January 26th, 2007 Rachel
My mom has this favorite story about her catching me in the middle of applying almost as much makeup as what spackled on for the Billboard Music Awards.
“Whatcha doin, Rachel…?”
“Noooooothing….”
“You’re not using mommy’s makeup…are you?”
“Noooooooo….”
“Oh really?”
“No, mommy…never…”
It’s amazing how easy it is to fake yourself out, whether you’re five years old, fifty or somewhere in between. Caught red handed, caught in a lie, caught unprepared…why does fessing up seem incomprehensible sometimes?
We all make mistakes. I’m lucky that I’ve been surrounded by family that’s made this abundantly clear and stood by this fact, for better or for worse. Be honest, be up front, and take responsibility when you’ve screwed up…they may still have wanted to freak out, but acting like an adult at least minimizes the repercussions for youthful stupidity.
But I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s a far more valuable reason for why being honest with people, and most importantly yourself, is really and truly the best policy. One day it’s not just about avoiding a good grounding or detention. All of a sudden, a mistake has repercussions that have more of a ripple effect around you than a direct effect on yourself. The company you work for, the family you support…Toto, I don’t think we’re in adolescence anymore.
At that moment, if you start concocting all the reasons why things aren’t your fault, then you could be missing out on some clever thinking to actually save things…or at least make them a teensy bit better. It may not be much, but it might be enough…and isn’t that better than wasting time convincing yourself that nothing needs to be fixed in the first place?
We all make mistakes…repeat after me…we all make mistakes.
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January 22nd, 2007 Rachel
My computer was unavailable for several days due to an ac adapter that became more of a fire hazard than a power supply all of a sudden. So, I have lots to say, not enough sleep under my belt, and no idea where to begin…
I’ll try doing that tomorrow.
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January 15th, 2007 Rachel
5:50pm - Leave for Target.
6:02pm - Enter Target, make beeline to kitchen section.
6:03pm - Get distracted by garlic presses and egg slicers.
6:06pm - Select George Foreman Grill.
6:14pm - Head to the car, then home.
6:28pm - Open box. On couch. Carefully.
6:31pm - Read Skim instructions, plug it in, start preheating.
6:36pm - Throw some salmon on the grill.
6:41pm - Throw some veggies in the microwave.
6:46pm. Eat.
Halle-freakin-lujah.
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January 13th, 2007 Rachel
Informally at least, Adam and I talked last week about making a much more concerted effort to eat in, save money, and not get sucked into the same ‘too tired to cook’ routine that plagued us last year.
First step, George Forman grill. Next, groceries. And a Vons club card (saved over $20 already!). Finally, pull out the grill and promptly drop it on the floor.
Oops. That last part wasn’t supposed to happen. But it did. Angry as we both were to begin with, it was actually a fairly humorous start. We both stomped around, pouted a bit then finally looked at each other and I couldn’t help but grin.
I’m also happy to report we still did have the dinner we’d planned — just in 40 minutes (with that old fashioned oven) instead of four.
That $20 saved will be going toward a new grill when we trek back to Target tomorrow.
Baby steps…
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January 13th, 2007 Rachel
Here’s a nice little parody from David Armano that is pretty much how I’m feeling about the predominantly fierce loyal coverage of the Apple iPhone.
The first day, it’s all everyone was talking about. I admittedly covet my iPods, but I haven’t completely crossed over to the dark side…yet. I admit that I’m guilty of asking the question “So, have you seen the iPhone yet?” but mostly it was just to see what kind of a response I’d get (my favorite being “I’d like to caress it.”)
I’m happy to say that for the most part I’m surrounded by people who are at least a little skeptical.
My two biggest concerns:
The Screen
I drop my phones. I inadvertently cause blackberries to roll down stairs. I’ve caused, witnessed or heard about many a device bounce down hills, hallways, or wedge themselves under grimy car seats.
It’s a utility device. And as pretty as some phones are, there are those of us should never be trusted with your Razr. Somehow it will end up covered in dog slobber, jammed by popcorn bits, and crushed by a rock. In one afternoon.
The touchscreen will either be as beautiful as it appears to be in the mock up (and be too vulnerable for me because of it), or it will take on a more tablet-y appearance, in which case having owned a tablet…it’s not nearly as swank a screen.
I tried the touch screen Treo. I effectively killed two of them in less than four months each. And their screen was recessed enough to be at least mildly protected.
Email
So you can still do that on here. Receiving emails, looks great to me. But the responding. The keyboard that’s not a keyboard. The lack of keys. The beauty that is pounding functionality’s ass.
Firefox just crashed while I tried to watch the email Quicktour. I take that as a sign of an impending pox on me if (1) get an iPhone, (2) recieve an email, and (3) try to respond.
So…
Far more interesting, I think at least, were a couple of camera related gadgets near us in the Sands. The first would be a little wrist camera, the Digital Hero, which is an easy to swallow $79.95.
The picture quality is pretty awesome, and the designed to get dirty appeal makes it an ideal choice for those who find themselves up to 30 feet deep or snowboarding down mountains. I love it. I might be more likely to consider those two scenarios for it.
The other thing that caught my eye was a nifty, far easier to cart around reinvention of the traditional camera tripod. I’ve seen what my Dad loyally carries around for his many adventures. They’re big, their bulky, and you have to be really committed to lug it along.
It’s called a Gorillapod. Instead, this little windy flexible thingie can be attached in all sorts of ways. So, you can get the perfect shot without adding another piece of carry on luggage.
I have a phone. You may have heard of it…it’s called a Blackberry. So instead of drooling all over the touchscreen on the iPhone that I won’t actually be able to drool all over for another six months…I have to find other goodies to want and love.
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