Stuff I Learned Yesterday

When I was about 12 I got the best invitation in the mail. I opened up the envelope and confetti and glitter popped out! I had been invited to a birthday party on New Year’s Eve! I was elated. Nothing sounded better than the promise of shenanigans, pot banging, dancing and loud celebrations into the wee hours of the morning with friends. There was all kinds of fun promised and I was pretty happy my mom agreed to let my younger sister and I both go! Read More... The post 209- Party Like It’s 1999 appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Standing up for what you believe in isn't always easy. In fact it can be downright terrifying sometimes. Drinking and driving wasn't talked about much back then but we still knew of the consequences. The post 208- Standing My Ground appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

I like goals because it gives me a target. When I have a target, I can aim. I’m this way with a lot of things. In fact, sometimes I’ll sit down to start a new project and not know where to begin. I don’t know where to begin because I’m not sure where I’m going. If I can set up the place where I want to end up, I find it easier to begin. In a way I suppose it’s like working a maze from the end point to the starting point. I also like setting goals because it forces me to think things through before I leap. That is, I don’t just set arbitrary goals, I set goals that I believe will be true measurements of success. I set goals that will help keep me focused on where I want to be in the long term. So I not only set a goal that is an ultimate achievement, I set goals that can serve as checkpoints or measuring points along the way. Read More... The post 207- How To Reach Your Dreams appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

So here we are at the end of 2014. Your Facebook timeline has been filling up with those automated Year-in-Review slideshows, websites are taking a look back at the the best and worst of 2014, entertainment media is looking back at those who passed away in 2014, and I’m sure we can all name several other things that are designed to offer a look back at the year we’ve all just experienced. I’ve been doing this podcast for just over 9 months now and I’ve done a few milestone types of episodes along the way. So it should come as no surprise that I like looking back at things. Today I’m going to take a look back at 2014, tell you why I find value in looking back, and use the information I gather to chart my course for 2015. Read More... The post 206- Looking Back to Look Ahead appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Today is the Friday Forum!! In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I share a contribution from Barb. You can participate in Friday Forum by visiting our Feedback Page Read More... The post 205- Friday Forum appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

When I was young, my sister and I would get so excited about Christmas. We would think about it for weeks on end and look forward to its arrival as we counted down the final days leading up to Christmas day. We would tear through the house at the crack of dawn Christmas morning; my parents were lucky to convince us to hold off until 6:00am. We would usually burst into our living room to examine the tree and gifts, hunting for our names on the tags and the traces of soot and ash boot prints that Santa left for us. We’d also examine the cookies and carrots we left out the night before to make sure that Santa had his fill and that the reindeer were full and happy as well. Once we had checked these boxes, my younger sister and I would dash back into my parents bedroom, to pounce on them as they rested bleary eyed and exhausted from a long night of wrapping and taking care of the aforementioned evidence of Santa’s visit to our home. Read More... The post 204- Christmas Detectives appeared first on Golden Spiral

I think that was the first time I ever saw an adult cry, even though they were tears of joy. I remember standing there next to by brother holding boxes while my mom and dad rang on door bells and explained to the families, that we, complete strangers, were giving them all this excess food we had. Some of them broke down in tears as they took the boxes and hugged each of us, saying it was a Christmas Miracle. Every one of them invited us in but my dad kindly refused, saying we had to move on to another house. The post 203- Christmas Miracle appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Winter break came around and my brothers and I had some time on our hands. One day we decided that each of us would choose one of our gifts from under the Christmas tree and open it. We would be very careful, sneek open the box, take a peek inside, and then seal it back up. Our parents would never even know. Since we were all in it together, there was no risk at one of us ratting out one of the others. It was collusion at its finest! I picked a box that was a couple of inches thick, about 10 inches wide, and about 15 inches long. I carefully sliced open the tape and slid the box from the wrapper. I popped the box open and did the dance of joy. Inside that box was my future, my pathway to coolness. Inside that box was a pair of Bugle Boy jeans. In fact, all three of us got Bugle Boy jeans for Christmas that year. Read More... The post 202- Are Those Bugle Boy Jeans? appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Christmas as a child and Christmas as an adult are totally different. As a child I had no responsibilities except to show up, read package tags, shred paper, navigate through all the carefully placed tape, and say thank you to the appropriate person. It was a pretty sweet deal. What made it sweeter was even if I failed at all of those things, I would still walk away with the same stuff. Christmas as a kid was awesome. Once I got to the age where I had a job, I had to start actually paying for the gifts that I was giving and I could no longer depend on my dad to do it. Man, growing up stinks! Not only that, the older I’ve gotten, the less stuff I get every year. Does that mean I’m getting closer and closer to being on the naughty list? Read More... The post 201- Cataloging Christmas appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Today is the Friday Forum!! In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I share a contribution from Bonita. You can participate in Friday Forum by visiting our Feedback Page Read More... The post 200- Friday Forum appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Last week, I was in a mad rush, leaving the house to drop off my oldest at school, then planned to head directly to the gym. When I pulled out, I noticed a large box propped against our front door. It was white and long and not at all inconspicuous, so I realized I would need to make a quick trip back home to pull it inside before completing any more errands. I wasn’t expecting any large packages, but assumed that it must be something for my husband. I announced to my girls the plans that we were going to head back home, to pull the package inside and was immediately swamped with questions about the box’s contents. I explained that I didn’t know and that I wasn’t quite sure. Read More... The post 199- Secret Santa appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

The holiday spirit is everywhere this time of year. People seem to be a little bit nicer, a little bit friendlier and overall more generous. Perhaps it's a last ditch effort to get their names on the nice list, but most likely it's coming from the heart. I experienced some of that on Monday but my day didn't start off that way. The post 198- Donut Delight appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

To: Darrell From: Uncle Johnny, Aunt Susan, & Lacey DeAnn. Merry Christmas 1986. Those are the words inscribed inside the front cover of one of my Christmas gifts from that year. I know those are the exact words, because it’s sitting here on my desk right next to me as I type out this story. The gift was a small 3”x5” photo album. The entire cover is padded and it has a embossed gold frame on the front cover. Most people would say it’s burgundy in color but here in Oklahoma, we like to call it crimson. When the album is opened I see numbers. Numbers like 88, 4, 45, and 44. There on the very first page of the photo album is picture of 4 of my childhood heroes. Number 88: Keith Jackson. Number 4: Jamelle Holieway. Number 45: Lydell Carr. Number 44: Brian Bosworth. Read More... The post 197- Buzzed by The Boz appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Today’s story will take us back to 1983 or 1984. My parents were still married and we lived in a trailer house located in between the town I now live in, Edmond, OK, and the town north of here, Guthrie, OK. My brother was part of the local Boy Scouts group, and that group is the source of this story. My brother’s troop was responsible for a Christmas tree lot here in Edmond. I’m guessing it was some sort of fundraiser for them, but I’m not sure. What I am sure of is that on a cold December night my family and I found ourselves manning the lot and trying to sell evergreens. Read More... The post 196- The Hot Chocolate Meltdown appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Today is the Friday Forum!! In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I share a contribution from Justina. You can participate in Friday Forum by visiting our Feedback Page Read More... The post 195- Friday Forum appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Who here loves mopping? Raise your hands!! I know a story about a mop may not sound like the most exciting lesson, but it did lead me to learn something new and I hope you will learn something too. Last year, mopping was my enemy. I had laminate wood flooring and tile throughout my entire home, and keeping up with the sweeping and mopping was at least a full-day’s job. Not to mention I had a little one that loved to discover whatever I didn’t keep up with and immediately initiate impromptu taste-tests of whatever she found. I am pretty diligent about sweeping up after meals and especially make a point to not miss sweeping after dinner, but mopping was a whole different beast. Read More... The post 194- The Right Tool appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

I’m a dog person. I’ve been living with one or more cats in the house ever since Kim and I first moved in together, but she’s the cat lover, I just happen to live in the same house with one and tolerate it for her sake. Dogs on the other hand, I can get into. The post 193- Decision Averted appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Sometime during the night after we had gone to sleep, Santa would sneak into the very room we were sleeping in, and he would leave special presents under the tree and fill the stockings with goodies. That Christmas morning in 1982 my brother and I awoke to the sight of two Huffy Laredo bicycles by the tree. They were mesmerizing. The Huffy Laredo bicycle had a beautiful padded banana seat, raised handlebars, a chain guard, and cool looking fenders over the wheels. Read More... The post 192- Two Wheeled Freedom appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Since a few of my stories over the next few weeks are going to be centered at my aunt and uncle’s home in Liberal, KS, today I want to tell you about their home and what I learned from traveling there each year during my childhood. Like most kids, I looked forward to Christmas break every year. What’s not to look forward to, right? Two weeks with no school, new toys would soon be in my hands, more time to play with friends, and if we were lucky, we might even get some snow. Those are the things kids love most. Read More... The post 191- We’re Not in Kansas Anymore appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Today is the Friday Forum!! In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I share a contribution from Ana. You can participate in Friday Forum by visiting our Feedback Page Read More... The post 190- Friday Forum appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.