The way a shortcut can make a long walk

Can you get any sweeter than this?

Normally I fill my blog with cynicism and complaints, but it’s high time I started sharing more happiness!

Enjoy!

Group Think

Why does everyone on my Facebook Homepage write statuses addressing the days of the week?

• “Ok Monday. Bring it.”
• “Wednesday, why must you be so cruel to me?”
• “Friday, where are you? You’re nowhere in my foreseeable future”

Does anyone else notice this? I “dislike” it.

Enough’s enough

I love Etsy. And Poppytalk Handmade. And other sites with fun, colorful, homemade art.

BUT, what I can’t take anymore are the following images:

1. Birds
2. Power lines
3. Birds on power lines
4. Lone skeletal trees
5. Dandelions with their little wisps blowing away

They were all cute and neat at first, now you can’t walk into a store without seeing one of them.

What’s the next big thing? Birds of prey? Shrubs? Kittens?

Whatever it is, it will be a welcome change.

Do you want my thoughts?

Do you think that we could eliminate “Let me know” from email communication?

What purpose does it serve?

If you ask a question, shouldn’t the person know to answer you without such an explicit directive?

What do you think?

Let me know.

If only I was as dedicated to my blog as I am to SteepandCheap

It’s laughable that I haven’t written anything since October. BUT, it is good for The Martin Agency because it means that I’ve been too busy to think about much more than our strategic planning process and cross-channel executions.

But guess what guys. I am back. With more pet peeves and useless web links than you could even imagine!

To return in a blaze of glory, I hereby bestow upon you the best website on the planet—Steep and Cheap.

www.steepandcheap.com

Kate Weihe turned me on to it, and for that, I will give her my first-born.

This could be the very best use of time/reward system out there. Set a goal for yourself, and if you accomplish it, you can see what outdoor treasures await your purchase.

Finish a project? Check SteepandCheap.

Return an annoying phone call? Check SteepandCheap.

Clean off your desk and wash out your coffee cup? Check SteepandCheap. Buy cross-back, moisture-wicking, bamboo-based yoga top. Go home happy.

(and here’s a bonus…as I was googling an image of steepandcheap, I found this blog about an AWESOME staircase that is steep. and cheap.)

Vow of silence

So I started with the list of words and expressions that I hate. Then I had a rant about the “oh my gosh, it’s so comfortable” approach to life. 

Well, when you thought I couldn’t get any brattier, I prove you severely wrong.

Let’s preface this by saying I am 100% guilty of the following language laziness. It stings. But I have to own up to it, and silently move on.

So here we go. All too prevalent, empty, soulless sentences used to fill the space between small talk.

• “Really?”
• “That is amazing.”
• “That is fantastic.”

I don’t think that I have one single conversation a day that does not incorporate one of these.

For instance:

• “I just walked up from the parking deck and saw someone with a briefcase.”
• “Really?”
• “Yep. A brown briefcase. And he was walking at a fast clip.”

Ok, YES, really.  I wouldn’t have said it if I hadn’t seen someone with a briefcase.  Why do you question me??

Example 2:

•  ”So then, I sent the email, and I hit ‘Reply All’ instead of just replying to him.”
• “Really??  That is amazing.”

Know what?  That’s not amazing. That is a common error. And again, were you so shocked that you had to ask me if it “really”  happened?

Example 3:

• “So then, she and I were both wearing the same dress, and I accidentally spilled my wine on hers.”
• “Oh my gosh, that is fantastic.”

Nope, no it’s not. That is a lame story. The only reason that someone is saying “that is fantastic” is because your anecdote is so booorrring that they can think of no other response. They don’t want to learn more, so they don’t respond with a question. They want you to stop talking so they can stop responding with lifeless expressions masquerading as energized emotion.

Again, I am guilty. This is not an attack. More of a self-cleansing so that I may rid myself of this habit once and for all.  Even if it means taking a vow of silence.

Graciousness: today it’s all about comfort

When the final whistle has been blown on the Name Game, or when stuck in an awkward conversation with someone who doesn’t seem to be a good potential Name-Gamer, the easy “how about the weather” conversation for girls in the 21st century is the Compliment Exchange. 

But rather than simply exchanging compliments, girls around the country are running to the cushy, protective arms of the “comfort” excuse,  instead of simply saying thank you:

Round 1:
“Oh my gosh, I love your dress.”

“Ohhh, thaaaaaanks. It’s my pregnancy dress.* It is SO comfortable.  I can eat or drink as much as i want, and stick my stomach all the way out , and no one can tell. I looooove it.”

“It is sooo cute. I love pregnancy dresses”

*”Pregnancy dress” no longer refers to maternity dresses, but rather any loose-fitting dress or shirt under which a protruding belly hides.

Round 2:
“Oh my gosh I LOVE your shoes.”

“Oh, thaaaaanks.  I got them because they are just SO comfortable.”

“Oh my gosh, I know. I hate wearing uncomfortable shoes”

“Oh my gosh, me too. That’s why I love these. SO comfortable.”

 

Now my question is, why can no one accept a compliment without making an excuse for their successes?   Chances are that she didn’t get those skinny jeans because they were SOOOO comfortable. Or those 4 inch heels.  They aren’t comfortable. Stop lying.

The excuse mechanism seems to emerge when any compliment is given to anyone under the age of about 35, regardless of whether or not it resides in the apparel category.

Round 1:
“Wow. This is an awesome apartment.”

“Oh, thaaaaanks. I know, it’s like my grown-up apartment. But I totally don’t know what I am doing. I am just throwing things together. I mean, as long as it’s comfortable in here, I don’t care.”

Round 2:
“Wow, this is a beautiful chair. I’ve never seen anything like it. The ornate, hard-carved detailing from Mongolian artisans is phenomenal, especially when paired with the hand-blown Venetian glass bulbs atop each post. The artistry is unmatched.”

“Oh my gosh, thaaaanks. I mean, we just got it because it was soooo comfortable.” 

 

Comfort, shmumfort. Take a compliment. Even if their compliment wasn’t sincere, your response can be.

Breaking point.

I hate the word “innovative.”  Hate it, hate it, hate it.

If i could rid the world of that word in all its emptiness, i will feel like i have made a contribution to humanity.

let the filmmaking begin

Yes, I just stayed late on a Friday afternoon/evening to make an iMovie about my dog.  Reaching a new low in coolness?  Or a new high in my journey to become a filmmaker?  A journey that started about 2 hours ago.  And, um, please forgive the use of “everyday” rather than the correct “every day” in the opening slide.  I’m too lazy to change it now…

Also, please note that the music, Patty Griffin’s “Heavenly Day”, was the first love song she ever wrote.  And it’s about her dog…

i love this commercial. and i love the world. and the discovery channel.

 

AND i love this one and it makes me almost equally as happy.  ok, not quite, but it still makes me smile….