Have you ever noticed how little that we actually trust each other these days? Okay so we don’t trust politicians or investment bankers these days but that is for some pretty good reasons. But the last time you had to call a plumber, heat & air guy or had your car worked on, did you completely trust that person? More than likely you were cautious the entire time wondering exactly how you were getting screwed on the deal. Maybe it is just the fact that we do not “know” that person that causes us to be so pessimistic or the constant news stories of how people are getting taken in similar situations that makes us cautious. But it does seem to be okay if we actually know the person and usually we are willing to pay a little extra just to alleviate the lack of trust in the transaction.
So some situations probably aren’t such a bad idea to be careful or cautious in our dealings with other people, but then there are other situations where we unknowingly focus caution where it is not needed. This past Sunday I did a test. It was pretty stuffy in church so as soon as church was out I went to stand outside in the breeze. Since I was standing there I decided to hold the door for everyone as they came out. I know I know…I am such a nice guy right? I am firmly holding the door and yet 4 out of every 5 people that came by actually placed their hand on the door. I wasn’t walking out of the door and trailing my arm back behind me waiting for the next person to grab the door and relieve me….I mean I was planted there and obviously not going away or waiting for someone to take over. I had the door. Now I will say that most all of them were pleasant and would say “thank you” but like I said, 4 out of 5 actually touched the door on the way out. Some of them would actually press against the door pretty firmly as they passed even though I had the door as open as it would go.
Do we really trust people so little these days that we can’t even walk through a door without protecting ourselves from the guy holding the door? Really, when was the last time that someone held a door for you and then slammed it into you as you walked through it? How many bruises have you really gotten from a door?
Now I am sure some of you are saying “but Mark it is because YOU were holding the door” and that is why they didn’t trust me. Good point and it would not be the first time I have been told that but interestingly enough; it was most of the ones that actually knew me that would walk through without touching the door!
So next time you hold the door for others, I mean if you are nice like myself, notice how few people actually think you can hold the door effectively without their help. It’ll make you want to reach around the door and slap their hands, trust me.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Christmas decorations are like hair....
I think is it weird that Christmas decorations and hair are similar. We love hair...we wash it, comb it, caress it, spend lots of money on hair products, shape it, kiss it and run our hands through it...but as soon as it falls off the body, it is the grossest thing we have ever seen. You might stand at the cash register and compliment the cashier on how well her hair looks today. But when you get to your table and her hair is in your sandwich it is a completely different story isn't it?
Christmas decorations are similar in that leading up to Christmas we adore our decorations, we long for our decorations, we need our decorations to "get us in the Christmas spirit." Yet as soon as Christmas is over we are tired of our decorations and can't wait until they are stored away for another year. We rejoice as they are finally placed in plastic containers and put out of sight. Somehow the things that only a few weeks earlier were a requirement to have a good Christmas do nothing now but remind us of some undesirable memory that we would rather ignore. In ten months we will completely forget about this time.
This year i was able to convince my wife to not drag the huge Christmas tree out of the attic. My whole line of reasoning is that we "might" just go out of town at Christmas so there would be no real need for the big tree. It was so nice only having 4 Christmas trees this year and not breaking my back getting the big one out of the attic again. Of course that little line of reasoning cost me 2700+ miles and a lot of money going to Phoenix/Dallas during the holidays, but hey, i didn't have to get the big tree down! And now that we are home we walk into our home each evening and look upon our remaining Christmas decorations with disgust.
Christmas decorations are similar in that leading up to Christmas we adore our decorations, we long for our decorations, we need our decorations to "get us in the Christmas spirit." Yet as soon as Christmas is over we are tired of our decorations and can't wait until they are stored away for another year. We rejoice as they are finally placed in plastic containers and put out of sight. Somehow the things that only a few weeks earlier were a requirement to have a good Christmas do nothing now but remind us of some undesirable memory that we would rather ignore. In ten months we will completely forget about this time.
This year i was able to convince my wife to not drag the huge Christmas tree out of the attic. My whole line of reasoning is that we "might" just go out of town at Christmas so there would be no real need for the big tree. It was so nice only having 4 Christmas trees this year and not breaking my back getting the big one out of the attic again. Of course that little line of reasoning cost me 2700+ miles and a lot of money going to Phoenix/Dallas during the holidays, but hey, i didn't have to get the big tree down! And now that we are home we walk into our home each evening and look upon our remaining Christmas decorations with disgust.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
It's The Thought That Counts...
It's The Thought That Counts... by MurkyThud
Have you EVER been able to walk by a card rack and only read one card? I hope you haven't been able to either. It is one of the hardest things in the world, I mean next to getting a soaking wet sock off of your feet that is.
The card rack is like a magnet and I am not sure if it is a written rule or not, but I simply can't read the front of a card without reading the inside. It is kind of like you are committed to reading the inside once you have viewed the cover of the card. But don't you hate opening the card only to find a long and sappy poem about nothing? Well, of course you ladies would enjoy that, but I merely scan over it to see if it rhymes. The way I see it, if the author didn't go to the trouble and effort of making the poem rhyme then it isn't worth my time.
Of course I am only kidding, for all of you poem addicts out there that know that a poem doesn't have to rhyme to be good, but I still prefer the lesser quality of a rhyming poem. ::grins::
There are very few things worse than getting a sappy, UN-rhyming poetic card for your birthday. When you open the card and there is no money involved, it is really hard to show interest in what the rest of the card actually says, but yet we fake it and act like this sappy poem is going to change our lives.
I know, I know; that it is the "thought" that counts and some people can send some really sweet things through a card that can touch others lives. But for me, I would rather have a funny card, unless there is money involved then I will take anything. ::grins::
Besides, if it is really the thought that counts, why don't they make cards with pictures of diamond rings, pendants, earrings, a dozen roses, cars, boxes of chocolates, and other things that women swoon over so us guys don't actually have to buy the stuff and it will have the same effect.
Ah-ha....so it ISN'T the thought that counts is it? In fact if I came home and told my wife that I "thought" of buying her roses today, that would not even come close to the reaction I would get if I actually had bought the flowers. In fact, it's the action that is more important than the thought, therefore dispelling the old myth that it is merely the thought that is revered as the only thing that counts.
At Least I THOUGHT About It!
Mark~
Have you EVER been able to walk by a card rack and only read one card? I hope you haven't been able to either. It is one of the hardest things in the world, I mean next to getting a soaking wet sock off of your feet that is.
The card rack is like a magnet and I am not sure if it is a written rule or not, but I simply can't read the front of a card without reading the inside. It is kind of like you are committed to reading the inside once you have viewed the cover of the card. But don't you hate opening the card only to find a long and sappy poem about nothing? Well, of course you ladies would enjoy that, but I merely scan over it to see if it rhymes. The way I see it, if the author didn't go to the trouble and effort of making the poem rhyme then it isn't worth my time.
Of course I am only kidding, for all of you poem addicts out there that know that a poem doesn't have to rhyme to be good, but I still prefer the lesser quality of a rhyming poem. ::grins::
There are very few things worse than getting a sappy, UN-rhyming poetic card for your birthday. When you open the card and there is no money involved, it is really hard to show interest in what the rest of the card actually says, but yet we fake it and act like this sappy poem is going to change our lives.
I know, I know; that it is the "thought" that counts and some people can send some really sweet things through a card that can touch others lives. But for me, I would rather have a funny card, unless there is money involved then I will take anything. ::grins::
Besides, if it is really the thought that counts, why don't they make cards with pictures of diamond rings, pendants, earrings, a dozen roses, cars, boxes of chocolates, and other things that women swoon over so us guys don't actually have to buy the stuff and it will have the same effect.
Ah-ha....so it ISN'T the thought that counts is it? In fact if I came home and told my wife that I "thought" of buying her roses today, that would not even come close to the reaction I would get if I actually had bought the flowers. In fact, it's the action that is more important than the thought, therefore dispelling the old myth that it is merely the thought that is revered as the only thing that counts.
At Least I THOUGHT About It!
Mark~
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
"Twelve Oreo Effect" by MurkyThud.....
"Twelve Oreo Effect" by MurkyThud.....
We all love Oreo cookies. Don't you? I like the regular ones or the double stuff ones. I don't have a specific way to eat them, even though i am a creature of many habits. I do not dip them in milk, although most people do. I used to split the cookies apart and lick the filling off the cookie part and then eat the cookie, but seeing how i don't dip the cookie in milk it gets extremely dry using that method. So i have reverted back to eating the cookie normally, one bite at a time.
I have loved the cookies most all of my life and the substitute cookie just cannot compare. Hydrox might claim to produce a quality product but the taste and consistency of their imitation product just can't hold a candle next to the original Oreo. My Mom used to buy the Hydrox cookies for us. Seeing how we were so poor and could not afford the real deal we were always stuck trying to digest the alternative cookie. I really can't blame her because we three kids could devour an entire thing of Oreos in one afternoon. On the other hand, when she purchased the Hydrox brand, they would last for weeks on end. There was never quite the demand on the Hydrox cookie like the demand that the Oreo possessed. We used to eat several Oreo cookies and then walk around like we had been chewing tobacco. The black spit would last for hours giving us plenty of entertainment. We would play with our Hot Wheels cars and semi-trucks and act like tough truck drivers at a filthy travel stop. We would swagger around the yard spitting our "tobacco" and requesting the bathroom key. Hey what can i say? We were poor white people who happened to live in the swamps. Besides, don't knock it till ya have tried it. I think my brother still does that today but i wouldn't swear to it.
Huh? Oh you want to know what the "Twelve Oreo Effect" is? Well, i saw one of the funniest things yesterday at the expense of my little three year old daughter. She hadn't eaten much in three to four days and frankly we were getting pretty worried about her. Well, yesterday she regained her appetite and started eating again. About the middle of the afternoon she started UN-eating. She proceeded to UN-eat most of her food for the rest of the afternoon. She had distributed the refuse in several key locations throughout our home and finally Lanora got her to run into a tiled area of the house each and every time she had the urge to UN-eat. She had that lurching feeling again so she jumped up off of the couch and sprinted into the kitchen to complete the reversal process. She timed her process perfectly. As she cleared the fancy rug that headed into the kitchen area, the UN-eating process started. Her momentum carried her a step to many because her second step landed square in the middle of the newly formed product she had just spawned. Her footing was ripped from beneath her, and in an instant she landed on her tiny little buttocks. Her form was not perfect but the determination in which she fell was spectacular. It was hard not to burst out laughing although the child was suffering from many different unpleasantries at that time. Lanora cleaned her off and i got her a new shirt and redressed her. When she wasn't looking i admired the skid mark she had left while slipping across the cold hard tile. It was quite impressive.
Kalli, her older sister, later told me that the reason that Kortney was "spitting" was because earlier that day she had eaten twelve Oreo cookies instead of the more conservative five that Kalli had eaten. But of course twelve Oreos is like eating the whole bag of cookies to us adults so i can't imagine what her stomach was going through. I hate seeing my kids suffer with any type of illness (especially while i myself am sick because it really draws all the attention and pity, that i so much deserve, away from me towards them) and it pains me even more to have to clean it up. I guess that this stuff is going around but she didn't help herself with the intake of a dozen Oreos.
Spraying Lysol.....
MurkyThud~
We all love Oreo cookies. Don't you? I like the regular ones or the double stuff ones. I don't have a specific way to eat them, even though i am a creature of many habits. I do not dip them in milk, although most people do. I used to split the cookies apart and lick the filling off the cookie part and then eat the cookie, but seeing how i don't dip the cookie in milk it gets extremely dry using that method. So i have reverted back to eating the cookie normally, one bite at a time.
I have loved the cookies most all of my life and the substitute cookie just cannot compare. Hydrox might claim to produce a quality product but the taste and consistency of their imitation product just can't hold a candle next to the original Oreo. My Mom used to buy the Hydrox cookies for us. Seeing how we were so poor and could not afford the real deal we were always stuck trying to digest the alternative cookie. I really can't blame her because we three kids could devour an entire thing of Oreos in one afternoon. On the other hand, when she purchased the Hydrox brand, they would last for weeks on end. There was never quite the demand on the Hydrox cookie like the demand that the Oreo possessed. We used to eat several Oreo cookies and then walk around like we had been chewing tobacco. The black spit would last for hours giving us plenty of entertainment. We would play with our Hot Wheels cars and semi-trucks and act like tough truck drivers at a filthy travel stop. We would swagger around the yard spitting our "tobacco" and requesting the bathroom key. Hey what can i say? We were poor white people who happened to live in the swamps. Besides, don't knock it till ya have tried it. I think my brother still does that today but i wouldn't swear to it.
Huh? Oh you want to know what the "Twelve Oreo Effect" is? Well, i saw one of the funniest things yesterday at the expense of my little three year old daughter. She hadn't eaten much in three to four days and frankly we were getting pretty worried about her. Well, yesterday she regained her appetite and started eating again. About the middle of the afternoon she started UN-eating. She proceeded to UN-eat most of her food for the rest of the afternoon. She had distributed the refuse in several key locations throughout our home and finally Lanora got her to run into a tiled area of the house each and every time she had the urge to UN-eat. She had that lurching feeling again so she jumped up off of the couch and sprinted into the kitchen to complete the reversal process. She timed her process perfectly. As she cleared the fancy rug that headed into the kitchen area, the UN-eating process started. Her momentum carried her a step to many because her second step landed square in the middle of the newly formed product she had just spawned. Her footing was ripped from beneath her, and in an instant she landed on her tiny little buttocks. Her form was not perfect but the determination in which she fell was spectacular. It was hard not to burst out laughing although the child was suffering from many different unpleasantries at that time. Lanora cleaned her off and i got her a new shirt and redressed her. When she wasn't looking i admired the skid mark she had left while slipping across the cold hard tile. It was quite impressive.
Kalli, her older sister, later told me that the reason that Kortney was "spitting" was because earlier that day she had eaten twelve Oreo cookies instead of the more conservative five that Kalli had eaten. But of course twelve Oreos is like eating the whole bag of cookies to us adults so i can't imagine what her stomach was going through. I hate seeing my kids suffer with any type of illness (especially while i myself am sick because it really draws all the attention and pity, that i so much deserve, away from me towards them) and it pains me even more to have to clean it up. I guess that this stuff is going around but she didn't help herself with the intake of a dozen Oreos.
Spraying Lysol.....
MurkyThud~
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
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