Thursday, May 28, 2009

32. TRAIN WHISTLES

And other sounds that remind you of home

* There are many sounds in Washington DC that remind me that I'm no longer in a western Pennsylvania smalltown. But when I hear the train's whistle about a quarter-mile away, just across Route 1, it's as if I'm exactly where I grew up.

Friday, May 22, 2009

31. TONGUES

Stick them out we may.
But without them, we'd have nothing to say.


* Lately, I have been listening to "Till We Have Faces," a fairy tale by C.S. Lewis. In the part to which I listened this morning, the queen is angered by what another woman says to her and considers having her tongue cut out.
* Can you curl your tongue? This is my family's talent.

Monday, May 18, 2009

30. EYELIDS

Sleeping wouldn't be the same without them

* Additionally, staying awake wouldn't be the same without them. In defense of stray gnats, bright lights, and dry eyes, blinking, I'm thinking, is very underrated and important.
* The simple miracle originally appeared at CWRU in the fall of 2004.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

29. MONTERREY JACK CHEESE

The combination of colby and spice does more than suffice

* I added cheese (cheddar) to our eggs this morning. But if we'd had monterrey jack, that would have been really good too.
* Thanks to Aaron Linderman for suggesting this simple miracle's theme.

Monday, May 11, 2009

28. SUNGLASSES

Into the glint, we'd have to otherwise squint

* When my car was broken into a year ago, the only thing that the intruder took was a pair of sunglasses that had belonged to my housemate Patrick.
* Sometimes, I just like to wear a ballcap pulled low rather than sunglasses. But when I'm driving, yes, I think that sunglasses are probably the way to go.
* After several days of rain, sunglasses were once again useful in the Washington DC area this weekend. Both along Massachusetts Avenue NW on Saturday and near the Potomac River on Sunday, the sun shone brightly.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

27. OLD SNEAKERS

The most comfortable shoes in the whole world

* Of course, old sneakers are also the most likely to be thrown away by your mother without your knowledge or consent. You definitely have to be on the lookout.
* But this time, I have a new strategy. I bought a new pair of shoes. Now, even if I don't actually wear the new pair, my mom is less likely to throw away the old pair. Yes, it gives her a very "sneaky" sense of false security.
* My favorite part about old sneakers is the holes that develop right above your toes - not holes on the bottom, which make it more likely for your socks to become wet, but the holes on the top that let in some extra air for your toes.
* This simple miracle originally appeared at CWRU in the fall of 2003. At the time, as my mother puts it, my roommate Lowell and I were having a "contest" to see who could wear their shoes the longest.

Monday, May 4, 2009

26. WHEELS

Round and round they roll,
Saving us a lengthy stroll


* When you read this, do you think, "The wheels on the bus go round and round ..."?
* In addition to transportation, the vast use of wheels - in pulleys and gears, for instance - has great importance.

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