31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 31

Today's useful way to waste time online is learning how to pick a lock. You might think this isn't useful but trust me, the first time you successfully do this:

you will totally feel like this!

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 30

Inspired by yesterday's find of a decent Kate Spade (probably knock-off) handbag for just $2.99 at a local thrift store, today's way to waste time online is thrift store shopping. What, you say? I already covered eBay and Etsy, you say? But wait, there's more!


You can shop Goodwill online! That's right. Don't you dare even think of changing out of those pajama pants. Goodwill makes it easy to peruse their best donated items by listing them in a handy dandy auction. Here are some of the things on the website right now. Depending on when you read this, this list could differ greatly.

Vintage fire truck - Currently $24

Several pounds of unsorted jewelry - Currently $81

Vintage Delaware medical license - Currently $3

It's a safe bet that there's something for everyone at the Goodwill online retail center. What are your recent thrift-store finds? I'd love to hear about them!

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 29

Ever taken an awkward family photo? Or worse, been the subject of one? Today's way to waste time is checking out other people's Awkward Family Photos at the website of the same name. Here's one of my favorites. Which ones are yours?

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 28

Each day before updating my own blog I peruse updates from the ones I follow, like Dragonflies@Dawn or Rants From Mommyland. The latter today had the best YouTube video ever, which provided the inspiration for today's way to waste time - watching marriage proposals! You can mosey on over to YouTube where you can watch ones that are totally awesome and will likely almost never, ever be topped by any other groom, like this one:

Or you can watch proposals gone wrong, like these:

Either way, you're bound to waste just enough time to procrastinate until you absolutely have to do whatever it is you should be doing otherwise. And because it's Memorial Day, here's a really heartwarming military proposal.

Enjoy!

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 27

It took me a little time to realize that I was so tired yesterday, that I uploaded two ways to waste time. So now I'm a day ahead. Wheeee! It works out since tomorrow I'm picnicking with the in-laws.

Today's (okay, really tomorrow's) way to waste time is a type of crossword-type game called Drop Quotes. For those who have never played, it works like this:

Of the few puzzles I did take time to complete, my ranking was above average. I'm a step closer to the Midvale School for the Gifted every day!

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 26

Today's time-wasting amusement is Snail Bob 2 which I just spent 25 minutes playing. At level 15 I felt guilty enough to get back to work. Here's the basic plot. Snail Bob is reading the morning paper when he realizes it's Grandpa Snail's birthday.

So he packs up a gift and heads off to Grandpa Snail's house.

But lo and behold, the forest it is filled with dangers.

Like grubs that want to make Snail Bob Soup.

A nasty vulture that wants to carry Snail Bob off to some terrible fate for breaking an egg.

And the amusing Venus Fly-traps that want to devour poor Snail Bob.

The game is extremely kid-friendly, and is an awesome way to develop problem-solving skills that require quick-thinking. In fact, Thing2 (having passed the Xbox controller to Thing1) is on his dad's laptop right now trying to get past level 15. I think he plans to count it as part of today's home school lesson. Maybe it could...if he'll agree to squeak out an essay that chronicles his adventures.

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 25

Today's way to waste time doesn't require you to be a genius, just to think like one. That's because the way to waste time is taking an intelligence test online.

I got 23 out of a possible 33. With that kind of score I'll be pushing my way into the Midvale School for the Gifted before you know it!

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 24

Today's way to waste time is by playing Trap the Cat. I'm sure Gideon, our family's 100+ pound Chocolate Labrador Retriever would welcome the opportunity to play this game offline with open paws (open maw? open jaws?) but today's version is limited to a sequence of green dots.

The Trap the Cat puzzle game looks like this, and the object is to trap the cat in the darker green dots.

It sounds very easy, but the cat is a cleaver critter. Don't be shocked if your game board looks like this instead.

If you're searching for the game, you can also try "Circle the Cat" or just "cat trap puzzle" and it will bring up varying versions. If you've played before, were you able to trap the cat? Good luck!

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 23

Today's way to waste time is one of my absolute favorites - free online jigsaw puzzles. With work slowing down a bit this week, I was able to enjoy putting a puzzle or two (or seven) together recently. Here's one of my favorites.

In case you're wondering why this is so much better than the dust-covered box on top your fridge that is missing a few pieces really only good for re-purposing as a family puzzle piece craft project, keep reading.

Jigsaw puzzles online promote good brain health by forcing you to remember sequences of colors, shapes, and sizes. It's one of the few pastimes that truly incorporates both left and right brain activity.

Jigsaw puzzles online are perfect for multi-taskers. While doing a puzzle I can negotiate with a client, upload or download files for my boss, keep an eye on Twitter updates, and answer a text from my husband, and never lose my progress.

Jigsaw puzzles online are safe from spills from things like a clumsy teenager's soda.

Jigsaw puzzles online help me think clearly about other things. It's often during an online jigsaw puzzle that I get an idea for something to write, something to cook for dinner, or somewhere to go on our next family day trip adventure.

Jigsaw puzzles online can't be knocked off the table by the family dog, or cat, or small child.

Jigsaw puzzles online inspire learning, because when I'm done I often feel myself looking up more information about topic of the puzzle. Where was that awesome sunset photo taken? Who cooked that delicious-looking cheeseburger? What two dogs were bred to get that adorable mutt of a puppy?  You get the idea.

Jigsaw puzzles online are free. Need I say more?

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 22

Today's way to waste time involves the Olympics, and boy are there plenty of ways to avoid work using this one. There are so many that I'm going to use my most favorite article-writing tool...bullet points!

• Meet the Mascots
  Every Olympic games has a mascot, and London gives us double the fun with a pair of them for 2012. Meet Wenlock and Mandeville. (After Canada used Bigfoot as a mascot in 2010, these paled a little in comparison. But honestly who can compete with big foot? Except maybe the honey badger.) When I first saw them, my comment was NSFW but then I found this explanation and it all made total sense. Why not spend half a day a few moments playing mascot games with them!
  
  
  But honestly, don't they look a little like...something else? I thought so at first, but even more so when making my own Wenlock creature.
  
  
  
• Learn about the less popular sports, like archery.
  NBC's Olympic archery website has a lot of useful information. With the popularity Katniss from the Hunger Games giving the sport a much-needed boost, there's hope that it will receive more airtime than 10 minutes of recap at 2am in my time zone. My husband has practiced archery for more than two decades and I know he and both our sons, who also shoot traditional-style bow and arrows, are pretty excited about this. The World Archery website has even more information, videos, etc.
  
  
• Check out the latest about TEAM USA!
  TEAM USA is where you'll find news about Americans who qualified for a trip to London to represent their home in the games, follow an ongoing Twitter conversation, and even buy your TEAM USA apparel. Sadly while they do offer plenty of accessories there's not a pair of shoes to be found.
  
  

And there you have it. If you manage to read this and not waste any time today, it's not because I haven't tried to help you. In all seriousness, I have loved the Olympics since I was a kid and tear up at watching the representatives step onto the field to the tune of our national anthem every single time. And I'll cry if one of them gets a medal. What are your favorite things about the Olympics?

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 21

EDIT - Changed the title to Day 21, instead of Day 31. No, I wasn't tired!

Today's way to waste time is at National Gallery of Art's Kid Zone. You can play with a variety of paintings, adding, removing, and customizing features to create your own masterpieces. I used the "Faces and Places" feature to create this priceless gem. Feel free to share your own creations in the comments below!

31 Ways to Waste Time - Days 19 & 20

Day 19's way to waste time was the world clock, since I completely lost track of time when researching my family tree.

Day 20's way to waste time is checking out the BBC program, Bang Goes the Theory. No, it's nothing like Big Bang Theory so don't expect a sitcom. This show's all about the science of how things work, from using the power of the sun to melt solid rock within a matter of seconds to learning just how good dogs are for people's health.

If you're already a fan of Bang Goes the Theory, what's your favorite episode?

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 18

Play Type Racer! I just spent a good 40 minutes racing various people from all over the world in between checking email and bits of work here and there. Considering what I now do for a living, my score really wasn't much of a surprise. It was more like a sigh of relief that it hasn't gone down.

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 17

I'm still happily reeling (haha, get it? reeling?) from yesterday's way to waste time. I've listened to Fun's "We Are Young" about forty times. (Okay, really it was just six. Or seven.) And "Re: Your Brains" is also amusing the crap out of me. But on to today's way to waste time.

Today's way to waste time is reading instructions. But not just ANY instructions. It's reading instructions over at Instructables!

Features include things like project of the day, contests, and featured authors. You can check out the most popular articles (like How to make a torch or Easy Build Heavy Duty Slingshot, neither of which I'd recommend for teenage boys...especially mine. Thing 1 and Thing 2, if you're reading this then it's time to TURN OFF THE COMPUTER, RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE I SAID SO, END OF DISCUSSION!) Ahem. Where was I?

The channels consist of things like Apple, Bikes, Camping, Decorating, Green, Lamps, Recipes, and Woodworking. More than 800,000 fans receive their newsletter. Anyone can look, but signing up fro a free account allows you to create and publish instructables, leave comments, vote in contests, and create a list of favorites. A pro account, which costs just under $40 for 2 years, includes features like less advertising, PDF downloads, private instructables, eBooks, and an author intro.

What's your favorite instructable? I'd love to hear about it!

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 16

Today's way to waste time is listening to mix tapes. I know, I know. If you're older than 25, you're thinking cassette tapes no longer exist. If you're younger than 25, you're thinking what the heck is a mix tape. It's something like this:



If you never enjoyed trading mix tapes with friends, then you should check out this website. And if you're like me and you have fond memories of trading mix tapes with friends, all the better for you to check out this website. In addition to listening to great music (and maybe reflecting back on old memories - or even making new ones) you can find new tunes to add to your mp3 playlist. Here's one I found!

ALL MY LITTLE WORDS

by The Magnetic Fields

You are a splendid butterfly

It is your wings that make you beautiful

And I could make you fly away

But I could never make you stay

You said you were in love with me

Both of us know that that's impossible

And I could make you rue the day

But I could never make you stay

Not for all the tea in China

Not if I could sing like a bird

Not for all North Carolina

Not for all my little words

Not if I could write for you

The sweetest song you ever heard

It doesn't matter what I'll do

Not for all my little words

Now that you've made me want to die

You tell me that you're unboyfriendable

And I could make you pay and pay

But I could never make you stay

31 Ways to Waste Time - Days 13, 14, and 15

Day 13 - Research your family tree. If you start with a free trial remember to save your work before it runs out so you aren't in any danger of losing it / don't have to pay for a membership to get it back. A quick two-minute search showed that someone else with my name is on the Civil War Widows' Pension list.

Day 14 - Look at the puppies at Petfinder. OMG the puppies! You know that crazy actress who loves all the cats? And wants to hug them and dress them in rainbows and crap? That is me, only with puppies. <3

Day 15 - Stalk people visiting Times Square. I did this for a full two hours the other day. Had an empty blog page waiting and everything, but got so distracted by the cam that I ran out of time to post anything.

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 12

This was supposed to go up yesterday but I got distracted by my most awesome mother's day gift.

Etsy is, by Wikipedia's definition, a social commerce site forced on handmade or vintage items as well as art and craft supplies. I love Etsy and often choose it over conventional websites when buying gifts for a few reasons.

• The Sun Is Not My Friend
  
  My family loves the flea market, especially in the summer. By the end of August they're all tan and gorgeous while my skin bypasses bronze and goes straight to an unhealthy shade of lobster red. It's not pretty. I don't have the patience to sweat through table after table of useless junk to find a treasure. And more often than not, one man's trash at the flea market...is still just trash. Etsy lets me browse from the comfort wherever I am with my laptop.
  
• There's No Pushing and Shoving
  
  True story. If I look at this picture long enough, I will hyperventilate. The mall is not my friend. I'd rather shop at an outlet center where I can get fresh air between stores.
  
• Vintage is Trendy
  
  I love vintage stuff. When my sons wanted a record player, I purchased a 1970's portable, working model in a hard plastic case on eBay for about $30. My theory is if it's still working after all this time, then it's a better investment in "new antiques" in cheap wooden cases that won't last a year. Their former record player was the latter, and it didn't last six months. Every single electronics repair shop said it would be cheaper to buy a new one than to fix it. So we bought a new "old" one from eBay and it works just fine.

If you haven't ever looked at Etsy, go check it out! The best part is if you forgot to buy your mother a gift for Mother's Day, you can purchase something from Etsy right quick and then tell her, "I ordered something off Etsy but it hasn't arrived in the mail yet."

Happy Mother's Day!

Best Mother's Day Gift Ever

Today, after having breakfast at the firehouse, my guys decided to go Mother's Day shopping at the local flea market. I was a little skeptical. (Okay no, really, I was a LOT skeptical.) Past holiday surprises required a bottle of Pepto. (Or better yet, a T-box.)

Seriously, these are the same two kids who went Christmas shopping at the Dollar Tree and brought home a plastic pony and pet antlers. For me. That was my Christmas gift that year.

Most pets don't even like pet antlers. Why would someone buy them for a human? Or tell a kid it's okay to buy their mom pet antlers? Yes, their father (aka my husband, aka "the fireman") was with them. He thought it was cute. But, I digress.

The guys returned home from the flea market and said they got me the coolest gift ever and I will love it, and even offered to give it to me a day early. As a general rule I dislike surprises and wasn't looking forward to seeing it. However, they proved me wrong. They proved me so wrong that I am still in shock. I opened my eyes and saw this:

I KNOW RIGHT?! And when you open it up, it looks like THIS inside!

And there's a tray that lifts out. Guess where all my nail polish is RIGHT NOW. *happy dance* Oh yeah. In the American Tourister Train Case. And it's ORGANIZED! And my youngest let it slip that they only paid $12 for it. I was all, "Shut. Up." What a steal!

Next week (or like, later today) when my boys are bickering and won't leave each other alone and are driving me nuts, I need to reflect back on the sheer euphoria of this moment and remember how incredibly thoughtful they were towards me today. <3

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 11

Some people make blog posts ahead of time and wrap them up in a neat and tidy schedule allowing them a bunch of free time in between writing. I'm not one of those people. And sadly, I haven't had much opportunity to waste time since deciding this would be the topic for the month of May. Even though this blog has very few readers, and just one loyal follower, I won't let that discourage me from the task at hand.

The subject of today's blog post was originally the games and puzzles at National Geographic's website. Then, it was going to be People of Walmart because I have to go there later today and honestly, where I live you never know what you'll see. But then, this happened.

So now, not only do I set pans of water on fire but the skill has also been handed down to my children. Let nobody ever say that I didn't teach my sons any domestic skills. (Just don't claim they're GOOD domestic skills.) The irony is that I'm married to a firefighter who is working a 24 hour shift at the firehouse today.

In light of today's kitchen mishap, Day 11's way to waste time involves Sparky the Fire Dog. You can play games, print coloring pages, and read about fire safety. You can even send Sparky-themed eCards, like this one.

In all seriousness, we're glad to know that the fire extinguisher not only works, but was also extremely easy to use. It was my first time and I was a little out of sorts, being unable to find the flour. My husband does 99% of the cooking (Really? You have to ask why?) and hid it in the freezer. Something about weevils and junk. My son asked me what comes out of a fire extinguisher. I looked at him through the haze of extremely black smoke and told him that was a home school lesson for a different day. Now I'm off to find something for lunch that doesn't require use of any appliance other than the microwave. Or maybe the blender.

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 10

Ever heard of Found magazine? I love this thing. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm a pretty nosy person. I admit it! I love knowing things. If you have a secret, please tell me what it is. I'm much too selfish to share it. Unless it's already common knowledge, like the notes in Found magazine.

Some of the notes are juicy gossip material - the stuff to inspire trashy romance covers. Here's a good example.

Some of the things they find are photographs, like this one.

There are lists of all types. This one makes me hope that whoever wrote it succeeded in achieving their goals.

I especially like some of the random doodles and scribblings, like this one.

And some notes are written to people that cause me to pray for the person who wrote the note, as well as the subject matter. This is one such note.

Although in this case, my prayer for this mom would be more along the lines of this....

Have you found anything that's worth sharing? If so I'd love to hear about it!

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 9

Technically, we're already into Day 10. If you're keeping up then instead of thinking of it as missing May 9th, think of it as getting a bonus on May 10th. Ironically enough, since deciding on this as a topic for May, I've been kind of swamped with work. ...I know, right? But for now, back to the time wasting!

Today's is called Ask500, a website that supports public opinion polls. The questions range from really amusing to really pointless. Here are some of the ones I ran across in just a few minutes of perusing the site.

• Would you want a hippy Barbie?
• Which woman is more beautiful: Ava Gardner, Vivian Leigh, Aishwarya Rai, or Rita Hayworth?
• I am thinking of making rocket skates, is that a good idea?

I'm not sure if they're talking about whether or not Barbie would dress in tie-dyed clothes with peace symbols, or whether her hips would double in size. I'm pretty sure Aishwarya Rai isn't in the same category as Vivian, Ava, and Rita. And I'm darned sure that rocket skates would be totally awesome.

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 8

Today's way to waste time is by playing with the Magic Crystal Ball.

I know, not very exciting and I actually didn't spend much time playing with it. Today was very busy! I voted then went to Panera for some quiet time where I wrote for a client. I also got to spend a few minutes visiting with the owner of The Corporate Writing Pro, who is my amazing boss over at my other job.

Then, I came home and fixed dinner without burning anything (too much). It wasn't anything too complicated - over-baked pork chops with bbq sauce, baked macaroni and cheese, and beer bread. The bread was a little dark on the bottom and up one side, but I was able to slice it off and feed it to the dogs.

And now, I'm heading back into this writing project for my wonderful client who makes this job so much fun and blissfully stress-free.

Enjoy the Magic Crystal Ball!

The Best Dogs in Town

Before 1996, I could take or leave hot dogs. They weren't my favorite food by far, but I wouldn’t turn them down, either. But then, for some reason or another, I began craving them. And when I say craving them, I don’t mean like when someone says, “Oh, I have a taste for a hot dog. Do we have any on hand?” I mean craving in the extreme sense of the word. It was more like I became obsessed with them.

Living in Sterling, Virginia in 1996 offered little opportunity to get a decent hot dog. Sure we had Friendly’s where one could order a grilled hot dog on a toasted bun, or Costco where you can to this day buy a ¼ pound hot dog in a potato sub roll with a fountain Coke for $1.50, but we didn't have what I was craving the most – chili and cheese dogs. (And don’t you dare suggest 7-Eleven. While they work in a pinch, overall they’re about as appealing as pink slime in my Taco Bell Beefy 5-Layer Burrito.) So I began driving home to Jefferson County, WV to get a chili and cheese dog from Dairy Queen – every weekend.

We’d just bought a house in the area and it was a good excuse to kill two birds with one stone. We could bring a truckload of boxes and grab dinner at the same time. During the last week of moving my husband and I learned that we were expecting our first child. We were impossibly unprepared aside from things like stocking up on hot dogs, cans of Hormel chili - sans beans of course, and shredded cheese as a result of cutting back on frivolous expenses, like trips to fast food restaurants. Don't worry, I was still satisfying my craving.

Like other favorites from my youth – Little Debbie cakes, Hungry Man dinners, and 3 Musketeers candy bars – my fast food restaurant of choice made some menu decisions that found me visiting more out of a sense of loyalty than anything else. Over the past 15 years, my visits had dwindled to less than once per month, and for someone like me who truly enjoys a chili and cheese dog, that’s kind of pathetic.

Now, you might be wondering why I couldn’t just fix them at home. Anyone familiar with my kitchen misadventures can attest to the fact that I set a pan of water on fire. That’s right. Adele can just sing about setting fire to the rain, but I really did! I don’t recommend trying it at home, because between the fire, the water, and the stuff that sprays out from the extinguisher, it makes one heck of a mess for someone to clean up. But, I digress.

When Skipper’s Downtown Dips and Deli opened their doors in 2010, I was tickled pink because I really enjoyed ice cream and they offer some downright delicious flavors. I first visited in July of that year and later that same week went back with my entire family. My husband was a huge fan of the lemon meringue, while our boys indulged in flavors like white house cherry and birthday cake. As for me, butter pecan was my first choice but I never tried a flavor of ice cream at Skipper’s that I didn’t like.

One night after having dinner at “the other place” where we’d just eaten our fill of chili dogs and French fries, my husband and I left in favor of eating ice cream at Skipper’s for dessert. I sadly remarked, “I wish that Skipper’s sold hot dogs.” Once we arrived at Skipper’s, I sighed in regret to the teenager working the counter who smiled and nodded. I reluctantly let the matter drop but it was a nagging thought in the back of my mind.

On August 1, 2011 I posted on Facebook asking people to like my status if they would order a hot dog from Skipper’s. Over the next week, four other people agreed with me. It wasn’t much, but it was a start! As I’d recently learned that I was allergic to chocolate and had to avoid even trace amounts, hand dipped ice cream was one of the things I had to give up. It was sheer torture watching my boys enjoy one of my favorite treats while I settled for a bag of potato chips and an iced tea. Then, opportunity struck.

(For the record, the "like" on the last comment was from Skipper's themselves.)

Imagine my delight when on April 30^th of this year, Skipper’s changed its Facebook status to, “Coming this Friday, Skipper’s will debut our newest menu items. You’ve been clamoring for them (well, many of you have), so we’re obliging. More to come….” I immediately called a friend and made plans to go to Skipper’s for lunch. Meanwhile they taunted with new status updates that hinted that the new menu item could perhaps be a hot dog…maybe. And then finally on May 3^rd, this happened:

As you can see I was pretty darned excited. The next day my, friend and I parked a few spaces down from the front door of Skipper’s Downtown Dips and Deli. I’m fairly sure that in my excitement, I literally skipped as I entered the establishment. It was like a dream come true. The sign by the register offered a special – 2 dogs and a drink for one very reasonable price. Count me in! After ordering we chose a booth and a few minutes later a well-mannered young man delivered our meals right to the table. Carefully lifting back the foil, I exclaimed my delight at finally having a hot dog at Skipper’s.

As I looked around, I saw many other patrons enjoying them as well and knew that I wasn’t alone. The hot dogs were cooked to perfection and the flavor was simply delicious. These weren’t just any hot dogs; they were Nathan’s Famous Frankfurters! While visiting NYC during Spring Break 2011, my family watched the workers install the “Nathan’s International Hot Dog Eating Contest” sign over the well-known landmark. Skipper’s came through and delivered a menu item that will guarantee many return visits from me.

Thank you to the employees and friends of Skipper’s Downtown Dips and Deli, for the time, patience, and work that went into adding this new menu item. While I can’t speak for others, I sincerely appreciate it. The next time my boys taunt me about enjoying their ice cream, I won’t care because I’ll have ordered a hot dog instead. I have no doubt that the chili dogs will measure up to if not surpass the high level of quality that we’ve come to associate with the Skipper’s Downtown Dips and Deli name.

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 7

Oh yeah, eBay. I just wasted 2 hours on eBay on the off chance that I'd see my teenage son's Kindle Fire, which was lost/stolen earlier this evening. I was hoping we'd find out that a benevolent Samaritan had turned it in to Lost & Found, until Amazon confirmed that someone else already re-registered it with their account.

My spirits are a little down and I'm disenchanted with the human race tonight. Tomorrow it's off to make a police report, visit pawn shops, et cetera. And I still have 618 words to write on the topic of ADHD. How fitting that I keep getting distracted in the middle of this article. Wish me luck!

31 Ways to Waste Time - Day 6

Today's way to waste time is Mental Floss. For those of you who've never been to this amazing website, it's an adventure in useless knowledge, interesting blog entries filled with bits of information you probably didn't know, and amusing quizzes. Here's an example. 

My knowledge of archaic disease terms isn't what it once was, obviously.