Two Amy-cdotes

"Aber ich mage Erdbeermilch und Mami magt auch Erdbeermilch!" (aka "preterite-present verb? what's that?")

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Amy hasn't finished her potatoes but had picked out the pineapple pieces. Now she says she's still hungry.

Stella asks her, "You're still hungry? But what about those potatoes still on your plate?" She replies, "But they... taste like potatoes!" ("Aber die... schmecken so wie Kartoffeln!")

Tying shoelaces

Apparently, I've been tying my shoes the wrong way all my life—turning them into a granny knot, which is more prone to slip. (And indeed, I had grown used to typine the loops into a double knot to prevent that.)

conuly pointed me, indirectly, to http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/slipping.htm, which convinced me (FWIW, I fall under the "Standard Shoelace Knot, Start: Left end over Right end & through, Finish: Right loop, Left end around Front" category).

So perhaps I shall either tie my starting knot the other way around (as Ian recommends), or learn a completely different knot, such as the "Ian Knot".

The entire site is fascinating: information on tying your shoelaces (with lots of different knots), lacing your shoes or boots (with even more ways to do so), and general information on shoelaces.

Geek heaven, especially in the "deep interest in a narrow field of endeavour" sense of the word "geek".