Today is Friday the 13th. Maybe that's why our flight got bumped and we're staying another night in West Palm Beach, compliments of Delta. (The other option was taking a flight to Atlanta, then another one to Milwaukee, and then an hour and a half cab ride to Madison at about 11:30 p.m.) The Radisson will do nicely. As I sit in the hotel writing this, I am compelled to label this a good trip. Sure, we've had this little snafu, and our free day in Miami yesterday was cut short by the rain (the clouds opened up about fifteen seconds after we stepped on South Beach), but today was beautiful …
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How to Have a Mental Breakdown
Never before has such a thorough, step-by-step guide to your very own mental breakdown been published, be it online or off. If you can master these easy to follow instructions, you too can be the envy of all your friends and find yourself well on your way to a life you've only dreamed of! • Treat traffic jams exactly as they are: carefully planned and sinister conspiracies designed to keep you from your destination. • Pack your day so full that you are not distracted by superficial things like the sunset, the smell of roses, or the toddler smiling at you from across the grocery …
So Long, Crocodile Hunter
When I first saw Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, I thought, "Now this guy is one big kid!" His boyish passion and wide-eyed enthusiasm were irresistible. Whether he was sticking his head in a crocodile's mouth or picking up an irritated snake by the tail, I couldn't stop watching. Needless to say, Kim and I were saddened to hear about his death yesterday. …
Splatter Paint without the Messy Cleanup
Jackson Pollock was an artist who created energetic paintings by splattering different colors of paint on large canvases. Now you can release your inner child -- Pollock-style -- at the Flash-based web site jacksonpollock.org, created by Miltos Manetas. It's a lot of fun, and you won't even get paint on your keyboard![tags]Jackson Pollock, art, painting, inner child[/tags] …
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Rubik’s Cube Ridiculousness
I'll admit it. I hated the Rubik's Cube. Still do. And that goes for every other mind game puzzle designed to make me question my own IQ. My aunt had one and I could never solve the dang thing. Well, except for the time we broke it apart and re-assembled it in pristine fashion. For some reason, the feeling of accomplishment was a bit insipid. So needless to say, I am more than blown away by this video of a kid who is not only quite talented, he also clearly needs a job. Two words: Re. Diculous. …
Just Scream
Do you ever just want to scream? When I was little, on those “tough” days my mom used to joke with us (I think she was serious, though.) that she wanted to scream. I remember thinking, “Then do it!” For some reason screaming is not seen as age-appropriate for adults. If you’ve been close to a playground filled with kids recently, you will soon remember how kids have no problem screaming. At the beginning of the summer, I took full advantage of the opportunity to scream at a local theme park, while enjoying the big drops on some rollercoasters. It felt great! I guess I’m not the only one who …
Summer Checklist
Have you enjoyed the summer? Last January, when you longed for a hot summer day, did you live up to those dreams that you had promised you would do once the weather was nice? This is a friendly service announcement to notify you of a somewhat harsh reality… there are only 6 official weeks left of summer. I know families who have kids going back to school are saying, “Six! I wish…school goes back next week!” Yes, I am sorry about that. In an attempt to fully appreciate the summer, to delight in all of the wonderfulness of summer, I am sharing a list of eight summer activities to squeeze …
Soundtrack of Life
The other day I had the privilege of seeing three individuals using music to Escape Adulthood. I saw the first person on the highway during the morning commute. She was driving along in her cute VW Beetle, with her flowers popping up over the dash. Even though I couldn’t hear her, she was obviously enjoying singing her tunes as she drove along. It was cute! The next person I saw twice in one week at the local grocery store. I think he works for one of the bread companies and he's there early in the morning stocking the shelves with fresh loaves. Both days I saw him he was sporting his …
Use it or Lose it
Apparently many American’s do not take all of their allotted vacation time. What’s wrong with us? I just read a very interesting article about this on WashingtonPost.com, called “Vacation Deprivation: The Lost Art of Taking Time Off.” The article pointed out, ‘workers are expected to give back 574 million vacation days in 2006, depriving themselves of much-needed breaks, according to Expedia.com's annual vacation deprivation survey. The number of vacation days employees are skipping this year increased by one over last year. On average, Americans leave at least four days unclaimed annually. …
Funny Money
I am always interested in learning about and sharing ways that businesses can incorporate a little childlike spirit into their operations that positively affects their customers AND their bottom lines. If I asked you to consider a business that is the most anti-childlike, many of you would probably say banks. Talk about stuffy. The only thing childlike about most banks are the cheap little suckers they hand out to parents at the drive-up window. Do they even do that any more? It may seem like there's little a bank could do to lighten things up without losing its credibility. But the Acland …