Crossing off another item on my 30 Before 30 list, #20: Learn to solve a Rubik’s cube.

Until recently I’d never even tried to solve a Rubik’s Cube. It kind of scared me and, after looking at one, didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I wish I could say I’m one of those people that could just see one and instantly understand how to solve it. Even when following directions, I had some trouble. But, after about two weeks of constantly working at it, I can consistently (and excitedly) solve a Rubik’s cube every time I try.

For those also not naturally Rubik’s Cube gifted, here is the tutorial I used: How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube. It had the easiest notation and was the simplest to follow.

To prove I could actually do this, I thought about putting up a video of me completing the Cube. But since it takes me an average of 3 minutes, I figured it might be a bit boring. So instead, here’s a video of the world record at 5.66 seconds.

“The act of giving someone a smile, of connecting to a human, of taking initiative, of being surprising, of being creative, of putting on a show — these are things that we do for free all our lives. And then we get to work and we expect to merely do what we’re told and get paid for it.”

I hope everyone goes and sees Wreck-It Ralph as soon as humanly possible. It’s seriously AMAZING. It’s the best of what an animated film should be: nostalgic, fun, sad at parts, funny at others, and tied together by brilliant voice performance and visual effects. Although it’s not a Pixar film, it’s definitely at that level of quality. Truthfully, I think I prefer it to most of the Pixar films. Every geek should see it, just for the video game references. And every person should see it, just because it’s awesome.

Just in case you’re in need of a laugh. This one has me giggling every time.

I’m in love with these 50th Anniversary Teapots from Crate and Barrel. Starting in December, each month will feature a custom-designed, limited-edition teapot. With only 200 of each design available, I’m sure these will be in high demand.