Beware the Ides of March

I know we're a couple of weeks away from the official Ides of March, but that's just a fun phrase to say, as long as you say it in your most dramatic voice. Give it a try!

Happy March! Rabbit rabbit rabbit! Gotta keep those evil spirits away. Today is a fairly pretty day, with some peeks of sunshine. It's not a heat wave, by any means, but it's up to 41°. I'm feeling like spring is on the way! My hopes and optimism will be dashed next week, when we get more snow, so I'll just enjoy the day and not think about what is in store for us.

It's been a nice, quiet day. I had a good chat with my Mom and Dad, and they're doing well. My Mom and I started talking a little politics, and I was stunned to hear her say that she really kind of likes Obama. Wherever you're at, you might have heard the sound of me being knocked over with that particular little feather! Granted, her or Dad won't vote for him in the general election--they are staunch Republicans--but I couldn't believe my ears! Mom basically said she likes it that he's getting people to hope that things can be better, and she said, "And oh my, is he smaaaart? Gosh." Have I mentioned how much I love my Mom? She tickles me to no end.

        

I've done a little laundry, but the rest of the day up until now has been spent reading the paper and surfing. My mind is officially boggled. I was looking at a web site called RefDesk, and it's unbelievable how much information is there. It led me to another site called Library Spot, and I spent more time looking through that one. I never paid attention, but there are crossword puzzles online--I love crossword puzzles! Ooo, I wonder if I can find my favorite, Crypto Families, where letters are substituted in a list of items....

<getting a grip> I think my curiosity level has reached critical mass. We were talking the other day at work about how the Web has changed our world. Some of us are at a certain age where we remember the time B.W. (Before the Web). I used to actually have REFERENCE books, can you imagine that? As a kid, I remember looking through what we called our "set of encyclopedias." What a cabinet of curiosities! We have so much information at our fingertips today, and I wouldn't change that, but have we lost something in the process? Maybe a little...I remember how much I enjoyed leafing through books and seeing what I discovered. Knowledge didn't come with a few keystrokes, it came with actively seeking out that which we wanted to learn more about. Curiosity fueled my desire to learn and explore, and books were the best way to do that. It was a slow process, and the knowledge came in at a trickle, more readily absorbed and processed than the flood of information we're now subjected to at every turn.

But all in all? The information available today is astonishing and wonderful. While I can recall my childhood encyclopedic wanderings with fondness, I'm amazed and grateful to have so much information so readily available, and so quickly. It truly is a world of information, and I love it.

In my exploration today, I came across this quote and liked it very much.

Nothing is ever lost by courtesy. It is the cheapest of pleasures, costs nothing, and conveys much.

-- Erastus Wiman

I would also add that it's simply the right thing to do.

Tonight is our nice dinner out, followed by a comedy show--6 great comedians, including one of my favorites, Drew Hastings. I'm not sure what I'll go for at dinner tonight. We have plenty of beef in the freezer, but prime rib is always good. Seafood? That's a possibility. I always like to try something that I normally wouldn't have at home. At one time, this restaurant served ostrich, so I'd love it if they have that on the menu tonight. I've had it before, in San Diego I think, and I thought it was delicious. I've had alligator, too, but I'd be surprised if that's on tonight's menu. Hey, I'm getting hungry!