Sans Claws

Today is Hermit Day! When I think "Hermit", I immediately think "crabs". No, not because I think all hermits are diseased. It's because of Hermit Crabs. Because of this connection in my brain, I start thinking about the beach, and by the time someone says "No, just a hermit. Like a really reclusive kind of person." I can think of nothing but sandy places, so most hermits are visualized as beach dwellers by my mind's eye. Which doesn't make sense, really, since beaches are usually very populated. So the logical portion of my mind takes over and puts him (hermits are always male in my mind) on a small island near a crowded beach, but not close enough to really be a part of the crowd at all. It has to be near the beach because if it's just an island in the middle of nowhere, he isn't a hermit. He's just stranded.

My weird thought processes aside, you can celebrate today by being reclusive! This is actually something I excel at. Being a phlegmatic, I can handle hours and hours of being alone. I have an interesting mind with odd thought patterns to entertain myself with. As you should very well know by now.

Thanks for reading!
~Kyle

Blogaccino

"Today is National Coffee Day!" Is what I would say if you all didn't already know. I've had about 5 or 6 texts today asking "Is today really national coffee day?!" It's almost like they were all hopped up on somethi- ... oh right... coffee. Well, I guess it does make it a lot easier on me, because you all have already celebrated. I have to finish writing this before my coffee gets old. Although I can't decide how I'd like it. Hot? Iced? Black? Cream? Sugar? I don't want to wreck the holiday by drinking a bad cup!

Thanks for reading!

~Kyle

Rosemary and Thyme

Today is More Herbs, Less Salt Day! The point of today is basically to use herbs rather than salt to spice up your food. It's healthier and, let's face it, it just tastes better. I will admit that I wasn't a firm believer in natural herb spices until I realized what salt was really good at doing: drying my food out. Also, I could never put the right amount on. Why do they make salt shakers so easily pourable? It's like they want me to over-salt my food. Especially in the summer, when things are already so dried up. Although "Summer Salt" would be an excellent brand name for salt if it isn't already taken. ... Alright, well all that aside, enjoy your herb-enhanced meals today!

Thanks for reading!
~Kyle

You Cheddar Believe It!

Today is Cheese Sacrifice Purchase Day! I'm not quite sure I would qualify this as another food holiday. From what very little is available to me that deals with the meaning and history of today, I have more or less decided that the most prominent way to celebrate today is to go out and buy cheese for use in mouse traps. At least, that's what most people seem to be saying. I suppose it makes sense, since you purchase cheese only to sacrifice it in hopes of catching a mouse. I don't know if sacrifice is the best word, though... but I'm only a celebrator of days, not a namer of days.

Thanks for reading!
~Kyle

Wow that was a short one...

Memory Lane

Today is Camera Day! Today is obviously best celebrated by taking pictures or at least admiring a good one or two. As a middle child, there aren't many pictures of me in existence (not that your picture viewing experience has to be so self-indulgent to always include yourself). That's not to say that my parents simply didn't care enough for me to want photographic evidence of my abnormal behavior, but instead I somehow simply avoided being caught by the lens unless I was directly told to have my picture taken. This subconscious talent has stayed with me even now. I'm rarely ever caught on film and what film I am caught on is blurry and the lighting is too bright or too dark like something you'd see on the Discovery Channel's search for the Loch Ness. However, I did manage to find SOME photos of me as a young child that bring back good memories, and without the advantages of a scanner, I've had to resort to more creative ways to show you these memories.

We'll start with the earliest habit I gained (and the longest lasting)

And, of course, my favourite outdoor activity: Sitting on something that moves for me.

I soon found one of my biggest loves in life: music. It wasn't until much, much later that I could tell that I couldn't play piano as well as I thought I could. It didn't lessen my love for it, though.

Instead, I learned how to keep a beat, and led an army of sugar-filled children down the street in a grand parade to mark the glorious occasion of my 4th Birthday.

Doing such things made me feel served as proof of how awesome I was am.

Although sometimes my parents had to get on to me about my odd behaviors. If you view this next picture as a comic, you can see how my parents and I make sure that I am normal enough for the world while still being unique enough for me.

Panel 1: Me: "Hahaha LOL!"
Panel 2: Parentals: "Stop being so much of a freak!"
Me: "Fiiiiiine. *grumble*"
Panel 3: All: "It was pretty funny, though."

Speaking of the parents, here's a picture of the whole family (minus a brother who would show up later) posing for a picture in our house as it used to be... held up in what our house is now.

Thanks for joining me on this miniature trip down memory lane! Most if not all credit for the pictures probably goes to my dad. There is a video version of my 4th birthday parade that I will not be selling for $10, but if I ever find the VHS (Magic movie box for you young kids), I will try to find a way to put it online, because why not?

Celebrate today on your own by either taking a lot of pictures of things that intrigue you in one way or another, or by doing what I did and appreciating the pictures you already have. More than anything, though: Have fun with it. Because if you don't it won't be any fun.... kinda obvious...

Thanks for reading!

~Kyle

Greeking Out

Today is The End Of The Middle Ages Day! Celebrating the day that is considered to be the end of the middle ages by most scholars (May 29th, 1453), today is meant to mark the anniversary of the fall of the Ottoman Empire. There are quite a fews ways to celebrate it. You could go to a renaissance festival, which would have a plethora of ways to have old timey fun. You could celebrate the day by learning more about the time period of the middle ages up to and slightly past its ending. However, a stroke of luck happened today for me. Some of my friends were going to eat at a greek restaurant, and the end of the middle ages is when greek scholars migrated around the known world spreading their knowledge. It is unknown to me if my friends knew that they were celebrating the holiday, and I should have probably brought it up, as I have discussed the holidays with some of them before. It isn't easy to talk when you are eating a delicious gyro sandwich, though. I also tried fried calamari for the first time. How does every blog post turn into something about food? I'm sorry... No I'm not, actually. Food is awesome. Especially greek food.

Thanks for reading!
~Kyle

Landlubber

Today is Shrimp Scampi Day! I have to say, I've always been a little confused as to what this dish entailed. I know there is definitely shrimp in it, but I've seen it with noodles, in a sandwich, or even by itself. So however YOU make shrimp scampi, go ahead and do that... I guess. I gotta be perfectly honest here: I have never had shrimp anything. Or really any kind of seafood aside from the fish & chips I had in Ireland/England/Wales. I can only assume that, judging by the places I ate them, it wasn't any particularly rare fish that I was eating. Shrimp, though: never had it. Or sushi. Or crab. Or lobster. Or whale. Or dolphin. Or tuna. You name a sea-dwelling animal, and I probably haven't had it. Maybe that will change today? I don't know. Where does one procure some shrimp scampi? Can I just make it myself? This looks like a job for... ME! To go ask my mom. She'd probably know.

Thanks for reading!
~Kyle

Magic Tricks and Politics

Today is the Festival of Smoke and Mirrors Day! This sounds like the kind of festival someone could lose a lot of money very fast in. Today is a day to celebrate, create, and partake in illusions. You can either go the classic route of magic tricks and sleight of hand, or you can take the phrase in it's more modern meaning of constantly hiding or distorting the truth. I recommend you take the first option, as almost everybody will enjoy a magic trick. On the other end of the spectrum, almost nobody likes a liar. It is all up to you, of course.

Thanks for reading!
~Kyle

No place for a mighty warrior.

Today is National Corn Chip Day: a day to celebrate one of the most addicting snacks in the world! Just so the less food-educated are aware, corn chips and potato chips are NOT the same thing. Corn chips are usually dipped in salsa, cheese, chili, or crushed up and baked into some delicious crunchy mexican recipes. In my opinion, corn chips will reign supreme over potato chips for all time, as they are delicious to eat even alone and without any seasoning because they always taste great. So take some time today to stuff your face with corn chips in celebration of this day dedicated to them.

Thanks for reading!
~Kyle