There's Never a Need for 20 Degrees

It's August. Today, I wore layers, boots and a sweater at work. Why? I'm glad you asked. Although, the sun's high in the sky; the temperature's pleasant and comfortable; flowers are blooming; birds are singing, and bees are buzzing, the temperature in my office building is somewhere near -20. Okay. I'm exaggerating. It's more like 20 degrees, but that's not much better. Freezing is freezing.

Everyone in my office has a space heater. One colleague has covered all the vents in his office to keep the cold air from blowing in. We all make multiple trips for coffee, tea, hot chocolate and whatever else can relieve the chills. I think I felt icicles growing off my elbow one day. It's ridiculous.

Although this problem is a huge issue at work, I've noticed it elsewhere. It's 80 degrees outside, so for some reason the Powers That Be decide it should be 35 degrees inside. I don't really get the logic. Obviously, if it's hot outside, there needs to be some cooling going on indoors, but there's never a need for 20 degrees ... never.

So, as I try to calculate how many sick days I have left, since I was out with a cold for a week this summer, I'm officially starting a petition. Please sign if you've ever gone to a movie in the summer and bought coffee at the concession stand because it was freezing. Sign if you have to leave your office building and take a walk around the block to warm up. Sign if you've sneezed or blown your nose indoors while bees still buzz through the air. Sign if you haven't been able to wear any summer clothes this season because it's too cold indoors.

Let's make a difference. It's time to finally put an end to excessive cooling. Who's with me?

Do You Want a Hair With Those Fries?

Of all the reasons to avoid fast foood, this may be at the top of the list. Click on the link below. A Burger King employee was tape recorded bathing in the restaurant's sink.

http://www.wusa9.com/news/watercooler/story.aspx?storyid=74998&catid=148

The thought sickens me.

We already have to worry about salmonella and ecoli. Now, we have to worry about pubic hairs, too.

See you at the grocery store.

My Gold Medal Moment

You've got to love the Olympics. It's so inspiring to see the world's best going after their dreams. They've worked hard, and it all leads up to that one climactic competition. You can't help but root for the athletes. You want them all to win gold, but you especially cheer for those that obtain it. I admit it. I get teary-eyed sometimes as I watch. Maybe that's because I can relate.

I participated in a sort of Olympics of my own years ago. It wasn't televised, but it's the closest thing to an Olympics that I'll ever experience.

When I was in high school, I competed in an orchestra competition in Canada. Our orchestra was a team. We practiced hard. We traveled to compete. We performed, and we kicked butt. LOL. We won as many trophies as possible, and out of a possible 100, we scored a 97.

I admit I've always been sort of a geek, and what I remember most distinctly is when we realized we'd won. We jumped out of our seats and rushed our orchestra conductor. We shouted and cheered. It was our Gold Medal moment.

Okay, that may be sort of lame, but I'm owning it. LOL. That was my Olympic moment, and just like Michael Phelps, Shawn Johnson and the rest of the champions will tell you. You don't forget it.

Do you have a Gold Medal moment? Share.

Gorgeous, Grotesque or Somewhere In Between?

I'm a firm believer that "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." What one woman thinks is stunningly beautiful; another may find grotesque.

I came across this photo gallery of "models" who work for an "Ugly" agency. I don't know how to feel, since most of the people featured look better than I do! LOL.

Check it out.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26037035/?pg=1#TDY_UglyModels&gt1=43001

I have a friend who isn't at all shy to deem others "ugly," a word I try to avoid using. She says that just as some people are attractive to the majority (Halle Berry), there are those who are unattractive to most people (deceased rap artist Biggie Smalls). Those are the ugly ones; she says.

So, what do you think?

What makes someone beautiful? What makes someone ugly? Is there such a thing as physical ugliness, or should that descriptor be saved for people with harsh interiors? Where do you fall? Are you gorgeous, grotesque or somewhere in between?