A lonely tree covered in crystals after a frozen fog lifted near New Glarus, Wisconsin on a very frigid morning.

They say you learn something new every day. I suppose that’s true. And some days, if you’re lucky, you might learn more than a thing or two. This is what I learned today:

1. If you leave pots and pans in the sink overnight to soak use a teaspoon of dishwasher detergent mixed with hot water. All my life I used a squirt of dish soap and hot water to soak in the pans overnight. And I usually woke to sub par results. Dishwater detergent, however, produces amazing results. Honestly, it loosens even the worst baked-on goop. I tried it last night and I’m still in awe.

2. Kellogg’s Raisin Bran has more sugar per serving than Cocoa Puffs. A lot more. In fact Raisin Bran has more sugar per serving than most cereals. Raisin Bran has 19 grams of sugar in every bowl and Cocoa Puffs has only 12 grams. No wonder Raisin Bran was my dad’s favorite cereal. And to think of all the dirty looks I got as he gazed condescendingly over his bowl of Raisin Bran at me and my Cocoa Puffs. Peshaw.

3. Yahoo! reportedly offered the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, a whopping $1.4 billion (yes, that’s BILLION with a B)  to buy his company. For what? A web page that is destined to be out of fashion in five years and a bunch of computer servers?!? Are they nuts? And the worst part is that Zuckerberg turned them down. Crazy…like a fox.

4. The first digital camera widely offered to consumers only took 1.4 megapixel images and cost $10,000.

5. The United States spends $15 million a year to seed clouds with chemicals to artificially create rain. Go figure.

6. Remember that cute adorable blond kid who played Andy on the NBC sitcom “Family Ties?” I think he was introduced as the youngest Keaton later in the series to help boost ratings. His name is Brian Bonsall and he doesn’t look a thing like he used to. In fact, I was a little startled when I saw his mug shot today. I’m betting there won’t be a “Family Ties” reunion any time soon.

7. George Eastman, the founder of Eastman Kodak took his own life at the ripe old age of 77 with a single gunshot to his heart. The inventor of roll film and the person many credit with helping to bring photography to the masses left behind a short note. It read, “To my friends, my work is done. Why wait?”

8. By car Spokane is only one hour to the Palouse in eastern Washington, four hours to Seattle, five hours to Glacier National Park, six hours to the San Juan Islands, seven hours to Yellowstone National Park or the Oregon Coast,  and eight hours to Banff National Park in Canada. Perhaps a little longer by TW200. Hmmm.