WFMW - Helping someone else

I am doing a second entry today so that I can post it at Shannon's. My goal is just to get the word out as far out as possible.

Today is Blog Action Day 2008. While I didn't really know much about it until just minutes ago, I wanted to get the word out.

But after reading this post, she inspired me to do something WE ALL ARE CAPABLE OF DOING.

"If you are reading this blog you can make a difference simply by visiting FreeRice.com. There, you can improve your
vocabulary and do good for others. For each correct definition you click on, the
website donates 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food program."

I challenge every person that reads this post, to participate for just five minutes. If you do participate, please leave me a comment...Together we can reach many more than going alone.

A very special thanks to Rachel and Sarah to opening my eyes this evening.

OCD works for me

****Disclaimer****I am in no way trying to make light of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). I was diagnosed with it many years ago; a mild case. While I can keep it in control most of the time, it is very real and can be debilitating at times. The following is an example of how luck was on my side.


Friends, I saw my life flash before my eyes earlier this evening. All I know is that there is a higher power on my side.

Around 9:44 , a girl (let's call her Kayla) called me to ask about two assignments that are due tomorrow.

I pull up my documents and plug in my flash drive. And then, it happened.

The first assignment was 25 multiple questions with five of those being short essay. Here's an example:

In each of the following situations, a student either is learning or has learned something. (1) Classify each of the situations as involving either classical or operant conditioning. (2) Defend your answer by analyzing the situation within the context of the learning paradigm you have chosen.
a. When James begins running down the hall toward the cafeteria, his teacher asks him to walk instead. James begins walking, and the teacher gives him a smile. After that, James always makes sure that he walks rather than runs to the cafeteria.
b. Ralph's friend offers him an illegal drug. Ralph takes the drug and finds that it makes him feel great. Ralph begins to buy the drug himself and takes it more and more frequently.
c. Linda is a bright, academically capable girl. Once when she was sick, she failed an important test. Now she is very anxious whenever she takes a test.

This just happened to be one she was asking about. Only my essay answers weren't on my copy; only the mulitple choice. I log into the online campus where we upload assignments and pull mine that I had so smugly submitted a week ago.

I. Had. No. Essay. Section.

Blood pressure hit rock bottom. Sweating increased. Mind started to swirl.

Frantically, I start opening file folders on both my flash drive and documents. The only copy I have doesn't have the essay section.

Wait.

I remember having at least half of those answered. I could see myself working on them last Monday. I can see myself asking about the above question on Tuesday (specifically situation B) and I can see my self finishing said questions on Wednesday....

I am OCD when it comes to saving files. Need a drink? Hit save. Phone rings? Hit save. Want to copy a link? Hit save.

Over three hours of work was gone. Erased. Vanished. The assignment is due by 11 pm Wednesday. I could redo them, but. But. BUT.

I selfishly mentioned it to Sarah in our email exchange to make HER feel better. Whatever she did worked, because after about 30 minutes and 5000 clicks (who knew there was so much junk in a computer?), I found it.

Right where I left it.

Only it was mislabeled. By the teacher when I downloaded the assignment. And placed exactly where I wanted it- in my folder labeled "EDU 221." You know, so I could find it and all.

So something knew that I had the wrong assignment turned in. Thank goodness for Kayla, Sarah, and OCD.

Trust your gut instinct-it works for me.

Special thanks to Shannon, for hosting Works For Me Wednesday.

WFMW #3- Healthy Lunch

Let's face it; packing a lunch isn't time consuming, but making it healthy takes some work. In an effort to eliminate high fructose corn syrup from our diet, pre-packaged things are almost a thing of the past for us. I say almost because while there are some good choices out there, cost is also a factor. I am proud to say, though, that 99.9 percent of the time, we don't have any products that contain HFCS in the pantry.

[If you are a corn farmer, I do apologize. We do partake of corn occasionally.]

Having said all that, here is my tip of the week

Enter my BFF, Rubbermaid.

As their fruit choice, my kids love applesauce the best (for the lunch box)- cinnamon being the flavor preferred. When I couldn't find any pre-packaged that didn't have HFCS, and that didn't cost less than $3 for six, I turned to my faithful lunchbox companion.

I buy natural, unsweetened applesauce in the jar. When I am packing the lunch, I sprinkle just a bit of cinnamon first into the container. No sugar or anything. Then I pour in some applesauce. Pop on the lid and shake to distribute the spice. They love it. And honestly, it takes me less than a minute to make two.

I'm sure I am not the first person to think of doing this, but my husband thought it was genius.

He may be prejudiced though.

Thanks for visiting. Have a great week!

Wednesday Rocks

My favorite day of the week quickly became Wednesday just a few months ago when I discovered Shannon's blog. Never in all the years that I have been online have I found such a wealth of information than on her weekly series, Works for Me Wednesday.

Being that this week is the Backwards Edition, maybe we should call it, Wednesday Works for Me?

Here is my dilemma:

My cat has two behaviors that are no longer acceptable.

1) He will flop down on the floor at your feet or even in the walkway. If you try to scoot him away, or even walk OVER him, he will grab your foot/ankle and bite. Not hard enough to leave a mark, but enough that it seems to be more than playing. One of these days he is going to do this going down the steps, which I am sure is his ultimate goal, and take one of us down.

2) We just bought a new dining room set. The chairs are upholstered on the seats and have a bit of a texture to them. Two things, he believes, are meant for him. I don't want him on the chairs so I placed aluminum foil on the seats. Besides the fact that we are lookin' so good as you come into the house, it doesn't seem to bother him, and I have caught him trying to go underneath the foil. We've tried dryer sheets on other things as a deterrent, but he actually likes them. I don't want to keep spraying him because: a) the seats will be wet and get soured, b) without any covering, the chairs will have cat hair and that is nasty [to me]. Of course, I should question my sanity in purchasing this set, but I'll save that for another WFMW.

Any suggestions will be most appreciated!

Now, grab a beverage, and enjoy the rest of Wednesday at Shannon's place!

P.s I also seem to be having html problems. If anyone would be willing to take me under their wing, I'd be most grateful.

Works-For-Me #1

Finally!

I am going to join the rank of the hundreds that flock to Rocks In My Dryer for her weekly, What Works for Me. (I LOVE this series.)

For as long as I have been living in my own home, I have kept the medicine in the kitchen. The location depended on the cabinetry in each house.

In this house, the medicine wound up in the cabinet that housed the plates. It was a good place, for me, until my husband would get in there and things wouldn't get put back properly. It seemed as though every time I would open the cabinet, there would be something laying on the plates, and I would have to reorganize.

*Dramatization*

Then, the idea hit me! Move the medicine and avoid frustration!

So, I was rearranging the cabinets anyway to make room for my new dishes. I decided if I changed the meds to be in the drawer, he would be forced to put things back.






It worked like a charm!

Three weeks have gone by and the drawer is just as neat as it was the day I did it.

Not getting ticked at Big Daddy? Works for me!




Thanks so much for stopping by. :)