The Eyes Have It

Okay, so this post won't be about food.
Or, travel.
Or, anything retro.

It's just a post to share something about myself.
So, if you know me, you might understand me just a bit better.
And, perhaps be a smidgen less annoyed.

I was reading a couple of websites about Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic learners. And, I happened upon a blog of someone who described what she felt was a breakthrough. She decided that her husband was more auditory and she was more visual.

I REALLY identified with something she said:

On the blog Passionate About Life, she wrote:
... I usually say “I am trying to see that” when he is talking to me and sometimes I look away from him because I am trying to picture the things he is saying in my head or I am trying to refer to the materials on screen/printed materials that he is talking about.

I bet he thinks I am rude because I am looking away when he is talking or looking distantly (when I am trying to picture things in my head, my eyes will sort of look up and away from the speaker).

I do that.
And, sometimes I can actually SEE how much it bothers people.
I really do.
They chase my eyes with their eyes - almost in an attempt to "bring them home" to theirs again.

But, I have to look away...
To think.

If someone asks me to remember something -
regardless if it's a number or something visual -
I can't be locked into their gaze and respond.

It's like I'm in "listening mode" not "replying mode."

And, I hate that.
Because I was a law enforcement major.
And, I realize that most people equate "looking away" as "lying or deception."

For me, I need to break eye contact to "take a moment" to truly recall the answer.
I need to break eye contact to be MORE accurate, not less.

They wonder why it took a moment -
wondering why I needed a second to "decide" on the answer, or why I looked away.

It's because I needed to break the gaze to reach that part of may brain...
That held the answer.

And, also because I likely had a mini-fight in my head.
"Dang, I broke eye contact and they're all nervous, and I hate that."
I see your frustration.
Then I have to remember what you asked.

Basically, if I'm looking in your eyes, I'm listening.
If I'm looking away, I'm responding.
Or, I'm visualizing what you said.
Or, trying to make sense of it.

If I take a moment to respond and look away...
I'm not lying.
I'm unlocking.

For example, even if you ask me how to spell the word "white," my brain either visualizes the word on a page...or, instantly I am in my first grade classroom in the back desk on the left where I first learned there was an H in the word, white.

So, that's why I break eye contact.
I have to.
It's like your eyes are holding my tongue captive.
And, until I look away, I can't recall, so I can't respond.

And, I know it drives people nuts.
Trust me, it drives me nuts, too.

That's why reading what she wrote above really "clicked."
Just thought you should know.
That's how I'm wired.

Edited to add:
I was just reading about Kinesthetic learners on Wiki.
(I realize that Wiki is not always an accurate source.)
Wiki wrote:
They will remember things by going back in their minds to what their body was doing.
LOL - Like sitting in a classroom, learning that the word "white" has an H in it?
:)

When Saving Cents...Just Doesn't Make Sense.

If you've been following this blog for the past few months you know that I've been focusing on trying to make my OUT-go less than my IN-come.

Most of what I'm doing doing makes sense.
I've been focusing on my pantry and freezer and it's been good eating. I've been clipping coupons, using them when the items are on sale, and I've saved as much as 63% on my groceries.

Also, I only buy what I normally use, and I've been stockpiling when the price it right. So far, coupon clipping and organizing has been relaxing, so I'm not counting the "cost" of my time. When it stops being fun...then the cost will be higher.

Breakfast at Burger King has alone saved me $82.94 a month.
Yep, that's $3.77 over 22 days. Wow. Instead, I make my coffee at home (the coffee was even free since it's a birthday gift from a friend) and I have yogurt since its cheap, healthy, and I like it.

Cutting back is making a difference.
I don't have exact figures - since I've been flying by the seat of my pants and stopped using a budget a few years ago. But, I do know that today I have an extra paycheck's worth of money in my account.

Let me say that again.
I've saved an entire paycheck.
That...IS AMAZING.

So, I'm going back to my old ways...in a good way.
(How I cleaned up bad debt when I got into bad trouble.)
I've set my TiVo to record Dave Ramsey.
I've merged a couple of very small credit cards to a 0% interest account.
(They'll be paid off soon.)
And, I'll be on a official budget by the end of the week.

Why?
Because a budget isn't something you use when you are broke.
It's something you use when you care where your money goes.
I had forgotten that.

Oh, about the silly things I've found myself doing?
Fist, let's talk about stamps.
I'm opening my wallet.
Why do I have a 38¢ stamp, a 39¢ stamp, and a 1¢ stamp?
Because a first class stamp is now 42¢.
And "throwing away money" just seems wrong.

I have paid my bills online for almost a decade.
So, on the rare occasion when I find myself actually having to mail a letter I frequently drive to the post office to buy - get this - a 2¢ stamp.
Okay, that just DOESN'T make fiscal sense.

I wouldn't think twice about throwing out half a yogurt cup if I didn't like the flavor. Yet, throwing out 78¢ worth of stamps seems abhorrent. It's not. It's a burden to have them in my wallet. So, I'm pitching them, as we speak. And, I'll buy 6 "Forever" stamps the next time I have to mail something. LOL - Those 6 should last me through 2012.

Here's another thing.
A couple of years ago I bought a 2-pack of these tooth paste squeezers for a buck. (Nowadays, a 2-pack is $3.50 on Amazon, plus shipping.) So, this weekend I was thinking this through. Since my cat doesn't have her own toothpaste tube and won't be using the second squeezer, I actually spent $1.00 on mine.

I buy Crest or Colgate when it's on clearance for about $1.00 on sale. (Yep, you can really get toothpaste that cheaply. I have a stash of about 7 tubes in my linen closet right now.)

So, how many years will the intsy-bintsy amounts I save per tube - using the squeezer - make it worth the $1 spent on the whole tube of toothpaste?

I would estimate a year.
Or, two.
So, I saved 50¢ this year using the toothpaste squeezer.
Seriously, that is just not worth the trouble.

I didn't even get a cool color - my squeezer is white.
Hey, doesn't anyone want my spare squeezer?
Maybe I can dig those stamps out of the trash and send it your way.
*grin*

So, what silly things have you done to save money -
that didn't make fiscal sense?
And, what are you most proud of?
I'd love to hear from you!

KitchenAid Factory Tour- Changing the Distance between the Beater and the Bowl

In his blog, David Lebovitz has a post called Inside the KitchenAid factory. Beside fantastic info about the factory tour and the KitchenAid hotline, he includes a tip on how to decrease the distance between the blade and bowl.

This should work on a K5 - not sure about other models.
Feel free to comment below, and let us know if the tip works on your model.

David Lebovitz writes:
Wondering how you can raise the bowl so that the whip reaches the absolute bottom of it?
There's a tiny screw located underneath the mixer head that you can turn counterclockwise (on the K5) that'll do the trick. I've been using my KitchenAid mixer for years and never knew that.

Of course if I had read the instructions...and we all read instruction manuals, don't we?
I had no idea there was a KitchenAid Hotline.

David continues:
Is your mixer making a funny sound?
Hold the phone to the machine while it's operating and they can diagnose it for you.

They even have KA chat support.
See the Customer Support Page for more information.

Coin-operated Vintage Alarm Clock

Since part of this blog is about travel, I thought I would highlight this adorable vintage alarm clock. I saw it being offered offered on E-bay today. Move fast, if you are interested.

I can almost - barely - sorta - remember seeing one of these in a motel room as a little kid. This I know for sure. If there was a coin slot, you could be sure I was begging mom and dad for a coin to put in it.

Did those "Magic Fingers" bed massagers ever work?
Nah!
But, I still had to try.

Can you imagine having to put a dime in this clock - just to be sure you were up in time the next morning?

Somehow I can picture a traveling aluminum siding salesman walking into to a diner. He's horribly grumpy. You see, the night before, he was setting the coin-operated hotel alarm clock...and the dime got stuck. Then he tossed and turned all night long, afraid he would oversleep.

If only you could pack a small alarm clock in your suitcase.
Now THAT would be something.

"Maybe someday, someone will invent that," he thought.
But for now, he needs a lot more coffee.
The pastel aluminum siding* isn't gonna sell itself.

*A loungelistener photo - love that guy.

Chinese Noodle Making & Kung Fu Panda

I heard this clip was on the Kung Fu Panda DVD...but completely forgot when I saw the movie with my family over Christmas.

Wow - Watching the chef's technique relaxes and mesmerizes me.
And, makes me want noodles.

(Also, this vignette reminds me of why I respect Alton Brown so much.
Because he is fascinated by the technique of experts - whether they are trained noodle chef or an octogenarian grandmother making Southern biscuits.)

Come to think of it...I don't know that I have every really had homemade Asian noodles. I've had homemade Italian pasta. But, noodles? Nope.

I should change that.
Soon. ;)

Chefs who Twitter

Don't miss Benjamin Christie's blog listing a handful of chefs who are on Twitter.

I'll list the celebrity chefs here.
But, head to his site to if you are interested.

Tyler Florence - @TylerFlorence
Jamie Oliver - @jamie_oliver
Paula Deen - @Paula_Deen
Cat Cora - @catcora
Martha Stewart - @marthastewart
Giada De Laurentiis - @GDeLaurentiis
Dave Lieberman - @davelieberman

BTW, I'd not sure whether I was really all that interested in Chefs who Twitter...
Or, just excited because I thought I had a cool idea for a Chef/Twitter logo.
*grin*

Just to Make You Smile

To view it in HD - which I highly recommend - CLICK HERE - then click the blue "Watch in HD" link under the screen on the right side, as shown in the picture.

(It's worth the 2 extra clicks to see the people and locations with such clarity.)

Nope, this has nothing to do with food - just people and travel.
14 months in the making, 42 countries, and a cast of thousands.
It put a smile on my face.
Hope you enjoy it, too.

I know which locations made me smile the brightest.
Which were your favorites?