Some brands are so ubiquitous that their name becomes synonymous with the generic product. Your medicine cabinet is probably stocked with what most people call Band-Aids (adhesive bandages), Q-Tips (cotton swabs), and Vaseline (petroleum jelly), whether those are the brands or not. Examples abound in your kitchen as well- Jell-O (gelatin), Crisco (shortening), and Saran Wrap (plastic wrap).
The folks at 7-11 would no doubt be pleased to hear that their "Slurpee" might have a monopoly on the name for the classic slushie. (The "Squishees" served up at the Kwik-E-Mart on The Simpsons are a close second.) Whatever you call it, this blended-ice-and-flavored-syrup drink is a summer classic. When I make them at home they're usually called "margaritas" or "daiquiris," but the slushies served up at NetShops yesterday were work-friendly versions that cooled and satisfied nonetheless.
Employees got to choose between lemon and cherry slushies yesterday, from machines stationed in each break room. Little perks like this go a long way toward beating the heat speeding the arrival of a three-day weekend.
If all this slushie talk has got you jonesing for a frozen drink of your own, you'll find plenty of options at SmallApplianceSource.com and BarWare.com to help you create the perfect concoction. Whether you use a blender, smoothie maker, or margarita machine, what you put in your below-zero beverage is your business.
They're already calling it a hurricane on the plains. Not a bad name considering the National Weather Service has reported winds in excess of 110 mph- velocities constituting a category 3 hurricane.
Whatever they end up calling it, my wife, the beagles, and I didn't get the chance to enjoy free music and fireworks in the park on account of it. The swath of destruction that this anomalous, 5-minute severe thunderstorm caused in Omaha during rush hour last Friday was enough to uproot 80-year-old trees, shred house siding, and cancel community events.
I came home to a 70-foot maple tree that somehow managed to fall between two cars and cause only minimal damage to my neighbor's porch. A large limb came down in the backyard and took our electricity, but left our patio furniture, planter boxes, and dog house unscathed.
We're still working to restore power, but compared to the damage many Omaha homes and vehicles sustained, we got off easy. Sure, the hounds missed their chance to see Kool and the Gang, but there will be plenty of fireworks to get them worked up this weekend. Plus, now they've got a supply of twigs to chomp on to their hearts' content.
Here I am, faced with the decision of whether to take my beagles to the park tonight for a free concert and early 4th of July fireworks show. Oh, how I'm tempted to bring them along. You'd think I'd know better by now.
Leif and Lars would relish the open air, the chance to sniff other dogs, the dotings of passersby. On the other hand, subjecting them to the pops and flashes of pyrotechnics probably isn't their idea of an amusing Friday night. It's not like the hounds would appreciate the R&B stylings of Kool and the Gang, but the thought of leaving my boys cooped up at home isn't appealing either. Then again, who doesn't like getting down to some "Jungle Boogie"?
This is where a dog stroller would come in handy. Or perhaps a pair of smaller dogs who would fit comfortably in a pet carrier. My brother tells me he's bringing his miniature daschunds for the festivities. Easy for him, he'll just pop those little wiener dogs into a pet stroller and roll them down the park without a thought. Last year, nestled cozily inside the stroller, his dogs didn't make a yip at the streaming rockets and bursting cherry bombs.
Cute, but just plain wrong for my beagles...
Alas, a pet stroller is no place for an energetic 40-pound beagle, not to mention two of them. So will we venture out to the park for the show? Will the thunderstorm that's currently brewing outside put a damper on the festivities? Check back Monday to find out...
I just got back from a trip to Sweden during which I consumed a staggering amount of marinated herring. I was there with my wife to visit family and celebrate the annual Midsummer holiday, which Swedes observe on the weekend before the summer solstice in daylight that never quite fades. We spent most of our time at her parents' cabin in Stockholm's archipelago, relaxing on beach chairs with our feet splashing in the chilly Baltic sea. It was extraordinary.
With their dim, lingering winters, Swedes make the most of the long, glorious days of summer. They flock to the countryside to bask in the sun, swim in too-cold-for-me waters, and pass the hours playing bocce, kubb, croquet, and other backyard games. Even when evening temperatures sink into the 50s, indoor meals are unthinkable under cloudless skies. They switch on patio heaters, pass out blankets, and find comfort in the cool, salty air. I wouldn't have it any other way.
What struck me most about this trip was the simplicity of it all. Comfortable , streams of sunshine, a good book, and pleasant company. The beauty of it all is that it served as a reminder that I can enjoy this sort of timeless pleasure right in my own backyard. Of course I'll miss family and friends (and those unending plates of mustard sill), but I've got memories of laughter and landscapes to tide me over until we meet again.
For today's blog, Trish, a NetShops buyer, took a brief respite from adding products to our ever-expanding selection to step in as a guest blogger. Here goes:
Last weekend, my family was the recipient of a free, but highly used swing set. With little effort or desire on our part, we now have a double-wide tetanus shot of a swing set causing all sorts of difficulties in our back yard. Gone is the meditative nature of mowing our backyard. Now we have to duck and weave like prizefighters to avoid poking our eyes out on crossbars as we try to mow under and around it. Not to mention the liability involved if any children actually played on the set.
Our son is three and is probably old enough to enjoy a swing set this summer. I remember how our swing set provided a focal point of activity for many years while I was growing up. The first time I got the wind knocked out of me was after failing to do a bird’s nest properly on the gymnast rings. You know what a bird’s nest is, don’t you? You put your feet and hands in the rings, then invert so your stomach is facing towards the ground. Fun stuff.
Despite my feelings of nostalgia, somewhere around five minutes into our relationship with the gratis swing set, we decided to give it up to those who enjoy free things via Craig’s List. We understand that someone showing up in our backyard with tools to dismantle and take it away might radically upset our toddler. Thus, we need a replacement.
Thankfully, NetShops has a site to help us appease little John: www.swingsetsource.com. Towers, sandboxes, and climbing walls are some of the awesome features we can select on a new play set. Heck, some of those swing sets are really almost a small village.
We’ll have to do some measuring to see which set will fit in our backyard, but I’m confident we can find a swing set that will reduce our mowing resentment and entertain our little guy for years to come.
At about 2:15 a.m. last Sunday morning, two tornadoes cut swaths through portions of Southwest and West Omaha. Just today, the National Weather Service determined that it was indeed two tornadoes- an EF2 with winds up to 135 mph and an EF1, which converged as they weakened toward the end of their rampage.
Thankfully, no serious injuries were reported. Over 500 homes and business sustained property damage, some of which was serious, though a complete estimate of damages has yet to be determined.
NetShops headquarters suffered some damage. Trees in our courtyard were snapped and uprooted. Several windows were blown out. A traffic signal on our access road was loosed from its harness and left dangling from the pole. Perhaps most dramatically, the large NetShops sign that graces the facade of our office was ripped from its mount and hurled into the air before it crashed down on the roof of the building.
Again, with all the damage clearly visible in the area, it's amazing that no one was seriously hurt. Tornado sirens woke tens of thousands, though heavy rain and closed windows made it difficult for some to hear. Early warning is our best defense against such storms, which is why weather stations and weather alert radios have sold out at local stores and WeatherInstruments.com has seen a spike in sales.
I just want to acknowledge the response of the Omaha community to this storm and extend gratitude on behalf of NetShops. Emergency crews were on the scene during the storm and after. The local chapter of the American Red Cross had volunteers working around the clock to provide food, supplies, shelter, and counseling. Scores of NetShoppers have also expressed their desire to help in any way they can, and our HR department has contacted the Red Cross to determine how we might provide support. Last but not least, much credit goes out to all the volunteers, grounds crews, utility workers, and tradesmen who have worked tirelessly to clean up debris, restore services, and make the damaged homes in our community whole again.
Today's guest blog comes from Cathy Adcock in Human Resources. Take it away, Cathy!
Weekends in spring awaken a yearning in me. Unlike no other time of year - in springtime I long to be Martha Stewart.
I'd like to bring out my patio furniture and refresh the cushions with some sinfully simple but secret lemon and vinegar recipe - rather than brushing the winter debris from the seats and having the kids bounce in and out of them to see if they'll last another season.
I'd love to move easily from closet to closet, effortlessly folding winter clothing and outerwear into neatly labeled and moth-proof storage boxes - boxes I have managed to cover with coordinating wallpaper scraps I picked up from the neighborhood hardware store. Reality is two huge clear plastic bins which are brought up from the basement in October and May. I persuade my kids with candy to try on last summer's/winter's clothes - sorting into piles - fits - doesn't fit. The boys usually end up running around the house in their underwear - too much play time taken up on this project - no time to redress themselves.
My longing to be Martha Stewart in springtime is familiar and the disappointment of reality has dulled over time. I turn 40 this year - and I like to think that I have learned to appreciate the balance between the Martha Stewart ideal and the Cathy Adcock reality.
With Isabelle - 10, Charles - 8, and Michael - 5, spring time at the Adcock house is necessarily effortful. Rather than the tidy, peaceful, and manicured approach to spring that Martha embodies - our preparations for the season more closely resemble an episode of the Sopranos: there will be shouting, mumbled profanities, name calling, bribery, and someone will probably get "roughed up".
On Monday night, as I sat next to the tub, washing the weekend off of Michael - I was able to savor the few small Martha victories the long weekend had afforded me. The children's clothes are sorted, the dead annuals from last summer have been pulled from my planters and replaced with new ones, and the flower wreath hanging from my front door is now seasonally appropriate.