Books to Live By

Kimber thinks the scriptures are important, but she has also found other important knowledge in other books which are not the scriptures and which she will tell you about right now. But seriously, read your scriptures; there's some crazy stuff in there.

Born To Run by Christopher Mcdougall: This book not only told an awesome story about running, but it explains why all people were born to run, and why. It made me, one of the laziest people in the world, start running. So even if you don't want to read it, you know it's convincing.

Guns, Germs & Steel by Jared Steel: This book explains, to put it bluntly, why brown people aren't as technologically advanced as white people. Don't worry, it's not racist, but it does explain a lot about a lot. It may be a little academic for some peoples' tastes, but I liked it, so you should too.

Garden Anywhere by Alys Fowler: I hated yardwork until I read this book. Alys Fowler is a classically trained gardener who approaches things guerilla style. She's a proponent of dumpster diving, seed gathering, and renters' gardens.

That's all I can think of for now. Look for a part two tomorrow.

Why the Post Office is Awesome

Kimber goes on a happy rant.

I love the United States Post Office. They have friendly, competent workers, they make stamps that are little works of art, and they deliver to and pick up straight from your house. I know that a lot of people hate the long lines, junk catalogs, and occasionally lost piece of mail, but I think this is all part of the adventure. Junk mail can be recycled (and it gives me a David and Goliath feeling to hunt down the right way to get my name removed from the list), long lines give me a chance to people watch without seeming creepy, and lost mail is just an odd thing that happens every now and again, like the bus running early, or my dog chewing up my favorite piece of clothing. Sometimes life has a few speed bumps, but I think they're there to show us what a problem really is, as opposed to an annoyance.

More important than all of that is the sense of importance I get when things come for me in the mail. I love ordering packages online, and getting letters are even better. I'm a little sad about direct deposit, because it means I don't get a paycheck in the mail, but I suppose that's a good thing, because then I don't have to worry about going to the bank in time to cash it. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love getting letters in the mail. It means the person took the time to send me something, even if it's just a post card with a hastily scribbled note on the back, and that they didn't mind getting stamps, putting it in the mail box, or the risk that I might not get it. To me, personal mail means love, which is why I try to send out as many letters as I can.

White Guilt

Kimber doesn't know what to do.

I like to read feministe, a feminist blog which has guest bloggers during the summer. One of these bloggers is Maia, an insightful woman who, while rejecting the use of punctuation and typical editing, has opened my mind up to new points of view. However, though she is showing me a new way of thinking about things, I also find myself dredging up a lot of old anxieties, particularly the one that I am racist.

I have yet to do anything blatantly racist, and I'm pretty sure the few inadvertent racism faux pas I've made have been taken care of (i.e. I've apologized and pinpointed what was wrong with my thinking). Still, I worry that by the very nature of being white, I am oppressing colored people the world over.

Really, this anxiety is making me more racist than anything, because every time I see a person of color I go out of my way to be nice to them, or even just smile at them as I'm passing them on the street. It's a kind of screwed-up personal affirmative action.

I partially blame this on growing up in a primarily white community. I had a few multiracial friends as a child, but that was before my anxiety started to crop up. By the time I was nine, all my friends were white, and they've mostly stayed that way. Thinking about it, I realize I've had several non-white friends, but pointing to them as proof of my non-racism just feels more racist.

Really, this is all terribly egotistical. If anything, I should just accept that possibly I am racist (or at least have racist behaviors). I don't really think this is true, but it is the worst that could happen, so accepting it, resolving to do better, and moving on might be the best course of action I could take. Plus, it would result in less anxiety-related stomach aches.

The Bee Whisperer

Kimber shares some information about some of her favorite insects.

Bees, though scary to many people, are actually quite easy-going as long as their space is not violated. I walk within three feet of a beehive on a regular basis, and have yet to get stung. The trick is to walk slowly, as bees have trouble changing their flight pattern quickly, and if something gets in their way they're likely to sting. Bees can also smell fear, so act confidently when around them. For the people who hate having bees buzzing around them outside, remember that if you're wearing bright colors, they might just be exploring to see if you're a good source of nectar. Let them do their thing, and they'll leave you alone.

This may be obvious, but bees are not wasps, so the same rules won't apply if you're being bothered by a wasp. Honey bees are fuzzy, golden in color, and have a fairly compact body. Wasps are bright yellow, devoid of fuzz, and have long legs and a separated body. Wasps can be helpful when eating garden pests, but I smash them anyway as they're quite mean. If you are planning on killing a wasp, remember that while bees can only sting you once before they die, wasps can sting as many times as they please, so make sure you do the job right the first time.

Easy Spice

Kimber provides a quick tip.

I am a huge fan of cooking, especially the educational and experimental kind. However, at the end of a long day, sometimes you just want to eat quickly. If frozen dinners and pre-packaged food aren't your thing, and you can get to a Trader Joe's at least once a year, then this at-home fast food doesn't have to be tasteless.

I am a huge fan of the Trader Joe's spice mixes. I started out with their 21 Seasoning Salute, a saltless flavoring that adds interest to any dish, but that seems to go especially well with beef and pork. I like to add a tablespoon or so to a meatloaf to make it more flavorful and satisfying.

The Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper grinder is heaven sent. Most lemon pepper mixes quickly go stale or are bland to start with. This mix comes in a little spice jar with its own grinder, so you're always getting a toothsome mix of freshly-ground peppercorns, lemon peel, and sea salt. One taste, and you won't want to use any other kind of lemon pepper again.

My last recommendation, and most recent discovery, is the Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning. Like the lemon pepper, it comes with its own grinder, so it always tastes fresh, and it offers a more uncoventional mix of spices that are novel, intriguinging, and incredibly delicious. I know that many people are very familiar with the tastes of these spices, but for one coming from a bland repetoire of unimaginative food, this spice mix was a god-send. It includes coriander, paprika, and chile pepper, so it can be a bit spicy, but I can't stop putting it on all of my food.

If you are reading this post and are baffled because you don't know what a Trader Joe's is, google them, find their website, and request that they establish a location near you. Trust me, it's worth it.

Being an Adult is Realizing People's Lives Don't Revolve Around You

Kimber explains something that a lot of people don't seem to get.

Many people in my life have yet to learn the simple lesson that not everybody is thinking about them every minute of every day. People naturally think of themselves first, because they're the person they spend the most time with. Everyone else is secondary. This doesn't mean that people don't care for or consider each other, it just means that we shouldn't be so hurt when someone accidentaly overlooks us.

I could continue this blog to rant about how selfish people can be, and why they annoy me, but the truth is that I started this subject because of my own hurt feelings. I don't know why, but once I put my mind to something, I expect it to be an instant success. I always forget about the hard work and patience part, no matter what it is. I've been feeling down about my lawn because it didn't turn instantly lush and green after I started caring for it, disapointed in how slowly my house is becoming organized and clutter free, and downright depressed about my low blog-readership.

Projects, goals, and relationships all take time to cultivate; almost nothing that really matters can happen in a snap. If I want relatives to think fondly of me, I need to put in the time to write them letters, visit them, and take their phone calls. If I want my dogs to be well-behaved, I need to provide consistent training and guidance. If I want people to read what I write, I need to make it interesting, relevant, and well-publicized.

Really, I need to realize that people in general care about me and what I do much less than I care about me and what I'm doing. I'm more accomplished at this than several people I could name, but I'm not yet proficient at it to have the grace to let people become interested in my projects on their own time, rather than being frustrated when not met with instant success.

My Time Management Stumbling Block

Kimber explains one of her biggest problems.

When I moved out of my parents' house for the first time, the sense of freedom was a little scary. I could watch 'R' rated movies without hiding it. I could stay up as late as I liked, and sleep in without worrying about anyone pulling the mattress off the bed with me on top of it.

I definitely took this newfound freedom too far, as I quickly started neglecting my responsibilities, and found myself failing in a lot of the things that I had formerly found to be easy. Much of my adult life since then has been dedicated to rediscovering a sense of order. I now use my planner and to-do lists faithfully, and have spent a lot of time figuring out just how many things I could put on said to-do lists without making myself want to give up and go back to sleep.

Time management is still a major weakness for me, but I'm getting better. I'm finally to the point where I get almost everything done that I need to in a day. Though, making it to appointments on time is another story.

New Packaging for an Old Product

Kimber takes a new direction.

My pipe dream is to become a writer, and a further pipe dream tells me I can do this by being discovered in one way or another. Also, I'm jealous of all those people who have managed to create a blog popular enough that they can live off of it and resulting deals. I want to be one of those people, and after long thought and consideration, I've decided I can be, I just have to follow the right steps.

Step One: This blog needs a theme. Since there are three posters and a myriad of subjects, it was kind of hard for me to come up with a coherant theme, until I realized that a lot of the stuff we write about is dealing with problems we're running into as our life situations change. In other words, we can't slack off anymore, and we don't like that. Thus the new subtitle of the blog will be "The Messy Transition to Responsibility and Adulthood". This is a broad enough subject that Nolan can keep writing about washing his hands in urinals, but it will allow something for our readers to identify with.

Step Two: Post every day. This will be a hard step, because I am lazy, but I've been noticing that the most popular blogs post on a regular basis, so that people will know when they can read new material.

Step Three: Advertise the crap out of this thing. No one will read our blog if no one has heard about it, so I'm re-instituting the graffiti campaign for Time to Wipe the Crack. It's pretty much a one-woman show, but I figure that every little bit helps, and once we get enough loyal readers, they might start telling their friends, and then the New York Times will notice us, and then I'll get a book deal, win a Nobel Peace Prize for literature, and live happily ever after. Hey, don't scoff, I told you this was a pipe dream.