Miscelany

I got all my final Christmas errands done this morning, thanks to the babysitting co-op!

I'm continuing to be glad I'm not traveling to the Midwest this month.

I usually get cash or a gift certificate from the kids I read to at a local day-care; this year I got candy.

I should really start a Redwood City news blog.

I thought video games were recession-proof?

EA to cut 1,000 jobs.

iTunes weirdness

If you use iTunes, maybe you can clue me in on something. Is it normal for random songs that I've never heard of to pop up in my "library?" I only use iTunes about once a week, when I have opportunity to go into my office and close the door and get stuff done while someone else is wrangling my kids. Today was such a time and there they were, random songs from various genres and almost all were from artists I had never heard of.

The Power of Vitamin C

Since I got over my walking pneumonia bout in October, I started taking 1000 milligrams a day of vitamin C supplements. My kids have been sick a few times since, and my husband had stomach flu Monday. I have been fine. Coincidence? I'm a believer.

A great cause for Redwood City school

A woman in my mothers club teaches low-income gradeschoolers and has set up a fundraiser so the kids can go on a field trip to a farm. Check it out and donate if you're moved!

Bunions

Apparently, I have bunions. A particularly bad one on my right foot. So to start with, the podiatrist created casts of my feet for orthotics, which may help the problem and postpone surgery for 1 to 5 years.

Having the surgery, which as far as I can tell is inevitable, would involve two days on my back and three weeks of no driving. Nice! Sounds like it'll be time for some of the relatives from the midwest to come out and help with the boys when that happens.

Illannoy

In the state of my birth (and the first 23 years of my life, god help me) the current governor was arrested today, and his predecessor remains in prison (at least for now).

No, you don't have to gain three pounds this month.

Here's my latest (yeah, I know it's a few weeks ago) story for the Mountain View Voice.

Stop holiday weight-gain before it starts!

"Another Caucasian..."

The NYT on TBL and the renaissance of the White Russian.

There's Tricky Dick, and then there's regular dick

Regan tore down Carter's solar panels.

The Pop Report

It's been nearly four months since I decided to quit drinking diet soda. It's going ok. I'm down to just one on most days. But there was a domestic incident today related to pop.

You see, sometimes I stop at a gas station or convenience store or such to get a 20 ouncer. And one in eight of these has a buy-one-get-one-free coupon under the cap. So I ended up collecting four of these. So I had me a stash in the fridge. Now, my dear husband has been supportive of the pop-quiting. We haven't bought any cases of cans or bottles since I started my experiment, not even Splenda Coke.

Hubby: If you can have a stash that I can't drink from, then I want a stash that you can't drink from.
Me: But I'll drink from it!
Hubby: But you can't!
Me: But I will anyway!

He does not understand the power of addiction.

We decided that we would try not to have any more pop in the house. He can have a stash at work....

Happy Thanksgiving!

kiefer-rocks.com

How much does Kiefer rock? He was on the Tonight Show earlier this week talking about how he rides his bike around LOS ANGELES to pick up stuff like his scripts and puts them in the basket on his bike! *swoon!*

Cub = moron

Apparently you have to have an IQ lower than the president's to be on the Cubs.

"Maybe we underestimated how prepared you have to be, how ready you have to be, especially in a five-game series," Dempster said. "It's like a short heavyweight bout. Ding, the bell is ringing, you've got to go."

So, did they not know that it was a five game series? That they had to win three whole games, or, more importantly, not lose that many? The year after being swept in the playoffs?

I don't want to hear any more effing excuses out of these losers. Thank you.

Packages you won't need a saw to open

The NYT has an article about the "frustration-free" packaging, which I am excited about...

“I shouldn’t have to start each Christmas morning with a needle nose pliers and wire cutters,” said Jeffrey P. Bezos, the father of four young children and founder of Amazon.com. “But that is what I do, I arm myself, and it still takes me 10 minutes to open each package.”

Well, this is just silly

So the Yes on 8 people are bitching and moaning because the No on 8 people are calling for boycotts of their businesses. Um, so? When they made donations to Yes on 8, they should have known those donations would become part of the public record. If they didn't know that, too bad for them. Witchhunt? Um, no. Boycotts are a totally legitimate political tool.

And, as always, I am tired or hearing the anti-gay-marriage people try to explain how they don't hate gay people, they just don't want them to be happy.

TLC is weird

Am I the only one who's disturbed by the fact that there's a whole TV show about women picking out wedding dresses? "...what may be the single most important day of their lives..."?? Ugh.

Obama Wooo!

Frustration-free packaging!

This is just about the greatest idea ever. Those clam shells totally suck, and they are horrible for the environment. Yay Amazon!!!

Top Five Reasons to Vote

5) 8 = Hate

4) There's probably a local measure in your area that is actually really important.

3) "Just because I can see the moon doesn't make me an astronaut."

2) It's really pretty exciting that we get to vote for a black man for president for the first time ever.

1) You get a sticker.