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By kilax, June 30, 2008 5:45 am

I love seeing the inside of someone else’s house for the first time. I like to see what color their walls are painted, if they have any artwork or plants, what their furniture is like, if they have a library… how organized their house is, and so on…

Is this an “architect-thing” or a human curiosity thing? Do you notice anything in particular when you visit someone else’s house for the first time?

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By kilax, June 29, 2008 8:10 pm

I am totally stealing this from Miss Attitude.

The website howmanyofme.com will tell you how many people in the U.S. have the same name as you.

More than 767,267 in the U.S. are named Kimberly. But I’m the only Kimberly Ilax.

One time I told Steven I didn’t want to change my last name because there was already a Kimberly with his last name. And I wanted to be unique. Yeah, yeah, yeah – I’m whiny.

But that website is estimating there are only 2 Kimberlys with his last name anyway. So maybe I should just shut up and change it already. Really. I just need to go to the Social Security office. I think. Any advice from anyone who HAS changed their last name?

Anyway, how many people share your name?

(By the way, I’m not sure how legit the site is… but it’s fun to look!)

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By kilax, June 28, 2008 10:26 pm

I’ve been tagged by Diane to do the “6 things that are totally normal about me” meme (I’ll let you be the final judge of whether or not I’m really normal!):

1. I don’t know any of my immediate neighbors.
2. I’m overweight.
3. I sing along to the music when I am driving the car.
4. I love jewelry.
5. I like to take long, hot bubble baths.
6. I don’t follow the “wash instructions” on my clothing.

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By kilax, June 27, 2008 5:37 am

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?

This hot weather’s got me thinking about a cold scoop (or two) of ice cream.

I love Blue Bunny’s “Birthday Party” flavored ice cream. It’s so sweet and creamy… and perfect. It feels like each bite touches all of your taste buds, as if fills your mouth with savory flavors. It reminds me a lot of Cold Stone Creamery’s “Cake Batter” flavored ice cream. Steven said it tastes “just like white birthday cake.”

My sister discovered the flavor one time when she and my family came to visit me in college. After they left, I remember  scooping myself a HUGE bowl of the ice cream. I probably finished the carton that night. Steven asked why we never buy it out here – that’s probably why – NO self-control!

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By kilax, June 26, 2008 1:16 pm

I tried to come up with something interesting to say… then use that as a segue into the score sheets below, but I failed… (so please check them out anyway)

Maybe posting a picture of this hilarious shirt will at least make you laugh.

I wish I could order one to arrive by Saturday for our “mini” company bowling party.

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By kilax, June 25, 2008 5:42 am

It makes me laugh… and a little bit sad… that our administrative person has to put a note in our kitchen saying “Unless the dishwasher is running or contains clean pieces – please – rinse and place your used items into the dishwasher, thanks.”

Everyday, there are lone dishes (usually coffee mugs) that somehow escape their destiny with the dishwasher. They sit on the counter, dirty, all day long, until our administrative person (or someone else if they are feeling nice) rinses them and puts them into the dishwasher.

This makes me wonder, who puts these people’s dishes into the dishwasher at home?

When I lived in Rome with three other girls, the garbage bin was ALWAYS overflowing. I felt like I took it out ALL the time. So one time, I just let it pile up… but it got so high that I was sick of seeing it and took it out anyway.

I wasn’t the only one who took out the trash, but there were definitely people who weren’t bothered by it being full. Hey, I guess we’re all different.

Comments (11)

By kilax, June 24, 2008 1:03 pm

Sometimes, for the life of me, I can’t understand why something interests another person.

It’s often television or sports. When someone is talking to me about those things, I have to pay very close attention, so that I don’t start daydreaming. I ask a lot of questions, to keep myself engaged.

I still enjoy the conversation, but the passion just isn’t there. I like to think that having these discussions means it’s more likely that I’ll enjoy these things in the future, but who knows.

So that’s the naked truth about me. I’m sure a few other people are the same way.

But then there are those people who just brush off all of your interests. They make broad statements when you start talking about something, such as “I don’t like ‘fill-in-the-blanks-of-whatever-you’re-talking-about’ ”

This happened awhile ago in a group conversation I was in. I was telling someone that I was going to my first Cubs game this summer, and that I was excited to see what it was like. I went on to ask that person how it is determined who makes the playoffs (or whatever they’re called), because it seemed to me like the teams play a ton of games, and I didn’t understand how it worked (and was genuinely interested!).

Before that person could begin to explain it to me (and I asked him because I knew he was a baseball fan), another person at the table went into their spiel about why they hate baseball and baseball games. Why I wouldn’t have any fun at the game. How I’d probably have more fun working then being at a game. How I might as well not go to the game.

Um. Okay.

Obviously, that person’s issue is bigger than being bored by other people’s interests. But, come on! Remember that saying, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”? I think it’s important to remember that one from time to time, especially in mixed company.

I am guilty of this sometimes, but I try to make an effort, because I am fascinated to learn what interests other people, whether or not it something I personally like.

Comments (18)

By kilax, June 23, 2008 5:51 am

Something I kind of stink at is taking good photographs. I don’t have a fancy pants camera (Canon Power Shot SD500 Digital Elph, actually Steven’s), but I know I can be taking better photographs than I am with it.

I could improve my framing.

I could improve the lighting.

I could improve a zillion things!

I really like to read tutorial books – I’ve found out following them is a really effective way for me to learn. And Kevin gave me a nifty $30 amazon giftcard (you rock, Kevin!), so maybe I should use that towards a digital camera tutorial book? Any book suggestions? Or other advice?

I’ve noticed a lot bloggers take amazing photos – Kyra, Dave2, claire, Bobbi (duh), and many others! How did you learn, what do you use? Do I just need to get out there and practice?

Comments (10)

By kilax, June 22, 2008 10:41 pm

One of Steven’s magazines had this article highlighted on the cover:

“How true,” I thought when I saw that. When someone is complaining to you about how tired they are, are you: a. sympathetic and sorry for them, b. thinking, “Guess what jerk? I’m tired too.”, c. wondering why they don’t just go to bed early, or d. not listening, because it’s the same bs story, week after week.

I’m usually a mix of b-d. Unless they are going through hard times, or have insomnia, etc. etc.

Because guess what? We’re all a bit tired. We’re all trying to do too much in our already short lives. We’re all trying to meet our deadlines and still have fun.

I only got about 5 hours of sleep every work-night last week. I felt like total crap. But you know what I was spending my time doing each night? Reading blogs (and catching up with comments/emails), and bowling. I was doing things I like to do, so what’s the point in complaining?

What activities do you let cut into your sleep time?

(This post seems to have gotten a bit negative. It wasn’t aimed at anyone, or inspired by any real event… just reading that headline made me think about all this…)

(Oh yeah, “stanca tatanka pants” is what Steven and say to each other when we’re tired. As in ‘I’m a stanca tatanka pants’ today.” Stanca is italian for tired (female), tatanka is from that movie Dances with Wolves, and we add the word “pants” on to anything we call each other – “stink pants,” “smelly pants,” etc. We are brilliant, no?)

Comments (18)

By kilax, June 21, 2008 4:31 pm

Really, try it with your cat. Ours seems to like it!