I found myself longing for Tuscany again after reading this article in the New York Times real estate section, about a Phoenix woman who bought a beautiful Tuscan house by getting subscribers to pay $1000 for a three-week stay there. The house is simply gorgeous. I'm now thinking about investing in Italy. Hm.
By way of update, my idea of having a personal assistant tackle my list of projects has worked beautifully so far! I now have covers on my electrical switches, a closet door that doesn't fall over and frighten the dogs, a shower that drains and all other variety of newly-repaired wonders in my home. Now I have to do my part and make up my mind about the biggest project--the leaking porch--and what I plan to do about it. Argh.
I learned yesterday morning that the TSA's strongpoint is not common sense (or fractions). You may have heard that passengers may once again travel with containers of liquids that weigh less than 3 ounces. I had not heard of the 3 ounce restriction and found myself traveling with a 4 ounce, see-through, travel bottle containing my face gel. The bottle was significantly less than 1/2 full. So the brilliant TSA agent examines it, saying, "I don't see a size on here, so I will have to take it." She then saw a label that said 4 ounces, and said, "Well, 4 ounces, I will have to take it anyway." When I pointed out that the 4 ounce countainer was clearly less than 1/2 full, making it obviously less than 3 ounces, her face took on a puzzled expression. I tried again, gently saying, "A less than half-full 4 ounce container clearly weighs less than 3 ounces, you see?" But she would brook no lip from a smarty like me, and took my bottle away with a flourish, then threatened to detain me when I snapped a picture of her doing so with the camera on my cell phone. Yes, these people are responsible for the security of our country's flight systems. Feel safer?
My pet peeve of the day: people who smoke right outside the door to a building where smoking is banned, forcing non-smokers to walk though a Cloud Of Lung Cancer if they want to go to work. There is nothing I hate more than being forced to move my freshly-showered and dressed body through their cloud of smoke. Ugh.
Wondering how to tell when a relationship is over? I love the British, by the way.
Speaking of the British, I loved this Guardian article about judging people by the books they read. It raises two excellent questions:
(1) What, books-wise, does it for you?
(2) Are there any books that would put you off absolutely, no matter how attractive the reader?
My off-the-cuff answers:
(1) Anything slightly off-kilter, but not frighteningly so.
(2) "20 ways to yes" or other go-getter kinds of sales/leadership books or anything indicating right-wing tendencies.
Another picture from my Labor Day trip home:
30 September 2006
Tidbits
Posted by Lisa at 3:05 PM
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4 comments:
Now Lisa, you clearly need airport security checkin remedial training. The TSA has put some helpful gender specific videos on their website just for authority challenged travelers like you. You will see when you watch the video that all the containers are clearly less than 3 ounces in size. Math is not requirement for TSA training, particularly difficult math like fractions. On the other hand, I would prefer if repacking a suitcase so that the clothes won't wrinkle was on the list of required skills.
Cool links today! That article from the Guardian was really great. I think I may have to post on that, too!
BTW, if I saw a guy reading a mystery or a classic, especially The Great Gatsby, that would do it for me. But if it's a self-help book or anything on Oprah's list--no way.
Where oh where is the cell phone camera picture of the brilliant TSA agent?
TSA picture? Working on it!
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