Sweepstakes and the Like

I'm a sucker for sweepstakes. Not the Publisher's Warehouse kind, though, the real ones. You know, where you win real things. I have entered countless drawings and giveaways... from Eddie Bauer to the grocery store to Helzberg Diamonds to the HGTV Dream Home, and (more recently) Lexus. And in the past 10 years I have won, um, one $25 gift card to Amazon.com. It was worth it, though, because I bought two great knitting books. So, on a nearly daily basis, I go to HGTV Pro and enter their daily drawing for contractor gadgets... because if I win it and I don't want it, I can always list it on eBay. And besides, they had a GPS for the car up the other day, and I really could use one of those. All this to say, I have added a button for the Cool Mom Picks Holiday Guide. It's a trade-off. They get advertising, and I have the thrill of entering yet another giveaway. I really do like the Cool Mom newsletter (makes me feel cool, too!), and besides, they have these fun little things where you can enter a drawing for some cool item if you go to the other site and find the answer to a question about the product. (I know it! I'm a sucker for advertising!)

Ethan Swings

What I'm Reading or Have Read Lately

Night by Elie Wiesel
Pharmacology for Nursing Care by Richard A. Lehne
The Infinite Plan by Isabel Allende

Ethan's First Halloween

Art, Sort Of

Art takes many forms. I've recently been perfecting the art of the perfect Cherry Italian Cream Soda. Here's my take on it:

2 parts Club soda
1 part Grenadine
1 part half n half

Pour the club soda over ice in a tall glass. Add the grenadine. Float the half n half on the soda mixture. Top with whipped cream.

I think Kahlua would be good instead of grenadine, but then it wouldn't be an Italian Cream Soda...

Bedecked

I'm learning to make jewelry with wire, shells, and semi-precious stones. I can't wait to get the right tools and upgrade to sterling silver and freshwater pearls (among my favorite natural materials, because they're not all round). So, I'm practicing technique and macro photography. Any Christmas gift requests, send 'em my way while I'm still buying materials.

Go Figure

So, now the average on that exam is back up to 84. Felt good while it lasted. As they say in Monterrey, Ni modo.

Now in a Less Sour Mood

The class average is down to 61 on that same exam, improving my perspective slightly.

Things You Don't Need

Having made a mere 80 on my recent Pharmacotherapeutics exam, I felt in a slightly sour mood, so I'm offering a list of Things You Don't Need Which Are For Sale Anyway:
1. Hypnotic aquarium with fake jellyfish
2. iPod case made from a cassette tape I have to admit, it's a nice recycling idea anyhow.
3. Heat-activated wall paper
4. A toothbrush that costs $169.95

Ethan's Silly Face