Jul 30, 2020

My New Bumper Sticker

Subtle, but oh so satisfying. I wonder how many middle fingers will be waved in my direction😂 Then again, most of his supporters are so obtuse that the message will be lost on them.

Jul 19, 2020

Sunday Stealing

More questions from Facebook. You can play along here.

  1. What's your favorite movie from your childhood and why? My brother and I LOVED an obscure movie from 1980 called Midnight Madness. Planned by gamemaster Leon, the "great all-nighter" consists of five teams of college students who are given clues to solve, leading them to the next clue, hidden at iconic spots throughout Los Angeles. Why did we like it? It was fun watching the teams work out the clues, sabotage each other, and race all over LA to get to the finish line first. Of course, one team (led by Stephen Furst, "Flounder" from Animal House) tries to cheat and the results are hysterical. To this day, my brother and I will randomly text "FAGABEEFE" to each other for a laugh😆
  2. What is home to you? Anywhere my family, and my dog, are.
  3. Do you get emotionally invested in stories (I'm asking about movies, books, tv shows, whatever medium you like your stories in)? Not as often as I used to. I think the last time I got emotional over a story or character was when Glenn got his head smashed in by Negan on The Walking Dead.
  4. What is the most physical damage you ever received without needing medical intervention (so no stitches or splints or anything)? When I was 11, I took a line drive to the face while playing third base in a friends/family ball game. I got smacked in the nose so hard it knocked the wind right out of me. Not being able to catch my breath was what scared me the most. It seemed like forever before I could suck air down again and finally cry out. My poor nose bled for a couple of hours, and when I woke up the next day, it was horribly misshapen and I had two black eyes to boot.
  5. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? YOU DANG WOODCHUCKS STOP CHUCKIN' MY WOOD! I love that Geico commercial.
  6. Do you have any obsessions? Like tv shows or cats or something? Not addictions. It sounds gross, but I'm obsessed with pus videos. One of my favorite shows is Dr. Pimple Popper. I'll even watch pus videos on YouTube before bed to relax. I love me some Dr. John Gilmore and Dr. Carlos Oller from DrERtv.
  7. What question or questions would you like God to answer? Why do bad things happen to good people? 
  8. Do you bite your nails? Not any more, thank God.
  9. What do you like about the place you live, I mean your housing, apt., mobile home, etc? Everything is on one level. It's in a quiet neighborhood. I live alone so I can decorate it any way I please.
  10. What do you like about the city or town where you live? To be honest, not much any more. Stores, restaurants, and businesses are closing down, and there's nothing fun to do here. About the only positive I can come up with is our crime level is low.
  11. Is there one place you have visited that you wish you could live there? Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I love the history and the stories of the paranormal activity there.
  12. What's your favorite cookie to snack on? Homemade snickerdoodles or my friend Susanne's carmelitas.
  13. Are you an Apple person or PC type person and why? I use both. I like to use my PC to blog.
  14. What's your favorite things about the Zoo? Big cats, monkeys, and giraffes.
  15. Did you grow up in the country, city, or small town and what did you like about it (or hate about it if you didn't like it)? The first seven years of my life were spent in a small town consisting of 200 people. I didn't like it because there weren't many kids around to play with, and the only businesses were a bank, post office, and hair salon. After my parents divorce, my mom moved us back to her hometown, which had a population around 32,000. I liked it better because there were more kids, a huge municipal park, a drive in movie theater, a roller skating rink, fast food restaurants, and a bustling mall. Every 70's and 80's kid's dream. My dad moved to the country after he re-married, and as much as I loved spending time with him, I hated going to his house every two weeks because there was nothing to do. I read a lot. 
  16. What kinds of things were you into and do when you were growing up? Typical kid stuff, such as riding my bike, swimming, playing in my sandbox, playing with dolls and Barbies, etc. I also loved music and would spend hours at my little art table, listening to the radio or my records while I colored or drew pictures in my tablet.
  17. Do you enjoy receiving letters or postcards more, and why? I can't even remember the last time I received either one. Do people even send postcards any more?
  18. Do or did you know any of your great-grandparents? Tell me about them. I was lucky that I grew up knowing, or having met, four of my great-grandparents. My paternal great-grandfather died when I was three, so the only thing I remember about him was that he had hooks in place of both arms (he had lost his arms up to his elbows in a horrible farming accident in the fall of 1950). My paternal great-grandmother was about 4 ft. 9 and made the world's best snickerdoodle cookies. She could also quilt like a dream. My maternal great-grandfather was ornery and had a German temper, but he loved everyone and they loved him. He always called me "Peanuts". My maternal great-grandmother emigrated from Austria as a child and was very soft spoken and gentle. She made sweet tea that was all sugar with a little water...lol. 
  19. Do you like to be outdoors? What is your favorite thing to do there? Not really. I don't mind being outdoors on a crisp autumn day, but I prefer to be inside.
  20. Have you ever broken a bone or been badly injured? *knocking wood* No, and no. I'm kind of nervous now because my 2 closest relatives- my mom and my brother- have both broken their legs in falls. My brother broke his right leg falling down icy stairs in January 2019, and my mom broke her left leg this April falling down the stairs into the garage. I'm trying my best to avoid becoming the third member of a family "broken leg" trilogy.

Things That Made Me Smile This Week

  1. This sunflower bouquet from the local farmer’s market. My favorite flowers❤️
  2. A sales lady at Ulta complimented me on my “beautiful“ red hair.
  3. Someone in my Mom’s neighborhood has a window decal of Queen Elizabeth on their car and it makes me laugh every time I see it. It’s not the one pictured below, but it’s similar (their decal has Her Majesty in a yellow dress and hat).

Jul 18, 2020

Saturday 9: Flipper

Play along here.

Flipper (1964)

  1. Flipper ran for three seasons, from 1964 to 1967. Are you familiar with the show? Were you a fan? I'm familiar with the show and its catchy theme song, but I can't really call myself a fan. I did, however, enjoy the 1996 film version, starring Elijah Wood and Paul Hogan.
  2. Brothers Sandy and Bud consider a bottle-nosed dolphin named Flipper their pet. Do you currently share your home with any animals? Yes, I share my home with my eight year old pug mix, Backes. In 5-6 weeks, we'll welcome two adorable kittens, whom I've named Emmet and Gideon.
  3. Bud and Sandy's dad was Chief Warden Porter Ricks of the fictional Coral Key Marine Preserve. In reality, the show was filmed in Miami and Key Biscayne. When were you last in the ocean? What ocean was it? I've never been in an ocean. I don't swim in any water that hasn't been treated with chlorine. Ick.
  4. There was no single "Flipper". In close-ups, the role was played by a dolphin named Susie. While Susie was good at interacting with people, she had trouble with stunts, and sometimes a male dolphin named Clown was brought in for action sequences. Do you consider yourself more social like Susie? Or are you more athletic like clown? Neither. I'm an anti-social couch potato.
  5. Without looking it up, do you know the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise? Does it have something to do with a difference in the shape of their snouts, or is it a difference in their dorsal fins?
  6. Flipper wasn't just a tv pet. He was an industry! During the show's run, Flipper comic books, coloring books, and puzzles were very popular. As an adult, do you entertain yourself by reading comics, coloring, or completing jigsaw puzzles? The only comics I read are the daily strips in the newspaper. I don't have the patience for jigsaw puzzles, so the puzzles I keep busy with are all word based: the word jumble, cryptoquotes, and crosswords.
  7. The Flipper lunchbox was also a big seller. It came with a Thermos topped with a red cup.  Do you own a Thermos? No, can't say I do.
  8. In 1964, when Flipper premiered, it was up against The Outer Limits and The Jackie Gleason Show. If those were your only viewing choices, would you watch the family show about the dolphin, the sci-fi anthology show, or the comedy-variety show? (Or would you rather flip through a magazine?) I've heard The Outer Limits was a knock off version of The Twilight Zone, which I love, so I would choose the sci-fi anthology show.
  9. Random question: Which would you be more comfortable explaining: how a car engine works, the current IRS tax brackets, or the rules of baseball? I know diddly squat about the first two options, so rules of baseball it is.

Wanting

This mask accurately conveys my attitude every time I have to leave my house and venture into public.

Jul 17, 2020

Brain Droppings, Part Three

Bits and pieces of randomness...

  1. My dad turned 77 on Tuesday, July 14th. On the Saturday before his birthday, the family got together to celebrate. My sister and her husband just had a pool installed, so we spent the afternoon swimming, soaking up the sun, and sipping the kick ass piña coladas my stepmother made. That evening, after a meal of barbecue pulled pork, corn casserole, baked beans, fried zucchini, and jello poke cake, we played a few rounds of Codenames. It was so much fun!
  2. My local YWCA re-opened after the July 4th holiday, so my best friend Kelly and I started back up with our twice weekly water aerobics class. I'm hoping that the extra activity will help jump start my metabolism, as I'm currently dealing with my first weight loss plateau. It's frustrating as hell.
  3. I bought new living room furniture. The new couch and armchair are scheduled to be delivered on July 20th, so I'm now faced with the conundrum of how to get the old couch moved out of the house and disposed of. The store saleslady gave me a list of charitable organizations that offer free pickup of furniture donations, but every single one I called turned me down when I mentioned there was slight damage on one of the couch's arms. Are you freaking kidding me?!?! My brother said he could help me this weekend, but I don't see how the two of us are going to be able to move it without giving ourselves hernias in the process. We might have to take it apart first to get it out the door. Stay tuned.

  4. My pug Backes had an appointment at the vet office to get his nails trimmed and I was horrified to learn that one of his back dew claws had become ingrown and infected. I had seen him chewing that paw incessantly, but just assumed it was his allergies making him uncomfortable. No wonder his Apoquel wasn't bringing him relief...poor baby! He's doing much better now that the claw has been trimmed and he's taking an antibiotic. I'm such a bad doggie mama😢
  5. I wasn't going to announce this until they were home with me, but I can't wait any longer! Meet my new kittens, Emmet and Gideon. They were born June 25, so it will be late August or early September before they’re fully weaned and ready to leave their mama. I've never had more than one cat at a time...any experienced multiple cat moms or dads out there who are willing to share tips or advice with me?

Truth

Other women when they highlight and contour their makeup:
Me when I try to highlight and contour my makeup:

Why can't I accomplish this? I'm a complete and utter failure when it comes to all things makeup and hair.

Jul 16, 2020

Thursday 13: 1927

Play along here.

Yesterday, my beloved Nonna (that's grandmother in Italian) celebrated her 93rd birthday! In honor of her special day, here are 13 facts about her birth year, 1927.
  1. The President of the United States was Calvin Coolidge and the Vice President was Charles Dawes.
  2. May 20-21: Charles Lindbergh makes the first solo non-stop trans-Atlantic flight from New York to Paris in his single-seat, single-engine monoplane Spirit of St. Louis. A ticker tape parade in his honor is held on June 13 in New York City.
  3. January 7: the first transatlantic telephone call was made from New York City to London.
  4. The average income was $1,313, a gallon of gas cost 20 cents, a dozen eggs cost 30 cents, and a movie ticket was 30 cents.
  5. Popular songs were My Blue Heaven (Gene Austin), Singin' The Blues (Frankie Trumbauer), and Stardust (Hoagy Carmichael).
  6. April 22-May 5: The Great Mississippi Flood affects 700,000 in the greatest national disaster in U.S. history at that time.
  7. October 8: The New York Yankees sweep the Pittsburgh Pirates, winning the World Series in 4 games.
  8. October 6: The Jazz Singer movie opens in the U.S. and becomes a great success, marking the end of the silent movie era.
  9. November 13: The Holland Tunnel opens to traffic as the first Hudson River vehicular tunnel linking New Jersey to New York City.
  10. September 18: The Columbia Phonographic Broadcasting System (CBS) is formed and goes on the air with 47 radio stations.
  11. August 23: After six years of appeals, Italian migrant anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti are executed for their part in the 1920 murder of a guard and a paymaster at the Slater and Morrell Shoe Company.
  12. October 28: Pan American Airways' first flight departs Key West for Havana.
  13. Celebrities born this year include: Eartha Kitt (Jan.17), Harvey Korman (Feb.15), Erma Bombeck (Feb.21), Sidney Poitier (Feb.20), Harry Belafonte (March 1), Coretta Scott King (April 27), Jerry Stiller (June 8), Neil Simon (July 4), Janet Leigh (July 6), and Rosalyn Carter (Aug. 18).


Wondering

Why do stores even bother putting directional arrows on floors if people are just going to ignore them and go up/down aisles any way they want?

Tarot Card Of The Day

Interesting. I wonder what the "something new coming into my life" could be? Going back to my classroom in a Covid-19 world, trying to adjust to all the changes that go along with it? I'll admit that I'm apprehensive about how I'm going to keep myself, and my special needs students, safe and healthy, mainly due to the fact that they won't be wearing masks and don't understand the concept of social distancing.

For the record, I AM getting new glasses in a couple of weeks, but I highly doubt that is going to make much of an impact😆

Jul 12, 2020

Sunday Stealing: Movie Challenge

Play along here.

1. Last movie you watched: Hustlers, starring Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu. I liked it more than I thought I would.
2. Last movie you watched in a theater: 1917
3. Film you've always wanted to watch, but haven't: Citizen Kane.
4. Favorite movie soundtrack: The Lost Boys.

5. Your favorite movie duo: Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Loved them in The Odd Couple and Grumpy Old Men.

6. Movie you like because of its story: Victoria & Abdul.

7. A film that disappointed you: American Hustle. I still don't get the hype.
8. Favorite scene from a movie: The scene from Sense and Sensibility when Elinor Dashwood finds out that Edward Ferrars is not married to Lucy Steele.

9. Your guilty pleasure movie: White Chicks.

10. A movie you keep going back to: The Harry Potter series, especially Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. I don't understand why Chamber of Secrets gets so much hate.
11. A quote you admire from your favorite movie: "You win some, you lose some. But you live, you live to fight another day." (Friday)
12. A movie based on a true story: Radio. Seabiscuit.
13. Your favorite actor/actress: Keanu Reeves. Elijah Wood. Tom Hiddleston. Drew Barrymore. Rose Byrne. Cate Blanchett. Julianne Moore. Richard Armitage. Benedict Cumberbatch. Viola Davis. Eddie Murphy.
14. A sequel you're not a fan of: Grease 2. Just awful.
15. A film you know by heart: Friday
16. Your favorite opening scene: The Lion King.

17. A film that was based on a book and executed well: The Secret Life of Bees
18. A comedy film: The Nutty Professor (the one with Eddie Murphy). It doesn't matter how many times I see it, the dinner scene with the Klump family makes me laugh until my stomach hurts. "Hercules! Hercules! Hercules!"


19. TV series you're binging on now: Dead Still on Acorn TV. It's about a post mortem photographer in Victorian Ireland.

20. A TV series you think is underrated: Freaks and Geeks. It's a shame that it was never renewed after the first season. It captured perfectly what it was like to be a teen in the early 80s.

Thinking

If I ever go to prison, I’m 99.9% certain it will be due to snapping on some idiot at Walmart.

Same Here, Abe




Jul 9, 2020

Thursday 13: 2020 Hallmark Ornaments I Want On My Tree This Christmas

Play along here.

For an ornament junkie like me, the second week of July is one of my favorite times of the year. Why? Because Hallmark releases its Dream Book, a catalog which showcases all the new ornaments for the upcoming Christmas season. In no particular order, here are the ones I'd most like to see on my tree this December.

1. Ten Lords-A-Leaping: I've bought all the ornaments in the Twelve Days of Christmas collection thus far, so this is a must.
2. Black-Throated Blue Warbler: Another must have for my collection of The Beauty of Birds series. At this point, I'm going to need a second tree just to house all my feathered friends lol.
3. Disney The Haunted Mansion Hitchhiking Ghosts Musical Ornament With Light: The Haunted Mansion is one of my favorite rides at the Magic Kingdom. Press the button and hear the creepy  Ghost Host and the catchy tune "Grim Grinning Ghosts".
4. Elf™ Buddy's Buddy Mr. Narwhal Ornament With Sound: "Bye Buddy! Hope you find your dad!"
5. Despicable Me Minion Peekbuster Ornament With Motion-Activated Light And Sound: I love the Minions. BE DO BE DO BE DO.
6. Elf™ Leon The Snowman Ornament: "Oh, and by the way, don't eat the yellow snow!"
7. HasbroⓇ The Game Of Life Family Game Night Ornament: My all-time favorite board game.
8. Disney/Pixar Wall-E Soaks Up The Sun Ornament: Simply adorable.

9.  NHLⓇ St. Louis BluesⓇ Jordan Binnington Ornament: Thanks to his stellar goaltending, the Blues won their first Stanley Cup in 2019. Viva #50!
10. Star Wars™ The Mandalorian™ The Child™ Ornament: I'm not a huge Star Wars fan, but I love me some baby Yoda.
11. I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas Ornament: It plays the popular song by Gayla Peevey. Too cute!
12. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation™ Trimming The Tree Ornament With Sound: "Hey Griswold! Where are you going to put a tree that big?" "Bend over and I'll show you!"😆
13. Not a Hallmark product, but yes, my sentiments exactly.

Jul 7, 2020

Happy Birthday, Ringo!

 Peace and love to you.

Tuesday 4: Housekeeping

Play along here.


My precioussss
  1. What do you consider the most important job or chore to do in housekeeping? As the owner of a pug who sheds enough fur to make a second dog, vacuuming and dusting are the top two jobs on my cleaning to do list. Along with weekly laundering of my sheets and bedspread (he sleeps with me). And I have to have a clean toilet.
  2. Do dishes ever sit overnight in your sink? <blush> Yes. I'm also notoriously lazy when it comes to putting my clean dishes and cutlery back in cupboards and drawers.
  3. Is being a stay at home mom a real career? SureI'm not a mom, but I know it's hard work.
  4. Can you share favorite brands of dish soap, cleaners, detergents, or perhaps a tip on making house keeping easier? I am a certified Clorox/Lysol wipes junkie who is currently having a hard time dealing with the shortages of said wipes. I long for the days when I could go into any store and find the shelves filled with three packs like the one pictured above. As for a tip? To clean a nasty microwave, put vinegar in a microwaveable bowl or measuring cup and heat it for 2 minutes. Remove the bowl/cup and then wipe the interior of microwave with a paper towel or wet washcloth. The steam from the vinegar loosens crusted food and removes stains.

Hamilton

Because there was nothing exciting happening on the 4th of July, I decided to check out Hamilton on Disney + to see what all the fuss was about (also...'MURRICA!). As with anything in pop culture that's touted to be the "in" thing, I was feeling a little bit skeptical that it would be as fantastic as critics and theater fans had made it out to be. As a huge history buff, I knew that I would find the historical aspects of the Hamilton story interesting, but I admit I'm not crazy about musicals in general*, especially musicals that feature rap music. I honestly didn't think I would like it all that much.

Boy, was I wrong. I freaking LOVED it!

I'm glad that we (meaning myself, my mom, my 92 year old Nonna, and my best friend Kelly) had the closed captioning on during the entire performance. Made it so much easier to follow the plot because the actors rap so damn fast. Plus, my dog was barking every time some ass hat in the neighborhood decided to light firecrackers, so it was nice to not have to pause the show or rewind it to see/hear something we might've missed.

The music was wonderful, with "The Ten Duel Commandments", "What'd I Miss", and "You'll Be Back" taking the top spots as my favorite numbers. I dare you not to sing along with the catchy "da da da dat da dat da da da da ya da" chorus of the latter, performed by the scene stealing King George III. 

Of course, I knew the outcome of his duel with Aaron Burr, but I was not prepared for the emotional scenes involving his infidelity to his wife Eliza, and then the death of his son Philip. I admit I cried a little. Okay, a lot.

Congratulations, Lin-Manuel Miranda and the rest of the talented cast, you've turned me into a Broadway musical fan after all! What the hell is happening to me?😆

*I did enjoy The Book of Mormon




Earworm du Jour

Heard this song on Sirius XM's 70s on 7 American Top 40 rewind this weekend and now I can't stop hearing it. Is it me, or do these singers sound like Wolfman Jack and Mickey Mouse after an acid trip?

Jul 6, 2020

Wondering

Why do some people even bother wearing a mask? I lost count of how many people I saw at the grocery store this afternoon who had masks covering their mouths but NOT their noses. To me, that makes as much sense as wearing underwear with your junk on the outside.

Thinking

It's sad how people who were once the best of friends drift apart and end up becoming strangers. Earlier today I was picking up a few things at Wal Mart and I swear that I passed the woman who had been my best friend in the early 90's. At first, it was kind of hard to tell for certain since we both had masks on, but we made eye contact and it was then that I was 100% sure it WAS her. I was going to say hello, but there was no sign of recognition on her part and she just kept on walking.

Jul 5, 2020

Sunday Stealing

Play along here.
  1. Have you ever had a vacation ruined by the weather or did you just work around it? Ruined? No. Inconvenienced? Yes, especially on my many vacations to Florida. If you're vacationing in the panhandle state, you'd better be prepared for rain. Seems like it rains at least once a day there.
  2. What small changes do you feel people could make to give the planet a fighting chance against global warming? Elect politicians who take the threat of global warming seriously, and who are willing to listen to and act on advice from scientific experts. Recycle, recycle, recycle. Stop adding to the problem of overpopulation by limiting the number of children you bring into the world.
  3. Are you adversely affected by the weather, such as SAD? Unfortunately, yes. I suffer from depression and even though I treat it with medication, my blues and feelings of worthlessness are amplified during winter. Thank God for light therapy.
  4. How is the weather where you are and have you seen drastic changes in it during your lifetime? Can we say hotter than Satan's asshole?😆 Summer has always been hot here in central Illinois, but the one difference I can't help but notice? Lack of tornadic activity. Of course that's not a bad thing, but when I was growing up in the 70's and 80's, it seems like we were under a tornado watch or warning at least once a week. On the opposite end of the seasonal spectrum, winter has changed the most. When I was a kid, it snowed from November to March/April, but now we may see one or two major snows in that same time span. Blizzards such as the ones we had in '78 and '79 are becoming the exception instead of the rule. I can't say I miss that.
  5. Do you think we can stop global warming? I think we're too far gone to stop it completely, but I do believe we could slow it down if more people trusted science.
  6. What could you do for an hour or so today that you would really enjoy doing? Taking a nap.
  7. What could you do for an hour today that might improve your life in the future? Walk on my treadmill, but will I get off my fat ass and actually do it? Doubtful.
  8. What could you do for an hour today that could strengthen or improve a skill you would like to be able to rely on? Play my Lumosity games and complete some crossword, crypto-quote, word jumble, and/or sudoku puzzles. Got to keep my brain sharp.
  9. What could you do for an hour today that would make your living space more pleasant to live in? Take a shower and wash my hair. I was working outside earlier today and I stink.
  10. What could you do for an hour today that would improve your relationships with loved ones? Just spend time with them. It's Sunday, so I'm sure we'll watch some trash tv, such as 90 Day Fiance on TLC.
  11. Do you like, dislike, or pay no attention to the wind? Wind on a hot, humid day is wonderful, but on a day when the weather is cold and below freezing? Major dislike.
  12. Do you have allergies or sinus made worse by the wind? My sinus issues are more affected by humidity instead of wind.
  13. Have you ever been caught in a big wind (not a hurricane or tornado)? I can't recall.
  14. When was the last time you flew a kite? Last spring with my students. I grew bored after 15 minutes.
  15. Would you like to have the power of flight? Sure, but I'd push that aside if I was offered the power of teleportation.

Jul 1, 2020

Wednesday Hodge Podge #375

Play along here.

1. Are you currently making plans of any kind? What kind? What emotions are associated with the planning process? Tell us about one plan you had to cancel due to the current situation which shall remain nameless. Ha! My family wants to get together to do an escape room, but no date has been set. We were going to do it back in April to celebrate my niece Madilyn's birthday, but of course that didn't happen. I'm hoping to meet up with my besties for lunch in the next week or so...I miss them terribly. And then there's my annual trip to the St. Louis IKEA/Trader Joe's with my friend Jen at the end of the month. I think we'll be okay as long as we wear our masks, wash our hands, and keep our distance from others. As for plans that were cancelled due to the current situation which shall remain nameless? The trip to Disney World. Yeah, I'm still bitter over that.
2. Last time you saw stars, either literally or figuratively? Literally: I look at the stars every night when I take my dog out for his last bathroom break before bed. Figuratively: A couple years ago when one of my blind students mistook me for a chew toy and bit into my upper left arm. 
3. Blueberries yay or nay? Blueberry pie, blueberry muffins, blueberry yogurt, blueberry pancakes, or blueberries by the handful...what's your pleasure? Yay to all of the above except by the handful. 
4. swim against the tide, swimming upstream, in the swim, sink or swim, makes your head swim...choose one of the 'swim' idioms listed and tell us how/why you relate? The state of this country makes my head swim, my heart break, and my soul hurt.
5. Sum up your June in a single sentence. Bored and hungry.
6.  Insert your own random thought here.