When texting is a Good Thing!
Month: March 2017
What is the Best Time to do Yard work? Never….
With Spring officially here, it’s time to tidy up the yard after winter. So for the past several weeks, I’ve cut down a cherry tree, trim back my huge rhododendrons, and hacked back my bamboo hedge. Needless to say, I’ve filled my green waster bin, my neighbor’s green waste bin, and about four extra garbage cans full of yard debris.
We still need to do a few more yard tasks. In the next few weeks, we need to clean out the pool, mow my lawn (I’ll ask my son Hayden to do that and it will take probably three weeks of nagging for him to do it), and do some weeding.
As I’m out in my yard working…you can enjoy a mint and my misery.
National Hot Tub Day – March 28 – Worthless Tips to Make It Awesome!
Ah, March 28 is National Hot Tub Day according to some random website I stumbled upon when I was bored one evening (who says this internet isn’t helpful and only spreads “fake news”?). Throw on your speedo, thong, or your bikini, play some Kenny G, and hit the hot tub because it is National Hot Tub Day!!
On a side tangent, I noticed that romance writers love hot tubs. They write the hot tubs into their stories all the time. Yes, I read romance novels. In between rapid reading of my gun magazines, truck magazines, and muscle car magazines, resides my collection of romance novels. Since I am a caring and sensitive guy (just ask my imaginary stalker Cyndi), you know that I am a great fan of romance novels.
But let’s get back to the focus of National Hot Tub Day and that is Hot Tubs. Hot tubs are a wonderful way to soak away your problems and worries. It’s like a vacation at your own home. I like to make sure my hot tub is properly maintained. Lucky for me, I don’t have sensitive skin, just sensitive feelings. OK, we know I don’t have any feelings but we still want to have some nice hot tub water.
Lately, we have had some cold and rainy weather. After all, it is Seattle and we don’t get sunshine until July. I’ve been feeling cold lately, so I love to enjoy the hot tub when it is chilly out. My muscles and joint loosen up and I can just sit there and float. For roughly 15 minutes, I can just relax. I can pretend I’m at a ski resort or on the beach on the island of Kauai.
Tips for Successful Hot Tub Party Day:
-
What if you don’t have a hot tub? Find a friend or a neighbor that has one. Then invite yourself over on National Hot Tub Day. You owe it to them to honor this day!
-
Avoid Alcohol – Wait, what? Yes, we all know I enjoy a nice whiskey but alcohol and hot tubs aren’t a good mix. Hot Tub water dilutes your cocktail too much. The warm water in your hot tub can speed up the process of inebriation, and can increase your chances of a hangover
-
Avoid Falling Asleep in the Hot Tub – you should focusing on the soaking and relaxing of the hot water. Enjoy this moment, save sleeping for your bed.
-
Have Music – What to play? Some Depeche Mode? Some Kenny G? Some Lady Gaga remix? The theme from the movie “Jaws”? It’s up to you, but don’t keep that stereo or iPhone too close to the hot tub. You don’t want your imaginary friends to knock it in.
-
Have Extra Towels Available – you know some goofball will forget his towel and then wander around your house looking for one. That’s a good way to ruin your hardwood floors. Have a stack of old towels ready for him.
-
Clean! – Keep the area around your hot tub clean. Vacuum up all the lose dirt, dog hair, old fern leaves, and candy wrappers. You don’t want to drag all that stuff into your hot tub.
-
Take A Shower – Encourage your guest to shower BEFORE they come over to hot tub. The less body oils, old sweat, stripper dust, and daily dirt you have coming into the hot tub, the better! It cuts down on chemical use.
-
Check the Chemical Levels – You should be doing daily or weekly check of the chemicals. Use those water test strips.
Those are my awesome (or rather worthless) hot tub tips for National Hot Tub Day! I know you won’t bother to play attention to them but at least pretend you read the whole blog post and give it a big “LIKE”. Can you do that? Thanks!
Best Spring Cleaning Tips for the Slacker (that means You!)
Spring is here! Besides the insane amount of rain we have received in the last three weeks, spring is here and we are all happy! Pretty flowers and the smell of cleaning products are in the air. With the arrival of Spring, one should focus on the “cleaning” part of “Spring Cleaning”.
But what should you do to jump start your Spring Cleaning adventures? Oh, and you know it will be an adventure with all the worthless crap you have stuffed into your hall closet. Like a trip down memory lane (and a STD), all the forgotten items will appear once again! Your old caveman costume, your President Trump facemask, your skateboard from junior high, and your goals and dreams that you have forgotten; they can all be found in various storage bins under your stairs.
The best advice is to…wait, we never follow the best advice…we follow the worthless advice!
- Before you begin cleaning, it is a great idea to learn all about cleaning! So surf the internet and watch as many cleaning videos you can find. With a quick search of YouTube, I’m sure you’ll waste away hours (if not days) of time that you could have devoted to cleaning!
Learn all you can about cleaning on the internet becaus - To Save Money, borrow cleaning items from your neighbor. This saves you a trip to the store and saves you money. You can use almost all of their Pine Sol cleaner. Remember to leave a little in the bottle when you return it. Don’t be selfish.
- Get the family involved with “Prison Cleaning Crew” game! This game involves telling your kids they have been found guilty in a court of law and now must do community service. Sure, your kids are “probably” innocent of their crimes, but this shows them that if they could have afforded a better lawyer, they could have gotten off scot-free.
- Declutter – Throw it all out…bills, love letters from Beth, and credit card offers are all going to the recycling bin. She broke your heart once, you don’t need those love letters causing you to rethink your new relationship with your cat Mindi. Mindi is prefect for you, she loves you. Did Beth really love you? No, she didn’t. If she did, she would have stayed instead of running off with that rich Columbian drug lord.
- Skip the Broom…use your Leaf Blower instead. Sweeping out the kitchen takes too long, just grab that leaf blower, open the patio door, and let the dust, cat hair, and winter depression get blown right outside.
- Nuke your sponges! If you like to think your sponges are clean; they aren’t. Nuke them in the microwave for two minutes. If they still misbehave, throw them in the clothes dryer for 15 minutes. I can’t promise the microwave won’t report back to the government what you are doing but I’m pretty sure the clothes dryer is part of the resistance. You can talk to the dryer, trust the dryer, the dryer is your friend.
- Windows – just close your blinds or drapes. See? You don’t see how dirty they are, do you?
- Lightbulbs – replace those bright lightbulbs with low-watt ones. The darker the room, the less you notice the clutter and grime.
- Sell and/or give all your worthless crap on Craig’s List. Remember, Craig’s List isn’t for meeting serial killers and your next “date”, it can also be use for free trash removal. You slap a “FREE” sign on any Craig’s List post and it will be gone that day. If the item is heavy, say you have a bad back and the new owners will carry it out themselves.
There is even a National Spring Cleaning week from March 12-17…oh wait, that already happened and technically spring doesn’t officially start until March 20…but you are still too late. Just wait until next year to do your spring cleaning! Just like you gave up on your hopes and desires years ago, you should give up on Spring Cleaning now.
Let’s Kill the Leprechaun – Tips for a Successful St. Patrick’s Day!
Yippee! It is St. Patrick’s Day, the day second only to Halloween for a day where you can get drunk, dress in a bad costume, and act like a fool! Well, to be clear….I usually make a fool out of myself on Valentine’s Day and National Hot Tub Day (why isn’t National Hot Tub Day a Federal Holiday yet?). However, back to the point of this worthless advice blog…St. Patrick’s Day. In the good old United States of America, we all become Irish on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17).
Lucky for you, I’m part Irish so I can offer my three blog readers and my imaginary stalker Cyndi (who wears sunglasses on the darkest, winter, overcast days) great advice on St. Patrick’s Day.
Tips to be the Best Fake Irish Person You Can Be:
- Randomly yell “Kill the Leprechaun” when you are out at the bar, drinking with your non-Irish friends. Wear a green wig…everyone likes people that wear wigs.
- You can also yell “Kill the Leprechaun” at your child’s school. Make sure you have singled out that redhead music teacher (no one likes her anyway).
- Get a Redhead Spouse….just make sure she isn’t the music teacher you just made fun of.
- Make EVERYTHING green…green…green!…make green pancakes…….make green beer…make green cats….
- On St. Patrick’s Day, You should always talk in a stupid “Irish” accent….or a “Scottish” one or an “English” one….no one in America can really can tell the difference anyway. Just say “Top of the Morning!” to everyone.
- Wear cheap plastic shamrock necklaces. Everyone likes it when the “Made In China” necklace breaks, and those stupid beads and shamrocks are all over the floor, making you slip and fall.
- Wear your green throng underwear (I’m talking to you gentleman readers. Ladies, you can wear whatever you like). Heck, ladies you can even enter a St. Patrick’s Day bikini contest! Nothing puts the “Saint” back into St. Patrick’s Day like a visit to a bar in a bikini! Click on this link for a Bikini bar video!
- Drink Irish whiskey…or wine…green beer…or whatever…it doesn’t matter…just be that annoying douche bag who drinks too much. Kind of like how you are every other day of the year, annoying…and drunk…but really just annoying.
- Oh, don’t forget to wear something green….like the lettuce you have stuck in your teeth. Nothing like getting your vegetables and sadness all in one day.
But you know something that rocks on St. Patrick’s Day? This Lego video!
And if you just need to mellow out…enjoy this video!
You wasted your St. Patrick’s Day reading this blog, but at least you helped me get my readership numbers up. And be happy that I didn’t make this post into a history lesson. Leave me a comment or a link to a funny cat video. Please, and write in an Irish accent…
One more video…
Manhattan – My kryptonite….
Just to be clear, Manhattan, the cocktail drink is my kryptonite. Not Manhattan, one of the five boroughs of New York City. Sure, Manhattan and New York City are fabulous. However, this post is about the drink.
Let’s be frank…I enjoy whiskey and scotch. So a Manhattan has whisky in it so of course, you know I’ll enjoy it.
Cocktail drinks bring up certain emotions and memories. One of my favorite memories of the Manhattan cocktail drink is having one with my cousin Stephen in Manhattan. Stephen is more of a little brother than a cousin. So whenever I enjoy a Manhattan drink, I think of him. Manhattan is my signature cocktail drink with him. A memory to savor, enjoy, and fall back into the depths of my fond memories of New York City.
The Manhattan cocktail isn’t my downfall, however, it does bring me to a sentimental place. The place where happiness and good memories intersect into a valt of feelings.
Another cocktail drink I enjoy….Vodka Lemonade. A sip of a nicely blended Vodka Lemonade brings me back to the numerous summers on the shores of Lake Entiat at Lincoln Rock State Park with my family. You can also add Maui to the memories of Vodka Lemonade.
Since I lived in and visit Hawaii often, I always like a Mai Tai cocktail. I don’t like to drink too many sugary drinks, but a Mai Tai does hit the spot.
What drinks instantly bring you back to a fond memory? Or perhaps a band memory?
And as always: Drink responsibly.
Writing Your Novel Tips! Worthless Advice that won’t help you in the least!
Well, I have no helpful writing tips for you and your upcoming bestselling novel. This is my worthless advice blog, remember? If you want some helpful tips, you might as well just click over to someone who is helpful like: Jenna Morcci. She’s an author/writer/blogger I stumbled upon, while I was watching YouTube. Before you judge me, my YouTube viewing is called “research.” While I was “researching” something…. (Truth be told, you know I was wasting time with Mr. Whiskers by my side, trying to figure out something on YouTube when Jenna Morcci’s writing videos came into my feed).
Let’s get to the point….She is hilarious! Well crafted videos that are a bit sarcastic, but helpful on writing. She’s informative, delightful, and has some great writing points. Hmm, she could be more helpful than my worthless advice blog and that could be dangerous. Perhaps, she could be my arch enemy? Nah, that would involve me thinking too much of plot lines, character development, and how to write more than two sentences together and thus make something worthwhile. One of my favorite videos is at the end of this post.
To combat her cleverness, I probably should throw together a witty list of “How to Write a Novel” tips. Here goes my worthless advice tips list that won’t help you at all:
- Write in a Safe Space. Yes, go to your safe space. This could be an extra room in your house, under the stairs, the local coffee shop, or the pub down the street (see item #2).
- Consume large quantities of alcohol. All the great, successful writer were drunks. Why should you be any different? Drink up! You could even have a signature drink!
- Play music appropriate to your writing style. Feeling romantic? Play some love songs. Your story takes place at an all night rave? Throw on some EMD trance music.
- Read. Heck, you can’t write if you don’t read. Read your genre or just read the classics. Just don’t sit around and do nothing.
Pick up that Kindle and read! - Soak in a Hot Tub – this is a wonderful way to relax, brainstorm, and not write. You are in a hot tub, how could you write anything down?
- Surf the internet. Remember I said not to sit around and do nothing? Well, start surfing that internet and enjoy learning about how to snowboard in New Zealand. It won’t help you write but you might end up with a great storyline, a blog post, or a new place to visit.
- Watch YouTube videos. This is an awesome way to learn a new skill…how to change out a wheel bearing, how to paint your house, how to waste time watching You Tube videos about how to be successful. It’s always just a big circle; watch a video and never write that next great American novel.
- Play with your cat! What can you distract you more than your cat? So cute, so cuddling. It makes you want to watch cute cat videos on YouTube! Am I right? You know I am.
- Chat with your Imaginary Stalker Cyndi -You know you haven’t been paying enough attention to Cyndi and she doesn’t like that. She will get you back….and she is your #1 fan!
Luckily, I know none of these tips will help you to become a better writer. I know they won’t help you doing anything that moves you along to becoming successful, or happy, or the pride of your family.
Here’s a link to Jenna’s videos. If you like a snarky attitude, you like to write, and you think I might actually have some good advice for you, just click on her video! I don’t get paid to say how much I enjoy her videos, but she is pretty funny. She should at least take me out to dinner for all of the web traffic my blog will be sending her…. No, I’m not in love with her…. (my wife will roll her eyes when she reads this part…). Until Jenna comments on my blog….I bid you a fond farewell.
Ready for some Spring Cleaning? Degrease your Kitchen Cabinets with Kitty Cats!
Sorry that this is a worthless advice tip…..and it doesn’t feature any kitty cats. Well, just a picture of a cat; that’s it.
For the past few months, we have decided to clean up and get rid of a lot of stuff that has accumulated over the past 13 years here in our mansion. Part of this cleaning focus stems from my Father passing away and my Mom needing help to get rid of stuff. In December, my son and I flew to Kauai to help my mom tackle the office and help close down the photography business.
When I came home, my son and I were in agreement that we needed to clear out the clutter. His words were something to the tune of “Please don’t leave me with a bunch of stuff to get rid of when you die.” Now, I’m not planning on dying soon but I do want to remove clutter and clean up. My wife is fully onboard and my daughter thinks we are “messy” so she fully agrees as well
.
Today I noticed a slight build up of kitchen grease on the very top of our kitchen cabinet above the stove. I did a quick YouTube search and came across this helpful video (see below) I thought I’d share with you. This isn’t my video or my house. Enjoy the video and if you have any cleaning tips, please feel free to share them in the comments below!
How to distance yourself from Family & Friends – Your Worthless Advice Tips
Ah, social media…isn’t it fun? Social media is the prefect way for you to avoid your family and friends. Why should you meet them in person when you can just do all of your social interactions online? Remember, all that matters in life now is how many “likes” you get and how many “Oh, I’m so jealous of your life” comments you receive.
Distance Yourself: If you had any friends, this is a wonderful way to keep them a good distance away from 
you. Remember when you liked to see people in person and interact with them? No more. Instead of meeting with them at the local bar, just post a photo of your drink. Make sure the drink is artistically placed and the background is out of focus. Preferable you have a tropical background so you get lots of “likes”.
Meeting up with friends in person is so overrated. Stick to drinking at home. By yourself. On your couch.
What about family and seeing them during the holidays? Oh, the dreaded holidays where you are forced to see your relatives for once or twice a year and pretend you like to hear the story about their cat, Mr. Pickles. (Mr. Pickles is nothing compared to my Mr. Whiskers…but we all know that and I’m getting off subject here). How do you deal with your relatives when you are stuck there with them?
Easy…sit on the couch and check your phone every 15 seconds. 
I mean, you drove all the way over to your Aunt’s house, why actually be “there”. Your body can be there but in reality, we all know that looking at your social media accounts are much more important that actually talking with your relatives. Who cares about that awesome Thanksgiving dinner? Who cares that this might be the last time you see Uncle Milton? (Who really cares about Uncle Milton anyway…you aren’t included in his will).
Post as many photos of the gathering you can so it looks like you are having fun. Remember, social media is here to make others feel bad. You need to make it look like your family gathering is much more fun and exciting than your friend Sarah. (Not that you’ll actually ever see Sarah again since you are going to never physically see her again.) Be sure to add a bunch of fun filters to the images as well.
Bonus Worthless Advice Tip: Always have your headphones on. Listen to some electronic dance music.
Heck, it’s Friday night….time to ignore your co-workers and sit on your phone. Scroll through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter….those are where the real social interactions are happening!
Enjoy your weekend! To make your life easier, just click on the like button below. Make my social media day…and if you want to comment, please go ahead. Make sure your comment makes me jealous that your life is so much better than mine. Thanks…go ahead, make me feel bad.
Kevin Hellriegel's Blog of Worthless Advice 