Reality Bytes

You know those light bulb moments? The ones where you’ve been motoring along through life, doing certain things in a certain way, without considering if it was really the easiest or most efficient way of doing it? Then, reality check – someone or something comes along and shows you a better way? I’ve had many of those lately. I figure it’s a side effect of having brain fog for so long – now that it’s starting to clear, the light bulbs are popping off left and right.

For example, as I mentioned in an earlier post, we don’t have a washer and dryer at our place. So I haul our canvas bags full of stinky socks and such to a local laundromat, plop the bags on the floor in front of the machines, and do my weekly bend and stuff form of exercising.

A few months ago, while I was recovering from bad bout of iron deficiency, hubby & our eldest did the lion’s share of the laundry. A few weeks ago, hubby went with me one evening to keep me company. First thing he did was wheel one of the laundry carts over in front of the machine (level with the washer door), then brought a bag in, sat it in the cart, and easily loaded it into the machine. Years of laundromat experience, and that simple laundry hack eluded me.

It reminded me of another time it took someone else to point out the obvious solution. Here is my entry, Reality Bytes, from 2007 –

reality geek graphic from SeacoastOnline, redo big

Originally posted by InternetGeek at January 8, 2007 10:55 AM

My status as Google Queen is in danger.

When our eldest was first eating solid food, we discovered a yummy snack called puffed corn. Very simple ingredients – organic corn and air. It soon became a household staple – while other kidlets were munching Cheerios, my kidlets were addicted to their “puffs.” Over the years, it became harder and harder to find them. At first, every Shaw’s supermarket carried them, then only the one in my old hometown kept them in stock. Eventually the only place I could find them was at the health food store in Gloucester.

Just before the holidays, the kidlets had a sleepover with friends at the same time hubby had work to do for a customer in Gloucester, so I was able to tag along with him. I had recently discovered there is a Trader Joe’s in Peabody, MA, and I was anxious to peruse the store on the way home, knowing they, of all people, would carry our beloved Arrowhead Mills Puffed Corn. I mean, how could they not?

After a very eventful service call, we had all of five minutes to run in and out of the store – plenty of time to grab a couple of bags, right? Well, much to my dismay, they didn’t carry it – just like every other store I’ve checked, all they carry is the puffed rice. The bemused clerk didn’t even offer to order some bags, even after my gnashing of teeth and pounding of the counter. She wished us luck, and we returned to New Hampshire empty handed (if you don’t count the organic cookies, crystallized ginger, the salt & pepper chips, white chocolate bark… did I mention we hadn’t eaten much all day… *grin*).

Disheartened, we arrived at the friend’s house to pick up the kidlets, and I told her of my failure. She then innocently asked, “Have you tried looking online for the puffs?”

No.

No, I hadn’t.

No, the thought didn’t even cross my mind to Google for them.

I realized then and there that my InternetG33kness was slipping. Me, the person who susses out everything on the net, didn’t even try checking out the Arrowhead Mills website. Given that I had the name of the company, the search wouldn’t have been anywhere near as complex as say the search for the Spanish song lyrics for my friend Mary, or the crochet pattern for an old baby blanket for my mother (and yes, I found both).

I grabbed hubby’s laptop computer as the kidlets gathered their stuff, and all of three minutes later discovered not only was it on their site, I could purchase 6 bags for under $10. It gave me pause though – how long before I forget to check my email for an entire day?

For my penance, I think I should do 15 journal comments on RvB, read 10 articles on Fark, and perform an act of contribution.

Yeah, sometimes reality bytes. *grin*

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