Most of us appreciate a hotel with good service and are quick to criticize those that don't provide it. We like the fluffy towels, the heated toilet seat, all the TV channels, the fruit bowl and whatever additional niceties we can muster.
Your list of "now that's pampering" might be different than mine but I suspect we agree that a hotel in the UK has overstepped whatever pampering boundaries exist. How? By supplying bed warmers.
So what's wrong with that you ask. Your mental image is probably some high tech hot water bottle or heating pad or designer label bed socks. All of these are toasty, practical -- and, in this case, completely wrong.
Shift your mental image -- big time. Think live person. Think live person in pj's. Think live person in pj's rolling around in your bed. Live person in pj's gets out. You get in. Granted the bed is warm but is this nighty-night or a nightmare?
What qualifications do you need to get a "bed warmer" job? Are candidates asked about their hygiene habits? I assume it's part-time with evening hours only. Jammies supplied? Are you supposed to watch? Chat? Do they work for tips? How much?
Even though the administration's looking for ways to create jobs, keep your fingers crossed that "bed warmer" isn't on the Labor Department's list of promising new careers.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Word Play
Ever heard of www.freerice.com? It's a vocabulary game site in which you select a definition to sometimes challenging words. Get it right and a United Nations food program donates rice to the hungry.
It's a great time filler -- or killer -- and I not only learn something but also help feed the world. So far I've made it to level 46 out of 60 and there I am stuck.
When I play Free Rice I dissect the more difficult words, looking for a prefix or suffix that might unlock the meaning. It's also one of those times that I can actually use my two years of high school Latin. As a freshman, you'd rather be learning anything but the nominative or ablative case. Knowing that Gaul is divided into three parts is at the bottom of any sophomore's "fun facts" list.
But to my surprise, some of what I thought was useless information lingers in a long dormant brain cell or two. When challenged by a level 46 Free Rice word it comes to life -- along with a glimpse of the nun who taught the subject. She was so old we were certain that she was actually with Ceasar on his trek.
My new favorite word -- from Level 45 -- is "cacography". The "caco" is a Greek prefix meaning bad, poor or harsh; the "graphy" is writing or script. Thus "cacography" means bad handwriting or spelling. I don't know when I'll be able to use the first definitiion in a conversation since so few people actually use cursive these days -- but that second definition abounds in e-mail.
Sure you can use typo if you want to. Cacography just has so much more pizzazz!
It's a great time filler -- or killer -- and I not only learn something but also help feed the world. So far I've made it to level 46 out of 60 and there I am stuck.
When I play Free Rice I dissect the more difficult words, looking for a prefix or suffix that might unlock the meaning. It's also one of those times that I can actually use my two years of high school Latin. As a freshman, you'd rather be learning anything but the nominative or ablative case. Knowing that Gaul is divided into three parts is at the bottom of any sophomore's "fun facts" list.
But to my surprise, some of what I thought was useless information lingers in a long dormant brain cell or two. When challenged by a level 46 Free Rice word it comes to life -- along with a glimpse of the nun who taught the subject. She was so old we were certain that she was actually with Ceasar on his trek.
My new favorite word -- from Level 45 -- is "cacography". The "caco" is a Greek prefix meaning bad, poor or harsh; the "graphy" is writing or script. Thus "cacography" means bad handwriting or spelling. I don't know when I'll be able to use the first definitiion in a conversation since so few people actually use cursive these days -- but that second definition abounds in e-mail.
Sure you can use typo if you want to. Cacography just has so much more pizzazz!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Calling All Cougars
Do you consider yourself a cougar? Looking for something to do later this month? May I suggest the Cougar Convention in -- where else -- Las Vegas? You could even be voted Miss Cougar.
Apparently, cougars are a growing breed (which doesn't say much for men our age). There's a large enough market to have at least two of the larger cruise lines offer cougar themed vacations. Think "The Love Boat" but with Betty White falling for one of the Jonas Brothers. Cradle robbing and shuffleboard -- now that's a full schedule.
And just so the cubs -- that's what the younger men are called -- don't feel left out, there's a Cutest Cub in America competition January 30th near San Francisco. Now that has to come with some serious bragging rights and there's an after-party.
The cougar, the cub. It all sounds so Animal Planet. Men have been drooling over younger women for ages and I haven't heard any critter names for this type of May-December romance -- unless gold-digger-with-daddy-issues is some rare Amazonian species.
Apparently, cougars are a growing breed (which doesn't say much for men our age). There's a large enough market to have at least two of the larger cruise lines offer cougar themed vacations. Think "The Love Boat" but with Betty White falling for one of the Jonas Brothers. Cradle robbing and shuffleboard -- now that's a full schedule.
And just so the cubs -- that's what the younger men are called -- don't feel left out, there's a Cutest Cub in America competition January 30th near San Francisco. Now that has to come with some serious bragging rights and there's an after-party.
The cougar, the cub. It all sounds so Animal Planet. Men have been drooling over younger women for ages and I haven't heard any critter names for this type of May-December romance -- unless gold-digger-with-daddy-issues is some rare Amazonian species.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Cool Kids Rule -- Still
Some members of a dating website for the beautiful people who over-indulged during the holidays might wish they had just said no to second helpings.
Anyone can apply to this site, but only a few are chosen by those already in this elite group. I'm not sure what standards of beauty are used to judge who gets in, but I assume you won't find any Keith Richards look-alikes in the listings.
So first you're screened to get in, then apparently you're monitored throughout your membership. If current pictures show that a week of mom's home cooking or an additional slice of pumpkin pie have taken up residence around your middle, you could be asked to leave the site.
Wow -- memories of the cool kids in high school -- except now their faces have cleared up.
Anyone can apply to this site, but only a few are chosen by those already in this elite group. I'm not sure what standards of beauty are used to judge who gets in, but I assume you won't find any Keith Richards look-alikes in the listings.
So first you're screened to get in, then apparently you're monitored throughout your membership. If current pictures show that a week of mom's home cooking or an additional slice of pumpkin pie have taken up residence around your middle, you could be asked to leave the site.
Wow -- memories of the cool kids in high school -- except now their faces have cleared up.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Time to Break Those Resolutions
It's Monday, January 11th. Not too late to wish people a Happy New Year. And just enough time to break the resolutions made in earnest less than two weeks ago.
I'm not passing judgement. Actually, less finger pointing was one of my resolutions so brava for me. But if you want to know how many days I've exercised or how far I've walked on any given day, I will instantly list all the reasons why I didn't, couldn't, wouldn't or shouldn't have -- laziness and denial not included. I'm about 9,000 steps shy of the recommended 10,000. That figure could change significantly if I didn't feel guilty about counting paces from the sofa to the fridge.
All this making and breaking of resolutions is stressful. We've failed. We're weak. We lack motivation. I am of the Scarlett O'Hara school of thought: tomorrow is another day. Hurray -- that gives me all of today to figure out an excuse for not exercising tomorrow.
I'm not passing judgement. Actually, less finger pointing was one of my resolutions so brava for me. But if you want to know how many days I've exercised or how far I've walked on any given day, I will instantly list all the reasons why I didn't, couldn't, wouldn't or shouldn't have -- laziness and denial not included. I'm about 9,000 steps shy of the recommended 10,000. That figure could change significantly if I didn't feel guilty about counting paces from the sofa to the fridge.
All this making and breaking of resolutions is stressful. We've failed. We're weak. We lack motivation. I am of the Scarlett O'Hara school of thought: tomorrow is another day. Hurray -- that gives me all of today to figure out an excuse for not exercising tomorrow.
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