Daniel E Wolf
In keeping with our theme of alternative Christmas trees, the countdown to Solstice continues. Today’s offering ranges from furball to ultra-minimalist. In either case, your guess is as good as mine how they pulled it off. Force field? Super glue? Magnets?
I guess there’s always taxidermy and Photoshop to consider too.
To those of you with a naughty search history this year, a friendly little reminder from the Internet Elves.
Remember: “He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake…”
And for those of you – like me – who are into alternative Christmas trees, there’s this.
I can’t decide on a favorite between this one and the Taco Tree from the post earlier this week, here. Waddayasay? This one will last longer, that’s for sure.
Stay tuned for more Yuletide merriment as Solstice draws nigh.
In no particular order, the three best things I’ve seen this week.
All that I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say,
is that I love the world — E.B. White.
Those of you who know me well know that when I’m out hiking and I decide to stop and take a picture, I’m much more likely to take a shot of a trailside sign than I am to snap a selfie. That’s because I’m a sucker for a good sign, yeah, sure. But also because most of you already know my face and are justifiably unimpressed. Ahem.
In any event, that was the case today as I started from the back of the Waterton parking lot and headed downstream along the South Platte past the gravel ponds all the way to where we usually put in our kayak at Chatfield Reservoir. Turns out they’ve recently put up a new sign there, though for the life of me I can’t figure out what good it does anybody without, say, a life preserver or even a frayed rope attached. What are ya gonna do, pull the metal sign up outta the muck and toss it across the ice to your drowning friend? Nope, I don’t THINK so.
To me, some of the most interesting signs are the ones listing rules and regulations. That’s because, while some of them may make perfect sense, others can really make you scratch your head. Take this one, for instance and note three up from the bottom. It says “No Pool Toys.” Wait… WHAT? Really? Why in heaven’s name NOT?
Turns out even the dumpsters come with instructions. Remember: No furniture or appliances – and definitely no carpet.
Back behind the gravel ponds there’s a place I’d never noticed before. If you’ve ever wondered where your Golden Retriever got her professional training fetching a stick, this must be the place.
And yes, even this one comes with a caveat, down near the end: Guns Are OK, But… No Live Ammo. Got it, Sport Dogs? Good Boy!
Trail improvements come courtesy of the alliteratively named “Roundup Riders of the Rockies.” Yee-haw! Not sure if they had any input on the rules and regulations. I’m guessing probably not.
Alright, I lied. The last two photos are non-sign-related. The first, however, is a sign of Beavers-@-Work in lowlands flooded since last spring. Note the telltale V-shaped notch at the bottom of the leaning tree. The other photo is of my only companions today: The geese.
Today there’s a bit of a chill in the air and just the first few falling flakes of snow. Think maybe we’ll head over to downtown Denver’s Christkindlmarket which is a must-visit destination this time of year for all foodies and lovers of seasonal kitsch. Also brings to mind the following food memes: Enjoy.
According to People magazine in a story here, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has released its 2023 winner of “Word of the Year.” And the winner is… “rizz.”
Dictionary publisher Oxford University Press defines the viral term “rizz” – short for charisma – as “someone’s ability to attract another person through style, charm, or attractiveness.”
“Rizz” beat out “Swiftie” for Word of the Year by a narrow margin. I don’t have to explain to any of you what the latter word means since practically everyone on the planet already knows it.
Going forward, I’d say I’m a whole lot more apt to use “Swiftie” in a sentence than I am to use “rizz.” But maybe that’s just me? How about it, folks? You have any alternatives to either of these words to suggest to the OED for Word of the Year? Other contenders in the running this year (besides “Swiftie”) were:
Beige Flag
Prompt
Situationship
De-influencing
Heat Dome
Parasocial
I leave it to you to go click the link above if you’re curious about the definitions of any of these others. For the record, I looked it up, and NONE of these have ever been used in any post on dewconsulting.net. Ah well. I have been called many things, but nobody’s ever accused me of being cutting edge.
It has been a while since we’ve had a #literature post. To correct this deficiency with a surprise plot twist, today’s post is all words and no pictures. Sorry, cartoon-lovers: Your day will come. In the meantime…. Enjoy these stolen memes as the plot thickens.
I take it as a sign of divine grace that the same Wittenberg monk who single-handedly split Christendom in half and started the Thirty Years War – and who penned the Teutonic bombast-fest titled “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” – also gave us the modern tradition of the Christmas tree. A wee bit of humble green beauty inserted into the cold dark heart of bleak mid-winter covers a multitude of sins. Well done, Martinus.
“Whoever is not handsome at twenty, not strong at thirty, not wise at forty and is not rich at fifty might as well give up hope. Age does not protect against foolishness.”
Not half bad for a Wittenberg monk who never made it to 65.