Some Things I Don't Understand...

Why hasn't my Nuun Hood to Coast Relay Application video gone viral? Dude...that was my ticket outta here! My husband was going to retire on the fame and fortune we were going to reap! I understand the popularity of the little girl playing with the dead squirrel, but if videos showcasing the popping of the world's hugest zit (not even technically a zit, more like a boil) and people trying to pogo-stick on a treadmill go viral, why not a video of weird, semi-softcore-esque running-and-squirting by an almost-50-year-old lady to an early 90's one-hit wonder dance tune? Hmmm... wait...don't answer that.

Why doesn't the speed with which one can elliptical translate directly to the speed one can run on the ground? Sort of late to the whole 'machine' game, I have recently discovered the elliptical trainer...and the fact that you can change the little read-outs to see stuff like calories burned (which I don't care about), total strides (holy jeez, that number is kind of scary after 70 minutes), and distance (whoa! cool!). I just wish that I could maintain that same intensity and speed on asphalt. Any physicists out there ...or whatever smart, scholarly types might know the answer to this? It probably has something to do with impact, right? Or maybe friction? I'm grasping at terms here...help me out, smart people!

Why did I buy this stupid, plastic bouncy ball? Was it because my 3-year old wrestled it out of the giant wire cage in which it was trapped (against my protestations) and then proceeded to bounce it all over the place (again, against my protestations), dirtying it all up? And why did this guilt me into buying it instead of gross me out about Target's cleanliness?

I think it was because this cuteness was irresistible.

Did you ever buy the big plastic bouncy ball? What color? How long before that sucker popped or was deemed off limits because the bouncing all over the house drove you insane?


Do you travel as fast on the real ground as you do on the elliptical trainer?


In other news...it's the Return of the Pink Circle Contest! If you feel so inclined, smack that button in the sidebar or click here to be transported directly to your own personal voting booth.

What a Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino Means to Me.

source

I saw this picture today when I was at Target...and I wanted that front one.

The Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino.

And I don't even drink coffee.

This is how I know when things are not going well. I start craving crap that I don't even like and stuff that I may like but makes me feel physically or emotionally awful. I won't indulge because it will make me sick, but the cravings can be pretty strong and are definitely a mood-barometer.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, this is a "woe is me" post.

I know that in this season of greetings, amidst the tidings of comfort and joy, I should be celebrating and expressing gratitude for all I can do, all that I have, and all that there is. Instead, I am stuck in what I can't do, what I don't have, and what there isn't. For the moment, I am mired in negativity...and it super sucks. The ridiculous guilt for being on such a downer compounds the crappy feelings, too. Great.

This doesn't happen to me very often, but when it does...

Okay.

So what am I going to do to try and drag my sorry ass out of this abyss?

Against my better judgement, I am going to go for a run. The run in and of itself is not what is 'against my better judgement.' It's what I am going to attempt during my run that is 'against my better judgement.'

No, I'm not going to tell you what it is. I'll tell you later... and I'll tell you if it worked.

And I may end up wishing that I had just opted for the dang frappuccino.

happy birthday to meeeeeeeee!!!! and the gadget giveaway winner announced!

In the GREAT GADGET GIVEAWAY featuring the amazing garlic peeler, it is:

Table for Seven....

being named the winner of said gadget by way of the Scrabble Method! I swear, I've got to get more creative with my random choosing methods... I almost fell asleep doing this one this time.

If you missed this awesome gadget, here is the instructional video... right here.

So Table for Seven, let me know where this sucker ... and the $15 Target gift card :)... are going by emailing me at:  xlmic.tio (at) gmail.com  and I shall hook you up!

And today is my birthday... I will write a whole narcissistic, attention-seeking post about myself later, but feel free to wish me a happy birthday, become a follower of my blog, go check out my Facebook page and click that lil ol' "LIKE" button... and if you want to see what 47 years, 363 days can look like in action, you will need to see my latest video creation:  Synchronized Carpet Swimming.

If you want to see this become an Olympic sport, you can help by making this video go viral. The IOC would have a hard time turning it down if the WHOLE WORLD was clamoring for it. And we could probably get them to consider the Going-Nowhere-Fast Triathlon also described in that post.

Granny's Gadgets #17... and a giveaway!

This one is probably the most useful gadget to date...

and so easy to use :)

aaaannnnnndddddd.....   drumroll, please...  


It's up for grabs!

The way I found out what this weird thing happens to be is pretty funny. This past Christmas, my stepdad gave us a hot pink one, demonstrated it and went on and on and on about it and how much he LOVED it. After one time using it on our own, we were totally sold. We were so excited to have this little, pliable, rubbery gadget!

Imagine my surprise when going through my Granny's Gadgets stash this week! In the bin was this same gadget... only older and brown... not stylishly hot pink ;-)  At that moment I remembered seeing it in there several years before, back when I received the Gadget stash. And I remembered wondering, "what the....? hmmmmm...." and tossing it back in and never trying to figure it out.

What that means is.... I have TWO!  And one can be YOURS!  It really is an amazing helper. If you use a lot of garlic... or any garlic... you will be so pleased and amazed at how easy and fast this thing works.

To enter this giveaway:

• Be an official Taking It On follower and let me know in a comment that you are one  (this is mandatory this time) 
• Tell me how you currently peel garlic... in another comment  for an extra entry
• Let me know what you think of a Gadget Challenge in which readers post a gadget video of their own and we link them up on Mondays, or people send me their own gadget video and I post it along with mine... or something like that... in yet another comment  for an extra entry
• blog or Facebook link to this giveaway... and let me know in another comment  for an extra entry

That means a separate comment for each attempt at winning. And I will throw in a $15 Target gift card on the side for the winner :)

You may enter up until 12:01 a.m. on Friday, May 6, 2011. I will hold the drawing on Friday in honor of .... my birthday!  Woooo hooooo!  I find giving to be lots of fun :)

Best of luck to all who play!

My family went to Paris and all I got was…

... sick.

Not really. 

Only two of us got to get sick :P

As far as purchases went, the kids did get to choose some pretty stellar (and cheapo) souvenirs on their trip to France...

Big G picked a few books (in French) about ancient weaponry, mythology and wizardry...

And a nifty "gold" pocket watch with an Eiffel Tower embossed on the cover, a very detailed metal model of Notre Dame, and an awesome little gargoyle.

Baby X had her eye on sparkly things and Astérix.  

A book bag, keychains and a little sparkly Eiffel Tower.

Q-Man decided on a "silver" pocket watch with a "gold" Eiffel Tower glued molded onto it of his very, very own (similar to Big G's) and two books (again, in French) about medieval castles and life in the Middle Ages...one of which came with a mighty coolio castle to build!

And his pièce de resistance...

A fabulous $4 snow globe.

Daddy was diggin' on the cheapo chocolate that was on sale at the supermarket.

(it isn't even the 'good' stuff... but man, did he get it for a good price ;-) )

What did I get?

Well, what I wanted was this...

You know how I feel about our toilets here at home. These French toilets rival Target's public restroom toilets and the blaster toilets on airplanes. And they have a half-flush, water-saving feature ;-)  Even the French version of the low-flow toilet is better than the American one. These guys have it going on!

Check this out...

I saw no plungers in any of the bathrooms I visited on the trip. None. They are unnecessary. Such a difference from our house where one is required in every bathroom and used at least once every day.

However...

due to the very low initial water level, a toilet brush (right hand side of picture and video) is indispensable. I think you know why.

So that's what I really wanted, but...

because of luggage restrictions and our budget constraints, I had to settle for these...

The World's Most Awesome Tampons!

And you have to go to France to get them ;-)