Scraps

-Something I brought back with me from Canada: squeezing fresh lime in a Pepsi.  One of the places I ate at in Toronto provided a lime wedge when I ordered a Pepsi.  It seemed like a weird combination, but it is a nice complement to the soda.  I did see Pepsi Lime as a bottled product that could be purchased up north, but best as I can tell, it's only available (maybe) in its diet version in the U.S.

-Seeing that my preferred pre-packaged salad was on sale, I bought a couple containers of it.  At checkout the product ran up as $5.99.  The tag read $2.88.  I don't necessarily keep a close eye on the prices that are rung up, but the large difference here caught my attention.  I went back and looked, and sure enough, the scanned price was wrong.  The clerk adjusted the price without any trouble, but I was really surprised that the price was that far off.  The regular price is 41 cents more, so it wasn't like the sale price hadn't made it into the system.  The price was completely wrong.  Guess I better keep closer watch on what price things scan at.

-Speaking of unexpected prices, I headed to the campus area to see a couple movies in the late morning and early afternoon.  The theater isn't terribly close to Ohio Stadium.  I wouldn't consider the parking garage for it a logical place to park if going to the college football game, yet four and a half hours before kickoff this garage wanted $20 upfront.  (Ordinarily it's $1 per hour, with the theater validating for $1 for three hours.)  I explained that I was there to see a movie but was told that didn't matter.  I had to pay for parking and would get a coupon for a "free" movie ticket and popcorn.  (A drink might have been in the mix too, but that didn't matter.)  Outrageous.  Never mind that I have a pass that already means I'm not paying for a ticket.  Even without it I wouldn't have been spending $20 there, nor would I have wanted the forced purchase of concessions.

-I hope it warms up a little bit.  So far we've skipped right on by the slightly cooler fall weather.

Randomize!

-I drove by an apartment complex that had a sign outside with "Pets free" on it. I assume that means there is no charge to have a pet while residing there, but couldn't one reasonably think that it means there are no pets in the complex? (I'm not going to propose that one might be misled to think they are giving away pets.)

-Difference I noticed between visits to New York City in March and August: going up flights of stairs from the subway platform was less taxing. Exercise on the recumbent bike has made a difference.

-I need a vacation from coming back from vacation.

-It would seem that my new common wall neighbor is quiet. Since they've moved in, I've not heard anything from that place. Color me relieved.

-While I was out of town, I think the person who lives below me moved out, but I can't say for certain. If so, I can open up the glass sliding doors and sit on the balcony more. The previous (?) occupant smoked really rank cigarettes.

-While working out tonight I saw an ad for a pizza place I haven't been to in a long time. So of course I picked up dinner from them on the way home. Advertising works sometimes.

Scraps

-Although I'd been to it once before, it was really kind of wonderful yesterday to see a movie in a building surrounded by corn fields on three of its sides.

-Aside from the space in their new house, one of the best things about where my parents now live is that there are places to go within a five-minute drive. Yes, they're still essentially in the country, but they're not quite as isolated. Even if it's just to run to the grocery, to get a coffee, or go to the movies, all these places are within easy reach. That should help with keeping one's sanity while visiting, although the house won't be as cramped anyway since two of my brothers live just a couple miles from them.

-I have returned home to find that the vacated apartment next to mine is still empty. Is it too much to hope for that to be the case for awhile?

-Speaking of neighbors, upon my return I was confronted with a decision whether to be a good one or not. I noticed that the dome light was on in the car driven by the woman who lives in the unit below mine. It was nearly 10 p.m. Do I knock on her door? (Keep in mind I've only a had a couple brief conversations with her.) Ultimately I figured it wouldn't hurt to try, especially since the likelihood was high that she'd otherwise get up to a drained battery. She answered and was grateful I let her know. It may seem weird even to question whether to do this, but what's the likelihood you'd answer the door that late to someone you don't particularly know?

Clippings

-In the parking lot I saw two Indian women hitting a shuttlecock back and forth, back and forth. There was no net and, as far as I could tell, no points being kept. That's kind of how I felt about the writing I worked on today. While I was accomplishing something, I wasn't really getting anywhere with it. At least they were doing it for fun, or so I presume.

-It is official. My noisy neighbors have moved out. In observation I may have waking moments when the television isn't on. (I'm joking but there's an element of truth.)

-Three working days until I take some much needed and extended time off. Can I make it to Thursday without losing my mind? Stay tuned.

Morsels

This and that...

The countdown to a firm answer on whether my sometimes loud neighbors are moving draws ever near. If they are, chances are it will be this weekend. I have a sense that they might be on the way out, but maybe my wishes are coloring what I'm observing. A boy can dream.

I'm working extra to cover in advance what I might otherwise need to do when I take some time off in August. This isn't really how it's supposed to work, is it?

Although it will be a faster turnaround than I'd prefer, I'm meeting my dad in Cincinnati to go to baseball games on Wednesday and Thursday. Drive there, go to the game, sleep, breakfast, go to the game, drive home. I can tell I'm desperately in need of a break. While this really isn't one, at least it gets me out of the head space of work for a little bit.

I have more or less worked out my plans for a couple weeks off, though. I plan to go to my parents' home for a few days, come home for a few, go to Washington, D.C. to see some Reds games on the road, and then drive up to New York City, where I want to see Anything Goes and possibly take in a game at Yankee Stadium. That should be a full docket, right?

Piecemeal

-Last week I was at a place that had The Travel Channel on, and every show seemed to be about eating enormous amounts of food. Is making a 15-pound hamburger for challengers to eat really necessary? Doesn't it--and all food eating competitions, for that matter--seem obscene? (Sorry. I guess I'm humorless on this topic.)

-The campus gym had closed for the day, so I tried out the stationary recumbent bike at the apartment complex today. Strangely, trying to work out at approximately the same level on it was showing that I was only burning about a third of the calories than I do on the machine I've been using. Please tell me that this machine isn't properly calibrated. I'm inclined to think so, if only because I was really having to work for not a lot of results. (They were different brands and not quite set up the same, but I wouldn't expect there to be a huge difference.)

-I really need to turn in that passport application before it's too late. I still have plenty of time until I'll need it, but I meant to submit the forms about a month ago.

Tidbits

What is going on with this weather? At the end of last week I was bemoaning the fact that my air conditioning isn't working. Today I turned the heat back on.

A few months ago I was disappointed to see that Healthy Choice's Honey Ginger Chicken was no longer being carried at the grocery stores I shop at most often. I've since found it at a different local chain and at a grocery store when I was in New Jersey, but I thought they might have been exhausting their inventory. Apparently not. I bought some more today. Weird that nobody else seems to be stocking it.

Lazy, blind, or both? I set up a small Christmas tree--my first--in my apartment in late November or early December 2009. I still haven't put it away. Sometimes I forget that it's even there.

Random

Some random things...

-If I purchase a drink at a restaurant without wait staff, I always make a point of dumping the ice and whatever liquid is left over in the soda dispenser tray or outside. I remember this didn't used to be the case when I was a kid. Now it seems wasteful to me to do otherwise. But is this something that only I do? I don't know that I see anyone else practicing it, and I'm not sure when or why I started.

-If I haven't linked Meryn Cadell's "The Sweater" on this site before, it sure seems like something that ought to be mentioned on a knitting blog. The music and video sure do scream early '90s.

-I've not been able to find out if the knitter/marathon runner was able to stitch together a scarf during the race, but here's a little more about her. And here's her blog.

The day in pieces

Remember how on Friday I talked about not needing a coat or a jacket? It snowed today.

I posed a question on Twitter about whether it was okay to jump into a TV show at the start of its second season or if I needed to catch up on the first season before diving into the latest episodes. (I'd go into why such a question even matters, but that's something more suited for my other site.) Little did I know that this query would light up my feed with passionate responses. This development was amusing and informative. Ultimately I chose to start from the beginning, with the idea of gorging on episodes this week and being caught up in a week's time.

One of my new favorite things: creamy petroleum jelly. It's delicious on toast. (That's a joke.) Seriously, though, this stuff is saving me during my hours on the treadmill.

If there's something I know I need to take with me to work the following day, why don't I just put it in my bag the night before? Otherwise I forget it entirely or remember after I'm already in the car and prepared to leave.

Scraps

I'm not in love with expanding on any of these ideas, so here's a mishmash of topics:

-I've recovered from whatever bug I came down with a week ago, but the vestiges of it continue to wear me down. I'm talking about the cough, especially at bedtime. In the past week there's only been one or two times that I've fallen asleep before 3 a.m. I think that's been worse than anything else.

-The high today was around 70. In late November. With the way the temperature has been rising and falling the last month, it's no wonder I got sick. Just get around to typical seasonal temperatures, please.

-I was hesitant to sign up for Twitter--I'm not on Facebook--but I've now been using it for close to two years. As I checked it during intermissions at the hockey game I attended tonight, it occurred to me how much I enjoy the service and how big of an impact it makes on a day-to-day basis. (File this under a potentially expanded idea of how radically things have changed in the last ten years.)

-It's not a major point of emphasis, but two characters are seen knitting in the new Disney animated film Tangled.

-I'm not pleased with the latest changes the TSA is implementing at airports, but I've been pleasantly surprised by the traction that objections to the backscatter and "enhanced patdowns" are getting. Just hurry up and affect some change by the time I hop on a plane a month from now.

Bits and pieces

-Do you ever get the feeling that some people send or respond to work e-mails at certain times to indicate how hard they're working or to suggest that you ought to be working too? (Hello Friday afternoon at 4:55 p.m. and late weekend evenings.) I'm not saying I've never done it, but in dealing with some particular people I've found this practice extremely irritating.

-That being said, I've learned that I need not always be available when it comes to work matters.

-We haven't received much rain around here lately, but a couple brief, intense storms have produced some lightning flashes that have been too close for comfort. This reminds me that when I was a kid we were told that during storms we should avoid being on the telephone and taking a shower or bath. (Obviously those are intended to be separate items. Talking on the phone while bathing cancels out a storm's potential for bad consequences.) We'd even turn off the TV sometimes. I'm wondering now, though, if this is actual good advice and if it is still passed along. The phone probably doesn't factor into this unless you're still using one with a cord, I'm guessing.

-How is it that July is nearly here?

More tidbits

Keeping busy...

-I've had my car for about three and a half months. Tonight I accidentally discovered a storage compartment in it. Observant, this one.

-Knitting in films alert: the main character in the Japanese film Air Doll is seen with knitting needles and (likely) a sock in progress, although she's never actually seen knitting. The film was shown at an event in which the audience doesn't know what it's seeing until the title is seen (or can otherwise identify it). I was thrilled since it's from one of my favorite directors, but I would not recommend this fairly strange movie as a place to start with his work.

-The times I hear my dad when I talk can make me cringe. I hear it especially when conversing with store clerks and waiters/waitresses, for some reason.

Tidbits

A little of this, a little of that...

-Certainly it isn't practical, but it's kind of neat to see that someone went to the trouble to embroider Wonder Bread.

-If you would like to make reading this blog more like watching the World Cup, click here and turn up the volume. You're welcome.

-So much for my initial self-evaluation that I was fine after February's car accident. A month of physical therapy has made a world of difference. I finally feel like I'm almost back to normal. Hopefully the last few sessions will get me there. No, I wasn't severely injured, but clearly I was banged up more than I thought.

Shuffle

It's been awhile since I've shuffled the iPod and blogged about what comes up. I'm closing in on 10,000 tracks on the MP3 player, so this could (and should) be really random. Links provided when available.

1. Lambchop "I Haven't Heard a Word I've Said" Aw C'mon (2004)

I don't really have anything to say about this particular track, but I recall precisely when I first hearI d part this album,which was released at the same time as the humorously-titled companion volume No You C'mon. I was browsing in Used Kids Records on Valentine's Day 2004 before going to see Francis Ford Coppola's re-released One from the Heart. I was going crazy trying to place the artist and had to ask the clerk. (My best guess was Joe Henry, which I knew was wrong.)

2. Al Green "Tired of Being Alone" Al Green - Greatest Hits (1975)

I'm betting this will be the one track most of you will know. I was going to write how I randomly remember buying this in October 1996 while visiting an old friend in Madison, Wisconsin, but how banal is that. And the same goes for a lot of the rest that is likely to follow. So I'm scrapping the idea of saying much about these tracks in particular unless really provoked.

3. Broken Bells "The Ghost Inside" Broken Bells (2010)

4. Fiona Apple "Please Please Please" Extraordinary Machine (unreleased version) (2005)

I haven't downloaded much music online, but the Jon Brion-produced version of this album was something I tracked down because, if memory serves, people felt the record company was marginalizing and hiding it. (See, this is why I'm not following through with the concept. Do you care? No. But I was already deep into it when I decided to pull the plug.)

5. Guided by Voices "Dead Cloud" Earthquake Glue (2003)

The Dayton, Ohio indie rock legends have to go on the list of my all-time favorites, and I can't help but believe that local pride is partially responsible for why I took to the band.

6. David Gray "Long Distance Call" A New Day at Midnight (2002)

Mercy, the iPod must think I'm miserable if it's stringing all these songs together. C'mon, put a better face on things.

7. Beck "O Maria" Mutations (1998)

I expected Beck would be a one-hit wonder after "Loser". I was very, very wrong.

Let's just pretend this post didn't exist, shall we?

Updates

I can tell that it was a busy and tiring day when I decide I need to take a nap at 8:30 p.m. and wake up two hours later. (Granted, this will probably ruin the rest of the night's sleep.) So, let's do some quick updates on stuff I've been blogging about. Because otherwise I have nothing.

-Whiplash from February's car accident is still bothering me. So the next step is seeing a physical therapist. Here's hoping that will return my neck to normal.

-My complaint to McDonald's yielded coupons for a free small coffee and free small fries. I'm still waiting for that seven bucks the parking garage machine didn't return, though.

-There's been some headway on preparations for August's family vacation. One of my brothers and I have been sending e-mails back and forth about what we might do to compensate for my dad's resistance to making plans. I found and booked the hotel rooms for the night's stay in Minneapolis, which is where we'll be stopping on the way to the rented cabin in northern Minnesota. It's a small thing, but I feel a lot better having that out of the way as it gives shape and an end point to that travel day.

Loose threads

Stuff I've collected that doesn't fit anywhere on its own but makes for a nice, eclectic entry...

-During one of my test drives, the car had stickers and such plastered all over the windshield. I wouldn't be surprised if half of the viewing area, mostly on the passenger side, was blocked by the price and whatever else was affixed to the glass. How is this legal? It's insanely dangerous, especially if you're also being distracted by the car salesperson trying to talk to you while you're behind the wheel.

-I've noticed the resurgence of '80s pop culture, whether it's in fashion, music, or the movies being made, remade, or adapted for the screen. I made a playlist alternating new music with '80s sounds and the vintage stuff and was compelled to look up some of the decade's hits. While I'll argue that one of my favorite songs when it was filling the airwaves is well-crafted pop, it's also unabashedly sincere and cornball.

-Have you come across the Trololololo meme? I find it weirdly compelling and catchy and hilarious. I'm tempted to rip the audio into my iTunes. Even better, here's the clip explained in context.

Out of focus

This is going to seem like a really random thing to ask and write about. What do you look at when you're getting your hair cut?

I went in for a haircut after work. As usual, I removed my glasses after taking a seat in the stylist's chair. My nearsightedness means that pretty much everything in front of me is fuzzy. In the mirror before me my eyes look like two dark, out of focus pits. I can't read the labels on anything on the counter top. I certainly can't tell at a glance how well the stylist has done in cutting my hair.

I was sort of zoning out during tonight's haircut when it occurred to me that I'm seated in front of a big mirror that is of no use to me until I put my glasses back on. (Yes, my powers of observation are strong.) Then I got to thinking about how the better sighted and contact wearers have a completely different experience. They can sit there and watch their hair being cut. But do they do this? Isn't that a little strange to watch?

Since watching my hair being trimmed isn't an option, I realized that I just sort of blankly look at the bottles and such on the counter top. It can be a meditative experience, especially if the stylist isn't talkative.

I'm genuinely curious what my eagle-eyed and non-glasses wearing readers look at when in the stylist's chair. Fill me in on your perspective in the comments.

Random things

You want to read a feel-good story about an 11-year-old girl who has a way with alpacas, don't you?

Apparently the limited availability of Tim Tams last winter was successful. I saw some on an end cap in the grocery store tonight and had to buy some.

I replaced my stolen car stereo a week ago and have been vigilant about removing the face plate so it isn't taken again. I just wish I didn't feel like I have to.

The philosophy of the road

Been playing catch-up on movies and losing all sense of time today. Here are some random thoughts I had these last two weeks regarding travel. If anything, these are tips I ought to remember for any future trips.

-Have everything ready to go the night before.

Being able to pick up and go first thing in the morning takes the stress out of trying to recall if you're forgetting something. This is also helpful if you're headed out early, which, by the way...

-Driving earlier in the day is better than driving later in the day.

As much as I dislike getting up before or as the sun rises, experience has taught me it's easier to grind out the miles at the beginning of the day. Traffic is lighter, especially if you can get outside of a city before rush hour.

-If stopping overnight at multiple locations, take each stop's needs from a big suitcase and pack them into a smaller bag. Leave the big luggage in the car.

I tend to overpack, so condensing the amount of clothes I needed for each destination into a small/medium bag and leaving the biggest bag in the car gave me the best of both worlds. I had more available to me if needed but wasn't lugging it all into every home or hotel.

-Set the cruise control on four to five miles per hour over the speed limit--or at the posted speed if that's more comfortable.

Not worrying about being pulled over for a ticket or being passed by more aggressive drivers made covering long distances a lot easier. That's not to say I never went faster than my guideline to pass other cars or developed a lead foot, but the less time spent making driving "work", the less stressful my time behind the wheel was.

-New Order's Singles makes excellent driving music.

Maybe it's because the music is generally up-tempo, but for whatever reason I turned to this 2-CD collection a couple times.

Strays

-I find it distracting, if not downright bothersome, to be driving on the interstate and encountering passengers in the car in front of me seated facing me.

-Exercising outside in early July on an overcast day that feels like fall and puts a chill on your skin? Wonderful.

-I can't explain it, but there was something really cool about walking out of a movie and seeing the lighted underside of a jet as it passed directly overhead in its descent to the airport.