Data Heads

Okay, smart kids! This one is for you!

True or False:
You can cut a cake into eight pieces with just three straight knife cuts.

Well, according to the people at 'Cranium', you can.

To cut eight pieces in three movements requires two vertical cuts that cross, then one horizontal cut.

This question came up a few weeks ago while playing 'Cranium WoW' with a couple of friends (boys against girls). The boys drew this question, and got it wrong (although they did end up kicking our asses in the end). This sparked a bit of a debate because try as we might, square cake or round cake, none of us could figure out how this was done. My husband even went so far as to spend some time Googling this conundrum a few days after the game was over. He found the same answer, but could find no visual example of how this was done. Could the folks at Cranium be wrong?

Chances are, no. The solution is probably staring us in the face, and is so incredibly simple that when someone smarter than us finally points it out we're gonna kick ourselves.

So how about it.....do you know how this can be done?

EDIT:

Less than 45 minutes after posting this, Nick found the answer! As predicted, it's pretty simple and we feel totally stupid. Seems the problem was that we were thinking in only two dimensions, rather than three. We were trying to draw it out rather than trying to apply it to a real-life cake, which isn't flat. Although in all fairness...nobody actually cuts a cake this way which is probably why this never occurred to us.

Anyway, problem solved! Thanks, Internet!

Okay, I'll Bite...

...mostly because I feel like typing, but I don't really have anything to say right now. The clicking sounds make me happy. (Thanks, Willow!)

10 Years Ago: I was living downtown in the quaintest craphole apartment ever. I met and started dating the man that, four years later, would become my husband. I saw Titanic and liked it. I visited Yellowstone National Park for the first time and lost my virginity.

5 Things On My To Do List: Pick up conditioner and cotton balls, lose 10 pounds, get my house organized, finish the three books sitting on my night stand and sew myself a skirt.

5 Snacks I Enjoy: Sharp cheddar and crackers, fresh fruit, hummus with wheat thins, pretzels or pita bread, chips and salsa, olives.

5 Places I've Lived: Salt Lake City, Murray, West Valley City, Sandy....that's it! Only lived four places and all in Utah.

What I Would Do If I Suddenly Became A Billionaire: First, I would go to work and say all the things to all the stupid ass people I've always wanted to say. If I don't get fired, I'll quit. I'd buy a better home (one with a great yard so I can open a foster home for animals) and a more eco-friendly car, donate to my favorite causes and volunteer my time (since I'd be unemployed), share some with family and friends, and start traveling the world.

5 Jobs I've Had: I've only had three jobs: Sales Associate for a Big Box retailer, Video store clerk, and Optician (although I've been an optician at three different companies).

5 Things You Don't Know About Me: I like cheese, pickle and mustard sandwiches. I really enjoy reading young adult novels. My childhood dream was to become an Egyptologist when I grew up. When I was a kid I had a strange obsession with erasers that were shaped like things (usually candy, kitties or rainbows...but sometimes other food too. and sometimes scented!) and I obtained a rather large collection (but never used them to actually erase anything). The nail on my right pinky finger is pigmented...it looks dirty, but it's not! Just pigmented.

Now I Tag: Nick! Come on, babe...post some randomness about yourself!

Celebrity Look-alike?

So help me out, people.

Over the last 12 years I have been told by an array of folks that I look just like Annette Funicello.





I love Annette Funicello. I mean, hello? Mousketeer! Beach Party! She was America's sweetheart. So I take this comparison as a compliment. However, I just don't see the resemblance. Do you?

Now I also get a lot of comparisons to Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

"Has anyone ever told you that you look just like Elaine from Seinfeld?".

"Why, yes. All the time."

Again, I love Julia. She's gorgeous! And so so funny; she's a wonderfully strong comedic force. I'm just not seeing the likeness.

So what do you think? Am I a celebrity look-alike?

Mmmm! Tastes Like Truthiness!

Nation! Open wide for a big ol' scoop of liberty.

Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream Ice Cream by Ben and Jerry's is sweeter than the Bill of Rights, colder than Valley Forge and with twice as much caramel as the Louisiana Purchase.

Stephen has packaged Truth, Justice and Liberty into a convenient pint-size, recyclable container. Americone Dream is a decadent melting pot of vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered waffle cone pieces and a caramel swirl. Everything that makes this country great. Open your mouths and grab a spoon to fight terrorism, beat global warming and to keep Americas children off drugs!

“I’m not afraid to say it. Dessert has a well-known liberal agenda,” Colbert said in a statement. “What I hope to do with this ice cream is bring some balance back to the freezer case."

Proceeds from the sale of Americone Dream will go to charity through The Stephen Colbert AmeriCone Dream Fund. The Fund supports charities of importance to Stephen such as food and medical assistance for disadvantaged children, helping veterans and their families, and environmental causes. Said Colbert, “I will save the world.”

Enjoy, America! - Or go On Notice!

Laugh, And The World Laughs With You.

This video won first place in the "Adorable" category in the 2007 YouTube Video Awards. I can see why.



It's important to take joy in the little things in life.

Just This.

Dear Diary,

My husband gave me a wedgie today.

The end.

P.S.

I may have a problem

79%LUSH

Stupid Smarch Weather

I am reposting this from Finslippy's blog because, quite frankly, Alice is a genius and she sums up exactly how I feel about the month of March. (P.S. You should read her blog every day. Seriously. Did I mention she's a genius?)

Dear March,

I'm just going to come right out and say it: you annoy me. You're sort of cold but not really cold but not warm enough to not wear a jacket but not the heavy jacket. Take a stand, March! Figure out what you want to be! You want to be winter, fine; I won't like it but at least I'd respect your choice. Or how about spring? You could be spring! Think of how much everyone would like you then! You'd be stealing the glory from April, but then, we all know what April can be like. Frankly I like her only a little more than I care for you. At least with April we get some flowers. Some budding on the trees. Something. What do we do have to look forward to from March? Shamrock Shakes? You can do better than that. Work on it, March!

Yeah. What she said.

Son Of A....

I love grape tomatoes. Love them. I eat them like popcorn, by the handful. And I never have to feel guilty...because they're tomatoes! They're loaded with vitamin C and lycopene and all kinds of super-powered cancer-fighting antioxidants. So I can chow down.

So here I sit today, mindlessly snacking on a pint of organic grape tomatoes while compiling a Rufus Wainwright mix CD for my friend Willow. I'm not looking at what I'm taking...I'm just reaching in and grabbing and then stuffing them in my mouth while singing 'Sansoucci' (the dude sings in French...seriously, how can you not adore him?). Eventually, I do glance over at the carton as I reach for yet another handful.

And then I spot it.

A rotten, moldy tomato. Not just a tad bit rotten, but all squishy and brown and split open with masses of white, furry mold all over it. Despite rinsing the pint out before digging in, Señor McMoldersons managed to make it past my inspection. Brilliant.

Well, naturally the rest of them are ruined. Quite frankly, the sight of the nasty thing (and the thought that I probably already ate some tomatoes that rubbed up against it, all furry and inappropriate) kind of ruined my appetite. But I'll probably survive. So I ate a bit of mold...so what? That's what immune systems are for, right?

Anyway, I'll just chug down some Pomegranate Blueberry Talking Rain Twists Organic Water (say that five times fast) to kill the taste. And some Easter chocolate for good measure.

Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk

Last night Nick and I went on a little date. We enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Bombay House, one of our favorite Indian restaurants. Their Tikka Masala (my favorite Indian dish) is a bit different (using much less cream), but simply delightful and we sampled some tasty papadums. Afterwards, we drove up to Park City to see Rufus Wainwright live in concert.

Rufus is nothing less than spectacular performing live. It was a small, intimate venue and we had amazingly close fourth-row seats. His flawless, smooth-as-silk voice resonated beautifully and, as always, he exuded passion. He played almost all of my favorites, including 'April Fool' and 'California'.

Rufus is one of those artists who can weave a story with his music and there is nothing I love more than a well-told story. His distinctive lyrics and melodies are sometimes playful, sometimes somber and often the stuff of diaries, and still they are always stirring. When I need some music to make me smile, Rufus is at the top of my list.

I really enjoyed sharing this with Nick. It had been a while since we'd had a proper date and it was a little slice of serenity to sit together in the dark and be serenaded.

When we left the venue it had been snowing and we had to brush our car off before driving away, something I had thought was well done with for the year. Nonetheless, the light dusting of snow on the cars and trees, which sparkled under the street lights, sort of added a bit of magic to the evening. It was simply lovely.

Tickled Pink

A lunch hour with nothing to do found me wandering into a new high-end consignment shop that opened down the street from work. I love consignment shopping. You just never know what you might find and it caters to my love of the unique.

I have been searching for a new purse for months, but nothing fit my criteria and I had given up my quest. As you can imagine, I was incredibly delighted to find this little gem:


It's everything I was looking for...compact size, top zip, not too many buckles and just the right amount of pockets. And, most importantly, hot pink! It's fun and it's practical...all for $19. *sigh* Life is good.

The one draw back to consignment shopping is that if you find something awesome and it's not in your size, you're out of luck. Nearly everything is one of a kind. I found the most adorable pair of pink flat shoes that matched this purse PERFECTLY! My heart was all a-flutter and I gasped in delight at the sight of them. Unfortunately, they were half a size too small. Just enough to make walking in them miserable. Bugger!

So now, of course, my new quest is a pair of hot pink flats. I think I know what I'm doing the rest of my vacation.

Happy π Day

I can't count the number of times in a day I ponder the circumference of circular objects I come in contact with.

Traveling Freak Show

Know what this is?

Like to wager a guess?

I found it sitting on the front desk when I came into work this morning.

Give up? It's a vial of human hair.

No one knows where it came from. It was just sitting there, in all it's creepy glory. None of us are quite sure what to do with it, either. We should probably just chuck it in the trash, but we couldn't help but hang onto it all day and pass it around to fellow co-workers who were similarly baffled by it.

It's creepy as shit, but honestly....without these bizarre occurrences, what else would we entertain ourselves with? The world is a traveling freak show, and each day a new exhibit rolls into our little town to frighten and amuse us.

Hello Storm Clouds

Kitchen!

Our big project for this week has been redecorating our kitchen. It was a pretty 'blah' room...white walls, white cabinets, white appliances. BORING!! So after a bit of paint and some new wall accents we've gone from this:


to this:


Much warmer! I'm just delighted with the willowy olive color. I've had the mirror for years, but we never could find a suitable place to hang it. It compliments that large wall nicely, I think and, according to Feng Shui, a mirror reflecting the dining table promotes prosperity. Still a bit unsure about the art on the east wall (on the right), but I'll look at it for a few days and see how I feel about it.

Still, it's nice to have some change. The dullness of that room had been driving me mad. I need color.

Tomorrow is my last day on vacation before returning to work. These past eight days have gone by in a flash, though I did get a lot accomplished (I ate a LOT more cookies than I had originally planned). However I am only returning for one week so another optician can go on her vacation. After which I am taking another eleven days off.

Yeah, I know....I'm getting spoiled this month with all my time off. I had originally planned to take the entire month of March off, but decided that wasn't entirely practical. This is a good balance. And I am very grateful.

What's Wrong With Vanilla?

I know several men who dislike scented candles. My husband is probably one of them but, bless his heart, he never says anything. Even when the incense comes out. Seriously, though...who doesn't like vanilla or jasmine?

Apparently, a bunch of men.

And as such, someone decided to corner the market on solving male olfactory offenses. So here ya go guys. Candle scents made just for you!

These scents are ridiculous. Really. Bacon cheeseburger? Who wants that scent wafting through their home? Dirt? Come on. And Ballpark? Have you been to the ballpark lately? It smells like ketchup and body odor. Charming.

I must admit, however, that there are a few scents that peak my curiosity. Like the "4th of July", for example. " The combination of gunpowder and sulfur gives this man candle the distinctive fireworks smell...". I dunno, that could be awesome. I like fireworks.

Or how about "Sawdust"? "...for the rugged handyman that just can't get enough of that workshop scent. Any woodworker, lumberjack or craftsman will recognize this familiar scent of freshly cut wood." Personally, I quite enjoy the smell of lumber, though admittedly, I've only ever enjoyed it while camping or at the Home Depot.

The one 'Mantern' that I believe can please all and, perhaps, bring peace to this olfactory battle of the sexes is the "Cinnamon Bun". Let's get real, people. Who doesn't like cinnamon buns?

So perhaps there is something to these 'Manterns'. Although, it would probably cost you less (Manterns run between $12 and $20, plus $9 shipping) to tell your wife how beautiful she looks and plant your best, most romantic kiss. Then explain how you would love nothing more than to share some of her delicious cinnamon buns together. Perhaps she'll just bake you some. :)

As a side note, this strategy may not work as effectively in obtaining, say, some freshly cut lumber or fireworks. Though it may get you beer and/or hot wings.

Three Turns Should Do It, I Think

Big Mouth Strikes Again

It's just been one of those days.

Crunchy On The Outside, Chewy In The Middle

A conversation with my husband while eating a few chocolate chip cookies from Paradise Bakery:

Me: "God, these are good cookies."

Nick: "They are good cookies."

Me: "I don't know what the secret is, but they are the ideal cookie! Slight crispy crunch on the outside and chewy in the middle."

Nick: "Just like you."

Me: "I'm crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle?"

Nick: "Well, your insides are probably chewy."

Me: "Oh. You're probably right."

My Vacation - Day 4

This is me and my new friend, R2. R2 belongs to my sister, Amy, and is just about the cutest bird ever. He loves to give kisses and is a real chatterbox. He says many phrases, but when he chatters, he really sounds like R2D2.

He's just super!

Amy and I spent the day together today shopping and just hangin' out. We started our day at the Hello Kitty store and bought ridiculously cute things like Hello Kitty Strawberry Gum, pens and temporary tattoos. Yay! We also enjoyed a lovely lunch at Paradise Bakery. Damn it, I love those chocolate chip cookies. All in all, a lovely afternoon shared by a couple of lovely gals, if I do say so myself. :)

Tomorrow, I paint the kitchen.

Weird Science

Here's a new way for you guys to get your heart rates up without breaking a sweat! Scientifically proven!



This video raises a few questions in my mind, most notably...what exactly were they trying to prove in this "scientific" experiment? The anticipation of having your nads shattered by a 50mph speeding tennis ball makes the heart race? Um, duh? Also, what the hell was this dude thinking when he volunteered? Could they have possibly replayed the clip of this poor guy crumpling to the floor any more?

I love the dude who tries to offer comfort by explaining that "you'll be glad to know we got amazing footage". Yes. I can tell he's super glad!

The closing comments from the guy in the red shirt are just the icing on this three-tiered cake of stupidity.

Steal This Album

Trent Reznor has made his latest album, 'Ghosts', available online for FREE.

You can download it from BitTorrent or from Nine Inch Nails official website.

I suppose it's not technically stealing, since he is offering it for free. But he has expressed his disapproval of record companies in the past and has now joined the growing number of artists who are offering their work online in similar manners.

And let me just say that what I have heard of 'Ghosts' so far, I love.

Temptation

My Vacation - Day 1

Today kicked off a nine-day vacation from work. Having been with this company for eleven years now, I have earned a fair amount of paid time off, but over the past several years I've only used this time to be sick. So I'm taking some personal time. Time for me to relax, rejuvenate and have some fun. No vertigo. No vomiting. All body parts functioning. Word.

And so began my day. Started off beautiful...the sun was shining, it was 55 degrees and all the snow was gone. We turned off the heat and opened the windows, and I even pulled some skirts out of the back of my closet in anticipation of the Spring weather.

Then the winds came.

And a few hours later, it looked like this:

Bugger. Still, I enjoyed having the windows open while it lasted. And I enjoyed my afternoon of a bit of shopping for the house and lunch at Paradise Bakery with Nick. I also attended a baby shower for my friend Chiante', who is expecting her first child in a little over a month. I couldn't be more pleased for her.

This evening our friends Chris and Angie came over, who brought with them Thai food and Rock Band. The Thai was delicious, and the Rock Band...well...rocked!

Neither of us had ever played before, but we had a blast. Check me out. I'm rocking so hard I'm a blur! That's me on lead vocals, and I also tried my hands at the drums. Hitting things is awesome! Thanks again you guys for a super fun evening!

Tomorrow I plan to sleep until I wake up. No alarm clock. Then we'll see where the day takes me.

I'll leave you with this final thought:

1-UP

Wee Little Shell

I adore snails. Seriously, they're cute.

This vacated snail habitat now holds only melted snow. Hope Mr. Snail is having a good time in Florida. That's where snails migrate to in the winter, right?

;)

Spring? Is That You?

Yes! I think it is!

I've missed you.

The snow has all but melted, and the first signs of life have begun to sprout up all around my garden.

New little daffodils

Hello baby Tulips!

The sun has been shining and a new warmth has been spreading. Something is brewin...and it's Spring! A time of renewal. I'm ready to fling open the windows, peel off my winter sweaters and lay in the sun with a glass of peach iced tea and a good book.

Girls Night Done Right

Saturday night was girls night with Willow, Summer and Megan. All loverly! All bestest!

We had all the standards. Cookies, gummy bears, popcorn and, of course, four kinds of ice cream. We all took a tub and a spoon and dug in; then we passed to the left. Or the right. Or across. To someone, anyway. It didn't matter. The important thing was that we kept eating.

Then the gossip. Or really, an opinionated discussion of cable television reality programs.

To round off the evening, a superb collection of all-time girl movie greats. They were all our favorites. All good. And none of us could decide which to watch. So we popped them all in the DVD player, one by one, and watched our favorite bits of each.









Honest to goodness, this was one of the best girls night ever. Seriously. We were this close to breaking out the video camera and making our own 'Pop' music video. I suspect that if we had liquor, we probably would have.

Until next time, ladies....

National Whatever Week. Observe something. Randomly.

It's National Random Acts of Kindness week! Do something random, for someone random. You never know how you may impact their day.

Also, it's National Snack Food Month (sponsored by the Snack Food Association. Oi, we have a Snack Food Association?). So, you know, show someone you care with a random bag of potato chips or an otherwise processed product made to resemble food. Just be sure to also include a random grapefruit in celebration of National Grapefruit Month and also to offset the junk food for American Heart Month.

It's all about balance.

Cranberry Presse'

This is my new favorite drink for special occasions, or when I just want to add a little sparkle to a meal or snack. It's imported from Britain. Add a few raspberry chocolate kisses....Delightful!

Lick Me

You know you want to....

I've Got Your Cupcakes Right Here!

My husband and I don't give gifts for Valentines Day. Or at least, not 'gifts' in the traditional sense. It pushes us to be more creative and we typically have a lot more fun at a significantly less cost.

The past several Valentines were spent having a floor picnic in the living room. A homemade pizza, a bottle of red wine and a cartoons. Yes, cartoons! Pink Panther, Loony Toons and Animainiacs have been the toons of choice. And they have been some of the funnest and most romantic of Valentines Days we've spent together. This year, I suspect, will be spent in a similar manner, with the exception of Doctor Who in place of the cartoons.

In an effort to mix things up, I decided to do something for my husband I don't typically do.

Bake.

I saw a recipe in a waiting room magazine for 'Red Velvet Sweetheart Cupcakes' and thought they looked fun. Consequently, I've spent all day in the kitchen:

The blood-red batter

Sampling....yep, it's good.

Fresh out of the oven.

Made-from-scratch buttercream frosting

Snoopy learned that if you get your face too close to the beaters, you get frosting splattered on your nose.

The frosted cupcakes. My frosting jobs tend to look like they've been done by a 5-year-old. Still, they taste pretty sweet!

Happy Valentines Day, Love!

Happy Valentines Day

I hope everyone has a lovely day, filled with flowers and bees and pie. Oh, and someone you love too!

P.S. Remember, I love you! Yes, you!

Brain Bunny

Last week I underwent my second MRI. As it has been a year since my official diagnosis and initiation of treatment, we wanted to see how/if the treatment was working and how my disease was progressing.

My last MRI, which was done back in December of 2006, showed a mass of lesions...over 26 spread throughout my brain and one on my spinal cord.

These lesions (also called plaques) are patches of inflammation in the central nervous system in which nerve cells have been stripped of their myelin, an insulating fatty protein. These unprotected nerve cells, which are responsible for sending communication signals throughout the central nervous system and the rest of the body,do not function properly and it is these lesions that give rise to the symptoms of MS.

Think of myelin as the insulating cover surrounding the electrical wires of, say, your toaster or TV. MS is the naughty bunny rabbit who chews on your cords, exposing the wiring and next thing you know, your toast is burnt and you can only get the Spanish televisions channels. So with over 26 areas of damaged nerves, it was no wonder I was losing function and feeling like mad all over my body.

However, after a year of treatment, my MRI revealed a "significant reduction" in the number of active lesions. It appears the treatment is working so far. This was heartening to hear, as I was beginning to wonder if all the side effects and the cost of my medication were worth it. But the signs seem hopeful and I feel encouraged to continue my daily injections.

Anyway, what's a few thousand bucks and a bit of pain compared to the ability to walk on my own two feet, button my own shirt, wrap my hair in a scrunchie and blink my eyes. Having experienced the loss of all those things, I'd call that a fair trade. We'll, perhaps not fair. But I'll take it.

Your "Mama" Must Be "Proud"

This comes from one of my new favorite blogs, The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks. They find some of the best (er, worst) examples of the misuse of grammar and punctuation and is always good for a laugh. Cuz, you know, the stupidity of others is funny!

This one takes the cake as the all-time worst use of punctuation I have ever seen:


They go above and beyond here, not only abusing the hell out of the quotation mark, but also throwing in some random capitalization, parentheses and a comma at the end.

Well done, sirs....well done. Take a bow, this took some real effort.

Time for Another Episode of Stupid Questions with your Friendly Neighborhood Optician!

In today's episode, we hear an excerpt from a conversation with a patient while collecting insurance information:

Me: Do you have your insurance card with you?

Patient: Oh, yes *hands me insurance card*

Me: *typing* So you work for Jordan School District, is that correct?

Patient: Yes. *pause* Do you?

Me: Um.....well....no I, uh....I work here.

Shadow

This is what a Pachira Tree is supposed to look like. I love the shadow this guy is casting.

We Grow Weary of Your Antics. Be Gone!

But He Promised To Call...

Service With A Smile

Nataliedee.com

I *twitch* just love *twitch* my job.

Nudity Optional

Mindy and Niki. BFF's!

Funnest Ladies Ever!

Marianne is cute, even when making crazy eyes.

Cute shoes, Heidi!


Thanks again Mindy for throwing a party, I had a blast.

Happy Birthday, girl!

Let. Me. Out.

My dear friend Mindy's cat, Yeti, really really wanted to join the party last night.

(Click on this picture to enlarge....tell me what you see in this cats eyes.)

Nighty Night

Can't sleep.....I needs a lullaby.

Hello, Mr. Penis.

A gentleman approached me at work today inquiring about sunglass clip ons. He was wearing mirrored sunglasses so I could not see his eyes, but he was quite cheerful and friendly.

He was also wearing what looked like men's pajama pants, the thin kind with the opening in the front.

He was not, however, wearing any underwear.

He also had a huge erection.

He spoke to me for ten whole minutes as if nothing was out of the ordinary...as if his genitalia wasn't swinging back and forth in the open air.

I attempted to walk away several times, but he had many questions. Many stupid, repetitive questions. Which leads me to believe that perhaps he was not ignorant to the situation and was trying to keep me hanging around (no pun intended). And the glasses....the dark glasses that completely concealed his eyes. He never removed them during our whole conversation. Just creepy. Perhaps he had no idea of his protruding insult, but I doubt it.

I eventually just walked away, and alerted the other optician in the office to the situation. We shared some horrified giggles and then he was gone.

He wouldn't be the first creep I've encountered in the work place, and he most certainly won't be the last. But hey, we gotta fill up our days somehow. At least we have some stories to tell.

Hands

These hands...they do amazing things. They can quell my fear, give reassurance, and work out all the tension in my shoulders. The can write me little love notes on the fridge, warm my feet when they are cold and prepare a delicious meal for us to share together. Most notably, these hands fill me with love and joy with only a simple touch.

Tell Me When It's Over

Snoopy just knows this next contestant for American Idol is gonna suck. He can't even look.

Black Dove

This is my best friend. Ain't she gorgeous? BFF's!!

I Love You