Category Archives: Favorites

Coming This June

  • Yard Sale for Haiti
  • Condo HOA meeting
  • Felix Adler Fest at Children’s Discovery Center, Clinton, Iowa
  • Father’s Day
  • Graduations
  • Road Trip
  • Birthday parties
  • Multiple doctor’s appointments
  • Women’s Club luncheon at George Curtis Mansion
  • 149th Annual Chamber of Commerce meeting & awards, Clinton, Iowa
  • New washing machine
  • RAGBRAI meetings & route inspection
  • My sister’s birthday
  • My birthday
Our birthday – June 18, 1982

How Job Hunting is Like Dating

  • In the beginning you’re choosy, but eventually you hand out resumes the same way men use Tinder: Swipe right on everything.
  • Your friends tell you their success stories so you start to believe you just might find the perfect match.
  • It’s all about the networking. But that’s exhausting.
  • Most of what you find isn’t even slightly attractive.
  • What looks good also looks out of your league.
  • Everything that seems interesting ignores you.
  • When anyone gives you the slightest bit of attention you get giddy, even when you can clearly see they are not right for you.
  • Meeting in person for the first time is nerve-wracking.
  • You buy new clothes for that first meeting, even though this is the first time you met so how would they know if the clothes are new or not but you do it anyway.
  • After your meet up all of your friends want the deets but really all you can say is “I don’t know. I guess we’ll see.”
  • After a couple weeks of radio silence you realize you’ve been ghosted.
  • Half the time you get 15 minutes into that first meeting and you think “Eh, is this really the best option I’ve got?”
  • In general, the process stinks.
Is Job-hunting like Dating? – JVS

Places To Go In Clinton, Iowa (Depending on the Season)

  • Eagle Point Park
  • Riverfront walkway
  • Sawmill Museum
  • Discovery Center Children’s Museum
  • Discovery Trail
  • Lyon’s Farmer Market
  • Showboat Theater
  • Candlelight Inn
  • Downtown Shopping District
  • Clinton County Historical Museum
  • Riverfront Park
  • Wide River Winery
  • Lock & Dam 13
  • River Arts Center
  • Valley Oaks Golf Course
  • Bickelhaupt Arboretum
  • Pickleball & Tennis Courts
  • Clinton County Courthouse
  • Visitor Center Kiosk on the River

Surprising Things I’ve Accomplished This Year (specifically given that it’s been a corona-year)

  • Checked two new states (North Carolina, Mississippi) off my list
  • Missions trip to Haiti
    • Three “airports” in one day
    • Landing & taking off on a dirt runway
    • Attending/walking in a Haitian funeral processional
    • Ate goat for the first time
  • Iguanas in the wild (in Miami… they chased me away from my lunch)
  • Finished unpacking all boxes from moving end of 2019
  • Started packing up to move again
  • Attended nephew’s high school graduation
  • Vacation to San Diego
    • Lodging at the fabulous beachfront Tower23
    • Riding bicycles to Mission Beach
  • Completed “Visual Communications” course through Sophia Learning
  • Put more than 10,000 miles on my car
  • Ran three trivia nights before the world shut down
  • Read 29 books
  • Successfully began intermittent fasting (lost 8 pounds and dropped my A1C from 6.1 to 5.4!)
  • Watched multiple full series on Hulu and Amazon Prime
  • Achieved level 40 and then level 41 on Pokemon Go
  • Applied for 66 jobs
  • Got hired for exciting new position with city of Clinton, Iowa!
Image may contain: outdoor

Songs on my Christmas Tree Trimming Playlist

  • You’re Here | Francesca Battistelli
  • You Make It Feel Like Christmas | Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton
  • Wizards in Winter | Trans-Siberian Orchestra
  • Winter Wonderland | Jason Mraz
  • White Christmas | Michael Buble, Shania Twain
  • What Christmas Means to Me | Stevie Wonder
  • We Wish You a Merry Christmas | Weezer
  • This Time of Year | The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
  • Text Me Merry Christmas | Straight No Chaser, Kristen Bell
  • Take Me Home for Christmas | Dan + Shay
  • Sweet Little Jesus Boy | Rebecca St. James
  • A Strange Way to Save the World | 4Him
  • Snoopy’s Christmas | The Royal Guardsmen
  • Silent Night | Big Daddy Weave
  • Santa Tell Me | Ariana Grande
  • Santa Baby | Ariana Grande, Liz Gillies
  • Ring the Bells | Big Daddy Weave, Meredith Andrews
  • O Come O Come Emmanuel | August Burns Red
  • O Come, All Ye Faithful | Toby Mac
  • My Only Wish (This Year) | Britney Spears
  • Mele Kalikimaka | Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters
  • Mary, Did You Know | Pentatonix
  • Little Drummer Boy | Audio Adrenaline
  • Like It’s Christmas | Jonas Brothers
  • Light of Christmas | Toby Mac, Owl City
  • Let It Snow | She & Him
  • Joy to the World | Mannheim Steamroller
  • Jingle Bells | Lauren Daigle
  • Jingle Bell Rock | Bobby Helms
  • It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year | Andy Williams
  • It Came Upon a Midnight Clear | Kutless
  • I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day | Echosmith
  • His Favorite Christmas Story | Capital Lights
  • The Heart of Christmas | Matthew West
  • Go Tell It on the Mountain | Seabird
  • God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen | Mannheim Steamroller
  • Gloria | Hawk Nelson
  • Glittery | Kacey Musgraves
  • The First Noel | Toby Mac, Owl City
  • Feliz Navidad | David Crowder Band
  • Fairytale of New York | The Pogues, Kirsty MacCall
  • Drummer Boy | Justin Bieber, Busta Rhymes
  • Do You Hear What I Hear? | Anthem Lights
  • Deck the Hall | Relient K
  • Cozy Little Christmas | Katy Perry
  • Come On, Christmas | Matthew West
  • Christmas Tree Farm | Taylor Swift
  • Christmas Tree | Lady Gaga, Space Cowboy
  • Christmas Lights | Coldplay
  • Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24 | Trans-Siberian Orchestra
  • Christmas Canon | Trans-Siberian Orchestra
  • The Chipmunk Song | Alvin & The Chipmunks
  • Carol of the Bells | August Burns Red
  • Carol of the Banjos | Beta Radio
  • Candy Cane Lane | Sia
  • Breath of Heaven | Amy Grant
  • Baby It’s Cold Outside | Idina Menzel, Michael Buble
  • All I Want for Christmas Is You | Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey
  • 12 Days of Christmas | Relient K
August Burns Red

Books I’ve Read Since COVID Started (in the order I read them)

  • Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators | Ronan Farrow
  • Pineapple Grenade | Tim Dorsey
  • My Husband’s Wife | Jane Corry
  • The Riptide Ultra-Glide | Tim Dorsey
  • Tiger Shrimp Tango | Tim Dorsey
  • Cassandra French’s Finishing School for Boys | Eric Garcia
  • It’s Okay to Laugh (Crying is Cool Too) | Nora McInerny
  • Red, White & Royal Blue | Casey McQuiston
  • Shark Skin Suite | Tim Dorsey
  • Untamed | Glennon Doyle
  • Fast, Feast, Repeat: The Comprehensive Guide to Delay, Don’t Deny(R) Intermittent Fasting | Gin Stephens
  • Coconut Cowboy | Tim Dorsey
  • She Went All the Way | Meg Cabot
  • Maestra | L.S. Hinton
  • What to Say Next | Julie Buxbaum
  • No Happy Endings | Nora McInerny Purmort
  • Clownfish Blues | Tim Dorsey
  • A Map of Days | Ransom Riggs
  • The Conference of the Birds | Ransom Riggs
  • The First Time She Drowned | Kerry Kletter
  • One to Watch | Kate Stayman-London
  • The Pope of Palm Beach | Tim Dorsey
Book covers from TimDorsey.com
http://timdorsey.com/books.html

Dating Sites That Should Exist

  • JustFriends.com – For the people who will never Define the Relationship
  • JustMemes.com – Match through memes
  • IDKMaybe.net – For people who aren’t sure yet if they are ready for a relationship
  • DamagedGoods.com – Must apply through a therapist who has worked with you through multiple life crises
  • ColdFeet.com – Accepting applicants who stay strong in a relationship right up until the time to make a commitment
  • FlirtWithMe.net – For outside-validation junkies, no requirement to ever reply
  • WeirdFlexBro.com – Profiles must include a minimum of three awkward brags
  • BeMyBlessing.org – For those who will over-spiritualize your meeting
  • TryingToPretendImOkay.com – People who will not let you know about their deepest problems until it is way too late
  • DeepConversations.net – People who will ONLY tell you their deepest problems as soon as you connect
  • CuffingSeason.org – Specializing in relationships designed to last October/ November through January
  • HippyDays.org – People born before 1970 who haven’t changed their hair or style since then
  • YesIAmFlippingYouOff.com – The people on this site are not surprised when you are flipping off the camera on your dating profile
  • NoRealPix.net – Profile must be made up exclusively of photos of your motorcycle, animal you’ve killed, memes, or food (Profiles containing only photographs of your children will be accepted on individual basis)
  • GuessWho.com – All photos include multiple people, at least one of whom is attractive and one of whom is not
  • NoD***Picks.com – Service automatically forwards any unsolicited photos to original poster’s mother / wife / sister / etc
Woman's Hilarious Captions on Classic Paintings Illustrate Just How  Frustrating Men Can Be

September Slow Down

  • Cooler Nights
  • Dappled Sunshine
  • Clouds that Glow Silver
  • Kids Playing in the Evening
  • Favorite Hoodies
  • Red Beginning to Blaze in the Trees
  • Locusts Buzzing
  • Waves of Wheat Fields
  • Tassled Corn
  • Bonfire Smoke Drifting
  • S’mores and Flaming Marshmallows
  • Camp Chairs
  • Live Music in Outdoor Settings
  • Snuggly Blankets
  • Dusk Creeping In
  • Sunsets on the River
  • Crunchy Leaves
  • Combines Clipping Along in the Fields
The sunset reflected in my porch door