Modern Office Methods

It's funny, but when my office moved to its current location, a lot of the old furniture came with it (although thankfully, not the orange and green chairs left over from the 1970s...you know the colors I'm talking about). In exchange, we did get some more contemporary office furniture, but every now and then, I'll see something I thought we left behind. It's been six years now, and the desk chairs that only adjust by spinning them 'round and 'round (whoever thought that up must have flunked out of industrial design school) still exist. The meeting room chairs that are stuck in a permanently reclined position are found in conference rooms. Old filing cabinets that they repainted to match the "decor" are everywhere. But thank God they have real desk chairs, with adjustable height, lumbar support, arms, and all the other bells and whistles you'd get with expensive desk chairs. Makes all the difference in the world.

Alli: No Ally of Mine

Alli, Xenadrine, Relacore, Hydroxycut...what do they all have in common? They're all diet supplements. Alli is FDA-approved, but who wants to take something that might cause, um, really nasty digestive side-effects, even if you eat according to their low-fat guidelines? Not me, thanks. (Think of the warnings on the labels with anything containing Olestra....ewww!) I already eat a relatively low-fat diet because I have issues with digesting fat. And, I'd really only lose 2.5 pounds, without exercise, considering I have only about 10 pounds left to lose. So I think I'll save a lot of money...and preserve my dignity

Love Hospital Dramas, Hate Hospitals

I think I watch too many hospital dramas...House, Grey's Anatomy, ER. You want to know why I think this? I actually know what a pulse oximeter is. It's that little thing they attach to one of your fingers after you've had surgery, been admitted to the ER, etc. to measure the amount of oxygen in your blood. As you would think, low blood oxygen is a bad thing to have. It's what I had after both of my shoulder surgeries that kept me from going home in a timely fashion...that, and low blood pressure. Guess I don't just "bounce back" after surgery like a lot of people do. Wonder what Dr. House would think of that? Probably nothing (or he'd make fun of me), but I hate feeling all nauseated and groggy for longer than everyone else.

Okay, I Admit It...

I read blogs like D-Listed, Popsugar, and TMZ.com. It's one of my vices, like caffeine and good chocolate. It's just so sad to read about all the stars who are constantly going in and out of drug rehab. I mean, yeah...when it's the 10th time of going, then I start to wonder if these places actually work. But then I think...nah, it's probably the personality of the person, and being constantly surrounded by the life that lead them to being an alcohol or drug addict. I look at someone like Lindsay Lohan and shake my head and wonder if she'll ever be able to kick the habit. However, there are success stories like Drew Barrymore. She's a bit flaky, but she seems so happy with everything. Guess that's one of the secrets to battling addiction, finding your inner happiness. Sappy, but true.

My Grandfather, The Physicist and Theorist

Okay, so I may be a geek (well, I am you know), but whenever I stumble across information that has anything to do with metal or die cutting, I think of my grandfather. You want to know why? Well, back in the 1940s, he basically discovered a law in physics that has to do with how metal cuts other metal, or orthogonal cutting. I look at this drawing/theory, and I think, "wow, I so did not get any of those genes" because it's totally foreign to me. My inner monologue goes something like this, "wow, I was related to him? No way!"

He also developed the model that's used in computer aided manufacturing, before computers were ever used in that capacity...and without knowing how to operate a computer himself. He's got his name displayed at the Museum of Science and Industry for that. This is a guy who loved to tinker with anything and everything. For all I know, he had EMI shielding in his garage workshop so he could do experiments. So again, I did not get those genes. I got the semi-artistic, good-with-words genes, which is okay I guess. Although, I do wish I'd inherited just a smidge of the good-with-math genes. Would have made all those high school algebra and calculus courses much better.