It’s Wordle Day!

Friday is a great day for a Wordle. What’s that you ask? If you read my Blog last Saturday, you’d know. I don’t feel like explaining it all again. So go back and read that post.

Although I have to admit, I screwed that one up. It has since been corrected (I entered the link wrong).

Wordles are fun. It is certainly an easy way to create a post when you have nothing at all worthwhile to chat about.

Practice Makes Perfect

Today was pretty uneventful for me. Just another work day. I did exercise, though (biking). And despite not feeling great yesterday, I did take a walk. The point is not to walk, but to MOVE. I sit around far too much.

I did work all day, which is why my post is so late. And I couldn’t think of any exciting photos to share. So I made one.

I’ve been working on my PhotoShop technique. I took an otherwise boring picture and made it look sort of interesting. I think so, anyway.

Because I have absolutely nothing to talk about, I’ll stop here. Besides, the Olympics is on. I am missing women’s synchronized diving!

Let me know if you enjoyed today’s attempt at “art” (the picture).

Cool in a Weird Way

My middle child — Amy — found a cool Web site yesterday. It’s WORDLE. It takes chunks of text, extracts the words, and arranges them into an image.

The words you use most are bigger than the words you use the least. It will work on any Web page with text (like a Blog page). Or you can cut and past any block of text into it.

My wordle for Friday is posted above. It sort of looks like a foot, doesn’t it? Apparently, I need to write about people more.

It is kind of fun. If you decide to try it and want to share your wordle, leave a comment with a link so all my loyal readers can see it, too.

A Boy and His Laundry

The “baby” of the family–Eric–is almost 19 and still living at home. He’s not a college boy, but he is working at a real job.

Eric was having a little difficulty waking up this morning. So he threw his laundry into the washing machine and went back to bed. After asking me to call him when it was finished, that is.

When the washer stopped, I decided to be nice and throw the wet clothes into the dryer for him. I’m nice like that SOMETIMES, but not very often.

Now, we did teach Eric how to do laundry. He’s been doing it for years. Yet the first thing I noticed was the mix of colors. As evidenced in the photo above, there were tan shorts, a dark-brown shirt, a black shirt, red flannel boxers, and white socks (not the entire contents of the washer, just a sampling).

I’m big on sorting stuff. I usually segregate the laundry into at least five piles: darks, lights, whites, denim and towels. I guess he doesn’t care if his whites aren’t all that white. No biggie. I just kept moving the wet clothes into the dryer.

Then I noticed the scissors. Laying at the bottom of the washer. Next to a metal rivet.

I thought to myself, “Well, that’s probably one of the oddest things I’ve seen in the washing machine.” My mind automatically began cataloging some of my past finds. Money, of course, both paper and coins, is found most often. Then there were nails, screws, binder clips, buttons, gum (Hubby HATES when that happens, especially if it makes it to the dryer). That’s all stuff one might expect to inadvertently leave in a pocket. But scissors?

When I asked, he said they are electrician’s scissors (a tool he needs for work) and that he’d been looking for them. I guess it isn’t that odd after all.

I wanted to take a picture of him before he left to post here on my Blog, but he was unshaven and half asleep. I asked if he’d shave for me, and told him I wanted to take a picture. I left out the “to post on my Blog” part.

He declined. Maybe next time…

P.S. – I decided to move the activity updates to the end of my Blog. And I decided that alternate forms of exercise count, too. So, I am still at it. In case anyone cares.

Speaking of caring, Eric never reads my Blog, so he’ll never know he was my main topic for the day.

Making Changes, One Step at a Time

For a long time now, I’ve not been real happy with the fact that my girth keeps expanding with age. It isn’t just age, it is lack of activity.

It was bad enough when I worked in an office where I was up and down all day, getting stuff off the printer, chasing folks down, going to the lunchroom for drinks (uh…snacks, too), and even occasionally walking across the parking lot for lunch.

Now that I work as a “regional” employee (from my home office), my printer is within arm’s reach. I chase folks down via phone and e-mail. I hardly ever go to lunch and when I do, I drive. I do walk downstairs to the kitchen for drinks, but I tend to graze at the same time. On junk, of course.

No wonder my fat ass keeps getting fatter!

As you can see in this picture (the most-recent one I have), I’m not morbidly obese or anything. In fact, some people might not even call me fat. My girlfriend, Carol, says it is just that I am not used to having some meat on my bones.

That could be the case, but I feel fat. And I am tired of having to buy larger and larger sizes!

For some time, I’ve thought about walking in the morning. Well, I finally got off my lazy ass this morning and did it. And you know what? Aside from the humidity, it felt pretty good. I took Meg with me, too. She actually walked like a civilized dog. And it made her happy for a change!

I am determined to make this walking thing a habit. I figured if I told the world via this humble little Blog, the whole world would know I’m a loser if I stop. So, world, make sure you call me a loser regularly if I stop walking (or exercising in some alternate way if it rains/snows).

I guess that’s it for today. Now I need to hurry and grab that Twinkie and Frappuccino before I have to start working. I’m kidding, of course, though I do love my Java Chip Frappuccino once in a while.

Wish me luck on my quest for a slimmer, healthier me.

Anywhere But Here

It is early on Tuesday. I’m not feeling much like working. In fact, I’m sitting here, sipping my coffee, wishing I were anywhere but here right now.

I’d take a picture to show you my office, but it is messy. So just use your imagination. Imagine me in a 10 x 10 room (approximate), painted green. I am sitting at my fake-wood desk, blond in color, with my feet up on the file cabinet that sits to the left of my desk. CeCe, my oldest dog, is curled up under my desk. Moses, my oldest cat, is curled up across the room on a dog pillow. Muffin, the younger cat, is on the recliner, which is also green. I’m not sure where exactly Meg is, but trust me when I say she isn’t far away.

I just finished reading some OPBs (other peoples’ blogs), which is probably why I am feeling this way. I blame it all on Scary, of Scary’s West, for posting things like this. I’d love to spend some time hanging out in that cabin!

And then there’s this post, too. My world is so different (sigh).

Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of things I love about my life. Like Hubby, for example. And my kids, of course. And grandkids. And the rest of the family (parents, pets, extended family, etc.).

I’m not crazy about living in Maryland; I yearn to go west. West Virginia is a start, I guess. I’ll be riding up there tomorrow.

It is far too crowded here. And loud. And hectic. (Imagine another big sigh.)

If you could be anywhere else right now, where would it be? The photo below was taken last year on a whirlwind tour of Zion National Park. I can see myself there, strolling along the road. A backpack full of camera equipment and water slung over my right shoulder. My tripod hitting me on the back of my legs as I amble along, scanning the scenery for just the right camera angle.

Like I said before… anywhere but here. Where would you rather be?