Piece of Cake

I have this thing where, from time to time, I make baked good and then pack them up, and take them with me somewhere, and give them out to people that I think could use some sweet goodness in their life. This may sound like a bizarre and potentially dangerous  thing to do, but since I am generally giving them out in settings where I know the people there, it's really less risky than you might think, other than the chance that someone who did not get sweet goodness will start a riot. Which to date has not happened, and I really don't anticipate it. But if for some odd reason I completely lost my mind and ran for President (hey, just a few more years and I'm eligible, now that I think of it), I would definitely be running on a cake platform.

So, today I distributed cake to three friends in my program. I actually planned giving it to one friend, who had been raving about my cakes, and I realized it had been a while since I'd given her cake, and I felt an urgent need to remedy the situation. And I thought it would be nice to give some to another friend of mine, just because. And I had a third container of cake, and saw a third friend, and thought, "Yes. He needs cake." And, go figure, he did.

I sometimes worry that people will feel kind of bad that I didn't actually think of them from the outset, but so far, no one has complained. I think it is just taking the whole "Be prepared" motto to a new level. Help an old lady cross the street, have delicious baked goods on hand to share with those in need. It is just being prepared to make someone's day. (This  may be why I am sometimes referred to as a cake fairy. Maybe.)

Anyway, if you ever want to feel like you've made a difference in the world, you should try giving people cake. Honestly. You won't regret it.

The tech magnet

So, I am not the most techy person, but I do have a fair bit of cool technological gizmos. And I tend to take them with me when I go places--GPS, laptop, phone, camera, iPod. (Yeah, that is about the extent of my technological coolness. And the iPod? It's a 4-year old touch. Does that make it less cool? It was very cool 4 years ago). A couple of weekends ago, I went to my sister's. Now, she has 5 kids, the youngest of whom is in the 3ish range. And loves tech gadgets. And calls the iPod "the other phone". And asks me, in his very cute almost 3ish way, "Can I play with your other phone?" And I am a sucker, so I let him. (Probably good that he's into the other phone, now that he's figured out how to slide open my actual phone. He once dialed 555-555-555-555555. I don't want to see what else he might dial). He also develops this unusual burning desire to sit on my lap when I have my laptop out. I'm not fooled. It's not because he wants to snuggle with me. He wants to play with the laptop. (I'm less of a sucker for this trick).

Back to the story. So, I went to visit, and he asked if he could play with my other phone. And I pulled it out and gave it to him. No other kids in sight. Within seconds, he was surrounded by siblings trying to coach him or coax the iPod out of his hands. It was fascinating. And I saw the same phenomenon in church the next day. Someone in the row in front of us had an iPad, and as soon as they noticed, there was this migration to the vicinity of the iPad, and hovering over the bench.

I think that scientists need to research this effect, and find a way to harness the magnetic power of technology. It has potential.

It's raining, it's pouring

I am sitting in my living room, which since the move has a very nice view of something other than the parking lot, and it is raining. Hard. Lightning, and thunder, and downpour. I love storms like this. And I am really enjoying being able to enjoy it. And the next best part? I don't have to worry about waking up in a puddle.

Road Trip

This weekend I drove to Indiana for a Conference. (Wow, how professional!) It was an interesting drive on the way down. The first half of the trip was rain. Sometimes a LOT of rain. Rain to the point that it was pretty pointless to have the wipers going, because they couldn't keep up. When the rain finally let up, it was wind. Strong wind. VERY strong wind. Yeah, that might have had something to do with the tornadoes that wreaked havoc on that part of the country. Not that I saw any tornadoes--I'm not sure they made it as far as I was--but I was kind of in that area of the country. For the record, if that is the closest I ever get to seeing or experiencing a tornado, I will be just fine. I will not feel like I have been robbed at all.
I saw some interesting signs on my trip. I have this new hobby in which I find funny signs. There weren't any super funny signs, although I did like Tippy Ditch. I also have to comment on Gas City, Indiana. I am sure that it is a lovely town, and I have nothing against the town. But I definitely think they could have found a more suitable font for their water tower than Comic Sans. Don't get me wrong--I am not a Comic Sans hater. The font has its highly appropriate uses. But of the thousands of choices available, it's not the font I would choose to highlight my city on a water tower. That's just me though. (And I am a self-convicted font snob).
Indiana was beautiful. I really enjoyed the scenery, and it was a lovely drive. I was kind of sad that I couldn't stop and take pictures, and since taking pictures while driving is not a practice I recommend, I had to let it go, but I wish I had some pictures. I also discovered the James Dean Museum, and was kind of sad I didn't have time to goof off and see it. Not because I am a huge James Dean fan (although, I did really like East of Eden. But not just because it had James Dean). Just because it would have been an entertainingly goofy thing to do. But the website indicates it wouldn't be open right now anyway, so I feel a little better.
Anyway, it was a whirlwind trip--down on Friday and back on Saturday, but it wasn't bad. It was nice to get away and see some more of the country. Yay for road trips!