Geiger Readings for Nov 30, 2020
Latitude 47.704656 Longitude -122.318745
Ambient office = 95 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 76 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 74 nanosieverts per hour
December 2020
A Hot Chocolate Tasting Adventure
Most of us have been trying to find more fun things to do at home since it's not safe to venture out this year, and one of the things I'm really looking forward to is a hot chocolate tasting with my family!
Crafts For Good Causes
While crafting is a wonderful way to embrace creativity, enjoy downtime, relieve stress and even generate income, it's also a great way to give back. There are so many wonderful crafting opportunities to help others, especially during the holidays. Some projects on our radar right now include:
Plarning, or crocheting water-proof mats out of plastic bags. A friend is teaching us how to do this so we can donate mats to unhoused people in our area.
Cutest Cat Behaviors This Week
The many cat groups of Facebook have kept me entertained during 2020, and experts say that looking at cute animals online is good for you to boot. Fun fact: looking at cute animal photos with your partner is also good for you together! I love dog and bunny photos and videos, too, but cats are my favorite.
Playing D&D Online
During quarantine, lots of adults and teens have missed playing Dungeons and Dragons, especially after many of the had just discovered the game courtesy of Stranger Things. Some adults and teens have kept the fun going, however, with some online playing. Some have used platforms like Google Meet and Discord, while others are streaming on YouTube to their subscribers.
Radishes Growing on International Space Station
Most of us would like to heal the planet we're on before we attempt to colonize elsewhere in space, but whether or not we agree with it, it's definitely a possibility scientists are exploring.
One barrier to space exploration is the availability of food, which we've met with lots of innovative ideas over the years, including fresh lettuce. Now NASA is exploring the possibility of growing even more veggies in space, and they've demonstrated that it's possible.
Cool Family Guy Finds
Family Guy merch is available from sellers all over the globe, even in tchotchke shops in Europe, so it's easy to find boxers, figurines and other items to give as gifts for the holidays. But have you ever looked for some of the more unique items sold be independent shops?
Grateful Dead Ski Wear
Grateful Dead merch can be found in just about every store these days, from head shops to mainstream department stores and everywhere in between. The band is on booze, shoes, housewares and ornaments, and now they're inspiring a new line of mountain wear.
Restaurants Open on Christmas Day
Finding somewhere to eat on Christmas Day is incredibly helpful for many people, whether they have to work, don't have a place to go or anyone to eat with, or simply have a last minute emergency. While it would be nice for everyone to be off for the holiday, many of us have made good holiday money working holidays over the years, and many also find it to be a welcome distraction from a painful day, so there are definitely pros and cons to businesses being open during the holidays.
Virtual Poetry Games
It's our homeschool co-ops planning month as we finish this semester and start planning the next one. I've been wanting to do a poetry class or two to go with the unit we're doing at home (many homeschoolers plan their offerings this way!) and I was thinking of hosting some fun poetry games for the kids.
Best Winter Bites
When I talk about winter snacks, you might find it weird that I mention soup. How is soup a snack? If you've ever tried the Trader Joe's soup dumplings, you know that it's one of the tastiest snacks of the season! You can totally make a meal out of them, too, but if you want a quick, warming bite that is delicious and perfect for winter snacking, it's my absolute favorite.
Great Groupon Deals
Like many people, I had a Groupon that I wasn't going to be able to use before its expiration due to Covid-19. The arcade we wanted to hit was still open but we opted to not go for safety reasons and we got a refund for our experience.
Best Drink Finds at Aldi
Aldi is one of my favorite places to shop. It's to the point where I'm even in a social media group where we share our favorite Aldi finds and secrets! Aldi is one of the best places to buy booze because you can find reasonable quality at dirt cheap prices.
Great Graphic Novels
Graphic novels have always been popular in our house, but lately my teenager is just plowing through them faster than I can keep them in stock! We're always on the library waitlist for the next one in a series and they almost always get read the day they're delivered.
Wombats are Bioluminescent
For years, humans were astounded by the bioluminescence found in glowing marine life, but now we're finding that it exists in many other creatures, too. Recently we found out that the platypus is bioluminescent, as are flying squirrels, which glow a bright pink color. Now we know that wombats also glow!
Anti-Vax Propaganda Warnings Hit Social Media
Most of us have friends that share anti-vax videos or memes (or had them prior to the pandemic; a lot of us have done some unfriending in 2020) and social media networks are warning that there's going to be an influx of these conspiracy-fueled shares now that we're getting closer to a vaccine.
Animal Shelters Still Need Help
Early on during this pandemic, we saw a boom in pet adoption as people at home went to shelters in droves and adopted new fur babies. It's one of the best things that happened this year! Unfortunately that didn't stop all of the stray and neglected pets from reproducing and shelters still need lots of help to operate in these difficult times.
Should Kermit and Piggy Reconcile?
Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy have had a tumultuous relationship over the years, and they've been apart for around five years now, believe it or not. The thing is, they've always broken up and gotten back together again, so it may just be another marketing ploy--especially since they were just interviewed and asked if they'd get back together again and both were a bit elusive about it.
Quarantine Puzzle Night
Even during quarantine, it's sometimes a challenge to get everyone together for a virtual game night in my family. Some of us have evening meetings and classes, most still have to work outside the home and some of us are even doing projects at home when it's warm enough. So a lengthy game night doesn't always work out.
Monolith Mayhem Takes a Racist Turn
The monolith saga was continuing all in good fun as the objects continue to pop up all over the globe, until some Americans just had to go and make it weird and hateful. Some anti-immigrant MAGA men chanted, "Christ is king!" as they tore one down, erected a cross in its place... and said they didn't want "illegals" from Mexico or outer space. Sigh.