I love Excel. And the Internet.

I've always had this weird love for Excel.  Every time I learn something new about it, I'm fascinated and then I remember how many things I have no idea how to use.  For example, clicking the function button and seeing all the possible functions you can use.  Or even just searching one word to see all the formulas that appear and do so many things I don't have a use for but wish I did just so I could say I used that obscure formula.

Excuse my rambling -- Cold meds are my friend today.

I use Excel frequently just because tables are easy to organize my information and I can quickly upload them to my personal website.  Most of what I use them for is simple calculations, but it's easier than doing the math every time I want to figure out a hockey stat!

I've spent the past four hour or so working on my soundboard for Intro to Research and I certainly have a new appreciation for the internet.  For those of you who aren't in the class, we have to research the "oldest object" we own and create a storyboard complete with artifacts, primary sources, etc. regarding its authenticity, how we got it, so on and so forth.  A few months ago, my Grandma gave me a silverware box filled with a couple sets, mismatched pieces, and some very old partial sets.  Other than knowing what significance those older parts had to my family, my Grandma knew nothing about the style, manufacturer, etc.  I sat here for close to four hours researching the patterns on the silverware until I found out all the information - one even dates back to 1916!

After I gathered the info, I realized that without the internet and people who created detailed records for their hobby (collecting silverware) for all to use, this project would have been really difficult to complete without any paperwork, etc.  I probably would have had to find an antiques collector or appraiser and hope they could determine all of that on their own.