Jo over at Dreamwidth put together a list of daily questions for 2023 again 😀 Here’s my answers to the rest of the July questions.
17 – Tattoo Day: Do you have any tattoos? If yes, how many, what and where are they? If you don’t, would you ever consider getting one? Is yes, where on your body would it be, and what would you likely get tattooed? If no, why not?
Nope. Sometimes I entertain the idea of getting a small, delicate flower tattoo on my wrist. But whenever I think about it being forever for all purposes and practises, I think I won’t want to watch the same thing the rest of my life.
18 – World Listening Day: Rather than simply listening to other people talk, World Listening Day was created to draw attention to the way humans need to be listening to the world around us, including environmental awareness, soundscapes and acoustic ecology. What does the world around you sound like right now?
The fan is on. My backdoor is open because to get some fresh air in, and there’s some playing children sounds coming in from the yard. And also some metal work sounds from whatever is being done in the next apartment block or the childcare facility. They’ve been working there for about two weeks now, starting around 6.30am. There’s metal works sounds, and truck sounds, and other bizarre sounds but no people sounds and it’s all so weird. I think it’s the childcare facility, I’ve been trying to look while waiting for the bus but the trucks etc. move around so much that I’m ot sure whether it’s the apartment building or the childcare facility that’s having something done. Or it could also be the City doing municipal maintenance, upgrading or something.
19 – Daiquiri Day: Do you drink daiquiris, or any other cocktails? Do you make your own at home or are they something you reserve for an evening out at a restaurant or other social event?
I don’t drink alcohol. All of them cocktails, with alcohol or not, cost more money than I want to spend on what is basically juice or soda. Honestly though – I would like to try a fancy mocktail some time! It’d have to be a special special occasion though! Like getting permanent disability, retiring or winning millions in the lotto. Something good that happens only once in a life time!
20 – International Chess Day: Do you play, or have you ever played, chess?
Nope.
21 – Junk Food Day: What is your favourite junk food? Is this something you eat regularly, or is it something you turn to when you’re stressed, or that you reserve as a special treat or reward for yourself?
Karelian pies. It’s pretty much 50/50. If I make egg butter to put on them, that’s a rare treat.
22 – Day Of the Cowboy: Do you like Westerns (either books, movies, or TV shows)? What about country and western music?
TV/movies – sure. I like some books, like Zane Grey’s. Some single songs, but not as a genre of music.
23 – Peanut Butter and Chocolate Day: Match made in heaven or something to be avoided at all costs?
To be avoided!
24 – Everybody Deserves a Massage Week: The third week of July is Everybody Deserves a Massage Week. Do you go for regular (or occasional) massages? Have you tried different types of massage: Swedish, Shiatsu, deep tissue, etc.? Do you have a favourite?
I’ve never been to a massage unless there was a medical reason. I don’t know what those types are or what the types I’ve been to, were. I’ve been for lower back pain, and for upper back/neck/shoulders to see if it would help with the migraines (it didn’t). It always feels really good and relaxing, and helped a lot with my lower back pain, but I’ve never had the money to go just for fun although that’d be lovely.
25 – Hot Fudge Sundae Day OR Wine and Cheese Day: Which would you go for?
I had to google and apparently Hot Fudge Sundae is ice cream and chocolate sauce?? If so, that one! I love ice cream and I love chocolate sauce, and I adore them together!
I love cheese, but don’t like alcohol (and I keep reading that wine can trigger migraine, so, no thank you!) so Wine & Cheese would only half work for me.
26 – All or Nothing Day: If it was your last day on Earth, what would you do?
If my Mom is still alive, spend it with her. Otherwise, spend it doing something creative that I enjoy.
27 – Refreshment Day: What is your go-to refreshment on hot summer days? Is this something you enjoy year-round, or that you mainly drink in the summer?
Ice cream, ice cream shake, or juice popsicles if it’s really hot for a really long time. I love ice cream so I have it year-round, but a lot more in the summer. Juice popsicles only during the summer.
There’s also this hydration drink recipe by my local university hospital that was shared to an IBD Facebook group I belong to, and is for IBD patients to keep hydrated during a summer heat wave. I make and drink that like drinking is going out of style, and the heat waves have been much easier to withstand with this drink. It uses ingredients readily found at home: water, optional carbonated mineral/vitamin water if you like that, orange juice or other juice/juice concentrate, sugar, salt and baking soda. I make and drink this whenever there’s more than two days of more than 22-23 degrees Celcius and I start to feel sort of bad; and automatically drink a litre of it every day when it’s 25 or more. The drink saved me from having to go into the hospital to be by hydrated by IV during the awful three month heat wave of 2021. I only drink this in the summer, never in the winter.
28 – Talk in an Elevator Day: If you’re with another person (or a group of people) and you get into an elevator, do you continue any conversation you were engaged in, or do you wait until you step out of the elevator? Does it unnerve or annoy you if someone starts talking to you in an elevator?
Depends on the other person(s) I’m with very much! Some people I know won’t talk in elevators. I tend to stop too. Depends also on what we’re talking about. If it’s sensitive or private information, stop. If it’s about the weather, keep going if you want.
If it’s a stranger, I’m awkward – I’m very bad at small talk. But it can be nice, depending on what it’s about.
29 – Rain Day: Do you like rainy days? Does it rain a lot where you live? Have you ever been caught in a torrential downpour?
I do! It does! Many, many times! Where I am, they’re a feature, not a bug, and you just go about your business as usual.
30 – Whistleblower Day: Part of living in a country with a fair rule of law is making sure that corruption and misconduct do not go unnoticed. A whistleblower is an individual who reports suspicious activity, such as violations, exploitation, misrepresentations, or other infractions. The activity may be within an organization, either public or private. If you witnessed, or were aware of, corruption and misconduct in your workplace, would you speak up about it, even if it meant potentially losing your job?
I’d like to think I do, but in reality I don’t think I would. Depends of course what the thing was and how serious it is. Also if it came out, could I be held legally liable? If so, yes. And also the spirit of the place would be a deciding factor – is it something I think/know has been brought to the notice of the bosses already and nothing’s been done with it? But I’ve always been a temp worker with no power and too much hanging on that temporary paycheck, that if it weren’t illegal or like, horrible abuse, I probably I wouldn’t. Although I can’t say for sure – the last time I worked was 15 years ago, and I’ve changed a lot in that time and I’m not quite as docile as I used to be. So who knows.
31 – Picnic Month: July is national Picnic Month. Have you ever been on a picnic? Do you enjoy eating outdoors? If you were organizing a picnic, what foods would you bring?
Our outings were almost always functional in some way or another – most of the time we’d either bike to the destination, or drive but hike at the destination, and just stop to eat lunch and rest every once in a while. We’ve never done the “go the park, bring fancy cutlery and fancy foods and make pretty sitting on grass, in the sun” type of picnics!
We did do outings a lot, often whole/most of the day, often with bikes, often to the beach, and brought lunch with us. Or a bike outing around an island, and stop for an ice cream kiosk at about mid-point of the trip.
Later on, as a young adult I and my best friend would go, although it wouldn’t be picnic picnic even then – just a trip where we’d take food with us or buy it on the way, and eat outside at some point. I’d also take Caro, my Mom’s Beagle with us on outings with my best friend and have an adventure following the Beagle’s nose through the woods and such! We’d bring water and something to snack on these doggy dog outings, something easy and light to carry.
I do enjoy eating outdoors! Cheese sandwhiches for sure, strawberries if it’s strawberry season and soda and water. Plain water is a must, you always get thirsty on our outings. Otherwise, I’d bring whatever my companions like. But no alcohol.