Showing posts with label 2025. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2025. Show all posts

5.26.2025

Never Have I....Wait, Actually I Have! (2)

Happy Memorial Day to my US friends! The last rendition of this post got not one, but TWO of my long time lurkers to come out of the blog commenting closet and join in, so I thought that I may as well do it again and see what happens! To be fair, one of them (Hi Mr. B!) has commented before, but the other (Hi Funky Bunch!) was a TS virgin before this. Maybe I can get Bugsy and G-Money to chime in this time...

By the way, I was very happy to find out last time that I am not the only one who wets my pants from time to time. I am sure it will only be getting worse, not better, as time goes by, and I am glad to have company! 

Without further ado, here are some things that I have never done in my life. Let me know in the comments, have you ever done these things? 

1. Gotten a tattoo [Let me tell you, my parents were not happy!]

2. Been fly fishing [If you have never done this, I recommend it. It is very meditative and not boring at all!]

3. Seen an alligator [I've nearly stepped on one too]

My next door neighbor in Gainesville

4. Had a pet lizard [Bearded Dragons]

5. Smoked a cigarette [It was in my experimental days and I would not want to do it now]

6. Ridden on a subway [so many times!]

Antalya

7. Seen an elephant in the wild (aka not in a zoo) [Thailand, Malaysia (pigmies! They were so cute!), Africa]

Pigmy elephants are still pretty large!

8. Dated someone from a different country than I am from [actually several...and you thought I was boring!]

9. Ridden in an 18 wheeler [Africa]

10. Read two books at the same time [Nowadays I nearly am always listening to one and reading one]

11. Been on TV [after the Boston marathon bombing, I got interviewed on our local news station!]

2013 Boston Strong run organized by the Pavement Runner

12. Been to the doctor/hospital in a foreign country [Ug. Several...Mexico, Uruguay, France, Türkiye (surgery even!)...I think that is it! Does getting a COVID swab in Austria count?]

Luckily I did not need this one

13. Sang karaoke in a bar [Many times. My go to was usually a Grease related duet with a friend of mine, and I was always John Travolta, because you know why? Because I got chills, and they're multiplying!] 

[Actually, funny story, a friend of mine had one of those karaoke microphones that you plug into the TV and we had hotel security called on us because we were doing karaoke in my room, in the French Quarter of New Orleans no less, which is kind of known for its rowdy characters!]

Tell me, which of these have you done? Feel free to elaborate! (Copy and paste by highlighting below and clicking CTRL-C, the click CTRL-V in the comment box.) 

1. Gotten a tattoo
2. Been fly fishing
3. Seen an alligator
4. Had a pet lizard
5. Smoked a cigarette
6. Ridden on a subway
7. Seen an elephant in the wild (aka not in a zoo)
8. Dated someone from a different country than you are from
9. Ridden in an 18 wheeler (bonus points if you have driven one!)
10. Read two books at the same time
11. Been on TV
12. Been to the doctor/hospital in a foreign country
13. Sang karaoke in a bar (and if so, what song is your go-to?)

5.19.2025

It's All in the Comments (and Other Randoms)

Do you ever read a blog post and it's good, but then you start reading the comments afterwards and before you know it, a half an hour has passed by because the comments are just as, or sometimes more, entertaining than the post itself? I recently had this happen and I thought it would be funny to respond to the comments here. The original post was written by Birchie and can be found here. Funny enough, it was about state flags which is interesting enough, but sometimes people add side notes, and that is what I wanted to touch on. 

For example, Nance brought up that the Ohio flag was the only one shaped like a pennant and apparently is a bitch to fold (like fitted sheets, she said). I remember having to fold the US flag for my Mom, who was a postmaster, and you would be in some deep doodoo if it touched the floor, because then we were supposed to burn it. But it had to be in perfect triangles, like a folded note from high school. Are you old enough to remember passing notes in HS, and folding them like a US flag? If so, big hug to you! 

Nance also said (sorry to out you Nance!) that the Ohio State flag would be improved if a nipple was added, which Birchie had talked about as a controversy to the Virginia flag (which I never had heard about. Side note, who remembers the Janet Jackson half time incident!??) I mean, wouldn't every flag be enhanced by adding a nipple? On the CA flag, it would be on the bear, I imagine, as a random floating nipple would just be weird. I did go and look at the Virginia flag and I see no issue with the nipple, I feel that it is quite tasteful. Of course, it is also quite tasteful on the bear. 

Made by Gemini; not the real CA flag😁

MG talked about the Montana flag and how there are words in Spanish on it, and she wondered why. I am guessing that since the state name itself is a Spanish word, that may have something to do with it? Without Google, that is my guess. Can anyone name all of the states in the US that are Spanish words?? Ready? GO!

Engie mentioned a dude with a podcast about flags whose name is Roman Mars and I need to know: is that really his real name?! Actually, did you know that you can tell the difference between Greek gods and Roman ones because the Roman ones all have planet names!? So Neptune = Roman and Poseidon = Greek. I just learned that, despite my Mom being a fan of Greek mythology. So maybe I learned it a long time ago and the forgot it and am now relearning it? Who knows. The joys of forgetting. You forget that you forgot and then you get to "learn something new" again, over and over! 

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In other random news, I spent some time in some of the smaller towns in Türkiye and it once again reminded me of why I like going to one place or country for a longer time rather than trying to jam pack in a bunch of different places into one trip. Getting out of the big main cities and away from the main tourist attractions really does give you a different take on the same place. I am not saying that if you ever go to Türkiye, you should skip Istanbul or Cappadocia, but try some of the smaller towns on the turquoise coast, or maybe the Eastern part of the country and you'll see a different side than you normally would. I think I may have to do an entire post on this, as also even the touristy places have hidden sides. Cappadocia is not just about the balloons!!

...and the sun beat down upon my head...

Speaking of Cappadocia, long story short, I didn't wear a hat and it was sunny and went for a treeless hike and I burned the part on my hair. I am very good at applying sunscreen and I did do it but normally I wear a hat and so the lily white top of my head is protected. In this case, it wasn't and I am like a kid with lice (does your head itch now?) and I can't stop fidgeting with the dry skin! 

Speaking of lice, I am contemplating doing some hiking in Scotland but I hate midges and they are pretty much a staple in the summer. I think that the way my schedule is going to work out, summer would be when I am there but I am trying to figure out how to be midge free. Have you ever experienced midges? Do you have any anti-midge tricks?

Speaking of summer, I am having a first world problem where I try to decide what to do but I have a list about a mile long and many of the items are outdoor and the summer is only so long! I want to do them all but...see above where I talk about how I like soaking in one destination or place for a while. I am torn. My life is so hard! Do you ever have trouble narrowing down where to go when you travel? 

Speaking of life being hard, I have had a lot of questions about how other people abroad treat me when they learn about where I am from. I will say that I have had no issues, and in the last day alone, I have had to show my passport a few times, so people know where I am from! Some people have joked that they shouldn't be talking to me (British guy) or that they were going to put an extra charge on a tour (Turkish guy) but I have had no real ill will towards me. I had an interesting conversation with a Russian woman about our respective leaders though! That was fun! 

Okay, your turn! Here are all of the questions; feel free to answer any or all!

Are you old enough to remember passing notes in HS, and folding them like a US flag?
Do you remember the Janet Jackson half time incident!??
Would every flag be enhanced by adding a nipple?
Can you name all of the states in the US that are Spanish words?
Did you know that all of the Roman Gods have planet names!?
Have you ever experienced midges? 
Do you have any anti-midge tricks?
Do you ever have trouble narrowing down where to go when you travel? 

5.12.2025

What I Learned & Looking Back & Looking Forward: April 2025

April showers bring May flowers? In my world, it did rain a lot, so bring on the flowers! What about you? Please copy and paste the questions at the end and add your answers to the mix! 


1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

January: Baguettes and Many Steps
February: In Like Minnesota; Out Like Hawaii
March: Wet and Wild
April: My Life is in Ruins, and Beaches Too

(the old stone kind, not anything psychological)

2. What did you learn last month? 

I learned that the Friday market has the best prices for produce, cheeses, nuts and even eggs. I also learned the Turkish have a cheese just like the Greek haloumi which I love. It's called hellim and it's just as good. I also learned to say a few more words in Turkish and can now say "let's go," "I'm here" and "you're welcome!" I also learned the word for loquats (yenidünya), and they are ripe right now. Also they are known as Malta plums, which I never knew! 

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

It was rainy a lot, but then also was in the 70s/80s, and there was some bad smog for a while. But it ended on a wet note again on the 30th! Make up your mind, weather! 


4. What event last month was your favorite?

I had a fun group hike where I met some interesting people! We saw ruins and the ocean and it was a nice day! 

5. What was the best thing you listened to or watched last month?  

I am going to tell this in book, movie/show, podcast format. 

Book: Crow Mary. Yup, I'm jumping on that bandwagon. 

Movie/Show: nothing. I watched nothing. 

Podcast: I'm binging Stephany's Friendships Paradox! Almost caught up to present day! I love binging and hate having to wait for real time episodes so I am kind of dragging out the catching up! 

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

This is not necessarily a funny story, but I saw this odd conga line chain of caterpillars attached head to tail all traveling together and I had never seen it before. İt was fascinating. Here's the explanation. 

The pine processionary caterpillar (Thaumetopea pityocampa) is known for traveling in long head-to-tail lines, a behavior that helps them stay together and avoid getting lost while searching for a safe place to pupate. This procession is guided by touch and scent—each caterpillar follows the silk trail and pheromones left by the one in front. Staying in line also protects them from predators, as the group can appear larger and more intimidating. While fascinating, these caterpillars have tiny toxic hairs that can harm humans and animals, so it's best to observe them from a distance.


7. What are you looking forward to this month?

Finishing the hike I'm on, having a hamburger if I can find one, wildflowers, and maybe a little beach time before I head inland. 

APRIL:
1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 
2. What did you learn last month? 
3. What was the weather like where you are? 
4. What event last month was your favorite?
5. What was the best thing you listened to or watched last month?  
6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

MAY: 
7. What are you looking forward to this month?

Bonus question! Have you ever heard of a Malta plum? Or a loquat?