Why Harry Potter Is Evil

I got to go to Publix today. Yay! Because I live in the ghetto East Nashville, there is not a Publix nearby. However, I was near one today for another appointment, so I stopped by to do my weekly grocery shopping.

However, I was listening to an audiobook of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on the way to Publix. And then I found myself staring at the aisle of British products in Publix. And then I found myself returning home with this nonsense:



Evil, evil Harry Potter. Making me buy British products at the store. I count myself lucky for escaping without bread pudding.


I had a lot of fun at Publix, even though I spent waaaay too much on groceries.

I even got a surprise for Paul, who has been wanting to make sushi at home:


Surprise, hubby!

Sampling Queen

I loooooove free samples, and I also love marketing techniques.

Give you my hotmail address and you'll give me a free sample? You got it.

I frequently visit a couple of websites in my quest for free samples, and I am continually amazed at what is available (granted, I am easily amused). Some of my best finds include a free bag of Feline Greenies and an invitation to join the Nike product testing panel. (I'm not a runner, so I sent the latter to a friend of mine -- she received prototype Nike shoes in exchange for her feedback!)

I really love it when companies send out entire kits to consumers for marketing purposes.

For instance, a couple of months ago I received this:

It's a taste test for Diet 7up. They sent me a box with a can of Diet 7up and cans of two competing drinks, plus a 7up coupon. The theory is that they are so confident I will love Diet 7up, they want me to compare it directly with the competing drinks.


I recently received this box from Del Monte and Starkist:



I went to a website sponsored by Del Monte and Starkist and made a pledge to start living a healthier lifestyle (which really is one of my goals). To "help me in my journey" or something, they sent me an "I Pledge" kit containing a pedometer, a support bracelet, a pack of tuna, a pad for grocery lists, and a booklet with recipes and coupons.

The thing is, once I receive the samples, I feel almost obliged to try them. I'm not really a tuna fan, but since Starkist sent it to me for free, I'll at least give it a shot. So I get free stuff, and the companies get me to try their product. Works out nicely for both of us that way.

Why Yes, My Head is Swelling a Bit

So, The Tennessean did an article on my business! Yay!

Unfortunately, the attention already seems to be going to my head.

Today I needed to go to the post office and mail a customer's order. I was wearing workout pants and a t-shirt. However, I spent quite a bit of time debating whether I should change into something cute and fashionable before going out. After all, my picture is in the paper. Someone might recognize me. What if they see me wearing frumpy clothes and decide not to order from my store?!

I ended up sticking with the workout pants and t-shirt but adding a nice shade of lipstick to the ensemble. And you know what? None of the five people in the post office recognized me. Some people are so self-centered.

Random Updates: School's Out, Music Fest, Dragons in the Waters

Update #1: Follow up to the previous post. Metro Nashville schools are limited to half days for the rest of this week due to the heat. Officials decided to go ahead and make the call for the rest of the week so parents have time to plan for transportation and child care. To help accommodate students who may have no where else to go, all Metro Parks community centers will be opening at 11am on these days.

Update #2: I posted last week about Next Big Nashville. I am slightly less pumped about going now, because a few bands that were originally on the schedule are no longer participating, notably Venus Hum, Bang Bang Bang, Luna Halo, and Sam & Ruby. However, there have been several additions to the schedule, including Satellite City, How I Became the Bomb, and Jensen Sportag.

Update #3: The Dragon Boat Festival is this weekend! Looks like tons of fun.

School's Out for the Summer

So.....Nashville schools are only open for a half day tomorrow due to the extreme temperatures.

[scratches head in confusion]

This seems really odd to me. Is it really too hot for students to learn? Are there not enough fans and air conditioners to keep the classrooms cool? The East Nashville listserve is abuzz with opinions from parents and teachers. Apparently, most Metro school buses don't have air conditioning, and some people are wondering if that is the main point of concern.

But here's what strikes me as strange --

Why now? Why did they decide to do this now, when the days are forecasted to be less scorching than they were last week? Why didn't we see school canceled last Wednesday, when the temperature got up to something like 104 degrees?

To me, this seems like a late effort to appease worried parents.

Weird.

UPDATE: Monday, 12:oopm
Tuesday also will be a half day for Metro Nashville schools.
Last Friday, a student at Hume-Fogg was transported by ambulance to a hospital after become ill due to the heat.

The Heat Is On.....

Got back from BarCamp Nashville a couple of hours ago.

Much fun.

I learned a lot from several of the presenters, the most helpful being Mitch Joel, Ivy Hogan, Kat Coble, Matt Reed, John Ellis, and Anastasia Holdren. Chris Wage and Jackson Miller were very good as well.

I also got to meet some bloggers friends face to face for the first time, including Ivy, Kat, Grace, Hutchmo, Rachel, Lesley, Casey, and Newscoma.

Therein lies the problem.

Now that I have met these people and consider them my friends, I feel like I have to be all cool and stuff. What if I post something lame and they decide they don't like me? What if they discover I'm really not an interesting person after all?

I know this sounds a little (or a lot) codependent and self-absorbed, but it's the truth. There you have it, people. (Note: I'm not trolling for comments here -- I have to be a grown-up and be self-actualizing and all that fun stuff.)

P.S. -- Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the volunteers and sponsors who made BarCamp possible. I really appreciated this experience and can't wait to participate next year. Extra thanks to Sitening for the free food and Griffin for the free swag.

Blog Roll

My sources tell me that all the cool kids have blog rolls on their sites, so I decided I better add one, too.

Ladies and gentlemen, please look to the bottom right of the page for what's currently in my feed reader.

TA-DAAAAAAA!


I've also started writing a couple of other blogs:
Hockey Wife -- My perspective as the wife of a hockey fanatic
ghia blog -- my business blog

... And Not a Drop to Drink?

Does anybody else have gross water right now?

The water at my house looks okay, but it smells and tastes terrible. I first noticed it last night while brushing my teeth.

I was afraid that maybe something was wrong with the pipes at our house, but to my relief(?) the East Nashville list-serve was abuzz with water complaints. Once person said their water tasted and smelled like lake water, and another person described it as tasting metallic.

Someone else on the list reported that Clarksville residents have been complaining about bad tasting water as well. Apparently there has been an increase in algae in the Cumberland River, exacerbated by the heat and lack of rain, and it has been affecting the taste and smell of the water. So....perhaps it is affecting the water down here, too?

Is anybody else experiencing this?

Tomato Recap

The Tomato Art Fest was AWESOME! I had so much fun. I actually got teary during the parade -- there was something so wonderful about seeing all of my neighbors (and their children and dogs) dressed in tomato-y goodness.

Paul took tons of pictures. You can check them out here.

The first page of pictures are from the East Nashville fashion show that took place at the fest.

One of the highlights of the festival for me was the fact that my booth was next to The Veggie Cafe booth. I got to sample a vegetarian wrap and non-dairy smoothie for lunch, and that was the perfect meal for such a sweltering day. Plus, when Paul brought Cameron the dog for a visit, the veggie ladies brought over some ice to keep Cameron cool.

Tomato Time!

This Saturday is East Nashville's annual Tomato Art Fest. I'm going to be there, and you should go, too. :-)

Actually, I'll have a booth there for ghia. Come see our new fair trade purses and accessories, plus fun tomato hats and buttons. My friend Ariana will be there, too, selling her awesome hand-crafted earrings.

I'll be in the lot next to Art & Invention on Woodland Street, from 10am to 6pm. While you're there, check out the rest of the festival, including a parade, a fashion show, lots of music, and salsa dancing lessons. Oh, and the tomato art! You can see a complete schedule at www.tomatoartfest.com.


On Sunday, I'll be taking part in CRAFT -- A Creative Community. It's a terrific event with Nashville artists and artisans selling their wares. Visit us behind the Lipstick Lounge (Woodland and 14th) from 11am to 5pm.

Music Festival? I am so there.

I like going to concerts, but lately I have been too old too grown-up too busy to go to many.

Well, it looks like I have my chance to catch up on everything I have missed with Next Big Nashville.

NBN is a 5-day event with over 130 bands, with a heavy emphasis on local bands and labels.
It will take place September 5 through 9, with a kick off event on the 5th featuring locally produced documentaries.

For the low, low price of $30, you can get a wristband that will get you into all of the events. Here are some of my highlights based on the schedule so far:

Judd & Maggie
The Becoming
AutoVaughn
Sam & Ruby
Cortney Tidwell
Jeremy Lister
Venus Hum (Welcome back to Nashvegas, Annette!!!)
Sam Ashworth
Gabe Dixon Band

I am quite familiar with some of these artists, but many of them I have never heard and want to see based on the buzz surrounding them.

So, next question: can somebody out there get me a VIP-pass? One for Paul, too.

Jean Blues

So what's up with blue jeans?

They are so tight when I put them on in the morning that I wonder if I should go up to the next size.

By the evening, I have to use a belt to make them stay up.

Someone needs to build a better denim.

The Truth About Cats and Dogs

Poor Cameron. He's been having a tough time in this heat. He mostly just lays in the shade all day.
Occasionally, though, I will water him. That's right, I water my dog. Like he's a plant.

Paul came up with the idea. He was watering some new grass one evening when Cameron decided to zoom around the yard, running under the hose over and over again. So now we just spray him with the hose, full on. He rears up on his hind legs, majestic lab that he is, and tries to bite the water. It's fantastic.

Loa, on the other hand, seems to be enjoying the heat. She just lays in our front window and bakes. Cats are thermal-powered, you know.

I kept Cameron in the house for a few hours today to keep him out of the heat. Loa did not appreciate this at all. She slunk out of her window, crept to the doorway, and gave Cameron evil looks as he sat obliviously in his crate.

zzzzzzz.......

So tireds......

Life has been very exhausting lately, although I can't point to a particular reason why.

I have two ghia events this weekend, and I think they are siphoning away a lot of my mental energy. I'm really excited to show people my products and explain fair trade principles, but I guess I am a little scared, too. What if I forget something? What if I neglect one of the many steps in my plan for business awesomeness?

Since I am human, despite my best efforts to be a robot, I can just about guarantee that I will forget something. And you know what? It will be okay. Life will keep going.

So the sooner I let go of my worries and run my business one small task at a time, the better.

Self, are you listening?

Upcoming Events, Random Thoughts, Linky-Dinks, etc.

Upcoming Events
BarCamp Nashville: Just registered today. Hoping to do a lot of networking and learning for ghia.

Tomato Art Fest: East Nashville's annual festival. You must go. We shall eat. We shall throw tomatoes. We shall dress in silly costumes. Much fun will be had. (And there will be a ghia booth, where you can buy stuff!)

Random Thoughts
Hurray! The Predators will (probably-almost-for-sure) be bought by the local group!

Why is my face breaking out right now? Gr.

Our SG-1 Season 10 boxed set arrived today. The behind-the-scenes feature on the 200th episode is awesome.

I just ordered more apparel for ghia, and I need models. Are any of you bloggers out there exceptionally photogenic? Other than my husband, whom I already drafted?

I can't decide which is weirder -- Prisoners doing the Thriller dance, or video game characters doing the Thriller dance.

Linky-Dinks
(not to be confused with Shrinky-Dinks)

Home-Ec 101: Natural, happy ways to clean the shower (must try this -- my current shower cleaner stuff practically burns my face off).

Harry Potter Obituaries (Thanks to MusicCityBloggers.com)
SPOILERS! Don't read if you haven't finished Deathly Hallows.

NASCAR Coach Reveals Secrets of Racing (Thanks to Josh Tinley)