Hump Day Hum-drum

~ Since about noon yesterday, it's been raining consistently here in Maryland, which as you can imagine makes the work day fly on by.  It's quite hard to concentrate or even get anything done when the entire office just wants to be curled up in bed with a good book and some warm tea (though that's probably just me, I'm assuming everyone else would choose coffee).  I have high hopes that since today is the very last day in April for the April Showers to occur, that when I eventually get up tomorrow, it will be spring finally and the sun will be shining in the sky.  But seeing as it's supposed to rain through tomorrow, I'm not all that optimistic.

~ Like I've said before, Etsy shop opening is not nearly as "easy" as everyone makes it out to be.  It's highly stressful and a bit complicated.  However, when I previewed the only item I have listed (so far) it looked like a real, live Etsy shop which probably thrilled me a little more than it should have.  One can only imagine how I'll act when/if I make a sale...

~ Planning a trip is quite involved and becomes quite complicated when all you want to do is look up restaurants and food trucks.  Though, I've come to terms with it.  I just love food : )

~ Not a single person has donated to my AOK in May yet which is a little sad.  I'm hoping to get lots of people involved without bugging them too much, but I was also hoping for a bit more excitement than I'm seeing.  But I'm sure it has something to do with issue number one above.

AOK in May!

Inspired by some seriously cool ideas for Random Acts of Kindness I've seen on Pinterest, I've decided to devote May to these ideals.  I've been trying to think of a way for a while now to get my friends and colleagues involved so it's not just a solitary thing. In theory, more money can be made and more good can be done when you have more people chipping in to support the cause.  But for some reason, I was having issues thinking of a way to do this.  Random Acts of Kindness are a wonderful idea in theory, but it's hard to work out a way to gain donations for a cause based on that idea.

Yesterday inspiration struck and , I may have cracked my own problem.  Our AOK May might be a little away from randomness but I think it could work, as long as I bug and cajole people enough.  So here's the plan.  Each week in May, and one in June because we had so many good ideas, we're picking a charity to donate money and more importantly stuff to.  I've learned that most big organizations have lists of things they desperately need donated which works out perfectly.  For some reason, I feel it's easier to give things rather than money.  I'm not sure other people feel this way, but I'm hoping they do!

So if you want to get involved with our organizations, they're listed with links to the wish lists below.  But if you want to get really creative, start your very own AOK May and help out the charities and organizations that mean something special to you.  Everyone needs a little kindness in their lives!

Week One : Maryland SPCA

(Everything a puppy or a kitten needs, can be found at Target or the Dollar Store.  Imagine how many animals you can help with just a few dollars!)

 

Week Two: An Elementary School

 (Schools are fabulous places to donate to.  They're always in need of crayons, pencils, paper, coloring books, etc.  Think about making a donation to a school in your neighborhood!)

Week Three: Maryland House of Ruth

(If you're not familiar, the House of Ruth provides housing and assistance to battered women and their families.  They allow the women and children time to get out of the dangerous situations they're living in and a chance to make a fresh start.)

 

Week 4: Johns Hopkins Children's Center

(If you're hoping to donate JHU Children's, please pay close attention to the wish list requirements.  Because of the nature of the center and all centers like it, certain items can't be accepted.)

 

Week 5: Bello Machre

(Bello Machre is a Maryland based organization working to enrich the lives of the developmentally disabled in the area.  Because of the work they do, what they are most in need of are cash donations to support their residents.)

 



Not so Webby

I was reading an article earlier today about the winners of the Webby Awards.  Now I'm not so computer clueless that I didn't know these awards were a "thing".  I've been hearing them talked about for the last few years and sort of knew what they were about.  With the internet being what it is, and our enjoyment of awards in general, it was only a matter of time until the internet got their very own industry awards to brag about.  I get that.

I also completely understand what makes certain websites better than others.  I can see when a website is just not well designed.  And I've gotten very attached to other websites that just work perfectly for what I need it to do. Etsy and HuffPost are 2 that I'm quite fond of.  They let me shop and let me read the news with no extra fluff and no difficult buttons to figure out.  I also understand the difference between Apps that are helpful or creative and apps that are just useless or money-makers.

All of this I can fully get behind in today's techy age.  Where I start to lost the thread a bit, is the actual categories behind these awards.  I literally just scrolled for a good 10 minutes to peruse all the categories and all the companies that were nominated for these awards.  And, even though I'm not a computer person, and I have no real attachment to or understanding of technology marketing, I have to say I feel my questions are quite valid.

~ How did the Webby Artist of the Year, get chosen?  I feel by the very definition of this category, (i.e. - someone who's all over the media like the Grammy's Artist of the Year is) it should be someone that I at least semi-recognize, not some random group I've never even read about.

~ Wouldn't the Best User Experience be kind of the same thing as the Best Navigation/Structure?  GUIs being what they are, I would assume that if the site had the best navigation and structure, the user experience would be pretty great.

~ The same could be said for Aesthetic and Function vs. User Experience.  Doesn't a well-run website, need all of these things together to be the best?  And in that case, why isn't the same site winning all the categories?

~ While I'm all for giving back, why are their separate categories for Activism, and Charities/Non-Profits?  I'm thinking you could save some stage time and type, by just joining them under one umbrella, and including the mobile versions in the same package.

~ There are literally 2 categories, one for games and one for games-related.  What exactly is related to games that isn't a game?

~ About 15 different types of "channels" and "videos" are also nominated.  That just seems redundant to me.  Is there really joy in wining a category so limited as Online Film and Video, How-to - DIY?

~ Then when it all gets to be a little too much, you start to see repeats, lots and lots of repeats.  Because, as I've learned, not only do we need to know what the best is in all the categories for regular old computers, but we also need to know the best in Mobile devices.  Can't we just assume most companies have this whole Web Marketing thing down, and give them the award for their whole darn package?

Lastly and most perplexing of all, there's also a "Weird" category.  Can the Webby's themselves be nominated for this category? 

PS: I'm not really an impartial user, I have to say, the Webby's will most definitely not be winning any Webby's for their darn site - such a pain to use! You'd think they'd know better...

Saints Alive!

As a Catholic, a canonization is the highest honor someone can have bestowed on them.  And seeing that Pope John Paul II was alive and in power in my lifetime, I'd think that the story would be sort of... all over the news.  While I knew it was happening, I didn't realize it was today until this morning.  This is coming from someone who is on CNN and HuffPost each and every day.  So I suppose, I'm a little late to the party.  But, Congratulations anyway to the 2 newest saints of the church.  I'm a little foggy on the rules and regulations of becoming a saint, but Pope John Paul II was a great man who did a lot of good for his congregation and the church. He deserves all the honors bestowed on him.

Empori-YUM!

Baltimore's Foodie Powers that Be have been really on the ball lately.  Because of the success of Smorgasburg in NYC, they decided to hold something similar called Empori-yum. Restaurants and food companies from Baltimore and a few from NYC and DC as well, came together this weekend to celebrate local food.  There was cheese, and booze and sweets and about a hundred other things which were all pretty darn delicious!  Oh, and there was Bryan Voltaggio, who I may or may not have stalked with my camera...

Sea Salt Caramels to die for!

 It's Bryan Voltaggio!!!

 Toki Underground Ramen!!!!!!!

 Pho and Banh Mi Taco from Pho Wheels - Yum!

 As you can see, I was a HUGE fan of the Ramen!

 I now understand why Momofuku Milk Bar calls this Crack Pie - I was jonesing for another slice 3 minutes after I finished this one.

Friday Five

1. Austin Texas: I'm in the throes of planning a last minute trip there right now.  Not last minute in the traditional sense.  Last minute in that I've always wanted to go, and thought heck, I'm just going to plan a trip.  For the record, I know next to nothing about this awesome, eclectic and quirky city, other than there's lots of food that I'll most definitely be eating.  As of right now, nothing is nailed down, but it feels good to be trip planning again.  The moving of the England trip to 2015 was a bit depressing at first, but it freed up a bit of time and money so I'll finally get to give myself some little getaways to the amazing places in my very own country that I've never seen before.  Seems like it's going to be a perfect girls weekend getaway!

2. "Tell the World" by Eric Hutchinson: A few weeks ago I wrote about how much I loved "Growing up Fisher."  This song is the theme song that I finally remembered to search out on iTunes.  It's cute and darn catchy so listen at your own risk.
          

3. My new purchases from Etsy: Thanks to Mountainside Crafts I'm the proud owner of these 2 adorable little stamps here.  I'm already dreaming of ways to use them!

4. "I've Got You Under My Skin" by Mary Higgins Clark: I realize every book she's ever written is some twist on the same darn story and I realize most of the characters stay the same with different names.  But I have no idea why they're so darn readable!

5. Small town newspaper headlines: I should have taken a picture because I can't find it now, but whoever writes headlines for the Capital Gazette deserves a raise.  This weekends story on a virus in some pigs belonging to the 4H was headlined with: "This Little Piggy was Quarantined" Ha!

HoCo Blogs Party

was lucky enough to attend the HoCo (Howard County for those of you not from the MD) Blogs party this evening at Petit Louis Bistro on the Lakefront.  Petit Louis Bistro is the Brainchild of Tony Foreman and Cindy Wolf who just happen to be the king and queen of the Maryland dining scene.  They own handfuls of amazing restaurants all over Baltimore, and Petit Louis is their first in Howard County. So we non-Baltimore types are very excited about this development!

Petit Louis consists of a sit-down French Bistro as well as Comptoir, a carry-out French patisserie serving pastries, sandwiches and breads.  They opened officially last month, but seeing as they're located on a beautiful lake, they opened the outdoor area this evening.  The food was delicious.  I promised myself I'd eat whatever I was offered and I did with very few negative results.  On the menu were:

Gruyere Puffs
Wild Game Turine with creme fraiche and pickled ramps
Beet Salad in Endive

Then there was dessert which is always the best part!

Macaroons with Lime
3 flavors of macarons 
Chocolate Chip Buckwheat cookies

The only issue I had was with the beet salad which is quite hard to eat with your fingers and wasn't really my thing.  Aside from some awkward moments in which I almost bolted due to my complete lack of social graces and inability to make small talk, the rest of the evening went off without a hitch.  

I'm hoping they hold a few more of these. If I'm ever going to learn the art of hob-nobbing and small talk, the best chances I have are when I'm surrounded by food : ) 

Happy Birthday Will!

William Shakespeare, the man, the myth (possibly), the legend would have been 450 years old today.  And might I say, he's holding up pretty well for a dead guy.  I just jumped on the Shakespeare train in the last few years or so.  I had read works of his in high school of course, but I wasn't happy about it and I most certainly wasn't understanding it.  But somewhere along the lines, I drank the kool aid and became an Anglophile and sort of fell in love with the idea of "Shakespeare". 

He's still a rock-star across the pond, which sort of feeds the love I suppose.  Stratford, which does its best to educate and entertain anyone who'll listen about the bard, is still a mecca for all Shakespeare lovers today.  There are Shakespeare tours throughout England, as well as countless productions of his works each year.  Even auditions for actors still call for performances of one modern piece and one Shakespeare piece.  So you can say that, yes they've also drank the kool aid.  We here in the States, have sort of missed the boat on this one - the Kardashians take up too much of our time I suppose - and that's just unfortunate.  We're missing a lot.

There's a great deal that goes into making Shakespeare what he is today.  He was a master wordsmith and genius storyteller but I can't say that's what has made him an icon.  There were handfuls of fantastic storytellers in his day, that never received the recognition or acclaim that Will has achieved.  I have to think the myth that "William Shakespeare" never really existed as a real person and was actually anyone from Sir Francis Bacon to the 6th Earl of Derby had just a bit to do with the appeal. 

Scholars have debated the question for centuries and I think the intrigue always helps in today's world.  Their biggest argument against William being William is that he was a minor citizen in his day.  No fancy education.  No traveling around the world.  Just an ordinary man living in Stratford upon Avon writing works that would still be read 450 years later.  But what they don't take into account is the "Why not?" aspect.  Why couldn't an ordinary citizen have the god given talent to write such beautiful stories and narrative?  We tell kids all the time if they can dream it, they can do it.  Well, maybe little Will dreamt it and did it, successfully.  Maybe he was just that good. 

Aside from the intrigue aspect, his works are still relevant today.  I always thought that a Shakespeare play, when performed, would be lots of British actors in period dress, throwing the "thees" and "thous" around any chance they got.  Seeing one live would almost certainly help with my understanding of the material, right?  Wrong.  While seeing it performed makes it a bit easier to understand (oh and the British accents help a LOT - we Americans just don't have the presence to pull it off), it's still next to impossible to get the jest.  That is until you throw out Elizabethan England, corsets and cod-pieces and throw in modern settings and costumes such as a beach house in 1980s Falklands (Much Ado About Nothing) or Romeo riding in on a motorcycle (Romeo and Juliet) or even Hamlet jumping around looking a lot like a certain Timelord in a tee shirt, jeans and bare feet.  The everydayness gives you a chance to concentrate on the words and story rather than focusing on what in the world they're wearing.  Probably just an opinion of mine, but it works in my head.  And even without the beautiful words he painstakingly wrote and created much of the time (Fun Fact: He invented over 1700 words!), the stories themselves can be told in thousands of different iterations.  "Taming of the Shrew" for example,  has been reimagined into "Kiss Me Kate", as well as "10 Things I Hate About You", just to name a few.

Even if Shakespeare isn't really your thing, you have to appreciate the works he amassed in such a short time and the staying power these works have.  I'm sure any author today envies the career "William Shakespeare" or William Shakespeare had and would give anything to have their work still relevant all these centuries later. 

So Happy Birthday Will!  We English nerds owe you so much!  I'm sure you're brilliance and creativity will live on for centuries to come!

Geeky Soap Box

Every once in a while, I feel the need to get up on my very own little geeky soap box and just write about something quite nerdy and near and dear to my heart.  It's that time again, so I apologize in advance : ) 

As we all know, I spend a great deal of time on Pinterest.  A few weeks ago I started seeing a name and a face pop-up quite a bit: Misha Collins.  I had never watched Supernatural so I had no idea but the geeks on Pinterest seem to regard him as a bit of a god.  So I just had to figure out why.  It's why Google was invented.  In my experience the ones they usually worship (i.e. Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus) have no reason to be worshipped and are quite honestly big 'ol spoiled brats so I didn't have much confidence in what I was going to find.

I'm happy to admit that I was wrong, and while you shouldn't go around worshipping false idols and all that, he's about the best false idol to worship I can find.  And so not for the reasons you'd think.  Yes he's very, very funny - almost too funny in a way you can't believe anyone is actually that witty off script.  He has 2 adorable children, one of which he hosts a cooking show with I went gaga for a few weeks ago.  And yes, he's on a cult TV show which makes his fanbase HUGE ...in the nerd community.  So yay for all that.  But the man leads a charity called Random Acts that focuses all of its power (and it has some serious mojo due to the cult TV audience) on spreading random acts of kindness and encouraging others to be kinder and nicer to their fellow citizens. (It has built an orphanage in Haiti and reunited a girl who had been trafficked with her family.) How can you not like a guy that encourages people to not be jerks and actually succeeds?

But, wait there's more.  I was listening to the Nerdist podcast this morning during my walk (and yes, that's the nerdiest thing I've ever said, thank you very much) and they happened to interview him, while he was in a Scottish castle with the winners of GISHWHES - The Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen, which he also leads.  For the last 3 years, he has run an international scavenger hunt for thousands of people (in 2012 there were 14,000 participants).  One week a year, teams of 18 that are randomly thrown together after they sign up, join up virtually and try to find items as crazy as a portraits of Jensen Ackles made entirely with skittles, or "a bus in a volcano" and as responsible as bringing drinks and snacks to a dialysis center or leaving a kind note for someone you don't know then filming their reaction.  All of the found items are then recorded or photographed and uploaded to the site where points are awarded.  The more you do, the more points you get.  And the name isn't just a hoax, it has been awarded 3 Guiness World Records, included most charity pledges as well as most participants.

There are multiple reasons why this is awesome. For one, who doesn't love a scavenger hunt?  It's something fun and crazy and probably makes a whole summer.  Nerdy too, but I go for that... For another, how many people can say they've met and become friends with people all over the world? Some of the teams have planned meet-ups all over the world and some stay in touch throughout the year with email and other fun techy ways.  Then there's the charity aspect.  The $19 entrance fee (how many fun things are under $20?!) all goes to Random Acts.  And the charity list items all promote Random Act's mission statement to spread kindness.  Lastly, it's the creativity that it takes to put something like this together and the creativity of the participants to complete the list items.

That was the most interesting part of the interview when Collins said that it's his favorite part.  He likes taking ideas and seeing them from different angles and he feels like he's teaching people to think about these items (and probably other life problems as well) in this same way.  For instance, a bus in a volcano sounds completely impossible.  But if you lived in Hawaii for instance, you could buy a toy bus and take a hike to Kilauea.  Basically what seems impossible, never quite is.

So I suppose, this all was a very long winded way of saying something quite simple.  Why in the world are people worshipping singers who wind up behind bars for speeding in over-priced cars when there are good people like Misha Collins out there spreading the love?

Boston Strong

I had some vague plans to go to Boston last summer before the Marathon bombing.  And I have to say, I was a little leery after everything that had happened so we scrapped the trip (not the sole reason of course, but it certainly didn't help).  However seeing how the city came back after such an overwhelming obstacle took me by surprise.  They say that terrorism doesn't do exactly what it's supposed to.  Terrorists want to create chaos and pull people apart.  But if the last 10-15 years have shown us anything, it's that it almost never does.  It binds people together into a united front and makes them stronger and more as one. 

I couldn't believe it when it happened one year ago, and I still can't believe it happened today, one year later.  To target such an exciting, and raucous event with anger and hatred is cowardly to say the least.  But the emergency responders, doctors, nurses, and ordinary citizens, banded together and showed those 2 men that the injured and more importantly Boston as a whole wouldn't be brought down so easily.  They showed what strength, kindness and courage could - ultimately heal an entire city. 

What's most telling is the numbers for this year's Marathon.  In 2013 about 23,000 runners participated but in 2014, there are expected to be around 36,000 runners racing.  If that's not Boston strong, I'm not sure what is!  

I know today will be a day of pain and healing for those who lost loved ones and those who are still struggling to mend, but if anything, the love and support of most of the world being sent their way will help them through this anniversary which I'm sure is something the terrorists never anticipated.

Sending love and prayers to Boston and all the marathoners.  #BostonStrong

Happy Easter!

Wishing you and yours a beautiful and blessed Easter!

Easter Sweets

For the record, I can go months without eating candy, but come Easter time, it's all I crave! Today was officially Easter baking day and of course I turned to Pinterest.  Where in the world would I be without it?!  All of the recipes turned out pretty well, I think.  The Bunny Tails are super sweet so if that's your thing, they're perfect for you but I'm not such a fan. Other than that, my track record was much higher than usual.  All recipes can be found below - Enjoy!

Coconut Bunny Tails      Butter Creams     Peanut Butter Bon Bons     Hot Cross Buns

Friday Five

1. Spending a day with the cutie patootie niece who, as the saying goes, says the darndest things.  Today's winners were:
After the waitress at a pizza place dropped ketchup to the table - "Seriously, ketchup?" Complete with eye-roll and hair flip.

After waiting just a bit too long in the wind for the boat to pick us up: "My eyeballs are cold."

And my personal favorite, after giving my go to answer to "You know what? (Yeah, he's a good friend of mine.): "....Huh?"  I think I may have stopped her dead in the tracks with that one.

2. All sorts of fun house fixes that should have been done 4 years ago.  I now have a trash can that rolls out from under the sink, a pot rack to hang all my pans on and a new completely comfy sofa and chair set in the living room.  I'm so glad I have my own personal handy-man, he certainly comes in handy : )  Thanks bud!

3. Seriously, how cute is this guy?  How in the world can anyone think he's a deadly beast?

4. Jim Henson's Creature Shop: I'm sort of obsessed with all things Jim Henson but I'm so not a fan of reality TV.  However, SyFy has seemingly created the perfect reality show for me based on Jim Henson's creature shop.  The talent of these fabricators and creature builders is pretty darn impressive.  Having the chance to create monsters and skeksies all other sorts of creatures in Jim Henson space, and based on his works has to be about the most fun ever.  

5. I'm not sure when all the Mason Jar love started but I do know that this idea is close to being the cutest ever!

Looking for Inspiration

In the maze of my brain, lately it seems that actual topics for blog posts have some how been lost in the labyrinth.  I suppose that's just my way of saying I have some serious writer's block.  So I jumped on my trusty Pinterest boards of inspiration and found a list for April of Blog Ideas. Perfect, right?  Well, actually, kind of not perfect as you'll see what today's idea is.  I don't want to take a break, that would ruin my whole darn streak.  So I'm stealing one from last month's list mostly because it seems fitting since next week is World Book Night.

My favorite Children's Books:

As a recovering Pre-school teacher and hoarder of all things Kid Lit related, this one might be a bit difficult to nail down.  I love lots and lots of books, for lots and lots of different reasons.  When I finally do get that Prince Charming and 2.5 kids I'm hoping for, the kids better gosh darn like to read, because I've pretty much filled their entire library already. They will have no choice : )

Anything by Dr. Seuss: I've ALWAYS treasured any Dr. Seuss story.  His works are just so much fun for kids.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who has tried to read the stories as quickly as possible in funny voices without stumbling over all the craziness.  He showed kids that reading wasn't boring,.  It was fun and crazy and could be anything you wanted it to be. 

"A Midsummer Night's Fairy Tale" by Wendy Froud and Terri Winding: If you know anything about Jim Henson's studios, the name Froud should stick out.  She's the wife of Brian Froud who is responsible for all the creatures in "Labyrinth" and "The Dark Crystal".  In other words, the Frouds are amazing!  The story pretty much mirrors "A Midsummer Night's Dream" so I was already pre-destined to like it.  But what I love about this book (and the next 2 in the series) are the photographs.  Instead of using illustrations, she created the creatures and their environments, then photographed them.  They are stunning and you can just see the influences of Brian Froud's creatures.  Also, faeries.  What's not to love about faeries?!

"Harry Potter": What kind of anglophile would I be if I didn't mention Harry Potter?  I just found the first Harry Potter book on a shelf in a book store by accident before the craze hit and long before there were to be 6 more books.  I instantly fell in love with everything about it - the story, the message, the characters, Hogwarts - Everything!  Discovering it for myself before the whole world fell in love with it, made it that much more special.

"The Littlest Angel": My most favorite Christmas book is a children's book.  The message that even a little person can do big things will always hold a special place in my heart.  Not to mention the tradition of my dad reading it each Christmas Eve.  I fell in love with books hearing it read each year.

"Paddington", "Babar" and "Madeline": There's just something about the stories that hold up after so much time.  I remember falling in love with the bear from darkest Peru in his little galoshes and rain hat then watching the snazzy elephant on PBS each week.  My love for Madeline was more recent after discovering her stories while teaching.  Who's to say oldies aren't goodies?

Wishful Wednesday

For the most part, I'm most often wishful about England.  I spend most days dreaming I was walking along the Thames, or grabbing a bite at a pub or just seeing a show on the West End.  However, just about this time each year - spring time right before it gets all scorching hot and too humid to even think about going outside, I start dreaming about the beach. 

I have always liked going to the beach, but it's never really been my go to travel destination.  I'd much rather visit huge cities or historic towns than spend hours upon hours rotating between sitting in the sticky sand and bouncing in the waves.  It's fun in small doses but after a few hours I'm done.  I think it may have something to do with growing up so close to Ocean City, MD.  It's within a 3 hours drive so it wasn't a HUGE deal when we picked up and made the trip, unlike someone living in landlocked Iowa, for example.

But, contrary to today's 30 degree temperatures, yesterday's 80 degree temps made me long for some sun, sand and surf.  I'm craving a good book, a comfy beach chair and some serious sun to give some color to these ghost white legs of mine. I want to jump into the waves and not freeze when I do so - though it's usually a pre-requisite in the chilly Atlantic.  Then I want to hit the boards and scarf down some Boog's BBQ & lemonade and top it all off with some Fisher's Popcorn and Dumser's Ice Cream.  (I never said it was a healthy fantasy). 

Come June, Coastal Highway will be inundated with senior weekers, bike weekers and family vacationers, thus making it a bit more overly-crowded and a lot less fun.  But for now, the beach is the perfect escape for summer dreamers.

Happy (Or Unhappy, I suppose) Tax Day!

There are things I just don't understand.  Things that are a normal part of life, that I accept, but don't fully get.  Taxes are one of those things.  Oh, I get the money part.  I realize that the government needs money and it's our job to give them some of ours.  But past that point, I'm lost.

- How does one actually commit tax fraud?  I mean, taxes come right out of my paycheck each week.  Even if I wanted to not give the government my money, I couldn't succeed.  But hundreds (maybe thousands) of Americans go to jail each year for committing the act. 

- Why do so many people wait until April 14th to do their taxes?  I mean, seriously?  Aren't you scared that your computer is going to break or the internet is going to go down or an asteroid is going to hit the mail box that you've just used to mail the papers?  Wouldn't life be so much less stressful if you just did it months ago when you got all the docs in the mail?

- What exactly is a tax break and how can I get in on that action?  I know millionaires get them but I'm thinking they're rich enough to pay the same darn taxes all of us average people are paying, right?

- How does one even succeed in "doing" one's taxes?  There are an awful lot of numbers, letters, symbols, etc. on those darn documents that come in the mail. One false move, and you're in the poor house instead of living the high life.  I know TurboTax looks simple and I'm fairly good with a computer, but the accountant has some fancy letters after his name that tell me he's not going to screw it up as royally as I am, therefore, I'm willing to pay anything he asks. 

In hindsight, I probably should have gone the accounting root - I wouldn't have to write a post about all the things I didn't understand about taxes, and I'd be rolling in the dough of all the schmucks like me... 

Here's hoping all of our refunds are big and our losses are tiny. Happy Tax Day!

Monday Doldrums

Due to an unfortunate OD of caffeine (Only I would OD on Iced Tea and Hot Tea...) which caused a very sleepless night that mixed with a Monday to create the perfect storm of utter sluggishness, our regularly scheduled blog post will be postponed until tomorrow so I can go to bed early like a little old lady...Night!

Way to Go Bubba!

On Thursday, I have to admit, there were about 10 players I was hoping would win, none of which were Bubba Watson.  When most of my guys were cut on Friday, I had to change course.  Since then I was rooting for Fred Couples, then Matt Kuchar then Jordan Spieth the rookie.  Mostly, because this was his first Masters and he could have broken Tiger's youngest winner record.  But after seeing Bubba tear up the course then immediately break out in tears after his last putt, it's hard not to root for the guy.  He seems like such a good person.  After this second win, and his extremely adorable son, I think I might be a fan.  Way to go, Bubba!

Major Upgrades

I now have my very own equivalent of Sheldon's spot and I now understand why Sheldon has a spot.  This seat rocks!  I may never leave it : )

Friday Five

1. Chevron!: Whether it be the fabulous new Jonathan Adler Toms I just got or the super-cute grey and white curtains I bought for the living room, I'm in love with all things Chevron.  I'm not sure what it is about it, but it's pretty darn awesome!

2. A Beautiful Mess Casual Fridays: A Beautiful Mess always has lots of fun ideas and crafty things, but recently they've started Casual Friday posts where they share lots of what's happening behind the scenes.  All I can say is that their work days seem much more fun than mine do!

3. While I've never been a big fan of April Fool's Day this college prank is pretty darn clever.  The students must have worked on this for weeks.  It's the perfect combination of funny and not mean.

4. Spring has sprung!  I've always thought the whole seasonal affective disorder was a load of hooey but since the sun came out and the temps warmed up, I've been much happier and back in the groove!

5. Mexican Feasts: Mexican food is my go to meal pretty much any time I have the choice.  It makes me very very happy.  So of course, I was going to ask for it for my birthday.  While my own personal chef (i.e. my dad) is a kick a*# cook every day of the year, he outdid himself with the 4 different types of salsa, pico de gallo, chile con queso, asado de puerco and chile verde.  I've never eaten so much in all my life and it was absolutely, positively delicious! (Thanks bud!)

A Tradition Like No Other...

Some sports fans wait all year for the Super Bowl, others are nearly giddy during the baseball post-season.  Me? I go crazy for Master's weekend.  You heard me.  The "tradition like no other" that Bob Costas has been touting in 10 second interludes for the last 3 months - that's the one.  Everything about it is respected and it truly is traditional in every sense of the word.

Over the years, the game of golf has become a bit less gentlemanly than it has been in the past.  With possible cheating scandals (on and off the greens) and public outbursts and spats, it's moving slowly towards all the other sports rather than the gentleman's club it was in the beginning.  But all allusions to those behaviors are thrown out the window during Master's week. Everyone just sort of decides to be on their best behavior.  I mean, wouldn't you if you were being watched by the ever-attentive godfathers of golf - Arnold Palmer,  Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player?  Even though they've long since retired, they're in Augusta every year kicking off the events and keeping a close eye on the players and fans alike.

Then of course there's the fun.  A dinner chosen for all the players by last year's winner - what a perk after fighting for that win!  And you can't forget the Par 3 contest where children, spouses and significant others regularly caddy for their loved ones and the mood's so relaxed that players are betting with fans.  

But come Thursday, it's all business on this most beautiful of all courses.  The fans are more respectful - you don't hear any "Get in the hole!" at Augusta after tee off.  The players are quieter - they're playing in Augusta afterall, this place is hallowed ground.  And pace is a bit slower.  But the sandwiches are always Pimento.  The tea is sweet.  Amen Corner is quietly hushed and the azaleas are blooming brightly.  It's a sight to see and I'm just glad we get to see it.

Day One was a long one that started with no Tiger (side note - woohoo!), and some big players falling quickly behind the pack (Come on Phil, get it together!).  But if I've learned anything, it's that Masters golf can change in an instant.  I'm just glad we get to go along for the ride.