“You know more than you think you know, just as you know less than you want to know.” Oscar Wilde.

Something occurred to me the other day as I was engaging in what many call a time-wasting pursuit–watching TV.  Every day is an opportunity to learn–and the “teacher” is often found in the least expected places.

Over the past 24 hours, I have learned three noteworthy (at least noteworthy to me) things:

1)  There is actually a name for the condition of temporarily being unable to remember or put one’s finger on a particular word or name.  We’ve all experienced this, but who would have thunk that someone has actually given it a moniker.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to remember this vocabulary gem when I need it.

Where did I learn this valuable tidbit?  In the pages of the novel, The Girl Who Chased The Moon, by Sarah Addison Allen.  Reading is good for the brain.

2)  Now here is a gem that I learned late last night during my first ever foray into the fascinating world of Storage Wars.  Someone actually thought of creating a ceiling fan that has retractable blades!  Let’s face it.  A regular ceiling fan with its clunky, oar-like propellers is an unsightly blemish  that most decors could do with out.  Now, you only need to endure its ugliness when the fan is actually in use.  And on cool days, your really tall friends can come over without fear of leaving concussed–just don’t turn it on without telling them.

3)  Usually, I loathe Reality TV Wedding Shows.  I know, this isn’t very “girlie” of me, but it’s true.  Today, however, I got lured in to watching My Fair Wedding With David Tutera and I learned something new.  I got introduced to the “Escort Card,” a cousin of the better-known “Place Card.”  We all know (well, at least most of us know) that a Place Card is a little name card that sits at place settings to tell guests who sits where.  Until recently, this card has been deemed “sufficient” for the task.  Apparently, this is no longer the case.  The wedding, much like an episode of The Amazing Race, must contain a series of clues–the first of which is the Escort Card.  This little gem tells guests which table they are seated at and is usually attractively displayed in an envelope with the guests’ names on it (if you are a visual learner like me, see picture for visual aid).  They follow this clue in order to find their next one–the Place Card.  And the prize?  A hand-made wedding favour, of course.