Monthly Archives: May 2012

Food Photos

Posted in Wild Cards by

What you see here is a pizza that I ate with friends oh, about three weeks ago now. Why do I have a picture of this pizza, and not the friends I am eating it with, you might ask? Well, that my friend, is a very valid question. At the time, it seemed very important to photograph the meal. Granted, this was the first pizza of the year at the first open weekend of a famous pizzeria in my home town. I was having a great Easter weekend at home, and the pizza looked absolutely delicious. And still, in the past I’ve never felt the compulsion to take pictures of things I’ve eaten, or was about to eat—unless it involved a birthday cake with my name on it.

There is a strange epidemic of people posting pictures of the food  they’re about to consume that all began with food bloggers, and seems to have spread to the general populace. First there were the recipe bloggers. They would create delicious creations, and artistically depict the process from cooking through finished product along with instructions, lists of ingredients, and so on. It was the 21st generation’s take on the cookbook- the food blogger depicting the steps to make a particular dish. With the proliferation of recipe blogs in every niche from healthy to baking to savory dishes, the number of food pictures on the internet has increased.

Then somewhere along the line food photography made a jump. Fashion bloggers who don’t post recipes, but post daily outfit pictures started including an instagram section of pictures from their weekends, including fancy desserts shared among friends. Then people who don’t even blog began to upload pictures of their dinner to their facebook feeds. Now, oddly enough, when I see a delicious meal set before me, one of the things that occurs to me is, maybe I should take a photo?

I’m still not really sure when this came about. Maybe it’s the simple fact that everyone has a smart phone, which makes a camera and posting ability accessible at all times, so the number of photos posted in general has increased. But really, have we reached the point of oversharing, that everyone needs to know everything we put in our mouths? Are people even interested? And, are we interrupting our quality time spent savoring desserts to whip out our phones and capture the moment to share with anyone we know? There’s something about the presence of smart phones at every dinner that makes this seem more and more appealing.

http://www.getkempt.com/the-code/the-phone-stack.php

Arriving at Work with Deoderant on Your Shirt

Posted in Fill Up Your Cup by

So you make it all the way to work only to realize on your first trip to the bathroom that you have deodorant all over your shirt. That invisible solid crap is a LIE.

Turn yourself right around and get to the nearest drug store. Purchase a the first pair of pantyhose you see. Open, and bunch them up into a tight little ball, or pull the stocking taught over your knuckles. Then rub that stain like there’s no tomorrow. It gets deodorant off of clothing every time without weird damp patches or little balls of paper towel. Ditto for most other surface stains.  And, it’s something I have on hand far more often that a shout wipe or a tide pen.

And while you’re at the drug store, pick up some safety pins, fashion tape and a couple band aids. Then you’re fashion emergency kit is complete.

Song to Cheer you Up when you Wake Up Hung Over and it’s not the Weekend

Posted in Songs to Cheer You Up When... by

Your alarm goes off, and it slowly begins to dawn on you that it’s still Friday, not glorious sleeping in Saturday as it rightly should be when you’ve stayed out so late, and had so many delicious beverages.

Here’s what you listen to while you’re spraying some dry shampoo in your hair, splashing water on your face, and ordering a bacon, egg, and cheese delivery stat.

(What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You) Stronger: Kelly Clarkson

Here’s your anthem for the workday: Gotta get through this: Daniel Beddingfield

Inner Strengths

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ViaMe.org helps you identify your top 5 traits so you can figure out the parts of your personality that are particularly strong. Through a 240 question survey, VIA ranks adults 24 character strengths. Self magazine suggested taking one character strength each week and trying to use it in a novel way to improve your life for a month of innovation. The claim is that using your inherent personality traits as assets allows you to feel more engaged and fulfilled in life.

Curious? Here’s the output of my quiz. Check it out, even it it just for the fun personality test.

Your Top Character Strength: Humor

You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.

Your Second Character Strength: Honesty

You are an honest person, not only by speaking the truth but by living your life in a genuine and authentic way. You are down to earth and without pretense; you are a “real” person.

Your Third Character Strength: Perspective

Although you may not think of yourself as wise, your friends hold this view of you. They value your perspective on matters and turn to you for advice. You have a way of looking at the world that makes sense to others and to yourself.

Your Fourth Character Strength: Gratitude

You are aware of the good things that happen to you, and you never take them for granted. Your friends and family members know that you are a grateful person because you always take the time to express your thanks.

Your Fifth Character Strength: Social intelligence

You are aware of the motives and feelings of other people. You know what to do to fit in to different social situations, and you know what to do to put others at ease.

Spinning Class is Full

Posted in Fill Up Your Cup by

When you call the gym to sign up for the 7pm spinning class first thing when you get to work, and are informed that you are the sixth person on the waiting list, well, its tempting to flip out on the sarcastic front desk guy who informs you that it IS the day after a holiday. And when your gym has been blatantly overselling membership for the past six months. But why waste all that energy (and risk never being put on the spinning list again by snarky guy) when it’s really not the end of the world?

Instead, use it as a pass to get out of work 15 minutes early to make the 6:30pm yoga class you’ve been meaning to try.  Take in some fresh air with a run outside with a new playlist that will keep you as pumped up as the tunes in spinning. Convince that sassy desk boy to put you on the list for next week, since you are so unjustly excluded. Flirt with that cute personal trainer you always see, and convince him to teach you how to use some new machines, like the rowing machine. With everyone in spinning class, you’ll have your pick.

Or just skip it, and try again tomorrow.