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You know that whole housecleaning ritual? The dusting and the decluttering and everything else you're supposed to do to avoid looking like a total slob? Yeah, that one.

I don't claim to be perfect when it comes to staying neat (Just check my closets if you don't believe me) but I try to stay on top of things. The dirty dishes are usually kept to a minimum and, with the exception of the dog hair you'll constantly find lining my floor (The dog just won't vacuum after himself!) the place looks pretty good.

But that's the apartment. Start talking about the computer and it's a whole 'nother story.

See, I'm still using the computer I took to college with me - the one that survived falling onto my keyboard with a nauseating crash during my first week at school and got loaded down after I received my digital camera for Christmas one year.

It's started running pretty slow lately, so I got in there to see if I could fix anything. I did all the typical computer things - the ones I know, at least - clearing the history, deleting temporary files and even defragmenting the thing.

Once I started going through files, though, I discovered what a technological slob I really am. I've got hundreds and hundreds of pictures cluttering my folders that I don't really need - ones where Grandma's head is cut off or the whole thing is shaky.

Other pictures are duplicates - one of my folders had doubles of every picture in it. What's up with that?

So that's been my most recent project. Clearing out the junk to see if I can salvage the computer. I know it needs to go to a repair place for a tune-up (Is that the right term? I don't even know.) but I figure I should back up the pictures and everything first, just in case.

Anybody have any helpful hints out there? I just want the thing to *gasp* work. And it does, sometimes. It's just that, on most days, you're waiting five minutes or so just to load a simple web page.

Gosh, where's Merry Maids when you need it?

Arts and crafts stores are almost always teeming with people wandering the aisles, comparing glues and papers, yarns and fabrics, and so on and so forth.

But I've noticed a trend. It seems like these stores (which, by the way, I can drop lots of money at if I'm not careful) are mostly full of people at either end of the age spectrum.

It's the little kids dashing to the markers and packs of popsicle sticks, while the much older generations mill around throughout the rest of the place.

I can't help but notice there are usually very few 20-somethings grabbing up the colored paper, embellishments, etc. And I wonder - am I strange for my age group or do these people just not know what they're missing?

I guess we all have our own outlets. Mine are crafty things and writing (go figure). I've got friends who clean for fun - although I never will understand that one - and others run when they're bored or frustrated.

I'll chalk this up to just part of my character, but it's definitely something I've taken notice of.

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Where does inspiration come from?

Pretty much anywhere, from what I understand. I've spoken to designers who have admitted to getting color ideas from rusty, graffiti-covered train cars, scrapbookers who say they peek at other people's albums and my best friend's 4-year-old has been responsible for more than one bout of inspiration on my end.

But what about those everyday objects you probably don't give a second look to? The traffic lights, the flight of stairs you climb at work, the neon exit sign? Someone in Appleton, Wis. is making sure these things don't go unnoticed.

The Associated Press reported orange stickers that appeared virtually overnight across the Wisconsin town, printed with the phrase "art object" and then listing a price.

A light pole, for instance, was valued at $10,000," while a fire hydrant was reportedly worth $10.

People suspect the local Lawrence University might have something to do with it, the AP reported, but no one's admitting to it.

Rob Neilson, an assistant art professor at the university, did tell the AP, however, that the dots were serving a fundamental role in art — "to instigate thoughtful discussion of profound and provocative ideas."

"This particular piece of guerrilla art seems to have accomplished this lofty goal brilliantly," Neilson said.

I'm packing up tonight in preparation for a family wedding in Omaha this weekend. I'm looking forward to the "mini vacation" and to seeing everybody, but I can't say I'm exactly thrilled about the 15-hour car ride it takes to get there.

That's 30 hours round trip...

Not that I'm any stranger to car trips, really. We make the 24-hour drive to Indiana each Christmas and used to travel to Florida all the time in our mini-van, but still. I love talking to my family but after a while there are only so many Mad Libs and "I Spy" games you can play before that car ride gets really, really old.

The trip will be a little better than I originally thought, though. We don't have a van this time around and I've been picturing all five of us in one of our five-seater cars. And let me tell you, it wasn't pretty. But the family just informed me that we're renting a van.

Anyway, I guess I'm just curious if anyone out there has suggestions. I'm an avid reader and will definitely take along a book or two, but new ideas would be great. Do any of you guys do a lot of traveling? If so, how do you keep the boredom factor at bay?

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OK, I want a show of hands out there. How many of you guys have eaten Play-Doh?

Seriously, be honest. You don't have to admit to it publicly. Just acknowledge that it's happened.

I've never tried the store-bought stuff, but my mom would mix up a peanut butter Play-Doh recipe for us every once in a while - something we could play with for a while, possibly decorate with chocolate chips and the like, but then gobble away.

And with the exception of the stickyness that ensued, it was a pretty good deal. I thought that, with summer's end approaching, this could be another way for parents to keep the kiddos occupied - and an easy snack to prepare, too.

Here's how:

Take a cup of non-fat dry milk, a half cup of peanut butter and a fourth-cup of honey. Mix it up and VOILA!  

It's actually pretty good.

As far as "real" Play-Doh, I guess I can't say. (Although I will admit to taking a chomp out of a stick of chalk once, thinking it looked a lot like those vanilla-flavored sticks that come in Fun Dip pouches. Not the same. Trust me) I have plenty of friends who say they actually like the taste of  Play Doh. From its smell, it seems like it'd be a bit salty. But who am I to guess?

In case you're curious, check out this Web site for another viewpoint on the Play Doh-eating phenomenon. Funny stuff.

It amazes me just how far a reach technology has in our everyday lives. First there were cell phones - I remembering borrowing one from my friend Tal in high school and being completely amazed that you could play *gasp* GAMES on it.

Then came the mp3 players, allowing us the chance to walk the sidewalks with our own personal soundtracks blasting into our ears whenever and wherever we want. OK, this was possible back in the Walkman/ boom box days, but now it's a bit more discreet.

But the be all/end all for me, is the online sites for quilters, scrapbookers, etc. I always thought you got into crafty pastimes to get away from the technological whir of the "real world." I mean, I sit in front of a computer all day at work and, sometimes when I get home, the last thing I want to do is plop down in front of another one.

But it's interesting. This is a new age - somebody looking to stitch up a blanket in Victoria can check out the latest crazes in Belgium or Baltimore, pick up a few tips and even order supplies, all from the comfort of home.

I think it'll be interesting to see how things change in the future. Because you know it will. In the meantime,I found this Web site, which provides links to the 100 most popular craft sites online. It's updated daily and covers a pretty wide variety of sites. If you're bored of curious, check it out.

A good friend and I are gearing up for a trip to New Braunfels this weekend to float the Guadalupe River, and I have to say I'm excited.

I've only floated the river once, a couple years ago, with some friends in college. While I don't remember too much about it all, I do know I came home with one of the worst sunburns I've ever experienced in my life (note to self: take sunscreen and reapply, reapply, reapply!) and that I had a blast.

It was great floating along aimlessly for the three or so hours it took - the river was PACKED that day and it was slow going for a while.

And we were all amused at the guys who stood at the end of the chutes, clad with goggles and snorkels, ready to snatch up any items you lost while tumbling out of your tube. We'd heard notorious stories about how the guys grab things up and then try to sell it back to you, so we went prepared. The items we did have were in a mesh bag that one of the big, strong men held on to for us.

Well, actually, one of the guys dropped a bag - which contained all of our shoes - on our way out, but rescued it for us, giving a menacing look to the kid who grabbed it and called out, "Look what I found!"

But it should be a lot of fun. I'll update you guys on Sunday - yep, I get the Sunday shift this week - and let you know how it went and whether I was adequately prepared for the sun that awaited me.

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I spent most of last night doing laundry and straightening up my apartment. The place was in desperate need of a cleaning and it's still not quite there, but it was a productive night.

But as I folded clothes and scrubbed down counters, I came across a problem I bet 90 percent of my reporter counterparts face all the time. The sheer number of newspapers I keep inside the apartment.

It's not that I don't read them - I mean, it is my job, after all - but I keep them on hand so I can cut out my clippings. And since I don't sit down and do that every night (although I guess I should consider it) they tend to pile up.

It got me wondering, though, what I could do with all the papers once I was through with them. They usually make their way to the recycling center but I'm sure there are a few fun projects out there, too.

Any ideas out there? Some digging around online brought up several pretty interesting ideas -  greeting cards with collages, a paper mache piggy bank and even a pair of newspaper slippers, although I think I might pass on that one. (I've seen what newsprint does to my hands and I don't wish that fate on my feet.) 

Anyway, I'm just curious. If anybody out there has any brilliant ideas, I'm all ears. :)

If you've never been to a dog show before, I highly recommend it.

Well, if you're a dog lover, that is.

I spent this weekend visiting my friend Pamela in Houston and, while we spent a lot of time talking and letting our two dogs run around and play, we also ventured out to Reliant Park's World Series of Dog Shows.

We were both first-timers and didn't really know what to expect, but it was great. Our first stop was a "meet the breeds" area where we basically got to play with all different kinds of dogs.

We made our way around watching agility tests, picking up information and even catching a glimpse of "flyball," a ridiculously fast-paced relay race for dogs where they leaped over four small hurdles, grabbed a tennis ball and made their ways back so the next dog could take off.

The student art show was jaw-dropping. We spent a few minutes perusing Houston-area students' artwork and I swear you'd never know these artists were in grades k-12. The grand prize winner was a high schooler who drew a chocolate lab laying on a floor. It was so realistic it looked like you could reach out and pet it.

As much as I wish I had those artistic abilities, I don't. But I still try every once in a while.   

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I got back from an interview just a bit ago and, as I glanced back at my car, I realized just how desperately the poor things needs a bath. Both inside and out.

The inside is full of dog hair and papers I don't need, while the outside is covered in Texas dust and reminders that I must have parked beneath a tree or two recently.

And while I look at the car and think, "yuck," there are others out there who would see a blank canvas.

Scott Wade is a Texas artist who does what he terms "Dirty Car Art." Basically he takes a smudgy, disgusting windshield and, wielding a few paint brushes and tools of the trade, creates a masterpiece.

His works include remakes of Starry Night and the Mona Lisa and even the ever-so-popular "Dogs Playing Poker."

I've gotta say I'm impressed. Aside from the occasional "Wash me" or "Hey Allison" somebody scrawls across my windshield, I've never come close to anything like that.

Check out his Web site and prepare to be amazed. Who knows? Maybe we've even got a few "dirty car artists" in good old Victoria who just haven't discovered their calling.