The Grocery Store

One of my least favorite activities is going to the grocery store. As a result, I go as infrequently as possible. However, as one might guess, this eventually becomes a problem. So after a Sunday of staring blankly in the pantry and moaning, "There's nothing to eat," my roomie and I journeyed to the nearby Harris Teeter after FHE last night.

In an effort to love grocery stores more, here's list of things I've discovered I like at these locales.

1. Samples. Last night I was a sample junkie. I decided to ignore any sanitary concerns I have about the food sitting out with little hands roaming over them and try some samples. As a result, I am the proud new owner of a cantaloupe and some strawberries. I like both of these already, but I probably wouldn't have bought them without a little prodding. Memo to Harris Teeter: samples work.
2. Pushing the cart. Okay, this joy only lasts about 5 minutes, then I wander away and poor Dixie has to push it. But for that 5 minutes, I enjoy it. My favorite thing to do is to walk up to whomever I'm shopping with and put my hands on the bar of the cart and try to push with them. People don't like that. Which makes me find it hysterical. Dixie's exact words last night: "However did you come into my life?"
   
3. Dancing. Something about the combination of soft rock and fluorescent lighting just gets me groovin'. My favorite grocery-story routine is the Electric Slide, but I also like good old-fashioned spinning. Best aisle to dance in: frozen foods. Best lighting, wide spaces.
   
4. Buying toiletries. Okay, I'll admit this is a weird one. But I love not running out of hand soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. When I'm in the shower and realize I'm out of body wash, I want to be able to walk (or do that dripping-wet dance) to the closet and have another container right there ready to go. It makes me feel prepared. One would think I would have this same desire to have food on hand, but evidently that is not the case.

See? Only 4 things to like about the grocery store. Lame.

Four for Four

I'm pleased that I have been sensible thus far in my Olympics intake. I've watched some of the games everyday (hence the four for four), but I haven't burned myself out on them yet. Hooray for moderation!

Well, "moderation" may not be the best word to describe last night. I stayed up late because I evidently had to watch the men's swimming 4x100m relay (a self-imposed obligation). But let me tell you - it was worth it! If you haven't seen it, check it out here!

A Little More Will

I'll just make it a Shakespeare day. After all, can you have too many of those? Well, I guess too much of any one thing could become tiresome, and I certainly don't want to burn anyone out on the bard. But I doubt two back-to-back posts are going to do that ;)

I found this piece via my favorite blog the other day and thought it was great. It's called, "Hamlet: Facebook News Feed Edition." If you love Facebook, Hamlet, or both, it's an item to enjoy.

What's in a name?

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes. Romeo, doff thy name, and for they name, which is no part of thee, take all myself. –Courtney's recollection of memorizing Juliet's speech in 6th grade. Actual text here ;)

I was going to be a Lily. Today I was chatting with my friend Randy who has a daughter named Lily, and I mentioned this little tidbit. He asked why, so I gave him the scoop:

The previous 4 generations of women in my mom's family alternate between the names "Lillian Frances" and "Virginia." My mom's a Virginia, so I was in line to be a Lillian Frances. However, my mom decided to spice things up and name me "Courtney" after the 5th generation back: my great-great-grandmother, Ella Courtney Grandy. Ta-da!

While Juliet espouses that a name doesn't have to matter, I have found that my name does matter. I love learning about my namesake. My name has meaning, and I'm part of something larger than myself. Ella Courtney was a strong, fascinating woman and I hope to do her justice :)

Putting Part A into Slot B

Last night I helped a friend put together a desk from Ikea. I also lent my brute strength towards assembling a chair. Good times!

Actually, I love putting things together. I like having the little manual, laying out all the parts, and figuring out how everything goes. Plus, in the end you have something tangible to point to and say, "I did that!" Most of our everyday accomplishments in life aren't so obvious, so it's nice to revel in the ones that are.

Here's the piece of furniture I would evidently be if I came from a Swedish furniture store. It does indeed look like something I would buy. Yea for Courtneys of the world! Or should I say "Koyrtniis?" Try it yourself here. If you do, let me know what your name and piece of furniture are in the comments :)

Happy Fourth!

Yesterday I spent a restful Fourth of July with one of my favorite people: my mom. The difference between a regular 2-day weekend and a special 3-day weekend is amazing! It is quite liberating!

I went over to my mom's house and hung out with her for a while, played with the cats, etc. Then we decided to go to lunch. On our way out of the neighborhood, we found a little turtle trying to cross the road. Worried that it would get hit by a car, we turned around and I went on turtle patrol. Turtle patrol consists of picking up said turtle and carrying him/her across the street to a shaded, grassy area. I did have a small moment of panic when I wondered if the turtle would snap at me. He didn't, so we are now best friends.

After saving the wildlife, Mom and I went to lunch at K&S Cafeteria. Little factoid about me: I enjoy cafeterias. Go figure. After chatting and chowing, we rode over to Apex and did a little shopping. I love going to Apex - it's so quaint! Here's a shot of the downtown area.

While in Apex, we stumbled upon a gorgeous yard of daylilies. They were breathtaking (and best of all, no lawn to mow!)

Then we went to Barnes and Noble and bought out the store. Just kidding. They were having a huge sale, so I got 6 books for $15! Here's what I purchased:

• Assassinating Shakespeare: Confessions of a Bard in the Bush
• Art Game Book
• A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature
• In the Cage
• The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World
• The Most Common Errors in English Usage and How to Avoid Them
• The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate

Well, I really have joint-ownership of that last book. My mom bought it, but we're each going to read it and then go to the author's reading later this month. Very exciting! I've only read about 50 pages or so, but I appreciate the author's commitment to primary sources, so I'm looking forward to learning more about his research process.

Finally, the night was capped off with a substantial thunderstorm. Very big, very loud, and it lasted for a while. I had toyed with the idea dragging mom to a park to listen to the symphony and watch fireworks, so I'm counting it as a blessing that we didn't end up going and getting wet :)

A Post about the Post-it®

I love Post-its. They are fabulous! Here's what a quick perusal of my desk produced:
My top 5 favorite uses for Post-its:

1. To-do lists. There's nothing like the satisfaction of crossing something off. I've even been known to add things to my list after doing them just so I can cross them off ;)
   
2. Bookmarks. Just stick one to a page and presto – instant bookmark that won't fall out.
3. Titles for file folders. I hate writing on the tab of a file folder because when I'm done with the project, I feel like the folder is wasted. Solution: Cut the sticky part off the top of the Post-it, write the desired title on it, and stick it on the folder's tab. When you're done with the project, peel off the Post-it and reuse the folder. Also, you can use the remainder of the Post-it for other folders by cutting it into strips and taping them to additional folders.
   
4. Taking notes. I like to stick Post-its to pages of books, notebooks, etc. to callout ideas. Writing in the margins is fine, but this is a great method if you can't write in the book or are running out of room.
   
5. Late-night inspiration. Why is that you think of things you want to do right before falling asleep? Since I'm not apt to remember it the next morning, I like to keep a pad nearby to write down the idea, epiphany, or randomness.
   

Now that I've expressed my enjoyment of the Post-it, imagine my glee at my friend Marc's new stop motion animation. I love it! And not just because of the Post-its ;)

From Crackle: Notes