Tuesday, September 30, 2008

wireless headset

i hate mine!  it's really loud in my ear even when i turn down the volume.  who wants it?  i have a jabra bt 3010  it's easier for me to just use speakerphone.  you'll have to clean the earbud, it's got some of my earpoo on it.

Monday, September 29, 2008

jamba share tip

find a friend and get a regular 32 oz jamba juice drink you can both agree on.  ask the juicer to pour it into two 16 oz cups.  tada--two drinks for the hefty price of one!

coloring tip

i'm a hypocrite here.  find out which colors look good on you, then buy lots of shirts in that color.  supposedly i look good in pink but i hardly have any pink clothes.  please note that dark skin looks awesome in teal.

fuzzy hair dog tip

you know those cute dogs with tons of curly fur?  yeah, don't get one of those.  at aids walk one year, i saw a fuzzy hair dog with a mound of poo stuck to its ass fur.  do you really want to be wiping down a dog's butt?  yeah, i didn't so. 

airport tips

wear shoes you can slip in and out of comfortably as you're going through security.  don't wear sandals or slippers though because the plane can get cold.  bring some dry snacks for the flight.  airplane food sucks.  and try to sit by the window, the view is awesome! 

cell phone tip

with the cellphones i had in taiwan, i could program songs into them.  it's not the same as downloading a ringtone.  you would actually punch in numbers representative of musical notes.  none of the phones i've had in the states have had that capability.  it was fun to program the inspector gadget theme song into my phone.  they should make it available for US phones.

bathroom stall tip

say there are 5 free bathroom stalls.  i take number 4.  can you please NOT take numbers 3 or 5?  in a world with plenty of available stalls, don't take the one RIGHT NEXT TO someone else.  that's kind of awkward.

birthday cake tip

hey, if your birthday is coming up, make sure people know what kind of cake you like.  and if your friend's birthday is coming up, ask what kind of cake herm likes.  and can you please not be all, "oh, i don't care.  just get whatever."  that's just an invitation to marzipan hell.  let's all try to eliminate getting a yucky cake that we don't like on our bdays! 
 
p.s. i like american cake waaaaaay more than chinese cake.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

soda dispenser tip

when you get those mammoth soda cups at the amusement park, don't let them fill the cup completely with ice.  just ask for like 2 inches of ice, that'll keep your drink cool enough.  those people are trained to screw you if you're not careful.  $5 for a soda--egads, man!

convos in the bathroom tip

i like you, i really do, but it's super hard to pee when you're talking to me. 

Friday, September 26, 2008

cheer tip

send a sealed picture of your super dorkiness for a friend to open when he/she is bummed out.

taboo game tip

precious seconds are ticking away.  if you're the clue giver, don't bother saying your partners have guessed right.  just flip to the next card and give the new clues.  don't skip cards--that gives you negative points. 

itch tip

slap an itch rather than scratch it.  the pain temporarily kills the itchiness.  if you scratch, you might tear your skin and bleed. 

trampoline tip

heard this on the radio.  dunno if it's 100% true though.  apparently, after you've had kids, when you jump on a trampoline, you accidentally pee a little.  that sucks.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

parking ticket tip

in berkeley at least, you have to move your car past an intersection when your parking time expires.  once i just moved my car a couple of parking spaces ahead and got a ticket.  so.  you have to actually cross an intersection--that's what the parking meter man told me.

"it's not a big deal" tip

it's very important to note when someone says, "it's not a big deal, but . . . "  they don't mean it.  they actually mean that it IS a big deal--a big, huge, freaking deal.  if it wasn't a big deal, they wouldn't have mentioned it at all in the first place.  i really hate that.  it's so confusing.  i wish people didn't do that . . . if you have something to say, just say it.  don't preface it with a totally fake "it's not a big deal."  how do you promote good communication with those kinds of tactics?  can you please just say what you mean?  i mean, you don't have to be a dick about it.  you know just, "hey, this is a problem.  what can we do about it?" 
 
anyway, i didn't fully realize this until recently.  to me, it was always, well if it's not a big deal, then i don't need to change.  but now, i realize what people really mean . . .

boogie boarding tip

chicks should wear board shorts because if you're only wearing a regular swimsuit, you're gonna get a wedgie.  and watch out for those rocks.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

bathroom tip

hey.  wash your hands BEFORE you use the bathroom.  and then wash them again, AFTER you use the bathroom.

another library tip

worst time to go to a public library is right after school because the place is flooded with loud kids.

children's books tip

if any of you decide to pen a children's book and want to save it from being weeded from a library's collection, just make sure the pictures are of nonwhite kids.  libraries are always wanting to showcase diversity in their children's collections and will most likely keep those books, even if they don't circulate so well. 

fastrak tip

did you know that you don't have to put the fastrak corresponder on your dashboard?  i leave mine in a little tray by my hand break.  i don't like it on my dash because it'll reflect off the windshield and block my view.  and did you also know that if you happen to go faster than 25 mph thru the toll, your fastrak will still beep?

Monday, September 22, 2008

another toilet paper tip

listen up.  this one is important.  toilet paper should ALWAYS roll over the top!  when tp rolls under, it is more likely to touch the filthy bathroom wall when it hangs a few inches.  whereas when it hangs over the top, it won't touch the wall.

look hot tip

chicks:  have big hair
guys:  plain white t-shirt, blue jeans.  or wear all black.

picnic tip

when you go for a picnic, feel the grass before you sit down.  make sure it's dry.

best high school class tip

definitely take typing!  it was THE most valuable class in all four years of high school.  you learn which fingers to use for which keys and have to format letters and memos.  highly useful!  and a great way to practice typing is by using instant messaging.  zooooooom . . . watch your typing get super duper fast!

another BART tip

you're more likely to find an empty seat either in the front cars or the back cars.  the middle cars are more packed.  also, if i'm sitting alone and someone comes to sit next to me, i ask which station they're getting off at.  if they're getting off after me, then i have them sit on the inside.  if they're getting off before me, then i sit on the inside.  also, avoid sitting in the elderly/handicapped seats because then you might have to get up.  find a "regular" seat.

indigestion tip

just heard about this one today.  apparently downing a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar helps combat indigestion.  haven't tried it myself though.

cruel fun

if you have a snail problem, you can sprinkle some salt on the suckers and they'll bubble up like a freaky science experiment.  i did it only once--when i was a kid.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

anthro tip

some time in your life, take an anthropology class even if it's just at a community college.  it was one of the most interesting classes i took.  and it was at chabot.  admittedly, my prof was awesome.  she was this forensic scientist.  so cool!

ohana hawaiian bbq

dude their portions are so big that you can eat half today and the other half tomorrow!  they cost around $7 so that's $3.50 per meal.  cha-ching!

hat tip

if your head is shaped like mine, you don't look good in a hat.  it's ok, there are many other joys in life.

fridge tip

this is a tip i learned in hawaii when i lived with an older lady who also happened to be a packrack.  you can't have your fridge be too full because the air won't circulate!  twice i had to throw out nearly a gallon of milk prior to the expiration date because it had gone bad.  the fridge was way too full.  my roommate, the other girl who was renting a room, and i were superpissed but of course we said nothing. 

stroganoff tip

put some fresh mushrooms in stroganoff--it tastes way better!

vulture tip

this tip is from a book on tape i'm listening to called "lucky you" by carl hiaasen.  vultures feed during the day and attack stuff that's not moving anymore.  so don't take a nap out in the open when you've got a big gash.  you have to keep moving.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

shiny nails tip

this is a tip from the urawaza book.  if you rub receipt paper on your fingernails, they'll become shinier.  i just tried it and it works.  my nails are about 3 units more shiny now--not as shiny as if i'd polished them, but more shiny than before.

cookbook tip

when you consider a cookbook, get one that has pictures, that way you can gauge what the heck it's supposed to look like!

window shopping tip

had a blast yesterday window shopping on valencia in sf.  there are a bunch of knickknack shops and boutiques.  a highlight is the pirate store--826 valencia.  there are drawers on the walls that you can pull--they're cleverly labeled.  for instance, one drawer is marked "entrapment" and when you open it, it's chinese fingercuffs.  quite fun.  plus there are all these funny and clever signs about pirates.  oh and they have a lovely fish tank with a pufferfish (!).  you should go, it's really fun.
 
another fun window shopping place is haight--again, tons of clothes and knickknacks.  it's all junk, beautiful beautiful junk that you'd regret buying because it'd take up space in your house.  but it's so fun to look at!

BART tip

on the escalator, if you're just going to stand there, move to the righthand side.  that way you leave room for people who want to run or walk on the escalator on the lefthand side.  plus, if you're standing on the left side, people will think you're a novice BART rider or just totally rude.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

tape tip

if you've got tape without a dispenser, you can fold a small piece of the end onto itself so that the next time you use it, you don't have to spend so much time picking it to open back up. 

Monday, September 15, 2008

"calm down" tip

people who are all stressed out and wired don't really appreciate it when others tell them to calm down.  it's much better to be the example of zen.  see calming tip

don't steal my pen tip

people hella walk off with pens that aren't supposed to be free.  how to prevent, how to prevent . . . you can roll up a regular piece of paper like a cone and have the point of the cone wrapping the top of the pen.  then use tape to secure and voila!  a hideous monstrosity of a pen that nobody is going to walk off with.

bully tip

i was never really bullied as a kid.  sure, some kids were mean sometimes, but they were just crappy people.  they didn't specifically target me.  i'm just thinking about how i managed to escape the k-12 years relatively unscathed.  guess it might be because i never really messed with anyone, called anyone out, or otherwise had a super strong personality.  my philosophy has always kind of been, don't mess with me and i won't mess with you.

scarf tip

knitting a scarf is waaaaaaaaaay more expense than buying a scarf.  but some people like the fact that you know, they made it themselves. 

rules tip

you should only have rules if you're really going to enforce them, otherwise they can become a joke.  honestly there's no real point to having a rule that isn't fully enforced.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

toilet paper tip

when you notice your toilet paper getting low, get out another roll and make it visible in the bathroom.

dress shirt tip

ok, when you're wearing a light dress shirt, don't wear a t-shirt with writing underneath.  your light dress shirt is fairly translucent.  stick to a plain white t-shirt beneath your dress shirt.

revenge tip

two wrongs don't make a right, but at least you'll feel better.

theater babies

people who bring their coughing, crying babies to the movie theater suck.  get a dvd and stay at home.  can you not ruin the viewing experience for the rest of the audience?

bigger room tip

these are from the eHow book i'm reading currently.  have white walls, or at least light colored walls.  make your trim the same color as the walls.  different colors will make the walls look enclosed.  oh and make sure the furniture is proportionate to the room size.  if you have a small room, don't have a big ass table in the middle of it. 

inch tip

i swear, nobody knows how big an inch is.  i've had this discussion so many times.  just have a ruler handy if you have to seriously measure something.

pants fitting tip

got this tip from a friend long ago.  hold up a pair of pants so that the front and back are flush against each other.  if you can comfortably wrap the top rim of your pants around your neck, the pants will fit you. 

snorkel tip

breathing while snorkeling is different from breathing regularly.  What you want to do is take a deep breath, put the snorkel in your mouth, then FORCEFULLY exhale to expel the water in your tube.  now that your snorkel is clear, quickly take another deep breath.  continue to look at colorful fish, eels, starfish, coral and other sealife.  when you can't hold your breath any longer, FORCEFULLY exhale to expel any water that trickled into your tube and quickly inhale.  Repeat.
 
now the reason you can't really breath in and out rhythmically like you normally do is because when you're snorkeling, the waves may be splashing water into your snorkel.  that's why you have to FORCEFULLY exhale to get rid of any water that's currently in your tube.  then, when the tube is clear, you're free to inhale fresh air without swallowing any water.

driving tip

if you're driving a full car, ask your passengers to be your eyes when changing lanes or making a turn.  they might have a better vantage point than you do.

soap scrap tip

got this tip from the urawaza book, but haven't tried it for myself yet:  when you have just a scrap of bar soap left, microwave it and it'll grow bigger!

linoleum tip

linoleum kitchen floors suck because they're too slippery! 

Saturday, September 13, 2008

lasik tip

yet another reason to get lasik.  i remember when i was wearing glasses and all the oil from my teenybopper face would coagulate in the small spaces between my rims and the lenses.  no fun.

putting on your shoes tip

when you put on shoes, use a couple of fingers as your shoehorn.  that way you're less likely to wear down the fabric of the inner heel of your shoe.

how to learn

i'm being a little bit of a hypocrite here because sometimes i don't follow my own advice.  ok, when you're trying to learn something.  freaking listen to what the teacher is saying.  just shut up and listen.  i swear, so many times i'm trying to tell someone how to do something and they totally don't hear what i say and i have to repeat the same thing four times.  so just slow down and listen.  then after your teacher is done talking, then ask questions.
 
but i understand the other end of it, definitely.  you're excited to learn something.  you're overeager.  your brain is overloaded.  you don't want to forget your question.  blah blah blah.
 
still, just listen.  listen . . .

library database search tip

patron comes up and goes, "do you want to see an example of a rude library patron?"  then he opens up scientific american mind and a whole article is ripped out.  so i try to find the article online.  on the cover of the mag there's a reference to the article he wants, so i type those words in a search engine and get a page where they want you to pay for it.  then i look in the library magazine database OneFile and nothing.  huh.  i look in the contents to find the article title, type it in and soon find the full article for free.  moral of the story--tinker around when you're looking for library stuff :o)

costco croissant tip

go to costco in SL to get your croissants.  my dad says they're perfect right now and i couldn't agree more!  they're not undercooked and they're all buttery goodness.  easy sandwich idea--fry an egg, cut up fresh tomato slices, and a slice of cheese (or if you don't have cheese, sprinkle some salt on the tomatoes).  Mmmm, croissant . . .

gardening tip

i am not a gardener, but i read about this tip in the eHow book i'm reading.  you should water your plants in the early morning--even before dusk, they say.  but honestly, who can get up that early?  i wonder if people make their kids wake up super early to water plants.  builds character--that's what i say!  anyway, you shouldn't water plants at night because they're more likely to develop a fungus.  weird huh?  guess it makes sense, since they'd be wet for too long.

monopoly tip

from any corner to the next corner is 10 spaces.  from any railroad to either of its adjacent corners is 5 spaces.  armed with this new knowledge, you don't have to slowly count out as many spaces when you go to move your piece.  say like you're on "go" and you roll a 7--so five spaces away is reading railroad, now you just have to count two spaces to make 7.

Friday, September 12, 2008

makeshift ladder

My grandpa was changing some lights and he gets on this barstool. Yeah, can you please not stand on a flimsy old barstool? It's scary for everyone watching.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

bike slime tip

bike slime is this green goopy substance that seals small holes and prevents your tires from deflating. awesome stuff! the newer bottles have the valve core remover right on the lid so you don't have to use tweezers. it's not very expensive, you can get an 8 oz bottle for about $6 or so. you use 4 oz per bike tire. if you have a bike, you HAVE to invest in bike slime. there are all sorts of brambles that you can run over that would deflate your tires otherwise.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

glutton tip

two heaping tablespoons of ice cream is almost as good as eating a whole pint.

printer tip

figure out if your printer prints on the bottom of the top face of a sheet of paper, or on the bottom. if it's the bottom, write yourself a note that says "using scratch paper? clean side down." that way you'll know which way to place your scratch paper when you don't want to print on new paper.

telemarketer tip

so the trick to hanging up on someone is to do it while YOU'RE the one who's talking.

calming tip

you know when people are really worked up? they generally talk really loud and faster than usual. well! you can counteract this by purposefully talking slowly and in a low tone. mr. hyperman will soon take your cue and calm the eff down too. just a nice trick i learned by taking care of a kid brother and answering 911 calls and dealing with irate customers in general.

magic tip

get some magic books at your library.  lots of entertainment!

gratitude tip

if you don't teach your kids to say thank you, then you are a bad parent.

tip tip

use your cellphone to calculate the tip when dining out.  it's 15% of the subtotal.  doubling the tax isn't very accurate.

door tip

when you step out a door, make sure it closes behind you.  sometimes doors don't shut all the way. 

Monday, September 8, 2008

name tip

millie is a really nice name.  i can picture it for a white girl or an asian girl.  and she has to have a round face--that's a requirement of being named millie.

tomato tip

wait until the tomato is ripe on its vine to pick.  the ones that are picked too early don't taste as good.  my mom says that tomatoes need a lot of sunlight to grow.  sadly we had a plant between our house and the neighbors and it didn't bear much fruit. 

peanut butter jelly tip

you have to refrigerate jelly and jam after you open the jar.  but you don't have to refrigerate the peanut butter.  in fact, if you leave it out, it's even easier to spread.  before college i used to put our peanut butter in the fridge and it was always a challenge to make a pbj sandwich. 
 
anyway, my point is that when you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, first use a knife to spread the peanut butter, and if you're lazy, use the same knife to spread some jelly.  you might end up with trace amounts of peanut butter in the jelly jar but that's fine, it won't go bad. 
 
and as always, make sure to spread the peanut butter and jelly to the farthest edges of the crust.

lunchercise tip

if you have an hour lunch, eat fast and then go take a walk outside.  it'll be good for you and you'll feel better.  some people might go jogging during their lunch but then they stink for the rest of the day.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

how to remove the valve core on a bike

when you unscrew the cap for your bike tire, you'll see something that looks like a metal stem in the middle--that's part of the valve core.  you have to remove the valve core if you want to add bike slime.  bike slime is this green liquid that seals small punctures so your tires don't deflate when you accidentally run over thorns while riding.  there's probably a special bike tool you can use, but tweezers work pretty well too.  you have to get the tweezers pretty far in, then unscrew it as the valve core is threaded. 
 
oh and whatever you do, don't use needle nose pliers to just yank out the "stem." 

lion and bear tip

learned this in school:
if approached by a lion, act really big and ferocious. if approached by a bear, act really shy.

chicken tip

dark meat is way tastier than white meat.

chick tip

read this somewhere.
chick: do i look fat in this dress?
best answer is . . .
dude: you look great to me!
and chicks, don't ask if you look fat in something. that's such a weird question.

phone number tip

i know you never call yourself, but you should still be able to spout off your own number. always.

book tip

fonts should be at least 12 point. i've seen some tiny, like 6 point font. yeah, that doesn't make for pleasant reading at all!

deven tip

have at least one person like middle school deven in your life. you'll have way more fun, learn a ton and perhaps sneak out of school in the trunk of a car.

spider tip

kill it using a shoe or slipper. if you use a tissue, it might rip right through the fibers and eat your hand. once it's smooshed with a shoe, you can use a paper to wipe it off the wall or floor. or you can call brent. he was really good at catching spiders and releasing them outside.

fear tip

people are afraid of things because they're taught to be afraid of them. i'm not scared of clowns because i was never taught to fear them. i used to be afraid of the dark because i was conditioned to fear night.

tattoo tip

chicks who expect to have kids shouldn't get tattoos on their stomachs because they get all stretched out and warped when pregnant.

big eyes tip

eyeliner makes your eyes look way bigger. on the few times i've worn it, i channel the lemur look. it's crazy.

keychain tip

have a small swiss army knife on your keychain. i can't tell you the number of times i've used the wee pair of scissors on that thing. for airtravel you might have to check it though--i'm not sure how stringent they are about that nowadays. swiss army knives are hecka useful.

shoes tip

gather all your uncomfortable shoes and throw them away. it's not worth it.

rhythm tip

encourage hand clapping games like miss mary mack, etc. because they build rhythm and timing. sadly i missed that bus.

book tip

fiction books should come with a list of characters at the beginning. sometimes readers get confused with which character is which. i short description would really help.

chopsticks tip

in the correct way of holding chopsticks, the sticks never cross. i don't do it right. my dad taught me, and he doesn't do it right either. but my way holds more food than the "correct" way.

cheap haircut tip

if you're not vain, or if you always have your hair up anyway, ask a friend to hack it. you don't even have to use special barbering scissors.

nails tip

been noticing male hands on BART. some of the fingernails are buffed shiny and have nice smooth edges. that . . . is . . . awesome! clean looking nails are the best.

toilet paper tip

when you go to a public bathroom, throw away the filthy, disgusting, outside layer of toilet paper. then proceed to use the paper that was underneath it.

pockets tip

there need to be more skirts with pockets! dude, chicks have stuff to carry too! it's kind of a pain to be wearing a skirt and freaking not have any pockets. and what is up with those pants that have the teeny, tiniest pockets? you can fit a quarter in them, but not much else. i like big pockets, where i can shove my whole hand in and feel warm. usable pockets--de rigeur.

germaphobe tip redux

i was just reminded of this tonight, re the previous germaphobe tip 
 
you will use the same paper towel to open the filthy door, then prop said door open with your foot, step out and throw the paper towel in the trash.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

driving tip

hey, when you're at a stop and getting ready to start driving, be on the lookout for PEOPLE, not just cars.  i've noticed that a lot of drivers totally ignore pedestrians and are only paying attention to other cars.  yeah, don't run anybody over . . . that would be bad.

Friday, September 5, 2008

red hair tip

if you're a redhead, you look fabulous in teal or green!

how to pronounce beijing

listen up!  the letter j in beijing is NOT pronounced like the s in leisure.  in fact, that sound doesn't even EXIST in mandarin.  watching the olympics i was getting really annoyed when the commentators and reporters would say bei-zhing.  argggghhhhh!!!!  repeat after me:  bay-jing, as in jingle bells.  you don't say zhingle bells.  if i hear any of you say bei-zhing, i will be mentally ripping your head off. 

bart tip

if you take bart a lot, you can get $45 or $60 tickets, and you actually get some extra money added on.  i think if you get the $45 ticket, it's a $48 value.  let's see, you can purchase the $45 ticket at safeway.  and both value tickets at the station.  but note that some vendors only accept cash.
 
and if you're going on a one time trip, go ahead and put enough money on your card for a return trip, that way you don't have to buy tickets twice.

too hot to sleep tip

get a small washcloth, wet it, wring it and put it on your bare stomach.  the coolness will make the night heat much more bearable. 

lasagna tip

for regular lasagna noodles, you don't need to boil the noodles, you can just add an extra cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan.  but take this tip with a grain of salt.  basically if you boil the noodles, you will use one regular jar of spag sauce, but if you don't preboil, you'll use one regular jar of sauce PLUS one cup of sauce from . . . elsewhere.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

grocery shopping tip

when you go grocery shopping, don't take the item closest to you.  i always grab the 2nd or 3rd item behind the front item.  imagine this:  Miss Shopper goes to buy some yogurt and when she gets up front to pay, she realizes she's forgotten her check book.  whoops, she can't buy her groceries.  so the checker has to call someone to restock the yogurt.  but what if the shelf stocker is on lunch, or making out with a coworker, or taking a huge dump.  potentially, that yogurt could be sitting up at the cashiers for who knows how long.  and when the stocker does eventually put the yogurt back on the shelf, he's going to put it at the very front! 
 
another reason for picking groceries in the back is that typically they have a longer expiration date. 
 
for things like sour cream or some brands of peanut butter, i open the lid to make sure the inner seal isn't broken. 

chopping onion tip

the only bad thing about not having to wear glasses anymore is that chopping onions is a pain.  in college after i had lasik, much to my roommates' amusement, i started wearing swimming goggles when chopping onions.  the goggles do a great job of blocking fumes that cause your eyes to tear up.  you'll look like an idiot, but you'll be a dry eyed idiot. 

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

sandwich and pizza tip

when you make a sandwich, make sure that the innards extend out to the crust of the bread.  there's really nothing more pitiful than biting into pure crust.  and when you make a pizza, spread the sauce out to almost the very rim.  too much plain crust is a bore.

sports tips

avoid signing your kids up for gymnastics and soccer--too many sports injuries. 

delicious snack tip

tablespoon of creamy peanut butter, halloween size hershey's chocolate, microwave for 20 seconds until chocolate is melted. mix the peanut butter and chocolate. then peel a banana, dip and eat. best snack ever!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

placenta tip

apparently placenta in dirt helps grow things. but hospitals tend to toss them because they're considered hazmat--blood and all . . .

college tip

you don't really have to read all the books. mostly just pay attention in lecture and you'll do alright.

sad tip

if you work somewhere tragic like a mortuary, hospital or police department, have plenty of accessible tissues on hand. people are going to cry and you don't want them dripping all over your floor. and try to have really soft tissue, for pete's sake, they're in mourning.

tacky envelope tip

used to do this when i worked at a hospital: when you have to mail something back to say, sally, just cut out sally's sender address from the envelope she sent you originally and tape it to the envelope you're sending back to her. tada--saves you from writing or typing. it looks ugly but whatever. people just throw the envelope away anyway, unless they're going to cut and paste back to you!

teva washing tip

after a dusty day of hiking in your comfy tevas, power spray them with a pressure hose. i try to wash them on the lawn so the water isn't being wasted.

finger sucking tip

best fingers to suck on when you're a little kid are your left hand middle and index fingers simultaneously. they taste far superior to thumbs. your teeth should rest right between the first and second knuckles.

cantaloupe tip

to find a ripe cantaloupe, squeeze the "belly button" and if it's a little soft, then it's ripe. also, smell it. a ripe cantaloupe smells really edible.