Writing Is My Vitamin

My problem with laptop computers

2011-11-06T15:42:00.003-05:00

I am the office oddball who doesn’t like laptops.

Recently, I had to borrow a co-worker’s laptop for an off-site assignment. When our host there offered me a mouse, I was happy to use it instead of the mouse substitute on the laptop. I have been ridiculed ever since.

It isn’t just the annoying mouse substitute that bothers me. I have other issues with laptops. For example, I like a larger screen. I know, if you get a larger laptop, you get a larger screen. But even a larger screen forces your eyes to look downward at it. With a desktop, I can view the screen closer to eye level. At my work desk, the monitor sits on an elevated shelf above the rest of the desk. To me, that’s an ideal location for a screen.

I’m not a big fan of laptop keyboards either. They just don’t have the same feel to me as a desktop keyboard. I know: Picky, picky. It’s uncomfortable to type at desk-level, which is why I like keyboard trays. I believe in keyboard ergonomics. I’d like to be able to use the keyboard below desk level without hunching down to see the screen.

I appreciate the portability of a laptop. I really do. I just don’t feel that I should have to sacrifice a mouse, keyboard and screen I like to get that portability.

So what would my ideal laptop be like? It would come in several parts that fit together for storage and in transit. The monitor would be separate from the rest of the laptop. It would be a thin, light screen that would hover in the air at any height I wanted. It would also expand and contract according to how much space I had. If I were on a crowded bus seat or in a small area at a coffee shop, I could make the screen small. If I were sprawled on the couch at home, I could use the screen at maximum size. It would also adjust automatically to changing light conditions and eliminate glare.

The keyboard would have the same feel as a desktop keyboard, but lighter. It would also be adjustable to the size I wanted, just like the screen.Instead of a typical desktop mouse, my ideal laptop mouse would be a flat screen that reacted to my finger scrolling over it. No buttons, just completely controlled by touch, like the iPad.

I’m not completely anti-laptop. I’m just waiting for one with all the right features.

My life as an intern

2010-07-22T14:56:00.003-04:00

Working with our intern at MedCity News got me thinking about my own internships. I, too, was once a 21-year-old eager to start my career. I had three internships, and they provided me with some amazing experiences as well as crushing blows to my self-esteem.

I spent one summer working as an intern in the features department of my hometown daily newspaper in Erie, Pa. I drove the company cars, interviewed people and wrote stories. One day, when they were either understaffed or trying to see if the intern could handle some stress, they sent me to Chautauqua Institution to hear Al Gore speak. I was clearly the most inexperienced reporter there. I was surrounded by people who had been in the business since I was a toddler. It was intimidating. It was my first exposure to pushy TV reporters who would interfere with my reporting for years to come. I got my story and wondered if I was in the wrong business.

That summer, I endured snide comments from my boss. I can still see her peering over her glasses and asking me things like, “Did your mother write that?” when I received a nice thank you note from a grateful person I had interviewed. I remember another employee calling me over to sit by her while she edited one of my stories. She was patient and kind. Thanks to people like her, I made it through.

My internship at John Carroll University was the best learning experience I got there. It was better than any class I took. I was working in the school’s public relations office when the alumni magazine editor, John Ettorre, noticed me. He started giving me small things to write. Before long, he had sort of poached me from the dear woman who did public relations then. John challenged me, encouraged me and taught me. I learned time-saving, make-you-look-like-a-professional stuff like doing research on a person before contacting him for an interview.

John could sniff out interesting people and stories. Then he’d do his research and interviews, type rapid-fire style on the computer, and end up with a story that was a joy to read. I’m grateful to him for what he taught me and I’m glad that he’s still offering words of encouragement, long after the official internship ended.

The other internship I had was at Cleveland Magazine, which I’m fairly sure is what got me my first job. Looking back on it now, I can see that much of it was gruntwork. They gave the interns the stuff nobody else wanted to do. I didn’t care. It was thrilling for this small-town girl to leave campus, take the Rapid downtown and go up to her own office. In the magazine’s annual city guide, I got a byline for stories about neighborhoods, attractions and shopping. The work entailed a lot of research and compiling of lists, but I got to do writing too. I lived for the days when I got to do writing.

The best thing the years of experience have given me is a thick skin. Every budding writer has to go through the process of being able to take criticism from others who are just trying to make the writing better. Interns may interpret these comments, changes and suggestions as a personal attack on something they’ve created, but it isn’t personal. It’s business. Whenever a writer is paid to create something, that product is going to be scrutinized by the buyer. And the buyer has the right to ask the writer to improve it.

Just the other day, one of my clients made changes to something that had already been through several revisions by the intern and one or two by me. I wasn’t offended. The client’s changes made the writing better. Each person brings a different perspective to his writing, and sometimes an objective eye is all that’s needed to turn good writing into great writing.

Warm syrup? Yes, please.

2010-06-19T16:27:00.003-04:00

Last weekend, I went out for brunch and ordered pancakes. It was nothing out of the ordinary --until the waitress brought me warm syrup. Yes, that's right, warm syrup. What a difference that makes! I know it's summer, and the thought of putting warm syrup on pancakes may be revolting to some. But the restaurant's air conditioning was cranked high enough to give me goosebumps on my arms. Trust me, I appreciated the warmth of the syrup.

It's a special treat to be given something that someone took the time to warm up. If you've ever been given a heated blanket or towel, you know what I'm talking about. Hot chocolate, soup, cider or tea fall into this comforting category as well, especially when someone else heats it for you.

As much as a warm drink soothes on a cold day, there's nothing like a cold drink on a hot day like today. Some of the most grateful expressions I've ever seen on people's faces have appeared right after I handed them cold drinks.

Men and the lure of that blue and yellow store

2010-06-17T16:09:00.003-04:00

Why is it that men are so drawn to Best Buy stores? Maybe the manager pumps the scent of bacon into the air vents. Anytime hubby and I are within a couple miles of a Best Buy store, he wants to stop in...even if he was just there a few days earlier.

Guys are crazy about gadgets and electronics. They love to have the latest thing on the market. Women, on the other hand, just want something that works. We want a gadget that does what we want it to do. It's not so important to us that our phones can do 85 different things. We probably only use 10 or 15 of those functions anyway. But those 10 or 15 had better work.

Singletasking is not such a bad thing

2010-05-02T13:55:00.003-04:00

The other day, I was talking to a client on the phone at work. He said he wanted to send me an email. That's nothing out of the ordinary, but what surprised me was what happened next. He admitted to me that he couldn't talk to me and send the email at the same time. I agreed to wait a minute on the phone while he sent the email. After that, we continued our conversation.

What struck me about this experience was the fact that he could recognize and admit that he couldn't do two things at once. In today's fast-paced environment of constant connectivity, it seems like we are all expected to be able to do at least two things at once. Whether we admit it or not, we don't always do two or more things at once AND do them all well. I can name more than one instance of being in a face-to-face conversation with someone and having to compete with that person's phone for attention. I can't say I enjoy that. I start to feel like I'm the intrusion instead of the phone. If I feel like I'm intruding, the conversation won't last long. Call me old-fashioned, but I like to have someone's full attention during a conversation. Doesn't everyone?

Tax, beer and cars: We're not in Pennsylvania anymore

2010-04-09T14:07:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I was surprised when I had to pay more than $16.99 for my $16.99 clothing item. Then I remembered that I was in Ohio. I've been back in Ohio for a few years and still can't seem to get used to paying sales tax on clothes. Neighboring Pennsylvania, where I lived for many years, does not tax clothing purchases. This is why busloads of people come to the commonwealth to shop.

I've grown accustomed to seeing alcohol in grocery stores, which is another thing you won't see in the keystone state. It's very convenient to buy wine and beer, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. It's nice to be able to purchase a bottle of wine for a party at the same place where you can pick up the chips and salsa. But that convenience makes it a little too easy to keep a supply of alcohol on hand.

The other difference that's a big change for anyone moving from one of these states to the other is the whole vehicle inspection concept. While both states check emissions, Pennsylvania car owners are required to take their cars to a mechanic every year to make sure that brakes, lights and other parts of the car are working. In Ohio, an inspection consists of the state Bureau of Motor Vehicles employee writing down the vehicle identification number that's stamped on your car. That's it. That's all they do.

I have no statistics to back this up, but I'd guess that Pennsylvania sells more clothes than Ohio, Ohio sells more alcohol and Pennsylvania cars are probably in better shape. I wonder what Indiana is like?

Misadventures of an Adult Skater

2010-03-19T14:24:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I walked into a skating rink feeling lucky to be able to go there. I left feeling lucky that I was able to walk out.

I haven't had a skating lesson in three years, and I've only been on the ice once during that time -- until this month. A desire to get more exercise and to have some fun at the same time prompted me to seek out a local rink. I found two (!) near work and toyed with the idea of skating again. With supportive bosses and a flexible schedule, the opportunity was there. I could do it.

After much planning, I went and skated for an hour on a weekday. I was happy to find that I could still do some of the things I had learned several years ago. My moves were sloppy, but I didn't care. I was having fun and was enjoying the feel of being on the ice again. So I went back yesterday, two weeks after the first try.

Within my first few minutes on the ice, I fell while trying to spin. I don't know what happened. I just didn't warm up enough and didn't feel like I had my legs beneath me.

It's easy to forget how hard the ice is when you haven't fallen in a long time. I stood up and felt pain in my left knee and right hand. I remembered someone telling me before that it was best to keep moving your knee after falling on it. I did a few laps around the rink, thinking about the irony of being on ice and wishing for an ice pack for my hand. I took off my gloves and compared my hands. I couldn't see any difference between them, so I figured I was probably ok. My knee felt better, and I got up the courage to try spinning again. And again. And again. I still couldn't get it right, but at least I stayed vertical.

I skated for the full hour that I had mentally committed to, but my hand was hurting the whole time. So was my pride. I had to keep telling myself that I was twice as old as most of the people on the ice with me. A few of them had fallen too, and they kept going.

When I got to the car, I pulled out the ice pack that I had in my lunch bag. I sat for a few minutes while I held the ice pack in my hand. I thought about how nobody at the rink knew me. If I had been seriously injured, they wouldn't have known who to call. I would be "Jane Doe" in a hospital somewhere. At least they'd have the first name right.

Today, my hand is feeling better but my knee still hurts. My pride is still healing too.

The Best Way to Communicate

2010-03-16T16:30:00.003-04:00

Part of working with others is learning how they like to communicate best. Some always prefer to talk on the phone. For others, it's a mixture of phone and email, or even email and text messages.

When I need to communicate a message, I think about the person receiving it, the length of the message and the purpose. I also think about my time constraints. For efficiency, text messages and emails are great. But I haven't been able to get to know anyone very well through these forms of communication. I get a much better sense of someone's personality during a phone or in-person conversation.

In thinking about some conversations I've had recently, I realize I would've missed out on a lot if that communication had happened via email alone. That voice connection seems to encourage more conversation. When someone sends an email, it's usually about a single topic. What's great about live conversations is the different directions they can take. You can start out talking about one thing, and before you know it, you're on your fifth topic.

Fielding Questions About Skating

2010-02-28T20:14:00.003-05:00

I've been mesmerized by the Olympics for the greater part of these last two weeks. I think I could hum "O Canada," I've heard it so many times.

Lately, people who know of my passion for figure skating have asked me questions about it. "Did Evan Lysacek deserve the gold medal?" someone asked. Yes, he did, because even though he didn't do a quad jump, he did everything well. His Russian adversary completed some sloppy jumps, quad or otherwise. Don't get me started about the quad. While doing a four-revolution jump is a marvelous thing, it shouldn't be done to the detriment of the rest of the program. Skating is not just about jumping. It never has been, and I hope it never will be.

"Why does it seem like skating is so different now?" My answer to that was simple: "the judging system." When skating officials created a new judging system to put an end to judging controversies, they were looking for a way to be fair. What we have now is a method of judging that assigns points to everything a skater does and how well it's done. The problem with this is that it causes skaters to craft their programs to get the maximum points possible. They pack the programs with elements that get rewarded with lots of points and leave out the elements that aren't worth much. This is what has really changed skating, and not for the better. Today's skaters don't perform the spread eagles or Ina Bauers of the past. Instead, these elements are used only as "difficult entries" into jumps and are held for just a couple of seconds.

If you look at old skating programs on youtube, as I just did, you'll see the difference. I watched Brian Boitano's gold medal performance from the 1988 Olympics. In addition to lots of jumps, he did a gorgeous spread eagle that covered a lot of ice. The tv commentator said, "This spread eagle (is) worth the equivalent of any triple jump." Amen, brother, but not anymore. Ditto for Paul Wylie's 1992 Olympic program, which included a fantastic Ina Bauer. These long, sweeping moves are what attracted me to skating.

To be fair, I'll point out a benefit of the current judging system. Since each element is assigned a point value and evaluated, the skaters really get to hone in on what they need to improve. For example, several skaters have improved their jumps after learning that they were downgraded because of taking off on the wrong edge or failing to complete the last rotation of a jump. It's valuable information to have.

Young Skating Talents Headed for Vancouver

2010-02-03T16:06:00.004-05:00

In skating, as in many other areas of life, someone is always happy to take your place when you walk away from something. While I feel great admiration for the skaters I've watched for years, I'm excited about the younger talents who are making their mark on the skating world.

Sasha Cohen had been away from competitive skating for four years. She came back to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships to compete again and maybe win a trip to Vancouver. In the words of one of the TV commentators, "This is a very brave thing to do." While Cohen has the best spirals and the best split jumps of anyone competing today, she couldn't rely on those strengths to get the scores needed to win. The many jumps she landed on two feet really put her behind teenagers Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu, who will represent us at the Olympics this month.

Other young skaters I'll be watching compete are in the ice dance category. Charlie Davis and Meryl White beat five-time U.S. champs Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto for the first time ever, claiming the national title last month. Davis and White's long program was enthralling. I'll be rooting for them in Vancouver, even though Belbin and Agosto will be competing there too.

In the pairs category, Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig, along with Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett, will represent our country at the Olympics. Denney and Barrett made a splash at last year's championships in Cleveland. I remember seeing their coach joyfully pounding his fists on the boards. At this year's championships, he was in tears. Like all female pairs skaters, who are routinely lifted over men's heads and thrown distances the length of a small couch, Denney is fearless. Somehow, she seems to have more grit than anybody.

In the men's category, Jeremy Abbott will be worth watching. Now a two-time U.S. champ, he transitions seamlessly from one element to the next. He has the technical skill and the artistry, with no apparent weaknesses.

I don't know how these first-time Olympians will fare against other countries' best, but it sure will be fun to see. Hey, the rest of you have your Super Bowl. This is mine.

Getting Something Down on Paper

2010-01-31T16:41:00.003-05:00

A blank page or screen is so liberating and so terrifying. It's so full of lovely possibilities, yet equally open to a bunch of junk thrown down in haste. It doesn't know the difference. The screen will accept either one.

I had just begun reading the much-recommended "bird by bird" (Yes, it kills me to stay true to the title and not capitalize it.) by Anne Lamott when I saw my niece demonstrate the very same writerly struggles Lamott describes. My niece has a story project due -- some 300-plus words. It's daunting for a 7-year-old. Not wanting to let her leave it until the last minute, the adults decided to help her brainstorm.

We sat down with a notebook and started asking questions. Where would her story happen? What characters would be in it? What would they do? I hoped the series of questions would elicit some ideas from her creative, book-devouring little mind. We tried this a couple of times, with one of us taking notes while she spouted ideas between doing headstands and making an imaginary sled out of pillows.

Lamott's advice is, in G-rated language, to write a lousy first draft. Just get something down on the paper. This is what we were trying to do. I think it was successful. My niece might have too many ideas now.

What amused me the most was that on one attempt to pick up the brainstorming process again, my niece, at the very suggestion of it, raced over to the piano to practice. This is classic writerly avoidance. Writers everywhere struggle to block everything out, ignore the need-to-be-done chores or various sources of entertainment and simply write. It's a formidable task, regardless of age or writing experience.

How Am I Doing?

2010-01-18T16:58:00.003-05:00

Every retailer seems to be begging consumers to take surveys lately. "Let us know how we are doing," says the receipt. Usually, the promise of a chance at winning something follows the survey request.

It occurred to me the other day that employees are a lot like these stores that want to know how they are doing. Every human being, regardless of company, title or salary level, wants to know that he or she is doing a good job. For some reason, it's easy to forget to tell people that they are doing well.

In this economy, when many companies aren't in a position to give out raises, I think it would be a nice morale boost for lots of employees if their bosses gave them a quick, "Good job."

Good Things About January

2010-01-09T08:09:00.003-05:00

In an effort to be positive after the brutal week we've had here in northeast Ohio, I'm making a list of good things about January. Feel free to add to it, especially since I only came up with nine. The late-night comedy hosts have brainwashed us to believe that every list has to be a top 10.

1. Drinking hot chocolate and hot tea
2. Admiring the beauty of individual snowflakes on the windshield (but only at stop lights)
3. Seeing tracks in the snow and wondering which animal made them
4. Wearing cozy sweaters
5. Using the time indoors to catch up on things that got ignored during the holidays
6. Having a snowblower that starts after more than a year in storage
7. Feeling hopeful about the new year
8. Looking forward to the Winter Olympics next month
9. Eating hot soup
I just thought of number 10: after-Christmas clearance sales

An Alternate Route Detoured My Thoughts Too

2010-01-03T20:49:00.004-05:00

When bad weather forced us to take an alternate way home today from a belated holiday gathering, we took the non-interstate route. While my steady-handed hubby drove, I looked out the window at my past. One of the counties we drove through was the place where I had worked for several years as a reporter. I could still remember the locations of the police stations, highway patrol buildings and other places I frequented on the job then.

We drove by my old apartment, where the kindly older man who managed the place told me one day that I should get new tires. I saw the farm market and bread store where I shopped. Of course, being young and single, I didn't have the best diet. I have to confess that on more than one occasion, I bought a McDonald's cheeseburger and ate it while driving to an evening meeting I had to cover.

The slow drive was a lot more interesting when I thought about all the places I used to go and what my life was like then. I guess that's the silver lining that came from the otherwise dreary detour.

Big-city Realities on the Way to Work

2009-12-29T20:16:00.004-05:00

I'm really a small-town girl at heart, so my commute to the big city has been a bit of an eye-opener for me. I lock my doors before passing through an area that makes me uneasy. I rejoiced when I spied a police station in that area.

The other day, I had to switch lanes because someone was avoiding the snowy sidewalk by walking in the traffic lane. This person was pushing a shopping cart that I would guess contained his or her belongings.

I drive by a business that has a dog patrolling the building after hours. One day, I felt sorry for the dog when it was left out in the pouring rain without any shelter.

But I feel much worse for the unwanted babies whose lives are snuffed out at a building I pass on the way to work. Pro-life protesters outside drew my attention to what happens at that address. I am struck by how many people I know who've tried to have babies. If someone dropped a baby off at any of their doorsteps, those couples would surely accept that baby as their own. And yet there are those who just throw their babies away.

Planning and Adapting

2009-12-16T21:43:00.003-05:00

I took a day trip for work yesterday. It went well, but what struck me was this recurring truth: the things I thought could be problematic weren't, while other things I never thought would be an issue became problems. I guess I could argue that because I anticipated certain things and planned for them, they did not become problems. For example, I allowed extra travel time because I expected heavy traffic during rush hour. Oddly enough, the traffic wasn't heavy. I still can't believe it.

No matter how prepared I think I am, something always seems to surprise me. Life is like that. I guess that helps us learn to adapt.

Trimming the Tree with Memories

2009-12-12T21:29:00.003-05:00

I was on a mission to decorate the Christmas tree today in between loads of laundry and dishes. I was thinking it would be nice if the ornaments would just march up the tree and snuggle up into branches on their own without any assistance from me. Since I knew that was not going to happen, I began an efficient process of box opening and ornament hanging.

Then something happened. As I unwrapped Christmas ornaments that had special meaning to me, I slowed down and paused to think about them. I thought about how one friend gave me glass ornaments she had decorated with beads, pearls and ribbons. I marveled at the fact that another friend was able to get a glass ornament home safely from her trip to Italy and give that handmade art to me as a gift. I smiled at the popsicle-stick star that a niece made when she was little. I remembered a trip my hubby and I took to Universal Studios, where we found the Cindy Lou Who ornament after exploring a Dr. Seuss-inspired world. I hung up the first ornament my hubby ever gave me, and I looked at all the skating-themed ornaments from him and my family, who accepted my fascination with skating long ago.

Sentimental Jane won out over Practical Jane, but the decorating job still got done. It was just a lot more meaningful task when Sentimental Jane took over.

Back to Cash

2009-12-06T10:55:00.003-05:00

Last night, I was watching Suze Orman sound off on her show in response to credit card companies' increasing fees and interest rates. I love how she is so protective of consumers. She is not afraid to address the credit card companies by name on the air when she hears about how they are treating consumers.

Suze's response to the increasing fees and interest rates is to challenge everyone to quit using credit cards and go back to spending cash -- you know, that green stuff. While I like her idea, I would add another component to it: challenging people to track their spending. Keeping track of where the dollars go can be an eye-opening experience. I would guess that most people underestimate how much they spend on everyday things like coffee and lunches out. A few bucks here and a few bucks there may not seem like much. However, if you are buying a $4 cup of coffee every day on your way to work, that adds up to $80 a month.

What do you think of Suze's idea?

Graduation Day

2009-12-04T19:45:00.003-05:00

Today was a graduation day of sorts. I completed the last class I needed for my technical writing certificate from Cleveland State University. Since a bunch of other students were finishing that last class today too, it was a happy day.

If I hadn't been in transition, I don't know if I would have looked into technical writing. I was vaguely aware of it, but the field appealed to me when I learned more about it. Although I'm happily employed now in my original field, it's nice to know that I have some more skills at my disposal. I've also marveled at how what I learned transfers to other types of writing, like a how-to article I wrote for a freelance writing assignment. I had all those years of journalism experience, yet what made the assignment so easy was that I had a mental blueprint of how to structure and organize the story.

Thanks for the knowledge and for making it so much fun to learn, Jackie!

Today's Giggle

2009-11-30T20:56:00.002-05:00

Here's something that struck me as funny when I saw it: a karate school and an orthodontist in the same building. I don't know which was there first, but if the orthodontist set up shop second, he or she chose a strategic location where potential customers couldn't help but notice the office. I realize that most people who go to the orthodontist don't end up there because of a well-placed kick in the mouth, but I still think it's a funny couple of businesses to share a wall.

A Wish For My Nieces

2009-11-28T21:13:00.002-05:00

As I dressed my niece's Barbie dolls on Thanksgiving and watched her match shoes and purses to outfits, I was glad that I had congratulated her on her good report card that day. I want her to know that being a girl or woman is about more than just matching shoes to outfits.

The pressure on young girls today is worse than when I was growing up. Chatty, confident girls begin to doubt themselves when they start to compare themselves to the perfect images so prevalent in our culture. The message they're getting is that how a girl or woman looks is more important than anything else. The problem with this is that it doesn't take into account a girl's talents or smarts. As adults, we need to encourage our daughters and nieces to pay attention to their whole selves, not just their nail polish and shoes.

I'm happy to say that I have many nieces who are smart and talented. They get good grades, play instruments, sing, dance and play sports. My wish for them is that they will never judge themselves solely by how they look, cute as they may be. I want them to see the same accomplished and talented girls that I see, and to be proud of who they are, inside and out.

Making Adjustments

2009-11-27T18:44:00.002-05:00

Being back at work has been great, but I've had to make some adjustments. Since I was out of work for a while and was telecommuting before that, I've had to get back into the swing of actually going to an office. I'm growing accustomed to packing a lunch and driving to work.

I worked for my previous boss for so many years, I could make decisions in his absence because I knew how he wanted things to be done. I'm figuring out how people want things done at my new job. I am asking questions and trying to get clear direction.

At my last job, I was very comfortable with sharing my opinions and ideas with my boss. I already feel pretty comfortable with sharing my perspective at my new job. Nobody has shushed me yet. Maybe they're just too polite. Must pay closer attention to determine whether they want my viewpoint or are just being nice to me.

Getting acclimated reminds me of breaking in a new pair of skate boots, only nowhere near as painful; in time, discomfort and uncertainty give way to a perfect fit.

A Different Take on a Classic

2009-11-22T19:44:00.003-05:00

Last night, I went to a local production of The Sound of Music. I enjoyed it, but my friends and I were surprised that some things in the stage version were different from the musical we knew so well.

On stage, Maria was singing about her favorite things while at the abbey. In the movie, that famous song is sung in her bedroom at the Von Trapp home during a thunderstorm. That scene on stage featured the silly song that's part of a puppet show in the movie. And there was no puppet show in the stage version.

The other thing I noticed was that the stage version left out one of my favorite scenes from the movie. I always get a kick out of it when the nuns, car parts in hand, confess that they have sabotaged the Germans' vehicles to give the Von Trapps more time to escape into the mountains.

Pancakes for Dinner

2009-11-17T21:35:00.003-05:00

I love breakfast, especially pancakes. I'm one of those people who can eat breakfast for dinner, which is why I love restaurants that serve breakfast anytime.

On the way back from a recent day trip, my hubby and I stopped at an IHOP for dinner. We were pretty sure which highway exit the restaurant was near, and were happy to find it where we remembered it to be. I had pumpkin pancakes and my hubby had eggnog pancakes. Both of these unusual flavors get high marks from me.

So now I'm on a mission to find the closest IHOP. Well, it looks like there's one 17 or 18 miles away, depending on which direction we want to go. Yes, I would drive 17 miles to get to an IHOP. You can't beat a good pancake.

Lessons From My Father

2009-11-15T09:13:00.003-05:00

Six years ago today, I lost my dad. Here are some of the things he taught me.

1. Don't quit.
When I had a tough time at my first job after college, he and my mom encouraged me to keep going. I'm glad they did. Later, when my dad was fighting for his life, he tried everything the doctors had to offer until there was nothing left to try.

2. Keep your sense of humor.
When we were eating pizza and noticed a thin strand of something that looked like either cheese or hair, my father, bald from chemo, said, "It's not mine." I still chuckle at that.

3. Things will look better in the morning.
I have reminded myself of this many times. Most of the time, it's true.

Thanks for the lessons, Dad. I miss you.

A Phrase We All Say

2009-11-11T21:37:00.003-05:00

Lately, I've been noticing a common phrase popping out of people's mouths. I'll admit it's slipped out of mine too. It's a quick little phrase, but its meaning is immediately known. You'll hear it when your dining companion declines a beverage refill. "I'm good," he'll say. When someone doesn't want an offered seat and prefers to stand, she'll say, "I'm good."

It seems so odd to say this when the intention isn't to convey how good or bad we are as people. Why don't we just say, "No, thanks"?

Pick a Star Favorite

2009-11-08T15:55:00.004-05:00

For some reason, anyone with any interest in science fiction seems to have a strong preference for either Star Wars or Star Trek. It's like choosing between Coke and Pepsi for some people; they love one and can't stand the other.

Although I don't consider myself a big science fiction fan, I'd choose Star Wars over Star Trek every time.

Which would you choose?

Going Back to Work

2009-11-06T15:29:00.004-05:00

As you may have heard, I've found a job and I'm going back to work. Woo hoo!

It wasn't my intention to neglect this blog over the past two days, but I've been inundated with good wishes from more people than I ever expected.

The network of people I've come to know turned out in full force to congratulate me via email or social networking sites. Many people I don't know have wished me well too. They felt a kinship with me simply by being in the same unemployment boat.

Job seekers have thanked me for sharing the story about how I found a job. Several have told me it gave them the encouragement they needed to keep searching. I think this line hit home for a lot of people: "The disappointments and dead ends are just steps along the twisty path to employment."

I feel very fortunate to have found a job that I think I will really like, but the truth is, I've been blessed throughout the entire transition. I have had the support of my husband, family and friends (old and new) the whole time. Thanks, everybody!

Meat-Happy in the U.S.A.

2009-11-03T14:24:00.004-05:00

We sure are a meat-happy country. I just saw an ad for a six-meat pizza. I don't suppose that leaves room for anything else other than sauce and cheese among the various meats. Come to think of it, which six meats would they put on that thing? They must be including several types of pork, chicken and hamburger to come up with six meats.

A local restaurant offers steaks ranging in size from 10 ounces to 23 ounces. I suppose they want you to forget that the Food Guide Pyramid's recommended serving size for meat is 3 ounces. That's the size of a deck of cards.

I am not a meat hater or a vegetarian or anything like that. I like meat a lot. I just can't (and shouldn't) eat 10 ounces in one sitting. I've noticed that many restaurants don't list the size of their hamburgers. I always ask what the burgers weigh, because most are a half pound. I can't eat that much either. Give me a quarter pound and I'm content. I know, I'm so unAmerican.

Apples Rule in the Fall

2009-11-02T17:25:00.004-05:00

The produce spotlight shines on apples in the fall, when this modest, everyday fruit becomes the star attraction among other fruits and vegetables.

Johnny Appleseed stories and the "American as apple pie" saying make this fruit part of our nation's heritage, but sometimes I think we don't fully appreciate apples. That's why it's nice to give them renewed attention at this time of year.

I confess that I like the names of the apple varieties: Gala, Red Delicious, Rome, Fuji, Granny Smith and more. A quick look online shows that there are many more varieties of apples than I'll ever taste. Blushing Gold sounds like an intriguing name to me. I would try that variety based on the name alone.

While I enjoy apple pie, applesauce and apple cider, my favorite way to eat an apple is to cut it into pieces and spread peanut butter on each slice. The taste reminds me of a caramel apple, only a bit healthier.

Thirty Years of Change from a Postal Viewpoint

2009-10-31T10:12:00.006-04:00

A couple of days ago, I heard a postal worker tell a customer that she was retiring after 30 years of service. Yikes. That means she started working for the U.S. Postal Service in 1979.

In 1979:

Postal employees had no idea what a toll the Internet would have on their business -- or what the Internet was, for that matter.
They didn't have to worry about people sending dangerous substances through the mail.
Every mail carrier probably knew most of the customers on his or her route.
The post office was probably the only place to buy stamps.
The number of personal letters mailed was likely much higher than now.
Netflix did not exist.
Nobody paid bills online.
The term "going postal" did not exist.
The USPS didn't advertise on TV.
It cost 15 cents to send a letter.
Nobody used the term "snail mail" in reference to the USPS.
Identity theft was not a concern.

Walking on a Clear Path

2009-10-29T19:40:00.003-04:00

When I turned a corner and walked past a building today, I found myself walking behind a trio of leaf-blowing landscapers. As I walked, they cleared a broad path in front of me. They probably didn't even know I was walking behind them, but I felt like a queen. Thanks, guys!

The Psychology of Numbers

2009-10-28T15:52:00.002-04:00

While I normally rely on numbers for factual information, sometimes I look at them with suspicion.

The latest grocery store ad is riddled with prices that end in 99. That's no mistake. It's a sly move by the food sellers to make their prices appear lower. Lots of retailers do this because they want the number before the 99 to attract attention. It's the highest price they can set without going up to the next dollar. Once they go up to that next dollar, the item appears to be more expensive.

Flight times, on the other hand, are exact. Of course, this makes it look like the plane will take off or land at the specified time. I think the airlines are rounding up the on-time estimates. If it says a flight is 70 percent on time, I'm guessing it's more like 66 percent.

One number nobody wants to round up is the scale readout. Did you ever go for a checkup at a doctor's office and see a sign warning patients of higher numbers on the office scale than on a home scale? That's like saying, "You can just ignore that home scale, because it's lying to you. You weigh more than it says you do." The number on the office scale doesn't look good, even if it ends in a nine.

What's the Secret Password?

2009-10-26T16:57:00.004-04:00

Remember when you were a kid and the only time you needed a password was to get into your friend's treehouse? I miss those days.

I just got an error when signing into my blog because I mistakenly typed in the password I use for Facebook. To complicate things, I have several email addresses I use and I have to remember which email address I use for each account.

I tried to call the cell phone company today to ask about a mysterious charge that showed up on the bill, but they would not tell me anything without the password. Feeling like a 1950s housewife whose husband handled all the bills, I had to tell the lady I didn't know the password for the account. I told her I would call back later after getting the password from my husband. And I pay the bills. I feel so powerless. I can't get information about our account even though I have the bill in my hands. At least I know nobody else can add a bunch of phones to our account. If they did, I would really have questions about the bill.

Stubborn Leaves

2009-10-24T12:57:00.004-04:00

Like a captain who stays with a sinking ship after the passengers have gone, a few lingering leaves refuse to abandon their tree. They cling to it proudly and hold on, knowing that it's only a matter of time before they can't hold on any longer.

Blisters, Bug Guts and Bananas

2009-10-23T18:12:00.003-04:00

I wonder if reference librarians are feeling bored and unloved these days. Does anyone call them anymore? If you're like me, you go online for answers to your questions.

After I got a blister on my hand from my first leaf-raking session of the season, I wanted to make sure that blister was my last. I went online and learned from some nice motocross racer with "sissy-boy hands" (his term) that you can prevent blisters by putting tape on the skin that's prone to blistering. I found some tape that was left over from adhering a large bandage to some long-forgotten injury. I stuck the tape on the skin that blistered last time. It worked beautifully. Thank you to the racer with the sissy-boy hands.

When ladybugs started showing up inside our old house, I went to the Internet for help. I learned that the simplest way to get rid of the little buggers was to vacuum them up. If you squish them, the article warned, they will stain whatever they are squished on. Not wanting to chance staining anything with ladybug guts, I fired up the vacuum and waved the wand attachment over those spotted creatures. Done!

This last odd bit of information I learned was not something I was trying to find. I stumbled on it, really. A friend of mine posted a video on Facebook about how to peel a banana like a monkey. Apparently, they are smarter than humans, because I tried their method and it sure beats the fruit out of the human way. All you do is pinch the bottom of the banana, pull it away, and peel from the bottom. Then you get a nice handle to hold too. Who says there's no useful information on Facebook?

I've only scratched the surface of the vast stores of knowledge available on the Internet. What will I learn next?

I've Pre-read This for You

2009-10-22T20:19:00.003-04:00

Lately, I've been noticing how many step-saving, time-saving products are available. Pre-cut fruit, shredded cheese and shredded cabbage have been around for a while, but I've also seen pre-sharpened pencils, pre-charged rechargeable batteries, and computers with software already loaded on them.

But some products should never join this list. Remember the childhood joke about ABC (Already Been Chewed) gum? Yeah, gum should never be sold pre-chewed. Eeeeew. Even if gum were mechanically softened into an irregular-shaped wad, that would be weird.

Key Clues

2009-10-21T11:18:00.003-04:00

You can tell a few things about someone based on the number of keys on his keychain.

My key collection is simple right now, but it wasn't always that way. When we were living in an apartment in Ohio and selling our home in Pennsylvania, I had keys for both places, plus keys for a storage unit and a mailbox. When I was working, I had keys to the office and to the company's post office box.

At one of my newspaper jobs, I had a coveted key to the newsroom's front door. This allowed me to park on the well-lit street at night and enter through the front door instead of the back door.

Several car keys have come and gone from my keychain throughout the years, and my keychains have changed from the whimsical to the practical.

What do your keys and keychain say about you?

Cherishing an Autumn Day

2009-10-19T16:07:00.003-04:00

A sunny and reasonably warm fall day like today is like a visit from an out-of-town friend. You cherish it because you know it's rare.

Why Don't Men Eat Yogurt?

2009-10-18T15:55:00.004-04:00

Is it just my perception or do men dislike yogurt unless it's the frozen kind?

My husband turns up his nose at yogurt. He jokes that the brand I buy is "Yobleaaaaah."

I think yogurt tastes like pudding, unless you buy the plain variety of yogurt. Follow the logic with me here. Yogurt tastes like pudding. Pudding tastes good. Yogurt tastes good. What's the problem?

The Lure of the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-17T20:26:00.002-04:00

Taking children to a pumpkin patch seems to be a must-do outing these days. Heck, even celebrities have been spotted helping their kids pick out pumpkins. It must be the thing to do.

While there may be plenty of kids picking strawberries and blueberries during the summer, those moments don't hold the same fascination as choosing a pumpkin in the fall. For whatever reason, pumpkins get all the attention. Maybe it's the size of a pumpkin that makes it so interesting for photos. It is kind of amusing to see a baby surrounded by pumpkins that rival his size.

For older kids, maybe it's the Charlie Brown cartoon that makes them eager to see a real pumpkin patch. Of course, that's assuming they still show that cartoon on TV.

Happy pumpkin hunting. And let me know if you see Linus.

The Growing Popularity of Halloween Decorations

2009-10-16T16:19:00.005-04:00

The other day, a radio announcer was complaining about the excessive Halloween decorations in his neighborhood. He felt pressured to decorate for the occasion because all of his neighbors were adorning their houses and yards with spiders, ghosts and pumpkins. And you thought peer pressure ended at adulthood.

I'm glad someone out there shares my lack of enthusiasm for decorating for this "holiday." How did Halloween become important enough to merit lawn decorations on a scale previously reserved for Christmas?

Learning From Each Other

2009-10-14T16:49:00.004-04:00

Yesterday's in-class technical writing assignment showed me how much we can learn from each other. Each person communicated the same important information, yet each student approached it in a slightly different way. The differences showed up in how we expressed, organized and presented the information.

I found myself admiring aspects of other students' projects as we reviewed them one by one. If we used all of the best ideas from each project, the project would leap from "good" to "great" status.

The Ups and Downs of Driving a Stick Shift

2009-10-13T20:54:00.002-04:00

I got a good laugh the other day when I saw a comedy skit about a robber who tried to take someone's car but was unable to drive it because it had a manual transmission. He ended up making the carjacking victim drive his own car while the robber sat in the passenger seat.

I wasn't laughing during a slow drive in rush hour traffic today. First, second, third, stop. First, second, stop. Those are the times when it would be nice to drive an automatic. The rest of the time, I really don't mind driving a stick shift. In fact, I think it gives me better control of the car, especially in snow.

I realize that I'm part of a shrinking number of people who use both hands and both feet to drive. Yes, that means I can't do anything else while driving. What a concept. Even with all that, I still manage to use the turn signal too, which is apparently an optional feature on some vehicles here in northeast Ohio.

Catching the Blog Bug

2009-10-12T15:07:00.003-04:00

When I mention my blog to people at networking meetings or events, I am often asked how to start one. This is kind of amusing to me, since I haven't been at this very long. Believe me, I'm not an expert. I told another job seeker/aspiring blogger the other night that it's easy to start a blog. Keeping up with it is the hard part.

People start blogs for various reasons. Some use them as a way to keep family and friends informed about their lives or their kids. Job seekers want to share their expertise, whether it's in recruiting or marketing. I've seen blogs that display the blogger's own photos or drawings. Today, I found a blog that's written by an American chef who's working in Australia. He writes about what he eats, recipes included. The Blogger home page (www.blogger.com) has a little "Blogs of Note" section that features different blogs. That's how I found the chef's blog. You can find countless others by typing a topic of interest into a favorite search engine. (I'm resisting the popular practice of using Google as a verb.)

Deep down, I think people just want to get their thoughts out and be heard. And it's a lovely bonus when those thoughts make a connection with someone else.

It's a Sickness

2009-10-10T21:21:00.004-04:00

Senior citizens talk about their own ailments.
Young to middle-aged people talk about their kids' illnesses.

Early Bird vs. Late Squirrel

2009-10-09T16:35:00.002-04:00

The early bird may get the worm, but the late squirrel gets the seeds.

While I was eating lunch, I noticed quite a gathering of birds in the backyard. Since it's getting colder, I thought they might be having trouble finding food. I decided to throw a couple handfuls of bird seed outside after lunch. The previous homeowners had left an open bag of bird seed behind. What else am I going to do with it?

I was feeling pretty good about looking out for the birds. I even thought about the "Feed the Birds" song from Mary Poppins. Later, I took a break between tasks, glanced outside and saw a rotund squirrel grabbing all the seeds without a bird in sight. So much for feeding the birds.

This made me think about how job seekers have different strategies for searching. While I would expect that most of us do our best searching during the day, I know of at least one seeker who is a night owl on the computer. I guess he'd be the squirrel. Then again, maybe he's the early bird who finds the openings posted in the evening. The morning searchers wouldn't see those listings until hours later.

Seasonal Tastes Differ by Zip Code

2009-10-08T17:06:00.004-04:00

It's clambake season in Cleveland. Apparently, that's a normal thing for this time of year. When I lived an hour or two south of Cleveland, barbecue chicken was the item of choice for a fall fundraiser. In northwest Pennsylvania, it was spaghetti dinners.

It's funny how much difference a few miles can make to the local food scene. I once ate a famous Primanti Brothers sandwich in Pittsburgh, Pa. Personally, I don't like cole slaw and french fries inside my sandwich, but the popularity of that sandwich tells me that lots of other people do. Then again, I initially turned my nose up at the meatball omelet that is the pride of Dominick's late-night diner in Erie, Pa. Once I tasted it, I was a fan.

I haven't been to a clambake yet. I guess I won't know if I like it until I try it.

The Many Faces of Light

2009-10-07T15:49:00.004-04:00

Shorter autumn days make me more aware of the importance of light in our lives. Everything seems better when glorious, mood-boosting sunshine fills the sky. At night, it's our car headlights and the streetlights that guide the way. Traffic lights tell us when to stop and go. Flashing lights add excitement to a concert, while a simple spotlight adds drama to a play. Industrial lighting illuminates workplaces and gathering places.

Lights glowing through a house window lend a warm, cozy feeling. A small nightlight calms a child's fears or provides a path for sleepy eyes to follow to the kitchen. A flashlight shines a concentrated beam on a leaky basement pipe.

Candlelight, the subtle cousin of bright, artificial lighting, can lend a romantic mood or a somber one.

May we appreciate the waning natural light as we rely more on man-made light in the coming days.

Blog Milestone

2009-10-06T11:33:00.003-04:00

Since I started this blog in June, I've watched the number of blog posts creep up slowly. This is number 100. Veteran bloggers may look down their noses at me because they passed their 100th post long ago, but it's as good a reason as any to look back. If TV shows can make note of their 100th episodes, I can too.

Over the last few months, I've written about many observations of everyday life. It's emerged as a favorite topic, but so have these: writing, music, job searching and figure skating.

I'm still surprised by which posts move people to comment. I'm also amazed that people I don't know have found their way to this blog.

Thanks for the encouragement and thanks for reading.

Why We Like Mysteries

2009-10-04T19:51:00.004-04:00

I have a theory about why people like to read mysteries or watch detectives solve crimes in TV shows or movies. I think we just want to make sense of things. We want the satisfaction of figuring something out because so many things in life don't make sense from the limited viewpoint of what a person knows and understands.

For example, despite scientific explanations, it's hard to comprehend why natural disasters happen or why someone becomes seriously ill.

Some things I've struggled to make sense of in my life have made sense later, after I had a greater understanding of the situation and the events that followed. Or maybe I found a reason that quieted my questions for a while. My reason for anything I don't understand is simply that God has a plan and a reason for things happening (or not happening, or not happening the way I planned.) It's the best reason I know.

Rejection Letters and the Rock Hall

2009-10-03T20:43:00.003-04:00

I couldn't help smiling today when I saw two rejection letters from record companies to the now-famous band U2. Seeing those typed, impersonal letters made me feel a little better about the current job market and my own collection of emailed rejection letters.

I happened to spot the letters during a visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland. I ought to be boycotting the place because of its continual reluctance to recognize my favorite band of all time: Daryl Hall and John Oates.

While I don't know the nomination rules intricately, I believe this duo has met the qualifications for induction.
They've certainly had plenty of hits.
It's been at least 25 years since they began in the business.
They've influenced younger artists.
Did I mention that they've sold more records than any other pop duo in history?

They've made their mark on the music world by creating their own distinct sound. They fit nicely in the music continuum (Hall's term) between the Temptations (who were a heavy influence on H&O) and today's young musicians who credit H&O with influencing them. Most importantly, they are incredibly talented songwriters and performers. That in itself should be enough to qualify them for the recognition they deserve.

Muscle Memory

2009-10-01T22:32:00.003-04:00

Since I've been off the ice for a while, I was wondering the other day if I would remember how to do some of the figure skating elements I learned. When I tried to do a couple of moves on the floor, muscle memory kicked in. My body knew what to do.

I think muscle memory works for the brain muscle as well. It can help you recall words in a foreign language or remember how to play a game you haven't played in a long time. Ever notice how quickly you're able to sing along to a song you haven't heard in years? I think that's muscle memory too. Once you're put into a familiar situation, the brain seems to know what to do.

Funny Phone Manners

2009-09-30T20:00:00.004-04:00

It's kind of funny that when someone calls a phone number by mistake, we answer, "I think you have the wrong number." Don't we know that it was a wrong number? It just sounds more polite than saying, "You idiot. You called the wrong number."

And when someone needs to get off the phone, you'll hear, "I'd better let you go." This gives the impression that the other person is doing you a favor, but you weren't the one trying to end the call.

An Email Title That Gets My Attention

2009-09-29T21:31:00.003-04:00

As a card-carrying member of several employment networking groups, I get a steady stream of emails that contain job leads. Every now and then, among the listings for every job imaginable outside of my field, I see emails with this title: "Success Story." I read every one.

I'm happy for the people who have found work, and I find hope in the fact that somebody is getting hired. Being somewhat analytical (ok, very analytical), I always mine the success stories for nuggets of wisdom. How did they find the job? Did they answer an ad or did they find the position through networking? From what I can gather, people are finding jobs through all sorts of avenues -- ads, networking and even applying to work for Uncle Sam. That just means job seekers should pursue multiple paths to employment. Some paths feel more productive than others, but you never know which one will lead you to the right job.

Cloud Stampede

2009-09-28T08:54:00.004-04:00

The wind is a sky cowboy this morning. Its invisible lasso is driving all the clouds eastward, leaving the sunlight free to graze across the blue sky.

Tomorrow's Workers

2009-09-27T20:00:00.003-04:00

I'm trying to picture today's teens in tomorrow's workplace. I fear that they will be unable to use an office phone and that their memos will read like text messages. If the brevity of text messaging spills over into their emails, that could be a good thing. However, if they send frequent updates about what they're doing, it may be difficult for them to distinguish between what's important and what's not worth mentioning.

A Useful Skill

2009-09-26T20:44:00.003-04:00

My high school teachers may cringe at this, but I can honestly say that typing the right way was one of the most worthwhile things I learned as a teen. When I see people typing with two fingers, I'm grateful for the typing class, which I'm fairly certain was a required one.

At the time, the class didn't seem all that important. Sure, I knew I'd have to write papers in college, but I had no idea how useful typing would be in my everyday life years later. I can't really say that about algebra or trigonometry.

Word Games

2009-09-25T22:18:00.003-04:00

If you have a last name that doesn't look the way it sounds, you've probably had to spell it out over the phone. When I do this, I usually include "s like Sam" to make sure the listener doesn't mistake it for an "f."

I have gotten into the habit of using the same words for "s" and "v": Sam and Victor. Just to make things interesting, I should come up with a few crazy words to see if I can crack up the person on the other end of the phone. Superman and Veronica? Spaghetti and volcano? Hmmm. Maybe I'll try that one.

A poetry teacher once led a creative exercise that challenged us to use words to represent letters. I still remember her example: naughty xylophones.

If you have used any funny, interesting or unusual words to spell out your name, please post them in a comment.

A Happy Day for Writers

2009-09-24T20:30:00.003-04:00

I've often scoffed at the crazy things that have their own dedicated day in America. Today is different. It's National Punctuation Day.

My affinity for punctuation is hardly a secret. Here's why I think you should love it too.

When used properly, every comma, period and semicolon has a purpose. Each one helps us communicate ideas to someone else by clearing a pathway through the jungle of thought. Punctuation marks are the grease that keeps words flowing smoothly. They're the bouncers who let you into the hip club of someone else's ideas. Without them, we'd still be standing on the sidewalk wondering what we were missing.

For the Rest of Us, Writing Replaces a Super Memory

2009-09-23T16:22:00.005-04:00

The other day, I read about a handful of people who've been identified as having "super" memories. They can recall minute details from nearly every day since their ages were in the single digits.

Although I'm glad I'm not one of those gifted people, I think it would be neat to be able to use that talent selectively. Who wouldn't want to remember more details of the good memories and fewer of the bad? Maybe the great memories can be reinforced by frequent recollection of them. That's where writing comes in. Writing allows us to express our thoughts and the emotions we had at the time. It also allows us to revisit those moments later, after some of the details have become overshadowed by others.

Life With a Soundtrack

2009-09-22T11:27:00.002-04:00

Music makes life better.
It's the friend who distracts me while I'm waiting for an appointment or sitting in the dentist's chair.
It can shorten a long drive.
It can push me to walk longer or finish all the chores.
It can boost my mood.
It can stir up memories or burn new ones into my mind.
It emboldens me.
It can make me dance or help me relax.

I cannot imagine life without music.

Knock, Knock. Vote for Me.

2009-09-21T23:11:00.003-04:00

This is the time of year to be prepared for a sales pitch when you open your door. Ding dong. It's a politician who wants to keep his job. Knock, knock. A couple of days later, it's the person who wants to take his job. Then it's a child selling something for school or sports or whatever.

All of this comes after a number of landscapers, roof repairmen and painters dropped off fliers because they were looking for work. That started after the mailings directed to new homeowners who might need a dentist, a vet or a handyman. Apartment life never looked so good.

Nighttime Rain

2009-09-20T23:20:00.003-04:00

A gentle rain sounds best when it waits until the end of the day to fall. It washes away the day's rough spots and readies the mind for sleep. It is not like the strong, angry wailing of an obstinate toddler, but rather like a soft flow of tears brought on by a sad movie. It is cleansing, soothing, cathartic even. It lends a sense of peacefulness along with the reassurance that everything will look better tomorrow with a fresh mist of raindrops sprinkled over it all.

Let's Talk

2009-09-19T13:36:00.003-04:00

Call it venting.
Call it getting things off your chest.
Sometimes people need to talk things through without any expectation of a plan of action growing out of it. It's up to the listener to decide whether the speaker is looking for suggestions or if he just wants to be heard.

How Many Writers Does it Take to Change a Light Bulb?

2009-09-18T16:52:00.003-04:00

I had to replace three spent light bulbs the other day. These are the latest in a series of bulbs that appear to have been expertly timed to expire just months after we took ownership of the house.

I do believe that there is nothing that gives such immediate satisfaction for so little effort and so little time as changing a light bulb. I guess that's why there are so many jokes about how many people it takes to complete this simple task.

I was amused when I read the note on the back of the little halogen light bulb package. It said, "Do not touch lamp." OK, do you mean the bulb or the lamp it's going into? Be specific! And if I'm not supposed to touch the bulb, how am I supposed to get it into the puck light under the cabinet? Levitation? And why am I not supposed to touch the bulb? Will it deform my hand and leave me unable to type with both hands? I am not about to compromise my typing speed for the sake of a little bulb!

I thought for a minute and realized that what they meant was to avoid transferring oil from my skin onto the bulb. I stuck my hand into a plastic sandwich bag, grabbed the bulb and put it into the puck light.

I guess it takes only one writer to change a light bulb, but it will take her a bit longer than most people because she will dwell on how clearly the instructions are written on the bulb package.

Getting Ahead by Taking Criticism

2009-09-17T21:23:00.004-04:00

No matter what field you're in, it can be difficult to accept criticism of your work. But sometimes that criticism is the very thing that pushes us to be better.

Ever since the current judging system was put in place, figure skaters have been obsessing over their score numbers, right down to the decimal point. After a competition, they want to know how they were judged on each element of a program and what they did wrong. They take that information and use it to make their next performance better. If they launched a jump from the wrong edge of the blade, they work on it. If a jump did not have enough complete rotations, you can bet they will try to improve that.

What a great example for those of us who are competing in a different type of arena: take the comments and criticisms and use them to make yourself unbeatable.

A Simple, Yet Powerful Gesture for Uncivil Times

2009-09-16T18:27:00.004-04:00

With all the boorish outbursts making headlines lately in sports, politics and the music world, the power and civility of a lovely thank you note cannot be underestimated. (A good apology goes a long way, too.)

Thank you notes can help a job seeker stand out in a sea of candidates. They can also let a network contact know that his or her time was well spent with a job seeker. A thank you note assures the giver that a gift sent through the mail arrived safely. It also tells a wedding guest or baby shower guest that the time and money he or she spent on a gift is appreciated. And don't think that people won't notice if gifts for those major life events go unthanked. They'll notice. And they'll remember.

My friend, Nancy, writes the best thank you notes of anyone I know. In addition to thanking me for whatever I gave her at the time, she always reiterates how much she values our friendship. Reading a thank you note from her makes me feel good. That's what every thank you note should do for its recipient.

Taking the Long-Term View

2009-09-15T15:30:00.003-04:00

Financial advisors have been telling their nervous clients to think long-term during this recession. While many of them are trying to keep investors from pulling out of the stock market, they do have a point. When you're focused on what you've lost or what's happened in the past, it's hard to look ahead.

Sometimes, taking the long-term view is helpful when making decisions -- financial or otherwise. Priorities surface when we measure tasks, concerns and opportunities against the yardstick of what matters most to us in the long run. Business managers talk about the return on investment, or what you can expect to get back from what you put in. In personal life, it's harder to measure because the payoff is full of intangibles like happiness. Even so, taking a long-term view can lend some clarity when making decisions today.

Companies Differ in Approaches to the Salary Issue

2009-09-14T20:53:00.003-04:00

As a job seeker, I like to see how different employers address the salary issue when advertising a position. Lately, a lot of them are asking applicants to state what amount they want at the time of resume submission. Some even say they won't consider an application without this information. Some companies will give a salary range for the job. Others don't reveal the salary, but they don't ask what a candidate wants to earn either.

A few employers, however, are very specific, right down to dollars and cents. One employer stated the dollar amount that the candidate would be paid. Right next to that, it said, "Not a penny more."

I Must Really Be Stumped for a Blog Topic if I'm Writing About Football

2009-09-13T16:49:00.003-04:00

It's fall and everyone seems to be in a frenzy about football. Around here, people are nuts for Ohio State. They have OSU flags in their yards, for Pete's sake. I don't think I've ever lived in a place more gung-ho about a college team. If I knew someone on the team, I might be able to get a little bit interested.

It can be tough living in Browns territory. Some of the cashiers at the grocery store don't want to touch the environment-friendly Steelers bags that my husband bought. Seriously. I actually encountered a male cashier who intentionally used all the generic bags in order to avoid dealing with the Steelers ones.

How To Write a Headline Better Than This One

2009-09-12T22:37:00.004-04:00

What makes a person read beyond a headline? Is it the topic that's of interest or the way the headline is written? I think it's a little bit of both.

I must confess that I will read the first few sentences of a sports story if the headline makes me curious. Anyone who knows me is aware of my minimal interest in any sport beyond figure skating, which is a sport, by the way. That's a blog topic for another day. My point is, if a headline on a sports story is good, even I might read the first few paragraphs of the story.

Headline writing is harder than people think. The writer has to get his point across in very few words or lose the reader's attention forever. Short verbs are really good for this, which explains the popularity of words like "mulls," "nixes" and "hikes" in news headlines.

So, how do you write a good headline? Think about how you would describe the plot of a movie to someone who hasn't seen it. You'd just give a summary, right? Take that summary and boil it down even more. Let's say there was a new character limit on Twitter and you had to make your description even shorter. Strip the description down to the bare bones. Leave out the details. Just give the important stuff. There's your headline.

If you get stuck, start with a subject and a verb and build from there.

Remembering 9/11

2009-09-11T15:47:00.003-04:00

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I was sitting at my desk at work. As I edited a mayor's letter for an economic resource guide we were working on for Jersey City, N.J., I got a call from one of my writers. Her voice sounded fearful and I didn't know why. When she explained what she was seeing on TV, I couldn't believe what she was describing.

Meanwhile, the people in Jersey City were watching the horrific events unfold across the Hudson River. The twin towers had been the focal point of the New York City skyline that Jersey City residents saw from across the water every day. Now these seemingly indestructible buildings, these symbols of American wealth and power, were burning and collapsing with human beings inside.

The days immediately after 9/11 were strange. Everything seemed quieter. While my rational side told me my building would not be attacked, I felt grateful to be working in a first-floor office anyway.

Three days after the attacks, I wanted to back out of the dinner plans my husband and I had made with friends. Although I didn't know anyone who perished in the attacks of 9/11, I was saddened, outraged and frightened by the events. I didn't feel like going out. We went anyway, and the restaurant hostess invited everyone outside for a candlelit tribute to the attack victims.

In the weeks that followed, I looked through the layout for the Jersey City guide. I asked the artist to remove any photos of the World Trade Center and replace them with something else. I reworded a sentence that talked about the explosive growth of business in Jersey City. It didn't seem right to use the word "explosive" when talking about a place so close to one of the attack sites.

Today, when I see images of the twin towers in old movies or TV shows, it's still hard to believe the towers aren't there anymore. And harder yet to imagine the loss that victims' loved ones must still be feeling years later.

Cool Things That Happened Before My Time

2009-09-10T16:14:00.004-04:00

While I fully appreciate the modern conveniences that are part of life in the present day, I think it's fun to wonder what it would have been like to live during a different time. Here are some things that would have been cool to witness or experience firsthand:

Watching one of Shakespeare's plays being performed for the first time
Riding in an original Ford Model T
Seeing one of the first movies to have sound added
Buying an "Extra, Extra" edition of a newspaper from a newsboy
Attending a formal ball while wearing an amazing gown
Rejoicing in the news that World War II was over

Please feel free to add to my list by making a comment.

Crawling Through More Smoke (2009)

2009-09-09T19:57:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I wrote about my experience with a firefighters' training exercise that took place in a smoke-filled garage. I see a lot of similarities between that garage and the transition to my next job.

I can't see what's ahead, and there are lots of obstacles in the way.
I know everything will work out, but it's still scary sometimes.
It's hard to maneuver through the haze of uncertainty, but there is solid ground beneath me.
I don't know when I'll emerge from this transitional place, but I do feel that there are many people helping me to find my way to the exit.

Crawling Through the Smoke

2009-09-08T19:54:00.003-04:00

When I wrote a feature story once about local firefighters, I gained a real appreciation of the dangers that come with the job. This is the part of the story that didn't get into print.

The fearless, burly men had enjoyed piling heavy gear on me, a skinny girl who said she was game for a training drill. They had filled a storage garage with non-toxic smoke and placed obstacles on the floor. The assignment was to rescue the dummy inside the garage.

As instructed, I dropped to the floor and started to crawl while gripping the pant leg of the firefighter on the floor ahead of me. Darkness and smoke enveloped me and made me feel disoriented. My senses were useless to me, except for the sense of touch. Even that didn't tell me much. I knew the building was small and that I wasn't really in danger, but I was scared anyway. I hadn't crawled very far when I told the firefighter I was ready to get out.

It felt good to leave the building and see sunlight again. When the firefighters cleared the smoke out of the garage, I took another look inside. Now devoid of smoke and filled with light, the building looked like a completely different place. It seemed so harmless that I felt embarrassed about the fear I had felt moments earlier.

Years later, that memory remains vivid. I hope I never need to get through a real fire, but if I do, I'll try to remember to crawl and feel my way out.

A Battle That Never Ends

2009-09-07T19:51:00.003-04:00

In adults, creativity can get shoved aside by its pushy, loudmouthed sibling, practicality. The two carry on a battle inside our heads. On one side of the head, a girl in a flowered dress paints the air with a palette that's constantly changing color. On the other side is her older brother, who carries a to-do list and wears work boots and overalls.

Creativity says, "Use your hands and your mind to create beautiful things."
Practicality says, "Use your hands and your mind to do things that have tangible value."

And the rest of the brain tries to find a compromise between the two.

Our Trip With Fay

2009-09-06T19:45:00.003-04:00

About this time last year, our vacation trip had an uninvited guest: Tropical Storm Fay. We had planned our Walt Disney World trip months earlier, only to question whether we would be going at all.

Every time we checked The Weather Channel, the forecasters predicted rain. We had two choices: stay or go. We bought rain parkas and went ahead with our plans. All of our flights went fine, but the first three days of our trip were very rainy. We had to let our shoes and socks dry out each night. The parkas did a fairly good job of protecting everything else.

For three days, the crowds at Walt Disney World were lighter than I had ever seen them. Some attractions were closed and a parade had to be called off because of the weather. Rain in Disney World is like snow in the South -- they don't know what to do with it. I remember walking on curbs because the walkways were flooded with several inches of water. There isn't a lot of shelter at Disney World either. This is something you don't realize until you're looking for a roof to stand under for a few minutes while deciding where to go next.

On the fourth day, the skies cleared up, the rain stopped and the temperature started to climb. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful, yet we'll probably remember those rainy days for a long time.

Don't Bet on Me in an Eating Contest

2009-09-05T19:24:00.004-04:00

I've always been a slow eater and I can't explain why. Put me at a table with just about anyone and I'll usually finish last. Waitresses have tried to pull plates out from under me before I was finished. They've also asked about dessert when I'm barely halfway through dinner. In their defense, though, my husband's plate is usually nearly empty when they are asking.

Poor hubby has probably wasted hours of his life waiting for me to finish a meal. He grew up in a large family where eating slowly may have cost a person part of his portion. Dawdle too long and the sibling nearby might scoop up a few bites.

I've heard that it's a good thing to eat slowly because it gives your brain time to realize your stomach is full. I guess that's one advantage of eating slowly.

Words I Would Like an Excuse to Use

2009-09-04T21:09:00.003-04:00

I think I wrote about one plane (actually just a little ultralight) crash when I was a reporter, but I can't remember if I got to use the word "fuselage." There's something cool about the word. Too bad there aren't more opportunities to use it. I'm not hoping for any crashes, but that seems to be the only time the word "fuselage" gets used. Hey, I just got to use it twice now.

Here's another good one: "scofflaw." How often can you use that? I saw it in a news story yesterday and my eyes widened at the sight of it. I quietly wished I had written the story. Is that considered word usage envy?

A Rematch of Sorts

2009-09-03T17:40:00.003-04:00

I just heard that American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert tweeted about his album's release date.

First, I have to say that I love that we can still call it an album even though it's really a CD or an mp3 file.

Second, it will be interesting to see how many albums fan favorite Lambert sells compared to AI winner Kris Allen. Both albums are reportedly due out in November.

My money's on Lambert. I think he is the more talented of the two.
People voted with their phones. Let's see how they vote with their hard-earned cash.

In Praise of the Pen

2009-09-02T14:56:00.004-04:00

I had to smile at a network contact's recent observation: "Writers like pens."

I was glad to know that others share my affinity for what may seem like outdated instruments in these keyboard-centric times. Although I write faster by typing on a keyboard than by putting pen to paper, I still like pens.

Over the years, friends have given me high-quality pens as gifts. My definition of a high-quality pen is one that you refill with ink instead of just tossing the whole pen when the ink's gone. While these pens look shiny and pretty on my desk, they don't always measure up to the cheap ones. For one thing, the metal of a more expensive pen can make it heavy to hold.

For me, the true test of a good pen is how easily it glides across the page. The ideal pen is lightweight and drops ink in a smooth, non-globby, non-skipping way that doesn't impede the flow of words.

When I was reporting, I found a pen that met my standards. It was a cheap Office Plus pen that I bought by the box at a local office supply store. Nothing could fly across my reporter's notebook like those babies. And believe me, when you're taking notes, you need a fast pen. You could miss a good quote while waiting for the pen to catch up.

Although I'm not taking notes for a living right now, I still use pens every day. Most people do; they just don't think much about them...unless they're writers.

Something to Ponder

2009-09-01T10:12:00.003-04:00

You know you're an adult when the super-sweet cereals you loved as a kid don't appeal to you anymore.

Under Construction

2009-08-31T21:34:00.002-04:00

Building renovations and road construction projects are inconvenient while the work is being done. It can be frustrating at times, too. But when the work is complete, there's a reward, like smooth new asphalt or an expanded interior space.

It occurred to me tonight that job seekers are under construction in their own way. We are all remodeling inside (and sometimes outside appearances as well) in order to make ourselves better. Like a building renovation, it can be difficult, frustrating and inconvenient. There are decisions to be made along the way, especially in response to things that happen unexpectedly. A job seeker can start out with a blueprint of what his skills will look like, only to discover that the original plan must be modified or thrown out completely.

I'm looking forward to some good results for everyone doing the construction work of taking classes or upgrading skills.

Making a Place Your Own

2009-08-30T17:19:00.004-04:00

If you've ever had to sell a house, you know that it can be difficult to detach yourself emotionally from it. What makes it even harder is seeing the changes the new owner has made.

A former neighbor asked the new owners not to take down a particular tree that was planted in memory of his sister. I think the first buyer honored that request, but the second one did not. A former owner really has no right to tell a new owner what to do. If something doesn't suit a new owner's taste, he has every right to change it. Still, it can be a bit painful to see something change from the way it's remembered.

We make memories in houses; that's why it's hard to leave them. The good thing about it is that when you find a new place to call home, you can make memories all over again. That's what we're doing now.

Cornhole? What's That?

2009-08-29T16:15:00.003-04:00

When our neighbors are having a party in the summer, we can be pretty sure they will play cornhole. Coming from Pennsylvania, I was completely unfamiliar with this game. In Ohio, it's a staple of summer gatherings. It's played at church picnics, family get-togethers and at campsites.

There is an American Cornhole Association (www.playcornhole.org) which has official rules and a description of the game. Similar to horseshoes or a bean bag toss, cornhole involves throwing small bags of corn to a wooden platform several feet away. (You can find the official platform dimensions and throwing distances online.) The object is to get your corn bags on the platform, or better yet, through the hole at the top of the downward-sloping board. It doesn't sound too hard, but it is. I've played twice and didn't do very well either time. It was fun, though.

I'm no longer surprised when I see "Cornhole sets for sale" signs in people's yards. People make the wooden platforms and decorate them with sports team logos or whatever they want. I suppose they wouldn't be too thrilled about making platforms with Pittsburgh Steelers logos on them.

The Advice People Give

2009-08-28T21:46:00.005-04:00

When you're between jobs, people want to give you advice. Their intentions are good, but it can be overwhelming to sift through it all.

Here's a sampling of some of the things people have suggested to me:
Write a book. (multiply this by 5 times)
Write a romance novel.
Start a blog. (multiply this by about 25 times)
Start another blog.
Be a freelance writer. (multiply this by about 50 times)
Do PR for people.
Be a technical writer.
Write content for the Web.
Help people write resumes.
Be a substitute teacher.

Blame Game

2009-08-27T21:13:00.003-04:00

While driving behind a truck that carries some type of flammable liquid, I noticed the sign on the back of the truck. It read: "This vehicle not responsible for objects thrown from road." Hmmm. So the company won't take responsibility if the truck's tires kick up something that damages the car -- and possibly injures the driver -- behind it? What about if it leaks some of that flammable liquid it's transporting? Is it held accountable for that? Does the accountability go away simply by applying a sticker to the back of the truck?

They may be on to something here. If there's anything you don't want to be blamed for, just put up a sign declaring yourself blameless. Poof! The responsibility is no longer yours. Think of the possibilities. Put a sign in your yard that says you're not to blame if the neighbor's kid gets hurt by the saw you left out on your lawn. Put up another sign that says it's not your fault if your dog bites the mailman. Stick a note on your car that says you aren't responsible if your car runs a light and crashes into another car. Think that'll work?

Just Waiting Around

2009-08-26T21:19:00.003-04:00

It looked like a fire drill, but it wasn't. When I went to run an errand late this afternoon, I saw groups of adults and children standing on several street corners in my new neighborhood. I've never seen anything like it.

What the heck was going on? They were waiting for school-age children to be dropped off by the bus. I guess you don't see that kind of stuff when you're at work all day.

There's No Heaven in the Summer

2009-08-25T20:59:00.002-04:00

Yeah, I thought that headline might get some attention. Let me explain. Hubby went to Malley's Chocolates to buy me some Heaven -- a lovely concoction of chocolate, caramel and marshmallow that the respected Cleveland confectioner makes.

I had some Heaven at Christmas and was, well, in Heaven. Sweet guy that he is, my hubby wanted to buy me some as part of an anniversary gift. When he couldn't find any in the store, he asked the clerk about it. She said they don't make Heaven in the summer because it doesn't sell well at that time of year. They only make it around the holidays.

Guess I'll have to be patient and wait for another taste of Heaven. In the meantime, I'll settle for some pecan Billybobs (their version of turtles.)

No Coffee Required

2009-08-24T09:42:00.003-04:00

I've never understood the need for coffee in the morning, but some people just can't get moving without it. I turned down many cups of coffee during my reporting days. People would jokingly ask how I could do the job without java.

The truth? I don't like coffee. I love the smell, but not the taste. When I wrote a story about coffeehouses, one of the people I interviewed was eager to convert me to a coffee-craving customer. She put in some flavorings and assured me that I would like it. But I could still taste the coffee. No sale.

Health experts' opinions on coffee seem to change every year. It's good for you. It's bad for you. It's ok for you, but don't drink too much. I don't really pay attention to these claims because they won't change my taste. If coffee's bad for me, then I'm lucky I don't like it. If it's good for me, I'm not going to start drinking it. I'll just inhale the aroma.

Home Sweet Home

2009-08-23T22:54:00.003-04:00

I hear a faint rumbling coming from downstairs. It's the sound of a fierce battle being fought in a fictional world in an online game. A few months ago, that would have been going on just a few feet away from me in the same room of the apartment. But since my husband and I moved into our home, the gamer's computer and the writer's computer have been in two different rooms. Good thing, because it's hard to write with a monster popping up in my peripheral vision.

Hubby's headphones kept the sound from being an issue, but earplugs were at the ready if needed. We found earplugs to be very handy at the apartment, especially when the loud boys were partying in the apartment downstairs or when the neighbor two doors down was playing Rock Band. I wonder if he knew he couldn't sing?

The Dog Question Surfaces Again

2009-08-22T18:56:00.003-04:00

During a recent visit, some friends asked if my husband and I were getting a dog. My answer is always the same: "We can't agree on one."

We agree on many, many things. However, he wants a big, slobbery rottweiler like the one he had while growing up. I, on the other hand, would prefer a mid-size mutt similar to the one I had as a youth.

I suppose this attachment to a specific type of dog is a testament to how much we liked the dogs we had. We might be disappointed if a dog of the same breed didn't have the same personality or temperament as the one we liked so much. It might be difficult to find a dog like the one I had anyway; she was a mix of brittany spaniel and miniature collie.

Any opinions out there about the best kind of dog to have?

A Reason for the Famous to Behave

2009-08-21T19:53:00.003-04:00

It must be tough to be a celebrity these days. In pre-Internet times, famous people only had to worry about the traditional media outlets spreading news about their embarrassing moments. Their blunders may have been picked up by newspapers, magazines, radio stations and TV news organizations, but now the newsmakers have to worry about their less-than-stellar moments spreading online as well.

In the past few days, I noticed a story about an interviewer insulting an actress' boyfriend without realizing it was her boyfriend and another story about a young baseball pitcher's error that occurred because he forgot to call a time out. A few months ago, there was the story and video concerning a certain high-level NBA player getting slam dunked on by a kid.

The pressure to be perfect must be huge, especially when you consider that most people have cameras in their cell phones and could capture a mistake in an instant.

I'm on Facebook

2009-08-20T21:04:00.003-04:00

I remember when the only thing I had to check online was my email. Then I joined Linkedin and signed up for a bunch of networking groups on Yahoo. I started a blog and began posting to it and monitoring comments on it. Today, I joined Facebook. How will I keep up with all of this when I start working again?

I can see the appeal of Facebook. You can post all of your vacation photos or the pictures of that giant sandcastle the kids made. Post it once, and all your friends have access to it. It couldn't be easier. Individual messages are nice, though, and Facebook provides that option too.

I'm starting to find my friends on Facebook. It will be nice to have more frequent contact with them, especially the out-of-town friends. I'm looking forward to that.

A Moment of Thanks

2009-08-19T21:57:00.003-04:00

During this recession, a lot of employment networking groups have formed and pre-recession groups have grown in size. What's impressive to me is the level of dedication the organizers of these groups maintain. They lead the meetings after a full day's work. Often, they've given up time with their families in order to attend month after month. I hope they know how much good they are doing in helping others find work. I'd like to offer my thanks to all who are so generous with their time.

Don't Fence Me In

2009-08-18T22:11:00.003-04:00

I'm hoping that the sluggish economy and high gas prices will encourage people to trade in their big vehicles for smaller ones. I appreciate the fact that some people need large vehicles. I just don't like them to park these vision-blockers next to me. When I try to back my small car out of a parking space with large vehicles on either side, I can't see if another car is coming. Another problem occurs when I'm waiting to turn in one direction, but can't see beyond the large vehicle waiting to turn in the other direction in the next lane.

Drivers of these vehicles probably have no clue that they are creating problems for drivers of small cars. Let this be their clue.

Are You Ready For This Quick And Easy Question I Whipped Up?

2009-08-17T15:06:00.005-04:00

Does anyone else find it annoying when signs or brand names contain things like "Quik" or "EZ" in their names? My personal favorite is the canned whipped cream called "Reddi-wip."

Behind the Scenes

2009-08-16T20:18:00.002-04:00

While this may look like a neat and tidy blog entry when everyone else reads it, it starts out a little rough before posting. Once I have my idea in mind, I start writing. Then I start changing things. I add a word here, and delete a word there. I've deleted whole sentences that sounded good at the time, but didn't work once the entire entry was written.

When I was a reporter, I'd often think of the lead paragraph while driving back from the meeting I had just covered. (I would delete this previous sentence because it doesn't fit what I want to get at, but I'll leave the sentence in for illustrative purposes.)

The point I want to get at is that I used to try to get the meat of the story down and then go back and refine it. It's sort of the same with this blog, only I don't have to check to make sure I typed in a quote correctly from my notes.

Now I'll go back and read through the post to see if there's anything else I would change. Then I'll use my internal spell checker and the Blogger spell checker, and I'm good to go.

Why People Go Camping

2009-08-15T22:12:00.003-04:00

I'm not what you'd call the outdoorsy type. I wasn't a Girl Scout and I don't own a tent. Nevertheless, I agreed to spend the day with some friends at their campground today. We had a good time playing games, sharing a potluck lunch and just sitting around talking.

I think I'm starting to understand why people go camping. Everybody was relaxed because there were no tight schedules to follow. The casual and comfortable surroundings invited people to slow down and take a break from phones, television and the Internet. Instead, the focus was on having face-to-face conversations and sharing some laughs. That kind of environment is good for nurturing relationships. I think that's why people go camping. Well, that and the s'mores. Mmmm.