Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Finally, you can't beat me

Good Morning to the Internet!

OK, that's it. I'm done. You can't beat it, so might as well revel in it.
I'm talking about the cold here people.
I turned on the TV this morning and was hammered over the head about how cold it was out there.
With the supposed wind, it was going to be like -500 degrees or something like that.
So, I sat there lamenting the cold and what it's doing to my PECO bill (really, can't you just see the PECO big wigs sitting around their conference room lighting cigars with $100 bills).
Finally, I said, "The heck with it." (OK, I used other words, but supposedly you can't print them.)
It's time to take this cold and shove it.
Bring on the wind and the negative temperatures. Bring on the snow. Bring on the ice.
Mother Nature, you can't get the best of me.
I'll dress in layers. I'll wear gloves. I'll put on a sweater.
Now, somebody tell me why I should get out from under the covers.
It's so nice and toasty in here.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

That drive and those drivers

Good Morning and let's start dreaming about spring!

So, I know my vehicle (Mazda MPV) is not real good in the snow. I slide around a bit and have trouble getting up snow-covered hills.
Still, I stayed at work until about noon yesterday, thinking the roads wouldn't be so bad.
Of course, I was wrong. Anybody who drove anywhere yesterday knows it was tough going. The weather hit quick and lasted forever.
I had to get home, though. I once stayed all night at the office and, well, it wasn't much fun.
So, I reached Garrett Road pretty easy (there was some sliding heading up the hill at Springfield Road, but I was able to keep it moving.
It was OK until it was time to get back up the hill on Garrett Road. The tires were spinning, but the van was barely moving.
I knew from past practice I'd make it up the hill, but it might take a little bit.
Of course, the drivers behind were not patient. A couple went around me on the shoulder. One (OK, I'll be nice) driver, decided to stop next to me on the hill, open his window and start cursing about my slow pursuit of the hill.
My question is: What was I supposed to do?
Leave the vehicle on the road? Slide backward? Jump out and push?
Look, it is frustrating when the van didn't move. Believe me, it was more frustrating inside than out.
How about we all calm down a bit.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Great, now get out of the aisle

Good Morning and how about that winter!

So, I don't mind doing my food shopping. Sometimes, it's fun to walk down the aisles and check things out.
It's just that I don't understand people.
Case in point: Last Thursday evening, I was in the Giant in Havertown. I had my cart and my list.
Now, the store wasn't packed with people, but there were enough around.
In aisle 4, somebody left their cart in the middle while they checked out the chips. I enjoy looking for new things as much as the next person, but, come on, you have to leave the cart in the middle of the aisle? You couldn't move it off to the side? It was too much work?
Two aisles later, a couple of customers who hadn't seen each other in a day or so (my guess) decided it was a good time to chat while they blocked the way with their carts. It's not like they couldn't move to the end where there was enough room. It's not like they couldn't have put both their carts on one side while they chatted about cats.
No, they had to stand side-by-side.
I said, "Excuse me, I'm trying to get through."
As I squeezed past, I heard one shopper say to another: "Gee, some people are always in a hurry."
I think I'm going to start shopping at 2 in the morning.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Taking the work out of homework

Good Morning and welcome to the place you always wanted to be!!

Yes, I still remember when I was in school.
Yes, I still remember watching out my window as the rest of the children in the neighborhood played while I dilly-dallied with my homework.
Yes, I still remember the very last thing I ever wanted to do was homework.
All these years later, I still don't get the whole homework thing.
Seriously, the students are in school for long enough all day, why do they need homework.
Can anybody explain how homework is anything more than busy work? Is it the teacher's attempt to show you how tough it is to teach?
I don't know. All I know is, I'm sick of fighting the battle.
The homework will get done, but maybe not every night and maybe not to the full extent it's supposed to be.
Tell you what, if we get rid of all the testing, I'll re-evaluate the homework thing.
That's a pretty good deal.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Curious Case of the Disappearing Cookies

Good Morning and welcome to the rain!

Most times, I like to make my own cookies at home. With the holidays over, though, and the winter doldrums setting in, there was just no energy to make cookies.
So, when shopping last week, I picked up a box (is it a box or a thingy) of Oreos. The were on sale and Oreos make a nice treat once in a while.
When I got home Sunday night, I saw the pack and opened them up. I ate one cookie. Yes, one cookie. It sounds odd, but that's all I wanted at the time. Other times, I might go for a whole row, but this night one did the trick.
I then put the rest on the top shelf and, figuring it was homework time, nobody would be looking for cookies.
Anyway, I usually leave the boys in the house doing their homework while I walk up the block to welcome the youngest one off the bus.
I was gone, maybe 10 minutes.
Later last night, I decided to have another Oreo (OK, this time it was going to be more like 3, but who's counting).
I pulled down the box and it felt kind of light. I figured that was from all the weight-lifting I've been doing.
There was one cookie left in the box.
Is it possible for a teen and pre-teen to eat nearly a whole box of Oreos in 10 minutes?
Do I have a cookie-eating ghost in the house?
Guess it's time to head to the spy shop.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Video game redux

Good Morning and let's just all agree we should end winter now.

I remember when we first got video games in our house.
Suddenly, I could play pong and space invaders on the television (Thanks Atari) instead of waiting to go to the mall.
It was a good time.
As I got older, I found it was more fun to head to the mall and hang out at the arcade. Don't think that had as much to do with the games as being able to just hang out.
The arcades soon went the way of the dinosaurs (well, except for the down the shore) when the games at home got cheaper and better.
Now, it's all about the games.
My biggest threat for good behavior is I'll not let them play games. Sometimes it works, other times it just gets worse.
I pull them off the computer and they start playing on the phone.
I take the phone away and they are lost.
So, what can we do about this? How do we unplug teens and pre-teens?
Time to pull out the basketball.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Yeah, we get it, it's cold!

Good Morning and welcome to a new year!

So, it's cold outside today. Yeah, I know, it's winter. Uh huh, it's cold.
Yep, I get it. Please stop telling me it's cold outside.
Tell you what, I was expecting it to be worse, but from the house to the car and the car to the office, it wasn't that bad.
Bundle up and sing these songs to yourself and everything will be OK.

or
or
Finally, of course: