I never like going out in July around here, but, yeah, nothing to celebrate. Was hoping that Helen Keller gave an Independence Day barn-burner or something, since it feels vaguely appropriating to use Frederick Douglass' slavery one, no matter that I feel...unfree. But if she did, it got lost in the blizzard of inspiration(But she's like Martin Luther King, in that people only like focusing on certain parts of all that. I was at an event last night where I was reminded that PDA's founder Tim Carpenter was a disabled person.(He died right before I got involved, I think.) Funny how if you, idk, ride the border of "chronic condition" for long enough, people tend not to talk about you that way, but he was homebound for half of high school--that counts, where I come from. Not that I'm recruiting. Especially not the departed. I hope to help tie "Well, we all die," so tightly around Joni Ernst's neck that she can't get a deep breath ten years from now. But you already know I flunked both "Such a great attitude!1" and most definitely "So spiritual--she asks for so little!1"(one place where I'm proud to fall short of expectations) Maybe we'll see how good I am at Taking Them Down With Me, though I did have more personal plans for myself at one time, which absolutely feel like even SS. No Chance In Hell has left me in its wake and shit.

I’m at Safeway behind a woman in line. She has beer, water, chips, hot dog buns….and a case of bananas. I’m fascinated what is happening at this bbq she’s throwing.

gorillas?

Now I feel bad about joking about that fire seeing as people died in it.

Oh, that's sad. I suppose I should read more than the headline sometimes

Thank you everyone. I’m having a very nice day and am avoiding focusing on the news until tomorrow.

She has beer, water, chips, hot dog buns….and a case of bananas. I’m fascinated what is happening at this bbq she’s throwing.

Post-race (5K, 10K, marathon) BBQ?

Yah, no plans for the 4th and big feeling of disgust for the shameless, spineless, cruel assholes who passed that monstrosity. May they all suffer tenfold what they are inflicting on so many.

Tone shift: I do Wordle, Connections, and Strands first thing. Then I'll do Letterbox (I try to get two guesses under par, but I don't always succeed in the lower ones) and Sudoku Easy (which is just silly, but it's soothing) at some point in the day, usually. Same re: Tiles, Trudy.

I haven't done Spelling Bee in a while, but I did used to be pretty obsessive. Might start again... maybe.

DH and I do the Mini and the Crossword together in the evening. And now I print out an old NYT or two of whichever day of the week it is from the archives to practice for next year's tournament! Yes, I track my times.

I like sudoku when I have time for it but I don't feel bad about skipping it. I'm surprised how much I like Strands. Never thought I was into word searches, but it's very satisfying

Banana splits and someone else is providing the ice cream?

I play sudoku all the time on my phone. I even tell myself from time to time "You have been conned into DOING MATH! This is not a game; it is sneaky math!" and yet I keep on playing it like it's my second job.