Today I learned:
If alligator babies don't move away by the time they're a year old, the mother eats them.
My new job as pool boy (girl)
Not really. Not exactly anyway. I'm not even a pool type of person, but I can be persuaded when the temperature is above 80 and there's a large body of cold water just a few feet away from the living room. Except when there's a thin film of dead bugs on the top. My friend's solution? "Just take a shower when you get out!" - Um... no.
So I've taken up the role of pool boy (I've never heard of pool girls. They must exist but I'm stuck on the pool boy image so I'll go with that.) My first day of skimming bugs I was certain there must be a technique for maximizing bug collection vs just pushing them around the pool more. Now, on what I think is day 3 or 4 of my endeavor, I think I actually am improving in my technique.
How is there no robot to do this yet? A little floaty thingy that collects surface stuff? How complicated can that be? I looked them up online and all I found were scrubbers for the bottom, filters that are on the side that supposedly draw all the pool water into them eventually, and nets for manual use. But no floating auto collecting thingamabob. (Ok, there was one solar powered one but it was over a thousand dollars.)
The pool is finally looking better but I can still see things floating on the surface. It's possible I'm just looking too closely now. Maybe that's the way all pools are and I never looked at them long enough to notice. A visiting relative of course sees nothing. They keep walking over to the shaded side of the pool, and declaring that the water is crystal clear. I tell them it's not and that they just can't see the bugs as easily on the darker side of the pool. "Oh!" they reply "So they're attracted to the sunny side of the pool?" - Yes, that's it. The dead bugs are attracted to the light. They're trying to get to their afterlife....
So I've taken up the role of pool boy (I've never heard of pool girls. They must exist but I'm stuck on the pool boy image so I'll go with that.) My first day of skimming bugs I was certain there must be a technique for maximizing bug collection vs just pushing them around the pool more. Now, on what I think is day 3 or 4 of my endeavor, I think I actually am improving in my technique.
How is there no robot to do this yet? A little floaty thingy that collects surface stuff? How complicated can that be? I looked them up online and all I found were scrubbers for the bottom, filters that are on the side that supposedly draw all the pool water into them eventually, and nets for manual use. But no floating auto collecting thingamabob. (Ok, there was one solar powered one but it was over a thousand dollars.)
The pool is finally looking better but I can still see things floating on the surface. It's possible I'm just looking too closely now. Maybe that's the way all pools are and I never looked at them long enough to notice. A visiting relative of course sees nothing. They keep walking over to the shaded side of the pool, and declaring that the water is crystal clear. I tell them it's not and that they just can't see the bugs as easily on the darker side of the pool. "Oh!" they reply "So they're attracted to the sunny side of the pool?" - Yes, that's it. The dead bugs are attracted to the light. They're trying to get to their afterlife....
Christmas "Tag"
Christmas "Tag" from Anny's Blog
1. Are you a Christmas sweater type of person?
If I had the closet space I'd probably have a whole bunch of Christmas Sweaters to wear the entire month, if for no other reason than to amuse myself! I have a very red shirt that I tend to wear at Christmas time, but it's not nearly as tacky! I also have Christmas socks. They're much easier to store!
2. Did you used to leave cookies and milk out for Santa?
No. My parents kept that tradition a secret from us. I doubt they would have allowed us to leave any food out overnight.
3. What was the best gift Santa ever brought you?
A toy dog I wanted. I was ten, so by then I knew my mother had bought it, but that didn't make it any less magical.
4. What was the most ridiculous thing you ever asked Santa for?
Peace and love, no more hunger, no more wars and fighting in the world, and for everybody to be happy and love each other. (- I was five.)
5. What is your favorite Christmas movie?
I'm not sure I have a favorite. I loved all the 3D cartoon ones. I also liked the classic and Marlo Thomas versions of It's a Wonderful Life.
6. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Straight No Chaser's 12 days of Christmas, hands down! If you haven't watched the video a few posts back, do! I keep playing it! Before that, "Little Drummer Boy."
7. What is your least favorite Christmas song?
At the moment it's "All I want for Christmas" because it's playing EVERYWHERE and annoying me.
8. Red or green?
For Christmas, red. If it's the right red. The rest of the year maybe more of a dark green.
9. Do you have any Christmas traditions?
I read or recite "The Night Before Christmas" every year. Usually alone on Christmas eve before I go to sleep. I read it for myself and for friends who have passed.
10. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Peace in my life. - And all the things that would need to come about for that to be.
* My apologies for my current absence. I'm out of town for 2 more weeks and am rarely online. Hope everyone is doing well!
Straight No Chaser: 12 Days of Christmas
I love these guys. (I suggest viewing in full screen mode :) )
Deck the Blog... and so on
Someday maybe I'll decorate this blog for each holiday. For now, I'll decorate as I can! Credits for the current "makeover" are below.
Credits
- Snow Girl, Tree Favicon, and Background Graphics from: The Wonder of Christmas
- Holly Graphic from: Webweaver's Free Clipart
- Modified Blogger Awesome Ink template
- Label Cloud code by Phydeaux3
- Label Cloud "number of results per page" tweak from Hackosphere
- Code fix for Awesome Ink templates, that allows posts from the same date to appear as separate posts instead of one long post, from Southern Speakers
- Author Comment Highlight code (slightly modified) from Tips for New Bloggers
- "Break out of Frameset" code from MediaCollege.com
- Additional Favicon code (since Blogger's wasn't showing up in all browsers) generated at Happy Blogging
- Hide/Show, Expand/Collapse, Peekaboo, Sidebar and post code from: Blog U
4 kids (x2)
I told myself I would get gifts for 3 Operation Santa Claus kids this year. Maybe 4. Which is exactly what I did. - Twice.
That's right. I've committed to getting gifts for 8 kids. In addition to gifts I have to get for kids I actually know! To be fair, a friend offered to help out with a couple of them, so it's more like I have six. But six is still twice ad many as THREE, and I could have stopped at ONE letter with FOUR kids and been done with it. But nooooooooooo!
The problem is, I had stuff for some kids from each letter (each of the letters I took has 4 kids), but I didn't have stuff for all the kids on either letter. I was trying to decide between the two letters (which 4 kids to take), and then my friend chimed in and said she had a few extra things kid A could use, and a couple of things kid B could use... and that's how I ended up with two letters with 4 kids each.
I'm stuck on what to get a 9 year old girl who didn't give me any information about what she'd like. Thoughts? I don't want to get anything too specific, like a Barbie, because she might not be into that. I'm thinking a sew it yourself Build A Bear kit, but I'm open to suggestions.
That's right. I've committed to getting gifts for 8 kids. In addition to gifts I have to get for kids I actually know! To be fair, a friend offered to help out with a couple of them, so it's more like I have six. But six is still twice ad many as THREE, and I could have stopped at ONE letter with FOUR kids and been done with it. But nooooooooooo!
The problem is, I had stuff for some kids from each letter (each of the letters I took has 4 kids), but I didn't have stuff for all the kids on either letter. I was trying to decide between the two letters (which 4 kids to take), and then my friend chimed in and said she had a few extra things kid A could use, and a couple of things kid B could use... and that's how I ended up with two letters with 4 kids each.
I'm stuck on what to get a 9 year old girl who didn't give me any information about what she'd like. Thoughts? I don't want to get anything too specific, like a Barbie, because she might not be into that. I'm thinking a sew it yourself Build A Bear kit, but I'm open to suggestions.
NaBloPoMo Badges
I decided to take the NaBloPoMo badges out of my sidebar and stick them in this post (which I'm back-dating) so I don't lose them!
The first is my site. Click on the badge if you need info on NaBloPoMo
The rest are badges from months I participated in NaBloPoMo with this blog.
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