Some (Or All) Assembly Required

Okay, so I'm back from IKEA with my new laptop stand.  Now all I need to do is put it together.

Easier said than done, isn't it? You see, since IKEA is an international company, all their assembly instructions are done in pictures, so there's no need to make different copies in different languages.  The end result is instructions that are universally unintelligible to everyone.  I take some comfort in that; just think, somewhere on the other side of the world someone in India, or Russia, or Outer Mongolia is looking at the same set of directions wondering what the hell to do next, just like I am.  It really is a small world (sigh).

Success at last! It's together.  And all the little adjustable bits work like they're supposed to.  And this time I didn't have any parts left over!  A miracle.  Now, if I can only do the same with the little table I bought-wish me luck!

Nine Again

So now they're saying on the news that maybe there's another planet on the outer edge of our solar system. Either that, or it's a brown dwarf star. Or maybe it's not there at all.  Now, it'll sure be interesting to hear more about this, but it'll be even more interesting to find out how it was there all this time and no one noticed! I know that science is the great quest for understanding how the universe works and that you need to question previously held beliefs when new data becomes available, but geez! Missing something that;s supposed to be 4 times bigger than Jupiter?  It's like not noticing a bowling ball in a bag of marshmallows.  At least if it's there, we'll be back to 9 planets again, since poor old Pluto got the shaft recently.

Somebody Turn The Snow Off!

It's January 27, and I'm already ready to cry "Uncle!" with all this snow.  Not only is it back-breaking labor to shovel it, it's at the point now that there's nowhere else to go with it.  I've got snow piles in my yard that are at eye level, and I'm not short.

At least all this snow tends to bring out a spirit of co-operation among neighbors.  Those with snow blowers help out those who don't; younger people shovel for their elderly neighbors.  Most of the time anyway; I know that in some places people start all out battles over parking spaces.  Can't blame 'em really;   you shovel a spot, someone else takes it.  Kind of a metaphor for life, isn't it?

Farewell Jack Lalanne

I just saw on the news that Jack Lalanne (the fitness guy) just died at age 96.  Now I'm not exactly a fitness enthusiast, but I remember his show from the '60s. My mom used to watch and do the exersizes, most of which seemed to involve a chair (and his dog Happy). Little me used to try to do the exersizes along with her. I guess that was the start of me realizing that I'm not in any way, shape or form athletic at ALL.  Anyway, the guy had the right idea before anyone else did.  And it must've worked for him; he was healthy up to the very end.  Now why can't I find some motivation to get up and work out?

New Place To Write

I've been searching the web for more places to submit my writing, and I found a site called Hubpages that looks promising.  It's one of the sites where you earn residuals when people click on the ads on the page, so we'll see how it goes.  I've read that some people do really well on this site.

You also get to pick your own topics on Hubpages.  That's nice--on the ghostwriting site where I've submitted articles previously, you select a topic someone wants an article on.  Of course you don't have to sit around thinking up an idea that way, but since most of those articles are destined for commercial websites you end up writing articles on things like light bulbs and ceiling fans.  Not exactly fascinating work! I went back to my high school days for my first article (Hub, as they call it on Hubpages).  I wrote about ELO, my favorite band back in the day.  Much more enjoyable to write!

Here's the link, if you're interested:  http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Electric-Light-Orchestra-ELO

I Won!

Oh happy day!  I entered a contest at a shop at my local mall.  It was the first day the new Vera Bradley spring bags came out, and the shop was running a daily contest ( for a bag ) and an hourly contest ( for a little case ).  I came home Friday after work, and found 2 messages on the answering machine- one telling me I won the daily drawing, and one telling me I won the hourly drawing!  Two wins at the same time, for someone who's last prize won was two big bags of pretzels at a picnic about 35 years ago.  Maybe things are looking up!

Okay, So I'm Weak...

I did it again- I went into that damn store at the mall that sells the Vera Bradley bags. And what was today but the day that all the new spring styles and colors came out!  Naturally I told myself I was just going to look, and look I did.  I tried to stay at the back where all the sale bags are, but somehow I gravitated to the front where the new stuff is.  And what did I find, but that they now have a style of bag that literally has my name on it!  Really.  The "Mandy".  And with a gift card burning a whole in my pocket, that was all it took to get me to violate my "on sale only" rule as far as Vera bags are concerned.  I think I need time in Vera detox!