Peanut Butter & Jelly

At the company I work for, a lot of different nationalities are represented. Because we need to translate books and journals from around the world, it is important to have a lot of diversity in the staff. This often makes work potlucks very interesting and fun - with people bringing all sorts of dishes from all around the globe. I've tried a lot of new foods while I've worked there - some I have loved, and others I've...well, I've passed by without trying.

This morning we had a birthday potluck for a couple coworkers. One of the people celebrating her birthday is a coworker from Russia. She told us that she went out to eat for her actual birthday (last week) and had a delicious meal. When we asked her what it was, she warned us that it might gross us out. When we convinced her we could handle it, she revealed that it was pig pâté. A little too much explanation was then given about the boiling of the pig head to make the pâté, and, well, I'll stop there (you're welcome).

At that point, another co-worker, an American, told a story about how she once asked a friend of hers who was visiting America, what the grossest American food is. Her friend's answer? Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! I was shocked! What's more simple and yummy than a pb&j sandwich with a cold glass of milk!?

Another co-worker from Brazil agreed with my co-worker's foreign friend, describing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as gross, and more specifically, "too slimy." At that point another co-worker, also from Russia, said that she used to think pb&j sandwiches were weird when she moved to the States, but has acquired a taste for them now (something most Americans do at age three).

Up to this point, the only food/drink I've consistently heard my non-American friends complain about is root beer, which they often describe as tasting like medicine (delicious, bubbly, thirst quenching medicine...) But pb&j?! I never knew.

Years ago I served as a missionary for my church. I was assigned to serve in Houston, speaking Spanish. For the most part, the people I served with were Mexican. Mexican people are so kind and generous and many of the people we worked with would often invite us over for delicious home cooked meals. I love Mexican food and you won't hear me complaining about any of it, except this: menudo.

And no, I'm not talking about this Menudo:

I'm talking about this menudo:

also known as tripe, or stomach. I can't eat stomach!! That's just confusing to my stomach!! It's a mental thing I know, but I don't care how delicious people say it is, menudo is not going in my belly. No belly in my belly, that's my motto.

Other than that, I love Mexican food. I guess all cultures have at least one food that just seems inedible to people not used to it. What's yours??

Bat Daze

When I was about three or four years old, I remember this time when my brother and I were playing in the nursery at church. The nursery was in the basement at the end of a long hall. As I was looking through the toys, deciding what to play with, I saw a toy that I thought was a stuffed mouse. This next part of the story I remember very vividly, as if it happened in slow motion. I reached out to touch the fur on the back of the toy mouse, when suddenly its wings spread out and it took flight. It was a bat. My next memories of what happened involve running down the hallway screaming, mostly.

I'm thinking about that today because of something that happened at work this afternoon. It was around 1:30 and we were all dragging - you know how Friday afternoon in an office is. Suddenly I heard screaming behind me. I turned my head around and there was a huge bat, circling the room over and over again, sometimes dipping dangerously close to us. You can imagine the chaos that ensued. I immediately put the hood of my jacket up so the bat wouldn't get in my hair or bite my neck and turn me into a vampire.

I mostly stayed hidden under my hood for the entirety of the time the bat was in the office, though I peeked out from time to time to see if it was gone yet. And discovering it wasn't gone but was instead flying at me then away, then at me then away, I couldn't help but join in the squealing a little bit. Just as I was considering hiding under my desk, the bat flew out of the office, saving me from that embarrassment.

At that point, some brave coworkers figured out a way to get the bat out of the building. Now I'm scared to go outside, but I feel safe in the office at least.

In the aftermath of Bat Attack 2011, we all reflected on what had just happened. Some people had been brave, some (not naming any names) not so much. Some were embarrassed by how much they had screamed, some were proud of their heroic efforts to get it out. Some recounted how they'd tried to get away, but the bat had blocked their paths. Justin said he thought he made eye contact with it as it flew over our partition wall.

Not saying I'm grateful a bat got in the office, but it was certainly one of the most interesting things that's happened at work in awhile and it got us through the afternoon. Even if I do have to spend the evening researching rabies symptoms (just in case my hood wasn't as impenetrable as I hoped).

Wednesday Thoughts

Kathy, PI (that's her real mustache)

This week is the last week my coworker and friend, Kathy, is going to be working at our company. She's moving on to greener pastures starting next Monday. I've been super bummed about it so I'm pretending it's not going to happen. On Monday, I'll just chat with the card board cut-out I've had made of Kathy and act like nothing has changed. She doesn't know about this plan yet, but I'm pretty sure she'll be ok with it. Especially since she's had card board cut-outs of all of us made to bring with her to her new job. That's normal, right?

Last night I got thinking about the good times we've had with Kathy in our office - some of which I've shared with you here. Adventures such as:

The Kix cereal debate - this was the time Kathy brought a box of Kix cereal in which unexpectedly stirred up a lot of bad memories in Ann. Ann always hated the "Kid-tested, mother-approved" motto Kix cereal uses in its advertisements, claiming that it proves nothing and there is no evidence that the kids like it simply because they tested it. A lot of you weighed in. This was one of the more heated debates this blog has experienced.

Laffy Taffy joke readings - Kathy keeps a jar of candy on her desk which often has Laffy Taffy in it. For awhile there, we were all pretty into reading the jokes and trying to guess the answers, which was always an exercise in frustration. I still laugh when I read that post! Those jokes are the worst. And by the worst, I of course, mean the best.

Craigslists postings - the free table at work provides us with no end of entertainment. Somehow Kathy and I lucked out and ended up the proud owners of a toy version of the bug from A Bug's Life and a nursery clock (which is missing). Kathy tried to sell both of these things on Craiglist and shockingly, failed. Click on the link to read her craigslist posting.

The cheese challenge - this was the time Justin declared that cheese tastes good with everything. I challenged this of course, because I'm like that, and said, "what about in brownies!?" And he said it would still be good. So I made some brownies with cheese, and he ate them. Kathy hated the whole thing and says she's going to go gag whenever we talk about it. Which is why I'm bringing it up now. One last gag for old times sake.

There are so many other funny and good memories too, like the time we all went to town on the crunchy Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, devouring every last one in the vending machine during the peanut butter recall (throwing all caution to the wind). Or the time Justin and Kathy went through painful Volcano Taco withdrawals when Taco Bell stopped serving them for a time. Or the time Kathy became temporarily obsessed with Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers (or was that me?).

It is certainly not going to be the same in the office without Kathy. But every time I think of her, I'll slap on the Hannah Montana slap bracelet she gave me and eat a cheesy brownie in her honor. (That last part will never happen, but the first part will.) 

What are some things you do with your coworkers to pass the time?

Good luck, Kathy! If you come visit, we might let you in the building.

Happy Wednesday, all!

Who?

Thank you so much for your comments on my last post. I have to admit I was feeling pretty good about myself yesterday and was almost starting to worry about getting a big head. Then something happened.

Around mid afternoon, my coworker Justin told me that he had been in the kitchen and had overheard two people talking. One of them said to the other, "I was talking to Elizabeth Downie about how great the rec center is." And the other said, "Who's Elizabeth Downie?"

Now, the company I work at isn't small but at the same time, it's not that big. True, there are some people who's names I don't know, but I have interacted with that particular women on at least ten occasions.

And just like that, my head shrunk back to size.

Wednesday Thoughts

My weekly jumble of mostly unrelated thoughts.

I went to a doctor on Monday and at the end of the appointment he said, "You're relatively young and in good health...." Was it really necessary to say "relatively"? I can't even remember what he said after that and it may have been important.

In other news, this week my office has been abuzz with snow day fever. The speculation for a snow day today started on Monday. At that point, I still wasn't sure if I wanted it or not (crazy as that sounds) as evidenced by this conversation I had with my co-worker, Ann:

Me: Well, it would be nice but then we'd have so much work to do on Thursday to catch up!
Ann (suspiciously): It sort of sounds like you don't want a snow day. It almost sounds like you're a .... work lover.
Me: Take it back!!

Yesterday as the snow was falling the words "snow day" were on everyone's lips. I was taken over by it too. Ann was getting progressively tense, thinking that by talking about it so much, we were jinxing it. Here is another conversation we had at one point in the day:

Me: So Ann, are you feeling snow day hope yet?
Ann: Yeah, but I've already gone through all the stages and now I'm angry that we're going to have to come in.

When you hear about the possibility of a snow day, it's impossible to get the idea out of your head no matter how hard you try. You know it's dangerous to get your hopes up but you can't shake the idea. You try not to think about how late you'll be able to sleep in, or all the time you'll be able to spend watching the Golden Girls and eating Lucky Charms while working on your FarmVille farm, but it's too late. You've got Snow Day Fever. (SDF) Some people though, like Ann, quickly cycle through the stages in an attempt to not get their hopes up. I think the stages go something like this:

Hope - it's totally going to happen! Snow day!
Fear - what if it doesn't happen? You're setting yourself up for disappointment.
Denial - there's no way we'll get enough snow.
Hope - but we might.
Anger - it'll never happen! Get it out of your head!!
Resignation: if it doesn't happen, I will survive.
Hope - it might happen.
Anger - stop thinking like that. You'll only get hurt.
Hope - I can't help it.

Some people rest on anger just for safety. Especially if they've been hurt by SDF before.

But it happened, we got a snow day today! Here I am at 10:00am lounging in bed, writing in my blog. Try not to hate me too much.

And lastly, in Wednesday thoughts, the votes are in for a possible hair change and it looks like numbers one and three are the winners. Any last opinions? My hair appointment is in a week and a half and I still haven't decided what to do.

Happy Wednesday!

The future is confusing

Ann and I ordered Chinese food for lunch today. As you know, one of the best parts about Chinese food is the fortune that comes in the fortune cookie. But today the future became much more confusing for both of us. Ann especially. Which fortune do you think is worse?

Ann's fortune:

You are a man of integrity and righteousness.

My fortune:

When the moment comes, take the first one from the right.

Unexpected dislike

One time my mom told me she hates Swedish furniture. Not only did this seem strange to me based on my mostly positive experiences with IKEA, but it also caught me off guard that she had an opinion about something so obscure. Her opinion had nothing to do with IKEA, by the way, never having been there herself.

It always cracks me up when someone expresses a strong opinion on something I've never had any emotion for one way or the other, like someone hating goldfish or paper clips. And that's why this story I'm about to share amuses me.

The following is part of a conversation I had at work today about going on a road trip in my new car. On this road trip, Kathy and I would sit in the back and watch DVDs and eat snacks while Justin drives us around. He isn't too keen on this idea, by the way. Anyway, that's the background. Here's where you came in:

Kathy: Justin, I demand that you sing us "the wheels on the bus."
Justin: No way. I hate that song.
Me: Who hates that song!?
Justin: I hate the rhythm to it.

The wheels on the bus. I'll never listen to it the same way. Do you have a strong dislike for something most people have no opinion on?

Laffy Taffy

Do you guys remember Laffy Taffy? Each package has two jokes written on it and they are usually written by 8 yr olds, or at least it seems that way. Well, this afternoon, we all decided to dip into Kathy's candy jar (since her desk is closest to the window, she has by default taken on secretary responsibilites, which she [correctly] assumes means bringing in a candy jar). We all read our jokes out loud and it led to some pretty amusing conversations. Here are a few:

Joke #1
E: What is a fat ape?

J: A grape? Oh no wait...I don't know.

E: A chunky monkey.

J: That's my favorite kind of ice cream.

Joke #2
E: What's black and white and has 16 wheels?

J: Does this have something to do with spiders?

E: No. A zebra with rollerskates.

J: I don't get it.


Joke #3
A: How do you make an orange laugh?

E: Does it have to do with peeling?

A: No. It's disturbing.

J: Take out it's seeds?

A: No. It makes me really angry, actually.

(thinking)

K: Tickle it's naval!!!

J: Dang it! Kathy's winning.

(I asked Ann later why that joke made her so mad and she said it was too PG-13 for Laffy Taffy, in her opinion.)

Joke #4
K: Where do really smart hot dogs go?

E: Does it have to do with the Ivy League?

K: No!

J: Does it have to do with taco shells?

K: What does that have to do with hot dogs?

J: You know, thinking outside the bun...

E: Someone's been going to Taco Bell too much.

(much, much later, after many wrong guesses)

E: Is it obvious?

K: Well, I thought it was. I knew it before I read it.

E/J: Oh dang. Someone thinks they're pretty smart.

(thinking harder)

E/J: We give up.

K: The honor roll.

E: Dang it! I was thinking honor bun!!

J: I couldn't even come up with roll! (Much self loathing in this statement.)

Hopefully these conversations entertained you as much as they entertained me!

Wednesday Thoughts

I've had this monster (aka bug from the movie "A Bug's Life") on my desk for so long now that I've started to forget just how crazy looking it is. I received it as a gift from either Justin or Kathy (they found it on the free table), and over time it has acquired a lei, a paper clip necklace, and a doll captive (which has GOB's face from Arrested Development).

I just now learned his name (Hopper) and after looking him up online, I realize that he used to live a totally different life. He looks pretty tough. I never saw "A Bug's Life" but I suspect he was the bad guy, based on looks alone. Maybe sitting on my desk adorned in ridiculousness is his punishment for bad deeds.

Anyway, Kathy and I are thinking about selling him on craigslist. What do you think a reasonable price is?

He's not really an action figure because he's stuck to a stand, so keep that in mind when it comes to pricing. And I think he used to be able to talk, but needs batteries. I'm thinking either $150 or a reasonable trade. But what would be a reasonable trade?

Wednesday Thoughts

Today it's back to an old fashioned Wednesday thoughts. I have a few things to get off my chest. Namely...

Why do I often think I feel my phone vibrating in my coat pocket when it's not vibrating? And don't tell me it's a bat in my bra because I already checked. But really, what's up with the phantom vibrating?

And another thing - I heard on the radio that the White Stripes were getting back together for a special performance. Back together? Are they not together anymore? Why didn't anyone tell me? Is it just a rumor?

Ok, what's up with LOST being a rerun tonight? I thought the whole point of starting the season in January was so that we can go nonstop till May! And while I'm on the subject, where are Rose and Bernard!? I thought they were flashing through time at the same pace as the others!?

This next thing has been weighing on me. Is it betrayal for me to say that lately I've been liking 30 Rock more than The Office? I'm sorry. I know some people are going to be outraged by that. And please don't doubt my love for the Office, but lately...what with the Generalissimo and Harry and the Henderson's episodes, I've been laughing a lot more at 30 Rock. I'm so confused. Obviously this is a difficult time for me. (I really hope you know me well enough by now to know I'm kidding. Well, half kidding.)

Lastly, we have a work outting today and Justin, Ann, Kathy, and I have been debating about which is a better mode of transportation: the conference bike, or an insanely long bike. Which would you rather ride? Maybe we should just all ride Segways.

Friday Thoughts

Due to some Kix-related drama this week, I never got around to writing Wednesday Thoughts (which I suspect may be running its course). But I figure today is a good day to do some updates and some random thoughts (which is what W. Thoughts is usually for).

First and foremost, Ann suspects fraud in the voting process for the Kix poll. She's accused people of double voting on multiple computers, and suggested I demand that people who voted "yes" explain themselves. I, myself, voted yes and explained that my reasoning is that I think "kid-tested" is supposed to imply that the kids also approve. She didn't accept this.

For my Lost friends - what did you guys think of Lost this week? Also, if you haven't checked out the Lost Diary yet, you should. It's pretty funny and gives a good recap every week. I have a million and one questions for the writers of Lost, but there is one that I really, really want answered: What is the Smoke Monster and who controls it? When are they going to answer this!?

Moving on...due to the fact that one of you sent me a virus (kidding), I've had to sit at a certain skipper (who shall not be named)'s desk all morning while my computer is being de-bugged. This wouldn't be bad except that said skipper has one of these chairs:

Suffice it to say, it's been an interesting morning. I'm just trying not to pop it, as another co-worker did to his ball chair. He let his arm drop with a pencil in his hand and, POP! Hmm...come to think of it, maybe I should take all those push pins out of my pocket as a precaution.

Last thought of the morning: how old is too old to have a celebrity crush? Do you have one?

Kix Kontroversy

The last couple of days, Kathy has been bringing in Kix cereal for breakfast. Surprisingly, this has led to some unexpected controversy.

Unbeknownst to Kathy, Kix elicits a bad reaction from Ann who has been harboring bad feelings for the slogan "Kid-Tested, Mother-Approved" for years. Her argument is that it "makes no sense" and that she's not convinced that the kids actually like Kix just because they tested it. She argues that it's the equivalent of "Justin tested, Kathy approved" and she feels strongly that she can't be the only one out there who feels this way.

I told her I'd put it on the blog and get your feedback. I'll put a poll on the side. Obviously this is very important, so make your voices heard!

Cure for the winter blues

It seems we've reached that point in winter where we've all had enough. Winter was charming during the holidays, expected in January, and has now overstayed its welcome. I think we would be more tolerant of it if it hadn't been so awful to us in January. The news of 4-8 inches of snow tomorrow is, to say the least, unwelcome. Even the idea of staying inside wrapped up in a Snuggie or two isn't comforting enough for me at this point. I think it's time for happy thoughts.

The rest of this blog post is dedicated to things that make me (and hopefully you) smile. Let me know if you have any others.

First, have you seen the website failblog? It features pictures and videos of things that would be considered a failure (in a funny way, most of the time). Every now and then they post a "win." Here are a couple pictures from that site that made me laugh this week:



Why is there a pit of some sort under that slide!? And I love how the Kool Aid Man is saying "Oh yeah!" Classic. Since Ann is the one who originally showed me this site, I feel I should post her all time favorite fail:


Moving on, here's a hilarious video Kathy sent me. It's a montage of all the singing clips from the Office:



I think I should also share some of our altered pictures from work. The first is a picture of me on a date with John Mayer. I really like his music, but he kind of seems like a d-bag (excuse my french). (The scary thing is that the person originally in this picture was Miley Cyrus!) The second is a picture of Justin as a member of the Jonas Brothers. Sorry about the quality of the pictures - I took them with my cell phone and was laughing at the time so they're a little shaky. At the top of this post is a picture Justin and I found of Kathy from her high school year book.



Here's one of Kathy from when she was working with Magnum P.I. (He makes everyone who works with him grow a mustache.)


I feel better now. I think I may make a list on the side of this blog about things that make me happy. I'll need it for the next month (or more). I hope you enjoyed these pictures as much as I did!

Wednesday Thoughts

Well, the toffee poll has ended and the results are in: toffee rules, Justin drools. Although I have to admit, I'm surprised four people said they don't like it! Who else hates toffee? Confess! (Sarah, I know you fessed up, but who are the other two?) I accused Justin of going to the library to vote against toffee on separate computers, but he assures me it wasn't him.

Proof that things seem funnier at night: as I was falling asleep last night, I was thinking about the song The Final Countdown and it occurred to me how funny it is that everyone always sings along with the synthesizer part in that song. I thought, "I have to put that in my blog! That is too funny!!" Then this morning when I remembered it I realized it's not that funny. But here it is the blog. Go figure.

Confession (this one's a doozy): I have been listening to a lot of Pandora at work lately and I've found that when the occasional Hannah Montana song comes on, I often (brace yourself) kind of (ready for it?) like it (the song, that is). I can't help it! Her songs are peppy! Although I'm not sure who I like better, Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus.

But I am proud to admit that I always flip past the Jonas Brothers songs. I'm sorry -I appreciate the amount of time they take to both curl and flat iron their hair, but their songs do nothing for me. At this point you might be wondering what station I've been listening to on Pandora. Keep wondering.

I sometimes wonder if I should write about the more serious parts of my life in my blog. I mean, I have plenty of other things I could discuss with you - I read a lot, I'm a news addict, I have problems, etc... But if you read my blog and don't know me well (or at all?) you might think that my whole life revolves around goofing around with my co-workers and obsessing about Snuggies, when in reality those things only make up about 97% of my life. (PS, I think my Snuggie will arrive today!)

I feel a little exposed now that I told you about Hannah Montana. Just know this: I really do like a lot of cool, well respected music. I'm just foolishly willing to put a few of my guilty pleasures on my blog. I hope we can still be friends. And I promise I only like a couple of her songs. Three at the absolute most. Maybe four.

Wednesday Thoughts

This week is open enrollment for health care where I work. I have been very impressed with the scenarios people think up for the insurance rep who conducts some of the meetings (what if this, what if that...). Here's one I thought of that I'm going to ask at our next meeting:

"What if I'm at home, and I become violently ill and decide to go to the hospital, but on the way out of the house, I discover a fire in the kitchen. I try to put it out but burn my hand, which reminds me that I have to get to the hospital. As I'm running out of the house, I notice a mysterious stain on the carpet but don't have time to investigate. On the way to the hospital, I get in a car accident and break my leg. Which insurance covers the hospital stay? Homeowners insurance, car insurance, or my HMO?"

(One of the details in that story wasn't necessary but I thought the story needed a little mystery.)

I've been dealing with another serious situation at work this week: my coworkers have suffered a devastating loss. The loss of the volcano taco from Taco Bell. I never thought that I would be signing a petition to bring back a food item from a fast food chain - especially a food item I've never actually eaten (too spicy), but I can't watch Kathy and Justin suffer so much. I've never seen Justin like this, staring into space saying, "I remember the last one I ate. It was so good. I should have enjoyed it more. Sometimes when I ate them, I wouldn't even have a glass of water nearby." If you want to join the cause, here's a link to the petition.

In other news, I've always been suspicious of hamsters and now my suspicions have been confirmed:

I'll never trust a hamster again.

Lastly, I've been dealing with another problem this week. I can't get the Pepsuber song out of my head. Ever since SNL started insisting on making a nonstop series of Macgruber sketches, I've had a love/hate relationship with Macgruber. Mostly leaning towards irritation. At the end of the Super Bowl I saw the Pepsuber sketch and for some reason it cracked me up. Am I alone?

Candy Challenge

Yesterday at work, something big and exciting happened: a new candy was added to our vending machine! A crunchy Reeses Peanut Butter cup has never gotten as much attention as it did yesterday in my office. And the bonus is that our vending machine guy forgot to change the price, so it was only 25 cents. After we all had one (or more) we remembered the peanut butter recall and were (slightly) concerned. But I think Justin spoke for us all when he said, "it was worth it."

All the excitement over the new candy got us talking about our favorite candies. This led to some heated debate, accompanied with shock and outrage over disagreements about which is truly the best candy. This isn't the first time we've debated about candy, but it was the funniest. I've never seen anyone so strongly object to toffee (Justin said it should be illegal). He even said I should do a poll to prove that many people find toffee disgusting. I told him he is going to be disappointed (see poll on upper left).

So I thought I'd do a little experiment. Today I brought some of the more controversial candies in to work. Here is a list of the candy I brought in along with the reactions they received:

Boston Baked Beans
Both Ann and Justin had never tried these and were repulsed by their name. This morning Ann said, "I can't wait to see the so-called 'baked beans.'" But when she tried them she reluctantly said, "they're ok. I don't hate them." Both she and Justin agreed that they almost broke their teeth on them. Fifteen minutes after eating them, Ann claimed her jaw still hurt.

Another co-worker said that they have something similar in the country she grew up in and that she loves them. She was gobbling them up. Kathy also said she can't stay away from them.

Overall reaction: people like them, but think the name leaves much to be desired. I disagree. I think the name is the best part.

Almond Joys
Coconut is surprisingly divisive. However, we had one shocking reaction. Ann, who thought she hated them, tried one today and absolutely loved it, practically shouting, "It's really good!!" But did say she could do without the almond. A little later, she proclaimed, "Elizabeth, you have just changed my candy bar world."

Hot Tamales
Kathy's favorite! Justin's reaction: "candy shouldn't be spicy."

Cow Tails
I love these things. Justin said, "it's a little weird. I'm leaning towards not liking it." In the end he decided to give it a C- because he liked the inside (calling it "delish").

Ann said they're good (agreeing that the cream center was the best) but said that with no outer coating, they're a bit dry.

Milky Ways
I thought it was a given that Milky Ways are totally delicious (they're in my top five), but I was wrong. Turns out some people think they're gross. Justin tried them again today and said, "it's not doing anything for me."

Other controversial candy that I could have brought but was too grossed out by: Necco wafers (nasty!), Circus Peanuts, and Good and Plentys. What do you guys think? What's your least favorite candy?

Wednesday Thoughts

Yesterday Kathy asked Justin and me if we are doing anything for the Super Bowl. After discussing Superbowl parties, food, and commercials for a bit, Justin looked at us and said, "Do you guys even know who's playing in the Super Bowl?!" Can you believe his nerve? I mean, it's true that we don't know who's playing, but still. Of course at that point, we started acting even more ignorant that we are, with Kathy suggesting that the Super Bowl was a golf tournament and saying that she heard Tiger Woods and Shooter McGavin were going to be playing. (I would watch it if Shooter McGavin were playing in it.) Anyway, my point is that men always think they know more than women. Maybe my point would be stronger if Kathy and I had actually known who was in the Super Bowl, but still. I'm sure some women know.

In other news, I was really hoping this whole thing with Blagojevich would blow over before I had to learn to say his name but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. I try to stay up on current events, but whenever I try to say his name it comes out Glaboyglavich. It's embarrassing.

It's snowing today. Again. Maybe instead of hating winter, I should make some kind of challenge for myself to distract myself from my impatience with the cold and snow. Here are some ideas:

• Break a world record for most snowmen built
• Break a record for most time spent under a Snuggie (mine hasn't arrived yet)
• Spend two to three hours a week sledding
• Wear a different crazy winter hat every day for the rest of winter

Any other ideas? I did get a new sled a couple years ago, so the sledding idea is a real possibility. But honestly, I think you and I can agree the second one is the most probable.

C-c-c-c-c-c-c-oooold!

Alright guys, no joke - I need a Slanket in a major way. Not only is it freezing outside, but my office is almost as cold as the great outdoors! I glanced over at Justin earlier, and saw this sight (as pictured). We're all working in our scarves, coats, and hats and occasionally warming our hands over the space heater. Due to some construction over the weekend, the doors to our building were left wide open and it's f-f-f-f-freezing in here. My fingers are almost too frozen to type. But I'll power through. Just for you.

It's slightly warmer outside than it was yesterday, when the wind chill got to -17, but it's still a bit much. I just checked the weather and saw this:

Light Snow
9°F

Feels Like
-7°F

What do you do to stay warm in this weather? Maybe I should buy some of those disposable heating pads and just cover myself with them? Other options I've considered are:

• Run up and down the stairs over and over in 15 minute intervals.
• Adopt a baby panda and cuddle it all day. (I wonder if it would sit still on my lap while I was working?)
• Listen to Shooby Taylor until I'm laughing so hard I forget how cold I am. I know some of you are trying to forget about Shooby Taylor, but I can't allow that.
• Stay in bed under the covers all day (sadly, not really an option).
• Drink hot chocolate till it comes out my pores.
• Give up and build an igloo to live in for the rest of the winter.
  
• Get one of these (Thank Kathy for this one):

Until the heating is back on in here, I'm going to have to do one of these. I'm leaning towards the adopt a panda bear option. It's the most practical, and let's be honest, the most adorable of all the options. If you think of any others, let me know!

Snow day?

My company announced an awesome new policy yesterday: when Ann Arbor schools are closed for bad weather, we're closed too! We were thrilled with this new policy because it means having at least one or two (or dare I say even more?) snow days this year. And it seems that first snow day might be... tomorrow! They are predicting 6-10 inches of snow!

We don't want to get our hopes up of course. Well, except Kathy, who is trying to jinx us all by telling us that she's going to count on having a snow day tomorrow, and plan her day accordingly. Everyone knows this is a bad idea! But she won't be talked out of it.

I'm planning on working tomorrow... but in the back of my mind I am secretly planning on a snow day. This is what I have planned:

7:00 Wake up, check the news, see that it's a snow day, cheer, dance
7:05 Back in bed, asleep
11:00 Wake up, watch The Price is Right, eat a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup
12:00 Go sledding
1:30 Come in, freezing and wet, change to warm clothes
1:35 Make hot chocolate
1:40 Get under a blanket on couch and watch either Christmas Vacation or The Grinch
3:30 Nap

That about covers it. There might be slight variation, but I think that looks like a good plan. Am I forgetting any good snow day activities?

However, if we do end up having to work, Kathy and I have been considering going in together on buying either a pack of sled dogs or a a snowmobile. We live a couple blocks away from each other, so we'll carpool. Kathy thinks people will complain about the sled dogs barking all the time, but I think they're the better choice (especially because she'd keep them at her house). I'll let you know when we make our decision.

Clip show

I've had blog writers block this week. Yesterday I started a blog post about how I've tried to like yogurt but no matter what, I still hate it. About half way through the post, I thought, "I can't do this to my friends. I can't make them read this post. It's just too lame." So I spared you. That's the kind of friend I am.

But I was thinking about how sometimes on TV shows, when they need a break from writing, they do a clip show. In all honesty, those have never been my favorite episodes. Regardless, I decided to do something like a clip show for this post. But unlike the Golden Girls clip shows, I'm not going to show you a bunch of related posts and tie them together to solve some kind of problem at the end. I wish I could, but very few of my posts are related. What I figured I could do is update you on a few old posts that I never followed up on. So, if you ever wondered if we sold that awesome clock last month, or if I continued my reign as Dr. Mario champion, your wait is over my friends.

The Clock
Remember this gem? This clock was on our free table at work and was given to me by my coworkers, Justin and Kathy. I tried to re-gift it back to them, but somehow it kept ending up back on my desk. In case you've forgotten or you're new to my blog, we tried to sell it on craigslist. Our price was fair (trade for Snickers or $125) You are going to be shocked when you find out that it hasn't been sold yet! One person did respond to our post - someone using the alias "Vernice." It seems however, that Vernice may have been on the run because she told Kathy to respond quickly, that time was of the essence (or something like that). I guess Vernice moved on because we never heard from her again. The good news: the clock is still in my possession.

Dr. Mario
Don't worry, I'm still dominating. And writing that last sentence, I'm realizing that I'm as obnoxious as ever when it comes to Dr. Mario. What is it about this game? I mean, am I seriously bragging about my Dr. Mario skills in my blog!? Dr. Mario does weird things to people. My friend Brian wrote about our recent match in his blog, and it was pretty funny.

Halloween Costume
Thanks everyone for the great costume ideas! I blended them all together and went to the party as a Yeti Bat Vampire Slaying Smurf with scissor hands. Ok, that's not true. The truth is that I was still sick and ended up going to the party...are you ready for this? Without. A. Costume. I'm still disappointed in myself when I think of it, but there you go. Oh well - there's always next year.

I think that's enough for today's clip show. If you're still reading, thanks. And don't worry, I'll be back to normal blogging soon.