Fifteen Minutes of Scrawl

I may have accidentally  Sort of  Adopted five I kept looking at the texts from my sister, willing them to change. How could she have adopted any cats? We live in a tiny apartment that doesn't even allow pet fish. Words failing me, I simply said: ??? I was expecting some grand and dramatic story about how she came across five abused cats and swooped in to rescue them. Surely, that had to be it. I needed some sort of heroic excuse if she was going to justify five cats. Well I was walking along Okay, so here it comes. And then she saw the saddest cats ever...right? And I saw an animal shelter My brain whirred. I thought we had gotten rid of all the kill shelters in our city. Wasn't there some law passed about it? Had one shelter skirted it somehow? Surely it had to be a kill shelter she'd seen. And there was this sad little kitten looking at me And Jen It only had one eye I did feel a twinge in my ever practical heart and said: Oh Ava That is very sad...

"I hope that you know my name is actually not just 'Mom,'" I told my son as he stared up at me with big blue eyes. "But...it's what I call you," he replied slowly, trying to work out how I could possible be called something else. "And you always should call me that, but other people call me by a different name." "What name is that?" "Deborah." "How'd you get that name?" He asked, still clearly unsure how I could be called something other than 'Mom.' "Same way you got yours, honey, my mom gave it to me." I had never much liked the name Deborah and I went through a phase when I was an angsty teen where I requested to be called 'Rah.' I thought it was a very cool nickname that represented all the swirling emotions that I thought I was displaying in an ever so rebelliously unique manner. Over the years I got more used to it. "But that man called you Deb," my son sai...

"Please stop the test subjects, Aubrey." "But they're so fwuffy!" "Just because you're the baby of the family does not mean you can speak like one." "But how else are you supposed to talk to cute wittle bunny wabbits?" "You are not meant to speak to them, only to observe and take notes." "You're so serious, Celeste. Why can't we have a bit of fun with these cutie patooties?" "Because emotional attachment could hurt the study." "I'm not an idiot, Celeste." "I never said you were." "Uh uh." "I only implied that you spoke as one." "Gee, thanks, sis." "Not at all. Now may we continue observing the subjects?" "And taking boring notes?" "And observing them for any possible side effects that could prove important to our study you mean?" "Yeah, that." "Okay now what do you observe...

Sorry, y'all my brain is just not working today so it's another list. Here are 15 historical mysteries I wish I knew the answer to. The lost colony of Roanoke. What happened to these people? And what did the carving CROATOAN mean? Where is Genghis Khan's tomb? There is a lot of lore about this, but here is he? And what lies with him? What all is at the Hill of Tara? Some of it has been excavated, but there are many more mysteries to this site. What happened to the princes in the tower? They most likely met their end at the vile hands of their uncle, but what exactly happened? Who knew about it? Where did they end up? Why won't the royal family allow recovered remains to be DNA tested? What exactly happened in Salem in 1692-3? Was it poisoning? Mass hysteria? Opportunists? Some combination? What do the surviving bits of text from the Indus Valley Civilization say? Surely they say something, but just what remains uncertain. What is the source of dancing plagues? ...

Of course you're raining when I get back, Ireland. Classic. I think I'm done with being alone in hostel dorm rooms. It's more exhausting than I realized to have to lock things up every time I leave the room. I didn't have to take my shoes off at the Barcelona airport. I was most shocked to realize that I hadn't intentionally done this, but it turns out it wasn't required anyways. I get a lot of reading and audiobook listening done on trips. I will always think I've forgotten something, no matter how many times I confirm that I haven't. Although, I think I did forget my beloved adapter on the bus from Andorra to Barcelona. This trip got me into double digits of countries I've visited. I have now visited 11 countries (if you count Vatican City and I stubbornly do). I'm leaving Ireland far too soon. I have so much to do before I leave. I still get a bit like a little kid when I see animals, no matter where (I just saw some cows outside the ...

A dragon that looks like a lizard (sorry, Gaudi, I just don't see how it's a dragon). Where the Olympic flame was held. A Thai festival. Who knew I'd find this in Spain? 16 language options on my bus tour (I was impressed by this). Several street fairs. So many lovely flowers. A bunch of parents torn between wanting to let their kids play on a playground and the fact that every piece of equipment ended in a muddy puddle. So many different kinds of ice cream bars that I hadn't seen before. A bus that will take me to the airport that I hadn't heard of before. Cable cars that I would be terrified to ride. An old bull fighting arena that is now a shopping area. Mount Tibidabo. The Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus from afar. A gorgeous view of Barcelona from high up. A lot of signs demanding political prisoners to be freed. (Prompt by me)

Hey all, I'm still getting over my cold. So here are some random facts I find interesting or just bizarre. Andorra is the only country in the world that has two co-heads of state. One is a bishop and one is the French president. So Macron also has the title co-prince of Andorra. Alligators can shift their internal organs to change their center of gravity. Libraries used to lock people in with books because of fear of theft. There were once three popes and they all excommunicated each other. A pope once dug up a dead pope to put him on trial. The US almost went to war with Canada over a shot pig. Woodrow Wilson signed his love letters 'tiger.' We used to think cigarettes were good for asthmatics. In Victorian England, Ancient Egyptian mummies were eaten. The US Camel Corps was a thing. The Norwegian army knighted a penguin. The Winchester family is considered by some to have become cursed because of the selling of guns. Newgrange is one of the oldest standing ...

Just some things I've learned along the way. Buy a skinny padlock. I had one padlock for my hostel stays, but it was too big for the lock. I bought another one and learned my lesson. Look up a few key phrases in the nation's language. This includes, of course, "Can I pet your dog?" Have an adaptable adapter. I'm so glad that I have one that works for both UK and Europe sockets. Bring layers. Weather reports always lie anyways. Have at least a day to wander. You never know what you'll find! Remember to treat yourself. You're on vacation, enjoy it. Learn a bit of the history. You can do this through a museum or a walking tour or a bus tour or just talking to people. Take all the photos. And make no apologies about this. Get some kind of souvenir. I like to buy bracelets and magnets everywhere I go, but maybe you're more of a postcard or decorative spoon kind of person. I just think it's nice to have something to remember your trip by. Hav...

Hey all, I think I'm fighting off a cold, so I'm having an early night in and I'm going to do another journal-type entry. Casa de la Vall. Today I got to see the inside and get a tour (for only 2.50). I learned about the government of Andorra (which is really like no other) and a bit of history. Souvenirs with witches on them. I have yet to find out the significance (if there is one), but there sure do seem to be a lot. A goat cheese salad with honey and bacon. It was odd, but very tasty. A green mannequin in a flower-inspired outfit. It was outside and had no sign, so I have no idea what it was for. Ham and cheese flavored chips. They're officially called "York'eso" but the picture told me my linguistic guesses were on the money. Before you ask, no I did not buy them. Some kind of liquor with a cartoon cow for its logo. I just found this very confusing. A cigar store using Groucho Marx and Winston Churchill to try and sell their products. I just ...

Hey all, it was a travel day today and I may be getting sick, so get ready for another small post. Billboards! Spain and Andorra (especially Andorra) have billboards on their roads. Buildings that could have been abandoned or may just be old. There were these big houses up int he mountains that looked old and were too far away for me to see if they were in use or not. Catalonia flags. These were everywhere as we drove through Spain. Parrots. I spent the morning reading in a park and was delighted to see the bright green birds. So many dogs in the park! I wanted to pet them all, but also didn't want to abandon all of the stuff I had with me. Cigarette ads. These are in Andorra and I guess it just struck me because we don't have them in the US. Graves built into a mountain side. They were so striking. Snow on mountains. It's so odd to be in about 70 degree weather with the sun shining and be able to see snow. A Salvador Dali sculpture. I didn't even know he did...

Going to one of the smallest countries in the world. I'm off to Andorra tomorrow! Seeing some of the Spanish countryside from my bus to Andorra. Seeing some mountains. Andorra is in the Pyrenees. Not staying in a hostel room with five other women. I have a hotel in Andorra and I'm very excited for it. Maybe getting to take a bath. Here's hoping my hotel room has a tub! Finding out what's on Netflix in Andorra. I got to watch a season of Drag Race Allstars while here in Spain. Wandering around Andorra la Vella. Seeing a river. Hopefully going to a glacier lake. Trying some food from Andorra. Maybe getting a massage at my hotel. Buying a bracelet in Andorra. I try to get bracelets in every country I go to. I got my Spanish one today. Having a day of reading on a beach when I'm back in Barcelona.  Buying a couple of tacky souvenirs. Getting some tapas when I'm back in Barcelona. (Prompt by me

SPOILERS These are pretty much the notes I took during the final episode. I only deleted ones where they then got answered (e.g. So is Bronn the head of Highgarden?). Tyrion can't have nice things. Arya didn't just leave King's Landing? Okay. Where did we get a big Targaryen banner? And how did we put it up? Dany sure can project her voice. Dany sure sounded like a cult leader when she referred to what she'd done to King's Landing as 'liberation.' I really thought Tyrion was going to push Dany down the stairs I alughed out loud when Arya suddenly appeared next to Jon.. Was Jon seriously like "But you were with her until she massacred a city!"? Man, the women Jon sleeps with sure don't live long. Drogon gave me Simba vibes. So...how did they catch Jon? Like I'm not saying it's impossible. But did people see Dany's body? How did they know she was dead? Like it's not that hard to explain blood in King's Landing ...

Hey all, I did bring my laptop, so I want to keep this blog updated, but it may be more of a journal while I'm in Spain and Andorra. Anyways, let me tell you a bit about my day. Dear god there are so many pigeons. I was at Plaça de Catalunya and there were were more than I'd ever seen in my life. If you told me I'd ended up in Birds , I would have believed you. The Gothic Quarter is beautiful. It feels like a slice of history you get to walk through, but with modern stores. There is a lot of graffiti around. My favorite so far is this one puppy that keeps repeating. I do not remember as much Spanish as I'd hoped. However, my accent seems to still convince people for a moment that I know what I'm doing. Picasso painted a lot more animals than I knew. He had a lot of paintings of pigeons, but I really liked the one of his dog. I just found itPeople very sweet. Drinking chocolate is very thick. I feel like someone had told me this already, but I had forgotten. ...

Please put me down, it's just a sprained ankle , Spot thought helplessly. Being the beloved family pet though, he did not have a good way to communicate this. It was somewhat humiliating to be carried out of the dog park and by the family's smallest child no less. Spot thought of himself as a fierce dog, he was a bulldog after all and didn't their wrinkled faces command some sort of respect? Well not anymore, at least not to the dogs here. Spot knew he wasn't as young as he used to be, but he thought he still had some action left in him. He'd gotten into a playful scuffle with a dog twice his size and was having a grand old time until the other dog decided to scamper down a hill. Spot followed, but one of his stumpy legs got caught on a tree root, snagging his ankle. Spot yelped, but mostly in surprise and not in pain, but his family didn't know the difference. The smallest child, Bobby, came over and made such a forlorn face as he examined him. The parents of...

"So what if I broke my arm? I'm still doing it." "This is one of your worst ideas, Jake," Gretta mumbled. Normally she could take the antics of her younger brothers, but today he was pressing it. "Hey it's just one arm down, I'll be fine," Jake said as he spun in a circle, brandishing his cast for all to see. Although, in this case, all was his reflection in the floor length mirror and his grumbling older sister. "You broke your arm jumping off a swing." "And I have no regrets." "You're 35." "Age ain't nothing but a number." "Are you quoting R. Kelly?" "Yeah, I'd like to backtrack on that right now." "Deal." "But I'm still going to do the triathlon." Jake then went to his wardrobe and began to dig through his athletic clothes. "Or, bear with me," Gretta began, "you could decide not to." "But I've b...

"Why exactly do you need chloroform at 2AM?" "It's just a hypothetical." "A hypothetical...crime?" "No!" "Yes." "Okay, yes, but not my crime." "So you're a criminal's lackey?" "No!" "You're the one running errands at 2AM." "I'm asking about something at 2AM, not going to get it." "So why exactly are you asking about chloroform at 2AM?" "Cause I'm up." "Sure." "So where would I get it?" "Why do you think I know where to buy chloroform?" "You're a chemist aren't you?" "Do you think chemists just know where to get chloroform?" "Why not?" "Believe it or not, chemists don't have much need for chloroform. Tends to be creeps who do." "I'm not a creep!" "You're the one asking about chloroform at 2AM." ...

"It wasn't a van," Mary insisted. "It sounds just as sketchy as one," muttered Haley. "No, it was just this little shop where you went to the window, said what you wanted, and handed over your ID and money. Then the guy disappeared and came back with what you wanted. It was quaint." "No, quaint is when the shop is cute and little and has a small selection. Quaint is not a shop where you can't even see the selection and some dude just takes your ID and money away." "He gives the ID back," Mary explained, as though that made it less odd. "When else do stores take your ID away with them?" Mary did not have an answer for Haley with that one. "It wasn't a van though," Mary added quietly. "Okay but you just said it was somewhere around the square and was just like a hole in the wall. Are you sure it wasn't just a van parked somewhere?" "No I think I know the place she's ta...

"I'm like 75% sure this won't explode on us." "That's not really what you want to hear when your husband is making you dinner." "I thought you wanted me to try new things!" "I do, but exploding the both of us wasn't one of them." "Okay then wait outside and then it'll just explode me." "John, you know that's not what I mean." "Aw cause you'd miss me?" "No, I'd just be stuck with the clean up." "Hey!" "You know I'm teasing. Of course I'd be sad if you exploded yourself." "Well without risk there isn't any reward." "Is a fancy dessert really worth the risk of explosion?" "You said this was the best dessert you'd ever I had." "I did." "And then you bought the cookbook from that fancy restaurant so that we could try to make it." "That's not the only reason ...

ONLY READ IF YOU'VE SEEN S8E5. So I did get some of this spoiled for me so some of these reactions won't fully be of surprise. Welp Dany is mad now, yes? Guess we were right about her going mad, but boy did a lot of people pay the price. Not sure what her plan is now, but I guess she probably doesn't have one. Toldja Varys was gonna die. From his own view point though, he didn't deserve it. And now that we know how Dany went...he was right. Jon has to turn on Dany now. Like he really has to because that was a nightmare. Cersei really was pregnant? Boy did I not think that was true. Also, she did know that the pregnancy wouldn't end in a live birth, right? There was that whole prophecy about her having three children.  So how did Cersei have the life choked from her? I guess Jaime had his hand around the back of her neck when they got smashed, but that doesn't count as him choking the life out of her. Maybe they somehow survived? And we'll get a bett...

ONLY READ IF YOU'VE WATCHED S8E4. Finally watched last week's GoT. While I soon hope to go back to regular posts I gotta get some thoughts out. Wow there was so much staring. At one point I thought the rest of the episode was going to be Tyrion and Cersei staring at each other. Dammit Sansa. You couldn't keep your word for a full day. Come on! Is Jon bothered by the aunt thing? It's honestly a bit hard to tell. Varys is gonna die soon. Melisandre said both she and he would die in Westeros. She's dead and now Varys is plotting murder and treason so I really don't think he'll last long. Oh Gendry. I do like you and Arya together, but you had to know that she'd say no to what you proposed. Poor Missandei. Although after she and Greyworm planned their lives for after the war, I knew that at least one is going to die. Dany is probably going mad. I've suspected it for a while, but with the death of Missandei and Rhaegal so close together, I think ...

Kimi and I wrapped up our trip today and since our trip included busy days and often no WiFi, I know I missed a few days. From here on out though, I should be back on track. For now, here are some trip highlights. Giant's Causeway. I finally got to see this incredible and bizarre natural site. The audio guides were also fascinating and I learned about some folklore. I also learned that there are basking sharks off the shore.  Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. I am very proud of myself for actually crossing this rope bridge. Kimi smartly only told me after we were done that it was 100 feet about the sea and rocks. My legs were a little wobbly after, but maybe I'm one step closer to conquering my fear of heights. Glenariff Waterfall Walk. While I got very tired towards the end of this walk, the waterfalls were spectacular. Even though it was drizzling, it was still a lovely walk. Mussenden Temple. While the name may make you think it's an old site of worship, it's ruins o...

Hi all, I'm on a road trip with my dear friend Kimi so posts are gonna be a bit sparse still. Here are some things we saw today. Frolicking lambs. They will never not be cute. A large sand dune. At least, that's what it looked like. Donegal Castle. It was once burned partially down to keep the British from getting it. A cannon by the ocean. Strandhill is a nice town. Derry city walls. I love old walls, especially ones you can walk on top of. So much gorse. Still love it. No billboards. This is cheating a bit, but Kimi and I talked about how there aren't really billboards here in Ireland. Bloody Sunday Memorial. A very tragic piece of history remembered. Murals in Derry. There are so many here. Miniature horse. It was just a glimpse, but it was so cute. So many shades of green. The weather here has been mostly kind. Sun showers. Feels like home. Surprise surfers. It does not seem warm enough to surf. A stump throne. This was at Donegal Castle and it was very ...

Okay I am done with finals, but my internet is real in and out today so this is going to be another short post. Red Flags . A hilarious game where people must decide what is the least bad red flag a date could have. Mysterium . While being a ghost who can't talk can be annoying, this game is great fun. Plus, it's collaborative. Love Letter . A fast game, but very fun. Spank the Yeti . Another hilarious game where you try and determine what actions the judge would do to what objects. Bezzerwizzer . Trivia and strategy in one game! Clue . I will forever love this game. I loved it as a kid and I love it now. Plus there is a fun movie you can watch while you play. One Night Ultimate Werewolf . A bit of a twist on the classic game of mafia. Ticket to Ride . I only just learned to play, but so far, so fun. ERS/Slap . Takes me back to high school. I rarely win, but when I do, I feel so awesome. Codenames . Takes a bit of mind reading, but I think it's fun. Pandemic . ...

Always feel free to chat with me about these! Sawbones . This is a hilarious medical history podcast that makes me wonder how we, as a species, haven't killed ourselves off yet. Why Won't You Date Me? . Nicole Byer is a treat and a dream and also very relatable and hilarious. My Favorite Murder . Yep, I'm a true crime fan. The Fall Line . This is a great true crime podcast that covers lesser known unsolved crimes in the south. They also do work to try and help the families of those missing. 100 Baby Challenge  on Buzzfeed. This is just a hilarious little YouTube show that really makes me want to play The Sims . Buzzfeed Unsolved . Ghosts and unsolved crimes are covered and somehow I still often forget that the crimes are unsolved. My Brother, My Brother, and Me . Such a fun, goofy podcast with some good, good boys. The Try Guys . I watch all their videos and while some are certainly better than others, I enjoy them all. The Murder Squad . A very interesting idea ...