Comments on: Definition of Futile

By: Jenny

Jenny — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:23:06 +0000

Arguing with a two year old is futile. I try again and again to explain this to my husband but he doesnt listen. That is futile too.

By: Eleanor

Eleanor — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:01:42 +0000

I think enjoying exercise helps if you don’t think of it as exercise . For me, biking to work isn’t exercise, it’s an opportunity to see all the beautiful wildflowers on the way. Or on the weekends, it’s an opportunity to see cool places around town with my boyfriend. Find some time to go hiking on the weekends; it’s “exercise”, but it’s also a great time to take pictures of flowers and trees and wildlife or bring a picnic, and hikes also often have great views! If you make it family time or friend time, then it doesn’t feel like exercise!

If you want to try vegetarianism (or just add a few vegetarian recipes to your repertoire), the Vegetarian Times website has some great advice: find three dinners you already make that are vegetarian (like macaroni and cheese for example), find three you make that could easily become vegetarian (like skip the meat in spaghetti and sauce and do garlic bread instead, or do black beans instead of hamburger in tacos), and look on the web or in cookbooks for three vegetarian meals that you want to try, and you’ve already got a week and a half worth of dinners planned! One of my favorites, which is super easy, is to pick up a package of cheese ravioli, a bag of baby spinach, and some cherry tomatoes at the grocery store. Cook the ravioli. Meanwhile, sautee the spinach and tomatoes in olive oil with some garlic. When the ravioli is finished, stir in the spinach and tomatoes, add some parmesan cheese, and you’re done! It takes ~20 min; the limiting factor is usually heating the water and cooking the ravioli.

By: Allison

Allison — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:54:24 +0000

Futile is pretty much my life, I agree with the dust, the annimal fur 2 golden retrievers the dirt, wet dogs (pool + goldens = wet dogs all the time) Futile is trying to keep food in the house with 2 teenage sons, am considering refridgeration in the car.

By: Denise

Denise — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:43:33 +0000

You’re so funny and true! I hate grocery shopping too (actually all shopping except for knitting & books), but it’s futile for me to even think about sending my husband to the store and expect him to come back with what’s on the list–hey, it’s even more futile to expect anyone to write stuff on the list.

It’s also futile for me to expect anyone to do the daily vacuuming even though I’m the only one without allergies.

Anyhow, you do have a beautiful desk! It made me wonder if knitters tend to use computer calendar/planners more or paper planners more since paper is so touchable.

By: Kim

Kim — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:29:14 +0000

Futility is trying to reason with a 4 1/2 year old about eating faster and that breakfast/lunch/dinner should NOT take 90 minutes to eat unless you are on a cruise! Futility is wondering what the heck your 2 year old is saying all the time. Futility is trying to find more hours in the day to knit (problem for SAHM of two boys under 5). Futility is trying to keep the house clean with 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 said boys, a hubby, and a partridge in a pear tree (I’m kidding about the partridge part). Futility is wishing I had signed up to attend Sock Summit – hopefully next year. Futility is wishing “shoulda, woulda, coulda” and just loving life and embracing it to its fullest.

By: Kate/Massachusetts

Kate/Massachusetts — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:03:00 +0000

My feeders all have a squirrel guards on them so there are no squirrel raids. I do, however, find the squirrels so funny to watch. We have a few and I do buy Critter Food for them at the grocery store. Contrary to everything I was told, feeding them does not bring every squirrel in a 10-mile radius to my feeders. They are very funny and I really enjoy watching the little goofballs!

There is an elderly man in my neighborhood who hand-feeds the squirrels. They simply are not afraid of him. It is amazing to watch!

By: Maryann

Maryann — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:36:01 +0000

No lack of futility here… My cat is such a sweetie but he kills and eats sqyuirrels so
your bird feeder would be safe-mine is. However,the ferality is modified by his diabolical habit-he takes the squirrel and hops with it into our old clawfoot bathtub.
If there is any life left in the squirrel,it cannot climb the slippery tall sides. A kill
is definite and there is the fultility part-the squirrel tries,but loses. All that is left for us are some guts and a tail. Like a dissection table. Ghoulish fun,isn’t it?
The futility is also is trying to make him stop. No way.

By: Mary

Mary — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:36:33 +0000

Futility is trying to score some Wollmeise when I can’t F5 every minute of every day! Darn sick people….interfering with my ability to buy yarn!

By: Nancy

Nancy — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:35:39 +0000

I just reread my comment from yesterday 7-29 at 10:02, and I must apologize. I didn’t mean for it to sound like that. I guess I’ve had a few too many futile moments myself lately and I’m just trying to focus on the happier moments. It’s been a wacky week for futility. Maybe the moon’s off course! Hee Hee

By: Suzie

Suzie — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:13:16 +0000

Futile is expecting your computer to work when you want it to.

BTW, I love the Pioneer Woman blogs (source of the cow picture, for the uninitiated), too. I just started reading her High Heels to Tractor Wheels story of her life with the Marlboro Man.