Monday, October 22, 2007

which came first

welcome! here's the story behind this blog: this morning, i finished my breakfast and headed over to the kitchen sink to do the dishes. with a freshly soaped up sponge in one hand and a greasy tupperware container in the other, i paused and thought, do i start washing the dirtiest dishes first while the sponge is at its soapiest and most effective. OR do i wash the other dishes first so that the grease doesn't spread to the other dishes.

i know, i know -- totally not a life or death decision (i wasn't dealing with the possibility of salmonella or e.coli contamination here). however, it did get me thinking about all the times in life when your end goal is clear, but the means of accomplishing it are a lot murkier. especially when the biggest obstacle is settling on what the first step should be.

anyway, that was the inspiration behind this blog. how can we use the web to support each other and provide a more objective guide when making a decision?

i haven't really thought about logistics (surprised?) so i figure the easiest thing to do is to ask for submissions! i want to start collecting what i call "cluckcracks" -- a description of the quandary you're facing. then, also list the "cluck" and the "crack" -- the two possible starting steps and the advantages/disadvantages of both. of course, this is assuming you've narrowed your plan of action to two possibilities -- if not, then umm, you gotta do a little homework first.

so using this morning's incident as an example:

CluckCrack: do i start washing the dirtiest dishes first while the sponge is at its soapiest and most effective? OR do i wash the other dishes first so that the grease doesn't spread to the other dishes?

cluck: (washing dirtiest dishes first) the sponge has more detergent on it so it will cut through the grease more effectively. also, by soaping up the dirtiest dishes first, the detergent has more time to "work" during the time you're soaping up the other dishes. but the sponge might pick up the grease and leave a film or residue on the other dishes.

crack: (washing cleaner dishes first)
there's less of a possibility for cross contamination and usually, it's a better idea to let the dirtiest dishes soak for a bit anyway. but is it worth it to use a lot of detergent on something that's barely dirty?

so that's a cluckcrack. after collecting a few, i'll post one daily.weekly.whenevery so that you can all comment to help the lost soul reach a...

verdict: wash the cleaner dishes first, but use less detergent and let the dirtier dishes soak. duh!

easy enough right? so think less blog, more group therapy/advice column. and no -- your cluckcrack doesn't have to be about dishes, but it could be just as mundane. or it could be about your career, love life, health, etc. my hope is to create a supportive environment where no situation is too big or small for us to tackle! so send me your cluckcracks at cluckcrack at gmail.com.

let's hope this works! looking forward to hearing your questions, comments, advice.

-WD

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