Let's see if I can come up with five topics. Can I do it?
1) I was driving to work earlier this week when a sedan heading in the opposite direction flashed its headlights at me. The driver was warning me about a sheriff's car parked on the side of the road. How kind! There are nice people left in the world.
2) Friends, the air quality is poor here right now because of wildfire smoke. I am struggling. That is all. Even in the house and at my office, I feel slightly nauseated and there's a smell that is permanently in my nostrils. I can't imagine what it was like at the point of origin in Canada and I have so much sympathy for people who work outdoors and the poor animals who live outdoors. I have taken to wearing a mask when I'm walking around campus and taking Hannah out these days. I feel like I have a better understanding of The Road now.
3) This weekend! It's a big one in our town. There's a big fundraiser situation at the local community center tonight and Saturday there is an Adult Book Fair and there are lots of activities around town, including vendors, local author book signings, "Bookish Pilates" (I have no idea what that is, but you better believe that I signed up for it), DIY bookmarks at the library, and BOOK TRIVIA. My excitement about the book trivia is pretty high. I'm trying to get the best trivia team possible, but people keep telling me they "have other plans." *sigh* I guess that's allowed.
4) One of my goals this month was to text at least one person every day and that person could not be my husband. This means I have taken to just randomly texting my friends and family random questions. What was the name of the dance club we went to in college? What is your interpretation of the song "Don't Take the Girl" by Tim McGraw? Do you think that she died in childbirth? How many mittens could we make from the fur I brush off my cat in a week?
Hey, if I text you a random question, it just means I love you.
5) Random songs Spotify has recommended to me in the last two weeks:
"Love Song" by Tesla - Do I secretly love this song?
"Hey Cinderella" by Suzy Bogguss - It's not even a secret that I love this song, but I had forgotten its existence. How did Spotify know?
Every fucking George Strait song in the world until I finally blocked him as an artist. I just feel like he's a second-rate Garth?
"The Irish Rover" by the Pogues - I have to admit that my Pogues knowledge is pretty much limited to "Fairytale of New York," but maybe they are my new favorite band?
"The Unicorn Song" by The Irish Rovers - At this point, I thought Spotify was punking me because this song is such a throwback to my childhood. HOW DID IT KNOW?
"If I Had a Hammer" by Peter, Paul, and Mary - Speaking of throwbacks from my youth, this gem was immediately added to my daily playlist. It's the hammer of justice/It's the bell of freedom - Listen, I can pretend to be Mary Travers when I'm driving to work.
I just looked up my top song for the month and it's Billy Ray Cyrus. I'd be embarrassed, but Some Gave All is a dope album and he had some great singles. ("Could've Been Me" is the song, but "Words by Heart" is also up there.) Speaking of embarrassed, as soon as Toby Keith died and I wouldn't financially support his anymore, I immediately unblocked him on Spotify and started listening to his songs again. The musical heart wants what the musical heart wants.
Okay, great, that was five meaningless things. How's your air quality? What is your interpretation of the song "Don't Take the Girl" by Tim McGraw? Would you do book trivia with me if you weren't busy tomorrow?
Some of those throwbacks I know but I don’t keep up with contemporary music at all. It’s one of my many failings.
ReplyDeleteMusic is so weird because what is a super common song in one person's world is something someone else has never heard!
DeleteThe fair sounds really fun. I hope you find a team and have a good time at trivia!
ReplyDeleteThe air quality is really bad here too (but better today!). I was thinking the same thing—if it's this bad here, what's it like by the wildfires themselves? :( Ugh.
I am so excited about the book fair. So many events!
DeleteThe air certainly looks better here. I can see clouds and things today whereas yesterday it was just smoky air.
I'm so sorry about your air quality. Ours is great right now but the clock is ticking, as it's been such a hot and dry season, with so little snowpack. I hope yours improves quickly, it's awful breathing in that smoky air.
ReplyDeleteEngie! I would do book trivia with you! I also wanted to tell you that after two years of self-help books, my friend who runs the book club asked ME if I would choose the next book and make it fiction. Also, if I could do all the questions, etc., for discussion. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS DAY. I have free reign to choose what I want and I am SO excited about it.
YOU ARE GOING TO BE SO GREAT AT LEADING BOOK CLUB!! What are you thinking about choosing? I want to know all the details!
DeleteI'll be right there!!! I want to go to that Adult Book Fair, and I'll definitely do trivia with you! And I can't wait to hear all about the Bookish Pilates?????? Seriously- I should have come a full week early and spent some time up in Wisconsin. Except for the air quality issue- egads. I just heard the weather for Chicago- "cloudy and smoky." I'm sorry you guys are experiencing that but, um, could you just get it all cleared about before next weekend??? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteLove the bonus photo of Hannah.
I think things are clearing up as the day goes by, so I'm sure things will be perfect next weekend!
DeleteI would totally do trivia with you! Sigh, I am busy tomorrow though. I hope the Pilates is inside. Our air quality is great right now, but I’ve gone through the smoky air so many times, I know exactly what you mean and it’s horrible. Also dangerous, please limit your outside time. I joined a World Cup team thing for work in an effort to be a tiny bit social with my coworkers, and yesterday we had a trivia game. I failed so, so badly. I do not know sports, I do not care about sports, I should not be allowed to join groups like this. It was fun though, and I got a point for my team by sharing a photo of Mulder, so there’s that.
ReplyDeleteEVERYONE IS BUSY TOMORROW. I get it. I guess.
DeleteSomeone just came into my office and asked if I was excited for the World Cup game and I literally responded "isn't that over yet?" and I thought his head was going to pop off. I am not a sports fan.
I am all in on Book Trivia! Why do I live so far from all my friends?
ReplyDeleteADULT BOOK FAIR! (I take it that this does not mean porn.) Why aren't there mandated occurrences of this in every city, town, or suburb? I cannot wait for your recap.
The smoke is bad here in NEO; as you said, though, it's the people directly in it that get my sympathy. Think of all the loss of Nature! Terrible.
Right. It's Adult (Book Fair), not (Adult Book) Fair. I am SO EXCITED about it. I will write an indepth recap on all the events.
DeleteWait, I always thought Don't Take the Girl was about the girl dying!
ReplyDeleteIt smells like burnt pizza crusts here. I feel so sad for the wildlife and for everyone who is losing their forests and homes.
Nance made me laugh with the adult book fair comment.
Kari, hand to heart, I always assumed she lived because she had lived through all the rest of it. But I listened to it with my jaded late-40-something ears last week and had an epiphany that he's out there raising that baby by himself. And boy does that change the tenor of Tim McGraw's career in my world.
DeleteOooh I would be so into all of the bookish happenings in your town this week! Sign me up for bookish trivia, too! And bookish pilates? Maybe you'll use large tomb type of books instead of weights? Please report back!
ReplyDeleteThe air quality was terrible here Wed afternoon through last night. It was hazardous for a good chunk of the time. It started to move out last night and now it feels pretty normal outside which is a relief because I could not handle a weekend of being cooped up indoors with the boys. We are all happiest when they can be outside running around or swimming.
I will tell you EVERYTHING I learn this week about how the book fair works. It seems really well organized and I can barely contain my excitement.
DeleteI think the air quality here is getting better, too. Fingers crossed it doesn't ruin my weekend activities!