Friday I'm in Love: Cool is Arbitrary

Cool stuff I read this week: Republicans lie 3 times more than Democrats, A Poisoned Season (Lady Emily mystery), an interview with George R.R. Martin and how to make a rape joke.

Cool stuff I discovered this week: Buycott - An app that helps you shop according to your social conscience. You can scan items and see if they have GMOs or are from a Koch Brothers subsidiary. There are actually lots of issues you can choose from the site - even some conservative ones. And Kids Bowl Free, so that we can bowl on the cheap all summer.

Cool stuff I watched this week: After Game of Thrones, you really can't call too many shows "cool". Plus, it's June. Not too many new shows in June. Although I did discover something on National Geographic - Polygamy, U.S.A. I am totally fascinated by anything involving polygamists and these people are the real deal. It's much more like an ongoing documentary  than a reality show.

Cool blogs I read this week: I discovered Sara again, I used to read her old blog a billion years ago in the dawn of mommyblogging and I'm happy to have found her sarcasm again. Also, I freely admit that I started reading Stay At Home Pundit for her name alone, but now I read her for fun.

Cool stuff I listened to this week: I do not have satellite radio. I am over 40. I'm pretty sure my cool music days are over. However, at least my kids like this song by Of Monsters and Men more than they like anything by One Direction.

Coolest photo I took this week:

Two teeth in a week - not even counthing the one the dentist took out yesterday. 

Pay It Forward Friday. . .Er, Saturday

Yesterday, the fabulous Karly at Wiping Up Snot was named a featured blogger on An Iowa Mom's Pay It Forward Friday. Because it's all about the paying it forward, Karly then named me as a featured blogger on her blog. I have spent the interim feeling flattered and superior, though I now realize that I'm supposed to pay it forward too.



So that means I have to pick a featured blogger of my own. Do you know how hard that is? Do you have any idea how many great bloggers are in my Google Reader? But I only get to pick one. So I apologize to everyone else, because you are all fantastic.

• Title Of Blog I Would Like To Feature Is: One Word, One Rung, One Day


• URL To That Blog: http://traviserwin.blogspot.com


• I Like This Blog Because: Travis is funny and clever. And his blog covers so many things - writing, marriage, crazy stories from his youth - that you can always find a post or two to suit your mood.


• Here Is A Post I Enjoyed: I really liked this one. Possibly because it's something Hot Guy would write, if he wrote stories about our lives.

A Trip to the Big City

I went into the city (that's New York City, for those of you who think that there are other cities on this planet) yesterday with my parents and their friends. We went to the New York City Ballet and out to dinner. It was fun, though I felt slightly guilty leaving the kiddos with Hot Guy all day. I'm over it now, though.

What I'm not over is how I've never, ever, not even when I was a skinny, young, trendy thing, felt cool in New York City. It's not that I feel insecure, or overwhelmed or intimidated in the city. I like visiting the city. I'm not afraid of getting lost or being yelled at by a crazy person (that hasn't happened in years, I wonder where Giuilani put them all?). It's just that Manhattan has always made me feel like Ugly Betty - a guileless geek.

It struck me yesterday was that after years of feeling cool in Boston, Seattle and Kansas City and then joining the mommy crowd and not caring about coolness, NYC could still make me feel dorky. No wonder I still consider it "the city."