Thought for the Day

Every morning, all the stupid people you know get together and plan ways to make your life more difficult.

Just thought you should know that.

Things That Annoy Me

While it is a rather lengthy and varied list, this is what I encountered today:

I saw this sign today on the paper towel dispenser in my workplace. Now, I am totally supportive of the concept here. They are difficult to access...I either wind up with a tiny little torn bit about an inch across, or with a handful of paper towels about two inches thick. I applaud the initiative of the person who put up the sign.

However...see those quotation marks?

Is the writer intending to be ironic, and the "Please" is completely insincere? Or is the writer quoting someone who struggled with the paper towel dispenser and simply gave up and said, "Please!!" as if requesting divine intervention?

Misuse of quotation marks drives me nuts. I'm exponentially more annoyed by the sign than by the underlying paper towel situation.

I'm not even going to get into apostrophes - I just don't have the strength, and I doubt you have the time.

169 Days to Go!

It's just been announced that the NFL season opener will be Thursday, September 10....Steelers vs. Titans. Can't wait! I've been experiencing football withdrawal symptoms since the Super Bowl, and I freely confess that I've re-watched the entire game at least twice since.

It's awesome that we'll be playing Tennessee...really looking forward to getting a bit of payback after last season's loss and the infamous Terrible Towel-abuse incident.

So, just to amp up my hysteria a bit, I've added a countdown clock to the sidebar. Mark the date on your calendar - it will be here soon! Go Steelers!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

One of my very favorite Irish things (along with Baileys Irish Cream, Liam Neeson and Aran knitting patterns) is Father Ted. It's a fantastic sitcom that aired on the BBC about 15 years ago, about three misfit priests banished to the far-flung Craggy Island parish. I generally pull out the DVDs and watch a few episodes every year around St. Patrick's Day.

Some typical Father Ted humor:

Tom: Father...I've killed a man.
Father Ted: Er, well, we'll talk about that later, Tom. Right now I'm going to be on the telly!

And...

Father Dougal: God Ted, I've heard about those cults. Everyone dressing in black and saying our Lord's going to come back and judge us all.
Father Ted: No...no Dougal, that's us. That's Catholicism you're talking about there.

The episodes I'm enjoying today: Cigarettes, Alcohol and Rollerblading, in which the three priests attempt to give up their respective vices for Lent, and Are You Right There, Father Ted?, where Father Ted holds a "Celebration of Craggy Island's Ethnic Diversity" to convince the town he's not a racist. If you ever stumble across it on BBC America, it's well worth your time.

For those not fortunate enough to have access to Father Ted, but would still enjoy a St. Patrick's Day-themed laugh, I offer the Top 10 Worst Irish Accents on Film, courtesy of IrishCentral.com. My personal choice is Tom Cruise in "Far and Away." I freely acknowledge that I think Tom Cruise is a jackass and that likely influenced my selection. Who's your pick?

100,000!

Check it out...

Pretty awesome, huh? We celebrated with a latte for me and some new windshield washer fluid for the Beretta.

Harry Potter and the Self-Striping Socks

I love to knit, and I love Harry Potter. So when I learned of the existence of Harry Potter-branded sock yarn? Yeah, had to have some. I am a big sucker that way.

Finally finished up both pairs this weekend, and I'm very pleased with them.

These are the Dumbledore socks. The pattern is Froot Loop from Knitty.com. You kind of lose the pattern in the changing colors, but overall I'm very happy with them.

And these are the Ron Weasley socks. The pattern is Slippery, also from Knitty. This pair was a more successful combination of color and pattern, I think. It's still a bit difficult to see the pattern, but in this case it's mostly due to my feeble photographic skills.

Why Am I Here?

Not here, in the universe. Here, on this blog.

Well, a momentous event is imminent...my faithful 1994 Chevrolet Beretta is on the verge of hitting 100,000 miles. My friend Sinkerbeam suggested that such an important occasion was blog-worthy, and I agreed. So, welcome to my little corner of the world.

Sinkerbeam, incidentally, drives a 1995 Chevrolet Corsica, which hit 100,000 miles just last week. We are car buddies.

Stay tuned for more Beretta updates, as well as random musings from Cheeselake Land.

Cheers!