Fifteen Minutes of Scrawl

Not sure what's happening this episode cause last episode only gave us a season preview.  Wait, Shea, are you sure Anabelle isn't allergic to dogs? Uh, I would define kissing someone else as cheating Did Josh just describe Catie as a Tasmanian devil? Catie, I would encourage you to go to therapy if you only feel loved when you're having sex I'm in love with Debby's dog Is Mido actually a "movie star"? Huh...Mido hasn't shown Debby his work? Wait Mido was a tour guide but is a famous actor? Debby, how do you know that Mido is talented if you haven't seen his work? Aw Debby does really seem to love her kids Editors, you don't have to be mean about Marissa's kid's sports ability I appreciate that Marissa is talking openly with her kids And I'm glad that Edward has met Marissa's kids I don't need to watch Catie and Josh make out every time their title card comes up Uh, so what's wrong with this goat? Ashia...has God never te...

TBH, I just needed an easy post, so I did a dive into the "May 20" Wiki page  and then did some creative Google searches. These are in chronological order because of who I am as a person. On May 20, 1506, Christopher Columbus died On May 20, 1570, cartographer Abraham Ortelius issued Theatrum Orbis Terrarum  (the first modern atlas) On May 20, 1609, Shakespeare's sonnets were published for the first time in London On May 20, 1734,  Anton Janša, the pioneer of beekeeping, was baptized (now, May 20 is celebrated as Bee Day in honor of this) On May 20, 1865, the Emancipation Proclamation was read for the first time in Florida, marking the freeing of all enslaved in Florida (May 20 is now celebrated as Emancipation Day in Florida) On May 20, 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis received a US patent for blue jeans with copper rivets On May 20, 1875, the Metre Convention was signed by 17 nations which led to the establishment of the International Sys...

Time for progress (of one kind or another).  Sophie, it's pretty clear that Pedro is done Hey, Sophie, don't say that everyone looks like Pedro from the back OMG Colt is getting his mail to Philip's? Just noticed Philip's grandpa shirt Colt, MOVE OUT! It's wild that you were here in the first place COLT! THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP IS BEING ON YOUR OWN! JFC! Tony, you could've prepped your parents like JUST A BIT I do agree with Tony that this went about as well as it could have I did guess that Tony was giving Vanja a key, but wow I thought it was like a spare key not having Vanja move in Lol it'll be funny if one of Wayne's daughters end up dating Jamal So, Wayne, some of it is skill because you have to hit the pins in a certain order Um so why does this lawyer have an office behind a spiritual shop? I'm gonna be real, I'm scared of this lawyer To be fair, Gino, the first lawyer you met with TRIED SO HARD to tell you the risks Well, TECHNICALLY, Jasm...

While I have had my maid of honor picked out since 8th grade, I saw a silly post recently that suggested every bridesmaid have a title. Here are 15 lighthearted ones I could bestow upon other potential bridesmaids. Maid of BTS Photos Maid of Games Maid of Reassuring Me I'm Medically Fine Maid of Meme Finding Maid of Reminding Me My Wedding isn't Reality TV and Will Be Fine Maid of Child Wrangling Maid of Burying A Body (if Needed) Maid of Sparkles Maid of Any Needed Task Maid of Making Sure No One Calls Me Mrs. Husband Full Name Maid of It's for the Bride Maid of Braids Maid of Event Tweaking and Fixing Maid of Dog Wrangling Maid of Pumping Up the Dance Floor (Prompt by Lucy Wright) Photo by Taylor Gray on Unsplash

Time for bracket 1, episode 3!  Wow Morgan and Mystique are actually giving their points according to merit Wait, why are purses here? Mystique is stirring up the drama OMG! I DID NOT SEE THE PAIRING UP PART OF THIS CHALLENGE COMING! Lucky...you should say your vampire is thirsty (instead of frisky) I do think that Lucky and Mystique could pitch that their products utilize the whole corpse Moan Collins is a solid joke, Morgan Mystique is great TV I wish Dawn and Morphine had punnier names Dawn's werewolf look is amazing The gag of shaving some of Morphine's zombie scalp off was solid What I want to know is if the queens came up with their product names (cause Hello Flesh is awesome) Okay eating the jelly brain is actually grossing me out Wait, who is the caller? Did we know this bit was happening? Dawn and Morphine's sketch feels so long and while it was definitely an execution of the premise, it wasn't that funny to me TBH LUCKY'S VAMPIRE LOOK IS EVERYTHING I reall...

Back in August of 2019, I wrote "15 themes for a murder mystery party," but recently a friend challenged me to brainstorm settings for a murder mystery--so here I go (I am determined not to repeat any settings listed in the aforementioned post)! Renaissance Faire. Perhaps a joust over the hand of a fair maiden turns a tad too real? But who could've swapped the show weapon for a deadly one? Silent Zen Retreat. The peaceful silence is broken by a scream. But who decides to keep their vow of silence, treasuring it above even solving a murder? Drag Pageant. The competition was supposed to cutthroat--but not literally. Was it a jealous queen in search of the ultimate crown or was it a drag mother paving a bloody way for her drag daughter? The Senate Floor. Just before a crucial vote, the power goes out. When senators and aides fumble their phone flashlights on, they see one of their own dead on the floor, bleeding over the latest controversial bill. Tell me, is Capitol Hill w...

Sarah didn't like the look of the distant fins in the water. Sure, she was on a boat--and a very nice boat--but there was something ominous about sharks circling her. And there wasn't just her on the boat. There was her...boyfriend? Sugar daddy? Gentleman caller? Whatever his title should be, his name was Franklin and he had paid for this romantic vacation. What Franklin hadn't told her was that there would be a bunch of his other rich friends and their...girlfriends? Sugar babies? Lady callers? Was lady caller even a phrase? Sarah didn't like to think about what title Franklin described her as to his friends, so she quickly ditched this line of thinking. The champagne was real champagne--from the region of Champagne in France (Franklin's friend Pierre had reassured anyone whom he could trap into a conversation that it was, indeed, not just sparkling wine)--and it was cold. Sarah took another sip and hoped that soon she'd get enough of a buzz to carry her though...

TBH, I just needed an easy post, so I did a dive into the "May 14" Wiki page  and then did some creative Google searches. These are in chronological order because of who I am as a person. On May 14, 1796, Edward Jenner administered the first smallpox inoculation On May 14, 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition officially began On May 14, 1811, Paraguay overthrew the local Spanish administration (thus, May 14th is Paraguay's Day of Independence) On May 14, 1878, the last witchcraft trial held in the US began in Salem, MA (of course), after Lucretia Brown accused Daniel Spofford of attempting to harm her through his mental powers On May 14, 1915, the May 14 Revolt erupted in Lisbon, Portugal, and, ultimately led to the forced resignation of Manuel de Arriaga On May 14, 1935, the Constitution of the Philippines was ratified On May 14, 1944, George Lucas was born On May 14, 1953, the 1953 Milwaukee brewery strike began On May 14, 1955, eight Communist bloc count...

Season premiere! OMG I forgot that Marissa was going to give us a Say Yes to the Dress  crossover! Ah Marissa and Edward are a classic vacation fling turned into an engagement (although it does seem like, later, they did put in the time) Hey, Marissa, when you say Edward worked "entertainment" at the hotel...what does that mean? Hey, Marissa, did your kids ever meet Edward (even over video)? So, hey, Edward is allowed to do what he wants with his body...but it's odd that Marissa doesn't seem to know or have even asked why he wanted a circumcision Why if Mallorie doesn't like talking about herself is she on this show? Ah Mallorie has gone to Rasit to bring him to the US (always a nice thing IMO) Oof, I looked it up and Athens, AL is not on the coast which I think will be a bummer for Rasit Also, Marmaris, Turkey looks GORGEOUS Okay, sorry, but the video of Rasit proposing was a bit weird to me in the angle, lighting, and location Aw Mallorie and Rasit greeted each ...

In 2023, I wrote  "15 topics I could make a podcast about"  by my friend suggested recently I do a post on topics I'd discuss on a podcast. I took that to mean topics that could be good to interview me about.  Being a child of an alcoholic Growing up with divorced parents Struggling with body image Living abroad for grad school Doing communications for higher ed Working well with editorial associates and editors in publishing Brainstorming creative ideas for indie bookstores Improving from absolute beginner DM to somewhat comfortable DM Getting the most out of a D&D campaign either as a player or as a DM Recognizing when you do not just experience anxiety at times, but need to seek help for your anxiety Identifying when you are not just sad, you are depressed Encouraging folks to seek therapy as well as meds as a possible addition to therapy Finding ways to get back into reading Uncovering inspiration in unexpected places Developing a habit of writing daily (Prompt by...

Time for bracket 1, episode 2! Oh wow, I forgot this had been Dawn's first time in the top I love Mystique giving a pep talk to Lucky I am glad Mystique is getting a point, but like I said before, queens should give Morphine their points A'Keria is correct that Morphine deserves lots of points Okay so everyone has at least one point Glad that A'Keria clocked what Morphine said about her point Wait, I need to see more of Ru's shoes cause right now the tiny bit we do see is reminding me of Darlene's shoes that Michelle hated I disagree with Morgan, I feel like having a big butt makes it more difficult to get the underwear on Lol that Ru just called the challenge a tie so everyone could move on with their day Oop Dawn snatched the piano bar right from Morphine A "hairless duck" with "no feathers" is a hilarious sound bite I love that Lucky demands a dictionary Dawn, you are rubbing it in Morphine's face I'm a Mystique fan Did Ru get that fly...

In case you missed it, "[f]or the first time in more than 100 years, a bald eagle has been born inside the city’s limits" ! Accordingly, there is a naming competition for the eaglet and folks "are invited to submit three name options [in this form] by May 15" ! So, I'm going to brainstorm 15 and (hopefully) narrow to my top 3 to submit! Da Bird The Beak by Anest Kaprey IL Flag Justification Opesprey O'Beakma Operah Wingfrey Jane Talons Gwendolyn Beaks Daniel Birdham Roger Eaglet Eyrie Gygax Birds Terkel Stephen Colbird Tina Prey Birdie Mac (Prompt by me) "Party of four" by Lesley~B . Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic . NB: These are not the bald eagles in Chicago. If you'd like to see a photo of the ones in Chicago, check out "It’s an Eaglet, Or 2! Chicago Celebrates First Bald Eagles Born in City in More Than 100 Years" by Patty Wetli .

Season premiere/bracket 1, episode 1!  The patches on Ru and Michelle's jumpsuits are fun Morphine Love Dion as a ladybug is so beautiful I'm so glad Lucky Starzzz is back because we did not get enough of her on her season (and her look is just ART) I almost didn't recognize Mystique Summers, but wow glad to have her back (and looking great)! I was expecting Morgan McMichaels's look to have a Ruveal I remember really enjoying Dawn on her original season and this look is pretty fun A'Keria C. Davenport's look is ethereal and immaculate Aha so only 2 queens from each bracket will move forward Lucky is a bit intense I mean, I'd be nervous if I was Mystique or Morgan cause I'd feel like the producers put us int he same bracket together cause they wanted to get our story done without having to advance us I do agree with Mystique that you need charisma for every challenge, but this challenge seems to require some dancing (and other specific) skills So glad Mor...

Can you believe this is post 2801?  Wow, it's been over 7 years! I like my current balance of listicle and longer form post I do have a goal to continue my cryptid novel and to make more time for that I also want to dedicate more time to my podcast idea ( Don't Name Your Kid After Me ) I'm always in want of prompts, so please send me some (especially listicles!) I know I can see how many people read each post, but I rarely think to do it so I actually often forget that people actually read my posts That's not to say I don't appreciate you for reading--I really do appreciate you! It just means I am sometimes surprised when folks comment on a post because with the volume of posts I do, I genuinely forget that folks engage with any I want to try some more creative prompts (are there any new kinds of challenges I can take on?) At times I've considered doing posts less frequently, but I think if I don't aim for posting every day, it becomes too easy to put it off...

Okay, I've finally started writing the novel that I did some stream of consciousness posts about ( "Stream of consciousness about a novel idea I have, part 1" ,  "Stream of consciousness about a novel idea I have, part 2" , and  "Stream of consciousness about a novel idea I have, part 3" ). Now, I want to keep it unpublished, but I also want credit for working on it (lol). So, with that in mind, I'll do a post like this when I've worked on it for a bit, and you can shoot me a message if you'd like access to the Google doc.  NB: While there will be multiple posts in this vein, I will not link them to each other because the text will remain the same, so linking to part 1 from part 2 (etc.) won't yield any new information. Photo by  Bernd 📷 Dittrich  on  Unsplash

If I was hosting a lovely/semi-fancy picnic and had a reasonable budget, here's what I'd bring: Pretty disposable napkins Hard plastic cups and cutlery Sparkling water in a nice bottle Croissants Berries Variety of cheeses Several kinds of water cracker Beef prosciutto Sliced baguettes and bagels Smoked turkey Pre-cut cucumber Smoked salmon Rings of onion Capers Cream cheese (Prompt by Eleanor Pratt) Photo by Svitlana on Unsplash

Time for some kissing and talking about kissing. Uh, so Philip seems like a nice enough guy, but this living situation is bizarre Okay, be real, does Wayne work for like a UK tourism board or something? His dates are AWESOME So, Jamal, I see your point, but if someone asks how it was growing up as a single child...you did grow up as a single child... Ugh I still don't like Tony Vanja is hotter than you, Tony, you are correct Hey, Cortney, you didn't have to be transporting Colt ANYWHERE So, Villa, I get that you fell for Liz, but Liz was not exclusive with the guy back home and you two had not had a talk about intentions or plans, so I don't see her as having done anything wrong Pedro, just like give up on Sophie...she is NOT ready for a relationship Wayne seems like a good guy Uh, Tony, you could've prepped Vanja JUST A TAD earlier Gosh, Vanja, I just want you to be happy Tony's mom is very pretty So, Vanja, I'm like you in that I'm not religious. But, if I...

I have many of these! But here are some (although, there are some episodes/seasons of some of these shows that I appreciate, but that don't cheer me up)! Leverage Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Sweet Magnolias Top Chef RuPaul's Drag Race Firefly Buffy the Vampire Slayer The Bachelorette Are You the One? Say Yes to the Dress Game Changer Dirty Laundry The Traitors Survivor Nailed It! (Prompt by Eleanor Pratt) Photo by Tiego Maja on Unsplash

Time for part 2 of the tell-all! Faith, don't feed into your mom's idea of this curse I love that Stig rebuked the "curse" on Lisa I am sorry that Lisa went through that Lisa...what about your other best friend that we met at the beginning of the season? Ugh, Daniel, you can't refer to yourself as Lisa's master Ty seems like a reasonable person so far Lisa, do you block Daniel? I agree that Lisa should not move straight to Nigeria Lol the confessional must be cold I love everyone supporting Forrest and Sheena I think Forrest and Sheena could rack up some money doing Cameo I do like Molly's dress Sheena, Molly's approach to your and Forrest's sex life is NOT generally culturally expected or done or appreciated or accepted in our culture either Molly, you are antagonistic I'd be pissed if I was Sheena and I was giving money to my parents and then they were just sending it to my brother I did not realize (or, perhaps, remember) that Aviva and Stig...

It's always good to think of goals! Decorate a new home Complete a sleep study Draft my novel Record at least one podcast episode Try something new with my hair Take at least one day off of work a month Buy a new fancy dress Get to a third date Download a new dating app Take a new professional headshot Get to the bottom of my digestive issues Conduct some research on sperm banks Read a book by an author I haven't read before Shop at an indie bookstore that I haven't been to before Do a new yoga video (Prompt by Eleanor Pratt) Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash

Here are some short pieces based on things that have happened in my life recently.  Mail How could I have forgotten how lovely it is to write letters? These missives from loved ones across the country and even globe have been sitting in a pile (that has moved from one piece of furniture to another) for weeks on end. I think one pretty card I had received close to the new year.  We've just entered the second third of the year and I am finally responding. I hope my loved ones know that my significant delay has nothing to do with my affection for them. Instead, it has to do with my brain grasping for motivation and coming up empty. Overdue I am so behind on so many things. This week I managed to catch up on chores and one review I had due. But there is so much more I'm behind on. Finding a condo. Clearing out my dad's storage unit. Framing art. Cleaning my bath tub Making my bed. Getting a hair cut. Scrubbing my stove top. Throwing away dead plants and leaves. Writing up an in...