The Trick to Menial Tasks

So, the trick to spending hours on menial tasks, like finding each chapter number in 25 Old Testament books, putting your cursor after the number, and then! Listen closely now, this is the important part, hitting "enter", ( yeah, that's my job right now, and let me just point out, The Old Testament doesn't have pansy books like the New Testament. No letters split into a handful of chapters, if any (ahem, John!) Not even beautiful books of narrative with a fair share of chapters. No. The Old Testament wrote EPICS! And Epics have a lot of chapters! And the books that aren't epics... well, think of how great going through Psalms is going to be!) Tasks like these can drain life.
But there is a trick! Find an appropriated analogy and think of this as you work (because it's a menial task, you don't actually have to think about what you're doing!)

Example:

We are mid-quest as my companions and I ride through the mountains at full gallop. A war is at hand! Stealing the souls of the young and the old. And only one thing can save them! But the message is in our satchel, slapping against the haunches of our steeds. We must get it to the front lines!
But then! springing up from all around us, an ambush! The Menial Task Force has us surrounding, pulling their weapons, they cry a war cry and attack. I leap off my stallion, tossing my satchel to another rider and drawing my sword. "Run!" I cry . "I'll hold them off!!"
"No!" They protest. "We won't leave you behind!" They pulled their weapons to join the battle.
I engaged with my first attacker.
"Go! The message is too important!" I dispatched him easily but his friends fell on me heavily catching up. "Too important to be delayed by the likes of these! Go! The war needs you! The people need you! Go!"
Seeing the wisdom of my words, they pull their horses about.
"Run!" I cried. "Gallop! Fly! Fly on the wings of the Lord!"
My speech had my attention divided and I found myself to consumed with the defensive to make an attack. But knowing that the message was on it's way I turned my attention back to the task at hand.
"FOR THE GLORY OF THE LORD!!!!!"
Thrusts, cuts, drop kicks, handstands, and noogies, I annihilated that task.
I slumped down into the dirt. Exhausted. Menial Task Forces are an exhausting force to be reckoned with! Exhausted by victorious! for the task was dealt with but the message was not delayed.
"Ride on my friends. We will prevail."
I found my horse grazing nearby, completely disinterested in the epic battle I just won.
"Stupid horse," I muttered, mounting up.

If you are thinking up such a story in your head, the task will be much more interesting, go faster, and, depending on how long your task takes, you could publish a novel afterwards!
 

5 Date Ideas for Long-Distance Relationships

I HATE it when I want to know something or get ideas for something and the internet leaves me wanting!! So I've decided to leave the internet a more informative place for those who come after me with the same questions. (which is why, soon, I will posts "Bush Recipes! Delicious food that you might have the ingredients for in your foreign country!")
But for now, 5 Date Ideas for Long-Distance Relationships.

Long-distance relationships can be really great in some ways. All there really is to do together is talk. And when you're not face to face it can be a lot easier to open up about ...everything! It's great for really getting to know your honey.
But, as anyone in them knows, long-distance relationships can also be rough. Perhaps it's "I just want to text her all the time" or "I'm trying to plan a wedding I can't keep stopping to answer "So what are you up to texts?"!!!!!" or maybe its the awkwardly nightly phone calls of  "how was your day" "good, yours?" "good" "................"

My husband and I started our relationship off with 3 days together in bliss! and 2 months apart :(
But we found some great and fun date ideas and I will share them with you ....
....
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Now!


1. Yahoo Games.
There are a BUNCH of multiplayer Yahoo Games. Just make an account, sign in to a game, get a "table" (tell your honey which table you're at), and sit down and play. Also great for this is Skyping! Get Skype. It's free. And video chat while you play.

2. Coffee date.
Find a restaurant (Starbucks, Panera Bread, McDonalds) that you both have in your area that has wi-fi. Bring your laptops. Order something, maybe the same thing! And have a coffee date. (I recommend earbuds with the built-in mic in the cord. $10 Walgreens. It's one thing to talk to your computer in public. It's another for it to talk back. Really. Have you ever been out and overheard a Skype conversation without earbuds being used? It's obnoxious. Bring them.)

3. Tour the Smithsonian.
This will take a bit more coordinating. First google virtual tours. (I'm sure other places have them too!) ONE of you pull it up. Then use the Screenshare feature in skype. Now your honey can see the Smithsonian on her screen. But if you have it maximized then that's all either of you will see and this is no fun without seeing each other!! So narrow the screen so you have a empty left (or right) hand column or your screen. Now fit her pretty face there so you can see her. and either using the window skype already has up, by going to tools; options; video settings, or by opening another program for your webcam, put your face over there too. Now! You can tour the Smithsonian. By sharing it on a single computer, the "navigator" is being attentive to the  "passenger" listening for where she wants to go. and the "passenger" is being attentive to the "navigator" because she can't do it herself. Which means you don't get caught up on clicking things and forget the date part. (I HAD a picture to go with this...)
(also check out googleartproject.com! Wish I had known about this back in the long-distance days!!)

4. Watch a movie together.
Same set up as above, but with a movie! You could also try to both rent the movie and hit play at the exact same time but that can get obnoxious. ESPECIALLY if you can hear their movie a few seconds behind your movie. Which is why I advise putting it on your computer AND using earbuds, so you won't get that horrible feedback.


5. DrawSomething. WordswithFriends. And other multiplayer smartphone games.
These can be fun breaks throughout your day. You're probably not both free at the same time but when you are you can take your turn in the game. And then you can have something to talk about on the phone that night. I favor DrawSomething. It starts great conversations.
Example:
"What in the world was that? It looked like a bleeding stomach that then exploded"
"It was Orlando! I drew Florida and then in red marked Orlando. ...My finger might've slipped a little!"
"And the explosion."
"I decided you might not get it with FL so I drew a Bloom."
"Seriously?"

There could have been more but the internet certainly didn't try and help!
Comment other date ideas!!