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My thoughts of what a man thinks…

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I had drinks with some friends on Friday night. We were laughing and joking around about men and women. Eventually we ended talking about randomolio.com. Someone said to me, I wonder what you would say if you wrote about “What a man thinks…”

It made me chuckle. It made me think about a conversation at work a few weeks ago, where a few of us were answering the question, if you had any superpower what would it be? I answered: reading people’s minds. Yes, I know what you might be thinking. That would be annoying, chaotic, and people would stop wanting to be around me if they knew. I have thought often about that superpower, because so often I find that people do not really say what they are thinking. Ever thought of that? As a woman do you wonder what a man is thinking at a given moment? As a man, I am sure you wonder all that is going through a woman’s mind.

Now back to men. Do they say what they are thinking? Yes, and no. I cannot make a blanket statement for all men, but the ones I have watched throughout my life, well I have found that they say what they are thinking when they feel safe, or powerful, or comfortable, or when there is actually something on their mind. See it really depends on the dynamics in a room, and it ALWAYS matters if there is something going on in their mind.

I have learned with Chris, if there is an issue that bothers me enough when he brings it up, that over time he stops bringing it up (word of note to other women). I have also learned that unlike a woman, there are always times when there is nothing going on inside that male mind. A woman, well that is a different story. The electrical outlets are always in use. There is always some thought process happening, but when you ask a man what is going on up there, there are times when literally nothing is happening. Ever heard of: The Nothing Box? If not, you will want to watch (apologies for the horrible, blurry YouTube video, the audio is what really matters).

What do you think?

Your first Drive-In?

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Do you remember the first movie you saw at the Drive-In? I do. It did not happen often, but I do remember my mom popping popcorn, and bringing Cokes (one of the rare occasions when we were allowed soda, or my midwestern roots would say “pop”). We would get into our paneled, yellow Buick station wagon and head to the Drive-In. My sister and I would get to lay down in the back-end of the station wagon to watch the movie. So, ready for my first Drive-In flick? Ghostbusters. Remember Slimer?

When I came across Honda’s current campaign to save the Drive-In, I was interested. Honda has started “Project Drive-In.” A campaign to reignite and support local Drive-Ins. As the movie industry moves from film to digital, most Drive-Ins will be impacted. Since most Drive-Ins today still have older projectors, Honda has launched this campaign to help replace the film projectors in Drive-Ins to digital, a $80,000 cost. They are putting up a vote to see which Drive-In should be next.

I am a bit partial because the 99W Drive-In in Newberg, OR is my closest Drive-In, so of course I was excited to see that people voted to save them — and they are a winner! I looked up the one from my childhood and it looks like it is not listed (bummer)! When I tried to find a full article at the newspaper I used to deliver papers for, I would have had to pay for the excerpt, and quite frankly, I was not interested. So I guess I will have to wonder what happened to the Ski-Hi Drive-In.

I encourage you to check out the Project Drive-In website and vote to save your local Drive-In, or one from your past. Of course, Honda is also taking donations for individuals to support saving more Drive-Ins. Voting has been extended to September 21. While yes I raise my eyebrows when I wonder about the motives of Honda, I do think it is a landmark of the past that should be preserved.

Do you remember your first Drive-In? Was it as a kid, with your family, or on a first date?

Quirky or Kickstarter?

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Kickstarter has made a name for itself as a site that gives new businesses a chance. With a good idea and marketing plan, and a stellar video, many, many individuals have found their dreams have come true because of the likes of Kickstarter. If you have not heard of Kickstarter, it’s a website that allows individuals to have their creative projects independently funded. From a film, photography trip, to a new product. Backers then decide if they want to fund the project, and the creator comes up with price points and different offers that backers would receive for their funds. The project has a time limit and the amount of money the creator needs to raise has to be funded 100% for the project to go forward.

Recently while looking online for a case for my iPhone, I came across: Quirky. The name of the site first caught my eye, and then as I started to dig deeper, I realized it was a Kickstarter-esque website. Rather than having backers, the site lets you submit your idea, and others that visit the site can vote for your idea. There is a time limit. Every Thursday you can watch live as Quirky votes on what idea they will begin to develop. The individual with the original idea is involved in the entire process, and once the product is ready you get to sell it on their site.

Quirky allows your inventions to come to life, with the help of others who may just have the expertise to make something happen. They have a variety of categories, from kitchen items, to play, to travel, to electronics. When you look at the detail of the product, you will find who invented the product, where they are from, how many ideas they have had, how many votes they received, how long it took to develop the product, and how many units they have sold. That is transparency!

One invention I thought was clever was the Broom Groomer. It has almost like a comb attached, so that when you use the broom to pull the dust into the dust pan it gets all the remnants off the end of the broom. Clever. Or the Brim toilet brush. I have been trying to find a brush that gets in the hard to clean spots in a toilet.

I am going to head back to quirky.com and see what other inventions inspire me.

Organize your life

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I crave being organized. Many years ago I even thought I might become a professional organizer. While that never happened it is still a strong theme in my life. It keeps me balanced. When I have way too many things going on in my head (which is often) then sometimes my wires get crossed and the words that come out of my mouth are blended together. Somehow Chris understands me (well for the most part). So, staying organized keeps me and my life in order.

One of the ways I stay organized is with lists. I make them in my personal life and I make them at work. I have become a bit addicted with that sharp line I use when I cross something off the list. Since I like to stay inspired and creative in the process of being organized, the journal, paper, and pen that I use are very important. My pens of choice are Muji (.38) as I like to write with a fine tip pen, but not one where the point dulls after use, such as ones you might use for art. The Muji pens do not dull, so they fit me perfectly.

Journals are another thing all together. I am not one for lined paper, but if I have to used lined paper, it better be college ruled, because I write small. If I got what I wanted it would be graph paper, or paper with tiny dots, not to thin so the ink can be seen through it. It is the little things that make such a difference in the art of staying organized.

So a week or so ago when I came across this Fast Company article: “This Note-Taking System Turns You Into An Efficiency Expert” I was intrigued. See I forgot to mention that while in meetings or around anyone with a notebook or journal, I get curious to see how they organize their life. Do they do everything in their iOS device? Do they have a page for To-Dos, and a page for notes? Do they track by date? Are they using post-its? Why? I am always hoping I can vicariously learn from another’s organization process.

The Fast Company article mentions Bullet Journal, a process the developer spent 10 years putting together. It seems like a handy way to organize life. I am not sure it will work for my personal life, as I do much of that in the Any.do app, but I think it just might fit for organizing my work life. I tried last week, and decided to purchase a fresh Moleskin, graph paper notebook over the weekend. Sort of like turning over a new leaf. See below for a video about the Bullet Journal.

#stayingorganized

If you do not wear a wedding ring, why not?

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I grew up thinking that men did not wear wedding bands, that it was something only women wore. My dad was in construction and never wore his wedding band. Maybe it was because of the safety aspect, maybe not. Eventually I think he stopped wearing a wedding band because it no longer fit and maybe it was not important enough to him to have it sized correctly.

While talking to a colleague at work this week we somehow came to the conversation of wondering why do some folks who are married not wear a wedding ring? It prompted some questions. Do you not want others to know you are married? Does it no longer fit? Do you dislike the ring you were given? Does it bother you to wear a ring on any finger? Do you play with it, and twist it around your ring finger, thus it is better left at home? (Is it not interesting that it is called the ring finger?) Whatever the reason, we began talking at length about individuals we knew that did not wear a ring. Were they really married? Some we did not know the answer. Others we knew did not wear a ring, but we knew were happily married.

I do believe that our society has over sensitized wedding rings, diamonds, the money involved with purchasing rings, etc. So is wearing a ring still sacred? Does it matter? If you are married, do you cherish wearing a ring? I do. I feel naked without my wedding ring. I look at it often throughout the day. When my hands are cold and it slides around, or on hot days it may feel tighter. It is a wonderful reminder of Chris, and the vows we took together over ten years ago. By the way, I still have my dad’s wedding band, it sits in a box of memorabilia.

So, if you are a man or a woman and do not wear your wedding ring, is there a reason why? I am curious.