Blog Blah

My blog is feeling under the weather today and is going back into sleep mode. Hopefully, it's not coming down with a case of strep like my youngest daughter.

FIFA Blues

I have the World Cup Blues now that the U.S. is out. Can't decide which bandwagon to jump on now that our boys are watching from the sidelines.

So, until I form a new loyalty, let's chat about important things like which direction stadium waves go. Apparently, there's a connection between whether a stadium wave will run clockwise or counterclockwise much like there's a porported connection between whether water runs clockwise or counterclockwise down a drain depending upon which hemisphere you're in. A slighly scientific experiment has come to a conclusion that waves running through a stadium in the Northern Hemisphere tend to go clockwise, but those waves running through a stadium in the Southern Hemisphere tend to go counter-clockwise.

Here's a link to more information from the man who conducted the experiment => http://themexicanwaveexperiment.org/node/20

Launch Date

Yesterday, the year long search for a new symbol for the rupee, the Indian currency, was set to end. The Indian government hosted a countrywide contest to narrow the field down to five finalists.


However, on Thursday, the Indian Union Cabinet postponed its decision. The winning entry is supposed to be easy to write and remember, reflect India, and work on a computer keyboard. Not a very tall order, huh?

I like number 2, but they're probably not going to let me vote.

If I print up my own money, do I get to create my own symbol?

FIFA Fever

I admit it. I have World Cup Fever. The only problem is that I generally can't watch a game until the reruns are shown at the end of the day on the Spanish-speaking channels. That means that the games sound something like this to me (when translated): Left . . . ball . . . Argentina.

And, of course, BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

No one can talk about the World Cup without mentioning the vevuzulas. I've kinda gotten used to them, and that noise makes it easy to find a game on TV or radio without really trying. So, BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Here are a few randoms in honor of the World Cup:

1. The nickname for the South African Team is the Bafana Bafana.

2. Japan, along with host country, South Africa, were the first teams to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Uruguay was the last team to qualify.

3. Lucien Laurent scored the first ever World Cup goal in the 19th minute for France in a 4-1 victory against Mexico.

Here's to an American win today!

GOL!!!!!!!!!

Time Out

My blog is in time out and won't be back until later this week.

Pouting

I'm busy pouting because my oldest daughter told me I'm too old to have an imaginary friend.

Lessons Learned the Hard Way

If you're like me, you learn most things in life the hard way. Here are a few of my more recent lessons:

1. If the four-year-old says that there's a flood of pee in the bathroom, she means EXACTLY what it sounds like.

2. The automatic garage door will shut even if the back of the mini-van is open.
3. There's never really a good time to give a four-year-old a blue Popsicle, but thirty minutes before her dance photos definitely isn't one of the good times.

4. If the directions on the medicine say "May cause sensitivity to sunlight," what it really means is: "If you walk in front of an open window on a sunny day while taking this medicine, you will break out in a hideous rash over 75% of your body."

5. You should never wear your skinny pants on the first day back from a vacation that involves eating a fourteen course meal. (In fact, you should remove all skinny pants from their hangers and hide them in a box prior to leaving on a vacation involving a fourteen course meal so that you won't accidentally put a pair on when you return.)

6. If the twelve-year-old offers you some gourmet Jelly Bellies, and you know there's even the slightest chance that there may be a barf-flavored one in the bag, run -- do not walk -- away. (Trust me on this one!)

And finally,

7. Don't leave chocolate in your nice new purse and then leave the purse in the mini-van -- in June -- in South Texas.

To "G" or Not to "G"

In 1890, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names was created to maintain uniform geographic name usage throughout the Federal Government. This Board has been a busy little Board and one not afraid of controversy. For example, it determined that all cities ending in "burgh" should drop the final "h." Protests arose, and at least one city -- Pittsburgh -- got to keep its "h" at the end. (Really, things just wouldn't be right without that last "h.")

The Board also spends time discouraging the use of a possessive form with an apostrophe and an "s." For example, we have Pikes Peak instead of Pike's Peak. However, on rare occasions, the apostrophe is permitted to survive. According to the Board's website:

Since 1890, only five Board decisions have allowed the genitive apostrophe for natural features. These are: Martha's Vineyard (1933) after an extensive local campaign; Ike's Point in New Jersey (1944) because “it would be unrecognizable otherwise”; John E's Pond in Rhode Island (1963) because otherwise it would be confused as John S Pond (note the lack of the use of a period, which is also discouraged); and Carlos Elmer's Joshua View (1995 at the specific request of the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names because, “otherwise three apparently given names in succession would dilute the meaning,” that is, Joshua refers to a stand of trees. Clark’s Mountain in Oregon (2002) was approved at the request of the Oregon Board to correspond with the personal references of Lewis and Clark.

The bottom line is that the federal government spends more time on naming things than expectant parents. However, they are subject to lobbying (see the Pittsburgh and Martha's Vineyard lessons).

Things can be renamed too. There's a process to propose a name change or a new name.

So, what do you think the odds are that they'll rename the town I was born in after me? (Yeah, don't worry. I'm not holding my breath.)

He blew it

Ya know how husbands mess stuff up on purpose so that they don't have to do things anymore -- like laundry? Well, my hubby blew it. He planned an absolutely wonderful, fantastic trip for our anniversary. He can never, ever say that he can't plan a vacation.

Napa Valley is the answer to the clues from earlier this week. We flew into San Fransisco and stayed one night in Napa, and the rest of the time in Yountville at a wonderful inn. (Oops. I'm about to exceed the "wonderful" limit for any one blog.)

Sigh. I still smell the honeysuckle.

We rode the wine train, toured wineries, got massages, and had dinner at one of the very best restaurants in America. Another sigh. It was positively romantic and fun.

We also toured the Jelly Belly Factory. (Yes, that was my idea. Most people come back from Napa Valley with bottles of wine. Not me. I come back with tins of Jelly Bellies.) We didn't bring back any wine. I was so overpacked as it was that my suitcase had to wear its fat pants.

In honor of my short-lived souvenirs, some randoms from the Jelly Belly website:

1. Jelly Belly beans were invented in 1976.

2. It takes 7 to 21 days to make a single Jelly Belly jelly bean.

3. Enough Jelly Belly beans were eaten in the last year to circle the earth more than five times.

So, back to reality. It's me and a mess of Jelly Bellies saving the world one compliance question at a time.

I'm Outta Here

But only for a while. My hubby is whisking me away to a destination unknown (okay, he knows, I don't) to celebrate our fifteenth wedding anniversary, so I won't be blogging this week.

Here are the clues I have (some may not be true):

1. We're flying less than four hours.
2. I have to pack one nice dress for dinner.
3. No golf clubs.
4. We're not going to Europe or Hawaii. (Wouldn't fit the flight time any way.)
5. Take shoes to do plenty of walking.
6. Take clothes for hot weather during the day, and a sweater for nighttime.
7. Pack boots.

How are those for no-very-helpful clues? (Frankly, I don't care where we're going -- just so long as we're going together.)

So far, my friends have guessed: Napa Valley, New York, Canada, Mexico, and somewhere in the Caribbean. Any other guesses?

I'll let you know when I get back.

More Words

The English language continues to beffudle and amuse me. For example, if "polite" is the opposite of "impolite," why isn't "portant" the opposite of "important"?

Or, if "unimportant" is the opposite of "important," then why isn't "unimpolite" the opposite of "impolite"?

I sometimes think the folks who were there in the beginning of the development of the English language laughed themselves silly at the thought of future generations trying to learn the language. To them I say, "That's not very unimpolite of you!"

Deep Thoughts

If you're travelling at the speed of light and turn on the headlights, what happens?