Happy Anniversary- PauA + Kat + Oh Henry

 Are you adventurous 

 when it comes to eating different foods?

 Not this Kat.  

I prefer to be adventurous in other ways…

like ordering an outfit 

without checking the return policy

(got burned on that.) 

When I was younger, 

I was pretty finicky 

so 

I stuck mainly to processed foods.

 Fritos, Devil Dogs, and Oscar Mayer Bologna 

were the base of my food pyramid.

 Over the years, 

I branched out to include some nutrition. 

Today I am not as finicky, 

(PaulA might disagree.)

I can’t eat, 

or even look at 

some of the things PaulA can eat…

especially 

a fish that beats me in a staring contest.

Anywhoooo.....

Back many moons ago, 

the original moon…

I hardly ate anything during our honeymoon in Antigua. 

Nothing tasted like I was used to…

 the dairy,

the meat…

even the fruits and vegetables

 tasted differently. 

I also didn't like fish or seafood…

(although I would eat shrimp.) 

Unfortunately, I never saw shrimp listed on the menu.

Oh, 

but in the gift shop…

I found 

Oh Henry. 

You know, the chocolate bar with nuts…

the original protein bar. 

I was so thankful for my sweet savior.

So every couple of days,

 I'd hit the gift shop 

and stock up on Oh Henry bars. 

The bars had the same taste I was used to back in the States…

maybe a little staler,

 but they got me through our honeymoon.

The killer was on the very last moon 

of our honeymoon…

I asked the waiter, what the prawn was on the menu?

(pre-phones and pre-google)

He replied 

“shrimp.” 

Why didn't you say so,sirrrrrr?

Food aside, 

our honeymoon was perfect...

Adventuresome PauA + Finicky Kat…

Oh, and

Oh, Henry.

Happy 44th

 Wedding Anniversary

to this guy...

I couldn't love you more.

What's the Wordle?

 This summer I hit pause on Wordle, 

but the other day I

tickled my Wordle fancy...

and

nailed it in 3.  

“Impressive” 

(declared the online Wordle cheerleader.)

In case you don’t know, 

Wordle is a daily New York Times word game

invented by Josh Wardle.

Guess a 5 letter word in 6 or less tries...

and you win.  

But for me, 

 if I guess it in more than 4 tries…

I’m not a happy camper 

or 

a happy homebody.

Wordle in 5

                                                                              boo-hiss

nasty day ahead

Anywho..….

I have been playing Wordle for a few years;

always starting with the word 

“RAISE.”  

Every single day, every day of the week, 

every single time,

 of every single day 

I use the word…

"RAISE." 

Never fail, never falter. 

Never ever. 

You get the picture? 

Enough already, Kat.

So one random day, Friday April 19, 2024, 

out of the wild blue Wordle…

PaulA asked me... 

“Why don’t you change your word? 

Don’t use “RAISE.”  

Try something else?  See how it goes?”   

After wallowing in Wordle dilemma

 I cautiously caved to his suggestion   

and I started with a different word...

 "YOUTH."  

So,

 as the Wordle world spins…

the word that day was…

"RAISE." 

Of course it was.

The very, very, very word 

I had used every day 

every time, every single solitary day,

except that dang day. 

I would have been 

a Wordle Wonder Woman 

instead of this Wordle whiner.

What are the odds of guessing the word in one try? 

Who cares.

I’m more curious about the odds 

of changing the word I've used 

every day for 3 years...

on the day 

it is the Wordle.

I understand in the end, 

it was my fault. 

I listened to PaulA.  I take full responsibility.  

It was my choice. 

But, it wasn’t my idea to change it. 

If only he had been on a walk, 

taking a shower 

or on a 

 Honey-do trip to Home Depot.

I still love the guy tho 

even though he cost me

 a perfect Worlde game

and

 cost me 

future Wordle Winner bragging rights. 

 As you can see …

I’m over it. 

I’ve moved on.

No big deal.

It’s just a game...

(she says sheepishly 

with a Wordle wimper 

and 

googles 

“how to let things go.”)

What's your WORDle?

Dinking Out Loud

 Pickleball is having its moment,

but 

before you dive into the pickle jar...

you might wanna

"dink about it a while.”

The ball bounces both ways as to 

the game's pluses and minuses.

Along with it being a 

social and competitive activity…

pickleball does have some funny words like...  

"Dink." 

And what’s funnier than  the word “dink?"

Well, maybe….

"whippersnapper" ... 

which is funny until 

you play against a 

real live whippersnapper...

like I did one day.    

Not only did this young whippersnapper

beat me..

 he whipped me...

playing with 

"one hand in his pocket"

the entire time.

no joke

Alanis Morissette style.

 

 There are also lots of 

corny t-shirts with captions like:  

"Dink Positive,"

"Dink Responsibly,"  

“I’m kind of a big dill on the pickleball court.”  

They can be super cute and 

pickle your funny bone 

or 

super annoying, 

depending on your mood. 

My favorite saying is the #1 pickleball rule…

"Stay out of the Kitchen.”  

PaulA likes to reminds me that does not apply to our kitchen.

(such an over seasoned kitchen joke)

Anywhooo…..

The minuses are definitely 

the injuries…

which are registering Kaching 

with Ortho Drs 

ca$hing in everywhere. 

There was one day…I took a spill...  

pickle clean up on aisle 5…

nothing major…slightly bruised knee and ego..…

but it was just enough that I got A LOT of attention.  

Maybe I was looking for attention.  

I have to admit…everyone ran over and wanted to help me.  

Did I need ice? Are you sure you are okay?

You know like in the scene from "Jerry McGuire"

 where Cuba Gooding's character is on the ground 

a minute too long...

yep, that was this dink.

Oh yea…

And then there was a time I was partners with a man …

well, not a life partner.  

PaulA is my life partner and he’s the best...

(and smart not to play pickle and risk injury to his golf game)

This man was a rando pickleball partner 

during drop-in open play 

who happened to be a 

big ball hog. 

So Mr. Big Ball Hog... 

jumped in front of me for a shot  

and almost knocked me to the ground, 

As I started to teeter topple over...

he grabbed me so I wouldn’t fall.

At the time it seemed like a good save, 

but I ended up 

with an aggravated sternum..

inflammation and pain,

for 3 weeks.

(Kaching for my Ortho Dr.)

Here’s my advice:   

get a good partner…

in life and in pickle.

So to sums things up…

when you take the fun you get from a dinking game 

plus

the amount of time you "stay out of the kitchen"

 it equals

a dill-lightful game...

minus

the injuries.

As for the corny pickleball puns…

you gotta 

“Learn to dill with it.”