christopher575

Full list of August questions here.

26. In 1951 The film "An American in Paris," with music by George Gershwin, directed by Vincente Minnelli, and starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, premiered in London. Have you ever seen any of Gene Kelly’s movies?

Xanadu!

27. In 1955, The Guinness Book of World Records was first published. Have you, or anyone you know, ever taken part in a world record attempt?

My friend Erika collected raised pavement markers AKA road turtles for a long time and contacted Guinness hoping to establish a brand new world record for the largest collection of them. I even grabbed them whenever I saw them for a long time, so technically you could say I took part in that attempt.

28. It’s International Read Comics in Public Day. Launched in 2010, Brian Heater and Sarah Morean also co-created The Daily Cross Hatch, an alternative comics website. They aimed to encourage comic fans to read openly in public spaces. Do you enjoy comic books, or do you read any comic strips daily?

Not currently, but when I was putting my life back together after a very bleak period, I discovered Achewood and Dinosaur Comics. They both had huge backlogs to work through and it was really great for me to have them since they were free and money was tight. Evetnually, I even got a Dinosaur Comics tattoo. Achewood has faded away but Dinosaur Comics is still published every weekday. I follow via tumblr but will admit I just scroll past most of the time.

29. It’s International Cosplay Day – have you ever taken part in cosplay or seen cosplayers?

That term always cracks me up because it was originally sexual slang. I've never taken part but have seen my fair share since I lived a few blocks from the Seattle convention center for years, where Sakura Con always takes place.

30. When you were a child, did you own a Slinky? If so, how did you play with it?

Mostly just from one hand to the other because I never lived anywhere with many stairs when I was a kid. Nowadays there's such a thing as advanced Slinky tricks and the last time I got one, it was to try doing those complicated, mesmerizing tricks. As you can imagine, it never really happened.

31. In the UK, it’s the Late Summer Bank Holiday. What is the weather forecast, and what are your plans for today?

I'm writing this on August 25 to post on August 26. The original plan was to teach my Tuesday deep water fitness class and then work the rest of the day, but throughout the evening yesterday, I felt worse and worse. Thankfully I had the presence of mind to ask the Thursday instructor if we could switch days, and she said yes. A few hours later, I was making my way downstairs with "I'm gonna die, aren't I?" level food poisoning. It was so bad, I could barely hold myself up in the shower while washing up and it felt like my whole body and head were being smashed with hammers.

I couldn't sleep with my mouth guard in because it made me gag, which is the same reason I didn't brush my teeth until mid afternoon. All I've eaten today is chicken soup and some crackers, which didn't sound good at all but I was hungry so I ate them anyway. A couple of hours after I got up, I went back to bed and was dead to the world for the better part of four hours. During that time and all day today, I go between thinking it's too hot without AC and too cold with.

And of course one of the first things I saw online was that Dolly Parton died. I gotta say, a full day of posts about one of the most lovable people in history dying when you feel terrible anyway makes time absolutely crawl. Thankfully work wasn't busy. It looks like the high today was 80, but I've only gone outside a couple of times.

Full list of August questions here.

16. Have you ever played a wind instrument such as a recorder?

I think every kid in the US plays a recorder at least once growing up, but I never progressed beyond "Hot Cross Buns."

17. Today, in 1946, George Orwell published "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" in the United Kingdom. There have since been stage and film adaptations. Have you ever read or seen any?

I've seen the 1954 animated version. All I remember is the chickens having to be reassured that wings count as legs in the "four legs good, two legs bad" rule.



18. It’s International Delivery Driver Appreciation Day! The first celebration took place in 2023, organised by The Hungry Panda company, a specialist food delivery company in London (UK). Do you often have items delivered?

Oh yes. So many items. I'm not proud to say a large percentage of my purchases come from Amazon, but there aren't lots of options for shopping in person, the ones we have aren't great, and they're disappearing and getting worse all the time. I used to try to buy more stuff in real life and I remember a major turning point for me was when I needed a soap dispenser for the kitchen. I can't remember if this was before or after the Bed, Bath, and Beyond across town closed, but I think it was after because that would have been a great place to search for one. Instead, I ended up at Fred Meyer, which has a pretty decent home goods section.

I couldn't find any soap dispensers in the kitchen area and asked an employee if there were any. He said no, but there were a couple of bathroom soap dispensers. Neither were great and certainly wouldn't have made sense in the kitchen, mainly because they were small and decorative. And ugly. So I found the best soap dispenser ever online, made by Simple Human. We've been using it ever since and love it because the unique pump design works so well. Unfortunately, they don't make it any more, you can't get it anywhere, and nothing else on the market is quite like it.

The local hardware store is a nice alternative to shopping online but the selection is very small. Still, I go there when they'll have what I want. When the soap dispenser finally gives out, I doubt they'll have one I want, though. Speaking of which, I really need to keep looking for the next one because I don't think the current one will last much longer.

19. “Hata Hata” (Oh My Goodness), it’s Talk Like Jar Jar Binks Day amongst Star Wars fans. The celebration date was decided in honour of the birthday of the actor who played Jar Jar, Ahmed Best. Are you a fan of the character?

I'm a fan of all of the funny things I've seen created at his expense.

20. What is your favourite flavour of ice cream? Have you ever made it yourself?

Rum raisin. I've made ice cream but never that flavor.

Full list of August questions here.

11. Have you ever applied a face mask to enhance your skin? Do you think it worked?

No, but I know so many people who do and I think pictures of people wearing them are fantastic. The closest I come to anything like that is when I get the men's package at the Korean spa. The first part is a scrub and he applies a cucumber mask for the portion where you're facing upward. Most of the providers lay down some cheese cloth first to keep everything in place. The smell is amazing, especially when they're using the mandoline to slice the cucumber.

12. This week is Afternoon Tea Week, established to help preserve a tradition that has graced British afternoons since the 1840s. In those days, dinner often wasn’t served until 8 pm, so a mid-afternoon snack was essential. Have you ever had a traditional English Afternoon tea?

I have! Once in Vancouver BC at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia while we were staying nearby at the famous Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The other time was at the Empress in Victoria, which I suspect is one of the most well-known teas in North America. I don't stay up late enough for an 8pm dinner but a tea service is really fun.

I can't remember if I've said so here or if so, how long it's been, but I really love Vancouver. Unless a huge financial windfall should occur, I'm unlikely to ever live in a larger city again. But if I had to and cost or citizenship weren't issues, Vancouver would be a top choice. Victoria is also a lovely place to visit.

I recently watched the Canadian TV show Robson Arms, which was a lot of fun and made me miss the city a LOT. Especially from back then.

13. In the UK, drag queens have been popular in entertainment (for example, Danny La Rue in the 70s, and Lily Savage in the 90s). Films such as The Birdcage and To Wong Fu, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar have also popularised drag culture along with TV shows such as RuPaul's Drag Race. Have you ever seen a drag show?

Quite a few! Some large, some small, some with very famous queens and some with extremely new local talent. One of my favorite experiences was when I traveled with James to Portland for Alan and AJ's wedding, and when we got to town, we went to Embers (I think!) to meet up with my friends Heidi and Julie, who live in Portland. We were just hanging out when all of a sudden a drag show started. A fun surprise, for sure.

My favorite drag shows so far were Shannel and Morgan McMichaels, from Drag Race seasons 1 and 2 respectively. They both leaned into the villain role a bit and I didn't care for them much, but when they do what they want in their own shows, they really shine. By the way, if you've never seen the show Dragula, it's a lot of fun. I have several seasons to catch up on.

14. It’s World Lizard Day – have you ever visited a reptile house or seen a lizard up close? Do you have a favourite?

There's a reptile zoo in another town east of here that I've been to, and of course I've been to the reptile houses at zoos. I even used to own reptiles, and at one time had four iguanas. I guess you could say iguanas and geckos are favorites, but you'll never catch me owning any reptiles as pets again.

15. Do you have any clocks that need to be wound with a key in your home?

No. One of Garrett's family heirlooms looks like it would wind, but it takes a battery and its batteries always last a shockingly long time.

Thought I'd give this week's thefridayfive a shot for the first time (I think?).

1. How often do you change the sheets on your bed?

Ahaha, not often at all. I'm the abolute worst when it comes to changing my sheets and I don't even make my bed! The only time my bed ever gets made is when I change the sheets, and when I go out of town so I come back to a made bed. There's been some recent discourse online lately coming from people who shower before bed and think that everyone who doesn't is disgusting and their bed is filthy and unhygenic. I don't feel the exact opposite, though. People sweat and drool and have sex and pass gas in bed, so I don't think going to bed at the end of the day showered is going to make that much of a difference unless you're absolutely filthy. And I think most people who are filthy at the end of the day will go ahead and take that shower.

But anyway, I can definitely go about six weeks without changing them. I know, it's gross. I'm Joey, I'm disgusting.

2. If you had daily maid service, how often would you want the sheets changed?

I can't imagine wanting daily maid service even if I was loaded. So I'd probably just do weekly.

3. How many pillows are on your bed?

Two real pillows and a neck pillow like one might travel with that has a snap closure and can be squished into a smaller travel bag. I use that one for an unintended purpose, basically as a donut pillow but for my ears so all my piercings don't get sore when I lay on my side. Then there's a thick soft pillow and a thinner firmer one.

4. How many pillows do you actually sleep on?

The larger pillow goes between my ankles and knees and the firmer one plus the improvised ear donut go under my head. When I lay on my back, I put the back of my head in the hole and it anchors it in place so my ears don't get pushed from the back, and one or both knees will go up on the squishy one.

The firm one gets folded over during bedtime TV.

5. How many blankets and/or comforters and/or other bed coverings do you have on your bed?

Just one blanket and I usually can't use it for too long before I get too warm, and that's with the AC blasting. Much of the night, I'm just under the top sheet.

Full list of August questions here.

6. It’s International Scuba Day – have you ever been scuba diving? Would you like to learn?

I've never done SCUBA and while I'm sure it's really neat while you're down there, I can't imagine going through the training and enjoying doing it. Anything involving holding breath, needing air, worrying about suffocating, etc just stresses me out. I did a little snorkeling in Hawaii, I think that scratched the itch plenty.

7. On this day in 1606, Shakespeare's tragedy "Macbeth" probably took place in the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace for King James I. Have you ever seen a movie version of a Shakespeare play – or seen one on stage?

I used to like seeing every performance of every play when I was in high school and they did a great job with Taming of the Shrew. And of course I've seen Ten Things I Hate About You, which is an adaption of that one. It's about time I saw Romeo + Juliet (1996) again, because I barely remember it.

8. It’s International Cat Day - a day to celebrate felines, both wild and domestic. Do you have a favourite breed of domestic or big cat, or are you a ‘dog person’?

I like cats and dogs, but I don't want to have both because each one comes with its own work, messes, responsibilities, and expenses, and I don't want to do everything you have to do for both, together. Cats are so much easier than dogs and I definitely miss the simpler life with them. Sam was a Russian blue and they are fantastic cats. While I'd definitely be down to have another Russian blue if cat time ever happened again, most cats seem fine to me and I'd mostly just want a short-haired one.

9. At the 2012 London Olympics, the US won the women's Olympic football gold medal, beating Japan 2-1 in the final. Have you ever watched a female team playing football/soccer?

I've never watched any team play soccer and don't care to watch any team sporting events.

10. In 1932, the Lego Group was founded in Billund, Denmark, by Ole Kirk Christiansen. The name is a contraction of the Danish words "leg godt" ("play well" in English). Have you ever made something from Lego bricks?

I think most kids love LEGO and I wasn't an exception. More recently, I did a LEGO succulents set Garrett got me as a present.

Full list of August questions here.

1. What is your favourite temperature for inside your home (is it the same as your favourite outside temperature)?

We typically keep the AC set at 68F and that feels pretty good, though I like my bedroom even colder. 65 or less, please! It's hard to say for outside because sunny days feel so different from cloudy ones. It was 66 when I set out to walk Tuvix after my class today, but because the sun was beating down on me, it was miserable!

2. Do you like liquorice? Have you ever tried Danish salted liquorice (dansk salmiak lakrids)?

Licorice is alright and I don't think I've tried that kind, but now I really want to. I love salted sweets.

3. Do you wear slippers/indoor shoes at home? When you visit a friend, do you remove your shoes (do they expect you to)?

I used to like wearing slippers at home during cold weather but it's been years since I had a pair I could stand. First there were some duck slippers from Avon, then there were the terrifying Homer Simpson ones where my feet went into his mouth. I miss them.



4. Is it International Owl Awareness Day? Do you have owls near where you live? Have you ever seen or heard one?

There are lots of owls around here and I saw one during a walk just this week. I've even been divebombed by one and I happened to be recording myself at the time.

5. Where did you go on the first family holiday/vacation you remember?

My family didn't really do vacations, so it's easy to say where the first memory was: Arkansas, where my dad's from and where we always went. The only thing that was remotely like a vacation was the time we took a long way home so we could stop at Six Flags over St. Louis. I think I may have been to New Orleans under similar circumstances but I don't really remember that.

My grandma once took me on a group trip to California with two of my aunts and one of their grandkids each and maybe one other woman and kid? There were either eight or six of us total. There was one day each at Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Knott's Berry Farm. Sometimes I wonder if my grandma did that because she felt bad at the lack of vacations.

Once I knew I wouldn't drink any more of that non-alcoholic red wine that gave me a terrible headache, I also knew exactly what I'd do with it. Boeuf bourguignon!



I followed this recipe and it was the best one I've ever made.

I haven't had any alcohol since February 11 and decided it'd been too long since I enjoyed a very specific experience: cooking up some meatballs in a pan, adding some garlic, deglazing the pan with red wine, and creating a great sauce from there. So I picked up a bottle of non-alcoholic wine and got started. I added some frozen caramelized onions I have onhand, tomato sauce, and an inexpensive can of spaghetti sauce. Garrett loves a saucy bowl of pasta, so to all that I just added half a bag of cooked spaghetti. Parmesan and fresh basil on top, cracked wheat sourdough garlic toast on the side.



About half a glass of wine went in the sauce and I drank the other half of that glass while I cooked, and had a glass with dinner. Really enjoyable! But even though the alcohol was removed from the wine, the tannins remained, and I had a terrible headache all morning Thursday and well into the afternoon. Rude!

A friend's post about visiting a childhood home made me think about my first one. It was my parents' second; they lived somewhere else when they had my brother and moved in at some point before I was born. I lived in that house until the summer before I went to kindergarten. The post made me wonder how many childhood memories I actually have that took place there, and I decided to type out everything I could conjure up. This list may get updated.

Wishing I could be a ghost so I could have unlimited baloney and mayo (actually Miracle Whip) sandwiches, any time of day.

Grabbing an egg from the fridge, trying to cross the kitchen too fast in my socks, slipping and breaking the egg.

Wishing I could get my mom's attention while she ignored me on the phone and cutting the curly cord that was stretched all the way across the kitchen with the scissors I was using to cut graham crackers. Seeing the cord duct taped until the whole phone could be replaced because the cords weren't removable at the time.

Leaving the room I shared with my brother for some reason, probably because I couldn't sleep. Falling and getting my foot caught between a hamper that was in the hallway and the wall. Being stuck for what felt like hours but eventually freeing myself and going back to bed.

When Cathy snuck out and ran away but had built a decoy of herself out of towels and washcloths in a bed. I think I was the one who discovered it and had a hard time convincing anyone to go look because they thought she didn't feel well and should be allowed to rest. Cathy is the middle child of the three daughters my dad had with his first wife and was estranged from the family at a pretty young age. The bed detail is an interesting one because the house was a 2br/1ba and when the girls came, they stayed in the living room. I guess she pretended to be sick in order to get to (pretend to) lay down in my parents' room?

Two of my sisters (but I'm not sure which two) rocking out to "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner in the living room.

Sitting on a skateboard and rolling down the sidewalk at the entrance to our dead-end street. It felt like a steep hill when I was a kid but as an adult I laughed when I saw the very minor incline.

Climbing the tree in the yard and not being able to get down.

Roly polies and ant lions in the dirt at the sidewalk's edge.

Pressing the neat button on the door that led from the kitchen to the outside. Too bad my mom had just taken a wet load of laundry to the detached garage to put in the dryer, in just a nightgown. It was winter and she had to call my dad at work from the neighbor's house. She was a very stylish black lady and made my mom wear her glamorous robe. Eventually she supposedly killed her husband? While they waited for dad to get there, I was mad because I felt I'd been locked in. Mom talked to me through the window in the door and I kept asking for "cheeros" (Cheerios) while she tried to get me to turn the knob. And I tried! But I couldn't get it to move.

Listening to "Macho Duck" on a turntable in our bedroom. The overhead lighting seemed extremely bright.

Learning to roller skate on the linoleum in the kitchen, which I wanted to do after seeing speed skaters in the Olympics.

My mom buying a pair of shoes for my brother's friend because he was wearing worn-out soles tied to his feet. The mom was mad at my mom and told her, "We don't need your charity!"

Having to be told mom and I couldn't be married when I grew up because that's not allowed and she was already married to dad.

Getting my hands on the bottle of baby aspirin and eating it like candy because it was delicious like candy. Poison control was called but no medical intervention was necessary. Maybe I was trying to get to it that time I got my foot stuck.

The back of my hand swelling to a half-sphere shape after I was bitten by an ant. The pain was incredible and trying to sleep was torture. I have a very distinct memory of resting my hand on a pillow to try to keep it from bumping anything else.

Battlestar Galactica. We loved it on the TV and we loved the toys. We may have even gotten the ones that shot projectiles before enough kids were hurt and they modified them to be safer.

Full list of July questions here.

11. Rubies are July's birthstone. Do you know what your birthstone is?

It's ruby, because I'm turning 52 in July!

12. If your physical condition were no object, is there a sport or activity you’d like to have tried and learned to a high level?

Skiing, snowboarding, windsurfing?

13. Do you own a swimming costume? When was the last time you went swimming (pool or ocean)?

I'm a water fitness instructor, and before that I was going to classes up to five days a week. I have so many swimsuits because I ordered lots of them trying to find ones that fit right, and then ordered multiples of my favorites. I wear swim briefs AKA speedos so the fit needs to be exactly right. It's wild to me that people will buy expensive ones online, there's just no way to know before it arrives if it'll fit right. Mine were all very cheap.

14. Do you own a tape measure?

I do and I know exactly where it is, in a drawer about ten feet from where I'm sitting right now. I bet there's another one someone upstairs and yet another in the garage.

15. Today is Saint Swithin’s Day, which is celebrated for its connection to weather lore. People believe that the weather on this day sets the pattern for the next 40 days. What kind of weather will you be having for the next 40 days, based on today’s weather?

That would be fantastic, it's 58F and cloudy right now, with a predicted high of 70F.