Person, Place, Thing, or Idea

The 7-year Itch

2015-07-28T18:08:00.001-07:00

I think I finally understand the idea of the seven-year itch, and no, I don't mean the movie.

It's not just some random number that people throw out in conversation, nor is there anything magical or supernatural about the number itself. At the end of the day, it's just about the amount of time it takes for it to sink into a human's brain exactly who they're living with. Some people are slower on the uptake while others are a bit quicker, but seven's a nice ballpark figure to go with.

Not that there's something wrong with the other person, per se. But there are always little things, pet peeves or minor irritants, that a newlywed thinks will go away, will change, or will in some way miraculously become, if not palatable, then at least bearable.

After seven years, however, it finally hits the no-longer-quite-a-newlywed that the problem didn't resolve itself on its own, and neither did the other slew of annoyances. In fact, as a few may begin to realize, if any change at all is to occur, that change must come from within.

Most people, however, are unwilling to accept any such responsibly and, therefore, look around for the closest new person that they could conceivably find attractive in the right light.

These unfortunate people believe that their problem is their partner and, moreover, that if they choose a new partner, these problems will disappear. However, unless they accept their own responsibly in their next relationship, similar problems will resurface after seven years (if not sooner).

Google Chrome Issues and Why They're Not

2014-08-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have recently been arguing about Google. Essentially, he thinks that Google is the pinnacle of perfection, whereas I think ... well, I just think he's wrong.

Therefore, when my Google Chrome browser began experiencing problems that lagged the Internet throughout our entire household, eliciting screams of despair from three males at once, I blamed Google. Little did I know at the time that I was actually correct.

As it turns out, Google Chrome has a little issue with Adobe Shockwave Flash. Basically, when I was perusing multiple open Chrome browser tabs at once, Chrome was apparently also trying to run multiple instances of Flash at once, causing severe lag and leading to eventual Flash crashes on all of my open windows.

After I looked up this problem, I discovered that the best solution appears to be setting all of my plug-ins to a sort of use-on-demand state, where I can choose to either turn a plug-in on or keep it off on a given tab, as per my whim. (You can do this in Google Chrome's advanced settings under "Privacy." Click "content settings," scroll down to "Plug-ins," and select "Click to Play".) For me, this means that Flash does not attempt to run every time I open a browser tab in Chrome, thereby bypassing the whole "Flash crash/super lag/male screaming fit" thing.

After making this change, I can now peacefully open multiple browsing tabs using Chrome without causing a masculine meltdown. But, more importantly, this whole debacle reveals just one more chink in Google's armor. Take that, husband!

A Brief Thought on Credit Cards and You

2012-08-11T07:47:00.002-07:00

So, I discovered that Modest Money has a page where you can compare credit card offers to find the one most suitable for your purposes. While some people are against the use of credit cards, I believe that if the person using them is responsible and handles them properly, credit cards can actually be good for people to use.

For instance, I have used Discover card for nine years with absolutely no problems. In fact, I receive one percent cash back from Discover on every purchase that I make with my Discover card, and I receive five percent cash back on certain purchases. Since I never spend more money than I would otherwise be spending (and therefore, never more money than I have to spend), I am able to pay off my credit card bill every month, thereby avoiding interest charges and late fees.

In this manner, I essentially earn a free 1-5% cash back on all of my purchases, just by using a credit card. This has been a very lucrative arrangement for me, although I'm sure that it would not work out for everyone. I think everyone responds differently to credit cards, and different credit cards are best for different people. The key to using credit cards to your advantage is to make certain that you never spend more money than you otherwise would spend.

Crazy Lady at the Gas Station

2011-09-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

Down the road from my house lies a Taylor gas station. I frequently visit this gas station so that I may procure their awesome sodas for my offspring and myself. I firmly believe that their carbonation/syrup mix, combined with their crushed ice is easily the best drinks in town.

Today, I went there and began the slow and arduous task of unbuckling my 2-year-old son and 6-month-old daughter. Since this includes finding and replacing the shoes and socks that my son has taken off during the ride over, this can take a while.

While I was thus occupied, I overheard a woman at the pumps. Her mouth must have been a blur of action as she emitted strings of cursing. Among other things, I overheard her call someone a ... well ... I'll be PC here and say "the N word."

I did not know what was going on, and frankly, it was none of my business, so I continued unbuckling the children. At this time, I noticed a large black woman waddling in my direction. She was muttering things as she came, and I was under the impression that she was talking to me.

As she passed me by, she very loudly said, "white trash." Although I was by now almost certain that she was talking to me, I ignored this comment, as I had children to consider and she was clearly insane. Therefore, I went into the gas station.

The black lady stood near the front of the store surveying the other people in the gas station.I hurriedly filled my cups and made my way to the checkout counter. Sadly, there was a line.

By now, a Mexican woman was at the drink fountain near the back of the store. The black woman waddled over to her and said "Mexican _____." I had never heard the word that she uttered, but it must have been some slang that was very, very bad.

The Mexican woman stood in shock while the black woman made her way back toward the front of the store. Then, the Mexican woman said, "Excuse me. Are you talking to me?" The black woman said, "No, I ain't talkin' to you -- why would I be talkin' to your Mexican a**?"

At this point, although I was up to the counter and trying hard to get the cashier to hurry, she was distracted, and I was stuck.

A bald, buff man who might be considered a Neo Nazi came over to me. He said, "I'm sorry, but this woman scares me. I want to protect the kids." I thanked him for his consideration, as I was quite certain that this woman was insane, and dangerous.

Meanwhile, the yelling had continued between the Mexican woman and the black woman. Amid threats of physical violence, the Mexican woman said, "I'm going to call the cops on your a**!" In response, the black woman wisely chose to make a quick exit.

After the door closed, the people in the gas station looked like survivors of World War III. The unfortunate Mexican lady was confused asking, "What did I do to her?" I answered, "It wasn't your fault. That woman's crazy."

"Really?" she asked.

"Definitely," I replied and, having paid for my drinks, I vacated the premises.

More Random and Sporadic Life Events from Yours Truly

2011-08-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

Well, the youngest kid is crawling. Meanwhile, the 2 year old has learned the impressive skill of taking off his diaper and throwing it in the toilet. While I appreciate the thought, I can't say that I honestly appreciate the action.

I believe in my heart of hearts that the throw-the-diaper-in-the-toilet trick is a direct result of the training that he has received from my husband. And before you ask, no, my husband does not throw his own diaper in the toilet. Instead, whenever my son has a dirty diaper, my husband takes the diaper to the toilet, where he proceeds to transfer the contents into the toilet. He has some strange belief that our son will see this action, and form a connection between the excrement and the toilet. Instead, I believe he has formed a connection between the diaper and the toilet. So I end up fishing sopping wet dirty diapers from the toilet all day. Which is less fun than it might sound.

In other news, I have begun doing some freelance writing and editing for a site. It has been going very well, but keeping me quite busy. As a result, my blog posts have been even more random and rare than ever before. Nonetheless, for the last few days, I have been making a concerted effort to make posts here and there on my blogs. My conclusion is that I have too many blogs to maintain them all very well. However, I am loathe to delete any; therefore, my posts to all of them will continue to be rather random and sporadic, only more so.

Although there are many more things going on in my life, I think I hit on all the key points. Let's see...crawling, dirty diapers, and editing...yep, I think that pretty much covers it. How is your life going?

Basking In The Luxury Of Life

2010-03-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

Ah, the sounds of my life. A screen door banging against the frame, its handle long gone. The sounds of the neighbors driving their odd machines up and down the road, heedless of what time of day or night it might be. Dogs barking for reasons that are unclear. My son snoring in my lap peacefully after a morning of uncertainty.

And as I sit here, relishing these moments, I understand that they will not last forever. Time passes more quickly than I could have imagined as a child. It seemed that life would last forever; then, before I knew it, I was grown with children of my own. I see my father, and I realize that he has few years left. I treasure every moment with him. Always, in the back of my mind, I fear that I will not see him again.

Every moment that passes is a moment that will never come again. When it comes down to it, that is what matters. A person's race, religion, political views, opinions, job, level of wealth ... all rubbish. Enjoy life by the minute, without prejudice, without anger. There is not enough time for that sort of silliness.

Let's live.

One Tweet, Two Tweet, Three Tweet, Four

2009-10-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how one tweet often leads to another? Sometimes, I'll be scanning my twitter page and see someone's tweeted response to someone not on my list. I then find myself clicking that person in order to follow the conversation. But then, when I get there, I see something that the second person said to a third person. I click that and it goes on and on.

Today, while doing this, I happened upon a person's page that I was not expecting. It seems that a sexually charged married young woman uses twitter as her outlet for her sexual desires.

Many things I think in response to this, but I think the most pertinent is "What are you thinking?!? Don't you know your husband is going to find this?!?" But then, maybe he should. Maybe, if he does, he'll realize that he's apparently...ahem...not keeping up his end of the bargain. Or, more likely, he'll just be really angry, and it will cause even more marital problems than already exist. Seriously - marriage counseling - try it.

I have recently discovered that orange chicken is very good, while being much less sexually charged than some people's twitter pages. I have also found that the Chinese place down the road gives about twice as much food on a plate than I could possibly eat...in a day. Which is awesome. Leftovers are yummy too. So, for a grand total of $8, I can have two days worth of meals or one day worth of meals for two people. How cool is that, I ask you?

A Tit Without A Tat Is Like A Gnome Without A Hat!

2009-09-20T10:11:00.001-07:00

So there I was. In the Etsy chat room. Minding my own business, excepting those times when I was minding others' business. Someone entered the chat room that I didn't know, but couldn't ignore. This individual was searching for crocheters for a project ... a project too enticing to deny. Yes, my fellow chatter wanted a gnome hat.

Now, I have never before created a gnome hat, so I hesitated to offer my services. Instead, I simply informed the gnome that I would make a hat, and link it when it was finished. After some time, I came up with a pattern that I deemed acceptable, and created the hat that you see here.

Is it a good hat? Is it a hat that a respectable gnome could be proud to wear? Is the picture quality as poor as I believe it to be? These answers I leave to you, dear reader ... I'm afraid that I can't see the forest for the trees.

Visitors

2009-06-10T19:33:00.001-07:00

Well, I've been AWOL from the Internet for a couple of days due to a mild case of "guest entertainment." They came all the way from San Antonio, these two nameless people, in order to endure my ever-so-loving treatment. You know how it is -- I get all sentimental and weepy when an old friend comes to call ... other people may think of it as sarcastic and hurtful, but those who know me best know that it's really sentimental and weepy. Really. *cough*

Anyway, the point is that they went on their merry way today, leaving my computer available to me again. And, after running a few scans, virus free. Some folks don't understand viruses very well, nor do they understand where viruses come from. Fortunately, I have a few Internet condoms, so the worst of the possible contagions were avoided. I just inherited a few spyware and adware programs ... relatively harmless ones, so I'm not too concerned.

That being said, I'm about to make some green chili casserole and some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Yummmmm :)

Signing off for said goodness.

Broken Camera and Whatnot

2009-06-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

So, my camera is broken. Yesterday, my fiance took it outside to take pictures and dropped it on the cement. This is very sad for me, since it's what I've been using to take pictures of my Etsy items with. The lens is stuck. Not stuck in the normal way that one means when one says "stuck," however. I push power, it makes a terrible sound, the lens may or may not move around a bit, then the screen reads "turn off and back on." I do this with the same results. Lovely. So I beat it against the desk a bit. This failed to solve my problem, strangely. It did make the lens jiggle a bit more when it comes on, however. I call that progress. And I felt better about myself for it. So I've been using my scanner to scan in images for Etsy for the last day and a half or so. Later, I'll open the camera up with a little tiny screwdriver and see how much damage I can do inside a $600 camera.

In other news I just ate a cherry pie from Kroger that had no sugar added. It was delicious and I recommend it. In fact, maybe I'll review it later. Yes, it was that good. Or I'm that desperate for something to review. Whatever.

Garage Sales...or Not...

2009-06-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I had every intention of going to garage sales this morning. I went to bed early last night for the expressed purpose of getting up early this morning for my garage saling venture. But fate had chosen otherwise.

This morning, about 15 minutes before I would otherwise have gotten up to get ready for garage saling, the phone rang. It was my friend/landlord. He said that he would be coming over to look at my leaky roof in a few minutes. He did, and having inspected it, he decided that we'll have to replace it with tin. Additionally, he decided that it's time for us to mow the forest ;)

Needless to say, I am sad to report that I was unable to garage sale this morning. But hey ... tomorrow's another day.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies?

2009-06-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

So, I've been thinking of adding baked goods to my Etsy store for a while now. However, I need some ideas of what kinds of baked goods people are interested in.

Regular chocolate chip or sugar cookies seem so incredibly generic. However, I do make some awesome cinnamon chocolate chip cookies. But really, why stop there? There are so many cookie options out there that it seems a shame to make the same-ol' same-ol' that everyone else in the world makes.

Give me some ideas, people. I would love to know what you want. However weird or strange it may be, shoot me a comment and let me know what you would like to see in my Etsy store, or what you're craving at the moment.

My Etsy Store