What Does the Heat Make You Thirsty For?

       Thirsty-Thursdays are a place to talk all things thirst. Thirst can be actual, physical thirst and direct us to the subject of tasty drinks, but it can also drive us toward a mental thirst, the thirst for information.

It is going to be hot, hot, scorching hot the next few days here in Utah.  It's the beginning of June, and seriously 90s?  I know, I am very much a wimp when it comes to heat.  I think it is the thick Wisconsin skin.  I can handle negative temps, but get close to 100 and I die, or at least melt. 

    It was also a little toasty nine years ago at my wedding reception.

Reuben and I at our Utah reception

    Just like the heat, I am also not a fan of the typical Utah wedding tradition of a reception line.  This basically is where the groom and bride, their parents, and anybody else in the wedding party line up and people come through the line and greet the wedding party people.  I have walked through many of these lines, and they can be so long and plainly a little boring.  You usually only know one person and that is the bride or groom.  You awkwardly(at least if your me) talk to everybody in said line, but really, you are there to talk to that one person you actually know, for two minutes.  Anyway, I digress.  Not my favorite, but it is tradition and you do things because of tradition sometimes.  

    Anyway.  It was also hard to be the bride in a reception line.  There were many people who I did not know but they were genuinely happy for Reuben and I.  Don't get me wrong, I am very glad they came to celebrate us, but it did make for a long day.  But, there was one special thing that happened at that reception, Diet Coke.  See those cups in our hands?  I have always been a fan of soda and it fit well with our baseball themed wedding.  A friend of mine kept coming to me with a new cup every 20-30 minutes the whole hour and a half we stood in that hot line, and it was a godsend.  It made bearable the roasting necessity that was that line. Refreshing, revitalizing and restoring bubbles got me through that line.

Me and my Dad at the Wisconsin reception

    Now, we didn't have a line at our Wisconsin wedding.  (We did have a softball game though!) But it was July in muggy Wisconsin(as you can see by my hygrometer hair), so a thirst quencher was also needed to survive all the fun.  This time it wasn't Diet Coke, but 1919 Root beer*.  It is my favorite draft root beer and it is found in many Wisconsin bars and restaurants.  I think it is a big part of my childhood and has carried into my adulthood because of my non-alcoholic drinking ways. See, in places where they make good beer, they also make amazing root beer.  My mom specially ordered a half of barrel of 1919 for the occasion and it truly was one of the highlights.  

    Now, as it is getting warmer, water is probably best.  We all know it, but there is just something about having something a little more delicious to sip out of an ice-cold sweating glass.  Comment with the drinks you love to enjoy in the heat.  Maybe you will inspire somebody across the internet waves to try something different.  Also, feel free to share your memories attached to your special drinks.  I want this space to be one that can connect us all to one another.  So, here is me begging for comments...beg, beg, beg, grovel, grovel.

*Stay tuned to the next Thirsty Thursday to learn all about 1919 Draft Root Beer! 

Quench Your Thirst

  Thirsty-Thursdays are a place to talk all things thirst. Thirst can be actual, physical thirst and direct us to the subject of tasty drinks, but it can also drive us toward a mental thirst, the thirst for information.

So. Thirst. You probably think about drinking something when you have thirst. But today, I just wanted to talk a little bit about what we all seem to be thirsting for lately.

Christmas was good. It had us focused on tradition and celebration. And then we took the decorations down. My sister said this past weekend that she was taking down their Christmas tree, and she was sad.

We were looking forward to Christmas for months. In the midst of pandemic isolation, it was something to look forward to. I think in life, the biggest need, or thirst we have is to look forward to things.

So, right now, what I am thirsty for is something to look forward to. I want things to go to and things to do. And guess what? I am making a pact right here and now to start planning little adventures. A date with my husband. A girls night out. The next writing group. Summer adventures. It's time to start looking forward.

I am not much of a planner, but I need to make plans these days. So...I am doing just that. Hockey, end of January with a few friends from work. Bowling or axe throwing with my husband, I must call a babysitter. The next writing group is already on the calendar for the second week of February.

What are you thirsty for? What do you need to look forward to? If you aren't making plans, do it now. You will thank me later; I am certain of it.

Thirsty Thursdays: A Bright Spot in These Dim Times

 Thirsty-Thursdays are a place to talk all things thirst. Thirst can be actual, physical thirst and direct us to the subject of tasty drinks, but it can also drive us toward a mental thirst, the thirst for information.

    Life has been a bit different the past nine months or so. Work has been really different for me the past nine months. This school year is the most challenging I have faced in my nineteen years of teaching. I am learning lots of new technology things to keep my classes ready to go fully online at any moment, and I am also trying to find new ways to motivate students, who already have a hard time being motivated.

    Let's be honest here, I, too, am having a hard time being motivated. See, pre-covid, I had a lot more going on outside of work. I don't consider myself the most social person, but I am realizing more and more that I need a social outlet. With the whole idea of "social distancing" I am not getting even the little amounts of social interaction that I crave and need. I have gotten into a rut. I have hit my snooze several times everyday. Recently, I have gotten in the habit of just setting my last alarm out of my four pre-set alarms. It feels silly and a wee bit pathetic. I am just not motivated to get up and get going like I usually am. So, I totally get my students' lack of motivation, but I also realize that they need to be motivated or we are going to lose a lot more graduates than we usually do.

    So, basically there are reasons we need a little bright spot here and there. One of my co-workers has created "Thirsty Thursdays" for us at work. Here, we can visit her stash of flavor syrups to add to our sodas to celebrate the end of days with students(See Fridays are student free). It's the clean version of cocktails at work. I look forward to this every week. I don't know how this little thing brings so much light, but it does.

    What is my drink of choice, you ask? I love a extra dirty Coke Zero. I add coconut and half and half to my Coke Zero and instantly I am on some beach somewhere enjoying a "mixed" drink.

Seeing it is December and I love Coca Cola, I think you need a little bright spot that can be found within Coke's yearly Christmas Video. Enjoy:

    Coca Cola has been in the business of Christmas Advertising since the 1920s when ads featuring Santa appeared in popular magazines. Most recently, the ads often feature polar bears and are amazingly cute. These cute commercials started in the 1990s. I love how they are often family themed and overall just plain fun. Enjoy a few now:

    If you need a little bit more of a pick me up, be sure to do what Coke would tell you and "Have a Coke and a smile."

Election Haiku

 Thirsty-Thursdays are a place to talk all things thirst. Thirst can be actual, physical thirst and direct us to the subject of tasty drinks, but it can also drive us toward a mental thirst, the thirst for information.

It's Thirsty Thursday

Thirsty, thirsty for closure

Covid; election

Sleepy Joe or Trump

Caring starts to escape me. 

Maybe that's the plan?

Election drama

One, two, three, four, start over. 

Hire two-year olds?

Having chest pain

Perhaps a heart attack? Or

Election panic. 

Blood-Sucking Thirsty Thursday

 Thirsty-Thursdays are a place to talk all things thirst. Thirst can be actual, physical thirst and direct us to the subject of tasty drinks, but it can also drive us toward a mental thirst, the thirst for information.

 This piece is the first of a five-part series dedicated to Halloween.  It is October, afterall, and why not celebrate all month long?   We all especially need some Halloween celebration this crazy year!

“Blood thirsty, blood suckers” is a very appropriate subject to start this holiday series. (And I am not even talking about the two blood-sucking schmoes running for the highest office in the land.)

Secret confession here: I actually get more excited about Halloween than I do about  Christmas.  There, I said it.  Orange and black run in my blood just as strong as Packer green and gold does.  My decorations have been up for weeks and it has just turned October.  I just love this season.  Fall colors, cool crisp air, pumpkins, and the undead are really things that get me going.

Speaking of thirsty, bloodsuckers are always thirsty.  You know, vampires. You’ve heard of them, right?  I’m sure you have a favorite vampire and I hope it isn’t Edward. (Twilight fans don’t quit reading, I was mildly joking.  There is a place for Edward, but let’s start a little more classical and traditional.)  

For centuries, there have been myths of vampires and all the things that these undead beings do. In the Middle Ages, oral tradition passed on ideas about the undead creatures that would roam around during the middle of the night and suck their victims’ blood.  The plague of the mid 1300s only added to this mythology, because people who had the plague would often start bleeding from their mouths. The people of that era were so worried about the dead actually being undead that they dug up the graves of suspected vampires and stabbed them with wooden stakes, hence the modern ideas about how one would kill a vampire.

But is the idea of vampires just all myth and folklore?  There are actually real groups of people today who do label themselves vampires.  They may not actually be going out and killing people (at least let’s hope not) but they are actually drinking real human blood for perceived “health benefits.” 

Let’s pretend I didn’t say anything about real life vampires and get to the top five most famous vampires.  (Of course, these are the five most famous to me and are in no particular order).  

Count Von Count

Picture found here: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19409960

Counting along with Count Von Count was one of my favorite childhood memories. Sesame Street was a daily tradition in my house and The Count was certainly a favorite character. 

“One. One Bat. Two bats. Ha Ha Ha.”

Count Chocula

Photo found here: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/84953/elect-your-favorite-cereal-monst

Besides the delicious candy from a good trick-or-treat outing, this tasty treat from this popular trio was a special indulgence around Halloween. As a kid, I didn’t get sugary cereal too often, so this was a cherished celebration!

Count Dracula

Photo found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Dracula

Probably the most famous and actually the first fictionalized vampire, Count Dracula appeared in the famous Bram Stoker novel entitled Dracula in 1897.  Dracula is considered to be the example from which all modern fictional vampires originate.  From his cape to his incisors, he is the ultimate vampire blueprint. 

Edward Cullen

Photo found here: https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/arts-and-culture/2020/05/05/2011960/midnight-sun-new-twilight-book-12-years-retold-edwards-pov

You’re welcome, Twilight fans.  I highly enjoyed reading this trilogy and cannot wait to read Midnight Sun which gives us the story from Edward’s perspective.  Although I feel this story is majorly cheesy and the acting in the movies was a bit subpar, I too, like millions of teenage girls, fell in love with the story and with this particular vampire. Oh to have a smokin’ hot vampire fall in love with me and agree to make me a vampire, truly making our love immortal...mythical magic dream come true.

Grandpa

.

Photo found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandpa_(The_Munsters)#:~:text=Grandpa%20is%20a%20fictional%20character,Grandpa%20is%20an%20undead%20vampire.

My brother and I watched The Munsters reruns together most days after school.  It was one of the only shows we could agree on, and I am sure it was either followed or preceded by The Addams Family.  Grandpa’s humor, cool old classic car, and the fact that he slept in a coffin were all endearing characteristics.  Also, who doesn’t love a show with a family filled with  vampires, a werewolf, a normal girl who looked like Marilyn Monroe, and a Frankenstein?

If you happen to be thirsty for more information on vampires, here are a few sites that I found interesting:

https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/vampire-history

https://www.mentalfloss.com/search?term=vampires

https://www.britannica.com/topic/vampire

If you are thirsty for more counting with Count Von Count, here is a good list of videos on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=count+von+count

May you fill October with all things undead and be sure to include some vampires in your Halloween watch lists.  But run if you hear, “I want to suck your blood!”