I Like My Wheaties, BUT....

I am not a big cereal eater.  I find most of them are pretending to be healthy, but contain masses of sugar and sodium.  I rather eat my good old fashioned Quaker Oats.  Wheaties are an exception.  They are relatively okay.

But here's the thing:  I can live with the bright orange, 70s style package.  But, seriously, does the daily sight of this make you want to eat your Wheaties? -->
 
Remember the scene from City Slickers when the two ice cream guys are introduced and Billy Crystal remarks that the Ira & Barry in the commercial looked different and they reply "if it were us, could you eat?"
 
Now, bear in mind that I grew up in Europe, and I am not much into motor sports per se.  So, I had no idea who this guy on the box is.  Turns out it's Dale Earnhardt of NASCAR (?!) fame.  I know nothing about NASCAR.  I know a little bit about Formula 1 and this guy.  But Mr. Dale here...?! No idea.
All I know is that I had been hesitant to pick up the Wheaties as my choice of breakfast, and I wasn't really sure why.  They tasted good.  Same as always.  What was wrong?
 
Well now, I don't want to be mean, but the blown up pink face of this guy with the whispy facial hair and the mirrored glasses.... somehow it doesn't seem very appetite inspiring to me.  Wheaties are the breakfast of champions.  Mr. Dale is a champion.  But do I need his visage grinning at me in the morning?  Uhhhh...I don't know. 

...and she raises her sleepy head

Back from my summer hiatus.
Mom's back at the other side of the pond, pool's closed for the season, and I am on my way to recovery from illness.
My fingers are itching to write and create, yet I am still a bit shaky, so bear with me.
I have some knit FOs (finished objects) and a few pics to share. 
Just not today. 

Lazy Days and a Nomination

My Mom is here to visit for four weeks.  Yay!  I haven't seen her in almost two years - she lives abroad.  After a week-long of cleaning (you know, it can't be too clean when your Mum's visiting, am I right?) I/we have spent the last week lounging lazily at the pool and reading.  Finally it is not as unbearably hot here anymore, but still hot enough for this pasty gal! 

So, there hasn't been much new lately.  Just a whole lot of eating, sleeping and shopping! 

My Mum brought me an old Burda magazine from 1974.  What a treasure!  I LOVE it!  I will make pictures in the near future and share. 

And I started knitting a wrap (pictures to follow) which I think I will let my Mums finish so I can start knitting this fab lace scarf I saw in Vogue Knitting's Shawls and Wraps, which has a lot of lovely patterns.  All I need is to decide which color to knit it in.  Decisions, decisions... 

My fingers have been itching to knit ever since the annual DRT (see badges on right) started again this year.  I sure hope my team will do better this year than last year's team.  Somebody did not pass on the box and did not answer any emails.  Meh!  I mean, if you're not up to it or don't have the time or whatever it is, don't sign up.  I don't mean to be rude, but your teammates are making the effort...  Argh.  I mean, just saying...!

In other news:  I have been nominated a candidate for a HubNugget!  Woohoo!    You can vote for my hub "The Hub No One Will Ever Read - or How Research..." here if you're so inclined.  That would be just lovely!  I think voting ends on Wednesday.

It makes me so proud and I feel honored to be nominated. 

But for now, I am back to eating, sleeping, and shopping. 

Later!

    In The Ears:

Yup, I admit it:  I was around
when Simon LeBon was hot
the first time around.  And I am
not ashamed to say that I love me
some "Her Name is Rio" on a hot
day on the pool.  Basta!

Next To The Bed:      

Lincoln Rhyme is my
current favorite!

Like Ice in the Sunshine ♪ I'm Melting Away ♫ On this Sunny Day....

Anybody remember that tune?  Probably not because it's a) from the 80s and b) used to be played in movie theaters in Europe, Germany, if I remember correctly.  Those were the times, when you'd go to the theater and sometime towards the end of all the commercials and 'comming attractions' they would play this song and video and then the ice man would come into the theater with a tray of the German or whatever version of Good Humor ice cream for people to buy.  I don't know why, but I always looked forward to the ice man coming.  It's just so retro and nostalgic. 

Anyways.  It is SO hot in Texas today!  Mother of a Son!  I think it's *only* around 110ºF - not at all unusual for an August in Texas - but it feels much, much hotter and it hasn't been as hot here in a while.  Somehow this year the weather has been weird and rather unusual.  But, oy, don't get me started on that whole Global Warming thing, or rather on those nay-sayers. 

Which reminds me of yesterday's episode of True Blood, where Russell is taking over the news desk with his rant. 

My favorite part, I have to say, is the very end:  "Now time for the weather. Tiffany?!"  and the smug look over the shoulder.  Love it. 

Is it me or is this show getting better and better.  I am addicted to this show.  Guess we all have our guilty pleasures, huh?

I finished this:

Quite the page-turner.  I don't know why I had never read anything by Jeffrey Deaver.  I quite like the character of Lincoln Rhymes.  I will definitely read another Deaver.  Perfect pool-side and lazy summer evening entertainment. 

I learned from a brief interview with him that Mr Deaver has been a corporate lawyer in his previous life, which is probably why I can relate to his way of thinking and writing; I have been working in corporate law myself in a previous life.

Okay, now I need some more ice cream.  Because I am kinda melting away here.  You know, on this sunny day...

I've been having migraines

In the past few days I have been feeling lousy.  My head was pounding, I constantly felt like throwing up, I was tired all the time. 

Migraines are no fun.  They are certainly more than just a headache.  They are debilitating. 

The heat is not helping either - we are having still around 30ºC (86ºF) at midnight. 

I am not up to anything at all.  I am not even in the mood for going to the pool and swimming - so you know I am really not well... Sucks.

   

Are Editors Actually Reading Submitted Content?

I have submitted an article on allergy eye drops recently, and after "only" ten days (I was afraid summer time and allergy season might be over by the time the get back to me) I have received an offer. 

As I was looking at the offer and pondering whether to accept it, I noticed that the title of my article had been changed.  It is claimed that the reviewing editors are 'highly trained' and might change a title to make the content more searchable. 

Fair enough. 

But the new title made (a) no sense in itself and (b) was in no context with the body of the article, i.e. the new title was misleading in that it promised something the article did not provide. 

I decided to decline the offer.  I figured my name would be next to this title, and I could not stand for such a hack title.  I wondered if the editor had actually read my article, and, if so, how he or she could come up with this title.  My guess was that my article had not really been read in its entirety, which I can understand to a degree as they must go over thousands of articles. 

I supposed the editor probably just checked for a better keyword phrase, so I conducted a google search with the new keyword phrase and: bubkes!  What a surprise.  Could it be because the suggeste title did. not. make. sense?

I changed the title back and resubmitted the article.  I am guessing it will take another ten days or so before I hear back...  *sigh*