It's gotta be bad if he admits it

Checked in with my nephew this afternoon. He just woke up in his college dorm room for the first time since the world's longest spring break.

He described the beginning of his junior year as "weird." He looks forward to seeing and spending time with his professors, who just weren't as accessible as he would have liked with online learning, but he also came right out and said, "It's scary."

Here's hoping it all goes smoothly and that he at least gets to stay until Christmas. (Though I will see him in October when we all get together for his sister's wedding.)

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 23

Today's happiness -- The old standbys. Two things made me very happy today.
 

1) The Cubs won! My guys have hit a skid lately, losing 6 of their last 10. That they snapped the streak against the White Sox was really pretty great. BTW, the Sox are very good this year, too. Good enough to win two of three games against the Cubs. I imagine that somewhere out there in Chicago is a gal who loves the Sox as much as I love the Cubs, and I'm happy for her.

2) People Will Talk. This 1951 movie is this week's movie group selection. It's talky and fanciful, and not one I would have stayed with on my own. But I'm glad I stuck it out because Cary Grant is so charming and special in it. Really, that man could do anything. He's as graceful as the athlete he once was, and his comedic timing made me accept dialog that no one else could put over.

Baseball + a movie = bliss. I intended to do a lot today and accomplished none of it. But I'm still pretty happy.

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

Sunday Stealing

Mantelligence


1. How old is the oldest expired thing in your refrigerator? I just dumped the remnants of a 1/2 gallon of 2% milk down the drain. This is why I'd prefer not to buy the 1/2 gallon, even though it's "a better deal." I hate the waste of it. But they were out of the quarts when I went grocery shopping 10 days ago so ...

2. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done on a date? I went bowling. That's not weird, I rather enjoy bowling. It's just that the guy who asked me out had (1) just cut his finger doing something DIY and (2) was obsessed with his new khakis. After he would release the ball -- every time! -- he would put on a fresh Band Aid because he was afraid the holes in the ball has loosened the "old" one. He wasn't worried about infection, he didn't want to get blood on his pants. I kept offering, "We don't have to bowl. Let's go sit at the bar and talk." I don't recall if we actually finished the game, I just remember how annoyed I was. Oh yeah, and he was a funny kisser. He pulled me to him with a hand on top of my head and the other under my chin. The bowling date was our third date. We didn't have a fourth. I felt bad that I hurt his feelings by cutting it off, but this was not going to go anywhere.


3. What animal most closely resembles your eating style? I have no answer for this. Sorry.

4. Have you ever sent someone a text you didn’t mean to? Technically speaking, no. Because it was my cat Reynaldo who did it. Last month he walked across my phone while it was charging and randomly sent a newish friend a scary Pennywise gif. Oh well, if you're going to be in my life, you'd better get to know Reynaldo.

via GIPHY

5. If you could learn any language fluently, which would it be? Spanish

6. Would you rather be bald or covered head to toe with hair? Hairy. It's easier to shave than it is to grow new hair.

7. Do you think you’re brave? Not really. I don't take chances. I'm tough, but that's something a little different.

8. What horror fiction character scares you the most? Actually, it's Pennywise. The book IT scared the bejesus out of me. Maybe Reynaldo's random GIF wasn't so random after all.


9. What food do you crave more than any other? Chocolate

10. Which holiday would you erase from the calendars, if you could? New Year's Eve. It's just another day, people.

11. What’s the most clever word you know?

via GIPHY

12. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die? I suspect it will be sudden.

13. What do you collect that nobody knows about? I have a ton of mid-century movie mags around here somewhere.


14. Have you ever eaten only candy for dinner? Yes.

15. Have you ever taken anything illegally across a border? Just that family I was trying to hide from Judge Jeanine Piro.



16. Have you ever blown your nose in anything other than a tissue? No.

17. Are you a good time manager? Ha! No.
 
18. Has life been hard on you? At times. There were difficult people in my childhood and they left their everlasting mark.

19. What is the absolute worst song in the world? I haven't got it narrowed down to one, but I promise you it's by Barry Manilow.

20. What is your culinary specialty? I plop a salmon filet on my George Foreman grill and let it sizzle as I toss a salad. Good and good for you!