Balcom Agency

Here at The B, we have very large B-shaped desks. They come in a variety of colors and are actually pretty cool 'cause you can raise them and lower them to whatever is most comfortable for you.

My Narrow Cube + Big Desk = Design Challenges

I like to face the door, you see. I'm not a fan of people walking up behind me and startling me. My headphones fit snuggly into my ears, and while I don't listen to music very loud at all, the design of the headphones keeps out extraneous noise.

Awesome Headphones + Facing Away from the Door = Startled Emily

I managed to find a small black table in the back room and have adopted it as my desk. Sure, it's not as big as the others, but I don't have a lot of stuff, so it works out ok. However, said desk is kind of low. I like raising my chair so that I don't feel as though I'm sitting on the ground, but when I do that at this desk, my knees would hit the edge and send the whole thing shaking.

Enter Jolly Rancher.

Unbeknownst to me, he's a pretty handy guy! One afternoon we were talking, and he offered to make some cedar blocks for me so that my desk would be higher.

Friends, these blocks are awesome. They have put my desk at a comfortable height and eliminated me inadvertently running into my desk with my knee bones.

So what have we learned? Not only are B's creative in the advertising and marketing realm, but we're pretty crafty, too!

Note to readers:
For those of you who are keeping up with the cabinet renovations, I'm happy to say that the painting is finished! It'll still be a few days before I can put the hardware on and hang the doors, but for the most part? It looks awesome!

I sleep with three remotes in my bed. Every night.
And I still claim to be organized. Ha!

I seem to acquire more than I need without realizing it. In emptying cabinets for my renovation (painting ends today!), I found multiple bottles of carpet cleaner. 70% of the floors in my house are tile. Why do I need several bottles of carpet cleaner? I have a couple of brand new bottles of shampoo, two or three kinds of mouthwash, more lotion than anybody should be allowed to have – but why?

Some (though not all) of you are aware that there are some changes happening at my house. A few weeks ago, I got the bright idea to paint my bathroom cabinets. I considered this "starting small." The plan was to paint the bathroom cabinets, inside and out, and assuming they looked nice and pretty, also paint the kitchen cabinets.

The photo above shows the top terms being posted on Twitter immediately after the Lakers won the NBA Finals. If you don't know how to read a tag cloud, the larger a word appears the more people have posted it. Thousands and thousands of people posted "congratualtions" — far less people actually posted the correct spelling.

There are many arguments on how technology is making society collectively dumber, and many of them are valid. The information super highway that promised us the immediate ability to broaden our horizons and educate ourselves on countless subjects ironically did the exact opposite. It made us more vain and self-centered. We spend hours and hours updating our statuses and photos; we use the internet as a communications tool and demand instant gratification instead of taking the time to use it as a learning tool. This argument is detailed in Mark Bauerlein's book "The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don't Trust Anyone Under 30)"

Part of me believes that this is essentially the same argument as "TV will rot your brain!" or "You kids turn off that Rock 'n Roll music, it's the devil!" — simple generational bickering. But I can't write it off that easily. There is no doubt in my mind that grammatical standards are slipping. Twitter and Facebook are packed with grammatical and style errors (txt msgs r 2, u know).

I'd like to know what you think. Old or young, please add your input in the comments field below.

You're dismissed.

Cabinet renovations began at my house this week which required me to empty all of my cabinets. I moved into my house almost four years ago. I have never, in that time, claimed to be someone who fully utilizes my kitchen. I most often use cereal bowls and spoons, occasionally spicing things up with a cookie sheet. Imagine my surprise when I uncovered some of the following items.

Have we met in "real life"? If so – hang in there while I tell the friends at home who have not met me in "real life" a little bit about myself.

I am vertically challenged (aka "short"). My dad was maybe once 5'6" (I'm convinced he's shrinking) and my mom, 4'11". There was never any hope for me being tall. Reaching 5'2" was a feat in and of itself, one that I have appreciated and even at times celebrated. I am not, however, small. I've never known how the inside of a pair of size 0 jeans feels (though I imagine they feel exactly like the inside of a pair of size 10 jeans). I don't suspect I'll ever know how that feels. And you know what? That's totally ok with me.

I have a linen obsession. I own more quilts and comforters than any person with only one bed should be allowed purchase. I also have entirely too many sets of sheets, all stored in clear plastic bins in the laundry room.

Dear Jillian:

You impressed countless people with your 30 Day Shred. You promised results in twenty minutes (though I think we should get you a watch because the program lasts longer than twenty minutes), and you delivered (nevermind the fact that I have yet to complete the program in its entirety). And after we had all adjusted to the idea of having the life beaten out of us, you released two more programs: Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism and No More Trouble Zones.

Pie, not alcohol.
Jeans, not slacks.
Ponytail, not hairspray, curlers, etc.
Flip flops, not heels.
Quiet, not loud.
Silver, not gold.
White, not black.
Cereal, not chicken.
Strawberry, not chocolate.
Chocolate, not caramel.
Country, not rock.
Country, not city.