Blog Archives
…have some fun with it
To all who woke up this morning, saw the top 3 headlines and decided that the world (and Internet) we’re going to hell, so might as well hit snooze. Happy April Fools’ Day!
Or it would be if the next 3 headlines didn’t give away every single April Fools’ trick these companies (and by companies, I mean interns) carefully crafted for your enjoyment. I shake my finger at you news media spoilers.
And to you Facebook comment spoilers, I shake my finger at you too. Just because you figured it out does not give you the right to post on its lack of veracity right there in the middle of my news feed.
What is the point of this holiday if you don’t have the enjoyment of stringing along that one gullible (wonderfully trusting, innocent) person all day?
I’m sure that’s what Google intended when they concocted their false headlines.
Don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything here. You’ll have to do you own detective work.
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April Fools! Here’s one of Google’s announcements:
Google Nose
…bi-daily smile…
…build bridges
...what are the requirements for the flying carpet badge?
Did you know that 5 million kids still participate in Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts?
I found this both shocking and encouraging.
Did you know that the handbooks for both organizations have a tendency to reinforce gender stereotypes?
I found this neither shocking nor relevant.
No offense University of Maryland researchers, but I think in your endeavors to make a point, you may have missed the point.
I agree, it’s horrible that Girl Scout badges have fun names, while Boy Scouts stick to text-book terms (more fun for us).
But whether it’s called “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” or “Canoeing 101″ don’t you still end up with a bunch of kids having fun with paddles?
Unless of course you choose style over function (you know what you did “Pocahontas”).
You are also assuming that these children are reading and following the handbook.
I allow that my Girl Scout experience (shocking, right? the Crusaders were Girl Scouts) may have been a little bit less than by the book.
I honestly couldn’t tell you more than a couple of the dozens of badges I earned throughout my scouting career (one of them had a raccoon on it).
But that wasn’t the point. We weren’t busy reinforcing gender stereotypes. We were having fun, even if that meant camping every once in a while.
We learned to sew, make campfires, cook, sell cookies, babysit, craft, navigate ropes courses, and hang out at the beach (we weren’t big on the camping).
Yet, we all managed to not be transformed into mindless June Cleavers.
So yes, if you sit down and pick apart the handbook, you may find some horrible comparisons, but this former scout can’t find hers, so you’ll have to start without me.
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“Beyond Pink and Blue: Are Scout Handbooks Reinforcing Gender Stereotypes?”: TIME
…bi-daily smile…
Step number 1 for successful canoeing: Paddle must make contact with water.
…feel the burn
...will run for food
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
The holidays are a time for family and traditions and Thanksgiving morning definitely has its fair share of both.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, sleeping in, that panic-stricken sprint to the freezer when you realize you didn’t thaw the turkey out (theoretical situation of course)…and so many more.
Some may go back to before anyone can remember, but there’s nothing more fun than creating new ones.
A few years ago my family started one that may seem a bit strange considering the holiday.
Two years ago we ran a 5K on Thanksgiving morning (and DVR’d the parade of course).
This year we return to the race course.
Now this is no friendly, family jog. I know it’s a holiday of thankfulness and family and all that. And I am thankful to have a family who is just as competitive as me.
But that has no place on the race course. Gauntlets are thrown and people are trampled (although technically Zer was clotheslined…semantics).
We’re a little competitive. What family isn’t?
It’s all in good fun. We don’t hold grudges. We just make promises of certain victory next time.
So this Thanksgiving I want my family to remember that I love them…and I was injured two years ago…so watch out.
Finally, and in all seriousness I hope everyone has great food and company today.
Zer and I wish all of our friends and family and readers a very Happy Thanksgiving.
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…bi-daily smile…
The Thanksgivies presented by SNL
…another Thanksgiving tradition
…Have Some Fun
After a long week full of more great news about the Gulf of Mexico, some crazy thunderstorms, and well…life in general. I think it’s time for some fun.
From the people (Volkswagen) who brought you the “Fun Theory” piano stairs, I give you the “Fast Lane” subway slide.
How did no one think of this before?
This latest Volkswagen marketing stunt can be found at the Alexanderplatz subway station in Berlin.
As a loyal “El” passenger, I have to say I’m a little jealous. Berlin has escalators going down to their subway platforms?
I guess the slide is pretty cool too. Of course, it’s all fun and games until little Billy ruins it for everyone by trying to climb back up the slide.
Plus there’s always that person who seems to take forever to go down the slide (okay, that’s usually me).
The name is a little ironic too. The “Fast Lane”? Every slide enthusiast knows that you can’t just go down the slide once.
Can you imagine if the piano stairs and the subway slide joined forces? No one would ever be on time again.
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The Whole Story: The Fast Lane
…just for fun:
…breathe, just breathe
...these shoes weren't made for walking (especially through a foot of snow)...
Welcome to the calm between the storms, I mean holidays. I’ve always enjoyed these brief, few days hiding between the bookends of Christmas and New Years.
To those of you who manage to forge the two together, my hat off to you. Me, I like the separation, even if it is only three days.
I love my Christmas and my family, but it takes it out of you right? I don’t know what everyone else’s holiday was like, but here’s my 5 (ish) days of Christmas in convenient list form.
My Five Days of Christmas:
Ice storm, late Megabus, bus trip, sleep, snow storm, car trip, quick change, mass, puppy, dinner, other puppy, that’s why she’s called six cents!, apple cake, sleep, snow storm, that’s enough pictures, snow drifts, me in snow drift, workout, presents, Rams snuggie, dinner (lots of meat), Wii (tennis champ, right here), unplowed streets, snow storm trip to “Sherlock Holmes” (three free tickets and Robert Downey Jr, enough said), another trip through the snow, sleep, more snow, more driving…
2 hour pause (yeah I got one in there)…
driving for the first time in months, arriving in one piece at mass, more driving, more Christmas, family viewing of “The Hangover,” Mizzou snuggie (complete with story), dinner/family scripture readings (don’t tell me you and your cousins don’t pick a passage from scripture to read at all family dinners? just us? well we amuse ourselves), presents, forgotten presents, wait it was sitting in her lap the whole time, my box is bigger than yours, Frango mints (in a tin), where did the soup mix go?, where did the vodka go?, what were Frosty’s last words?, look Frosty plays the piano, blog requests (you’re welcome), “The Hangover” continued…
Party transfer (aka singing in the car)
High school friends, secret santa, lots of scarves, what are you up to?, fun stories, not so fun stories, Disney Princess battles (shame on you Disney, shame on you), Harry Potter parks, surviving another car trip, sleep…
Christmas morning (well not actually, but it was a tight schedule, so we did it two days later), another snow storm (this 4 day storm would come to be known as the stalker snow), mother daughter run through the snow (and what run is complete without an off path hike over the massive uprooted tree that has fallen over the entire path), knee pain, hip’s popping, why does my arm hurt?, family brunch, bottomless mimosa, buffet or menu?, what times grandma’s train at?, ketchup shots, still snowing…
Laundry, “Inglorious Basterds” (another excellent family, holiday film), packing, sitting on my suitcase, getting it shut, realize I don’t have socks on, re-open suitcase, sitting on suitcase again, off to Union Station, jam-packed bus, realize an hour into trip that I forgot my jacket, sleep, last suitcase off of bus, miss other bus, walk to Red Line, catch Red Line, sleep.
And that’s the abbreviated version. But I enjoyed every second of it. So, hope everyone enjoys this lull between the holidays, I know I will.
…bi-daily smile…
Zer
Stephanie
The2Women
