First Yard Work of the Year

A few days ago I decided that it was time to cut the grass and do other yard work for the first time this spring. I always forget how tiring it is to get out there and do it. I was absolutely exhausted after I was done. I only did the grass and sprayed some weeds. we have an above average size yard for a suburb around here but I didn't think I would be that tired. I didn't even bother to run the trimmer and do all the edging that I normally do. I guess I lost my rhythm for yard work over the winter. Even though I could probably shovel my whole driveway and not be tired at all. Well, at least it is warm.

Bowling with the boys

Today, my sons Alex, Nathan and I went bowling. They have been asking to go now multiple times a day for about a week. It doesn't help that there is a bowling alley right up the street from us and every time we pass it they ask to go. for the most part everything went well. I gave them the basic rules such as: Don't go past the foul line. And, never, never, never put your hand near the ball return opening. (I basically told them that if I saw them get near it we would stop and go home immediately.) The last rule I had to reiterate several times in the first few frames. I won the match with an astounding 109. Nathan came in second and Alex third. Alex though was trying to bowl mostly by himself so I don't think his score was too bad at 68. After the first few frames they really started to pick it up. They both ended up resorting to the between the legs method since they could not quite hold on to the ball to throw it. I did not though. (although, on a side note my friend Casey can score in the 180's by making an approach and at the last minute whipping the ball between his legs. He's beaten me several times by doing this.) We only bowled one game but I could tell that they were getting tired though. It was a pretty fun afternoon for only 11 dollars.

The only down side to the outing was that the bowling alley only took cash. Why, I cant say, but I did not have any on me. Luckily my mom stopped in to see the kids bowl. Grandma to the rescue!! I would definitely recommend a game of bowling as a fun activity for the kids and that's that.

The Great Orange Juice Flood of 2009

I work at a local Drug Store slash Grocery store in our neighborhood part time. I like working here because it gets me out of the house for a few hours every couple of days. And, the extra money isn't bad as well. Yesterday I was in charge of handling the dairy department of the store. Basically, I have to make sure the milk, eggs and other dairy products are filled and nothing expired is on the shelf. I arrived about five in the afternoon yesterday and went into the cooler to check on something. That was when I discovered that the floor was covered in orange juice. Who ever was there before me decided that stacking cases of O.J. to the ceiling was a good idea.
Really?
One stack fell over and seventeen half gallon cartons of O.J. literally burst open all over everything. It took me over two and a half hours to clean everything up. I had to remove four pallets of product so that I could get our floor machine into the cooler and clean the floors. I am pretty sure that around one hundred fifty dollars in product was wasted between O.J. lost and other products that were pretty much ruined from the juice. I should also add in the time it took me to clean it all up.
Really?
What I find funny is that if a cashier where I work is short in their drawer by even a few dollars, they are required to pay it back. But, I am pretty sure the person that decided to stack the cases of O.J. in the first place will probably not get in trouble at all. I think that he or she should be made to pay it back. It doesnt take a genious to know stacking ten or so cases of juice in a single stack is not a good idea. I am aware that most people do not consider this job the most important in the world, but you should at least take the time to do it right. Instead, I get to spend the majority of my time cleaning up 17 half gallons (or 8 1/2 gallons or 1088 ounces) of O.J. and that's that.

The most useful light in my kitchen

The most useful light in my kitchen is the light over the stove. It is by far superior than every other light in there. It has uses beyond simply lighting pots on the stove top. For reasons I cannot explain I will often go into the kitchen and forget to turn the main lights on. The switch is technically outside the kitchen so I often walk past it. And, even though the total distance back to the switch is roughly three feet, I usually just switch on the light over the stove. Its forty watt brilliance seems to be able to illuminate just enough to allow me to do what ever it is that I need to do. I also use it to supplement the main lights when I am preparing dinner after dark. The light over the stove does not get the respect it deserves. Some may consider it an underpowered afterthought. But, it is always there on standby waiting to be used. Whether cooking, preparing, or just pouring a cup of juice, the light over the stove seems to always be in the right place. This is why after much thought I decided that it is the most useful light in my kitchen and that's that.