Stuff That Makes My Life Easier

These are a few of the products that make my life easier:

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
Nothing works better at taking dirt off walls

Garnier Fructis Ultra Strong Hairspray
This hairspray works great, better than expensive salon brands, but do not be fooled by the Garnier hairsprays in the darker green cans with black lids. These do not work any better than spraying compressed air at your head!

Yesterday's News Cat Litter
No dust, absorbs oders, doesn't have an oder of it's own, and it's recycled!

Johnny Cat Litter Box Liners
The only ones cats with claws don't rip right through

Aveeno Body Wash
I used to suffer from very dry winter skin because I'm not good at using lotion regularly. With Aveeno body wash, my skin stays in good shape all winter, even though I don't use lotion.

Eucerin Aquaphor Healing Ointment
One use heals chapped lips or really dry hands. Works on rough heels too.

Cover Girl Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner
The only eyeliner I've ever liked

Bird's Eye Steamfresh Singles
Less than two minutes in the microwave, and you've got a serving of veggies. Perfect for busy singles.





FTC Disclosure - These product recommendations were not solicited.

My Cat Is Green

My cat, Jack, has turned garbage into toys - the envelopes that tea bags come in, the rings from milk jugs and straws. My furry little environmentalist;-)

I Finally Understand

For many years, my dad refused to vote in presidential elections. He had voted for Richard Nixon and was appalled that he could have been duped so badly by a politician. He questioned his own judgment.

I now understand how he felt.

I was rooting for John Edwards to win the 2008 election. That thought is almost physically sickening to me now. The idea that someone as conniving, ruthless and just plain slimy could be the leader of our country is the single most frightening idea I have ever come across.

The sad part is - they are probably people just as conniving, ruthless and slimy, if not more so, in office already.

What is it about politics? Does it bring out the worst in people? Or are the worst people running for office?

The Big Bang Theory Cracks Me Up

(Note: I am talking about the television show, not the actual big bang theory. Got it? K.)

For those of you who haven't watched, The Big Bang Theory is a sitcom about three lovable nerds and one kinda lovable nerd who work together at a university. Two of them are roommates and live across the hall from the totally not nerdy Penny.

BBT cracks me up because I am, albeit to a much lesser extreme, Sheldon Cooper.

I'm a bit of a nerd (he's full on).

I'm particular about certain things and sometimes have weird reasons for them. (See Sheldon's explanation about where he sits)

I've been told that people enjoy how I react to gifts. (See Sheldon's reaction to Penny's Christmas gift)

Like Sheldon, I sometimes don't get come-ons from the opposite sex.

I hold grudges against celebrities (Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, etc.) Sheldon's grudge is against Wil Wheaton.

Beyond my similarities to Sheldon, the show is wittily written and all of the characters make me laugh.

{And no, no one paid me to write this post;-)}

What I Love About Reading

This is a hard post for me to start because I love so many things about reading. It makes me sad when someone says they hate reading; books can offer so much.

I love that reading is an escape from my technology saturated days - computer, cell phone, digital camera, video camera, and television are all off when I read. It feels like a return to a simpler time and I cherish the silence.

I love that I can go anywhere I wish without leaving the comfort of my couch. I can go to New York, Middle Earth, the Dominican Republic, Hogwarts, medieval Europe, Japan...anywhere.

I love that I can meet so many different people, some that I would want to meet in real life and some that I would not.

I love how different authors play with language, and I love to explore the different worlds and characters they create.

I love how reading can lift my spirits if I'm stressed, angry, sad or lonely, and I love how reading inspires my own creativity.

I love how reading is a one-to-one connection between the author and the reader. Unlike most other forms of entertainment, when you hold a book in your hands, you are holding the creation of one mind. That is amazing to me. I like to imagine where different authors might have written their works.

I love that reading connects me with my parents. When I was growing up, my parents always read to me, told me stories, bought me books and took me to the library. It wasn't uncommon for the three of us to be in our living room, one of us watching a TV show and the other two reading...but all together in the same room. These days we pass books back and forth and talk about them over weekly dinners.

Do you love reading? What do you love about it?

Five Random Things I Would Change if I Was in Charge

1. Mid-season breaks in television shows would not be allowed (ahem...Lost, Flash Forward, V)

2. Email addresses would be portable from one service provider to another, like cell phone numbers

3. Political candidates would not be allowed to spend money on advertising

4. Barry Melrose would do color for the NHL on NBC

5. I would re-do the series finale of Will & Grace

Dating vs. Hanging Out

This evening, I was involved in some happy hour chatter about dating vs. hanging out. Here is what I have decided...if you are a man over the age of 30 and you use the term "hanging out" instead of dating, it should be required for you to have "not marriage material" tattooed on your forehead.

Seriously.