08/06/2011

A couple of weeks ago when I was camping and rafting with Alex, I had the van (to haul the supplies for the Scouts) and that left Laralee with my car. Of course she used it to tool around town running errands and dropping off kids and all the usual mom stuff.

When I was back, I drove Kyra to the store and she commented that my driving was “so much smoother than mom’s”. Maybe Laralee’s manual transmission skills have lapsed a little bit or something.

Of course when I mentioned Kyra’s comment to her, Laralee was indignant. “I drive a stick shift just fine!” Harumph, harumph.

08/06/2011

I’ve heard a lot of good things about so-called “stand-up desks”. There’s been a flurry of recent studies claiming that sitting all day– even if you get up and exercise– can lead to increased incidence of heart problems. I know a couple of people who have stand-up desks and they say they’re great.

Since I’m sitting most days and don’t really feel like having a heart attack any time soon, I figured it would be worth digging into a bit. But motorized desks (which adjust from a sitting to standing position) are pretty spendy, and I don’t want to leap right into this and buy a new stand-up desk without giving it a trial run.

So with a bit of engineering, I converted my trusty basement office desk into a stand-up version. It involved eight cinder blocks from Lowe’s (total cost: $14) and help from a neighbor, but my desk is now sixteen inches higher and a perfect height for standing.

Do the cinder blocks look ghetto? Absolutely. I’ll run with this for a few weeks and if it turns out that standing is as awesome as everyone says, I’ll think about getting something a little more professional. In the meantime, if my feet get tired I’ve got a barstool right behind me.

08/04/2011

According to a poll by the New York Times, only 14% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing.

About time. Hopefully we’ll see a huge shakeup in next year’s elections. In the meantime, I just watch my savings plummet as Congress plays chicken on the world stage.