Fifteen Minutes of Scrawl

So, if you don't know, every "year, Chicagoland proves itself to be the dream destination for book lovers and readers of all ages!"  "Independent Bookstore Day (IBD) is a one-day national party celebrating indie bookstores on the last Saturday in April. Across the country, each store creates its own unique events—including guest authors, special kids’ story times, readings, contests, giveaways, sales, and more. In Chicago, we do the Chicagoland Bookstore Crawl." "This year, Chicagoland is BACK with 80+ bookstores joining the celebration with our annual Chicagoland Bookstore Crawl! Each year, independent bookstores across the greater Chicago area–from Antioch to Homewood and St. Charles to the Loop–the Chicagoland Bookstore Crawl encourages book lovers to indulge in bookstore tourism by visiting 10 or more stores in a single day." "At each bookstore you visit, you'll get a stamp! No purchase required. But, of course, showing your independent bo...

Time for the finale! DD's look is so lovely and soft and I feel like it is showing a new angle on her drag (from what we saw on the season) Mandy's hair piece and makeup are STUNNING, but hte dress isn't my favorite Briar looks incredible Ciara as a bird is regal and mesmerizing (I kind of wish she hadn't taken off her wings) Vita is a jewel (both in the literal and figurative sense) Mia is gorgeous--without a doubt, but the wig and dress don't mesh as well as I'd like Athena looks good (but I kinda hate that they only made Greek references for her description) Kenya has won this runway for me Discord's look is one I'd like to see up close because I see SO many cool details Jane looks fabulous and is making a Silence of the Lambs reference (I believe), but the skirt didn't quite fit with the rest for me Juicy looks awesome Darlene's look is as kooky as I'd expect (in a good way!) Myki's look is wild (in a good way) and I just want to keep...

In November of 2023, I wrote "15 museum exhibits I would love to see" --but now I have more ideas! Will ICE Melt?: A history of immigration policies and their enforcement in the US Sick Chic: How being ill has be "in" from consumption to addiction and back again Let's Eat Babies: An examination of the history and relevance of satirical publications Me at the Zoo: YouTube's history from its first video onward Poisonous, Venomous, or Somehow Both?: You bite it, you die vs it bites you, you die vs any bite'll do the trick What's in a Name?: Naming regulations then and now for babies born in the US Hoarding vs Collecting: When is the accumulation of items a hoard and when is it a collection--and why does that distinction matter? Seven Bobcats? Yes! Six Rabbits? No!: Why and how exotic pet laws vary by US state--and why that matters A Raccoon Named Rebecca: The oddest and most loved US presidential pets If You Can't Make Your Own Serotonin, Store Boug...

For this piece, I had 15 minutes to write something including the five words firefighter, station, fuss, dictate, and think (which were selected by a  Random Word Generator  I found). Firefighter Max was not having a good day. First off, there was a fire. Yes, yes, yes, it was his literal job to fight fires, but usually he just got to hang around the station with his firefighter pals. They'd workout, joke, talk about weird things they'd found in wreckage, and even take turns cooking. His job was usually no fuss--even though he was a first responder. But today was not a usual day. The alarm had rung at exactly 3:33am, which Max knew because he had jolted awake and immediately checked his watch.  Trouble always comes in threes, Mike said to himself. That's what his mother used to think anyways. Not that Max let his mother dictate his thoughts. Well, not anymore. Back to the fire. It was a roaring blaze, completely engulfing what used to be a quaint green house. It wasn't ...

I have been rewatching a lot of Top Chef  lately, so here are some challenges I would give the chefs. Many of these challenges assume I am somehow the famous guest who gets to make demands on the show (hey, a girl can dream). Bulls & Cows vs. Hatchlings & Juveniles : My favorite animal is an alligator. But, I don't want you to cook me one. Instead, you will divide into two teams. One team will base their four course progressive menu on the diet of bull and cow alligators (the adults), which typically includes larger fish, turtles, snakes, birds, and deer. The other team will base their menu on the diet of hatchling and juvenile alligators, which typically includes insects, spiders, crawfish, shrimp, small fish, and frogs But Can My Dog Have Some? : As a devoted dog mom who too easily gives in to her pup's adorable begging eyes, I love to have meals that my dog can have a bite (or two) of. Your challenge today is to create a dish that both my dog and I can eat. Your budg...

Time for some meetings and people being jerks! Hey, Natalie's daughter whose name I missed, blame your mom for this...she could've said no to Gino coming Gino...did you say "leopard skin carpet"? Villa...Liz is propositioning you...and your response is "I guess"? I get why Vanya's cousin is suspicious Okay, I would like get jewelry as a gift too, but, Vanya, those gifts are like from Claire's Tony...do you know Vanya? Like this is a big part of her life I do think Vanya bringing up her boundaries is very good! Ah Kim is back to dating! Okay, if Wayne has kids and lives in the UK...what are the chances of him coming to the US? Kim comparing her height to the camera person's was quite funny Sophie...your plan is pretty wild I don't get why Natalie is taking Gino to a strip club? I'm glad Natalie asked about the dancer's boundaries before the lap dance started So, I do get that if I was Tony, I'd be a bit awkward or embarrassed, but ...