How to waste time

There are not many things in life that I would say I'm an expert at...higher than average at? Yes. Expert? No. That being said, one thing I am particularly good at doing is wasting time. I've been doing it all my life and have refined my technique over the years as my tastes have changed and new technologies have been introduced (cause hey, technology changes everything).

As a kid, I primarily wasted time watching t.v. I probably watched more t.v. than I got hours of sleep at certain points in my life. It's still a tried and true approach to wasting time, but with the advent of the Internet, there are so many more options available. Whether you're at home or at work, there's always something new to experience on the Internet. Here are a few of my faves:

1. Fun with Anagrams: Who wouldn't enjoy an hour or so of typing in various combinations of their names to figure out what silly words get spit out. For the record, here are a few of the better ones from my name: lick men only, cony men kill, lock my linen, only clink me...Good times n'est pas?
2. Browsing Status Updates on Facebook: Some of the best writing on the Internet can be found on the status update pages of Facebook. What amazes me is that reading these pithy little pieces often provides more insight into my friends than an entire conversation ever could (maybe just means I'm not a good conversationalist though). Here is a selection of witty missives from today: A.V. is a grasshopper not an ant, B.L. is full of good ideas, C.D. is breaking the pattern(s).
3. Googling one's self: Admit it. You've done it too. I was thrilled to find out that not only am I a competative body builder and played baseball at Texas A&M, but I am also the Marketing Communications Production Manager at Audi -- athletic and intelligent!

Elevator-related pet peeves

Out and about with a new baby in a stroller, I have way more occasion to use elevators than I ever did b.b. (before baby). The situation has brought a couple of new pet peeves to light.

Young, able-bodied people who refuse to use the stairs/escalator
Today I saw a pair of girls wait for almost five minutes for the lift rather than walk an extra ten feet and take the stairs. A few weeks ago, I saw another set of girls (not the same ones thank God) wait an inordinant amount of time for an elevator that only travelled six feet (that an elevator is necessary to travel only six feet is a story for another day)! Taking the stairs is the way to go: it's less crowded, more often than not it saves time, it's built in exercise and you won't increase your carbon footprint to boot! All I can say is it must be nice to be young and have that much time to waste.

Ingorant people who block the doors preventing smooth egress
Here's how the scenario should work: press elevator call button (either up or down, you choose depending on your needs)... step aside and eagerly wait for the elevator to arrive (what you do to entertain yourself during this time is up to you)...when the doors open, wait for the current occupants to exit before making your own grand entrance. It's really not that difficult. (Note: This peeve goes beyond the world of elevators and extends to various forms of transit too.