IT'S NOT MY FAULT I ENJOY SOUNDING INTELLIGENT & SMUG
Happy National Word Nerd Day! Being an incorrigible grammarian isn't for everybody, but IYKYK, right? The world offers many joys, but in my experience they are fleeting and few and far between. One of mine is working as many different words into my everyday speech as possible.
Sure, the less...lexically-interested...may misconstrue this tendency as elitist and condescending, but really it's just a matter of me wanting to work with a well-stocked toolbox. Not every thought or idea can (or should) be conveyed with the verbal equivalent of a #2 Phillips head screwdriver and a claw hammer. Any contractor worth their salt knows the importance of using the right tool for the job at hand. Communicating our thoughts is no different!
Me too, Bachelor In Paradise. Me too.
GIF courtesy of ABC
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Not to be outdone OR forgotten, there are a few other VITALLY IMPORTANT random occasions to acknowledge today.
First, happy National Apricot Day, or as I like to call them, dainty peaches. I would never dare to conflate these two drupes, especially within earshot of a Georgian, but I do adore apricots— or, more specifically, apricot jam. If someone were to ask me for my desert island fruit spread, I would answer with "that is a very strange question, but I'll bite: apricot jam."
Today is also National Cassoulet Day, which is France's fancy way of saying "white bean casserole." If you've never had it, though, I recommend it! I made a cassoulet once, and though it was a bit fussy and took longer than your average hot dish it was worth the time and effort.
In less exciting and decidedly less delicious news, today is also National Clean Your Desk Day. Still, it's a crucial task to cross off my to-do list this time of year. Operations Manager Marlene and I are both frantically trying to get our respective workspaces in less embarrassing shape ahead of our mentor Bill's office visit in a couple of days. It's too early in 2023 for us to get the "disappointed dad" look from him. Wish us luck!
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Want a few January 9th famous birthdays and historical facts? Here are a few, thematically grouped for your convenience...
The Historical: Steve Jobs introduced the first volley of the robot uprising, aka the original iPhone, at a Macworld keynote in San Francisco on this day in 2007.
The Political: 37th US President Richard Nixon (1913) is born
The Athletic: 2-time Super Bowl winning Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr (1934) and diminutive NBA legend Muggsy Bogues (1965) are born
The Dramatic: Actors Bob Denver of Gilligan’s Island fame (1935) and J.K. Simmons of OZ, Spider-Man, and Farmers Insurance commercial fame (1955) are born
The Musical: Singer-songwriters Joan Baez (1941) and Scott Walker (1943), guitarist Jimmy Page (1944), Dave Matthews (1967), and Backstreet Boy AJ McLean (1978) were all born this day
Pour one out for actor Angus Scrimm, who is a horror movie legend thanks to his portrayal of The Tall Man in the Phantasm film franchise and shuffled off this plane of existence this day in 2016. Actor-comedian Bob “Danny Tanner” Saget followed suit one year ago today. I hope he’s telling exceedingly foul-mouthed jokes wherever he ended up.
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Alright! Scroll on down to learn a bit about fellow Boredwalk fan Erica! If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Monday email (and are a customer with some Boredwalk tees, tanks, hoodies, towels, bags, or books to show off), just reply to this and let us know, and we'll send you some fun questions to answer (along with our undying gratitude)!
We'll be back here in your inbox on Wednesday with some more random holidays to observe, historical tidbits to acknowledge, and fun links to entertaining content! Until next time...
Peace, love, and florid prose,
Matt
Erica looking stylish in her Have The Day You Deserve v-neck tee!
Current reads: The Forty Proof series (Shannon Mayer), and the Leveling Up series (K.F. Breene)
I prefer to keep most of my online life private but you'll find me sharing some public posts since I love my Boredwalk tees, I wore them all through chemo and radiation and the staff LOVED them! 😁
1. What's your actual day job and what's your dream day job?
I'm Senior Business Analyst in the product management space for Job Management for a large company. Sounds fancy, right? Not really, lol...
While I absolutely love problem solving and analyzing processes (part of what I do), at this point in life I'd love something more restful for my brain. I'd love living out in the country, taking care of animals, doing odd jobs around the house, mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, so maybe the ranch/farm life....with a little singing at night at the local bar...
* (Editor's note: this all sounds dandy to me!)
2. What's your biggest pet peeve?
When people don't even try. Seriously — from driving to listening to working, it's not lack of brain power, it's lack of people even caring to TRY.
(YES! My friend Ike likes to say "it's not a lack of intelligence, it's a lack of interest.")
3. What's a book you think the Boredwalk community should read?
I maybe read a certain type of book; do we like witches, vampires, shifters, and maybe something steamy just for kicks? Then anything by Shannon Mayer or K.F. Breene, especially their PWF stuff, women my age kicking ass... it's awesome. And bonus points: you will laugh a LOT...like, belly shaking laughter.
Current reads: The Forty Proof series (Shannon Mayer), and the Leveling Up series (K.F. Breene)
4. If you could make a mundane wish (meaning, a wish for something seemingly inconsequential that you still believe would benefit you immensely), what would it be for?
Waking up refreshed. I've never experienced it, and it sounds divine!
5. If you could have any super power what would it be and why?
Super cliche, but with almost 40 years of Crohn's Disease under my belt AND this past year of fighting Breast Cancer, healing would be an AMAZING super power.
(We're all pulling for you, Erica!)
6. You can curse your nemesis with a minor annoyance for eternity; what do you choose?
Socks that always fall off their heel.
7. What experience do you most want to cross off your bucket list?
Multi-day hiking.
8. What is something you wish you could go back in time and say to your younger self?
Shit is going to happen whether you play it safe or not, so kick back, have fun, take some risks.
9. What is a surprising fact about you?
Honestly, the most surprising thing about me is that I have three tattoos. It's only surprising because I definitely don't come off as a cool person who would have them. 🤷♀️
10. Where can the rest of the Boredwalk community find you?
When I'm not working, which is way too much, I'm either browsing some of my sister's art, or I'm hanging out online with likeminded readers in the Paranormal Women's Fiction group on Facebook.
When I'm extremely caffeinated, we might be hiking somewhere near the Chattahoochee, or playing pool and shooting darts at a local bar (guys, I'm boring, I'm sorry, LOL, but I am amazing at self-deprecating humor).
I prefer to keep most of my online life private but you'll find me sharing some public posts since I love my Boredwalk tees, I wore them all through chemo and radiation and the staff LOVED them! 😁
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