Mayhaw Berries

Today my son was telling me that he wanted Mayhaw jelly on his peanut butter sandwich. I thought he was joking around until he convinced me to look it up. So here's what I now know about this little known fruit from the South.

There's a tree that grows wild only in the swamps down in the southern states like Mississippi. The berries, which are really like apples, are harvested quite like cranberries up in the Yank states. The trees have thorns so usually the berries are fished out of the water with huge nets. After boiling and squeezing the juice out, a "special occasion" jelly is made. Apparently some Rebels make wine with it too.

Sounds like I need to get me sum a that thar juice.

HTML Genius

Today I finally memorized the HTML code to hyperlink a URL without looking at my cheat list. I think I can also make it open in a new window, but we'll see.

Click here to see if it works.

I said, "Click here to see if it works". Did you?

If you don't know what the hell I'm talking about, just take it to mean that I'm a genius, and smile and be happy for me. If you do know what I'm bragging about, then, well, let me see you do it. Ha!

Sons and Dottirs

I'm very interested lately in Iceland, so today I had about 3 seconds of spare time to continue some reading about the 5th richest country in the world.

If I was born in Iceland, my last name would be Dennisdottir. If I had a brother, his last name would be Dennisson. What they do is take the fathers first name and add "son" if it's a last name for, well, a son, and "dottir" if it's for a dog. I mean dottir. Make that daughter. Björk's daddy was Guðmund.

Now, what was my daddy's name?

Goodbye Nessie

Wow. This is my favorite day for learning so far. Finally something useful and interesting.

Last week, Japanese scientists placed explosive detonators at the bottom of Lake Loch Ness to blow Nessie out of the water. Sir Curt Godfrey of the Nessie Alliance summoned the help of Scotland's local wizards to cast a protective spell over the lake and it's local residents and all those who seek for the peaceful existence of our underwater ally.

Thanks Mike. You really saved me today. Interestingly enough, I was going to write about real estate. You pulled me from the depths of boredom.

Hire a Painter

Lot's of lessons involving paint and painting today, and I hope to whatever that you never need to use any of this information.

I now know not to try to buy paint at Friedman Bros. at 4pm. The "paint guy" works 7 to 3 or something ricockulous and the "other guy" who will try to help you only knows how to mix one machine blah blah blah whatever and you have to go through the infuriating process of picking a new color, and believe me, there is only one correct shade of brown. Also, tell this guy what brand you want because if you don't, there are lot's of paint cans on their shelves that apparently contain gold and therefore cost wayyy more than you may want to spend.

I also learned that when you move your drop cloth to your next painting location, make sure you don't put it paint-drip side down. And, cover the can with a cloth or something before you hammer the lid back on unless you like the look of paint spatters everywhere. Don't bother with gloves because you'll get paint on your arms anyway. And your face, hair, legs and most important to remember, your shoes. There are little brown footprints all over my hardwood floors.
So, on a paintcan lid , today I learned:

If you need something painted, hire a painter. Or two. Guys. Mid twenties I'd say.

Gratitude

Appreciation, acknowledgment, appreciativeness, grace, gratefulness, honor, indebtedness, obligation, praise, recognition, requital, response, responsiveness, thankfulness, thanks, and thanksgiving. These are all synonyms for Gratitude, of which I have so much. Today I realized (or learned as the case may be) that I have the best friends in the world, and more than my fair share of them. I feel very advantageous, adventitious, auspicious, beneficial, benign, blessed, charmed, favored, felicitous, fortuitous, fortunate, golden, happy, hold aces, hopeful, into something, promising, propitious, prosperous, providential, serendipitous, successful, timely and Lucky to be able to say so!

I hope you all know who you are!

Watch out!

Wow, I got my lesson early today.

You should always look behind you when backing up your car.

Yes, it's lame.

Anais Nin

Well, I didn't learn jack today, but I came across this quote that helped me understand the way I've been feeling lately.

"And then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." ~ Anais Nin

Maybe I did learn something new today.

Hallo?

It's been unbearably hot these last few days so my radar for learning has been soaked in sweat. Besides learning that an ugly air conditioner is a beautiful air conditioner, something else did manage to reach my brain cells, and even though it's not very interesting, I learned it.

"Vie get es ihnen?" means "How are you?" in German, but not all Germans know that.

The person who uttered this phrase to the blank faces of some Deutschland visitors today was possibly suffering from heat retardation, but I'm guessing it's a dialect thing.
Oder was auch immer.

Bells Palsy

I learned several things yesterday, one being that it's going to be difficult to blog every single day. It's especially difficult to do when a lot of your old friends are back in town for the high school reunion. Thankfully that only happens every ten years, so after this weekend I'm in the clear. Well, for that excuse anyway.

Last night I learned from my elementary school girlfriend about something called Bells Palsy. I was telling her how heart broken I was when after almost 16 years I saw her again and she was seemingly unfriendly. I thought she wasn't interested in recounting our "Charlies Angels" days or laughing about how jealous I was of her pink Dittos. It really hurt my feelings. My old best friend blew me off. So last night at the pre-reunion "mixer", I gently confronted her about it. She explained that she was feeling extremely self conscience that day I saw her because she was suffering from partial facial paralysis. Apparently this temporary condition can strike anyone at any time and last from a few weeks to a few months. She had no warning signs, no pain or anything. She just woke up and couldn't move the left side of her face. I think she said hers lasted for several weeks, but she's completely over it now. I had no idea such a condition existed. I'm glad I know now, because if I woke up one day and couldn't laugh I'd probably start listening for trumpeting horns. Now I'm glad that you know what it is. For further information, click here.

Blue Topaz

Since I'm in the jewelry business I know a lot about gemstones, but what I learned today was a bit shocking.

Almost all Blue Topaz starts out naturally as a colorless stone. The only way it can become the various shades of blue we are used to seeing, ie London Blue or Swiss Blue, is by being irradiated, like with neutrons from nuclear reactors and electron accelerators! Before it can be used in jewelry, it must sit for 7 years until the radiation levels meet the strict requirements by federal health authorities. Seven years!! Wow.

Did you know that? I didn't! Remember, I said I'd blog what I learned each day no matter how lame or unimportant. But I do find this interesting and I hope you do too.

Ya Learn Something New Everyday?

Today I learned something so random that I said outloud, "Wow, I guess you learn something new every day don't ya?", and I don't repeat cliches. I hate them. Then my writing bug whispered in my ear, "You must share this new knowledge". And then my empty wallet yelled across the room, "Yeah, maybe you could even make some money with it". So, being easily swayed by bold, new, creative ideas, I decided that I would blog what I learn every day for a year and see what happens.

Here is what I learned today, thanks to my friend and co-worker, the amazing Rebecca.

There is no adjective form of the word pus. If you need to say something like, "Is it oozing pus?", you cannot say "Is it pussy?". And you can see why.

Back to most current