Would You Have Done It?

This morning before work, I went to the local 99-cent store and stood in a line kind of like this: Okay, not really. There were only about fifty people in line actually. The store was giving one of these:
to the first nine people in line. The store opened at 8:00, and I got there around 7:15. There were already quite a few people in line, and we asked the store-employee-crowd-control guy, "When did those first nine guys get here?" His answer: "2:30 yesterday afternoon." !!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, now ipods are great, I'm sure, but they aren't that expensive. Who in their right mind would spend the night on the sidewalk in front of the 99-cent store for anything?! I'm not that nuts, but I did stay in line even though the ipods were gone because the next 99 customers got one of these:
for 99 cents. I'm sure my siblings will enjoy it, and it didn't make me very late to work. They owe me, though.

Brazos Bend, Part Two

Looking for alligators wasn't the only activity we enjoyed at Brazos Bend State Park recently. Seth was excited to find a vending machine, and it had nothing to do with getting a drink. It had everything to do with the fact that when you drop a quarter into a vending machine, then press the coin return button, you get a different quarter. For a coin collector like Seth, who is trying to acquire every type of quarter ever made, this means that vending machines are not drink dispensers. They are potential treasure chests. While relentlessly pursuing a quarter he didn't have yet, he attracted an amused crowd of onlookers.
Success!!!!

Humor in the News

Blind man rescues neighbor from burning house while firefighters perform CPR on kittens.

How's that for ironic?

Today's Winner of the Foresight Prize Is...

...Popular Mechanics magazine, who declared in 1949 that, "Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." !!!!!!!!!!

The Plight of the Secretary

I often find my job difficult to label, as I find myself being the receptionist, secretary, saleswoman, webmaster, research assistant, computer consultant….but I’m more of a secretary than anything else. Now, being a secretary is a good fit for me. My skills and personality go well with that job. But, that doesn’t mean it’s without its frustrations. As someone who is helping others accomplish their projects, I sometimes get sent on wild goose chases. ALL IS FUTILE, A MERE CHASING AFTER THE WIND!! Okay, maybe it’s not that bad, but I have had some incidents recently that made me reflect on this plight. We will not go into the details of these experiences here, but they went something like this:

BOSS: I need you to rope the moon for me. Could you have it ready by tomorrow afternoon?
SECRETARY: (trying to catch her breath and feeling more gray hairs sprouting) I can do it for you!!!!
Thirty hours and much effort and grief later…
SECRETARY: Do you remember that moon thing you asked for? I have it ready now.
BOSS: Oh yes, that’s right! Well, actually I don’t need it after all, since my buddy just told me it’s really not made of cheese. Do you think you could put it back?
SECRETARY: (after briefly considering bursting into tears and/or banging her head on the wall) Sure! I’ll do it after lunch.

Here’s to all you secretaries out there who know exactly what I’m talking about.

Off On Another Adventure

Our grandparents were in town last weekend, and we all went down to Brazos Bend State Park for the day on Saturday. We found a huge tree with ghostly-looking moss all over it that made a good backdrop for a portrait.
This guy thought the moss would make a good beard, too.
The park is known for alligators, and we were not disappointed. The weather was cloudy and cool, which was perfect for animals being out, and we saw nutria, a bunch of different kinds of birds (even spoonbills and a great blue heron!), a few turtles, and about twenty alligators.
This was probably the closest one. If you click the picture, it will get bigger, and you might be able to actually see the alligator.
We found this huge fallen log along the trail, and paused to sit, climb, walk, straddle, or jump off while yelling like a maniac.
We also found a hilarious sign. (We are very easily amused.)

See That Boy Grow!

Thirteen-year-old Seth has been experiencing remarkable growth in the last several months, and is now very close to being the tallest one in the family. His lofty height is especially noticeable when he's washing dishes with Anna! (and it's not because she's short)