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1. Using up all the ink in a pen and then throwing it away
2. Burping
3. Finding money in the pockets of jeans you rarely wear
4. Eating everything on your plate
5. Getting a good grade on that paper you totally half-assed
6. Walking out in the middle of a movie that is totally crap
7. Actually having the perfect comeback for a snarky comment (at the time of the snarky comment, not two hours later)

• Nick Valensi of The Strokes
• Jack White of White Stripes
• Patrick Wolf
• Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys
• Brandon Boyd of Incubus
• Gwen Stefani of No Doubt
• Jacques Brautbar previously from Phantom Planet
• Tim Wheeler of Ash
• Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand
• John Lennon of The Beatles
• Lovefoxx of CSS
• Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Damon Albarn of Blur
• Andrew VanWyngarden of MGMT

photo: marcelgermain

• Drink peppermint tea on the porch.
  
• Crack open the window and read a book in bed.
  
• Play Scrabble by candlelight.
  
• Put on a raincoat and rubber boots and go for a walk, making sure to jump in every puddle I see.
  
• Bake a vegetable pot pie and a plate of brownies.
  
• Watch as many episodes of My So-Called Life as I can handle before dying of embarrassment.
  

• Went swimming with dolphins in water populated by giant squid
  
• Went snorkelling on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef
• Bungy jumped off a 35 metre bridge
• Survived a Rage Against the Machine concert with only a few bruises
• Rode an elephant in Thailand
• Spent two nights in a haunted jungle hut
• Camped illegally in France on two seperate occasions
  

1. Moving through crowds (I always get in trouble for leaving people behind)
   
2. Snorting derisively
3. Choosing the best apples
   
4. Arranging objects (especially by colour and/or size)
   
5. Russian style dancing (like this)
6. Quoting Family Guy at appropriate moments
7. Winning the game Spoons
   

We´ve all dated a few lemons, right? Riiiight?! Let´s use this as an opportunity to examine all the reasons we´re better off with out them!

1. High school boyfriend: Insisted on answering the phone, regardless of what activities we were currently engaged in. Like watching South Park.
2. Freshman year boyfriend: Had nether regions that smelled like refried beans.
3. College boyfriend: Afraid of talking on the phone to anyone even vaguely authoritative
4. Ex-pat boyfriend: Everything was non-awesome, except for his shocking, shocking good looks.
5. Travel boyfriend: Everybody thought he was gay. Including me when I first met him.
   

What were the less than spectacular things about the folks you´ve dated?

Posted by Sarah Von

Photo Credit

Sometimes a day off work to do very little is necessary and for me, those days are the Mondays after I've spent the weekend at law school. After a weekend of intensive learning (and usually a great night out on the Saturday too) a day of doing very little really helps to recharge the batteries! 

I like to use these days to completely relax and be a little selfish! Some of my favourite ways to relax on my duvet days are:

1. Sleeping in is essential - I like to stay in bed as long as possible, which is very easy in winter when it's really too cold to get up!
2. I'll spend ages in the shower without having to worry that I'm making someone late for work. 
3. I'll eat a proper breakfast, something I don't tend to have time for on a normal work day. 
4. I can check my email and read blogs without the fear of my boss appearing over my shoulder! 
5. I like to drink posh tea whilst watching documentaries and whatever I can find in the "on demand" TV listings. 
6. I read something "easy" something that doesn't require too much thinking. 
7. If I feel like being a little more energetic I do some extra exercise, though nothing too strenuous!
8. I'll cook something that requires more time than I usually have on an evening, such as a stew or something that requires extensive marinating. 

What do you do on your days off work if you're at home on your own? 

• She-Ra Princess of Power. She was my childhood Hero. I used to dress up like her (very creatively I might add, I remember a tube top, see through tutu, a dress used as a cape, and my mom's high heels) and reenact her entire transformation scene when she changes from Adora into She-Ra. This was a daily ritual for me.

• The Little Mermaid. Again with the reenacting, I would pretend I was Ariel in "Part of Your World."

• My parents. Their love and guidance has molded me into the woman I am today and I am thankful to have had such positive role models growing up.

• My husband, the Air Force helicopter pilot, and our friends serving in all branches of the military. I am grateful to all those in the armed forces (past, present, and future) that serve our nation, for their selfless acts of patriotism and heroism. Thank you to our veterans, servicemen/women, and their families for the sacrifices they have made for our freedom. I am proud to be a military wife!

• The entire cast of Heroes. This is by far one of the best shows on television right now. My two favorite characters are Sylar (okay technically he's a villian) and Hiro Nakamura. To quote Dwight K. Schrute: "I am not a hero. I am a mere defender of the office. You know who's a real hero? Hiro, from Heroes. That's a hero... Also, Bono."

1. Mushrooms - the taste, the texture, the smell... there is nothing good about mushrooms at all!
2. Pine nuts - they always seem to sneak into all types of food, ruining what would otherwise be a nice meal
3. Olives - every now and then I think that I've judged olives too harshly and decide to give them another try. Every time I regret it!
4. Parsnips - nasty. Just nasty
5. Celery - I especially hate eating celery by mistake when there's some hidden in a salad
   
6. Shellfish - I think that any type of shell fish shouldn't really be considered a food

photo: artjunkgirl

• Nature! The great outdoors are an unending source of inspiration. A long walk, a run through the woods, a creek where I can sit and jot down ideas while no one is looking. Solitude and a stretch of grass can go a long way.
  
• The Internet. Sure, a live connection can often spell disaster for the aimless and uninspired. (Wikipeida, can I please have back all those hours of my life?) However, every tool is a weapon if you hold it right and the Internet can be one of your best defenses against idle hands. Explore images on Flickr, find writing prompts, connect with other artists and makers and movers and shakers. (If you find a good shaker link, let me know.) Give yourself a time limit and when that limit is up, get off the Internet and start creating!
• Friends. Start a book club, a writers' group, a monthly craft night, a running coterie. Accountability is a strong motivator, and hanging out with your friends makes procrastination seem like a silly idea.
• Newspapers. I like to page (or click) through the news and save articles about weird places, strange coincidences, and interesting people. Later, when I need an idea, I pull out one of the stories I've squirreled away and use it as a jumping off place for something else.
  

• Nancy Drew
• The Babysitters Club
• Bad Jelly the Witch
• The Chronicles of Narnia
• Rebecca's World
• Any books written by Tamora Pierce or Sheryl Jordan
• The Hobbit
• Goosebumps

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1. Not taking the posh office job in the suburbs. Because pantyhose don't suit me.
   
2. Making daily sunscreen wearing a habit. I will be pale and droopy just like everyone else at 60, but damnit it, I will be wrinkle/skin cancer free!
   
3. Ending a five-year relationship with a lovely, lovely guy who just wasn't right for me. And now we are good friends - I even set him up with his new lady!
   
4. Buying a scooter when I lived in Taiwan. "Well hello, my good friend Freedom! What's up? I'm totally going to ditch that lame-o hanger on Crowded Asian Public Transport. She's such a bitch, yo."
   
5. Giving up our television service. Hulu and movies = Best Ever. Then I don't get sucked into anything featuring Paula Abdul or that doctor named Meredith. (There! I said it! I'm not into Grey's Anatomy!)
   
6. Giving up my lady-magazine subscriptions. And by that I mean Cosmo and People. Does not include Oprah or Real Simple. Because apparently I'm 45 on the inside.
   
7. Drinking protein shakes for breakfast. Being a veteran vegetarian, you would think I'd be good about including beans/tofu/legumes in my diet. You would be incorrect.
   
8. Switching to Depo. Dudes: no pills. No period. Awesome!
9. Diving headlong into a serious relationship, with full knowledge that I was moving to a different country in two months. Because then he quit his job and moved to New Zealand with me!