Paper Paperweight

A few days ago I got a brand........new.........phone book! I'm really not excited. In fact, it got me wondering why they even still exist. Does anyone use those at all anymore? The only way I could see needing a phone book is if you don't have the internet, or a cell phone, or a GPS. So basically if you are cut off from every form of technology. That's not easy to do these days.

Phone books are the equivalent of pay phones or video retail stores. No one uses them anymore! But for some reason, rain or shine, every year, I get this gigantic book delivered to my doorstep and it sits in my kitchen, untouched, until the next one arrives. Isn't this a waste of money? Is there a way to opt out of this ancient service?

But here is the truly tragic part of all this - I can't bring myself to throw the phone book away right when it arrives. Why? Because somehow a little part of me still believes I might need it for something. What if I can't get on the internet to look up a business? What if I need something heavy? What if there is something in the phone book that is not on the internet? Totally irrational, I know. Also, (this is going to sound weird) phone books are slightly sentimental to me. They remind me of my childhood when we actually used the phone book quite a lot. Back then, the phone book was the all-knowing source of information that the internet is today. The family phone book was always well-used with torn-out pages, highlighted numbers, and bent corners. These days, my phone book sits perfect and untouched like a memorial to an old friend. Phone books my not be what they once were, but at least I still have the memories.

Out In The Open

I've never understood why some people feel the need to hide certain parts of their house. Like when you go to a friend's house for the first time and you see the living room and the kitchen, but God forbid you see the bedroom. The tour comes to a screeching halt before you ever get close to that room. Why? Do most people have a lot to hide in their bedrooms? Are they embarrassed that the room is messy? Is it just not socially acceptable to show off your room?

If someone comes to my house I have no problem showing them just about anything. They could rummage through my closet for all I care. Aside from my personal journal, I don't have anything I don't want people to see. It baffles me when others are reluctant to show their room. It's not like I haven't seen an unmade bed or dirty laundry before. You would have to have nothing short of sex toys scattered everywhere to shock me. Even then, I don't think I would be so much shocked as I would think, "So that's what you're into!"

Maybe people are afraid of being judged by their messy rooms or sex toy collections. Have no fear when it comes to me. I don't judge.

Crazy Boring

My blog hasn't been at the top of my priority list lately, mainly because I haven't had much that has inspired me to write. You could say I'm lazy or boring, and you might be right......but I really don't care. If I want to be lazy and boring I shouldn't have to justify it. Yet there is always a tiny part of me that feels just a little guilty for doing nothing. Call it social responsibility, proving my worth, or whatever. I don't think anyone wants to feel like they are not contributing to the world. However, the thing that most people don't realize is, a little bit of laziness doesn't take away from all the productive things you have done and will do. You don't have to be accomplishing something every second of your life to be important. In fact, I think relaxing is VITAL to a happy life. That is why I can say I don't care if others think I am lazy. I know what is important in life, and it's not pleasing everyone all the time or trying to do a million things a day. I just need to remind myself of that so I can squash that tiny guilt that pops up once in a while when I am doing nothing.

I also want to show off my new haircut in this post:



A lot of people, especially women, are shocked that I would cut off my long hair that I have been growing for about a year. Meh It's no biggie to me. In fact, it's kind of a relief to not have all that extra hair in the way. I think having long hair is more of a pain than anything. The only thing I miss about it is being able to braid it or put it in a ponytail. Hair always grows back, so I don't understand why so many people get attached to it. If anything, I love to try different things with my hair. I would get bored if it was always the same. I don't get freaked out by bad haircuts either. I might be a little upset if I had a truly horrific haircut, but I'm pretty mellow about a few little mistakes. IT'S HAIR. IT GROWS. IT CHANGES. IT'S NOT PERFECT.

It is because of my lack of fear of a bad haircut that I go to the beauty school to get my hair cut. The people there are still learning to cut hair, so mistakes may happen more often. But I think, if anything, they are usually too conservative when cutting my hair. They are afraid to make a mistake and I can understand why. So many people are uptight about their hair and would be enraged at a bad haircut. Not me. If you ask me, hair is made to be played with and mistakes are insignificant in the long run. So go crazy with it!

Everyone's A Critic

Mike and I went to see the last Harry Potter movie yesterday and I enjoyed it quite a bit even though it was nearly 2 1/2 hours long. (What is it with movies getting longer and long?) What I do not enjoy is hearing everyone's overly critical opinion of movies. The only critics who matter even a little to me are the ones who do it for a living. At least they have some idea what they are talking about. But even they can go too far at times. Mostly I like to know how many stars a movie got and if it is three or higher I will see it and judge for myself. Anything lower than three and I will only watch it if I am out of ideas of anything else to watch.

The reason people's opinions of movies bug me is because they always seem to get wayyyyyyyyyyyy too knit-picky. They go off on things I don't care about like how closely the movie followed the book, or how this character's role was different in the book, or how that actor was not right for the part, or how this scene was too long. REALLY? Don't people have anything better to do? I don't care how the book compares to the movie. The only thing I worry about is whether or not there is good acting and a good story. No movie is exactly like the book, ant even if it was people would still probably bitch. There are also the people who don't like the book, yet they still want to compare it to the movie. Here's an idea - DON'T SEE THE MOVIE IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE BOOK. Even if you like the movie, I don't want to hear your comparisons. They are pointless. If I want to know if a movie is good I will see it for myself and I promise too keep my mouth shut afterwards.

Hillbilly Life

As much as I have love for all people, rich or poor, there is just something about the poorer ones that seems more fun and interesting. When I drive through expensive neighborhoods, I think, "I would never want to live here." What?! There's someone who wouldn't want to live in a huge house with a perfect yard, twenty cars, a boat, a trailer, ATVs, and all those other "grownup toys"? Yes, you are reading her blog. Rich neighborhoods look so boring to me that I would never live there even if I was rich. Those neighborhoods where all the houses look the same and there are no kids playing outside look like a prison to me. I have nothing against anyone who lives in one of those places. If that's what you like, go for it. It might even be more fun than it looks. But all a can picture when I look at those houses is depressing white rooms and family members huddled away in different parts of the house using electronic devices like t.v., computer, cell phones, or video games. I can't picture the family interaction. I can't picture something being dirty or imperfect. I can't picture fun or relaxation that has nothing to do with electronic devices. That kind of life, where you feel so pressured to be perfect and look perfect is the same as hell to me.

In contrast to the rich neighborhoods, when you drive through a lower-class neighborhood, you see a lot more life. You see kids playing in the sprinklers and getting dirty. You see adults relaxing and chatting in the front yards. You see pets that look less like show dogs and more rough around the edges. You see lawns that have a few too many weeds or dry patches. You see LIFE. I would much rather be in a place like that than in a house where there is nothing to do because the maid and the gardener already came and you either don't have to work because you are so rich or you have to work constantly to keep up with paying for everything you own. The poorer people know how to have fun and connect with others, and it has nothing to do with motor homes or private swimming pools.

When people use the the terms "white trash" or "hillbilly", I don't see that that as a negative. Those people may be less educated or less refined, but, all the same, I think they are exceptionally caring, kind, fun, interesting, and real. Call me crazy, but I think I would rather hang out at a backyard BBQ with the lower class than a fancy party at the mansion on the hill. All people are special in my eyes, but when you become too rich and formal, I think you loose a little bit of what it means to be alive.

The Myth Of Perfection

I wrote a little bit about perfection in my last post, but I wanted to expand on that idea some more. Perfection, in my opinion, doesn't exist, at least not on earth. God is the only thing that could be perfect, but that is a whole other discussion. What I'm trying to say is, perfection, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. The perfect day for one person is not always the same as the perfect day for another person. Measurements may seem perfect if you do them right, but there is always room for error even if it is minuscule. You could get a perfect score on a test, but tests themselves are imperfect, therefore making your score imperfect.

It is, of course, important to strive to do well in whatever you do. But perfection is something that can never be reached and will only let you down when you can't reach it. I don't even use the word perfect much at all. It is a pointless word to me unless you are talking about God, and I don't talk about God that often. I laugh to myself when I hear little kids saying they want to be perfect. If only they knew how impossible that is. I can't blame the child, though. The child only tries to do what the parent wants. It's the parents who never learned that perfection is a myth.

Different Kinds Of Beautiful

I read a blog post today about teaching children and girls in particular to love their bodies and be comfortable in their skin, and it really made me think about the obsession in society with beauty and perfection. I don't have any children yet, but you can bet I will want to teach them to love their bodies and appreciate their own talents and attributes. Mike and I always tell Bear she is beautiful, so I guess that is a little practice for teaching children to love themselves.

The blog had several suggestions for raising children with a good self-image. One was to never talk badly about your body in front of your children. Another suggestion was to monitor the media your children see. It also said it is important to show your children that you are comfortable in your own body, and to model what a normal (not photo edited) body looks like. That means talking openly about the body and not covering up or acting ashamed by your nudity.

I know that is easier said than done because I grew up in a family and religion where you were never supposed to show your naked body. I remember seeing a naked old woman in a pool locker room when I was a child and thinking it was the strangest thing I had ever seen. My family wasn't big on hugging or touching either. I'm not saying my family was bad, but I want something different for my children. I don't want them to feel like they are ashamed of the way they look or that they are afraid to ask for a hug. I feel nakedness and imperfection is OK, and I want my children to understand that as well.

Teaching children to be comfortable with their bodies is no easy task in today's world of over-the-top sexuality and obsessive perfection. They are bombarded by influences and pressures from friends and media. But parents can do a lot by celebrating differences and strengths and frequently letting their children know how beautiful they are. I hope I will someday be that parent who has taught their child self-confidence and love and tolerance for others.

Pretty But Deadly

It was the 4th of July recently and as much as I love this country, I don't always like how people celebrate our independence. Fireworks are all good, but I do have a couple of problems with them. For one thing, I think fireworks should only be allowed on one day - the 4th of July. In my neighborhood, some people were setting off fireworks well into the night for days before and after the 4th. I get that they want to celebrate, but it gets old really fast when you are trying to sleep and all you hear are dozens of explosions. There is really no need to celebrate more than one day. I think some people just like to blow things up and they are not celebrating anything at all. In that case it's selfish and rude to be bothering neighbors at night.

Another thing I don't like about fireworks is the pollution they produce. I once heard that fireworks on the 4th put a huge amount of pollution into the air. Doesn't it seem odd that we celebrate our freedom by destroying our air? I'm not saying we should ban fireworks altogether, but maybe cities could have a limit on how many they set off. Or maybe cities that are near each other could take turns doing firework displays ever other year. Once again it comes down to moderation, something Americans seems to incapable of. I'm sure nothing will be done about firework pollution until the situation is dire. Oh well. At least we have an excess of pretty explosions to make up for our poor air quality.

A Little Recognition

Summer has been good for the soul besides the fact that it is going by way too fast. Story of my life. There just seems to be less worries and stress in the summer. Maybe all the sunshine is doing me good. If that's the case then I can certainly see why people retire in Florida or Arizona. I don't love the heat, but I could get used to less stress.

I want to write about something I have been thinking about for a few days. It has to do with lower-wage jobs. It seems to me that more and more, these types of entry-level jobs are geared towards sales. If you work as a bank teller, you are not just a teller anymore. You have to sell the bank's services. If you work at a fast food place, you can't just make food. You have to sell the latest creation. If you work in a store, you can't just stock the shelves and help customers. You have to get people to sign up for the store credit card or to buy something more than what they came in for.

I'm not trying to imply that sales are not important or that some people have a great ability to sell. I'm saying that sales seem to have become the all-important master of the business world, and everything else is secondary. That is all good and fine for people who are good at selling things. But what about those who are not? You may have tons of amazing skills, but if you don't sell you are unimportant and unrecognized. You might even loose your job if you don't become one of the sales masters.

Why is it that we all have to become sales people? What happened to focusing on a person's strengths? I know sales are what keeps businesses going, but there are many other things that contribute to the bottom line. If a fast food restaurant is dirty, no one will want to eat there. Yet the cleaning person doesn't get congratulated for helping bring customers back. If no one did the paperwork at a bank, how long do you think it would stay in business? But you don't see any employees getting congratulated for getting their paperwork done. Same thing goes for retail stores. If no one worked to display products, would any customers come and shop there? I don't think so.

All I'm saying is, yes, sales are important, but they are not the most important. Nothing is. You see, a business is like a machine where all the parts are working together. Take out one part and the whole machine breaks down. All the parts are important and all should be recognized as such.

Sucky Dinner

Last night Mike and I went out to dinner at The Prairie Schooner. We had never been there before, so we were excited when we went in and it was decorated to look like covered wagons encircling a camp fire. There was a stuffed mountain lion, stuffed bear, camp fire, cactus, and Indian statue, among other things. All that made for a great atmosphere. But, as we all know, restaurants are not only about atmosphere. They are about food.

When we got our menus, the sticker shock set in immediately. Almost everything on the menu was above $25, and most of it was in the $40 range. Well, we decided to stay and order something on the cheaper side and see if it was as amazing as the price implied. NOT-EVEN-CLOSE. The first thing they brought was a loaf of bread and butter. It was OK, but certainly nothing to rave about. By the time I got my salad, I knew the place would not impress. The salad was a small heap of iceberg lettuce, sprinkled with a few peas and THREE tiny croutons, and a ragged slice of beet. That's all. No fancy lettuce or sprouts. No cheese or tomatoes or cucumbers. I could have made a much better salad at home for WAY less money.

When the main course arrived, we had lost all hope of a good meal. Mike had ordered a seafood salad as his main course and it looked like a slightly larger version of my starter salad except it also had two large shrimp on top and some unidentified chopped-up substance on the side. $12 for that masterpiece. My "1/2 pound ground steak" turned out to be the same as a hamburger patty covered in gravy. That was one of the cheapest things I could find on the menu for $16.

Some people might argue that if we had only spent the money on the more expensive items, we might have gotten better food. I don't think that is the case. If you go to an expensive restaurant, EVERYTHING on the menu should be great, not just a few things. Expensive translates into a great chef and great food, otherwise you are going to go out of business. I could get food that is 10 times better at a quarter of the cost at other restaurants. Why would I ever go back to Prairie Schooner?

We let the hostess know that we didn't like our meal and she was very apologetic. She said we should have told our server so they could have fixed it. What she didn't understand is that there is no fix for poor-quality food other than lowering the price. She gave us a coupon for a free appetizer with PURCHASE of an entree. Needless to say, that coupon will never be used unless the menu gets a complete overhaul. The service what not bad, so I suggest the staff start looking for someplace better.