20 days of chill writing challenge

Do you remember when you were younger and all the stupid things you may have done?

Oh, I know, some of you may not have done these things.

But it was college. All-night benders, and just being dumb. Maybe it was all night hanging out over a few cordials. Maybe it was something completely different, you know, such as studying.

Who knows?

But as you got older, maybe those types of things transformed. Staying up all night and talking or hanging out. Watching movies. Playing video games.

No matter what the reason, we’ve all had those nights where sleep isn’t going to happen much.

Then there are the nights where it’s fully unintentional, but that’s for another time on its own.

I’m talking more about the times when we’ve chosen to do this – no matter how or the reason. Weddings that never end. A party that goes until the wee hours of the morning. Holiday gatherings. New Year’s Eve. Saint Patrick’s Day. Travel.

Did you ever have those nights where you made a run to the local convenience store at like 11, run into a friend or wo, start chatting and all of a sudden it’s 3 or 4 in the morning? No? Lucky you. Even more than that? Having to be up a few hours later for work.

Been there, done that.

When I was a tad younger (in other words, when I was like 25), this was a bit easier. I could wake up the next day and go back at it.

I remember many a trip north of the border to Montreal where I’d be lucky to average four hours a sleep a night on the trip – and be fine.

Now? Not so much.

I can’t help but to think about the morning after. When the alarm goes off and your head is in a fog and you have no idea if you’ve slept five minutes or several hours.

Back in the day, it wouldn’t have even bothered me.

I can’t even consider it anymore or I am in a complete fog and would rather just pass out from being so tired.

That means I’m a tad jealous of the youngsters who don’t think or worry about the morning after. Must be nice.

This post is part of the 20 Days of Chill Writing Challenge hosted by A ‘lil HooHaa. Please check out the link if you’d like to see others or join in. You don’t have to do every theme if you don’t want! And for those participating, take a moment and check out the other participants!

T-SHIRT ALERT: You can also get the official t-shirt of the 20 Days of Writing Challenge by going to the TeeSpring campaign. It will run for 21 days (through Jan. 25), but make sure you get your shirt. They are $15. A total of 10 need to be ordered for the campaign to go through. If 10 are not sold, then there will be no shirt made.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Dishing the dirt.

I imagine, when this theme was submitted, the person wasn’t thinking about putting dirt on a dinner plate and taking it to a “bring a dish to pass” night.

And, likely, they weren’t chatting about some sort of baseball lingo with standing on the dirt behind the dish.

So, is it about blabbing gossip?

That’s a slight direction I want to take — more specifically, talking about social media.

In a month or two, I have a deeper idea about the world of social media I plan to write. For now, it’s about dishing the dirt. And, me wondering, why the hell do people do it?

It shocks me with how many times I see Facebook updates, or tweets, or even things on Instagram, that blatantly bash somebody else, whether it be as a person, their character or whatever else.

It’s one thing to pick up a phone, have some courage, and call somebody else. It’s another to throw it out there in the public for anybody to see.

Because, and this is where I laugh, it seems many people don’t understand that when it’s out there, it’s out there. You might be private, but depending on the social media, if it’s shared, liked, commented on or whatever else, it can often be seen by others.

That’s just how it works.

Technology truly is a wonderful thing. And, if you don’t think so, why are you reading this blog post? But, it can also be highly dangerous.

At one of the schools where I work, an internet cyberbullying expert came to talk a couple of months ago. He did different levels depending on the grade levels he was dealing with. But each one showed the dangers and power of the Internet. There are consequences to doing stupid things on the Internet, such as posting a lewd photo of yourself etc.

And there’s cyberbullying. And spreading gossip or talking about others. Or countless other things.

The results can be awful and heartbreaking, from suicide, to people getting into fights, or kidnappings etc. Those are on the truly bad spectrum — but they happen.

It’s also true that people can try and be clever with sayings, or masking names and such, but people still know.

Remember the old adage of “sticks and stones can break your bones, but names will never hurt me?”

That’s a boldface lie.

Especially in 2015 and if it’s out on the Internet. These things can’t be erased. They can’t be taken back.

So think about these things — no matter how old you are. Think about what you are saying, where it will be seen and by whom, and what kind of damage it could cause to a person or others you may not intend to go after. It’s not worth abusing technology.

In the end, think before you go dishing the dirt. The reputation you end up saving could be your own.

This post is part of the 20 Days of Chill Writing Challenge hosted by A ‘lil HooHaa. Please check out the link if you’d like to see others or join in. You don’t have to do every theme if you don’t want! And for those participating, take a moment and check out the other participants!

T-SHIRT ALERT: You can also get the official t-shirt of the 20 Days of Writing Challenge by going to the TeeSpring campaign. It will run for 21 days (through Jan. 25), but make sure you get your shirt. They are $15. A total of 10 need to be ordered for the campaign to go through. If 10 are not sold, then there will be no shirt made.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

One of the beauties of living in the Northeast is the change of seasons.

We get to experience them all.

Spring.

Summer.

Fall.

Winter.

The downfall of this, of course, is an excessive wardrobe of clothing designed for different seasons. That might mean extra shoes and boots, hats, jackets, sweaters etc. Realistically, you need to be prepared for all sorts of weather changes. In my area, we could get snow in early October and it can linger into May, if we’re unlucky.

At the same time, we could have a winter where we’re wearing shorts and a sweatshirt in December.

I’ve dealt with both.

I guess that’s why I have always chuckled when I hear about normally warm-weather states getting a bout of winter and how things just stop. Then you see photos of people outside in spring clothes, playing in snow.

It makes me shake my head, that’s for sure.

But I am not sure I have a favorite for the winter seasons. I have things I like to wear, sure, but it’s more because it makes me warm. And, as I know, being warm in arctic temperatures can be a wonderful thing.

I guess I’d have to choose two things, then.

One of my winter hats – because of it being one of those ones with the ear flaps (which makes it easier to wear with glasses, and being I wear glasses) and my Guinness scarf. I have a couple of scarves that are fantastic and made for me, as well, but the Guinness one is a cool one, for obvious reasons. Though I tend to wear others more than this one.

In the end, I’m not concerned about how I look most of the time with clothing – as long as I am warm!

This post is part of the 20 Days of Chill Writing Challenge hosted by A ‘lil HooHaa. Please check out the link if you’d like to see others or join in. You don’t have to do every theme if you don’t want! And for those participating, take a moment and check out the other participants!

T-SHIRT ALERT: You can also get the official t-shirt of the 20 Days of Writing Challenge by going to the TeeSpring campaign. It will run for 21 days (through Jan. 25), but make sure you get your shirt. They are $15. A total of 10 need to be ordered for the campaign to go through. If 10 are not sold, then there will be no shirt made.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Ten hot dogs?

Ten?

How does one topple 10 hot dogs?

For those who don’t know, I’m a hot dog nut. I’d go so far as to say I am a bit of an aficionado. I savor my hot dogs.

Usually, when I go to a hot dog joint, I get two — one with yellow mustard and one plain. Usually there’s no added “fluff” on a dog, outside of places where it’s needed (for example, when I was in Chicago and got a Chicago-style dog).

But I always get a plain one so I can really appreciate the taste of the dog.

I’ve been known to go an hour or more out of my way to try a local hot dog joint (though, ironically enough, I’ve yet to visit a hot dog place in a town where I work — and pass by the place a couple of times per week), and when I am planning a day of activities, hot dog places are usually my first search for food stops.

I’ve been known to travel extra to hit the original Nathan’s at Coney Island, though I’ve yet to be there live for the annual hot dog eating contest. It is something I’d like to do one day.

During those travels, I’ve had really good hot dogs and some not-so-good hot dogs. It’s rare for me to think a hot dog is truly bad. Though, when in college, we went to a wrestling show at the Legion hall in Hazelton, Pa. The hot dogs there were downright awful … and I’m shocked I didn’t get sick from them.

But I digress.

What about 10 hot dogs? All right… jeez… I am getting to that.

For me, though, where are hot dogs really prevalent? At the ball park. I’m a baseball nut, so it goes naturally. In fact, I have a hard time remembering any trip to a park where there wasn’t a hot dog eaten. (There are also places I am hoping to one day have a dog, such as Wrigley Field or a Dodger Dog in LA).

This past summer when I went on the Summer of Baseball Tour? I had at least one hot dog at every park I visited. Sometimes they were really good, sometimes not so much. The times we stopped somewhere before the game to eat? That usually meant one hot dog around the seventh inning.

After all, I had to try one.

A few years ago, before I had the reality of diabetes and health concerns take over, I went with my brother, a cousin and his son to a Phillies game. The dogs at Citizens Bank Park are Hatfields, and they are awesome.

But they are also expensive. That usually means one or two of them, with a drink and maybe some fries or something is your dinner.

However, it was dollar dog night.

Yes, you read that right. That means hot dogs for that night cost a buck. Yee ha!

Needless to say, we took advantage.

I’m pretty sure I didn’t reach 10 hot dogs that night, but I came close. However, if I remember right, it was about the seventh inning when the promotion was ending. So we made a run for a final bunch of dogs. The vendor I ran into had 10 left. So I bought them all.

We didn’t eat them all.

I was looked at rather crazy when I came back with all of them. So we divided them up and gave a couple to people around us.

Since that night, I haven’t been to a dollar dog night in Philly. Honestly? I’m not sure I could do it again because I don’t know if I could avoid the temptation of trying for 10 dogs.

How ’bout them dogs?

This post is part of the 20 Days of Chill Writing Challenge hosted by A ‘lil HooHaa. Please check out the link if you’d like to see others or join in. You don’t have to do every theme if you don’t want! And for those participating, take a moment and check out the other participants!

T-SHIRT ALERT: You can also get the official t-shirt of the 20 Days of Writing Challenge by going to the TeeSpring campaign. It will run for 21 days (through Jan. 25), but make sure you get your shirt. They are $15. A total of 10 need to be ordered for the campaign to go through. If 10 are not sold, then there will be no shirt made.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Chill.

What is it? How does one define it? What does it mean to you? How does one do it?

Is it a hike in a state or national park?

Watching a sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean?

A sunset over the Pacific?

Maybe it’s a brilliant photo walk somewhere. Or finding a geocache in a wonderful spot. A good, competitive softball game on a warm summer night.

There’s family events and beers with friends. There’s the serenity of a nice walk on a nature trail or a good meal at a new eatery.

These, of course, are some things I find as chill.

What exactly is chill, though? Is there a definition?

It’s a hard thing to explain. But allow me to say what chill is not — the flu. Especially when one has already had the flu shot.

I’m pretty sure I had other ideas for this prompt originally, but I’ve been on the couch or in bed all weekend, so haven’t thought much, and I don’t have too many thoughts right now.

I just hope I find real chill soon. I need it!

This post is part of the 20 Days of Chill Writing Challenge hosted by A ‘lil HooHaa. Please check out the link if you’d like to see others or join in. You don’t have to do every theme if you don’t want! And for those participating, take a moment and check out the other participants!

T-SHIRT ALERT: You can also get the official t-shirt of the 20 Days of Writing Challenge by going to the TeeSpring campaign. It will run for 21 days (through Jan. 25), but make sure you get your shirt. They are $15. A total of 10 need to be ordered for the campaign to go through. If 10 are not sold, then there will be no shirt made.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!