Google can be hazardous to my housework

Let's just get this out of the way first.

I HATE JANUARY. There, I said it. New year, new leaf, aside, I really really REALLY despise January. It's cold. More often than not, it's polluted and hazy out there (more of a geographic accident than anything else, but still). I want to pull the covers up over my head and sleep until February 1st. And I probably could use the rest. But, alas, the rest of the world seems to think a month-long hiatus from life is a sign of some mental disorder. Nah. It's just January.

As if the weather weren't bad enough, everyone's running around making resolutions. Now, I'm all for improving oneself, but when I look back at my list of things to accomplish in 2009? Yeah, most of them are carrying over to 2010, and include such things like "catch up on my scrapbooking," "experience a state of fully-rested," "organize the laundry room," and, of course, "lose 20 lbs." That last one was found on a list from 2005 as well. *sigh*

But, I digress (and that's new how?)

You thought I fell off the face of the earth (the 3 of you who read this). Nope. Just fell into January. But it's February now, and I'm back!

Google can be Hazardous to my Housework

You thought I would say FaceBook or some game site, right?

Nope. Google.

It all started innocently enough. My darling middle child wanted to know about the giant coming out of the ground. Took me a minute too. She's referring to The Awakening , a sculpture formerly in Washington DC, but now in Maryland, not far from The District. See Shannon thought it was nearby and wanted to visit it again. Good thing I scrapbook so she'll know the facts of it someday or she'd be wandering around the West looking for a giant metal dude!

So, I googled it because I knew there had been a TON of conversation about the thing. It was only supposed to be in DC for a short time, on display for a sculpture exhibit or whatever. But, it's HUGE, and no one, including the sculptor, would take responsibility for it....at least not publically, so it fell to the National Park Service to deal with something it neither owned nor wanted! It's now been sold and moved and is apparently quite happy in its new MD home.

But, again, I digress.

I spent well over an hour looking at photos of it and finding news articles. I'd like to visit it again someday as I think it's pretty cool, so I'd like to know where it is now.

And that led me to a wonderful blog called "Odd Things I've Seen," or "O. T. I. S." and the afternoon was lost as I perused his wonderful site. It makes it even more entertaining because I, too, have seen some of those odd things, like Seattle's Underground (pleased to hear it's reopened after the Seattle earthquake in 2003) and the Hope Diamond.

This isn't the first time this has happened to me, either. I think "I just need to find out....." and the next thing I know I'm reading page 5 of a travelog (spelled that wrong) about the southwestern US, including Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, and Newspaper Rock!

All the while, the laundry sits in the washer, forlornly wondering if it will ever be dried, and the children will, once again, have to dig for socks in the overflowing sock basket in my bedroom.

*sigh*

So much for my housework-related resolutions.

But, dude, there's some good stuff out there!