Fifteen Minutes of Scrawl

So, in my previous post "Snippets, forty-three" I challenged myself to come up with 15 creative getting to know you questions, so here goes! If you could have any animal as a pet (with the guarantee you could care for them and they would behave), what animal would you pick? If you could change one big decision in your life, how would you? If you could wake up tomorrow and have mastered one dish to make, what would it be? If you could change your appearance with a snap of your fingers, how would you? If you could have one phrase your pet could understand, what would it be? You now have a book contract--what genre is it for? You now have the ability to greatly reduce one of your fears--which one do you pick? You now have the budget to make one more season of any show--what show is it? You now have to change careers, but will keep your same salary--which new career do you pick? You now have a flag for your home--what would the design be? How would you like to be remembered? How...

Here are some short pieces based on things that have happened in my life recently.  Getting to Know You When I picked this as a title for a section of this post, I immediately thought of the song from a musical ( The King and I ?), but that's not what I meant to talk about. Sometimes I worry that I'm immensely boring and/or bad at conversations. I guess I feel this way in part because I find games where you ask your friends random, but still kind of deep questions super helpful. Why is this though? Can I not come up with questions on my own? Am I so uncreative that I can't think of fun ones? Also, how is there still so much to learn about people I've known for decades? The answer to that last one is of course there is! We all contain multitudes that evolve over time (sometimes in sync with each other, but sometimes not), so it's not a reflection of how close I am with my friends (though my anxiety will tell me this is the case). This section has given me an idea for...

A friend and I are taking a quick trip to Madison, WI today and just leaving tomorrow, but here are some things I think could be fun to do! Purchase lots of books at  The Book Deal Play a record on our Airbnb's turntable Shop at  Dane County Farmers' Market Explore  Olbrich Botanical Gardens Peruse the  Commercial Ave Bazaar Check out the  Taste of Madison Hang out on our Airbnb's patio Have an Airbnb dance party Dine at a quirky restaurant Eat by one or more lakes Sip a unique cocktail Enjoy a board game Drink a fun latte Take silly pics Have fun! (Prompt by me) Photo by Nils Huenerfuerst on Unsplash

A dear friend texted me a prompt idea: "Put together a course syllabus from your collection of books, and what’s the theme and why read them together"--I thought it was a great idea, so I wrote "A syllabus based on some books on my shelf: Vampiric Literature (HOLL 101)" and now I'm doing it again (as before, formatting on this blog is a tad limited, but I did my best)!  OOPS! ALL TRUE (HOLL 102) Instructor Name and Preferred Title : Holly Smith (just call her Holly or she'll feel super old) Affiliated Department/Program/Organization : Independent scholar Degrees held : BA'14 History, minor in Statistics, Swarthmore College, MA'19 Writing, National University of Ireland, Galway (now Galway University) Course Description HOLL 102 examines the true gruesome events behind famous pieces of fiction. Through this examination, students should learn to que stion how the world around us either directly or indirectly affects our creative works and expression. ...

While there is a lot I enjoy about fall, HOW IS IT ALREADY SEPTEMBER 2ND?! Settling into my new condo Enjoying the crisp air while sipping a warm drink on my little patio In general, not sweating so much Perhaps purchasing some fall décor to put on said patio A new set of vibrant colors A quick trip to Madison, WI with a friend Celebrating the completion of my first year at my current job Attending Printers Row Lit Fest Watching a new season of Survivor  with friends Brainstorming a Halloween costume Planning a Halloween celebration Writing Halloween cards (should I make little poems etc. again?) Buying books at Hyde Park's annual used book sale Touring places at Open House Chicago Eating delicious Thanksgiving food (Prompt by me) Photo by Fred Russo on Unsplash

Time for some big feelings.  I am surprised that there is more of the Kara and Guillermo scene tbh Lol Thais does not have good balance I'm honestly surprised that Sumit's parents agreed to this therapy session Welp, looks like Jenny was right about Sumit bailing on the therapy While Sarper doesn't have to complain about Shekinah in his stand up, I do think she'd also be mad if he talked about his pre-Shekinah life I swear Sarper is just repeating some of his standup routine (which I did see him perform) I am sorry that Shekinah was cheated on (it sounds ROUGH), but I would ask Shekinah to consider that perhaps Sarper was never monogamous before because he does take commitment seriously and knew he wasn't ready yet Hell yeah, falconry Gosh Rebecca must be really attracted to Zied cause that was not a sexy growl I mean...what did you expect the falcons to eat? These poor falcon professionals having to listen to Rebecca be passive aggressive about Zied hanging out wit...

So, a malaphor is when you blend idioms or cliches into a new phrase (e.g. "It's not rocket surgery"). I was recently reminded of how silly and fun malaphors can be, so I figured I'd try my hand at making some! Here goes (these are in no particular order): Don't cry over low-hanging fruit Kill two birds with an unturned stone Throw caution to the bull in a china shop Saved by the can of worms Sharp as a doorknob We'll cross that bridge when the heart grows fonder Time flies when life gives you lemons Time will tell what's the best medicine All's well that ends in love and war Every cloud has a lemonade lining Icing on the wolf in sheep's clothing The shoe fits on the tip of my tongue Keep the diamond in the rough at bay Makes my melting pot boil Running with the wolves got my goat (Prompt by me) ""It's not like it's rocket surgery."" by Nathan Proudlove . Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic .

Time to wrap things up? Exactly, Mallorie, that's their job (I genuinely love that she's chill about this) Hell yeah, Rasit, Mallorie's dad IS a dick Mido is SO scary Deby, when did Caden give approval? I feel like he gave a reluctant acknowledgement  What is Mido spraying on himself? I hope not cologne cause he will be FRAGRANT Of course Mido gets an ENTRANCE I love that the officiant asked everyone to give Deby and Mido a standing ovation when the few people there were already standing I think Edward seems sweet with Marissa's kids Marissa, I cannot believe you didn't do your research on what sponsoring his visa meant OMG Maxwell's shirt has a photo of Ashia on it and she's eating Ashia, how are Rod's actions confusing at this point? He has bene consistent in his views on Maxwell and this marriage I genuinely do not understand how Thomas and Paula didn't break up after the dinner we last saw I love that they moved forward with the haunted wedding v...

If you don't know (like I didn't not too long ago), Miss USA includes a (non-scored) state costume contest. Often, these costumes are loud, bold, and even wacky. A quick note that the image I used for this post is from a different pageant, but I thought it gave similar vibes. Finally, I have to link out to images of the costumes because those ain't free! With all of that out of the way, here are my 15 favorite state costumes from Miss USA 2026 in state alphabetical order. Miss Alabama, Samantha Havenstrite (clearly a white floral inspiration) Miss Alaska, Holly Huber (a fisherman/crabber inspiration) Miss Connecticut, Jaeden Hamelly (a navy inspiration) Miss Delaware, Julia Hatoum (a chemical engineer--her career--inspiration) Miss Florida, Aileen Cerchiara (a clear flamingo inspiration) Miss Idaho, Katie Tetreault (a salmon in the stream inspiration) Miss Illinois, Vivica Lewandowski (I believe this is a state mineral--which is fluorite--inspiration...

So last night our new Miss USA was crowned. Her name is Justus Kelley and she hails from Virginia. I watched the pageant with friends and was really rooting for her and "Take Me Home, Country Roads" popped into my head even though, yes, it is about West Virginia. But parodies are parodies for a reason! Also, no, the photo is not of Justus Kelley (those aren't free to use!), but I thought the photo captured the hope of a little girl who may one day be crowned. Anyways, I present "Take Me Home, Country Roads" Justus Kelley, Miss Virginia Foster mama, fighting for the kiddos to be cared for, rejoin their fam'lies, Using trash bag luggage, no formalities Pageant crowns, take 'em home Cause you're the gal who will win Miss Virginia, Justus Kelley Take 'em home, pageant crowns Stunning in her space age evening gown Poignant poise, wise with gleaming smile Married sweetheart, thirty one years old Wearing only sponsored, thrifted fashion bold Pageant cr...

For an upcoming baby shower, I have been tasked with crafting Mad Libs (a task I relish). Here are 15 ideas of nursery rhymes/children's songs that could be fun to Mad-Lib-ify.  "Baa Baa Black Sheep" "Do Your Ears Hang Low?" "Five Little Monkeys" "Hey Diddle Diddle" "Humpty Dumpty" "Hush Little Baby" "Itsy Bitsy Spider" "This Little Piggy" "London Bridge Is Falling Down" "Mary Had A Little Lamb" "This Old Man" "Open Shut Them" "Rock-a-Bye Baby" "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" "The Wheels On The Bus" (Prompt by me) "Fairy Garden, Cheltenham, Victoria - 1950s" posted by Kaye . Public domain .

A dear friend texted me a prompt idea: "Put together a course syllabus from your collection of books, and what’s the theme and why read them together"--I thought it was a great idea, so here it goes (also, note that formatting on this blog is a tad limited, but I did my best)! VAMPIRIC LITERATURE (HOLL 101) Instructor Name and Preferred Title : Holly Smith (just call her Holly or she'll feel super old) Affiliated Department/Program/Organization : Independent scholar Degrees held : BA'14 History, minor in Statistics, Swarthmore College, MA'19 Writing, National University of Ireland, Galway (now Galway University) Course Description HOLL 101 invites students to delve into potential origins of European-based vampire lore and then, in turn, how vampiric characters have been portrayed throughout five different fictional works (mentioned and then listed below). Finally, what does this old lore and these texts throughout time tell us about our views of death, monsters, a...

Movers come on Saturday so I gotta be prepared! Throw out the last of the trash Dump the items I plan to curb dump Pack my bathroom rug Disassemble the bathroom storage Move my plants myself Send the movers an update on what is getting moved Unplug my TV Post my two fans and window unit on Buy Nothing Either finish assembling the furniture I have or move them somewhere more out of the way Patch the nail holes Uninstall the building's gate app Return the keys Call the storage unit and figure out how to close out of it Find my storage locker in my new building Clear off the folding table I'm currently using as my all purpose surface (Prompt by me) Photo by Dina Badamshina on Unsplash

Time for a sex dungeon! Do people rent places like this for orgies? The thrusting apparatus looked like it had a Kong on the end of it Jenny, to be fair, the sex dungeon is not a part of the castle so it's wouldn't be in a castle brochure Also, maybe I'm wrong, but I thought a lot of people who are dominant outside of the bedroom like to be submissive in the bedroom Uh like I know we're on TV, but I don't think therapists are supposed to tell their clients that they look like a kinky Gaston I feel like going to pup play first a lot This is so uncomfortable Ahhh Rebecca wanted to have a child with Zied via surrogacy but his religion is against that Shekinah, real question, where did the hair for your wigs come from? Can't some come from the deceased? Shekinah, you okay, girl? Like I know you're terrible, but you do seem off in a way that maybe means a doctor should be contacted I think Sarper could rock some long hair Omg Sumit is still in a cage I wonder if ...

Not sure how many places have all of these, but let's see! Asparagus Avocado Baked salmon Balsamic glaze Brussels sprouts Carrots Clams Gorgonzola Humboldt Fog Kale chips Lox Microgreens Pickled red onions Pumpkin Radish tops (Prompt by me) Photo by Chad Montano on Unsplash

Time for concerns to be raised. Haha Mallorie is explaining why pregaming is a great financial choice Katie looks interested in Cihat Does Rasit know "Candy Shop" by 50 Cent? Honestly, I'm impressed by these strippers--they're so strong! Has Thomas given Paula a budget? That's never been clear to me if he's told her how much they can spend on fun/random stuff Marissa, you can't ask Edward to be a mind reader Marissa, you have not always been sure that you and Edward are meant to be... Ashia...you have not "withstood the test of time" Ashia, people who love you are going to be concerned when you're making a poor decision I do think it's sweet that Shea's daughters and friend are helping Anabelle get ready I hope Allison is being genuine I forgot Anabelle had a daughter I do find it funny that Josh is now dressed as Ginger Spice That said, I hope he enjoys it? Uhhh, Josh? Do you see married life as not being able to express yourself? Jo...

Convince me?  The Alchemist All the Light We Cannot See Atonement The Catcher in the Rye Ender's Game The Fault in Our Stars The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Lolita Memoirs of a Geisha Moby-Dick Pride and Prejudice A Tale of Two Cities Twilight War and Peace Wuthering Heights (Prompt by me) Photo by Charly Álvarez on Unsplash

Here are some short pieces based on things that have happened in my life recently.  "Conversation Set" Why is this "conversation set" called a "conversation set" in some of the instructions, but a "patio set" in others? Also, how many translator rounds did these instructions go through? Surely AI can write a bit more coherently than this. And what is the right amount of tightening the screws to do for the first three so that I can get this forth one to catch a little so I can then tighten them all so it can support my weight? I have had two friends help me with this "conversation set" and it has frustrated us all. I got the small table done today with a friend and a different friend got the rocking chair frames together. Tonight, I have attempted to get the green mesh that will be the actual part of the chair one sits in and I have finally thrown up my hands. I picked this "conversation set" partly based on color, partly based...

Convince me?  The Artist Avatar: The Way of Water Django Unchained Dune Fight Club Kill Bill The Godfather Part II Interstellar Million Dollar Baby Oppenheimer Pan's Labyrinth Project Hail Mary Room Schindler's List The Shape of Water (Prompt by me) Photo by mahdi chaghari on Unsplash

Time for a sex dungeon? John, you're the one being a jerk right now Is this really the first time Pao and Russ have realized that they express and receive love differently? Ah, Rebecca, of course suspenders can't possible fall to the ground without a ghost making them Did...no one tell the medium that many rooms at this place are named for tragically dead queens? Wow a woman on reality TV has daddy issues? This woman MUST be psychic That said, it sounds like Pao's dad was a piece of shit Okay, I'm glad Rebecca acknowledges that psychics cannot provide solid evidence, but I do need Rebecca to actually believe that I do agree that John and Patrick do not look alike Hey, John, getting drunk is BAD ADVICE for how to repair a relationship Also, John, maybe apologize to Thais for yelling at her instead of to Patrick for yelling at her? I can believe that Sarper has been aggressive in the past (we've seen it on the show), but in this conversation he seems to be pretty meas...