Smile for the camera!

Random things that make me smile:

Snow that looks like powdered sugar on my windshield.

Finding Superman's car (somehow it isn't as impressive as the Batmobile, but I guess being a man of steel and all, he doesn't need any of that silly bulletproof plating).

Is anyone else struck my the urge to pull this lever? ...I guess that's what the padlock is for.

This construction has been going on for awhile now, and everytime I see it I can't help but think of castles and damsels in distress. You know, the whole Rapunzel trapped in a tower thing.

This one makes me smile everytime I pass it. Who wrote those three words? Who were they intended for? I just like thinking of it as the world telling me I'm loved.

Things that look like other things

Take a look at these pictures and tell me what you think. What do you see?

1

2

3

1. Doesn't that first one look like little aliens? See the antennas poking up? And that bright green. Definitely extraterrestrial.

2. Maybe my thinking is clouded by the novel I just read set in 1946, but don't those purple flowers remind you of bombs?

3. The first time I saw the flowers in the third picture I thought "these are the kind of flowers a child would draw and an adult would look at and say 'how creative - I wouldn't have thought to only color the petals with a stripe of blue.'"

Any similar finds?

What is this?

In the interest of making these posts more accessible to those who do NOT live in the Emerald City, I've decided to switch from Where is this to What is this.

Can you tell what this is a picture of? I'm starting you off with an easy one here...

Road Signs

Wouldn't it be nice to have some signs to follow on the road of life?

A nice big Stop sign when it's time for a break.

A Wrong Way sign when you start to get off track.

Dead Ends nicely labeled,

With Road Ends signs in case you decided to ignore the first warning.

Heads up when there's an obstacle ahead, with directions of how to navigate around it.

Clear "yes" and "no" signs when you're trying to figure

out which way to go. Impractical or dangerous paths marked Do Not Enter.

Then you'd know if you were going to be thrown for a loop, or experience some Rough Road ahead.

A School Zone Ends sign would let you know if you've accumulated enough education.

If your original plan is not currently an option you can follow the Detour

signs and there might even be a marque to tell you how long it will take to get where you're going.

And if things get really crazy, chances are there'll be someone there directing you through the tough spot.

Yeah, I wouldn't mind a few road signs along the way. But I do know one thing about life - it's a one-way road!

Things you never knew you needed

A friend from high school recently had twins. I searched high and low for a baby calendar I liked and ended up at the Current Catalog website (turns out my own baby calendar was purchased from Current - I liked the layout and event stickers enough to ask my mom where she got it). As a result of that purchase I now receive the catalog in the mail every month or so. If you ever wonder if people are still inventing little gadgets and securing patents, here's proof we haven't exhausted all of the patent possibilities. (all pictures are from the Current Catalog website: http://www.currentcatalog.com/)

Mini Refrigerator Wind Chimes - "Mini melodic chimes cling to your fridge to alert you when the door is opened."

I wonder if these would wake up a sleep walker. "Amy would come upstairs and she would flop her feet like a duck. We knew she would be sleep-walking. And then she'd have these eyes -- and you knew she wasn't awake . And sometimes she would look at you and scream: 'I'm hungry!'" Can you imagine? That would totally freak me out! And cat food sandwiches? No thank you.

Melon Scoopers - aren't those cute? Are people really that averse to scooping out the seeds with a spoon?

Water Bottle Ice Cube Trays

Ultimate invention? Or ultimate laziness? I'll admit, I've been frustrated by trying to fit large square cubes in a small circular opening. Who really remembers to stick a water bottle in the freezer the night before? Or has those fancy fridges that can crush ice?

Toast Tongs - "Durable bamboo tongs safely remove hot foods from your toaster."

Anyone else hesitate before grabbing things from the toaster? Hey, if your fingers make contact with a particularly crispy spot it stings!

Beverage Can Caps - "Locking flip-top plastic beverage caps keep fizz in, keep insects out, prevent major spills, and color-code everyone's cans!" Do you think they really keep the fizz in? 'Cause the plastic soda bottles sure don't do the trick, no matter how tightly you screw on the lid.

"First Out" Pie Spatula - "Bake your pie with this spatula in the pie tin." To prevent the unsightly pie pile the first piece inevitably turns into from trying to wiggle a spatula under the bottom crust and scoop it all out at once.

And a Pie Gate once that first piece is out.

GreenBags - "Debbie Meyer's FoodFresh System controls humidity and prevents excess moistures, so there's less mold, bacteria, and decay. Plus, the bags reduce vitamin loss, all without any chemicals. ...keep fruits, vegetables, herbs, even cut flowers, fresh for up to a month." Those are quite the claims! Cut flowers fresh for a month? Of course, why would you have them sitting bagged up in your fridge?

I hope you've enjoyed this edition of "Things you never knew you needed" brought to you by http://www.currentcatalog.com/. A great site to keep in mind if you're in need of inspiration! Afterall, doesn't everyone need a set of these for the Fourth of July?

Socialization encouragement for introverts

You are not a fungus...you are a human, and you need other people in your life in order to be healthy.

-Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz

I don't know about you, but the sun helps me feel like less of a fungus. I don't feel the need to curl up under a log as much during the warm summer months. Having a roommate also helps. Hearing someone else moving around and coming and going usually elicits enough guilt to get me up and out the door as well.

Go be a human today!

Animal sounds

I love my cat, really I do. He's got a rumbly little motor inside that just won't quit. Sometimes all I have to do is look at him and I can hear the purring start. The vet thinks he may have a little "rag doll" breed in him, which basically means you can pick him up and sling him over your shoulder or prop him in your lap without any resistance. And boy does he love laps. As he's gotten older he's become more insistent in his right to occupy whatever space he chooses. He doesn't care if you're trying to read a book, or if you're juggling a plate of food. All he sees is the opportunity to cuddle up and get some attention.

You've probably heard in the news how having a pet can lower your blood pressure and lengthen your lifespan. There's something so satisfying in being able to please another being with so little effort. And animals are great about letting you know when they're pleased. Cats purr, dogs will get that crazy leg going, rabbits grind their teeth, and guinea pigs warble. How can you not smile when running your hand across a guinea pig's back causes a bubbly little warble to resonate? If you can ignore the video game sounds in the background, this video will give you an idea of what I mean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Gmts8h-7E&feature=related.

As I was saying, I love my cat. What I do not love are his sleeping habits. He has all day to sleep, so he doesn't see the point in sleeping all night as well. And he isn't afraid to tell me so. They make bark collars for dogs, why hasn't anyone come up with a whine collar for cats? Anyway, with the arrival of summer I thought I'd have a few warm months when Midnight could be outside at night and I could sleep in peace.

I have a fan going at night, which helps muffle night noises and can provide a nice breeze. But the past few nights I've also been leaving my window open to let some cool air in. This morning I was slowly pulled awake by a sound I couldn't place. I woke up knowing I had heard something, but not able to remember what it was. 5:00am. Garbage truck? No, those are much louder. Birds chirping? But it had stopped. As I started drifting back to sleep I heard it again. Midnight? It sounds like he's at the door wanting in. I toss off the covers and pad out to the living room, but when I open the front door he's not there. I figure I was mistaken and crawl back into bed. A few minutes later there it is again. It has to be Midnight. This time I walk down the stairs and peer around the side of the building. Sure enough, there he is, serenading me under my window. 'Good grief,' I thought, 'hopefully it only woke me because I'm familiar with his yowling.' Do you remember Heathcliff? That's not really the reputation I was hoping Midnight would have in the neighborhood...

Thailand

I mentioned spending a few years in Thailand when I was growing up. What I haven't mentioned is that my mom and younger sister are currently in the middle of a 5 year return trip. I had the chance to visit for three weeks last April and thought I would share some of the thoughts and experiences I had while I was there:

Some things can't be captured by pictures or words. The flicker and buzz when you flip on the fluorescent bulbs. The warble of an exotic bird. The thucas (lizards) named for the sound they make. A lai of Thai flowers filling the car with their sweet familiar fragrance. A sweet and lightly fizzy pink soda my sister picks out for me. The incomprehensible chatter my mom engages in effortlessly and my sister is learning more of each day. The transition from air conditioning to the warmth of the outdoors that gradually progresses to a draining heat whose effects you aren't fully aware of until you return to the cool air and are at once refreshed and tired.

One night, my sister and I stood out on the balcony in the warm night air, watching lightening flicker in the distance.

We went to an elephant show where flowers and elephant silhouettes were casually painted by them holding paint brushes with their trunks. The same pliable trunk would then wrap around the shoulders of eager picture takers after relieving them of their offerings of sugar cane and banana bunches.

I revved up a motorcycle and tooled around my childhood neighborhood, recognizing less than I thought I would.

We walked through the night bazaar where I found the sweetened condensed milk wraps I overindulged in when I was young and, while trying on sunglasses, noticed my face was still steadily manufacturing sweat to combat the oppressive heat.

In the interest of escaping the heat, we fled to Koh Chang, an island off the southern coast of the Thai mainland, a short ferry and a few hours bus ride from Bangkok. But more about that later...