Still chuggin' along. Here we go ...
* Blueberries were originally grown in America, artichoke is part of the thistle family, and garlic is a vegetable. (It's hard not to develop a thing for Alton Brown and "Good Eats" on the Food Network.)
* The Beatles are pretty cool. And not in that generic, everyone-loves-The-Beatles sort of way. I'm 6/8 (that's 3/4 if you're a math whiz) into The Beatles Anthology, and I'm surprised at how many "firsts" they can claim and how much influence I never knew they had. So if you have eight hours to kill some weekend, I'd recommend checking it out at least once. If you can find a music geek to give you live commentary, that makes it even better ... even though I still think John and George were sort of lame.
* It's nice to recognize a sense of humor where you didn't expect it. It helps remind you not to take things too seriously.
* There are 28 bones in the human foot.
* I think it's easier to be happy with things when you can show them off -- that's not to say brag about them. But I've noticed this more and more lately ... like today at the vet when I started to think maybe I liked my cat a little more when the receptionist was fawning all over him. When you can talk about things and share things you're proud of with people, it makes it that much more enjoyable. Likewise, when you feel stifled by circumstance and like you're hiding part of your life that makes you happy, it's harder to believe that you're really happy. You start questioning things because we're taught from a young age that only bad things are hidden. So if it has to be hidden, it has to be bad, right? So the point is that I love my cat more when other people can see him, right? Of course not; it's just that sometimes it's nice to be able to take in other people's perceptions and be publicly happy about something. (I'll give you a minute to get that mess of dripping analogy off your shirt.)
* Sometimes the 14-hour drive is worth the six-hour dinner.
* Having the windows open makes me feel more productive.
* Hanging out with new people makes me feel more productive.
* Really, anything but being stuck in a rut and/or having to curl up in a ball to avoid freezing makes me feel more productive.
