What a great Tuesday!

Pearls of wisdom from today:
~ It's good karma to pick up your neighbor's trash can, even if no one knows you've done it.
~ If it sounds like the dog is barking at something from the front yard, check it out. It might mean that your pseudo-gate fell down in the wind last night, and that the dog actually is, in fact, barking at something from the front yard.
~ It's more entertaining to watch mothers deal with babies crying on Santa's lap when your own child is no longer one of those crying babies.
~ Live animals might be the best gift ever, but perhaps not the most practical. We'll see though!!
~ Christmas shopping while your mother is stuck in traffic and, in effect, a prisoner to your every phone call, is fun.
~ It's more difficult to get two dogs to pose well than dealing with only one.
~ Butt dialing is still possible with the iPhone.
~ No matter how strict and structured the list, and how you think that you couldn't possibly find anything that you'd like to get yourself, buying personal presents on a whim is still so fun.
~ Maybe I do need more Uggs in my closet.
~ The slightly neurotic woman in line who isn't paying any attention to what's happening at the coffee bar will always ... always ... flip out when they think that your whipped cream is being put on their drink.
~ The first trip to the mall for shopping is, what I call, the reconnaissance mission. It's like casing the joint, checking out the goods, and getting a feel for the place. You can't just walk in and start shopping straight off. It's imperative to take some time.
~ Popcorn makes children better shopping companions, though buying toys for other kids makes said companion a bit of a pain in the ass.
~ There should be some kind of voice mail message that can be put on a phone line, prohibiting the phone from even ringing in the home, when the kid is napping. It should say, "Hello. You've reached Sydney's house. She's sleeping right now, and if the phone rings, she'll wake up and make her mom's life miserable for the rest of the afternoon. Call back later."
~ Always look behind the frozen vegetables. There may be a pizza back there.