My Disappointing Summer of 2014: A Look At What Went Wrong

/ Ally Bean / 31 Comments

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I am at heart a project manager.  I like to accomplish things.  I’m practical.  I’m determined.  I have vision.  I work well with people.  I like to research, plan and then bring to fruition that which I set out to do.

But the Summer of 2014 has thwarted me on every front.

As some of you who live around here know, this has been one of the wettest summers on record.  While California is drying up like an unloved, unwatered Philodendron in a terra-cotta pot sitting on the window sill, Ohio has been deluged with so much rain that outdoor pots of waterlogged geraniums and zinnias are holding up white flags of surrender.

All this rain is not right, I tell you.

We have done almost no gardening, no flea markets or antique shows, no cookouts or drinks on the deck with friends, no outdoor concerts, no long walks in the nature preserve or parks, no outside dinners at funky restaurants in cool parts of town, no redecorating projects that need bright clear natural light.

Pretty much one word sums up this past summer: NO!

Zen-Den, ever the optimist, reminds me that around here a wet summer leads to a glorious fall.  And that if I can hold onto my sanity for just a few more weeks, I’ll be okay.  So it is with that autumnal hope in mind that I continue on trying to ignore the lousy summer weather [like the current pouring rain + thunder] and find something else to do.

Besides complaining, that is.

More Linky Love For Eggheads: Eat, Drink & Be Merry Edition

/ Ally Bean / 18 Comments

NOT MUCH GOING ON HERE TO TELL you about, my gentle readers.  It’s that time in August when everyone who I know is:

  • preparing for back-to-school;  &/OR
  • taking a last-minute vacay before Labor Day;  &/OR
  • hiding inside an air-conditioned building in a futile attempt to avoid ragweed, chenopods and nettle pollen*.

SO INSTEAD OF TWISTING MYSELF INTO KNOTS about not having anything to write about [or anyone around to read what I write], I’m going to share the following fun + informative links with you.

LIKE PIGS WHO FLY I SHALL RETURN in a week or two, presuming something blog-worthy happens in my life.  Until then, enjoy!

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::  Wishing you knew a way to open that darned wine bottle when you are without a corkscrew, but have your shoes?  Go here.

Filed under: “Things To Try… Maybe.”

::  Ever think that there might be a better, more scientific, way to go about cutting a birthday cake?  Go here.

I’m telling ‘ya, you’re doing it wrong.

::  Do you dislike pitchers of warm beer yet lack a simple way to keep the pitcher cold?  Go here.

Now this one seems useful.

::  Looking for ways to make all your pie crusts look pretty?  Go here.

Loving every one of them.

::  Thinking that an expertly mixed martini is what you need right now?  Go here.

Not bad: handsome man, perfect drink.

::  In the mood for a Jell-O ice cream pie prepared by Johnny Carson in 1957?  Go here.

None for me, thanks.

::  Ever wonder if there’s a more difficult, yet mathematically equal, way to slice a bagel in two?  Go here.

Cute, but too tricky for me.

* Find out what pollen is ruining your summer fun at Pollen.com.

Facebook Revisited: Like Leonard, I Proposed An Experiment

/ Ally Bean / 12 Comments

::  A few weeks ago I joined Facebook again. It had been about 5-6 years since I’d deleted my last account, so I was able to start fresh over there.  I used a different email address even.

No particular incident precipitated my decision to get involved again.  All I can say is that I was curious to see how people who I know are now using it, and how FB has changed over the years.  Re-joining was a bit of an experiment to see if I fit in over there, or not.

::  After years of blogging, my immediate impression of Facebook is, quite simply, it’s cute. Scrolling through all the status updates from my new [old?] FB friends, I feel like I’ve gone back in time to when blogs were brand new and everyone had a blog, even if they didn’t know what to do with the blog.

So far all the FB status updates that I’ve seen have been a few sentences long– &/or involved a photo– &/or shared a link.  They remind me of many early blog posts, before blogging became more focused + polished.  There’s absolutely nothing wrong with these updates, but I find it difficult to know what to say about them.

::  In my first status update, I told FB to dazzle me.  And well, while the people who I’ve connected with are delightful, the system as a whole leaves me in mind of The Big Bang Theory episode about Leonard and Leslie’s experimental date kiss.

Which is to say that like Leslie’s evaluation of Leonard’s kiss, I’m finding FB to have: “reasonable technique, no extraneous spittle, but feeling no arousal at all.”  Meaning that it just might be that FB is not the place for me to shine.  And that’s okay by me.

Faced With Irony In The Grocery Store Checkout Lane, I Smile

/ Ally Bean / 30 Comments

While standing in the checkout lane at Kroger the shopper in front of me, a 70-something woman, told me and the cashier, a 20-something man, about how she downloaded her coupons onto her smart phone all by herself.  She was very proud of her success, and both the cashier and I congratulated her on doing so.

She was happy. And so were we.

In passing, the chatty cashier mentioned to us that Kroger was using virtual coupons because that was a way to save paper and help the environment.  The 70-something woman said: Oh yes, I’m all about saving paper.  It’s such an important thing to do.  I believe in that.

She was adamant. And we were impressed.

Then she pulled out her checkbook and wrote a [paper] check for her purchases leaving me to glance at the cashier who looked like he was going bust a gut, not saying a word about her incongruous behavior, as he finished the transaction.  Then with a friendly wave to both of us, she pushed her cart through the door and left the store.

She was clueless. And we couldn’t stop smiling.

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