This week has been a blur for many reasons. My mindset can’t think very deeply at the moment, so I decided to share various passing thoughts, some tongue-in-cheek, most not terribly important.
I received an email advertising the ESV Panorama New Testament. My mind kept reading Panorama as Paranormal.
We don’t get HGTV, but the last couple of times I was in the hospital, we had that station on. I was amazed that any time on any show they staged a house for viewing, someone karate-chopped the sofa pillows. Who decided dented pillows were a thing?
Speaking of decorating, I just recently became aware of a new/old style called grandmillennial, explained here. It’s “halfway between minimalism and maximalism” and “nostalgic and comfortable without looking kitschy.” Sounds like my tastes! Except they advocate earthy colors, and I am partial to my pastels.
Why do people pay $20-50 for a one-hour online course but balk at paying $10-12 for a ten-hour book?
I occasionally see or hear people say something like, “If you’re going to drink decaf, why bother?” Well, some of us can’t have caffeine. In my case, I am not supposed to have it due to heart rhythm problems. But I like the flavor and warmth. I’d be more concerned about not being able to make it through the day without caffeine.
Does it bug anyone else when speakers say “I see you” to people they can’t actually see?
Why do people use Latin phrases and then put in parentheses what the phrase means? Why not just use the English words in the first place?
Are people really motivated by being yelled at? The climax movie of the movie Facing the Giants had a coach on hands and knees alongside a player, yelling, “Don’t quit, Never quit.” But if I were in that position, I would want to yell back, “Stop yelling!” Even Pelaton commercials turn me off. (I’m not an athlete. Can you tell?) I respond better to coming-alongside encouragement than having someone in my face.
I’m about done with articles that won’t let you read further without subscribing or unblocking ads. I know they need to make money, but that doesn’t seem the best way to get subscribers. I like some sites that let you read so many free articles per month.
Sometimes I see foot massages referred to as a romantic gesture, but I can’t stand the thought of someone messing with my feet.
When I am actually in a grocery store, I’ll see people filling online orders with their big carts. They’ll scan an item and put it right in the shopping bag. I’ve thought that would be nice to be able to do as an average shopper–scan and bag your items as you get them instead of moving everything to cart, to conveyor belt at the checkout, and back to the cart again. But that will probably never happen because of the expense of the handheld scanners and because of dishonest shoppers who wouldn’t scan all their items.
Do you have favorite things you do with certain leftovers? I love making a sandwich with leftover meatloaf, sometimes grilled-cheese style. I can remember my mom making little strips of leftover pie crust dough, putting a little butter and sugar and cinnamon on it, and putting it in the oven just a few minutes to cook through. So good. (Odd, though, I don’t remember her making pies from scratch–but she must have if she had pie crust dough.) If we have tacos, I like to make a quesadilla with the leftover taco meat and cheddar cheese for lunch the next day. And if I am making rice, if I have enough, I like to make a little bowl of rice with butter and sugar. That must be the base of rice pudding, though I have never had it.
Sometimes my thoughts do pinball between topics like this. Occasionally I’ll retain one long enough to write it down. 🙂
Do any of these resonate with you? Do you have stray unrelated thoughts floating around?
(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)
Stray Thoughts 
Our local grocery store chain (Giant Eagle, which covers western PA, east Ohio, and parts of WV) does have a “Scan, Pay, and Go” feature, where you use a scanner or an app on your phone linked to your store’s shopping card account (not a credit card). You either bring your own shopping bags (eco-friendly) or pick up some plastic bags at the entrance, then scan as you shop, placing items in the bags. There is a section in the check-out area where you can scan in to a register, your order is tabulated, you pay as you usually would in a self-checkout lane, and away you go. I’m honestly surprised at how few people use this feature. As for security, the register is triggered to randomly tag transactions for spot checks. An employee will come and select 6 or 8 items from your bags and check to see if they were scanned in. I’ve probably been spot-checked about a dozen times over the last 3 years I’ve been using the service.
Good to know! We don’t have that store chain in Knoxville, but I hope other stores pick up the idea.
I’m so impressed that even in a week that’s
‘blurred’ you’ve managed to corral all these unrelated thoughts and congeal them into a post! You must have either a terrific memory or a good note-collecting method. I need both ( : Got any suggestions?
BTW ditto on the leftover thoughts, all except the sweetened rice snack. Not a fan of the idea of sugar on rice, just butter ( ; And interesting the rise of online courses when there’s so much more info in a book. I have yet to try a course, I suspect it’s the personal appeal of having a real live person to spend time with (and of course SEE the process too). We live in lonely times… Thx for taking time to post
I had jotted some of these down in the notes app on my iPhone, then added a few others I somehow remembered without jotting down (which I can never count on for sure! 🙂 )
It used to be that courses meant interaction with the teacher, feedback, an opportunity to ask questions. That might appeal to me in some cases more than a book. But these days, an online course just seems to be watching a video of the speaker. I guess it depends on the topic or speaker, but I’d rather have someone’s whole book than just a taped hour for 2-3 times as much as the book.
“I’m about done with articles that won’t let you read further without subscribing or unblocking ads. I know they need to make money, but that doesn’t seem the best way to get subscribers. I like some sites that let you read so many free articles per month.
“Sometimes I see foot massages referred to as a romantic gesture, but I can’t stand the thought of someone messing with my feet.”
Yes, yes, and yes to both of these!!!!! 🙂
I knew we were kindred spirits. 🙂
So true! Never thought of this before –> ‘Why do people pay $20-50 for a one-hour online course but balk at paying $10-12 for a ten-hour book?’
It’s odd, isn’t it? I don’t think they think it through. Maybe it seems they are getting more personally from the speaker than they would from a book. And some people prefer listening to reading. But I still think you get more for your dollar from a book. I know some people don’t like to buy books (and avid readers can’t afford all the books they’d like to get!) But I think an author is worthy of being paid for his time and work.
Our local chain here, Stop and Shop, has those handheld scanners. It’s super convenient with those reusable bags to just boop all the stuff as you shop! You still have to weigh your produce at the end or else weigh them and print out a label for them, so it’s not a totally solved problem, but it’s close. I don’t know how they handle shoplifting but it’s not that much less secure than a self checkout I have to figure.
Oh, cool! Looks like the idea is spreading! I guess with all the security cameras, they can keep an eye on shoppers.
Love this. My thoughts are all over the place too. Loretta Sent from my Galaxy
I’m glad I am not the only one! 🙂
Ha ha, I totally read your first bit as “paranormal” too! I hear you (not I SEE you, lol) on the yelling not being motivating. But as you said, I’m not an athlete either — maybe that’s one reason why. Yes too on articles with the need to subscribe. I also really dislike sites that immediately hit me with a bunch of pop ups. I usually just x right out of them. And online scanning is a thing here at both Sam’s and Meijer — scan on your phone, pay at checkout. I’ve done it a time or two (since there was a coupon for doing so), but honestly I prefer the “old” way, at least so far.
And on another topic — “here be dragons” was apparently a thing before Sharon Penman wrote a book by that name (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_be_dragons).
Fun post!
I hate pop-up windows that often come up within seconds of going to a site, usually asking if you want to subscribe. “I don’t know, I just got here!” And I hate that you have to X that before you can even read what you came for.
Huh, I didn’t know that so many places have scan-as-you-go technology. I do like letting a cashier scan and bag things–but I don’t like moving goods from shelf to cart to cashier to cart again. I guess it’s not perfect either way. I do most of my grocery shopping online and then pick it up–not perfect either, but it does save time.
Thanks for the link about the dragon notations. Fun! Somehow I did associate that phrase with old maps, so it was good to see that was the case.
What a fun post, Barbara! I never thought about the book/course price thing, but now I have the same question as you! I’d much rather read a book, and not just because it’s cheaper. I watch a lot of HGTV but have never heard the phrase “grandmillenial” … very interesting. I’ve noticed people on Instagram or books or wherever saying “I see you,” “I hear you,” etc. I suppose this is meant to sound empathetic, but it doesn’t really work for me. 😂
I read Panoroma as Paranormal at first too. I thought “What on earth?” This whole post sounds like me at 3 in the morning when I’m trying to go back to sleep!
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