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Coffee and Contemplation: Father’s Day and National Arizona Day

I’m a cat dad. I’ve been taking care of my cat Callie for over two years. I rescued her from the shelter, and we had an immediate bond. She yells at me if I’ve been away from home too long. And she yells if she feels there isn’t enough food in her dish or if her water dish looks contaminated. I have to refill it three times a day or she won’t drink it. She likes to rest her front paws on my shoulder as I hold her rear paws in my arms. She purrs and rubs her face on mine.

I’ve never observed Father’s Day on the receiving end. I don’t expect to get any cards or gifts. I’m sure some would say it doesn’t count unless you have a human child. Humans are overrated. Regardless, I’m proud to call myself a cat dad. I love my little fur baby. Sometimes I feel she’s my only friend. Lockdown and quarantine would have been lonely without her. I find myself gravitating towards this as I don’t have a good relationship with my own father. Many people have lost their father and this day is difficult for them.

She’s not angry. That’s just her face.

With the world diving headfirst into chaos, the issues I have with my father seem trivial. I feel ready to let go of the past and move on. But I’m not ready to discuss this with my father. Maybe I will one day. It doesn’t feel necessary. For now, I’ll enjoy being a cat dad. And anyone who has a strained relationship with their father, or if you’ve lost your father, I hope this day isn’t too difficult for you. To all the cat dads, people dads, dog dads, lizard dads, dads of any creatures, and moms who are both the mom and dad, Happy Father’s Day.

Today is also National Arizona Day. I live in Tucson, AZ that’s why I’m mentioning it. In 2017, National Day Calendar began celebrating each state in the order they entered the Union starting the week of Independence Day and ending with Hawaii. Arizona became a state on Valentine’s Day in 1912. With the addition of Arizona, the 48 states in the continental US were officially joined together. We’ve got wildfires, a pandemic, and riots/protests. Also, it’s over one hundred degrees and it’ll only get hotter through August. And I don’t plan on moving.

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Wacky Wednesday: June 3

I’m trying something a little new this month with the Wacky Wednesday. We’ll have a couple fun words and then some fun holiday celebrations. Every day of the year has one or more weird things to celebrate. What sort of things could one possibly celebrate on June 3? Well, the first Wednesday of June is National Running Day. I’m didn’t go for a run and I suspect you haven’t either, so we’ll just skip that one. However, if you are a runner, I’m sure you’re celebrating in your own way and I hope you enjoy it.

Our first word is Argle-Bargle. Yes, it’s supposed to be hyphenated. This is a noun meaning “copious or meaningless talk or writing; nonsense.” One could argue that these Wacky Wednesday posts are argle-bargle. One could also argue that a certain public figure in the United States does nothing but speak argle-bargle. The next word is Bibliopole. Another noun meaning “a person who buys and sells books, especially rare ones.” I think that one is self-explanatory and doesn’t need examples. Go to any used bookstore and you’ll find many a bibliopole.

Most of the National holidays for June 3 revolve around food. The first is National Egg Day. Do you enjoy eggs for breakfast? Why not have some with lunch, dinner, supper, or maybe a Second Breakfast? Enjoy eggs all day! The next is National Chocolate Macaroon Day. That sounds like a lovely snack to have after having eggs with your supper. And finally, we have National Repeat Day. Some may repeat daily habits such as washing the dishes twice. Or they’ll repeat words and phrases like saying hello twice when greeting someone. You can also relive a fun day out with friends or family. Tell me what you did to celebrate these holidays in the comments. Enjoy! Enjoy!

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Wacky Wednesday: May 13

This is a new thing I’m trying. I haven’t fleshed out an exact concept for these kinds of posts. They may include some wacky stories. Things that sound absurd but are real. For now, I’ll share some wacky words. You can find these words in dictionaries. They have real meanings and some even have etymology for how they came to be. Some I had never heard of while others I use often in my everyday speech. There are several but today I’m only sharing a couple. Have you heard of these before? Tell me in the comments.

Lollapalooza: I’m certain most people are familiar with this word. It’s the name of an annual four-day music festival in Chicago, IL. The festival has been going on since 1991. Before 1991, the word already had meaning. It’s a noun meaning a person or thing that is particularly impressive or attractive. Another version of the definition says an extraordinary thing, person, or event. Do you know any people, books, events, movies, or songs you would call a lollapalooza? Try using it in a sentence next time you’re chatting with friends.

Sockdolager: This is a noun but is more slang and informal. It holds two meanings. It’s either a forceful blow or an exceptional person or thing. Its origin is said to be from the mid 19th century and may have evolved from the term sock. Anyone remember watching Laugh-In where they said, “Sock it to me!” as one of their many catchphrases? This phrase doesn’t roll of the tongue as well as lollapalooza but it’s still fun to say.

Do you know any other fun, wacky words? Leave them in the comments. I’ll try to have one or two new words each week.