Filling The Tank

Gas prices have really gotten pretty ridiculous recently. Yeah, they've been bad for a while, but I had to get gas yesterday and it was $3.49/gallon. Granted, even with that price, I managed to fill up for (just) less than $30.00. Oh, and it had been 2 weeks since I bought gas.

Have I mentioned that I love our new (can I still call it new when we got it in October?) car?<sup>*


*</sup>I realize that it's not a car that would work for everyone, but considering that I don't need a large vehicle and that we were going from a Saturn Ion, which means we actually increased in size and doubled our fuel efficiency, it works out pretty well for us.

Let Me See Your Grill

Scientists discover ancient Roman with gold dental work, declare Crunk to be older than previously thought. Search still on for earliest known platinum grill.

This Is My Dance, Y'all

Having music ringtones on your cell phone can be all sorts of fun, but it can also cause problems. If you're like me, you get sick of them pretty quickly and what once seemed witty soon becomes merely pathetic. Even worse, they can become a source of embarrassment. You never know when something will happen like forgetting to set your phone to silent while at work and having it ring while in your bosses office. The next thing you know you're trying to explain the Humpty Dance to your boss.

Employer: So, it's a song and a dance?
Employee: Yes, from back in the early 90's.
er: Hmm...if you say so.
ee: Ok, I'll explain it. First, you limp to the side like your leg was broken, twitching and shaking--
er: Well, that just doesn't make any sense. You'd look like MC Hammer on crack!
ee: That's all right, 'cause your body's in motion. It's supposed to look like a fit or a convulsion.

Alternatively, I Could Cut My Legs Off at the Knee

So, I mentioned earlier that we mowed our lawn for the first time this season. It looks good, and I'm glad it's done, but my aching back raises some interesting questions. (Normally, I'd prefer to not post two things about yardwork within such a short period of time, but the reality is that I've got nothing else to talk about.)

When I mowed and when I used the wheelbarrow to carry brush out to the curb, I realized that ergonomics has not yet hit the lawn and garden industry. My problem with both is that they require me to either slump over or to have my arms in an incorrect position. The handle on the mower is adjustable, but even at the highest setting, it's a long way down there. After just a few minutes of mowing, my back begins to feel tight. A few minutes more, and it feels more like someone kicked me in the spine repeatedly.

The wheelbarrow is pretty much the same. To get the handle to the right height, I have to tilt it until it is almost perpendicular to the ground, which causes the front to scrape along the ground, preventing it from moving further.

Here is what I don't get. Isn't there a lawn mower out there somewhere that is designed for people over six feet tall? Right...a riding mower, but unless I win the lottery (without playing) I don't see that one happening anytime soon.

Trivial Tuesday

This summer, the third installment of the Shrek series will hit theaters. This time, the film has a new director, as the previous director, Andrew Adamson, shifted into an executive producer role. The first two Shrek films were the first directorial efforts by Adamson, who went on to direct his first live action film. What was that live action film?

Invisible Lizard answered quickly, and cleverly as well, letting us know that it was The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

They See Me Mowin' My Front Lawn, I Know They're All Thinkin' I'm So White & Nerdy

It's Spring and while the temperature is doing its up and down dance, the snow is now long gone, and plants have awakened from their long winter's nap. As the first few blades of grass began poking through the snow a month and a half or so ago, my thoughts immediately turned to "Ugh. I'm going to have to mow that soon." Fortunately, the temperature went back to cold for a while, so that the grass had not really started growing until recently (of course, when it finally got mowed this weekend, it was desperately in need of it*).

However, thinking of mowing the lawn brings me back to a subject I was wondering about last fall. As I mowed and listened to my MP3 player, I pondered (because apparently those two activities are not enough to keep my mind from wandering) how other people mow their lawns. Are they horizontal row people, vertical row people, or do they go for the concentric circle (square/rectangle/trapezoid) approach?

The different styles have their own distinct advantages. Mowing in rows can give the appearance that you want, with row after row of freshly cut grass, the only visible pattern a faint waviness as your eyes pass over each row. The concentric pattern does not always turn out as well upon completion, but does hold other advantages. It is considerably more forgiving of obstacles and slopes which can be a problem if one simply goes back and forth across the lawn. It also allows for easier mowing along edges and does not require turning the mower on a dime. In addition, it also is more rewarding for the person doing the mowing because for each lap that is performed, the remaining laps decrease in size until the final trip around the lawn is nothing more than a mere patch which must be mowed.

What do I do? I don't have a defined answer. I use both methods, which is what started me wondering about this in the first place. But that's not the real question. The important question here is what about you? What do you do?

*Thoughts inspired by the actual mowing later.

Trivial Tuesday

Back in 2004, at age 13, this actress became the youngest ever to receive a nomination for the Best Actress Oscar. She has since appeared in a couple other movies (including one of the Star Wars prequels) and now, at 17, has just given birth to her first child.

Who is she?

Congrats to Srah, who remembered it was Keisha Castle-Hughes, who was nominated for Whale Rider.