The only time I go to certain websites is when someone wants to be my "friend." (Facebook anyone?) When I do get on there, I poke around a little and see what people are up to in the world and then log off. Facebook has a sidebar that always has "interesting and clickable" things. Things like...Free Pink Macbook. We need Laptop testers. Keep the Macbook you test. Click here for current availability.
I'm a sucker. What in the world makes me think that I'll be the ONE Lucky Duck in my "area" of Orange County to be the first one to click. Yeah, I click and then I get a few pages into the website and realize that I've made a terrible mistake and now my inbox will be full of crud for the next million years. So dumb. Such a sucker. I never get the free stuff...unless it's a magazine subscription to Outdoorsman or something equally dumb and not for me. I should know by now. But...and this is a big but...I'm sure that next time someone wants me to be their friend, I'll get all excited and caught up in the Facebook moment that I'll click on another "free offer" and then feel stupid again. Hopefully not.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Birthday Goop
At the Twerp's school, we can't bring in anything with sugar for birthdays. No cookies, cupcakes, cake...nothing. So, for Twerp #2's birthday, I went into her class to make goop. Yes, that's where we've all fallen here in Orange County...we've fallen into making goop for a birthday. It did go over REALLY well though. We talked about going to college to study science to learn this kind of stuff...not that they really need to go to learn how to make goop, they could just check out a book in the library. So...for any of you who want to score points with the kids or grand kids...here you go!
In a bowl, mix up one cup of water, one cup of Elmer's glue and 10 drops of food coloring. Do this with a whisk and then rinse it under warm water.
In a second glass bowl, mix 1 1/3 cup of warm water and 4 tsp. of Borax (found in the laundry detergent area). Mix it well until all the Borax is dissolved.
Slowly pour the glue mixture into the water/Borax mixture and watch it clump up! So much fun. Then you swish it around in the water for several seconds and then pull it out of the water and knead/squish it over the bowl for a minute or so. It will get pulled together and very soft and "goopey." Store it in an airtight container or in a plastic baggy in your purse for those "Help! I'm dying here in line" moments.
The kindergartners loved lining up and touching the goop and watching it jiggle in my hands. The Twerps and I made 36 packages of goop to give away as gifts to the kids. We had so much fun I'm thinking that next year for the kids' birthdays we should have a science experiment party.
Enjoy!
In a bowl, mix up one cup of water, one cup of Elmer's glue and 10 drops of food coloring. Do this with a whisk and then rinse it under warm water.
In a second glass bowl, mix 1 1/3 cup of warm water and 4 tsp. of Borax (found in the laundry detergent area). Mix it well until all the Borax is dissolved.
Slowly pour the glue mixture into the water/Borax mixture and watch it clump up! So much fun. Then you swish it around in the water for several seconds and then pull it out of the water and knead/squish it over the bowl for a minute or so. It will get pulled together and very soft and "goopey." Store it in an airtight container or in a plastic baggy in your purse for those "Help! I'm dying here in line" moments.
The kindergartners loved lining up and touching the goop and watching it jiggle in my hands. The Twerps and I made 36 packages of goop to give away as gifts to the kids. We had so much fun I'm thinking that next year for the kids' birthdays we should have a science experiment party.
Enjoy!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Daylight Savings Time
I'm not too fond of Daylight Savings Time. I used to be, before I had children, and it was only my schedule that I had to adjust. A couple of days later and I was good to go. But with children it is a completely different ball of wax.
Before Kids (BK) I loved turning the clock an hour back. We got another hour to goof off and play. We got another hour of sleep in the morning. It was beautiful. BK I hated springing forward an hour. I lost an hour of sleep and I was groggy. It didn't help that I didn't go to bed an hour early...who actually does that?!?
After Kids (AK) things have totally flipped around. Kids don't sleep in! They continue to get up at their normal time. So setting the clock an hour back ensures that my children will wake up an hour earlier. 6:00 instead of 7:00. It doesn't matter how long I keep them up the night before, they'll still wake up at their normal time...but an hour earlier. However, setting the clock an hour ahead in the spring is BEAUTIFUL! My kids sleep in an hour and we have to wake them up for school in the morning.
It is now 5 days after we sprung ahead and the kids are still sleeping in. So nice. Maybe this will be the year that they continue to sleep in until 8:00-8:15 all summer long and then in the fall, when we fall back, they'll revert to getting up at 7:00-7:15. I'll let you all know how it goes.
Before Kids (BK) I loved turning the clock an hour back. We got another hour to goof off and play. We got another hour of sleep in the morning. It was beautiful. BK I hated springing forward an hour. I lost an hour of sleep and I was groggy. It didn't help that I didn't go to bed an hour early...who actually does that?!?
After Kids (AK) things have totally flipped around. Kids don't sleep in! They continue to get up at their normal time. So setting the clock an hour back ensures that my children will wake up an hour earlier. 6:00 instead of 7:00. It doesn't matter how long I keep them up the night before, they'll still wake up at their normal time...but an hour earlier. However, setting the clock an hour ahead in the spring is BEAUTIFUL! My kids sleep in an hour and we have to wake them up for school in the morning.
It is now 5 days after we sprung ahead and the kids are still sleeping in. So nice. Maybe this will be the year that they continue to sleep in until 8:00-8:15 all summer long and then in the fall, when we fall back, they'll revert to getting up at 7:00-7:15. I'll let you all know how it goes.
Stuck in Phone Hell...
When did it happen that as a country we decided that we didn't want to talk to real people anymore? Who decided that automated phone systems were a thing of the future? I HATE them!
I've always tried the "I've still got a rotary phone" and just waited until a real person came on the phone. It doesn't work anymore.
Then I started to "press 0 for the operator" and would usually get someone on the phone fairly quickly. Not anymore. Now you have to go deep into the pit of phone answering to get to the 0 command.
Now, I've found that a lot of automated systems are voice activated. What the heck! How am I supposed to even start to deal with that?!? I get on the phone and shut the office door. I've been "talking" into the phone for about 4 minutes when one of my kids barges into the room and starts talking to me. This is the conversation that ensues:
Twerp: "Mom, can I have a cheese stick?"
Automated System: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that response. Please speak your account number so we can get you to the right operator."
Me (with my hand over the phone): "Yes, you can have a cheese stick. Be quiet and shut the door on your way out."
Automated System: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that response. Please speak your account number so we can get you to the right operator."
Me: "1234ABCD5678EFGH"
Automated System: "I'm sorry, that wasn't a complete account number. Please speak your account number so we can get you to the right operator."
Twerp #2: "Mom, my brother is having a cheese stick, can I have one also?"
Automated System: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that response. Please speak your account number so we can get you to the right operator."
Me (with my hand over the phone): "Yes, you can have a cheese stick. Be quiet and shut the door on your way out. I need to finish this phone conversation. No more interruptions"
Automated System: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that response. Please speak your account number so we can get you to the right operator."
Me: "1234ABCD5678EFGH"
Automated System: "Could you please tell me with one or two words what question you would like to have answered."
Me: "Billing question."
Twerps: "Mom, can we eat them in the TV Room?"
Me: "Yes."
Automated System: "I'm sorry, I couldn't understand you answer. Could you please tell me with one or two words what question you would like to have answered."
Me (the sound of the TV is getting much louder as they are pressing the incorrect button to turn down the volume): "BILLING QUESTION"
Automated System: "I'm sorry, I couldn't understand you answer. Could you please tell me with one or two words what question you would like to have answered."
Me: "I'd like to speak to a REAL PERSON!"
Automated System: "I'm sorry, I couldn't understand you answer. Could you please tell me with one or two words what question you would like to have answered."
Me: "I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO A REAL PERSON!"
I've always tried the "I've still got a rotary phone" and just waited until a real person came on the phone. It doesn't work anymore.
Then I started to "press 0 for the operator" and would usually get someone on the phone fairly quickly. Not anymore. Now you have to go deep into the pit of phone answering to get to the 0 command.
Now, I've found that a lot of automated systems are voice activated. What the heck! How am I supposed to even start to deal with that?!? I get on the phone and shut the office door. I've been "talking" into the phone for about 4 minutes when one of my kids barges into the room and starts talking to me. This is the conversation that ensues:
Twerp: "Mom, can I have a cheese stick?"
Automated System: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that response. Please speak your account number so we can get you to the right operator."
Me (with my hand over the phone): "Yes, you can have a cheese stick. Be quiet and shut the door on your way out."
Automated System: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that response. Please speak your account number so we can get you to the right operator."
Me: "1234ABCD5678EFGH"
Automated System: "I'm sorry, that wasn't a complete account number. Please speak your account number so we can get you to the right operator."
Twerp #2: "Mom, my brother is having a cheese stick, can I have one also?"
Automated System: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that response. Please speak your account number so we can get you to the right operator."
Me (with my hand over the phone): "Yes, you can have a cheese stick. Be quiet and shut the door on your way out. I need to finish this phone conversation. No more interruptions"
Automated System: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that response. Please speak your account number so we can get you to the right operator."
Me: "1234ABCD5678EFGH"
Automated System: "Could you please tell me with one or two words what question you would like to have answered."
Me: "Billing question."
Twerps: "Mom, can we eat them in the TV Room?"
Me: "Yes."
Automated System: "I'm sorry, I couldn't understand you answer. Could you please tell me with one or two words what question you would like to have answered."
Me (the sound of the TV is getting much louder as they are pressing the incorrect button to turn down the volume): "BILLING QUESTION"
Automated System: "I'm sorry, I couldn't understand you answer. Could you please tell me with one or two words what question you would like to have answered."
Me: "I'd like to speak to a REAL PERSON!"
Automated System: "I'm sorry, I couldn't understand you answer. Could you please tell me with one or two words what question you would like to have answered."
Me: "I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO A REAL PERSON!"
Automated System: "I'm sorry, I couldn't understand you answer. Could you please tell me with one or two words what question you would like to have answered."
HANG UP!
What's the deal? I wasted 15 minutes of my life talking to myself and my children and I still don't have my billing question answered. I decide that I'll wait until midnight to make the call. Of course, by that time, I've completely forgotten that there is a "billing question" until Stephen calls me the next afternoon and asks, in his innocent way, "did you ever figure out that billing question that we had with XYZ company?" Ugh. It starts all over again.
However, for those of you that have had this same issue, there is a website that gives you all the codes to bypass the phone systems. Brilliant. I would have paid something for this service, but it's completely FREE! GetHuman.com I love it! Enjoy the website and the hours of your life that you will get back when you are no longer on hold with the machine anymore. Make sure you have the kleenex with you because you will be crying tears of joy! I know, you're welcome.
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