Things You Can Rely On

Real Simple magazine's January, 2008 issue was devoted to "218 best buys," which, since they do a "best products" section every issue, is the magazine equivalent of the TV sitcom "flashback" episode - it's just a rerun in disguise.  Still, I like the magazine and the editor's note framed the issue in a more interesting way:  a list of the most reliable products and services.  I can't resist indulging in my own list.

 

• Hotel chain: Hampton Inn.  I love staying at a Hampton Inn - they get all the details right, from the super-comfy bed to the curved shower curtain rod.  They actually sell the products they use in their rooms and I plan to buy it all!


• Fast food joint:  In-N-Out Burger.  I'm never disappointed by a Double-Double, but I'm often disappointed when there is no In-N-Out nearby.  (They're only in 4 states:  California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah.  Try one if you're in the neighborhood.)  Runner up:  McDonald's.  After all, Ray Kroc was the innovator of reliability in fast food.


• Beauty products:  Noxzema and Curel.  Noxzema is the only product that keeps the acne at bay for me.  I've used it consistently for at least 15 years.  And every time I get bored with Curel and buy another brand of lotion I regret it. 


• Clothing store:  Talbot's Petites is my go-to store for just about everything.  I find that about 1 in 5 pieces actually fit me at Talbot's, which is twice as good as most other stores.  And no matter what the latest ugly fashion craze is, I can find at least one thing I want to buy every time I enter the store.  I wish I could find a shoe store that works as well for me.


• General/discount store:  Target.  The best thing about Target is their excellent discrimination in product selection.  I can depend on the fact that, if I bought it at Target, it's a good value for the money. 


• Book:  The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand.  I've read it about a dozen times and every time I'm freshly amazed at the beauty of this novel.


• Cookbook:  The Joy of Cooking.  I don't know how I'd get along without it.  The basic cooking methods for just about every kind of food are indispensable.  All the recipes work.


• Food:  Kraft Original Macaroni and Cheese.  Remember, this is a list of the most reliable things, not necessarily the best things.  Have you ever made up a batch of this stuff and been disappointed?


• Drink:  Coca-Cola.  This one is reliable, and the very best.   

The Kindness of Strangers

"Is that your child?"

"Yes."

"You're an excellent mother."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you picked her up so she could smell the flowers."

Made me feel good all day.

The Future Looks Bright

If you want something to take care of, something that is totally dependent on you, stick with animals, not human beings.  I'm talking to all of you more experienced parents who say things like: 

• Enjoy her now - pretty soon she'll be eating food and won't need you to nurse her.


• Enjoy her now - pretty soon she'll be crawling and getting into everything.


• Enjoy her now - pretty soon she'll be walking and you'll have to chase her all over the place.


• Enjoy her now - pretty soon she'll be potty trained and you'll have to convince her to use the bathroom before you go out.  It's so much easier to change a diaper.


• Enjoy her now - pretty soon she'll be pestering you with "why" a thousand times a day.


• Enjoy her now - pretty soon she'll be a teenager with a mind of her own.


• Enjoy her now - pretty soon she'll be dating.


• Enjoy her now - pretty soon she'll be off to college.

I do enjoy Sam now.  And since the day she was born I've enjoyed her more now than I did yesterday.  I am 100% confident that this will not change tomorrow.  Guiding my daughter towards independence is what I signed up for in the first place.

Free Fun

For a toddler, what's better than Disneyland, better than Sea World, better than the state fair?  It's your local home improvement warehouse!  It can be quite an adventure for a toddler.  Find a time when it is not crowded so that you feel comfortable following your child at a discreet distance.  (We're lucky - our small town store was deserted even on a Sunday morning.) 

Think of all the interesting sights, sounds, and even smells in one of these places.  There are bins of screws, chains, and tubing to explore right at a toddler's eye level.  There are aisles of lumber, lights, plants, colorful books, paint chips, and beeping motorized carts.  Plus, for a new walker, it's exciting just to have the miles of aisles to roam around in.  We took a break by riding the electric shopping cart around the store, which was quite a kick for me too.

And it's free.

The Local Zoo

I rode an elephant the other day.

We took some out of town friends to our local zoo.  It's a small zoo - the kind where they can't afford to build cages that replicate a "natural environment" so the animals are just in cages or behind fences.  If you've never been to a zoo like this, you need to try it.  You get to see the animals from much more close up.  Even if the big cats are sleeping, they won't be in a cave where you can't see them.  (Tip: If you want to see the big cats in action, call the zoo ahead of time to find out when they are fed.)

You won't miss out if you like all the classic animals - these zoos usually have most of the favorites like giraffes, monkeys, elephants, tigers, zebras, etc.  Since the place is small, you can probably see everything they have in an afternoon, and you'll actually remember most of what you saw. 

Sometimes you'll see something you've never seen before at any zoo.  Our zoo had a couple of cassowary birds.  This bird looks like a prehistoric animal, with its horned beak and strange, intelligent eyes.  I felt like I was looking at a dinosaur.

And sometimes you'll get to do something you've never done before.  Our zoo offers elephant rides and of course we had to do it!



There were quite a few pregnant sheep at our zoo and I swear, one of them was in the process of giving birth as she was walking around.  Either that or she had the worst case of hemorrhoids ever.  I wish we could have stayed to find out.  Llamas and one huge pig strolled around the zoo with us, not caged in any way except by the perimeter fence. 

 

Best of all, at zoos like this it's ok to feed the animals! 

Earth Day, My Way

Happy Exploit-the-Earth Day! 

I'm celebrating by taking note of how beautiful the earth is due to man's influence.  This video of cities from space is spectacular. 

I love art that contrasts the natural with the man-made. Next year, I'll include some great photos and paintings on that theme.  Will that teaser keep you reading for a whole year? 

 

Kids and Google

 

Did you know that dandelions are not only edible, but very nutritious?  (You get one guess as to why I Googled “eating dandelions.”)

 

Thank you, Samantha, for your curiosity about all the things I take for granted, and thank you, Google, for helping me allow her to explore her world without fear.  I’m looking forward to learning a lot from both of you in the coming years!