excuses

Hello my lovelies!  Did you have a marvelous Easter?  Mine was fine, nothing too big went on.  The one big thing that did happen was Passover. Josh and I hosted a Passover Seder at our house last Friday. It was such fun!  Okay, to be perfectly honest, it was incredibly stressful leading up to the gathering, but then it was fun. I always majorly stress over gatherings. Josh and got SO much done though!  I should really have people over more often just for my house's sake. Josh put in a new heat pump, curtains got hung, a gallery style picture grouping thingy got painted and done (pictures of that in the next post), the yard was mowed, weeds were pulled, mulch was put down, junk was cleaned out. Basically my house is now super clean so I say yay!  I made traditional Jewish food which was new to me. It all turned out surprisingly well. The chicken matzoh ball soup was a big hit. There are no Jews in this area, like none at all so it was a major challenge to find matzoh. I asked people at Walmart about it and they looked at me like I was speaking Greek, or Hebrew as the case may be.

This is April (aren't you glad you have me for these facts?) and that means it is my blogs 2 year anniversary so I am planning to blog every day this month. I say planning because it is day two and I've already missed one day. Yeah I'm a slacker. Can I say it was because of something awesome like I was saving orange kittens from a mudslide then giving them a bath and spending the rest of the night cleaning my multitude of scratches?  My blog, my rules, so that is totally the story I am going with. :)

Okay I had something else to say but I am getting carpel tunnel from trying to blog on this iPad and I kind of forget what it was haha!  More tomorrow! Ciao!