My Awesome Garden

I'm not sure if there is a more perfect food than the fresh, home-grown tomato. (Well, maybe smoothies. But since they aren't a single food item, it's not the same thing.) I love it when people bring bags of fresh-picked tomatoes from their garden in to the office later in the summer. I like the other things from the gardens, too--zucchini, beans, peppers--but you can keep all of those if I get the tomatoes.

Every year since I've owned a house I've thought about planting my own garden. I think I may have even attempted it once in my last house. I have just a vague memory of a few tomato plants and some chicken wire, but since that's literally all I can picture I don't think it went well. I must have blocked it out.

So finally, this is the year. Really, it is. I got smart about the whole thing. I had a landscaper put in a small (12x6) raised bed, fill it with lovely soil, and surround it with chicken wire.



Now since the hardest part is done, I am excited about getting the real gardening started. While I truly know virtually nothing about gardening, I think with the head start I have this year I should be able to do OK. I mean, how hard can it be?

I have a rough idea of what I want to grow, and I'm looking forward to picking out the plants. A few pepper plants (jalapeno, habanero, pablano) zucchini, cucumber, some herbs, and a few tomato plants.

We also have a giant cabbage plant that I was hoping to make room for, but after reading about it I think it's going to have to go in its own spot somewhere else. My daughter has named him "Tim" and thinks he is going to have a prime spot in the garden. But he needs 3 feet on each side and that would take up pretty much the whole garden, so he's going to need a separate home.

So wish me luck. I just hope that I have this same motivation when it's 90 degrees outside and humid and the garden needs to be weeded...

Doggie DNA

Both of my dogs are mutts. My definition of mutt is simply a dog that is not considered "purebred". I really take offense to the definition that says a mutt is "an inferior dog". My dogs may be goof-balls. They may not be the most well-behaved that you will ever encounter. They sometimes chew things they aren't supposed to, they bark too much, and they have poor table manners. But they are also affectionate, loyal, smart, laid-back, and happy.



Gypsy is a Shepherd and Elkhound mix. She weighs just over 50 lbs., but her ideal weight is probably closer to 40 lbs. When she was a puppy people always thought she was a full-bred...something. You look at her and you first see the shepherd, then you realize her tail is curled up, and upon closer inspection you realize you can't tell what she is exactly. When she was around 3 (and much closer to her ideal weight) people always thought that she was a young puppy because of the look she has, like she still had some growing to do. She's nearly 12 now and if it weren't for her girth she could still pass for a spry 3 year old. (In human years that's like saying she's 84 but could pass for 21. She would definitely get carded.)

Luna's picture should be next to "mutt" in the dictionary. When we got her last May she was only 3 months old and she looked like a black lab puppy, with just a little white on her chest. She's now 14 months old, and if you didn't know any better you'd still think she was a black lab puppy. She weighs about 33 lbs., she's still mostly all black, but her chest, belly and toes all have some white. Not a lot of white, just a coating. And that's what it looks like, too--like someone just brushed some white paint lightly over her just underneath. Underneath everywhere, including her tail and her chin. Her face actually looks like she stuck her snout into a bowl of milk, sort of a milk goatee. So based on the coloring and the size, there is no telling what she's mixed with. Lab for sure. Maybe beagle, maybe some dachshund too.

I have a friend who sent her dog's DNA to a lab to find out what breeds he comes from. It's been a few months and she is still waiting for the results. I thought about doing it for Luna. She used the Canine Heritage Breed Test, but there are several different products available. If her dog's results come back and are interesting I may do it.

I Got Carded!

It was a nearly empty bar in the Pittsburgh airport. My flight was delayed, so I decided to grab a beer to kill some time. I order some food and a Sam Adams, and without missing a beat the waitress asks to see my ID.

"Really?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. We have to check for anyone that looks close."

"No, it's no problem. No problem at all. Here you go."

It only takes a quick glance, and she raises her eyebrows, looks at me, then back to the ID.

"Oh, geez. Wow. Sorry."

So the shock at seeing my actual age was really unnecessary, don't you think? It almost undid the joy of her asking to see the ID in the first place. Almost.

Since 40 is right around the corner for me, I felt I had to document this event. This could very well be the last time EVER that I am legitimately mistaken for someone under the age of 21.

And I don't care what anyone says, she wasn't doing it just to get a good tip. I routinely tip 40% for the high-quality food you find in airport restaurants.

More Real Bumper Stickers

I saw this one today.


Again, the thing that I don't get about these is why you would want to put a permanent sticker somewhere with a barely amusing line like this on it. I get annoyed when I get bad email forwards with lines like this, I can't imagine seeing it every time I opened my trunk.

The Proactive Job Search

In the last month I've heard from 3 different friends that unexpectedly lost their jobs. They each had been in their positions for at least 5 years, and suddenly found themselves dusting off and updating their old resumes, and beginning the often daunting task of getting a new job.

While I hope that this isn't a predictor of what 2008 and the recession has in store, I think it does serve as a good reminder to everyone to be prepared. You never know when you'll find yourself in the same spot. So here are 4 things every currently employed person really should do right now to better prepare just in case.

1. Update your resume. Everyone dreads doing their resume. Staring at a blank Word document or template and getting started on your resume from scratch can be tough. But it can be a lot tougher if you haven't done it in a few years. While you are at your current job, it is easier to describe what you do, and to quantify your achievements. Plus there isn't the same kind of pressure on you if you don't really "need" to get it done. Get it done anyway.

2. Search for a job. When is the last time you looked to see what types of jobs are available in your field? When did you last open the classified section of the paper, or browse online job boards? If it was when you found your current job, and if that was more than 2 years ago, you need to look again. You need to be familiar with companies that hire in your field and with competitors of your current company. It is easier to find a job when you have a job, so even if you aren't truly looking for another position right now, see what's out there. And who knows, you might just stumble across a better opportunity.

3. Feed your network. Just like your resume, don't wait until you need it to nurture your network. Going to a mixer once in a while and collecting business cards isn't effective networking. You need to maintain strong relationships with people that can help you if you find yourself looking for a new job. Most likely, that will be people that belong to the same professional organizations that you do, or former colleagues or classmates. So attend meetings, keep in touch with friends, and take people to lunch. Even better, get involved in the community. You'll not only feed your network, you'll also contribute something positive, and you'll feel good about it. I promise.

4. Exercise your right brain. It's not too late to make yourself less outsourceable. Practice skills that will make you more valuable, to either your current employer or your next one. Read Dan Pink's "A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future" and work on your six critical senses for the future: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning. The book not only explains how each sense applies to both your business and personal life, it also includes a Portfolio for each, with tools and exercises to help you really cultivate each sense. (For those of you that aren't motivated enough to read the book, I do plan to do a post on each sense in the near future, so stay tuned. Although I highly recommend reading the book yourself.)

"The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand,
as in what direction we are moving."
- Oliver Wendall Holmes -

Peep Show

Normally when I get email with just "Peep Show" in the subject, I delete it right away. I'm glad I decided to look at this one, though, because it's so cute I had to share it.

Amazing 3D Sidewalk Art

I only watch a couple of TV shows on a regular basis. Currently the only ones I can think of are Lost, and a longtime favorite, CBS' Sunday Morning. There was a really interesting story this morning on artist Julian Beever, and his 3D sidewalk art. The only "real" thing in this one is the artist himself.



The work needs to be viewed through a camera lens in order to get the full effect. Even though it's just chalk on a sidewalk and it will be gone as soon as it rains, because the real art is the photo of the drawing it lasts forever. The pictures are amazing, but I would love to see his work in person. My favorites are any that have water in them.





It's hard to believe that these are just ordinary, flat sidewalks.

You can see many more on the artist's webpage.