March 31

Why aren't pharmaceutical companies required to list the calories on their medications? Of most concern are liquid medications. Maybe knowing the calories could help make the final decision of whether or not to take the medication.

It would be interesting to know how many calories are in diet pills. Maybe it's only 5 calories or so but some of the girls obsessed with dieting that I've met might be deterred by just 5 calories.

Maybe some people that overdose on cough syrup would really think twice if they knew that a bottle of syrup had 2,000 calories in it.

March 27

The greatest trick I have learned about being around people when you don't know what to say is to brag. This is particularly effective when you're around somebody you don't know very well. You don't really have to think up new things to say. Just listen to what they say and then top it.

-"That's the job I do, too...but I probably get paid more than you..."

-"I used to drive a car like that but nobody was impressed so I upgraded..."

-"I love to run, too, but I prefer to add push-ups at the same time, wouldn't want to be called lazy..."

If you run into the obstacle of another person not saying anything, a few ice breakers are:

-"I've always been so popular..."

-"I get mistaken for a famous person all the time..."

-"I've never been dumped, only done the dumping..."

It's surprising how those little tidbits can really jumpstart a long and meaningful friendship. Just remember, the world may be full of friendly faces but none of them are as remarkable as yours and you should never be afraid to tell people more about that.

March 11

I had shepherd's pie for dinner last night-holy yum!!! I liked it so much I'm thinking of changing professions-sheep are kind of cute. I have a relatively small yard but I guess that will make it easier to keep track of them. I'll have to find other people in my community with sheep though so my sheep and their sheep can have play dates.

March 7

Gymnastics is the kind of sport that leaves so many unanswered questions.

How did the first person discover & popularize the balance beam? Did they have a few boards propped up on something and too much time on their hands and before you know it, they were inviting people over saying, "Look what I can do"? And then did somebody say, "Well, that's nothin'-check THIS out" and they started the first balance beam competition?

What do fellow gymnasts say to each other after a routine? Do they say things like, "Wow, you sure are great at flipping"? or "I liked the way you went around and around on the bars"?

How does a male coach of female gymnastics get a wife? How does a man tell a woman, "I want to guide cute, young girls who prance around in leotards and I want to do it in a very hands-on sort of way" and have her okay with that?

Finally and perhaps the biggest question of all is this-would it be more difficult to be married to a man who's a gynecologist or a female gymnastics coach?