From the Observation Deck

Stuck in the honey jar.

This post has no real purpose except maybe to point out the need for everyone to be a bit silly from time to time. Now you don’t have to stick your head in a hole and get stuck in the proverbial pooh honey jar, but try to take a few minutes out of each day to see the joy and beauty in life. And if you do decide to take some risks and get silly, you may just find some honey, a bone, or treats. Or in human dreams it may be something like love, employment, children, health, or some kind of special joy that’s custom made just for you.

October is officially adopt-a-dog month, but doesn’t this picture of Grendel’s friend Keelee just want to make you go out and get a companion of your own right now? (Or maybe not.) Visit Petfinder and take home a fur ball of your own to love!

To all you dads out there—happy Father’s Day! And a special shout out to my own daddyoh—thanks for everything dad and I hope you have a great day.

We all know those cliché stories about dad getting a tie for a father’s day present, but I was curious what all of you think is the funniest gift you’ve ever gotten, given, or heard was gotten or given for Father’s Day.

I am a dutiful daughter and send my dad a card that makes him laugh (or at least smile). If he was here this weekend I would take him to dinner but he’s being a good husband and taking care of mom today.

Here are some funny Father’s Day presents I found online, but please share your stories and ideas about presents by replying to this post.

Duct Tape Wallet
I’m all for the kids making things for presents. It’s thrifty, they make a real effort to think about something special, and it’s from the heart. Having said that, you may want to think of a homemade gift that can be eaten, displayed for awhile, and thrown out without remorse. A duct tape wallet may be tricky. I’m sure dad does not want to put his real dollars and credit cards in it and take it to work. There is also a bacon version of a wallet.

Condiment Gun
Going into the summer, this could be fun for the whole family. According to the Amazon page it “triggers delicious fun when dressing burgers.”

There are plenty of stupid gag gifts to give dad, but let’s be honest. In this new economy, do you really want to be throwing away good money? Make it a gift that he can really use or enjoy. Here are a few ideas.

Man’s Man Gifts
Beer of the month club, baseball game tour, tools, sports car rental—all interesting ideas that could please most fathers. Check them out at StyleCrave.com.

Whatever you give dear old dad, make sure it’s from the heart and that you send him your love. If your dad is no longer with us or is just not around, then share your appreciation of someone else in your life who may have had a hand in your upbringing or maybe just a friend who is a dad.

Happy Father’s Day!

The other day I was watching the movie “The Women.” It was a pretty decent movie—I mean how can it stink with all those mega stars in it? The plot of this movie revolves around several women and some pretty stressful situations that they are going through. Pregnancy, job instability, infidelity, divorce, and raising a teenage daughter, to name the big ones. Everyone deals with stress in different ways but it was Meg Ryan’s character who really cracked me up.

During this one scene after she has a big fight with the soon-to-be ex-husband, she goes down to the kitchen and starts looking for something yummy (that is to say sugary and fattening) to eat. A girl after my own heart. Her kitchen however, was lacking in those kinds of foods, so she makes what I have to say is the most disgusting concoction I’ve ever seen.

The recipe goes like so:

• One stick of butter
• One can of cocoa (the kind you bake with)
• One glass of milk

Instructions:
Dip the stick of butter into the can of cocoa and then dip it into the glass of milk. Take a bite.

I heart the writer who came up with that scene. It was priceless. In any case, I’ve been dealing with the stress of unemployment for the last several months and I’ve decided that I’m going to start eating better and exercising more. Having said that, since it’s officially summertime, I will not be giving up my frozen strawberry daiquiris. Please people, you’ve got to live a little!

How do you deal with stress? Is there anything you are resolved to work on this summer?